Robert F. Kennedy’s daughter Kerry Kennedy was arrested for DUI in New York for allegedly being under the influence of drugs when slamming into a tractor trailer. N.Y. State Police released a statement saying they received 911 calls around 8:00 a.m. reporting a woman in a 2008 Lexus who was driving in an “erratic manner.” Officers found Kerry’s damaged car nearby, with her behind the wheel. Officers approached the vehicle and determined that Kennedy, brother of RFK Jr. and sister-in-law of the late Mary Kennedy , was under the influence of drugs. Kerry works as the president of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights and had been mourning the May death of Mary, her best friend. According to WABC in New York, Kerry Kennedy told officers she had taken an Ambien, a powerful prescription sleeping pill … that would probably do it. The 52-year-old Kennedy, the former wife of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was arrested and charged with driving while impaired by drugs. Her spokesman denied she had been impaired. “Kerry Kennedy voluntarily took breathalyzer, blood and urine tests – all of which showed no drugs or alcohol whatsoever in her system,” Ken Sunshine said. “The charges were filed before the test results were available.” [Photo: WENN.com]
A D.C. police officer has been taken off a motorcycle escort for White House officials after he allegedly threatened to shoot First Lady Michelle Obama. Not only that, the officer “then used his phone to retrieve a picture of the firearm he said he would use,” according to a Washington Post report. The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating and the Secret Service has been told of the alleged Michelle Obama threat, the Post says. The alleged comment came Wednesday as officers from the Special Operations Division discussed threats against President Barack Obama. It was not immediately clear where the alleged conversation took place or exactly how many officers were taking part in the conversation. During that conversation,the officer allegedly said he would shoot the First Lady , then used his phone to show the firearm he said he would use. It was not immediately clear what type of firearm was shown. An officer overheard the alleged threat and reported it to a police lieutenant at the Division, who immediately notified superiors, the officials said. The officer has been moved to administrative duty as the incident is being investigated, but the D.C. police warned against a rush to judgment. MPD Chief Cathy Lanier told WRC-TV/NBC4: “There is conflicting information about what the officer said. … Internal Affairs will get to the bottom of it.” D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said he hoped that the allegations turned out to be false, noting the current investigations by the MPD and Secret Service. “There’s no room for jokes or frivolity when you’re dealing with the first family,” Gray said, adding that “additional officers may be disciplined.” [Photo: WENN.com]
Reports Reveal Joe Paterno And Penn State Leaders “Concealed Critical Facts” Related To Sandusky Abuse SMH. Penn State ain’t isht. Penn State football coach Joe Paterno and other university leaders “repeatedly concealed critical facts relating to Sandusky’s child abuse” from authorities, according to Louis Freeh, the former FBI director who conducted an investigation for the university in the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal. Freeh also found that “although concern to treat the child abuser humanely was expressly stated, no such sentiments were ever expressed” by university officials, including Paterno and the university president, for Sandusky’s victims. Freeh’s statement concludes: The most saddening finding by the Special Investigative Counsel is the total and consistent disregard by the most senior leaders at Penn State for the safety and welfare of Sandusky’s child victims. As the Grand Jury similarly noted in its presentment, there was no “attempt to investigate, to identify Victim 2, or to protect that child or any others from similar conduct except as related to preventing its re-occurrence on University property. Four of the most powerful people at The Pennsylvania State University — President Graham B. Spanier, Senior Vice President-Finance and Business Gary C. Schultz, Athletic Director Timothy M. Curley and Head Football Coach Joseph V. Paterno — failed to protect against a child predator harming children for over a decade. These men concealed Sandusky’s activities from the Board of Trustees, the University community and authorities. They exhibited a striking lack of empathy for Sandusky’s victims by failing to inquire as to their safety and well-being, especially by not attempting to determine the identify of the child who Sandusky assaulted in the Lasch Building in 2001. Further, they exposed this child to additional harm by alerting Sandusky, who was the only one who knew the child’s identity, of what McQueary saw in the shower on the night of February 9, 2001. These individuals, unchecked by the Board of Trustees that did not perform its oversight duties, empowered Sandusky to attract potential victims to the campus and football events by allowing him to have continued, unrestricted and unsupervised access to the University’s facilities and affiliation with the University’s prominent football program. Indeed, that continued access provided Sandusky with the very currency that enabled him to attract his victims. Some coaches, administrators and football program staff members ignored the red flags of Sandusky’s behaviors and no one warned the public about him. Penn State officials said they would hold a news conference at 3:30 p.m. ET to respond to the report. The report may affect the reputation of legendary coach Paterno, who died soon after the Sandusky allegations became public, as well as the university’s standing with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which so far has not announced any punishments of Penn State. On NBC’s TODAY show on Thursday morning, the coach’s son, Jay Paterno, told host Matt Lauer that all the family has wanted is for an investigation to find the truth. “We have never ever at any time been afraid to see what people have had to say,” and he called the Freeh report “one opinion, one piece of the puzzle.” “We’ve never been afraid of the truth, so let’s have the truth come out and let’s go from there.” The investigation is billed by Pennsylvania State University as “independent,” though the university is paying the law firm of Freeh, the former federal judge and director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sandusky, 68, was found guilty of 45 counts of child sexual abuse last month and is currently in prison awaiting sentencing. He faces a maximum sentence of more than 400 years in prison. Freeh was hired by the university in November to review the school’s dealings with Sandusky and its response to a 2001 report that he sexually abused a boy in a Penn State shower room, an incident witnessed by football assistant Michael McQueary. SMH. Read the full report against Penn State HERE
Osar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has been cast to play Plutarch Heavensbee, Head Gamemaker for The Hunger Games, studio Lionsgate said. Hoffman recently wrapped his gig playing Willy Loman on Broadway in the revival of Death of a Salesman , which earned him a Tony Award nomination. He will next been seen in Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master and indie film A Late Quartet , also starring Catherine Keener and Christopher Walken. The second installment of The Hunger Games franchise is based on Suzanne Collins’ smash hit series of novels that have sold 36 million copies in the U.S. Francis Lawrence will direct the latest pic, which also stars Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson and Stanley Tucci. Lionsgate released its latest synopsis of the film, which it will release November 22nd: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever. Lionsgate appears to be going all the way with The Hunger Games series, and why not? The first one has made over $404 million in the U.S. alone. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay is likely to follow Catching Fire and a fourth installment may follow.
Osar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has been cast to play Plutarch Heavensbee, Head Gamemaker for The Hunger Games, studio Lionsgate said. Hoffman recently wrapped his gig playing Willy Loman on Broadway in the revival of Death of a Salesman , which earned him a Tony Award nomination. He will next been seen in Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master and indie film A Late Quartet , also starring Catherine Keener and Christopher Walken. The second installment of The Hunger Games franchise is based on Suzanne Collins’ smash hit series of novels that have sold 36 million copies in the U.S. Francis Lawrence will direct the latest pic, which also stars Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson and Stanley Tucci. Lionsgate released its latest synopsis of the film, which it will release November 22nd: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever. Lionsgate appears to be going all the way with The Hunger Games series, and why not? The first one has made over $404 million in the U.S. alone. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay is likely to follow Catching Fire and a fourth installment may follow.
50 Cent and George W. Bush celebrate birthdays today. Give it up for firearms! In a week that has already marked America’s 236th birthday , as well as milestones for the bikini (66), Malia Obama (14), The Situation (30), Tom Cruise (50) and Lindsay Lohan (26 going on 47), we honor some all-stars today as well. The only question? Will guns be more popular at the b-day party of 50 Cent … … or at the bash of our uber-intelligent 43rd President, George Walker Bush!? We may never know the answer, but we wish 50 (36) and W (66) the best. Also celebrating another year older and wiser (in some cases) today: Nancy Reagan (91), Tia and Tamera Mowry (34), Brandon Jacobs (30), The Dalai Lama (77), Sly Stallone (pictured, 66) and Ned Beatty (75).
Presidential intervention Tyler Perry has admitted he became heavily dependent on alcohol when his mother died four months ago and struggled to kick his horrible habit. The director spoke candidly to Essence magazine about how he used drink to ease the pain until a visit from President Barack Obama helped him face up to his problem. “I’m doing a lot better now since I stopped drinking about four months ago when my mother died,” Tyler told the magazine. “When she got sick in 2009 I started drinking every night because I couldn’t sleep — every night up to a couple of months ago. I never had a problem but I certainly was on way to having one.” “I’d have me a nice big glass of Hennessy and I would sleep through the night. It was President Obama’s visit to my studio, I don’t know what happened there, but when he came everything became clear.” “I just kind of came out of a haze. It was like, ‘Wake up, kid. You know life is still going on. I know you miss her, I know you care but wake up. Life is still going on.’” “I swear the day after he left was the day I just said I am going to sleep without it.” Must be nice to have the POTUS help you kick your alcohol addiction. Friends in high places indeed. Source
Like many other feminist moviegoers, I was more than a little disappointed that Pixar’s long-awaited first female protagonist, Brave ’s Merida, is a princess. But what’s striking, even astonishing, about Brave ‘s treatment of princessdom is its historical honesty; even though Merida convinces her parents to abolish the tradition of arranged marriage, the film’s resolution essentially has our heroine accepting that she has to get married and that her nuptials will be used as a bond between rival clans. (Score one for the patriarchy.) Brave can boast some narrative complexity, if not much feminist bona fides, for having Merida occupy the role that real-life princesses have held for most of history — as insurance against war. This gloomy take on the purpose of royal females aligns Brave more closely with HBO’s medieval misery-fest Game of Thrones than with any other Disney princess movie that’s come before. The anti-princess backlash is nothing new. For decades, cultural critics have been decrying princess movies for overvaluing qualities like beauty, passivity, and femininity, not to mention wealth and social privilege. The studios have made some grudging concessions in recent years: heroines still wear crowns, but they also have more guts. The Guardian’s Jaclyn Friedman recently named this new trend of royal female ferociousness the rise of the “Action Princesses,” specifically citing Snow White and the Huntsman and Brave , though Tangled ’s Rapunzel would also qualify. These films, in which princesses are bold, beautiful, and betrothed, serve as a kind of “you can have it all” message for the 14-and-under set. Unlike Tangled , though, which merely offers a pluckier-than-usual heroine, Brave and Snow White and the Huntsman represent a more radical response to the anti-princess backlash. They feature princess protagonists, but offer serious critiques of the institution of princessdom — highlighting in particular its dangers. Nowhere has that been argument been more emphatically made than in Game of Thrones , which could virtually qualify as anti-princessdom propaganda. Virtually all of Daenerys Targaryen’s (Emilia Clarke) troubles, for example, are a result of her royal lineage. Sold to a stranger by her brother as a teenager, the “mother of dragons” gained autonomy in her initially dehumanizing marriage, but remains exiled from her homeland after two seasons for her royal blood. Even more devastating is the plight of Sansa (Sophie Turner), a wannabe princess, who quickly discovers that life as a royal daughter-in-law would be an endless parade of humiliations and empty rituals — even if her would-be hubby weren’t the most evil character ever. Likewise, take Snow White and the Huntsman , in which the fairy-tale princess (Kristen Stewart) is doomed to imprisonment for her claim to the throne. For all these characters, being a princess confers uniqueness, but no privilege; it’s a liability, if not a customized bull’s-eye target. Interestingly, it’s no longer just cultural critics decrying the uniform blah-ness of princess narratives, but the cultural products themselves. By learning how to throw a punch and ride horses into combat, princesses win battles, but lose the war for narrative sophistication. After all, princesses may be less passive these days, but they continue to be morally unassailable. So while Snow White fights her usurping stepmother Ravenna (Charlize Theron) for the throne, the queen successfully launches a campaign to seize the hearts and minds, or at least the attention, of audiences. Ravenna doesn’t steal the movie because the actress playing her chews up the scenery more conspicuously than her younger co-star (though that doesn’t hurt), but because she’s a much more interesting and developed character than the “pure,” virginal Snow White. Not insignificantly, Ravenna gets as much screen time as Snow White, and the tragic nature of her back story rivals her stepdaughter’s; her thirst for power is born from a justified hatred of men in power, and her capture of the crown at the beginning of the film is actually easy to root for. The psychologically damaged and perpetually obsessed nature of Ravenna’s character makes her the female counterpart to the ethically perplexed antiheroes that are the de rigueur protagonists of cable dramas, like Mad Men ’s Don Draper or Breaking Bad ’s Walter White. Snow White and the Huntsman is far from the only example of princess movies receiving the Wicked treatment. Mirror Mirror , for example, tells the same tale from the POV of Queen Julia Roberts, who commandeers the film’s voiceover narration. And the anti-princess take will continue in 2014’s Maleficent , which will star a horned Angelina Jolie as the villainess of Sleeping Beauty . The appeal of these fairy-tale rewrites is, of course, the reorientation of sympathies. For example, the ability to understand, if not necessarily root for, the queen makes clear the audience’s fallacious identification with the princess. After a while, it seems eminently more reasonable to identify with Ravenna than Snow White, since she’s the one who more traditionally follows the hero’s path: a commoner with talent (in this case, beauty) who ventures into a strange land (the bizarro-universe of the aristocracy) and overcomes a weaker antagonist (the lovestruck king) to claim victory. Princess movies will be with us for a time yet, but it’s wonderful to see that even if princesses aren’t growing up, the movies about them certainly are. Now, if only we could convince studios that girls’ lives and experiences matter even if they don’t live in castles… Inkoo Kang is a Boston-based film journalist and regular contributor to BoxOffice Magazine whose work has appeared in Pop Matters and Screen Junkies . She reviews stuff she hates, likes, and hate-likes on her blog THINK-O-VISION .
Oliver Stone is certainly not afraid to court controversy. The two-time Oscar winner raised eyebrows with a sympathetic portrayal of Fidel Castro in his 2003 documentary Comandante , a less than sympathetic look at former President George W. Bush in W. and a positive chronicle of Latin America’s left-leaning presidents in 2009’s South of the Border and he’s long been outspoken on issues that win praise from the hard left and venom from the right. On the eve of his latest star-driven bigger budget release, Savages , Stone graced the cover of High Times magazine and over the weekend spoke of his own drug use, how it helped him through Vietnam as a twice-wounded soldier, and about his new movie opening Friday. In an interview with CBS This Morning Stone spoke sympathetically toward marijuana, which is at the center of his latest feature, and which he used while doing two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. “When I was in Vietnam, [pot] made the difference between being human and being a beast,” he said. “There were a lot of guys who were drinking and doing a lot of the killing that was so unnecessary and raping. The guys who did dope were much more conscious of the value of life.” Stone said he had served well, was a “good soldier” and added, “I wasn’t a slouch.” His latest crime-thriller is based on a novel of the same name by Don Winslow. Starring Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson, Blake Lively, Salma Hayek, Benicio del Toro and John Travolta, the story revolves around two California marijuana growers who share a girlfriend who is kidnapped. The pair (Johnson and Kitsch) are then faced with confronting a Mexican drug cartel lead by Elena Sanchez (Hayek) and Miguel (del Toro) to rescue her. “I like power [stories], I like people who do the cat and mouse game,” Stone said. “You never get what you expect and that’s like life.” In order to prep for the film, Stone headed south of the border to get a proper feel for some real-life figures in the drug underworld. “Benicio and I hung out with some pretty heavy people on the other side of the border,” he said. “Don Winslow knows that world because he’s written other books about the subject.” Stone noted that “thank God” the cartels have so far had a limited role in cannabis growing in California since it’s still a comparatively small business vs. their much bigger and violent operations, but added: “Like California wine, the stuff being grown there is very high in its potency.” [Source: CBS This Morning ]
He may look like an impossibly chiseled slab of flesh – and, well, he is – but this past weekend Channing Tatum proved to America (and that foreign country called Hollywood) that he is capable of much more. With Magic Mike wildly overperforming at the box office to the tune of $39 million, it’s time to acknowledge that this one-time piece of eye-meat has opened the door to a new chapter in his career. It’s widely known that it was Tatum who approached auteur Steven Soderbergh with the idea for Magic Mike , as the film was inspired by Tatum’s own experiences as a male stripper when he was 18. For as long as he’s been entertaining audiences, Tatum has been seen primarily as nothing more than an object, but his aspirations are clearly to have a career that involves some brains, too. Below, we take a look at where one of the most buzzworthy actors in the world is headed, by way of his upcoming films. The Bitter Pill Tatum will appear opposite Rooney Mara in his next feature, which is apparently Soderbergh’s penultimate flick. The film stars Mara as a woman caught in a love triangle between her husband (Tatum), who has recently gotten out of prison, and her doctor, played by Jude Law. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Vinessa Shaw round out the cast. The film is billed as a “psychopharmacological thriller,” so whatever that means, expect a dark, gritty, intellectual tone, somewhere between Soderbergh’s last two pics: Contagion and Haywire (which also featured Tatum). This is clearly a film that should enable Tatum to show off some acting chops once again, and going up against a natural talent like Mara is sure to bring out the best in him. G.I. Joe: Retaliation Well, the guy’s got to put bread on the table, too. The last G.I. Joe film was woefully received by critics, but it made $300 million worldwide, enough to cover its $175 million budget (although with P&A expenditures and how revenue is divided, it’s unlikely Paramount made real money on it). In any event, this is the side of Tatum we’ve come to expect to see – but how much longer he’ll work these roles remains in question. Clinging on to action films for as long as possible is certainly a plausible route, but as the careers of co-star Bruce Willis or, say, Harrison Ford indicate, it’s not always the wisest one. Foxcatcher This is a great example of the type of highbrow fare Tatum has had trouble breaking into (until now). A long-gestating project for Moneyball helmer Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher is based on the true story of an eccentric, schizophrenic millionaire who would up building an enormous wrestling facility on his property – and then killing a US Olympic team wrestler. Mark Ruffalo will play the wrestler, Tatum will play his brother, and Steve Carrell has been cast as the schizophrenic. It’s obviously not the lead role, but visibility in a project like this – which could even be up for awards consideration – is a step in the right direction for Tatum’s serious side. White House Down This, like G.I. Joe , is basically standard genre fare, albeit with a little more prestige: Tatum will play a Secret Service agent tasked with protecting the President (rumor has it Jamie Foxx will play the commander-in-chief) from an imminent terrorist threat. Maggie Gyllenhaal is also on board. The film will be going head-to-head next year with a similarly themed project titled Olympus Has Fallen , starring Gerard Butler. (Now that’s a guy who needs a career makeover!) Jupiter Ascending The Wachowskis’ follow-up to the hotly anticipated Cloud Atlas adaptation will be an original film whose concept makes Cloud Atlas seem simplistic. (If you haven’t read Cloud Atlas , get thee to a bookstore!) The idea, in a nutshell, is that the film takes place in a world where DNA is the most highly prized commodity, and different strains of DNA enable humans to achieve different goals. One woman (Mila Kunis) has a perfect genetic code – too perfect! – and so bounty hunter Channing Tatum is dispatched to, well, dispatch of her. Unfortunately for the powers that be, they fall in love. Whether they succeed or fail, the Wachowskis always aim big, and this film has the potential to be a huge crowd-pleaser in the realm of Blade Runner or, of course, The Matrix . Lego: The Piece of Resistance Tatum will voice Superman in this animated film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller , who directed him in 21 Jump Street , another recent profile-booster that showcased Tatum’s talents. Tatum hasn’t done an animated film yet, so this is a smart expansion of what he’s capable of from a business standpoint, as well as with regard to his personal brand; being able to appeal to kids helps soften him out from getting typecast as the guy in the action movies. Plus: It’s Channing Tatum as Superman – LEGO Superman, but still. The Contortionist’s Handbook This adaptation of a 2002 novel has been in development since 2010, but Tatum (who is also a co-producer) is still looking to get it made. Tatum would star as a forger and con artist who is constantly creating new identities in order to evade the law. There’s no director attached, so it’s tough to say which direction the adaptation might head in, but the novel was released to acclaim upon publication, and it sounds like it might turn into a passion project for Tatum. Cast your own predictions for Channing Tatum’s post- Magic Mike output below. Zachary Wigon is a writer based in New York. His work has appeared in the New York Press , NYLON , and Filmmaker Magazine , among many other outlets. He tweets @zachwigon .
