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February 2009
Be an extra on a film with Robert Duvall and Bill Murray! (Stars not necessarily included.)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Want to “hang out” with Robert Duvall (right), Sissy Spacek and Bill Murray on Wednesday as an extra in a movie?
You’ll get your chance if you’re willing to arrive before sunrise, endure some possibly chilly weather and wear your hair like it’s 1938. (No streaks or highlights!).
The $7 million film “Get Low” is shooting a major scene at Pickett’s Mill Park that needs as many extras as possible. The film, based on a true story of Tennessee man Felix “Bush” Breazeale, features Duvall playing a man who decides to hold his funeral — before he dies. In the real story, as many as 12,000 people show up.
Dean Zanuck, the producer (whose father shot “Driving Miss Daisy” in Georgia 20 years ago), said he hopes for 300 to 400 people. He said prizes will be given out and a Grammy nominated bluegrass band The Steel Drivers will entertain the masses. The filmmakers will provide food and drink as well. “It’ll be kind of a Depression-era Woodstock,” he joked.
The producers are asking folks who have already been “prefit” for 1930s era clothing to arrive at 3:30 a.m. to get a better spot in the film. Those who haven’t been “prefit” can show up around 5 to 5:30 a.m. The shoot was originally set for Saturday but rain has been forecast and Sunday was dumped because of cold temperatures and possible snow. So Wednesday was picked since it will be clear and a wee bit warmer, with lows in the 30s and high of 58, according to an early Weather.com report.
Go to www.getlowextras.com for more details.
“We will have plenty of coffee and soup and other great warm stuff along with heated tents, etc.,” the Web site notes. “But filming will still be outside so make sure to wear long underwear and plan simple jackets that you can take on and off as needed!!!”
There will also be shooting on Monday.
For folks familiar with film production, there’s plenty of standing around and waiting. And it could take many many hours. In other words, it’s not as sexy as it sounds. Plus, we’re not sure how much you’ll realistically get to mingle with the big stars but you’ll certainly see them.
Here’s a video of the Steel Drivers, the musical entertainmen:
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See Keshia Knight Pulliam March 7
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Apparently a lot of you saw Atlanta actress Keshia Knight Pulliam in the country’s No. 1 movie this week, “Madea Goes To Jail,” which should only boost interest in her upcoming in-person appearance.
Pulliam is scheduled to join T.I., “Real Housewives of Atlanta’s” Lisa Wu Hartwell and fellow Tyler Perry film alum Rockmond Dunbar (“The Family That Preys”) March 7 at the Barnes & Noble Camp Creek to sign copies of “Saving Our Daughters: From A Man’s Point of View.”
The book is part of a campaign launched last October during Domestic Violence Prevention month, when some of the male celebrity contributors (including Atlanta rapper-actor T.I.) took part in a national media campaign supporting abuse survivors and challenging men to seek help.
A month later female celebs took on a more prominent role.
“I consistently donate clothing to shelters, prepare meals for Project Open Hand in Atlanta for girls in need and participate in projects like this,” Pulliam said in a press release. (Read our interview with her before “Madea” hit theaters.)“Regardless of what other people look like or what clothes they are wearing, beauty is on the inside.”
Have you read “Saving Our Daughters”? Plan to see Pulliam (from 3 to 5 p.m.) next week? And what grade would you give her in “Madea Goes To Jail”?
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Oscars 09: What did you think?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some slumdog.
It was time for some slummin’ at the Oscars Sunday night, as “Slumdog Millionaire” dominated even more than predicted, winning eight Academy Awards. With no names in the cast, set entirely in India and a jumpy narrative, it’s as unlikely a Best Picture as we’ve seen.
Even more unlikely:
The show actually finished in under three and half hours, and moved pretty well. There were a lot of little changes and one big one: Having five past winners come out to present each of the four acting awards, with heartfelt one-to-one speeches to the nominees. Classy.
Some other memorable moments:
“Man on Wire” crazoid Philippe Petit balancing the Oscar upside down on his chin while millions cringed;
Ben Stiller hilariously channeling Joaquin Phoenix;
Hugh Jackman’s opening musical number with its recession theme, including the “Craigslist Dancers.” Nice job, Hugh.
What did you think of the show? Better but still too long? What did you think of the awards that were handed out? Anybody get robbed?
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Oscars: Make your predictions now
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Time to put up or shut up, movie buffs. The Oscars are Sunday night, and it’s prediction time.
Here are my predictions:
Picture: “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Actress: Kate Winslet
Actor: Sean Penn
Supporting Actress: Viola Davis
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger
Director: Danny Boyle
Just to be clear, this is who I think will win, not who I wish would win.
Your turn. Post your predictions before the show starts. I used my own name; do you have the guts to do the same? We’ll do a post-mortem on everything Monday morning, and I hope I have time to circle back and see who did the best on predictions.
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If you ran the Oscars…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Oscars are Sunday night. Here are some predictions:
They will be too long. They will have way too many people I don’t know and don’t care about. I will keep watching cause it’s got to get better any minute. It won’t.
No other awards show is as self-indulgent as the Oscars. The others give us great performances and end at exactly 11 p.m. The Oscars give us a team of film sound editors all huddled around a microphone thanking their spouses and end the next day.
So if you ran the Oscars, how would you change it? Who would you have as host? Who or what would you ban?
Making it shorter is a given. Here’s your chance to be creative.
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What’s your favorite Oscar moment?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“It’s a wonderful night for Oscar! Oscar! Oscar!”
So sang Billy Crystal in 1997, on one of those awesome introductory musical numbers he did so well when he hosted the Academy Awards. I wish Hugh Jackman well when he hosts on Sunday night, but it will be a revelation if he’s anywhere near as great as Crystal used to be.
When you think back over the Academy Awards you’ve seen, what are the memories that stick with you? Were you watching in 1974 when the streaker ran across the stage naked in front of David Niven? How about the year before, when Marlon Brando sent Sacheen Littlefeather to refuse his Oscar for “The Godfather?”
There was Jack Palance doing the one-armed push-ups when he won Best Supporting Actor for “City Slickers” in 1991, and Sally Field gushing “I can’t deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!”
Halle Berry cried when she was the first African-American to win Best Actress in 2002, and Roberto Benigni climbed over seats when he won in 1999.
Even though we love to slam the show, there sure have been some memorable moments. What are your favorites?
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Oscars: What’s your Best Picture?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Oscar awards start at 8 p.m. Sunday, which means that sometime after most of us have dozed off Monday morning they will get around to giving the last award, for Best Picture.
Why wait? We’ll do our own Best Picture vote, right here and now, and we won’t limit it to the 5 nominees. Just tell us what you think the best movie of 2008 was and, if you want, why. You want to vote for “Kung Fu Panda” or “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan,” fine.
If you want a little help remembering what came out, here’s a good list, ordered by box office grosses.
My winner would be “Slumdog Millionaire.” I know, it has a lot of buzz that feels like overkill, but strip all that away, just look at the film itself, and man is that a great piece of moviemaking.
What do you think was the best movie of last year?
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Oscar nominees: How bad did they mess it up?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Next Sunday is the Oscars, the event we love to hate.
Seriously, can you think of anything else that so many people say is long and boring and not worth watching and then we all watch it anyway? And the next day we complain about how long and boring it was?
But there’s more to whine about than that. We can also fuss about what movies and actors got overlooked in the nominations. And this year there were a couple of doozies.
Have you seen “Gran Torino,” the amazing Clint Eastwood movie? It didn’t get one single nomination, and it was as good or better than any of the Best Picture nominees. And Eastwood himself, non-nominated for Best Actor, could whip all five of the nominees and then go sit on his porch and sip a beer and not even be breathing hard.
How about “Wall-E,” possibly the best animated movie ever made? It has so much more heart than the over-rated “Benjamin Button.” Heck, there were 10 or 20 movies in 2008 better than “Benjamin Button,” from “Dark Knight” to — heck yeah! — “Tropic Thunder.”
Do you have a problem with this year’s nominations? What got in? What got left out?
If you can’t remember who’s nominated, you can check it out here. Sound off. You’ll feel better.
Come back tomorrow, and we’ll talk about another Oscar topic.
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Breaking up over romantic films
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Boy meets girl. Boy and girl try to agree on a movie. Boy loses girl.
Have you seen that one? A trip to the video store can often send a couple into therapy. It’s the rare film that can appeal to both men and women, especially when it comes to romance.
For Valentine’s Day, AccessAtlanta conducted an unscientific poll of men to find out which romantic films would keep them glued to the couch. The resulting list was imperfect and a little painful to produce. Who knew guys held such strong feelings about, well, feelings?
Now it’s your turn. Guys, what romantic classic did we leave off the list? And couples, what romantic films can you agree on? How do you decide?
Remember, John Cusack can’t do it alone.
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