Whenever Robert Downey Jr comes up in a conversation, we often think of his iconic portrayal of Tony Stark/ Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that had made the superhero franchise a multibillion-dollar franchise. Rdj is no doubt a charismatic and phenomenal actor, whose career has spanned four decades. During this period, the actor has done a plethora of films such as Sherlock Holmes, Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man, Oppenheimer, and many more which have set a major record in the box office.
Robert Downey Jr. as Admiral Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer
There’s no doubt that Robert Downey Jr is one of the most successful and one of the most decorated film stars that this generation has witnessed. However, even the biggest of stars have made wrong decisions in their career that leave a black spot, that couldn’t get rid of. Downey Jr was no exception, as in his career,...
Robert Downey Jr. as Admiral Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer
There’s no doubt that Robert Downey Jr is one of the most successful and one of the most decorated film stars that this generation has witnessed. However, even the biggest of stars have made wrong decisions in their career that leave a black spot, that couldn’t get rid of. Downey Jr was no exception, as in his career,...
- 2/17/2024
- by Tushar Auddy
- FandomWire
Edward R. Pressman, the prolific Hollywood indie producer behind Wall Street, Badlands, American Psycho, Das Boot and The Crow, among dozens of others, died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 79.
His death was confirmed to Deadline his company, Pressman Films.
With dozens of acclaimed and impactful films and TV movies stretching back to the late 1960s and including now-classics like Conan the Barbarian, Talk Radio, Bad Lieutenant and Brian De Palma’s 1972 Sisters, Pressman was noted for discovering talented directors early in their careers. In addition to Sisters he produced De Palma’s Phantom of the Paradise, and, with the acclaimed 1973 TV-movie Badlands, Terrence Malick. Jason Reitman made his directing debut in Pressman’s 2005 Aaron Eckhart starrer Thank You for Smoking.
An early collaboration with Oliver Stone on the 1981 drama The Hand paved the way for Talk Radio (1988) and the 1987 Oscar-winning Wall Street. He and Stone produced Kathryn Bigelow’s early film Blue Steel (1990).
Among the other directors with whom Pressman would forge early bonds were Alex Proyas (The Crow), Sylvester Stallone (Paradise Alley) and Sam Raimi (Crimewave).
Among his many other credits both domestic and international, either as producer or executive producer, are Fred Schepisi’s Plenty, starring Meryl Streep; Wolfgang Petersen’s Das Boot; Mary Harron’s American Psycho, with Christian Bale; James Toback’s Two Girls and a Guy; Harold Becker’s City Hall, starring Al Pacino; Danny DeVito’s Hoffa, starring Jack Nicholson; Charles Burnett’s To Sleep With Anger, starring Danny Glover; Barbet Schroeder’s Reversal of Fortune, starring Jeremy Irons in an Oscar-winning performance as Claus von Bülow; and John Frankenheimer’s The Island of Dr. Moreau, with Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer.
Pressman also earned Emmy and PGA Award nom as an executive producer of the 2018 HBO telefilm Paterno, and former longtime Penn State football coach Joe Paterno. The producer also was nominated for back-to-back Indie Spirit Awards in 1992 and ’93 for Homicide and Bad Lieutenant, respectively, and received Film Independent’s John Cassavetes Award in 1991. He also received a Tribute Award from the Gothams in 2003.
A native New Yorker and Stanford University graduate who also studied at the London School of Economics, Pressman has been honored by the French Cinematheque, The National Film Theatre in London, New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the Pacific Film Archives and the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Cinematék, among others.
Pressman is survived by his wife of 39 years, Annie McEnroe Pressman, and son Sam Pressman, who has worked for Edward R. Pressman Productions for the past decade and says he will continue producing films for the company in honor of his father.
His death was confirmed to Deadline his company, Pressman Films.
With dozens of acclaimed and impactful films and TV movies stretching back to the late 1960s and including now-classics like Conan the Barbarian, Talk Radio, Bad Lieutenant and Brian De Palma’s 1972 Sisters, Pressman was noted for discovering talented directors early in their careers. In addition to Sisters he produced De Palma’s Phantom of the Paradise, and, with the acclaimed 1973 TV-movie Badlands, Terrence Malick. Jason Reitman made his directing debut in Pressman’s 2005 Aaron Eckhart starrer Thank You for Smoking.
An early collaboration with Oliver Stone on the 1981 drama The Hand paved the way for Talk Radio (1988) and the 1987 Oscar-winning Wall Street. He and Stone produced Kathryn Bigelow’s early film Blue Steel (1990).
Among the other directors with whom Pressman would forge early bonds were Alex Proyas (The Crow), Sylvester Stallone (Paradise Alley) and Sam Raimi (Crimewave).
Among his many other credits both domestic and international, either as producer or executive producer, are Fred Schepisi’s Plenty, starring Meryl Streep; Wolfgang Petersen’s Das Boot; Mary Harron’s American Psycho, with Christian Bale; James Toback’s Two Girls and a Guy; Harold Becker’s City Hall, starring Al Pacino; Danny DeVito’s Hoffa, starring Jack Nicholson; Charles Burnett’s To Sleep With Anger, starring Danny Glover; Barbet Schroeder’s Reversal of Fortune, starring Jeremy Irons in an Oscar-winning performance as Claus von Bülow; and John Frankenheimer’s The Island of Dr. Moreau, with Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer.
Pressman also earned Emmy and PGA Award nom as an executive producer of the 2018 HBO telefilm Paterno, and former longtime Penn State football coach Joe Paterno. The producer also was nominated for back-to-back Indie Spirit Awards in 1992 and ’93 for Homicide and Bad Lieutenant, respectively, and received Film Independent’s John Cassavetes Award in 1991. He also received a Tribute Award from the Gothams in 2003.
A native New Yorker and Stanford University graduate who also studied at the London School of Economics, Pressman has been honored by the French Cinematheque, The National Film Theatre in London, New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the Pacific Film Archives and the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Cinematék, among others.
Pressman is survived by his wife of 39 years, Annie McEnroe Pressman, and son Sam Pressman, who has worked for Edward R. Pressman Productions for the past decade and says he will continue producing films for the company in honor of his father.
- 1/18/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Telluride 2022 Begins with Buzz About ‘Women Talking,’ a Rare Robert Downey Jr. Appearance, and More
One week after the box office experienced decade lows, the fall film festivals have come to save the day, premiering dozens of new movies that hope to bring audiences back to theaters and maybe even win some awards.
At the opening day brunch, Telluride attendees were already chatting about what they have heard of the films that premiered out of Venice, which had kicked off two days ago. Naturally, the conversation turned to a couple of projects that also happen to be at Telluride as well.
While there is still much excitement for “TÁR,” which will close the Cate Blanchett tribute on Saturday night, the previous day’s wave of divisive reviews for “Bardo” had brunch goers wondering whether or not they can power through its ever-evolving runtime (there were whispers that even sure exceeds the 174 minutes listed on the program guide).
One person who is powering through the experience is director Alejandro González Iñárritu,...
At the opening day brunch, Telluride attendees were already chatting about what they have heard of the films that premiered out of Venice, which had kicked off two days ago. Naturally, the conversation turned to a couple of projects that also happen to be at Telluride as well.
While there is still much excitement for “TÁR,” which will close the Cate Blanchett tribute on Saturday night, the previous day’s wave of divisive reviews for “Bardo” had brunch goers wondering whether or not they can power through its ever-evolving runtime (there were whispers that even sure exceeds the 174 minutes listed on the program guide).
One person who is powering through the experience is director Alejandro González Iñárritu,...
- 9/3/2022
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
A former member of the violent street gang the Latin Kings claims in a bombshell interview that he was Vanessa Trump‘s “first love” in high school — and that she allegedly helped him deliver marijuana, drove him to gang meetings, and visited him in prison before eventually leaving him for Leonardo DiCaprio.
Valentin Rivera opened up about his rough and rocky past with Vanessa, now 40, in a new interview with the New York Post‘s Page Six amid the former model’s highly publicized split from President Trump‘s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.
Rivera alleged to the outlet that...
Valentin Rivera opened up about his rough and rocky past with Vanessa, now 40, in a new interview with the New York Post‘s Page Six amid the former model’s highly publicized split from President Trump‘s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.
Rivera alleged to the outlet that...
- 5/9/2018
- by Tierney McAfee
- PEOPLE.com
Comedian Natasha Leggero says she is among the nearly 400 women director James Toback sexually harassed ... and her alleged incident might be the most bizarre and creepy yet. Natasha was on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Wednesday when she said Toback told her 20 years ago he was going to put her in the movie "Two Girls and a Guy" -- but she would need to grow out her armpit hair. Leggero says she did it -- 4 inches strong,...
- 1/18/2018
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Writer/director James Toback, best known for movies like Bugsy, Two Girls and A Guy, and Black & White, is being accused by multiple women of sexual harassment over a 22 year period.
According to The Los Angeles Times, Toback is being accused by 38 women -- 31 of whom went on record with the paper -- describing an alleged pattern of intimidation and inappropriate behavior, including lewd comments and touching.
Toback, 72, denied the allegations to the Times, and said he either had never met or or barely recalled meeting the women making the claims. He also indicated that it was "biologically impossible" for him to engage in the behavior he is accused of due to health issues, including diabetes and a heart condition that required medication.
Et has also reached out to Toback and his rep for comment.
In the wake of the article, The Fosters star Sherri Saum shared her own alleged experience with the director on Twitter, using the hashtag...
According to The Los Angeles Times, Toback is being accused by 38 women -- 31 of whom went on record with the paper -- describing an alleged pattern of intimidation and inappropriate behavior, including lewd comments and touching.
Toback, 72, denied the allegations to the Times, and said he either had never met or or barely recalled meeting the women making the claims. He also indicated that it was "biologically impossible" for him to engage in the behavior he is accused of due to health issues, including diabetes and a heart condition that required medication.
Et has also reached out to Toback and his rep for comment.
In the wake of the article, The Fosters star Sherri Saum shared her own alleged experience with the director on Twitter, using the hashtag...
- 10/22/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
James Toback, the writer and director of films like Black and White and Two Girls and a Guy, has been accused of sexually harassing over 30 women over the course of the last three decades.
While rumors of Toback's behavior toward women had widely been reported in previous exposés, the Los Angeles Times published the full scope of Toback's actions after speaking to 38 of the director's victims.
The latest story of a Hollywood figure's attempts to use their power in the industry to pressure women into sex comes just weeks after...
While rumors of Toback's behavior toward women had widely been reported in previous exposés, the Los Angeles Times published the full scope of Toback's actions after speaking to 38 of the director's victims.
The latest story of a Hollywood figure's attempts to use their power in the industry to pressure women into sex comes just weeks after...
- 10/22/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Director James Toback has been accused by more than 30 women of sexual harassment, according to a story in today’s Los Angeles Times. Toback is the director of, among other films, Two Girls and a Guy, was Oscar-nominated for writing Warren Beatty’s Bugsy and most recently wrote and directed The Private Life of a Modern Woman, starring Sienna Miller and Alec Baldwin. According to the La Times, he lured women to auditions and meetings by offering professional…...
- 10/22/2017
- Deadline
More than 30 women have come forward to accuse director James Toback of sexual harassment in the latest bombshell set of accusations by women who have faced abuse by prominent Hollywood men.
The Los Angeles Times reported the claims by the 38 women in a story released Sunday morning.
Toback, who helmed the films Black and White (1999) and Two Girls and a Guy (1998) and was nominated for an Oscar for writing the Warren Beatty film Bugsy (1991), used his status as a director to lure the women into auditions, meetings and interviews that would quickly turn...
The Los Angeles Times reported the claims by the 38 women in a story released Sunday morning.
Toback, who helmed the films Black and White (1999) and Two Girls and a Guy (1998) and was nominated for an Oscar for writing the Warren Beatty film Bugsy (1991), used his status as a director to lure the women into auditions, meetings and interviews that would quickly turn...
- 10/22/2017
- by THR Staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Director James Toback -- famous for films like "Two Girls and a Guy" -- has been accused of sexual harassment by over 30 women ... this in the wake of Weinstein. The Los Angeles Times posted the story Sunday, in which 38 women accuse Toback of decades-long sexual harassment ... much of it similar in nature to the accusations against Harvey Weinstein. According to the report, Toback would bring young women into a private space on the pretense of...
- 10/22/2017
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
I remember watching an interview a long time ago where Roger Ebert commented that nothing a critic said, good or bad, could alter the power of the superhero blockbuster. Those movies would always be hits because people were determined to make them so.
Ebert went on to say that where a critic's power truly lies is in giving attention to smaller films that don't usually have a such a grand platform on which to be discovered.
So in honor of the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), I decided to comb through the filmographies of its stars for some of those titles that definitely deserve a little more attention.
Robert Downey Jr: Two Girls and a Guy
Everyone was astounded with Robert Downey Jr's extraordinary career turnaround playing Tony Stark. It's resulted in people forgetting about some of the interesting films the actor made during his rocky period.
Ebert went on to say that where a critic's power truly lies is in giving attention to smaller films that don't usually have a such a grand platform on which to be discovered.
So in honor of the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), I decided to comb through the filmographies of its stars for some of those titles that definitely deserve a little more attention.
Robert Downey Jr: Two Girls and a Guy
Everyone was astounded with Robert Downey Jr's extraordinary career turnaround playing Tony Stark. It's resulted in people forgetting about some of the interesting films the actor made during his rocky period.
- 5/5/2015
- by Frank Calvillo
- Slackerwood
All week long our writers will debate: Which was the greatest film year of the past half century. Check here for a complete list of our essays. Just one glance at the Oscar nominees for 1998 might make it seem less a questionable choice for “best year in film” — and more an insane one. Instead of a 1974 – The Godfather II, The Conversation, Chinatown, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, etc – or even a 1994, where Shawshank, Quiz Show, and Pulp Fiction lost to Gump – you choose a year where the Oscars would allow Roberto Benigni to climb atop both the figurative and literal chairs of the Shrine? Fine, step away from the Oscars. Would you still celebrate a year that saw not one, but two movies about asteroids threatening the Earth? A year that saw such scars carved across cinematic history as Patch Adams, My Giant, Stepmom, and Krippendorf’s Tribe? It bears repeating: Krippendorf’S Tribe?...
- 4/27/2015
- by Michael Oates Palmer
- Hitfix
It is appropriate that Robert Downey Jr. burst back onto the A-list by playing a superhero, as the actor’s cunning wit and dry charisma has single-handedly saved or repaired a variety of average films. Efforts like Two Girls and a Guy, The Soloist, Tropic Thunder and his Iron Man installments needed Downey’s caustic touch to be memorable trips to the cinema. Now, the actor is back in top-tier form, taking the mawkish, Grisham-lite drama The Judge and doing everything he can to infuse the story with sheer entertainment. He avenges a mediocre script and uneven storytelling with not only flair, but also deep sincerity.
In this earnest return to drama for Wedding Crashers director David Dobkin, Downey plays Hank Palmer, a hotshot defense attorney who only books expensive clients – “Innocent people can’t afford me,” he snipes at a prosecutor – but cannot book the time to talk with his grade-school-age daughter.
In this earnest return to drama for Wedding Crashers director David Dobkin, Downey plays Hank Palmer, a hotshot defense attorney who only books expensive clients – “Innocent people can’t afford me,” he snipes at a prosecutor – but cannot book the time to talk with his grade-school-age daughter.
- 9/6/2014
- by Jordan Adler
- We Got This Covered
Having recently wrapped the final season of Californication (in which she played Hank Moody’s mystery baby-mama), Heather Graham spoke with us about onscreen parenting, the surreal merry-go-round of showbiz life, and quasi-reuniting with fellow Twin Peaks alum David Duchovny.Given your turns in Boogie Nights, Two Girls and a Guy, and so on, where did Californication fall on your career spectrum of racy content?[Laughs] I think my story with David was actually very sweet. The show definitely goes into some racy areas, but my part with David brings out that sweeter side of him as a father, which I found more heartwarming. My character has a very low expectation of what he would be as a dad, and then I’m pleasantly surprised. So even if some critics felt introducing his long-lost son, Levon, was contrived, it really just allowed us to see a new side of Hank.Some...
- 6/30/2014
- by Kenny Herzog
- Vulture
The lyrics to the torch song New York, New York leap to mind while listening to Ryan Gosling reflect on his earliest days breaking into acting. "If I can make it there, I.ll make it anywhere" the classic anthem goes. "There," in this instance, just happens to be West Hollywood. Also, if I listened to Gosling and entertained the notion of possibly becoming a professional actor, I.d probably pull a complete 180-degrees and possibly apply for a job in a safe profession. So, who.s hiring? The above clip, shared by The Wrap, is from James Toback and Alec Baldwin.s industry documentary Seduced and Abandoned. Released on HBO back in October, the film follows the 30 Rock star and the director of The Pick-Up Artist and Two Girls and a Guy as they shop a project around Cannes. It.s meant to be a scathing commentary on the...
- 2/21/2014
- cinemablend.com
Filmmaker James Toback is the éminence grise of shooting the shit and telling a good yarn. The raconteur of raconteurs, you can ask him about the sincerity in his upcoming HBO documen—err, film, “Seduced & Abandoned,” and he’ll somehow end up on a hilarious (and off-color) tangent about Robert Downey Jr. in “Two Girls and a Guy” (the 1997 Toback film, famous for its Rdj-eating-Heather-Graham’s butt scene). James Toback, the director of “Fingers” (1978), “Black and White” (1999) and the documentary “Tyson” (2008), loves to talk. His HBO doc/film, “Seduced & Abandoned” hit the cable channel this week after premiering earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival (our review). It’s funny, entertaining and insightful portrait about the movie industry that could jokingly be subtitled (in the spirit of Toback’s always-blue, often sardonic and self-deprecating humor), “Whose d*ck do you need to suck here to get a movie made?...
- 10/30/2013
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
During the summer of 1998, one of the two multiplexes in my modestly sized hometown devoted one of its sixteen screens to limited release films throughout the entire season. They showed a range of small, non-mainstream narrative works from that surprisingly indie-rich summer, including Darren Aronofsky’s Pi, Vincent Gallo’s Buffalo ’66, Wayne Wang’s Chinese Box, James Toback’s Two Girls and a Guy, Don Roos’s The Opposite of Sex, Whit Stilman’s The Last Days of Disco, Neil Labute’s Your Friends and Neighbors, and Mr. Jealousy, a film that almost nobody remembers Noah Baumbach made. Despite their nearby availability, I saw approximately zero of these films. I was thirteen years old, and my parents maintained their strict no-r policy. But it was enough for me that the names of these films showed up in the local paper, and that I saw their posters displayed through smudged plexiglass outside the box office as I bought...
- 8/27/2013
- by Landon Palmer
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
HBO acquired all television rights for the U.S. and Canada to James Toback‘s feature documentary Seduced And Abandoned. Produced by Michael Mailer, Alec Baldwin and Toback and exec-produced by Morris Levy, Alan Helene, Larry Herbert and Neal Schneider, the pic will premiere as a Special Screening in the Official Selection this month at the 2013 Cannes International Film Festival. Guided by Baldwin and Toback, Seduced And Abandoned is a cinematic exploration of several interconnected subjects: The Cannes Film Festival and cinema art, money, glamour and death. Shot during the 65th Anniversary Festival in 2012, it features original portraits of Bernardo Bertolucci, Francis Ford Coppola, Roman Polanski, Martin Scorsese, Ryan Gosling, Jessica Chastain, Berenice Bejo, Diane Kruger and James Caan. Seduced And Abandoned is produced by Michael Mailer Films. The deal was negotiated with HBO by Jeff Berg at Resolution on behalf of the filmmakers. International sales are being handled by Hanway.
- 5/13/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Nomad has written in with yet another description of some of the eye candy that was shown at this year's New York Comic Con. Read on to see what was on tap for the sequel to The Collector, Marcus Dunstan's The Collection.
Footage Description
Two girls and a guy walk down a glossy alleyway. The trio are dressed for clubbing but are draped in shadow. One of the girls mentions that the club is password only... the word being "Nevermore." Just then a door bursts open on the left and an industrial-style, heavily pierced man stands there glaring. The moment lasts a few beats before one of the girls steps forward, gathers her courage and says "Nevermore." The man raises his hand and triggers a metal door to their right and music is heard from within. The door attendant heads back behind his door and the trio enter the club.
Footage Description
Two girls and a guy walk down a glossy alleyway. The trio are dressed for clubbing but are draped in shadow. One of the girls mentions that the club is password only... the word being "Nevermore." Just then a door bursts open on the left and an industrial-style, heavily pierced man stands there glaring. The moment lasts a few beats before one of the girls steps forward, gathers her courage and says "Nevermore." The man raises his hand and triggers a metal door to their right and music is heard from within. The door attendant heads back behind his door and the trio enter the club.
- 10/14/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Cannes. Cannes, Cannes, Cannes, Cannes, Cannes. Cannes!
Okay, now that I’ve gently eased you into it, here's some news from everyone’s favourite film festival - you know, the one that kicked off today. This piece of news comes from Cannes, and is about a film that’s being made at Cannes, which is about raising money at Cannes to make another movie – that other movie could be set anywhere really…but nobody’s ruling out Cannes.
The film in question is “Seduced and Abandoned” and is being put together by veteran writer/director James Toback ("The Gambler," "Fingers," "Two Girls And A Guy") and Alec Baldwin. If this all sounds a bit confusing, that’s because it is. Here’s how Toback explains it: “The film idea was generated by conversations Alec and I have had over a long period of time and we decided we’d go...
Okay, now that I’ve gently eased you into it, here's some news from everyone’s favourite film festival - you know, the one that kicked off today. This piece of news comes from Cannes, and is about a film that’s being made at Cannes, which is about raising money at Cannes to make another movie – that other movie could be set anywhere really…but nobody’s ruling out Cannes.
The film in question is “Seduced and Abandoned” and is being put together by veteran writer/director James Toback ("The Gambler," "Fingers," "Two Girls And A Guy") and Alec Baldwin. If this all sounds a bit confusing, that’s because it is. Here’s how Toback explains it: “The film idea was generated by conversations Alec and I have had over a long period of time and we decided we’d go...
- 5/16/2012
- by Joe Cunningham
- The Playlist
SXSW 2012 film review
complete coverage of SXSW Film 2012
Girls Against Boys
Director & Screenwriter: Austin Chick
A psychological thriller about two girls on a killing spree. With edgy and ironic humor and a darkly meditative tone, it is also a coming-of-age story about a girl learning how the world really works.
Cast: Danielle Panabaker, Nicole Laliberte, Liam Aiken, Michael Stahl-David, Andrew Howard
(World Premiere)
Film Synopsis from SXSW.com
Who’S It For? If you crave a somewhat serious, somewhat psychotic take of women taking revenge on all men, then Girls Against Boys is for you.
Overall
We’ve all heard the saying “boys against girls” on the playground. That’s the way I’ve said it, probably because I’m a boy. Now it’s time to turn the tables. That’s right … it’s Girls Against Boys, wouldn’t that be fun?
Well, that’s not what you...
complete coverage of SXSW Film 2012
Girls Against Boys
Director & Screenwriter: Austin Chick
A psychological thriller about two girls on a killing spree. With edgy and ironic humor and a darkly meditative tone, it is also a coming-of-age story about a girl learning how the world really works.
Cast: Danielle Panabaker, Nicole Laliberte, Liam Aiken, Michael Stahl-David, Andrew Howard
(World Premiere)
Film Synopsis from SXSW.com
Who’S It For? If you crave a somewhat serious, somewhat psychotic take of women taking revenge on all men, then Girls Against Boys is for you.
Overall
We’ve all heard the saying “boys against girls” on the playground. That’s the way I’ve said it, probably because I’m a boy. Now it’s time to turn the tables. That’s right … it’s Girls Against Boys, wouldn’t that be fun?
Well, that’s not what you...
- 3/10/2012
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
Subject: Heather Graham, 41-year old American actress
Date of Assessment: June 8, 2011
Positive Buzzwords: Nudity, beauty, sleep
Negative Buzzwords: Romcom, limited appeal and talent
The Case: People like to talk about the so-called "downward trajectory" that Heather Graham's career has supposedly taken. Still, she's worked steadily since her first movie role in 1988's License to Drive (the one where both Coreys stuffed her in a car trunk), which she followed up with an acclaimed turn in Drugstore Cowboy and an adorable character, Annie Blackburn, on the second season of "Twin Peaks." Then, she toiled away in relative obscurity for nearly five years until she stunned audiences (or at least myself) as Jon Favreau's dance partner in the last act of Swingers and appeared alongside Robert Downey Jr. in Two Girls and a Guy. Then, Heather became the very naked Rollergirl in Boogie Nights, which was a pretty overrated movie...
Date of Assessment: June 8, 2011
Positive Buzzwords: Nudity, beauty, sleep
Negative Buzzwords: Romcom, limited appeal and talent
The Case: People like to talk about the so-called "downward trajectory" that Heather Graham's career has supposedly taken. Still, she's worked steadily since her first movie role in 1988's License to Drive (the one where both Coreys stuffed her in a car trunk), which she followed up with an acclaimed turn in Drugstore Cowboy and an adorable character, Annie Blackburn, on the second season of "Twin Peaks." Then, she toiled away in relative obscurity for nearly five years until she stunned audiences (or at least myself) as Jon Favreau's dance partner in the last act of Swingers and appeared alongside Robert Downey Jr. in Two Girls and a Guy. Then, Heather became the very naked Rollergirl in Boogie Nights, which was a pretty overrated movie...
- 6/8/2011
- by Agent Bedhead
It's time to smear some ketchup over your chest as we pay our respects to cinema's attempts at playing dead
Jesus Christ, William Wallace, Bambi's mother. A great movie death can haunt many a young fan. It can also haunt many a studio executive, an elegant freeze frame here, a great franchise opportunity dead there. Don't believe me? Check out this disaster.
But if you yearn to harness the power of a screen death, yet want to avoid the messy inconvenience of the loss of a protagonist there is an alternative: fake it.
Bambi's mother didn't simulate death as part of an undercover sting, to rob a Vegas casino, or second-guess a homicidal boyfriend. Disney decided to traumatise its young audience with the full dead parent shebang. However, it never stooped as low as Warner Brothers managed for The Dark Knight.
1) An allegory for "the war on terror"? A war on camp characters,...
Jesus Christ, William Wallace, Bambi's mother. A great movie death can haunt many a young fan. It can also haunt many a studio executive, an elegant freeze frame here, a great franchise opportunity dead there. Don't believe me? Check out this disaster.
But if you yearn to harness the power of a screen death, yet want to avoid the messy inconvenience of the loss of a protagonist there is an alternative: fake it.
Bambi's mother didn't simulate death as part of an undercover sting, to rob a Vegas casino, or second-guess a homicidal boyfriend. Disney decided to traumatise its young audience with the full dead parent shebang. However, it never stooped as low as Warner Brothers managed for The Dark Knight.
1) An allegory for "the war on terror"? A war on camp characters,...
- 4/13/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
It seems that the people behind the Golden Globes, the mysterious Hollywood Foreign Press Association aren't to happy with ol' Rickey Gervais' performance last Sunday as the presenter of the 68th Golden Globe Awards -- funny that. And it looks as though any future works the British actor-comedian-writer-producer-musician, 49, might be the next name in the HFPA's black-books -- who are obviously un happy with the actors at times over the top material.
It seems a bit over the top, and just petty for somthing like this -- but they may be blacklisting Ricky Gervais. Pop Eater spoke with a member of the HFPA who said that not only would Gervias not be invited to host another Golden Globes (to be expected, unfortunately), but also that “for sure any movie he makes he can forget about getting nominated.”
I mean come on, whats the big deal -- sure he may have crossed a few lines,...
It seems a bit over the top, and just petty for somthing like this -- but they may be blacklisting Ricky Gervais. Pop Eater spoke with a member of the HFPA who said that not only would Gervias not be invited to host another Golden Globes (to be expected, unfortunately), but also that “for sure any movie he makes he can forget about getting nominated.”
I mean come on, whats the big deal -- sure he may have crossed a few lines,...
- 1/19/2011
- by cinemasharkz@gmail.com (Mr. Bruce)
- Cinema Sharks
Enjoy Ricky Gervais’ Golden Globes performance now as it’ll probably be the last time you see him host the award show.
The comedian eviscerated everyone from Tom Cruise to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) — aka the people that vote on and run the Golden Globes — in a devastating opening that most likely earned him a spot on the “Do Not Invite” list next year.
Hollywood’s loss is our gain, though, as Gervais imbued the superficial proceedings with rare jolts of earnestness and sincerity, tearing away the veneer of fake smiles and polite applause in favor of numerous “He’s going to get beat up backstage” moments.
But it wasn’t all about Gervais. While the only real surprise came with Paul Giamatti’s upset win over Johnny Depp for Best Actor – Comedy or Musical, there were still myriad best and worst moments, including…
Best Ricky Gervais Amputates...
The comedian eviscerated everyone from Tom Cruise to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) — aka the people that vote on and run the Golden Globes — in a devastating opening that most likely earned him a spot on the “Do Not Invite” list next year.
Hollywood’s loss is our gain, though, as Gervais imbued the superficial proceedings with rare jolts of earnestness and sincerity, tearing away the veneer of fake smiles and polite applause in favor of numerous “He’s going to get beat up backstage” moments.
But it wasn’t all about Gervais. While the only real surprise came with Paul Giamatti’s upset win over Johnny Depp for Best Actor – Comedy or Musical, there were still myriad best and worst moments, including…
Best Ricky Gervais Amputates...
- 1/17/2011
- by Jason Newman
- NextMovie
Ricky Gervais said he would "notch it up" for this year's 68th Golden Globe Awards. And the British comedian took a sip of his beer and left the audience speechless right out of the gate. No one was safe. Here are some of his most memorable zingers: • It's gonna be a night of partying and heavy drinking … or as Charlie Sheen calls it: Breakfast. • I haven't even seen The Tourist. Who has? • Do you want to go see Cher? No. Why not? Because it's not 1975. Photos: Best Dressed at the Golden Globes!• Nothing for Sex and the City 2? I was...
- 1/17/2011
- by Joseph Barracato
- PEOPLE.com
Robert Downey, Jr. has pulled off an incredible feat in his career, going from nearly less than zero for around 25 years to box office hero in the last two. Aside from supporting roles in a few popular movies, Mr. Downey could have been labeled box office poison for most of his career, better known for the poisons he was putting into his system than for his movies. But despite so many commercial strikes, Hollywood kept letting him play, and it finally paid off in 2008. Following supporting work in movies like Back to School and Weird Science, Robert Downey, Jr.'s first at-bat as a leading man was The Pick-Up Artist in 1987, playing a womanizer opposite Molly Ringwald. The comedy wasn't disastrous in its first September weekend, grossing $4.5 million at 1,129 theaters, but it was overshadowed by the debut of Fatal Attraction that same weekend and fizzled out rapidly by the era's standards,...
- 6/10/2010
- by Brandon Gray <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
- Box Office Mojo
I was all prepared to be the pretentious douche who, when ranking Robert Downey, Jr.'s five best roles, weighed the list heavy with pre-rehabbed Downey. Until Iron Man, Downey had always been a brilliant but under-appreciated actor. Even still, most of his pre-comeback script choices were spotty, at best. He used to excel at the smarmy sleazy guy with the occasional bit of charm (The Pick-Up Arist, Two Girls and a Guy) and, up until around 1995 -- when his career went off the rails -- he made a lot of bad to mediocre guilty pleasure movies, like Heart and Souls, Air America, Chances Are and Only You (if he wasn't snorting coke before Only You, that movie probably would've driven him to it). He was trying really hard, I suppose, to be a romantic comedy leading man, and had drugs not taken over his life, it's sad to think...
- 5/11/2010
- by Dustin Rowles
Celebrating cinematic folk, born on this day 11/23. Get out your kazoos.
Franco, Maxwell and Harpo. Half of the fun of building these posts
is these completely nonsensical groupings!
1859 Billy the Kid, outlaw. I've always thought it a mystery as to exactly why people routinely idolize characters whom they would never want to meet in real life. Murderers, criminals, thieves, (especially gangsters)... they all get the silver screen pedestal treatment. Billy has been portrayed dozens of times and Val Kilmer, Emilio Estevez, Kris Kristofferson, Buster Crabbe and Paul Newman have all done the job.
1888 Harpo Marx I'm embarrassed to say this but I can never remember which Marx Bros is which. When I watch 30s comedies, I almost always select a screwball romance.
1892 Erté artist over whom wee Nathaniel obsessed, wanting a whole animated movie to spring forth from his theatrical illustrations of ladies in elaborate headdresses and fab gowns.
1913 Michael Gough,...
Franco, Maxwell and Harpo. Half of the fun of building these posts
is these completely nonsensical groupings!
1859 Billy the Kid, outlaw. I've always thought it a mystery as to exactly why people routinely idolize characters whom they would never want to meet in real life. Murderers, criminals, thieves, (especially gangsters)... they all get the silver screen pedestal treatment. Billy has been portrayed dozens of times and Val Kilmer, Emilio Estevez, Kris Kristofferson, Buster Crabbe and Paul Newman have all done the job.
1888 Harpo Marx I'm embarrassed to say this but I can never remember which Marx Bros is which. When I watch 30s comedies, I almost always select a screwball romance.
1892 Erté artist over whom wee Nathaniel obsessed, wanting a whole animated movie to spring forth from his theatrical illustrations of ladies in elaborate headdresses and fab gowns.
1913 Michael Gough,...
- 11/23/2009
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
DVD Playhouse—November 2009
By
Allen Gardner
Watchmen—The Ultimate Cut (Warner Bros.) Director Zack Snyder’s film of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ landmark graphic novel is as worthy an adaptation of a great book that has ever been filmed. In an alternative version of the year 1985, Richard Nixon is serving his third term as President and super heroes have been outlawed by a congressional act, in spite of the fact that two of the most high-profile “masks,” Dr. Manhattan (Billy Cruddup) and The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) helped the U.S. win the Vietnam War. When The Comedian is found murdered, many former heroes become concerned that a conspiracy is afoot to assassinate retired costumed crime fighters. Former masks Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson), Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman) and still-operating Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley, in an Oscar-worthy turn) launch an investigation of their own, all while the Pentagon’s “Doomsday...
By
Allen Gardner
Watchmen—The Ultimate Cut (Warner Bros.) Director Zack Snyder’s film of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ landmark graphic novel is as worthy an adaptation of a great book that has ever been filmed. In an alternative version of the year 1985, Richard Nixon is serving his third term as President and super heroes have been outlawed by a congressional act, in spite of the fact that two of the most high-profile “masks,” Dr. Manhattan (Billy Cruddup) and The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) helped the U.S. win the Vietnam War. When The Comedian is found murdered, many former heroes become concerned that a conspiracy is afoot to assassinate retired costumed crime fighters. Former masks Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson), Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman) and still-operating Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley, in an Oscar-worthy turn) launch an investigation of their own, all while the Pentagon’s “Doomsday...
- 11/15/2009
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide - your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…
(Please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases - it helps to keep us going…)
As dense as a diamond and just as exquisite, the second volume of world knowledge written by the world’s Foremost Expert on All That Is Knowable (if not factual) and the possessor of soft hands and a baby’s face (the former per our handshake, the latter per Ricky Gervais), John Hodgman, is now available for purchase from your favorite book emporium In Softcover.
(Please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases - it helps to keep us going…)
As dense as a diamond and just as exquisite, the second volume of world knowledge written by the world’s Foremost Expert on All That Is Knowable (if not factual) and the possessor of soft hands and a baby’s face (the former per our handshake, the latter per Ricky Gervais), John Hodgman, is now available for purchase from your favorite book emporium In Softcover.
- 11/13/2009
- by UncaScroogeMcD
When an actor or director suddenly breaks out and gets hot, studios scour their vaults to see if there’s a way they can capitalize on this heat. Last year, Robert Downey, Jr. went from a troubled, gifted actor to a Super Star thanks to his performance in Iron Man. This week, 20th Century-Fox hopes to catch a break with the Blu-ray release of Downey’s 1998 film Two Girls and a Guy.
Written and direct by James Toback, the film is virtually a real time three-person stage play on a film. In his self-congratulatory 20 minute conversation on the Extras, Toback talks about how he came to write the film, by beginning to imagine a setting. In this case, that’s the spacious loft apartment which became the set his performances would use. After that, he populated the apartment with his players.
We open with Natasha Gregson Wagner’s Lou and...
Written and direct by James Toback, the film is virtually a real time three-person stage play on a film. In his self-congratulatory 20 minute conversation on the Extras, Toback talks about how he came to write the film, by beginning to imagine a setting. In this case, that’s the spacious loft apartment which became the set his performances would use. After that, he populated the apartment with his players.
We open with Natasha Gregson Wagner’s Lou and...
- 11/6/2009
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
On This Week's Show: Kevin and Neil say good-bye to scary movies (well, not really, considering two are released this week) and decide to ring in the Christmas season early. They stare at some goats, grumble about not being allowed to open a box, visit the uncanny valley and debate whether Kevin is spoiling the viewing experience for The Fourth Kind. They also lay down a Fat Guy Five about awesome UFO movies, and Kevin gloats over Neil's not-so-accurate box office predictions from last week. Films Reviewed this Week: A Christmas Carol, The Fourth Kind, The Men Who Stare At Goats and The Box [audio:http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?http://media.filmschoolrejects.com/audio/episode139.mp3] Download this Episode Episode Schedule: Segment 1 [8:50] - Reviews of The Box and The Men Who Stare At Goats Segment 2 [10:40] - Review of A Christmas Carol and The Fourth Kind Segment 3 [12:45] - Box office gloatation and the Fat Guy Five: Five Awesome UFO Movies Segment 4 [6:35] - DVD Round-Up: Neil's picks are G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, North by Northwest...
- 11/6/2009
- by Kevin Carr
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Blu-ray Review
Two Girls and a Guy
Directed by: James Toback
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Heather Graham, Natasha Gregson Wagner
Running Time: 1 hr 25 mins
Rating: R or Nc-17
Due Out: November 3, 2009
Plot: A man (Downey Jr.) is simultaneously confronted by the two women (Graham, Wagner) he has been seeing at the same time.
Who’S It For? This 1997 indie movie seems to have fallen under the radar in all of its stars’ filmographies. So yes, who is this small moment in everyone’s career for? Heather Graham Collectivists?
Movie:
When asked of his dreams, a neighborly mage once stated with stunning simplicity, “two chicks at the same time.” Two Girls and A Guy has the optional Nc-17 rating and a title that works also as the name for a bland porno, but it is thankfully not the simple realization of a man’s dream to knock boots with two babes.
Two Girls and a Guy
Directed by: James Toback
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Heather Graham, Natasha Gregson Wagner
Running Time: 1 hr 25 mins
Rating: R or Nc-17
Due Out: November 3, 2009
Plot: A man (Downey Jr.) is simultaneously confronted by the two women (Graham, Wagner) he has been seeing at the same time.
Who’S It For? This 1997 indie movie seems to have fallen under the radar in all of its stars’ filmographies. So yes, who is this small moment in everyone’s career for? Heather Graham Collectivists?
Movie:
When asked of his dreams, a neighborly mage once stated with stunning simplicity, “two chicks at the same time.” Two Girls and A Guy has the optional Nc-17 rating and a title that works also as the name for a bland porno, but it is thankfully not the simple realization of a man’s dream to knock boots with two babes.
- 11/3/2009
- by Nick Allen
- The Scorecard Review
The biggest DVD and Blu-ray release for this week is probably G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. It pains me to know that this week some brave souls will give it another chance, while others will discover its sheer idiocy for the first time. If you're looking for something slightly better but still mediocre, you might try Tony Scott's remake of The Taking of Pelham 123. Other smaller releases for the week include Dolph Lundgren's direct-to-dvd action flick Command Performance, the Spanish post-apocalyptic flick Before The Fall, and the G.I. Joe Resolute animated microseries. Also keep an eye out for a few noteworthy documentaries this week including Food Inc., The English Surgeon, and the John Hughes doc Don't You Forget About Me (in Canada only). Plus: James Bond and Rocky collections on Blu-ray, and the only partially redundant Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut! Will you be picking anything up this week?...
- 11/3/2009
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
After weeks of rather lackluster releases ("Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" being a prominent exception), we finally have a Tuesday jam-packed with first-run titles and notable catalog additions. From the on-screen debut of an elite military team to John Cusack's ode to love, we're covering them all in this DVD Report for Tuesday, November 3.
For any child of the '80s, the thought of "G.I. Joe" receiving the theatrical treatment was an intriguing proposition, and one fraught with worry. And for die-hard fans of writer Larry Hama's epic "G.I. Joe" comic book run, it was especially scary. In stark contrast to the campy animated series, Hama infused his 155-issue run with deeply developed character arcs, ever-twisting conspiracies and, to his credit, pulled no punches when it came to violence and death. Which "G.I. Joe" would the film rely on for its story and tone? While producers insisted they'd...
For any child of the '80s, the thought of "G.I. Joe" receiving the theatrical treatment was an intriguing proposition, and one fraught with worry. And for die-hard fans of writer Larry Hama's epic "G.I. Joe" comic book run, it was especially scary. In stark contrast to the campy animated series, Hama infused his 155-issue run with deeply developed character arcs, ever-twisting conspiracies and, to his credit, pulled no punches when it came to violence and death. Which "G.I. Joe" would the film rely on for its story and tone? While producers insisted they'd...
- 11/3/2009
- by Brian Jacks
- MTV Movies Blog
Director Sam Raimi made a name for himself (and boyhood friend Bruce Campbell) with a series of low-budget horror films that began in 1978 with "Within the Woods," a short college project that would chart the rest of his career. While that particular movie remains little seen, it led directly to the cult classic "Evil Dead" and its two sequels, "Evil Dead II" and "Army of Darkness," and forever cemented Sam Raimi as a bonafide member of the horror club.
So it was with some regret among his fans that -- as his career progressed -- Raimi drifted into other areas of cinema, most notably the billion dollar blockbuster "Spider-Man" franchise, and seemingly left his chainsaw and boomstick behind. That was until 2009, when he came roaring out of the gate with "Drag Me to Hell," the veteran filmmaker's return to the genre that made him a legend. The film stars Alison Lohman...
So it was with some regret among his fans that -- as his career progressed -- Raimi drifted into other areas of cinema, most notably the billion dollar blockbuster "Spider-Man" franchise, and seemingly left his chainsaw and boomstick behind. That was until 2009, when he came roaring out of the gate with "Drag Me to Hell," the veteran filmmaker's return to the genre that made him a legend. The film stars Alison Lohman...
- 10/13/2009
- by Brian Jacks
- MTV Movies Blog
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.