"I spoke to Johnson recently and he said the inspiration for BLOOM came not from one or two specific conmen films. "It's not inspired by any one film in the genre though I'm obviously a huge fan of films like THE STING," the Robert Redford/Paul Newman classic. While BLOOM is really nothing like THE STING, or really any other con film before it, it does share a common trait: rather elaborate cons. It took Johnson a few months to properly develop their characters and their schemes, a process he started while waiting for BRICK to be released.
The script was originally titled PENELOPE named after the character Rachel Weisz plays in the film, so as Johnson explains, "it was extremely important to find the perfect actress for that part." Weisz had just recently given birth to her first child (Henry with director Darren Aronofsky) and Johnson was nervous she wouldn't be ready to ready to jump back into acting. But after meeting with Weisz and discussing the script with her, he "knew she was the one" and lucky for him, she agreed. While Weisz and Adrien Brody and their eventual romance is certainly the focus of the film, the performance of Mark Ruffalo and the character Bang-Bang (played by Rinko Kikuchi) really help move the film along (I likened their characters to Han Solo and Chewbacca). I enjoyed those two so much, I felt like I wanted to see a spinoff with just them. "They really could star in their own movie, couldn't they?," says Johnson admitting he had to find the right balance to where they wouldn't detract from the central love story. Rachel Weisz at The Brothers Bloom Screening, N.Y.
THE BROTHERS BLOOM opens in New York and Los Angeles today and in more cities on May 29. Source: www.joblo.com
"To mark the 11th anniversary of Frank Sinatra's death (May 14), LIFE's editors dug into our archives and discovered a gem: a set of never-before-published photos that show the Chairman of the Board, then 40 years old, in a series of TV appearances (including on Steve Allen's show, pictured) on August 19, 1956" Source: www.life.com
"Martin Scorsese is bringing Ol’ Blue Eyes to the bigscreen. Universal Pictures and Mandalay Pictures are teaming on "Sinatra" and have brought on Scorsese — who has long flirted with a biopic on singer-actor Frank Sinatra — to direct and produce.
Phil Alden Robinson is writing the screenplay.Although no actor is attached to star in the film, Schulman said Leonardo DiCaprio is an obvious candidate because he has become Scorsese’s go-to actor over the past decade, having starred in the director’s past four features: "Gangs of New York," "The Aviator," "The Departed" and the upcoming "Shutter Island." Because any music in the film will come from Sinatra’s recordings, it will not be necessary to cast an actor who is a proficient singer. "The responsibility we are taking on to tell his story — that would cause anyone to be very careful about who they grant these rights to," she added. "Everyone knows that Marty Scorsese is a final-cut director. So there had to be a lot of trust that he would tell this story in a way that didn’t destroy (Sinatra’s) memory."
Project marks the first bigscreen pic to be made about the Hoboken, N.J., native, whose life provided endless fodder for the gossip columnists because of his tumultuous love affairs, infamous friendships with the likes of President Kennedy and possible Mafia ties. Schulman described the story as an unconventional biopic that will touch on all phases of Sinatra’s life."My father had great admiration for the talent of the people he chose to work with, and the talented people who worked with my father had great admiration for him," said Tina Sinatra. "It is personally pleasing to me that this paradigm continues with Marty Scorsese at the helm of the Sinatra film." Source: www.variety.com
Quentin Tarantino and Diane Kruger in the latest issue of New York Times Magazine. Photographes by Jean-Baptiste Mondino.
"If Quentin Tarantino’s latest cinematic opus has a direct inspiration, it’s surely Enzo G Castellari’s 1978 Italian war pic Quel Maledetto Treno Blindato (AKA That Damned Armoured Train), and released in America as – guess what? – Inglorious Bastards.
The film, along with other movies like The Dirty Dozen and Five For Hell, inspired a young Quentin Tarantino to make a men-on-a-mission pic back in the days when he was still just a video store employee.
The plot finds five American soldiers in World War Two being carted off to answer for various war crimes. "This will be our “Inglorious Bastards!” he and his friends would laugh as they plotted fantasy versions of the film". Source: www.totalfilm.com
"Natalie Portman wrestles one of her costars to the ground and shows off her floral panties on the film set of Hesher in Los Angeles on Wednesday (May 13) The 27-year-old actress plays a supermarket worker who gets involved with a family that’s struggling to deal with a loss and the anarchist who helps them do it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is playing the title character, who moves in with the family and tried to help the son.Nat was seen filming a scene where she comes to the defense of a young boy against a bully and proceeds to get into a physical altercation with the bully. Source: Justjared.buzznet.com
"Emile Hirsch goes for a skateboard ride with comedian pal Demetri Martin in Los Angeles on Thursday morning (May 14). The 24-year-old actor is headed to the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, where his latest film Taking Woodstock will premiere. The comedy-drama is about the Woodstock Festival of 1969. It is directed by Ang Lee and based on the autobiography Taking Woodstock: A True Story of a Riot, a Concert, and a Life by Elliot Tiber and Tom Monte. Emile plays Billy, a recently returned Vietnam vet". Source: justjared.buzznet.com
"It's been a while since we've heard any news or outlandish rumor (Zac Efron is playing Mysterio! Robert Pattinson is playing Kraven! Jake Gyllenhaal is playing Ben Riley!) regarding the upcoming SPIDER-MAN 4. We know that director Sam Raimi is hard at work crafting the story with scribe David Lindsay-Abaire but just exactly how close are they to a full script? Our main men Rusty E. and Jimmy "The 'Stache" O. overheard Raimi say this at a recent press event: "I've just started working on the next installment of the Spiderman series. David Lindsay-Abaire is in New York right now writing the screenplay and I am going to receive a draft of it in about 3 weeks I think." So three more weeks and we'll have at least a rough outline of our fourth cinematic Spidey adventure." Source: www.joblo.com
Joseph with Zooey Deschanel and "500 days of summer" director Marc Webb.
(500) Days of Summer - Photo Collage - Video, music by The Temper Trap. Joseph attending the 52nd San Francisco IFF: '500 Days of Summer' premiere - 2nd May, 2009 Joseph Gordon-Levitt posing for "VMan" magazine, Summer 2009.
-MM: Were you worried that playing a gay character would hurt your career? -JGL: Oh come on! The Rock played gay! None's worried about that anymore. I'm about to do two studio movies, and none of the directors or studio people were like: "I don't know... I think the kids think he's gay!" Plus to me, gay is a normal person who likes people of the same sex. The character I played in "Mysterious Skin" had a very damaged, unhealthy sexuality, whether he was with women or men. Joseph Gordon-Levitt posing for "Esquire", June 2009.
-JGL: Fame has always been a downside to acting for me. It gives me the creeps. -Esquire: Even the women? The Money? -JGL: I have a lot of trouble getting turned on by girls who are turned on by celebrity.
Jake wearing his particular collection of baseball caps: Jake attending the LA Lakers Game on 11th April, 2006. January 27, 2008 - Out For Coffee in Brentwood.January 14 , 2007 Arriving at LAX Airport (From NYC).Jake leaving Peet's Coffee & Tea, Santa Monica, January 7, 2009.
Leonardo DiCaprio wearing a Navy Admiral Cap in "Catch me if you can" (2002). "Leonardo DiCaprio sits courtside at game five of the Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets game at the Staples Center on Tuesday (May 12) in Los Angeles, Calif. The 34-year-old actor recently learned about the mounting nursing home bills for Millvina Dean, the last survivor of the sinking of the Titanic, and joined together with his co-star and the director of the top-grossing film Titanic to make a “considerable donation” to her care. Leo, Kate Winslet, and James Cameron have all contributed to a fund established for Dean, 98, who had been selling her autograph to make ends meet, the Independent reports". Source: justjared.buzznet.com
"Robert admitted to Parade.com: "Actually, I'm terrible at baseball. Catherine (the director) desperately wanted me to look like a pro baseball player, for some reason.
"I was like, 'Why? He's not a pro baseball player. He's a vampire.' I just didn't understand it. And so I kept fighting everyone the whole time. I was like, 'He can be crap. He doesn't even need to be able to play. He doesn't even need a bat.' "But I admit Catherine edited those scenes to make me look pretty good." Source: www.myparkmag.co.uk
Christian Bale doing joggin in his LA neighbourhood, on 9th April, 2009.Christian Bale and his wife Sibi Blazic leaving Sor Tino Restaurant in Brentwood, California.Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake doing jogging wearing baseball caps.Reese Witherspoon playing baseball. Emile Hirsch in "Alpha Dog", with his baseball cap backwards.Emile Hirsch at the premiere of "Alpha Dog". Shia Labeouf's baseball caps collection.
"I spoke to Johnson recently and he said the inspiration for BLOOM came not from one or two specific conmen films. "It's not inspired by any one film in the genre though I'm obviously a huge fan of films like THE STING," the Robert Redford/Paul Newman classic. While BLOOM is really nothing like THE STING, or really any other con film before it, it does share a common trait: rather elaborate cons.
It took Johnson a few months to properly develop their characters and their schemes, a process he started while waiting for BRICK to be released.
While Weisz and Adrien Brody and their eventual romance is certainly the focus of the film, the performance of Mark Ruffalo and the character Bang-Bang (played by Rinko Kikuchi) really help move the film along (I likened their characters to Han Solo and Chewbacca). I enjoyed those two so much, I felt like I wanted to see a spinoff with just them. "They really could star in their own movie, couldn't they?," says Johnson admitting he had to find the right balance to where they wouldn't detract from the central love story.
Rachel Weisz at The Brothers Bloom Screening, N.Y.
