"Hedy didn't drink. She didn't like to party. Her idea of a good evening was a quiet dinner party with some intelligent friends where they could discuss ideas -- which sounds so un-Hollywood, but Hedy had to find something else to do to occupy her time." In his new book Hedy's Folly, author Richard Rhodes sheds light on the little-known side hobby of Hedy Lamarr, Austrian-American actress, Golden Age screen siren, and... inventor.
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The new poster for the long-delayed Disney caper John Carter, based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' old series, is awesome in three ways: 1) It is quite red. 2) It is quite bold. 3) It looks like a Super Nintendo/Playstation video game cover. Maybe an RPG featuring shirtless warriors and choppy computer-animated sequences? And the vocals talents of Dana Gould? Or maybe it just resembles the video for Pearl Jam's "Jeremy." Whatever, all of these. Click ahead.
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I'm still a little sour with Steven Spielberg after he tried shilling the abysmal Cowboys & Aliens with a bunch of smarty-pants soundbites, but I'll let him slide in case War Horse turns out to be fabulous. In this new, highly edited Q&A from MSN, Spielberg talks about the new movie, purposely casting an unknown as a lead, and the miraculous work of John Williams. All sounds good so far. But will we be left wanting? Or whinnying?
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Among the most admired (and controversial) films of 2011 is also one of the most striking New York-set movies in years: Shame, director Steve McQueen's unflinching glimpse inside the life of Manhattan professional Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender) as he struggles with sex addiction and his reckless sibling Sissy (Carey Mulligan). The quotidian nature of Brandon's routine -- subway commutes, nondescript office work, late-night jogs -- not only mask his emotional freefall, but belie the everyday tensions, pleasures, challenges and privileges associated with living in one of the world's most intoxicating cities. Now you can tryst where Brandon trysts, drink where Brandon drinks, and brood where Brandon broods thanks to Movieline's interactive Shame location map.
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Oldboy producer Roy Lee recently spilled some vague details on Spike Lee's Josh Brolin-starring remake, promising a "darker" retelling of Park Chan-wook's Korean thriller also adapted from the original manga. "It's very similar, but we've added new elements. Or, Mark Protosevich has come up with new elements to it that will throw off the audience who have seen the original movie because there are new characters and new situations that present themselves in a way that changes the story but eventually go in the same direction." Sure, Spike. Let me just go get my hammer... [Collider via Slashfilm]
Sure, they're not box office champs, but the Muppets' resurgence as competitive marquee stars is reason enough to scan Twitter for the best tweets about Jason Segel's new film. Who will top this week's tally? Join us for a quintet of quips that will make the Swedish Chef throw his wooden spoon in glee.
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Ken Russell, the controversial and iconoclastic British filmmaker who brought The Who's Tommy to the screen, helped win Glenda Jackson her first Oscar, made nude male wrestling safe for the moviegoing multitudes, famously clobbered a critic with his own review and faded into an obscurity almost as uncompromising as his cinematic visions, has died following a series of strokes. He was 84.
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"As I went around the room, looking for a thumbs up, I saw their faces reluctant to give it to me. So I pulled out the trump card. Michelle Williams. Now my girls are lucky enough to know Michelle Williams and they know her daughter too. She is as sweet to my daughters as she is to her own. When a hair colorist had made a mistake on one of the girls, Michelle did an operation worthy of Bond, James Bond, and got it all sorted and fixed. In my house, that made her a folk hero. And that proved to be the closer." [Huffington Post]
Happy Monday! Also in today's edition of The Broadsheet: Christian Bale makes his Dark Knight Rise exit officially, officially official... Scarlett Johansson talks about overexposure to, uh, Interview... 3-D-ing the Martin Scorsese canon... Skyfall gets its gadget guy... and more.
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As usual, America's taste for leftovers dominated the long Thanksgiving weekend -- but enough about Breaking Dawn - Part 1, which handily knocked off newcomer The Muppets for first place at the holiday box office. The specialty meals are what's really worth sampling, and to help break it all down, I'd like to welcome Muppets co-star and special guest box-office correspondent Beaker to provide his typically keen, clear-eyed insights. Your Weekend Receipts are here.
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The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn might have held onto the #1 slot during the Thanksgiving frame, but holiday buzz lifted those plucky Muppets to a strong second place showing; with $24.7 million over three days, Jason Segel, Kermit, and Co. should ride the Rainbow Connection all the way to a very nice pile of green by weekend's end. Meanwhile, Happy Feet Two continues to slide and Aardman Animation's fellow wintry offering Arthur Christmas opened with a modest $4.5 million Friday. Martin Scorsese's 3-D fall family flick Hugo, on the other hand, enjoyed a strong debut on a fraction of the screens. Maybe audiences weren't quite ready to ring in the yuletide cheer?
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Ah, Thanksgiving. A time for gathering with the fam, eating turkey, and violently disagreeing with Aunt Sue about the validity of Justin Bieber's paternity suit and a cornucopia of other assorted pop culture-related topics while passing around the cranberry sauce. We're here to help make sure those awkward lulls in conversation don't devolve into interrogations into your actual personal life with 15 movie-related topics to keep the relatives squawking, bickering, and debating... at least 'til the pumpkin pie.
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With J.J. Abrams finally all-the-way onboard for sure, the Star Trek sequel is moving firmly ahead, settling into a May 17, 2013 release slot. What's more? Abrams and LOST veteran Damon Lindelof are co-scripting with Trek writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. What's even more-more? Star Trek 2 will reportedly be filmed in 3-D. Get ready for lens flares in yo' face! Beam me up, Scotty -- right into the freaking screen! Bring your own vintage, pre-annihilation Romulan ale and Federation perfume come May 2013 and make it a 5-D experience. Now that'd be going boldly where no filmmaker has gone before. [Deadline]
That poor Red Dawn remake just has not been able to catch a break, what with the MGM bankruptcy that stalled its initial release, the hubbub over digitally changing its baddies from Chinese to North Koreans, and the uncertainty in the air as it sat, waiting, for a new slot on the release calendar. But! It's finally set to see the light of day November 2, 2012 -- nearly three years after it was filmed -- giving stars Josh Hutcherson, Chris Hemsworth, Isabel Lucas, and Adrienne Palicki more time to get even famous-er. [Coming Soon]
A Very Movieline Thanksgiving continues! Like Louis Virtel and Julie Miller, I'm quite grateful for the cinematic discoveries that came my way in 2011. Raise your glass along with me as I give thanks to five of the movie-related things that kept me going this year, including the sweet sounds of the Baby Goose, the best film fest-karaoke super fun time of the year, and -- yes -- Tyler Perry.
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