Joaquin Phoenix is still acting fairly wacky these days (the term industry insiders are not using). The reclusive, bearded, former-actor who shunned Hollywood has become the subject of his own documentary entitled, “I’m Still Here” (directed by Casey Affleck). However, he didn’t even show for the world premiere at the Venice Film Festival today. (No word on if it was in honor of Labor Day.)
That’s a pity, since Phoenix, the brooding, respected, totally serioso actor in Walk the Line and Gladiator, has been a gossip-writer’s dream subject for two years now — from Oct. 2008, when he announced he was renouncing movies to be a rap artist, through his infamous gig Feb. 11, 2009, on The Late Show With David Letterman, when the star showed up in his fat bearded-guy look and glazed, incoherent persona, cuing Letterman to ask, “What can you tell us about your days with the Unabomber?” and to cap the interview with “Joaquin. I’m sorry you couldn’t be here tonight.”
Still AWOL at the world premiere of his movie — which plays the Toronto Film Festival Friday, the same day it opens in Los Angeles, before a limited run in other cities — Phoenix left plenty of questions unanswered. Like: Is this movie for real? Many industry sages believe the whole thing is an elaborate hoax: pulling a Garbo at age 33, declaring he was going to excel in a new field he was unprepared for, sitting for a feature-length portrait, warts and all (in fact, nothing but warts), by Affleck, his sister Summer’s husband. Tired of having to interpret other people’s scripts when he possesses the soul of a creative artist, Phoenix says plaintively, “I don’t wanna play the character of Joaquin any more.” Yet he is fully aware of the paradox that an ex-actor is the subject of a movie: “My life is becoming a film about me not wanting to make a film.”
Truly unbelievable. Even director Casey Affleck admits that audiences will be confused. Huh?
Even director Casey Affleck admit that audiences will be confused. What?
Aaron Sorkin has been named to direct the John Edwards film, based on the book, “The Politician: An Insider’s Account of John Edwards’s Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down.”
Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has acquired the rights to the Andrew Young book about former presidential candidate John Edwards, “The Politician: An Insider’s Account of John Edwards’s Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down.”
A TV and film mainstay, Sorkin will make his feature directorial debut with the project, which he will also write and produce.
Young first volunteered for the Edwards Senate campaign in 1998 and eventually became one of the North Carolina pol’s most trusted confidants. During the 2008 presidential primary, Edwards began making unethical demands of Young relating to the candidate’s mistress and her child with him.
Should be an interesting film. I wonder if Aaron Sorkin will go easy on him since he supported the WGA writer’s strike… Probably not.
Welcome back to Around the Creative World. Hopefully you’ve settled down after NBA Free Agency 2010, World Cup Soccer 2010 and the wide range of amazing summer movies.
Here are links from the worlds of entertainment, media, advertising, marketing, tech and more…
Eminem is Not Afraid to hold the top Billboard spot for the third straight week with his album, “Recovery.” (Get it? This is clever journalism at it’s finest.)
Tom Cruise is returning for Mission Impossible 4. (I only mention this because, remember when he was crazy? Wow. What a recovery. America loves a comeback…if you are famous.)
California lawmakers are considering putting flashing ads on license plates, doctors are urging the Coliseum not to hold another rave, and the Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles beat the San Francisco Giants last night.
That’s what’s going on around Los Angeles, home of recruiting/staffing agency Eleventh Hour. Here’s what’s going on around the “creative world”:
Toy Story 3won the weekend box office for the second consecutive weekend (by the way, THR dubs this second consecutive weekend a “sophomore session,” just in case you need an unnecessary way of saying it).
Branded entertainment is set to increase, according to ADWEEK. I guess it’s better than advertisements on license plates.
FIFA actually feels bad about some of the horrible mistakes made by referees during the 2010 World Cup. They are going to consider using video technology. (Technology: 1 – Stubbornness: 0)
We are halfway through June–about two and half weeks from the fourth of July. What do you do? What do you do? Summer is here. It is going somewhere. You better seize the moment. (Or maybe this is just what I’m telling myself right now.) Either way, enjoy these links from around the creative world, check out Marina del Rey-based Eleventh Hour, and then go outside and do something.
Karate Kidwon a, quite frankly, really weak box office this weekend, grossing $55.7 million.
Two different studios are trying to talk Peter Jackson into directing “The Hobbit” films. At this point, it seems that we can expect these films in 2020.
Best Buy has released a mobile app that works in conjunction with the new 3D film Despicable Me to translate the speech of the “minion” characters in the film. I don’t know what the minion characters are, but it sounds cool.
Mello Yello is back with a retro logo. (I didn’t know it was still around either.)
Bud Light has crammed 32 fans (one from each country competing in the World Cup) into a house and “eliminating” them from the house when their team is eliminated. Should be interesting. Hopefully they checked criminal records.
That’s what’s going on in Los Angeles, home of boutique recruiting/staffing agency Eleventh Hour, but here’s what’s going on around the “creative world”:
Shrekwon the weekend box office. (But, apparently, that’s not saying much.)
24finished it’s run last night, apparently on the low side of the ratings. (But, apparently, that’s saying much.)
New Facebook privacy controls arrive tomorrow. Are you ready? I’m sure you are. Not that you are looking forward to them, but I’m sure you are ready. Facebook makes functional changes seemingly weekly.
Brian Laesch is an independent blogger for the Marina del Rey-based boutique recruiting/staffing agency Eleventh Hour.
Happy Quatro de Mayo. What’s going on in LA—home of recruiting/staffing agency Eleventh Hour? Well, tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, a tranquilized 200-pound black bear got stuck in a tree in Oxnard, and Twilight: Eclipsewill premiere at the L.A. Film Festival this summer. That’s what’s going in Los Angeles—home to recruiting/staffing agency Eleventh Hour—but here’s what’s going on around the “creative world.” (Did that last line make you think to yourself, “this writer is Cronkite-esque?” No? OK.)
A Nightmare on Elm Streetwon the weekend domestic box office with $32.9 million. You could say (wait for it) that audiences didn’t sleep on it. (Hey-oh.)
Jimmy Fallon has been named host of the Emmy’s, airing on NBC in August. Um, that’s like, so. Haha. That’s like so. Haha. Yeah. Have you seen the new iPad? Hit it, Roots! OK, that’s our show!
Anheuser-Busch has outbid MillerCoors to be the official beer of the NFL. Of course, what this really means is that the end of the “press conference” commercials is, sadly, imminent.
Have you heard the new Gatorade jingle? Yes, it’s a jingle, and not an old song pulled from obscurity. Kind of hard to believe. And you can even download it for free.
The Lakers try to recover against the Thunder at home tonight (series tied 2-2), Jason Alexander unfortunately hit a 14 year old biker this morning, and former LAPD Chief Daryl F. Gates’ funeral took place today at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
That’s what’s going on in the home city of Eleventh Hour, Los Angeles, but here’s what’s going on in the “creative world.”
Variety Online has implemented a pay wall and their traffic has suffered…including me. I was about to link to their Domestic Box Office chart to show that How to Train Your Dragon. Unfortunately, I have used up my five free views and couldn’t view the site. Looks like I’ll go…anywhere else to view this information.
Are you ready for a third installment of “The Ring,” in 3D? I’m not…but I have a feeling younger general audiences will be.
Santa Clara County is trying to ban toys from McDonald’s Happy Meals so kids don’t want them and won’t get as fat. I think we should also outlaw little kids from having pets, to cut down on the potential spread of rabies if said pet gets loose and becomes infected. Also, I think county fairs should remove all rides so that kids won’t be tempted to attend them with friends and eat the fattening food there. And don’t get me started on kids being allowed to have fun in general. I can go on all day about how this debt older generations are putting on them will actually be their fault, because they didn’t get a job at age 4 and work hard enough to dig themselves out of “their” hole.
“Now that Anthony Mackey has settled down, let me say that…”
Welcome to the post-Oscars edition of “Around the Creative World.” I thought Steve Martin would make some sort of joke regarding our massively popular, Los Angeles-based blog…but I guess not. That hurts. Not as much as a locker hurts…but still, it’s a Bigelow…I mean, a big blow, to our psyche.
OK, we are over it.
The Steve Martin/Alec Baldwin-hosted 82nd Oscars attracted 41 million viewers–the most since 2005.
The Hurt Locker, a film that grossed $20 million, beat out Avatar, a film that grossed the entire U.S. GDP (seemingly), for Best Picture. But did blog buzz predict its win?
I did not attend any Oscar parties. (I know. It is big news.)
Today is Monday, February 22nd, 2010. It’s hard to believe there is less than a week left in the shortest month of the year, but there is. Spring is right around the corner, but my mind is already on summer. What a drag it is getting old. (I hope I don’t have to pay a royalty fee for that last sentence.)
