Gary Susman's Attic

Fifty Shades Of Grey News - Could Matt Bomer Become Hollywood's First Openly Gay Actor to Play a Straight Romantic Big-Screen Lead? (ANALYSIS) - Celebuzz

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 19:54:21 -0400

Fifty Shades Of Grey News - Could Matt Bomer Become Hollywood's First Openly Gay Actor to Play a Straight Romantic Big-Screen Lead? (ANALYSIS) - Celebuzz:

It’s still unclear who’ll be starring in the film version of erotic bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey, much less who’ll be writing the screenplay. But novelist Bret Easton Ellis, who was briefly in line for the latter job, has some unflattering opinions about the former.

In a long series of tweets over the past week, Ellis has disparaged candidate Matt Bomer, insisting that the filmmakers would never cast him or any other openly gay actor as the straight romantic lead in a movie because of the belief that audiences won’t buy an openly gay actor as a brazenly heterosexual movie stud, like kinky-sex-loving Christian Grey from E.L. James’ book.

Ellis has taken a lot of heat over those views, to which he has responded by insisting that he’s not homophobic, he’s just voicing the conventional wisdom among Hollywood moguls about what moviegoing audiences will accept. One bit of flak came from Neil Patrick Harris, who poked fun at Ellis’ stance in a tweet of his own.

The Curious Case of Kristen Stewart and the 'Snow White and the Huntsman' Sequel - Celebuzz

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 15:02:20 -0400

The Curious Case of Kristen Stewart and the 'Snow White and the Huntsman' Sequel - Celebuzz:

Besides the damage to her relationship with Robert Pattinson, to Rupert Sanders‘ marriage to Liberty Ross, and to her public image as America’s vampire-lovin’ sweetheart, did Kristen Stewart’s cheating scandal also quash her chances to appear in a Snow White and the Huntsman sequel?

Certainly, any on-set reunion between the actress and Snow White director Sanders would be, um… awkward? Painful? Disastrous? It’s no surprise Universal, the studio behind the franchise, might choose to avoid the unpleasantness and bad publicity. But would the studio choose between Stewart and Sanders by firing the star and keeping the director?

That’s the scenario suggested by more than one trade news report on Tuesday, suggesting that the franchise may go ahead without Stewart. But other trade reports dispute the notion that she was fired, since she was under no obligation to return.

Roger Ebert At 70: Did He Save Or Destroy Film Criticism?

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 09:47:14 -0400

Roger Ebert At 70: Did He Save Or Destroy Film Criticism? :

Roger Ebert has a lot to celebrate when he turns 70 on June 18. Despite the horrible ailments of the last decade that have taken away his ability to eat, drink, or speak, he’s still America’s leading movie critic, a distinction he’s held for more than 30 years. (Of course, he shared the honor for much of that time with his TV frenemy Gene Siskel, until the latter’s death in 1999.) An avid adapter to social media, he’s used the Internet to make his reviews more widely read than ever….

But what does it mean, at a time when film criticism as a profession is all but dead, to be the top critic? And what role has Ebert’s own career played in making criticism what it is today? By bringing criticism to TV, did he (however inadvertently) dumb it down to the point where it became disposable? Or did he, through his own personal example and high standards, manage to keep film criticism alive for another generation?…

Movie Stars Who Can (And Can't) Sing, From Gwyneth Paltrow To Sylvester Stallone

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 11:59:13 -0400

Movie Stars Who Can (And Can't) Sing, From Gwyneth Paltrow To Sylvester Stallone:

When 1980s jukebox musical “Rock of Ages” opens this weekend, it’ll answer the question that has bedeviled moviegoers worldwide for three decades: Can Tom Cruise actually sing?….

Today, viewers will find out for themselves whether Cruise can really rock, or whether he belongs on the list of movie actors who stretched too far in trying to impress filmgoers with their golden throats. It’s the kind of stretch that even some top thespians haven’t been able to pull off, as you’ll see in this list of 20 films featuring horrifyingly grating (or unexpectedly good) singing performances by actors not known for their vocal skills….

'The Dirty Dozen': How The Combat Classic Created The Modern Action Movie

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 11:53:00 -0400

'The Dirty Dozen': How The Combat Classic Created The Modern Action Movie:

When New York Times critic Bosley Crowther reviewed “The Dirty Dozen” upon its release (45 years ago this week, on June 15, 1967), he blasted the World War II action drama for its characters’ “hot, sadistic zeal,” its “astonishingly wanton” depiction of war, the way its violent-felons-turned-heroes plot “encourag[es] a spirit of hooliganism that is brazenly antisocial” and its “studied indulgence of sadism that is morbid and disgusting beyond words.”

If a similar action movie came out today, those would all be its selling points….

'Lolita': How Stanley Kubrick Turned Vladimir Nabokov's Novel Into a Mainstream Hit

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 11:17:10 -0400

'Lolita': How Stanley Kubrick Turned Vladimir Nabokov's Novel Into a Mainstream Hit:

“How did they ever make a movie of ‘Lolita’?” asked the poster for Stanley Kubrick’s 1962 film adaptation, which premiered 50 years ago this week (on June 12, 1962). Short answer, as many critics noted at the time: They didn’t.

That is, there was no way, given the Hollywood self-censorship of the era, to capture even a fragment of Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial novel, even with a screenplay by Nabokov himself. In fact, it’s remarkable that Kubrick managed to get a studio to let him adapt and distribute any version of the story. Today — as the ill-fated 1997 “Lolita” movie showed — no one in Hollywood would even touch the material….

'Moonrise Kingdom' Box Office: Is It This Year's 'Midnight in Paris'?

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 12:03:20 -0400

'Moonrise Kingdom' Box Office: Is It This Year's 'Midnight in Paris'?:

By one box office measure, the record-breaking movie of the summer may not be “The Avengers,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” or any other movie involving caped heroes, evil queens or marauding aliens. Rather, it’ll be a sweet, indie, puppy-love romance starring two unknown child actors.

In fact, Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” has already set a record…

'Poltergeist' And 'E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial': Are They The Same Movie?

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 11:59:47 -0400

'Poltergeist' And 'E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial': Are They The Same Movie? :

Imagine it’s June 1982, and you’re faced with a decision at the multiplex between two new movies, “Poltergeist” (released on June 4) and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (released a week later, on June 11). Which film about a suburban family whose lives are overturned by a supernatural alien presence do you want to see?…

'Untouchables' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:25:11 -0400

'Untouchables' Cast: Where Are They Now?:

The movie “The Untouchables” turns 25 this week (it was released on June 3, 1987), but it seems to have never gone away. Based on legendary G-man Eliot Ness’ memoir of his battle against Al Capone (which had also inspired a TV series of the same name), the film made stars of Kevin Costner and Andy Garcia, and garnered an Oscar win for Sean Connery. (Indeed, Connery’s performance as a cop who explains to Costner’s rule-bound Ness “the Chicago way” of no-holds-barred street-fighting, seems to come up as a reference point whenever observers of President Obama — especially his opponents — describe his Chicago-bred political tactics.)

In the quarter century since the film’s release, some of those who made the crime drama have seen their careers flourish, while others seem to have vanished into the witness protection program….

'Smokey and the Bandit': 25 Things You Didn't Know About the Burt Reynolds Movie

Tue, 29 May 2012 16:50:14 -0400

'Smokey and the Bandit': 25 Things You Didn't Know About the Burt Reynolds Movie :

Of the two biggest franchise-launchers of 1977, one involved a pair of rebellious outlaws with a shaggy sidekick, a runaway heroine, a Mutt-and-Jeff pair of tall-short comic relief characters, epic-length chases, spectacular stunts, and endless vehicular mayhem. The other was “Star Wars.”

Yep, we’re talkin’ “Smokey and the Bandit,” which opened 35 years ago this week (on May 27, 1977) and wound up grossing more money than any movie that year except for George Lucas’ interstellar road adventure. It also launched a truckload of sequels on film and TV, gave Burt Reynolds his most iconic role, helped make movie stars out of country guitarist Jerry Reed and TV sitcom starlet Sally Field, provided a career comeback for Jackie Gleason, and sent Pontiac Trans Am sales soaring.

Still, as popular as Reynolds and his muscle car were, there’s plenty about “Smokey and the Bandit” that you may not know. Read on to learn Bandit’s real name, the film’s unlikely Oscar history, and the story of the real-life Buford T. Justice….

'Ishtar': Seven Myths Regarding The Legendary Flop

Wed, 23 May 2012 09:42:00 -0400

'Ishtar': Seven Myths Regarding The Legendary Flop:

“If all of the people who hate ‘Ishtar’ had seen it, I would be a rich woman today.” So said Elaine May in 2006, two decades after the Warren Beatty-Dustin Hoffman comedy she wrote and directed had become synonymous with “extravagant flop.” (The film grossed $14.4 million on a $55 million budget.)

Up until May 22, 1987 (the day it opened in theaters, 25 years ago), advance buzz on “Ishtar” was contentious; it was either a brilliant comic masterpiece or a textbook case of overreach on the part of two giant Hollywood egos to whom no one could say, “No.” After the film’s release… same thing. To this day, the movie is roundly mocked for its alleged awfulness (often by people who’ve never seen it), while a passionate cult of fans insists it’s a lost work of misunderstood genius that never got its proper due from critics or moviegoers.

The truth lies somewhere in the middle….

'Annie' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Thu, 17 May 2012 17:12:07 -0400

'Annie' Cast: Where Are They Now? :

“The Movie of ‘Tomorrow,’” quipped the posters for the 1982 film version of “Annie.” As it turned out, the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway musical, which premiered 30 years ago this week (on May 17, 1982), may indeed have been ahead of its time….

'The Thomas Crown Affair': A Look Back at the Classic Caper

Thu, 10 May 2012 19:31:30 -0400

'The Thomas Crown Affair': A Look Back at the Classic Caper:

“The Thomas Crown Affair” was one of the most stylish movies of the 1960s — stylish for the icy cool of Steve McQueen as the millionaire who robs banks for kicks; for the similarly frosty cool of Faye Dunaway as the investigator who plays an erotic game of cat-and-mouse with him; for the costumes of Theadora Van Runkle, who helped make Dunaway a fashion trendsetter in “Bonnie and Clyde” and did the same for her here with no fewer than 29 haute-couture outfits; for the jazzy score of Michel Legrand, including the Oscar-winning ballad “The Windmills of Your Mind”; and for the camera trickery of director Norman Jewison, the first Hollywood filmmaker to shoot heist scenes and love scenes in split-screen.

Old Directors: In Youth-Obsessed Hollywood, Senior Citizen Filmmakers Flourish

Mon, 07 May 2012 17:19:01 -0400

Old Directors: In Youth-Obsessed Hollywood, Senior Citizen Filmmakers Flourish :

Sure, Hollywood is fixated on the young, chasing teenage dollars, looking for the next fresh hotties, and sending stars over 25 to ~~the glue factory~~ get botoxed. And yet, this summer, some of the most eagerly anticipated movies are coming from directors old enough to collect Social Security. There’s Ridley Scott, behind this year’s most anticipated sci-fi epic, “Prometheus;” there’s Woody Allen, with another comedy/travelogue, “To Rome With Love”; and there’s Oliver Stone, with all-star crime thriller “Savages.” Not bad for directors who are 74, 76, and 65, respectively….

Which Is Better: Movies Or TV?

Thu, 03 May 2012 19:00:43 -0400

Which Is Better: Movies Or TV?:

Tough choice this weekend: You could go to the multiplex and catch such acclaimed new features as superhero epic “The Avengers,” romantic comedy “Think Like a Man” or stop-motion animation gem “The Pirates! Band of Misfits.” Or, you could stay home and watch new episodes of brainy period drama “Mad Men” or the sprawling fantasy “Game of Thrones.”

But many people will probably wait until those movies come out on Netflix and stream them at home, or DVR those series and then watch them in blocks. At that point, with the viewing experience digitized, flattened, squeezed, shrunk, re-shaped, and rescheduled for our convenience, the distinction between whether the story began as a movie or TV show won’t matter anymore.

That’s why it’s quaint to read an article like James Wolcott’s in the recent “television issue” of Vanity Fair magazine, arguing for TV’s supremacy over movies, or a rebuttal like Mark Olsen’s, in the Los Angeles Times, insisting that movies still rule. The truth is, while each has its advantages, the digital tsunami threatens to wash those differences away, to the point where all that remains are our endless demand for visual storytelling and an industry rushing to meet it….

"I can bestride every issue, because I am a giant when I am standing on my piles of money."

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:44:11 -0400

“I can bestride every issue, because I am a giant when I am standing on my piles of money.”

- MItt Romney, explaining his flip-flipping, as paraphrased by Charles Pierce

Barbra Streisand Movies: Grading The Star's Hollywood Career

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:41:54 -0400

Barbra Streisand Movies: Grading The Star's Hollywood Career :

One thing’s for sure: The frosting on her birthday cake will be like buttah.

As Barbra Streisand turns 70 on Tuesday, you’d think her reputation would be secure. She’s conquered every medium, she’s one of only a dozen or so members of the EGOT club (people who’ve won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony), and she’s one of the most popular and best-selling singers of all time. Still, despite her two Oscars, her Hollywood career has never gotten its due….

Jack Nicholson 75th Birthday: Rating His Movies from Best to Worst

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 16:13:57 -0400

Jack Nicholson 75th Birthday: Rating His Movies from Best to Worst :

What’s Jack Nicholson’s secret? Maybe it’s the eyebrows, hovering like ironic quotation marks over every line reading. Maybe it’s the hooded eyes, which hold the threat of danger or the promise of joviality — you’re never sure which. Same with that sharklike grin. Or maybe it’s the voice, which has evolved over the years from a thin sneer to a deep rumble, but is always precisely calibrated to provoke a reaction. Put them all together, and they say: “I am a man to be reckoned with. Ignore me at your peril.”

Nicholson, who turns 75 on April 22, is often criticized for relying on his bag of tricks, for just showing up and doing Jack Nicholson (though indeed, he often seems to have been hired precisely for that purpose). But he’s also capable of burrowing deep into a character, finding his wounded heart, and revealing the ugly truth without fear or vanity. Moviegoers don’t always love the subtler Nicholson as much as the broader-played rabble rouser, but both have made him an institution, one of the most Oscar-lauded actors alive (he has three trophies, the same as sometime co-star Meryl Streep, and 12 nominations, more than anyone but Streep).

It’s easy to forget that Jack wasn’t always Jack, that he was nearly 20 films into a career marked by low-budget genre pictures before he finally clicked with 1969’s “Easy Rider,” or that he spent a decade doing some of his best work playing seething anti-heroes before his string of unforgettable, more cartoonish performances (beginning with 1980’s “The Shining”) that have bedazzled younger Nicholson fans. Or that alongside his classic turns have been a fair number of experimental performances or parts done as favors to old friends that were often fascinating failures or outright stinkers.

For the last 15 years, Nicholson has worked only when he felt like it, which has been about once every couple of years. Still, he’s amassed a catalogue of 62 films going back more than half a century, a roster that’s full of landmarks, trifles, noble failures, and underrated gems. He’s almost always provocative and never dull. Here, then, are Nicholson’s movie roles, rated from best to worst.

'Cape Fear' 50th Anniversary: Robert Mitchum's Max Cady Fathers Modern Movie Villainy

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:15:10 -0400

'Cape Fear' 50th Anniversary: Robert Mitchum's Max Cady Fathers Modern Movie Villainy :

For some reason, Robert Mitchum’s Max Cady in the original “Cape Fear” lands at only No. 28 on the AFI’s list of the top 50 on-screen villains of all time. (That’s just one notch above Mitchum’s Rev. Harry Powell in “Night of the Hunter,” a similarly terrifying killer, the one with “L-O-V-E” and “H-A-T-E” tattooed on his knuckles.) Really, Mitchum’s Cady ought to be much higher up. After all, there are plenty of stalkers and murderers on the list, but how many also imbue their characters with such a perverse air of sexual menace?…

'12 Angry Men': Why Sidney Lumet's Claustrophobic Classic Still Matters

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 09:41:25 -0400

'12 Angry Men': Why Sidney Lumet's Claustrophobic Classic Still Matters:

On paper, it’s a tough sell: a black-and-white movie set in one room, with an all-male (and all-white) cast, with no action except for a heated war of words among a dozen guys. Indeed, “12 Angry Men” — which opened 55 years ago last week (April 13, 1957) — with its shoestring budget, was a financial flop, and while it was nominated for three Oscars (including Best Picture), it lost them all to the splashier, more colorful, wide-screen epic “The Bridge on the River Kwai.” Yet today, “12 Angry Men” is considered a classic, not just for its riveting script and top-notch acting, but also for how it made a virtue of its stagy limitations….