http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003109.html
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003109.html?categoryid=1019&cs=1
Senator Distribution apparently wants you to forget about "The Informers."
The pic posted such low opening weekend estimates -- $315,000 at 484 playdates, for a dismal $654 per-location average -- that Senator, apparently embarrassed, failed to report the actual numbers the following Monday, nor for the next three days.
Pic seemed to have plenty of star power -- Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke, Winona Ryder and Billy Bob Thornton topline -- and cachet -- it's based on a Bret Easton Ellis story -- but reviews at Sundance were brutal.
"Every festival needs a designated disaster, a much-anticipated flick that fails on many levels at once, and 'Informers,' which presents early AIDS-era Los Angeles as a featureless landscape of narcissism and debauchery, fills the bill for Sundance," wrote Salon.
Still, Senator -- launched last fall by Marco Weber two years after
he started Senator's
Weber and company are no doubt hoping for better luck with their next pics, "Fireflies in the Garden," starring Julia Roberts, and "Brooklyn's Finest," starring Don Cheadle and Richard Gere.
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By the time a drunken Dan White (Josh Brolin) greets -- and confronts -- fellow supervisor Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) outside Milk's crowded birthday party in City Hall, the straight-laced former cop has already tipped unsuspecting audience members he's tightly wound and has a single-minded focus that borders on explosive. That's one reason the intense scene jars all the more: It graphically brings home the awareness that White is coming unglued and foreshadows what other viewers know before coming to the theater: that this is Milk's eventual killer. In the space of that one riveting foyer moment, Brolin portrays White's struggles with acceptance, possible sexuality confusion and other hidden demons, while Penn essays a suddenly unnerved Milk, hinting at the tragedy that even the flamboyant camera store owner suspects is in the offing.
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http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991611.html?categoryID=&cs=1
It's a blessing -- and a curse, as Adrian Monk would say: 100 episodes on any series is worth a celebration, but to have gone all those hours in a tight-fitting suit (but no tie) while suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder and an ever-growing array of phobias -- and to realize there's no end in sight to it all -- could drive an actor to commit a heinous crime.
Fortunately, Monk is in the business of solving such crimes -- and the way to keep Tony Shalhoub in that suit has been to complicate and develop the character he plays within its very specific limits.
"Because of what the writers have given us ... it really is ever changing, ever evolving," Shalhoub says. "I feel like I'm in a constant state of discovery with this character.
"We don't really have a sort of a set show bible," Shalhoub adds. "There are certain general rules, but one of our rules is that it's OK to break our own rules. And the reason we're comfortable doing that is because we want Monk to be a somewhat real, well-rounded character."
That might come as a surprise to fans of the show, who expect the detective to always be conflicted and afflicted, both humorously and morosely.
But Shalhoub should know. Although he wasn't the one who dreamed up the character, Shalhoub certainly has made Monk his own, everything from the unique hand-gestures-as-crime-scene-divining-rods he invented to the ritualistic jerkiness and twitching of his head and shoulders.
And as one of the five executive producers, the star has a direct hand in the pacing and tone of each show, spending "a lot" of time in the editing bay as well as in selecting guest stars.
But you don't gain three Emmys and six noms (yes, he's up for another statuette) with mere stunt casting and goofy shtick. So what's the trick to consistently pulling off the seemingly dicey feat of blending pathos and humor, sadness and slapstick, melancholy and merriment, all in the space of an hour, all the while keeping Monk both human and, in Shalhoub's words, "a sort of tragic clown"?
The secret is: There is no secret. "It's a leap of faith," he says. "You don't really know, you can never be 100% certain."
In fact, the Tony-nominated thesp pooh-poohs methodology: "The truth is, when actors want to talk about technique, it drives me crazy! I get really upset, because it all depends on the project, the director, the material."
That said, Shalhoub, a classically trained actor with a master's degree from Yale, credits his formal training and 10 years in professional stage productions with helping him prepare for a career in film and TV -- and especially to play the most unlikely of TV protagonists. "Even in (Shakespearean tragedies), there's always a clown," he notes, adding that early in his schooling and career, "I always looked for the joke in the drama, the funny part. In a comedy, I always looked for the drama."
That balancing act has allowed Shalhoub to nurture a character who, in others' hands, might have easily fallen into caricature or parody.
As for reaching the 100-episode milestone, "It's a reassurance, a validation, that hard work and persistence and bringing dedication to a project pays off," Shalhoub says, crediting the cast, crew and creatives.
And to top it off, 100 qualifies as Monk's favorite number: It's even.
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http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991603.html?categoryID=&cs=1
You might think mental health professionals would take exception to "Monk's" use of phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) for comic fodder, but you'd be wrong.
The Anxiety Disorders Assn. of America "has always supported and appreciated the efforts of the producers of 'Monk,' because they have increased awareness of obsessive-compulsive disorder," ADAA prexy-CEO Jerilyn Ross says.
"Even as a comedy, the show demystifies this mental illness respectfully and makes people aware of what someone suffering from OCD experiences. It also lets people know that if they have OCD, they are not alone and they can get help."
"Monk" co-creator David Hoberman, who has dealt with his own OCD and phobias, serves on ADAA's board and has received a Voice Award, co-sponsored by the American Psychiatric Foundation, for his and the show's efforts. The ADAA even had Hoberman, "Monk" star Tony Shalhoub and actor/emcee/ comic Howie Mandel make PSAs for OCD awareness this past spring.
Professional support for the show dates back to its beginning, when then-exec director Patricia Perkins of the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation said, "It's very funny. I have OCD, and that's my sense of humor."
Perkins said when she surveyed others with the disorder that "some quibbled, but overall, they were thinking, ‘He's such an adorable character.' " And she noted his OCD was "integral to him being a great detective."
Hoberman goes further, calling Monk "a hero with a mental disorder" who is something of a role model in that the main character is able to catch a criminal in each show while dealing with disabilities.
Shalhoub says he gets letters from OCD sufferers thanking the show for letting them laugh at themselves and for humanizing the condition. "So I feel we've treated the disorder in a sensitive way," the star says. "We've mined a lot of comedy out of it, but I don't think we've exploited it."
And Hoberman notes: "The show is pointing out that ... we all stand in the way of ourselves (and) that people with mental disorders can get help."
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http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991856.html?categoryID=&cs=1
A sea of brown patterned jackets and pants line a cage
inside a clothing storage area just off Stage 2 at
"I'm subtly trying to take (Monk) into different browns," she explains. "... Pretty pathetic, huh?"
If clothing makes the man, or rather the character, then Monk's suits say it all: conservative, buttoned-down, hermetic, even claustrophobic. (Just don't call the clothing "bland" or "drab," however; Monk's doppelganger, Tony Shalhoub, winces at the words.)
The clothing is even tighter, heavier and more confining than one would expect. And narrower: ''I shave all his collars,'' Meltzer points out, displaying a typically narrowed lapel on a herringbone tweed.
''He was born an old man,'' Meltzer explains about the character, ''so he dresses like an old man. ... Even in flashbacks as a boy, he dresses like an old man.''
And in case you think Monk wears the same jacket every show, think again: Meltzer presupposes the question and immediately answers: ''There are well over 50 jackets ... (and) it's getting harder to find them'' in the stores -- even thrift stores. ''It's a real challenge.'' So she's taken to making them herself.
Insistently out of step with what's fashionable, Monk also doesn't wear linens (too ''light'' and thus casual -- as in comfortable, and Monk is anything but comfortable in his own skin), so for now Meltzer sticks with silk-cotton blends (she would dress him in wool, but Shalhoub would overheat), all his coats have been taken in (but aren't tapered) to give him a hunched, tightened look, and all the coats have three buttons which are always buttoned up -- most men's jackets these days have only two buttons, one of which is often left unbuttoned. The coat drapes, or rather traps, patterned shirts that are also buttoned all the way up.
But no tie: There are several reasons for this. Meltzer explains it would make him conform too much with what almost-always-dapper Capt. Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) and ever-increasingly-hip Lt. Randy Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) wear, and a tie would also make Monk look too much a part of civilization and other cops at police headquarters.
Shalhoub offers two additional explanations: 1) germs: Ties rarely get washed, and Monk would have a fit about that; and 2) the knot: As an obsessive compulsive who also has a phobia about things not being exactly symmetrical, Monk would forever be in front of the mirror tying to tie his tie just right and would never get out of the house.
(Besides Stottlemeyer and Disher, Natalie (Traylor Howard) also lends the show some semblance of modernity: She now wears top-of-the-line attire -- Mephisto, Neiman Marcus, ''top, top, I mean TOP,'' Meltzer emphasizes -- after it was revealed Natalie's parents are rich; in the beginning, she was to be dressed as a would-be free-spirited hippie.)
And besides the palette of browns and tans that Meltzer and Shalhoub arrived
at, there's one other restriction: no raincoats. Even though the show's
scripted location is foggy, often frigid and drizzly
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http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117956100.html?categoryID=&cs=1
This article was updated on
Police confirmed Tuesday that the deaths of Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated makeup artist Hallie D'Amore and her photographer husband, Richard D'Amore, were the result of murder-suicide.
Their bodies were found Friday in their Venice, Calif., home after Hallie D'Amore failed to show up at work and a person went out to check on her, according to LAPD Det. Michael DePasquale, who added that authorities figure the pair had been deceased a full day before that.
According to DePasquale, it appears Hallie D'Amore, 64, shot Richard D'Amore, 66, in bed and then took her own life. The detective said she had left a two-page note for survivors and that the shootings were apparently prompted by "domestic discord." He added that the investigation will be wrapped up "in a day or two."
Hallie D'Amore, who most recently worked on the upcoming film "Wild
Hogs" and U.K. TV series "Women in Law," was Oscar nominated in
1995 for her work with Daniel C. Striepeke and Judith A. Cory on "Forrest
Gump." She won an Emmy for "
Her nearly 50 other credits include "Havoc," "Christmas With the Kranks," "The Princess Diaries" and "The Princess Diaries 2," "2 Fast 2 Furious," "XXX" and "XXX: State of the Union," "Dr. T and the Women," "Runaway Bride," "Patch Adams" and "Apollo 13."
Richard D'Amore was a renowned photographer whose works are in a number of
stars' collections and have appeared in various publications as well as
galleries and exhibitions in the
Survivors include two daughters, Lissa Colantoni and Julee [cq] Bramson; their spouses; and four grandchildren.
Services will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday Jan. 6 (this is a change from the previously announced date) at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills.
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http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117956038.html?categoryID=&cs=1
Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated makeup artist Hallie
D'Amore and her photographer husband Richard D'Amore were found dead Friday in
their
Hallie D'Amore was nominated in 1995 for her work with Daniel C. Striepeke
and Judith A. Cory on "Forrest Gump." She won Emmys for "
Her nearly 50 other credits include "Havoc," "Christmas With the Kranks," "The Princess Diaries" and "The Princess Diaries 2," "2 Fast 2 Furious," "XXX" and "XXX: State of the Union," "Dr. T and the Women," "Runaway Bride," "Patch Adams," and "Apollo 13."
Richard D'Amore was a renowned photographer whose works are in a number of stars' collections as well as various galleries and publications.
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Cyd Charisse:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987611.html?categoryID=&cs=1
Dancer and movie star Cyd Charisse died of cardiac arrest
Tuesday at
Though only 5-foot-6, the Amarillo, Texas, native was famous for her long legs and her beauty, and is perhaps best known for her onscreen pairings with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, including roles in "The Band Wagon," (1953), in which she performed the acclaimed routines "Dancing in the Dark" and "Girl Hunt Ballet" with Astaire, and "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), which featured her classic "Broadway Melody" showstopper opposite Kelly.
Charisse (born Tula Ellice Finklea) studied ballet in
She first appeared with Astaire in a brief routine in “Ziegfeld Follies” (released in 1946) and reunited with him in 1957’s “Silk Stockings,” the musical version of “Ninotchka,” in which she took on the part originally played by Greta Garbo.
Besides “Singin’ in the Rain,” she paired with Kelly in 1954’s “Brigadoon” and his 1956 pic “It’s Always Fair Weather.”
She continued to appear in film and TV productions from the 1960s through to the 1990s and made her Broadway debut at 70 in the musical “Grand Hotel,” coincidentally again in a production that included Garbo in the original film version.
Last July she lensed “Back to the
Charisse wrote a joint biography with her husband, singer Tony Martin, and Dick Kleiner titled "The Two of Us" (1976) and was especially proud of two awards: She (along with Maurice Bejart) was specially honored at the first Nijinsky Awards in Monaco in 2001, and she was presented with the National Medal of the Arts and Humanities by President George W. Bush in 2006.
Charisse also produced the exercise video "Easy Energy Shape Up," targeted at active senior citizens.
Besides her husband of 60 years, she is survived by two sons, a grandson and a granddaughter.
Services will be held 3 p.m. Sunday at
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Les Crane:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117988940.html?categoryID=&cs=1
Former talkshow host and Grammy winner Les Crane, the first
to challenge latenight king Johnny Carson, died Sunday of natural causes at
NYC native and
The Air Force vet began his radio career in
Casey Kasem credits Crane along with John Barrett with founding what becane the "American Top 40" at KRLA. He has also been credited with naming the group the Mamas and the Papas.
Crane moved to the smallscreen as host of talkshows on ABC, most notably "The Les Crane Show" (later "ABC's Nightlife") in 1964-65, where some of his exclusive guests included the Rolling Stones on their first American TV appearance, Bob Dylan, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Robert F. Kennedy. He was also the first television host to interview an openly gay person, Randy Wicker.
His brief acting career includes 1966 film "An American Dream," and he is mentioned in that year's Phil Ochs song "Love Me, I'm a Liberal."
But unique among performers, he stepped away from the cameras and entered the software industry as chairman of the Software Toolworks. Under his leadership, Toolworks produced such computer gaming as Chessmaster 2000, the Original Adventure and the PC version of Pong as well as teaching tools.
He was married for five years to actress Tina Louise, and their daughter Caprice Crane became an author as well as TV and film writer-producer. Besides his daughter, he is survived by his wife of 20 years, Ginger Crane.
Services are expected to be private.
Memorial donations can be made to agencies attempting to
resolve the crisis in