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Posts Tagged ‘anne hathaway’

Christian Toto

‘Poliwood’: One-Sided, Occasionally Fascinating Look at Politics and Celebrity

by Christian Toto

Did you know celebrities have a right to speak their minds about politics courtesy of The First Amendment? Or that the 1960 Kennedy/Nixon televised debate changed the way we saw politicians forever? “Poliwood,” a new film “essay” from director Barry Levinson, uncovers those nuggets and much, much more.

The film, set to bow at the Starz Denver Film Festival this weekend and already airing on Showtime, does offer more than just those recycled themes. It’s an occasionally fascinating look into the modern actor’s mindset as well as the anger the general public feels when they hear celebrities pontificating on events of the day.

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Director Barry Levinson

We’re also given a peek at the passions driving some celebrities to speak out on the issues. Yet the film is emblematic of Hollywood productions which strain to achieve balance but come up mostly empty.

The bulk of the film features liberal celebrities from the Creative Coalition, a nonpartisan group, maneuvering around last year’s Democratic National Convention in Denver. (more…)

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Posted Nov 13th 2009 at 3:04 pm in Celebrity News, Politics, Reviews | 40 Comments

John Romano

Success No Longer Cool, Says Hollywood

by John Romano

Hollywood has an agenda at all times.  Rarely is a cigar just a cigar in the movies.  Hollywood’s messages about success are especially insidious.  A simple example: “Devil Wears Prada.”  I finally caught the film this weekend.  Of course, in the end Anne Hathaway quits her great job getting coffee for Meryl Streep to “write.” Ms. Hathaway raked herself over the coals, and suffered great indignities, before getting promoted and then realizing what it’s all about in life is much more than status, success and being an insider affecting other people’s lives.  As soon as she no longer had to fetch coffee, she realized this, of course. Hmmm.

There are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of films that have echoed this same theme over the years.  Perhaps the point of downplaying success and its rewards in the media is to reassure the audience, which lives life in the middle, that the middle is okay.  Us in the middle of course already know this.  Or perhaps it’s more nefarious:  to brainwash people into thinking that trying is for suckers.  After all, if you stop trying, you can watch more TV. (more…)

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Posted Jun 16th 2009 at 11:54 am in Entertainment, Featured Story, Politics | No Comments

Pam Meister

Apocalypse Near? Liberal Actresses Line Up to Star in ‘Atlas Shrugged’

by Pam Meister

First off, let me ask the question: in today’s PC, non-sexualized world, am I allowed to use the word “actress?” I guess I’ll chance it.

My friend Kitty sent me this link to an article about the ongoing saga of turning the 1,100 page book “Atlas Shrugged,” by Ayn Rand, into a feature film:

Rand’s popular but polarizing book — it’s derided by many literary critics but has a huge public following — tells the story of Dagny Taggart, a railroad executive trying to keep her corporation competitive in the face of what she perceives as a lack of innovation and individual responsibility. (more…)

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Posted Apr 3rd 2009 at 10:44 am in Entertainment, Featured Story, Politics | 250 Comments

Steve Mason

The plight of 40+ Hollywood actresses; Don’t write off Julia Roberts because of DUPLICITY!

by Steve Mason

The movie business is not generally kind to women when they pass the age of 40, and Julia Roberts (now 41) is learning that lesson the hard way. The former Pretty Woman has returned to the big screen this weekend in Tony Gilroy’s Duplicity (Universal), and one prominent blogger wrote this headline:

Duplicity soft: Julia’s Comeback? Audiences Say Go Back

Julia Roberts and Clive Owen star in the fun, smart DUPLICITY

Julia Roberts and Clive Owen star in the fun, smart DUPLICITY, from writer/director Tony Gilroy

Roberts’ last starring role was in 2003’s Mona Lisa Smile ($63.8M domestic), and since then she has become a full-time Mom. Overall, she has 8 movies on her resume that have reached $100M in the US with her as a lead (I’m not including the Ocean’s Eleven franchise). Her most successful string of movies started in 1997 with My Best Friend’s Wedding ($127.1M cume) and ended with her Oscar winning performance in Erin Brockovich ($125.6M cume). During that span, she starred in 6 movies, generating an average of $115M in domestic box office.

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Posted Mar 22nd 2009 at 6:48 pm in Celebrity News, Entertainment, Media Criticism, Reviews, Steve Mason's Box Office | 72 Comments

Steve Mason

Overlooked: The Top 10 Best Performances of 2008 that you may not have heard about!

by Steve Mason

The Academy Awards for 2008 have been handed out, and the “popular kids” have Oscars on their mantles, but the dirty little secret about winning awards is that you’ve gotta campaign for them. Thousands of dollars were spent by the distributors and filmmakers behind Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Milk (Focus Features), The Reader (Weinstein) and other assorted winners and nominees, but not all performances received that sort of big money backing.

I am an unabashed lover of the acting craft. I see virtually every movie, large and small, that passes through the US marketplace, and, taking nothing away from Sean Penn, Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz and Heath Ledger, not all of 2008’s best performances have been recognized. I’m not going to be obvious here. Clint Eastwood was snubbed for Gran Torino, but he received lots of acclaim for the role including being named Best Actor by the National Board of Review. My goal is to highlight 10 performances from last year that have received virtually no acclaim in the US. Many of these roles can be found in hardly-seen, under-appreciated movies that came and went without much notice. Each and every one of these movies deserve a spot in your Netflix (or Blockbuster) cue. (more…)

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Posted Mar 1st 2009 at 2:10 pm in Celebrity News, Entertainment, Featured Story | 43 Comments

Steve Mason

Oscar ratings up 11% and up over 14% with the coveted 18-49 demo!

by Steve Mason

Good news for the Motion Picture Academy. Despite the fact that the five Best Picture nominees had combined to gross less than $300M domestic by showtime, Oscar ratings were up considerably from last year’s all-time low. Early numbers show that the ABC telecast scored a 27 share, surging by 11% overall and by over 14% with TV’s “money demo” 18-49s. Compare that to last year when the show was down 25% in households from 2007 and down 30% among 18-49s.

The credit should go to producers Lawrence Mark and Bill Condon, although I can see why the streamlined show is a bit of a Rorschach test for viewers. If you love movies, and especially actors, last night’s show was respectful and enlightening. If you are inclined to dislike awards shows and actors, then the telecast would be pretty dreary.

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Posted Feb 23rd 2009 at 10:55 am in Entertainment, Media Criticism, News | 22 Comments

Ned Rice

joining the party late…my thoughts so far…

by Ned Rice

Hugh Jackman’s opening number the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen on TV that didn’t involve Dr. Gene Scott.

I can’t imagine how anybody watching could have enjoyed that.  OK, maybe Rob Lowe.

Give Anne Hathaway credit:  her Nixon’s better than Frank Langella’s.

Hugh Jackman’s coming across like an Aussie version of Conan O’Brien and I don’t like it.

This just in:  Obama has just raised the marginal tax rate on slumdog millionaires.

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Posted Feb 22nd 2009 at 7:01 pm in Celebrity News, Entertainment | No Comments

Rodney Lee Conover

Anne Hathaway

by Rodney Lee Conover

Her eyes are following me around the room again.  But seriously, do people REALLY think she’s good looking? I simply do not get it. She’s a bag of antlers. When are we going to stop this skinny/skank look? Take a close look and ask yourself if you’d believe it if she came out as a transvestite? Maybe I’m just still pissed that she dared to get into Barbara Feldon’s pumps.

Kate Winslett rules. Mmm…

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Posted Feb 22nd 2009 at 5:29 pm in Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Steve Mason

Final Oscar Predix: SLUMDOG, Rourke, Streep, Ledger, Cruz; BEN BUTTON could win just 2 of 13!

by Steve Mason

I am forecasting a coronation for Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight) at Sunday’s Academy Awards. My final predictions call for Slumdog wins in 8 of the 9 categories it is competing in including Best Picture and Best Director: Danny Boyle. The only place I think it will fail is in the Sound Mixing category where The Dark Knight (Warner Bros) may trump it.

Slumdog Millionaire is about to win the Hollywood's Grand Prize

Slumdog Millionaire is about to win the Hollywood's Grand Prize

The “Battle Royale” of the night is Mickey Rouke from The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight) vs. Sean Penn in Milk (Focus) in the Best Actor category. There have been two ties in major categories in Academy Award history. The first was in 1932 when Frederic March in Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde shared Best Actor with Wallace Beery for The Champ. (March had one more vote, but in that era, any finish within 3 votes was rules a tie.) Then in 1968, Katherine Hepburn for The Lion In Winter and Barbara Streisand for Funny Girl tied for Best Actress. If there was any justice, Rourke and Penn would share the award. In any other year, either of them would be a lock. Forced to make a pick, I’m going with Rourke.

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Posted Feb 22nd 2009 at 1:01 am in Celebrity News, Entertainment, Featured Story, Steve Mason's Box Office | 36 Comments

Steve Mason

Oscar odds: SLUMDOG, Rourke, Winslet, Cruz are favorites, but Penn, Streep and Tomei are live underdogs!

by Steve Mason

On Sunday, the Academy Awards will be handed out at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, and there are some clear favorites. Slumdog Millionaire, the feel-good Danny Boyle Mumbai opus made for just $14M, is a heavy favorite to win Best Picture. It’s hard to imagine Slumdog missing out on Hollywood’s biggest prize, having won the Golden Globe, the BAFTA Award and just about everything in between.


But, in the world of gambling, you always want to look for value. What are the films and performances with longer odds that would be worth a wager on Sunday? My purpose here is to establish a betting line for each of the six major categories, and then find the value bet in each category.

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Posted Feb 15th 2009 at 6:29 pm in Entertainment, Featured Story, Steve Mason's Box Office | 48 Comments

Steve Mason

Hollywood embraces the “chick flick” – NOT THAT INTO YOU and CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC are only the two latest successes!

by Steve Mason

Hollywood execs seem to be waking up to the power of women at America’s multiplexes. The success of He’s Just Not That Into You (Warner Bros) and this weekend’s Confessions of a Shopaholic (Disney) can be traced to Meryl Streep’s witty riff on the tyrannical Anna Wintour in The Devil Wears Prada in the summer of 2006. Prada opened to a $27.5M weekend on its way to a $124.75M domestic cume (Streep also earned an Oscar nomination).


Then in July of 2007, New Line grabbed an almost identical $27.47M with the opening weekend of the female-skewing Hairspray, translating to $118.87M domestic. Also Enchanted, starring Amy Adams, was a hit for Disney over the holidays reaching $127.8M domestic.

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Posted Feb 15th 2009 at 12:21 am in Steve Mason's Box Office | 28 Comments

Steve Mason

Biggest US opening ever for Luc Besson – TAKEN grabs up 24% Saturday and finishes with $24.6M for Super Bowl weekend; PAUL BLART: MALL COP strong at #2 while THE UNINVITED appears headed for 3rd with a possible $10.5M; Zellweger’s NEW IN TOWN may reach $6.75M opening; Not much of an “Oscar bounce” for THE READER and MILK!

by Steve Mason

Liam Neeson is officially a full-fledged action star. The Irish-born actor has often played heroes, whether it was Oskar Schindler in Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece Schindler’s List, the wise Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace or determined sex researcher Alfred Kinsey in 2005’s biopic Kinsey, Neeson has always had a knack for playing the earnest-but-flawed good guy. In his new movie Taken (Fox), writer/producer Luc Besson and director Pierre Morel have turned him into a Dad with the “mad skills” of a super-spy – think Mike Brady crossed with Jason Bourne.

The result is a well-reviewed (56% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) action film that will help to satisfy blockbuster-hungry audiences waiting for Warner Bros’ Watchmen (due March 6). Taken has scored big on its opening weekend. After grabbing an estimated $9.4M, the movie surged on Saturday to $11.62M (up almost 24% from opening day) and, despite today’s Super Bowl, the film could reach $24.62M according to studio estimates. That will be more than enough to win the Super Bowl 3-day, and positive word-of-mouth could get this one into the $70M-$75M range domestic.

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Posted Jan 31st 2009 at 2:15 pm in Steve Mason's Box Office | 34 Comments

Steve Mason

PAUL BLART: MALL COP comes-from-behind for a weekend win with $21.5M; Sony finishes 1-2 with UNDERWORLD at $20.7M; GRAN TORINO adds $16M and will become Eastwood’s #1 grossing movie on Wednesday; No love for INKHEART!

by Steve Mason

The chubby guy on the Segway rallied for a come-from-behind win over the Beckinsale-less Underworld sequel, but regardless, it was a 1-2 finish for Sony. When I originally predicted that Paul Blart: Mall Cop as the likely weekend winner over the MLK 4-day, some online sites questioned my pick. Even I didn’t expect an opening close to $40M, and now the Kevin James vehicle has surprised again.

The Adam Sandler-produced comedy has broadened its audience, showing real family appeal. That led to stronger Saturday and Sunday matinees for a stellar $21.5M by Monday morning. That gives the movie a 10-day cume of just shy of $65M, which is impressive considering that it was budgeted at just $26M. After success as a supporting star in movies like Hitch ($179.5M cume) and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry ($120M cume), it appears that James can open a movie without the help of Will Smith and Adam Sandler. Mall Cop dipped only 32% from last Friday-thru-Sunday (and that was part of a 4-day weekend, which can often lead to a sharper drop). (more…)

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Posted Jan 25th 2009 at 5:55 pm in Steve Mason's Box Office | 30 Comments

Steve Mason

FINAL TRACKING: UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS could reach $24M with MALL COP at #2; Eastwood’s TORINO and INKHEART battle for third; SLUMDOG, THE WRESTLER and REV ROAD set for solid expansions!

by Steve Mason

Michael Sheen has two movies in release this weekend. The classically-trained Welsh actor plays Lucien in the wildly commercial Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (Sony), opening on about 3,000 screens, and he plays David Frost in Frost/Nixon (Universal), expanding to about 800 playdates.

He is a classically-trained stage actor, who has starred in heavyweight UK productions of Romeo and Juliet, Henry V, Amadeus and The Dresser, was somehow overlooked by both Hollywood Foreign Press and Oscar voters when he starred as Tony Blair in 2006’s The Queen. (He was outshined by Helen Mirren, who won every acting prize imaginable). This year, he is in the shadow of Frank Langella’s towering portrayal of President Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon.

As an aside, The Queen was the second in screenwriter Peter Morgan’s Tony Blair trilogy. The first film was called The Deal for British television and tells the story of the rivalry between Blair and current British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. (This is a great title to put in your Netflix or Blockbuster cue.) The final film will be called The Special Relationship, which will focus on the intimate friendship between the British PM and President Bill Clinton between 1997-2000. Sheen has signed on, but there is no word on who will play Clinton. Morgan says the idea for the third film began to germinate when he heard that Blair and Clinton were alone together when Vice President Al Gore conceded the 2000 election.

In the meantime, Sheen will almost certainly have the #1 movie in America this weekend with Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. This is the third Underworld movie, but it is a prequel set in the dark ages with Sheen as Lucien, a young werewolf, who leads a war against Bill Nighy as Viktor, the leader of the vampire race. (more…)

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Posted Jan 21st 2009 at 11:40 pm in Steve Mason's Box Office | 19 Comments

Rodney Lee Conover

Anne Hathaway Demands Explanation For Rick Warren

by Rodney Lee Conover

I’m not one of these guys that say actors, celebrities, talented musicians or The Dixie Chicks should shut up and not chime in on political issues. Trust me, when I become rich and famous this fall, I’m gonna be screaming like Chuck Noland making fire about everything political. So I think it’s great Anne Hathaway’s speaking out. By the way, is it me, or do her eyes follow you around the room when you walk by?

Now imagine Obama’s schedule when he finally becomes president: He’s gotta talk to Hamas, he’s gotta talk to that dude in Iran, he’s got the bench press challenge with Putin…Don’t you love saying that guy’s name? They should hire Ed McMahon to announce him whenever he enters the parliament building: “HEEEEEEERE’S PUTIN!” (And Ed could use the rubles too – it’s a win-win).

Anywhoozer, before any of that happens, Barack Obama MUST have a sit down with Anne Hathaway and, as she said in Palm Springs recently; “Explain that choice of Rick Warren!” That is bold, Ms. Hathaway – but it doesn’t surprise me because this is the same person who dared to fill the pumps of the great Barbara Feldon. Wow! Now there’s a woman! Do I love Barbara Feldon, or what?

I pick up a paper once in a while and I’m reading all the time about the trouble in the Middle East -  and I have the solution: Barbara Feldon. That’s right, if we send 99 over there and get her in between everybody those hostilities will stop faster than payment on a Raffaello Follieri personal check.

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Posted Jan 11th 2009 at 4:15 pm in Celebrity News, Politics | 103 Comments