Streep Trashes Julia Child as Corporate Pawn, Cashes in on Her Legacy

Celebrated actress Meryl Streep’s latest project “Julie & Julia” is out in theaters. I have not seen the film and am not sure if I will. I did see the trailers, and admit to being tickled by Streep’s uncanny portrayal of Child’s mannerisms and unusual voice. (For Big Hollywood reviews of this film, click here and here.)

Streep is one of those rare thespians who truly morphs into the character she is playing. You forget for a while that you are watching Meryl Streep (as opposed to never forgetting it’s Tom Cruise in “[insert film title here]“), and for that she deserves heaps of praise.  But her off-screen silliness is ripe for mocking.

Take, for example, her declaration during a promotional interview for “Julie & Julia” that she was “disappointed” in Child because 20 years ago, Child refused to take part in Streep’s efforts to get organic produce into supermarkets: (more…)

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Tags: corporations, environmentalism, Julia Child, Julie & Julia, Meryl Streep
Posted Sep 3rd 2009 at 5:03 am in Celebrity News, Entertainment, Featured Story, Politics | 214926110 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pmeister/2009/09/03/meryl-streep-somehow-mangages-get-over-disappointment-julia-child/Streep+Trashes+Julia+Child+as+Corporate+Pawn%2C+Cashes+in+on+Her+Legacy2009-09-03+12%3A03%3A00Pam+Meister

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…)

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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

Hollywood Heroes: Boots On the Ground Report

Kicking back listening to Bonnie Tyler belt out “Holding Out For A Hero” made me think of a recent visit to Hollywood where I had the opportunity to speak with a few producers and screenwriters, truly good people all. 

Their big message: military films aren’t working. The country is weary and doesn’t want war films as entertainment. Rather, they say, the good citizens of our nation want to escape with the fictional heroes in movies such as “Transformers,” “X-Men,” and “Spider-Man.” 

Military movies may not be working because Hollywood presently refuses to capitalize on the real life heroes in combat everyday. Everyone loves a good hero and for Hollywood to embrace the notion that there might be a valorous man or woman worthy of a feature film may lend creditability to the cause for which they are fighting. And we can’t have that. 

Instead, their latest war films are partisan propaganda as opposed to realistic and balanced. Somewhere between the screenplay and the final edit group therapy takes place and movie houses release message films as opposed to realistic action movies.  (more…)

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Tags: "Redacted", Afghan Hindu Kush Mountains, anti-war films, Asadabad Base, Bagram Air Base
Posted May 13th 2009 at 5:03 am in Entertainment, Featured Story, Military | 13182615 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/ajtata/2009/05/13/hollywood-heroes-boots-on-the-ground-report-by-aj-tata/Hollywood+Heroes%3A+Boots+On+the+Ground+Report+2009-05-13+12%3A03%3A33Brigadier+General+%28R%29+Anthony+J.+Tata

Tony Award Nominations 2009

In what is becoming an annual rite of self-destruction, Broadway has once again chosen to snub many of the big-name stars who have put their film careers on hold to trudge onto the boards eight times a week, take a significant pay cut, and run the risk of being ridiculed for being unable to cut the mustard as a theatre actor  (As Alan Swan famously said before having to appear on live television in “My Favorite Year”:  ‘I’m not an actor, damn you, I’m a movie star!’).  This week’s announcement of nominees for Broadway’s top prize, the Tony Award, was more newsworthy for the names left off the list than for the relatively unfamiliar names singled out for the honor. 

Nathan Lane and John Goodman are selling tickets hand over fist for their revival of “Waiting for Godot” but neither received the honor of a nomination.  Same with David Hyde Pierce, Frank Langella, Mary Louise Parker and Matthew Broderick. 

It was no surprise that Jeremy Piven was included out of the Best Actor category after his famous sushi defense for missing performances in David Mamet’s “Speed-the-Plow,” but not honoring John Lithgow’s brilliant turn in “All My Sons” in the same category is a crime against humanity!  It ranks up there with the snub of Dustin Hoffman as Willy Loman in the 1984 revival of “Death of a Salesman.” Brian Dennehy was honored with the Best Actor award when he did Willy Loman in 2000, but that goodwill did not anoint him worthy of a nomination this year for his turn in “Desire Under the Elms.”  (more…)

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Tags: Angela Lansbury, Brian Dennehy, broadway, Christine Ebersol, Daniel Radcliffe
Posted May 9th 2009 at 6:15 am in Celebrity News, Entertainment, Featured Story | 129722No Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/sright/2009/05/09/tony-award-nominations-2009/Tony+Award+Nominations+20092009-05-09+13%3A15%3A30Stage+Right

Joe FREAKING Biden! (Featuring Rain Man)

On November 4th, 2008, when I realized that Joe Biden was going to be the next Vice President of the United States, I swear that I could hear “Taps” playing faintly in the distance. There’s no used crying over spilled milk however, which is why I say; Let’s laugh at this chump while we can. Oh Joe! What will he do next?

When life gives you lemons… Poke fun at the absurdly oblivious Vice President and his pipe-cleaneresque hair-plugs.

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Tags: biden, Late Night Comics, Obama, Teleprompter, tom cruise
Posted Apr 2nd 2009 at 5:16 pm in Political Humor, Video | 9599062 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/scrowder/2009/04/02/joe-freaking-biden-featuring-rainman/Joe+FREAKING+Biden%21+%28Featuring+Rain+Man%292009-04-03+00%3A16%3A15Steven+Crowder

‘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…)

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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

PETA and the KKK (featuring Tom Cruise)

This video was actually sent to the kind folks over at PETA this afternoon.  Sure they’ll probably be upset, but those chumps are so malnourished that I needn’t fear any physical imposition. Heck, I’m an entire “Jonas Brother,” heavier than any of their frail representatives. Besides, I don’t own any “animal testing” laboratories for them to firebomb, so I’m golden!

Note: No Animals we’re harmed during the making of this video. Their Thetan levels were tested (it was one of Tom Cruise’s conditions) and one of the dogs ate some tainted Peanut Butter, but nothing more.

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Tags: KKK, PETA, PETA Animal Rights KKK Meat, tom cruise
Posted Feb 26th 2009 at 12:48 pm in Political Humor, Video | 67710114 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/scrowder/2009/02/26/hey-peta-eat-me/PETA+and+the+KKK+%28featuring+Tom+Cruise%292009-02-26+20%3A48%3A35Steven+Crowder

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

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.

(more…)

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Tags: academy awards, alexandre desplat, Amy Adams, amy ryan, angelina jolie
Posted Feb 15th 2009 at 6:29 pm in Entertainment, Featured Story, Steve Mason's Box Office | 5191848 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/smason/2009/02/15/oscar-odds/Oscar+odds%3A+SLUMDOG%2C+Rourke%2C+Winslet%2C+Cruz+are+favorites%2C+but+Penn%2C+Streep+and+Tomei+are+live+underdogs%212009-02-16+02%3A29%3A27Steve+Mason

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…)

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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

A Few Good (Liberal) Men

Aaron Sorkin really pisses me off.

And not for the reasons you might think.

Yes, he’s a liberal’s liberal. And he epitomizes all that Big Hollywood rails against. He infuses his politics into everything he writes. He purposefully paints most conservative characters with broad, stereotype strokes which leave them characterized as either stupid or evil. He makes liberal characters out to be earnest, hard-working idealists with hearts of gold. They are all intelligent and sympathetic and their only fault seems to be that they just care too much. Even when he’s writing about sportscasters or a sketch comedy show, liberal political positions come out of most of his character’s mouths as if they are given facts, gospel truths. When he does offer up a sympathetic character with conservative views (Ainsley Hayes or Harriet Hayes) they are “lone voices” that always seem to be outnumbered, shouted down or merely there as a foil for the lead character (heroic liberal) to intellectually vivisect for the happy ending. (more…)

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Tags: a few good men, aaron sorkin, demi moore, on stage, tom cruise
Posted Jan 26th 2009 at 5:37 pm in Entertainment, Politics | 3128249 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/sright/2009/01/26/a-few-good-liberal-men/A+Few+Good+%28Liberal%29+Men2009-01-27+01%3A37%3A10Stage+Right

Warner Bros reaches $1.74 billion domestic surpassing Sony’s record set in 2006!; MARLEY & ME headed for $51.8M 4-Day with BEN BUTTON at $39.1M & BEDTIME STORIES at $38.6M!; REV ROAD with Best PTA of 2008!

Steve Mason is on Facebook and now also on Twitter.

SUNDAY MORNING: Dog lovers everywhere united to make Fox’s Marley & Me the #1 Christmas weekend movie with an expected $51.18M in the Thursday-thru-Sunday period for a Per Theatre Average of $14,888. Pre-opening industry tracking pointed to a clear win for Bedtime Stories (Disney), but it was the lovable lab who finished on top.

As an aside, all of us who read John Grogan’s extraordinarily well-written novel should have seen this coming. The book is a joy, and anyone who has a dog, or has ever had a dog, could easily identify with the struggles and pleasures of having a 4-legged member of the family.

The success of Marley slightly mitigates a disastrous year for Fox. Its year started out well enough riding the huge success of 2007 release Alvin & the Chipmunks into January ($70M of Alvin’s gross landed in this calendar year). The January 18 release of chick-flick 27 Dresses scored for Katherine Heigl ($76.8M in the US), then Jumper was a good solid February hit, topping $80M, followed by the wildly successful Horton Hears a Who ($154.5M domestic). Little did Fox know that when the Ashton Kutcher-Cameron Diaz comedy What Happens in Vegas played solidly to the tune of $80.2M domestic starting in May, it would be its last legit hit until Christmas’ Marley & Me. This is a huge, redemptive win for Fox, and its sentimental tear-jerker of a dog movie could near $100M domestic by Sunday.

(more…)

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Tags: academy award, adam sandler, adam shankman, Amy Adams, bedtime stories
Posted Dec 25th 2008 at 10:27 pm in Steve Mason's Box Office | 64412 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/smason/2008/12/25/exclusive-christmas/Warner+Bros+reaches+%241.74+billion+domestic+surpassing+Sony%27s+record+set+in+2006%21%3B+MARLEY+%26amp%3B+ME+headed+for+%2451.8M+4-Day+with+BEN+BUTTON+at+%2439.1M+%26amp%3B+BEDTIME+STORIES+at+%2438.6M%21%3B+REV+ROAD+with+Best+PTA+of+2008%212008-12-26+05%3A27%3A38Steve+Mason