‘Transformers’ director Michael Bay attacked by thugs in Hong Kong

HONG KONG | Hollywood director Michael Bay has been attacked in Hong Kong while shooting the latest Transformers film in the city, suffering injuries to his face, reports said Thursday.

Police said they had arrested two men in the early hours of Thursday morning after the attack on a 48-year-old man named by local media as the “Armageddon” director, on location in the city filming “Transformers: Age of Extinction”.



The two men reportedly confronted Bay and his film crew in the city’s Quarry Bay district, claiming they were owed HK$100,000 ($12,900) compensation for filming in the area.

Police have now handed the case to specialist anti-triad units reserved for tackling Hong Kong’s notorious criminal gangs.

“When the movie crew was filming, one of the arrested persons was seeking HK$100,000 [from Bay], leading to a scuffle. Another arrested person suddenly attacked him,” police said in a statement.

While local media named the Hollywood director as the target of the attack, police would only confirm the victim as being a 48-year-old “Michael”.

“The right side of his face was injured, but he refused to go to the hospital,” the statement said.

The fourth installment of the “Transformers” franchise starring Mark Wahlberg and Nicola Peltz is scheduled to hit theaters in June 2014.

Hong Kong’s striking Victoria Harbour is believed to be among the film’s locations, along with the city’s dense and bustling streets.

source: interaksyon.com

Barbra Streisand to sing again at Oscars after 36 years

NEW YORK – Actress, singer and director Barbra Streisand may be a familiar figure at Hollywood’s Oscars, but she has only sung on the annual awards show once.

Streisand will perform again at the Academy Awards on February 24, producers said on Wednesday, without providing details about how her appearance would fit into the show or what she might sing.

Streisand, 70, has won two Oscars, one for best actress in “Funny Girl” and another for best original song, “Evergreen” from her 1976 vehicle “A Star Is Born.” Her performance of the song at the 1977 Oscars show was her only previous onstage stint at Hollywood’s biggest night.

“In an evening that celebrates the artistry of movies and music, how could the telecast be complete without Barbra Streisand?” producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said in a statement. “We are honored that she has agreed to do a very special performance on this year’s Oscars.”

Streisand has also been nominated for several Oscars, including for best actress in “The Way We Were” and as producer for best picture nominee “The Prince of Tides.”

Most recently she co-starred with Seth Rogen in “The Guilt Trip,” a Christmas 2012 release.

Earlier this month, the Film Society of Lincoln Center announced that Streisand would be this year’s recipient of its annual Chaplin Award, a prestigious honor recognizing achievement in film.

The Oscars will be presented at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, hosted by Seth MacFarlane and broadcast live on ABC as well as in more than 225 countries worldwide.

source: interaksyon.com

Filmmaker Tony Scott died with anti-depressant, sleep aid in system

LOS ANGELES - Filmmaker Tony Scott had an anti-depressant and sleep aid in his bloodstream when he leapt to his death from a suspension bridge in August, the Los Angeles County Coroner's office said on Monday.

Preliminary autopsy results confirmed that Scott's death, which baffled investigators and much of Hollywood, was a suicide, caused by blunt force trauma and drowning.

The 68-year-old British-born director of such blockbusters as "Top Gun" and "Beverly Hills Cop II" had therapeutic levels of the anti-depressant Mirtazapine and the prescription sleep-aid Lunesta in his system, coroner's investigators found.

But the findings shed no light on a motive for Scott to commit suicide. A coroner's spokesman said a final report was still two weeks away.

Family members have dismissed early reports that Scott was suffering from inoperable brain cancer and Craig Harvey, operations chief for the coroner, has previously said that there were no obvious signs of a tumor. The preliminary autopsy report made no mention of any evidence of serious illness.

Investigators have offered no theories as to why Scott took his life, and a note he left behind did not explain the suicide.

The last person to see Scott was an onlooker parking his car on the Vincent Thomas Bridge over Los Angeles Harbor, who saw the director leap into the water just after noon on Aug. 19. His body was recovered by law enforcement several hours later.

The bridge, the surface of which clears the harbor's navigation channel by a height of about 185 feet (56 meters), connects the port district of San Pedro at the southern tip of Los Angeles to Terminal Island in the harbor.

Scott, born in northern England and frequently seen behind the camera in his signature faded red baseball cap, is credited with directing more than two dozen movies and television shows and producing nearly 50 titles.

He built a reputation for muscular but stylish high-octane thrillers that showcased some of Hollywood's biggest stars in a body of work that dated to the 1980s and established him as one of the most successful action directors in the business.

At the time of his death, Scott was reported to be involved in developing several film projects including a sequel to his biggest hit, the 1986 fighter-jet adventure "Top Gun," which starred Tom Cruise.

The brother of Oscar-winning director Ridley Scott, he is survived by his third wife, Donna, with whom he had two children. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Affleck’s ‘Argo’ recounts Hollywood role in Iran crisis

LOS ANGELES – Actor-director Ben Affleck’s latest movie tells the incredible story of Hollywood’s role in an attempt to get a group of US diplomats out of Iran during the 1979 hostage crisis.

“Argo,” Affleck’s third film behind the camera, is set against the backdrop of the Iranian revolution and the international standoff in which 52 Americans were held in Tehran for more than a year.

The subject matter has clear topical resonance: the hostage crisis helped eject Jimmy Carter from the White House, and President Barack Obama, battling for re-election, is now facing pressure over attacks on US missions abroad.

But the 40-year-old Hollywood star says it was never his intention for the film – produced by George Clooney and out this weekend in North America, less than four weeks before the November 6 election – to be caught up in politics.

“It was always important to us to let the movie not be politicized. We tried to make it very factual, fact-based, because it was coming up before the election in the US, when a lot of things get politicized,” he said.

The real-life story – which was classified for years, and only became public in 1997 – starts with the US embassy in Tehran being seized by revolutionaries, who went on to hold 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.

The Democratic Carter’s mishandling of the crisis led to his defeat by Republican Ronald Reagan the following year.

As the mission was stormed, a handful of diplomats managed to escape through a secret exit and took refuge in the Canadian embassy. They were out of Iranian hands, but the next question was how to get them out of the country.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer Tony Mendez proposed a solution, which at first seemed far-fetched, but was eventually accepted.

The idea was to mount a fictitious Hollywood science fiction movie production, ask Tehran for visas to scout for filming locations – and then get the diplomats out of the country disguised as film crew members.

“When I saw the script, I couldn’t believe how good it was,” Affleck told reporters, presenting the movie in Beverly Hills ahead of its release.

“What struck me almost right away was that we had this thriller, and in equal measure this kind of comic Hollywood satire and this really sort of intricate real-life CIA spy story, all based on truth.”

Affleck plays Mendez, a real-life former spy who was heavily involved in the movie’s production and even makes a brief appearance on screen.

“It was really inspiring to meet Tony. He was steeped in this movie. It was Tony’s story, Tony’s point of view,” said Affleck.

“He wanted to meet me at this old famous CIA bar in (Washington district) Georgetown, and he was telling me that it was where (CIA double agent) Aldrich Ames passed names of the American agents in Russia to his Russian handlers.

“When he told me that, it kind of sank in all of a sudden – this was real, this was a real story about a real guy who worked in a real world where real lives were at stake.”

“Argo” maintains a delicate balance of tone as it depicts the Iranian revolution and the violent embassy scenes while also showing how a Hollywood production is put together.

Affleck stressed the importance of historical accuracy.

“Naturally we wanted to be careful and judicious about presenting the facts and also stand firmly behind that, and say that this is an examination of this part of the world,” he said.

“Just because this part of the world is undergoing tumult, doesn’t mean you stop examining it or talking about it. I think that would be a bad thing.”

source: interaksyon.com

Director Marilou Diaz Abaya, 57, dies of breast cancer

Award-winning director Marilou Diaz Abaya died on Monday evening at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 57.

Abaya, a devout Catholic, was pronounced her final rites on Sunday afternoon.

The director of the acclaimed films “Jose Rizal”, “Muro Ami”, “Sa Pusod ng Dagat”, “Brutal” and “Moral”, Abaya took a sabbatical from the film industry when she contractred breast cancer eight years ago, one year after making the film “Noon at Ngayon”.

She was believed to have recovered from the disease two years later. She put up her film school, the Marilou Diaz Abaya Film Institute and Arts Center, in 2006, and made her last film, “Ikaw Ang Pag-ibig” last year. Her breast cancer returned last March in terminal stage.

Until late last month she had been active on Facebook and Twitter. She was optimistic about her  recovery on her last Facebook post on September 17.

A week before that, she quoted Albert Einstein with this post: “there’s only two ways to live your life; either by believing that nothing is a miracle, or, by believing that everything is a miracle” :)

Abaya was one of the most decorated Filipino filmmakers regardless of gender. She won numerous awards from all the notable local award-giving bodies. In 2001, she was named Laureate for the Fukuoka Prize for Culture and the Arts in Japan.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Avengers’ director swaps superheroes for Shakespeare

TORONTO – Joss Whedon’s blockbuster comic book smash “The Avengers” would seem to have little in common with William Shakespeare.

The writer and director, however, also known for creating the cult TV hit “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” calls the legendary playwright a major influence, visible in much of his work from the banter of his superheroes to the structure of his stories.

Such is his admiration, that in the wake of delivering “The Avengers” – the biggest movie hit of 2012 – Whedon has adapted “Much Ado About Nothing,” a low-budget black-and-white labor of love devoted to the Bard that debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival.

“I find myself aping his rhythms and occasionally stealing his phrases, without even realizing it most of the time,” Whedon told Reuters in an interview on Monday.

“Shakespeare’s not afraid to go from high drama to low comedy in a heartbeat, and to ping-pong back and forth between them in a scene, which is something else that I took from him in my own work.”

Shot over 12 days in Whedon’s own house in Santa Monica, California, during a break from his work on “The Avengers,” “Much Ado About Nothing” features performers from Whedon’s past television series including “Buffy,” “Angel” and “Firefly.”

The movie originated from readings of Shakespeare Whedon and spouse Kai Cole would host at their home while his TV shows were still in production.

But it was Cole, also a producer on the film, who encouraged Whedon to use his time off from “The Avengers” to do a smaller project shot in black and white on digital cameras.

“There was times when I was, like, ‘This is a terrible idea. I’ve gone mad,’ but it’s always been the way with me … apparently that’s what I do for fun,” he said.

“I have a condition called workaholism that is very deadly, and useful,” he added.

While the film sticks closely to the text of the play, the characters wear modern clothes, drive cars and talk on cell phones. Scenes are shot in a child’s bedroom and a swimming pool, lending the project a do-it-yourself quality.

“People who are (Shakespeare fans) are going to see a pretty specific and occasionally radical take on it. But I hope everybody will realize it comes from a great love of a great text,” said Whedon.

The movie’s sight gags generated laughter at its debut screening in Toronto. And an early review in Variety called it “an inspired example of Shakespeare-on-a-shoestring.”

“It really is the classic romantic comedy. It’s the romantic comedy off of which all modern romantic comedy is built. So there is an in for people. I do not expect it to make $1.5 billion dollars,” he said, referring to the worldwide box office of “The Avengers.”

Whedon, 48, has agreed to write and direct an “Avengers” sequel for Walt Disney Co, expected to appear in May 2015. But the filmmaker said he could disclose few details about the highly anticipated movie.

“It’s still in the story stage. But I’ve been working on it pretty much from about an hour before I said, ‘Let’s make a deal.’ It just caught fire with me,” he said.

“We’re hard at work. We would like to be not as rushed as we were with the first one.”

The New York-born founder of his own production company, he might also direct the pilot for a TV series based on Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. espionage agency.

Other projects at various stages of development include a sequel to Internet musical “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” and a web series called “Wastelanders” he is writing with comics author Warren Ellis.

“Basically I have too much to do, but I can work with too much. Too much is O.K.,” he said.

source: interaksyon.com

Bianca King Says Career Decision Is Not About Money

MANILA, Philippines — TV host and director Bianca King said she has all the right reasons to remain a loyal Kapuso.

Reports have it that Bianca is being groomed as the network’s next big star. She is at the moment the female lead actress of the soon-to-end soap opera “Broken Vow” and “Luna Blanca,” GMA-7’s newest primetime series. With her contract expiring in one year, rumors have it that she might be eyeing transfer. But Bianca was quick to deny: “I have all the right reasons to stay with GMA-7. It is not a question of money. It’s a question of values and integrity also.”

She added that as a Kapuso actress, she was well taken care of with TV projects.

“Kahit siguro triple pa ang i-offer nila in the future. Siguro na lang kapag wala na akong projects. Pero kung patuloy ang ganito, that every show iba ang ginagawa ko, I have all the right reasons to stay,” stressed Bianca King whose career is managed by GMA Artist Center.

“From playing a rape victim or a battered wife, my role in ‘Luna Blanca’ is a stretch because I’m painted black. It’s also the first time that my character is bubbly and cheerful despite her looks,” she remarked.

Painted black also meant making sure her facial expressions are recognized amidst her dark skin. Confident with her acting from years of portraying various TV roles, Bianca challenges herself even more in “Luna Blanca” especially since she’ll be working with actress Heart Evangelista in a lot of scenes.

“I’m excited and honored to work with Heart Evangelista na lumaki akong pinapanood sa TV and when I was still in school. Sobrang surreal na makaka-eksena ko na siya for the first time,” Bianca remarked.

Bianca said that she and Heart will be having a harmonious working relationship. There won’t even be future issues about “sapawan” because for her, she’d rather focus on delivering what’s needed to make the show interesting and enticing to watch and the same is expected from Heart.

source: mb.com.ph

Woody Allen's film premiere rekindles 'Dolce Vita' Rome

ROME—US director Woody Allen on Friday premiered his latest film "To Rome With Love" in which he stars alongside Penelope Cruz, rekindling some "Dolce Vita" glamour from the movie heyday of the Eternal City.

"It's like no other city. It's extremely exotic!" Allen told reporters at a press conference in a luxury hotel in the Italian capital alongside fellow stars Alec Baldwin, Jesse Eisenberg and Oscar-winning comedian Roberto Benigni.

"I grew up on Italian cinema," said the famously neurotic New Yorker.

"It would have been impossible in the years that I grew up not to be influenced by the Italian movies that were coming out in New York," he said.

Asked why some of his most recent films like "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and "Midnight in Paris" always seem to be set in European cities he quipped: "I could not make films in some rural place or in the desert.

"These cities are very similar to New York in terms of energy and culture. It's easy to live in them and to find stories there."

A question about his breathless film-a-year record also elicited a half-joking response from the 76-year-old comedy legend.

"It's a great distraction... If I wasn't making a movie, I'd be sitting at home obsessing over how terrible life is," he said.

"To Rome With Love" is made up of four vignettes and producers characterized it as "a carefree comedy, a kaleidoscopic film."

Benigni, who shot to international fame with his bittersweet Holocaust comedy "Life is Beautiful", plays an ordinary man mistaken for a celebrity and chased by paparazzi as he goes about his daily life.

"It's so rare to have a film in Italy! It's like a lunar eclipse!" said the famously hyperbolic actor, who won three Oscars in 1999 and made an impression at the award ceremony by climbing over the seats to the stage.

"We have someone for which our century will be remembered," he said, defining Allen as "a unique cross between Ingmar Bergman and Groucho Marx."

Benigni hinted that the film, shot last year and distributed by flamboyant former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset company, reflected some of the atmosphere of scandal of the billionaire's last months in power.

"The film is set in the Italy of that time. We had our prime minister, we had the escorts, we had parties... Now we have penniless pensioners, rain and (Prime Minister Mario) Monti. The situation has really changed!"

In the film, Baldwin is a famous architect who bumps into a young man played by Jesse Eisenberg of "Social Network" fame and re-lives his youth.

Penelope Cruz plays a prostitute who spends the day with a young man with puritanical parents who is separated from his wife-to-be for a day.

At the press conference, Baldwin joked that he had mistakenly read the script and understood that he would be a character who gets to make love to Cruz in his hotel room. "I immediately said yes," he said.

Cruz said Allen had given her "a jewel of a character" and said the director was "peculiar" and "mesmerizing". "I always drive him crazy with a thousand questions. There is absolutely no bullshit in his personality."

Fans of Allen's films have seen signs of a creative revival for the master after his 1970s classics such as "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan" with "Match Point" in 2006–a dark thriller that marked an unusual departure from comedy.

Last year's "Midnight in Paris"–a homage to the Golden Age of the French capital–also won acclaim and box office success, as well as bagging the cult director his fourth Academy Award for best original screenplay.

Born Allen Konigsberg on December 1, 1935, to a family of second-generation Jewish immigrants in New York, Allen said he spent much of his Brooklyn childhood alone in his room, practicing magic tricks or playing the clarinet.

He was reportedly hired while only a teenager to write one-liners for well-known comedians of the day. He studied film at New York University but was kicked out for failing a course before going on to work as a stand-up comedian.

He wrote for television in the late 1950s and early 1960s before making his film debut in 1966 with "What's Up, Tiger Lily?". He has written and directed more than 40 films in a career spanning nearly half a century.

His homage to Rome also marks a return to the spotlight for the Italian capital, whose mix of ancient Roman ruins and Baroque facades provided the setting to film classics "Roman Holiday" (1953) and "La Dolce Vita" (1960).

Wearing a fisherman's hat and his trademark thick-framed glasses, Allen was seen filming last summer, including at the Spanish Steps -- the backdrop to a famous scene of "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.

Among other shooting locations were the Colosseum, Via del Corso and Via Veneto–the hub of Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" which famously coined the word "paparazzo" to describe celebrity-hunting photographers. —Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com