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movies filterAugust 07 The Fresh Taste Of 'Pineapple'
I saw "Pineapple Express" yesterday and...loved it. And after reading some negative reviews today, I realized that I loved many things critics didn’t like about the picture -- the shaggy pacing, the lack of quippy-joke-a minute banter (seriously, do we need another "Juno" on our screens?), the aimlessness (which is both fitting for pot-heads and at the same time, something I don't necessarily agree with since these guys, at least James Franco's wonderfully touching drug dealer Saul has some goals). I love the '80s touches from the music (Bell Biv DeVoe!) to Seth Rogen's car to the hit men’s clothes and yet, it takes place in current times. And the pop culture references are real rather than hip. So great.
Though the picture is clearly sending up '80s action movies within the stoner genre, I find it interesting that no one (from what I've read anyway) has mentioned any kind of deeper message regarding drugs laws in this country. Not sure if Apatow (and the great David Gordon Green) were making such a comment, but after (spoiler alert!) the entire barn blows up and Kevin Corrigan really can't make it to dinner on time, because of essentially, a plant...this idea came to mind. The criminalization of pot is as absurd as Rogen dueling Gary Cole with a marijuana light.
Also, Franco, Franco, Franco. I've been stumping for him ever since I witnessed his range on "Freaks and Geeks." Too long he's been the smoldering bad boy of the big screen (and don’t get me wrong, he’s good at that), but here, he's a sweet, understated goofball you absolutely fall in love with. Without him, the movie wouldn't have worked. He's the heart and soul of the picture. When he says he wants to make parks with septic areas for kids to shi* in, I effing believe him.
With this, you totally get why Rogen comes to love him -- and truly, this movie plays like a love story between these two men. I damn near choked up when they were frolicking in the woods.
Can't wait to see it again. Also, Kevin Corrigan needs to be in more movies...And don't miss the Huey Lewis song (with the News!) during the end credits.
--posted by Kim August 06 Lindsay Lohan Showing Off Her Iron Maiden-hoodIf anyone knows me, really, if anyone has read me -- they know I've got a thing for La Lohan. I will throw down for that messed up little minx!
Well, this whole thing going down with Samantha Ronson, be it a close friendship or something more, I'm all for. Especially when I see hot pictures like the one below.
 I don't care if she probably borrowed the shirt from Ms. Ronson and hasn't fully experienced "The Number of the Beast." My entreaty? More sexy girls in Iron Maiden tee-shirts working it with their Brandon/Teena gal pals! More! It's a new world people. Wake up!
(Thanks to D Listed for the pictures).
--posted by Kim August 04 Female Trouble What in the Sam Hell is up with perky Nikki Blonsky? An aiport brawl? And with her father involved?
Maybe she's researching for a real John Waters movie as the new Dawn Davenport ("Those aren't the right kind, I told you cha cha heels, black ones! F you both, you awful people! You're not my parents! I hate you, I hate this house, and I hate Christmas!") Oh how I love that movie. And Mr. Waters has to be tickled by this...just a little.
Here's the story via US magazine:
"'Hairspray's' Nikki Blonsky and her father were arrested Wednesday after getting into a fight with the family of America's Next Top Model contestant Bianca Golden over saved seats in the departure lounge at Providenciales International Airport in Turks and Caicos.
"A staffer at the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force confirmed their arrests to Usmagazine.com on Friday.
According to a source at the Turks and Caicos Weekly News, Bianca, 19, her brother George, 17, and their mother Elaine Clinton-Golden, were waiting for a flight to New York when they tried to take a seat in the departure lounge but found luggage on the chairs. When they removed the luggage, which belonged to the Blonsky's, a brawl broke out.
"Elaine was alleged to have been repeatedly kicked and punched all over her body. She was airlifted for treatment in Miami, Florida.
"'I am in pain all the way down my arms and legs,' Elaine told the the Turks and Caicos Weekly News, Thursday from her hospital bed. 'I can hardly talk or walk and my head is hurting all over.'
"Nikki, 19, was charged with actual bodily harm; her father, Carl, was charged with grievous bodily harm, a source at the Turks and Caicos Weekly News tells Us.
"Nikki — who is now in a neck brace — went to court Friday morning, the source tells Us. When photographers tried to take her picture, she covered her face.
"Nikki is due back in Magistrate cot on December 1. Nikki's rep had no comment."
A neck brace? As Dawn would ask: "Pretty? Pretty?"
--posted by Kim Morgan Freeman In Serious Condition What is with the actors from "The Dark Knight" having such unfortunate incidents? The latest? The great Morgan Freeman has suffered a terrible car accident:
"Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman was in a hospital in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday after being injured in a car accident near his home in Mississippi.
"Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Kathy Stringer said Freeman, 71, is in serious condition. The hospital is about 90 miles north of the accident scene in rural Tallahatchie County in the Mississippi Delta. "Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Ben Williams said Freeman was driving a 1997 Nissan Maxima belonging to Demaris Meyer of Memphis when the car left a rural highway and flipped several times shortly before midnight Sunday. "'There's no indication that either alcohol or drugs were involved,' Williams said. He said both Freeman and Meyer were wearing seat belts. The woman's condition was not immediately available. "'They had to use the jaws of life to extract him from the vehicle. He was lucid, conscious. He was talking, joking with some of the rescue workers at one point." "...Bystanders converged on the scene trying to get a glimpse of the actor. 'When one person tried to snap a photo with a cell phone camera, Freeman joked, 'no freebies, no freebies,' [Clay, editor of the Sun Sentinel in Charleston] McFerrin said." Morgan Freeman. Tough old class act even while enduring the jaws of life. I pray he's going to be OK. --posted by Kim July 30 Jerry's Got His Gun Oh come on...let Jerry have a gun:
"Police say they have confiscated a gun belonging to Jerry Lewis that was found in the 82-year-old entertainer's carryon bag as he prepared to fly to Detroit from Las Vegas.
"Las Vegas policeman Bill Cassell said Tuesday that the actor was cited Friday for carrying an unloaded concealed weapon at the Las Vegas airport. "Lewis' manager, Claudia Marghilano, says the handgun is a hollowed-out prop gun that Lewis sometimes twirls during his show. She tells The Associated Press that the gun couldn't fire." Like Bale's righteous rage, I believe Mr. Lewis. And by the way, you never know who is bothering him with their "pride and joy." --posted by Kim
July 28 Comic-Con Dispatch 3: Auto-EroticIt's the last day of Comic-Con, and I think the place is getting to me. Truly. The day's a little nippy and there's a hint of sadness permeating the place with the geeks thinning out, the halls feeling colder and emptier and even (gasp!) the die-hard freaks appearing to grow weary (come on! Where's my Joker-faced girls at? Joker-faced girls!). And yet, I'm still feeling a bit obsessed. After last night's column in which I pondered the difference between Lycans and Werewolves (a smart guy in the production office told me there's no difference; it's some fancy Latin root ... whatever), I actually had a dream about explaining the distinction to, of all people, Benicio Del Toro (which makes sense since I saw him speak on "The Wolfman" panel Friday.) So, yes, indeed, I dreamt that I was arguing with Mr. Del Toro that his Wolfman was in fact, a Lycan (he kept rambling on all Fenster-like about how Lycans can be feline and that I was crazy ... and then we made out. OK, that didn't happen.) Anyway, not a bad reverie with Mr. Del Toro, even if we were arguing, but it only proves that this place is so all-consuming that it's actually seeping into my dream state. Ah yes, the power of movies. Or insanity. Not sure. Regardless, it's been quite a trip, this Comic-Con adventure, and I've grown more charmed every day. The morning of Sunday being no exception, especially when you drink your coffee with the likes of Paul W.S. Anderson, Jason Statham, Natalie Martinez, Tyrese Gibson, Joan Allen and (swoon) Ian McShane (the greatest mother**king actor whose ever appeared on TV -- that's for all you "Deadwood" fans). That's right; I'm talking about a "Death Race" junket.
Auto-Erotic Now, I absolutely venerate the Paul Bartel-directed, Roger Corman-produced, David Carradine-starring cult classic "Death Race 2000," so I was curious to know why director Paul W.S. Anderson decided to change the picture so radically. Instead of a future blood sport in which drivers rack up points for killing innocent bystanders (way more subversive), the "Resident Evil" director set the movie in a futuristic maximum-security prison in which the world watches prisoners (on TV) commit all kinds of creative vehicular manslaughter. It's like "Mad Max" meets "The Truman Show" meets "The Running Man" (without Richard Dawson, regretfully). But Anderson assured me that he loved the original and that this movie serves as a kind of prequel to the Bartel/Corman picture. "It is part of reimagining a property like this. If we're lucky enough to make a sequel, we'll get to the evolution of the points, what was leading up to what Roger Corman's movie represented." Hmmm ... sequel in the works? Nevertheless, the director continued to impress the gear-head in me by discussing his reason for not using CG effects, and then rattled off some of his favorite, great, car movies: "I grew up watching 'Vanishing Point,' 'Two-Lane Blacktop,' 'The Driver,' Sam Peckinpah's 'The Getaway,' 'Bullitt.' When you see movies like 'The Getaway,' those movies gave you a visceral thrill because they were real ... you see those cars crunching into one another, there's no CG sh*t flying off the cars, it's real, and the physics are real, and that's the kind of movie I wanted to make." He went on to discuss some deeper issues, something that the genius named Ian McShane (he went from this movie and did a play by Harold Pinter!) would strongly disagree with. He called "Death Race" a "boy's wet dream movie": "['Death Race'] is a film to make a lot of money. They want a lot of people to watch it and have a good time. These films are written fairly delineated in ways that are black and white and you are meant to be distracted by the sheen ... I'm not dissing the movie at all ... that's what Hollywood films are about -- let's face it, they're not about nuanced problems." Well said, Al Swearengen ... er Mr. McShane. Oh yes, and which actor would he like to most work with in the future? Nick Nolte, he told me. Ian McShane officially rules. But then, to make the morning go to 11, my heart went all auto-erotic when Jason Statham (who drives a white 208 GT2 Porsche) rhapsodized over American muscle cars. When I told him I drove a 1971 Torino with a 351 Cleveland, he leaned closer to me and asked with that distinctive Statham voice: "Where's your keys? You don't want to lend that to me on the weekend." (Uh ... go ahead and take the keys, Mr. Statham, as long as I'm in the passenger seat.) So yeah, this was a pretty damn good morning. Sadly it had to lead to Camp Crystal Lake ... Freaky "Friday" A morning that magnificent cannot last -- of course -- especially when you're next listening to a panel discuss the remake of "Friday the 13th." OK, so it's not as bad as butchering the brilliant horror classic, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," but producers Brad Fuller, Andrew Form, star Jared Padalecki and the new Jason Voorhees and Derek Mears were all there, explaining why this version would be better than the original. Right. Michael Bay produced it. After showing us a teaser trailer in which the creepy Jason music played (that's always nice to hear), I was still unconvinced. And then actor Padalecki bragged about how this movie is much more realistic and grittier by saying, "There's a whole new level of scare. It's not just the slow-moving-walking-guy whose out to get us. It's like the difference between fighting a hippo and fighting a lion." Um, did you just compare the original Jason Voorhees to a hippo? Shame on you! And shame on the producers for working with a guy who's remaking not only this movie, but "The Birds" and "Rosemary's Baby" as well. Seriously, I was tempted to walk up to the question microphone and just tell them to STOP with this nonsense already. But then I was encouraged by a legend, God bless him ... Craven Savin' That legend mentioned above was Wes Craven ("The Last House on the Left," "The Hills Have Eyes," "Nightmare on Elm Street, " "Scream," "Red Eye"), who was there to chat up his newest picture, "25/8" -- a serial-killer story about split personalities, a deceased father and grieving, among other things. The clip shown was fantastic, incredibly atmospheric and yes, very, very scary. I can only hope the movie lives up to its teaser. Craven, who comes across as immensely kind and professorial, also wrote the picture. It was something very personal to him as his father died when Craven was 4 years old. When asked if the staunchly political man had any message ladled within the picture regarding the current administration, he said, "No, I wasn't commenting on George Bush. I'd kind of like to not think of him at all." He also discussed the current remake of his notoriously violent '70s classic, "Last House on the Left," which sounds like it may continue the tradition of good Craven remakes (like the brilliant, and yes I did say brilliant, retooling of "The Hills Have Eyes" by Alexandre Aja). Craven's confident with Greek director Dennis Illiadis fronting the task. The relatively unknown Illiadis made an uncompromising picture called "Hardcore" about two young prostitutes that Craven was deeply impressed with, and I trust Mr. Craven. No Michael Bay action here, thank goodness. The panel ended with writer and director David Goyer's newest picture, "Unborn," a demonic-possession/bad-seed movie ("I'm being hunted by someone who was never born!" screams our lead character). The picture looks like it has promise but ... it's a bit F/X heavy (why ruin horror movies with a bunch of silly effects?). Goyer, who's helped pen some major comic book movies, including the highly influential "Blade," "Batman Begins," "Ghost Rider" and "The Dark Knight" and who produced, wrote and directed "Blade" Trinity" (ouch) as well as directed "The Invisible" last year, was clearly excited about this project, though the room felt spiked with Xanax (the crowd's energy was really starting to wane). Citing influences from "The Exorcist" to "Rosemary's Baby" to "The Omen," as well as newer pictures like "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" and "The Mothman Prophecies," the director said these films "Get under your skin in a more realistic way." I supposed he's attempting to achieve the same with his picture, but I'm not so sure as of yet; however, even Goyer said the teaser wasn't entirely complete, so who knows what the end result will be. Though some amusing banter about, of all things, potato bugs (he threw a lot of them on the actors) was thrown about, the affair was particularly lackluster. All I could think was, "Where's Gary Oldman (one of the "Unborn's" stars) when you need him?" If Bill Nighy could show up for the "Underworld" panel, surely Oldman could have popped in for a second. But then, this movie wasn't about Werewolves ... I mean, Lycans. Yes, yes, I'm back to that business again. I told you I was obsessed. And now Comic-Con is over. But the obsessions still remain. Ready for next year and ready to dream again. Maybe this time Jason Statham and I can get in an argument about Ford Mustangs vs. Dodge Challengers. I certainly hope so. --posted by Kim July 27 Comic-Con Dispatch 2: I'm Craving Pineapple...
Saturday, July 26: Did I honestly think Christian Bale would make a surprise appearance here? Yes, yes, there was some glimmer of hope inside, even with his latest incident. ("Verbal assault"? What is up with laws in England? Leave Mr. Bale alone. He was having a bad night.). Anyway, I was shocked by how er ... articulate director McG (he of "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" fame) was. After showing the trailer (starring Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard and Common, who did all appear on the panel today) the picture looks a lot grittier than we've seen of Mr. McG, who stated he used no visual effects in order to create a more "tactile feel" and a more "'70s" vibe. Good direction. He was also quite political ("I think if the world would get its head out of its ass & if we actually see a guy like Common running shi* ...") and made some interesting points about the state of the world: "Science fiction is over, we live in a world we can clone a sheep, talk on our blackberries, and if we're depressed, we just take a pill to affect our dopamine levels. The future is here." He also conceded his lack of credible weight by citing others for any artistry the film might have. "We hired Stan Winston, John Nolan is the writer, who you know from a little picture called 'The Dark Knight.'" He continued with "[Audiences are thinking,] I don't know about that McG guy. So I wanted to hire the most credible actor of this generation: Christian Bale. He is John Connor. I can report fairly back to you, he's doing a great, great job." I'm pretty sure he's right. As for the movie itself, we shall see ... Universal's "Mummy," "Race," "Drag Me to Hell" and "Land of the Lost" I find "The Mummy" movies unbearably boring, but I'll admit it -- watching Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh and Maria Bello saunter out to promote the newest take on the tedious franchise, my heart skipped a beat (OK, maybe half a beat) faster. The newest picture takes place in China, and from the looks at the sneak peek, it would appear Brendan Fraser is battling a group of Yeti in the snow. OK, I'm bored again. Next up was "Death Race," director Paul W.S. Anderson's re-make of Paul Bartel's classic cult film, but I'm not reporting on that movie until tomorrow after I interview the director and cast. One nice surprise was producer Roger Corman taking the stage. He claimed he was cheap enough producing the original picture to do all of his own driving in the film (ah, the good old days). Rolling along, the room significantly perked up with Sam Raimi's entrance. The director gave us a sneak of his return to horror with "Drag Me to Hell," which stars Alison Lohman and Justin Long. All I need to say is: Alison Lohman gets in one hell of a fantastically gross fight with a scary old lady in a car. Nicely done, Mr. Raimi. After the third "Spider-Man," it's nice to see him back in the horror genre. "Land of the Lost" was next on the docket; it's a movie that looks, well....we never saw much of anything to look at except an unfunny bit where Will Ferrell (who wasn't in attendance) plays a banjo and attempts to sing the original theme song and something about a dinosaur. Most interesting bit? The fact that Sid and Marty Kroft (who were present) might not be aware that the picture is making fun of the original TV show. But hey, I could be wrong. And the Sleezstack scared the crap out of me when I was a kid so ... "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans," "Quarantine," "Pineapple Express" After watching the trailer for the very Romero-inspired "Quarantine" and listening to "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans'" director Patrick Tatopoulos discuss vampires, werewolves and Lycans, I start wondering just what the hell the difference is between a Lycan and a Werewolf. Is there a difference? Am I losing my mind? No, I'm just eagerly awaiting more Judd Apatow, along with the great David Gordon Green, Seth Rogen, Danny Miller and James Franco to discuss a movie I cannot wait to see, "Pineapple Express" (which is directed by Green). Finally, they emerge and the room is energized by not just a bunch of promotional turn and burn, but quick-witted conversation and riotous banter between cast members and the amusing (amusing is a nice way of putting it) audience members asking questions. Apatow leads the panel and is fast to make fun of his looks on the Comic-Con jumbotron (he even flashes his hairy chest to make a nervous, questioning fan feel better about his Chewbacca backpack); then he plays loose and mirthful with his cast and director. I realize this is the third time I've seen Seth Rogen in 24 hours, and I'm not tired of him in the least. I don't think I'll ever tire of the guy. Actually, I'm so eager to see Rogen and Franco in this stoner action movie that I'm annoyed I've just watched three clips from the film. I just want to see it. And that's a good way to end the evening. I can only hope tomorrow holds such promise. Oh, wow ... I'm beginning to sound like a bad science fiction movie based on a comic book. You'd think I was at some sort of convention or something ... --posted by Kim Comic-Con Dispatch 1: I'm A Freak And A Geek...
I'm a Comic-Con virgin. But after three days of this shindig, my er ... "Cherry Darling" (come on, "Planet Terror" fans ... and I saw Rose McGowan on the "Red Sonja" panel so it's relevant) anyway, that thing's been popped. Amid the herds of nerds (and I mean that in the nicest way possible -- mostly) and costumed fan-freaks, the expansive convention floor/field filled with every kind of graphic novel to numerous movie posters to the "Harold & Kumar" unicorn, I am, in the grandest of understatements, a bit overwhelmed. And surprised, too. I'd gone in thinking I'd be annoyed by the geek fest, that my inner high-school-smoking-section Kim Kelly (the "freak" from "Freaks and Geeks") would rage against the onslaught of nerd-dom; instead, I was charmed. I'd see a guy in far too tight spandex Robin outfit and think, "Right on! Do your thing, man!" When spying a girl dressed in the original Princess Leia outfit, I thought, "Good for you! Those cinnamon buns on your head must have been a bitch to apply." And then I took the Comic-Con shuttle. Filled with Comic-Con fans of every stripe, I realized I wasn't far removed from these kids -- and they all seem like kids, even the adults who are older than I am. After speaking to one fellow who asked me what the hell I was doing there (funny -- I'm the weirdo I guess), I told him I just saw, among others, Frank Miller speak. When he asked me who Frank Miller was, I flipped: "What?!" I exclaimed, "You're at Comic-Con and you don't know who Frank Miller is"? That's like saying you don't know who Han Solo is! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Yes I geeked out. And yes, OK, Kim Kelly did emerge, albeit a much nerdier one. I realized my own fan-girl geekdom when my first panel began with ... July 25, 2008 The Visionary Filmmakers I love Frank Miller. I love his graphic novels, I love that he loves film noir, I love that he's staunchly protective of his material and I love that he can actually pull off wearing a pin-striped jacket and a fedora -- not an easy feat, my friends. So I was excited to learn he would be participating in the Visionary Filmmakers panel as part of his promotion of "The Spirit." His fellow panelists were Zack Snyder ("Dawn of the Dead," "300" and the highly anticipated "Watchmen"), Judd Apatow (creator of "Freaks and Geeks," director of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up" and producer of "Superbad" and "The Pineapple Express") and Kevin Smith ("Clerks," and you know the rest). Now, I still love Frank Miller, but dammit if Kevin Smith (who received the biggest applause upon entering), a filmmaker I don't revere by any stretch of the imagination, didn't win me over. Discussing the role of geek in cinema, the power they hold both culturally and in the business world (they are taking over), Smith and Apatow dominated the panel with their hilarious, incredibly blue banter. When asked why they made the movies they do, Smith quipped, "I just wanted to get my c** sucked, sir." And then Apatow one upped him with, "I'd still like that to happen ... [Anyway] I was 16/17 years old and I had sex for the first time, and afterwards I asked her, 'Was it good for you too?' She answered, 'I guess it'll get better' & and then I knew." He continued with, "I'm sure none of you have had that experience." Ah, have to love him (and there's more of him to come). Miller and Snyder were silent for most of the panel, with Snyder coming off almost nervous at times (even Smith, who praised "Watchmen" pointed out his lack of verbal skills were made up by such a strong visual sense), but Snyder did make some nice points about the power of watching movies on the big screen: "I'm a fan of the theater, I want to go to the movies, I want the lights to go down and get my brains blown out." Considering his movies, I'm pretty sure he meant that literally. Kevin Smith Makes a PornoThe raunchiness continued with Smith's hour-and-a-half discussion of his newest picture, "Zack & Miri Make a Porno," which stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. Based on the clip he presented, the film looks pretty damn funny. Again, I'm not the world's biggest Smith fan, but with Rogen dominating the screen (and Smith very openly admits this by praising Rogen's improvisational skills), the movie looks like it could be the funniest he's ever made. With, among others, porn icon Traci Lords, Rogen, Jason Mewes and Banks on the panel, the night was highly amusing and I can't repeat nearly any of what was spoken here. Sorry. --posted by Kim July 24 The End Of An EraVery sad that the balcony is finally closed. Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz will take over for Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper.
I must say I'm proud to have been a part of the show, and that in spite of our differences on the air, Mr. Roeper (um, "The Host"? come on Richard!) has been nothing but a Prince to me ever since. I wish him the best. And, here's a nice piece by Ebert about the end of the show. And an end of an era. --posted by Kim At Comic-Con I'm at Comic-Con and yeah...this is crazy.
I'll report more later, but for now check out Gregory Ellwood's coverage.
And pray for me. There's a lot of Klingons running around, and those costumes cannot smell good...
P.S. Stacie Ponder! Where the hell are you? Heeeeeelllllp me!
--posted by Kim Please Respect Mr. Bale's Privacy -- He IS Batman After All...I know I wrote about this, but I was tired. In a lucid state, I say, leave Christian Bale alone. And what in the hell? You can get in troubled for yelling at someone in England? If so, I would have been arrested many times over.
Here's Mr. Bale asking for some damn privacy:
"Batman star Christian Bale asked for privacy Thursday in his first comments since allegations he assaulted his mother and sister at a London hotel, saying the incident was a "deeply personal matter."
The Welsh-born actor brushed off questions about the alleged family dispute, saying he preferred to focus on the blockbuster movie 'The Dark Knight,' which opened in Spain on Wednesday. "'t's a deeply personal matter,"'Bale told a press conference at a luxury hotel in this northern Spanish city. 'I would ask you to respect my privacy in the matter.' "The 34-year-old actor spent four hours talking to British police Tuesday following allegations he assaulted his mother and one of his three sisters in his suite at London's Dorchester Hotel two days earlier. He was released on bail, but not charged. "Bale has said through his lawyers that the assault allegations were false. "British media reported that Bale's mother and sister told police he assaulted them at the hotel a day before attending the European premiere of 'The Dark Knight.' The Sun newspaper said the complaint was filed by sister Sharon Bale and mother Jenny Bale. "The drama unfolded even as the movie broke records and was met with critical acclaim. It set a box-office record with $158.4 million during its opening weekend in the U.S. last week, and is expected to do well in Europe." --posted by Kim July 22 Christian, Are You OK? Christian? We know how method you are (uh..."The Machinist")...so I'm hoping this was research for a new movie role? I do also hope you're OK. And who knows, this might be entirely blown out of proportion (verbal assault?).
In any case, methinks Stepmom Gloria Steinem needs a little sit down with you:
"Batman star Christian Bale was arrested Tuesday over allegations of assaulting his mother and sister, police and British media said.
The 34-year-old actor spent four hours at a London police station before being released on bail.
"'British media had reported that Bale's mother and sister complained he had assaulted them at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Sunday night, a day before the European premiere of his latest film, 'The Dark Knight.'
"The Sun newspaper said police did not question the actor Monday because they did not want to interfere with the premiere of the movie."
Read the entire story here.
Update: Bale denies all charges. (I believe him...)
--posted by Kim
July 21 Batman Through The Ages
From the campy (Pow! Wham! Bang!) 1960s version starring Adam West to the perhaps even campier (pec-tacular rubber suit!) 1997 edition featuring rising heartthrob George Clooney, five past films brought the beloved Bob Kane DC comic to life -- five different visions, of varying quality, that have excited, disappointed and ignited arguments among Batman aficionados everywhere. In 2005, the delightfully dark "Batman Begins" introduced us to an all-new vision, courtesy of director Christopher Nolan ("Memento") and star Christian Bale ("American Psycho"). Now Nolan and Bale return to the depths of superhero drama with "The Dark Knight," which is already garnering raves and buzz. Why all the attention? Batman has long been the favorite superhero of comic-book/graphic-novel fandom, offering a wealth of rich, dark material for a filmmaker to mine. We are inspired/fascinated by traumatized rich boy Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego Batman because he doesn't possess any superpowers -- just a super brain, super gadgets, super car, super rage and a super, devoted butler. He's the brooding film noir-esque antihero whose hometown of Gotham City is so filled with corruption and evil that it has stained his soul. Batman is so deeply troubled and so deeply violent, you're not sure just which side of good or evil he's on. This is just one reason I was especially excited for the return of Nolan and Bale's version. With "Begins," they proved to be the perfect pair to take Batman back to the dark side. Will this outing be as exciting as the first? What snippets we've seen look promising. But before we get to Bale's bat-ting average, we thought we'd fly down memory lane to take a look at the previous Bat-visions that graced or disgraced our big screens. Read on about Batman through the ages... --posted by Kim | ||
