Tom talks Scientology:
Archive for the 'Hollywood' Category
That’s what I’ve been asking myself way too often lately… What happened to two of my favorite actors? Both Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are undoubtedly two of the most talented actors who have ever been in a movie and they’ve participated in high-quality political movies. However, it seems that, at some point, they decided to pick movie parts for the money, not for quality. Despite the fact that they’re far beyond rich. They’re getting older, sure, but they could still choose to play older characters in good movies. I mean, neither of them has financial problems, so why don’t they wait for a good part to come along their way? If they want to work they can produce or finance movies if they want. Well, it doesn’t make any sense to ramble about this any longer… Just thought I should express my feelings after reading this LA Times article by Patrick Goldstein today:
I thought Francis Ford Coppola was being cranky last fall when he badmouthed Al Pacino and Robert De Niro — the stars of Coppola’s immortal “Godfather” films — for taking parts for the money and losing their passion for doing great work. “I met both Pacino and De Niro when they were really on the come,” Coppola told GQ magazine. “Now Pacino is very rich, maybe because he never spends any money; he just puts it in his mattress. . . . They all live off the fat of the land.”
Coppola was right on the money. The two icons of ’70s New Hollywood, heroes to a generation of young actors and filmmakers, have become parodies of themselves, making payday movies and turning in performances that are hollow echoes of the electrically charged work they did in such films as “Serpico,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Mean Streets” and “Taxi Driver.”
Go to Google.com, enter the search term find Chuck Norris and hit I’m Feeling Lucky.
The Australian-born actor Heath Ledger was found dead at a Manhattan apartment, which is believed to be his home in Soho, at around 3:30 pm Tuesday afternoon. He was 28. NYPD says it might have been a drug-related death; pills were found by the bed. Ledger had an appointment for a massage. The housekeeper found him dead when he came to inform him about the masseuse’s arrival. No evidence of suicide, even if his death is indeed related to the sleeping pills found near his body.
Excerpt from a NY Times article (Nov 04, 2007):
He is here in London filming the latest episode of the “Batman” franchise, “The Dark Knight.” (Mr. Bale, as it happens, plays Batman; Mr. Ledger plays the Joker.) It is a physically and mentally draining role — his Joker is a “psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy” he said cheerfully — and, as often happens when he throws himself into a part, he is not sleeping much.
“Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night,” he said. “I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.” One night he took an Ambien, which failed to work. He took a second one and fell into a stupor, only to wake up an hour later, his mind still racing.
Ledger was a very talented actor, probably best known for his role in Brokeback Mountain. He just recently wrapped filming on the next Batman sequel The Dark Knight (he played the Joker). Filming of The Dark Knight is finished, but it is still in post-production, so the film might still be impacted by the actor’s passing.
Writers are still striking in Hollywood and at Broadway, leaving actors, movie makers and TV presenters speechless:
Nicholas Cage put his Bel Air house (9 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, about 11,000 sq.ft. living space) on the open market. Price tag: $35 million. He had bought the house from Tom Jones back in 1998 for a rumored price of $7 million. Nicholas Cage has invested tons of money in real estate over the years. Big Time Listings has a list of some of his numerous properties. Sometime I will live in such a house, too. Sometime…
Here’s the list of winners at the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards:
Drama Series: The Sopranos (HBO)
Comedy Series: 30 Rock (NBC)
Actor in a Drama Series: James Spader, Boston Legal (ABC)
Actress in a Comedy Series: America Ferrera, Ugly Betty (ABC)
Actress in a Drama Series: Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
Actor in a Comedy Series: Ricky Gervais, Extras (HBO)
Reality Competition Show: The Amazing Race (CBS)
Writing in a Comedy Series: Greg Daniels, The Office (NBC)
Directing in a Comedy Series: Richard Shepard, Ugly Betty (ABC)
Individual Performance in a Variety, Musical or Comedy Program: Tony Bennett, Tony Bennett: An American Classic (NBC)
Writing for Drama Miniseries or Movie: Frank Deasy, Prime Suspect (BBC)
Directing for Drama Miniseries or Movie: Philip Martin, Prime Suspect: The Final Act (BBC)
Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie: Helen Mirren, Prime Suspect (BBC)
Made-for-TV Movie: Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee (HBO)
Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie: Judy Davis, The Starter Wife (USA)
Variety, Music or Comedy Special: Tony Bennett: An American Classic (NBC)
Variety, Music or Comedy Series: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: David Chase, The Sopranos (HBO)
Outstanding Director for a Drama Series: Alan Taylor, The Sopranos (HBO)
Outstanding Miniseries: Broken Trail (AMC)
Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie: Robert Duvall, Broken Trail (AMC)
Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: Rob Marshall, Tony Bennett: An American Classic (NBC)
Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC)
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Katherine Heigl, Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries: Thomas Haden Church, Broken Trail (AMC)
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Jaime Pressly, My Name Is Earl (NBC)
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Jeremy Piven, Entourage (HBO)
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Terry O’Quinn, Lost (ABC)
This year the nominees for the Primetime Emmy Awards are:
Outstanding Comedy Series
- 30 Rock
- Entourage
- The Office
- Two And A Half Men
- Ugly Betty
Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
- 30 Rock: Scott Ellis
- Entourage: Julian Farino
- Extras: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant
- Scrubs: Will Mackenzie
- The Office: Ken Kwapis
- Ugly Betty: Richard Shepard
Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series:
- Battlestar Galactica: Felix Alcala
- Boston Legal: Bill D’Elia
- Friday Night Lights: Peter Berg
- Heroes: David Semel
- Lost: Jack Bender
- Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip: Thomas Schlamme
- The Sopranos: Alan Taylor
Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special:
- Broken Trail: Walter Hill
- Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee: Yves Simoneau
- Jane Eyre: Susanna White
- Prime Subject: The Final Act: Philip Martin
- Tsunami, The Aftermath: Bharat Nalluri
Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music or Comedy Program:
- American Idol: Bruce Gowers
- Saturday Night Live: Don Roy King
- The Colbert Report: Jim Hoskinson
- The Daily Show With Jon Stewart: Chuck O’Neil
- Tony Bennett: An American Classic: Rob Marshall
Outstanding Drama Series:
- Boston Legal
- Grey’s Anatomy
- Heroes
- House
- The Sopranos
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series:
- 30 Rock: Alec Baldwin
- Extras: Ricky Gervais
- Monk: Tony Shalhoub
- The Office: Steve Carell
- Two And A Half Men: Charlie Sheen
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series:
- 24: Kiefer Sutherland
- Boston Legal: James Spader
- House: Hugh Laurie
- Rescue Me: Denis Leary
- The Sopranos: James Gandolfini
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie:
- Broken Trail: Robert Duvall
- Jesse Stone: Sea Change: Tom Selleck
- Longford: Jim Broadbent
- Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From The Stories Of Stephen King: William H. Macy
- The Ron Clark Story: Matthew Perry
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series:
- 30 Rock: Tina Fey
- Desperate Housewives: Felicity Huffman
- The New Adventures Of Old Christine: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
- Ugly Betty: America Ferrera
- Weeds: Mary-Louise Parker
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series:
- Brothers & Sisters: Sally Field
- Law & Order: Mariska Hargitay
- Medium: Patricia Arquette
- The Closer: Kyra Sedgwick
- The Riches: Minnie Driver
- The Sopranos: Edie Falco
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie:
- Life Support: Queen Latifah
- Prime Subject: The Final Act: Helen Mirren
- The Robber Bride: Mary-Louise Parker
- The Starter Wife: Debra Messing
- What If God Were The Sun: Gena Rowlands
Outstanding Made For Television Movie:
- Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
- Inside The Twin Towers
- Longford
- The Ron Clark Story
- Why I Wore Lipstick To My Mastectomy
Outstanding Miniseries:
- Broken Trail
- Prime Subject: The Final Act
- The Starter Wife
Nominees for supporting roles and best writing can be found at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ website.
First look of Tom Cruise as Stauffenberg in the movie Rubicon, which is to be released in 2008:
