the link is an autostart video
FTR: Both her parents are long-time Scientologists (Linda and Ron Moss, former manager of Chick Corea).
She grew up in "Celebrity Scientology". A whole 'nother world away from the general experience of Scientology.Mel Brooks Roast: “He Never Let His Love of Scientology Affect His Work”
The American Film Institute was supposed to honor Mel Brooks last night in Hollywood. Well, they did, with a star studded audience and players on stage at the Dolby Theatre. But then Mel, who’s 86 and hasn’t lost a step, roasted them right back. It was sheer genius. About three hours of toasts, roasts, clips and tributes went by, all with Brooks quietly watching.
The live presenters ranged from his oldest and best friend Carl Reiner to Martin Short (in a hilarious musical number), Billy Crystal, Robert DeNiro, Amy Poehler, Cloris Leachman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, David Lynch, Morgan Freeman, Larry David, Cary Elwes, Sarah Silverman and finally Martin Scorsese, who presented him with the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award.
Some of it will make it to TV, some will not. Skillful editing will be applied to this very funny night of inside jokes that showed Brooks’s career chronologically. The only piece missing was any reference to “Get Smart,” as Buck Henry was unable to attend.
But the Dolby, turned into a dinner theater, was packed with celebs who didn’t speak including Brooks’s beloved former ingenue Teri Garr, as well as Dustin Hoffman, Lesley Ann Warren, directors Alexander Payne and Jay Roach, Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss, Richard and Lauren Shuler Donner, Paul Mazursky, Hawk Koch, Jon Avnet, Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher, “Mad Men” creator Matt Weiner, Richard Lewis, Steven Weber, Mike Medavoy, Disney chief Alan Horn, “Arrested Development” creator Mitch Hurwitz, and Netflix’s Ted Sarandos.
Outgoing Sony chief Sir Howard Stringer introduced the evening with his usual panache.
On tape, the AFI rounded up Gene Wilder, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Woody Allen, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Whoopi Goldberg, Jerry Seinfeld, and Clint Eastwood to explain how Brooks had perverted and parodied various genres to make his classic films.
Short cracked wise about Brooks in his opening number: “He never let his love of Scientology affect his work.” Yes, it brought the house down.
Kimmel pretended he was eulogizing, not celebrating, Brooks. The “Blazing Saddles” director quipped later: “Just for that, I’m going on Conan. I’m not dead or dying!”
And it was Brooks who got everyone back, deftly turned the night on its head and made sure this wasn’t the usual fawning Hollywood love in. Finishing the night, he he read from cards he’d written delivering his mock thank you’s to the AFI and to his friends.
He then announced he had no interest in returning next year to present the award to the 2014 winner, so he simply read a prepared statement congratulating that person–”he or she”– in advance with facetious sincerity– essentially lampooning the entire proceeding we’d just witnessed with Brooksian precision.
The AFI will have to sell the unedited show online so people can see the whole thing. It was one of those great nights in Hollywood where everyone’s relaxed, and the show just rolls. All the interviews with Brooks plus all the clips added up to a memorable event.
Will Smith's 'After Earth' Apocalypse: Who Loses Most
Columbia Pictures
"After Earth."
UPDATED: As the sci-fi bust heads toward a loss in the tens of millions, fallout touches Sony, M. Night Shyamalan and the star once considered box-office royalty.
OUR EDITOR RECOMMENDS
This story first appeared in the June 14 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
The danger turned out to be very real as Sony Pictures' After Earth crashed at the box office in third place, the first time in two decades that a summer event film starring Will Smith failed to open at No. 1.
Given the low $27.5 million domestic bow and 12 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, top executives at several rival studios estimate that if the film doesn't score big overseas, it could lose tens of millions. Sony insiders put the loss at about $20 million but rivals, not surprisingly, are guessing much higher. That puts a lot of pressure on the rest of Sony's summer, including RolandEmmerich's White House Down, Grown Ups 2, the comedyThis Is the End, Smurfs 2 and Matt Damon's Elysium.
So who suffers most from the fallout? Competitors and talent representatives concur that faltering director M. Night Shyamalan will take the biggest hit, but Smith -- who conceived the project, produced it with wife Jada Pinkett Smith and cast son Jaden Smith as its co-star -- has the most to lose. Insiders agree that Smith's bulletproof image could be dinged by several factors:
► Lack of Focus: A source who has worked with the CAA-repped Smith -- arguably the world's most bankable star -- says he has been less attuned to his movie career recently. Nearly four years passed between Seven Pounds and last summer's Men in Black 3. "One thing you've got to do as an actor is portfolio management," says this person. "Will went through a place where he didn't do a lot of movies, and none has been great." The bottom line: "He could still be highly successful, but it was automatic before. Now audiences will look more carefully."
► Off-Message Media: Smith, 44, and his 14-year-old son gave a joint interview to New Yorkmagazine that one prominent producer describes as "a jaw-dropper." Will Smith described himself as "a student of patterns," adding, "At heart, I'm a physicist." Even as the elder Smith described how visitors to his household would be surprised to find that it is "simple and basic," Jaden declared: "I like Cartier," noting "before that, it was Louis" (as in, Vuitton). And that type of coverage leads to …
► Less Fresh Prince and More Royal Prince: This began with buzz about Smith's behavior (and his gigantic trailer) during the making of MiB3. Says a prominent film exec who has worked with Smith: "That aw-shucks, incredibly charming, self-effacing spirit doesn't seem to play anymore. You can see it on talk shows. He's got that energy and positive attitude, but it doesn't have the same contagious quality." Another Smith associate believes such behavior takes a creative toll. "The control-freak stuff hits you," says this person. "You've got to listen to people. Movies don't do well when there's a hermetically sealed environment."
► Family Issues: The Smith family's efforts to make stars of daughter Willow and Jaden might be too much, too soon. "The Barrymores got really close to what I see in my head for my family," Smith told the Associated Press. But execs and talent reps say making Jaden the lead in After Earth -- conceived as the first in a trilogy -- was a mistake. "What are you doing, putting your kid out there like that?" says a source. "Just because it's your DNA?"
► Scientology Taint: Smith has kept his links to the religion much quieter than has buddy Tom Cruise. But with After Earth, media reports and reviews, including The New York Times' pan of the film, described perceived Scientology themes. Smith told New York that he and his son are "students of world religion," but a prominent producer says After Earth "opened the door to this generally well-hidden [connection with] Scientology."
► He's an Expensive Taste: No one is writing off Smith, though some say he may have to accept lower fees. "His deal is an absolute impediment to making money for the studios," says a knowledgeable source, adding that for MiB3, he collected about $100 million of its $624 million gross. Warner Bros. chief Jeff Robinov, who has Smith in the upcoming Winter's Tale and the in-development Focus, says he is "really confident about Will. We all have movies that don't work, but at the end of the day, Will is incredibly talented."
► Shyamalan Fallout: He was damaged before After Earth; he left CAA for WME in 2011, apparently partly in response to CAA's efforts to dissuade Smith from hiring him. One source says Shyamalan will have to try "very, very small, under-$10 million movies" and "just try to rebuild." He still has the Fox limited series Wayward Pines with Matt Dillon and Melissa Leo set for spring 2014.
► Sony's Damage: Most don't think After Earth will affect the thinking of the studio's parent, despite pressure by investor Dan Loeb to spin off assets. As for studio heads Michael Lynton andAmy Pascal, a producer calls After Earth "a justifiable decision." Smith goes back to Bad Boys in 1995 with Sony, and whatever his share of the MiB3 money, the film was the the highest grosser in the franchise. And Jaden's Karate Kid grossed $359 million in 2010. Says this producer: "You're backing a relationship [with Smith] that's been hugely successful."
Will Smith Disappointed In 'After Earth' Box Office: It's Been Two Decades Since I Wasn't Number One
Will Smith Disappointed In 'After Earth' Box Office: It's Been Two Decades Since I Wasn't Number One
'Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night': Will Smith Disappointed With Poor Box Office Performance Of 'After Earth'
"Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night" returned with the NBA playoffs. But that doesn't mean the special installments are just about basketball. For the first installment this year, he chatted with Will Smith, who admitted he was a little disappointed with the box office performance of his latest movie, "After Earth."
The movie's budget was $130 million, but it only brought in $27 million in its opening weekend, finishing in third place behind "Fast & Furious 6" and "Now You See Me."
“Here’s how I think about it Jimmy, let’s be honest. Three is the new one," Smith said, trying to put a spin on it.
He wasn't quite sure how to take it, saying, "It’s been almost, like, two decades since I had a movie that wasn’t number one!"
BuzzFeed said that Will Smith is to blame for the film's poor box office reception. "Smith not only produced and starred in the film, but he received a sole ‘Story by’ credit — he’s said he conceived 'After Earth' as a vehicle for him and his son while he was producing Jaden Smith’s surprise 2010 mega-hit 'The Karate Kid.'" Further, it was Smith who sought M. Night Shyamalan to direct.
The media has already begun to talk about how this might tarnish Will Smith's reputation. The LA Times wrote that his star has faded, attributing it to his break from summer blockbusters, and a four-year break from Hollywood completely. The Hollywood Reporter is interested to see if studios will think twice about banking on him after this. Maybe if he just sticks to making movies for his own career rather than trying to nurse his son into a superstar at his own expense.
0 comments:
Post a Comment