“Why did I put all my money into this? Is this going to work? God, do you hear me? Where are the people? I’m so scared. How will I pay these people? Why did I do this? I can’t pay my rent, they are going to repossess my car. The year was 1992, July 8th-12th. All these questions were crowding my mind. I was a 22-year old wannabe… but what I wanted to be I didn’t know.” Relax, Tyler Perry — you’ve spoken to Movieline ! You’ve made it! All downhill from here. [ TylerPerry.com ]
Someone’s a little old to be modeling lingerie….I get it we all have to make a dollar – but seriously….she’s a fucking Spice Girl, she’s probably sitting on a mountain of cash that probably comes in monthly, because they were he biggest thing for 2 years, and that’s all they really needed….Maybe modeling in bikinis is a childhood dream she has yet to live, cuz when she was bikini model age she was too busy being a stripper or maybe the money was too good, either way, thank god for photoshop.
In articles-that-are-somehow-real-and-not-from-the-Onion news, a man who owed over $32,000 in child support was recently lured out of hiding. With the promise of a role in a new Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy. After getting a call from the film’s “producers,” Joshua Garlathy didn’t think twice about leaving his Hawaii hideout and heading back to Allentown, Pa. There, his ex-girlfriend had spent 19 YEARS trying to get Garlathy to pay the money he owes to support their kid to no avail … until an idea struck. The “producer” was actually bounty hunter Scott Bernstein, and Banished in Brooklyn – in which Garlathy would play “a small part as a guitar-strumming bad guy by the name of Dirty Nick” – is not a real movie, though it sounds right up Jen’s alley. Hope Dog Chapman is taking notes. Amazingly, this is not the first plot of its kind. In Alabama, Operation Iron Snare rounded up deadbeat parents with Alabama-Auburn football tickets. [Photo: WENN.com]
The OTHER white meat… Mike Tyson Describes The Taste Of Evander Holyfield’s Ear This guy is the epitome of pure comedy . It’s been almost exactly fifteen years since the infamous rematch between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. The bout has become known for the crazy moment when Tyson bit off a chuk of Holyfield’s ear. It’s a moment Tyson has been asked about consistently since then, and his appearance on “Watch What Happens: Live” (Sun.-Thu., 11 p.m. ET on Bravo) proved no different. During host Andy Cohen’s “Plead the Fifth” segment, he was asked point-blank what human ear tasted like. Tyson is so used to the topic coming up by this point that he barely reacted at all. Instead, he quipped,”Depends on which ear that you bite.” Tyson ultimately admitted that it doesn’t taste too good, leading Cohen to crack a joke that it might have needed Holyfield’s Hot Sauce. “That would’ve been a delicacy,” Tyson agreed. Holyfield had cracked the joke about his new product on the anniversary of the infamous bout, Tweeting that his hot sauce “will make u wanna take a bite out of someone’s ear! Ask @MikeTyson – Luv ya bro!” Apparently when the checks stop coming in , it’s the laughs that bring in the money. Source
The OTHER white meat… Mike Tyson Describes The Taste Of Evander Holyfield’s Ear This guy is the epitome of pure comedy . It’s been almost exactly fifteen years since the infamous rematch between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. The bout has become known for the crazy moment when Tyson bit off a chuk of Holyfield’s ear. It’s a moment Tyson has been asked about consistently since then, and his appearance on “Watch What Happens: Live” (Sun.-Thu., 11 p.m. ET on Bravo) proved no different. During host Andy Cohen’s “Plead the Fifth” segment, he was asked point-blank what human ear tasted like. Tyson is so used to the topic coming up by this point that he barely reacted at all. Instead, he quipped,”Depends on which ear that you bite.” Tyson ultimately admitted that it doesn’t taste too good, leading Cohen to crack a joke that it might have needed Holyfield’s Hot Sauce. “That would’ve been a delicacy,” Tyson agreed. Holyfield had cracked the joke about his new product on the anniversary of the infamous bout, Tweeting that his hot sauce “will make u wanna take a bite out of someone’s ear! Ask @MikeTyson – Luv ya bro!” Apparently when the checks stop coming in , it’s the laughs that bring in the money. Source
Aubrey O’Day is no stranger to posting half naked pictures of herself on Twitter , I think that’s her full time job now, so I’m more than happy to post these shots of her showing a little skin. It looks like she and her friend went out and got themselves some matching cheesy stripper tattoos. I like it. Not the tattoos, who cares about that, but she’s giving me a nice sideboob flash so I’ve got what I came for. Well done. Not to mention a pretty impressive thonged booty shot. Yes please.
Summertime is blockbuster season, and with it comes the usual onslaught of promotional tie-ins. Naturally, The Amazing Spider-Man has generated its share of interesting merchandising partners. However, with great products come great risibility, and with over ninety promotional partners it was inevitable that some of the marketing would miss the mark. From odd adult eyewear to a line of cosmetics, take your pick of the items that failed in the goal to get your spending-sense tingling. Promotional Partners in Crime In this new era, with all the kids living on the inter-tubes, the concept of keeping the details of your film a secret is a dwindling enterprise. Directors endeavor to preserve the crucial plot points of their film, hoping those details can remain veiled with closed sets, limited script releases, performers signing non-disclosure agreements, and all manner of clandestine control of their intellectual property. That is why it becomes amusing when all these efforts become unraveled by unintentional reveals by the companies licensed to sell branded merchandise. (Obligatory spoiler-alert!) Up until last December the visuals of The Amazing Spider-Man ’s villain – The Lizard – had been a closely guarded secret. That is, up until a certain confection company released promotional materials for retailers. Suddenly the web was abuzz because everyone had a sense of how he would appear – courtesy of The Lizard Pez dispenser. A few months later key plot spoilers were discovered when construction-toy maker Mega Bloks released their tie-in play sets at an annual toy fair. Fanboys began drooling over the fact that key moments of the film were rendered via injection-mold plastic. One involved a mechanical battle frame Rhys Ivans would use to combat our hero, while another diorama exposed a battle at an underground laboratory. Yet another play set shows a climactic battle that ensues atop the Oscorp Tower. The addition of what were described as “S.W.A.T. Team Lizard” action figures tipped the hand of yet another plot detail. If you want to learn the details of upcoming films, go to aisle 8 at Toys-R-Us! “Ate” Legged Freaks Common among summertime blockbusters are the food tie-ins, and Peter Parker does not disappoint here. Kelloggs and Keebler together have forged a shopping cart full of products, from a disturbing-looking cereal to Cheese-It crackers to fruit snacks. The Spidey-branded Rice Krispy Treats not only get spider graphics on the box and wrappers, they’re comprised of industrially-dyed red pieces. These, I suppose are emblematic of the color associated with our hero. The end result is something… different ; the unwrapped product takes on more of a viral appearance that seems to make it more appropriate for a film like Contagion . Twizzlers candy has also joined the fray, using their licorice as more than a supplemental confection: They’re selling it as a key component in the Spidey universe. The eponymous hero is shown crouched on a web made of the candy, and even the film’s logo is rendered in red licorice. Better still is the corporate explanation, which tells us in a press release just how perfect Twizzlers complements the Spider-Man moviegoing experience: “Twizzlers Twisted Web! From the candy’s signature red color to its web-like characteristics, our iconic Twizzlers Twists are the perfect complement to sweeten fans’ movie experience.” That’s something for fans to bear in mind as they are about to breeze past the concession stand. And you thought deciding whether to see this in 3-D was going to be the big decision. Surprising among the numerous promo partners is that the fast food licensing rights went to the lesser franchise Carl’s Jr. (Burger King carries those rights in most Latin America markets). Now, before stampeding to a local burger joint for a collector cup there’s something to bear in mind. On July 4 the Carl’s Jr. restaurants offered their “Spider-Man Eats Free” promotion. This actually means that anyone arriving at the restaurant decked out in full Spider-Man attire in theory received a free Amazing Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger. To get a sense of who might show up, behold what the company envisions for its own lobbies. Across the Pacific we find our favorite niche territory marketing partner Jolibee has teamed up with Spidey. The Phillipine chicken magnate has once again offered up a collectors bird bucket – filled with its signature “Chickenjoy” – decorated in heroic graphics. Jollibee also offers a number of toy food promotions with our webbed hero, one of which makes me pause; the Spidey ring-toss toy has a rather curious design. Now, a better person may avoid mentioning this appears to display rectal violation of the web slinger, but amazingly I’m not better than that. Nor am I above noting how he seems to be enjoying things in this particular pose. Better to simply move on. Roll Your Eyes-Play It goes without saying that there are a crap-ton of toys associated with any given superhero film. One of the talked-about aspects of this reboot helps the kids out: In years past the tots had to contend with clunky web delivery contraptions to replicate the physiological spinnerets displayed in the previous three efforts. Now, even as the toys have not gotten better, Marc Webb ’s Spider-Man has Peter Parker employing a mechanical web shooter means the kids will have a much easier time getting their Andrew Garfield on. Variations in design involve these toys launching various media, from twine to rubberized webs, to water. Parents will especially cherish the “Silly String” version, which can stain household fabrics and requires rapid replacement of the “web fluid.” Among the action figures there’s one particular curiosity. Remember the scene in The Amazing Spider-Man where Spider-Man had to take to his dune buggy to battle an evil scourge? Of course you don’t remember, because nowhere in the franchise, nor the comic pantheon, does Spidey EVER get behind the wheel of such a conveyance. Despite that reality, your kids can relive the moment which never occurred. About the closest you can arrive to this object making any sense would possibly involve some random scene involving The Sandman from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 – and that is a monumental stretch. Why? Cos(play) You Can When you imagine the entire realm of the Spider-Man universe I’m certain the first thing to come to mind is an array of colored finger nail polishes. Cosmetic manufacturer OPI has released a line of lacquer colors in conjunction with the film. The hues range across the spectrum, with names that evoke the film. Number One Nemesis, Just Spotted the Lizard, Call Me Gwen-Ever, Into The Night, Your Web Or Mine, Shatter The Scales, and My Boyfriend Scales Walls. The last one, for the record, is white. All of them, for the record, make little to no sense. Footwear tie-ins for the kids are another commonality in comic book-based releases. The Amazing Spider-Man has generated quite a few different designs, but the most arresting has to arrive courtesy of Striderite. Not only does the design resemble the famed mask, but with each step the eyes flash. As the company states, “Your little super hero will feel like the real deal with light-up powers.” It’s a little difficult to gather, however, just how Spider-Man is particularly connected with the power of light. Clearly someone did their homework. So let’s say you’re near a group of shrieking 6-year-old harridans and they are all sporting shoes that strobe. The retinal damage one may incur is a potential threat, but you can ward off those rays from their Spidey shoes with this functional and entirely sane-looking set of Spider-Man glasses. Sure, you may run the risk of getting kicked out of the Chuck E. Cheese if caught wearing these, but let’s be honest here; you probably deserve it. Brad Slager has written about movies and entertainment for Film Threat , Mediaite , and is a columnist at CHUD.com . His less insightful impressions on entertainment can be found on Twitter .
Topics ranging from film finance, pitching, marketing, video on demand and micro-budget filmmaking are set for the American Film Market, taking place October 31 – November 7 in Santa Monica. AFM attendees from over 70 countries will take part in the AFM Conference Series, which takes place 9:15 – 12:45 daily from November 2 – 6. The AFM Conference Series launched in 2011 and sold out in its first year with more than 700 attendees at each event. “AFM is attended by industry leaders from more than 70 countries so the AFM Conference Series has a tremendous pool of experts and innovators to draw from.” said Jonathan Wolf, executive vice president of the Independent Film & Television Alliance and managing director of the AFM. “This makes the AFM Conference Series unique and invaluable.” Details on the events follow: The 2012 AFM Conference Series follows with information provided by AFM : Finance Conference, Friday, November 2 Leading CEOs, filmmakers, financiers and studio executives converge to explore the state of independent film financing, emerging trends, where the money is, new opportunities and incentives, and what the future holds. Pitch Conference, Saturday, November 3 A good pitch can get a bad film made and a bad pitch can leave a terrific project languishing on the shelf. Pitching is part art (it’s creative), part science (needs to follow a tight script) and part salesmanship. Conference attendees will first learn the essential rules and tools of pitching from the experts. Then, volunteers from the audience (you?) will pitch a panel of Hollywood decision makers. They will give unvarnished feedback on each pitch – saying what worked, what didn’t, and why. Warning: This session is not for the weak. Marketing Conference, Sunday, November 4 Connecting with and engaging the audience in authentic, creative ways is critical. Word-of-mouth and friend recommendations can make or break the box office results. The gurus behind the most successful and innovative new media marketing campaigns discuss reinventing the marketing wheel, explore how the consumer can be the most effective marketing tool and reveal how to win over the broadest possible audience. Video-On-Demand Conference, Monday, November 5 Video-On-Demand is a growing revenue stream for filmmakers and content providers. Like the excitement of a gold rush, many hope for a future when all films are available worldwide and every film finds an audience. Producers, distributors and platforms will come together to disclose who is making money, how they are doing it and what the future holds – separating fact from fiction. Micro-Budget Conference, Tuesday, November 6 New and unconventional financing, marketing and distribution resources are proving very successful for Micro-Budget films. Producers and distributors will reveal how to find the money, making the most of budgets, what distributors are looking for, reaching your audience and how these new tools are redefining the film business. The 2012 AFM Conference Series will be held at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel (101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica). For additional information, visit their website .
For the first three hours and 20 minutes, I was totally with Savages . During the middle two hours and 25 minutes, I was reasonably intrigued to see how it would all turn out. But through the final six hours and 48 minutes, I kept sneaking glances at my watch, just wishing that Oliver Stone would hurry up and cap off this wiggly-waggly tale of two marijuana-entrepreneur buddies, their shared girlfriend, and a host of Mexican drug baddies led by Salma Hayek wearing a black bobbed wig that’s half Cleopatra, half Bettie Page. Savages isn’t really 12 hours and 33 minutes long – it’s actually only 8 hours and 22 minutes long – but there’s just no shaking the feeling that it would be so much better if Stone had made it trimmer and more taut and limited himself to the use of only 12 different types of film stock. It’s also not clear, exactly, why the movie exists in the first place: That creaky-wheel groan you hear throughout is the sound of Stone anxiously trying to have fun again, after several years of making desperately serious documentaries (the 2009 South of the Border ), useless sequels (the 2010 Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps ) and observant but ultimately toothless semi-biopics (the 2008 W. ). Savages is, in places, brutal in an old-school way, as if Stone were exercising muscles that have long been out of use. But if the movie is sometimes desperately alive, it’s also cluelessly shallow. Perhaps Stone wanted to make a violent entertainment that speaks to our current age, a time when ruthlessness and greed have reached irreversible proportions, a picture in which characters grow and change but perhaps do so too late. But Stone’s moralism, coupled with discreet but bloody beatings, shootouts and all manner of tawdry goings on, rings hollow. The picture is neither entertaining nor preachy – it is simply very loudly meh. Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson star, respectively, as Chon and Ben, best pals who grow pot for a living in California and also willingly share the same girlfriend, a modern-day rich-hippie-girl free spirit known as O, short for Ophelia ( Blake Lively ). Chon is a war vet who does business by the tooth-and-claw method. Ben is a gentle sort who likes the pot business because it’s “green,” and he spends whatever money he makes doing good deeds in other parts of the world. (To suggest this, Stone treats us to images of Ben, with his ropy hair and razor-averse facial whiskers, teaching the alphabet or something to little naked tropical children.) Though Ben and Chon have been friends since high school, they appear to have little in common temperamentally. It’s O who connects them. Chon is a “baddist,” O explains in voice-over, while Ben is a “Buddhist.” “For me, together they are one complete man,” she goes on to explain. “The one thing they have in common is me. I’m the home they’ve never had.” Trouble brews when Ben and Chon run afoul of some potential business associates, simply because the two refuse to bow to anyone’s bullying. By the time Benicio Del Toro shows up, looking puffy and dissolute and ill-tempered, you know some very bad things are gonna go down. John Travolta also shuffles in, intermittently, as a fast-talking, wheeler-dealer DEA guy with a shaved-stubble hairdo. And Hayek, as drug queenpin extraordinaire Elena, provides heavy doses of eye candy, lounging languidly in her extravagant south-of-the-border headquarters as she devises nasty punishments for anyone who might dare cross her. Savages , based on the novel by Don Winslow, holds the essence of a compact, brutal little thriller. But somewhere along the way – perhaps the problem begins with the screenplay, written by Stone, Winslow and Shane Salerno – the story becomes unwieldy and overstuffed, taking not-very-surprising turns it doesn’t need to take. (The dialogue also includes some classic Stone-style howlers, as when del Toro asks to see Ben’s hands and then pronounces them “soft – like a woman’s!”) The key actors, particularly Kitsch and Johnson, try to give their characters a degree of roundness that doesn’t appear to have been written into those characters in the first place. And for people involved, at any level, in the drug trade, they come off as shockingly naïve. There’s a point at which Johnson’s Ben suddenly realizes he and Chon have become mixed up with some very bad people, and you want to ask where on Earth he’s been for the past 20 years. In fact, even though Savages is a supremely macho tale of drug-dealing and extreme business practices, it’s actually the women who make it worth watching. Hayek makes the kind of villainess who’d be right at home in a late-’40s noir or a ’50s exploitation extravaganza – she purrs through her role like a take-no-prisoners kitten with very sharp teeth. And Lively continues her run as a young actress with an undeniable spark of something. She keys into O’s vulnerability and her rich-girl guilelessness: When O is mistreated (to put it mildly) by Hayek and her gang, she seems certain that her rich mommy can make it all better. We see how ridiculous that belief is, but it makes sense that O would cling to it, and Lively channels that wispy callowness as opposed to just playing a list of character traits. She’s touching, but in the lightest possible way, a sunbeam in the midst of Stone’s heavy-handed universe. O is the most civilized character in Savages , and Lively gives the most open, unstudied performance here. She’s an actress who’s sophisticated in ways she probably doesn’t even realize. Follow Stephanie Zacharek on Twitter . 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As the first lady of the Taylor Gang, Lola Monroe may have a lot to prove , but she’s looking forward to showing off more of her skill set via a new mixtape, and her forthcoming debut. The model-turned-rapper joined Wiz Khalifa’s imprint last year and promises that her new music will be an extension of who she is… Continue
