Celebrities And Controversy Videos

Actors might make a lot of money, but at least they work for it with long hours on set, paparazzi insanity, exhausting PR tours, and the pressures of handling the same questions over and over and over again with grace and charm. But even more impressive is when they can be graceful in the face of utter ignorance or idiocy. We've watched John Cusack get interviewed by a clueless film student, and now (after the jump of course) you can see Ian McKellen handle the women from The View. Ah, there's nothing like having your television interview start out with an inflammatory rant about swine flu and socialized medicine. It's not a surprise really -- the once-sweet Survivor star Elisabeth Hasselbeck has made a career out throwing wild rants into unusual places on the show. But, sadly, that's only the start of the nonsense that McKellen handles with dashing grace. Whoopi Goldberg can't keep her actors straight, and Sherry Shepherd pulls off one of those classic moments where a clueless interviewer reads crap off the cards without knowing what the hell she's talking about. Yet, in the face of all that, McKellen is pure charm. I always find that impressive. Sure, he's an actor and makes his living making fiction convincing, but to be ready with that clever retort, graciously correct someone who should know better, and take it all in stride ... I wouldn't say this about most of Hollywood, but I think we can all learn a little from that small part of the biz.Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Home EntertainmentContinue reading Ian McKellen Suffers 'The View' Stupidity with Grace and Wit Permalink | Email this | Comments

If you've been watching playoff baseball these past few weeks, you've probably come across the Tommy Boy DirecTV commercial about, say, 176,000 times. About a week after it began airing, the satellite television company came under fire for a second time for airing parody commercials featuring actors or actresses who died tragically at a young age. The first was a commercial featuring Poltergeist actress Heather O'Rourke, and now folks are really pissed DirecTV is using Chris Farley in a commercial that stars David Spade (who reprises his character from Tommy Boy in a parody of the "Fat Guy in a Little Coat" scene). If you want my personal opinion, I think DirecTV does this sort of stuff on purpose -- claiming to be "celebrating" the life of a dead celebrity, though what they're really hoping for is that people like us (and several other sites) will give them a bunch of free publicity by writing attacks on their ads. But back to my original point: The folks over at Landline TV have put together a spoof of the DirecTV dead celebrity spoofs -- this time including folks like Heath Ledger, John F. Kennedy and Jesus Christ. Honestly, I'm surprised Michael Jackson hasn't made an appearance yet ... or, heck, how long before DirecTV butchers a scene from Dirty Dancing and craps all over Patrick Swayze? What do you think about these commercials? Yes, they're annoying (believe us we know), but are they in the wrong for featuring dead celebrities? Or what about celebrities who died tragic deaths at an early age? Is there a difference? Anyone canceling their DirecTV service because of this? Chime in below, and watch the video after the jump.Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Trailers and ClipsContinue reading Wait, Now Heath Ledger Has a DirecTV Commercial? Permalink | Email this | Comments

As if we needed yet another reason to do what we can to fight cancer. On top of the hundreds of thousands of cancer-related deaths the U.S. is plagued with every year, and just a short time after we lost Patrick Swayze to pancreatic cancer, The Associated Press (via Canoe) reports that two-time Oscar nominee Dennis Hopper has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The 73-year-old actor has canceled his travel plans, as well as his attendance at an exhibition of his artwork in Melbourne in order to focus on his treatment. Said treatment is said to be part of a "special program" at the University of Southern California, according to Hopper's manager, Sam Maydew, and they are "hoping for the best." That's not exactly an optimistic quote, which might not be so surprising. This news comes just days after the actor was hospitalized for "showing severe flulike symptoms" and getting treated for dehydration. If those symptoms were the cancer, that cannot be a good sign. And even if they were just the flu, that can't be good for his health and strength. Nevertheless, we hope for the best and that Mr. Hopper makes a full and speedy recovery.Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy Permalink | Email this | Comments

The winds of Hollywood move at a rapid pace, quickly replacing one drama with the next. The thing is, though, the drama doesn't go away. Earlier this year, the cinematic world was buzzing over the fate of the young kids from Slumdog Millionaire. There was the culture shock between Oscar fanfare and slum life, rumors about selling Rubina Ali for profit, and the demolition of their home. Now The Associated Press reports that the kids could lose their trust fund. It's not a case of movie people jerkitude -- it seems that Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail is only going to school 37% of the time, while Rubina Ali only makes it 27% of the time. The claimed culprit: out-of-slum jetsetting. Trust administrator Noshir Dadrawala says: "They are constantly going to Paris and Cochin and Chennai. That's fine, but go over the weekend, not at the sacrifice of school." (For Ali, travel that's presumably for her many performances and memoir PR.) If their attendance doesn't improve to 70%, their monthly $120 stipend will be stopped, and they will forfeit the later lump-sum money they're set to receive. In response, Azhar's mother Shameen says these absences are due to the death of his father this September from tuberculosis: "He would cry often, so I kept him home from school for a while" -- and that she's determined to improve his attendance and get him an education. Filed under: Celebrities and ControversyContinue reading A Sad Update On the 'Slumdog Millionaire' Kids Permalink | Email this | Comments

Remember when Sean Penn decided to back away from Hollywood to tend to his family? Well, that didn't seem to go too well. Only a short time later in August, Robin Wright Penn filed for divorce. So much for finding familial focus. With all that freed time, one might think he'd chill with his kids, or head back to acting. Nope. Why do that when you can hunt down dictators? TMZ reports that Penn has once again put on his part-time journalist hat and flown to Cuba to hunt down an interview with Fidel Castro for Vanity Fair. He hopped on a plane with Diana Jenkins earlier this week in Las Vegas, headed for Havana. (I'm guessing that there's a stop along the way. As far as I know, flying from the U.S. to Cuba is not exactly okay.) But there's a little he-said, she-said among the sources. Barclays contacts say he's going there to meet Castro and talk about how the Obama administration has affected Cuba. Penn's rep told the site that a meeting is possible, but there's no current appointment or plan to meet with the dictator. Methinks that's just evading the topic. One doesn't go to Cuba, have no plans to meet with Castro, yet say that a meeting is possible. Penn has entered sticky situations before -- most notably with Hugo Chavez, who he thinks is "much more positive for Venezuela than he is negative." But is that enough to make him the first Western journalist to interview the man in three years, since Castro stepped out of the spotlight?Filed under: RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy Permalink | Email this | Comments

Normally, we don't run stories about the personal lives and religious beliefs of celebrities. The exception to the rule is when they have some kind of impact (positive or negative) on a film or a career. So when Paul Haggis gives the finger to the Church of Scientology, we have to run it. As Haggis himself admits, "I am fully aware that some of my friends may choose to no longer associate with me, or in some cases work with me." According to Village Voice, Haggis has been a member of the Church of Scientology for 35 years. But he found himself questioning its practices and beliefs, particularly after its San Diego branch openly sponsored California's anti-gay Proposition 8. Haggis asked Scientology's spokesman, Tommy Davis, to denounce the branch. Davis skirted the issue, and Haggis went on the offensive with a confrontational letter that has made its way online on Mark Rathburn's anti-Scientology blog. "The church's refusal to denounce the actions of these bigots, hypocrites and homophobes is cowardly. I can think of no other word. Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent." The church's bigotry encouraged Haggis to do a little digging, and he found an online interview with Davis, who claimed that the Church doesn't force its members to cease contact with anyone who forsakes the religion, or openly criticizes it. "I was shocked. We all know this policy exists. I didn't have to search for verification - I didn't have to look any further than my own home." Haggis' wife was ordered to "disconnect" from her parents because they resigned from the church. Continued below the jump... Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand, Politics, ReligiousContinue reading Paul Haggis Bails on Scientology Big-Time Permalink | Email this | Comments

While geeks the world over are eagerly awaiting Avatar, the return of James Cameron to the original sci-fi territory he's proven a master over with The Abyss and Terminator/Terminator 2, fans of obscure science fiction novellas from 1957 are being struck with deja vu. A reader tipped off genre champions io9 to the story Call Me Joe by Poul Anderson, a story that sounds remarkably like Cameron's supposedly original script that revolves around humans that use the bodies of an alien species via a mental connection as physical avatars, and proceed to use said avatars to exploit the resources of the alien's home world. From the io9 post, "Like Avatar, Call Me Joe centers on a paraplegic - Ed Anglesey - who telepathically connects with an artificially created life form in order to explore a harsh planet (in this case, Jupiter). Anglesey, like Avatar's Jake Sully, revels in the freedom and strength of his artificial created body, battles predators on the surface of Jupiter, and gradually goes native as he spends more time connected to his artificial body." Read the rest over at SciFi SquadFiled under: Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Newsstand Permalink | Email this | Comments

The biggest enemy of the Footloose remake isn't a music-hating preacher, but its own Creative Differences. After it finally recovered from the loss of Zac Efron by recruiting Chace Crawford and Julianne Hough, Variety reports that Footloose has now lost its captain. Director Kenny Oretega has left the project due to "differences over tone and budget." Reportedly, Ortega's vision included elaborate dance sequences and a budget of $30 million or more. But Paramount's Adam Goodwin had something different in mind. He saw Footloose with a little less dancing, a little less music, and a lot more edge. He was also hoping the budget would come in around $25 million. Who is right? I don't know. If you want something closer to the original, I'd say Goodwin is spot on. Kevin Bacon did his lithe dance moves in barns and car washes. It was on the cheap. It was also pretty edgy (relatively speaking) in its handling of teenage sexuality. Is any remake going to feature its heroine yelling "I'm not even a virgin!" in the middle of a church? Nah. They'll just dress her sexy. Paramount is now on the hunt for a new director in order to kick off its Sunday shoes and begin filming by 2010. I was going to say "Maybe this'll be the end of this silly remake" but there's no way that'll happen. Instead, I vote that this Footloose be made with two simultaneous storylines. As they tell the story of the repressive Midwest, we'll also learn about the behind the scenes drama that mirrors the onstage action. Will Ortega's lush vision of music and dance win out? Or will the repressive Goodman crush his freedom of expression? It would be like The French Lieutenant's Woman for high schoolers. Filed under: Music & Musicals, Romance, Paramount, Celebrities and Controversy, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels Permalink | Email this | Comments

As you may have seen, Nicole Kidman is the focus of some ridiculous headlines today, with everyone from the AP to The Hollywood Reporter and E! blaring that Kidman "conceded" to Washington that Hollywood contributes to violence against women. It's the kind of headline I hate: Attention grabbing, anti-entertainment, and completely misleading. Kidman is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNIFEM, and was testifying before a House Foreign Affairs committee. Her goal was funding and resources, and to discuss violence against women overseas. The committee is currently debating whether to pass legislation for humanitarian relief. In true government fashion Rep. Dana Rohrabacher ( R-Calif) decided having A Real Hollywood Star was a chance to shift the discussion into shallow ground, and ask Kidman whether or not the movie industry had played "a bad role." Kidman, who probably came prepared to actually discuss humanitarian efforts, gave a fairly bland answer: "Probably." She hastily added that she didn't feel her own roles had, that she was through with roles that portrayed women as weak or as sex objects. "I can't be responsible for all of Hollywood but I can certainly be responsible for my own career," she added, and argued that Hollywood had also "contributed to solutions." Undoubtedly, many will blame Kidman for making a shallow statement, and poke fun at her poorer script choices, but surely the blame falls on Rep. Rohrabacher for such an inane question. While Hollywood's portrayal and treatment of women is hardly stellar (if you read Cinematical regularly, you know we complain about it on an obsessive basis), and is certainly harmful socially and culturally, I would hardly blame it for violence. That's just the usual government claptrap that loves blaming the big, bad movie industry for glorifying sex and violence, and would now attempt to dodge humanitarian obligations by blaming Moulin Rouge.Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand, Politics, Nicole Kidman, Fan RantContinue reading Has Hollywood Contributed To Violence Against Women? Permalink | Email this | Comments

Perception is everything, and I don't mean to get all metaphysical on you, but sometimes it's how the world sees us that can define who we are -- but what if the world thinks you're a psycho? In an interview with American Psycho director Mary Harron, she was reminiscing about the black comedy, and as it turns out, her star Christian Bale based his vision of the murdering yuppie on -- wait for it -- Tom Cruise. According to Harron, she and Bale had been collaborating on the character when "...he [Bale] called me and he had been watching Tom Cruise on David Letterman, and he just had this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes, and he was really taken with this energy." Actors take inspiration from all kinds of places, but you can't help but wonder if Bale saw something that we would all be made painfully aware of: the 'crazy' side of Cruise. And it was that same energy that worked so well in P.T. Anderson's Magnolia when Cruise played motivational speaker Frank T.J. Mackey. But for me, what made this story truly funny, is that who could have predicted that soon enough Bale would be dealing with his own troubled image in Hollywood as a rage-aholic and something of a bully? On the upside, though, maybe Bale's on-set rant will one day inspire another young actor (ahh, the circle of life). These guys aren't the only ones to battle troubled reputations (whether or not they're deserved), and after the jump: a few more stars who have run their reputations into the ditch...Filed under: RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Tom CruiseContinue reading Quick List: Celebrities With The Worst Reputations Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has become something of a calling card for my writing in 2009, and an albatross around my neck at the same time. There's little else I wrote this year that got as much attention, and yet it's by far the most misunderstood of my many, many reviews, primarily because one sentence published on Rotten Tomatoes, and later, literally one word used in the its advertising was employed to characterize my feelings about the film. Mind you, I'm not complaining, but it's made for a sort of fascinating study among my friends and colleagues, some of whom took me at those words and those words alone, while others read the actual review I posted here on Cinematical, and for better or for worse, agree or disagree, at least understood where I was coming from. This week, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen arrives on Blu-ray, and in the interest of thoroughness, I decided to revisit the film to see (a) how I personally felt about the film a second time, and (b) if any of the objections of its critics were explained, justified or otherwise corrected in the bonus materials. After perusing the content on both discs of the Collector's Edition Blu-ray, I'm unsure whether or not its detractors will be any more appreciative of its artistic merits; but watching it again on the small screen and augmented by the thoughts and comments of the folks responsible for the film, I at least feel as if I know where the sources of some of those problems lie.Filed under: Paramount, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Home EntertainmentContinue reading 'Transformers 2' Blu-ray Examines Successes, Missteps & Spectacle Permalink | Email this | Comments

Last night at an all-media screening for The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, audience members - both fans who had lined up for blocks to get in to see the stars and director of this long-awaited sequel and journalists - were treated to a colorful Q&A session with the director of Boondock, Troy Duffy, and its stars Billy Connolly, Sean Patrick Flanery, and Norman Reedus. After Duffy told the audience where the afterparty would be held, a journalist asked why there was so much time between movies. Duffy was somewhat discreet, replying, "There was a rather serious bit of litigation. We sued the people who financed Boondock I and a bunch of people that distributed it, as the movie was extremely financially successful and myself, the producers, and none of the actors saw a cent of that so me and CB [producer Chris Brinker] went after them." He went on to add, "When you're writing for a sequel and there's a movie that's been deemed sacred ground by the fanbase that's the predecessor, you cannot do anything to tread on that, so it's a bit trickier than just being able to sit down and write something."Filed under: Action, Drama, New Releases, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Distribution, DIY/Filmmaking, Remakes and SequelsContinue reading 'Boondock Saints'' Troy Duffy and Billy Connolly Praise Fans, Blast Critics Permalink | Email this | Comments

A dizzying array of elements are involved in creating a movie poster -- everything from contractual requirements dictating the size of the stars' names to psychological studies on which colors and fonts produce which emotions in viewers. But Ron Henriques at Latino Review suggests there might be more to it. In a very amusing article -- or an infuriating one, depending on how seriously you take it -- he shows multiple examples of what he considers racist "rules" in the way minorities are shown in posters. For example, Henriques says it's only OK for a minority (he's mostly talking about African Americans) to brandish a gun in a movie poster if they're cops, secret agents, or FBI. What's more, he says, the posters tend to make it clear that the person is in law enforcement, either through costume elements or in the text on the poster, lest observers think he's a criminal. (White people, he implies, are allowed to hold guns on posters without being identified as cops.) "Perhaps this will change in time if the powers that be will get over their fears that minorities brandishing weapons on a simple movie poster is going to make their kids go postal," Henriques writes, making it hard to tell whether he's exaggerating for the sake of humor or whether he really believes that that's what movie marketers believe. Another of his observations: Minorities brandishing weapons often have their faces partially obscured from the poster. He shows American Gangster, Smokin' Aces, and Matrix Reloaded as examples; in each case, the black actors' faces are cut off just above the nose. But in fairness, so are the white actors' faces. Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Movie Marketing, PostersContinue reading Is There Subtle Racism in Movie Posters? Permalink | Email this | Comments

We get to see celeb's opinions on Twitter, even if movie studios are trying to squelch that, we're treated to Katharine Heigl getting frank every so-many months, and now we've got the world according to Pinchot. Bronson Pinchot. The A.V. Club talked with the actor about his newly released (on DVD) film Mr. Art Critic, and after the briefest chatter about the new film, A.V. got Pinchot talking about his whole career -- very candidly. Not the "Oh gee, they were swell to work with" crap, but behind-the-scenes word on Tom Cruise homophobia, Denzel Washington's meanness, Eddie Murphy's depression, Bette Midler's diva ways, and some praise for the likes of Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and Mischa Barton. Kicking it off is The Cruise, who seems to have been busy with his weird ways for years. Back when Risky Business was being filmed, it seemed he couldn't stop adding gayness into everything, from the confusing: "You want some ice cream, in case there are no gay people there?" to the more decipherable "It's a nice day, I'm glad there are no gay people standing here." As for the others, it seems Denzel gets the harshest words: "He was so vile," while Midler was "such a bitch" to director Hugh Wilson during The First Wives Club. On the nicer end of things, Scorsese gave Pinchot some of his best professional advice, Tarantino dug his "cackle of joy" in True Romance, and Barton revealed her body issues to Pinchot to help get her crying for Finding t.A.T.u: "She was a very sweet kid, actually. Rather brave in a way." Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, NewsstandContinue reading Bronson Pinchot Gets Candid About Hollywood Stars Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, or at least that's what the good folks over at Gawker seem to think when it comes to Gerard Butler. In the wake of a number two movie at the box office and some not-so-great reviews of his hosting gig last weekend for SNL, Gawker has issued the Scottish actor the following decree: Gerard Butler, You Are Officially on Movie Star Probation. According to them, it's time we all intervened to save him from himself. But if he doesn't shape up, Gawker has decided the only option is that the actor will be "banned from all movies, tabloids, red carpet affairs, awards ceremonies, and celebrity relationships. If he can stay out of the press for three years, he may be rewarded with the starring role on a CBS procedural." Tough, but fair. Sure, it's all in good fun, but I'll admit they have a point. I haven't seen Law Abiding Citizen, but even I've been questioning some of the choices on Butler's resume since his break-out turn as the tighty-whitey wearing Spartan in Snyder's 300 (and yes, I'm talking about P.S. I Love You and The Ugly Truth). So even though his celebrity quotient is rising, the quality of his movies isn't and that's a dangerous combination. Butler has a natural charm (and even a damn fine singing voice) which should make him the perfect specimen for leading man status, but you wouldn't know it from his career choices. He isn't the first (or the last) to fall victim to overexposure and bad decisions, but audiences are a fickle sort who can turn on you at the drop of a dime. So let's just hope we can scare him straight. After the jump: a few more examples of celebrities who have fallen prey to bad career choices and the PR monster known as 'over-hyping'...Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, FandomContinue reading Celebs Who Deserve 'Movie Star Probation' Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Most people look at Kanye West as a bit of a joke these days, and to be fair he's responsible for most of the damage to his own reputation as an egomaniac and a bit of a blowhard. But I guess it takes the directorial genius of Spike Jonze to remind us that there's probably more going on underneath Kanye's surface than we give him credit for, and no matter what you may think of West he does have pretty good taste in his pop culture 'associations' -- and the latest is an 11-minute short film directed by Jonze that premiered at the Los Angeles Film Fest earlier this summer and is now available online. Unfortunately I can't really tell you much about it, because frankly, you have to see it to believe it. But here is what I can tell you: the film is titled We Were Once a Fairytale and it starts out with Kanye being his usual drunken and obnoxious self (though luckily Taylor Swift is nowhere in sight). But keep in mind this is Jonze's short, and as to be expected, things take a very strange (and somewhat disturbing) turn. Hopefully the success of Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are this weekend means we will be seeing more from the director this year, because this short reminds us that there's nobody that makes movies like Jonze -- not to mention that he does the impossible with this short: he makes Kanye West seem almost human. After the jump: West's life imitates Jonze's art in We Were Once a Fairytale...Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, DIY/Filmmaking, Trailers and ClipsContinue reading Watch This: Spike Jonze and Kanye West Make a Short Film Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chinese-American actress Bai Ling had her breakout role in 1997's Red Corner, a courtroom drama in which she defended Richard Gere from a corrupt government trial - romancing him, naturally, along the way. But since then, Ling has played a streak of bad girls and scantily-clad seductresses that put her equally-sensual public persona front and center, in films ranging from Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow to this year's Crank: High Voltage. Even in her latest film, the independent drama A Beautiful Life, Ling plays a stripper - albeit one with a heart of gold. Some might argue that her career choices lean toward female objectification, and they wouldn't be wrong. But there's something wholly empowered about the way Bai Ling tackles her film roles. Sure, she's played her fair share of strippers, prostitutes, and femme fatales, but does it matter if she totally owns and embraces those characters more given in to their carnal impulses? After the jump, Bai Ling names her favorite Bai Ling love scenes of all time. Filed under: Drama, Foreign Language, Independent, Romance, Celebrities and Controversy, Cinematical Seven, ListsContinue reading Cinematical Seven: Bai Ling's Favorite Bai Ling Love Scenes Permalink | Email this | Comments

Michael Bay has a lot to atone for. He's become the cinematic whipping boy of bad, over the top, explosion-filled movies, which are of course also his forte. But he could rectify most of that in one fell swoop, and it's by doing something that he's already considering: killing off Megan Fox. Okay, to be fair, we mean killing off her annoying character Mikaela in Transformers. It might not make us forgive everything, but it's huge step in the right direction. There's no love lost between Bay and Fox. She called him "Hitler" and said you had to be a genius to understand Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (was she watching an unseen Criterion cut of the film?). He had his own words to say, and had several cast members rally to his defense in a letter-writing flurry that detailed how bitchy and hard to work with Ms. Fox was. Things have escalated to a level where he's reportedly considering killing her off in the next Transformers film. At this point we're surprised he'd be bringing her back at all, because a simple "Ever since Mikaela left for that mechanics study course in Germany" line and she's out of the film. But the fact that he's considering killing her off is deliciously evil, because it means he wants to bring her back just to kill her off onscreen. Not since Paris Hilton got waxed in the House of Wax remake have people been anticipating the demise of a celebutart. We're ready to get Halloween rolling by including Michael Bay among our best villains and suggesting some creative ways he might take care of the problem. Read on after the break and find out how Megan Fox might bite it in Transformers 3.Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Remakes and Sequels, ListsContinue reading Five Ways For Michael Bay To Kill Megan Fox in 'Transformers 3' Permalink | Email this | Comments

The complicated story of Roman Polanski and his flight from the US over 30 years ago is starting to get very, very simple - at least when it comes to the law. The NYT reports that Polanski (and his legal representatives) have lost the appeal to have the director released from a Zurich jail following his arrest for a 2005 international warrant. The appeal was rejected by the Swiss Justice Ministry and a spokesperson for the ministry was quoted as saying the reason they rejected the request was that they felt "there is a high risk of flight" -- and it's not like you can blame them, the man does have a habit of disappearing when in the middle of a sticky situation. That hasn't stopped his legal representatives from asking Switzerland's highest criminal court to free Polanski, but representatives from the Justice Ministry even submitted letters explaining their opposition to freeing the director. However, there is still a chance the director could be freed, and according to the NYT, "The Federal Criminal Court has said it will rule in the case in the "next weeks," and a verdict in either direction can be appealed to the country's highest judicial body, the Federal Tribunal." Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Politics, Other FestivalsContinue reading Polanski Loses First Bid for Release Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Critics and celebs alike have raved about the Sundance darling Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire, Lee Daniels' hard-hitting account of a teenage girl's struggle with abuse growing up in Harlem. (Even comedienne Mo'Nique has commanded some serious awards season buzz for her performance as Precious' domineering, abusive mother.) But no endorsement can or will be quite as moving, or as disturbing, as the one Precious got from filmmaker Tyler Perry, for whom the film dredged up cathartic memories of his own childhood abuses. Writing on his official website, Perry - who's created his own film niche with often comic tales of dysfunctional African American families - revealed that his own childhood growing up in New Orleans was filled with abuses to rival those in Precious, based on the experiences of teenage girls author Sapphire taught in New York. Filed under: Drama, Sundance, Celebrities and Controversy, Movie MarketingContinue reading Tyler Perry Reacts to 'Precious,' Reveals Own Childhood Abuses Permalink | Email this | Comments