‘Crash’ Director Dumps Scientology Over Prop. 8

Internet hoaxes that look too good to be true usually are. Over the weekend, a leaked resignation letter written by director Paul Haggis spilling all kinds of dirt about the Church of Scientology hit the web and looked way too good to be true. But now that New York Magazine and the Hollywood Reporter have picked it up….

After 35 years as a member of the Church of Scientology, Paul Haggis is calling it quits. In a badass letter to Scientology’s national spokesman Tommy Davis (who hates Martin Bashir), the filmmaker lays out the reasons why.

It all started when a San Diego church publicly supported Prop 8. Haggis asked Davis to denounce its actions but Davis never went through with it. Then the already-pissed Haggis read an interview in which Davis denied Scientology’s practice of “disconnection” (forcing members to cut off communication with loved ones who oppose Scientology). But Haggis knew disconnection first-hand. His wife was forced to cut ties with her parents.

Choice snips from the Haggis letter: (more…)

Email this to a friend | Print | Share on Facebook | Tweet this |

Tags: crash, internet, Paul Haggis, resignation letter, Scientology
Posted Oct 26th 2009 at 10:39 am in Celebrity News, Politics, Religion | 252914115 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bighollywood/2009/10/26/crash-director-dumps-scientology-over-prop-8/%27Crash%27+Director+Dumps+Scientology+Over+Prop.+82009-10-26+17%3A39%3A30Big+Hollywood

Tom Cruise’s Latest Role – Marriage Counselor?

Being a celebrity means that you can do anything you want to do because you know more than the average person. Not just when it comes to hawking hair care products and credit cards, but important things like how to save the Earth and telling governors how to run their states.

And if you’re Tom Cruise, that means you are not only qualified to advise women on how to deal with postpartum depression, but you are also qualified to act as marriage counselor.

That’s right – Tom “Couch Commando” Cruise is, out of the goodness of his heart, David and Victoria Beckham’s new “relationship guru” – because you know with all of their money, they can’t afford a certified therapist:

After an evening with David, Tom decided to have a friendly chat with Victoria about the family’s future, saying it was because he cared so much about all of them,” revealed a source.

“They love each other dearly but Tom is a big believer in talking about issues . He could see they were both worried about the future and what it might hold.”

(more…)

Email this to a friend | Print | Share on Facebook | Tweet this |

Tags: David Beckham, Jada Pinkett, Katie Holmes, Mimi Rogers, nicole kidman
Posted Aug 11th 2009 at 5:06 am in Celebrity News, Featured Story, News | 203246102 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pmeister/2009/08/11/tom-cruises-latest-role-203246/Tom+Cruise%27s+Latest+Role+-+Marriage+Counselor%3F+2009-08-11+12%3A06%3A19Pam+Meister

The Newsrape Emails – #1

My Dear Scudworm -

Congratulations on the fine work you did with the recent Hollywood hoopla thing.  What are those golden statues called again…Arthurs?  Oscars?  Ollivers?  No matter.  The fine art of idolatry is becoming your forte, my dear nephew.  With the powers of a willing media and the brilliance of commercialism prevalent, it’s no wonder the masses turn to your town for direction and meaning.  I chuckle with delight to see how real meaning and substance is more and more becoming passé, and overlooked for the sizzle and bling of the ephemeral.  You make your uncle proud to see that you are once again the year’s big producer for thirty years running…and gaining even more new customers every month.

Your work on the special interest groups is particularly impressive.  You are keenly aware that, pound for pound of effort, this is where we gain the most purchase in our clawing scramble over the human psyche.  Continue to stress their inherent oppression and victimization, so that our aims may be met.  Nothing makes a poor soul feel more empowered than believing itself to be a part of a large, aggrieved and neglected group.  Build on their individual sense of outrage and anger, along with their helpless sense of futility.  Remind them that they are being victimized, and must demand their rights!  I know you are laughing right now, as am I.  But drive the seriousness of their indignant and violated pride, and demand restitution for the wrongs perpetrated upon them.  (As for the specific nature of these ‘wrongs’, either real or imagined, simply fill in the blank; a group is a group, and we can use any and all of them for our purposes.) And good that you can work the golden idols into so many hands that help legitimize our work. That Penn character is an excellent poster boy.  In fact, increase the irreverence, step up the hatred of our Enemy and brighten the public celebration of him, as his flippant outrageousness masquerades as gravitas.    We can trade on his magnetic popularity, and draw the proverbial moth to the flame.  Continue your brilliant work in framing his disrespect and hatred of Judeo-Christian ethics and traditional values as hip and ‘progressive’.    (more…)

Email this to a friend | Print | Share on Facebook | Tweet this |

Tags: Christina, insidious influence, Islam, Kaballah, movies
Posted Mar 24th 2009 at 1:59 pm in Media Criticism, Politics | 88270One Commenthttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/ggraham/2009/03/24/the-newsrape-emails-1/The+Newsrape+Emails+-+%2312009-03-24+20%3A59%3A51Gary+Graham

‘Brave’ Hollywood Takes It To The Mormons

Mormon church leaders are criticizing HBO for including a private, sacred ceremony in its show Big Love, the drama about a polygamous Mormon family in Utah. Apparently only church members “in good standing” are allowed to enter temples and either witness or take part in the rite called the “endowment ceremony.”

HBO, of course, apologized for offending Mormons but defended its use of the ceremony because its depiction is “critical” to the show’s story line. Ah, the quintessential non-apology apology, used frequently by politicians: We’re sorry if we offended anyone, but we’re not going to do anything that will actually rectify the situation. Be sure to tune in, though, and boost our ratings! (more…)

Email this to a friend | Print | Share on Facebook | Tweet this |

Tags: Big Love, Church of Latter Day Saints, hbo, Isaac Hayes, law and order
Posted Mar 11th 2009 at 1:03 pm in Entertainment, Media Criticism | 77410210 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pmeister/2009/03/11/big-loves-big-goof/%27Brave%27+Hollywood+Takes+It+To+The+Mormons2009-03-11+20%3A03%3A45Pam+Meister

Six Degrees of Paris Hilton

Part pit bull, part Columbo whacked out on a pot of espresso, they don’t make investigative journalists like Mark Ebner anymore. And that’s good news if you’re a dirt bag, scum bag, douche bag or any sort of Hollywood low-level, window peeping, carpet crawling, masturbation celebrity want-to-be.

Mr. Ebner is one of the few writers left today willing to get down in the gutter with his subjects just to hear their truth. In his new book Six Degrees of Paris Hilton, Mr. Ebner takes you to the places they never show you on “Access Hollywood,” because if the general public could access the side of Hollywood Mr. Ebner uncovers, that tub of popcorn in your lap at the multiplex would serve only one purpose, that of a barf bucket.

I recently had the chance to ask Mr. Ebner about his new book and what his thoughts on the state of Hollywood are today. (more…)

Email this to a friend | Print | Share on Facebook | Tweet this |

Tags: access hollywood, Baudelaire, big hollywood, Border's, Christopher McQuarrie
Posted Feb 2nd 2009 at 10:03 am in Celebrity News, Entertainment, Political Humor | 3753414 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jlindsey/2009/02/02/six-degrees-of-paris-hilton/Six+Degrees+of+Paris+Hilton2009-02-02+18%3A03%3A00Joseph+Lindsey

Scientology Incorporated

So it’s after a gig*, and I’m sitting at the bar with another comic, and a couple of girls who thought we were the funniest guys they had ever met. Things are heating up, but I’m starting to feel a little apprehensive because it’s just too easy. When I don’t have to work at something, I always start to wonder if there’s something wrong. Either I’m about to be robbed, or there’s a flaw I haven’t noticed.

The conversation turns to Scientology. There had recently been a expose in Time magazine (and astute readers can now speculate on how long ago this was). “It’s a really evil institution,” I start, “Kind of a cross between the Mafia and Oral Roberts with just a dash of the Manson Family.”

The girl who had been getting all my attention chuckled condescendingly, “Well, I read that Kirstie Alley is a Scientologist, and I don’t think Kirstie Alley would belong to anything like that!” (more…)

Email this to a friend | Print | Share on Facebook | Tweet this |

Tags: cult, kirstie alley, Oprah, ronald reagan, Scientology
Posted Jan 30th 2009 at 6:20 am in Celebrity News | 2992945 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/tslagle/2009/01/30/l-ronald-reagan/Scientology+Incorporated2009-01-30+14%3A20%3A08Tim+Slagle