John Freeman
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BirthDate BirthPlace |
06/11/1952
N/A |
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News, April 16: Bill is Trump's New Apprentice, Schwarzenegger Wants Film Industry To Stay in Cal-ee-fornia, Kurt Cobain Biopic in Works, More…
April 16, 2004 12:17pm ESTTop Story: The Donald Fires Kwame, Hires Bill Bill Rancic, a Chicago-based cigar company entrepreneur, prevailed in the cutthroat game of corporate politics played in NBC's hit reality series to be named real estate mogul Donald Trump's first Apprentice. In the two-hour finale of the show Rancic barely beat out Wall Street investment manager Kwame Jackson, securing a $250,000-a-year job supervising construction of a new Trump skyscraper in Chicago and a new Chrysler Crossfire. Reuters reports Rancic told reporters after the show that he thought his agility and adaptability had helped him win, along with a preference for micromanaging, which Trump advocated in his latest book. Jackson, however, freely admitted many times during the finale that he preferred not to be a micromanager. "Today is a great day for entrepreneurs around the country," Rancic gushed. "And it's probably the biggest day of my life." On the other hand, calling himself "an unadulterated capitalist," Jackson promised, "you'll see me cutting deals all across the board," starting with his new TV, video game and live event production company. Schwarzenegger Appoints Friends to Film Board In an effort to bolster the film business in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger named former Twins co-star Danny DeVito and actor/director Clint Eastwood to the California Film Commission, a 26-member group that will encourage filmmakers to make films in the Golden State and will work to reduce taxes and other liabilities that make Hollywood less attractive to filmmakers, Reuters reports. "The mission is very important to keep production here," Schwarzenegger said at a press conference Thursday, referring to the flight of Hollywood productions to other countries such as Canada and the Czech Republic, many of which offer incentives to film there. "We want to make sure that Hollywood becomes the booming town it once was." Others on the board include actor/director Bill Duke and producers Lili Zanuck and Tom Werner. HIV Scare Shuts Down Porn Industry California's multibillion-dollar adult porn industry ground to a virtual halt on Thursday after a popular actor, Darren James, tested positive for the HIV virus, Reuters reports. James tested positive for HIV on Wednesday in a screening conducted routinely on the industry's 1,200 regular actors by the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare (AIM) Foundation, the foundation's Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell told Reuters. They must show negative tests to keep working in the industry, Mitchell said, adding that only about 17 percent of performers use condoms. Mitchell said James might have contracted the virus about four weeks ago while filming in Brazil on a "non-condom" set. Industry advocates immediately called for a 60-day suspension on filming so that others James may have infected could be tested. Cobain Biopic Planned The WB Network is developing an original movie about late rock icon Kurt Cobain, the frontman for the band Nirvana who shot himself in 1994. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the network has obtained the rights to Charles Cross' 2001 book Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain, could be aired as early as next season. The day Kurt Cobain died was the day the music died for a generation," Tana Nugent Jamieson, senior VP of the WB's new longform original programming unit, told the Reporter. "His story is perfect for our audience." No casting or director is attached. American Idol Be Damned! After the surprising success of Idol reject William Hung, the WB is also launching a new reality series called The WB's Superstar USA, in which the contestants are unaware of the true nature of the show--that the judges are looking for "singers" who do not really sing that well, Reuters reports. The show, which the network calls "an off-key version of the red hot performance reality genre," will air over seven episodes beginning May 17. All-Gay Cabler Launches Here! TV, a supplier of gay and lesbian-oriented content to satellite customers via pay-per-view, is eyeing an Oct. 1 launch for a round-the-clock programming service that will feature classic and original films and TV shows, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Some of Here!'s original content includes series Dante's Cove, a gay and lesbian Gothic horror thriller and Weapons of Mass Destruction, a spy thriller. Role Call: Malkovich Hitches Ride to Galaxy John Malkovich has signed to do the feature film adaptation of the classic Douglas Adams novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The story follows an undercover alien, Ford Prefect, who sets off on an intergalactic journey with his best friend and the film's protagonist, earthling Arthur Dent. The duo hitch a ride through space--with the two-headed ex-hippie Zaphod; his girlfriend, the beautiful scientist Trillion; and a robot--to discover the meaning of life. Galaxy begins shooting this month in London, with Garth Jennings at the helm and stars Mos Def, Martin Freeman, Zooey Deschanel and Sam Rockwell. Malkovich will play religious cult leader Humma Kavula.
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The Whole Ten Yards Review
April 09, 2004 9:47am ESTThe Whole Ten Yards picks up about two years after the events that changed the lives of Oz (Matthew Perry) Jimmy "The Tulip" (Bruce Willis) Jill (Amanda Peet) and Cynthia (Natasha Henstridge)--and made them a whole lot richer. Nice-guy dentist Oz is now married to Jimmy's ex-wife Cynthia and living in Brentwood Calif. where he still practices dentistry. They seem happy but Oz is so paranoid someone will come after him that he keeps an arsenal of weapons in his home which is teeming with high-tech surveillance equipment. His suspicions however are not so farfetched: Turns out Cynthia is in cahoots with Jimmy who is now married to Jill and living in Mexico and they're planning to rob Hungarian mobster Lazlo Gogolak (Kevin Pollak) who's just been released from prison. But Lazlo has an agenda of his own. He wants to kill Jimmy for the murder of his son rival hitman Yanni Gogolak a couple of years ago. When Lazlo kidnaps Cynthia to get to Jimmy (he figures Oz will spill the beans on his whereabouts) poor Oz runs off to Mexico and pleads for Jimmy's help. What Oz and Jill don't realize however is that they are part of a much bigger revenge plot against Lazlo perpetrated by their own spouses Jimmy and Cynthia. The only thing that makes The Whole Ten Yards engaging is the returning cast who have a playful and endearing on-screen chemistry. Willis and Perry are at the forefront reprising their roles as Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudesky and Nicholas "Oz" Oseransky respectively. The actors craft their characters well and uniquely and the conflicting personalities they create--Willis' cool and collected Jimmy and Perry's nervous and scatterbrained Oz--make watching their interactions entertaining. When the two discover that the hostage in the trunk of their car has died for example Willis stands there unflinchingly while Perry yelps "It looks like he got shot in the foot! Who dies from being shot in the foot?" Peet blends in with her own brand of humor; her klutzy character Jill is hilarious without trying to be which is the key to her performance. Jill's hung up on the fact that although she's a professional marksman she's never had a real kill--she's so accident-prone that her targets always die by default. Also returning for the sequel is Pollak who played Yanni in the first film. Here he returns as Yanni's father Lazlo aged with the help of prosthetics and makeup. It's a great idea and the result is pretty funny although the character is cartoonish. Director Howard Deutch makes a valiant effort with this sequel to the 2000 hit; there's continuity in the characters although their lives have progressed since the events of the last film. The problem with The Whole Ten Yards is its story penned by Mitchell Kapner and George Gallo. While The Whole Nine Yards had an elaborate storyline it was easy enough to follow--everyone was basically trying to kill one another. Here the plot's equally convoluted but rather than interesting twists and turns we get inconsistencies and dead ends. Take Jimmy's new Suzy Homemaker role for instance. As the film opens Willis is traipsing around his Mexican villa in bunny slippers wearing a 'do-rag on his head fussing over dinner and the fact that the potatoes are supposed to be "floating around the lobster not just stuck there." We find out it's all an act but the reasons are never disclosed. By the time the film ends audiences will be asking themselves what it was all for. Perhaps the filmmakers thought the sight of Willis as a dowdy housewife would make moviegoers laugh so hard they'd forget to ask why.
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Johnson Family Vacation Review
April 08, 2004 11:11am ESTNate Johnson (Cedric the Entertainer) an insurance agent thinks it would be a great idea to take his estranged wife and three children to his family reunion in Missouri by car from California. Nate's motives are sincere enough: He is separated from his wife Dorothy (Vanessa Williams) who has custody of teenagers Nikki (Solange Knowles) DJ (Bow Wow) and Destiny (Gabby Soleil) and hopes the road trip will help them bond as a family and with any luck re-ignite that loving feeling with the mother of his children. But everything that can go wrong does even before the trip begins. Nate brings his SUV into the shop to have an 8-track tape player installed in order to listen to his old Motown classics but what he gets is something straight out of MTV's Pimp My Ride although not even West Coast Customs would do something this gaudy. Off they go in their Burberry-outfitted low-rider Lincoln Navigator complete with four TVs and 26-inch Spinners. Vehicle with up-to-the-minute gadgetry notwithstanding the Johnsons encounter every clichéd road trip disaster including running out of gas and needing a pay phone. It's hard to figure out what's more trite--the journey to Missouri or what happens when they actually get there. Cedric the Entertainer's trademark observational comedy which made him stand out as a cast member of The Steve Harvey Show simply isn't enough to carry an entire film. Cedric is truly the only funny thing Johnson Family Vacation has going for it and he has a few gags that are simply hilarious including a scene in which he bans CDs from artists who have been shot like Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. from being played in the car. Imagine his dismay when his wife points out that also includes Marvin Gaye "who was shot by his daddy--twice." But the comedian's arsenal of jokes--no matter how witty--do not a story make. Speaking of wasted talent the casting of stunning Williams as Nate's wife Dorothy is quite baffling. While Cedric the Entertainer could be married to someone this hot poor Nate probably couldn't. Nonetheless the quick-witted Williams holds her own next to one of the Original Kings of Comedy. Seventeen-year-old Bow Wow has worked hard to prove that he's not just a flash in the pan--and it's worked for the most part. He proved with Like Mike that he can act but the role of DJ here gets buried in this lousy film. Christopher Erskin who makes his directorial debut here delivers a mess of a movie despite having squeezed out everything he could from his stars. Visually the sets resemble skits on a TV variety show rather than professional feature film sets the worst being the sequences where the family is in the SUV--almost half the entire film. To wit: you see them driving with the same scenery in the background--it's like in the The Flintstones when Fred would drive past the same palm tree next to the same rock house again and again. You can't help but picture the actors sitting in the Lincoln Navigator prop car in front of a large blue screen windows rolled down with a wind machine pointed at them. Matching the abysmal visuals are writers Todd R and Earl Richey Jones' ill-paced script. The film drags as the Johnson family encounters unoriginal setbacks and the end is not even a payoff; it's punishment. See the film doesn't end when family finally reaches Missouri: Moviegoers must the sit through the actual reunion and the Johnson family's Brady Bunch-style musical performance costumes and all. The only moment of brief relief is Steve Harvey's guest appearance as Nate's brother. But wait! It doesn't even end then--we have to follow the family back home to California.
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News, Mar. 19: Original MTV VJ 'J.J.' Jackson Dies, Zeta-Jones Won't Get Her Privacy, Trumps Wants To Trademark "Your Fired," More...
March 19, 2004 10:40am ESTTop Story: Original MTV VJ 'J.J.' Jackson Dies John 'J.J.' Jackson, one of the first MTV on-air personalities, died Wednesday of an apparent heart attack while driving home from dinner in Los Angeles, The Associated Press reports. He was 62. Jackson, a longtime radio station disc jockey, first gained prominence while working at WBCN in Boston in the late 1960s, then moved to Los Angeles in 1971 where he took on the afternoon radio slot at KLOS. He later left for New York and MTV, where he worked for the cable music network in its first 5 formative years. Jackson later returned to radio in Los Angeles and most recently, was hosting an afternoon slot at L.A.'s KTWV. "He was a big part of the channel's success and we are sure he is in the music section of heaven, with lots of his friends and heroes," MTV said in statement. "He will be greatly missed." Zeta-Jones Wants Her Privacy Catherine Zeta-Jones lost the final round Thursday in her bid to stop a businessman from running his information technology business from a base close to the actress's new luxury home in her Welsh hometown. According to the AP, Zeta-Jones' parents, Dai and Pat Jones, wrote to the council to express extreme "concern and alarm" about Gywnn's business, adding that visits by staff members working for the IT firm would jeopardize their privacy. But Gwynn pointed out that his property generates far less interest than the Zeta-Jones mansion, which has already attracted throngs of tourists flocking to see the property the local celebrity and her husband Michael Douglas will call home on future visits to United Kingdom principality. Swansea Councilor Des Thomas, meanwhile, pointed out that the Zeta-Jones mansion was close to a cricket club and other public facilities, and said the family should have built their home in the more secluded town of Llandeilo if privacy was a concern. Trumps Wants To Trademark "Your Fired!" Real-estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump is seeking to trademark the phrase "You're fired!" According to Reuters, Trump has filed a trademark application for the phrase, which he uses when dismissing contestants on NBC's The Apprentice. Trump said he intended to display "You're Fired" on games and casino services, and "You're Fired! Donald J. Trump" on clothing. But Trump might have competition: According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Web site, three other applications for "You're fired" have been filed. The Apprentice's Omarosa Claims Racism Speaking of being "fired," The Apprentice contestant Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, to whom The Donald directed the very phrase he wants to patent, is negotiating a book deal about her experience on the show, the AP reports. Manigault-Stallworth, a former political consultant, has since said her experience showed the problems of racism in corporate America. After her "firing," the 30-year-old made claims that former contestant Ereka Vetrini had called her the "n-word"--allegations vehemently denied by Vetrini, executive producers Mark Burnett and Trump. "Believe me, I know what I experienced," Manigault-Stallworth said in an interview with the AP. "Those women called me every name in the book on-camera. Imagine what they did off-camera. Imagine what they would say in the corridors." Janet Jackson To Visit Dave Letterman CBS announced Thursday that Janet Jackson will visit the The Late Show With David Letterman on Mar. 29 in what will mark her first network television interview since the singer's breast-baring antics at the Super Bowl halftime show. Jackson is launching a whirlwind publicity tour promoting her new album, Damita Jo. She will perform on ABC News' Good Morning America March 31, will appear on Fox's On Air With Ryan Seacrest April 2 and is scheduled to host NBC's Saturday Night Live April 10. The singer will also be musical guest. Affleck To Co-Host Live With Regis and Kelly Ben Affleck will co-host with Regis Philbin on the syndicated morning talk show Live With Regis and Kelly Monday. The actor will be filling in for Kelly Ripa, who's on vacation. According to AP Radio, Affleck, who stars in the upcoming Kevin Smith drama Jersey Girl, recently told reporters that what happened to him and former fiancée Jennifer Lopez was like many of his worst fears coming true all at once. "What if something bad happens? What if everybody hates my movie? What if I have some public embarrassments in my personal life? Then it all happens in a month, you know, and it turns out like, 'All right, well, it's not the end of the world.'" Comedy Central Re-Ups Jon Stewart Through 2008 Comedy Central announced Thursday it has re-upped Jon Stewart's Daily Show for four more years. "A lot of people like to get out when their show's still going well," said Stewart, who stars and serves as an executive producer and writer on the mock newscast. "This gives me the opportunity to beat this thing into the ground." The show, which has won several Emmys and a Peabody Award for its yearlong "Indecision 2000" political coverage, premiered in 1996 with host Craig Kilborn. Stewart took over the program in January 1999. This year, the show's viewership has averaged an all-time high of 1 million for the weeknight 11 p.m. EST slot. Morgan Freeman To Drive Indy Pace Car Morgan Freeman, who played the gentle chauffeur opposite Jessica Tandy in the 1989 film Driving Miss Daisy, was selected Wednesday to drive the Chevrolet Corvette pace car May 30 at the start of the Indianapolis 500, the AP reports. Freeman, 66, will lead the starting field on the parade and pace laps at the start of the race. "Right next to acting, my childhood dream was to drive on a Speedway track," Freeman said. "I'm thrilled to just be an observer, but especially thrilled to be a part of the racing logs as the pace car driver for the Indianapolis 500 this year." Other celebrity pace car drivers in recent years include Jay Leno, Anthony Edwards, Jim Caviezel and model Elaine Irwin-Mellencamp, wife of rock musician John Mellencamp. Role Call: Hounsou and Silverstone Join Beauty Shop In America's
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The Big Bounce Review
January 30, 2004 9:24am ESTNothing heats up a dull January moviegoing season like an action-packed heist film and The Big Bounce has the right recipe: Take one tropical location one craggy criminal (he's the good guy) one very hot girl and a heist scheme then add a platitude-spouting judge a backstabbing pal and somebody's angry ex-wife. Mix things up for an hour and a half and serve with a paper umbrella. Voila--instant winter hit. But not so fast. Even though it has all the right ingredients The Big Bounce is missing a few key flavors. The heist is all about a whopping $200 000 for one thing which is a lot to you and me but in movie terms is somewhat reminiscent of Dr. Evil's simpering request for one meelion dollars in Austin Powers. The bad boy apparent one very wealthy "Mr. Ritchie " played by a pasty Gary Sinise (aka this decade's box office kiss of death…think Impostor The Human Stain Reindeer Games…) has about two scenes--obviously setting the audience up for the so-called twist at the end. A sun-kissed Owen Wilson as handsome petty thief Jack makes the surface of The Big Bounce borderline palatable and Sara Foster as Nancy Jack's love interest and Mr. Ritchie's gal pal is no slouch in the looks department either. Her character has more bikini changes than Annette Funicello and she's got a zest for life on the edge that's moderately charming even if she keeps asking "Where's the bounce?" when anyone with eyes can see exactly where the bounce is. Foster's version of beach blanket bingo is more the car stealing breaking and entering variety and she's the mastermind behind the plot to steal Ritchie's paltry $200K--for the thrill of it of course. To get at the money she uses--you guessed it--her sex appeal to manipulate Bob Rogers played by perennial hack Charlie Sheen whose most successful characters these days all seem to be pathetic weenies like poor ol' sap Bob. But the burning and still-unanswered question is: What in the name of all that's sacred is Morgan Freeman doing in this slapdash piece of celluloid? We may never ever know. The Big Bounce is based on an Elmore Leonard novel which as movie patrons already know can be a good thing (Get Shorty). Director George Armitage (Grosse Point Blank) shows us with his rendition of Leonard's work that it can in fact also be a very bad thing. Aside from the fact that the beautiful Hawaiian landscape looks like it was shot with a slightly fogged up disposable camera and the surf scenes can't even hold a candle to Blue Crush the blatant editing gaffes are the worst of it. Characters ask the same questions repeatedly when they and the audience already know the answers and the actors stand unnaturally still as the camera lingers on them while they converse in voiceover. But the dialogue may actually be worse than the editing. Rather than take the best Leonard has to offer--quirky characters and twisting plotlines--Armitage took the worst--cheesy noirish dialogue and campy one-liners reminiscent of the pulp Westerns Leonard was writing just before turning to crime novel writing with The Big Bounce his first in that genre.
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Love Don't Cost a Thing Review
December 11, 2003 1:48pm ESTRemember that movie about a high school geek who gets the most popular girl in school to be his girlfriend to boost his own image only to discover that fitting in isn't worth sacrificing his individuality? Or was that a Saved by the Bell episode? Love Don't Cost a Thing is the latest teen comedy to follow that formula to a fault: Alvin Johnson (Nick Cannon) is an outcast teen with no style and he's ready to do anything to shed his nerdy image. Even his father (Steve Harvey) an old-school ladies' man wishes the boy would get out and socialize more. So when the popular Paris Morgan (Christina Millian) wrecks her mother's Cadillac Escalade Alvin an amateur mechanic offers to fix the vehicle and pay for the parts if she will pretend to be his girlfriend for two weeks. A haircut and several Sean John warm-up suits later Alvin becomes "Al " an ultra-smooth guy who's "got all the 411s." Of course Paris starts to fall for Al who's too busy keeping up his "big pimpin'" facade to notice. But after alienating everyone close to him including his childhood friends stylin' Al learns a valuable lesson about being himself. Cannon's performance in Love Don't Cost a Thing falls short of the impressive one he delivered in the musical drama Drumline--his first lead role in a feature film. Here it's impossible to sympathize with the 23-year-old Cannon's clownish character even when he is needlessly bullied by jocks. With his crazy uneven Afro and spastic walk even Molly Ringwald's goody-good character Samantha in Sixteen Candles might be tempted to point and laugh. But while the movie's hero doesn't score many points other characters do notably Al's gal pal Paris played by songwriter/actress Millian who has written songs for Ja Rule and appeared as a guest on several TV shows including Charmed and The Steve Harvey Show. She delivers a very sincere performance as the "frappuccino with hips " and although audiences should despise her character for prostituting her popularity and lying to just about everybody Millian manages to morph Paris into a likeable personality--and we can't help but go along for the ride. But mustachioed comic Harvey steals the show as Al's loveable father Clarence a man who still boogies to his 8-track collection and gives his son very valuable life advice including how to open a condom wrapper using only one hand. Writer/director Troy Beyer's Love Don't Cost a Thing is so visually horrendous that it should have been called This Film Didn't Cost a Thing. Beyer who directed the dire 1998 comedy Let's Talk About Sex and penned the even worse 1997 B.A.P.S. doesn't much improve her track record in 2003. Her guidance here including sound light and action is so amateurish that the film seems unfinished. An outdoor party scene for example is so dark it's difficult to make out the characters on screen and in another scene inside the school the sound is so muffled the character's lines are barely audible. Beyer's screenplay adapted from the mind-numbingly bad 1987 comedy Can't Buy Me Love doesn't help matters either; most of the characters remain as shallow and label-obsessed as they were 15 years ago. And while there have been countless Hollywood films revolving around the same theme many have done so successfully including the aforementioned oldie Sixteen Candles and more recently The New Guy.
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News, Nov. 13: Madonna To Develop Toy Line, Limbaugh Returning to Airwaves, Al Franken Considers Senate Run, More…
November 14, 2003 8:58am ESTTop Story: Madonna Turns Book Into Toys Ever-enterprising Madonna has signed a deal with Signatures Network Inc. to develop toys based on her hit children's book The English Roses, The Associated Press reports. The toys will include dolls, apparel, accessories, cosmetics, stationery, room décor and back-to-school products aimed at preteen readers. "I'm excited about the opportunity to develop a range of beautiful products that will complement the book and continue to spread its positive messages to children," the pop diva told AP. The book has been printed in 30 languages, released in over 100 countries and became the largest children's book release in publishing history with a first printing of 1 million copies, AP reports. The Roses products begin rolling out in early 2004. Limbaugh Dives Back Into Airwaves Conservative broadcaster Rush Limbaugh, who left the airwaves five weeks ago to treat an addiction to prescription painkillers, will pick up the microphone once again to continue his daily radio show. Reuters reports Limbaugh plans to resume his regular schedule starting on Monday, Nov. 17. He told his listeners Oct. 10 he needed to take some time off to get cleaned up and also acknowledged that he was the subject of a criminal investigation but gave no further details, Reuters reports. Downey Jr. To Wed Looks like Robert Downey Jr. is heading down the aisle again. According to Access Hollywood, the 38-year-old star will wed producer girlfriend Susan Levin. The two met earlier this year on the set of Downey's upcoming thriller Gothika, also starring Halle Berry, on which Levin received a producing credit. Downey told USA Today, "She has a real life, and she's really organized. It's really cool." Senate Dives Into Piracy Issue A bipartisan Senate duo, Sens. John Cornyn from Texas and Dianne Feinstein from California, have sponsored the Artists' Rights and Theft Prevention Act as the latest attempt by lawmakers to address some of the problems created by copyright piracy, Reuters reports. The legislation, introduced Thursday, would make it a felony to use a camcorder to record a motion picture in a theater and make it easier to prosecute people who illegally distribute copyrighted material before its legitimate release. Shanghai Next Disney Theme Park Destination Further attempting to open China to the Western world, city officials in Shanghai, China, are in talks with the Walt Disney Co. to bring a theme park to the area in 2010, Reuters reports. "The parties are still holding talks and if everything goes smoothly, we hope to open a Disney theme park around 2010," Li Wei, an official with the Shanghai government's information office, told Reuters. Disney, however, has stated the ongoing construction of its Hong Kong theme park is its first priority, which opens in 2005/2006. Franken Contemplates Senate Run Political satirist Al Franken, whose latest book, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, is selling like hotcakes, is considering moving back to his home state of Minnesota and running against Republican Sen. Norm Coleman in the 2008 Senate race, AP reports. "It's a long way away, five years away," Franken told the Minneapolis' Star Tribune this week. "It might be crazy. I might not be the best candidate. Part of this is seeing what happens next year and what direction things are going." John Ritter's Mother Dies Actress Dorothy Fay Ritter, best known for starring B-movie Westerns of the '30s and '40s and mother to the late John Ritter, died Nov. 5 of natural causes in Los Angeles. She was 88. Role Call: Freeman Could Be "Champ" Rod Lurie has signed on with Paramount Pictures to rewrite and direct the drama Resurrecting the Champ as a possible starring vehicle Morgan Freeman. According to Variety, the story centers on a 30-year-old sports reporter whose desperation for a big story leads him to track down a homeless man he believes was once a famous fighter. The journalist and the reluctant subject form a father-son-type bond as the writer chronicles the boxer's heartfelt story. When it turns out the subject wasn't completely honest about his identity, the writer loses his job.
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Love Actually Review
November 12, 2003 8:58am ESTAs Love Actually begins we are told that perhaps the world isn't such a dire and hateful place that "love actually is all around." Around London anyway. The film explores no less than seven different romantic scenarios within the bustling British capital--all of which interconnect and eventually resolve on Christmas Eve. There's the newly elected dashing Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) who is smitten with his secretary the earthy Natalie (Martine McCutcheon); Karen (Emma Thompson) whose husband Harry (Alan Rickman) has strayed with his seductive secretary Mia (Heike Makatsch); Sarah (Laura Linney) the American wallflower who has a crush on her colleague Carl (Rodrigo Santoro); Jamie (Colin Firth) who falls for his pretty Portuguese housekeeper Aurelia (Lucia Moniz)…there are lots more but you get the gist. As love goes things may not get tied up neatly in brightly colored packages for everyone but there's still enough good cheer to spread around. Showcasing some of Britain's finest actors Love Actually doesn't have a bad banana in the bunch. Floppy-haired Hugh Grant turns in an endearing performance and proves there isn't a romantic comedy he can't handle. He has an uncanny knack for connecting with any actress he happens to be romancing; in this case it's the adorable McCutcheon best known for the hit British TV drama EastEnders. Rickman and Thompson are quite good as the couple whose long-term marriage is beginning to crack; Thompson especially does a nice job trying to hide her pain while being a happy mom. Linney too shines as Sarah who glows with excitement when she finally gets what she so ardently wished for. Veteran stage and film actor Bill Nighy (Underworld) however steals the show as a carefree aging rock star desperate for a comeback. His Billy Mack smacks of Mick Jagger Keith Richards and Rod Stewart all rolled into one. "I'm worried that we don't have the word 'massacre' in the title " writer/director Richard Curtis fretted to Entertainment Weekly referring to how horror-loving American audiences might not take to his new romantic comedy that is already a huge hit in Britain. True perhaps a romantic comedy starring a multitude of A-list British actors might not bring in the required masses. But who cares about the money (did I just say that)? Curtis who has written some of the best romantic comedies of the last decade including Four Weddings and a Funeral Notting Hill and Bridget Jones' Diary steps behind the camera for the first time here and is able to give each story a unique point of view from the lovesick to the wacky. There actually may be too many stories in Love Actually but it's a small gaffe. Love Actually is a refreshing good old fashioned warm and gushy movie that takes your mind off the bad things for the holiday season and Curtis should feel confident about his directing debut.
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Box Office Analysis, July 6: The Machines Have It
July 14, 2003 12:02pm ESTForget about fireworks, this Fourth of July weekend saw conniving machines dominate the box office. Expectedly, the action-packed Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines debuted in the top spot, terminating the competition with a $44 million* haul over the weekend. Since its release July 2, T3's five-day cume is $72.5 million. The third Terminator installment did much better than its predecessor Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which opened in July 1991 at $31.7 million and set a new record for its star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has not had a hit film in years. His previous best opening was Batman & Robin with $42.8 million in 1997, the Associated Press reports. "The nervousness is gone. Finally the baby's born, and it's in the public's hands," the film's co-producer Andrew Vajna told Reuters. T3 was reportedly budgeted at between $150 million and $175 million. T3 didn't manage to beat Men in Black II's July 4 record, however, which became the biggest Independence Day opener ever last year with $52.1 million. T3 stands as the fourth biggest Fourth of July opener; the 1997 Men in Black comes in second with $51 million and the 1996 Independence Day takes third with $50.2 million. The 2000 The Perfect Storm rounds out the top five with $41.3 million. But never underestimate blonde power. The other notable newcomer this weekend was Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, which giggled its way into second place with a total of $22.9 million, and since opening July 2, has seen $39.1 million over a five-day period. The sequel clearly out-pinked the original Legally Blonde, which opened July 2001 at $20.3 million. The heavenly Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle zoomed in at No. 3 with $14.2 million, while the delightful Finding Nemo kept its head above water in fourth place with $11 million. The mean green The Hulk rounded out the top five with $8.2 million. The other wide release this week, the animated swashbuckler Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas made it to the list at No. 6 with a disappointing $6.8 million. This Fourth of July weekend's overall take of $126.9 million from its top 12 films couldn't quite surpass last year's record-breaking haul of $139.1 million. THE TOP TEN Warner Bros.' R-rated Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines debuted in first place with an ESTIMATED $44 million at 3,504 theaters. Its per theater average of $12,570 was the highest of any film opening wide this week. Since opening last Wednesday, its five-day cume is $72.5 million. The third installment picks up ten years after John Connor stopped Judgment Day and saved mankind from mass destruction. Now, Skynet is at it again, sending the T-X, the most sophisticated cyborg killing machine, back through time to finish the job. Connor's only hope for survival is to join forces with his former assassin: The Terminator. Directed by Jonathan Mostow, it stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes and Kristanna Loken. Give the girl two snaps! MGM's PG-13 rated Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde opened in the second spot with an ESTIMATED $22.9 million at 3,350 theaters ($6,836 per theater). Since opening July 2, its cume is $39.1 million. In this sequel, Harvard's fave hot-pink grad goes to Washington to defend animal rights and keep four-legged critters out of the hands of evil cosmetics testers. Directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, it stars Reese Witherspoon, Sally Field, Regina King, Bob Newhart and Jennifer Coolidge. Sony Picture's PG-13-rated Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle dropped two places to third in its second week with an ESTIMATED $14.2 million (-62%) at 3,485 theaters (+26 theaters; $4,075 per theater). The sequel, which has the angels using their special talents to keep valuable information from getting into the wrong hands, has made $67.2 million so far. Directed by McG, it stars Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Bernie Mac. *Box office estimates provided by Exhibitor Relations, Inc. Buena Vista/Disney and Pixar Animation Studios' G-rated computer-animated feature Finding Nemo fell a spot to fourth place in its sixth week with an ESTIMATED $11 million (-21%) at 2,901 theaters (-431 theaters; $3,790 per theater). Its cume is approximately $274.9 million. Directed and co-written by Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton, it features the voices of Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe and Brad Garrett. Universal Pictures' PG-13 The Hulk fell three notches into fifth place in its third week with an ESTIMATED $8.2 million (-56%) at 3,291 theaters (-383 theaters, $2,492 per theater). Its cume is approximately $117 million. Directed by Ang Lee, it stars Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott and Nick Nolte. DreamWorks' animated PG-rated Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas debuted in a weak sixth place with an ESTIMATED $6.8 million at 3,086 theaters ($2,492 per theater). Since opening July 2, it's taken in $10 million. Inspired by the ancient tales of the Arabian Nights, Sinbad, the most daring and notorious rogue ever to sail the Seven Seas, is faced with his greatest challenge of all--forgoing his self-serving ways to save the life of his best friend. Directed by Patrick Gilmore and Tim Johnson, it features the voices of Brad Pitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Joseph Fiennes. Fox Searchlight's R-rated sci-fi thriller 28 Days Later dropped a few points in its second week to come in at No. 7 with an ESTIMATED $6 million (-40%) at 1,407 theaters (+147 theaters; $4,314 per theater). With only a $8 million production cost, the contemporary thriller about a fast-spreading virus that causes human rage on the people it infects has more than doubled its investment with a cume of $20.6 million. Directed by Danny Boyle, it stars Cillian Murphy, Naomi Harris, Brendan Gleeson and Megan Burns. Paramount Pictures' PG-13-rated actioner The Italian Job moved down a notch to eighth place in its sixth week with an ESTIMATED $4.2 million (-22%) at 1,584 theaters (-437 theaters; $2,699 per theater). Its cume is approximately $84 million. Directed by F. Gary Gray, it stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Seth Green, Mos Def and Edward Norton. Universal Pictures' PG-13 Bruce Almighty dropped three rungs to No. 9 in its seventh week with an ESTIMATED $4 million (-35%) at 1,929 theaters (-722 theaters; $2,074 per theater). Its cume is approximately $228.7 million. Directed by Tom Shadyac, it stars Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman. Universal Pictures' PG-13-rated car culture sequel 2 Fast 2 Furious showed the least improvement this week, diving five spots down to 10th place in its fifth week with an ESTIMATED $2.4 million (-61%) at 1,779 theaters (-1038 theaters; $1,349 per theater). Its cume is approximately $119.3 million. Directed by John Singleton, it stars Paul Walker, Tyrese, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser and Devon Aoki. OTHER OPENINGS Focus Features' PG-13 rated mystery Swimming Pool managed to open with a respectable showing of an ESTIMATED $289,964 in 13 theaters, averaging $22,305 per theater. Also opening July 2, its total five-day cume is $375,809. The story revolves around an uptight British mystery author who takes some time off to stay in the South of France. Her relaxed vacation is interrupted, however, by the arrival a sexually charged young woman, and their growing relationship sets off an increasingly unsettling series of events, including a possible real-life murder. Directed by Francois Ozon, it stars Charlotte Rampling, Ludivine Sagnier and Charles Dance. WEEKEND COMPARISON The Top 12 films this weekend grossed an ESTIMATED $126.9 million, up 12 percent from last week's take of $112.5 million but down 8 percent from this weekend last year, when key films grossed $139.1 million. Last year, Sony's PG-13 rated Men in Black II premiered at the top of the heap with $52.1 million over the three-day weekend, with a five-day total of $87.2 million at 3,557 theaters ($14,661 per theater); Sony's PG-13-rated Mr. Deeds dropped to No. 2 in its second week with $18.4 million at 3,231 theaters ($5,698 per theater), while Buena Vista's PG-rated animated adventure Lilo & Stitch stayed in third in its third week with $12.6 million at 3,222 theaters ($3,922 per theater).
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Box Office Analysis, June 29: Angels Take It
June 30, 2003 9:20am ESTThree beautiful private detectives knocked the mean, green machine out of competition at the box office this weekend as the mega-hyped action sequel Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle took the No. 1 title with $38 million.* Despite a colossal advertising and marketing blitz, the girl-power pic's debut box office take fell short of the original Charlie's Angels movie, which made $40.1 million when it bowed Nov. 3, 2000. And although $38 million is a handsome hunk of change, Full Throttle failed to hit the summer blockbuster's new gold standard: the $50 million benchmark. The Hulk, meanwhile, plummeted a monstrous 70 percent in its second week, but its $18.4 million take was enough to place the comic book actioner in second place. Combined with last week's take, The Hulk becomes the tenth film released in 2003 to cross the $100 million mark. The summer's mainstay movie, the animated hit Finding Nemo, floated into third place with $13.8 million, while the horror thriller 28 Days Later debuted right behind it with $9.7 million. The Jim Carrey comedy vehicle Bruce Almighty rounded out the Top Five with $6.2 million. The Top 10 movies this weekend grossed an estimated $111.2 million, down a little more than 15 percent from last year, making this the third down weekend in a row compared to 2002. THE TOP TEN Sony Picture's PG-13-rated Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle debuted in first place at the box office this weekend with an ESTIMATED $38 million at 3,459 theaters. Its per theater average of $10,986 was the highest of any film opening wide this week. This time around, the angels are assigned to retrieve two stolen titanium rings, which contain valuable encrypted information revealing the new identities of every person in the Federal Witness Protection Program. The threesome must find the rings before the thief sells the information to the top mob families around the world. Directed by McG, it stars Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Bernie Mac. Universal Pictures' PG-13 The Hulk morphed into second place in its second week with an ESTIMATED $18.4 million (-70%) at 3,660 theaters (+40 theaters, $5,008 per theater). Its cume is approximately $100.2 million. Directed by Ang Lee, it stars Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott and Nick Nolte. Buena Vista/Disney and Pixar Animation Studios' G-rated computer-animated feature Finding Nemo fell a spot to third place in its fifth week with an ESTIMATED $13.8 million (-34%) at 3,404 theaters (-71 theaters; $4,166 per theater). Its cume is approximately $253.9 million. Directed and co-written by Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton, it features the voices of Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe and Brad Garrett. Though it played on a third fewer theaters than the big-studio flicks, Fox Searchlight's R-rated sci-fi thriller 28 Days Later still opened solidly in fourth place with an ESTIMATED $9.7 million at 1,260 theaters with a strong $7,722 per theater average. The pic cost only $8 million to make. In this contemporary thriller, a fast-spreading virus that causes human rage on the people it infects is accidentally released from a British research facility. Directed by Danny Boyle, it stars Cillian Murphy, Naomi Harris, Brendan Gleeson and Megan Burns. Universal Pictures' PG-13 Bruce Almighty dropped a rung to fifth place in its sixth week with an ESTIMATED $6.2 million (-37%) at 2,671 theaters (-403 theaters; $3,231 per theater). Its cume is approximately $221.3 million. Directed by Tom Shadyac, it stars Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman. *Box office estimates provided by Exhibitor Relations, Inc. Universal Pictures' PG-13-rated car culture sequel 2 Fast 2 Furious slipped three gears to No. 6 in its fourth week with an ESTIMATED $5.7 million (-49%) at 2,817 theaters (-323 theaters; $2,023 per theater). Its cume is approximately $113.4 million. Directed by John Singleton, it stars Paul Walker, Tyrese, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser and Devon Aoki. Paramount Pictures' PG-13-rated actioner The Italian Job dropped two spots to No. 7 in its fifth week with an ESTIMATED $5.4 million (-25%) at 2,021 theaters (-74 theaters; $2,672 per theater). Its cume is approximately $76.6 million. Directed by F. Gary Gray, it stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Seth Green, Mos Def and Edward Norton. Paramount's PG-rated animated feature Rugrats Go Wild fell to No. 8 in its third week with an ESTIMATED $3.5 million (-50%), at 3,008 theaters (-33 theaters, $1,164 per theater). Its cume is approximately $27.3 million. Directed by Norton Virgien and John Eng, it features the voices of Michael Bell, Jodi Carlisle, Nancy Cartwright, Lacey Chabert, Melanie Chartoff, Cheryl Chase, Tim Curry, Elizabeth Daily and Bruce Willis. Sony Picture's PG-13 cop comedy Hollywood Homicide dropped one place to ninth in its third week with an ESTIMATED $3 million (-49%) at 2,425 theaters (-415 theaters, $1,237 per theater). Its cume is approximately $27.3 million. Directed by Ron Shelton, it stars Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett. Warner Bros.' PG-13 sappy romance Alex & Emma fell three notches to tenth place in its second week with an ESTIMATED $2.6 million at 2,310 theaters (unchanged, $1,149 per theater). Its cume is approximately $11.5 million. Directed by Rob Reiner, it stars Luke Wilson, Kate Hudson and Sophie Marceau. WEEKEND COMPARISON The Top 10 films this weekend grossed an ESTIMATED $111.2 million, down 21 percent from last week's take of $141.3 million and down 15 percent from this weekend last year's $131.3 million total. Last year, Sony's PG-13-rated Mr. Deeds premiered at the top of the box office with $37.1 million at 3,231 theaters ($11,052 per theater), while 20th Century Fox's Minority Report followed with $21.5 million in its second week at 3,001 theaters ($7,194 per theater); Buena Vista's PG-rated animated adventure Lilo & Stitch came in third in its second week with $21.5 million at 3,222 theaters ($6,678 per theater).
