New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is going to do for sugary drinks what he did for smoking early on in his tenure, though movie theaters in the city are ready to take on his honor’s plans to keep audiences from slurping too much sugary fizz while sitting in front of a screen. The new regulation, which won the support of NYC’s board of health, will ban calorie-soaked sugary drinks such as sodas from being sold in theaters, concession stands, cafeterias and restaurants larger than 16 ounces. The ban comes in the wake of the city’s past public health initiatives which outlawed smoking in bars, offices and some public areas. It has also banned trans fats and has forced fast-food restaurants to list calorie counts on their menus. The new regulation, if it stands, will take effect on March 12th next year. Supermarkets and convenience stores will still be able to sell super-sized drinks. Diet drinks, alcohol and fruit juices are not affected by the new policy. But theaters and other groups are going to challenge the new regulation. Cinemas reap about 25% of their revenues from sweets and drinks in the U.S. Robert Sunshine, a spokesperson for the National Association of Theater Owners said his organization is “opposed to anyone telling us what we can eat and what we can drink,” he said according to The Guardian via Deadline. “Somewhere along the line, the profit will have to be made up. It’s going to have a tremendous impact.” Bloomberg, however, counters that the measure is necessary to stem the obesity plague and said that the ban will even help beyond the city limits. “This is the biggest step a city has taken to curb obesity,” he said. “Simply by proposing limits on sugary drinks, New York City has pushed the issue of obesity – and the impact of sugary beverages – onto the national stage.” New York was one of the first states to ban smoking in public places indoors in 2003, after California. It has since extended the ban to some public places outdoors including beaches and parks. [ Source: The Guardian ]
As protesters in Pakistan, Indonesia and Afghanistan raged against the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims over the weekend, the media was also awash with photos and video of the Egyptian immigrant first tied to the crude inflammatory video, Nakoula Basseley , as he was escorted from his Southern California home looking like the Elephant Man so that he could be questioned by police. (See the video after the jump.) Basseley, who was first identified as Sam Bacile — a pseudonym that calls to mind the word “imbecile,” — covered his face with a white scarf and wore a newsboy’s cap on his head to protect his identity. His appearance didn’t remain hidden for long, however. Both the New York Daily News and the New York Post have run a picture of Basseley, sans disguise, sitting with one of the actors in Innocence of Muslims , Anna Gurji, who has been talking to a number of media outlets, and wrote a letter to the horror/fantasy writer Neil Gaiman about how she and her fellow cast members were duped by Basseley. (Gurji also notes in her letter to Gaiman, which he posted on his website, that The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood helmsman Alan Roberts (a.k.a. Robert Brownell) was the director of Innocence of Muslims.) Basseley, who’s reportedly a 55-year-old Coptic Christian who immigrated from Egypt, does not have the face of a man who sparked a wave of violence that led to the deaths of U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens and three other American diplomatic staffers. What’s that they say about the banality of evil? Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Peter Jackson took to the interwebs to usher in Tolkien Week – currently underway, natch – announcing a new trailer for December’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey that will drop Wednesday the 19th. (Mark your calendars, wizards!) And for good measure, USA Today debuted a new batch of exclusive Hobbit pics for your viewing pleasure. Gollum is ready for his close-up. Click right here or on Gandalf’s wise old mug for over a dozen images from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , in theaters (and 3-D and IMAX) on December 14. [ USA Today ]
Well, I don’t see any latex nipple protrusions, but our sister site Deadline makes an interesting point . After posting an exclusive ComingSoon.net shot of Joel Kinnaman in the new black RoboCop suit for Jose Padilha’s remake, Deadline noted that “The outfit does kinda have a Tim Burton’s Batman feel to it — a far cry from Peter Weller’s metallic get-up in the original. So, we’d like to put the question to you. Does the RoboCop 2.0 suit remind you too much of a certain Caped Crusader’s black get-up? Take the poll after the jump. RoboCop hits theaters on Aug. 9, 2013. So, the good news is, even if you don’t like it, you have time to get used to it. Oh yes, and one clarifying point about the nipples: as our commenter “Horrified” points out, those design details weren’t added until Joel Schumacher took the reins from Burton to direct Batman Forever and Batman & Robin .) Padilha’s update also stars Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley and Jennifer Ehle, Josh Zetumer and Nick Schenk wrote the re-boot script. Set in 2028, Kinnaman plays a Detroit cop seriously messed up in the line of duty. After the multinational, morally bankrupt Omnicorp saves his life and gives him super-human abilities — see suit, above — the newly christened RoboCop opens a can of whoop-ass on Detroit’s criminal element, and, if the new story follows the old, his very creators. Take Our Poll Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Also in Thursday morning’s round-up of news briefs, a U.S. Appeals Court upholds MGM’s rights to a classic Martin Scorsese film after a relative’s challenge. The London Film Festival chooses its closing night film. And Michael Keaton heads for a re-imagine of an ’80s classic. Lawless Opens No. 1 Wednesday with $1.1 Million R-rated Cannes début Lawless by John Hillcoat debuted in 2,565 theaters Wednesday, narrowly beating out Expendables 2 which held the top spot for two weeks, Deadline reports . Appeals Court Rejects Suit to Take Raging Bull Rights from MGM The Ninth Circuit of Appeals upholds MGM’s rights to Raging Bull . Paula Petrella, the daughter of Frank Petrella (aka Peter Savage) brought the rights challenge to court. Petrella wrote a screenplay and other works about former boxing champion Jake LaMotta, his childhood friend in 1963, THR reports . Werner Herzog to Direct the Killers Concert Video The legendary documentary filmmaker will spearhead the band’s concert video which will be broadcast live on September 18th via YouTube from New York’s Paradise Theater. “I think there’s gonna be an animal involved,” bassist Mark Stoermer told Rolling Stone. The Guardian reports . Great Expectations to Close London Film Festival The pic is an all-star film adaptation of Dickens’ classic novel. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jeremy Irvine, the screening marks the 200th anniversary of the author’s death. The BFI London Film festival, taking place October 10 – 21, will announce its full lineup September 5th, Reuters reports . Michael Keaton Joins New Robocop Keaton will play the role of Raymond Sellars, which was initially slated for Hugh Laurie. The film is a re-imagining of of the 1987 classic by Paul Verhoeven. It will be released next August, Deadline reports .
‘I bet you he would get right back into it,’ Burton predicted of Michael Keaton’s ability to revisit the ghost with the most. By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Michael Keaton Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
‘This lawsuit is a complete fiction and fabrication,’ a rep for Travolta tells People. By Kara Warner John Travolta Photo: Jesse Grant/ WireImage An anonymous plaintiff has filed a $2 million lawsuit against John Travolta, alleging that the “Old Dogs” star assaulted and sexually harassed him after he was hired to massage the actor. Unsurprisingly, a rep for Travolta has shot down the allegations via a statement issued to People magazine , in which the rep strongly denied all claims made by the anonymous man, known only as John Doe via his court filing. “This lawsuit is a complete fiction and fabrication,” Travolta’s rep said. “None of the events claimed in the suit ever occurred. The plaintiff, who refuses to give their name, knows that the suit is a baseless lie. It is for that reason that the plaintiff hasn’t been identified with a name even though it is required to do so. “On the date when plaintiff claims John met him, John was not in California and it can be proved that he was on the East Coast,” the statement continued. “[The] plaintiff’s attorney has filed this suit to try and get his 15 minutes of fame. John intends to get this case thrown out and then he will sue the attorney and plaintiff for malicious prosecution.” The plaintiff’s lengthy 14-page suit, which was filed Friday in California’s U.S. District Court, charges 58-year-old Travolta with assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that among other salacious activities, Travolta exposed himself and groped the masseur despite protests during a massage performed in Los Angeles in January 2011.
‘You’ll be playing Jeffrey Jones,’ director jokingly tells Depp, referring to actor in original flick. By Kara Warner Johnny Depp Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/ Getty Images We’re fully aware of the fact that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have very full schedules at the moment, given all their various projects like “Dark Shadows,” Burton’s “Frankenweenie,” Depp’s “The Lone Ranger,” another “Pirates of the Carribean” movie, etc. But can we get Burton to free up his schedule sometime soon in order to film a “Beetlejuice” sequel already? Because Burton has already expressed interest in exploring another “Beetlejuice” film with star Michael Keaton and “Shadows” screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith, when MTV News caught up with the busy director and frequent collaborator Depp recently, we threw in a question about what chance there might be in seeing Depp in the film, if it ever happens. “Ugh,” Burton replied, playfully scoffing at the question. “Yeah, Tim,” Depp reacted, adding emphasis for his friend to answer the question. “This is my last movie,” Burton continued as both of them chuckled at the idea. “You’ll be playing Jeffrey Jones,” he said to Depp, which sent the actor into further giggles. “Yeah,” Depp laughed. “I can play Jeffrey, I think.” “We can make it work,” Burton said. Now, whether Burton meant that Depp should play the character that actor Jeffrey Jones originated in “Beetlejuice” or that he should actually play Jeffrey Jones, that’s up for interpretation. On a more serious note, writer Grahame-Smith is definitely planning on delivering a script to Burton this year. “I am hopefully going to write it this year,” Grahame-Smith told MTV News recently . “I’ve gone and met with Tim Burton about it, I’ve gone and met with Michael Keaton about it. In theory everybody would be open to it if the script is good, so now it’s just my job to make sure the script is good.” Additionally, Grahame-Smith is also in favor of including a role for Depp. “I may not be able to avoid it — [Burton] may make me do it,” he said of Depp getting involved. Check out everything we’ve got on “Dark Shadows.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
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