NewFest and the Brooklyn Academy of Music (Bam) have announced the fourth annual lineup for their “Queering the Canon” retrospective film series, this year subtitled “Besties.”
This year’s lineup of films screening at Bam in downtown Brooklyn (April 11 – 15) includes a 4K restoration of Rose Troche’s lesbian classic “Go Fish,” the world premiere of the 4K restoration of Brian Sloan’s queer romantic comedy “I Think I Do,” 35mm screenings of Gus Van Sant’s “My Own Private Idaho” and F. Gary Gray’s “Set It Off.” The “Go Fish” screening will be accompanied by a Q&a with Rose Troche in person along with star Guinevere Turner.
The repertory series was created by NewFest, co-curated by NewFest’s Nick McCarthy (director of programming) and Kim Garcia (technical director and programmer), and is presented in partnership with Bam.
The event will also include a panel discussion, “Best of the Besties,...
This year’s lineup of films screening at Bam in downtown Brooklyn (April 11 – 15) includes a 4K restoration of Rose Troche’s lesbian classic “Go Fish,” the world premiere of the 4K restoration of Brian Sloan’s queer romantic comedy “I Think I Do,” 35mm screenings of Gus Van Sant’s “My Own Private Idaho” and F. Gary Gray’s “Set It Off.” The “Go Fish” screening will be accompanied by a Q&a with Rose Troche in person along with star Guinevere Turner.
The repertory series was created by NewFest, co-curated by NewFest’s Nick McCarthy (director of programming) and Kim Garcia (technical director and programmer), and is presented in partnership with Bam.
The event will also include a panel discussion, “Best of the Besties,...
- 3/13/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Many people associate the first stirrings of the French New Wave with the chic formalism of Jean-Luc Godard and the whimsical storytelling of Francois Truffaut, but Agnes Varda got there first. The seminal member of the New Wave’s “Left Bank” made her feature-length debut with 1955’s “La Pointe Courte,” the freewheeling portrait of a small fishing village far from the city life. That was four years before Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” and Godard’s “Breathless.” Truffaut died decades ago, and Godard’s films have grown increasingly abstract, but Varda has never strayed from the focus that put her on the map — humanitarian stories about France’s working class.
At 89, Varda remains more fixated on that theme, so much that she committed what may be her final film to that focus. “Faces Places” marks the latest of her playful non-fiction efforts, in which she stars as the inquisitive centerpiece...
At 89, Varda remains more fixated on that theme, so much that she committed what may be her final film to that focus. “Faces Places” marks the latest of her playful non-fiction efforts, in which she stars as the inquisitive centerpiece...
- 10/5/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
These two young actresses are definitely rising stars due to their acting range and maturity in the Hollywood business.
Talitha Bateman marks her major studio debut with Annabelle: Creation as a polio-stricken girl, who is haunted by a demon possessed in a doll. And Lulu Wilson plays her emotional and vulnerable best friend at the orphanage. Wilson was previously known for her terrific performance in another horror film Ouija: Origin of Evil.
The two girls star in Director David F. Sandberg’s Annabelle: Creation alongside Stephanie Sigman (Spectre), Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings), Anthony Lapaglia (Without a Trace), and Alicia Vela-Bailey (Lights Out).
The film is a prequel to 2014’s highly successful Annabelle. It tells of the origin story on how the creepy doll was created and possessed. The doll ends up haunting a group of orphan girls.
Lrm participated in a roundtable interview with a few reporters and the two young actresses.
Talitha Bateman marks her major studio debut with Annabelle: Creation as a polio-stricken girl, who is haunted by a demon possessed in a doll. And Lulu Wilson plays her emotional and vulnerable best friend at the orphanage. Wilson was previously known for her terrific performance in another horror film Ouija: Origin of Evil.
The two girls star in Director David F. Sandberg’s Annabelle: Creation alongside Stephanie Sigman (Spectre), Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings), Anthony Lapaglia (Without a Trace), and Alicia Vela-Bailey (Lights Out).
The film is a prequel to 2014’s highly successful Annabelle. It tells of the origin story on how the creepy doll was created and possessed. The doll ends up haunting a group of orphan girls.
Lrm participated in a roundtable interview with a few reporters and the two young actresses.
- 8/12/2017
- by Gig Patta
- LRMonline.com
Ryan Lambie Aug 7, 2017
Game Of Thrones star Hannah Murray chats to us about her starring role in the bleak drama, Bridgend, stealing socks, and more...
Bridgend deals with a subject that few filmmakers or actors would dare approach. A fictionalised story loosely based on a spate of tragic deaths which occurred in South Wales about a decade ago, it's a drama that deals with some extremely difficult topics head-on.
See related Broadchurch series 3: Jodie Whittaker interview Doctor Who, and the casting of Jodie Whittaker Bodies: excellent medical drama not for the faint-hearted
The feature debut from Danish documentary filmmaker Jeppe Rønde, Bridgend stars Hannah Murray as Sara, a teenager who moves to the former mining town of the title with her father, a policeman (Steven Waddington). Bridgend is emotionally haunted by a string of suicides among its youth; as Sara's drawn into the town's isolated clique of teenagers, the...
Game Of Thrones star Hannah Murray chats to us about her starring role in the bleak drama, Bridgend, stealing socks, and more...
Bridgend deals with a subject that few filmmakers or actors would dare approach. A fictionalised story loosely based on a spate of tragic deaths which occurred in South Wales about a decade ago, it's a drama that deals with some extremely difficult topics head-on.
See related Broadchurch series 3: Jodie Whittaker interview Doctor Who, and the casting of Jodie Whittaker Bodies: excellent medical drama not for the faint-hearted
The feature debut from Danish documentary filmmaker Jeppe Rønde, Bridgend stars Hannah Murray as Sara, a teenager who moves to the former mining town of the title with her father, a policeman (Steven Waddington). Bridgend is emotionally haunted by a string of suicides among its youth; as Sara's drawn into the town's isolated clique of teenagers, the...
- 8/4/2017
- Den of Geek
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Tuesday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best show currently on TV?” can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: How should TV critics use social media in their work, if at all?
James Poniewozik (@poniewozik), New York Times
My only real rule is that social media is, well, social, so I don’t want to get chummy with artists and performers I might write about. And I break that rule plenty. I have several showrunners, writers, etc., that I started following back before I started thinking about this sort of thing and they’re sort of grandfathered in. (As for TV-adjacent artists: I live in a world where I can follow Margaret Atwood on Twitter; how can I not?) I don’t think it’s...
This week’s question: How should TV critics use social media in their work, if at all?
James Poniewozik (@poniewozik), New York Times
My only real rule is that social media is, well, social, so I don’t want to get chummy with artists and performers I might write about. And I break that rule plenty. I have several showrunners, writers, etc., that I started following back before I started thinking about this sort of thing and they’re sort of grandfathered in. (As for TV-adjacent artists: I live in a world where I can follow Margaret Atwood on Twitter; how can I not?) I don’t think it’s...
- 6/20/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
In the mid 90s foreign players flocked to the English Premier League like Brits to sunny Benidorm. With them they brought style, skill, flair, character, and extravagant simulation; aka diving.
In the first Premier League season (1992/93) there were only 11 foreign players named in the starting line-ups for the first set of fixtures. Since then over 2,000 foreign players have graced the Premier League. So it’s no coincidence that the amount of simulation has increased as the years have gone on. I mean Jurgen Klinsmann would openly celebrate by showing the world he was a cheater when he scored a goal. It’s sadly now just become part of the beautiful game. You could even go as far as saying that the creators of Football Manager 2018 should put ‘diving ability’ as an attribute on player’s profiles.
I know that it’s not only foreign imports who try to con the referee with their acrobatics, of course some British players fall into that category too. But watching back matches from the 70s and 80s, such as the Chelsea vs Leeds Fa Cup final in 1970 and the Liverpool vs Everton matches in the 80s, its clear that diving wasn’t a problem within the game. In fact most challenges in those era’s would now warrant an 8 match ban. Back then the game was known as a contact sport, so when tackles flew in, players accepted that it was part of the game. Players gave as good as they got. It was as important to have a player in your team who didn’t mind getting stuck in, as much as a goal scorer. Maybe that’s part of the problem. As the years have rolled by football has slowly become a non-contact sport. So as soon as players feel contact, however little, they will go down. To the point that certain players go down when their not even touched. You can’t get more non contact than that.
So next season the Fa have decided to clamp down on diving once and for all. The good old Fa. If I know the Fa like I think I do, then I’m sure they’ll make this aspect of the game even more of a problem. Which in the end will just highlight the fact it’s impossible to stamp diving out of the game. The fact they said and I quote, ‘we are trying to prevent “Robert Snodgrass situations”’, proves my point. Do they understand that “a Robert Snodgrass situation” already has a term, it’s called ‘simulation’. Are we meant to use that term now? Are pundit’s supposed to say, “oh he’ s done a Robert Snodgrass.” The Fa are apparently “formulating a process” that they hope will reverse the trend of more simulation in the English game. Oh great. I can’t wait to see what mess they make of this.
I have to agree with Sam Allardyce, the idea of a retrospective ban is ‘utter rubbish’. He goes on to make a valid point about what happens if the referees make a wrong decision, and how are the Fa supposed to reverse those mistakes. It’s impossible to fix by just saying that they will be handing out a two game retrospective ban for those who try to cheat their way to a positive result. The problem is that 99% of football players will try to win at all costs, even if it involves trying to con the referee into making the wrong decision.
Jurgen Klinsmann played up to his reputation as a diver when celebrating a goal.
It happens at all levels, be it in the Premier League or on a Saturday playing for Chalfont St Peter against Uxbridge in the Evo-stik League Southern Division One Central. Let’s take Victor Moses in the Fa Cup final. If the referee had been tricked into thinking he had been fouled, and Chelsea went on to score the penalty to win the game, do you think Antonio Conte would have cared if his player had cheated his way to victory? I mean I’m glad the referee wasn’t conned by Moses’ attempts to win a penalty as I don’t think it’s right. But that’s not to say I don’t think it’s wrong to try and attempt to do it. He was sent off, and that was the price he had to pay to attempt to win his team a penalty.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino described Dele Alli as “a little bit naughty” after winning a penalty against Swansea. But he doesn’t care. His team won, and the three points are all that matters. I guarantee managers prefer 3 points in whatever manner. The prospect of losing a player for two games with this new banning system out weighs playing fairly, and drawing the game.
The retrospective ban will not stamp out diving in football. There’s too much at stake during those 90 minutes. You’re telling me you wouldn’t want your player to dive to win a penalty if it meant you would win the league, or finish in the top four, or even avoid relegation? Some of these dives would make the club tens of millions of pounds. And I’ll tell you something that you probably already know, but if a player had the opportunity to go down to win a penalty and decided not to as it was deemed as simulation, the manager and players would definitely voice their opinion on the matter after the game. They would not be giving that player a pat on the back, and saying well done for playing fairly. I’ve been in changing rooms after football matches where managers have lost it at players who chose to stay on their feet, when actually they could have gone down and won a penalty. Players are somewhat told to cheat, in order to win the game at all costs.
But here’s the main problem with the new retrospective diving bans . ‘Only incidents that result in a player winning a penalty or lead to an opponent being sent off – through either a direct red card or two yellow cards – will be punished.’ Are you kidding me? So unless the dive results in a penalty or a red card, there will be no retrospective action? So let me throw out a couple of scenarios that mean it’s deemed acceptable to cheat and get away with it.
1. A player dives just outside the box, the referee deems it to be a foul and awards a free kick in the 92nd minute. That teams set piece taker then executes a perfect free kick and scores. The team then win the game from the resulting free kick they won through cheating.
The Fa will not be handing out a retrospective ban.
2. A player dives, the referee deems it to be a foul, and books the opposing defender. In the second half the player on a booking has to make an important tackle that he times wrong, and is shown another yellow card resulting in the team having to play with ten men.
The Fa will not be handing out a retrospective ban for the player who dived for the first yellow card incident.
Already its a mess! Sadly there is only one way to try and stop simulation. It seems Allardyce must have read my last article. I know he’s a big fan. He says, “bring technology in, let us look at it on the day and then bring a sin bin in so we can put him in that for 10 minutes and then put him back on.” He’s right. The retrospective ban will be confusing and hard to implement, as the smallest touch can prove they haven’t dived but it still wasn’t enough contact to go down. It’s impossible to call most simulation attempts 100% correctly. The only retrospective bans they can give is if there is no contact at all, but that is still tough to clamp down on because of the speed of the game. If a player believes a challenge is coming they may try to prevent the foul and possible injury by jumping out of the tackle. In the act of avoiding the tackle they may lose their balance, but it doesn’t mean they have attempted to dive. It’s clear when a player dives, and referees are there to spot these moments.
Victor Moses was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for diving in the 2017 Fa Cup Final.
Ultimately bringing in retrospective banning won’t mean it will stamp diving out of the game. Because this new law won’t actually effect the game in real time. A team that loses because of an opposing player diving don’t care if that player is then banned for the next two games as it doesn’t change the most important thing. The result. And what if that team are then playing their rivals in the next game and are unable to play there best player? That means the team who lost the game through an opposing player diving gets punished again. Not only that. If a player gets sent off due to an opposing player diving, that team still has to play a Premier League game with ten men for a period of the match. They are then punished for an opposing player cheating. After the final whistle is blown that team won’t care about retrospective action. The game has finished and the result stands.
The retrospective ban will not work fairly, and that’s the whole point of trying to solve diving within the game. Like me and Big Sam said, the only way is to find a solution is by using video technology during the actual game. That would definitely make players think twice about attempting to fool the referee into making a wrong decision. The idea of a sin bin could also work, like in Rugby. If a player is shown to have dived without any contact, the referee would place that player into a 10 minute sin bin. Players and fans will soon become fed up of playing with 10 men for long periods of the game. Chelsea fans quickly grew tired of Didier Drogba‘s embarrassing attempts to throw himself to the ground, and began to boo him when he kept trying to win cheap free kicks through simulation. It wasn’t long that he realised his own fans were against him. Of course he still went down far too easily at some points but at least the fans tried their best to change his ways. Maybe it’s up to certain players own fans to make them aware of their unacceptable antics.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche believes diving will be eradicated in six months if the bans are introduced, but I really can’t see that happening. It’s like how the Fa tried to cut out the verbal abuse referees receive from players, and look how that turned out. But what I can’t seem to get my head around is why haven’t the Fa been giving retrospective bans in the first place. I thought retrospective bans were given when referees had missed something off the ball, or had got something wrong. Then they would look back at the incident and decisions were corrected. So players diving surely falls under that category. They’ve been doing it for off the ball incidents so why have they not tried to implement this sooner. At the end of the day diving is cheating. so why let it go on for so long?
I do believe players should be punished for diving and trying to influence the result through cheating, but unfortunately it won’t stop players attempting it. Without doubt, clubs would take 3 points over a two game ban all day long. Isn’t that the reason why top Premier League clubs have such big expensive squads?...
In the first Premier League season (1992/93) there were only 11 foreign players named in the starting line-ups for the first set of fixtures. Since then over 2,000 foreign players have graced the Premier League. So it’s no coincidence that the amount of simulation has increased as the years have gone on. I mean Jurgen Klinsmann would openly celebrate by showing the world he was a cheater when he scored a goal. It’s sadly now just become part of the beautiful game. You could even go as far as saying that the creators of Football Manager 2018 should put ‘diving ability’ as an attribute on player’s profiles.
I know that it’s not only foreign imports who try to con the referee with their acrobatics, of course some British players fall into that category too. But watching back matches from the 70s and 80s, such as the Chelsea vs Leeds Fa Cup final in 1970 and the Liverpool vs Everton matches in the 80s, its clear that diving wasn’t a problem within the game. In fact most challenges in those era’s would now warrant an 8 match ban. Back then the game was known as a contact sport, so when tackles flew in, players accepted that it was part of the game. Players gave as good as they got. It was as important to have a player in your team who didn’t mind getting stuck in, as much as a goal scorer. Maybe that’s part of the problem. As the years have rolled by football has slowly become a non-contact sport. So as soon as players feel contact, however little, they will go down. To the point that certain players go down when their not even touched. You can’t get more non contact than that.
So next season the Fa have decided to clamp down on diving once and for all. The good old Fa. If I know the Fa like I think I do, then I’m sure they’ll make this aspect of the game even more of a problem. Which in the end will just highlight the fact it’s impossible to stamp diving out of the game. The fact they said and I quote, ‘we are trying to prevent “Robert Snodgrass situations”’, proves my point. Do they understand that “a Robert Snodgrass situation” already has a term, it’s called ‘simulation’. Are we meant to use that term now? Are pundit’s supposed to say, “oh he’ s done a Robert Snodgrass.” The Fa are apparently “formulating a process” that they hope will reverse the trend of more simulation in the English game. Oh great. I can’t wait to see what mess they make of this.
I have to agree with Sam Allardyce, the idea of a retrospective ban is ‘utter rubbish’. He goes on to make a valid point about what happens if the referees make a wrong decision, and how are the Fa supposed to reverse those mistakes. It’s impossible to fix by just saying that they will be handing out a two game retrospective ban for those who try to cheat their way to a positive result. The problem is that 99% of football players will try to win at all costs, even if it involves trying to con the referee into making the wrong decision.
Jurgen Klinsmann played up to his reputation as a diver when celebrating a goal.
It happens at all levels, be it in the Premier League or on a Saturday playing for Chalfont St Peter against Uxbridge in the Evo-stik League Southern Division One Central. Let’s take Victor Moses in the Fa Cup final. If the referee had been tricked into thinking he had been fouled, and Chelsea went on to score the penalty to win the game, do you think Antonio Conte would have cared if his player had cheated his way to victory? I mean I’m glad the referee wasn’t conned by Moses’ attempts to win a penalty as I don’t think it’s right. But that’s not to say I don’t think it’s wrong to try and attempt to do it. He was sent off, and that was the price he had to pay to attempt to win his team a penalty.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino described Dele Alli as “a little bit naughty” after winning a penalty against Swansea. But he doesn’t care. His team won, and the three points are all that matters. I guarantee managers prefer 3 points in whatever manner. The prospect of losing a player for two games with this new banning system out weighs playing fairly, and drawing the game.
The retrospective ban will not stamp out diving in football. There’s too much at stake during those 90 minutes. You’re telling me you wouldn’t want your player to dive to win a penalty if it meant you would win the league, or finish in the top four, or even avoid relegation? Some of these dives would make the club tens of millions of pounds. And I’ll tell you something that you probably already know, but if a player had the opportunity to go down to win a penalty and decided not to as it was deemed as simulation, the manager and players would definitely voice their opinion on the matter after the game. They would not be giving that player a pat on the back, and saying well done for playing fairly. I’ve been in changing rooms after football matches where managers have lost it at players who chose to stay on their feet, when actually they could have gone down and won a penalty. Players are somewhat told to cheat, in order to win the game at all costs.
But here’s the main problem with the new retrospective diving bans . ‘Only incidents that result in a player winning a penalty or lead to an opponent being sent off – through either a direct red card or two yellow cards – will be punished.’ Are you kidding me? So unless the dive results in a penalty or a red card, there will be no retrospective action? So let me throw out a couple of scenarios that mean it’s deemed acceptable to cheat and get away with it.
1. A player dives just outside the box, the referee deems it to be a foul and awards a free kick in the 92nd minute. That teams set piece taker then executes a perfect free kick and scores. The team then win the game from the resulting free kick they won through cheating.
The Fa will not be handing out a retrospective ban.
2. A player dives, the referee deems it to be a foul, and books the opposing defender. In the second half the player on a booking has to make an important tackle that he times wrong, and is shown another yellow card resulting in the team having to play with ten men.
The Fa will not be handing out a retrospective ban for the player who dived for the first yellow card incident.
Already its a mess! Sadly there is only one way to try and stop simulation. It seems Allardyce must have read my last article. I know he’s a big fan. He says, “bring technology in, let us look at it on the day and then bring a sin bin in so we can put him in that for 10 minutes and then put him back on.” He’s right. The retrospective ban will be confusing and hard to implement, as the smallest touch can prove they haven’t dived but it still wasn’t enough contact to go down. It’s impossible to call most simulation attempts 100% correctly. The only retrospective bans they can give is if there is no contact at all, but that is still tough to clamp down on because of the speed of the game. If a player believes a challenge is coming they may try to prevent the foul and possible injury by jumping out of the tackle. In the act of avoiding the tackle they may lose their balance, but it doesn’t mean they have attempted to dive. It’s clear when a player dives, and referees are there to spot these moments.
Victor Moses was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for diving in the 2017 Fa Cup Final.
Ultimately bringing in retrospective banning won’t mean it will stamp diving out of the game. Because this new law won’t actually effect the game in real time. A team that loses because of an opposing player diving don’t care if that player is then banned for the next two games as it doesn’t change the most important thing. The result. And what if that team are then playing their rivals in the next game and are unable to play there best player? That means the team who lost the game through an opposing player diving gets punished again. Not only that. If a player gets sent off due to an opposing player diving, that team still has to play a Premier League game with ten men for a period of the match. They are then punished for an opposing player cheating. After the final whistle is blown that team won’t care about retrospective action. The game has finished and the result stands.
The retrospective ban will not work fairly, and that’s the whole point of trying to solve diving within the game. Like me and Big Sam said, the only way is to find a solution is by using video technology during the actual game. That would definitely make players think twice about attempting to fool the referee into making a wrong decision. The idea of a sin bin could also work, like in Rugby. If a player is shown to have dived without any contact, the referee would place that player into a 10 minute sin bin. Players and fans will soon become fed up of playing with 10 men for long periods of the game. Chelsea fans quickly grew tired of Didier Drogba‘s embarrassing attempts to throw himself to the ground, and began to boo him when he kept trying to win cheap free kicks through simulation. It wasn’t long that he realised his own fans were against him. Of course he still went down far too easily at some points but at least the fans tried their best to change his ways. Maybe it’s up to certain players own fans to make them aware of their unacceptable antics.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche believes diving will be eradicated in six months if the bans are introduced, but I really can’t see that happening. It’s like how the Fa tried to cut out the verbal abuse referees receive from players, and look how that turned out. But what I can’t seem to get my head around is why haven’t the Fa been giving retrospective bans in the first place. I thought retrospective bans were given when referees had missed something off the ball, or had got something wrong. Then they would look back at the incident and decisions were corrected. So players diving surely falls under that category. They’ve been doing it for off the ball incidents so why have they not tried to implement this sooner. At the end of the day diving is cheating. so why let it go on for so long?
I do believe players should be punished for diving and trying to influence the result through cheating, but unfortunately it won’t stop players attempting it. Without doubt, clubs would take 3 points over a two game ban all day long. Isn’t that the reason why top Premier League clubs have such big expensive squads?...
- 6/16/2017
- by kieranedwards
- The Cultural Post
Arriving on VOD platforms and on iTunes today courtesy of Vertical Entertainment is Rod Blackhurst’s Here Alone, a post-apocalyptic drama about three people who cross paths and find their lives forever intertwined as the world around them goes to hell. Written by David Ebeltoft, Here Alone stars Lucy Walters, Adam David Thompson, Gina Piersanti, and Shane West, and recently Daily Dead caught up with Thompson to discuss his involvement with the film. During the interview, he discussed how Here Alone became a turning point in his career, his experiences collaborating with everyone on the project, and even chatted about how much he enjoyed working on another genre movie that came out a few years prior, Dennis Iliadis’ +1.
Great to speak with you today, Adam. It's funny, before I watched the movie, I was doing my research and realized you were also in +1, which I really enjoyed back when I...
Great to speak with you today, Adam. It's funny, before I watched the movie, I was doing my research and realized you were also in +1, which I really enjoyed back when I...
- 3/31/2017
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone are easily one of the funniest couples in Hollywood, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that they always have each other in stitches. Perhaps what's even funnier about them is that they're not cracking up at each other's jokes, but rather their quirks. Of course, like any other couple, they can make each other mad. "I think I do things that make her not laugh," Falcone dished on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, airing Friday afternoon. "Is that a sentence?" But The Boss actress confessed that things that would normally drive a person nuts end up making her laugh even harder, adding an interesting dynamic to her marriage with Falcone. "I...
- 3/24/2017
- E! Online
Cage runs off with Laura Dern while doing his best Elvis impression.“Did I ever tell ya that this here jacket represents a symbol of my individuality, and my belief in personal freedom?”
I don’t remember the first time I saw every Nicolas Cage movie I’ve seen but the ones I do remember I’ll never forget. Wild At Heart is a first-time viewing I will most certainly never forget. I saw it for the first time when I was about 18, roughly 13 years or so after the film was released. By that time I was already a huge fan of Cage so I was making my way through his back catalogue, tracking down all the stuff I hadn’t seen yet.
I would go to Borders (shout out to those that remember Borders) just about every Friday and pick up a new DVD. On this particular Friday I had purchased Wild At Heart. A...
I don’t remember the first time I saw every Nicolas Cage movie I’ve seen but the ones I do remember I’ll never forget. Wild At Heart is a first-time viewing I will most certainly never forget. I saw it for the first time when I was about 18, roughly 13 years or so after the film was released. By that time I was already a huge fan of Cage so I was making my way through his back catalogue, tracking down all the stuff I hadn’t seen yet.
I would go to Borders (shout out to those that remember Borders) just about every Friday and pick up a new DVD. On this particular Friday I had purchased Wild At Heart. A...
- 3/19/2017
- by Chris Coffel
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Ed Whitlock ran his first marathon at age 44, and four decades later he is still running marathons — and setting new records.
In October, Whitlock — now 85 — became the oldest person to run 26.2 miles in less than four hours after completing the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 3 hours 56 minutes 34 seconds, according to The New York Times. He set another record for his age group earlier this year when he completed a half marathon in 1:50.47.
“I believe people can do far more than they think they can,” Whitlock, a retired mining engineer who lives in Toronto, Canada, told The Times. “You have to...
In October, Whitlock — now 85 — became the oldest person to run 26.2 miles in less than four hours after completing the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 3 hours 56 minutes 34 seconds, according to The New York Times. He set another record for his age group earlier this year when he completed a half marathon in 1:50.47.
“I believe people can do far more than they think they can,” Whitlock, a retired mining engineer who lives in Toronto, Canada, told The Times. “You have to...
- 12/30/2016
- by gabrielleolya1
- PEOPLE.com
The incredibly talented Vidya Balan has returned to the suspense genre with her new film Kahaani 2. Suprisingly, this film is not a continuation of the hit film Kahaani from 2012, but is a mysterious and unique story masterfully told by director Sujoy Ghosh. In this story, Vidya Balan plays two characters: Vidya Sinha and Durga Rani Singh. The film explores a dark story of kidnapping and murder. From beginning to end, the audience will be kept guessing as to what is real, what is the true identify of the main character, and what is really going on in this terrifying tale.
To get an idea of the intensity of the film and to get a preview of the depth of Vidya’s character(s) check out the trailer!
I know I say this every time, but it absolutely must be said again, Vidya Balan is one of the nicest and most interesting people to interview.
To get an idea of the intensity of the film and to get a preview of the depth of Vidya’s character(s) check out the trailer!
I know I say this every time, but it absolutely must be said again, Vidya Balan is one of the nicest and most interesting people to interview.
- 12/1/2016
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Kim Kardashian West hints that she might be making a major career change.
In a promo clip for Sunday's finale of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, which was taped prior to Kim's robbery in Paris, the 36-year-old reality star helps her mother, Kris Jenner, plan a work trip for Kylie Jenner to Australia, and appears quite good at lining everything up.
Watch: Kris Jenner Calls Kim Kardashian a 'F**king Traitor' in Explosive Kuwtk Teaser
"I've joked a lot that I could be my sisters' manager better than my mom could be," Kim admits. "I think I do give a lot of creative input, and I know they, like, listen."
It's clear that the mother of two has thought a lot about becoming a manager. "I feel like could totally handle this," she adds.
Watch: Kim Kardashian Wants to Get a Law Degree So She'll Have 'Something to Do' in Her Older Age
These new professional...
In a promo clip for Sunday's finale of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, which was taped prior to Kim's robbery in Paris, the 36-year-old reality star helps her mother, Kris Jenner, plan a work trip for Kylie Jenner to Australia, and appears quite good at lining everything up.
Watch: Kris Jenner Calls Kim Kardashian a 'F**king Traitor' in Explosive Kuwtk Teaser
"I've joked a lot that I could be my sisters' manager better than my mom could be," Kim admits. "I think I do give a lot of creative input, and I know they, like, listen."
It's clear that the mother of two has thought a lot about becoming a manager. "I feel like could totally handle this," she adds.
Watch: Kim Kardashian Wants to Get a Law Degree So She'll Have 'Something to Do' in Her Older Age
These new professional...
- 11/16/2016
- Entertainment Tonight
Keke Palmer can barely make it through the week without drastically switching up her hairstyle. In the past seven days alone, she’s rocked a bright red pixie, a red banged look, and an icy platinum blue wig. So you won’t be surprised to discover that when she posed for Jen Atkin‘s site, Mane Addicts, she went all out in the hair department. We spoke to Palmer after her shoot to learn everything from her off-duty hairstyle to her Scream Queens character Zayday’s favorite looks. Below, see exclusive shots from her Mane Addicts shoot, and find out...
- 10/17/2016
- by Jillian Ruffo
- PEOPLE.com
In a wide-ranging interview on CBS that aired in the Us on Sunday, the star and creator of Oscar contender The Birth Of A Nation answered direct questions about the 1999 rape allegation that resurfaced in the media in August.
“I don’t feel guilty”, said the film’s director, star, co-writer and producer when Anderson Cooper asked whether he felt any guilt over the encounter he and the film’s co-writer Jean Celestin had with an unnamed woman while they attended Penn State University.
Parker and Celestin – both fellow wrestlers on the university team at the time – have admitted they had sex with the accuser on the fateful occasion but maintain it was consensual.
The woman had said she had had a prior consensual encounter with Parker and claimed that on the night that sparked the accusation she had consumed a lot of alcohol.
Parker was tried and acquitted of rape in 2001. Celestin was convicted in a ruling...
“I don’t feel guilty”, said the film’s director, star, co-writer and producer when Anderson Cooper asked whether he felt any guilt over the encounter he and the film’s co-writer Jean Celestin had with an unnamed woman while they attended Penn State University.
Parker and Celestin – both fellow wrestlers on the university team at the time – have admitted they had sex with the accuser on the fateful occasion but maintain it was consensual.
The woman had said she had had a prior consensual encounter with Parker and claimed that on the night that sparked the accusation she had consumed a lot of alcohol.
Parker was tried and acquitted of rape in 2001. Celestin was convicted in a ruling...
- 10/3/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Alexis Arquette was honored by her close friends at a special event on Sunday – one week after the late star died at age 47 from complications related to AIDS.
Fans of the transgender trailblazer and several friends who belonged to Arquette's close circle gathered at The Pig 'n Whistle in Hollywood for the Alexis Arquette: Celebration of Life Party. The event was hosted by Sham Ibrahim, 37, a fellow drag performer who met the star in 1999.
About 50 friends and fans were on hand for the party. Arquette's favorite artists – David Bowie, Tears for Fears, Madonna, the Killers and the Pet Shop Boys – played in the background,...
Fans of the transgender trailblazer and several friends who belonged to Arquette's close circle gathered at The Pig 'n Whistle in Hollywood for the Alexis Arquette: Celebration of Life Party. The event was hosted by Sham Ibrahim, 37, a fellow drag performer who met the star in 1999.
About 50 friends and fans were on hand for the party. Arquette's favorite artists – David Bowie, Tears for Fears, Madonna, the Killers and the Pet Shop Boys – played in the background,...
- 9/19/2016
- by Christine Pelisek and Aurelie Corinthios
- People.com - TV Watch
Alexis Arquette was honored by her close friends at a special event on Sunday - one week after the late star died at age 47 from complications related to AIDS. Fans of the transgender trailblazer and several friends who belonged to Arquette's close circle gathered at The Pig 'n Whistle in Hollywood for the Alexis Arquette: Celebration of Life Party. The event was hosted by Sham Ibrahim, 37, a fellow drag performer who met the star in 1999. About 50 friends and fans were on hand for the party. Arquette's favorite artists - David Bowie, Tears for Fears, Madonna, the Killers and the...
- 9/19/2016
- by Christine Pelisek and Aurelie Corinthios
- PEOPLE.com
Alexis Arquette died on Sunday, surrounded by friends and family – which is exactly how the transgender icon lived her life.
Breaking on the Hollywood scene at a young age, Alexis appeared in around 70 projects, starring in popular films like The Wedding Singer and Bride of Chucky. Likely destined for stardom, Alexis was one of many performers in her large and storied family.
Alexis was born Robert Arquette in July 1969. Family patriarch, Lewis, acted in commercials while Lewis' wife, Mardi, was a stage performer.
Like their parents, all of Alexis' siblings were involved in show business, including oldest sister Rosanna, brother Richmond,...
Breaking on the Hollywood scene at a young age, Alexis appeared in around 70 projects, starring in popular films like The Wedding Singer and Bride of Chucky. Likely destined for stardom, Alexis was one of many performers in her large and storied family.
Alexis was born Robert Arquette in July 1969. Family patriarch, Lewis, acted in commercials while Lewis' wife, Mardi, was a stage performer.
Like their parents, all of Alexis' siblings were involved in show business, including oldest sister Rosanna, brother Richmond,...
- 9/12/2016
- by Lindsay Kimble, @lekimble
- People.com - TV Watch
Alexis Arquette died on Sunday, surrounded by friends and family - which is exactly how the transgender icon lived her life. Breaking on the Hollywood scene at a young age, Alexis appeared in around 70 projects, starring in popular films like The Wedding Singer and Bride of Chucky. Likely destined for stardom, Alexis was one of many performers in her large and storied family. Alexis was born Robert Arquette in July 1969. Family patriarch, Lewis, acted in commercials while Lewis' wife, Mardi, was a stage performer. Like their parents, all of Alexis' siblings were involved in show business, including oldest sister Rosanna,...
- 9/12/2016
- by Lindsay Kimble, @lekimble
- PEOPLE.com
Alice Bell.
Prolific screenwriter Alice Bell has an enviable list of credits: The Slap, Puberty Blues, The Beautiful Lie. She speaks to If about life as a scribe and her latest project — a collaboration with producer Imogen Banks which aims to mentor young female writers through the process of developing a TV series through to network pitch. ..
Congrats on the funding through Gender Matters for Smart Like A Girl: Roar. Why did you want to set up this program?.
Imogen and I are often approached by young writers asking how to become a screenwriter for television and the answer is: there.s no clear path. It.s a frustrating thing. You could be a note-taker in a story room but that doesn.t mean you.ll necessarily get to write an episode. You could write your own web series or a pilot, but then you.re competing with experienced writers and the world,...
Prolific screenwriter Alice Bell has an enviable list of credits: The Slap, Puberty Blues, The Beautiful Lie. She speaks to If about life as a scribe and her latest project — a collaboration with producer Imogen Banks which aims to mentor young female writers through the process of developing a TV series through to network pitch. ..
Congrats on the funding through Gender Matters for Smart Like A Girl: Roar. Why did you want to set up this program?.
Imogen and I are often approached by young writers asking how to become a screenwriter for television and the answer is: there.s no clear path. It.s a frustrating thing. You could be a note-taker in a story room but that doesn.t mean you.ll necessarily get to write an episode. You could write your own web series or a pilot, but then you.re competing with experienced writers and the world,...
- 9/1/2016
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Prolific screenwriter Alice Bell has an enviable list of credits: The Slap, Puberty Blues, The Beautiful Lie. She speaks to If about life as a scribe and her latest project — a collaboration with producer Imogen Banks which aims to mentor young female writers through the process of developing a TV series through to network pitch. ..
Congrats on the funding through Gender Matters for Smart Like A Girl: Roar. Why did you want to set up this program?.
Imogen and I are often approached by young writers asking how to become a screenwriter for television and the answer is: there.s no clear path. It.s a frustrating thing. You could be a note-taker in a story room but that doesn.t mean you.ll necessarily get to write an episode. You could write your own web series or a pilot, but then you.re competing with experienced writers and the world,...
Congrats on the funding through Gender Matters for Smart Like A Girl: Roar. Why did you want to set up this program?.
Imogen and I are often approached by young writers asking how to become a screenwriter for television and the answer is: there.s no clear path. It.s a frustrating thing. You could be a note-taker in a story room but that doesn.t mean you.ll necessarily get to write an episode. You could write your own web series or a pilot, but then you.re competing with experienced writers and the world,...
- 9/1/2016
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Chicago – The legacy of country music singer Hank Williams is embraced in every lonesome twang you hear in any song. The actor Tom Hiddleston (“Thor”) transcends his Loki roots to embody the 1950s songster in a way that is otherworldly, working from the script and direction of Marc Abraham.
Hank Williams was a bright wattage bulb that burned like a thousand suns, and was extinguished instantly at the tender age of 29. The influence of his short time within the country music scene, from about 1946 through to his death in 1953, was through the music chart statistic that Williams had an astounding 35 singles reach the country and western Top Ten (five after his death). His signature style and easy-going hit making continues to be heard in the heart of C&W (and all pop) music, and he can easily qualify as one of the Olympus-like gods of that particular brand of musical faith.
Hank Williams was a bright wattage bulb that burned like a thousand suns, and was extinguished instantly at the tender age of 29. The influence of his short time within the country music scene, from about 1946 through to his death in 1953, was through the music chart statistic that Williams had an astounding 35 singles reach the country and western Top Ten (five after his death). His signature style and easy-going hit making continues to be heard in the heart of C&W (and all pop) music, and he can easily qualify as one of the Olympus-like gods of that particular brand of musical faith.
- 4/3/2016
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The fate of “Pacific Rim 2” still hangs in the balance, but the show must go on. Branching out the lore of this fascinating world, Legendary has tapped creator Guillermo del Toro, screenwriter Travis Beacham, and writer Joshua Fialkov to bring Jaegars and Kaiju to life on the comic page. Pacific Rim: Tales From The Drift #1 goes on sale 11/04/15. From the press release: Following the best-selling graphic novel Pacific Rim: Tales from Year Zero, Legendary takes you back to the frontlines of a larger-than-life battleground with Pacific Rim: Tales from the Drift, the official new comic series presented by director Guillermo del Toro and Pacific Rim screenwriter Travis Beacham. Prepare to do battle with all-new Kaiju creatures in this thrilling continuation of the Pacific Rim universe. Hitfix Harpy spoke to writer Joshua Fialkov over the phone about what it was like to put his stamp on this monstrous universe.
- 11/3/2015
- by Donna Dickens
- Hitfix
Elf has become a modern Christmas classic thanks to Will Ferrell's charmingly innocent Buddy and his quest to find his real dad in New York City.
The spaghetti and maple syrup-loving manchild will soon take his love for all things Christmas to London's West End in a musical version that's bound to get us all in the festive spirit, and help power Santa's sleigh forever more.
Former Superstar winner Ben Forster leads the cast of the new adaptation alongside Girls Aloud's Kimberley Walsh. Ben admitted to Digital Spy that the idea didn't win him over at first, but that the warmth of the play and the "amazing" songs quickly did the trick.
"It's definitely got the same heartbeat of the film, it'll make you smile and cry in all the right places," he said. "It was one of my biggest concerns when I got the part, 'Oh my god,...
The spaghetti and maple syrup-loving manchild will soon take his love for all things Christmas to London's West End in a musical version that's bound to get us all in the festive spirit, and help power Santa's sleigh forever more.
Former Superstar winner Ben Forster leads the cast of the new adaptation alongside Girls Aloud's Kimberley Walsh. Ben admitted to Digital Spy that the idea didn't win him over at first, but that the warmth of the play and the "amazing" songs quickly did the trick.
"It's definitely got the same heartbeat of the film, it'll make you smile and cry in all the right places," he said. "It was one of my biggest concerns when I got the part, 'Oh my god,...
- 10/23/2015
- Digital Spy
Katie Couric has interviewed sitting presidents, royalty and Hollywood icons, but there's one buzzed-about person she hasn't been able to reel in.
"I'm trying to get Donald Trump. He's been a bit of a tease," the journalist, 58, jokes. "He's been avoiding me a little bit, I think. Hopefully I'm going to sit down with him soon."
As this election season heats up, Yahoo's global news anchor has already talked with some of Trump's fellow Republican presidential contenders, including Carly Fiorina, Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio.
As for why she hasn't chatted with Trump yet, Couric says it comes down to scheduling.
"I'm trying to get Donald Trump. He's been a bit of a tease," the journalist, 58, jokes. "He's been avoiding me a little bit, I think. Hopefully I'm going to sit down with him soon."
As this election season heats up, Yahoo's global news anchor has already talked with some of Trump's fellow Republican presidential contenders, including Carly Fiorina, Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio.
As for why she hasn't chatted with Trump yet, Couric says it comes down to scheduling.
- 10/20/2015
- by Nick Maslow, @nickmaslow
- People.com - TV Watch
I’m worried that in the end I’ll never know, not really, what I think about Dr. Dre’s new album, Compton, released earlier this month as the official soundtrack to the new (and increasingly, and rightly, controversial) N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton. Here is a partial list of the things I think I do know: I know that the drums on almost every track are characteristically Dre, a study in perfected slap and kick. I know that the distention and wooziness that stretch across the album double as a subtle reminder that several of the qualities now commonly attributed to southern rap have their provenance in and around Los Angeles County. I know that the album is also a testament to the mogul’s ear for talent, ever true: Some of Compton’s most electric moments come by way of old protégés — Eminem, Kendrick, the Game...
- 9/1/2015
- by Vinson Cunningham
- Vulture
Sad times. The Big Brother compound lost a brilliant housemate last night (June 19), as Jade Lynch became the latest person to be evicted.
Following the eviction result, Digital Spy and others caught up with Jade this morning as she talked about Brian Belo, if there actually was a clique, her views on "misunderstood" Helen Wood, and... paprika obviously!
Hi Jade. How are you feeling this morning?
"Yeah, just a little bit disorientated. I woke up in the wrong place because I should be still in the house! But other than that, I'm fine. I'm slowly integrating myself back into society."
You were emotional when you were leaving the house. You took a long time to say goodbye. Why was that?
"It was because I didn't feel my time was up. I didn't want to go. I wanted to stay with all my heart and I didn't feel like that should have been my time,...
Following the eviction result, Digital Spy and others caught up with Jade this morning as she talked about Brian Belo, if there actually was a clique, her views on "misunderstood" Helen Wood, and... paprika obviously!
Hi Jade. How are you feeling this morning?
"Yeah, just a little bit disorientated. I woke up in the wrong place because I should be still in the house! But other than that, I'm fine. I'm slowly integrating myself back into society."
You were emotional when you were leaving the house. You took a long time to say goodbye. Why was that?
"It was because I didn't feel my time was up. I didn't want to go. I wanted to stay with all my heart and I didn't feel like that should have been my time,...
- 6/20/2015
- Digital Spy
Atticus Ross spent no time thinking when I asked if he thought Brian Wilson is a genius. He is, said the Academy Award-winning composer. Which is why -- in part -- Ross spent more than a week trying to write just a single minute of music for the Beach Boy's biopic "Love & Mercy," why he felt responsibility to craft something that wasn't "lame" to tell Wilson's troubled history. It's Wilson's legacy that informed Ross' risk-taking action, to chop, screw and build off of stems from Wilson and the Beach Boys' actual recording sessions and make a score that can still stand alone as a singular artwork. Below is an abridged interview with Ross, about his work on "Love & Mercy." The composer/musician/Nine Inch Nails member also spoke on John Hillcoat's next film, writing with Trent Reznor, ] how Radiohead broke their own mold, making a soundtrack to a drug trip,...
- 6/16/2015
- by Katie Hasty
- Hitfix
I think it would be fair to say that DmC: Devil May Cry was rather divisive when it first launched. Despite the relatively high critical approval for the 2013 title, it was met with resistance from fans of the franchise who refused to buy into Ninja Theory’s vision. This mixed reaction would, in turn, lead to lower than expected sales for the release. Despite that, Capcom has opted to bring DmC: Devil May Cry Definitive Edition to current-gen consoles, perhaps in hopes of attracting a new audience.
As the definitive edition of DmC, this release boasts a bevy of upgrades and additional features. Harnessing the full power of the current-gen consoles, the title has been remastered in full 1080p. The look of the game isn’t the only thing that has been changed, though, as various tweaks were made to the gameplay and story in order to smooth things out.
As the definitive edition of DmC, this release boasts a bevy of upgrades and additional features. Harnessing the full power of the current-gen consoles, the title has been remastered in full 1080p. The look of the game isn’t the only thing that has been changed, though, as various tweaks were made to the gameplay and story in order to smooth things out.
- 3/10/2015
- by Eric Hall
- We Got This Covered
Victoria, BC. The fifth episode of "Gracepoint," the one airing on Fox this Thursday (October 30) night, features an absolutely dynamic scene between Kevin Zegers and Nick Nolte, exactly the kind of superb acting that's capable of carrying "Gracepoint" even if it remains a nearly beat-for-beat copy of "Broadchurch." [Two more episodes of similarity before, as promised, things deviate in Episode 7.] Of course, I didn't necessarily know about the scene or when it would fit into the "Gracepoint" order when I sat down with Zegers in May in a leaky tent next to the British Columbia beach being used to shoot promotional images. Instead, we talked about the approach Zegers was taking to his character, fledgling journalist Owen Burke, that would make him different from his "Broadchurch" equivalent." Specifically, Zegers emphasized his willingness to play Owen as a possible suspect in the murder of Danny Solano, making him at least a plausible killer, if not a likely suspect. When I met with Zegers...
- 10/30/2014
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Look who's still in the honeymoon phase! Jenny McCarthy's still as smitten as ever when it comes to husband Donnie Wahlberg. "Every night when we go to bed and I climb in bed and I see him laying there, I go, 'The feeling I get crawling in bed with you every night is like when I was little and my mom used to say your best friend can sleep over tonight,' " McCarthy told People in N.Y.C. Thursday while promoting her upcoming SiriusXM show, Dirty, Sexy, Funny with Jenny McCarthy. "He definitely brings out the best in me,...
- 10/26/2014
- by Aurelie Corinthios
- PEOPLE.com
Look who's still in the honeymoon phase!
Jenny McCarthy's still as smitten as ever when it comes to husband Donnie Wahlberg.
"Every night when we go to bed and I climb in bed and I see him laying there, I go, 'The feeling I get crawling in bed with you every night is like when I was little and my mom used to say your best friend can sleep over tonight,' " McCarthy told People in N.Y.C. Thursday while promoting her upcoming SiriusXM show, Dirty, Sexy, Funny with Jenny McCarthy. "He definitely brings out the best in me,...
Jenny McCarthy's still as smitten as ever when it comes to husband Donnie Wahlberg.
"Every night when we go to bed and I climb in bed and I see him laying there, I go, 'The feeling I get crawling in bed with you every night is like when I was little and my mom used to say your best friend can sleep over tonight,' " McCarthy told People in N.Y.C. Thursday while promoting her upcoming SiriusXM show, Dirty, Sexy, Funny with Jenny McCarthy. "He definitely brings out the best in me,...
- 10/26/2014
- by Aurelie Corinthios
- People.com - TV Watch
Season 16 of Big Brother concludes tonight at 9:30pm on CBS when either Derrick, Cody, or Victoria…okay, make that either Derrick or Cody, will be crowned champion. And according to host Julie Chen, even Cody is a long shot at this point. Can Derrick complete one of the most dominant performances this game has ever seen? We talked with Chen about Derrick’s place in Big Brother history and whether anyone can stop him. But we didn’t stop there. In a very candid chat, Chen also frankly discussed how the houseguests view Victoria, how she feels about not...
- 9/24/2014
- by Dalton Ross
- EW - Inside TV
Putting perverts, Internet webcams, and pretty foreigners together is just asking for trouble, but especially if you drop them all into the seedy underbelly of Bangkok. That’s what happens in director Joel Soisson’s “Cam2Cam.” Soisson, for a while there, was the go-to guy for direct-to-dvd horror sequels, having helmed two “Prophecy” and two “Pulse” sequels. If you’ve never any of those movies, don’t worry, most people haven’t, either. “Cam2Cam” looks pretty bloody, and once again reminds me why I have my computer’s camera permanently disabled. (Or at least, I think I do…) In this dark and haunting thriller, Five Bangkok tourists have gone missing after making online contact with an unknown party. Newly-arrived Allie Westbrook meets a pair of ex-pats, Michael and Marit, who perform on a provocative interactive website. The dark menace beneath Michael’s easy charm and the strange magnetism of the group’s leader,...
- 7/31/2014
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
Robert Pattinson reflects on the infamous Kristen Stewart cheating scandal of 2012.
Though Twihards may never be, it appears Robert Pattinson is totally over that infamous Kristen Stewart cheating scandal.
In a new interview with Esquire UK, Pattinson reflects on one of the biggest celeb stories of 2012 -- Stewart getting photographed kissing her married Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders.
Video: Robert Pattinson Talks 'Indiana Jones!'
At the time, Stewart and Pattinson were still in a relationship.
“S**t happens, you know?" he now laughs. "It's just young people… it’s normal! And honestly, who gives a s**t?"
According to Pattinson, it was the fallout rather than the scandal itself that was the hardest part to deal with.
"The hardest part was talking about it afterwards. Because when you talk about other people, it affects them in ways you can’t predict," he tells the magazine. "It's like that scene in Doubt, where he's [Philip Seymour Hoffman] talking...
Though Twihards may never be, it appears Robert Pattinson is totally over that infamous Kristen Stewart cheating scandal.
In a new interview with Esquire UK, Pattinson reflects on one of the biggest celeb stories of 2012 -- Stewart getting photographed kissing her married Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders.
Video: Robert Pattinson Talks 'Indiana Jones!'
At the time, Stewart and Pattinson were still in a relationship.
“S**t happens, you know?" he now laughs. "It's just young people… it’s normal! And honestly, who gives a s**t?"
According to Pattinson, it was the fallout rather than the scandal itself that was the hardest part to deal with.
"The hardest part was talking about it afterwards. Because when you talk about other people, it affects them in ways you can’t predict," he tells the magazine. "It's like that scene in Doubt, where he's [Philip Seymour Hoffman] talking...
- 7/30/2014
- Entertainment Tonight
Robert Pattinson Opens Up About Kristen Stewart in Esquire September 2014: "Sh*t Happens, You Know?"
He's one of Hollywood's hottest leading men and has plenty of films on the horizon, but Robert Pattinson took a beat to cover the September 2014 issue of Esquire magazine.
During his revealing Q&A session, the "Twilight" star opened up about his faulty romance with Kristen Stewart and his interesting interview on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
Check out highlights from Robert's interview below and for more, head over to Esquire!
On his Kimmel interview when he discussed his "heavy saliva:"
“Ok, I can explain. On all those talk shows you have to do a pre-interview with some producer the day before. And then a second before you go on, they tell you what you said in the pre-interview to prep you for it – and then you have to go and say it all again. So, I was sitting there with Jimmy, and that story I said the day before suddenly seemed not funny at all.
During his revealing Q&A session, the "Twilight" star opened up about his faulty romance with Kristen Stewart and his interesting interview on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
Check out highlights from Robert's interview below and for more, head over to Esquire!
On his Kimmel interview when he discussed his "heavy saliva:"
“Ok, I can explain. On all those talk shows you have to do a pre-interview with some producer the day before. And then a second before you go on, they tell you what you said in the pre-interview to prep you for it – and then you have to go and say it all again. So, I was sitting there with Jimmy, and that story I said the day before suddenly seemed not funny at all.
- 7/30/2014
- GossipCenter
Tiger Shroff's dance movements and actions were highly appreciated in his debut film Heropanti. Tiger, who is a self confessed ardent fan of Michael Jackson, has now planned to pay a tribute to the King of Pop, by releasing a music video that he will be shooting soon.
Tiger and his friends have remixed the song 'Whistle Baja' from his film Heropanti and Billy Jean from Mj's album 'Thriller'. The said video will be directed by one of Tiger's friends and will be released online in the first week of July for all his fans to watch.
Tiger, who will also be seen doing the famous Mj moonwalk in the video, said, "Of course, I've practiced it enough. I can never be as good as Mj but as a mimic I think I do a pretty good job of it." Even though he has been approached by...
Tiger and his friends have remixed the song 'Whistle Baja' from his film Heropanti and Billy Jean from Mj's album 'Thriller'. The said video will be directed by one of Tiger's friends and will be released online in the first week of July for all his fans to watch.
Tiger, who will also be seen doing the famous Mj moonwalk in the video, said, "Of course, I've practiced it enough. I can never be as good as Mj but as a mimic I think I do a pretty good job of it." Even though he has been approached by...
- 6/26/2014
- by Bollywood Hungama News Network
- BollywoodHungama
From Fleetwood Mac's Rumours to Adele's 21, pop music has a long history of breakup albums. You can add Ghost Stories, Coldplay's sixth studio set, to the list. It was inevitable that frontman Chris Martin's split with wife Gwyneth Paltrow would haunt this one. (Guess "Conscious Uncoupling" would have been too obvious a title.) Right from the start you can hear the ghosts of their relationship. Amid the moody atmosphere of vibe-setting opener "Always in My Head," Martin confesses, "I think of you, I haven't slept / I think I do but I don't forget / My body moves, goes...
- 5/19/2014
- by Chuck Arnold, PEOPLE Music Critic
- PEOPLE.com
(This story features Martin Freeman talking about Tuesday’s episode of Fargo. Spoilers below!)
Aw, jeez — we didn’t see that coming.
Yes, Martin Freeman’s mild-mannered Lester Nygaard was in the middle of one very bad day when we met him in Fargo’s premiere. And encountering a dangerous drifter like Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) — while you’re in the hospital, thanks to your old high-school bully — would be enough to put anyone on edge. But even when Lester’s wife seethed, “You’re not a man, Lester. You’re not even half a man,” we didn’t think he’d kill her.
Aw, jeez — we didn’t see that coming.
Yes, Martin Freeman’s mild-mannered Lester Nygaard was in the middle of one very bad day when we met him in Fargo’s premiere. And encountering a dangerous drifter like Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) — while you’re in the hospital, thanks to your old high-school bully — would be enough to put anyone on edge. But even when Lester’s wife seethed, “You’re not a man, Lester. You’re not even half a man,” we didn’t think he’d kill her.
- 4/16/2014
- by Amber Ray
- EW - Inside TV
In Thursday's (March 20) episode of "Scandal," Cyrus Beene's world fell apart as viewers learned his husband, James, was the one on the receiving end of that cliffhanger gunshot, losing his life.
As the episode, the 14th of the ABC hit's third season, dealt with the initial aftermath of James' slaying, and the subsequent coverup arranged by B613, fans were also treated to a series of flashbacks that recounted the tragic couple's courtship -- just as their present had met its end. To call it heartbreaking would be an understatement. (Read our recap here!)
Zap2it spoke with Cyrus himself, the incredible Jeff Perry, to discuss where Cyrus goes from here, his thoughts on the glimpse into the character's past and more.
Zap2it: First things first, do you need a hug?
Jeff Perry: Please. Please, please. Reach through the phone. I think I do.
I wanted to ask first,...
As the episode, the 14th of the ABC hit's third season, dealt with the initial aftermath of James' slaying, and the subsequent coverup arranged by B613, fans were also treated to a series of flashbacks that recounted the tragic couple's courtship -- just as their present had met its end. To call it heartbreaking would be an understatement. (Read our recap here!)
Zap2it spoke with Cyrus himself, the incredible Jeff Perry, to discuss where Cyrus goes from here, his thoughts on the glimpse into the character's past and more.
Zap2it: First things first, do you need a hug?
Jeff Perry: Please. Please, please. Reach through the phone. I think I do.
I wanted to ask first,...
- 3/21/2014
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Each week, host Jeff Probst will answer a few questions about the latest episode of ‘Survivor: Cagayan.’
Entertainment Weekly: First question, Jeff, and this one comes courtesy of Alexis: Does, like, the rooster have to get it on with one of the hens to make eggs?
Jeff Probst: Given I’m from Kansas, I should know this and I think I do. The answer is no, hens do not need roosters to lay eggs. But I see why so many people think so — it would seem to make sense. But the truth is, hens lay eggs whether...
Entertainment Weekly: First question, Jeff, and this one comes courtesy of Alexis: Does, like, the rooster have to get it on with one of the hens to make eggs?
Jeff Probst: Given I’m from Kansas, I should know this and I think I do. The answer is no, hens do not need roosters to lay eggs. But I see why so many people think so — it would seem to make sense. But the truth is, hens lay eggs whether...
- 3/13/2014
- by Dalton Ross
- EW - Inside TV
What had ETonline readers buzzing this week?
1. Oprah, Kim K. Send Leno Off In Song
Billy Crystal led a group of Jay Leno's star-studded friends in song as the host bid "so long, farewell" to The Tonight Show (again).
Performing to the tune of The Sound Of Music's Farewell Song, Jack Black, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Jim Parsons, Sheryl Crow, Carol Burnett and Chris Paul all showed up to say goodbye. "So long farewell, last night I told my folks, now I won't be the butt of Leno's jokes," Kim, 33, sang.
Oprah, 60, rounded out the musical, singing, "You really raised the bar. If you were me, you'd buy them all a car!"
It was an emotional farewell for Leno, who broke down in tears upon giving his farewell to the show, but still managed to get in some jokes. "Tonight is our last show for real. See I don't need to be fired three times. I...
1. Oprah, Kim K. Send Leno Off In Song
Billy Crystal led a group of Jay Leno's star-studded friends in song as the host bid "so long, farewell" to The Tonight Show (again).
Performing to the tune of The Sound Of Music's Farewell Song, Jack Black, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Jim Parsons, Sheryl Crow, Carol Burnett and Chris Paul all showed up to say goodbye. "So long farewell, last night I told my folks, now I won't be the butt of Leno's jokes," Kim, 33, sang.
Oprah, 60, rounded out the musical, singing, "You really raised the bar. If you were me, you'd buy them all a car!"
It was an emotional farewell for Leno, who broke down in tears upon giving his farewell to the show, but still managed to get in some jokes. "Tonight is our last show for real. See I don't need to be fired three times. I...
- 2/8/2014
- Entertainment Tonight
After Kelly lost a Super Bowl bet with her co-host Michael Strahan, she had to go makeup free on her hour-long talk show. But not on any day, the day George Clooney was a guest!
Michael Strahan couldn’t help but laugh as Kelly Ripa had to sit next to him, completely makeup free on the Feb. 6 episode of Live with Kelly and Michael. Not only was she on national television bare-faced, but she had to interview super hot actor George Clooney! Do you think Kelly looks good without makeup?
Kelly Ripa Without Makeup — Loses Super Bowl Bet
George, ever the gentleman, told Kelly: “I think you look beautiful, you look absolutely beautiful.” Swoon!
Selena Gomez & More Without Makeup Take Our Poll Kelly Reveals The Positive Response She Received
The next day, on their Feb. 7 show, Michael said he did not see one bad respond on Twitter: “Everybody loved it!
Michael Strahan couldn’t help but laugh as Kelly Ripa had to sit next to him, completely makeup free on the Feb. 6 episode of Live with Kelly and Michael. Not only was she on national television bare-faced, but she had to interview super hot actor George Clooney! Do you think Kelly looks good without makeup?
Kelly Ripa Without Makeup — Loses Super Bowl Bet
George, ever the gentleman, told Kelly: “I think you look beautiful, you look absolutely beautiful.” Swoon!
Selena Gomez & More Without Makeup Take Our Poll Kelly Reveals The Positive Response She Received
The next day, on their Feb. 7 show, Michael said he did not see one bad respond on Twitter: “Everybody loved it!
- 2/7/2014
- by Dory Larrabee
- HollywoodLife
Channing Tatum's famously chiseled physique is … well, a little less chiseled these days. And he's fine with that! Teased during an appearance Thursday on The Ellen DeGeneres Show about how he's always being asked to take his clothes off, the Magic Mike actor replied: "You definitely don't want that right now." And why would that be? "Right now - what me and my wife [Jenna Dewan Tatum] like to call it, I am very 'fappy,' " he said with a grin. "I'm very fat and happy right now … I've been working for two straight years, and now it's some really needed downtime.
- 2/6/2014
- by Tim Nudd
- PEOPLE.com
Channing Tatum's famously chiseled physique is … well, a little less chiseled these days. And he's fine with that!
Teased during an appearance Thursday on The Ellen DeGeneres Show about how he's always being asked to take his clothes off, the Magic Mike actor replied: "You definitely don't want that right now."
And why would that be?
"Right now – what me and my wife [Jenna Dewan Tatum] like to call it, I am very 'fappy,' " he said with a grin. "I'm very fat and happy right now … I've been working for two straight years, and now it's some really needed downtime.
Teased during an appearance Thursday on The Ellen DeGeneres Show about how he's always being asked to take his clothes off, the Magic Mike actor replied: "You definitely don't want that right now."
And why would that be?
"Right now – what me and my wife [Jenna Dewan Tatum] like to call it, I am very 'fappy,' " he said with a grin. "I'm very fat and happy right now … I've been working for two straight years, and now it's some really needed downtime.
- 2/6/2014
- by Tim Nudd
- People.com - TV Watch
Olivia Colman has brushed off suggestions that she is annoyed not to be cast in the Us version of Broadchurch, which will be called Gracepoint.
David Tennant will reprise his lead role in the American port, his character being renamed Detective Emmett Carver.
However, Colman's character Detective Ellie Miller will be played by Breaking Bad's Anna Gunn, while Jacki Weaver also stars.
Speaking to Digital Spy and other reporters at the Sky Arts South Bank Awards at the Dorchester in London yesterday (January 28) where the show won Best Drama, Colman rejected reports that she was unhappy about not being included.
"This was a Q&A I did where - as a joke - I said, 'They never called me!'
"When you write that down - 'They never called me' - it sounds like you're pissed off. Richard II has been played by many, many actors."
Of Tennant winning a role in Gracepoint,...
David Tennant will reprise his lead role in the American port, his character being renamed Detective Emmett Carver.
However, Colman's character Detective Ellie Miller will be played by Breaking Bad's Anna Gunn, while Jacki Weaver also stars.
Speaking to Digital Spy and other reporters at the Sky Arts South Bank Awards at the Dorchester in London yesterday (January 28) where the show won Best Drama, Colman rejected reports that she was unhappy about not being included.
"This was a Q&A I did where - as a joke - I said, 'They never called me!'
"When you write that down - 'They never called me' - it sounds like you're pissed off. Richard II has been played by many, many actors."
Of Tennant winning a role in Gracepoint,...
- 1/28/2014
- Digital Spy
Lady Gaga is a lady in love!The singer and her boyfriend Taylor Kinney packed on the Pda at NBC Universal's Golden Globes Post Party on Sunday night.The notoriously private couple leaned in for a kiss in front of a bevy of photographers!The pop starlet looked stunning at the post-award show bash, donning a one-shoulder gold lame gown, leaving her blonde locks down with tousled waves.In the past, Mother Monster seemed a little bashful when Ellen Degeneres asked her about her beautiful beau. "I think the most important thing is love," Ellen said during a recent interview with Gaga. "And when you have someone you have that with…that one person, that connection. And it seems you have that in Taylor." "I think I do," the singer says with a shy smile. So, how did Lady Gaga meet her man? "When we first met we were on...
- 1/13/2014
- by tooFab Staff
- TooFab
Teen Wolf fans, prepare to sink your teeth into Tyler Posey.
The winter premiere of TV’s craziest, wildest, bloodiest high school drama is at hand, and EW chatted with the Teen Wolf himself to find out what’s in store for the second half of the show’s third season. Posey promises an unforgettable installment of the devilishly dark thriller—and if the totally crackers first episode is any indication, then we’re in for one hell of a ride in 2014. (This season will also mark the premiere of Wolf Watch, a post-mortem interview show that will feature guest...
The winter premiere of TV’s craziest, wildest, bloodiest high school drama is at hand, and EW chatted with the Teen Wolf himself to find out what’s in store for the second half of the show’s third season. Posey promises an unforgettable installment of the devilishly dark thriller—and if the totally crackers first episode is any indication, then we’re in for one hell of a ride in 2014. (This season will also mark the premiere of Wolf Watch, a post-mortem interview show that will feature guest...
- 1/3/2014
- by Marc Snetiker
- EW - Inside TV
It felt weird, right? Having a Big Brother player on Survivor just seemed kind of odd. But Hayden Moss fit right in the second he hit the beach for Blood vs. Water. And the Big Brother champion almost added a Survivor title to his collection. Alas, he was finally voted out and then lost the duel that could have gotten him back into the game. We spoke with the reality veteran to find out which show truly is harder and also to get some explanation as to why his girlfriend, Kat, was bragging about her new boobs on TV. He...
- 12/16/2013
- by Dalton Ross
- EW - Inside TV
Omar, Palestine's Submission for the Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. U.S. : Adopt Films. International Sales Agent: The Match Factory
Internationally acclaimed director Hany Abu-Assad's latest feature Omar takes him back to his native Palestine to tell a story about the extremely difficult decisions that an average, everyday man must face -- whether to follow his heart or stay true to his convictions. After the winning Un Certain Regard's Special Jury Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, the film has been selected as the Palestinian submission to compete for an Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film Category. Such a feat is not unknown for Abu-Assad whose previous film shot in the occupied territories, Paradise Now, earned him an Academy Award nomination and won the Golden Globe Award in the same category. As with most films about the political and military conflicts in the region, the issues are certainly relevant, but as the filmmaker mentioned himself, this is a film about love in the face of grueling adversity. Hany Abu-Assad talked to us about the message of the film, the casting his protagonist and the pressures of the Awards race.
Read the earlier review for Omar Here
Carlos Aguilar: How do you create a story that inevitably is politically charged, but is about the individuals rather than only about the conflicts?
Hany Abu-Assad: Actually, I think I do it unconsciously. There is no theory about how to balance it very well. It is not like you calculate it or you come up with a formula. It is all about experiencing the past. I think unconsciously you do that. I think also filmmaking in general is about feeling and not about theory. You need to know a lot of rules about filmmaking: character development, grammar, and all these thing, but then you use it instinctively. I ask myself this question all the time. I have no solid theory, I just do what I feel is right.
Aguilar: Omar is between two words. He is divided between saving his life and doing what he thinks is right to help his people. Could you talk about this duality whic he experiences?
Abu-Assad: In general I like movies that deal with trapped men. Men that need to make choices that are not obvious or easy choices. Then how do you visualize this? You create this character conflicted between two sides, because drama is about the conflict of two things, between your duty and your will, between what you want and what you can’t have. It is all conflict between two things, and this is why you put your character in a place where you can visualize the conflict.
Aguilar: Could you tell me about what the wall signifies, both in your film and for the Palestinian people living with it everyday?
Abu-Assad: In the film it is just an obstacle. Every love story has obstacles; in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ the obstacle is that the families are fighting. In Omar the obstacle is the wall. This is the outside obstacle, because the inside obstacle between the two lovers is trust. You need a visualization of the outside obstacle and what can be better than a wall. For the Palestinians it means a division from each other, because the wall didn’t separate Palestinians from Israelis, it separated them from themselves. This is the reality, and the wall is a kind of jail to the Palestinians.
Aguilar: Could you talk about the casting process, especially about your decision to cast Adam Bakri, in the leading role, which he plays outstandingly?
Abu-Assad: The casting is very simple actually, but it is very important. You choose the best actor for the role, and you test them and you test them, and you bring them back, and you have to make sure the actors fit the roles. Adam Bakri is a young actor, but I saw potential in him, I thought he could make Omar a much better character than what was written. That is why I chose him.
Aguilar: Did you experience any resistance or difficulties to shooting in Palestine, given the theme of the film?
Abu-Assad: Not his time, it was an easy shoot for me. I didn’t have any trouble with the authorities or the Israeli army. I’m very happy about that, maybe finally they are going to let me do what I have to do. [Laughs]
Aguilar: Without revealing the ending of the film, could you talk about why you chose to end the film this way, so abruptly, and in such a powerful manner?
Abu-Assad: First of all, the ending is real. I knew this would be the ending in advance, because this is the story I read in the newspaper. I know we can’t reveal the ending, but the story was about a collaborator who killed his agent with the same gun the agent gave him. I thought, “Wow this is a strong ending”, and because we are dealing with this subject in the film, I knew before writing that this would be the ending. Dramatically, it makes sense, because lets say, when your character makes a choice that will force him to make another choice between two bad choices, then the ending can’t be different than what it is now.
Aguilar: Your films essentially give a cinematic voice to the Palestinian cause; do you see film as a tool for social change?
Abu-Assad: Not change, but a tool for resistance. First of all, movies are really to entertain. A movie should entertain you in a way that will also open your mind. I think movies are tools to enrich your experience, in this case as resistance to injustice and to the Occupation.
Aguilar: Would you say Omar is a film about love or about the Occupation?
Abu-Assad: About love. About human beings trapped under the Occupation. About a love story under the Occupation.
Aguilar: Do you think this is a film that people from Israel will be willing to see, and what do you think they will get from it?
Abu-Assad: I showed it to some Israelis and they liked it very much as a movie, and also they thought that because it is so real, and everything that happens in it is real, they felt like this is the real story. We will start showing it very soon in December, or January of next year in the cinemas of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa.
Aguilar: Has the film premiered in Palestine, what was the reaction from the locals there?
Abu Assad: Yes, and it has been really successful. People are coming and the film is confronting them with issues that they know about, or have heard about, and it has given them material to think about these issues, which is good.
Aguilar: This is the second time that one of your films represents Palestine at the Oscars, and you were actually nominated for ‘Paradise Now’ a few years ago. How do you feel about this on the second time around? Is there any pressure?
Abu-Assad: It’s funny you ask this [Laughs], there is a lot of pressure you see, because you know the game more than before, and you know how the pressure will be. On one hand I’m very happy, really happy, but on the other side I’m worried because the responsibility is bigger than before.
Aguilar: Given that there so many thematic layers to ‘Omar’, how would you summarize its underlining message?
Abu-Assad: The most important thing about his film is that it is a tragic love story, it is timeless and placeless. It is also an entertaining thriller. It is about human beings who try to do right but by making wrong choices they are forced to make much more difficult choices. The audience should know that this is a movie not just about politics, but it is really about people, love, trust, and betrayal.
Internationally acclaimed director Hany Abu-Assad's latest feature Omar takes him back to his native Palestine to tell a story about the extremely difficult decisions that an average, everyday man must face -- whether to follow his heart or stay true to his convictions. After the winning Un Certain Regard's Special Jury Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, the film has been selected as the Palestinian submission to compete for an Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film Category. Such a feat is not unknown for Abu-Assad whose previous film shot in the occupied territories, Paradise Now, earned him an Academy Award nomination and won the Golden Globe Award in the same category. As with most films about the political and military conflicts in the region, the issues are certainly relevant, but as the filmmaker mentioned himself, this is a film about love in the face of grueling adversity. Hany Abu-Assad talked to us about the message of the film, the casting his protagonist and the pressures of the Awards race.
Read the earlier review for Omar Here
Carlos Aguilar: How do you create a story that inevitably is politically charged, but is about the individuals rather than only about the conflicts?
Hany Abu-Assad: Actually, I think I do it unconsciously. There is no theory about how to balance it very well. It is not like you calculate it or you come up with a formula. It is all about experiencing the past. I think unconsciously you do that. I think also filmmaking in general is about feeling and not about theory. You need to know a lot of rules about filmmaking: character development, grammar, and all these thing, but then you use it instinctively. I ask myself this question all the time. I have no solid theory, I just do what I feel is right.
Aguilar: Omar is between two words. He is divided between saving his life and doing what he thinks is right to help his people. Could you talk about this duality whic he experiences?
Abu-Assad: In general I like movies that deal with trapped men. Men that need to make choices that are not obvious or easy choices. Then how do you visualize this? You create this character conflicted between two sides, because drama is about the conflict of two things, between your duty and your will, between what you want and what you can’t have. It is all conflict between two things, and this is why you put your character in a place where you can visualize the conflict.
Aguilar: Could you tell me about what the wall signifies, both in your film and for the Palestinian people living with it everyday?
Abu-Assad: In the film it is just an obstacle. Every love story has obstacles; in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ the obstacle is that the families are fighting. In Omar the obstacle is the wall. This is the outside obstacle, because the inside obstacle between the two lovers is trust. You need a visualization of the outside obstacle and what can be better than a wall. For the Palestinians it means a division from each other, because the wall didn’t separate Palestinians from Israelis, it separated them from themselves. This is the reality, and the wall is a kind of jail to the Palestinians.
Aguilar: Could you talk about the casting process, especially about your decision to cast Adam Bakri, in the leading role, which he plays outstandingly?
Abu-Assad: The casting is very simple actually, but it is very important. You choose the best actor for the role, and you test them and you test them, and you bring them back, and you have to make sure the actors fit the roles. Adam Bakri is a young actor, but I saw potential in him, I thought he could make Omar a much better character than what was written. That is why I chose him.
Aguilar: Did you experience any resistance or difficulties to shooting in Palestine, given the theme of the film?
Abu-Assad: Not his time, it was an easy shoot for me. I didn’t have any trouble with the authorities or the Israeli army. I’m very happy about that, maybe finally they are going to let me do what I have to do. [Laughs]
Aguilar: Without revealing the ending of the film, could you talk about why you chose to end the film this way, so abruptly, and in such a powerful manner?
Abu-Assad: First of all, the ending is real. I knew this would be the ending in advance, because this is the story I read in the newspaper. I know we can’t reveal the ending, but the story was about a collaborator who killed his agent with the same gun the agent gave him. I thought, “Wow this is a strong ending”, and because we are dealing with this subject in the film, I knew before writing that this would be the ending. Dramatically, it makes sense, because lets say, when your character makes a choice that will force him to make another choice between two bad choices, then the ending can’t be different than what it is now.
Aguilar: Your films essentially give a cinematic voice to the Palestinian cause; do you see film as a tool for social change?
Abu-Assad: Not change, but a tool for resistance. First of all, movies are really to entertain. A movie should entertain you in a way that will also open your mind. I think movies are tools to enrich your experience, in this case as resistance to injustice and to the Occupation.
Aguilar: Would you say Omar is a film about love or about the Occupation?
Abu-Assad: About love. About human beings trapped under the Occupation. About a love story under the Occupation.
Aguilar: Do you think this is a film that people from Israel will be willing to see, and what do you think they will get from it?
Abu-Assad: I showed it to some Israelis and they liked it very much as a movie, and also they thought that because it is so real, and everything that happens in it is real, they felt like this is the real story. We will start showing it very soon in December, or January of next year in the cinemas of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa.
Aguilar: Has the film premiered in Palestine, what was the reaction from the locals there?
Abu Assad: Yes, and it has been really successful. People are coming and the film is confronting them with issues that they know about, or have heard about, and it has given them material to think about these issues, which is good.
Aguilar: This is the second time that one of your films represents Palestine at the Oscars, and you were actually nominated for ‘Paradise Now’ a few years ago. How do you feel about this on the second time around? Is there any pressure?
Abu-Assad: It’s funny you ask this [Laughs], there is a lot of pressure you see, because you know the game more than before, and you know how the pressure will be. On one hand I’m very happy, really happy, but on the other side I’m worried because the responsibility is bigger than before.
Aguilar: Given that there so many thematic layers to ‘Omar’, how would you summarize its underlining message?
Abu-Assad: The most important thing about his film is that it is a tragic love story, it is timeless and placeless. It is also an entertaining thriller. It is about human beings who try to do right but by making wrong choices they are forced to make much more difficult choices. The audience should know that this is a movie not just about politics, but it is really about people, love, trust, and betrayal.
- 11/28/2013
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Lady Gaga is a lady in love!The pop starlet isn’t afraid to open up in her music, but she seemed a little bashful when Ellen Degeneres asked her about her beautiful beau Taylor Kinney."I think the most important thing is love," Ellen says during an upcoming interview with Gaga. "And when you have someone you have that with…that one person, that connection. And it seems you have that in Taylor.""I think I do," the singer says with a shy smile.So, how did Lady Gaga meet her man?"When we first met we were on the set of the "You and I" video…," the songstress explains. "We were in the middle of this scene and I remember that he kissed me and it wasn't scripted for him to kiss me and I was sort of like was um, you know, was that real or was that fake?...
- 11/23/2013
- by tooFab Staff
- TooFab
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