Chicks Rule
Their Weight in Gold?
The Hollywood Reporter has released its list of the highest-paid actresses with Oscar winner Reeser Witherspoon finding herself on top (hope it’s not too much of a blow to Ryan’s ego…). Reese gets $15-$20 million per picture. Angelina placed second, despite only netting $8 million for Beowulf, though that’s still a pretty hefty paycheck considering she was only in about two scenes. Following in order are Cameron Diaz ($15 mil per pic), Nicole Kidman (#2 last year), Renee Zellweger, Sandra Bullock and Julia Roberts ($10-$15 mil per pic); Drew Barrymore and Jodie Foster ($10-$12 mil), and Halle Berry ($10 mil).
Who do you think deserves it? They’re all good at what they do, but it’s hard to tell why there are so many bombs between them. Is it the lack of good scripts for women? Or that these women became so famous that they’re being paid for name recognition even if they don’t pull in money-paying fans? Zellweger had Bridget Jones and Chicago; Berry had X-Men, though that hardly counts considering she hardly had two lines total in all three films; Kidman had, well, I guess The Others, but that was a long time back; Bullock doesn’t star in smashes, but she almost always hits in the mid range, which isn’t bad considering she’s consistent; Reese had Legally Blonde and Sweet Home Alabama; Barrymore, another consistent mid-ranger, though when paired with the right leading man (in a romantic comedy), she can hit it out of the ballpark; Roberts used to be a sure thing, but with taking so much time off to raise kids, it’s hard to tell how much of a draw she is anymore; Jolie really only has Mr. and Mrs. Smith; Diaz has had her hits, but has yet to carry a flick on her own; and Foster is probably the most consistent moneymaker of them all, The Brave One notwithstanding.
I think people get way to caught up in how much movies gross. Obviously, it’s very important. It is a business, after all. But for Nicole Kidman to be blasted for Birth “failing” is ludicrous. That movie was never going to make $100 million. It was designed to. She chose that role because she is an actress who also happens to be a movie star. She’s taking roles she thinks will challenge her. And, frankly, when she takes on something “commercial,” it’s usually a bad move. Nay, an awful move (think The Stepford Wives).
People lose sight of the fact that many of the roles most of these women take on (Roberts, Bullock and Barrymore excepted) are oftentimes because the actresses want to act. They shouldn’t be ripped up for small character studies not breaking box office records. People need to take into consideration what the studio was expecting from a film, not just whether it opens at #1.
Then again, since this list is about paychecks, perhaps my rant is misplaced.
3WH
Is anyone else’s heart warmed by the fact that Britney Spears, whom I like to call 3 Warm Holes (because she clearly has nothing else to offer), and her latest album aren’t even in the top 40 of Billboard’s album chart after only three weeks in release? Gives me hope that middle America may not be as lost as they appear to be…
Love Finds Love!
Love Finds Love
The Ghost Whisperer herself, Jennifer Love Hewitt, 29, is engaged for the first time. Her beau, Scottish actor Ross McCall (Green Street Hooligans (killer movie, though I don’t remember him in it), Band of Brothers), 32, popped the question with a ring that has been in his family for 100 years. McCall guest starred on Hewitt’s spooky show last year, which I imagine is where and when they met. McCall is gonna sleep well on those pillows!
Jake Plays Broadway Joe
Looks like Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal (who was in my very vivid, yet very nonsexual dream last night) is going to play ’70s football star, three-time AFL All-Star and former Ovaltine shill Joe Namath in an upcoming biopic for producer Andrew Lazar. Nicknamed “Broadway Joe” for his love of New York nightlife, Namath dabbled in acting in the Me Decade: including guest spots on The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and The A-Team, and even palyed himself on a Bobby-centric episode of The Brady Bunch. Apparently, according IMDb, he even had his own series in 1969 called, naturally, The Joe Namath Show. The illustrious Golden Globes even bestowed a Most Promising Newcomer nod on him for his performance in something called Norwood, in which he starred alongside other ’70s staples Carol Lynley, Kim Darby, Dom Deluise, and Glen Campbell. Sounds like Jake will have a hard time keeping up with the B-Listers!
Independents' Day
The awards season kicks off today with the announcement of the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards nominations. The hipsters' Oscars gave nods to such varied pictures and people as Zoe Cassavetes (Broken English), the Bob Dylan flick I'm Not There, A Mighty Heart, Chiwetel Ejiofor (Talk To Me), Steve Zahn (Rescue Dawn) and Angelina Jolie (A Might Heart.
Go to IFC.com for the full list of nominees…
Quiet Riot Quieted
OMG. TMZ.com is reporting that Quiet Riot lead singer Kevin Dubrow was found dead yesterday in his home in Vegas. The band hit big in the ’80s with the rise of hair metal. Their biggest hit was “Cum On Feel the Noize,” which hit the Top 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. MTV.com reports that Quiet Riot was the first metal band to hit #1 on the magazine’s album chart. Dubrow was 52; no cause of death is known at this time.
Thanksgiving weekend!
So Thanksgiving was quiet, got a lot done, was social and also had down time. Saturday my boyfriend and I went to Santa Monica and roller bladed down to Venice and back. It was nice and not too crowded. Not sure if that's because the tourists were home or because the locals had left town for the holiday. Regardless, it was brilliant. We saw Ty Pennington from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition when we stopped to have a beer in Venice. Of course my boyfriend noticed him. I never notice any celebs in my midst.
I got the Jordin Sparks CD in the mail (three days past its release date; thanks Amazon). Now you must understand: I had never seen American Idol before this last season. I just never cared. But after a while I got a little curious. People were such rabid fans, I thought I’d check it out. And I LOVED it. It was exactly what I thought it was going to be. But once I got caught up in it (after the auditions, because I don’t really care about that stuff), I REALLY got caught up in it. I mean, is it earth-shattering? No. But it IS fun. Anyway, I loved Jordin from the get-go and voted for her obsessively. And even though it was a fun love affair while it lasted, I also got sickened by the corporate bullshit that went on. I was disgusted by all the product placement. I was disgusted that on the finale they gave an entire song to Sanjaya, despite the fact that the kid can’t sing, despitew that fasct that several other people placed higher than he did yet didn’t get a song to themselves. I was disgusted by middle America voting Melinda off in favor or only marginally talented Blake (these are the same people who thinkthat it’s OK for Britney Spears to lip synch on stage). So, basically, the entire thing left a bad taste in my mouth by the end and I’ve vowed to not watch another season (we’ll see if I can actually keep myself away or not).
At any rate, none of that soured my love for Jordin or Melinda. And I think Jordin’s CD is everything it should be (and not just because I love her; I've been disappointed by people I love a LOT). She sings songs a girl her age should be singing. She’s not tarted up, the music and lyrics are not too adult, it’s what slick teen pop should be sung by someone who can actually sing. Her duet with It Boy Chris Brown, No Air, is a likely hit, and Shy Boy is screaming to be remixed for the dance floor.
Also over the long weekend, I took in a showing of The Mist at the Chinese Theater. It isn’t particularly terrifying so much as it is creepy and supremely disturbing. Some of the things that happen and some of the things the characters are driven to are really messed up on many levels. I remember reading the novella when I was a kid and liked it (and I’m not a big Stephen King fan) but couldn’t remember details aside from the ambiguous ending. Well, that ending was shot to hell and was replaced by something that was even more messed up. What an ending!!
This is me.
So this is me. Love TV, pop culture, movies, music. Even books! (Can’t wait for Atonement to be released in theaters. The book was heartbreaking.) Those I’m currently crushing on: Blake Lively and Leighton Meester from Gossip Girl, Beau Garrett, Chris Evans, Jessica Biel. It changes hourly. Saw Hanson perform at the West Hollywood Halloween event/fair/parade/thing. Still got a little bit of a crush on them…
Spent last weekend (the weekend of the 9th) in NY. Flew there to go to the Out 100 (http://www.out.com/detail.asp?id=23045) party. Man, they party differently in New York from how they do here in LA. You’re out for drinks and you turn around and it’s 4:30. Things close down way earlier here in L.A. Maybe it’s the health-conscious thing. Beauty rest and all that.
Anyway, saw Beowulf this weekend. Despite being the #1 movie, it’s not going to be a sensation like 300 was. The animation was kind of a turn-off (some characters looked so real you couldn’t tell they were animated, and others just looked weird). Having never read the epic poem, I’m not sure what liberties the filmmakers took, but despite all the action, both my friend and I were on the edge of dozing off throughout the flick. Not sure what it was. Maybe the lack of character development? It just seemed that things were missing, things that would have given the story some heft. And it certainly never helps to throw Alison Lohman into the mix. She was a simp as usual. Angelina, however, was hot as ever, but she really only shows up in two scenes. So even she wasn’t enough to keep this afloat. I’d give it a C- to a C+, depending on my mood. I did check my phone a number of times to see how much time had elapsed and that’s something I never do. 300, while no piece of perfection, was much more entertaining and thrilling.
I’ve gotten so burned on popcorn movies that at this point I’m really leaning toward seeing movies that actually have potential (Beowulf aside). That kind of thinking led me toward Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Michael Clayton and Rendition, all of which were quite solid. Especially Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. How fucked up was that?
Anywayz, I'll be posting sporadically, linking to fun stories, telling you about parties or events here in L.A. And ideally breaking a story once in a while.
For now, let's rejoice in the fact that ABC is running A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving tonight at 8 (followed by He’s a Bully, Charlie Brown).
|
About Me
« August 2008 »
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | | | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Links
Categories
Recent Entries
Chicks Rule
Love Finds Love!
Independents' Day
Quiet Riot Quieted
Thanksgiving weekend!
Friends
|
