Archives for December, 2010.

Screenwriter Buries Oscar Chances by Campaigning for Votes?

Filed under: Entertainment, Sympatico — D.I.S.H. @ 8:59 am on December 31, 2010

Has screenwriter Chris Sparling Buried his chances for Oscar glory?

Everyone knows that the studios in Hollywood campaign hard for Academy Award nominations, talking up their pictures and taking out ads encouraging voters to pick their films. But the rules regarding such campaigns are quite strict and Oscar doesn’t take too kindly to those who flout them.

Entertainment Weekly reports that Sparling recently mailed a letter to members of the writer’s branch of the Academy, praising his own work in writing the script for the Ryan Reynolds thriller Buried - a real Oscar no-no.

In his letter, Sparling challenges the reader to write an entire movie featuring a protagonist in a box; a movie which, he writes, goes on to receive critical praise and win a screenplay award from the National Board of Review.

“Sound impossible?” Sparling writes. “It’s not. In fact, all this exactly describes the film BURIED.”

The ambitious scripter reportedly goes on to say, “”And while Buried might not end up being your first choice (or even second or third), please consider it for fourth or fifth. This project represents the hard work of so many people – people who were willing to take a chance on my so-called ‘impossible’ script, and I speak for all of them when I say we would be honoured to land on your ballot for ‘Best Original Screenplay’.”

EW points out that all this self-promotion runs contrary to the AMPAS regulations regarding campaigning, which state “Mailings that extol the merits of a film, an achievement or an individual are not permitted.”

Hurt Locker producer Nicolas Chartier was prevented from attending the last Award’s show after sending voters an email campaigning for his movie, which, ironically, did end up winning.

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Williams Proud of Scandalous Sex Scene

Filed under: Entertainment, Sympatico — D.I.S.H. @ 8:55 am on

Michelle Williams’ controversial new drama Blue Valentine is already making headlines with a scandalous sex scene. But the former Dawson’s Creek star says she’s proud of the movie – and proud of the sex scene!

Williams tells Reuters she’s been puzzled over the controversy regarding the scene, which initially led to the movie getting a dreaded NC-17 rating in the US. An NC-17 is the most restrictive rating a movie can get from the MPAA other than an X.

The rating was appealed by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and ultimately reduced to an R.

But Williams insists it was her decision to shoot the controversial scene, even after director Derek Cianfrance and co-star Ryan Gosling gave her an out.

“When we shot that scene, both Ryan and Derek said to me, ‘If this bothers you when you see it in the movie, we’ll take it out’. As the woman in the situation that was in question, I found absolutely nothing scandalous, tawdry or disgusting about it.”

Williams says the scene in question is tasteful and reflects the true intimacy of a husband and wife.

“I thought, ‘I’ve never seen that before in a movie and I’m proud to be the first. Good on us for making that happen’.”

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Hoax Lands Justin Bieber in Ground Zero Mosque Controversy

Filed under: Music, Sympatico — D.I.S.H. @ 8:54 am on

Justin Bieber has been caught in the controversy over Park51, the planned mosque and community centre to be built near ground zero in New York City.

Salon.com’s Justin Elliot reports that opponents of the mosque are calling for Bieber Boycotts after a hoax article appeared on the satirical website Celebjihad.com.

According to the Salon article they started the boycott after reading about comments the teen pop sensation had made in an interview with Tiger Beat magazine.

The article read: “‘Muslims should be allowed to build a mosque anywhere they want,’ the singer said. ‘Coming from Canada, I’m not used to this level of intolerance, eh.’

“Bieber went on to say that Muslims are ’super cool,’ Christians are ‘lame-o-rama,’ and that the mosque will help ’start a dialogue’ with all religions about which Justin Bieber song is the most awesome.

“‘I was like seven when September 11th went down, and frankly I’m surprised people are still going on about it. Move on, already!’”

The article was (some might say, rather obviously) a fake – the site bears the disclaimer “CelebJihad.com is a satirical website containing published rumors, speculation, assumptions, opinions, fiction as well as factual information.” But that is apparently not clear to everyone.

Andy Sullivan, one of the better known Park51 opponents, told Salon his 8-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son have been banned from attending Bieber performances.

“I informed them, ‘Hey guys, guess what? Justin Bieber spoke out for the ground zero mosque,” Sullivan said. “My little girl took down his poster and said she didn’t want to have nothing to do with him anymore. These are my kids. They’re living this thing.”

Salon mentions a Facebook page publicizing the boycott of Bieber and several other pro-mosque celebrities.

At last visit the page had 532 fans and the Salon article about the hoax had been posted on the page. So, maybe that will clear things up.

The owner of Celebjihad confirmed that the Bieber item is a hoax. “[T]he fact that some people take it seriously is hilariously depressing,” he said.

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Gwyneth Paltrow and Cee-Lo to Collaborate?

Filed under: Music, Sympatico — D.I.S.H. @ 8:52 am on

Gwyneth Paltrow and Cee-Lo may be working together.

The Oscar-winning actress recently covered the singer’s ht song F— You on an episode of Glee. Now Cee-Lo tells E! that the pair may collaborate.

“We’re actually working on something,” he said. “We’ve been considering a few things actually. You know, we’ll see what pans out. It’s a little too early to commit to a statement and I won’t ruin the surprise because whatever we’re going to do is going to be extra cool.”

He added that “hopefully,” it will happen. “Keep your toes crossed.”

Paltrow plays a country singer in the movie Country Strong, scheduled for worldwide release January 7. She sings several songs on the soundtrack, including the movie’s theme song. The record was released October 29 and has since made it to #5 on the soundtrack albums chart and #35 on the country chart.

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Edie Brickell Returns with Two New Albums

Filed under: Music, Sympatico — D.I.S.H. @ 3:51 pm on December 30, 2010

Remember Edie Brickell? She was what she was. Well, she’s back.

Reuters reports that the folk-pop star of the 1980s has two albums coming out in January 2011. One is a self-titled solo album, and the other is with a new band called the Gaddabouts, featuring Steve Gadd, a longtime collaborator of Brickell’s husband Paul Simon.

Back in 1988, Brickell, now 44, and her band The New Bohemians released the album Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars. It went 2x platinum and spawned the hit single What I Am. Brickell, however, tells Reuters she didn’t enjoy stardom.

“There was too much attention paid to us,” she said. “Too much selling around me that was embarrassing. I felt at that time that we had not earned this. But you can’t go out there and say ‘here we are, we’re embarrassed.’ We didn’t know how to stop the machine once it got rolling.”

So, perhaps she was pleased when 1990’s Ghost of a Dog didn’t sell as well. Since then, she has released two solo albums Picture Perfect Morning (1994) and Volcano (2003). In 2006 she released Stranger Things with some of the original New Bohemians members. In 2007, she began performing as part of The Heavy Circles with her stepson Harper Simon, releasing an album in 2008.

Mostly, however, Brickell, who has three children with Paul Simon, has concentrated on her family. And she says she has no interest in becoming a superstar again.

“For me, it was all about the songs and being a songwriter,” she told Reuters. Not ‘hey, look at me, here’s how I move.’ I’d like to keep my foot in the door and have some sort of semblance of a career (so) when my kids do get their own lives and move away, I can enjoy my creative life again.”

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Judi Dench, Charlize Theron, Leonardo DiCaprio in J. Edgar?

Filed under: Entertainment, Sympatico — D.I.S.H. @ 2:14 pm on

Dame Judi Dench is set to team with Hollywood veteran Clint Eastwood for a movie about one of the most notorious figures in American history.

SandwichJohnFilms.com reports that Dench will star in J. Edgar, Eastwood’s upcoming biopic of FBI founder J. Edgar Hoover. Dench is rumoured to be joining Charlize Theron and Leonardo DiCaprio in the life story of the polarizing historical figure.

Eastwood tells the site he believes Theron will be in the picture, but added “Judi Dench is definitely in the film.”

DiCaprio has spoken publicly about his interest in playing the lawman for most of the year, telling Film.com last summer he was talking to Eastwood about the part. Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, Oscar-winning writer of Milk, told Movieline in September that the Inception star was in, though Eastwood is a bit more guarded about DiCaprio’s involvement.

“The script is a very good script and we were all preparing it and he liked the script,” Eastwood says. “He actually volunteered for it.”

J. Edgar is scheduled to tap into theatres in 2012.

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Axl Rose Named Greatest Lead Singer of All Time

Filed under: Music, Sympatico — D.I.S.H. @ 2:07 pm on

Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose has beat out Freddie Mercury and Robert Plant to be named the greatest lead singer of all time in a survey by MusicRadar.com.

Queen’s Mercury and Led Zeppelin’s Plant placed second and third, respectively on the poll, which MusicRadar calls “controversial.” You think?

“We can’t think of a more contentious choice for the greatest lead singer of all time,”says the website. “Think back to the late 1980s. Axl Rose: dangerous, lean, angry, confrontational, controversial.”

Axl, 48, posted his thanks on Facebook, writing, “Thank you for all of the support you give us day in day out. All you folks on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, the message boards that fight the good fight – we feel it and very much appreciate it – THANK YOU!. And special thanks to MusicRadar for holding the poll and letting people speak.”

The list features thirty performers, all of whom must front or have fronted a group – no solo acts allowed.

Rounding out the top five are former Black Sabbath leader Ronnie James Dio – who died of stomach cancer in 2010 – and late former Beatle John Lennon. They are followed in the top ten by Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, Muse’s Matt Bellamy and Paul McCartney of The Beatles and Wings.

Not one woman made it into the top ten. The highest ranking female was Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks at #24. And the only other women are Diana Ross of the Supremes at #28, Blondie’s Debbie Harry at #29 and Martha Reeves of the Vandellas at #30.

Also in the top thirty are Steven Tyler, Iggy Pop, Bon Scott and Morrissey.

Musicradar.com’s top ten greatest lead singers of all time:

1. Axl Rose

2. Freddie Mercury

3. Robert Plant

4. Ronnie James Dio

5. John Lennon

6. Bruce Dickinson

7. Thom Yorke

8. Kurt Cobain

9. Matt Bellamy

10. Paul McCartney

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Rupert Everett Slams Jennifer Aniston

Filed under: Entertainment, Sympatico — D.I.S.H. @ 1:20 pm on

British actor Rupert Everett has blasted Hollywood, Jennifer Aniston and the romantic comedy genre in one fell swoop.

The star of My Best Friend’s Wedding recently went on a radio rant in which he claimed that certain stars are chosen and backed by Hollywood regardless of their level of talent or success. Everett then bitterly cited former Friend Aniston as a prime example of a star that Hollywood continues to employ despite a string of high-profile failures.

“If you look and analyze the careers of many, many stars, you’ll find that they’re mostly sustained by the business,” Everett told BBC radio. “I’m not going to start naming names of people whose films have not succeeded at the box office, but you’ll find there’s lots of women and lots of men in the business that the powers that be decide are right for their business, and they’ll stand with them for quite a long time.”

The 51-year-old then went on to name at least one name, knocking Aniston’s box office failures, which include The Switch, The Bounty Hunter and Love Happens.

“Okay, something will go wrong, like Jennifer Aniston will have one too many total flops, but she’s still a member of that club… Like a star forming in the universe, things will swirl around her and it will suddenly solidify into another vital tasteless romcom.”

Everett, who told The Observer last year that he thinks coming out of the closet as a gay man limited his acting career, also had unkind words for The King’s Speech star Colin Firth.

“Colin Firth, I don’t think, was at all good in Mamma Mia!” Everett said. “You know, I would have thought it was almost a careericide.”

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Owen Wilson is Not Dead

Filed under: Entertainment, Sympatico — D.I.S.H. @ 1:12 pm on

Here is a list of people who are not dead: Owen Wilson, Adam Sandler, Charlie Sheen, Morgan Freeman and Aretha Franklin.

Each and every one of the stars listed above is still very much alive despite a rash of Twitter-fueled internet rumours that the celebrities had died over the holidays.

GossipCop.com reports that Wilson is just the latest victim of the morbid hoax which involves the nefarious invention of a celebrity death that is inevitably thought to be real by others and circulated around the net.

Yesterday’s news, reportedly from the “Global Associated News,” claimed that Wilson had died in Zermatt, Switzerland in a snowboarding accident. “Wilson lost control of his snowboard and struck a tree at a high rate of speed,” claimed the fake report. “Wilson was air lifted by ski patrol teams to a local hospital, however, it is believed that the actor died instantly from the impact of the crash.”

Now a spokesperson for Wilson has slammed the report as “absolutely false.”

The same was, of course, the case regarding reports earlier in the week that both Adam Sandler and Eddie Murphy had died in similarly fatal snowboarding accidents.

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Did Kanye West & Kim Kardashian Hook up in the Studio?

Filed under: Music, Sympatico — D.I.S.H. @ 10:57 am on

Are Kim Kardashian and Kanye West collaborating on the reality TV star’s first album?

That’s the rumour, after both were spotted entering the same recording studio earlier this week.

TooFab.com reports that both stars were spotted sneaking into a recording studio in Culver City, California on Tuesday. Kardashian – who recently denied a rumour that she’s carrying Kanye’s lovechild – was reported to be travelling with her mother and a camera crew, while Kanye arrived alone.

Adding to the speculation are a series of Tweets Kardashian posted on the social networking website Twitter which definitely indicated something was up.

“OMG u guys have no idea what I’m doing today! You are gonna DIE!!!! OMGGGG I’m nervous!!!!!!” Kardashian wrote. “Its going down in here!!! Will twitpic soon! I’m turning it ooooonnnn!!!!” she added later.

At the end of the day, the grammatically challenged tabloid magnet posted: “What should my alter ego name be? What an amazing day!!! I’m finished for today…but we have a few more to go! Can’t twitpic just yet but will soon! Feels so good to overcome a fear!”

Last November, Kardashian told MTV she’d love to work on some music with the Runaway rapper, saying “He’s a musical genius, so I would be honored to work with Kanye.”

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