Four months ago, when Joaquin Phoenix announced to the world that he was trading in his successful film career for the rhythms and rhymes of the rap/hip-hop world, most Hollywood insiders (and many of his fans) thought it was a hoax or an elaborate joke. But, after a few rocky club gigs, a televised exchange of hostile words with David Letterman about his decision, and after secluding himself in recording studios, it appears as if “JP” (as he wants to be known as these days) is well on his way to becoming a full-fledged rapper working on bumping up his street cred.
In this conversation with Earl Dittman, Phoenix talks openly about his decision to leave films, his ensuing music career, and the media’s response to his unpredictable behaviour. Plus: this week’s DVDs and Blu-rays, all after the jump.
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In Whatever Works, the latest comedy from filmmaking legend Woody Allen, Curb Your Enthusiasm main man Larry David portrays self-professed genius Boris, an unhappy, suicidal and cantankerous former Columbia professor. Hollywood ingénue Evan Rachel Wood (The Wrestler, Across The Universe) and with stage and screen veteran Patricia Clarkson (The Green Mile, Far From Heaven) portray the women in Boris’ life.
In this fun, exclusive ménage-a-chat with the three leads of Whatever Works, the trio muse about Wood’s web-slinging Broadway adventure, contemplate the idea of vampires of Curb Your Enthusiam, and recall the excitement (and fear) of working with Woody Allen.
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Michel Gondry’s work (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, several cool White Stripes music videos) often demands –albeit politely — that viewers suspend their disbelief. Tokyo!, a compilation of three independent short segments, is no exception. To be fair, Gondry directs only one of them. To be unfair, all three have their share of “what the hell is going on?” moments.
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Welcome to Part V, the final installment of DRIVEN’s exclusive interview series on Watchmen (Part I: Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Part II: Malin Akerman. Part III: Zack Snyder. Part IV: Billy Crudup).
Today we feature short chats with actors Matthew Goode, Patrick Wilson, and Jackie Earle Haley, plus some odd Watchmen linkage from around the web.
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Welcome to Part IV of DRIVEN’s exclusive interview series on Watchmen (Part I: Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Part II: Malin Akerman. Part III: Zack Snyder. Plus: See the end of this post for a chance to win an exclusive piece of collectible Watchmen memorabilia).
Today: Billy Crudup, the normally press-shy 39-year-old who shot to fame in 2000 as the burgeoning guitar rock god of Almost Famous, breaks down his serious, journalist-weary barriers to joke about his Watchmen roles as both the very human Dr. Jon Osterman, and his glowing dual personality Doctor Manhattan.
Look for plenty of atomic blue weirdness after the jump.
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Welcome to Part III of DRIVEN’s exclusive interview series on Watchmen (Part I: Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Part II: Malin Akerman. Tomorrow: a rare interview with Billy Crudup/Dr. Manhattan. (Plus: See the end of this post for how to win an exclusive piece of collectible Watchmen memorabilia).
Remaining faithful to the Watchmen graphic novel—created over two decades ago by writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons—was priority number one for director Zack Snyder (300, Dawn of the Dead).
“I especially wanted to make the hardcore fans happy, because I’ve already gotten death threats for having directed Watchmen. It’s funny that every movie I’ve made, starting with Dawn of the Dead, I’ve gotten death threats.”
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Welcome to Part II of DRIVEN’s exclusive series of one-on-one chats with the people who helped bring Watchmen to cinematic life.Yesterday: Jeffrey Dean Morgan AKA The Comedian. Wednesday:Watchmen director Zack Snyder. Thursday: a rare interview with Billy Crudup, AKA Dr. Manhattan. Friday: a surprise post.Plus: a chance for Watchmen fans to win a piece of collectible Watchmen swag (see the end of this post).
In Watchmen, the Stockholm-born and Toronto-raised Malin Akerman portrays Laurie Juspeczyk and her retired superheroine alter-ego, Silk Spectre II. After the jump, you’ll find out Akerman’s takes on the film, the Watchmen graphic novel, and the tender side of superheroics.
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Each day this week, DRIVEN will post exclusive, one-on-one chats with the filmmaker and several actors who helped bring Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ epic graphic novel Watchmen to cinematic life. Tomorrow: Malin Akerman discusses life as Silk Spectre II. Wednesday: Watchmen director Zack Snyder. Thursday: a rare interview with Billy Crudup, AKA Dr. Manhattan. Friday: a surprise post. Plus: a chance for Watchmen fans to win a piece of collectible Watchmen memorabilia (find out how at the end of this post).
First up, Jeffrey Dean Morgan—previously known as the overly-sexed dead patient from Grey’s Anatomy—talks about his brutal, psychopathic superhero, The Comedian. After the jump, Morgan opens up about the super role, his other upcoming movies, and the possibility of a Watchmen sequel. Read More
It looks like we’re finally seeing the backlash to Jane Austen’s rise in popularity over the past decade or so. Maybe backlash isn’t the right word: It’s more of a side-lash, a re-appropriation. Hollywood’s treatment of Austen has typically targetted the female demographic, full of lush escapism and romantic intrigue. Well, no more. Wresting her work from the clutches of sentimentality are a bunch of projects which marry the Victorian stories with the most sordid aspects of Pulp genre fiction.
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Doorstop, nutcracker, toilet room conversation piece—some Academy Award winners discover practical alternate uses for their gold-plated trophies. For most, though, not only does Oscar bring loads of peer respect and opportunities for even better roles, the shiny little fellow also adds several more zeros to those paycheques.
Below the fold, a few of the biggest post-Oscar paydays.
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