judy garland Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Megan Fox's Scratched SNL Hitler/Michael Bay Joke
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom », Newsstand »
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If you have a few minutes today I'd strongly recommend reading this fascinating five-page New York Times Magazine story on Megan Fox called The Self-Manufacture of Megan Fox. I know, you're not really interested in reading another "OMG, she said that!" article on the overly hyped, sexified actress, but this one is a little different. Yes, it touches on just about everything controversial that's crossed her plate -- from her much-publicized spat with Michael Bay to her longterm off-screen relationship with Brian Austin Green -- but it also digs beneath the surface and exposes the way in which she's sort of self-manufactured her own image depending on where she is and who she's speaking to in order to expand her brand, which, she'll admit, isn't the most glamorous or family-friendly, but it's what's keeping her working.
Fox admits that she got herself into the whole Michael Bay mess, and wonders why no one came to her defense when that nasty crew letter surfaced online ("I think it's because I'm a girl. They left me out there to be bludgeoned to death"). Another interesting fact was that they were going to include a Hitler/Michael Bay joke when Fox hosted Saturday Night Live, but dropped it because it wasn't appropriate. Fox explains, "They wanted me to do a Q. and A. with the audience for the opening monologue. And Hitler is in the audience. Hitler stands up and says, 'Why did you compare me to Michael Bay?' " Fox laughed. "Which is funny, but we can't do that."
Watch the actual monologue and read more after the jump.
Making The (Up) Grade: The Wizard Of Oz
Filed under: DVD Reviews », Family Films », Home Entertainment »
If Hollywood's vast abundance of remakes, spinoffs and sequels weren't enough to kill your appetite for spending money on "new" entertainment, it seems like almost every one of these releases finds its way onto home video in multiple forms. Sometimes the studios issue different iterations of a film all at the same time, in a thankful moment of honesty that at least allows consumers the option of which version they want. More often, though, the studios will re-release, expand and double-dip their top earners time and time again in order to wring out a few more dollars from the less dull entries in their back catalogue. And especially now, during the still-early days of Blu-ray, there's even more new and different editions being released in stores, some of which are honest-to-Jah improvements on the presentation and packaging, while others are merely the next generation of mediocrity.
As such, we're launching the first installment of "Making The (Up) Grade," a comparison of some of the more high-profile (or maybe just personally-preferred) Blu-ray releases. And with Warner Brothers' deluxe reissue of The Wizard of Oz arriving in stores this week, it seemed like a good place to start to let readers (and eventually, consumers) determine with a little more specificity what you will be buying (or not buying) if you trade in an older edition for a newer one. To wit:
The History and Promises Behind 'The Wizard of Oz'
Filed under: Classics », Gay & Lesbian », MGM », Fandom », Family Films », Newsstand »
This year marks the 70th anniversary (and a rerelease) of MGM's The Wizard of Oz, which is really quite startling. It's one of those films that's absolutely timeless, and it's so ingrained in each one of our childhood memories that it seems like it was made for our childhoods. If that sounds mawkish, I apologize. To be honest, Oz isn't even one of my favorite movies today, but it rocked my world when I was small, most memorably during its 50th Anniversary in 1989. I know that isn't the first time I saw the film, but I was absolutely enthralled with the little collector book and the documentaries and "deleted scenes" featured on the VHS. It's one of the earliest times I can remember finding out there was a "making of" tale behind a movie I adored, and it struck me as absolutely impossible that the movie was 50 years old. I'm not even sure I was aware Judy Garland was long gone, though there were certainly enough "if we'd only known" hints in those documentaries.
But I digress. As I said, I outgrew the movie and I was never particularly fond of L. Frank Baum's original book or any of the sequels, though I dutifully read them. (I should take that back -- I adore Marvel's 8-issue run. Beautifully illustrated! Buy it!) I've never known much about Baum beyond his history with the Hotel Del Coronado (he stayed there while writing, and designed the light fixtures!), so Meghan O'Rourke's Slate article on Baum was a treat. I'll leave you to read it for yourselves, but what thrilled me was finding out some of the history, myth, and inspiration behind the book.
Continued below the jump
Anne Hathaway to Play Judy Garland on Stage and Screen
Filed under: Drama », Casting », The Weinstein Co. »
Bride Wars might have been a terrible, gut-sickening diversion to an otherwise promising career, but it looks like Anne Hathaway is getting back on track. The Weinstein Company has announced that they've grabbed the film and stage rights to Gerald Clarke's biography Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland, and Hathaway has signed on to star in both adaptations.
The biography is the result of hundreds of interviews and information held within Garland's own unfinished and unpublished autobiography, and covers everything "from her tumultuous early years as a child performer to her tragic last days." This includes, of course, her struggle with addiction after being filled with drugs to control her weight and productivity -- a notion which should ring quite relevant in today's thin-obsessed society.
Right now, there's no word on which will come first, the stage production or film, but either way, it's a neat idea -- one that definitely reflects Garland's own career in both arenas. And Hathaway -- she's certainly the most fitting big-name actress looks-wise, although it will be quite interesting to see what they do with her voice. When you're dealing with an icon as big as Garland, with such a distinct and powerful singing voice, I would hope they'd let that remain. I'll just have to find some ruby slippers and make a wish...
What do you think of this casting decision? And, now that Judy is set, who will they get to play Mickey Rooney? Also, here's a bit of trivia: What other actors or actresses signed to star in a stage and screen adaptation right from the get-go?
DiCaprio and Mann Team Up For Hollywood Noir
Filed under: Drama », Thrillers », Casting », Noir », Mystery & Suspense », MGM », Celebrities and Controversy »
Even though I hated his Miami Vice movie, I still consider myself a fan of Michael Mann's work, and I continue to look forward to whatever he delivers next. And it looks like his next will be something to really, really look forward to. Variety reports that Mann will direct a film noir about a Hollywood murder investigation and that Leonardo DiCaprio is expected to play the detective. The project, which was packaged by CAA, is currently being shopped around to the studios with a script written by John Logan. The film will take place in the 1930s on the MGM lot and will apparently feature cameos from people like Judy Garland and Bugsy Siegel (people playing them, anyway). The plot will likely follow the detective as he is hired by the studio to clean up a scandal involving a starlet who may or may not have murdered her husband. The only other part of the script that has been revealed is that there will be a major shootout that takes place in the Trocadero nightclub on Sunset Boulevard. Despite the fact that no studio is yet confirmed (New Line has been revealed to have bid, but too low), the film will start shooting in February.
There can never be too many period noirs set in Hollywood, which had a lot of interesting scandals during the golden era, but after the failure of The Black Dahlia some studios may be hesitant to think there's a chance for another L.A. Confidential. Still, with Mann, DiCaprio and Logan teamed up -- they all worked together on The Aviator, which Mann produced -- it will be difficult to lose with this film.
The 100 Greatest Performances: Premiere In 60 Seconds
Filed under: Awards », Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom », Premiere in 60 Seconds », Newsstand », Home Entertainment », Movie Marketing », Lists »
Oh,
here we go with another list that's going to tick off everyone: The 100 Greatest Movie Performances Of
All-Time. How can you can even start such a list? You know you're going to leave off some performances, and you're
going to add some performances just to seem hip and/or piss off people. For example, Nicole Kidman's in To
Die For is ranked # 40, higher than James Dean's in Rebel Without A Cause, Humphrey Bogart's in
The Maltese Falcon, Diane Keaton in Annie Hall, Spencer Tracy in Inherit The Wind, and Jessica Lange
in Frances. Um...huh?- Some exclusive photos from Sundance 2006, including pics of Robert Downey, Jr., Josh Hartnett, Jennifer Aniston, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon, Jessica Biel, and Al Gore.
- Poll: which summer flick are you most looking forward to seeing? Superman Returns, X-Men 3, Mission: Impossible 3, The Da Vinci Code, or Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest?
- In the print edition only: a first look at The Da Vinci Code, pics of Jon Heder jumping around in the forest, sultry pics of Gretchen Mol, an interview with Thank You For Smoking director Jason Reitman, and an extensive behind the scenes look at the making of Mission: Impossible 3.
Discuss: Should Gay Actors Stay in the Closet?
Sundance '10 Announces Non-Competing Film Premieres
'Up in the Air' Named Best Film of the Year by NBR
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The International 'Iron Man 2' Poster Subtracts a Suit
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