Entertaining Posts: 05/13/11

Friday, May 13, 2011

Sheen bitter, Cryer "jazzed" as Kutcher joins "Men"

LOS ANGELES | Fri May 13, 2011 8:41pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Ashton Kutcher is joining a revamped version of the top-rated TV comedy "Two and A Half Men", CBS said on Friday, ending months of disarray after the acrimonious firing of wayward star Charlie Sheen.

Kutcher, 33, the husband of actress Demi Moore, is joining the cast for the upcoming ninth season of the money-spinning show that is scheduled for broadcast in the fall of 2011.

Jon Cryer, the other principal male lead on the sitcom, said he was "jazzed" about the show returning and the addition of Kutcher.

Friday's statement from CBS did not say what role Kutcher would play but industry sources said he is not expected to be a direct replacement for Sheen's womanizing bachelor character.

"We are so lucky to have someone as talented, joyful and just plain remarkable as Ashton joining our family," Chuck Lorre, creator and executive producer of "Two and A Half Men" said in a statement.

"Two and A Half Men" is the most-watched comedy on U.S. television with about 15 million regular viewers and has been a lucrative source of advertising revenue for CBS, and syndication fees for its makers Warner Bros. Television.

Sheen, who was fired in March after weeks of erratic behavior and for publicly insulting producers, claimed bitterly on Friday that the show would flop without him.

"Kutcher is a sweetheart and a brilliant comedic performer ... Oh wait, so am I!", the actor said in a statement. "Enjoy the show America. Enjoy seeing a 2.0 in the demo every Monday, WB," Sheen added, referring to the coveted 18-49 age group of viewers.

Production on "Two and A Half Men" was shut down in February and March and the show's future was in doubt after producers made clear that Sheen had no chance of returning.

Friday's announcement came five days before CBS presents its 2011-12 program line-up to advertisers in New York.

Kutcher, 33, is best known for his role as a dim-witted stoner in "That '70s Show," and as the creator of "Punk'd".

He was last seen in the January romantic comedy movie "No Strings Attached" and has a 6.8 million Twitter following.

"I can't replace Charlie Sheen but I'm going to work my ass off to entertain the hell out of people!", Kutcher said in a statement.

Cryer, who played the uptight, divorced brother to Sheen's Charlie Harper, has been largely silent since his co-star's departure.

On Friday, Cryer expressed his "enormous gratitude to Charlie Sheen" and said he would miss him.

But he added in a statement; "I'm also looking forward to this new beginning. Ashton is an extraordinarily talented guy and his presence will be an asset to our show."

Some media reports suggested on Friday that Kutcher would get about $1 million per episode for "Men". But a source familiar with negotiations told Reuters that figure was "ridiculously high."

Sheen, 45, who has been in and out of drug rehab for the last 12 months, was the highest-paid actor on U.S. television, earning more than $1.2 million per episode.

Peter Roth, president of Warner Bros. Television, said Kutcher would bring a "new and distinctive comedic flavor" to the comedy, whose audience has traditionally been young males.

British actor Hugh Grant was reported earlier this week to have pulled out of talks citing "creative differences." Actors John Stamos, "Entourage" star Jeremy Piven, and Rob Lowe had also been rumored as possible additions.

Twitter was rife with comments about the addition of Kutcher. Eric Stangel, a writer on comedian David Letterman's TV show, suggested that Sheen should rename his current one-man U.S. tour "Torpedo of Unemployment".

(Editing by Christine Kearney)

Bob Dylan denies censorship of China shows

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES | Fri May 13, 2011 7:13pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rock legend Bob Dylan took to his website on Friday to dispute accusations he bowed to censorship for his first ever concerts in China last month.

Dylan was criticized by Western media and by Human Rights Watch for not performing some of his best-known protest songs on his China tour in April.

In a rare online posting, Dylan said Chinese authorities asked for the names of the songs he would play in their country.

Dylan said he sent Chinese officials his set lists from the previous three months of shows. He performed in Beijing on April 6 and Shanghai two days later.

"If there were any songs, verses or lines censored, nobody ever told me about it and we played all the songs that we intended to play," Dylan wrote in the post.

Media commentators cited the absence of songs "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and "Blowin' in the Wind" from Dylan's China set list as evidence that the counter-culture hero had caved to pressure.

Dylan, who turns 70 this month, said in his Web post that the audience in China, rather than clamoring for his 1960s material, "responded enthusiastically" to music from his last four or five albums.

In March, China's Culture Ministry said in a brief statement that an agreement to have Dylan sing in the country came with the proviso that he perform "the approved content."

China's censors have been sensitive in the past to subversive political content as well as references to sex, drugs and religion in songs by Western performers.

Dylan did open his China shows with his overtly Christian 1979 song "Gonna Change My Way of Thinking," from the period soon after Dylan, who was born Jewish, embraced Christianity for a number of years.

His China tour also included his hit songs "Like A Rolling Stone," "All Along the Watchtower" and "Forever Young."

Dylan, who is known as "Baobo Dilun" in China, said on his website that he sold 12,000 tickets for the Beijing show, out of a total of 13,000 seats available. He said that the rest of the tickets were given away to orphanages.

Dylan faced accusations of selling out after appearing in a 2004 Victoria's Secret commercial and for allowing a Canadian bank to use "The Times They Are A-Changin'" in a 1996 advertisement.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Jill Serjeant)

Comedian Colbert pursues possible Super PAC

WASHINGTON | Fri May 13, 2011 5:48pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Political satirist Steven Colbert filed initial documents on Friday that could be a step on the way to setting up a political action committee.

Colbert appeared at the Federal Election Commission with his lawyer shortly after 4:00 p.m. local time while as many as 300 of his supporters waited for him outside, according to an FEC spokeswoman.

The document submitted, an advisory opinion request, is a formal request for legal guidance on whether or not a particular course of action would violate laws regarding elections.

Within 60 days, the Commission should get back to the applicant with an answer.

If given the green light, Colbert could develop a PAC and raise money to be what he called on his show a political player in 2012.

Colbert's television efforts make pointed jabs at the structure of campaign financing, as well as directing satire at large media groups, prominent political pundits, and political interest organizations.

In October Colbert and fellow satirist Jon Stewart drew tens of thousands of people to a weekend event in Washington that was part variety show, part Halloween celebration and part political rally to call for common sense before the November congressional elections.

(Reporting by Wendell Marsh; Editing by Jerry Norton)

Cannes Q&A: "Pirates" director Rob Marshall

By Gregg Kilday

Fri May 13, 2011 3:58pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Having established his directing bona fides with screen adaptations of the musicals "Chicago" and "Nine," Rob Marshall steps into the action arena for the first time with Disney's big-budget summer sequel "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." He spoke to THR about the film prior to its Cannes premiere on Saturday.

The Hollywood Reporter: What was your first reaction when you got the call to directed the latest installment of "Pirates?"

Rob Marshall: I was thrilled, because I'd always wanted to work with Johnny. We had mutual friends in common, and people had said to me, you'd be a wonderful team together, you'd really enjoy each other. Secretively, I've always been interested in adventure, action, something for the family. As a director, you want to constantly change it up, you want to have variety in your career and not do the same thing over and over again. So I was excited about the idea of doing a different kind of genre.

THR: "Pirates" is an established franchise. Did you have any concerns about how much creative input you'd be able to have?

Marshall: The most important thing for me was to take a look at the script. I saw how I could have my entrance into this world, because the script was a completely new story with so many new characters that I felt it was the beginning of a whole new storyline and a whole new beginning for pirates. That gave me a great deal of relief that I could find my way into the material.

THR: Both Johnny and producer Jerry Bruckheimer are strong personalities. How did you all negotiate your roles?

Marshall: They were incredibly welcoming, and that was another reason why I was excited to do it as well. They weren't looking to replicate what they had done before. They were looking for new blood, a sort of new take on things. They were excited to hear what I had to say. I never ever heard the words, 'Well, we've done it this way.' Ever.

THR: You were responsible for bringing Penelope Cruz on board?

Marshall: I did, although the moment I mentioned her name to Johnny and Jerry, they said absolutely. Johnny loved working with her on a movie called "Blow" years ago. It was pretty clear this character needed to be formidable. We needed to find an actress who could not only go toe to toe with Johnny and match him, but also needed to be all the things that Jack Sparrow is in a way. She needed to be funny and clever and smart and crafty and beautiful. It was an enormous bill to fill. It was really clear that it was Penelope. She's looking for variety in her career, too, and she'd never done anything like this before on this scale, so she was very excited to do it.

THR: How did you prepare for handling such a big production?

Marshall: The focus for me all through pre-production was all about story and character. I really wanted to make sure that that was the center of it all, because you can get lost in a picture like this, with all the other things.

THR: Coming from a background in choreography, did that help you mount the action pieces?

Marshall: I felt very at home doing action. Choreography and action are very similar. Through physicalization, through something active, you're trying to tell a story and also develop character. In addition to handling all sorts of things like movement and large numbers of people, the action sequences felt like big production numbers.

THR: Johnny himself almost dances his way through the role in the previous movies.

Marshall: I always say, 'Johnny, you're a major dancer, like Fred Astaire,' and he says 'You're crazy.' But I mean it, he's one of the greatest dancers I have ever worked with.

THR: How'd you find working in 3D?

Marshall: I did a little class over at Sony. I needed to distill it down to something simple for myself. It's complicated, but I grasped the basic elements and, of course, you learn as you go. I'm from the school where I don't feel every movie should be 3D, but I think there are certain movies that lend themselves to it and this did, because you are on an adventure and with the 3D experience you are inside that adventure. We were pioneers in a sense. We were the first live-action film to bring these delicate cameras, all these rigs and things, into these remote locations. Normally, 3D films of this scale are shot on stage or shot in 2D and then converted. But we brought the 3D equipment into jungles and caves and waterfalls. I still can't decide if we were insane or pioneers. But we did it and I'm proud of that fact, because you feel it, it feels like real 3D It's not cheesy 3D.

(Editing by Zorianna Kit)

Marlee Matlin selling home after being hit with tax bill

LOS ANGELES | Fri May 13, 2011 9:33am EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Marlee Matlin says she is selling her Los Angeles-area house and taking her four children out of private school to ease a cash crunch that has left her owing $50,000 in back taxes.

Matlin, 45, told People magazine that she was working out a payment schedule with the Internal Revenue Service to settle her tax bill from the 2009 fiscal year.

She said she and her husband, a police officer in the Los Angeles municipality of Burbank, "have always made ends meet in the past -- and we will in this circumstance as well." Her spokeswoman confirmed the details of the news report.

In this case, the couple are seeking $899,000 for their modest, five-bedroom, 2,600-square-feet (243-square-meter) home in the suburb of Pasadena, according to a Reuters search of public records.

Matlin told People that the family planned to move to a suburb with a good public school. As a middle-class working actor without a steady paycheck, Matlin said she and her family do not live an extravagant lifestyle.

Nor did her tax woes mean she was "a bad person," she told People. "It's reality. It's the reality that a lot of people in America are facing."

Matlin, perhaps the best known deaf actress in Hollywood, is a contestant in the current season of "Celebrity Apprentice."

She won an Academy Award in 1987 for her lead role in "Children of a Lesser God," and made Emmy-nominated guest appearances in episodes of "Seinfeld," "Picket Fences" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Jill Serjeant)

Diana death documentary maker under fire in Cannes

By Mike Collett-White

CANNES, France | Fri May 13, 2011 10:33am EDT

CANNES, France (Reuters) - Director Keith Allen on Friday defended his film about Princess Diana's death, amid accusations that it was a one-sided attack on what he called the British "establishment" and entirely funded by Mohamed al-Fayed.

The businessman, whose son Dodi died with Diana in a 1997 Paris car crash, has long maintained that the couple was killed on the orders of Queen Elizabeth's husband, Prince Philip, believing the royal family did not want Diana marrying a Muslim.

At a sometimes heated press conference in Cannes, where Allen is launching "Unlawful Killing" outside the official film festival, he described the documentary as "forensic," a description some attendees questioned.

The film focuses partly on the 2007/8 inquest into Diana's death and argues the British press failed to properly reflect its findings due to indirect pressure from the royal family. "I thought it was important that the public got to understand in a forensic manner what was happening in this inquest," Allen, best known as a British television actor, told reporters in Cannes.

"I didn't want to make a sensationalist film, I don't think it is a sensationalist film. I think it is a very forensic analysis of a British legal process and I think it reveals certain things that ... don't add up.

"I believe that they should be questioned. That's why I made the film. I hope it shows people that nothing is at it seems."

Allen was directly criticized by one journalist for failing to make clear that the film was entirely funded by Fayed to the tune of 2.5 million pounds ($4.1 million), a figure provided by a man claiming to be Fayed's representative.

Fayed was not in Cannes to present the film.

"He put money in because nobody else would," Allen said. "If I could have got it somewhere else I would have got it somewhere else. But I didn't, I got it off him."

Investigations by French and British police have concluded the deaths of Diana and Dodi were a tragic accident caused by a speeding chauffeur, who was found to be drunk. They have both rejected Fayed's theories.

NOT MUCH NEW

Asked what was new in Unlawful Killing, Allen added: "I don't believe that there is too much that is new.

"There's an old saying in our country which is the best kept secrets are on the bookshelves of the British Library. They're all there if you care to go and look for them.

"This is not an attack on the monarchy. It's actually questioning the role of the establishment and in so doing it will make it clear that there are connections between the royal House of Windsor and the establishment."

The documentary includes a photograph of Diana dying after the car crash, an element which the British press focused on in recent days, although Allen played it down.

"As I said when I presented the film, there won't be a sharp intake of breath when you see the photograph of Princess Di. It's nowhere near as sensational or revealing as people made it out to be."

Allen was still not sure whether the documentary would be shown in Britain due to legal issues.

"When you want to screen a film in England, you have to have insurance, and the only way that you can get insurance is if it's lawyer-approved. I could get lawyer approval if I'd made 87 cuts which I wasn't prepared to make."

One early review was damning. "Princess Diana film Unlawful Killing is just unlawfully dull," wrote Baz Bamigboye, albeit in the Daily Mail, deemed an "establishment" newspaper.

(Editing by Steve Addison)