Remembering George Carlin
Monday June 23, 2008
In lieu of The Funny Site of the Day, we reminisce and give thanks for one of America's most prolific, uproarious, outrageous, profane, cranky, and beloved stand-up comedians.
George Carlin, 71, died Sunday evening in California, after an entertainment career spanning 51 years. He complained of chest pains and was admitted to Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, where he was pronounced dead of heart failure several hours later, according to Reuters. The Grammy Award winner, author, and actor had a history of heart and drug-dependency health issues.
Only a few days earlier, Carlin had been announced as the next recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. That celebration is scheduled on Nov. 10, according to The Boston Globe, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
More information on the life and death of George Carlin is available in this New York Times obituary.
The comedian was Internet savvy, maintaining his Web humor presence at GeorgeCarlin.com and Laugh.com. Performance clips of the popular Al Sleet and "Seven Words You Can't Say on Television" routines are accessible at The Funny Video of the Day.
On a personal note, Carlin -- my funny friends always refer to him as Carlin -- has been a comedy beacon and inspiration to me for more than 40 years, especially his sublime silly side. I was fortunate to see him in concert twice and what's struck me more than the gifted breadth of his talent was his work ethic. There are few performers that ever reach his level of commitment to the comedic process. He devoted an entire lifetime to the heavy lifting of creativity, fueling himself as the sole writer of the monologue material for decades and decades. Carlin was the pack mule of stand-up, always moving forward, always delivering the goods, always timely, always fresh.
He was the hippy-dippy funnyman. And, now, it's like ... dark.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Church Says No to 'Angels and Demons'
Church Says No to 'Angels and Demons'
Rome Diocese Bans Ron Howard From Filming 'Angels and Demons' Inside Churches
By PHOEBE NATANSON and LUCHINA FISHER
June 17, 2008
Once again, the Catholic Church is coming down hard on writer Dan Brown, the author of "The Da Vinci Code." The producers of Brown's latest thriller to be made into a film, "Angels and Demons," have been banned from filming key scenes inside any church in Rome, on the grounds that the book is "an offense against God," according to a church spokesman.
Angels and Demons
American actor Tom Hanks reacts on the set of his latest movie "Angels and Demons," currently... Expand
American actor Tom Hanks reacts on the set of his latest movie "Angels and Demons," currently filming in central Piazza del Popolo in Rome, Wednesday, June 4, 2008. The film, inspired by Dan Brown's best seller, tells the story of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks) who works to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican.
Led by executive producer/director Ron Howard, the producers sought permission to shoot scenes inside two churches in Rome's historic center for the film adaptation of Brown's prequel to "The Da Vinci Code." The Diocese of Rome, the local church authority for the city, denied them access in early 2007, but the ban was only made public on Monday.
"Normally, we read the script, but this time it was not necessary," Monsignor Marco Fibbi, spokesman for the Rome Diocese, told the Ansa Italian News Agency. "The name Dan Brown was enough."
Members of the Catholic Church denounced both "The Da Vinci Code" novel when it came out in 2004, and its film version in 2006.
"Angels and Demons" tells the story of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, who was also the protagonist in "The Da Vinci Code," and his race to prevent a terrorist plot against the Vatican. Tom Hanks will reprise his role as Langdon for "Angels and Demons," which is scheduled for release in May 2009.
Although not as successful as Brown's subsequent and better known "The Da Vinci Code," the book has still posted strong sales in America and around the world since it was published in 2000.
Two Roman churches -- Santa Maria del Popolo and Santa Maria della Vittoria -- are the settings for scenes in the book and film. In one church, Langdon finds the body of a cardinal who has been buried alive, and in the other, he arrives to find another cardinal burning to death.
The decision to ban the filmmakers from the churches was made public Monday, when an interview with Fibbi was published in the Italian entertainment magazine "Sorrisi e Canzoni TV."
"We don't allow filming in churches every day and when we do, it is usually for documentaries or for historical dramas, Fibbi said. "It is rare that permission is granted to shoot scenes for feature films inside functioning churches, but when allowed, the subject matter must be compatible and not clash with moral and pastoral church values.
Rome Diocese Bans Ron Howard From Filming 'Angels and Demons' Inside Churches
By PHOEBE NATANSON and LUCHINA FISHER
June 17, 2008
Once again, the Catholic Church is coming down hard on writer Dan Brown, the author of "The Da Vinci Code." The producers of Brown's latest thriller to be made into a film, "Angels and Demons," have been banned from filming key scenes inside any church in Rome, on the grounds that the book is "an offense against God," according to a church spokesman.
Angels and Demons
American actor Tom Hanks reacts on the set of his latest movie "Angels and Demons," currently... Expand
American actor Tom Hanks reacts on the set of his latest movie "Angels and Demons," currently filming in central Piazza del Popolo in Rome, Wednesday, June 4, 2008. The film, inspired by Dan Brown's best seller, tells the story of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks) who works to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican.
Led by executive producer/director Ron Howard, the producers sought permission to shoot scenes inside two churches in Rome's historic center for the film adaptation of Brown's prequel to "The Da Vinci Code." The Diocese of Rome, the local church authority for the city, denied them access in early 2007, but the ban was only made public on Monday.
"Normally, we read the script, but this time it was not necessary," Monsignor Marco Fibbi, spokesman for the Rome Diocese, told the Ansa Italian News Agency. "The name Dan Brown was enough."
Members of the Catholic Church denounced both "The Da Vinci Code" novel when it came out in 2004, and its film version in 2006.
"Angels and Demons" tells the story of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, who was also the protagonist in "The Da Vinci Code," and his race to prevent a terrorist plot against the Vatican. Tom Hanks will reprise his role as Langdon for "Angels and Demons," which is scheduled for release in May 2009.
Although not as successful as Brown's subsequent and better known "The Da Vinci Code," the book has still posted strong sales in America and around the world since it was published in 2000.
Two Roman churches -- Santa Maria del Popolo and Santa Maria della Vittoria -- are the settings for scenes in the book and film. In one church, Langdon finds the body of a cardinal who has been buried alive, and in the other, he arrives to find another cardinal burning to death.
The decision to ban the filmmakers from the churches was made public Monday, when an interview with Fibbi was published in the Italian entertainment magazine "Sorrisi e Canzoni TV."
"We don't allow filming in churches every day and when we do, it is usually for documentaries or for historical dramas, Fibbi said. "It is rare that permission is granted to shoot scenes for feature films inside functioning churches, but when allowed, the subject matter must be compatible and not clash with moral and pastoral church values.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Film on slain bandit Veerappan
Latest from RGV: Film on slain bandit Veerappan
16 Jun 2008, 0014 hrs IST, Bharati Dubey,TNN
Ram Gopal Varma plans to transport Veerappan from real to reel life.
MUMBAI: Ram Gopal Varma is all set to make a film on sandalwood smuggler Veerappan's life very soon. The slain dacoit's wife Muthulaxmi flew down specially to meet Varma and his team and discuss the film's storyline.
"Veerappan's wife visited us. After listening to our intentions she gave us valuable inputs and insights into the true story of Veerappan. She is completely endorsing and standing by the project," Varma said.
Speaking about the film, the director said: "It will be a film on the story of Veerappan's life and the men who killed him. The film will track Veerappan from the time of his being just a skinny, pale teenager to how he metamorphosed into a cunning chameleonic monster. It will show his charismatic childlike behaviour that made many men dismiss him off as a buffoon until he killed them."
Varma is impressed by Muthulaxmi: "She is a lady who is in total command. She told us about her first meeting with Veerappan and how they fell in love. My film will also tell the story of Muthulaxmi, the girl who fell in love with him."
Varma and Ekta Kapoor will be only playing the role of producers in the film. "It will be directed by Prashant Pandey, the writer of my film ‘Sarkar Raj'. It will primarily cater to the national audience, but, as Veerappan is known at an international level, it is bound to arouse interest outside India," he says.
Varma intends to cast only newcomers in the film.
"Prashant wants that the look and characters should approximate a sense of reality. This is required to maintain the film's authenticity and the power of its telling. He believes that when the audience comes to see this film in theatres, they already know that it is a true story. They must have a first hand connection with the characters. They should not make associations because the idea is to show them a police officer, an informer and an outlaw rather than an actor who would carry a baggage of associations with him or her," Varma explains.
Although Varma refused to comment on Muthulaxmi's acting debut in the film, sources said there is a good chance that she would play a part in it. If sources are to be believed she is also likely to get a certain cut in the profits of the film.
16 Jun 2008, 0014 hrs IST, Bharati Dubey,TNN
Ram Gopal Varma plans to transport Veerappan from real to reel life.
MUMBAI: Ram Gopal Varma is all set to make a film on sandalwood smuggler Veerappan's life very soon. The slain dacoit's wife Muthulaxmi flew down specially to meet Varma and his team and discuss the film's storyline.
"Veerappan's wife visited us. After listening to our intentions she gave us valuable inputs and insights into the true story of Veerappan. She is completely endorsing and standing by the project," Varma said.
Speaking about the film, the director said: "It will be a film on the story of Veerappan's life and the men who killed him. The film will track Veerappan from the time of his being just a skinny, pale teenager to how he metamorphosed into a cunning chameleonic monster. It will show his charismatic childlike behaviour that made many men dismiss him off as a buffoon until he killed them."
Varma is impressed by Muthulaxmi: "She is a lady who is in total command. She told us about her first meeting with Veerappan and how they fell in love. My film will also tell the story of Muthulaxmi, the girl who fell in love with him."
Varma and Ekta Kapoor will be only playing the role of producers in the film. "It will be directed by Prashant Pandey, the writer of my film ‘Sarkar Raj'. It will primarily cater to the national audience, but, as Veerappan is known at an international level, it is bound to arouse interest outside India," he says.
Varma intends to cast only newcomers in the film.
"Prashant wants that the look and characters should approximate a sense of reality. This is required to maintain the film's authenticity and the power of its telling. He believes that when the audience comes to see this film in theatres, they already know that it is a true story. They must have a first hand connection with the characters. They should not make associations because the idea is to show them a police officer, an informer and an outlaw rather than an actor who would carry a baggage of associations with him or her," Varma explains.
Although Varma refused to comment on Muthulaxmi's acting debut in the film, sources said there is a good chance that she would play a part in it. If sources are to be believed she is also likely to get a certain cut in the profits of the film.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Munnabhai maker wowed by IIM innovations
Blue Star
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Munnabhai maker wowed by IIM innovations
Mumbai: The Aamir Khan- Kareena Kapoor starrer might include various rural innovations discovered by Anil Gupta, IIM-A professor and founder of the NGO SRISTI.
Innovations have a strange way of getting recognised. Not just venture capitalists and angel investors, even Bollywood is going gaga over the rural innovations that have been documented by a professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A).
The much-awaited Aamir Khan-Kareena Kapoor starrer ‘Idiot', which is produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, might include various rural innovations discovered by Anil Gupta, professor at IIM-A and the founder of a non-government organisation called Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI).
The film, based on the education system, focusses on innovating rather than cramming. Sources at the production house confirmed that scenes on grass root innovations have been shot for the film.
The production house, claimed the source, came across the innovations discovered by Gupta during the lookout for innovations to be included in the modern village, which is a part of the film.
The idea is to change the prevailing mindset that money is not an important factor when it comes to innovations, but what is required is to execute what one understands while learning.
Gupta was later approached to feature some of his rural innovations in the film. Gupta feels that the film is a great platform to promote innovations. "We are excited about the possibility of our innovations creating such an impact. The basic concept of the film is that those who are considered idiots are not actually idiots, and focuses on changing the frame of society's thinking. The production house had read about our innovations and approached us to include them in the film," Gupta said.
The innovations are the discoveries of SRISTI, which conducts Shodh Yatras across the country to document, analyse and disseminate technological and institutional innovations by the people from the remotest parts of India.
Source: Business Standard
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Munnabhai maker wowed by IIM innovations
Mumbai: The Aamir Khan- Kareena Kapoor starrer might include various rural innovations discovered by Anil Gupta, IIM-A professor and founder of the NGO SRISTI.
Innovations have a strange way of getting recognised. Not just venture capitalists and angel investors, even Bollywood is going gaga over the rural innovations that have been documented by a professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A).
The much-awaited Aamir Khan-Kareena Kapoor starrer ‘Idiot', which is produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, might include various rural innovations discovered by Anil Gupta, professor at IIM-A and the founder of a non-government organisation called Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI).
The film, based on the education system, focusses on innovating rather than cramming. Sources at the production house confirmed that scenes on grass root innovations have been shot for the film.
The production house, claimed the source, came across the innovations discovered by Gupta during the lookout for innovations to be included in the modern village, which is a part of the film.
The idea is to change the prevailing mindset that money is not an important factor when it comes to innovations, but what is required is to execute what one understands while learning.
Gupta was later approached to feature some of his rural innovations in the film. Gupta feels that the film is a great platform to promote innovations. "We are excited about the possibility of our innovations creating such an impact. The basic concept of the film is that those who are considered idiots are not actually idiots, and focuses on changing the frame of society's thinking. The production house had read about our innovations and approached us to include them in the film," Gupta said.
The innovations are the discoveries of SRISTI, which conducts Shodh Yatras across the country to document, analyse and disseminate technological and institutional innovations by the people from the remotest parts of India.
Source: Business Standard
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
John Abraham in realty row
John Abraham in realty row
12 Jun 2008, 0300 hrs IST, Swati Deshpande,TNN
MUMBAI: Actor John Abraham is embroiled in a legal battle over a real estate purchase he made in 2006. He had purchased the entire fourth floor of Orbit Plaza in New Prabhadevi for Rs 11.5 crore.
Earlier this year, a private glass company dragged him and developer, Orbit Finance Pvt Ltd, to the Bombay HC claiming that it was the original purchaser of the floor. In March, Justice D Y Chandrachud allowed Abraham, who is in possession of the 4,500 sq feet premises, to give it out on leave and licence on the condition that no permanent third party rights are created.
The glass company, which said the fourth floor commercial space was sold to it two months before it was sold to Abraham in August 2006, then went in appeal. On Wednesday, the appeal came up in the HC but was adjourned till Friday.
The glass company said it had entered into a sale agreement with Orbit in June 2006 for two units on the fourth floor for Rs 3 crore. Possession was promised in early 2008 but in January, there was an advertisement for sale of the same premises. Orbit promised the glass company similar area on the sixth floor and even promised to pick up the stamp duty tab but Parekh refused and demanded the fourth floor back.
Abraham, however, has argued that his payment outgoings began in March 2006 much before the other purchaser came on the scene.
12 Jun 2008, 0300 hrs IST, Swati Deshpande,TNN
MUMBAI: Actor John Abraham is embroiled in a legal battle over a real estate purchase he made in 2006. He had purchased the entire fourth floor of Orbit Plaza in New Prabhadevi for Rs 11.5 crore.
Earlier this year, a private glass company dragged him and developer, Orbit Finance Pvt Ltd, to the Bombay HC claiming that it was the original purchaser of the floor. In March, Justice D Y Chandrachud allowed Abraham, who is in possession of the 4,500 sq feet premises, to give it out on leave and licence on the condition that no permanent third party rights are created.
The glass company, which said the fourth floor commercial space was sold to it two months before it was sold to Abraham in August 2006, then went in appeal. On Wednesday, the appeal came up in the HC but was adjourned till Friday.
The glass company said it had entered into a sale agreement with Orbit in June 2006 for two units on the fourth floor for Rs 3 crore. Possession was promised in early 2008 but in January, there was an advertisement for sale of the same premises. Orbit promised the glass company similar area on the sixth floor and even promised to pick up the stamp duty tab but Parekh refused and demanded the fourth floor back.
Abraham, however, has argued that his payment outgoings began in March 2006 much before the other purchaser came on the scene.
Paul Newman the legendary actor and philanthropist, is battling cancer
AP Exclusive: Newman Friend Says Actor Has Cancer
AP Exclusive: Paul Newman's longtime friend and business partner says the actor has cancer
By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN Associated Press Writer
NEW HAVEN, Conn. June 11, 2008 (AP)
The Associated Press
Paul Newman, the legendary actor and philanthropist, is battling cancer, his longtime neighbor and business partner said Wednesday. Newman, 83, has recently appeared gaunt in photos, and dropped plans to direct a play in his Connecticut hometown.
Writer A.E. Hotchner, who partnered with Newman to start Newman's Own salad dressing company in the 1980s, said the actor told him about the disease about 18 months ago. He did not specify what kind of cancer, but said Newman is in active treatment.
"I know that it's a form of cancer," Hotchner told The Associated Press. "It's a form of cancer and he's dealing with it."
Newman issued a statement late Tuesday that he's "doing nicely" but didn't specifically address questions about cancer. A call was placed to his spokesman Wednesday seeking comment.
The Oscar winner appeared to have lost weight when he was photographed during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race last month. Martha Stewart, in an entry dated June 6, posted a photo on her blog of herself with the actor, who looked thin, at a luncheon to benefit the Hole in the Wall Gang camps for critically ill children. (The Hole in the Wall Gang was led by Newman's affable outlaw character, Butch, in the 1969 film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.")
Newman won an Oscar for his leading role in 1986's "The Color of Money." His screen credits also include "Hud," "Cool Hand Luke," "The Verdict" and "Road to Perdition."
Hotchner said Newman had an operation a few years ago. "It was certainly somewhere in the area of the lung," he said.
"He's battling," Hotchner said. "He's doing all the right stuff. Paul is a fighter. He seems to be going through a good period right now."
Asked about his prognosis, Hotchner said, "Everybody is hopeful. That's all we know."
In 1982, Hotchner and Newman started a company to market Newman's original oil-and-vinegar dressing. Newman's Own, which began as a joke, grew into a multimillion-dollar business selling popcorn, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce and other foods. All the company's profits are donated to charities. By 2007, the company had donated more than $200 million, according to its Web site.
Last month, officials at Connecticut's Westport Country Playhouse cited unspecified health issues when they announced that Newman would not direct "Of Mice and Men" this fall.
Newman lives in Westport with his wife, Joanne Woodward.
Two friends said Tuesday that Newman appeared to be doing well.
"I think he's feeling quite well," said actor James Naughton, who spoke to Newman on Monday night. "As far as I can tell he's doing very well."
AP Exclusive: Paul Newman's longtime friend and business partner says the actor has cancer
By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN Associated Press Writer
NEW HAVEN, Conn. June 11, 2008 (AP)
The Associated Press
Paul Newman, the legendary actor and philanthropist, is battling cancer, his longtime neighbor and business partner said Wednesday. Newman, 83, has recently appeared gaunt in photos, and dropped plans to direct a play in his Connecticut hometown.
Writer A.E. Hotchner, who partnered with Newman to start Newman's Own salad dressing company in the 1980s, said the actor told him about the disease about 18 months ago. He did not specify what kind of cancer, but said Newman is in active treatment.
"I know that it's a form of cancer," Hotchner told The Associated Press. "It's a form of cancer and he's dealing with it."
Newman issued a statement late Tuesday that he's "doing nicely" but didn't specifically address questions about cancer. A call was placed to his spokesman Wednesday seeking comment.
The Oscar winner appeared to have lost weight when he was photographed during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race last month. Martha Stewart, in an entry dated June 6, posted a photo on her blog of herself with the actor, who looked thin, at a luncheon to benefit the Hole in the Wall Gang camps for critically ill children. (The Hole in the Wall Gang was led by Newman's affable outlaw character, Butch, in the 1969 film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.")
Newman won an Oscar for his leading role in 1986's "The Color of Money." His screen credits also include "Hud," "Cool Hand Luke," "The Verdict" and "Road to Perdition."
Hotchner said Newman had an operation a few years ago. "It was certainly somewhere in the area of the lung," he said.
"He's battling," Hotchner said. "He's doing all the right stuff. Paul is a fighter. He seems to be going through a good period right now."
Asked about his prognosis, Hotchner said, "Everybody is hopeful. That's all we know."
In 1982, Hotchner and Newman started a company to market Newman's original oil-and-vinegar dressing. Newman's Own, which began as a joke, grew into a multimillion-dollar business selling popcorn, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce and other foods. All the company's profits are donated to charities. By 2007, the company had donated more than $200 million, according to its Web site.
Last month, officials at Connecticut's Westport Country Playhouse cited unspecified health issues when they announced that Newman would not direct "Of Mice and Men" this fall.
Newman lives in Westport with his wife, Joanne Woodward.
Two friends said Tuesday that Newman appeared to be doing well.
"I think he's feeling quite well," said actor James Naughton, who spoke to Newman on Monday night. "As far as I can tell he's doing very well."
Friday, June 6, 2008
Spike Lee lashes out against Clint Eastwood for not including African-Americans in his 2006 Iwo Jima movies, "Flags of Our Fathers"
Spike Strikes Back: Clint's 'an Angry Old Man'
Lee Lashes Out at Eastwood: 'The Man Is Not My Father and We're Not on a Plantation'
By SHEILA MARIKAR
June 6, 2008
Some people might back down when Dirty Harry tells them to shut up. Not Spike Lee.
After Eastwood told him to "shut his face" and stop criticizing him about not including African-Americans in his 2006 Iwo Jima movies, "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima," Lee's lashing out.
"First of all, the man is not my father and we're not on a plantation either," he told ABCNEWS.com. "He's a great director. He makes his films, I make my films. The thing about it though, I didn't personally attack him. And a comment like 'a guy like that should shut his face' -- come on Clint, come on. He sounds like an angry old man right there."
Lee has a proposal for Eastwood:
"If he wishes, I could assemble African-American men who fought at Iwo Jima and I'd like him to tell these guys that what they did was insignificant and they did not exist," he said. "I'm not making this up. I know history. I'm a student of history. And I know the history of Hollywood and its omission of the one million African-American men and women who contributed to World War II."
"Not everything was John Wayne, baby," Lee added.
For weeks, Lee and Eastwood have been battling over the inclusion of African-Americans in their WWII films. At the Cannes Film Festival in May, Lee, whose next film, "Miracle at St. Anna," is about an all-black U.S. division fighting in Italy, slammed Eastwood, saying the filmmaker overlooked the role of black soldiers during World War II.
"He did two films about Iwo Jima back to back and there was not one black soldier in both of those films," Lee told reporters at Cannes. "Many veterans, African-Americans, who survived that war are upset at Clint Eastwood. In his vision of Iwo Jima, Negro soldiers did not exist. Simple as that. I have a different version."
Then, Eastwood threw some punches of his own. In an interview to promote his latest film, "Changeling," Eastwood said Lee should "shut his face."
"Has he ever studied the history?" Eastwood growled to British paper The Guardian, which published the interview today. Regarding "Flags of Our Fathers," Eastwood admitted there was a small detachment of black troops on Iwo Jima, "but they didn't raise the flag. The story is 'Flags of Our Fathers,' the famous flag-raising picture, and they didn't do that. If I go ahead and put an African-American actor in there, people'd go, 'This guy's lost his mind.' I mean, it's not accurate."
Lee Lashes Out at Eastwood: 'The Man Is Not My Father and We're Not on a Plantation'
By SHEILA MARIKAR
June 6, 2008
Some people might back down when Dirty Harry tells them to shut up. Not Spike Lee.
After Eastwood told him to "shut his face" and stop criticizing him about not including African-Americans in his 2006 Iwo Jima movies, "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima," Lee's lashing out.
"First of all, the man is not my father and we're not on a plantation either," he told ABCNEWS.com. "He's a great director. He makes his films, I make my films. The thing about it though, I didn't personally attack him. And a comment like 'a guy like that should shut his face' -- come on Clint, come on. He sounds like an angry old man right there."
Lee has a proposal for Eastwood:
"If he wishes, I could assemble African-American men who fought at Iwo Jima and I'd like him to tell these guys that what they did was insignificant and they did not exist," he said. "I'm not making this up. I know history. I'm a student of history. And I know the history of Hollywood and its omission of the one million African-American men and women who contributed to World War II."
"Not everything was John Wayne, baby," Lee added.
For weeks, Lee and Eastwood have been battling over the inclusion of African-Americans in their WWII films. At the Cannes Film Festival in May, Lee, whose next film, "Miracle at St. Anna," is about an all-black U.S. division fighting in Italy, slammed Eastwood, saying the filmmaker overlooked the role of black soldiers during World War II.
"He did two films about Iwo Jima back to back and there was not one black soldier in both of those films," Lee told reporters at Cannes. "Many veterans, African-Americans, who survived that war are upset at Clint Eastwood. In his vision of Iwo Jima, Negro soldiers did not exist. Simple as that. I have a different version."
Then, Eastwood threw some punches of his own. In an interview to promote his latest film, "Changeling," Eastwood said Lee should "shut his face."
"Has he ever studied the history?" Eastwood growled to British paper The Guardian, which published the interview today. Regarding "Flags of Our Fathers," Eastwood admitted there was a small detachment of black troops on Iwo Jima, "but they didn't raise the flag. The story is 'Flags of Our Fathers,' the famous flag-raising picture, and they didn't do that. If I go ahead and put an African-American actor in there, people'd go, 'This guy's lost his mind.' I mean, it's not accurate."
Thursday, June 5, 2008
The British in Bollywood
The British in Bollywood
by Rumbold on 5th June, 2008 at 8:04 pm
(courtesy Pickled Politics)
There was an interesting story in Eastern Eye about how in the future we are likely to see more British Asians in Bollywood (and presumably regional cinema), thanks to a £13 million deal signed between the Indian and British governments, to encourage more Indian films to be shot here, as well as hiring more British actors and actresses. There are already a number of white British actors and actresses in Indian cinema, including Chris Patten’s daughter (Alice), Toby Stephens and Paul Blackthorne. All in Aamir Khan films, curiously.
British Asians include Upen Patel, Katrina Kaif, one of the rising starlets of Bollywood (English-born) Genelia D’Souza (pictured below) and the quarter-British Ayesha Takia, who had to learn Hindi before becoming an actress. While researching this piece I found that Sarfraz Manzoor had written a much more detailed article on British Asians in Bollywood. Is this trend likely to continue?
by Rumbold on 5th June, 2008 at 8:04 pm
(courtesy Pickled Politics)
There was an interesting story in Eastern Eye about how in the future we are likely to see more British Asians in Bollywood (and presumably regional cinema), thanks to a £13 million deal signed between the Indian and British governments, to encourage more Indian films to be shot here, as well as hiring more British actors and actresses. There are already a number of white British actors and actresses in Indian cinema, including Chris Patten’s daughter (Alice), Toby Stephens and Paul Blackthorne. All in Aamir Khan films, curiously.
British Asians include Upen Patel, Katrina Kaif, one of the rising starlets of Bollywood (English-born) Genelia D’Souza (pictured below) and the quarter-British Ayesha Takia, who had to learn Hindi before becoming an actress. While researching this piece I found that Sarfraz Manzoor had written a much more detailed article on British Asians in Bollywood. Is this trend likely to continue?
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Actress Gina Gershon is demanding a retraction from Vanity Fair for Clinton remark
(CNN) -- Actress Gina Gershon is demanding a retraction from Vanity Fair after the magazine reported "high-end Hollywood dinner-party gossip" that former President Clinton "has been seen visiting" her in California.
art.gina.gershon.gi.jpg
Actress Gina Gershon "is extremely offended" by the Vanity Fair article, her lawyers say.
The lengthy article by the magazine's national editor, Todd Purdum, mentioned the actress along with several other women rumored to be associated with Clinton, all anonymously sourced.
"Todd Purdum's insinuation is a lie, and it is irresponsible journalism," said Gershon's publicist, Mara Buxbaum. "We are demanding a retraction."
A letter sent by Gershon's attorneys to Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter, obtained by CNN, demanded a published correction and retraction and threatened possible litigation for defamation.
The actress appeared in 1995's "Showgirls" and the more recent "P.S. I Love You."
Gershon "is extremely offended by the false and defamatory inference that she engaged in an adulterous relationship with the President," the letter says, adding that the actress has been in the same room with Clinton three times, always in the presence of at least a dozen people.
"It is apparent that Vanity Fair was intent upon publishing unsubstantiated rumors, and that it avoided learning the true facts so that the truth would not get in the way," the letter says. "Such conduct is reckless and malicious, giving rise to substantial liability for defamation."
In a statement, Vanity Fair denied that the article indicates any "improper relationship" between Clinton and Gershon.
"The story merely examines the concerns of some of Clinton's aides about reports of his behavior," the magazine said. "We don't believe that any correction is warranted."
Purdum's article, "The Comeback Id," quoted multiple anonymous sources questioning the former president's behavior since leaving the White House.
The article suggested that Clinton's personality had changed since his 2004 heart bypass surgery and said there were reports of Clinton "seeing a lot of women on the road."
Clinton issued a tirade against Purdum on Monday when asked by Huffington Post writer Mayhill Fowler what he thought of "the hatchet job somebody did on you in Vanity Fair," according to a recording of the exchange posted on the Huffington Post's Web site.
"[He's] sleazy," Clinton responded. "He's a really dishonest reporter."
Clinton said that he had not read the article but that he was told that "there's five or six just blatant lies in there. But he's a real slimy guy."
Calling Purdum a "scumbag," Clinton said "he's one of the guys that propagated all those lies about Whitewater for Kenneth Starr. He's just a dishonest guy -- can't help it."
Purdum "didn't use a single name, he didn't cite a single source in all those things he said," the former president said, adding that the article was "part of the national media's attempt to nail Hillary for Obama.
"Anytime you read a story that slimes a public figure with anonymous quotes, it ought to make the bells go off in your head," he said.
Jay Carson, a spokesman for Hillary Clinton's campaign, said late Monday that "President Clinton was understandably upset about an outrageously unfair article, but the language today was inappropriate, and he wishes he had not used it."
Purdum, a former New York Times reporter who covered the Clinton White House and is married to former Clinton press secretary Dee Dee Myers, defended his article on CNN's "The Situation Room" on Monday afternoon, saying he was "very careful to say there is no clear-cut evidence that President Clinton has done anything improper."
"I reject the notion that I'm making an insinuation," Purdum said. "But I'm very comfortable quoting the people I quote because I know who they are, and I know that they are very senior people who have known President Clinton for a very long time and work for him at very high levels."
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art.gina.gershon.gi.jpg
Actress Gina Gershon "is extremely offended" by the Vanity Fair article, her lawyers say.
The lengthy article by the magazine's national editor, Todd Purdum, mentioned the actress along with several other women rumored to be associated with Clinton, all anonymously sourced.
"Todd Purdum's insinuation is a lie, and it is irresponsible journalism," said Gershon's publicist, Mara Buxbaum. "We are demanding a retraction."
A letter sent by Gershon's attorneys to Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter, obtained by CNN, demanded a published correction and retraction and threatened possible litigation for defamation.
The actress appeared in 1995's "Showgirls" and the more recent "P.S. I Love You."
Gershon "is extremely offended by the false and defamatory inference that she engaged in an adulterous relationship with the President," the letter says, adding that the actress has been in the same room with Clinton three times, always in the presence of at least a dozen people.
"It is apparent that Vanity Fair was intent upon publishing unsubstantiated rumors, and that it avoided learning the true facts so that the truth would not get in the way," the letter says. "Such conduct is reckless and malicious, giving rise to substantial liability for defamation."
In a statement, Vanity Fair denied that the article indicates any "improper relationship" between Clinton and Gershon.
"The story merely examines the concerns of some of Clinton's aides about reports of his behavior," the magazine said. "We don't believe that any correction is warranted."
Purdum's article, "The Comeback Id," quoted multiple anonymous sources questioning the former president's behavior since leaving the White House.
The article suggested that Clinton's personality had changed since his 2004 heart bypass surgery and said there were reports of Clinton "seeing a lot of women on the road."
Clinton issued a tirade against Purdum on Monday when asked by Huffington Post writer Mayhill Fowler what he thought of "the hatchet job somebody did on you in Vanity Fair," according to a recording of the exchange posted on the Huffington Post's Web site.
"[He's] sleazy," Clinton responded. "He's a really dishonest reporter."
Clinton said that he had not read the article but that he was told that "there's five or six just blatant lies in there. But he's a real slimy guy."
Calling Purdum a "scumbag," Clinton said "he's one of the guys that propagated all those lies about Whitewater for Kenneth Starr. He's just a dishonest guy -- can't help it."
Purdum "didn't use a single name, he didn't cite a single source in all those things he said," the former president said, adding that the article was "part of the national media's attempt to nail Hillary for Obama.
"Anytime you read a story that slimes a public figure with anonymous quotes, it ought to make the bells go off in your head," he said.
Jay Carson, a spokesman for Hillary Clinton's campaign, said late Monday that "President Clinton was understandably upset about an outrageously unfair article, but the language today was inappropriate, and he wishes he had not used it."
Purdum, a former New York Times reporter who covered the Clinton White House and is married to former Clinton press secretary Dee Dee Myers, defended his article on CNN's "The Situation Room" on Monday afternoon, saying he was "very careful to say there is no clear-cut evidence that President Clinton has done anything improper."
"I reject the notion that I'm making an insinuation," Purdum said. "But I'm very comfortable quoting the people I quote because I know who they are, and I know that they are very senior people who have known President Clinton for a very long time and work for him at very high levels."
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Brigitte Bardot’s Anti-Muslim Rant
Bardot’s Anti-Muslim Rant
from Pickled Politics by Sid
Younger readers amongst you may not have heard of Brigitte Bardot. When I was growing up in the 70s, I spent many blissful evenings, after the parents had gone to bed, rewinding and replaying certain, erm, educational scenes on the VCR from And God Created Woman. She was one of the world’s most beautiful women and a star in the 50s and 60s in a string of films that made her a world famous celebrity. Nowadays she is more famous for her being a deranged animal rights activist and a vocal critic of gays, immigration, modern art and politicians but most of all of Muslims and the “Islamicisation of France”. Yes, she needs to blog.
Ms Bardot, who is now 73, has been fined 15,000 euros (£12, 000) for inciting racial hatred over her controversial remarks about Islam and Muslims. This is the fifth time Bardot has been prosecuted for ranting about her least favourite religion.
Prosecutors asked that the Paris court hand the 73-year-old former sex symbol a two-month suspended prison sentence and fine her 15,000 euros ($23,760) for saying the Muslim community was “destroying our country and imposing its acts”.
Since retiring from the film industry in the 1970s, Bardot has become a prominent animal rights activist but she has also courted controversy by denouncing Muslim traditions and immigration from predominantly Muslim countries.
She has been fined four times for inciting racial hatred since 1997, at first 1,500 euros and most recently 5,000.
Prosecutor Anne de Fontette told the court she was seeking a tougher sentence than usual, adding: “I am a little tired of prosecuting Mrs Bardot.”
Muslims traditionally mark the festival of Eid al-Adha by slaughtering an animal (usually a sheep or a cow) to commemorate the prophet Abraham’s willingness to slaughter his son Isaac by following the command by God (which he saw in a dream).
Bardot has previously said France is being invaded by sheep-slaughtering Muslims and published a book attacking gays, immigrants and the unemployed, in which she also lamented the “Islamisation of France”.
Now there are many Muslims who abhor the whole slaughterhouse experience of Eid-al-Adha. The commercialisation and the gross one-upmanship of “my sheep is bigger than yours” is grotesque. I personally find it repulsive being in Bangladesh when the entire city of Dhaka begins to smell like an abattoir.
So I do agree with Bardot’s qualms but she is obviously using her distate of this tradition to vent her rather ugly sentiments against an entire group of people. However, I wonder if penalising the old dear is giving more ammunition to the anti-PC knuckledraggers, who will simply view this as limitation of freedom of expression.
from Pickled Politics by Sid
Younger readers amongst you may not have heard of Brigitte Bardot. When I was growing up in the 70s, I spent many blissful evenings, after the parents had gone to bed, rewinding and replaying certain, erm, educational scenes on the VCR from And God Created Woman. She was one of the world’s most beautiful women and a star in the 50s and 60s in a string of films that made her a world famous celebrity. Nowadays she is more famous for her being a deranged animal rights activist and a vocal critic of gays, immigration, modern art and politicians but most of all of Muslims and the “Islamicisation of France”. Yes, she needs to blog.
Ms Bardot, who is now 73, has been fined 15,000 euros (£12, 000) for inciting racial hatred over her controversial remarks about Islam and Muslims. This is the fifth time Bardot has been prosecuted for ranting about her least favourite religion.
Prosecutors asked that the Paris court hand the 73-year-old former sex symbol a two-month suspended prison sentence and fine her 15,000 euros ($23,760) for saying the Muslim community was “destroying our country and imposing its acts”.
Since retiring from the film industry in the 1970s, Bardot has become a prominent animal rights activist but she has also courted controversy by denouncing Muslim traditions and immigration from predominantly Muslim countries.
She has been fined four times for inciting racial hatred since 1997, at first 1,500 euros and most recently 5,000.
Prosecutor Anne de Fontette told the court she was seeking a tougher sentence than usual, adding: “I am a little tired of prosecuting Mrs Bardot.”
Muslims traditionally mark the festival of Eid al-Adha by slaughtering an animal (usually a sheep or a cow) to commemorate the prophet Abraham’s willingness to slaughter his son Isaac by following the command by God (which he saw in a dream).
Bardot has previously said France is being invaded by sheep-slaughtering Muslims and published a book attacking gays, immigrants and the unemployed, in which she also lamented the “Islamisation of France”.
Now there are many Muslims who abhor the whole slaughterhouse experience of Eid-al-Adha. The commercialisation and the gross one-upmanship of “my sheep is bigger than yours” is grotesque. I personally find it repulsive being in Bangladesh when the entire city of Dhaka begins to smell like an abattoir.
So I do agree with Bardot’s qualms but she is obviously using her distate of this tradition to vent her rather ugly sentiments against an entire group of people. However, I wonder if penalising the old dear is giving more ammunition to the anti-PC knuckledraggers, who will simply view this as limitation of freedom of expression.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Oscar-winning actress Tatum O'Neal arrested for buying crack cocaine
Drug Arrest Revives Old Troubles for Tatum O'Neal
Drug arrest resurrects old troubles for Tatum O'Neal; prosecutors recommend treatment
By SAMUEL MAULL and JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press Writers
NEW YORK June 2, 2008 (AP)
The Associated Press
New York police say the Oscar-winning actress has been arrested for buying crack cocaine on Manhattan's Lower East Side Sunday June 1, 2008.
Tatum O'Neal swore she was done with drugs. The Oscar-winning former child actress proclaimed she was sober as she promoted her 2004 tell-all memoir, cobbled her acting career back together and even offered advice to misbehaving pop star Britney Spears.
O'Neal's arrest Sunday on charges of buying cocaine in her gritty-chic downtown Manhattan neighborhood suggests her struggle with addiction may not be over.
O'Neal, 44, looked tired and said nothing as she was arraigned Monday in Manhattan Criminal Court on a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance. The daughter of screen star Ryan O'Neal entered no plea and was released without bail until a July 28 court date.
Prosecutors are recommending drug treatment for the actress, who detailed her dependency on heroin and cocaine in her best-selling memoir, "A Paper Life."
Her lawyer, Robert Marinelli, declined to comment Monday. Her manager and publicist did not immediately return telephone calls after her court appearance, while her agent's office referred calls to her publicist.
The arrest was another low point in a life that has included many. Her childhood, she has said, was a Hollywood horror show. Then came years of drug abuse, public feuding with her father and a searing child custody fight with her ex-husband, tennis star John McEnroe. Her acting career vaporized.
But a determined O'Neal rebuilt it in recent years, telling The New York Times last year that she called and e-mailed her agent daily and accepted every role offered. She appeared in independent films, played guest roles on such shows as "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" and "8 Simple Rules ... for Dating My Teenage Daughter" and took a spin on "Dancing with the Stars."
Her efforts solidified into a recurring role as hard-drinking Maggie Gavin in the FX cable channel's television drama "Rescue Me." The show is now in production for its fifth and sixth seasons.
Show producer Sony Pictures Television said the actress has shot one episode for the upcoming season and is scheduled to appear in several more, but Sony Pictures declined to comment further.
Drug arrest resurrects old troubles for Tatum O'Neal; prosecutors recommend treatment
By SAMUEL MAULL and JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press Writers
NEW YORK June 2, 2008 (AP)
The Associated Press
New York police say the Oscar-winning actress has been arrested for buying crack cocaine on Manhattan's Lower East Side Sunday June 1, 2008.
Tatum O'Neal swore she was done with drugs. The Oscar-winning former child actress proclaimed she was sober as she promoted her 2004 tell-all memoir, cobbled her acting career back together and even offered advice to misbehaving pop star Britney Spears.
O'Neal's arrest Sunday on charges of buying cocaine in her gritty-chic downtown Manhattan neighborhood suggests her struggle with addiction may not be over.
O'Neal, 44, looked tired and said nothing as she was arraigned Monday in Manhattan Criminal Court on a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance. The daughter of screen star Ryan O'Neal entered no plea and was released without bail until a July 28 court date.
Prosecutors are recommending drug treatment for the actress, who detailed her dependency on heroin and cocaine in her best-selling memoir, "A Paper Life."
Her lawyer, Robert Marinelli, declined to comment Monday. Her manager and publicist did not immediately return telephone calls after her court appearance, while her agent's office referred calls to her publicist.
The arrest was another low point in a life that has included many. Her childhood, she has said, was a Hollywood horror show. Then came years of drug abuse, public feuding with her father and a searing child custody fight with her ex-husband, tennis star John McEnroe. Her acting career vaporized.
But a determined O'Neal rebuilt it in recent years, telling The New York Times last year that she called and e-mailed her agent daily and accepted every role offered. She appeared in independent films, played guest roles on such shows as "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" and "8 Simple Rules ... for Dating My Teenage Daughter" and took a spin on "Dancing with the Stars."
Her efforts solidified into a recurring role as hard-drinking Maggie Gavin in the FX cable channel's television drama "Rescue Me." The show is now in production for its fifth and sixth seasons.
Show producer Sony Pictures Television said the actress has shot one episode for the upcoming season and is scheduled to appear in several more, but Sony Pictures declined to comment further.
Legendary Designer Yves Saint Laurent Dies at 71
Legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent dies at 71, longtime friend and associate says
By ELAINE GANLEY Associated Press Writer
PARIS June 2, 2008 (AP)
The Associated Press
Yves Saint Laurent, one of the most influential and enduring designers of the 20th century, empowered women by reinventing pants as a sleek, elegant staple of the female wardrobe.
Yves Saint Laurent, who reworked the rules of fashion by putting women into elegant pantsuits that came to define how modern women dressed, died Sunday evening June 1, 2008. He was 71.
Saint Laurent, 71, died Sunday night at his Paris home after a yearlong battle with brain cancer, said Pierre Berge, Saint Laurent's close friend and business partner for four decades.
"Chanel gave women freedom," and Saint Laurent "gave them power," Berge said on France-Info radio. He called Saint Laurent a "true creator" who went beyond the aesthetic to make a social statement.
"In this sense, he was a libertarian, an anarchist and he threw bombs at the legs of society," he said. "That's how he transformed society and that's how he transformed women."
The Gucci Group, which acquired the Yves Saint Laurent fashion house in 1999, said the designer's death "leaves a great emptiness but also a sublime inheritance."
"This genius of creation shattered the codes to create French elegance which today makes Paris a grand capital of fashion," Gucci said.
Berge, speaking Monday on the France-2 TV station, stressed Saint Laurent's "profound love" for women. He used fashion to "serve women" and not "use them," said Berge, who collaborated with the designer for four decades and was his former romantic partner.
In his own words, Saint Laurent once said he felt "fashion was not only supposed to make women beautiful, but to reassure them, to give them confidence, to allow them to come to terms with themselves."
Saint Laurent widely was considered the last of a generation that included Christian Dior and Coco Chanel and made Paris the fashion capital of the world, with the Rive Gauche, or Left Bank, as its elegant headquarters.
The designer raised the stature of fashion while making it more accessible, it is widely agreed.
President Nicolas Sarkozy praised Saint Laurent for "putting his mark on a half-century of creation, in luxury as well as ready-to-wear." First lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who graced Saint Laurent's runway during her modeling career, said she had a "heavy heart" on learning of his death.
By ELAINE GANLEY Associated Press Writer
PARIS June 2, 2008 (AP)
The Associated Press
Yves Saint Laurent, one of the most influential and enduring designers of the 20th century, empowered women by reinventing pants as a sleek, elegant staple of the female wardrobe.
Yves Saint Laurent, who reworked the rules of fashion by putting women into elegant pantsuits that came to define how modern women dressed, died Sunday evening June 1, 2008. He was 71.
Saint Laurent, 71, died Sunday night at his Paris home after a yearlong battle with brain cancer, said Pierre Berge, Saint Laurent's close friend and business partner for four decades.
"Chanel gave women freedom," and Saint Laurent "gave them power," Berge said on France-Info radio. He called Saint Laurent a "true creator" who went beyond the aesthetic to make a social statement.
"In this sense, he was a libertarian, an anarchist and he threw bombs at the legs of society," he said. "That's how he transformed society and that's how he transformed women."
The Gucci Group, which acquired the Yves Saint Laurent fashion house in 1999, said the designer's death "leaves a great emptiness but also a sublime inheritance."
"This genius of creation shattered the codes to create French elegance which today makes Paris a grand capital of fashion," Gucci said.
Berge, speaking Monday on the France-2 TV station, stressed Saint Laurent's "profound love" for women. He used fashion to "serve women" and not "use them," said Berge, who collaborated with the designer for four decades and was his former romantic partner.
In his own words, Saint Laurent once said he felt "fashion was not only supposed to make women beautiful, but to reassure them, to give them confidence, to allow them to come to terms with themselves."
Saint Laurent widely was considered the last of a generation that included Christian Dior and Coco Chanel and made Paris the fashion capital of the world, with the Rive Gauche, or Left Bank, as its elegant headquarters.
The designer raised the stature of fashion while making it more accessible, it is widely agreed.
President Nicolas Sarkozy praised Saint Laurent for "putting his mark on a half-century of creation, in luxury as well as ready-to-wear." First lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who graced Saint Laurent's runway during her modeling career, said she had a "heavy heart" on learning of his death.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Ram Gopal Varma blogs
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Ram Gopal Varma blogs to voice opinion on films
Mumbai: After actors Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan, it is now the turn of ace director Ram Gopal Varma to be bitten by the blog bug.
Blogging is fun, says Varma, who had sworn he would never blog. "But blogging sounded like so much fun. It sounded like a very naughty activity," Varma, who started his blog site rgvzoomin.com this week, told IANS.
"Besides, everyone who is worth anything these days is blogging. I couldn't be left out, could I?" reasons the man who loves to do the unpredictable.
Varma admits he was influenced by Amitabh. In fact, the mega star urged the director to take the plunge.
"At first I laughed off the very thought of starting my own blog. I kept wondering how Amitji would sustain the blog on a day-to-day basis. Then I saw how passionately devoted he was to it. I grew interested," said Varma, who is set to release his "Sarkar Raj" June 6.
The political thriller features Amitabh along with his son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai.
However, Varma makes it very clear that his intentions and purpose for starting a blog are very different from the Big B.
"The Big B's big blog is a full on day-to-day affair. He talks about his day-to-day activities. I think he basically sees it as a platform to express his thoughts unhampered and to communicate his thoughts with his audience. I won't be going to rgvzoomin.com every day.
"I've neither the urge to tell the world what I'm doing with my private space nor the time or patience. And catch me carrying a laptop to my set to indulge my mental blog. I lose my cellphone every month. I'd have to spend a fortune buying new laptops."
Here, then is the blog's raison d'etre for Varma.
"It's to express my thoughts on my films. For instance, everyone thought 'Nishabd' was based on 'Lolita' when it was not. If I had my blog at that time, I could've explained why it wasn't 'Lolita'. At the moment I'm taken up with 'Sarkar Raj'. So I've started by sharing my thoughts on 'Sarkar Raj'. Next, I'll start discussing my other new film 'Contract'."
Does the presence of the print medium now become redundant for Varma?
"Not at all. I'll be carrying on a conversation with myself on the blog. The process of thought expression becomes very different when questions are thrown at you. I don't see my blog as a substitute for interviews. And I think my calculated quotable quotes would go to waste if I were to put them on my blog."
How often will Varma visit his blog?
"Certainly not every day. I'll have someone to monitor the inputs and if I think a query needs to be answered, I'll do so."
Source: Indo-Asian News Service
Ram Gopal Varma blogs to voice opinion on films
Mumbai: After actors Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan, it is now the turn of ace director Ram Gopal Varma to be bitten by the blog bug.
Blogging is fun, says Varma, who had sworn he would never blog. "But blogging sounded like so much fun. It sounded like a very naughty activity," Varma, who started his blog site rgvzoomin.com this week, told IANS.
"Besides, everyone who is worth anything these days is blogging. I couldn't be left out, could I?" reasons the man who loves to do the unpredictable.
Varma admits he was influenced by Amitabh. In fact, the mega star urged the director to take the plunge.
"At first I laughed off the very thought of starting my own blog. I kept wondering how Amitji would sustain the blog on a day-to-day basis. Then I saw how passionately devoted he was to it. I grew interested," said Varma, who is set to release his "Sarkar Raj" June 6.
The political thriller features Amitabh along with his son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai.
However, Varma makes it very clear that his intentions and purpose for starting a blog are very different from the Big B.
"The Big B's big blog is a full on day-to-day affair. He talks about his day-to-day activities. I think he basically sees it as a platform to express his thoughts unhampered and to communicate his thoughts with his audience. I won't be going to rgvzoomin.com every day.
"I've neither the urge to tell the world what I'm doing with my private space nor the time or patience. And catch me carrying a laptop to my set to indulge my mental blog. I lose my cellphone every month. I'd have to spend a fortune buying new laptops."
Here, then is the blog's raison d'etre for Varma.
"It's to express my thoughts on my films. For instance, everyone thought 'Nishabd' was based on 'Lolita' when it was not. If I had my blog at that time, I could've explained why it wasn't 'Lolita'. At the moment I'm taken up with 'Sarkar Raj'. So I've started by sharing my thoughts on 'Sarkar Raj'. Next, I'll start discussing my other new film 'Contract'."
Does the presence of the print medium now become redundant for Varma?
"Not at all. I'll be carrying on a conversation with myself on the blog. The process of thought expression becomes very different when questions are thrown at you. I don't see my blog as a substitute for interviews. And I think my calculated quotable quotes would go to waste if I were to put them on my blog."
How often will Varma visit his blog?
"Certainly not every day. I'll have someone to monitor the inputs and if I think a query needs to be answered, I'll do so."
Source: Indo-Asian News Service
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