Tag Archives: peter-berg

Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can’t Use: Did Mitt Romney Plagiarize ‘Friday Night Lights’?

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Politicians have long appropriated pop culture to lend their campaigns relevancy and catchy hooks, so it wasn’t unprecedented when Republican nominee Mitt Romney began using the popular Friday Night Lights catchphrase “Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose” in his bid for the Presidency. That doesn’t mean filmmaker Peter Berg has to be happy about it. In an open letter to Romney, Berg — who directed 2004’s Friday Night Lights , adapted from H.G. Bissinger’s book about a small Texas town obsessed with football, and created its subsequent spin-off television series — slammed the former Governor of Massachusetts for using the now-famous FNL line. “Your politics and campaign are clearly not aligned with the themes we portrayed in our series,” wrote Berg, who described the citation as plagiarism. Via EW : Governor Romney: I created the TV show “Friday Night Lights” and came up with the phrase “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose.” I was not thrilled when I saw that you have plagiarized this expression to support your campaign by using it on posters, your facebook page and as part of your stump speeches. Your politics and campaign are clearly not aligned with the themes we portrayed in our series. The only relevant comparison that I see between your campaign and “Friday Night Lights” is in the character of Buddy Garrity — who turned his back on American car manufacturers selling imported cars from Japan. Your use of the expression falsely and inappropriately associates “Friday Night Lights” with the Romney/Ryan campaign. Mitt, we all wish you and your family all the best. We are grateful for your support of our beloved show, but we are not in any way affiliated with you or your campaign. Please come up with your own campaign slogan. Sincerely, Peter Berg. To be fair, President Obama ‘s campaign also used the slogan, albeit less overtly and on Tumblr . I guess that was at least football-related, and therefore more closely aligned with the themes Berg & Co. portrayed in their series. [E W ] Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .

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Maroon 5 Get In The Ring For ‘One More Night’ Video Tonight!

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

New video, directed by Peter Berg, premieres at 7:53 p.m. ET on MTV, followed by a Q&A with the band on MTV.com. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Kelly Marino Adam Levine in Maroon 5’s “One More Night” music video Photo: In Maroon 5 ‘s brand-new “One More Night” video, frontman Adam Levine plays a boxer who takes a licking both in and out of the ring. And while one aspect of his performance was all acting (that would be his scenes with actress Minka Kelly), the other was very real indeed. That’s according to “One More Night” director Peter Berg, who sat down with MTV News to talk about the clip ahead of its debut — tonight (June 25) at 7:53 p.m. on MTV as part of “MTV First: Maroon 5” — and made it very clear that Levine pulled no punches during the filming. In fact, he even took a couple punches from one of the best in the business. “Adam Levine learned how to box here, at the world-famous Wild Card Boxing Gym, home of Manny Pacquiao and [trainer] Freddie Roach,” Berg said. “The idea for the video was Adam’s. He called me and said, ‘I wrote this treatment. Would you read it?’ He had this idea, sort of comparing fighting to love, and so I called Freddie, who was a friend of mine, and I said, ‘I need you to train this guy.’ ” “Of course, Freddie was working Manny Pacquiao at the time [for this month’s bout against Tim Bradley], so we had to find one of his trainers, and so we found this great trainer and put him through a 10-day boxing program,” he continued. “And the truth is, this kid is just a natural athlete. He took to it very quickly, and we were able to get into sparring scenarios in the ring. … We had to see how Adam would react to somebody punching him in the face, whether he’d run out screaming and call his bodyguards. But I remember the first time he got cracked in the head, he had a big smile on his face.” Levine definitely wasn’t smiling through his scenes with Kelly, who plays the mother of his newborn child. We won’t spoil how their relationship plays out, but let’s just say she doesn’t think his boxing career is going to succeed anytime soon. Though, as Berg explained, shooting those scenes was about as tough as the “One More Night” video got, because from the first sparring session to the final edit, he was definitely feeling the love on this one. “Minka’s a fan of Maroon 5 and she said she’d do it, and we had a great time shooting the video,” he said. “I was always a Maroon 5 fan, and now they’re in my heart and they’re a part of my family.” Don’t miss the premiere of Maroon 5’s “One More Night” video during “MTV First: Maroon 5” tonight at 7:53 p.m. on MTV, followed by a 30-minute Q&A with the band on MTV.com. Related Videos Maroon 5 To Bring ‘One More Night’ Video To MTV First! Related Artists Maroon 5

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‘Battleship’ Mystery: Who Says ‘You Sunk My Battleship’?

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

It’s a trick question! ‘I had this idea that we should come up with a different way of respecting the line,’ director Peter Berg tells MTV News. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Taylor Kitsch in “Battleship” Photo: Universal Pictures From the moment Universal announced plans to transform Hasbro’s classic board game Battleship into a full-length feature film , the question weighing on fans’ minds was not necessarily “How will they make that into a movie?” but rather “How will they work in the ‘You sunk my Battleship!’ line?” For those who didn’t grow up playing the game, we’re talking about the classic tagline from Hasbro’s old-school commercials that featured two players calling out targets until one proved victorious with a direct hit on their opponent’s big boat, resulting in one of the most memorable and quotable board-game taglines ever: “You sunk my Battleship!” We’ve made attempts to get various castmembers to spill the beans about the line , but it wasn’t until MTV News caught up with director Peter Berg that we were able to get a definitive answer on the subject — which, in a nutshell, is no, the direct quote is not in the finished film. “We have a version of it, though,” Berg said. “There was a reference to the line: ‘Ain’t gonna sink this Battleship, no way,’ ” he quoted. “We say, ‘No, we ain’t sinking this battleship. ‘ They don’t sink our Battleship. Sorry. Berg said they put a lot of thought into how they could pay homage to the line but ultimately decided it would be best to provide their own spin on it. “We played around. We said the line, we didn’t say the line, and then I had this idea that maybe we should come up with a different way of respecting the line. But you know what? They didn’t sink the Battleship,” he reiterated, adding a “Raging Bull” reference in the process. “It’s like Jake Lomatta said: ‘You [didn’t] get me down, Ray.’ There a lot of ways you could’ve done it; we chose our way.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Battleship.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘Battleship’ Related Photos ‘Battleship’

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Battleship Director Peter Berg to Israeli Interviewer: ‘Are You a Draft Dodger?’

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Now here’s the way to make your run of the mill Battleship junket interview way more interesting: Turn the tables on your talking-head interviewer by grilling him on Israel’s nuclear policy and why he didn’t serve his compulsory service in the military. Which is what Peter Berg did to one unsuspecting journalist for Israel’s Channel 10. While sitting for an on-camera chat about his summer blockbuster, Berg went off on TV interviewer Jason Danino-Holt about issues that, he admits, are much more important than his movie about aliens adapted from a board game. Instead of talking up his pop starlet cast member or his excitement for the film (okay, he managed to squeeze that in, too — what a pro!), Berg launched into Israeli arms policy as Danino-Holt sat, seemingly befuddled. By the time Berg asks, “Are you a draft dodger?” and shouts, “You’ve gotta join the army, motherfucker!” this has automatically become the stuff of legend. Berg’s big shiny summer blockbuster has a heavy military element — it’s very much pro-servicemen and women, and big on international cooperation between nations that, granted, can unite against a common extraterrestrial enemy without dealing with the tricky human realities of real world politics. Does Battleship give Berg the moral ground to badger a perfect stranger for not joining the army? Well, no. Is this 100 times more interesting than hearing him talk about ships and aliens and Rihanna? Hell yes. Make your weekend movie plans accordingly. [ Pajiba via Complex ]

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Battleship Director Peter Berg to Israeli Interviewer: ‘Are You a Draft Dodger?’

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Now here’s the way to make your run of the mill Battleship junket interview way more interesting: Turn the tables on your talking-head interviewer by grilling him on Israel’s nuclear policy and why he didn’t serve his compulsory service in the military. Which is what Peter Berg did to one unsuspecting journalist for Israel’s Channel 10. While sitting for an on-camera chat about his summer blockbuster, Berg went off on TV interviewer Jason Danino-Holt about issues that, he admits, are much more important than his movie about aliens adapted from a board game. Instead of talking up his pop starlet cast member or his excitement for the film (okay, he managed to squeeze that in, too — what a pro!), Berg launched into Israeli arms policy as Danino-Holt sat, seemingly befuddled. By the time Berg asks, “Are you a draft dodger?” and shouts, “You’ve gotta join the army, motherfucker!” this has automatically become the stuff of legend. Berg’s big shiny summer blockbuster has a heavy military element — it’s very much pro-servicemen and women, and big on international cooperation between nations that, granted, can unite against a common extraterrestrial enemy without dealing with the tricky human realities of real world politics. Does Battleship give Berg the moral ground to badger a perfect stranger for not joining the army? Well, no. Is this 100 times more interesting than hearing him talk about ships and aliens and Rihanna? Hell yes. Make your weekend movie plans accordingly. [ Pajiba via Complex ]

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Rihanna Had ‘Guts To Take Chances’ In Big-Screen Debut

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘There’s probably no more single important skill that you can ask for in an actress,’ ‘Battleship’ director Peter Berg tells MTV News. By Fallon Prinzivalli Rihanna in the “Battleship” poster Photo: Universal Pictures With the much-anticipated “Battleship” set to release May 18, some are still skeptical as to whether Rihanna can make a successful transition from music to film. But even in the beginning stages of the movie, director Peter Berg never doubted the pop singer’s talent. “I’m a big believer in musicians-turned-actor,” Berg told MTV News, proceeding to list many of the musicians who went on to make it on the big screen. “You could do a great MTV special about all the musicians that have acted,” he continued. “It starts for me with Frank Sinatra, who won an Oscar for a movie called ‘From Here to Eternity.’ Mick Jagger was in a film called ‘Performance.’ David Bowie was in ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth.’ Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand. Did you see a film called ‘Precious’? Mariah Carey — remember how awesome she was in that film? Terrific. Lenny Kravitz. The late Whitney Houston was in a film called ‘The Bodyguard.’ ” Houston, however, played a musician in “The Bodyguard,” which was a role very familiar to her. If the “Talk That Talk” singer were to depict the beloved singer and actress in a Whitney Houston biopic — as she told the U.K. Press Association she “would give her entire life to do” — she would no doubt have more experience to draw on than someone who was just an actress. But Rihanna’s role of FBI agent Raikes in “Battleship” is unfamiliar territory. The thought never worried Berg. “Well, look at Mariah Carey in ‘Precious.’ I mean, my God, you would never have thought that was Mariah Carey,” he said. Berg says that what helps musicians as they cross over into acting is that they already have many of the same skills actors possess. “They’re very artistic. They’re expressive. They’re honest. They’re willing to take chances,” the director explained. “And I knew from the second I saw Rihanna in her videos that that girl had real charisma. She came in and had a long meeting with me. We just played around, and she really didn’t even know what was going on, but what was apparent is that she really has the guts to take chances. There’s probably no more single important skill than that, that you can ask for in an actress.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Battleship.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

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Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Emma Stone at WonderCon 2012

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

http://www.youtube.com/v/81qKZL3GgR4?version=3&f=user_uploads&app=youtube_gdata

Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Emma Stone, Alexander Skarsgård, Brooklyn Decker, Peter Berg, Marc Webb, Matthew Tolmach, Ben Lyons, Rupert Sanders, Milla Jovovich, Paul WS Anderson, Damon Lindelof, Ridley Scott, and Michael Fassbender all were at WonderCon 2012 (Day 2) to promote their upcoming films and attend the celebrity panel for their films. The event was held at Anaheim Convention Center and Hollywood.TV was at the famous event to listen in on the celebrity panels. WonderCon 2012 (Day 2) panels: – Alexander Skarsgård, Brooklyn Decker, and Director Peter Berg for “Battleship” – Producer Matthew Tolmach, Director Marc Webb, and Emma Stone for “The Amazing Spider-Man” – Ben Lyons interviews Director Rupert Sanders, Charlize Theron, and Kristen Stewart for “Snow White and The Huntsman” – Milla Jovovich and Director Paul WS Anderson for “Resident Evil: Retribution” – Producer / Screenwriter Damon Lindelof, Director Ridley Scott, Charlize Theron, and Michael Fassbender for “Prometheus” “Like” us on Facebook @ facebook.com

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Battleship Trailer: Just Try and Sink THIS!

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Arriving in theaters May 18, Battleship stars Rihanna , Taylor Kitsch, Liam Neeson, Alexander Skarsgard and Brooklyn Decker … an eclectic mix to be sure. From director Peter Berg, the film shows what he imagines the iconic game would be as a big budget feature … with humans against alien invaders’ ships. Obviously, right? Hey, it should be explosive, early summer fun if nothing else. Or not. You tell us, after taking a look at the full-length trailer below … Battleship Movie Trailer

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‘Friday Night Lights’ Movie Still In The Works

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘We’re not done with ‘Friday Night Lights,’ ‘ executive producer Peter Berg tells MTV News. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Taylor Kitsch on the “Friday Night Lights” TV series Photo: NBC The last time we checked in on a potential movie based on the “Friday Night Lights” TV series, star Taylor Kitsch told MTV News that he knew just as much as we did. “I hear hearsay and all this kind of stuff,” Kitsch said, adding that executive producer Peter Berg could always make it happen. “If Pete sets his mind to something, he’ll usually get it done.” MTV News was lucky enough to catch up with Berg himself at a “Battleship” preview at Toy Fair in New York, and we asked for an update on the movie. “Jason Katims, who was our super talented show-runner, is about done with the script,” Berg said. “You never know. So much of these things become scheduling. Kyle [Chandler] is busy, Adrianne [Palicki] is busy, Taylor is busy, Connie Britton is busy, but if we can get everyone in the same room at the same time, we all want to do it. We’re not done with ‘Friday Night Lights.’ ” Speaking to a potential plotline, Berg said they plan to involve some real-life elements pegged to former Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach but that things will revolve around Coach and Tami Taylor from the TV series. “[Katims] has come up with a really great storyline that parallels what happened to Mike Leach, one of my heroes, a coach at Texas Tech who was unjustly fired and unjustly accused of mistreating a player with a concussion, which was proven to not have been the case. He’s now at Washington State getting ready for what I think will be a great redemption story,” Berg explained. “It would be critical that we get Kyle and Connie [onboard for the film] — we anchored the show around them — and then bring in Riggins, Tyra, Lyla and all other characters as we could get them. But the idea is to really revolve it around the coach.” Kitsch seemed to have reservations about returning to his beloved character, but he’s open to a cameo. “I loved the way I left Riggs,” Kitsch said when asked if he’d like to continue on with the character. “You never know. Maybe a little cameo or something. We’ll see if he even wants me in it.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .

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Battleship Preview: Expect ‘Big, Fun Escapism’ for Your Inner 12-Year-Old

Posted on December 8, 2011 by | Leave a comment

On a June visit to the Film 44 offices in Santa Monica, Battleship director Peter Berg laid out his vision for the May 18, 2012 epic actioner. ” Battleship is intended to be a piece of big, fun escapism,” he explained, playing snippets of footage in the cozy darkness of his editing suite. “It’s not to say we don’t take ourselves seriously; we do aspire for a certain level of emotion and reality, but this is not a film that’s meant to traumatize.”

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