larry king live Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Current Academy Award nominee and perpetual comeback kid Mickey Rourke was humbled the other day by professional wrestler Chris Jericho, who both praised and knocked Rourke's (awesome) performance in The Wrestler before challenging Rourke to some sort of match, while on Larry King Live.

Coming three days after Rourke's claim at the SAG Awards ceremony that he'd be taking part in April's Wrestlemania match (and called out Jericho in particular, it seems), I'd say that it falls right in line -- except that Rourke only sits there and offers up gratitude while Jericho gets increasingly badgering in his confrontation, in a manner that seemed scripted more and more with each passing moment (did anyone else catch exactly why Jericho threw out the word "offended" after deeming his performance "immaculate"?).

It just goes to show you that maybe not all fights captured on video are necessarily worth clicking on. Maybe it's just for the attention. Maybe it's an argument best left to those individuals. Maybe you had good reason for watching that video -- maybe you even heartily agree with one side over the other -- or maybe you were just curious. Sometimes, though, these videos are best left unwatched... a rule that doesn't, however, apply to the movie at hand. (Seriously, see it if you can, folks.)

Note: Rourke's publicist has since come forward to say that he won't be participating in Wrestlemania, and instead will be "focusing entirely on his acting career." Um, what's the difference? [via Defamer]

Yesterday we told you about filmmaker Michael Moore's CNN appearance to discuss his film SICKO, in which he ended up blasting Wolf Blitzer on his previous film, Farenheit 911, and took particular umbrage with CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who's report on the facts Moore presented in SICKO ended with an accusation that Moore "fudged the facts." Larry King, sensing a ratings bonanza (because seeing Moore all riled up is nothing if not entertaining), got Moore to come on Larry King Live to debate Gupta about the facts on the show.

The result, which you can see in three parts on YouTube, is just about as entertaining as the CNN segment; watching the rough-around-the edges Moore and slick-and-polished Gupta - -both clearly two very intelligent guys -- thrust and parry as they toss around world healthcare stats, is almost as good as seeing the film itself. In the first of the segments, you can see Moore waving around an email his staff sent to Gupta's senior producer the day before Gupta's report originally aired on June 29 giving them facts and figures that weren't used in Gupta's segment, and then Gupta (who must practice staying calm under pressure, because he gives the impression he never breaks a sweat) calmly replying that his staff wasn't going to just use stats Moore provided them -- that, like Moore, they used stats from a variety of sources in order to give viewers the most accurate information.

Okay, so who watched Paris Hilton on Larry King Live last night? It's okay to raise your hand, we won't judge. Heck, even more pathetic than Hilton attempting to re-invent herself as a bible-reading, anti-substance abuse spokesmodel was the fact that I actually taped the program. Yes, I attended a private screening of Danny Boyle's Sunshine last night and was unable to catch the show at its usual time. So what did I do? I taped it. [Stands up] Hello, my name is Erik and I'm obsessed with watching Paris Hilton embarrass herself. "Hi Erik!" Anyway, I still haven't had time to watch said show, but apparently Hilton mentioned that she has lined up two movie roles for herself this summer. Two! (As I wrote that, I could sense a group of struggling actors throughout the world silently beginning to plot the girl's demise.)

Two weeks in a minimum security resort was apparently "the most humiliating experience of my life," according to Hilton. A fascinating answer, considering she made a name for herself off a sex tape that spread faster than (insert your own dirty joke here). No word yet on which two films she's lined up (or when we can expect them to go straight to DVD), but she can next be seen as Christabelle Abbott in The Hottie and the Nottie. That film apparently revolves around a hottie girl (please don't say Hilton) who refuses to get married until she can find a perfect match for her ugly best friend. Aww, so sweet. Perhaps Hilton can next take the film around to various schools and talk about how ugly people deserve to have sex too. Call it community service ... Hilton style!

Triple Oscar nominee George Clooney isn't apologizing for making a joke about lobbyist Jack Abramoff during his Golden Globe's acceptance speech.  According to a story in USA today, Abramoff's father wasn't happy about it and wrote an angry letter to The Desert Sun newspaper attacking Clooney for the off-color reference about his son, saying that Clooney's remark made his granddaughter cry. Clooney is unrepentant, however, saying on The Larry King Show that Abramoff, who has pleaded guilty to numerous fraud and bribery for providing "lavish trips, golf outings, meals", and more to politicians in exchange for political favors, is the one who has disgraced the Abramoff name. 

Clooney is nominated for Academy Awards for supporting actor for Syriana and for screenwriting and directing for Good Night, and Good Luck.