Saturday, October 12, 2024
Donate
Home Blog Page 2014

“The Avengers” Marvel Comics Film Coming in 3D

Roger Friedman
-
28
“The Avengers” Marvel Comics Film Coming in 3D

Everything and everyone is going to be in 3 D soon. You can buy your own 3 D camera now from Panasonic for around $1400.

So why not a Marvel comics movie in 3 D? I am told definitively that Marvel’s “The Avengers” will be shot by director Joss Whedon in 3 D. Get out your funny glasses!

Marvel had hinted at the movie in being in 3 D in the past, but it’s a done deal.

Every time I hear the title “The Avengers” I think it’s about Emma Peel and John Steed (pictured here and in tribute by Chrissie Hynde as a Tuesday morning gift).

But no, “The Avengers” is the Marvel version of DC Comic’s Justice League of America. It’s all their stars together in one place. Mark Ruffalo is The Hulk, Robert Downey Jr is Iron Man, and the rest of the cast includes Chris Evans as Captain America, and Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Chris Hemsworth round out the cast.

Disney, which needs a hit if not just a release, will distribute for Marvel in 2012. The company’s only other real movie for this year is “Tron 2,” scheduled for December. They haven’t had any real live action hits that mattered since 2002 with “The 25th Hour” and “Sweet Home Alabama.”

Mel Gibson’s Father on the Pope Being Gay: Original Story from January 2010

Roger Friedman
-
2
Mel Gibson’s Father on the Pope Being Gay: Original Story from January 2010

http://tinyurl.com/2g3sb4q

I was amused to see a story make the rounds yesterday about Mel Gibson’s crazy father, Hutton Gibson. Someone “discovered” his audio tape from last January on which he claimed the Pope all the Catholic clergy were gay.

It appeared in this column on January 27, 2010. Click on the link. Enjoy. Everything old is new again!

Jane Fonda: Memories of Henry Kissinger

Roger Friedman
-
1
Jane Fonda: Memories of Henry Kissinger

Last night’s screening of the extraordinary documentary about the murder of NFL star Pat Tillman drew some heavyweights including double Oscar winner Jane Fonda, movie star Josh Brolin (he narrates “The Tillman Story”), Kerry Washington, Dick Ebersol, famed cinematographer Ellen Kuras, plus Dan Abrams, Sports Illustrated’s illustrious Terry McDonell, Broadway producer Jean Doumanian, Karen Duffy, Ahmad Rashad, and filmmaker James Toback.

“The Tillman Story,” directed by Amir Bar-Lev, is infuriating and incendiary as it recounts how Tillman, handsome and popular, a a gifted football player, was killed by friendly fire — American soldiers– in Afghanistan. Then the Army and the Bush adminstration covered it all up and lied to the Tillman family over and over again.

The whole saga, still unresolved thanks to an idiotic Congressional hearing, is reminiscent of C.D.B. Bryan’s famous non fiction work, “Friendly Fire,” from the 1970s. History just repeats itself.

Sensational Fonda, who’s shooting Bruce Beresford’s “Peace, Love and Misunderstanding” with Catherine Keener in upstate New York, had a day off and wanted to see how well “The Tillman Story” turned out. Her only misgiving? “That there was no resolution,” she said. Director Bar-Lev did tell her that the names of the five men who shot Tillman to death so thoroughly that his head was blown off–you read that right–are known, but he decided not include them since they won’t be prosecuted.

This is a must-see movie if ever there was one.

Over dinner at Michael’s, Fonda told Brolin and a few of us a funny story about meeting Henry Kissinger once on an elevator at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees were playing the Atlanta Braves, owned by her then husband Ted Turner. As the doors closed on Ted, Jane, Henry and Nancy Kissinger, Fonda quipped, “Well I see we’re still on opposite sides.”

PS By coincidence, Fonda got to meet Kyle Machlachlan. He joins the cast of “Peace, Love” next week just as Fonda wraps her role. Kyle plays Keener’s ex husband.

And where is Jane’s beau, famed record producer Richard Perry? Answer: finishing up Rod Stewart‘s new album for Clive Davis, in Los Angeles. It will be released around Thanksgiving and is said to be a knockout. A decade ago it was Perry who thought up the concept of Rod sings the standards. The rest is multi-platinum history.

Cindy Adams is Coming Back, Kids

Roger Friedman
-
20
Cindy Adams is Coming Back, Kids

The missing gossipeuse is coming back.

Only in New York, kids: Cindy Adams tells me she will return to her page in the New York Post around mid-September, or “right after the Jewish holidays.” Sounds good to me.

Cindy has been MIA since May 20th when a mysterious illness started making her more and more tired. I’m sure she’ll tell us all about it when the time comes–something to do with burst appendix and the awful consequences.

So it’s good news. But keep sending those emails. I’m printing out all the well wishing comments for Cindy and sending them over to her at the end of the week.

By the way, she did tell that her pals Judge Judy and Barbara Walters saved the day and took extra good care of her. So hats to them!

Entourage Movie: We Told You Last December

Roger Friedman
-
0
Entourage Movie: We Told You Last December

http://tinyurl.com/24at328

Remember last December when Mark Walhberg told us all about the inevitable “Entourage” movie? Well, the subject came up recently with the Television Critics Association. And it was confirmed, of course, that the movie is in focus.

That “Entourage” will follow “Sex and the City” to the big screen is no surprise then to readers of this column. Wahlberg brought it up last December at the premiere of “The Lovely Bones.”

And it makes sense: “Entourage” probably has more flexibility going to the silver screen than “SATC.” For one thing it’s not locked into the Carrie- Mr. Big romance. The boys can sow their wild oats over and over. And there’s plenty of room for parodying the film business.


Mad Men: Bewitched, But Not Bewitching

Roger Friedman
-
1
Mad Men: Bewitched, But Not Bewitching

Mad Men, Season 4, Episode 3: I’m starting to get a little worried that we don’t have a plan for Season 4. Three episodes in to Season 4 of a 13 episode season, Don Draper is revisiting his fake family in California. I know: he feels comfortable with Anna, but now he’s hitting on her ripe niece. Is that nice? Does Don just hit on every piece of ass put in front of him?

He gave the niece that “I love Anna but not in that way” speech. It was lecherous and uncool. And the news that Anna has massive cancer: is this Matt Weiner’s way of saying goodbye to the old “secret” story line? Or is the niece coming to New York?

And so much time spent with these people in California, when back home we have lots of characters with no storylines. It was great to see Joan have an episode, but still she’s with this idiot doctor. Wasn’t he supposed to die in Vietnam already? Jared Harris did a superb job playing out Lane Pryce’s story, but again: Don pays for all this sex? Where’s the ladies’ man? Weiner is making him creepy.

Yes, there was the “Bewitched” moment as previously discussed, but what we’re missing is a story arc for Season 4 a la Conrad Hilton. And where is Betty with Henry Francis trying to fit in at a New Years party? Why isn’t Duck trying to worm his way into Peggy’s personal and professional life? Where is Sal? And no repartee between Cooper and Sterling? We live for that. Maybe “The Good News” was a little filler, and we’re going to get going next week. But the world of “Mad Men” felt shrunken this week.

Mark Ruffalo Marvels at Hulk Role in “The Avengers”

Roger Friedman
-
0
Mark Ruffalo Marvels at Hulk Role in “The Avengers”

Mark Ruffalo is a lot of fun, and it was great to see him and his beautiful wife, Sunrise (yes, that’s her name and she’s super), at the Hamptons premiere over the weekend for Showtime’s new series, “The Big C.”

Of course, the series stars Laura Linney, Oliver Platt, Phyllis Somerville, Gabby Sidibe, and John Benjamin Hickey were all there at Donna Karan‘s zen like beach front estate for the serene outdoor screening. So were Linney pals Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, Richard Kind . But it was Ruffalo we wanted to see, and ask about his role in Marvel comics’ “The Avengers.” He’s playing the Hulk.

“The Hulk,” Mark observed, “has become my generation’s Hamlet.” Indeed, Bruce Banner has already been played in movies by Edward Norton and Eric Bana. Now it’s Ruffalo’s turn to turn green. He told me, also that he’s a big fan of the late Bill Bixby, who played Bruce famously on TV. And he wants to meet the great Lou Ferrigno, Bixby’s green other self.

Most of the time, Ruffalo was busy chatting about trying to stop the proposed oil and gas drilling in upstate New York. We’re with him on that.

As for “The Big C,” Bill Condon (who was not there) directed the pilot. He and Linney and company have made a top notch new series, I think, that will join “Nurse Jackie” (Edie Falco was in attendance) and “The United States of Tara” in the Showtime constellation of hits. Showtime’s Matt Blank, who runs the place, introduced new creative chief David Nevins and cracked wise: “David’s only been here a couple of weeks but he’s already taking credit for The Big C.”

Also bouncing around Donna K’s pool: Gerry and Liz Byrne, Caroline Hirsch and Andrew Fox, super agent (the much loved) Toni Howard, Kathy Schenker, Sheila Jaffe, Rosanna Scotto and her husband Lou Ruggiero, and about three dozen people I have never seen in my life. The latter group looked shocked by the subject matter of “The Big C” — it’s cancer, you know, and its handled deftly and with great wit. Laura Linney can do no wrong. You’ll see when it airs next August 16th on Showtime.

After the screening–great minds think alike– we ran into Donna Karan and her gang dining with Ingrid Sischy and Sandy Brandt at this year’s hot hot hot restaurant Tutto il Giorno in Sag Harbor.

PS Laura Linney goes back to Broadway for 10 weeks soon in “Time Stands Still.” Don’t miss it! And while you’re it, rent “The Savages.”

Paula Abdul Will Join Simon Cowell on “X Factor”

Roger Friedman
-
15
Paula Abdul Will Join Simon Cowell on “X Factor”

Well, the peanut gallery is starting to speak up.

It seems that Fox TV may have a predicament on its hands when Simon Cowell’s “X Factor” comes to their network in September 2011.

I’ve been told by an inside source that Paula Abdul will be a judge on “X Factor” with Simon, reuniting them in all their glory. The show will play in the fall, while “American Idol” has its spring outing.

It does like the tide is turning against “American Idol” with every new announcement. Will Randy Jackson –who’s remained mum so far–wind up joining his ex comrades on “X Factor”? Who knows?

But last week’s announcement that “American Idol” was moving its recording contracts to Universal Music were met with headlines in many places and silence from its old haunt, Sony/Columbia.

What we all sort of forgot is that back in January, Cowell cut a deal with Sony for the “X Factor” deals. A Sony source didn’t even stifle a chuckle when I bemoaned the loss of future Idols. “We have X Factor!” they said, with glee (small g).

Indeed, “X Factor” a year from now will seem fresh and new and have lots of hype. At the rate things are going, who knows if “American Idol” will still be on the air. And still, I don’t get how Fox handles all this in-house.

Paula, meantime, is revving up auditions for her dance competition show on CBS. I’m told that won’t interfere when “X” marks the spot.

Patricia Neal, One of the Great Hollywood Ladies

Roger Friedman
-
0
Patricia Neal, One of the Great Hollywood Ladies

Patricia Neal, Oscar winner in 1963 for “Hud,” died on Sunday at age 84.

I can tell you that knowing her over the years, talking to her at dinners and premieres, she was quite remarkable.

She loved the movie, “The Fantastic Mr. Fox,” based on the work of her late (and divorced late in life after 30 years of marriage) husband, Roald Dahl. She came to the premiere and enjoyed all of it.

For Michael Jackson’s 30 th anniversary concert on September 7, 2001, a cab dropped her and granddaughter Sophie Dahl on the wrong side of Madison Square Garden. I helped walk her around to the Eighth Avenue side, and we discussed how much she liked Michael’s music.

This was despite a debilitating stroke from which she’d battled back in 1965– several strokes, in fact. She’d been pregnant at the time.

She had a terrific, long acting career. Trivia: she played Olivia Walton, the mother, in the pilot movie for “The Waltons.” A wonderful person, and a New Yorker whom we will miss tremendously. Rest in peace.

Bill Clinton’s Wedding Toast: Jokes About Maksim’s Dirty Dance

Roger Friedman
-
3
Bill Clinton’s Wedding Toast: Jokes About Maksim’s Dirty Dance

Here’s some last little tidbits from Chelsea Clinton‘s wedding. Remember? It was a week ago, and it took up everyone’s attention. Now, hey…it’s been a week!

Apparently, Bill Clinton was very moved after seeing Chelsea and Marc do a dirty dance to “At Last,” choreographed by Maksim Cherchmerkovskiy from “Dancing with the Stars.” He said:”I just talked to the priest and he told me as long they were married before did that sexy dance it was still a PG wedding.” The father of the bride also added, according to a wedding guest: “As long as Chelsea could articulate a thought–which was about when she was 8 years old–I’ve been outnumbered two-to-one. Now it’s two-to-two and I’m so grateful to you, Marc.”

A little more on the groom’s father, Edward Mezvinsky. As I told you, he didn’t walk his son down the aisle. “He is shunned by the family,” says a source. The ex-con congressman got to sit at the main table–a long dais–but at the far end, away from the happy couple and his ex wife.

And Chelsea’s matron of honor was Nicole Davison Fox, her former roommate, married to a hedge fund guy.

PS I really knew nothing about this guy Maksim before I heard this story. A dance instructor from Odessa is now a TV superstar. America is really a great country!

1...2,0132,0142,015...2,133Page 2,014 of 2,133

Hollywood to the Hudson

Company

Trending

Categories

© Showbiz411.com