Celebrities and Controversy »
'Transformers 3' Extra Hurt and in Critical Condition
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy
I've always assumed that the Transformers films were more painful to watch than to make, but apparently that may not be the case. CBS 2 Chicago is reporting that an extra on the set of Transformers 3 was seriously injured during a stunt on the film's Indiana set last night. Gabriela Cedillo - a 24 year-old Chicago resident - had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital after an object pierced the windshield of the car she was driving and struck her in the head. The car - Cedillo's personal 2006 Toyota - slammed into the road's median barrier after impact and then scraped along the concrete divide for almost a mile before finally coming to a stop.
The strange part of all of this is not that another person was injured during a Michael Bay shoot (his dialogue scenes tend to feature more explosions than some small wars), but that Cedillo is supposedly not a member of the production's stunt crew. The CBS report suggests that she was merely an extra, but why would an extra be participating in a vehicular stunt scene, and driving her own car no less? The accident was serious enough to shutter production for the day, but thus neither Bay nor Paramount have offered any comment (if Cedillo were a puppy, Bay would no doubt already be on the warpath.
Watch This: Juliette Binoche Says Gérard Depardieu Might Be Jealous of Her
Filed under: Foreign Language, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, Trailers and Clips
A few days ago, we shared a story about Gérard Depardieu calling Juliette Binoche "nothing" in an Austrian magazine article. It was a pretty out of the blue and uncalled for tirade -- and pretty personal to boot. In the interim, everyone's wondered what Binoche thought of his comments -- and Empire Online caught up with the actress and got her take on the whole debacle.
Anyone hoping Binoche would look into the camera and offer up a hearty "F you!" to Depardieu is bound to be disappointed. The actress takes the high road and comes across as quite lovely and even more sympathetic in her brief response. Ever the promoter, she manages to take the opportunity to tie things back to her new film, Certified Copy, while saying she's not sure what prompted the outburst in the first place.
The actress states that it's Depardieu's right not to like her and speculates that maybe something in her provocative new film offended his masculine sensibilities. She says she felt detached from the comments because even though she bore the brunt of his anger, it seems to have more to do with something going on inside of him. In fact, the only even remotely controversial comment she makes is wondering if it was jealousy on the actor's part that she's had too much success. But even that comes across innocently in light of what Depardieu said about her and in the fact that she doesn't point out she has an Oscar while he doesn't.
If Depardieu is smart this will be the last we hear of this story save for a piece on his subsequent apology -- but I can easily envision another scathing response from him far easier than I can him burying the hatchet. Think Depardieu will settle down now or will this inspire a new outburst? Hit the jump for Binoche's video response.
'Kick-Ass 2' Will Happen, But Is It Worth It?
Filed under: RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy
Comic book writer Mark Millar has once again made himself look like a prat while promoting himself and his work in public. Millar, the writer of the comic Kick-Ass, Wanted, Superman: Red Son and The Authority, which is still probably his best work, has told Richard Bacon on his most recent BBC Radio Five Live show (via Bleeding Cool) that there will indeed be a sequel to Matthew Vaughn's Kick-Ass movie adaptation. This news comes as a surprise considering how lackluster Kick-Ass was at the box office, in spite of some massive hype preceding its release (I won't say fanboy if you won't). Millar said:
Millar also went on to put down director Vaugh by "out(ing) Matthew Vaughn as a friend of David Cameron and a director of some Conservative Party Political Broadcasts." I'm not sure why he had to mention this but knowing who's talking, I doubt he had a legit reason at any point."The estimate is [Kick-Ass] will do 100 to 150 million on DVD based on the American sales, you know, so it'll end up making a quarter of a billion on a 28 million investment. So It should be okay. So the sequel's greenlit, we can go ahead and do the follow up now, you know. The first made so much compared to what it cost it would be crazy not to."
Michael Douglas Discusses His Stage IV Throat Cancer on Letterman (Watch Video)
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy
Some people try to deny the fact that they're getting older. I'm constantly in denial about the movie stars I grew up with.Michael Douglas, who turns sixty-six -- sixty-six! -- in a couple of weeks, went on Letterman last night ostensibly to promote the September release of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. But the conversation quickly turned to something else, as Douglas discussed his recent throat cancer diagnosis, and confirmed that the cancer is Stage IV. For those fortunate enough not to know about this kind of thing, the "stage" of a cancer is a measure of how much the cancer has spread. And Stage IV is the worst, most advanced stage, meaning that the cancer has metastasized to other parts of the body -- though in Douglas's case, thankfully, it has remained above the neck.
The prognosis for Douglas is good -- roughly 80%, he says -- but the Letterman appearance is still heartbreaking. Looking dapper in a white suit and slouching casually in his chair, Douglas seemed as unflappable and invulnerable as most of his characters, justifiably taking some pride in keeping his appointments despite having just completed the first week of a brutal chemotherapy regimen. Which turned his eventual admission that things are likely to go downhill from here into a punch to the gut.
The guy's a legend and I wish him nothing but luck. You can watch the Letterman video after the jump.
'Piranha 3D' Producer Responds to James Cameron's Anti-Piranha Statements
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Tech Stuff
The other day convicted egomaniac James Cameron decided to publicly chastise Piranha 3D and deem it a project that's cheapening the 3D experience. But he wasn't just irked that the new and popular horror flick would remind the masses of old school 3D experiences that he described as "bottom of the barrel;" he felt that the new release was tainting the 3D "renaissance" he helped create, and name-dropped Martin Scorsese and the upcoming Tron: Legacy as examples of the people and types of fare worthy of the third dimension.It was only a matter of time before the other side weighed in, and now Piranha 3D producer Mark Canton has written a rather lengthy, and accurate, rebuttal.
RV Dealer Challenges Taylor Lautner to Push-Up Contest Following Lawsuit
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand, Contests
We all know that Twilight's Taylor Lautner is in good shape -- he spends the majority of his screen time shirtless. I'm willing to bet the buff actor could do a whole lot of push-ups if it came down to it, and it might if an RV dealership owner has his way.Brent McMahon, owner of McMahon's RVs in Irvine, California, has challenged the young actor to a "push-up contest" to settle their legal dispute. Lautner's lawyers filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the dealer, alleging they failed to deliver a $300,000 RV to be used as a dressing room on time. When it did arrive, Lautner's camp alleges that the agreed upon work hadn't been completed.
Lautner is seeking $40,000 in damages according to McMahon, who's offered the contest as an alternative and would make a donation to Children's Hospital of Orange County for the full amount if he won the contest. Needless to say, Lautner's lawyers weren't really happy with what McMahon claims was a "facetious response."
Team Lautner has suggested that if McMahon made the donation to a charity of their choosing, this whole thing might go away. The RV dealer has vowed to defend his reputation if the case does proceed to court.
While McMahon's motives are pretty transparent -- meaning this was a great opportunity for free publicity for his business even if Lautner passes on the challenge -- it seems as though both guys have their hearts in the right place by preferring the money involved go to charity. Here's to hoping they reach a settlement that does some good for people in need and stays out the court system. If they do go for the push-ups, my money is on Lautner. Place your bets below and please gamble responsibly.
Justin Bieber Wants to Play Danny Zuko in 'Grease' Remake
Filed under: Comedy, Music & Musicals, Casting, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels
It's interesting when a story goes from a star joking or idly mentioning an off-the-cuff idea to a full-blown story that is circulating the Internet. Justin Bieber told The Sun that he'd love to star in a remake of Grease as bad boy Danny Zuko, with Miley Cyrus as the innocent Sandy Olsson. Of course, it seems as though Cyrus is eager to shed her Sandy-like goody two-shoes rep as rumors fly about her upcoming booze-chugging, weed-puffing, cooter-flashing teen in LOL. (Read more about her character's shenanigans here.) And wouldn't it be super, the dreamy pop star mused, if Susan Boyle could star as Principal McGee? That sounds swell! But as irresistible an opportunity as it is to Photoshop the Bieb's head onto John Travolta's body, his dreams of crooning "Summer Nights" probably ain't happening any time soon.*Gerard Depardieu Thinks Juliette Binoche is "Nothing"
Filed under: Foreign Language, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy
Gerard Depardieu is at it again -- channeling his inner Serge Gainsbourg and being outrageous. The actor, never one to bite his tongue, usually saves his outbursts for politicians, but he turned on his colleagues in a recent interview with the Austrian mag Profil.The most shocking comments were reserved for fellow star Juliette Binoche. The actress -- who's won an Oscar, a Best Actress award at this year's Cannes Film Festival for her work in Abbas Kiarostami's Certified Copy, and critical acclaim -- apparently doesn't impress Depardieu. During his interview, the actor went off on a tirade highlighted by the following question:
"Please can you explain to me what the secret of this actress is meant to be? I would really like to know why she has been so esteemed for so many years. She has nothing. Absolutely nothing!"
Can You Enjoy a Film If You "Hate" the Filmmaker?
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy
It's a topic that comes up all the time: can you appreciate the good a politician has done in the past -- once he's proven himself to be a liar? Will you cheer for an athlete who is currently under investigation for assault (or worse)? And the one that hits closest to home for me: can you enjoy a film if you think the director is, well, a big, fat freakin' ass? I certainly know where I stand (and you can probably guess my position), but instead I'll offer a few pertinent examples, and then see where we go from there...
Gary Busey Plays Real-Life Hero to a Malibu Car Crash
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy
You've just had a car accident on the Pacific Coast Highway. As you clear your head, nerves electrified with that specific post-crash clarity in which nothing exists except for you and your car, you peer through the dust from your now-deployed airbag as someone quickly approaches your damaged vehicle. This form coming closer...he looks...familiar. You can make out his pearly whites through the smashed windshield.He's Gary Busey, and, luckily, he's here to help.
Busey was first on the scene after witnessing two cars crash into each other in Malibu earlier in the week. The Oscar-nominated actor (The Buddy Holly Story) waved oncoming traffic past the cars and stayed until EMS arrived to treat one of the drivers injured in the wreck. Busey, most famous for his supporting roles in high profile action films like Point Break and Lethal Weapon, has been more well-known in recent years for his bizarre, erratic public persona, but according to Contact Music, folks on the scene called Busey "very sweet and caring."
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