Tagged: Tom Cruise

Paula Patton Talks About the IMF Team

Gorgeous Paula Patton caught everyone’s attention in [[[Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol]]], which propelled the actress towards the A List. With the film out this week on Blu-ray she reflected back on the produuction in this interview, courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment.

Q: Hey Paula. Let’s start with the obvious question. What is it like working with Tom Cruise?

A: Amazing. Honestly, it was a dream come true. I always thought he was an amazing actor from the first time I saw Risky Business. The movie that had a huge impact on me was Born on the Fourth of July. I was blown away how he played the all-American charming guy, goes away to Vietnam, is crippled and what he goes through. It blew me away. I remember very distinctly the moment I was told I would have a screen test with Tom. It was very old Hollywood the way they did it. It was at the Paramount lot, I had my own trailer and hair, make-up and costume. I have never had that before for a screen test. They put me in a golf cart and took me to the sound stage and I said to myself ‘OK, don’t freak out’. It was a great thing. We met each other and I was immediately at ease. We had great chemistry and a connection. It is because he is very human in that way. He is so kind to everyone whether it is a personal assistant, grip or gaffer. He just has great humanity about him and that’s why he’s so special.

Q: Who do you play in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol?

A: I play Jane Carter, an IMF agent. I have had a mission that went awry. Myself and Simon Pegg’s character have to break Ethan Hunt out of jail. There’s a bombing at the Kremlin and it gets pinned on us even know we did not do it. We get disavowed from the IMF and that’s where Ghost Protocol comes into it. We are still working, but the government won’t save us. It is a scary place to be. Also, because we are all thrown together as a team and Jeremy Renner’s character joins us we don’t know the other’s motivations. We don’t know who to trust. Jane is great character to play. She is very strong and lives in a man’s world. She’s vulnerable because she has experienced failure and loss and has to prove herself again. She is in a place of turmoil and also she is living on the edge because she has one chance to make what is wrong, right. (more…)

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol Coming to VIdeo on April 17

mi4_bd-combo_3d_skew-300x369-9063482HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – (February 21, 2012) Called “a powerful thrill ride that is simultaneously gritty and dazzling” (Claudia Puig, USA Today) the global smash hit MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—GHOST PROTOCOL explodes onto Blu-ray and DVD (both with UltraViolet™), On Demand and Digital Download April 17, 2012 from Paramount Home Media Distribution.  Boasting “a bullet train of action and an arsenal of cool gadgets” (David Germain, Associated Press), MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—GHOST PROTOCOL delivers non-stop thrills and breathtaking stunts, including a dizzying ascent up the world’s tallest building that Roger Ebert called “one of the most spellbinding stretches of film I’ve seen.”  The extraordinary Tom Cruise returns as IMF agent Ethan Hunt, along with an exceptional cast of actors including Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Simon Pegg (Star Trek), Paula Patton (Precious) and Michael Nyqvist (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo).  With a worldwide box office take of more than $650 million, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—GHOST PROTOCOL is the must-own action-thriller of the year. (more…)

The Point Radio: ALCATRAZ = LOST 2?

The new Fox Series, ALCATRAZ, might seem a little familiar to LOSTies – there’s JJ Abrams, an island and even Hurley but there’s a lot more hidden in the mystery than you might think. Jorge Garcia and Sarah Jones join us to talk about what you can be sure will be different this time. Plus DC breaks the line and goes to $3.99 on Bat-Books.

The Point Radio is on the air right now – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or mobile device– and please check us out on Facebook right here & toss us a “like” or follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.

Paramount Modifies Logo for its Centennial

One of the most iconic studio logos of all time is undergoing some modifications in time for the studio’s 100th anniversary celebration. It has withstood the test of time and certainly was brought to life during the opening moments of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Here’s the formal press release:

HOLLYWOOD, CA (December 14, 2011) – Paramount Pictures today unveiled a new company logo that commemorates the studio’s 100thAnniversary in show business. The new logo can be seen on the new Tom Cruise starrer, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL. The movie will open in IMAX and on other premium large format screens on Friday, December 16th and in theatres everywhere on December 21st.

The studio’s first logo, a symbol of a rugged, snow-covered peak from the Wasatch mountain range, was created in 1916. The 100th Anniversary logo was created by Devastudios, Inc.

Paramount will use the logo throughout its centennial year in 2012. Beginning in 2013, the wordingabout the 100th anniversary will be removed from the logo, with the rest of the design remaining in use.

MICHAEL DAVIS: I Am Not Michael Davis

I’m not kidding.

I’ll say it again. I’m not Michael Davis.

Once more, I’m Not Michael Davis and I’m getting pretty tired of people thinking I am.

Allow me to explain…

Some years back I received a call from news outlets asking for my response to Tom Cruise’s winning of a lawsuit.

For those of you who may not know this, I’m the last person who gives a darn about what any celebrity does. Unless I know the celebrity personally and I know quite a few, I just don’t care and it’s not worth my time. If it happens to be someone I know I still don’t give a hoot unless it’s wonderful or horrible news.

Wonderful, like Wayne Brady being nominated for an Oscar or horrible like Bill Duke voting for Herman Cain. That sort of thing I would care about because those are friends of mine and I’d like to share in Wayne’s happiness and Bill’s drug intervention.

Do I care what Wayne has to say after being caught by TMZ coming out of Starbucks?

Errr, hell to the no.

People who care about every little thing a Hollywood star does are, in my book, idiots.

“Is Paris writing you a check? Is Britney checking out your blog? If you died of a drug overdose would Kim keep an all night candlelit vigil at your freakin house?”

The above is pretty much my response when people try and bring me into a conversation about some well know person who would not know me if I stalked them.

I say “pretty much” because “freakin” is not the word I would use. I’m really trying to cut down on my swearing.

Why?

A guy told me the other day that my swearing while speaking at the Hollywood Black Film Festival was “ghetto.”

And you know what? That bitch was fucking right.

Damn.

The fact that he was in the audience to see me is ample reason for me to stop being me.

Right?

Note to self: Tell Stevie Wonder that being blind thing of his is ‘ghetto.’

Oh-if you ever have a chance to attend The Hollywood Black Film Festival you should go. It’s great. Yes, they let in white people.

But (sorry peter) I digress.

I told the reporter that I was really flattered (and I was) that they wanted my opinion but that I had no opinion on the Tom Cruise lawsuit win and in fact had no idea what the lawsuit was about.

Remember this was a serious news outlet and I was not going to give them my standard “Why the FUC…FREAK should I care? Is Tom Cruise writing me a check? Is he checking out my blog? If I died tonight of a hot threesome with two Asian girls (I say no to drugs), would Tom Cruise hold an all night vigil at my house?”

I was in a hurry so I politely got off the phone and went back to my dates, Katsumi and Asuka.

Not twenty minutes later while deciding between scented or unscented baby oil, my phone rung again and lo and behold it was another news outlet call. Let me be very clear: it was a different news outlet. The first call was from a TV news reporter and the second was a journalist from a serious newspaper.  My mother did not raise any fuc…darn idiots so I listened to this guy and realized why I was getting these calls.

It turned out that Tom Cruise had won a $10,000,000 lawsuit against (you guessed it) Michael Davis.  Michael Davis claimed he had a videotape of Tom getting busy with another guy. I explained to the guy that I was not that Michael Davis. We both had a good laugh and I hung up the phone.

By the way, all this really happened. All I’ve done is change the names of my dates. O.K… technically, one was my date and the other was her hot friend who came to dinner with us. In the man rulebook that makes them both my dates.

So I share the story with Katsumi and Asuka who both get a big laugh about it and Katsumi (my official date) and Asuka (her hot friend) begin to tease me about being gay and say I have to prove I’m not…

The next day…what?

What happened?  Nothing that affects the story so I’ll just move on…

The next day at some goddamn…oh, sorry, some gosh darn unholy hour in the morning I get another call from a different news outlet and I just hang the fuc… fish up.

The asshol…the inconsiderate reporter who I had just hung up on calls me back. I scream into the phone, “I’m Not That Michael Davis” and hang up. He calls back…

Now I’m really pissed.

Hello??

Mr. Davis?

Yes! But I’m Not That Michael Davis!!!

Sir, this is not going to go away I’d like to give you a chance to tell your side of the story.

I’m not that Michael Davis! I work in comics!

Is that how you want to play it? O.K, I’m a comic book fan. What comics have you done? Tell me that and I’ll leave you alone.

L I G H T B U L B ! I say nothing. I just let the question sit there.

Who’s Stan Lee, Michael?

I say nothing, let another long moment pass and then I say…

You won’t edit me so I look like an utter fool?

No. I’ll paint you in the best possible light.

Tom was here last night. In fact he left his wallet and one of the Polaroid’s.

You have his wallet and a photo? What’s the photo of?

You (slow sing-song voice) know…

Can I come out and talk to you?

I told him sure and set up to meet him at Jerry’s Deli, a popular but not nearly as New York deli as people in L.A. think it is.

I don’t go and about an hour after I was supposed to meet him I get a call asking how much later would I be, I told him I’d be right there. I never showed up and he never called back. I assumed that was the time when his fact checkers discovered I was not that Michael Davis.

Yesterday, I get an email from one of the biggest agencies in Hollywood. I’ve been represented by two of the biggest agencies in Hollywood and every so often some agent at another of the biggest agencies in Hollywood tries to recruit me.

Yeah, it boggles my mind also. Hollywood. What a bunch of morons.

So getting an email from a huge Hollywood agency is not new to me. This email was a dream come true. It was about a movie deal.

I’m written TV. I’ve written books. I’ve written comic books. I’ve written for magazines. I’ve illustrated books, comics, magazines, etc.

I’ve hosted my own syndicated radio show. I’ve designed toys (out in Feb 2012; plug) I’m on the net. I’ve even designed stage sets for big name music artists.

I’m my own “King of all Media” just like my hero, Howard Stern.

Except…

I’ve never had a movie deal.

I’ve sold a screenplay but that as they say is that.

Everyone who works in comics wants a movie deal. I don’t care who they are, they want a movie deal.

I really want a movie deal. I want to see my work on the big screen. I don’t care if it’s a huge hit or a dismal failure, either way I’m golden.

If it’s a hit then I have a hit movie. If it’s a dismal failure then Hollywood fuc… fowled up my creation. It’s a win win!

My dream had come to pass! This huge hollywood agency was emailing me to tell me that I was going to direct my movie!!

Wait a sec…what movie? Wait another sec, me direct? A movie? I’ve got as much chance of directing a film as Herman Cain has of becoming black.

Not going to happen.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve directed hundreds of films. In fact Katsumi and Asuka starred in a one called “Two minutes and finished.”

It was a thriller.

So I am a movie director (my medium is video…sometimes hidden video) but as good as I am there is no way anyone is going to let ME direct a big Hollywood movie.

Then it dawned on me. I’m not that Michael Davis. I’d had meetings with the big Hollywood agency from which the email was sent and they must have gotten me mixed up with the Shoot Em Up director.

So, no movie deal for me. ;-(

It was an honest mistake. These things happen. The agent who sent me the email was quite nice when we met and perhaps one day this will be the agency that does do my movie deal which I know is going to happen!

You doubt me? Don’t. The world is littered with many who have doubted what I can do. Like my illustration teacher at Pratt who years ago told me in front of the entire class that as good an artist as I was I’d still never amount to anything because of my personality.

Less than ten years later I reminded him of that little fact when he tried to submit his work to Motown Animation and Filmworks where I just happened to be President and CEO.

I love that story.

Hey Gerry, how you living? I’m good! We should have lunch! I’ll pay. Call me! If you don’t get me at my home in NYC call my home in L.A. Yes, you can call collect!

I tend to hold grudges against people who are dream killers. And no, I’m not working on that. I’m keeping that personality trait.

Just to recap, when it comes to Tom Cruise, gay porn and mega movies deals I’m not Michael Davis. Like I said, these things happen and unless you are a complete idiot and refuse to believe I did not claim I had Tom Cruise on tape having a nude swordfight without any swords I will continue to laugh these things off. Hey, at least for a few seconds I knew how it felt to get a big Hollywood movie deal!

It’s good to laugh!

Now if a huge check shows up from a major movie studio and it’s the director’s fee from the next big budget Michael Davis movie I’m going to laugh at that also, all the way to the fucking bank!

Fuck that guy from The Hollywood Black Film Festival. I am THAT Michael Davis.

WEDNESDAY: I Am Not Mike Gold

20th century Home Entertainment Makes Father’s Day Easier

Twentieth Century Fox and MGM Home Entertainment have come up with some cool packages that will make shopping for Father’s Day a lot easier. Below is their press release detailing the television series and feature films that are part of their library and aimed squarely at dads of all ages.  Here are the details:

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and MGM Home Entertainment’s twelve-month campaign, Year of A Million Moments, continues by recognizing heroes during the month of June. Between heroes from movies like Oliver Stone’s masterpiece PLATOON, the underdog fighter in ROCKY, or the comedic spy father in TV’s AMERICAN DAD, pay tribute by logging on to www.YearOfAMillionMoments.com for the opportunity to win $1 million dollars!

As an added bonus for Father’s Day gifts, up to $12.00 ‘Hollywood Movie Money’ to see X-MEN: FIRST CLASS will be available for consumers to print at home to use towards the purchase of a movie ticket. This exclusive offer is only available with the purchase of select Blu-ray titles including Quantum of Solace, Mad Max, Escape From New York, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Live Free Die Hard and Max Payne. (more…)

Review: Rain Man

A breakthrough performance can be indelibly imprinted in the collective memory but it can also be easily imitated to the point where it becomes parody. Unfortunately, that has happened with strong work by actors portraying the mental disabled. The arrival of [[[Rain Man]]] on Blu-ray reminds us of how good Dustin Hoffman was and how important spotlighting the needs of these people and their impact on families has been in our society.

For those who barely remember, the 1988 movie earned four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Actor.  After Hoffman won, actors were taking similar roles and mocked for it as their bid for an easy Oscar nomination, forgetting that this is a segment of the population without a voice and with a desperate need for understanding and compassion.

You see that from the beginning as Charlie Babbit (Tom Cruise) is anything but a cuddly younger brother, willing to take on his the burden of caring for his afflicted brother Raymond (Hoffman). Being a 1980s film, Cruise is at wonderfully smarmy best, a yuppie without a conscience, until he spends time with Raymond and learns the kind of man he has become and is humbled by the experience. Interestingly, Charlie grew up a spoiled, morally bankrupt man totally unaware of his older brother’s existence. Just as he was broke and desperate, his father died and the bulk of the wealth, the inheritance he salivated for, was left to someone else. As he followed the trail, he found the Walbrook Institution and finally met Raymond. On the one hand, you can’t blame Charlie for being who he is and on the other, you can blame the father for not preparing the younger sibling for his familial obligations.

Along the way, though, the film takes the characters and the audience on a six day road trip as Charlie tries to exploits his brother’s gifts in Las Vegas. We witness all the odd quirks and tics that make Raymond an amusing presence and an irresistible character for an actor. Hoffman wears Raymond’s skin comfortably and you buy the affliction without question.

You watch two incredibly unalike people grow closer and the audience gets to see how similar they truly are. Raymond can’t relate to people but neither can Charlie as witnessed by how cavalierly he deals with others, including his girlfriend Susana (Valeria Golino). Director Barry Levinson does a terrific job with the characters and the glimpse of an America that has since grown a little tarnished.

The video transfer is clean and unspectacular accompanied by good sound. There are a bunch of extras starting with three audio commentaries: Levinson, writer Barry Morrow, and the other writer Ronald Bass.  Together, they would have been incredibly informative; separately, they are a little tedious. “The Journey of Rain Man” (22:07) is the usual making-of featurette spotlight the audio commentators. “Lifting the Fog: A Look at the Mysteries of Autism” (20:13) is a strong, useful look at the affliction. There’s one deleted Scene (2:13) and that’s about it.

Our appreciation of the film may be different today given how many other media portrayals have heightened our overall awareness of autism and its colorful spectrum. Still, the story and performances make this well worth discovering for the first time or watching again with a little more wisdom and experience.

The Evolution of the Superhero, by Dennis O’Neil

The Evolution of the Superhero, by Dennis O’Neil

And on we plod, continuing our seemingly interminable discussion of the evolution of superheroes. This week, let’s leave the capes and masks and other such accoutrements, and the “super” prefix, in the trunk and concentrate on the hero part.

First, a little oversimplification.

Heroes come in two models: the authority-sanctioned kind, as embodied by King Arthur’s posse, Beowulf, and James Bond, to cite just three of many possible examples, and the loners – the cowboys, the private eyes and, yes, most superdoers.

Conventional wisdom has it that the first kind were dominant throughout most storytelling history – were, in fact, integral to the “monomyth” described by Joseph Campbell. Again oversimplifying: ultimately, the result of all the hero’s roving and adventuring was benefit to his community. And, bowing once more to conventional wisdom, the second kind, the loners, became prominent after the First (don’t we wish!) World War when belief in the essential goodness and wisdom of humanity’s leaders became…well, challenging.

I dunno…the cowboy archetype was well-established before the war broke out in 1914, and it, in some ways, was the model for the private eyes and other rogue justice-dealers. I guess you could argue that the defining event of America’s nineteenth century, the Civil War, made the citizenry wary of Authority, and that wariness grew for maybe a hundred years as media technology made our immediate ancestors aware that if a person was in the market for some really ripe corruption, the statehouse was the place to look..

(more…)