Joan Rivers may not love Tommy Lee Jones, but as the Oscar-winning actor turns 65 today, we recall only his most lovable moments at the cinema. He debuted in Love Story, but the bulk of his career has been spent playing gritty figures, real-life men of intrigue and Will Smith's crisply suited confidant. What's his best performance to date?
During the rush to get awards season hopefuls in front of various guilds, the studios have turned to increasingly digital means of distributing screeners to voters. Theatrical screenings and snail-mailed DVD screeners have given way to iTunes codes that allow recipients to download films directly for viewing on laptops, iPads, and other devices. It's a bold move dependent on a trust that none of the nearly 100,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild, for example, will turn around and pirate said films to the internet. But that's exactly what one SAG member did last winter.
OK, let's try this again: Two years after Roman Polanski's journey to Zurich to collect a lifetime achievement award turned into jail stay followed by months of international legal and diplomatic intrigue, the 78-year-old director will return to the city's film festival to finally receive his honor in person. The Sept. 27 ceremony will precede the world premiere of what has been identified only as a "full-length non-fiction film." Any guesses? [Variety]
Happy Thursday! Also in today's edition of The Broadsheet: A flurry of deals descend on Toronto, including the latest from Luc Besson and Lynn Shelton... Snoop Dogg is set to play a pimping bluesman... Your next Hollywood culture war may be brewing... and more.
Over the summer, audiences got their first taste of David Fincher's English-language version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in the form of a "leaked" trailer that was either stolen and placed online or (more likely) a brilliantly secretive piece of marketing posed as an accidental viral phenomenon. This week something called Mouth Taped Shut (http://mouth-taped-shut.com/) debuted announcing a special surprise attached to a number of "secret" regional screenings of upcoming Sony films Straw Dogs and Moneyball. That surprise turned out to be an eight-minute preview trailer for Fincher's Dragon Tattoo.
Gavin O'Connor's Warrior earned rave reviews last weekend (including mine, which you can read here) on the strength of its fine performances and heart-wrenching story of two mixed martial artist brothers (Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton) pitted against each other in and outside of the ring. Now's your chance to play guest critic and enter to win a prize pack Movieline's giving away that includes the ultimate Warrior memorabilia: An MMA glove signed by star Joel Edgerton.
UPDATE: The contest is now closed! Thank you to everyone who participated in this very special Warrior giveaway. We will now sort through your thoughtful submissions and notify you of a winner shortly.
Big news today on the Hollywood jurisprudence front, as Penske Media Corporation -- which publishes Movieline, Deadline, TVline and number of other premium Web properties -- has filed suit against Hollywood Reporter owner Prometheus Global Media LLC alleging copyright infringement.
Ryan Gosling may be a real street fight-stopping hero in man capris and the vulnerable getaway driver next door in this week's Drive, but a keen-eyed Movieline reader in Toronto sent in evidence of the one thing hotter than the Goss. No, not those Scarlett Johansson pics. Something even sweeter! Feast your eyes upon this discovery and stay for more in today's Buzz Break!
"Originally, Michael Douglas was supposed to star in [the movie]. And he walked away. At that point I was left there with my then-wife, Geena Davis and myself, and a company that was already belly-up. We begged to be let go. We begged that we didn't have to make this movie." In fact, the couple was so frightened that they sunk their own money into a last-ditch script rewrite. "We felt that a pirate movie with a female lead was suicidal, but we were contractually obligated. [...] I personally spent a million dollars of my own money, I hired Mark Norman, who had won an Oscar for writing Shakespeare in Love." Even so, Cutthroat Island turned out to be one of the biggest box office disasters of all time and sunk Carolco production company. Lesson learned! [KCRW via SlashFilm]
I don't know how Sarah Jessica Parker does it, but a lot of her movies are staggering shit fortresses. Failure to Launch? Did You Hear About the Morgans? This weekend's I Don't Know How She Does It? The Family Stone? That movie made me feel like Diane Keaton's cancer, and it's still a Mensa candidate compared to today's Bad Movie We Love: the epic, Tropical Skittle-colored trek to Abu Dhabi, Sex and the City 2. It's so famously bad that its bad reviews are famous. It's the movie that asks the question, "How can we save a franchise that has devolved into materialistic fetishism?" and answers it with, "JEWELS." Cheers, girls!
"He asked about my character in How Do You Know, and I told him I'm a guy who gets into some hot water, and though his intentions are good he gets indicted by the government for possible violations. And Obama says, 'Oh, so you're playing a congressman.' And I was like, 'No, actually I work for my dad in this corporation.' I'm trying to explain, and Obama interrupts me and says, 'It was a joke.' I just felt so stupid. Of course it was a joke, and it's actually a pretty good one. I'm normally pretty good at catching them. If you're not the fucking President of the United States, I can usually identify when you're joking." Now you know. [Playboy]
Some of us were too excited about Ryan O'Neal competing on Dancing With the Stars, reenacting Love Story scenes using elements of jive, and wowing Bruno Tonioli with those ageless baby blues (browns?). Unfortunately, Mr. O'Neal claimed injury and dropped out of the show, and now Nancy Grace only has to out-hoof 11 other couples instead of 12. Boo. But a new report details a much different reason for O'Neal's departure, and it may force us to give the Tatum-flrting actor a bit of credit.
Happy Wednesday! Also in today's edition of The Broadsheet: Hollywood remembers the late, great John Calley... God Bless America gets the deal we promised you... Nathan Lane gets close to The English Teacher... and more.
In this week's new chick flick I Don't Know How She Does It, Sarah Jessica Parker -- she who had sex in the city, a bastion of modern female fabulosity and our generation's go-to, couture-sheathed screen heroine in heels -- attempts to solve the plight of the 21st century woman once more as Kate Reddy, a wife, mother of two, and financial analyst for a high-powered investment firm trying desperately to juggle "it all." How many times do co-workers and colleagues ask her how she "does it?" A lot. That's how much she's doing. But it's not the first time SJP's put her plucky feminine know-how to use in the movies to solve the routine problems of the modern woman.
Do you have a James Franco needlepoint wall hanging? A James Franco blood splatter portrait? Absolutely anything that could be classified as an art project created in the likeness of Hollywood's favorite multi-tasker and least favorite Academy Award co-host? If so, your muse may be interested in the very artwork he inspired, at least according to this touching fan-Franco interaction straight from the Toronto International Film Festival.
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