I usually drive around Hancock Park and Koreatown in a caffeinated daze, with 1950s Chet Baker tunes swimming in my head as I envision a Los Angeles littered with fedoras, hopped up jazz, and the smell of blood money. This week’s debut of Gangster Squad trailer only heightens my fever dream, thanks to Sean Penn’s scenery chewing display as crime lord Mickey Cohen.
My L.A. noir fix has been briefly sated with the release of Mickey Cohen: The Life and Crimes of L.A.’s Notorious Mobster, writer Tere Tereba’s absorbing and gritty account of Cohen’s rise from a tough as nails pugilist from East L.A. to a seemingly untouchable gangster (he survived 11 attempts on his life).
“(Cohen) was in the headlines all the time,” says Tereba, who talks about Cohen’s relationship with the media. “And the stories he gave were the ones he wanted out there. And they were the stories that covered up the conspiracies, because he was in business with law enforcement. He was in business with politicians, and the stories they wanted out there needed to be collaborations, so I try to pierce through the conspiracies. Before anything written about him was just the puff pieces as he wanted them printed. History remains that way until this book.”
In the following audio clip, Tereba explains why Cohen, who died of stomach cancer complications in 1976, was a “cottage industry” for Los Angeles (Tereba’s dog is heard in the background for a split second):
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First Trailer for ‘Gangster Squad’ Arrives Online
By · CommentsNo, that's not an Untouchables remake--that's Warner Bros.' star-studded crime drama “The Gangster Squad.”
Directed by Ruben Fleischer (“Zombieland”) and starring Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin and Emma Stone, "Gangster Squad" is based on the Los Angeles Times' seven-part series "Tales From the Gangster Squad." The articles, by Paul Lieberman, chronicled the LAPD's efforts to keep East Coast mobsters out of Los Angeles in the 1940s by forming the Gangster Squad.
Anthony Mackie, Bryan Cranston and Michael Pena round out the cast.
The "Gangster Squad" trailer will play in front of "Dark Shadows" this weekend.
Warner Bros. originally scheduled “Gangster Squad” for an October release before moving the pic back to Christmas.
Budgeted at $60 million, the L.A. noir pic was produced by Dan Lin and Kevin McCormick through Lin Pictures and Langley Park, respectively; Jon Silk, of Lin Pictures, is co-producing.
“Gangster Squad” hits theaters December 16.
Sitting down yesterday with filmmaker BOBCAT GOLDTHWAIT to talk about his terrific new movie GOD BLESS AMERICA, the subject of last weekend’s box office and THE AVENGERS came up. Apparently, at one point Marvel Comics had approached the former stand-up comic to direct a film based on one of their characters but by the time GOLDTHWAIT got to their catalog, the pickings were on the slim side. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR FOR AUDIO)
As children, both TIM BURTON and JOHNNY DEPP were devoted fans of DARK SHADOWS, the hugely popular daytime soap opera that shook up the genre with its mix of gothic mystery and melodrama. So, when the subject of making a vampire movie came up during their collaboration on SWEENEY TODD, it seemed an obvious choice to revisit this quirky cult favorite. Written by SETH GRAHME-SMITH, the film attracted an all-star cast that includes MICHELLE PFEIFFER, CHLOE GRACE MORETZ, EVA GREEN, JONNY LEE MILLER, HELENA BONHAM CARTER and JACKIE EARLE HALEY.
Premiering tonight on Bravo, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 PLATES is the network’s most ambitious project to date and follows 12 chefs as they compete over 40 days and in 10 countries, learning to deal with local customs and kitchens while being tested for skill and determination. Hosted by world famous culinary experts CURTIS STONE and CAT CORA, the show combines all the most exciting elements of THE AMAZING RACE, TOP CHEF and TOP CHEF MASTERS. We sat down recently with the show’s hosts and they talked about how the series is as exciting for them as it is the contestants.
Soon to be seen on the big screen as a stressed out mom juggling work, bills, an affair with a married man and a rebellious teen daughter in GIRL IN PROGRESS, actress EVA MENDES next gets serious by joining the cast of the documentary HALF THE SKY. Based on the book HALF THE SKY: TURNING OPPRESSION INTO OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN WORLDWIDE by husband/wife team NICHOLAS KRISTOL and SHERYL WuDUNN, the doc features a cast of notable women traveling the world calling attention to various women’s issues. Joining MENDES in the cast are OLIVIA WILDE, DIANE LANE, MEG RYAN, GABRIELLE UNION and AMERICA FERRERA.
In the upcoming comedy THE DICTATOR, actor/writer SACHA BARON COHEN plays General Admiral Aladeen, a political despot who proudly aligns himself with the likes of KIM JONG IL and MUAMMAR GADDAFI. It was an all-consuming job for COHEN, who threw himself enthusiastically into the job, often working twenty hour days to perfect every aspect of the character he created. During a press conference held at Manhattan’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel a couple of days ago, SIR BEN KINGSLEY and JASON MANTZOUKAS (two stars of the film) talked about the indefatigability of COHEN during the production of THE DICTATOR. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR FOR AUDIO)Jason Ritter Intimidated By ‘Real Deal’ Kathleen Turner
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Currently in limited release and available via VOD, THE PERFECT FAMILY is a satiric family drama about a devoutly Catholic woman so desperate to win a church award that she fails to recognize her family for who they are. Directed by ANNE RENTON from a script by PAULA GOLDBERG, the ensemble cast includes KATHLEEN TURNER, EMILY DESCHANEL, JASON RITTER, MICHAEL McGRADY, SHARON LAWRENCE, ELIZABETH PENA and RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN. During our recent interview with JASON RITTER, he talked about meeting and working with KATHLEEN TURNER, an actress he’s admired for a long time. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR FOR AUDIO)
THE PERFECT FAMILY is in select theaters and available via VOD
New To Blu: Get Out Your Hankies For ‘The Vow’
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Arriving on DVD and Blu-ray today, THE VOW is an overwrought tear-jerker about an amnesiac woman struggling to recover the memory of a man who loves her. After a car accident leaves her with severe memory loss, a woman struggles to revive her affection for her devoted husband. Directed by MICHAEL SUCSY and inspired by a true story, the cast includes RACHEL McADAMS, CHANNING TATUM, JESSICA LANGE, SAM NEILL, WENDY CREWSON and SCOTT SPEEDMAN.
Airing tonight on Fox-TV, the season finale of THE NEW GIRL(titled SEE YA) has Cece and Schmidt facing a major change in their relationship while Jess tries to take it all in. A major hit for the network, the show has catapulted star ZOOEY DESCHANEL to new heights as the “go to” girl for odd-ball behavior. Making the most of her quirky, off-beat sense of humor, the show centers on her relationships with three male roomies. We spoke with DESCHANEL at the beginning of the season and she explained that her reasons for signing on to a series were simple.
