Gawker
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box office
All Pixar Has Left to Do Is Become Self-Aware and Nuclear Bomb Us All
Pixar continues its eerily strong success streak with its latest picture, about a floating house. Terminator is in trouble, while the Ben Stiller bubble has yet to pop. It probably never will. More »
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30
Comment by Aidan_: Don't forget that Christian Bale was able to survive a small-ish nuclear explosion 100 or so yards away. I checked out... 4 Responses | Other threads
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box office report
Come With Ben Stiller If You Want to Live
That's the lesson for this big boffo box office Memorial Day weekend, which saw the further ascension of the Stills, as well as screenwriters/Reno: 911! costars Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, who just keep churning out the hits. Poor skull-busting Terminator, a film that seems to be in trouble. More »
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Comment by Lazy Susan: "Easy Virtue" @ $14,000+ per screen is the one that came out with all guns blazing. 3 Responses | Other threads
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lookalikes
Ben Stiller Ripped Off That Joaquin Phoenix Impression
Ben Stiller reportedly flipped out over his Oscar script the day before this year's show. But the Joaquin Phoenix impersonation he came up with as a replacement was hardly original. More » -
trade roundup
'Candy Land' To Seduce Your Children Like Sugarcoated Crack
· Tropic Thunder writer Etan Cohen will pen Universal's adaptation of Hasbro's Candy Land, with Enchanted's Kevin Lima set to direct. This will probably wind up matching Enchanted's tone of grownup-servicing kiddie-nip: More »
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By SethComment by NoWireHangers: With childhood obesity rates what they are, Universal should be releasing Veggie Land, the story of a magical land of... 3 Responses | Other threads
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bad ideas
Reese Witherspoon Postpones Participation in Unofficial 'Joe Versus the Volcano' Remake
First, the good news: Reese Witherspoon has confirmed the postponement of the Cameron Crowe film that would have paired her with Ben Stiller in a supernatural romantic comedy about volcanoes and human sacrifice.
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Comment by avoidz: With a face like that, she should be starring as Gizmo in a remake of Gremlins. 1 Responses | Other threads
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cameron crowe
An Open Letter to Cameron Crowe, Re: His New Volcano Comedy
Yesterday, CHUD reminded of us one of the most outlandish projects percolating in Hollywood: the next film from director Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous), an untitled, semi-supernatural comedy set to star Ben Stiller and Reese Witherspoon. The former plays a disgraced weapons analyst who must journey to Hawaii to convince the islanders to put up with a new spy satellite — something they're perfectly willing to do if Stiller will secure a human sacrifice for their volcano. Along the way, the analyst has romantic entanglements with various women, including one played by Witherspoon. More »
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Comment by Juancho: Kyle, in all seriousness, I now know why I love this website. Joe Vs. The Volcano is one of my... 2 Responses | Other threads
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Musicals
Elton John Composing The Most Hilarious AIDS Musical Ever For Ben Stiller
For those of you wondering how in the world Ben Stiller could possibly outdo his finely honed, full-retard character work in this summer's Tropic Thunder, fret not. The actor is pairing with Elton John for a movie musical that will require him to go full blown AIDS. John explained in a recent GQ interview: More » -
tropic thunder
'Tropic Thunder' Offensive Repelled at Box Office with $7.5 Million Opening
Attribute it to whatever phenomena you want — the potheads stayed away, the groupies weren't interested, RetardGate '08 — but Tropic Thunder opened softer than planned on Wednesday. Ben Stiller's Hollywood satire pulled in around $7.5 million, prompting observers to downgrade their weekend estimates that should nevertheless keep the film in first place above Star Wars: The Clone Wars and The Dark Knight this weekend. The turnout looked that much worse when compared to that of Pineapple Express, which drew more than $12 million last Wednesday — the best midweek, R-rated comedy opening in ages. More »
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By STVComment by Adora Belle Dearheart: I saw it on Saturday afternoon. There was a little girl sitting right in front of me, no more than 5... more » | Other threads
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etan cohen
Exclusive: 'Tropic Thunder' Writer Stops Making Fun Of Mentally Challenged People Just Long Enough To Let Us Interview Him
Take a good look at that Tropic Thunder poster. Go past the glossy, airbrushed photos of the film's many stars, past the lush jungle setting, past the fiery explosions, and you might notice something. See there? Down at the bottom? It says "Screenplay by Ben Stiller & Justin Theroux, and Etan Cohen." Sure, other more "legitimate" media outlets may give all the ink to those first two dudes, but here at Defamer we like to dig a little deeper. Just who is this Etan Cohen fellow and how did he get roped in to working on the biggest comedy of the summer? Stick around after the jump to hear one of Hollywood's newest writing stars dish the dirt about meeting Tom Cruise for the first time, what it feels like to suddenly have people kissing your ass, and why you shouldn't be offended by all that Simple Jack stuff. More »
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By nickmComment by Josh Heflin: um...Tropic Thunder was great, and Religion has nothing to do with anything you judgmental ass. more » | Other threads
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jack black
Ben Stiller And Jack Black Draw Clear Line Between Movie Retardation/ Flatulence And The Real Thing
With Tropic Thunder —the product of Ben Stiller's harrowing journey into the heart of retarded darkness— storming multiplexes today, the film's stars are going into promotional hyperdrive. And nothing sells your movie more than some old-fashioned controversy—particularly one in which you're accused of being insensitive to the disabled. (Semitic advocacy groups, meanwhile, surprised everyone by seeing nothing objectionable in Tom Cruise's minstrelsy, Jewface performance.) On the GMA hotseat today was Stiller and co-star Jack Black, both of whom calmly explained that in matters of insensitivity and bodily function, context is everything; framed by the movie's central comedic conceit of actorly self-indulgence, then, not a single dropped R-bomb or ass-bomb should be considered anything other than purely satirical. More » -
tropic thunder
'Thunder' Premiere Showdown Pits Megastars Against Disabled Who Obviously Don't Get The Joke
Despite all traces of Simple Jack—veteran fake-action-star Tugg Speedman's brazen Oscar-shot playing a stuttering, simpleton farmhand—having been literally whitewashed from the web, activists remain outraged over Tropic Thunder's depiction-within-a-depiction of the developmentally disabled as bucktoothed "retards" incapable of expressing affection without the use of the phrase, "You mm-mm-m-ake my p-p-pee-peemaker t-t-t-tingle." (Sheesh—so touchy.) As threatened, dozens of placard-wielding protesters outfitted in 'Retard'busters T-shirts marched outside last night's premiere in Westwood, giving the proceedings the strangely familiar air of an RGA West strike line. From the AP report: More »
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By SethComment by NotReadyForPrimeTime: Maybe the "Retard Busters" should think about protesting CO$, since Tom Cruise is in this movie. Scientologists believe that... more » | Other threads
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tropic thunder
'Retard' Wars Heat Up as 'Tropic Thunder' Boycott Imminent
After two consecutive close calls, The Dark Knight's stunning box-office reign faces More » -
tropic thunder
DreamWorks Goes 'No Retard,' Yanks 'Simple Jack' Site
Well, that was fast: Mere days after first drawing attention on a disability issues blog (and eventually going under magnifying glasses at the NY Times and here at Defamer HQ), DreamWorks's mock Web site for Simple Jack is gone. The site had been part of the studio's complex interweaving of Tropic Thunder tie-ins, with its "Once upon a time... there was a retard" tagline tipping the story of a disabled farmhand whom Ben Stiller's character portrays in pursuit of an Oscar. But activist Patricia Bauer's vigil continued, culminating late Monday with a handy restitution checklist for Stiller, DreamWorks and their distribution partners at Paramount: More »
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By STVComment by EuroDad: all i have to say is... OOOOOOOOOKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA!!!! 1 Responses | Other threads
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tropic thunder
How to Derail a Junket: Ask Robert Downey Jr. Who He'd Like To 'Smoke a Blunt With'
Can't a little movie like Tropic Thunder catch a break? The Ben Stiller comedy has thus far managed to survive racism, ratings, "retards," and American Idol — and that's before it's even come out (Wednesday, August 13!). Still, all that was child's play compared to the newest Tropic trouble, instigated by an overzealous radio DJ who crashed the film's junket to ask Robert Downey Jr. some of the most inane questions Iron Man has ever had to face. Listen in horror as the notoriously rehabbed actor is asked which costar he'd like to “drink a brew and smoke a blunt with” (only the first of many, many stupid questions) — we've even provided a helpful assortment of what we can only imagine were Jack Black and Ben Stiller's reaction shots. Enjoy! More »
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Comment by kyle4: Downey Jr. handled it nicely, most others would've flipped on him quicker. more » | Other threads
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tropic thunder
'Tropic Thunder' Braces For 'Retard' Backlash
Several months ago, the red-band trailer for Tropic Thunder suggested that not only could Ben Stiller's Hollywood satire be summer's most surefire gutbuster, but also that its trailer-within-a-trailer — featuring Stiller as the developmentally disabled title character of the Oscar-bait drama Simple Jack — portended perhaps the best movie never made. (And look! It even has its own Web site!) But having seen Thunder and thus the degree to which Simple Jack plays a role in the story, we think we got our fill: "You went full retard, man" Robert Downey Jr.'s Method actor (in blackface!) tells Stiller's slumping action hero. "Never go full retard." More »
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By STVComment by Costermonger: I felt Simple Jack's pain, I laughed, I cried when Jack didn't understand that his mother had de-de-died. This is not... more » | Other threads
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tropic thunder
Rating Woes, August Blahs Threaten 'Tropic Thunder' Storm at Box Office
While we refuse to believe Nielsen actually spent money to discover that R-ratings hinder comedies more than horror films, the results of its recent survey dovetail interestingly today with a companion piece about Tropic Thunder's potential for August domination. We've seen Tropic and can vouch for it living up to most of its hype, from Tom Cruise's sociopath studio boss to Robert Downey Jr.'s otherworldly, meta-Method blackface turn. But rating and timing are everything, as always, prompting The Hollywood Reporter to foretell a relatively floppy future: More »
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By STVComment by spikespeigel: RDJ is the reason I'm going to see Tropic. Everything else? Not so much. more » | Other threads
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sag
Stars Choose Sides as SAG Strike Apocalypse Descends
Everywhere we've been around the LA Film Festival this week, the chatter du jour is either oversexed studio minions or how folks plan to spend their off-days during the increasingly inevitable-looking SAG strike. The latter conflict came into even sharper relief today in Variety, which published a SAG-AFTRA Bullshit Scorecard (hardly an improvement over our SAG Strike Mad Libs™, but whatever) breaking down the lies, celebrity endorsees and various other spin the unions are wielding in their steel-cage labor war: More » -
You Had Us At Under Wraps
Ben Stiller and Reese Witherspoon To Deliver Cameron Crowe From Eight-Year Creative Funk
Sidelined with a creative misfire so severe in Elizabethtown, the entire movie needed to be checked into Cirque Lodge for depression, Cameron Crowe is finally back doing what he was born to do: putting together kickass movie soundtracks. From Variety: More » -
Pips
Digital 'Idol' Magic Transforms The Cast Of 'Tropic Thunder' Into Gladys Knight's Man-Hungry Pips
Where to even begin with last night's American Idol Results Show Grand Finale Spectacular? While it may not have provided the knee-buckling rush of emotion that accompanies a shot of a moist-eyed David Hasselhoff witnessing the coronation of his prematurely graying Soul King, there were more than a few unmistakable moments of true poignancy: from George Michael's haunting "Praying For Time," to David Cook's landslide victory lap, to the Jonas Brothers' heartfelt plea on behalf of the Aging Sibling Pop Star Fund, with every dollar pledged earmarked for famine-relief among surviving members of The Jets, DeBarge, Hanson, and the like. More » -
defamer
Pee-Pee Makers, Infanticide Keep the 'Tropic Thunder' Train Rolling Toward Opening Day
First, the bad news about the new red-band trailer for Tropic Thunder: Alas, there is no trace of Tom Cruise's fat-suited, filthy-mouthed studio boss cameo that so entranced insiders at an early screening last month. The good news: Ben Stiller does throw a murderous Viet Cong toddler off a bridge, which is only about a 6 on the teaser's overactive, oft-peaking transgression scale. More bad news: The trailer appears to promise more than anyone can rightfully expect it to deliver, and Jack Black does appear in his underwear. More good news: Black in packing more than his junk in said underwear. More bad news: The trailer does zero favors for the squeamish. More good news: The trailer does zero favors for the squeamish. So we guess we're in! NB: Simple Jack could quite possibly turn out to be the best film never made. [Tropic Thunder] -
agency hr
Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Rest of UTA Comedy Mafia in Play as Nick Stevens off to Endeavor
The Hollywood Reporter calls it "one of the biggest agent migrations in years." Nikki Finke screamed "Shocker!" We'll wait until the dust settles before determining exactly how to characterize the moves of UTA talent kingpin and co-owner Nick Stevens and partners Sharon Sheinwold and Lisa Hallerman over to Endeavor, a relocation that has already cost UTA its relationship with Stevens' client Ben Stiller, looks ready to claim Jack Black and could continue to draw a sizable chunk of UTA's deep comedy base — including Judd Apatow, Owen Wilson, Jason Lee and half the cast of Saturday Night Live — in the days and weeks to come. More »
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By STVComment by SteamyMcFirecrotch: Jim Berkus. He was great as Thurston Howell the 3rd, wasn't he? I enjoyed that character much more than Mr.... more » | Other threads
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the clip show
Lessons Learned
What did we learn about our favorite celebrities this week? Glad you asked! More » -
defamer
Ben Stiller's Ever-Changing Hair Color Makes Us Wonder What Decade He Thinks He's In
Anyone else have one of those crazy uncles who keeps heading to the hair salon for "touch-ups" just to avoid going gray? Well, Ben Stiller has officially become one of those crazy uncles who has hit the Just For Men bottle a bit too hard. Apparently unsatisfied with letting nature take its course, Stiller inexplicably showed up at last night's premiere of The Ruins with a fresh new dye job. After the jump, we track the metamorphosis of his locks from early strays to full on gray to, of course, his new back to black-ish look. More »
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Comment by bitchybitch: Why is it that women can dye their hair until they're 90 years old and no one says anything, but... more » | Other threads
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defamer
Tom Cruise Owes Sumner Redstone Lunch Again After Scathing 'Tropic Thunder' Cameo
Oh, now we get it: That Polo Lounge power summit last week between Tom Cruise and Sumner Redstone was not the prodigal-son mea culpa we thought it was, smoothing the waters on which Cruise would coast back into the safe harbor of Redstone's reeling Viacom flagship. Rather, it was just a quick bite to catch up about Katie, Suri, Laurie and maybe for Cruise to apologize in advance for his scathing, fat-suited cameo as a depraved studio boss in Tropic Thunder: More »
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By STVComment by HappyBlues: I feel like I Need a shower just looking at it! more » | Other threads
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defamer
'Tropic Thunder' Trailer Doesn't Exactly Bury The Whole Robert Downey Jr. Blackface Subplot
You'd be forgiven if a visit to Tropic Thunder's website—where the trailer premiered today—led you to believe the movie featured billed stars STILLER and BLACK DOWNEY, as the preview ballsily features a good deal of Robert Downey Jr.'s white-Method-actor in blackface (and muttering stereotypical, The Jefferson's-theme-inspired dialogue in blackvoice). That said, there's lots to enjoy here, including the movie star archetypes that inhabit this Platoon-set-turned-real scenario—particularly Stiller's "Action Guy," whose previous roles required him to deliver catchphrase, "Who left the fridge open?" while BabyBjörning two tiny pandas. More » -
hollywood privacywatch
The Jake And Reese Love Train Makes A Stop At Mozza
PrivacyWatch celebrity sightings are submitted by our readers, and are posted several times a week, so send them in often—the fate of the universe relies upon it! Submit yours to tips[AT]defamer.com (please put "sighting" or "PrivacyWatch" in the subject line so we don't lose them) and tell everyone about the time you noticed Dennis Rodman manhandling a minor at Koi. More » -
dicey propositions
Black Like Downey: The Dark Overtones Of 'Tropic Thunder'
Unlike other, more culturally acceptable Hollywood race-swapping depictions—say, Rob Schneider's exciting work in the ugly-Asian-caricature arts, or even the Wayans brothers' attempt to slip into the alabaster skin of two chihuahua-toting cruise line heiresses—blackface steadfastly remains as reviled and controversial as ever. Which brings us, courtesy EW.com, to this first glimpse of Ben Stiller's "epic action comedy" Tropic Thunder—a movie he first conceived of as a young extra on the set of Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun. (Why does that one detail suggest what we might be looking at here is Stiller's own Heaven's Gate?) In it, Robert Downey Jr. plays an actor so committed to craft, he becomes African American: More »
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By SethComment by DaleKhayos: Lighten up people (no pun intended). Being black is not a 'gift' any more than being white is. Too... more » | Other threads
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defamer
Tom Cruise Acknowledges His Bear Fan Base
With preview scorecards rating his upcoming turn as a Hitler-hunting WWII war hero as "simply darling," and "eye-patch adorable! When and where can I get my kids a plush Col. Claus von Stauffenberg doll?" Tom Cruise has decided to take another drastic turn with his scrupulously managed big screen persona. A photo snapped on the set of Ben Stiller's superstar-cameo-packed Tropic Thunder reveals the actor has finally rid himself of his distracting Nazi bangs and SS uniform, replaced by a bald wig, prosthetic chest-fur collar, and a strap-on belly. (It bears mentioning that the latter is a mere enhancement, as his own doughy physique suggests one too many trips to Valkyrie's sauerbraten-and-strüdel-heavy cräft services table). More »
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By SethComment by Cultmember: He's gotta lay off the Travolta-tech. His chest merkin doesn't look like it fits. more » | Other threads
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defamer
The Strike, Day 11: Public Finding Writers More Sympathetic Than Giant Media Corporations
As we await the announcement of the theme of the WGA's next picketing event (we're hoping a petting zoo is involved, or at least a parade of more cute dogs in sweaters bearing protest slogans), here's the obligatory morning round-up of strike-related news. More »
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By MarkComment by Sweet Panda Love: As we close out week two, one issue is weighing on me. Well, aside from poverty and unemployment. What's the preferred... more » | Other threads
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trade roundup
Clooney Pushed
· Universal is pushing the release of George Clooney's Leatherheads from December to April, so that Clooney can "incorporate additional footage and honor previous commitments," hoping that the extra four months will be more than enough time for the director/star to fix all the things they can't publicly admit they don't like about the film. [Variety] More » -
defamer
Steve Coogan Finally Gets His Breakthrough Moment As Owen Wilson's Enabler
At the height of Owen Wilson's very public personal crisis, Courtney Love uncharacteristically offered up her own, highly opinionated views on the topic—suicide and hard drugs being two subjects that run, pun only partially intended, deeply in her veins. Suspecting she knew exactly who and what led Wilson to his act of desperation, the singer told Us magazine that the culprit was Steve Coogan: A far bigger star in the U.K. than in the U.S., Coogan gained fame overseas for his TV portrayal of dim-bulbed newsman Alan Partridge. (In this clip, he fittingly admits he has no idea who Kurt Cobain is, and is baffled over why he might have taken his own life.) Coogan and Love had a brief affair, which was rumored to have caused a pregnancy, but that thankfully produced no illegitimate children—between Love's body dysmorphia and Coogan's English dental genes, the kid never stood a chance. More »
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By SethComment by Allie Anne: I think Owen's great but (from what I've read) he's been secretly unhappy and "acquainted" with heroin for a pretty... more » | Other threads
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defamer
Jessica Alba To Look Hot, Laugh At Mike Myers' Jokes
· After a decade in existence, DreamWorks is tantalizingly close to crossing the $1 billion box office mark for the first time. You know what that means: three-day weekend for everyone in the Paramount family! [Variety] More »
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By MarkComment by dollywould: There will never be a comedic character for Jessica as hilarious as Honey. "I'm teachin' hip-hop at the centah." more » | Other threads
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defamer
Jailhouse Karaoke, Counting Celebrities, And Blood-Soaked Wedding Gowns
· Critic-proof director/producer Brian Robbins takes on Jailhouse Rock, a film based on the real-life story of an American Idol-like signing competition (the "Inmate Idle Singing Con-Test") that took place in an Arizona jail, for Disney. While it's probably too soon to think about casting, it's hard not to imagine Robbins throwing some orange jumpsuits on his Wild Hogs dream team and letting them loose on renditions of "Summer Lovin'" and "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights." Projected opening weekend gross: $42 million. [Variety] More » -
trade roundup
Owen Wilson To Meet His Ghost Of Hollywood Future
· Watch out, Hollywood, because here comes Mitch Albom: Adam Sandler has acquired the rights to feature-writing debut (an untitled baseball comedy, if you must know) of the Five People You Meet On One More Tuesday With Morrie author, whose treacly bestsellers have been previously adapted into housewife-narcotizing TV movies. [Variety] More » -
defamer
Trade Round-Up: 'Survivor' Goes To China
· CBS announces that Survivor's fifteenth (!) edition (tentative title: Survivor: Human Rights Violations) will shoot in China, which hopes that hosting an American reality TV series that's overstayed its welcome for ten seasons will somehow get people excited about the 2008 Beijing Olympics. [Variety] More » -
jeremy piven
Hollywood PrivacyWatch: A Dapper Jeremy Piven Strolls Along Cahuenga With Leggy Friend In Tow
PrivacyWatch celebrity sightings are submitted by our readers, and are posted several times a week, so send them in often. Submit yours to tips[AT]defamer.com (please put "sighting" or "PrivacyWatch" in the subject line) and let everyone know about the time you saw Val Kilmer imparting some surfer wisdom to his son at a Santa Monica surf shop. More » -
sightings
Hollywood PrivacyWatch: Ben Stiller Drops Ben Harper A Soul Brother Handshake In Brentwood
PrivacyWatch celebrity sightings are submitted by our readers, and are posted several times a week, so send them in like you mean it. Submit yours to tips[AT]defamer.com (please put "sighting" or "PrivacyWatch" in the subject line) and let everyone know about the most recent time you spotted Tony Hale purchasing a DVD of his own work: More »
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By SethComment by worldsfair: Adam Goldberg / Ricci @ Midlake show is SO TRUE - i have photos you nonbelievers and it aint no... more » | Other threads
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defamer
Trade Round-Up: 26 Million Americans Officially Dumber Than A Fifth Grader
· But how did yesterday's 416 point stock market bed-shitting affect the faceless multimedia corporations behind your favorite entertainment products, you ask? Disney was hit the hardest with a 6% fall, followed by Time Warner at 4%, and 2-4% drops by News Corp., CBS, Viacom, and Sony. [Variety] More » -
1,205
By MarkComment by raincoaster: Isn't Tom old enough to be in Hart to Hart? Ben would make an excellent Max, and they could get... more » | Other threads
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tom cruise
Tom Cruise Exploring Possibility Of Being Ben Stiller's Next Owen Wilson
Knowing that it might be a while before their agents at CAA can find an acceptable job for his new, still-unemployed wife, Tom Cruise apparently realizes that someone in his household is eventually going to need to work consistently if they plan on maintaining the lifestyle to which they've become accustomed (it would be a shame if he had to replace the solid-gold cuff that explodes in the event of a Holmes escape attempt with a cheaply made one that might turn her ankle green well before detonation), and is now reportedly out trolling for light-hearted parts intended to play against his completely undeserved, career-hampering image as a self-serious browbeater of those under the sway of the pharmaceutical industry. TMZ reports that Cruise has recently chatted with Ben Stiller about the possibility of hooking him up with the kind of buddy role that he usually saves for Owen Wilson: More »
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By MarkComment by TootieFields: Your childhood shouldn't dress so slutty then. more » | Other threads
defamer
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Sat Jul 11
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