13 DECEMBER 2007.- VIVA LA DIVA
Source: hellomagazine
Fellow audience members at the gala performance of Viva La Diva were surprised to find Hollywood megastar Mel Gibson in their midst on Monday night. The Braveheart actor, who was in London on business, clearly enjoyed the all-singing all-dancing spectacle performed by Welsh opera beauty Katherine Jenkins and ballet dancer Darcey Bussell. "They are both amazing talents," he enthused. "I sat there with a smile on my face the whole time."
"Some numbers in that show really took me back," added the screen action hero. "I've loved those songs since being a little boy." Later, at the show's after-party in Hammersmith's Carling Apollo the 51-year-old, accompanied by a burly bodyguard, was seen talking animatedly to Katherine. The singer, who was given a standing ovation by her proud mum at the end of the show, performed opera pieces made famous by Maria Callas, several Doris Day hits and a new song especially written by Take That's Gary Barlow, as well as displaying her new tap-dancing skills.
Also rubbing shoulders with Mel at the party were fellow celebrity guests Dawn French - who famously danced with Darcey in an episode of The Vicar Of Dibley - Jennifer Saunders, Rolf Harris, Sir Trevor McDonald, cellist Julian Lloyd Webber and Welsh designer Julien Macdonald, who created the show's costumes.
Such is the demand for tickets to see the production - which pays tribute to Katherine and Darcey's favourite divas, from Audrey Hepburn to Marilyn Monroe - that extra dates have been added to the tour next year. There are even plans to take the show to Las Vegas, despite the fact that Darcey and her husband Angus Forbes are moving to Australia with their two daughters Phoebe and Zoe after Christmas.
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13 DECEMBER 2007.- END OF ACTING CAREER?
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Source: javno.com
Mel Gibson`s fans will perhaps never see him on the silver screen again because he has been lacking passion for acting for quite some time now.
Gibson (51) said he is planning to set up a production company in Costa Rica, where he is staying at the moment, but is not sure if he wants to return to acting one day.
The Hollywood star revealed he prefers being behind the camera, rather than in front of it.
- I don't know (if I will return to accting)). It has been six years now. I may never do it again. However, I might - he concluded.
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13 DECEMBER 2007.- ICON RAISES GOODER TO GROUP CEO
Source: hollywood reporter
Bruce Davey is turning over the responsibility of day-to-day operations at Icon to Mark Gooder, who has been promoted to CEO of the Icon Group.
Icon co-founders Davey and Mel Gibson announced the move Wednesday.
Davey will step down as CEO of Icon Prods. on Jan. 1 but will continue to serve as chairman of the board. Gooder and CFO Vicki Christianson also are joining the board.
Gooder was president of acquisitions and development. In his new role, he will oversee Icon Prods., Icon Entertainment International and the U.K. and Australian distribution companies.
Gooder established Icon's Australian distribution company in 2000, moving to Los Angeles in 2006 to oversee production, acquisition and distribution activities.
"The Icon Group needs to continue to evolve to maintain leadership and capitalize on the opportunities in the ever-interesting independent film world," Davey said. "Mark has all the necessary skills and enthusiasm to move Icon forward to the next level. To support Mark, we have an excellent team in Vicki Christianson, David Miercourt and Ariel Veneziano and Mel and I are extremely optimistic of Icon's future."
Gooder said: "I've learned from the best and look forward to continuing the strengthening of the Icon brand under the new structure. Bruce and Mel have always had a strong vision for the company and I'm proud to be an integral part of that vision moving forward."
Icon Prods.' current slate includes Paul McGuigan's "Push," starring Chris Evans, Djimon Hounsou and Dakota Fanning, which Icon is co-financing and co-selling with Summit Entertainment; the Australian coming-of-age family drama "The Black Balloon," starring Toni Collette; and Kyle Rankin's horror comedy, "Infestation." Icon Distribution has handled such recent titles in its territories as "La Vie en Rose," "Once," "Bridge to Terabithia," "30 Days of Night" and "Death at a Funeral."
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15 DECEMBER 2007.- BRAVEHEART SPECIAL COLLECTORīS EDITION
Source: The DVD Lounge
Presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 format in a widescreen presentation, the audio/visual aspect of Braveheart has been improved upon since its first release on DVD. This is a film of wonderful cinematography and with a big, epic score, so the presentation has to be top notch. The DVD looks and sounds terrific, a small step up from the original single disc release, as everything looks and sounds like it should.
THE EXTRAS
- A Writer's Journey follows Randall Wallace, the writer of the screenplay, for his inspiration to the film. It's interesting to hear Wallace discuss the script, which was nominated for an Oscar but lost to The Usual Suspects, for quite some time. This isn't a piece that glances over most aspects of it; Wallace is very direct and succinct in what he wanted the story to be and how it was one of hope.
- Alba Gu Brath! The making of Braveheart is a retrospective on the film. Broken into three parts, it has the principles and Gibson in updated interviews discussing the film. Complete with interviews from the film's release into theatres in 1995, as well as recent interviews, the piece runs around 50 minutes in total.
The first part, Resurrecting a Genre, focuses on the film's production. Gibson initially only wanted to direct the film initially, then fell into being the star as well because he seemed to be the best fit for it as well. It's interesting to hear Gibson talk about the art of directing, as he learned a lot from observing the great directors he'd worked with in the past and asking questions from them as well. Consulting with Clint Eastwood on the heels of Unforgiven, who told him to "don't worry about it," Gibson's candor makes the piece really interesting to begin with. There's also some archival footage of him helping to edit the film afterward, as well.
The Heat of Battle, the second part, focuses on the film's battle sequences. With thousands of extras recruited from the military, mainly due to their ability to keep disciplined. Taking four hours plus daily to get into costume, get armaments and get into the proper formations on set, it's definitely a large task and the filming itself took well over two months to shoot completely. Gibson planned the battles from a strategic standpoint, so that they'd make sense. Gibson studied classics from Kurosawa, et al, in order to stage them correctly.
The piece's finale, Worth the Fight, focuses on the film's final days. Gibson is fascinating to listen to as he discusses the film after its completion. Having lost a ton of weight during the film because of his multiple duties, the film took a toll on Gibson physically because of the sheer amount of work he put in on the film.
- Tales of William Wallace/ is a look at the man Gibson portrayed. Wallace is a man whose legend often overtakes his actual life; the epic poem by Blind Harry blended a lot of reality with myth. The piece focuses on the actual historical truths behind the times. Most of what happens is not known, unfortunately, but there is plenty of information available about what did to form a cohesive historical narrative.
- Archival interviews with the cast of Braveheart are included.
- Both of the film's Theatrical Trailers are included as well as a Photo Montage.
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The DVD Lounge's Ratings for Braveheart: Special Collector's Edition
CATEGORY RATING (OUT OF 10)
THE MOVIE 10.0
THE VIDEO 9.5
THE AUDIO 9.5
THE EXTRAS 10.0
REPLAY VALUE 10.0
OVERALL
10.0
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15 DECEMBER 2007.- TOP 10 END OF THE WORLD! FILMS
Source: winnipegsun.com
It's the end of the world as we know it and Charlton Heston feels fine. The legendary actor has no fewer than three -- yes three -- entries in this unscientific and highly subjective rundown of the 10 most memorable post-apocalyptic movies.
THE OMEGA MAN (1971):Before Will Smith, Heston played Robert Neville in this adaptation of the 1954 novel I Am Legend. Far from a great film, it's remembered for its vision of an abandoned Los Angeles and its albino vampires.
PLANET OF THE APES (1968): Heston stars as an astronaut stranded on a world run by simians. At least that's what he thinks until he realizes he's traveled into a future in which humanity has wiped itself out.
28 DAYS LATER (2003): Trainspotting director Danny Boyle brought zombies screaming -- literally -- into the 21st century with this nerve-jolting tale of a London ravaged by a genetically-engineered virus simply called Rage. As terrifying as films get, 28 Days Later stays true to the genre's central, pessimistic theme: That humanity had it coming.
THE ROAD WARRIOR (1982): Utilizing the unforgiving landscapes of Australia -- and Mel Gibson's charisma -- to startling effect, director George Miller's post-apocalyptic thrill ride is of the most influential action films of the past 30 years -- echoes of which can be felt in everything from Pitch Black to Waterworld.
THE TERMINATOR (1984): Granted, most of the Terminator franchise occurs in our present-day, but its characters are driven to act by the omniscient threat of the horrifying, machine-led Armageddon to come.
12 MONKEYS (1995): A wild-eyed Brad Pitt won an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a mental patient opposite Bruce Willis' time-traveler in one of director Terry Gilliam's best and most accessible films.
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981): Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken is a one-eyed convict sent to rescue the U.S. president from the world's most vicious, vile prison: New York City. Remember, John Carpenter's now-dated thriller has its seeds in the Big Apple of the 1970s, which was synonymous with depravity, crime and corruption
A BOY AND HIS DOG (1975):A young Don Johnson stars in this cult classic as a post-apocalyptic survivor who communicates telepathically with his canine.
SOYLENT GREEN (1973):Heston turns up as a cop in a globally-warmed, overpopulated New York City. The world's food supply decimated, humanity instead subsists on a mysterious food substitute known as Soylent Green. Its shocking secret? As Heston famously cries out:"Soylent Green is people!"
ZARDOZ (1974): This trip to the bizarre zone features a flying stone head, medieval societies, the aftermath of a global cataclysm and a fellow named Zed.
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17 DECEMBER 2007.- FRANCO ZEFFIRELLI, THE NEW TORQUEMADA
"You have to pay attention, as shown by the fallout from Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ which irreversibly harmed the memory of millions of people." Speech made by Zeffirelli AKA "the young Torquemada"
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Source: Contactmusic
Italian moviemaker FRANCO ZEFFIRELLI is to help revamp the reputation of POPE BENEDICT XVI - having accepted the offer of becoming his 'personal image consultant'. The Jesus of Nazareth director is aiming to show the German pope in a new light to combat his "unhappy image", complete with a new wardrobe, which he insists "should be reviewed". Zeffirelli adds, "Coming after a pope as telegenic as John Paul II is a difficult task... (Pope Benedict) comes across coldly, which isn't suited to his surroundings. "(His robes are) too sumptuous and flashy. (They should reflect) the simplicity and sobriety seen in the other echelons of the Church."
Zeffirelli, 84, is also set to consult the Vatican over the Church's representation in film and he pinpoints 2004's The Passion of the Christ as one example which proved detrimental to the reputation of the Catholic Church. He says, "The Holy father is very aware that the Church's cinematographic communication is in ruins today. ... As a Christian I cannot stand by while this disaster unfolds. I should have the full authority - and the Holy Father would not deny me - to denounce the continual blasphemies committed with the intention of popularising the Christian message. "You have to pay attention, as shown by the fallout from Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ which irreversibly harmed the memory of millions of people. Images have invaded ... values that used to belong to preaching and the written word." Pope Benedict XVI was elected in 2005. Zeffirelli will take on his full responsibilities in January (08).
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18 DECEMBER 2007.- A MESSAGE FOR YOU FROM US
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20 DECEMBER 2007.- WHOīS GOING TO BE GOOD THIS CHRISTMAS?
PHOTO EDITED by Jackise Romagny
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Source: powerhomebiz.com
This holiday, are you looking for an open-handed gift-giver in all the wrong places? Santa's not there for you big boys and girls. The secret to finding a generous personality could be as simple as the nose on somebody's face.
"My wife thinks Santa Claus is the greatest guy alive. She says he's the only man who pays attention to nylon stockings when nothing's in them. Which brings up the holiday question: have you been good? It's also who is going to be good, meaning, who gives the most and best presents, you cheapskates."
Erik Kanto, a face reading expert and the author of the new book Your Face Tells All, explains: "Long before Santa came on the scene, the ancient Chinese knew all about spenders through the craft of face reading. They could look at a person's face and tell his past, present and future, his temperament, disposition, creativity, and whether the person is, or will be, fortunate or not so fortunate. It's still around in China and has gotten attention in psychology circles in America."
Face reading experts think the best gifts usually come from women who have big eyes and men with a big nose. So, fall in love with women with wide eyes and smile at men who get their nose into everything.
"If we look at famous Hollywood celebrities," Kanto points out, "George Clooney has a strong, affirmative nose on a well-balanced face. Often such people reach high goals and are generous."
"Reese Witherspoon's nose tells that she likes to give big-time presents to her close ones. She has a broad, nice smile which means also she has a pleasant personality. But even though there's a lot of sweetness in her face, you can bet your life she is a strong individual. Her face has high cheekbones and it means that she is the one who says where the dinner table stands."
Studying a photo of Mick Jagger, the face reader reveals that he has an interesting face with not a too-tight nose. "If you are a friend, expect nice presents. The mouth is very large, so the owner is good-hearted but needs to have his way. The laugh lines are long: he is going to live a long life. When the laugh lines are deep, the Chinese associate it with sexual activity."
According to Kanto, Mel Gibson has a nice shape in his nose. Also, when the eyebrows tend to come down, it means that these individuals like to please those around them. Conclusion: Mel gives plenty of Christmas gifts.
"Of other Hollywood celebrities," he continues, "Chinese face reading pinpoints Jack Nicholson as a generous man, who buys plenty of Holiday goodies for his male and female pals. Flaring nostrils suggest Jack is very emotional and might throw a tantrum at any time. The wide smile tells of a pleasing personality, but when the lips are thin, the person is disposed to say something anytime he wants to. Nicholson's ears are good. They are long and nicely set, so he is very fortunate in most ways, according to face reading."
So, who is this year's Most Generous Hollywood Personality? The face-reader-psychologist grins: "Most likely George Clooney, but of course Santa Claus is also a big spender contender. With Santa, however-and this is based on firm face-reading rules-we do have a problem. You should be suspicious of anyone hiding his features behind a full beard."
More info on face reading can be found at http://www.facereading.cx/
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20 DECEMBER 2007.- THE SCIENCE OF PRESENT-GIVING
If you need any sound advice about the science of present-giving, read Reginaldīs traumatic experience. YOU WILL LEARN A LOT about suitable Christmas gifts.
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21 DECEMBER 2007.- NO POLICE COVER-UP
Source: World Entertainment News Network
An independent panel of investigators (OIR) who reviewed the way police handled Mel Gibson's 2006 drink-driving arrest has concluded nobody tried to cover the incident up.
Gibson was taken into custody in July 2006 in Malibu, California after he was caught speeding on the Pacific Coast Highway.
The report reads: "Because of a concern about certain information gathered during the arrest falling prematurely into the hands of media sources and because there was no clear departmental guidance provided on how to handle this scenario presented, supervisors made spontaneous decisions with regard to how to package the information and describe the arrest.
"While these decisions do no indicate a violation of department policy, and were fairly sensible, they do point out the need for creating a thoughtful and systematic approach for how to handle future similar scenarios."
According to the report, one jailer and two supervisors violated policy when they failed to follow routine release procedures, and the same two supervisors again violated policy when they "decided to drive Mr. Gibson away from the station (after his release) without a sufficient law enforcement reason for doing so, and failed to enlist the station watch commander in these decisions."
The three employees later received disciplinary action from the department, the report states.
The OIR is an independent oversight group responsible for ensuring that internal investigations by the sheriff's department are "thorough, fair and effective in addressing allegations of misconduct and other critical events," according to an OIR statement.
http://laoir.com/Reports2.html
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24 DECEMBER 2007.- MEL GIBSONīS JEANS ON eBay
AND MY JEANS GOES TO......
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Source: uk.press
Kathy Hilton, mother of famous daughters Paris and Nicky, is putting a pair of Mel Gibson's jeans, Dean Martin's golf club and Tom Cruise's autographed Ray-Ban shades up for sale.
She has collected these and two dozen other items from her famous friends and put them up for sale on eBay.
Money raised from the online auction will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
"Christmas is my favourite time of year," said Ms Hilton. "I worked with Make-A-Wish before, and I wanted to do something really special for Christmas."
Ms Hilton said she has turned her bedroom into an office and worked on the phones for a week straight, calling "different celebrities and sports figures and just seeing what I could get".
Even she was impressed with the take, which includes a pair of Johnny Carson's cuff-links, Lucille Ball's teacup and saucer, and an "Ocean's Thirteen" script signed by the film's cast.
"I love the Tom Cruise sunglasses," Hilton said. "I would love to have any one of these things."
The online auction ends on Wednesday - Boxing Day.
"Hopefully this goes well and I'll make it an annual thing," Ms Hilton said.
But she will not be able to check out the items online, saying: "I don't know how to work the computer."
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24 DECEMBER 2007.- MERYLOU
Source: www.dausa.org
While in Danao City with a face so deformed Merylou could not stay in school for long, being subject to taunting and ridicule from other school children.
Now in California Merylou has been meeting celebrities following her surgery, first with Leah Salonga, who was very kind enough to visit, stayed for nearly an hour and even sang for her at her room at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
Then on Sunday, December 16, 2007, Merylou attended a party at the Robyn's Nest hosted by Mel & Robyn Gibson, along with several other children from all over the world that Mending Kids International (MKI) helped come to the U.S. to undergo life-saving surgical procedures. Robyn Gibson is MKI Board Chairman and President.
Having known that Merylou is a big fan of Miley Cyrus of the highly popular Hannah Montana show, MKI is making contacts with Miley Cyrus' handlers to make the meeting possible.
Merylou underwent a 12-hr surgery at the Children's Hospital on November 8, 2007; stayed at the ICU for 5 days, and was discharged on December 2. She will have another surgery early February to fix the cleft palate so she could speak more clearly.
Coming from a very poor family living in a shanty at sitio Juan Luna, Danao City, Merylou will soon be a celebrity herself, as her very complex surgery, her life and her short sojourn in California is being made into a documentary that will be shown middle of 2008, in a national network, ABC-7, on a Saturday primetime.
read more www.dausa.org
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24 DECEMBER 2007.- WATCH: COLORS OF NATURE, WINTER
LOVE IS A HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY, SO LET'S GO FOR IT
NOW (This Christmas) & FOREVER (All the Time)!
Click Here to see video
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We have received a wonderful Xmas card from Angelina and want to share it with you. ENJOY!!!
Thanks A LOT, Angelina!!!
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24 DECEMBER 2007.- HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
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25 DECEMBER 2007.- ALL TIME TOP GROSSING FILMS
The Passion of the Christ
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Source: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/
There's an old saying that goes something like, the classics never go out of style. Such is the case with "Gone with the Wind," the 1939 masterpiece that still reigns atop the list of highest grossing movies released domestically. The Warner Bros. film, based on the Margaret Mitchell novel of the same name, tops the list at more than $1.3 billion due to inflationary adjustments to its gross, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.
It's interesting to note that although Paramount's 1997 mega-hit "Titanic" rules supreme in the modern age, and tops the list based on worldwide grosses, with more than $1.8 billion in revenue.
Disney's animated fish story "Finding Nemo" charts as the top G-rated film, while the original "Star Wars" commands first place in the PG-13 division. Mel Gibson's religious epic "The Passion of the Christ" is the top all time highest gross R-rated film.
ALL TIME TOP GROSSING FILMS
- DOMESTIC .- Titanic $600,788,188
- ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION.- Gone with the Win $1,329,453,600
- WORLDWIDE.- Titanic $1,845,034,000
- R-RATING.- The Passion of the Christ $370,274,604
- PG-13 RATING.- Titanic $600,788,188
- PG-RATING.- Star Wars $460,998,007
- G-RATING.- Finding Nemo $339,714,978
- NC-17 RATING.- Showgirls $20,350,754
- MOVIES THAT NEVER HIT #1.-My Big Fat Greek Wedding $241,438,208
- IMAX.- Everest $87,178,599
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27 DECEMBER 2007.- GOODFELLA
Edited Photo: Jackise Romagny
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Source: dailypost.co.uk
Rugby star Gavin Henson was last night named the nation's favourite bad boy.
The 25-year-old Welsh international beat rocker Pete Doherty and I'm a Celebrity contestant Mark Bannerman in a poll of 2007's biggest Badfellas.
A quarter of people voted him Badfella of 2007, leaving joint second place Pete Doherty and Marc Bannerman trailing with just 15% of the votes each.
Labour trio Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and John Prescott took the top baddie spots in politics.
The survey, by Goodfellas Pizza, found Robbie Williams was Britain's favourite good guy.
Mel Gibson made a comeback to be named movie Goodfella of 2007 and David Beckham came top in sport.
London Mayor Ken Livingstone won for politics and Sir Trevor McDonald was voted TV Goodfella.
Pete Doherty stormed the music Badfellas list following his numerous arrests, last chances and messy break-up from Kate Moss. His antics have helped him climb from last year's second place to this year's number one and overall number two Badfella.
OVERALL BADFELLAS OF 2007
- 1 Gavin Henson
- 2 Pete Doherty
- 3 Marc Bannerman
- 4 Gordon Brown
- 5 Tony Blair
- 6 Charles Kennedy
- 7 John Prescott
- 8 Kieron Fallon
- 9 Harvey from So Solid Crew
- 10 Chris Tarrant
OVERALL GOODFELLAS OF 2007
- 1 Robbie Williams
- 2 Ken Livingstone
- 3 Vince Vaughn
- 4 Mel Gibson
- 5 Brad Pitt
- 6 Tom Cruise
- 7 David Beckham
- 8 Bruce Willis
- 9 Ant & Dec
- 10 Ewan Macgregor
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28 DECEMBER 2007.- THINGS FROM THE MEMORY TRUNK
26 September 2007, La Danta (El Mirador, GUATEMALA)
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