With Transformers, Cowboys & Aliens, Star Trek, and Mission: Impossible III under his belt, screenwriter/producer Alex Kurtzman decided to venture into an entirely different genre with his directorial debut, People Like Us.
Opening June 29th, the DreamWorks feature stars Star Trek’s Chris Pine as Sam, a salesman who’s way over his head in debt. When his late father leaves $150,000 to the sister (Elizabeth Banks) Sam never knew he had, he ingratiates himself into her life without spilling the beans about the cash.
The movie also stars Cowboys & Aliens director Jon Favreau and the sci-fi/Western film’s lead actress, Olivia Wilde. After watching Pine kill it on the Los Angeles stage a couple of summers ago in The Lieutenant of Inishmore (he played a cat loving terrorist), I’ve been waiting for the actor to sink his teeth into something a bit more character driven than Unstoppable and This Means War. People Like Us, blessed with a stellar cast (including Michelle Pfeiffer), could be that vehicle. Check out the trailer below:
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posted by Greg Srisavasdi (Twitter: @gsrisavasdi )
The writer of the upcoming movie, “The Butler,” in which Jane Fonda has been cast to play the role of former First Lady Nancy Reagan, has a track record of bashing the GOP on film.
Lee Daniels, who directed the Academy Award winning film “Precious,” is co-writing the upcoming project with Danny Strong.
Strong is the writer who adapted HBO’s “Game Change” from the book of the same title. The movie was sharply criticized by John McCain, Sarah Palin and other prominent conservatives as having distorted facts and depicted Palin in a highly negative light.
Strong is also the writer of HBO’s “Recount,” which is a film about the aftermath of the 2000 presidential election. ABC newscaster Jake Tapper was quoted by the Washington Post as having said that the 2008 made-for-TV film “tilts to the left because it’s generally told from the point of view of the Democrats.”
In light of Strong’s track record, there may be some significance in the way characters are depicted in “The Butler” movie.
According to Variety, Fonda will make a string of cameo appearances in “The Butler,” which tells the story of White House service worker Eugene Allen, who over the course of more than three decades worked for eight U.S. presidents.
Additional actors who are being discussed for roles in the film include Forest Whitaker in the lead, Oprah Winfrey as the butler’s wife, Liam Neeson as former President Lyndon Johnson, and John Cusack as former President Richard Nixon.
Fonda’s liberal activism runs contrary to the policies and ideology embodied in the Reagan legacy, particularly in her famed denunciation of the Vietnam War and the photo-op in which she sat with the enemy.
Jane Fonda to Play the Role of Nancy Reagan
By · CommentsJane Fonda has been cast in the role of former First Lady Nancy Reagan in an upcoming film from Lee Daniels called “The Butler,” which is about a longtime White House service worker. Daniels directed the Academy Award winning film “Precious.”
The filmmaker has co-written the screenplay of the new project with actor-writer Danny Strong.
Fonda, well known for her Oscar-winning performances, health and fitness videos, and controversial political activism, will portray former President Ronald Reagan’s wife.
According to Variety, Fonda will make a string of cameo appearances in the film that tells the story of White House butler Eugene Allen, who over the course of more than three decades worked for eight U.S. presidents.
Actors who are being discussed for roles in the film include Forest Whitaker in the lead, Oprah Winfrey as the butler’s wife, Liam Neeson as former President Lyndon Johnson, and John Cusack as former President Richard Nixon.
Fonda’s liberal activism runs contrary to the policies and ideology embodied in the Reagan legacy, particularly in her famed denunciation of the Vietnam War and the photo-op in which she sat with the enemy.
Fonda appeared to have retired from acting in 1991, but she returned to her profession in 2005 with the film “Monster-in-Law.”
Then in 2007 she was part of the cast of the movie “Georgia Rule,” which included actors Felicity Huffman and Lindsay Lohan.
Fonda is also set to appear in an upcoming movie that stars Catherine Keener called “Peace, Love & Misunderstanding.”
Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod has canceled an appearance on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” which was originally scheduled for sometime in the next few weeks.
Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt confirmed that Axelrod is “not scheduled to go on at this time.”
Additionally LaBolt indicated that Axelrod or others from the campaign may appear on the Maher-hosted show in the future.
The Democrats have used the Rush Limbaugh flap surrounding Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke to insinuate that the Republicans are engaged in a “war on women.”
During a conference call with reporters last week, Axelrod suggested that Mitt Romney’s response to the Limbaugh controversy was a “test of leadership.”
“If you don’t have the strength to stand up to the most strident voices in your party, how are you going to stand up to (Iranian President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad?” Axelrod asked.
Conservatives have countered by pointing out that a double standard appears to exist when Democrats ignore profane language that is used by liberal public figures, including Maher and David Letterman, to describe conservative women such as former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Maher has given $1 million to the pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA. Palin and other prominent Republicans have called on the president to return Maher’s donation.
Axelrod’s appearance is not the only recent cancellation for the HBO host’s schedule.
According to The Daily Caller, the Alabama Democratic Party pulled off of its website an announcement for an upcoming fundraiser headlined by Maher.
Jane Fonda Attempts to Silence Rush Limbaugh
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Three prominent liberal feminists recently published an editorial on CNN, which lobbied for Rush Limbaugh’s show to be pulled off the air.
The trio carried on about the conservative talk show host’s “misogyny” over the Sandra Fluke flap and urged readers to contact Rush’s radio syndication company to convince the corporation to confiscate Limbaugh’s golden microphone.
Gloria Steinem, Robin Morgan, and Jane Fonda, co-founders of the Women’s Media Center, penned the hit piece. In it, they compare Limbaugh to Nazi propagandist Josef Goebbels, criticizing him for using the term “femi-nazi.”
They additionally suggest that it might be “a fitting time to inquire of his [Rush’s] syndicator, Clear Channel Communications, whether it intends to continue supporting someone who addicts his audience to regular doses of hate speech.”
The writers opine that in the event that Clear Channel should refuse to “clean up its airways,” then it may be “time for the public to ask the FCC a basic question: Are the stations carrying Limbaugh’s show in fact using their licenses ‘in the public interest?’”
Steinem, Morgan, and Fonda contend that Rush should be yanked from the air for what they refer to as “dehumanizing speech.”
The left is evidently putting in a great deal of effort to keep the Fluke controversy, and the three longtime liberal feminists seem to be quite willing to assist in the stoking of the anti-conservative fire.
However, using Fonda in an effort to stifle free speech is a tactic that drips with Hollywood irony.
Fonda is, of course, the individual who in July of 1972 made a celebrity stopover in Hanoi, and as our soldiers braved the battles of the Vietnam War, she sat with the enemy for a photo-op aboard an anti-aircraft gun.
While in Vietnam, Fonda made ten radio broadcasts in which she denounced American political and military leaders as “war criminals.” Disgustingly, when cases of torture began to emerge among POWs returning to the United States, Fonda called the returning POWs “hypocrites and liars.”
Fonda later expressed some regret about the enemy aiding photo, but not for the traitorous trip or the broadcasts made for our foes.
In September 2009, Fonda signed a letter that protested the Toronto International Film Festival’s presentation of ten films about the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. The protest letter said that the spotlight on Tel Aviv was part of “the Israeli propaganda machine.”
Rabbi Marvin Hier, who founded the Simon Wiesenthal Center, called the boycott “an attack on the heart and soul of Israel.”
About those who signed the letter, Rabbi Hier said, “By calling into question the legitimacy of Tel Aviv, they are supporting a one-state solution, which means the destruction of the State of Israel.”
The actress later expressed regret for some of the language used in the protest letter.
In contrast with Fonda and her partial mea culpas for her egregious speech and conduct, Rush has made a full apology for the on-air language that he used to describe Fluke.
Interestingly, while expressing disdain over the use of the term “femi-nazi,” Fonda and her cohorts have illustrated why Rush’s coined phrase for radical feminists has a ring of truth to it, since they are choosing to follow in the footsteps of totalitarian dictators who seek to silence those with whom they disagree.
Why ‘Paranormal Activity 3’ Scared Up Box-office Records
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“Paranormal Activity 3” is the third supernatural flick in the amazingly successful film franchise.
The movie’s debut this past weekend shattered four box-office records: best domestic opening day for a horror film ($26.2 million); top midnight opening for a horror film ($8 million); highest opening for any October film; and record opening for a fall season film ($54 million).
“Paranormal Activity 3” is a prequel to the first in the series and is set 18 years prior to the events of the first two films.
The latest installment of the “found footage” horror franchise actually employed a distinctive social media approach to marketing and promotion, with its “Tweet Your Scream” campaign on Twitter before it was released.
The “Paranormal” demon possession films utilize the same grainy home video appearance and wobbly handheld camera approach that movies such as “The Blair Witch Project” have incorporated. Audiences are given the suggestion via the amateur video technique that what they are viewing may truly have occurred, a sort of horror reality show.
The home video theme is actually written into the film’s plotline in that one of the main characters is a wedding video photographer who uses the best VHS equipment of the time.
In an age of computer-generated special effects, “Paranormal Activity 3” scares viewers the old-fashioned way, which is reminiscent of famed filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock.
Viewers are taken on a jittery journey in which tensions build over time and emotions escalate from subtle apprehension to peak suspense.
Hitchcock knew that sometimes that which we are unable to see with our eyes is can be more terrifying than that which is explicitly presented.
Why would audiences then flock to the theater just to be scared out of their wits?
Joel Cohen, a professor of marketing and anthropology at the University of Florida, chalks it up to a quest for excitement in an otherwise mundane world. He tells LiveScience, “In the real world, people simultaneously can experience both happiness and sadness, exhilaration and anxiety.”
Cohen says that people crave excitement, even if it’s negative, or “otherwise, things could be pretty dull.”
Marvin Zuckerman, psychology professor at the University of Delaware, in a somewhat similar vein views the attraction to horror films as being comparable to an adrenalin addict who is seeking the greater thrill.
“High sensation-seekers enjoy morbid curiosity in general and horror movies in particular,” Zuckerman tells the CBS News website.
Author Stephen King once remarked that horror movies often serve as a “barometer of those things which trouble the night thoughts of a whole society.”
As an example, fear of communism in the past gave rise to alien infestation films such as “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” And anxiety over the potential demise of the world gave rise to apocalyptic movie fare such as “Night of the Living Dead.”
It could be that the routine demonization of individuals in our current media milieu has grown to such a proportion that it is fueling the fabrication of the dark “Paranormal” spirits of which audiences just can’t seem to get enough.
The entertainment community still adores former President Bill Clinton.
Hollywood showed him some love in series of events that recently took place to raise money for Clinton’s foundation and to celebrate his birthday. Festive functions included a Friday birthday gala at the Palladium, a Saturday night concert at the Hollywood Bowl, and a Sunday brunch and golf tournament.
Hollywood celebrities who were at various times on hand to greet the former president included Ashton Kutcher, Ellen DeGeneres, Jeremy Piven, Laura Ling, Maria Shriver, Maria Bello, Jason Segel, Ron Meyer, Steve Bing, Lawrence Bender, Barbra Streisand, and James Brolin.
Saturday’s concert was billed as “A Decade of Difference,” a reference to the Clinton foundation’s ten years of work. Stevie Wonder treated the crowd to a surprise performance. Other entertainers who graced the stage included Kenny Chesney, Usher, The Edge, and Bono.
Lady Gaga used the occasion of Clinton’s 65th birthday to act out her version of the classic performance by Marilyn Monroe, in which the legendary star serenaded President John F. Kennedy. It was a pop culture contrast, warping together two starkly different time periods.
Clinton was sitting in the front row, along with his secretary of state spouse Hillary and his daughter Chelsea.
“Bill, I’m having my first real Marilyn Monroe moment,” Gaga said after having finished singing her version of “Happy Birthday” to the ex-prez.
“I always wanted to have one. And I was hoping that it didn’t involve an accident with some pills and a strand of pearls, so here we are,” Gaga added.
While engaged in her performance, Gaga behaved in a manner that went beyond Monroe’s sultry singing and mildly suggestive body language. The pop phenom removed articles of clothing in a striptease of sorts, so that by the performance’s end she was wearing only a flesh colored body suit.
When she introduced her tune, “Bad Romance,” Gaga said, “So tonight, I just thought we’d all get caught up in a little ‘Bill Romance.’”
As she writhed around in front of the former first family, she exclaimed, “It’s a good thing I used to dance on bars, right?”
For no apparent artistic reason, she threw in the F-word and gestured with her middle finger while talking between tunes. Facing the 42nd president, Gaga said, “If someone had told me so many years ago that I’d be doing that right in front of you I just would not believe them. I would have given a good American f–k you.”
Bill later quipped, “I got nervous when Gaga said she was planning to have a Marilyn moment. I thought, my God, I get Lady Gaga and I will have a heart attack celebrating my 65th birthday.”
Kanye West Visits Occupy Wall Street Protestors
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Kanye West paid a recent trip to the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York City.
Just in case anyone might mistake him for being part of the non-wealthy “99%,” when the rapper arrived he sported a designer shirt worth several hundred dollars, a pair of $1,000 jeans, and lots of bling to complement his gold and diamond crowned teeth.
West is one of numerous celebrities to have turned up at the anti-capitalist protests. Other famed figures who have appeared alongside the disgruntled group include Susan Sarandon, Michael Moore, Russell Simmons, Penn Badgley, and Talib Kweli.
As Kanye approached the scene, activists were transformed into a kind of fan convention and proceeded to mob the star.
West was accompanied by hip-hop mogul and frequent protest visitor Simmons.
“This morning I applaud @kanyewest for using his celebrity to help others. His appearance yesterday mattered #occupywallstreet,” Simmons tweeted about the trip.
But Simmons also revealed that the two had to make a hasty exit due to the protestors having gotten a bit out of hand over Kanye’s presence.
“It’s tough being @kanyewest people were climbing on him. It was a huge security risk but he just kept shaking hands #occupywallstreet,” Simmons wrote.
Adding some additional thoughts about the adventure on his own blog, Global Grind, Simmons wrote, “It was amazing to see how people loved seeing Kanye West at Occupy Wall Street. His music and his art has always been about the voice and the power of the people.”
“Kanye just wanted to come down and experience the growing movement that has opened the eyes of many around this country and around the world of the struggles of poor people. The energy at Liberty Plaza was electrifying and the momentum to get the money out of politics is growing quickly,” Simmons shared.
Voting Problems for ‘American Idol’?
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It’s not quite time to call in Jimmy Carter, but “American Idol” has reached a critical juncture. The voting process of TV’s most successful show is coming under scrutiny.
The recent elimination of contestant Pia Toscano got the social networks abuzz with posts from shocked fans, many of whom claimed that sexism had played a part.
Pia, a crowd pleaser and music critic fave, provided the viewing audience with some of the most consistently professional performances this season. Not only was Pia expected to be one of the finalists, she was thought by many to be the one who would win it all.
When “Idol” host Ryan Seacrest revealed that Pia was the individual who received the lowest number of votes, the audience groaned and yelled, “No!” Jennifer Lopez burst into tears, while the two other judges, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler, expressed bewilderment. Tyler even uncharacteristically scolded the voters, saying that their “lack of passion was unforgivable.”
A host of celebrities, including Tom Hanks, Ashton Kutcher and Jessica Alba, jumped onto their Twitter accounts to comment on the vote.
“Don’t have an IDOL habit, but how could the USA vote Pia off? I may be done for the season!” Hanks wrote.
Kutcher tweeted, “Who are the people that vote on American idol? That’s just crazy! That Pia girl is dope! #almostcriminal.”
Alba asked, “Who’s mad about Pia? I think she’s got a promising career ahead of her. Girl can sing her butt off and she’s stunning.”
The prior week the show had sent away Naima Adedapo and Thia Megia. With the elimination of Pia, it became the fifth consecutive time a female contestant had been unable to receive the votes necessary to continue in the competition.
In addition, no female has won “Idol” since Jordan Sparks four years ago became the last singer standing. As of this writing, only two women remain: Haley Reinhart and Lauren Alaina.
The odds, of course, now favor a male winner. This has led distressed “Idol” viewers to speculate that young female fans, the same demographic that created the Justin Bieber phenom, are swaying the overall vote.
“Idol” producers may have to reexamine the voting rules in order to maintain the show’s credibility. The current version of the rules allows voters to utilize the A.I. website to cast up to 50 votes. If fans are voting for contestants via their phones or by texting, they can vote as many times as they wish without limitation. This affords contestants with devotees, who are motivated enough to repeatedly vote, the chance to remain in the “Idol” race.
The rules could easily be changed to emulate the tried and true democracy principle of one person/one vote. The technology exists to limit each computer I.P. address or phone number to a single vote.
Still, there is another issue this year that relates to the judges. When Simon Cowell exited the show, he took his acerbic candor along with him. The current three-judge panel has taken a much more positive approach with contestants. This has lent a sweetness to the show that many find appealing.
For the artists, such an atmosphere is extremely encouraging and is a confidence booster. On the other hand, some critical guidance may be falling to the wayside in an effort to avoid stifling creative juices.
Randy, Jennifer and Steven certainly favor an upbeat approach. At its heart, it is a difference in philosophy and style of interaction. It suits them well, and the opportunity for viewers to witness their camaraderie is a bonus. However, this means that criticism, in all of its forms, must come generally to contestants’ ears via the musical mentors, who do not hold as much weight with participants or the voting public.
It turns out that Simon’s honest and sometimes brutal remarks may have served an important function, that of directing voters to performers who most deserved their attention, and ultimately their votes.
Hollywood’s China Accommodation
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The government of China routinely stifles dissent, imposes censorship and engages in human rights violations.
But despite the oppressive environment and hardship that the Chinese government has created, the Chinese people have somehow managed to develop a healthy appetite for Western cinema, and the Chinese market is a huge one.
Hollywood, being the big biz that it is, must always be concerned with the bottom line, and that means getting the most profits it can for its products.
Consequently, one Hollywood studio has seen fit to significantly alter its remake of the 1984 Cold War cult classic, “Red Dawn.” Changes were made out of concern for the sensibilities of the Chinese government, which ultimately decides whether or not a movie makes it in onto the Chinese screen.
In the “Red Dawn” original, the villains of the flick happened to be Russian. In the remake, though, the script had the villains undergoing an ethnic transformation, one in which they eventually emerged as Chinese.
That’s not good for the Chinese market.
After the film had already been shot, MGM, mindful that the distribution of the movie in China could be detrimentally impacted, went about making a change to the ethnicity of the villains once again. The dastardly ones were converted into North Koreans.
Through the magic of digital technology, the studio was able to tweak the footage during post-production at a reported cost of less than $1 million.
It wasn’t really a difficult decision for the Hollywood executives since North Korea doesn’t provide Hollywood with significant economic opportunity.
The original movie starred the late Patrick Swayze, his iconic movie dance partner Jennifer Grey and, believe it or not, Charlie Sheen. All played U.S. teens fighting invading Soviets.
It’s staggering how in such a short time the international film market has changed so dramatically. Back in 2009 the decision came down to make the new “Red Dawn” bad guys Chinese. However, the Chinese market has grown to approximately $1.5 billion a year since then, and it’s one of the fastest growing movie markets in the world.
The Chinese government already sent a message when it disallowed the distribution of “The Dark Knight” because a villain in the flick was Chinese.
Pursuant to a recent World Trade Organization ruling, the Chi-coms are initiating a policy of allowing more foreign films into the country, and in the future, MGM would no doubt be pleased as punch to distribute franchise films such as the “James Bond” series.
Interestingly, writers are concerned that their choices of villainous characters are being whittled away at by autocratic world leaders and PC police alike.
Guess soon they’ll only be picking villains from countries that have bad box-office numbers.
