Interview: ‘Getting it Right’ with Captain Dale Dye

Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing a man who has helped bring to life some of my favorite films, series and projects. Captain Dale Dye, USMC (Ret.) has enjoyed an incredible career in Hollywood as an actor, a writer and as the most recognizable military/technical advisor in the industry. He recently worked as the Senior Military Advisor on HBO’s upcoming World War II miniseries “The Pacific” (currently in post-production) and is preparing to direct his first feature, “No Better Place to Die.”

J.R. Head: Thanks so much, Dale, for taking the time to talk with me.

Dale Dye: You’re most welcome. It’s a pleasure to be anywhere talking about the business we love these days. Hopefully, things will loosen up a bit, we’ll all go to work and I won’t have time for this in the near future.

JRH: Well, I’m glad I caught you when I did. First, let me say that I’ve enjoyed so many of the projects you’ve worked on.

DD: That means a lot coming from a guy with a military background. The reason I work so hard at it is to ensure guys like you and millions of others who served get a fair shake from Hollywood. (more…)

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Tags: "Born on the Fourth of July", "Forrest Gump", "Starship Troopers", "The Last of the Mohicans", "The Thin Red Line"
Posted Jun 30th 2009 at 5:02 am in Entertainment, Featured Story, Military | 17326213 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jrhead/2009/06/30/getting-it-right-with-captain-dale-dye/Interview%3A+%27Getting+it+Right%27+with+Captain+Dale+Dye2009-06-30+12%3A02%3A42J.R.+Head

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.

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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

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is the toast of the UK, winning 7 BAFTA Awards including Best Picture!

There was not a great deal of drama surrounding this year’s British Academy of Film & Television Arts Awards, commonly known as the BAFTA Awards. Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight) is a movie with deep roots in the UK. Director Danny Boyle was born in Manchester, England, lead actor Dev Patel is the star of the popular British television series Skins, and the movie is a gigantic hit in the British Isles with an impressive $20.6M (US dollars) in box office for Pathe, since its release there on January 6.

BAFTA Winner Mickey Rourke

The two major uncertainties entering Sunday’s ceremony were whether Kate Winslet, twice-nominated for Best Actress, would split her own vote and miss out on her second BAFTA Award and who would prevail in the Sean Penn-Mickey Rourke battle for Best Actor. Aside from that, it seemed like a Slumdog sweep, and that’s exactly how it played out.

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Tags: a.r. rahman, academy awards, alexandre desplat, andrew stanton, anthony dod mantle
Posted Feb 8th 2009 at 2:04 pm in Celebrity News, Entertainment, News, Steve Mason's Box Office | 4539010 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/smason/2009/02/08/baftas/SLUMDOG+MILLIONAIRE+is+the+toast+of+the+UK%2C+winning+7+BAFTA+Awards+including+Best+Picture%212009-02-08+22%3A04%3A55Steve+Mason

PC Whiners Aside, Downey Jr. Deserves His Oscar Nod

On the heels of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announcing the nominees for their 81st shindig, there were the usual nontroversies over who was named and who was ignored.
Among all that, Hollywood trade paper Variety noted that Robert Downey Jr.’s nod for Best Supporting Actor in “Tropic Thunder” “marks the first time since Laurence Olivier’s 1965 “Othello” that an actor has been nommed for playing a role in blackface.”

Not quite true. Forrest Whitaker darkened his skin to play Idi Amin for his Oscar winning performance in “The Last King of Scotland.”

Slightly different circumstances, yes. But… (more…)

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Tags: "blackface", oscar, othello, robert downey jr., tropic thunder
Posted Jan 23rd 2009 at 12:59 pm in Celebrity News, Featured Story, Politics | 2889751 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jridley/2009/01/23/pc-whiners-aside-downey-jr-deserves-his-oscar-nod/PC+Whiners+Aside%2C+Downey+Jr.+Deserves+His+Oscar+Nod2009-01-23+20%3A59%3A11John+Ridley