Til Death Do Us Link
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 11:40AM Frontal Cortex on the Auteur myth and the genius of Hollywood's Studio System using auteur poster boy Alfred Hitchcock as the prime example.
Super Punch clever Australian symphony posters for a "Space Classics" concert featuring film scores.
Arts Beat Whoa. Musical theater's #1 genius Stephen Sondheim is not happy about the changes they are making to opera classic Porgy & Bess for its reimagination / revival with the great Audra McDonald.
Boy Culture if you haven't been following the Luke Evans (Three Musketeers, Immortals) re-closeting scandal, Matthew has been keeping close track. Lots of testy developments including his management teams efforts to dub former statements "youthful immaturity" (that's right coming out is now IMMATURE!) and Chelsea Handler ribbing.
Luke Evans, Amber Heard, Taylor Lautner
Towleroad That new Taylor Lautner movie Abducted looks d-r-e-a-d-f-u-l (and yes it kills me to see major brilliant actors like Sigourney Weaver trying to prop him up way under the title billing) but this photo caption made me lol.
Stuart Immonen draws Ginger Rogers on his phone. Love it.
Playboy has an interview with actress Amber Heard (Drive Angry, The Playboy Club, All The Boys Love Mandy Lane) on coming out in Hollywood (she's been dating a female photographer for a few years) and the pressure for actresses to look like "14 year old boys". Fun interview actually, she sounds like she's got bite.
Lens this book "Where Children Sleep" looks fascinating. It's portraits of diverse living environments all over the world, from the overprivileged to the homeless to the whaaaa? Take a look.
Remember that time a couple of years ago when Chris Evans' management told him that he should top taking his shirt off all the time? Yeah, that was dumb. Thankfully also short-lived. Post Captain Americahe's back to his old tricks. Here he is in a scene from the new Anna Faris comedy What's Your Number?
Emmy Watch
Gold Derby has a piece up about the Comedy Supporting Actress category at the Emmys which I've discussed previously to offer a quite altered list. I am no Emmy expert so I have to trust them that the race is between Jane Lynch (1 Emmy) and Betty White (5 Emmys). But I'm dumbfounded as to why. ALL the other competitors are stronger than these two by leaps and bounds. I'm rooting for either of the Modern Family ladies Sofia Vergara (no Emmys) or Julie Bowen (no Emmys). "Slow Down Your Neighbors" was an instant classic episode for the Sitcom Hall of Fame thanks in large part to both of them.
Dead Link Me
Screened shares all the deaths in Final Destination. Previously on... Final Destination.
The Awl interesting piece on actors having to play death scenes with quotes from actors like Edward Furlong from American History X
Doing that scene took a long time—I was laying dead in a urinal for a whole day, and playing dead is terrible for me. Maybe I’m a little ADD, but it’s very hard for me to be still, not blink, hold my breath.
There's also vampire victims from both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and True Blood!
Reader Comments (20)
I thought Chris Evans said he wasn't going to take his shirts off for promos/publicity and not that he wasn't going to take off his shirt in films. Either way, boy show 'em if you got 'em!
Sofia Vergara should win! She's great in that episode. They underestimate her.
I'm all for reinventing classics. As soon as I read the Sunday article in the NYTimes about The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, I was furious. It is not the Gershwins' vision of the show, it completely eliminates credit from DuBose Heyward for writing many of the song lyrics, and it assumes that a modern audience can't handle ambiguity and sadness. Outrageous.
Take out "The Gershwins'" from that title and I'll only be confused. Slap on a "new and revised" or The Musical" subtitle and I'll accept it. As it stands, the production is lying to its potential audience. It's the Wicked-ification of an American musical classic.
About The Auteur Myth -- I'll paraphrase journeyman writer-director Nicholas Meyer "Art thrives on restrictions."
Which is exactly what the intrusive money men and studio system represent.
Love that the 'Author Myth' article references Thomas Schatz's 'Genius of the System'. The best book on the Hollywood Studio System I've ever read, and I've read quite a few!
That Stephen Sondheim letter couldn't be a bigger dish if Joan Collins wrote it for him, and all the better because everything he brings up is valid. They're marketing fan fiction as one of the staples of American theater.
Only two out of three guys are shirtless in this post!
Unspeakable!
I didn't realize Ramona from Scott Pilgrim was in the final destination series!
Also the Amber Heard link isn't working, but I agree with you Nat, she does have a bit of kick. And it's nice to see someone who is open with their sexuality continue to succeed in Hollywood, which can be unkind to young actors who don't perfectly cater to their own gender stereotypes, as Luke Evans seems to be learning.
TB -- fixed on Amber. thanks for the heads up.... tis a pity about Luke Evans. i always have and will always firmly believe that openly gay actors will not be a big deal at some point but someone has to be first to break the audience in. Coming out and then going back in and blaming youthful naivete for very very open statements early in your career is all kinds of obnoxious.
James T -- l and there are so many shirtless photoss of luke evans. i should've jsut gone for it. lol.
I have an Apt 6A in my building, because I live in Apt 6A in my building...right here in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Boy would I love to come home to Chris Evans everday...with nothing but an apple, a newspaper and a smile to greet me...heaven.
The reason why Jane Lynch is ahead in her Emmy race is b/c of Kristen Wiig's tape that basically features Jane Lynch plus Lynch's dramatic "Glee" episode. It's a two-for-one basically. Quick heads-up.
Adore Amber...think she's terribly underrated. Blake Lively pretty much has her career, which is just tragic.
Nobody is commenting on it but this LUKE EVANS story is just P-I-S-S-I-N-G me off. Coming out being a 'youthful immature' decision sure is a new tactic. I can't believe this management team. [FUMING]
I have no compassion for closet cases chasing movie star status. Hollywood's homophobia feels so unnatural. From the beginning alongside the jews and gentiles, there were gay people in front and behind the camera.
Love the contrasts in the "Where Children Sleep" photo gallery...thanks for sharing!
On Amber Heard:
What from that interview makes it sounds like she has bite, the part about the guns??? In fact it sounds to me like she is a bit uneducated about women's issues, but I guess you can say that about most young actresses.
Bia, what makes you think she is underrated, so far she has been in B movies giving weak performances, and I don't think The Playboy Club will change that. And how does Blake Lively have her career, so far Lively has been in B movies giving weak performances (except for The Town of course) as well.
On Luke Evans:
I find the while situation laughable, but to be honest I just don't see him as the next action star/ Hollywood leading man. And if he doesn't make it I'm sure it will all be blamed on his "outness". Well maybe it is just me hoping he goes back to theater so that he doesn't steal James McAvoy's career.
JayJ -- funny how the blame shifts around but it's always the gayness at fault. haha. this discussion that used to swirl around Rupert Everett is a prime example, Rupert Everett did not NOT happen because he was gay. People knew he was gay when there was a great flurry of interest in him post My Best Friend's Wedding. And people knew he was gay when there was a great flurry of interest aroudn him in the mid 80s. It didn't happen either time because he is, by all accounts, difficult to work with.
as for Amber Heard, as for "bite" i just thought she sounded unscripted. I mean she's not as crazy as Megan Fox but seems willing to bite the vague shape of the hand that feeds her.
Nat - I think for me, the thing that's most upsetting about the Luke Evans situation is the idea that his sexuality is a passing fancy when there are millions of people around the world who have to come out of the closet to their family and friends and bosses and we all have to do it without the benefit of a publicity team to clean up the mess afterwards if things don't go the way you want them to. As much as people say that celebrities don't have a responsibility to come forward about their sexual preferences, there is a understanding in the gay community that says no matter who throws you out, we will take you in. So every time a Luke Evans or a Michelle Rodriguez makes statements about "youthful naiveté", anyone who has had to live their lives without excuses and without fallbacks takes a slap in the face.
So sorry JayJ, while I agree with you about the quality of Amber Heard's performances, I'll probably support her honesty and her future endeavors twice as strongly as I will a Blake Lively, and probably with just as much fidelity as I would for a person of much greater skill like James McAvoy.
I honestly feel like Kristen Wiig should win the Emmy...she's the best thing about SNL and HILARIOUS. She has to have like some kind of deal with Jane Lynch or something lol.