Monday, August 29, 2011

Matthew Fox's Arrest Prompts Online Jokes, Career Advice and Conspiracy Ideas

Former Lost star Matthew Fox's arrest in Cleveland for allegedly punching a lady bus driver within the chest and stomach sent fans from the ABC series online to state confusion, impart career advice making a number of Lost jokes in the actor's expense.our editor recommendsMatthew Fox Charged with Attacking Lady in ClevelandMatthew Fox Posed for Pictures With Fans Just before Altercation At Dark UFO, probably the most active Lost fan websites throughout the series' run, comments ranged in the absurd (Christopher Hopkins authored "Heading down-hill because the Island... 'We need to go BACK!'") towards the concerned. A commenter named WiseOldMother authored, "Matthew Fox seems like he's overstressed and looking for a rest home in Wyoming. I'm unsure what happening in Cleveland but maybe a few of these crazy guy figures he is doing recently are beginning to 'bleed' through into his personal existence!!" STORY: Matthew Fox Charged With Punching a Lady in Cleveland Meanwhile, in the Lost Forum, fans from the tricky and twist-filled show responded in ways totally synchronized using their TV tastes. Commenter LovebirdsJATE authored, "I saw this and that i just don't understand what to consider. I don't wish to accept is as true, but exactly how could it 't be true? A glance a-like? A large hoax???" The response tended toward humor on Twitter, where Conan author Take advantage of Kutner authored he told police, "'I needed to return to the area!'" ("We must return!Inch would be a fan-favorite catch-phrase after Fox stated within the series' third season finale.) Similarly, Daniel Tuch, a author's assistant for that USA series Burn Notice tweeted, "Apparently she overlooked his plea of 'We need to go back!'" Cleveland resident MaryLeeS had her very own theory on Twitter, taking a chance, "Maybe he thought she was the smoke monster?" Related Subjects Matthew Fox

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Sunday, August 28, 2011

Marc Hannibal dies at 80

Actor, singer and former Harlem Globetrotter Marc Hannibal died in Salem, Ore., of natural causes on This summer 23. He was 80. Hannibal made his TV acting debut in 1963 on "CBS Repertoire Workshop," narrating the storyline from the historic Dred Scott Top Court situation. He continued to star in a number of variety shows, including "Hannibal's Trunk." Hannibal guested on series including "Dragnet," "Adam 12" and "Jason Bourne" and made an appearance in films including "Airport terminal," "Fools," "The Other people in 7A" and "The Grasshopper." In 1975, he starred within the Italian cult film "Superuomini, superdonne, superbotte" (known by various British game titles including "Three Fantastic Supermen") like a gladiator super hero. In 1976 he created and starred inside a variety show known as "About the Strip," live from Vegas. Like a singer, he headlined nightclubs across The United States within the sixties, once opening for Phyllis Diller at Gaslight Square in St. Louis, and headlined The Sands and Union Plaza hotels in Vegas within the seventies. He recorded two albums: the very first, anonymously entitled disc was for Philips, the 2nd, "Evening Occasions," for independent label First American. In 2002 his song "Forever Is really a Lengthy, Very Long Time" was tried by Royce Da 5'9" for that latter's song "Boom," which made an appearance about the album "Rock City (version 5.)" and also on the soundtrack of MTV's 2001 telepic "Stylish Hopera: Carmen." Hannibal's music career was chronicled within the book "The Very First Book of Or Jazz, Rock and many types of Music" by Carolan Gladden. Frank Charles Hannibal Junior. was created in St. Louis. After graduation from Benson Polytechnic Senior High School in Tigard, Ore., like a star basketball player, he offered briefly within the Military. In 1954, Hannibal was employed through the Harlem Globetrotters and together with using the team for 2 years. Then he performed with Marques Haynes' barnstorming team, the Harlem Masters of magic. Hannibal is made it by three kids along with a boy. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Montreal fest wild for Belgian comedy

Hasta la Vista, from helmer Geoffrey Enthoven, won Montreals Grand Prix des Ameriques and was voted the fests most popular pic. Belgian helmer Geoffrey Enthoven's road comedy "Hasta la Vista" (Come as You Are) won the Montreal World Film Festival's Grand Prix des Ameriques on Sunday, marking the second consecutive year and third time in five years that a Flemish Belgian pic has taken the fest's top prize."Hasta la Vista," about three disabled men who head out on a road trip to check out a brothel in Spain that caters to people with disabilities, also won the award as most popular film at the festival, and was given a Special Mention by the Ecumenical Jury.The Ecumenical Prize was given to the lone U.S. entry in the competition, Brooklyn helmer Joel Fendelman's "David," a drama about an unusual friendship between two boys, one from Brooklyn's Muslim community, the other from the neighborhood's Orthodox Jewish community.The awards were doled out at a ceremony at Place des Arts in downtown Montreal on Sunday night. The closing ceremony also included a tribute to Gallic thesp Catherine Deneuve, who was given a lifetime achievement award by the festival.The second prize Special Grand Prix of the Jury went to Japanese director Masato Harada's "Chronicle of My Mother." The director award was won by German helmer Brigitte Maria Bertele for her pic "The Fire," a drama about a woman recovering following a rape. Fatemeh Motamed-Arya won the actress prize for her performance in the Iranian pic "Here Without Me" from director Bahram Tavakoli. The award for actor was shared between Danny Huston, for his role in the Israeli-France pic "Playoff," and Borys Szyc for Polish pic "The Mole." Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

VIDEO: Craig Ferguson Jokes About Anthrax Scare

Craig Ferguson First Dave, now Craig?Less than a week after death threats were made against David Letterman, Craig Ferguson received an envelope containing white powder purported to be anthrax. It later turned out to be harmless."Today someone sent an envelope packed with white powder to the show. I offered to test it, but they said 'no,'" Ferguson joked in his Late Late Show monologue on Tuesday's show. David Letterman returns to work after death threatTwo people were temporarily held at the studio Tuesday afternoon after being exposed to the powder and were released after a hazardous materials team determined it was benign, The Associated Press reports. Los Angeles Police Det. Gus Villanueva said the package came from overseas, but declined to discuss further specifics. The LAPD and F.B.I. are currently investigating the situation.Ferguson thanked the LAPD, FBI, Los Angeles Fire Department and CBS security on Twitter for their efforts and used the situation to poke fun of himself on the show."In the old days, if someone sent me white powder, I'd have said, 'Yeah!' I'd have snorted it, ended up at a party at Elton John's house, or rehab, or both," he said. "But nowadays, white powder in the mail is bad. I called CBS security, and they said, 'We're busy.' I said, 'I am a personal friend of Drew Carey's.' And they said, 'Send someone over right away.'"Watch Ferguson's monologue below:

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Loriot, German Comedy Legend, Dead at 87

Perfume, Germany - The German comedy legend Vicco von Bulow, also known as Loriot, is dead. The 87-year-old veteran of TV sketch comedy and film died on Monday at his home in Bavaria. Though not well-known outdoors the nation, Loriot was among Germany's best-loved funny males as well as an inspiration for any generation of comics.our editor recommendsGermany's Lolas to recognition Vicco von Bulow First like a cartoonist, afterwards his Loriot Television show, von Bulow used the stuff of regular existence - eating spaghetti in a restaurant, purchasing Gifts, getting breakfast - as raw material for his work. He only made two films: Odipussi (1988) and Papa ana portas (1991), but both were box office hits, together selling a lot more than 8 million tickets in Germany alone. Last Year he received an eternity achievement recognition in the German Film Academy. "Our country has lost among its most significant humorists and best experts of human weakness," stated German Leader Christian Wulff. "By poking fun at Loriot we discovered the complicated and easiest problems of existence. Together with his sketches he earned television history." Von Bulow might have inspired a more youthful Generation of German comics Butt he wasn't pleased with the Ganges to German TV, especially Following the creation of commercial television within the eighties. Within an interview in 2007, von Bulow in comparison the requirements of creating shows for public television within the 1970, when he'd annually to provide four episodes, to today's commercial demands. "Today poor people saps need to do 25 episodes (annually)," he stated. For von Bulow, quantity didn't equal quality and that he left the company. Following the news of his dying broke, Twitter illuminated with tributes to von Bulow and the work. Several German channels are thinking about-air homages now. Related Subjects Worldwide

Monday, August 22, 2011

Patrick Kevin Day Joins The Hollywood Reporter as Deputy Editor, THR.com

Patrick Kevin Day continues to be named Deputy Editor of THR.com it had been introduced Monday. Day will are accountable to THR.com Editor Frederick Kapsch. "The transformation from the Hollywood Reporter by Janice Min in publications an internet-based continues to be astounding and adding Patrick only fortifies the already stellar team in position,Inch stated Kapsch. "Patrick is really a first class journalist and that i'm beyond excited to welcome him towards the team where his expertise is going to be instrumental to shaping THR.com's coverage." THR.com has seen an 131% rise in website traffic in the last year and boasts 4.4 million unique monthly site visitors- a lot more than other industry guides combined. Day, an experienced journalist, most lately offered as deputy online editor for that entertainment news portion of the La Occasions website. In the Occasions, he offered because the founding producer from the Envelope, the Times' online honours destination and assisted launch the entertainment news portion of the website, the Times' first entry into breaking entertainment news. His frequent contributions towards the Times' site incorporated reviews to 24 Frames, the Times' movie blog, Hero Complex, covering sci-fi, fantasy and comic culture, and Show Tracker, where he blogged about "24" and "Lost," among other shows as well as covered the Sundance Film Festival. Day is really a graduate from the College of Los Angeles where he analyzed British and Cinema. Related Subjects

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Who Needs Comic Disadvantage? Disney Discloses All At D23 Expo

Who needs Comic Disadvantage when you are able do-it-yourself? That must definitely be precisely what Disney thinks about the problem because it continues its massive second Disney D23/ Expo , the "ultimate fan event" happening all weekend lengthy in the Anaheim Convention Center right alongside Disneyland (the title describes 1923, the entire year Wally Disney began his studio). This is an offshoot from the official Disney Fan Club and features a ginormous exhibition center with every imaginable chance to purchase Disneyana, numerous fan occasions and celebrity sighting opps, after which there is present day focal point, a near three hour preview of movies within the pipeline from Disney, Pixar and Marvel (which introduced a partnership with the organization last year that's at the moment preparing). Refer to it as 'Mickey Con'. It's all regulated a little so overwhelming no surprise it requires 72 hours simply to cope with everything. The big event continues with the finish of Sunday. After his major presentation from the newDisney slatein the gargantuan Arena before 4200 apparently rabid fans ( along with a couple of more restrainedpress people) I swept up with Wally Disney Galleries Chairman Wealthy Ross within the Eco-friendly Roomfor a unique interview by which he spoken concerning the options of the fifth Pirates from the Caribbean film in addition to his first comments about the demise of Sailing team Johnny Depp's and Jerry Bruckheimer's about-to-shootwestern The Lone Ranger which Deadline's Mike Fleming firstreported have been came by Disney because of financial concerns about the pricey pic. After I askedRoss ifthere was anything newto report he stated,"Nothing definitive. There's nothing new. I am wishing to get it done, I am certainly wishing. I believe it is a compelling story and nobody wants to utilize Jerry andJohnny a lot more than me, so we'll see results for yourself,Inch he stated. Contributing to the potential of a fifth Pirates? Everything is clearly clouded using the Lone Rangersituation.However he used the term, 'hopeful'. "We are hopeful. Everyone is game for this. Now we are focusing on a script. We're feeling we must have something that can not be about franchise, it needs to actually cover the storyline and that is where we are going now," he stated adding that he's very happy with the performance from the latest Pirates film the industry big worldwide grosser getting just passed$800 million worldwide. The success certainly required the sting off earlier 2011boxoffice non-starters, Mars Needs Moms (a movie he inherited in the previous regime) and Promenade (a modest $10 millionpic he greenlit).For Cars 2 which received disappointing reviews (by Pixar standards)and it has done 1 / 2 of what Toy Story 3 did last summer time Ross stated, "Its carried out everywhere. People question if you're able to hit individuals types of (Toy Story 3) levels however i am happy. It's going to tip over $500 million a few days ago. Therefore it is not quite a little figure. We are happy with John Lasseter and it is an interest work for him," he stated. Ross opened up his near three hourshow 'life was imple' promising "an insider's look at approaching movies" after which greasing everyone else by guaranteeing , "You are the main reason we all do what we should do". Ross stated in the first moment he saw Mary Poppins in 1964 at at New You are able to theatre he was "an admirer for existence". Then he introduced Chief Creative Officer for Wally Disney and Pixar Animation Galleries John Lasseter (putting on what he stated was the 'officialHawaiian Cars 2 shirt') who proceeded, withthe assistance of seveal company directors and stars, to operate with an impressive preview of the approaching 'toon product together with a semi-Cars spin off known as Planes , which intends to follow and turn loveable aircraft into stars including Dusty , a cropduster voice by Jon Cryer who made an appearance personally to hype everyone else about the Spring 2013 release. "I am so geeked out," Cryer stated. It was then previews of the Disney Ani November 2012 flick, Wreck-It Rob (voiced by John C. Reilly)happening within the inanimate realm of game titles. Co-stars Sarah Silverman and 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer required happens to wow everyone else with Silverman sarcastically observing "I have always aspired to arrived at Anaheim without likely to Disneyland." Lasseter also demonstrated generous footage in the next Pixar release, Brave opening in summer time 2012 . Before presenting director Mark Andrews who showed up inside a kilt, he notedit is really a "total original' for the organization by having a female lead occur a story book period piece happening in ancient Scotland. Director Serta Scanlon demonstrated some unpolished footage as well as spoken in the college-set prequel, Monsters College before co-star Billy Very designed a brief appearance to promise the adoring crowd, "Believe me it's amusing, as different as anything imaginableInch. As formerly reported earlier Saturday Lasseter presented company directors Pete Docter (Up) and Bob Billings to announce two new Pixar movies the very first time. Docter is going to do The Untitled Pixar Movie That Can Take You Within The Mind , a cerebral sounding 'toon the director explained later on continues to be materializing with casting soon to start for any target 2014 date. Billings stated he used their own passion for the 1964 New You are able to World's Fair's animatronic Dinosaurs exhibition to spark his idea for that other new Pixar announcement, The Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs but all he'd at this time would be a single slide to exhibit the now ravenous crowd. And knowning that brings bravedaconfetti rain storm to create cookies for everybody in celebration of Pixar's 25th anniversary. (Later within the day I'd the pleasure of moderating nine people from the Pixar brain trust , including Lasseter, inside a rollicking90 minute Q&A before 750 fans honoring the business's amazing run of Oscar winning movies and shorts). Ross then intro'd Leader of Production Sean Bailey who revealed the live action slate concentrating on a generous quantity of clips in the blockbuster-franchise hopeful in3D, John Carter in line with the comic and Edgar Grain Burrough's sci fi novel. Oscar winning Pixar vet (Wall-E , Finding Nemo) Andrew Stanton is getting into live action as helmer from the large budget film.Later on Stanton explained he really was taking pleasure in doing live action for something new however when I askedhim just how much your budget was he responded, "I honestly have no idea. I never need to know exactly what the budgets of my films, animated or live action, are , just will be able to obtain the dollars I have to do them. It's certainly costly. It's look foward to two films in a single, live action and also the other,CGI." Stars Taylor Kitsch , Lynn Collins and Willem DaFoe made an appearance to setup the clips. Tim Burton turned up on tape to tout his stop motion animated Frankenweenie, a black and whitened re-imagining of his early career short of the identical title that Disney is gearing for any Halloween 2012 opening. Comng on stage Professional Producer Don Hahn required note from the Frankenstein's monster-like dog named Sparky getting large laughs by saying "Sparky is 4 inches tall and fully comprised of silicone, kinda like this girl on 'Jersey Shore'". The more compact drama, The Odd Existence of Timothy Eco-friendly was recommended by star Jennifer Garner while another tape package referred to the miracles of Mike Raimi's presently shooting prequel Oz: The Truly Amazing and Effective looking for March, 2013 which stars James Franco. The show closed with compares the next DisneyNature doc, Chimpanzee,and also the new Muppet film looking for Thanksgiving with Jason Segel and Can Be. Kermit The Frog and Miss Piggy required tothe stage with Segel for many amusing backwards and forwards, Then Marvel mind Kevin Feigetrumpeted their new cope with Disney and introducedthe2012 Marvel summer time release, The Avengers which starts numerous superheroes from the criminals took its turn. Robert Downey Junior. Jeremy Renner and Scarlett Johannson were one of the large cast showing this season although Downey was upset they could not begin to see the promo reel backstagewhich unspooled right before they arrived on the scene. "Does anybody need to see exceptional reel again?" Downey requested because he attemped to hide their own motive in attempting to view it themself. They went it again because the stars viewed. Within the Eco-friendly Room Ross explained "it is good to exhibit the breadth. You have these giant brands with Disney, Pixar and Marvel. The giant brands are wonderful storyteller brands... However, you don't auction 'brands' you sell movies, you sell tales, you sell new figures," he stated. Ross also faced critique in certain quarters he has moved too gradually in building their own slate and taking Disney one stage further. "In my experience we reside in a global that individuals have plenty of choices and also to have the ability to give a movie or two per month appears in my experience to become a lot. I believe we have to spend a bit more some time and go just a little much deeper . I do not think it is so almost as much ast 'slow' as concentrated. For the studio this is actually the correct amount of films. Twelve is a touch more compact, 13 is usually destined to be bigger so we are excited," he stated. He's alsohopeful about engaging in business with major talents like David Fincherwho is speaking about doing20,000 Leagues Underneath The Ocean, along timestudioproject about the ropes shortly afterRoss showed up butnowalive again, and Mike Raimi on Oz " and more compact pictures too. It is the combination that's always this mixture because we are able to only afford a lot of tentpoles. They are very costly." For three dimensional? "I believe when individuals see three dimensional, what Mike Raimi does in three dimensional (in Oz), the design Robert Stromberg has produced , he won two Oscars consecutively. It is going to be eye poppingand individuals will understand it seems sensible to visit three dimensional or with Tim Burton and exactly how we demonstrated today with black and whitened three dimensional in 'Frankenweenie'. That's his eye so you need to use visionaries to develop something visionary," he states. The detailed presentation never pointed out Dreamworks , now being written by Disney. Their movie The Assistance moved into the main box office slot a few days ago and Ross explained he could not become more proud. "I am thrilled using the committment that DreamWorks gave to 'The Help', that Stacey (Snider) gave to 'The Help'. It had been a popular book of mine, they put themselves in it. It had been a pleasure to partner together and find out the response because you will find many books nowadays converted to movies that individuals react to, but to become the main movie approaching from # 2 inside a busy area, we are thrilled," he stated.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Mysteries of Lisbon Filmmaker Raúl Ruiz Passes Away at 70

With his latest film, the well-received four and a half-hour opus The Mysteries of Lisbon, still in theaters stateside, Chilean filmmaker Ral Ruiz has passed away in Paris following a lung infection. The director, who had made over 100 films in his nearly five-decade career, was 70. The Chilean-born filmmaker began making films in the 1960s and moved to France after Pinochet assumed power in 1973. His films earned him numerous European awards; four of them (That Day, Marcel Proust’s Time Regained, Three Lives and Only One Death, and L’oeil qui ment) were nominated for the Cannes Palme d’Or. Of his most recent film, the epic period drama The Mysteries of Lisbon, Movieline’s Stephanie Zacharek wrote: With The Mysteries of Lisbon Ruiz has pulled off a work that’s both grand and intimate, as if he’d seized on the seemingly paradoxical idea of building a mansion-sized dollhouse and made it work. Ruiz was born in Chile but has lived in Paris since the 1970s. He’s made more than 100 movies in the course of his career, though not many of them would be familiar to American moviegoers. (The exception might be his 1999 adaptation of Proust’s Time Regained, starring John Malkovich and Catherine Deneuve.) Here, Ruiz and cinematographer Andr Szankowski work in the fairly straight tradition of the period drama, but they never corset it too tightly. The picture breathes as it moves, even though the pace here is definitely stately. Ruiz appears to have had lots of fun with the movie’s little visual touches: The reflection of illicit lovers is captured in a tiny mirror image; the face of a storyteller spinning out a tale of woe looks back at him, and us, from the surface of a cup of tea. Ruiz has treated the world of culture, with a capital C, as if it were a Sears-Roebuck catalog of great ideas waiting to borrowed: He takes a few pages from Vermeer’s soft-glow chamber lighting and Corbet’s way around a misty landscape. Read the full review here. The Mysteries of Lisbon, meanwhile, is still in limited release; see a listing of play dates here. [Le Monde, El Mostrador]

Thursday, August 18, 2011

True Justice

Director Wayne Rose ("Battlestar Galactica") shows action legend Steven Seagal ("Machete") and his undercover team against the New Hope Arian Nation occur. Organization which shrinks at nothing and pulls out all the stops to the local elections to influence for their benefit. In addition, the prosecutor Lisa Clayton (Tia Carrere), a serial rapist release. These lapses into his old pattern so the police are only one way out: Kane and his team must cooperate with the special unit of SVB. If a female employee of that unit being raped, Kane takes the matter personally...

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Summer of Giacomo (L'estate di Giacomo)

A Tucker Film (in Italy) release of a Faber Film, Les Films Nus, Les Films d'Ici production, in association with Wallpaper Prods, Tucker Film. Produced by Paolo Benzi, Valerianne Boue, Alessandro Comodin, Marie Gehin, Rejane Michel. Co-producers, Stephane Lehembre, Yov Moor, Kathleen de Bethune, Thomas Bertracche, Sabrina Baracetti. Directed, written by Alessandro Comodin.With: Giacomo Zulian, Stefania Comodin, Barbara Colombo. (Italian dialogue)As wispy and languid as a golden afternoon, frosh helmer Alessandro Comodin's "Summer of Giacomo" is a docu-fiction hybrid that hardcore auteurist auds will find lovely, and most mainstream viewers more temperate. Following the titular deaf teen and a girlfriend as they walk through a sun-dappled forest, splash around in a cool river and visit a carnival as twilight sets in, pic mainly drinks in the sights and sounds, with the only dramatic development -- and the possibility of deeper meanings -- hidden behind a sudden, late-in-the-game twist. Locarno's Filmmaker of the Present competish prize should help extend the film's fest season. Good-looking Italo youngsters Giacomo (Giacomo Zulian) and Stefania (Stefania Comodin) enjoy each other's company as they walk through a densely wooded area that's more akin to an Edenic jungle than a northern Italian woodland (the film was shot in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, bordering Slovenia). The two are in search of a place to access the river so they can go swimming, and have brought along only a small bag containing two towels and their lunch. Dialogue between Stefania and the mercurial, almost childlike Giacomo is on the light side, their conversations consisting of short commentary on what they see or do, and the nonsensical banter typical of people who know each other well. But despite their easy rapport and the casual sensuality inherent in playing silly games in and near the water in skimpy swimwear, the exact nature of their relationship is never explicitly stated. Pic's handheld, single-camera footage occasionally means things happen (at least partially) offscreen and precludes shot/reverse shot edits. The slowed-down editing rhythm suits the unhurried narrative; Giacomo and Stefi take the pic's first 15 minutes to just find the river. Tempo is also in tune with the lazy summer day the protags are experiencing; Comodin seems to suggest that what is being shown is not a special day, but one like many others before and after it. Narrative stasis is crudely and deliberately undercut by the pic's final reel, in which Giacomo is again at the same riverside location, though now accompanied by another girl (Barbara Colombo), who is also deaf. A jarring shift in perspective throws the preceding events into a different light, suggesting the loss of something innocent and paradisiacal, but Comodin offers few clues as to how the two uneven parts fit together -- or whether they even occurred in the order in which they are shown. Documentary-like feel is reinforced by the natural poise of the non-pro leads, with Zulian a photogenic, somewhat enigmatic presence throughout. Unforced lensing on 16mm looked fine at the digital projection caught, while other tech contributions are in line with the pic's small budget. No production designer or costume designer was mentioned in the credits, which, in retro fashion, all unspool at the start of the film.Camera (color, 16mm-to-HD), Tristan Bordmann, Comodin; editor, Joao Nicolau, Comodin; sound, Julien Courroye; assistant director, Marie Gehin. Reviewed at Locarno Film Festival (Filmmakers of the Present), Aug. 8, 2011. Running time: 79 MIN. Contact Boyd van Hoeij at news@variety.com

Friday, August 12, 2011

Patrick Swayzes Widow Supports Dirty Dancing Reboot

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- While some Dirty Dancing fans cant fathom the idea of Johnny and Baby as anyone other than the late Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, Lisa Niemi (Patricks widow) has given her seal of approval to the newly-announced reboot. Jennifer [Grey] and I have been talking and shes been so supportive, as has Lisa Swayze and [producer] Eleanor Bernstein, Kenny Ortega who choreographed the original 1987 film and will direct the reboot told Us Weekly at Wednesdays So You Think You Can Dance finale in Los Angeles. I couldnt be more thankful for the outreach that has happened from the cast and crew members from the original movie. Theyve all said Go, Ken! While Kenny is excited about giving the film a modern touch, he admits it will be a challenge to find actors who can bring the characters to life as well as their beloved predecessors. Patrick and Jennifer brought so much, and the chemistry that they had with each other I just want to find that match, he told the mag. As for a possible cameo by Jennifer Grey, Kenny said its being considered. If its organic, right and makes sense, Kenny said, when asked if the original Baby and recent Dancing with the Stars champ would be seen in the new film. I would love nothing more. As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, Jennifer took to Twitter on Monday to express her excitement over the Dirty Dancing movie news. I love @Kennyortega and trust that he will do something special #DirtyDancingRemake, Jennifer Tweeted on Monday night. Blown away by all of the love expressed for #DirtyDancing. Makes me want to see it again. So grateful to have been a part of it, she later added. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

'Breaking Bad' at Impasse as AMC's Growing Pains Emerge (Analysis)

Courtesy of AMC It's been fascinating to watch AMC of late. In a slightly less magnified example of the troubles HBO went through three or four years ago, AMC is finding out that being the golden child only lasts until the first growing pains kick in. Or the first mistakes are made. For AMC, however, a lot of recent management decisions are being met with raised eyebrows in the industry and both angry and worried reactions from fans of its shows. PHOTOS: Behind the Scenes of 'The Walking Dead' In both negotiations with Mad Men creator Matt Weiner during the run of the show, the impasses semed surprising. His show put AMC on the map and no matter how relatively small the ratings were, you can't put a price on creating a brand from scratch almost overnight. AMC was dowdy and dead, less than an afterthought before Mad Men. Why risk pissing off the goose that laid that beauty of an egg? Negotiations got tense and -- worse -- spilled into the news. Both times. That shouldn't have happened but, as we look back, may have been a sign. You could see the predicament that AMC was in. It was hard to imagine how they were getting the money to sustain Mad Men. Then, the second time around it was evident that giving Weiner and Hamm and others money to continue was going to cripple the channel's chances of branching out. STORY: 'The Walking Dead': Showrunner Frank Darabont Stepping Down Breaking Bad was a series that fell in AMC's lap from FX, but AMC at least had the vision and guts to develop it fully and -- voila -- suddenly it had the two best dramas on television (they still do). That, as you might guess, wasn't cheap. But AMC continued to branch out from there, creating a miniseries out of The Prisoner, then the ambitious but failed drama Rubicon, followed by the huge hit in The Walking Dead and the buzzed-about and then banged-about series The Killing. AMC's next foray into a series is Hell on Wheels, a stylized Western. Even just a couple of days ago, the biggest worry -- unstated -- was managing fall-out and, possibly, expectations. The ending to The Killing annoyed countless fans and how that reaction was handled (poorly) was magnified by showrunner Veena Sud chiming in and confirming some suspicions that she might not get what the gripes were about content-wise, and thus maybe in over her head creatively. Shortly after that, Frank Darabont, the executive producer and guiding force behind The Walking Dead abruptly left. And after seeing the pilot of Hell on Wheels -- a series that will need a lot of work and maybe some prayers -- it was hard not to think that maybe AMC was learning the hard way that show runners like Weiner and Breaking Bad's Vince Gilligan were elite talents and those people just don't come along that often. Translation: The Killing and Hell on Wheels may be very distant relations to Mad Men and Breaking Bad in terms of quality. PHOTOS: Summer TV Preview 2011: 'Breaking Bad,' 'The Glee Project' and More That's certainly a mess worth covering up or fixing behind the scenes (and to AMC's credit, after a delay the channel did adequately reassure industry observers and fans that a good team at The Walking Dead was in place to take over as Darabont left.) Then came word Tuesday from a Los Angeles Times story that negotiations for a fifth season of the acclaimed Breaking Bad were going sideways and that the show was being shopped elsewhere just in case everything imploded. (Breaking Bad creator Gilligan has said recently that he thinks the show should end after five seasons -- it's currently in Season 4). The Times reported that AMC had asked that episodes on Breaking Bad be cut from 13 to six or eight -- a request that spurred the search for a backup channel. REVIEW: Breaking Bad Season Four Already there were rumors that Darabont left The Walking Dead because AMC wanted to give the series less money per episode than it did in Season 1 -- despite being AMC's highest-rated series. You can imagine that Darabont might have been thinking about getting a bigger budget given the ratings and thus pissed off to find out that The Walking Dead might be used to subsidize all the money paid out to Mad Men, the world's most gorgeous and written-about loss-leader. And now the squeeze on the financials is hitting Breaking Bad, a turn of events that AMC needs to get under control immediately. Why? Because things are looking bleaker than a frightened survivor being surrounded by zombies. It's bad that AMC seems incapable of getting its woes out of the news cycle (and it could have been much worse had more critics watched the Hell on Wheels screener). STORY:'The Killing' Showrunner Responds to Finale Backlash: 'I Don't Want to Be Kinda Liked' So now AMC looks to be a channel that doesn't have the money to properly maintain the two brightest jewels in the television landscape. It absolutely needed Mad Men to go all the way to the finish line just as it absolutely needs Breaking Bad to get a fifth season of its brilliant run and go out on top. That's a deal that must get done (and now that it's no longer being negotiated in private, the sooner the better). What AMC is finding is that you can be a do-no-wrong darling one moment and then perceived as bumbling fool the next. Hell, it happened to HBO, the gold-standard of cable programming. HBO took some lumps and some well-deserved criticism, but ultimately fought (or rather programmed) its way back to the top. STORY:Did 'The Killing' Just Kill Itself? AMC should tackle the no-brainer first -- extend Breaking Bad to a fifth and final season. That way you've been a fine steward for two brilliant series and nobody can ever take that away from you. Since announcing the succession team at The Walking Dead was met with approval, AMC can consider that fire doused. But lingering in the distance is how to fix The Killing and, one would hope, get future episodes (if not the pilot) of Hell on Wheels upgraded. Because as it stands, if Hell on Wheels doesn't work creatively, it will look like AMC gave series to showrunners better equipped for network telelvision than to extend a brand of greatness, which AMC is pushing. This is a very intriguing time in the development of AMC as a channel. If it doesn't act quickly now with Breaking Bad, and with firm creative control in the near future with The Killing and Hell on Wheels, we might witness the fastest decline of a television brand in recent memory. Email: Tim.Goodman@THR.com Twitter: @BastardMachine AMC Mad Men The Walking Dead Breaking Bad