Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Bad news for for Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz…
Everyone knows by now that they have split up.
Almost everyone is speculating as to the reason
That after three years maybe someone came between them…
There is speculation that it was someone else but…
You would think that there would at least be some clues as to his identity!
Michael Joseph is back with what I believe to be his best work ever: Rocky Balboa vs Muhammad Ali! – Craig
Bad news for for K-Fed…
Everyone knows by now that Britney Spears has filed for divorce.
Almost everyone is speculating as to the reason
That she would leave him…
There may be another man in her life
You would think that if that was the case, there would at least be some clues as to his identity!
When I was growing up in the midwest in the late 60’s and early 70’s I was a huge pro wrestling fan. My favorite tag team wrestlers were The Blackjacks [Mulligan & Lanza] with manager “Pretty Boy” Bobby Heenan.
Sometimes Heenan would even get involved in matches [usually against his will]. If you watch today’s video you’ll see a match where Heenan was signed to wrestle crowd favorite “Cowboy” Bob Ellis. Despite the fact that Heenan had recently busted his knee, he went down to the ring on crutches to seek a short postponement… of maybe six or seven months… click below and you’ll see what happens when the match is forced to go on.
I like the look of the movie and Gibson has already proved he can direct. I just wonder if the movie is going to die at the box office because of Mel’s drunken driving / racist tirade…
Well… like the movie’s tagline says: No One Can Outrun Their Destiny.
A week ago Mel Gibson was one of the most popular actors and directors in the world. Now many folks are saying that Gibson’s career is over. Others aren’t so sure. I tend to believe that he will come out of this ok.
Sure, his star will never shine as brightly. Some folks will completely turn their backs on him [showing the same kind of intolerance that Gibson did during his drunken rants]. Still, I believe that most people are forgiving to those who deserve forgiveness, and Gibson seems sincere in his efforts to earn his.
Here is a statement Gibson released earlier this week:
“There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance, for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of anti-Semitic remark. I want to apologize specifically to everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words that I said to a law enforcement officer the night I was arrested on a DUI charge.
I am a public person, and when I say something, either articulated and thought out, or blurted out in a moment of insanity, my words carry weight in the public arena. As a result, I must assume personal responsibility for my words and apologize directly to those who have been hurt and offended by those words.
The tenets of what I profess to believe necessitate that I exercise charity and tolerance as a way of life. Every human being is God’s child, and if I wish to honor my God I have to honor his children. But please know from my heart that I am not an anti-Semite. I am not a bigot. Hatred of any kind goes against my faith.
I’m not just asking for forgiveness. I would like to take it one step further, and meet with leaders in the Jewish community, with whom I can have a one on one discussion to discern the appropriate path for healing.
I have begun an ongoing program of recovery and what I am now realizing is that I cannot do it alone. I am in the process of understanding where those vicious words came from during that drunken display, and I am asking the Jewish community, whom I have personally offended, to help me on my journey through recovery. Again, I am reaching out to the Jewish community for its help. I know there will be many in that community who will want nothing to do with me, and that would be understandable. But I pray that that door is not forever closed.
This is not about a film. Nor is it about artistic license. This is about real life and recognizing the consequences hurtful words can have. Its about existing in harmony in a world that seems to have gone mad.”
Mel Gibson has struggled with alcoholism for years. Does that excuse his behavior? Of course not. Gibson has admitted his problems and has asked for help in his road to recovery not only from the bottle, but also from whatever demons caused his narrow-minded anti-semitic outbursts. Gibson has even appealed to Jewish leaders across the country to meet with him so he can begin his healing.
While I have no tolerance for bigots, I have even less for those who drink and drive. Still, I believe in redemption and forgiveness for those who deserve it. Time will tell if Mel Gibson does.
As I reported here, Mel Gibson was arrested for DUI on Friday. On Saturday, Gibson issued an apology and described his behavior by stating:
“I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. I am deeply ashamed of everything I said.”
When the original story broke, we weren’t told what Gibson had said. Today TMZ.com posted that Gibson‘s remarks included profanity-filled tirades against the police officer that pulled him over, as well as repeated anti-Semitic remarks. In addition TMZ.com posted what they claim to be are copies of the actual police report.
Unfortunately this is not the first time Gibson has faced accusations of anti-Semitism. In an interview before the release of “The Passion of Christ,” Gibson told ABC‘s Diane Sawyer, “To be anti-Semitic is a sin. It’s been condemned by one Papal Council after another. To be anti-Semitic is to be un-Christian, and I’m not.”
Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, called Gibson‘s apology “unremorseful and insufficient.” It remains to be seen how Hollywood and the rest of the nation will view Gibson‘s drunken remarks.
As for me, I do believe Mel Gibson is sorry for the inappropriate comments that he made. I just hope that he’s sorry not only because he made them, but also because they don’t represent his true feelings.
Early Friday morning Mel Gibson was arrested for drunk driving. He was driving 87 in a 45 mph zone and his blood alcohol was well over the legal limit. Today Mel issued the following statement:
After drinking alcohol on Thursday night, I did a number of things that were very wrong and for which I am ashamed. I drove a car when I should not have, and was stopped by the L.A. County sheriffs. The arresting officer was just doing his job and I feel fortunate that I was apprehended before I caused injury to any other person.
“I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. I am deeply ashamed of everything I said.
“Also, I take this opportunity to apologize to the deputies involved for my belligerent behavior. They have always been there for me in my community and indeed probably saved me from myself. I disgraced myself and my family with my behavior and for that I am truly sorry.
“I have battled the disease of alcoholism for all of my adult life and profoundly regret my horrific relapse. I apologize for any behavior unbecoming of me in my inebriated state and have already taken necessary steps to ensure my return to health.”
Mel messed up. No doubt about it. It’s beyond stupid to drink and drive, but I do want to commend Mel for the way that he’s handling this. Someone with Mel Gibson‘s fame and wealth could have gone the route of so many other celebs when caught in a similar situation. That is of course to deny [I clearly wasn’t drunk…] or deflect [It wasn’t alcohol, it was cold medicine… I was overly tired, etc. etc. etc.].
I just hope that Mel‘s apology is sincere and that he truly is taking steps to “ensure his return to health.”
Zack Snyder is on a roll.
There was a ton of pressure on Snyder, not only because he was a first time director, but also because he was treading on sacred ground [well, at least to zombie fans]. There were a ton of folks who whined that the movie would suck (even before a day of film had been shot). Snyder defied them all and turned in one of the best zombie films ever.
Snyder then turned his attention to translating Frank Miller‘s epic 300 to the big screen. Next to “Rocky Balboa,” “300” is the movie that I am most looking forward to seeing. Check out the official site and you’ll see why.
Next up for Snyder is Alan Moore’s “Watchmen.” You can tell from this interview that Snyder is having a blast. He must feel like a kid in the candy store… or maybe that should be a bakery.
After all, he is on a roll.
M. Knight Shyamalan’s “Lady in the Water” was getting a negative buzz well before it’s release this weekend. Now that it scored just $18.2 million [just?] and came in 3rd at the box office, many people will write off both Shyamalan and his movie.
And that’s too bad.
The biggest knock against M. Knight is that he creates glorified “Twilight Zone” episodes for the big screen. Sure, many of M. Knight‘s movies do have a big twist at the end, and his movies do have a reoccurring theme of faith, redemption, and that there are mysterious forces around us [like some of the better TZ episodes]. And while I can see where his critics get this complaint, my response is, “So what?” I love classic Twilight Zone episodes.
“Lady in the Water” is a modern day fairy tale. Perhaps we’re just too jaded to get it. But, and this is a big but, if you’re willing to go with the tale, you’ll have a good time. Paul Giamatti is amazing in this role. Academy Award amazing. The rest of the cast is splendid. The direction, special effects and music all add to the overall enjoyment of the film. But the bottom line is if you sit back and start to analyze the film as anything but a fairy tale [which it was meant to be], it falls apart. But then so would “Little Red Riding Hood,” “The Three Bears” and even a classic movie like “The Wizard of Oz.”
While “Lady in the Water” isn’t a classic movie [no, it’s not on par with “The Wizard of Oz”] that can be embraced by the masses, there is an audience for it. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t think that I was going to like “Lady in the Water” as much as I did and I’m a Shyamalan fan. And there’s the rub. If a fan like me wasn’t overly excited about the story, then how are you going to get non-fans into the theater? The answer appears to be that you’re not.
And that’s too bad. “Lady in the Water” rates a B.
Rosario is featured in the July 21st issue of Entertainment Weekly where she talks about growing up at times “without water, heat and electricity,” movie roles, her new comic [O.C.T.], and even Klingons. You can catch the on-line version HERE, but you’ll miss out on the photos of Rosario.
People magazine also has a mini on-line interview with Rosario HERE.
If you want to know more about Rosario‘s comic, O.T.C, then click HERE.
Yep, Rosario is everwhere… and that’s a good thing!
I plan to tell you more about it… but I’m sure that most of you are simply staring at Rosario… so I’ll do a con update later.
Craig and the Rocky Balboa Blog
| A few weeks ago I posted MGM is in the SZONE! and discussed conversations that I’d had with representatives from MGM and Sylvester Stallone‘s office. At that time I wrote: “I’m not sure what role the StalloneZone will play in the official promotion of “Rocky Balboa”… Earlier this week, this was posted on the ROCKY BALBOA BLOG: Stay Tuned… The Rocky Balboa Blog will soon be updated with more great content and a brand new home www.StalloneZone.com As you can imagine, I’ve been bombarded with e-mails from fans asking questions… so here’s the deal: I will be hosting the Rocky Balboa Blog. I was contacted by Sly‘s rep who verified Sly is very much aware of the SZ and SZoners around the world. The Rocky Balboa Blog will be regularly updated with exclusive photos, news, interviews and more. Our first update will appear soon! The StalloneZone will continue to compliment Sly’s official site. You’re still going to get regular StalloneZone updates, exclusives and more! The road to December 22, 2006 is going to be a fun one. I hope that you’re coming along for the ride! – Craig |
Mel was giving the troops the famous pep-talk. You know the one… “They can take our lives, but they’ll never take our FREEEEEEEEEDOM!”
The next thing you know we were both grinning from ear to ear as we spouted classic lines from “Braveheart.”
I can remember Entertainment Tonight doing a piece about “action star” Mel Gibson on location starring in and directing “Braveheart.” I thought at the time, “Man, is he taking a risk!” Mel was walking away from barrels of money to do another “Lethal Weapon” and instead was directing [and starring in] a movie about some guy who lived hundreds of years ago that hardly anybody even knew existed.
We all know how it turned out.
Just a few years ago I remember when I first heard Mel‘s plans for “The Passion of the Christ.” This time Mel was walking away from trunkloads of money for another “Lethal Weapon” to instead direct a movie [which he wasn’t going to star in] about Jesus Christ. To make the movie even more unlikely to be successful, it didn’t feature a cast of international [or even national] superstars and was subtitled!
We all know how it turned out.
Mel’s next film, Apocalypto, is a violent tale which takes place 3,000 years ago and follows a Mayan hero who is on the run. Gibson won’t appear in the film and it will be subtitled.
Anyone wonder how it will turn out?
