Students In Hot Water For Dressing Up As KKK Members Three students at Wiregrass Ranch High School in Wesley Chapel are facing disciplinary action for dressing up as KKK members during the school’s spirit week. To add insult to injury, the Pasco County school officials claim two of the students are “Hispanic” and one is “Middle Eastern” according to FOX 13 News : Officials first reported one of them was also wearing a Confederate flag, but later said the flag was worn by a fourth student not involved with the three allegedly dressed as KKK members. The school said that student put the flag away after being asked to do so, and was not disciplined. Officials didn’t immediately release what disciplinary actions they will face. Why would brown people want to dress up as Klansmen?! Sound off in the comment section below with your thoughts.
Holy Nakatomi Plaza! July 15 marks the 25th anniversary of the release of the original Die Hard , a movie that occupies a revered place in my pantheon of smart-ass films. And with the latest sequel, A Good Day to Die Hard , hitting theaters on Feb. 14, Fox has released the Die Hard: 25th Anniversary Collection on Blu-Ray. In addition to the first four Die Hard movies, the set includes a Decoding Die Hard bonus disc of featurettes. Included is Bad to the Bone , posted below, which celebrates the various villains that Bruce Willis’ character, John McClane, has gone up against over the course of his totally implausible but highly entertaining life of coincidental run-ins with evil terrorists and master criminals. You really don’t need to watch the clip to understand this about the franchise: Alan Rickman , who played deliciously contemptuous Hans Gruber n the first film, remains, far and away, the best Die Hard baddie of the franchise. His simpering imitation of an American hostage when McClane first encounters him is a thing of enduring beauty. Why Rickman hasn’t been made a Bond villain by now is beyond me. Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Even as retirement looms, Steven Soderbergh still has a feature in the pipeline destined for the big screen. But as his theatrical career apparently heads toward its sunset, the Oscar-winning filmmaker is taking a swing at the movie-making machine that has left him – at least now – not wanting to make more pictures. [ Related: Soderbergh’s Liberace Pic ‘Behind The Candelabra’: What’s ‘Too Gay’ for Hollywood? ] Soderbergh’s retirement has been discussed since he first announced it in 2011. In that time he has brought a number of films to theaters including Contagion , Haywire , Magic Mike and the soon-to-be released Side Effects next month. He also is finishing the Liberace feature Behind the Candelabra starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon for HBO. “The worst development in filmmmaking – particularly in the last five years – is how badly directors are treated,” he said to Vulture. It’s become absolutely horrible the way the people with the money decide they can fart in the kitchen, to put it bluntly. It’s not just studios – it’s who is financing a film. I guess I don’t understand the assumption that the director is presumptively wrong about what the audience wants or needs when they are the first audience, in a way. And probably got into making movies because of being in that audience.” Soderbergh recalled when filmmakers were allowed more latitude and noted that seasoned audiences had spotted the trend and have turned to television instead. “It’s true that when I was growing up, there was a sort of division: respect was accorded to people who made great movies and to people who made movies that made a lot of money,” he said. “And that division just doesn’t exist anymore. Now it’s just the people who make a lot of money.” Continuing he added that television, which has become an increasingly important outlet for auteurs, indie filmmaker and even veterans of Hollywood and the measure of success both creatively and in absolute numbers is more flexible. “I’ve said before, I think that the audience for the kinds of movies I grew up liking has migrated to television,” he said. “The format really allows for the narrow and deep approach that I like. Three and a half million people watching a show on cable is a success. That many people seeing a movie is not a success. I just don’t think movies matter as much any more, culturally.” Side Effects will have its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival next month. [ Sources: Vulture , The Guardian ]
Twenty years after John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson , as Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield, became arguably the most iconic hitman duo in contemporary cinema, it’s hard to imagine any other actors tackling those roles — especially the Royale with Cheese conversation. But the new issue of Vanity Fair serves as a reminder that their Pulp Fiction parts almost went to other actors. The magazine’s annual Hollywood issue includes an oral history on the making of Quentin Tarantino’s violent 1994 masterpiece that recalls Miramax chief Harvey Weinstein was seriously opposed to Travolta being cast as the marvelously mooky Vega. “John Travolta was at that time as cold as they get,” Tarantino’s William Morris Endeavor agent Mike Simpson tells the magazine. “He was less than zero.” When Tarantino, who was dead-set on Travolta playing the role, submitted a term sheet that included his final choice of actors for the movie, Weinstein approved all of his choices except for the onetime Saturday Night Fever star. Two much more bankable actors, Daniel Day-Lewis and Bruce Willis , had read the script and expressed interest in playing Vega, and Sean Penn and William Hurt were also on Weinstein’s short list. But Tarantino and his agent proved to be even more stubborn. When negotiations over Travolta came down to the wire, and Weinstein attempted to put off casting the actor, Simpson told the movie mogul: “You’re going to agree to it right now, or there’s no deal.” Weinstein blinked, and former Miramax production head Richard Gladstein says that 20 minutes into a screening of the finished film, Harvey cracked, “I’m so glad I had the idea to cast John Travolta.” Jackson, on the other hand, almost lost the role to Paul Calderon ( Out of Sight , 21 Grams ) and had to fly in for an eleventh-hour audition. He wasn’t happy about it, especially after one of the producers confused him with actor Laurence Fishburne ( The Matrix ). That actually turned out to be a good thing based on this distillation of the audition: “I sort of was angry, pissed, tired,” Jackson recalls. He was also hungry, so he bought a takeout burger on his way to the studio, only to find nobody there to greet him. “When they came back, a line producer or somebody who was with them said, ‘I love your work, Mr. Fishburne,’” says Jackson. “It was like a slow burn. He doesn’t know who I am? I was kind of like, Fuck it. At that point I really didn’t care.” Gladstein remembers Jackson’s audition: “In comes Sam with a burger in his hand and a drink in the other hand and stinking like fast food. Me and Quentin and Lawrence were sitting on the couch, and he walked in and just started sipping that shake and biting that burger and looking at all of us. I was scared shitless. I thought that this guy was going to shoot a gun right through my head. His eyes were popping out of his head. And he just stole the part.” Lawrence Bender adds, “He was the guy you see in the movie. He said, ‘Do you think you’re going to give this part to somebody else? I’m going to blow you motherfuckers away.’” Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Like those vintage 1980s Reese’s Peanut Butter cup ads built around the “Two great tastes that taste great together,” tag line, this photo tweeted by J.J. Abrams ‘ Bad Robot production company is a cool visual mash-up of the filmmaker’s past and future work. No pressure, Mr. Abrams! If you’ve never seen the Reese’s ads, here’s a particularly gooey one. For the record, I have never seen an actual human walking in public while eating from a container of peanut butter, emblazoned with the words “peanut butter.” If you have, please record your sightings in the comments section below and I’ll get the folks at Fringe on it right away. They’ve got some time on their hands. Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Justin Bieber just announced he’s been working hard over the Holidays to complete his new acoustic version of “Believe!” I’m really excited to hear what it sounds like since his hit “Boyfriend” already has an acoustic feel. I’m also interested in hearing what Nicki Minaj is going to sound like over strings and a guitar! Haha! But that’s just my opinion! I want to hear what YOU think about Justin Bieber’s new acoustic album. Let me know in the comment section below and be sure to stay tuned for more awesome daily vids right here on JeebsTV! YouTube YouTube.com Facebook Facebook.com Twitter Twitter.com Instagram statigr.am http://www.youtube.com/v/6Q5ZVmwDPx8?version=3&f=videos&app=youtube_gdata Go here to see the original: Justin Bieber “Believe” Acoustic Album Preview!
Welcome to the latest edition of THG’s Caption Contest! We’re asking readers to put on their thinking caps and study the photo below, which is just screaming out for a hilariously witty caption, don’t you think? It features Jenny McCarthy looking shocked over a Playboy issue that features… Jenny McCarthy ! What is the blonde bombshell saying or thinking? YOU TELL US! Leave an entry in the Comments section below, do your best to keep it clean and we’ll select a winner on Friday. Go to it – and good luck!
I did this all by ear, so I don’t have sheet music sorry! A festive song, even though it’s slightly early to be celebrating christmas yet haha Hope you like it, please let me know what you think of this violin remix in the comment section below!! Mistletoe – Justin Bieber Mistletoe… http://www.youtube.com/v/jFhITZFGL3c?version=3&f=videos&app=youtube_gdata Read more: Mistletoe – Justin Bieber. Violin cover by Maya
I don’t really know why Sara Jean Underwood always seems to have to get dressed up as some sort of nerdy superhero for her show, but I like it. Here she is dressed up as Bustice . if anyone knows what the hell that is, let me know in the comment section below because I’m lost. Anyhow, as long as she keeps showing off that hot body, I’m alright with it.
