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James Bond finds 'Solace' a bit Chile

nobody@vox.com(Kathrina Malik) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 01:02:33 -0700

ANTOFAGASTA, Chile - After getting the bad end of his own ax in a fight, a bloodied villain limps alone in a stark desert. Mathieu Amalric stumbles to the red, rocky ground. "CUT!" rings loudly from the set of the 22nd James Bond film.Picking up an hour after "Casino Royale" left off, "Quantum of Solace" is the spy franchise's first direct sequel. Filming began in January and has taken the crew from Britain to Panama to this moonlike landscape in northern Chile, which is standing in for Bolivia.It's a place that director Marc Forster said evokes Bond's "isolation and loneliness.""He is an assassin, he is a secret agent, and that reflects a certain lifestyle, which is lonely," said Forster.Indeed, the big news on the set is that one of the two Bond girls, Olga Kurylenko, doesn't get in even a single kiss with star Daniel Craig. ("Why would I be disappointed?" Kurylenko insisted. "I'm just doing my work.")The question is: Do audiences want an emo Bond?Craig says not to worry too much."We're not making a kitchen sink drama here. We are making a Bond movie," he said. "What Marc wanted and the producers and what I wanted is to bring back a visual flair to the movie, so that every frame in every shot that we see is beautiful. And there may be things exploding, but they're good to look at."Still, Forster, the youngest-ever Bond director at 39, was hired on by longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson because of his emotionally intense films like "Monster's Ball" and "The Kite Runner."Despite the heightened realism of the last Bond film, not to mention its commercial success (over $500 million worldwide), the German-born Swiss director was wary of joining the bombastic franchise.Forster negotiated with producers to ensure he had as much creative control as possible on the $200 million-plus production. Nevertheless, he's still squeezed into the "framework of Bond.""But I like it because you feel like it can make you very creative," he said. "And a lot of interesting things come out of that. Because, if you look at filmmakers that worked under politically repressive regimes, (they) made sometimes really interesting movies."Filming is about halfway done on "Quantum," which is the name of the organization Bond is going up against. Craig said the emotional tone is lighter than "Casino Royale," in which Bond's lover Vesper Lynd betrayed him and then died but only a smidgen so."It's kind of Bond's journey into, at first we think it's vengeance, but it goes somewhere else," Craig said. "They've killed the love of his life, this organization, and we don't know who this organization are, and he needs to find out who they are. And it's for personal reasons but also professional reasons."Craig said that aside from some communications equipment, "Quantum" puts little emphasis on gee-whiz electronics."The Aston Martin's there, and that's still the best gadget we have," he said.During reporters' visit to the set, Forster was filming the climax. Offices and a lodge underneath one of the world's largest telescopes at Paranal Observatory acted as an eco-hotel, used by the villain. Back in London, it would be re-created in order to be blown up, Broccoli said.Craig fired into the skylight above the offices, and Kurylenko's character Camille ran separately off the roof of the building, flipping into a balcony. Amalric, playing the villain Dominic Greene, roamed the set in post-Bond fight makeup, bloodied and bruised on his cheeks. A French director and actor known internationally for his star turn in "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," Amalric was allowed no shortcuts to villaindom. "No scars, no eye that bleeds, no metal jaw," he said. "I tried everything to have something to help me. I said to Marc: No nothing? A beard? 'No.' Can I shave my hair? 'No. Just your face.'" Craig, muscles flexing under a dark polo shirt, said he was exercising more than he had on the "Casino Royale" set, to avoid injuries when doing his own stunts. He laughingly steered conversation away from health concerns. "It's just not very Bond-like," he said. "Bond should be able to do ten press-ups, then smoke 60 cigarettes, and then drink a bottle of something and pop a pill, I think." Kurylenko, a 28-year-old Ukranian-born model-actress with few films to her credit, said her character also has "a masculine spirit." "When she meets Bond, it clashes," she said. "She's careful and she doesn't trust that easily. So basically with men, she either uses them, or if they're no use, and she sees that they can't serve her, then she throws them away." There have been several noteworthy confrontations around on the Bond production so far. In Panama, riots near the set forced a shift in schedule. And in Chile, a local mayor interrupted production claiming producers didn't get his permission. National media has reported on Chileans' disappointment in not seeing more of Craig during his stay in their country. And in a separate controversy, Chile-as-Bolivia has not been a popular choice, either: Hurt feelings remain between the South American neighbors over an 1879-84 war in which Chile took Bolivia's Pacific coastline. The two have not had diplomatic relations since 1978. "We knew there was a war 100 years ago, but we didn't know it was still an issue," Wilson said. Next, the eternal question: What's next for Bond? Wilson said he expected Bond production to pause for at least a year following "Quantum of Solace." "I need a break for a little while," he said. Forster said he won't be back for Bond 23. "If I would ever do a big movie again in that size," he said, "it has to be my own franchise, which I would create from scratch, which I would cast, create the look and really create the franchise on my own." And Craig, who turned 40 while filming in Panama, said he'd keep playing Bond so long as the quality remains high. "I want them to stand alone and be good films," he said. "As long as that continues, then we'll keep making them. And if it doesn't, then we'll stop."Source: AP

http://www.celebs101.com/celebritygossips-3233-James+Bond+finds+'Solace'+a+bit+Chile.html

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DiCaprio buys 'green' NYC condo

nobody@vox.com(Kathrina Malik) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 02:20:01 -0700

NEW YORK - Every time he comes home, Leonardo DiCaprio is practicing what he preaches. The environmentally conscious actor has bought an apartment in Riverhouse, an eco-friendly building overlooking the Hudson River.The purchase was confirmed on Friday by Christopher Daly, president of Sheldrake Organization, the developer of the Battery Park City complex. Occupancy is slated for this summer.The 264-unit condominium glass tower overlooks the river and a park, and boasts low emission paints, a 24-hour fresh filtered air system, a water treatment facility and rotating solar panels.DiCaprio seemingly also will have everything at his fingertips. The David Rockwell-designed high-rise features an indoor 50-foot lap pool, media cafe, fitness center, landscaped terrace and dog spa.The building also will house the City Bakery and a branch of the New York Public Library.DiCaprio has served on the board of directors of the environmental organization Global Green USA. He also owns a hybrid car and had solar panels put on his Los Angeles home.The 33-year-old actor has won Oscar nominees for "The Aviator" and "Blood Diamond." He is currently filming "Shutter Island," directed by Martin Scorsese.An e-mail sent to his publicist was not immediately returned.Source: AP

http://celebs101.com/celebritygossips-3227-DiCaprio+buys+'green'+NYC+condo.html

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DiCaprio buys 'green' NYC condo

nobody@vox.com(Kathrina Malik) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 02:20:00 -0700

http://celebs101.com/celebritygossips-3227-DiCaprio+buys+'green'+NYC+condo.html

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Van Dyke sings 'Supercali ... ' etc.

nobody@vox.com(Kathrina Malik) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:29:43 -0700

LOS ANGELES - Dick Van Dyke may be 82, but he can still get 14 syllables into a single word. Van Dyke sang "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" on Monday night at the Geffen Playhouse during a tribute to actress Annette Bening and studio chief Robert A. Iger. The ceremony honored their efforts to support the arts live theater in particular.Van Dyke even recreated a bit of the choreography from "Mary Poppins" with the current Broadway stars of "Poppins" and "Mermaid," Ashley Brown and Sierra Boggess."The secret to keeping moving," Van Dyke said, "is keeping moving."Not coincidentally, Julie Andrews served as co-chair of the tribute with Van Dyke, marking a "Poppins"-movie reunion on the arrivals line."It's one of those friendships where we do see each other, occasionally," said Andrews, 72. "Not as much as I like, but it's as if we never said goodbye, and we never did say goodbye."While the spotlight was on three-time Oscar nominee Bening and Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, the stage loomed larger than both of them and it's clear that's just as the two preferred.The star of such movies as "American Beauty" and the upcoming "The Women," Bening, 49, told AP Television, "The non-profit theater is where I started. It's where I saw my first play. I don't know how many people out there were taken to the theater for the first time by their English teacher or their drama teacher, but that's where I went, which is The Old Globe in San Diego. ... So, for me, it's where I started, and I feel so grateful."The Tony-nominated Bening won wide acclaim for her lead in "Hedda Gabler" at the Geffen in spring 1999. "I'd rather watch her on stage than anyone else," noted Bening's husband, actor Warren Beatty, 70. "And I'd rather watch her at home than on stage."Bening has been a longtime supporter of the Geffen, as well as a member of the California Arts Council. When Iger, 57, took over for Michael Eisner as Disney chief in 2005, he quickly made it clear that he shared his predecessor's passion for theater. Disney now has five shows on Broadway, including the just-opened "The Little Mermaid" and the West End smash, "Mary Poppins."Other celeb attendees included Oscar-winner Anjelica Houston, who presented to her "The Grifters" costar Bening; Tony-winning director Julie Taymor ("The Lion King"), who presented to Iger, as well as producer Gil Cates, writer Bruce Vilanch, and actors Sharon Lawrence, Dana Delany, James Cromwell and Jane Lynch.Source: AP

http://celebs101.com/celebritygossips-3148-Van+Dyke+sings+'Supercali+...+'+etc..html

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Ledger's Joker Makes Dramatic Entrance

nobody@vox.com(Kathrina Malik) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:11:45 -0700

By DAVID GERMAIN, AP Movie WriterLAS VEGAS - This time out, there's no vat of chemicals to explain how Batman's greatest enemy came to be the twisted sociopath known as the Joker.Heath Ledger's Joker springs full-blown in this summer's "The Dark Knight," the sequel to 2005's "Batman Begins" that was previewed for theater owners Thursday with a clip showing the new movie's opening sequence.Unlike 1989's "Batman," in which the deranged, disfigured clown appearance of Jack Nicholson's Joker resulted from a dip in chemical goo, "The Dark Knight" starts right in with the bad guy in all his psychopathic glory."I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you stranger," Ledger's depraved Joker cryptically tells an accomplice in the opening scenes, in which he pulls off a daring bank robbery.In an interview at ShoWest, a theater-owners convention where distributor Warner Bros. showed off footage of "The Dark Knight" and the rest of its summer lineup, director Christopher Nolan said it was almost inevitable that the sequel would pit Christian Bale's Batman against the Joker."The psychopathic clown, that's an icon to stand with the guy with the ears and cape," Nolan said. "It's just a wonderful visual relationship, and it's a terrifying image."Long before Ledger's death of an accidental prescription drug overdose in January, the marketing of the movie had focused on the villain's rise to power and his creepy appearance.There had been speculation among critics and fans that the studio and filmmakers might take a different approach to selling the film in light of Ledger's death, but the marketing has gone on as originally planned."I think he'd be very pleased to see we're just moving ahead as is," Nolan said. "If you try to honor somebody, you honor them by respecting their work and putting it out there for as many people to see. He was immensely proud of the work he did on the film. I feel a great burden to present that in an undistorted form.""The Dark Knight" is due in theaters July 18.The last time producer Charles Roven saw Ledger was when he showed the actor the very footage that was screened at ShoWest.Fans have been buzzing over the anarchic style Ledger brings to the role in the movie's trailer, but the actor himself was utterly taken by what he saw of himself on screen, Roven said."He was just blown away by his own performance," Roven said. "He said, `Can I see it again?' So he was really, really thrilled."Bale reprising his role as the wealthy Bruce Wayne, who moonlights as the emotionally tormented crimefighter said he watched the footage Thursday with a heaviness of heart over Ledger. But Bale said he hopes the movie will serve as a testament."I hope that this can be seen as a celebration of his work," Bale said. "He did a phenomenal job. It was a real joy working with the man. It was a joy knowing him, as well. I liked him a great deal, and I liked also how seriously he took his work."Source: AP

http://www.celebs101.com/celebritygossips-3131-Ledger's+Joker+Makes+Dramatic+Entrance.html

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