Despite their enormous successes, the Wachowskis are known for being among the more press-shy filmmakers in Hollywood. But for their latest opus, the sprawling, soul-stirring Cloud Atlas (co-directed with Tom Tykwer), the duo have blazed a trail talking up their ambitious passion project — partly, as Lana Wachowski explains, because of the film’s deeply personal connection to her own recent transformation. The film, adapted from David Mitchell’s novel, tells six interconnected nested stories across the span of hundreds of years, following the same souls evolving through multiple lifetimes. The cast, including Tom Hanks , Halle Berry , Jim Sturgess , Jim Broadbent, Ben Whishaw , James D’Arcy, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving, and Doona Bae, play multiple parts often under make-up and prosthetics in the gender- and race-bending ensemble. [ GALLERY: First images from sci-fi opus Cloud Atlas ] Lana Wachowski, a bubbly and luminous presence on the Cloud Atlas press tour with her bright pink dreads and beaming smile, spoke of the privacy she and brother Andy fought for years to protect — and why it was important to trade that veil now, with the world watching. “Anonymity enables you to inhabit civic space, and that way of being in the world is very important to us,” said Lana over the weekend in Beverly Hills. “We like the access that anonymity gives you to the world. As soon as you give it up, you give up a part of your human experience, your humanity.” The decision to peel back the curtain for the first time in 13 years was a tough one, but co-director Tykwer’s experience with press was encouraging and Lana’s opportunity to raise awareness for and give voice to the LGBT experience compelled the Wachowskis to submit to interviews and appearances for their $100 million indie film (which incredibly enough given their past work on the game-changing Matrix series, is their most ambitious and challenging project to date). “When I was a kid one of the reasons that I was depressed about my life and my situation was that there weren’t people like me — there weren’t transgendered people in Hollywood,” Lana offered. “I didn’t even know a writer that was transgendered. There was this feeling that because I was the way I was I would not be able to do something that I imagined that I wanted to do. It would be closed to me, it would be denied me just because of who I was.” “By being more public I, perhaps, am fulfilling a role in my own life in terms of a sort of Cloud Atlas ian consequence, a past life and future life,” she continued. “In a way, I am a future life for that younger part of me looking for someone like me, a role model like me. And if I can suggest to younger people or other LGBT people that it is possible to be in Hollywood and be trangender or is possible to be a writer and be transgender and that gives them hope or lets them shed fear about being who they are, then it’s worth it to sit down with [journalists].” Added Andy: “It’s worth it for me to give up my anonymity as well for that young Lana out there as well. Solidarity to all of our LGBT brothers and sisters out there.” Cloud Atlas hits theaters October 26. Read more on the film here . Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Microsoft and 343 industries aren’t getting into the cinema, they’re sidestepping it entirely as an obsolete technology. Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn is a 90-minute, $10 million dollar movie , and if you’re wondering why you haven’t heard about its upcoming release, it’s because it’s already out . The new movie follows the a squad of military cadets as they gradually learn how to be soldiers and then, very suddenly, learn that they’re under alien attack. Finally, they learn that Master Chief kicks ass. But gamers already knew that. Master Chief is the ultimate tough guy. A bulletproof power-armored soldier, faceless by design behind his golden visor, all he does is sleep and fight. Literally: They keep him in cryosleep until its time for him to open another can of interstellar whoop-ass. He’s so self-sufficient an action star that he even carries his own damsel in distress with him, Cortana, a smokin’ female AI that’s been loaded into the computers in his armor. (This enables her to call him long-distance when the bad guys get her.) Given those credentials, how insane is it that he and Halo haven’t been in the cinema? Think about it: Halo is one of the most popular gaming franchises in history. It’s the face of an entire console generation, a multi-billion-dollar phenomenon that generates block-long lines with the release of every new chapter of the game and opening weekend sales that would make most movie producers and studios weep into their cayenne-pepper cleansing smoothies. Even novels based on the game have been bestsellers, and novels based on games have a worse reputation than the used socks of gamers. Halo would seem to have all the ingredients for an awesome summer tentpole picture: An inscrutable tough guy teams with unlikely allies to battle invading aliens and, along the way, encounters enough twists and support characters to support a full trilogy. (Sergeant Johnson alone deserves his own movie). And yet, Halo has been knocking around Hollywood production hell for seven years. In that time, the franchise has produced five more games, including a remake of the original 2001 game, Halo: Combat Evolved . An early script was written by Alex Garland, whose merciless Dredd 3D demonstrates that he’s the perfect writer for tough-guy-in-helmet-kills-everything plots. In 2005, Peter Jackson came on board as executive producer and Neill Blomkamp, who would go on to make District 9 , was set to direct, and for a few months gamers were certain their dreams of a Halo movie were about to become computer-generated reality. Given the sweeping battles that Jackson depicted so vividly in LOTR , we envisioned breathtaking footage of the epic space combat only hinted at in Combat Evolved, alongside the and close-range futuristic firefights the game was all about . (Even fanfic that combined both franchises sounded possible. Imagine a crossover in which Legolas swings up around the turrets of a giant Covenant Scarab to shove an Energy Sword through its core, while Gimli clubs Brutes with their own gravity hammers and shouts “That still only counts as one point!”) Ironically, the huge financial potential of the Halo film is what ultimately doomed it. Microsoft saw the property as nothing less than the ultimate game movie and wanted to be compensated accordingly. Twentieth Century Fox and Universal initially partnered to take on the challenge, but the project collapsed over costs. The rights reverted to Microsoft, which was left with a money-minting game franchise that no one wanted to make mint money from. Which may be why Microsoft has decided to test the waters on its own. The company has a can’t-miss franchise and a vast entertainment network already wired to Halo’ s target market. It’s no secret that Microsoft and Sony have been positioning their Xbox and PS3 consoles as home-entertainment centers for years now. Gamers can stream Netflix movies through the former and watch Blu-Ray discs on the latter. And now here comes Microsoft with its very own content: Halo: Forward Unto Dawn, a live-action web series tied to the Nov. 6 release of Halo 4, which also bears the Forward Unto Dawn subtitle. Microsoft-owned 343 Industries has produced five 20-minute webisodes, which if you add them up clock in at the length of a feature film. Then again, the shows are released weekly and distributed through Machinima , host to several popular video game series. The series is essentially an extended advertisement for the Halo games, but that doesn’t make it any less good. George Lucas kept Star Wars fans coming back to the cantina by expanding the universe and telling the story of brand new characters. With Forward Unto Dawn , the lines between advertising and content are blurred enough that it’s possible to enjoy both. This advertising pedigree also helps with production – they’re using everything they know about internet marketing, building interest in the series by slipping in hints about the hotly-anticipated Halo 4 game. Guaranteeing that every player will watch. The teaser trailer told fans everything they need to know: We’re sure a certain officer Lasky will turn up the upcoming Halo 4 . Impressively, Microsoft is now taking the “pay if you want to” model of many independent internet creators. The entire series runs free for everyone on YouTube, and will later be available for sale as a standalone DVD or — much more likely for most fans — an extra in a Collector’s Edition of Halo 4. That’s the exact opposite of cinema: you get to see whether you like it first, then you can pay some money. Most modern movies wouldn’t survive under those conditions. This is a test. Microsoft has a can’t-miss canon, an established fanbase, its very own distribution network, and a healthy love of making money. The producers of Resident Evil: Damnation recently avoided cineplexes entirely (possibly because it’s offended by the live-action movies), and marketed the movie directly to its hardcore fanbase through — via their consoles — a week before the DVD was released. If this series succeeds, it won’t just be a good collection of YouTube clips — it’ll be proof that movies don’t belong exclusively to the movie industry. Luke McKinney loves the real world, but only because it has movies and video games in it. He responds to every tweet. Follow Luke McKinney on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Raekwon, Capone and Troy Ave show up to support N.O.’s video for ‘Tadow,’ a single off his Student of the Game . By Rob Markman Pusha T and N.O.R.E. on the set of “Tadow” Photo: MTV News
Celebrities Who Admitted To Having Plastic Surgery Most celebrities in out in Hollyweird want us to think that their perfect bodies of steel and flawless faces are all the results of good genes and good luck. And even though they know that we know better, when it comes to coming clean about going under the knife, no matter how obvious, more than a little bit of them will deny till they die. However, there are a few high-paid Hollyweirders that have no shame in their game and can admit that they’ve had a little help keepin it tight and toned over the years. Let’s take a look at some people who weren’t afraid to keep it real about keepin’ it fake…
My name is Jillian, I’m 15 years old, live in New York and obviously LOVE this kid named Justin. I have had the most AMAZING Bieber experiences of my life. I’ve meet him 10 times and have seen him perform and do interviews live 16 times. I have been a true true belieber since ‘One Time’ and always will be. I don’t know why I have never written a Bieber Experience. I have so many things to write that I am so grateful for, but I am just going to write about what happened to me one week in June when Justin was in NYC. It all started June 18th when my friend Cat and I got on line at Macy’s at 4 a.m. to get tickets for Justin’s Apollo show. We waited hours, which actually flew by pretty fast because we made so many friends with other amazing beliebers while waiting. When they finally opened the doors, we knew we were getting tickets and flipped a shit. We ran into the store, got our Girlfriend fragrance bags, and an envelope with our tickets in them. We ripped open the envelope to see where out seats were and guess what? WE GOT SECOND ROW. We started jumping up and down like idiots but who cares….it’s Justin Bieber we’re taking about! We called all our friends, family and posted the great news on every social network possible. After we got our tickets we went home, got ready for the concert, and then made our way back into the city. When we walked into the Apollo and saw our seats I thought I was dreaming. After waiting quite awhile (cause ya know Mr. Bieber is always fashionable late), Justin came on stage! As soon as he came on our first instinct was to run closer to the stage so he can grab our hands, and that’s just what he did. We ended up being front row for the entire concert. This was honestly the best concert of my life. Everything was just so funny; when we blew the fuse, when they lost a kid, when Justin pushed Scooter into his birthday cake, when Ry Good told us we were gonna be stuck in here for a while and started throwing food at us. Then after Justin’s last song which was ‘Boyfriend,’ he ended up grabbing Cat’s phone and took a picture of us! MY FACE IS PRICELESS IN IT. Throughout the whole concert he grabbed our hands multiple times, made a lot of eye contact with us, and even pointed too me when he sang “Shawty right there” in One Time! I went home that night shaking just of the thought that this was real life, and not a dream. When I got home I picked out another outfit for the next day because I was meeting Justin at his J&R Believe CD signing! I woke up, went to take my bio regents (that I did not study whatsoever for) and made my way to the city. I went up to Justin and told him about how I was first row last night and how he was amazing. He was really sweet and even grabbed my hand! After that, we went to wait outside of MTV studios for Justin because he was going there after J&R. We saw him get out of his car, but seeing him for even a second is worth it to me. After these 2 AMAZING days I thought nothing can make this week any better! The next day, my friend texted me saying something about getting tickets to a Justin Q&A for Fuse TV. During the sign up process they asked you write a question you would like to ask Justin. I wrote, “Have you ever played a prank that’s gone too far?”. After I signed up, I got a email back shortly saying I received the tickets! So once again, I went to sleep feeling like my life was a dream. When I got on line with my friends, people from the Fuse TV were walking up the line asking for people’s names to cross off the list. When they got to me, I told them my name and I noticed instead of crossing it off, they highlighted it. I was so scared like maybe that meant I couldn’t get in or something! After a few seconds the girl goes, “Come with me” and brings me to another line. She then explains to me that I was one of the 5 people picked to ask Justin my question on National television! I STARTED FLIPPING WITH MY FRIEND LAUREN WHO I BOUGHT AS MY GUEST. I am not the loudest of people and kinda shy when I first meet someone, but at all the Justin events I go to I have learned that you need to get recognized and put yourself out there. I was so loud and happy and one of the Fuse crew members named Michael came up to me. He told me to follow him and at this point I was losing it from happiness already. He goes to me, “I can tell your a very very big super-fan and don’t seem to be shy around people, so I’m guessing you wouldn’t mind playing a Trivia game on TV against Justin himself would you?” AT THIS POINT I COULDN’T MOVE OR BREATHE. LIKE WHY WAS I GETTING SO LUCKY? Finally it was Justin to go on stage. The whole crowd went wild. After the interview he did on this other stage, it was time for him to play the game with me! I stood at the buzzer and then realized he was coming to stand at the buzzer, next to me! He got on the stage and gave me a hug. The he was trying to press the buzzer but he wasn’t pushing it right so I was like, “Justin you need to go like this” and then he got it and started laughing. I WAS TALKING TO HIM LIKE HE WAS MY FRIEND. I have meet him enough times to realize now he is actually a normal kid and finally I was myself around him. Next the girl explained the rules to us of how the game worked. He shook my hand. We had to answer a question about his music video on the screen. For some reason Justin wasn’t looking at the screen were he was supposed to, he was staring at me. I LOCKED EYES FOR LIKE 20 SECONDS STRAIGHT WITH JUSTIN BIEBER LOLBYE. I go “Justin” and he was like “Yeah” with the cutest smile on his face. “Look at the screen it’s the other way!” Then he finally turned his head the other way. After the whole game was over, I ended up winning 3-0! After he made a sad face and goes, “I’m just upset I lost again” with the cutest pout on his face. “Don’t worry I’ll let you win next time.” Then he goes to the crowd, “She’s amazing! She knows me better than I know myself!” and then gave me the biggest hug! I’m still flipping to this day. During commercial break Justin was still on stage next to me and he was on his phone, his background was so weird LOL. He then goes onto video and pans the crowd and takes a video. Since I was right next to him I legit put my face in his camera and he started laughing. We talked for a little, but honestly I don’t even remember our convo, I was too starstruck and shocked to remember it. Before he left there was one thing I KNEW I needed to too and I needed to break a rule to do it. They told me before the show that I was not allowed to take pictures with him because it would start too much. BUT YOLO! I asked Justin if I can take a picture with him and he goes sure! Since my phone was dead, I grabbed a randoms girl’s phone from the audience and took a selfie. Then I asked for a kiss on the check . I always thought I would be to scared to ask that but at this point I really felt like I was Justin’s friend, so it wasn’t awks at all. HE KISSED ME and that’s when I was just like what the eff is going on right now. Then he needed to go back to the interviewing stage, so after the kiss he said bye, waved and went back. I got off the stage and started to cry. THAT WAS THE BEST EXPERIENCE OF MY WHOLE ENTIRE 15 YEARS OF LIFE RIGHT THERE . Everyone came up to me giving me hugs and telling me how jealous they are and how lucky I am. After a little while Justin left back to his hotel. Since us beliebers are so hardcore and never stop, we decided to wait at his hotel. We managed to get pictures with Ry Good, Alfredo, and even randomly Chord Overstreet! We also saw Bruce and Vanessa! So that explains what happened to me during the best week of my life! To think that this week was just some of the many experiences I have with Justin makes me feel so grateful. Too grateful for words. Justin I love you and and I always will. Thank you all for reading this and I hope you can all experience something as great as I did. Just never give up, cause really…..absolutely anything can happen. -Jillian @JDBieberislife Watch my video with Justin here ! Excerpt from: My name is Jillian, I’m 15 years old, live in New York and…
Is this a first? Or deja vu? With Kanye in Paris and Kim in Miami , the rumor mill is stirring up stories that the celebrity couple might be on the rocks, but Kimmy Cakes is pooh-poohing breakup talk by gushing about her hip-hop boo. Via US Weekly : When it comes to Kanye West, Kim Kardashian is in it for the long haul. In the November issue of England’s Tatler magazine, the 31-year-old E! reality star opens up about her stronger-than-ever romance with the “Mercy” rapper, 35. “It’s so nice to have a best friend in this game who understands everything you’re going through. Being with someone I’ve known for so many years is comforting.” (The stars were pals for years before taking their friendship to the next level earlier this spring.) “He’s been there through so many different stages of my life and before I was famous, so this relationship is a different thing entirely,” Kardashian continues. “It’s good to be aware that he definitely doesn’t want anything from me too, because he understands the business.” Kardashian — whose ex-husbands are music producer Damon Thomas and professional basketball player Kris Humphries — says West is The One. “I can’t even think about being with anyone else than the man I’m with,” she tells the magazine. Though she’s been known to idealize her previous boyfriends, Kardashian tells Tatler it’s different with West. “When I look back at interviews I gave [about previous boyfriends] saying, ‘We’re talking about marriage, etc.,’ it’s embarrassing. And I really believed it at the time!” She adds, “I’m such a hopeless romantic that I’ll always believe the next one is The One.” At least she realizes how stupid she sounds. Do you think Kanye really is “The One” for Kim, or do you think she’d be with anyone who’d keep her azz relevant?
Former Vice President Al Gore is blaming the Mile High altitudes of Denver, Colorado, for President Barack Obama’s debate shellacking last night … seriously. Al Gore Blames the Altitude Whether it will be the game changer he needs to win the White House is an open question, but Mitt Romney won the presidential debate by almost all accounts. Obama apologists have offered various excuses, but the most unusual comes from Gore: “I’m going to say something controversial here,” Gore told Current TV. “Obama arrived in Denver at 2 p.m. today, just a few hours before the debate started.” “Romney did his debate prep in Denver. When you go up to 5,000 feet and you only have a few hours to adjust, I don’t know.” Nor do we. Conservatives are having a field day with this idea, of course, though The Daily Caller’s Matt Lewis suggested earlier that Romney likely prepped in Denver for this reason. That or he really likes the Chipotle workers . Denver has 17 percent less oxygen than cities at sea level. Whether Obama was gasping for breath literally as well as figuratively Wednesday, we may never know. You tell us: Who won the debate? Barack Obama Mitt Romney View Poll » Who should win the election? Obama-Biden Romney-Ryan View Poll »
The first of three 2012 presidential debates has come to an end. Who do you think was the winner of the showdown in Denver? Presidential debates are hyped up as pivotal moments for campaigns, although this isn’t always the case. Was it tonight? Did either candidate shine? Did neither? What was the most meaningful exchange? Was this the game-changer Mitt Romney needed, or did President Barack Obama help his chances for re-election? Share your comments below, and vote in our survey: Who won the first presidential debate of 2012? Barack Obama Mitt Romney View Poll »
So are they saying that Cam is a pu**y?! These folks got a lot of nerve, it’s only week 3!!! Has Cam Newton lost Charlotte? The second-year Carolina Panthers quarterback was the subject of a scathing editorial cartoon in Wednesday’s edition of The Charlotte Observer. He’s depicted performing his patented Superman touchdown celebration only to reveal a Hello Kitty logo on his chest. The cartoon appears six days after the Panthers’ 36-7 loss to the New York Giants. Newton was roundly criticized for emphatically celebrating a touchdown with his team down 23-0 in the third quarter against the defending Super Bowl champions. Later in the game, veteran wide receiver Steve Smith reportedly had “unchoice words” for Newton after the quarterback sulked on the bench following his third interception. Newton’s behavior in the postgame press conference was similarly sulky. On Sunday, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported Newton was seeing a “mind coach” to help him deal with the pressure of being an NFL quarterback. Newton denied the report. The 2011 No. 1 overall draft pick, Newton shattered a number of NFL rookie quarterback records last season, including those for most passing and rushing yards. But his record as a starter is a middling 7-12 and this, evidently, is a cause for the Observer to jump ship on the Panthers quarterback three games into his second season. A “mind coach”??? WTF is that about? We hope Cam doesn’t go the way of Vince Young and start losing his mind before his prime. Do you think that the criticism of Cam’s game smells of the old racist idea that Black quarterbacks aren’t good enough to compete in the NFL? Image via AP/CharlotteObserver
