'WILD WILD WEST
Blockbuster king WILL SMITH saddles up with KEVIN KLINE for a showdown with
KENNETH BRANAGH. Think 'Men in Black Hats.'
PROJECT: "Wild, Wild West," Barry Sonnenfeld's big-screen remake of the
late-'60s, gadget-heavy TV staple starring guy's guy Robert Conrad.
RING LEADERS (Movieline)
Since Heavenly Creatures director Peter Jackson got the go-ahead from New Line Cinema to direct back-to-back all three films of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantastical The Lord of the Rings trilogy for $130 million, some of the biggest names in the biz have been touted front-runners to play the various wizards and scary monsters. Sean Connery's name keeps coming up for the role of Gandalf, but rumor is that the sexy Scot has so abused his icon status with the ludicrous Dragonheart, the silly First Knight and--this apparently was the final straw--the bombastic The Avengers, that he's no longer a consideration. Other actors who are said to be waiting in the wings include Sam Niell (who won points as TV's Merlin), Patrick Stewart, and Kenneth Branagh. As far as the pint-sized, aging ringbearer Bilbo Baggins, Murg hears Danny DeVito may snag the role.
FLIGHT FLICK: BRANAGH AND BONHAM CARTER TEST THEIR THEORY
Later in the week, Tony chatted with real-life sweethearts Kenneth Branagh
and Helena Bonham Carter after the December 10 benefit premiere of the
duo's film The Theory of Flight, in which the actress, wheel-chair bound
and dying is racing around London with Branagh's character in a quest to
lose her virginity. Naturally we asked Bonham Carter, seated beside her
beau in the Plaza's Grand Ballroom, to reveal her own unfulfilled desires
-- and her answer was almost as unexpected as the film's wacky premise.
"I'd love to tap dance," she revealed. Noting that she's had a total of
four lessons, the actress continued, "I'm really good at starting things
and terrible at finishing them." Branagh attributed the couple's pleasant
working relationship to the fact that both are "disciplined and lunatic."
Added Bonham Carter, "I find (working with Branagh) remarkably
unproblematic, and I'd forgotten what terrific fun he is." Maybe the
Celebrity lead passed time on the set by doing his ace Woody Allen
impersonation. (January 2, thanks to Virginia)
Some movie stars like to keep mementos from a film project,
usually small props like a necklace or a jacket. Kenneth
Branagh's sentimental attachments run a little larger.
It seems The Theory of Flight co-star liked the plane his
character, Richard, built and wanted to fly in the film, which opens
a week from Wednesday. In fact, he liked it so much he has kept
it in his London backyard for more than a year.
"I'm just so damn attached to it . . . because it represented my
character's freedom," Branagh told me. "It's oddly beautiful. It's
practically made of canvas. And even though I can't fly it
anywhere, I'm loath to get rid of it. The neighbors are not too thrilled, but the kids love it."
'The Fast Show's Paul Whitehouse is set to become a
luvie! He's been offered a part in Kenneth
Branagh's forthcoming film of Shakespeare's Love's
Labour's Lost which also stars Alicia
Silverstone. Branagh, who's already adapted 'Hamlet'
and 'Much Ado About Nothing' for film -
intends to turn the play into a thirties style musical.
Paul told The Net he's got an interesting
part: "Don Armado. It's a great part, it's really
funny, it'll be an interesting departure. He's
Spanish as well, so that'll be interesting! But because
it was Kenneth Branagh, I thought I'd go
and see what it was about, and it was slightly beyond
me! At least I don't have to wear tights -
that wouldn't be a pretty sight, I can tell you!"
Before that Paul can be seen in the new Fast Show
Video, which conveniently hits the shops
for Christmas. It features the stage show they
performed when they teamed up with Shooting
Stars for a tour. But you won't see the moment when
Paul was the victim of a one man stage
invasion: "Little feller popped up from under the stage
when I was in the middle of Arthur
Atkinson. I'd just gone into the spirit world, and I
thought 'oh my god, I've summoned up
Arthur's mum from the spirit world! He stayed on stage
for a little while and I referred to him
later - 'small boys, on drugs! Marvellous!"' (December 18, thanks to
Paula, Isabel, Estela, Catherine, Bonnie, Nancy, Theresa)
"I don't have to answer that, and I won't!"
So said Kenneth Branagh - cheerfully - at the premiere of his movie The
Theory of Flight.
He was avoiding a question about his relationship with his "Theory" co-star,
the ravishing Helena Bonham Carter. Kenneth and Helena looked lovey
together, and indeed it is the first time they have really "shown off" their
relationship, but both demurred when it came to specifics. Shrugging her
creamy shoulders, Helena whispered, "We don't want to overshadow the film."
Branagh, who plays the Woody Allen-esque journalist in "Celebrity," did
reveal that he'll next direct a musical version of "Love's Labour's Lost"
with a cast that includes Alicia Silverstone and Nathan Lane, crooning the
classics of Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and the Gershwins.
Can Alicia sing? "She can carry a tune as well as any of us," said Kenneth.
Now we know.
Kenneth Branagh
is making room for an Oscar on his mantlepiece - not for himself but for
real-life lover Helena Bonham Carter
The Much Ado About Nothing star was bought to tears of laughter and sadness
watching Carter's critically acclaimed performance as a wheel-chair bound
motor-neurone sufferer in The Theory of Flight.
And while he has been tipped for Oscar success, he believes the Academy
gratitude should go to his other half.
He says, "I don't really understand this Oscar buzz. The main thing is that
people go to see the movie. If it earns her a trinket then even better as I
think she deserves one."
The couple braved the cameras and unseasonably bitterly cold winds to
showcase their movie in Los Angeles last night. (December 16, thanks to Jane, Theresa)
"BRANAGH'S GOT THE GOLDEN TOUCH WITH ACTRESSES
Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham Carter have been named among the 25 greatest actresses of the
1990s. Thompson - the ex-wife of actor/director Kenneth Branagh - and Carter,
Branagh's current girlfriend, are joined by Vanessa Redgrave in a list
compiled by influential American magazine Entertainment Weekly.
Carter, who was nominated for an Oscar this year for The Wings of the Dove
is described as "a Swiss watch - a model of flow and precision". Thompson is the only woman on
the list to have won Oscars for both acting -in Howards End - and writing - for her screen adaptation of Jane Austen's
Sense and Sensiblity. The magazine chose her because "even when she's playing Americans, she oozes
integrity and gentleness". Others on the list include Sharon Stone, Jodie Foster, Julia Roberts,
Michelle Pfeiffer, Glenn Clos, Susan Sarandon and Sigourney Weaver."
"And, as with all dweebs, he seems to inhabit another decade entirely: When
out of revenge his jilted girlfriend (Janssen) destroys the only copy of
his just-finished novel, we have to wonder, did the Branagh-Allen character
not save it on hard-drive, or is he completely unfamiliar with that new
invention called the computer?" (Er, he used a typewriter. Tom Wolfe uses one too,
why can't Lee Simon?) (December 5, thanks to Catherine, Uyen)
I'm a big fan of Woody's work, he's made some of my favorite films, but it's a shame he didn't
recall Ken's public response to the critical bashing that Keanu Reeves and Jack Lemmon
took for their performances in, respectively, Much Ado and Hamlet. He defended
their performances, pointed out the positive aspects, and showed a personal and professional loyalty to
his actors during a time when it would have been more advantageous to disassociate himself
from their performances. In this respect, Mr Allen is a far, far inferior director to Ken, and has a long way
to go before becoming the class act that our Ken is.
'Typical parents. Kenneth Branagh takes his folks to a
smart party at the White House and then his mother
embarrasses him in front of the President by making a
lascivious lunge at one of Bill Clinton's Hollywood cronies.
Frances Branagh was overcome by the licentious
atmosphere created by the current White House
encumbent when she spotted Kurt Russell, the beefcake
action star. Branagh was paying homage to Jack
Lemmon, the guest of honour, when he realised that his
mother was having a turn: "My parents were like rabbits in
the headlights. I thought they were going to faint." Enter an
unsuspecting Kurt: "She launched herself at him," recalls
Branagh who then observed his mother planting an
energetic kiss on the star. "It was so embarrassing,"
confesses the straight-laced Shakespearo Kenneth.
Fortunately, Goldie Hawn, Russell's eternally youthful
other half, sensed that the sporty but almost
septuagenarian Branagh Snr was no threat and adopted a
liberal attitude. "Thankfully they both understand what my
parents are like and they let them take photos. Now my
mother is completely insufferable and keeps saying 'My
friends Kurt and Goldie'." You old square, Ken.' (November 2, thanks to Lulia)
"Oh, I hadn't heard [about the new Shakespeare productions]. But I'd love to!
I'd love to!... I would love to play anything !...If he adapts any other
Shakespeare play, I'd play any part...you know, he makes us so happy about it,
he makes it so enjoyable at the same time; he works with such extraordinary
people, like in Hamlet, he assembles such a cast of strange happy people, and
he puts them all together, somehow it would be great to find myself among them again. I
would play the hump of Richard III if he asked me..." [mimes a hump] (October 28, thanks to Marie-Dominique, Sarah, Laurence)
[Re choosing to do Theory with Helena]: "We did it as we were both drawn to the script,
which is quirky and different and it was good casting for the
pair of us. It worked out well, we enjoyed it, and it's got great characters. Helly has an odd sensibility for material and often chooses things that are slightly
askew."
"'Oh I have no idea about marriage,' he says quickly.
'I've no fixed views on that, children, you name it.' 'I love kids, I love them,' he insists. 'There are lots of
friends who can't have them and so I never assume. But I haven't been actively trying, so it may or may not be on
my dance card. Again it's not something that at this stage I feel I can particularly plan for. I try to think
no further than dinner or tea. That keeps me happy.' Ken, who's filled out a bit in the last few years,
certainly seems happier and even a bit softer these days. 'I even cry at movies,' he admits. 'I do, yes. I
can start crying at the most banal things. I'm a bit of a sucker really. When I'm at home, I like getting up
early and going for a walk -- the earlier the better, when the world's just waking up. Dawn, say about five-ish
-- though I don't do it regularly enough, I have to say. It's very quiet then, the phone's not ringing and there
aren't too many cars around. I'm a much happier guy these days.' "
"The part is written so much in Woody's voice and that ingratiating,
anxious, neurotic energy. I just did what he told me." --Ken, during Celebrity's
press conference
"I did not direct him to do that...This is his interpretation." --Woody Allen, copping out
the next day.
"It's not just an impersonation, but he's great in it." --Helena Bonham Carter, standing by her
guy.
"Random thoughts go through your mind. I'm thinking,`Where is my mark?' Then, `My God, I'm standing next to
Kenneth Branagh!'" --Gretchen Mol, on filming Celebrity.
"The main reason, the only reason really, I did the project was because of Branagh. He's one of our best actors,
certainly the best I've ever worked with, and a formidable director..." --Robert Altman,
on why he did The Gingerbread Man.
"As a director, Ken has the ability to somehow put
his soul into his hand, take his hand and put it into your mouth, down through your throat,
grab onto your soul, hold onto it and stay there, right with you, as you are
acting. It's just amazing."
"Hey, I think I saw your grubby monkey on Entertainment
Tonight the other day. Every time I see him I wonder why the hell you like him so much." --my best
friend, during class last week. (October 17, thanks to Jude, Toni, Nicky)
On Friday night I was lucky enough to catch an early screening of the Ken/Helena Bonham Carter
film The Theory of Flight, which was shown as part of a tribute evening to Helena (the tribute reel
did NOT include a clip from Frankenstein--the only major omission--DOH!! Although,
come to think of it, I can't think of any scene that would have been appropriate to show...well, maybe
at the end when she becomes a bleeding baseball and the object of tug-of-war betwixt Victor
and the Creature) at the Mill Valley (across the bay from San Francisco) Film Festival. Back to Theory: I ***LOVED**** IT!!!
I cannot emphasize too strongly
how much I adore this incredibly hysterical, touching, sad, poignant, sweet, moving, adventurous, dizzying (in more
ways than one :), FUNNY, well-paced, freeze-frameable ;), tender, soaring movie. There
are teeny tiny script deficiencies, but they're over-compensated for by the terrific
performances of HBC (good shot at an Oscar nomination) and Ken (good shot at being the boyfriend
of a nominated actress.) Did I mention my theory that the Academy isn't Ken-friendly? Crack-smoking
loons. Anyway, they're both phenomenal, and "Ken and Hel" fans are gonna be blown away. Look
forward to this one! By the by, HBC is a very nice, funny person, most evidenced by the fact
that she chose not to smack the incompetent moderator/interviewer of the evening senseless. (October 5)
Actor/director Kenneth Branagh has set up a film company that will make only Shakespeare films, with the first project slated to be a musical adaptation of ``Love's Labours Lost'' set in the 1930s.
Branagh will direct and star in the comedy feature, which he promised would be ``sexy, entertaining and accessible'' with music from Cole Porter and Irving Berlin. Shooting will begin early next year.
Branagh has slated tragedy ``Macbeth'' and comedy ``As You Like It'' as two other potential pictures. Like ``Labours,'' he will attempt to inject each work with a fresh look and setting.
He will direct all the pictures and produce them through the Shakespeare Film Co., which he formed with his ``core team'' of producer David Barron and production designer Tim Harvey, to ``formalize our passionate commitment to producing Shakespeare on film.''
Branagh is no stranger to Shakespeare, having directed and starred in ``Henry V,'' his 1989 helming debut, ``Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) and an unabridged version of ``Hamlet'' (1996).
The films will be financed and distributed by London-based Intermedia Films, which will jointly own the negatives with the Shakespeare Film Co. According to Intermedia co-chairman Nigel Sinclair, they will be shot in Europe to take advantage of cost-efficiencies and will be under two hours in length.
Despite the plethora of Shakespeare picture adaptations over the past few years, Intermedia said it was confident that there would be a large audience for this new spate.
``There remains an extraordinary level of interest in Shakespearean (material) around the world,'' Sinclair said.
Read the report from The Hollywood Reporter.
(October 2)
[SNIP...you don't wanna read Leo-mania junk, do ya? :)]
That was just the sort of real-life performance
that made DiCaprio's co-star, Kenneth
Branagh, think will help the young actor
"survive this storm of adulation."
Branagh, who caught up with DiCaprio at the
post-premiere party at Tavern on the Green,
told us: "It's inevitable that there's a transient
sadness to this kind of fame — the need for
security and all . . . But I find him very
together, able to be funny about what's happened to him."
Friday's audience found that the next best thing to director Woody
Allen in "Celebrity," which opens theatrically Nov. 13, may be
Branagh.
The British actor, who cut such a heroic figure in "Hamlet" and
"Henry V," does nothing short of an Allen impersonation as a
self-sabotaging writer who's always trying to trade up to a more
alluring woman. Branagh's performance mimics all of Allen's
signature stammers and squeaks.
"The part was written in a voice that, undeniably, has a sort of
Woody resonance," Branagh said. "But there was no attempt to
try to mimic him. I guess that's how it came out. And I think that's
what Woody wanted. But I promise you it wasn't conscious."
"Good Will Hunting" star Ben Affleck was among those who
found Branagh's nebbishy Lothario implausible.
"I couldn't believe how many beautiful women he ends up with,"
Affleck said. "That was ridiculous." [Not as ridiculous as 95% of
Armageddon, ya little goober. -Nock]
Branagh argues that "Celebrity" is partly farce.
What's more, he adds, Allen's nerdy lovers
always have enough "comic charm that the
audience will accept them, given the fact that
they're never going to get the girl in the end." (September 28)
Meanwhile, across the pond and over the hills at the Toronto Film Festival, The Theory of Flight was
having its world premiere. The only review I've seen, from
the Toronto Sun's website, was extremely favorable and promised good things. If the gods are
with me, I'll be able to get a sneak peak of it at The
Mill Valley Film Festival here in northern California. The October 2nd screening of Theory will
be part of a tribute to Helena Bonham Carter, who will appear for an on-stage interview before
the screening and a swank dinner reception following. (Don't worry, I don't plan on lobbing
little chunks of kalimari at her or anything. I hear sauteed lobster legs are much more
effective.) Theory opens in New York and LA on Christmas
Day, with staggered openings in other areas of the country in early 1999.
To end on a romantic and kinda cute note, Helena says in the October cover story of the UK's Tatler, "I am
definitely happy and definitely in love. I have had other loves in the past, but this is
the most long-lasting, grown up one." Awww. Ain't life grand? (September 14, pics
thanks to Isabel)
"KENNETH BRANAGH TAKES ON A VERY DIFFERENT CHARACTER
"Long hours spent in a wheelchair are telling on Ken Branagh, who's having
to regularly call time out from filming his latest movie Wild Wild West.
Branagh plays a 19th-century madman out to destroy the USA, in a remake of
the popular TV series. Now filming in New Mexico, the adventure is set for
release on July 4 1999 and also stars Will Smith and Kevin Kline."
(September 6, pics thanks to Estela, text thanks to Catherine)
Ok, don't believe ME,
read it from a more reputable source, a UK paper (hah! As if.) called The Express; never mind
that most of its facts are wrong: the movie was acquired by Fine Line 'sight unseen' ages ago,
which means they bought it without seeing the finished product, and of course the BBC knew about it back
then too. So disregard all that "..until we broke the good news" nonsense. WhatEVER! The world of journalism is filled with
crack-smokers. Speaking of crack-smokers, the entertainment weekly called...uhm, Entertainment
Weekly, stopped smoking this week long enough to print my entire e-mail (all 2 sentences!) complaining
about their omission of Ken from their "25 Best Actors of the Decade" story a few weeks ago. Woo hoo! Major
excitement. Okey dokey, on to the article:
"HELENA FLIES TOWARD HER OSCAR [No cracks about the broomstick she's using, please. ;) I'm joking, of course.
You know how much I adore HBC. :)]
The romance between Helena Bonham Carter and Kenneth Branagh has been crowned by an unexpected
celluloid triumph. The pair both star in a BBC-backed television film which is considered so
good that it will receive a worldwide mainstream cinema release. What is more, the film is being tipped as such a strong Oscar contender -- especially for Bonham
Carter's performance -- that American distributor Fine Line Features is timing the release to
give it the best possible chance at next year's ceremony. The Theory of Flight stars Bonham Carter as a wheelchair-bound victim of motor-neurone
disease, who is determined to have sex once more before she dies. Branagh plays her ex-criminal
carer. The film was made on a paltry budget of 1.7 million pounds by the BBC, in partnership with Distant
Horizon, a South African production company. Distant Horizon was responsible for clinching the deal with Fine Line Features, which happened
so recently that the BBC was unaware of it -- until we broke the good news.
'This is a fantastic result for us,' says a joyful spokesman for the Corporation, 'and great
news for the British film industry.'
A spokeswoman for Fine Line in New York tells us: 'We are going to roll the film out in December,
so that it will qualify for the Oscars. This could definitely by Helena's turn after she missed out with
Wings of A Dove.'" (September 3, news clipping thanks to Linda P.)
Lots of interesting stuff; try to hang on 'til the end, I saved the best (hint: it's a
note from Ken! :) for last...and sorry 'bout the website server being down over the weekend (as if it was
my bloody fault ;)--don't school sites suck?:
THE DETAILS: U.S. special government agents James West (Will Smith) and
Artemus Gordon (Kevin Kline) team up to stop the evil Dr. Loveless (Kenneth
Branagh) from assassinating President Grant circa 1869.
AT STAKE After scoring in the biggest summer blockbusters of 1996
("Independence Day") and 1997 ("Men in Black"), Smith goes for the hat trick.
THE BUZZ: Despite Smith being on the bench last summer, Sonnenfeld swears
Will is back in game condition: "Will is everything you've seen before, plus
he's James Bond."
JUST DON'T CALL IT A WESTERN: Since cowboy pics aren't exactly magic at the
box office these days (who remembers 1998's "The Newton Boys?"), expect to
see limited use of the W-word. "This feels more like "Men in Black" than a
John Ford movie," explains Sonnenfeld. And it's certainly got the sci-fi
gizmos: Dr. Loveless' arsenal will include an 80-foot-tall walking
tarantula. "It's mostly done on the computer," says Sonnenfeld, "but we did
build one leg of it and it weighed 16,000 pounds. It's badass." '
read it here. (January 19, thanks to Mercedes, Marilyn, Samantha; photos thanks to Isabel)
There's gonna be a special Theory of Flight premiere in
Detroit on January 20th to benefit ALS of Michigan, read
more about it . . . The newest issue of Movieline reports that Ken is in the running for
a major role in the high-profile film trilogy of J.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, the
blurb is reprinted below. I'm not really into the whole wizards and dragons thing myself, but I've
always thought that Ken would make a pretty damn cool elf. (January 15, thanks to Jennifer)
New York Post columnist Mitchell Fink wrote about speaking
to Alicia Silverstone about Love's Labour's Lost in yesterday's column; Alicia will also be on
Letterman (Jan 26) and Conan O'Brien a few days before flying to London for her big adventure
with Ken and Co. CNN film critic Paul Clinton put Theory of Flight on his 1998 top
ten list, VERY cool. The movie's groovy soundtrack is also out, you can get a copy for $13.97
by going to this
link at CD Universe. Or just go there to check out the names of the track titles, "Looking For A Gigolo"
being my favorite...;) (January 14, thanks to Paula B, Sarah)
Entertainment Weekly Online posted a short article
over the weekend in which Helena talks about her and Ken's apprehension approaching
The Theory of Flight because of the nasty British press, who've been pretty mean
to the couple since...forever. A running theme of Hel's American Theory interviews has
centered around how much the UK press sucks, as a matter of fact.
"They're hideous," she says. Expect British press coverage of the couple to be MUCH more favorable
from now on...;) Speaking of Ken and _____ press coverage, the latest issue of Forbes magazine
has a "doesn't-it-TOTALLY-SUCK-that-Ken-and-Em-broke-up"-themed retrospective
on Dead Again. (Jan 12, thanks to Uyen)
BITS AND PIECES: Shooting for Love's Labour's Lost
will begin on JANUARY 29th at Shepperton Studios near London. Still on the LLL front,
Nathan Lane mentioned on the Rosie O'Donnell Show that he'll be singing "There's No Show Business Like
Show Business" to open a play-within-a-play scene . . . Check out the Vote Yes
website to see a pic of Ken giving his thumbs-up to the peace referendum in Northern Ireland . . . The
Gingerbread Man was mentioned on several lists of notable films of 1998, including those of
New York Times critic Janet Maslin and Mr Showbiz;
according to Entertainment Weekly, so far on video the movie has made 10 times (roughly $10 mill
total) what it made during its entire stunted theatrical run (bite me, PolyGram!) . . . There's a great, lengthy (8 pages)
interview with Ken in the Shakespeare supplement to the newest issue of film mag CINEASTE (vol. XXIV, no 1). Also
mentioned in the issue is a forthcoming book from Samuel Crowl called The Branagh Renaissance: Reimagining
Shakespeare in the Age of Film. Hmmm. The Branagh Renaissance. Good title. ;) . . . Will Smith
talks about his Wild Wild West buddies in the current issue of the UK's Film Review:
"The team is Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh! And that's the
thing about making films - it's all about the people you work with. I feel
like I'm working with Michael Jordan. If you're in a basketball game
playing with or against Michael Jordan, you're going to be better because
he's there. That's how I feel about Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh. They
inspire the scenes . . . And Kenneth Branagh, who is just brilliant, top ten in
the world as a Shakespearean actor." Only top TEN? ;) C'mon, Will, get jiggy with it. (January 8,
thanks to Jane, Virginia, Sarah, Julie, Fiona)
Some release dates: US - Gingerbread Man at purchase price on
February 23rd (Amazon is taking pre-orders now at a $16.99 price); UK - Celebrity on June 18th, The Gingerbread Man on video on
January 25th; Australia - Wild Wild West on September 9th, Hamlet video on sale
in February . . . So I was at a bar last night and a friend goes, "Hey, I think that
video game thingie over there is flashing the name 'Kenneth Branagh'." At first I thought it was
the alcohol talking, but we went over to take a closer look and, holy pectorals, it turned out to be the
one and only FRANKENSTEIN PINBALL MACHINE!!!! Damn cool. The guy playing it was setting
a new high score record, undoubtedly inspired by the numerous cartoon drawings of Ken's head
stuck on Jean-Claude van Damme's body. I wanted to tap him on the shoulder to say, "Hi there...do you realize that the shaggy-haired shirtless guy featured prominently all over this game happens
to be a noted actor/director/auteur/thespian/Shakespeare-reincarnate who at this very
moment is rehearsing major Bob Fosse dance moves for his new musical adapation of Love's
Labour's Lost--which, by the way, is gonna eff-ing ROCK?!?!!?" Uhm, but I restrained myself . . . and I
can't end without giving props and kudos to my beloved San Francisco 49ers for their thrilling
last-second playoff victory over their arch-rival, the Green Bay Cheeseheads. If Ken were familiar with American
football, he'd be a Niner fan, I'm sure of it...;) (January 6, thanks to Sandra, Catherine, Toni, Paula)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! It'd be a lot happier if Theory weren't
getting lost in the big holiday crush of films--it's a small movie that happens to be quite
good and deserves much better; read some reviews of
the movie from more objective sources if ya don't believe me. :) Here's a brief snippet from Time Out New York:
Check out the first
photo from Alien Love Triangle, it's Ken in bed with a green person. A bit disturbing, eh?
But yum anyway. I'm, uh, green with envy. (December 29, thanks to Estela and Isabel **Hey,
guys, go see Theory of Flight if you live within 500 miles of LA or New York. The opening
weekend box office numbers are frigging depressing.)
All this stuff is noted under Headlines, but
just in case you missed 'em: our hyperactive workaholic has signed on to direct and star in The Betty Schimmel Story for
DreamWorks (which I assume he'll do after directing and starring in Love's Labour's Lost in
February), read details from Variety; check out presskit notes from
the Shakespeare Film Company, in which Ken outlines plans
for the upcoming Shax films and Jude's account of giving
Ken the list birthday gift (including photos); if you're in New York (Regency Theatre,
Beekman, Village East in the city) or Los Angeles (Showcase Theatre in Hollywood,
Edw Town Center 4 in Costa Mesa), see The Theory of Flight, which opens today; Helena
will plug the movie on The View Thursday and on Charlie
Rose sometime this week or next; check out new articles; and finally,
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY!!! Safe holidays to all...and try not to overdose on the eggnog. :) (December 23, thanks to Jude)
S'more photos for your enjoyment: Ken
and Em circa 1991 (kinda looks like she's flipping him off. Heh. :), Ken in
Swing Kids, directing A Midwinter's
Tale and Peter's Friends,
a cool silhouette of Dead Again's Roman
Strauss conducting, a smiley
Iago from Othello, and two shots from Celebrity: the Elaine's
scene and a bigger version of the Ken
and Winona shot. Tomorrow I'm gonna put up Jude's giving-Ken-his-birthday-present story and
photos, as well as some info on Ken's upcoming Shakespeare films...(December 22, pics thanks to Estela)
On commenting on Helena saying it was "a shame" she doesn't get to
kiss Brad Pitt in her new movie, Ken said on Monday that if he were a woman, he'd probably want to
kiss Brad too. Hmmm. Previously in a gay magazine he said that Ralph Fiennes, Rufus Sewell, and Pierce Brosnan
were also on his kiss list. My verdict: Brad, Rufus - thumbs down; Pierce - thumbs waaay up; Rafey -
thumbs up if he manages to crack a smile; thumbs down if he comes into the room and comments, "It's
fucking freezing." (That's a line from Schindler's List, just in case you think I'm just
being gratutiously vulgar. :) Anyway, a bunch of random stuff:
Tons of Theory of Flight-related stuff (with tons more to come in the following days), heeeeeeeeere we go (to
quote my favorite late night talk show host):
The L.A. premiere of Theory of Flight takes place on
Monday, read the press release -- I had to pass up a free chance
to attend 'cause of final exams, whatta bummer. This is the THIRD time I've missed an
opportunity to see Ken in the flesh because of school...crikey, it's like a Greek tragedy. (Aherm,
not really, in the grand scheme of things :). But Ken-Friends list member Lisa will get
to interview him (and Helena as well) while he's in L.A., woo hoo! Meanwhile, our little mailing list
is still REELING from the events of this past Thursday, which happened to be Ken's birthday.
Jude was granted a 45-minute private meeting with Ken in New York to present him with our awesome kick-ass birthday gift, and afterward joined
fellow Ken-Friends Jane and Paula at the NY benefit premiere of Theory. Blow-by-blow details of the
event, tons of photos, new info on Love's Labour's Lost, and more evidence that Ken is just about the coolest guy on the planet coming
soon...after my last exam on Tuesday. :) By the way, "Entertainment Tonight" showed a brief
clip of Ken (wearing the same suit he wore to the London premiere of Hamlet, I believe.
It's kinda frightening how I remember stuff like this but can't recall last week's
Revolutionary Fascism lecture. Hmmm.) and Helena from the premiere, and they looked pretty
gosh-darned cute--especially Ken, who's shaved that, uhm, interesting moustache he sported a few weeks
ago. Anyway, I know lots of you aren't keen on Ms Bonham Carter or
hold some kind of grudge against her, but I have a feeling seeing the terrific Theory of Flight
will change your minds....(December 13)
Just found out that a re-run of one of Ken's Shakespeare-related interviews
will be shown TONIGHT on Charlie Rose as part of
a "Shakespeare in Literature" discussion. Also interviewed is Harold Bloom, Yale professor
and author of "The Invention of the Human". He dismisses all of Ken's Shakespeare work as "terrible" (or
some adjective to that effect), but I'm told he believes that Shakespeare in its truest form
comes off the page and not in performance, soooo....yup, he's a crack-smoker too. ;) And since
I'll be off at school for final exams the next few days, let me wish Ken an early happy 38th birthday
now (I was late last year, so I suppose it all evens out). The KB list has another birthday doozie
up its sleeve, stay tuned for all the mind-blowing details...:) And if anybody wants to hear Helena talk about Theory of Flight and her
fabulous leading man (I assume she'll be able
to utter the "K" word these days :), she's scheduled to promote the film on Charlie Rose (Thursday,
December 10), Jay Leno (Monday Dec 14th) and the Today Show (Wednesday, Dec 16th). (December 8)
LET THE LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST MANIA BEGIN!!!! (Ok, so it ain't
exactly the Star Wars prequel...;) Daily Mail columnist Baz Bamigboye reported yesterday that Alicia
Silverstone (Clueless, Batman and Robin), Adrian Lester (so brilliant
in Primary Colors), Nathan Lane (The Birdcage) and Matthew Lillard (Scream)
will be singing and dancing with our Ken in LLL, which is scheduled to begin production
in February. Silverstone plays the French princess, Costard the Clown is played by
Lane, and I assume Ken will be bachelor #1 Berowne. Lester and Lillard play the other two lords. Who'll be Ken's leading lady? Probably not
Helena Bonham Carter, whose next project shoots around the same time...whatta bummer.
Anyway, you can read the entire article here. More noteworthy stuff:
Ken's birthday (along with the huge excitement that goes with
that ;), Theory of Flight mania, and final exams coming
up all at once...perfect timing. Sigh. Here's the news (and don't forget to check out the new photos
just added):
Celebrity doesn't rank as one of Woody's best (for me, these
include Manhattan, Bullets Over Broadway, Hannah and Her Sisters...)--most
of the film's jokes and gags are from the been-there, done-that school of Woody, and more
of the set pieces miss than hit (the bit with the bananas is particularly tiresome). But it's all
still relatively entertaining, the performances
are hands-down excellent, and Ken's encounters with Charlize Theron and Leonardo DiCaprio in the film are
hysterical. Ah, Ken. Our poor lad has taken quite a beating from some quarters for
his sexier, studlier version of Woody, but I thought he was pretty terrific, minus the one or
two semi-annoying, disconcerting moments where hyper-Woody kicks in and he goes into stutter overdrive. In
any case, it's hard to blame critics for dismissing his performance as a mere impersonation when you have to look hard to get past every distinctively-Woody
stammer, facial tic, hand gesture, body posture and vocal inflection in order to find the genuine
performance that lurks beneath. But it's there, I swear to ya. :) Anyway, if
you missed 'em on the front page, read what the worthy critics (i.e., the ones that liked Ken ;)
had to say about his performance (yes, I do realize that a balanced
critical representation should have probably been the way to go, but (1) this is an unapologetically biased site.
All Ken haters are crack-smokers; and (2) You can read Ken-bashing statements anywhere, no need to
reprint 'em here)...On to the news:
First off, let me apologize for unloading on Woody in the last news update in such a
sophomoric, adolescent manner (but remember, I'm a college kid, the demographic group
responsible for 95% of The Waterboy's box office. Funny flick, by the way)--venerated
director Robert Altman "kicking Woody's ass"...puh-leez. He's more likely to grab a gun and--oh wait,
I must be thinking of Charlton Heston (wasn't he riveting in Hamlet? I'm being serious here!).
Anyway, the assault on Woody was uncalled for (actually, no, it wasn't, the little twerp deserved ALL OF IT!),
and I shall endeavour to keep this site a shiny, happy one, even in the face of Ken-bashing
comments by crack-smoking, corduroy-obsessed loons. Ahem. While we're on the subject of
Woody, check out his latest comments about Ken and Celebrity
(he's a bit nicer here); in other press notes, there's a cheery little
article on Ken
in today's New York Post (Ken's always nice :) . . . PHOTOS: do a search for "branagh"
at this site, and see 15 awesome photos of Ken, which
you can also send as postcards . . . THE PLANE! THE PLANE! So it seems the British pal who
told me she saw a bi-plane in Ken's backyard (she was in his neighborhood for, uh,
educational purposes) wasn't hallucinating -- Cindy Adams wrote in her column yesterday:
"Kenneth Branagh, who plays someone obsessed with aerodynamics in
Theory of Flight, kept one of its props. A full-sized Wright brothers
plane now sits in his garden as a piece of sculpture." (November 19, thanks to Deborah, Cate)
Lots of notes (organized for your convenience :)
Media stuff: So I can't wait 'till Thursday--not because I have
a constitutional law exam (ugh), but 'cause the Ken media blitz for Celebrity starts that night. His press
schedule, if you missed it, is on the front page. What I
anticipate to be the two best interviews will happen first--a talk with Charlie Rose is always
substantive, at the very least, and Dave Letterman is...Dave. Sometimes cranky, but usually nice
to Ken. :) Reviews from two major weeklies (Time and Rolling Stone) have also come in, both favorable for the film (yippee!).
Time calls Ken's performance "rather daring" (I like the sound of that), Rolling Stone
calls Ken's performance, uhm....other. ;) (If you got the Ken movie that line came from,
you win a cookie) . . . Discovering Hamlet, previously
available only to schools and libraries for triple-digit bucks, is FINALLY on sale to the public at retail
price from the lovely folks at PBS. It's a one-hour documentary tracing the rehearsal process of
the Renaissance Theatre Company's 1988 production of Hamlet, starring Ken (looking about
15 years old) and directed by Sir Derek Jacobi--good stuff, I definitely recommend it. Ordering information can be found at
the PBS site. . . . MAGAZINE NOTES:
Ken is the cover story of the December issue of the new culture/entertainment mag Madison...and
Helena Bonham Carter is featured in the December/January issue of that Ken-bashing rag
Movieline; she talks about Theory of Flight and her crusty elf co-star,
check out excerpts from the article . . . Lastly, Miramax
has finally put up a decent
site for Celebrity, with pics and clips. (November 11,
thanks to Renata, Sondra, CTighe)
Random stuff: Hope you guys were able to see/download the trailer for Celebrity, it's right
above the Theory of Flight one at the Sony trailer site.
You can also check out a brief scene from Theory
at the film.com site. The Celebrity trailer is terrific, funny and hip (although I must say that the little bit of Ken dancing
to club music scared the holy bejeesus out of me. The Lord of the Dance has nothing to fear...); Miramax has started to run
an abbreviated version on TV, so look for it there as well. And despite Woody distancing
himself from Ken's much-criticized performance, our lad will still go on the campaign trail for
the film: appearances on Dave Letterman (Nov 12, CBS), Good Morning America (Nov 13, ABC) and
The View (Nov 16, ABC) have been tentatively scheduled. The fabulous and brilliant Edward
Norton (God, I'd give an arm and a leg for him to be in Love's Labour's Lost) said in an interview with
Charlie Rose last week that he compared working-with-Woody-Allen notes with Ken, and they both
came to the same conclusion: it's Woody's script, Woody's direction, and whoever gets the Woody
role is ultimately destined to end up Woody-like. Anyway, enough of this Woody-impersonation
stuff, I get the feeling the critics are gonna avalanche us with it in a couple of weeks...sigh.
The Los Angeles Times ran a little advertisement/article about the house that Ken leased during his six-month
stay in LA to shoot Wild Wild West...Finally,
read Emma Thompson's latest comments to the press about her ex...uhm,
at least they're more pleasant than what she'd been saying earlier this year...:)
(November 7, thanks to Nancy, Nicky, Neth, Bonnie)
I'm still in a deep funk following the Niners' loss to the Green Bay
Packers (sob!), but here goes...Ken on Leno: Mr B was
his usual charming, witty, cute, amusing, slightly dorky, rather dashing and sexy (despite (1) wearing one too many layers of
clothing and (2) the furry golden tarantula that has attached itself
to his chin...UGH. The little child actress who followed Ken did a double-take when she saw
the spider beard, so it ain't just me) self. He did his usual comedy schtick -- i.e., stories
about his parents (see London Times snippet below), mechanical ineptitude, etc...nothing
terribly new, but amusing nonetheless. Methinks he ought to think up some new material though--even
Jerry Seinfeld changes his routine every five years or so. :) Fluff topics he should
consider incorporating into his late-night repertoire: sports (his favorite American football
team?), pets (he seems like a dog guy), life in L.A. while filming (I'm sure it sucked). Near the
end of the interview, a clip from Celebrity was shown--not one, in my humble opinion, that
will have people storming the theaters in droves come opening day. It featured Ken, Leonardo DiCaprio,
two scantily-clad babes, your usual "let's-have-an-orgy" dialogue, and a lot of stuttering. Anyway, if you missed this interview,
Ken'll do it all over again on the Late Show with David Letterman on
Thursday, November 12th. The uber-cool Dave airs on CBS at 11:30pm in most markets. Finally, here's a clipping from
today's London Times re-telling one of Ken's stories on Leno--though it of course fails to note the Leno part:
The Wild Wild West preview isn't ready yet, but the rather
groovy trailer for The Theory of Flight is now available for download here; if
Stateside fans want to see it magnified 6 billion times in size (i.e., see it on a movie screen),
New Line has shipped it out with its prints of Pleasantville (which is a terrific movie,
but not as terrific as the other film I saw over the weekend, Miramax's The Mighty. See this one!!) . . . Ken's been appointed
to the board of directors of the Council for Integrated Education in Northern Ireland . . . the weekly
syndicated TV program "The Entertainers" is scheduled to do a profile on Ken this weekend -- check
local listings for times (I'd recommend doing a 'branagh' search over at the trusty
TV Guide site . . . Remember to
watch Ken's interview with Jay Leno tonight . . . Ken-Friends's own Sarah Hatchuel asked
Robin Williams (our Hamlet's Osric) during a recent French press conference whether he'd be willing to make
another KB Shax film appearance; the very cool (he lives in our Bay Area, of course
he's cool ;) Mr. Willliams responded:
So I turn in my last exam/paper on Thursday, after which I'll HOPEFULLY
be able to fix the technical problems in the /~jyking/ portion of this site, as well as
add tons more new photos. Until then, have patience and endure...on to the news: If you missed
the headline, Ken will plug Celebrity on The
Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Wednesday, October 28th. Jay airs at 11:30pm on most stations,
on NBC. Miramax is also trying to set up interviews with Dave Letterman and
Conan O'Brien before the movie's release on November 20 . . . Ken finishes work
on Wild Wild West and goes back across the pond in 2 weeks (sniff). Speaking of
Wild, I'm unofficially told that Warner Brothers is planning to unveil the first
trailer for its summer blockbuster this Friday with its prints of the Kurt Russell testosterone flick
Soldier. I'm actually gearing up to see the lower-body count Pleasantville, but
someone lemme know if the Wild trailer is indeed attached to Soldier . . . Love's Labour's Lost: Most of the technical Hamlet team will be back for LLL -- Tim
Harvey (production designer), Alexandra Byrne (costume designer), David Barron (producer),
Alex Thompson (director of photography) and Patrick Doyle (composer -- yay! Pat's fighting a
winning battle against leukemia, and obviously has all our love and support!). There's no
definite casting yet, but the usual mixture of Ken regulars and international movie superstars
will headline the film, which will hopefully start production next spring at Shepperton Studios . . . Two
benefit premieres for The Theory of Flight are scheduled: the first in New York to
benefit the City Park Foundation on December 10 (you-know-who's birthday :) and the second
in Los Angeles on Dec 14 in support of ALS and the Artists Rights Foundation. Schedule permitting, Ken
will attend both events . . . FRIVOLOUS STUFF: Sheesh, I didn't know so many folks were interested
in what kinda car Ken's favoring these days in his Hollywood mode; anyway, a few unconfirmed
reports of him jetting around LA in a red Mustang convertible (good choice, IMO :). Someone else says a
black convertible, but...whatever. :) And another unconfirmed report from entertainment source
FIN that Ken has been heard/seen singing in Karaoke bars. I'll not comment on this one. (Although
one might hope/pray that, if true, this is just preparation for LLL, and not the
result of a pint too many. I didn't know Berlin and Porter tunes had been karaoke-tized
though.) Finally, an interview snippet from the latest issue of NOW! (you can tell that's a Brit mag by the
punctuation), in which our Ken seems very happy. Yay! The entire article will be available on
this site...er, eventually. :)
(October 21, thanks to
Nicolett, Tamar Thomas, Vicky S, Patrick C, Nicky)
Lotsa catching up to do... First, let me reiterate, as strongly
as I know how, that school is extremely detrimental to the enjoyment of life. But since I only
have one exam left, let me catch you guys up on what's been happening in Ken-land:
Miramax Films has acquired North American distribution
rights to all three of the upcoming Shakespeare films (Love's Labour's Lost, As You Like It,
Macbeth), yay! . . . the Warner Brothers toy division is working on a major line of Wild
Wild West action figures and accessories. Pretty cool, eh? Next summer, my Beanie Babies will
get to engage in mortal combat with my plastic Dr. Loveless (which I hope will remotely
resemble Ken). And it looks like the inevitable fast food restaurant tie-in will be with Burger
King, who will doubtlessly unveil some Wild toys of its own . . . read the only
unqualified rave (so far) of Celebrity, courtesy of
The Hollywood Reporter. Just an aside here on the film: it's irritating me that American critics
thus far have been bashing Ken for doing a Woody Allen impersonation without commenting on the
fact that Woody approved of -- if not outwardly encouraged -- such a performance. And if we
establish that Ken's lead role in this Woody film is indeed written as a Woody-esque
character (what a shocker!! Unheard of, really.), then why complain that Ken
plays him as whiny, nebbishy, and a general loser? Geez. I could rant on and on about this,
but I'll spare ya . . . THE RUMOR THAT JUST WON'T DIE: George Lucas not casting Ken
in the upcoming Star Wars prequel wasn't enough to quell Ken-in-SW fans, who are now
hoping that Lord Lucas will see the light and cast Ken in the second SW movie. Well, it appears
that George's technical crew isn't helping on that front; apparently, a special-effects staffer
said during an interview at a science fiction convention that because the first rumor was met
with such excitement, George will ask Ken to be in the second SW prequel . . . MORE DUBIOUS
STUFF: a British morning chat show reported that Ken has bought a flashy new sports car while
shooting Wild in L.A. Uhm, probably not. I'm pretty sure the studio gave it to him as
a loan or something. Ken does not seem the red-convertible type, he's more like
the hunter green-Land Rover type. And Brit mag Hello! prematurely states in its latest issue that Ken plans on
filming all 37 of Shakespeare's plays. Pity that what little text the mag actually carries
is inaccurate most of the time . . . finally, some QUOTABLE KEN QUOTES:
--Kate Winslet, on her Hamlet experience
Whew, what a weekend! (Too bad midterm exams start tomorrow...bummer.) First off, let me point you to two crappy
pics (they were printed in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly in microscopic size) from
the Celebrity premiere at the New York Film Festival: Ken
and Helena at the party afterward and the entire cast
(Ken's on the far left in the sharp tux). On Friday morning came the tremendous news that
shortly after playing a no-legged, penis-lacking, mechanized super-freak in a summer Hollywood
blockbuster, our Ken returns to what many believe is his true calling--adapting, directing and starring
in Shakespeare films. A musical version set in the 1930's of Love's Labour's Lost will be the first production
from his newly formed Shakespeare Film Company. Productions of As You Like It and Macbeth
are also being planned. You can read more about this in the trade reports posted in Friday's news update below.
I'm rushing around like mad trying to get ready for tonight's Theory of Flight
film festival screening, so you're spared
annoying commentary on this piece of earth-shattering, mind-blowing news extravaganza that
was first reported late last night and in more detail this morning. Drumroll please...
BRANAGH BACK TO BARD (Variety)
Celebrity opened the New York Film Festival Friday night (BTW,
it was my 21st birthday over the weekend, and I'm sad to report that Ken didn't even bother
to drop by for a visit, the insolent munchkin. Hmmph. See if anything special is planned for his birthday! ;)
Anyway, check out New York critic reviews of the film, and if those
depress you, read a brief review of Cold War, which
started airing on CNN last night. Back to Celebrity in New York (sorry, alcohol causes
my train of thought to jump around a bit): notes
from the festivities included lengthy green room conversation betwixt Uma Thurman/Ethan Hawke and
Ken, and Helena Bonham Carter joining her dashing boyfriend (that makes up for the munchkin
comment, no?) at the post-screening party. Some other
random snippets from the New York Daily News:
Check out these really cool photos taken by Myriam Ferrus just as the
1997 Cannes Film Festival Hamlet screening had concluded and the audience was
giving Ken, Kate Winslet and
Charlton Heston a standing ovation as the credits rolled:
Ken
and Kate hugging, Ken acknowleding the crowd with a bit of tummy :),
in his classic hand in hair pose, in profile with
Chuck on the right, with his eyes closed, with his hands folded, next to Kate waving, and
a shot of all three thesps.
(September 23, thanks to Sarah H)
CNN starts airing its massive documentary on the Cold War this
Sunday, September 27, at 8 pm. Ken provides the narration for this weekly series, and has also shot a couple of brief promo spots
(currently airing on various Ted Turner-owned stations) for it. You can also see a longer preview for
it on the Nicolas Cage/Meg Ryan City of Angels video. Ken also narrates Universal Horror, which will
air on the Turner Classic Movies channel (TCM) on Friday, October 9th. In movie news, Theory of Flight is set
to screen on the second day of the London
Film Festival on November something. More details can be found via the link. On the photo
front, check out a little promo shot for Francis (a play
he did in the mid-80s, which explains why he looks about 15 in the pic), his RSC Hamlet
hugging Ophelia, a bunch of photos from rehearsals of
Public Enemy (this'll take a while to load, but the cool pics are
worth it. Look at our cute little impresario!) and lastly, everybody's favorite
mad scientist in a Fabio-like shirt (did they not believe in
using buttons back then?).
(September 21, thanks to Sandra, Les, Annie)
Weekend round-up: Ken spent Friday night representing Celebrity at its world
premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Still sporting that freakish Loveless beard from
Wild Wild West, he nonetheless looked quite cool with
Melanie Griffith and
in black. The film itself was generally
well-received by European critics (read UK reviews here, but the
chief critic of Hollywood trade paper Daily Variety trashed it mercilessly. He called Ken's
performance (which is basically a 2-hour impersonation of Woody Allen, judging by comments
from Ken himself) "simply embarassing", while his paper noted that "many [critics] were
irritated by Kenneth Branagh's central performance." The first clips I've seen of Ken in Celebrity
weren't too promising, but hey, I'm pretty sure I'll end up enjoying seeing him play a neurotic
New Yorker. I hope. Anyhow, check out two new pics from Celebrity (which is scheduled to be released in the U.S. starting November 13th):
Ken putting the moves on Melanie Griffith and Ken talking
to a really tall guy and Charlize Theron.
The eagerly-awaited CNN series documentary The Cold War, narrated by Ken, premieres September 19th in
the UK on BBC2. Here's a publicity photo of a rather dashing
Ken with producer Jeremy Isaacs. The series begins airing in America on CNN in...er, sometime
in the near future. I'm reading September 13th from a press release, but that's not right.
I'll get back to ya on this one...(September 14, thanks to Catherine K.)
Some cool new movie photos: Mike and Grace
get romantic in the rain and
in a cut scene (CUTE! Pity t'was cut.) in Dead Again,
a look at Roman at the masquerade, Mike
again, and Richard and Jane in Theory of Flight. Also
new here is an autographed photo behind the camera of
Peter's Friends and a shot from the 1983/4 RSC production of Henry V.
(September 10, photos thanks to Sandra, Cyn)
Ok, just a re-cap of what we've known so far about
our good pal Dr. Arliss Loveless, arch-nemesis of James T. West (Will Smith) and Artemus
Gordon (Kevin Kline) and mastermind behind evil schemes in the Wild Wild West: he
doesn't have legs, he's also missing a penis, he's half-bionic,
he's got a fetish for all things arachnid, he's surrounded by a lot of scantily-clad babes,
and he's a bit on the kinky side. Intriguing, no? UK glossy OK! gives us our first look
at the good doctor, printing a slightly fuzzy image of Ken in character as Loveless
and another kinda crappy pic of Ken taking a break on the set.
So now we also know he's got serious facial hair problems and his eyebrows resemble the Cookie
Monster's. The long, shaggy, Renaissance-y black hair doesn't do it for me either, but I'll cope.
Also included is a pic of a carriage-type thingie that OK!
reports to be Loveless's weapon of destruction, the Tarantula, but...I don't think so. Does
it bear ANY resemblance to an earlier drawing of the mechanical
beast depicted on a production plate? The text accompanying the photos is below. And lastly on the Wild front, here's a brief
report sent in from an extra on the New Mexico set detailing the special-effects scenes shot on location. ***Spoiler warning***
Details of the climactic scene are included. Click here to read.
Buzz, buzz! Advance word on Ken's upcoming fall films is very good, as early reports on
Celebrity and Theory of Flight have touted, respectively, the first as
one of Woody Allen's best and the latter as an early Oscar contender. That hard-hitting
piece of entertainment journalism known as
"Entertainment Tonight" even gave Theory one of its precious quarter-of-a-second clip slots,
normally reserved for updates on Leonardo DiCaprio or swimsuit calendar photo shoots (man, if
Ken jumped into a bikini every once in while to pose for pics in exotic locales, he'd get all
kinds of coverage on ET. I need to talk to his publicist...) You could've
even blinked twice and (barely) not have missed the clip! For those who did, the clip
was part of ET's "Fall Movie Preview", the sub-category was "real life couples in movies together",
and involved Ken saying, "Jane here essentially, er, wants to, uh, to lose her, er to lose
her virginity." It was cute! I smell Oscar. (Of course, I smelled a crapload of Oscars this time 4 years ago
before Frankenstein opened, so, uhm...knock on wood. Ahem. :)
