With The Day The Earth Stood Still now in theaters, there has been a renewed interest in Keanu Reeves. The actor tries to keep a relatively low profile with his life. He doesn’t run around looking for paparazzi. He just lives his life, sometimes seen riding on the back of his motorcycle. He has even admit a lack of interest in technology. He doesn’t own a computer, and instead he uses a typewriter to send out his correspondence. He still believes in and prefers letters over email.
The actor has been in countless movies over the years, but he is probably best known for his role of Neo in The Matrix films. I remember seeing these films and falling in love with his work. I had seen him in movies before. Who hasn’t seen Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure? I’d also seen him in Point Break. He has done such a great range of movies over the years. He can play the idiot in one movie and a serial killer in another before he becomes the savior of mankind and then he can play a fallen angel.
I think Reeves has the ability to do whatever he wants. He is a simple man, and he loves what he does. There are so many of his movies I’ve watched over the years, and I’m excited to see this new one once I get a chance. What are your favorite Keanu Reeves films?
With the DVD release of The Dark Knight coming this Tuesday, the buzz surrounding the movie has picked up. There is talk of a sequel, an award win for Heath Ledger and fans talking about which villain they want to see if the next movie is made. Right now, their money is leaning towards Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie playing The Riddler and Catwoman. These names are really no big surprise as they have been the names people have thrown around since this summer, but now people are really starting to push for these two.
The soundtrack might have been snubbed at the Academy Awards, but it was nominated at the Grammy Awards. And this weekend in Australia, Heath Ledger won the honor of Best Actor at the Australian Film Institute Awards. His family was there to accept the award for him. Some are wondering which award he will be nominated for when it comes to Oscar. The ads out now have him up for Best Supporting Actor, but he might actually get the nomination for Best Actor. This category will be tough this year with big names in the running. It is being said that it will be easier for him to win the nomination and the award in the lower category. However, with this win back in his native Australia, it will be interesting to see if he gets nominated for best actor instead.
As for the next Batman movie, Christopher Nolan has started speaking about this as well. It is a definitely possibility. One source that has spoken to Nolan had this to say:
If he made a third film, it would be for no reason but the continuation of story. He is currently looking into where the story would go and if it needs to go there. He maintained that it’s very hard to make a movie of this scale (and specified he wasn’t asking for our sympathy, drawing a laugh from the crowd) - it’s two hard years and you gotta love it. One of his biggest fears is getting halfway through making a film and realizing it’s unnecessary and he doesn’t want to make it anymore. If there is a third story that needs to be told, there will be a third film, but nothing is set in stone or a given.
I think The Dark Knight was one of the best movies in some time. Heath Ledger definitely did a stand out performance in the role of The Joker, and I am glad to see him earn some recognition for it. As for a third film, it would be great to see one, but if it doesn’t happen I won’t be upset. As a writer, I understand the need Nolan has to tell a story if it needs to be told and only for that reason. We’ll have to see if it is made, and who jumps in to help tell the story. It looks like we have some time. Right now, we have The Dark Knight on DVD, and also the re-release of the movie to theaters and IMAX on January 23rd to look forward to. For now, check out one of the bonus features from the DVD that takes us into the behind the scenes making of Batman’s technology.
One of my favorite actors growing up was this one man, Clint Eastwood. Who hasn’t seen one of his old westerns or his Dirty Harry movies. As an actor, he is one of the best. He has always been a stand out performer, and this hasn’t changed. He still takes to the big screen, and he is about to do that again with a new feature film, Gran Turino. That is set to release this week, and they say it is one of his best performances in years. There is already even Oscar talk surrounding it.
I posted the poster and the trailer for the film when it was released because the title caught my eye. When I was growing up, my father had a Turino himself, so it brought back immediate memories of my child hood. This one puts Eastwood as a Korean War Veteran having to deal with the Koreans in his neighborhood. It actually looks pretty good, but we now know this will be Eastwood’s last appearance in front of the camera.
He announced just in the last week that he is retiring from acting. He will not be on the big screen in any more movies. He is in his seventies, so this is completely understandable. Even though he is retiring from acting, he is not retiring from directing. This is his other passion, and he has done well here. Million Dollar Baby was one of his best, and he also recently directed Angelina Jolie in The Changeling. He is amazing with what he does both behind and in front of the camera. His appearance on the big screen will be missed in the future, but we still have the collection of work he has done up to this point. Check out some more movie stills from Gran Turino below.
At the age of eighteen, this young actress has been shot to superstardom with her role in Twilight as Bella Swan. That movie was just released this weekend, and the buzz around it has been building for weeks. Possibily even months.Kristen Stewart isn’t a new face though. She has been around the block a time or two since her appearance in 2002s Panic Room with Jodie Foster. This was her second film. Since then she has appeared in over 17 others including In The Land Of Women, Zathura and Into The Wild.
Kristen is only the age of 18. She turned that age in April, so she has a lot of years left ahead of her. One Twilight sequel has already been set in stone, and there is no telling if the other two books from the series will also hit the big screen. Later on today, we will know just how well Twilight did in its opening weekend. Big numbers have been expected, and if that holds true we should see James Bond dethrowned from the top spot.
Some of the early reviews have said Stewart’s performance as Bella was lacking. Whether it is or isn’t, that movie made $35.7 million at the box office on Friday. You can find out the final numbers for the weekend here on Friday. What do you think those of you have seen Twilight? Did they pick the right actress for the job? What do you think of her work as a whole? She has a long career ahead of her. That is for sure. Check out some recent shots of her from a Twilight press conference in Beverly Hills earlier this month.
One of the best known singers of the last ten years is Britney Spears. She started at the age of sixteen as she danced in a tiny school girls uniform in a school hallway. She’s scored hit after hit, been on MTV, dated Justin Timberlake, and then when their relationship ended, she crashed and burned. She hit rock bottom. Some said she went crazy. She had two children by Kevin Federline, and we now have rumors that these two are on their way back together. Wedding bells could even be once again in their future. All of that is a rumor right now, but with the life of Britney Spears, you have learned that anything can happen.
Britney is on the comeback trail. Her last CD won her awards here in the US and in Europe. Her next CD, Circus, is due for release on her twenty-seventh birthday, December 2nd. Womanizer, the first single off the CD caused waves with her nude performance. Her next single is for Circus. She is already promoting the album with performances. Right now, she is trying to balance her personal and professional life, which isn’t always easy to do. Last weekend, her youngest son was rushed to the emergency room after suffering an allergic reaction to something he ate.
Problems with her personal life always seem to pop up, but she does seem to be managing them better these days. No matter what you may think of her music, one thing you can say about Britney Spears - she is a fighter. She has fought hard the past year to get herself back in line. She still has a journey to go, but she is getting there. This new CD might just be what she needs to complete her second rise tonight. Sunday night on MTV, they will air a special that will take us into her life and look back at her music. Britney: For The Record airs after Total Finale Live. For a daily look at the life of Britney Spears, check All Things Britney , your Britney source for news straight from me!
The first time I saw Lindsay Lohan, she was playing two roles in one movie, The Parent Trap. She couldn’t have been more than the age of twelve, and she was so cute. Time has passed and things have changed. She has done several movies since then, and she’s even released two albums. Since her career began, she has become one of the most followed people when it comes to her life. The paparazzi want to know just what LiLo is up to. This isn’t because of what she has done with her career though. It is because of how she has lived her life.
She’s had a bumpy path in life for one still so young. She’s only the age of twenty-two, and if there is one girl who has learned how to party Hollywood style, it is Lindsay Lohan. Drugs, sex and trouble seemed to follow the young woman around. Problems with her father and her mother have also led to her being in the news. Dina and her younger sister Ali were also the subject of a reality television series, Living Lohan.
In the past year, Lindsay has caused chaos both were her political views and her latest relationship with Samantha Ronson. The two denied they were a couple for months before Lindsay finally admitted it. Some say she is only gay for Ronson, and as soon as the two break up Lindsay will return to dating men. Lindsay came out in strong support of both Barack Obama and against Proposition 8, which did pass in California this week.
In recent weeks, the focus has also been on her career with an appearance on ABC hit series , Ugly Betty. She appeared on a total of six episodes with hopes to appear in more. However, Lindsay was fired from the series. Many rumors surrounded her departure from the series including the fact that she acted like a diva on set, didn’t get along with the series star America Ferrera, and just caused caused chaos and havoc. Dina Lohan has come out to deny these rumors.
Some have said though that Lindsay’s career in acting is over. This isn’t the case. She does have two new movies set for release in the years ahead, Labor Pains and Dare To Love Me. She also has a new album set for release this year, Spirit in the Dark. Lindsay has now come out as saying that she learned her lesson and has cleaned up her act. That is yet to be seen. To keep up on the daily life of Lindsay Lohan, you can check out All Things Lindsay . It is updated daily with the latest happenings in her life. You can check out more pictures of her below.
Joaquin Phoenix stunned fans of the actor and many others earlier this week when he announced that his current movie release, Two Lovers, would be his last film. The actor has decided to give up acting to focus just on music. He has even gone so far as to sell his Hollywood home. Two Lovers is set for release on November 19, and it co-stars actress Gwyneth Paltrow. At the age of thirty-four, the brother of the late River Phoenix is ready for a big change in his life, and many are wondering if he will turn around and say he is just joking.
He hasn’t done that yet. On November 1st, he attended the AFI Film Festival with the word good-bye written on his hands. He does seem to be serious. Joaquin Phoenix has been acting for many years, but he first earned great attention in To Die For back in 1995. Since then he has appeared in Quills, Gladiator and Walk The Line. That movie earned him an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Johnny Cash. His co-star, Reese Witherspoon, won an Oscar for her portrayal of June Cash. Both actors did their own voice work in the film and on the soundtrack.
As a fan of his work, it is hard to see such an amazing actor just walk away. Many have done this very thing over the year, and something tells me we will see the return of Joaquin Phoenix to a screen at some point in his life. He is still quite young, so him walking away from it for the rest of his life now would just be odd. Again stranger things have been known to happen. What do you think of this man and his work? Are you shocked to see him walk away from his career at this point in his life? Check out some pictures from the photo shoot he did for Time Magazine below.
Last month, Brad Pitt sent money to support the fight against Proposition 8 in California. Now he is picking up his pen in support of something else in Los Angeles, firefighters and their tattoos. A law in Los Angeles states that firefighters must cover their tattoos when they go out on the job. Pitt thinks this is ridiculous.
If there is a fire to be fought, they shouldn’t have to worry if there tattoos are showing! Brad Pitt is currently in Germany filming his next movie. I know if my home was on fire I wouldn’t care about a tattoo on the firefighter’s arm. I would just be glad they are there. What do you think?
One of the best actresses of our time has to be Drew Barrymore. She has been in the business, one way or another, since the age of two. She’s hard working, and she does more than just appear on the screen, but she is also now working behind it. She has done way too many films over the years to count them all, listing them all would take forever. She has done romantic comedies, and she has been the go to actress in this genre for years. However, she has tried to break out of that mold and go dramatic with movies like Lucky You. That one was a flop, but it was a different role for her than her norm.
When most talk about her the last couple of years, the talk usually goes not to her career, but to her love life. She broke up from long time boyfriend Fab Moretti a couple of years ago, and her next romance with Justin Long also ended over the summer. Over the years, she has been known as Hollywood’s wild child as she flashed David Letterman years ago. Some might say the actress has mellowed out in recent years, but she hasn’t entirely. She’s been seen out and about kissing Bruce Willis in the last couple of years. She had brief relationship with Spike Jonze, and just in the last few weeks she was caught making out with Gossip Girl’s Ed Westwick.
This month she took the cover of Harper’s Bazaar magazine, and she came out to openly support Barack Obama as her candidate of choice. Drew Barrymore is not only a producer, but she is also a first time director. She is directing Ellen Page in her next big screen film. She also played one of the voices in Beverly Hills Chihuahua. That movie topped the box office for a couple of weeks not too long ago. Max Payne took the movie down the box office rankings with its entry. Right now, Drew Barrymore is enjoying her life. She is focusing on her and making herself happy before she looks to jump into another relationship. She is one that has beauty inside and out, and she is definitely one of my favorite actresses. Check out the pictures from her issue of Harper’s Bazaar below.
This week, I am taking a closer look at the career of Zac Efron. I would say life and career, but Zac really is just beginning his life. The actor happened to turn 21 just yesterday, so as far as life goes he has a long way to go. He is one of the fresh new faces that have hit it big in recent years, and he can thank High School Musical for that. The last movie in that trilogy comes out on October 24. It is senior year, so we will be saying good-bye to this crew of high schoolers with Zac as their leader.
That doesn’t mean we are saying good-bye to Zac though. He is already looking ahead to his future, and he has big plans. Just a couple of weeks ago, he was featured on the cover of Entertainment Weekly’s Photo Issue, and inside he talked about the future. He wants to learn about acting from some of the best. One name he mentioned was Johnny Depp. Zac knows he has a long way to go when it comes to acting, so why not learn from some of the best out there. He has a long life ahead of him.
He might get his chance to learn from Johnny Depp in the near future. Zac is in talks to appear in the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie with Johnny Depp. This would be the fourth movie in that wildly popular movie, and the rumor is Disney is setting things up for Zac to take over as the lead if Johnny Depp decides he no longer wants to be involved with the Pirates at some point. They want to bring in Zac now just to have him known and ready to slide right into the lead spot. As of this weekend, he is also in talks to take on the lead in a live action American remake of a anime movie series, Death Note.
Another role Zac is in talks to come in as is in the Footloose remake. Kevin Bacon has actually given Zac his blessing to come in here. This one looks to be set for a 2010 release if it happens. No, we will not get me started on the whole ‘its another remake, ugh’ debate. Footloose was one of my favorite movies growing up, and I can actually see Zac Efron in that role and movie. He fits unlike Orlando Bloom in the Saturday Night Live remake. Bloom does not fit. No way. No how.
As with any movies these days, casting is important. Efron in a Footloose remake actually works in my head. What do you think? Does he fit? Are you a fan of Zac Efron or is he new to you like he is to me? I’ll be honest here. I’ve never even seen High School Musical, but he is hard to miss with how the cast is all over these days. Check out some pictures of Zac below.
