Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- Who Is Your 'Game of Thrones' Husband?
- The Olsen Twins Were 'Shocked' by the 'Full House' Spinoff News
- The 10 Weirdest Movies to Ever Hit Theaters
- There's a Really Awesome 'Star Wars' Easter Egg in a Bunch of Marvel Movies
- Behold, the Secrets of the Amazing New 'Tomorrowland' Site
- Here's What's Leaving Netflix in May 2015
- New on Netflix: May 2015
- All About Russell Crowe's Directorial Debut, 'The Water Diviner' (EXCLUSIVE)
- More People Now Prefer Streaming Than Watching Live TV
- Can You Guess the Disney Movie From Its Opening Shot?
- 'Embarrassed' Ben Affleck Regrets Asking TV Show to Hide Slave-Owning Ancestor
- David Henrie's Five Favorite Movies to Watch With His Dad
- The 19 Best Horror Movie Sequels Ever Made
- Here's an 'Epic' Spoiler for 'Game of Thrones' Fans Bored With 'Slow' Season 5
- Daniel Radcliffe to Star in TV Movie on 'Grand Theft Auto' Controversy
- What's New to Amazon Prime and Instant Video in May 2015?
- Sandra Bullock's Response to 'World's Most Beautiful Woman' Title Shows Why She Earned It
- Jack Nicholson Facts: 25 Things You Didn't Know About the Iconic Actor
- Best of Late Night TV: Blake Lively's Embarrassing Harrison Ford Story, Paul Rudd Dips Fan Club Sponge (VIDEO)
| Who Is Your 'Game of Thrones' Husband? Posted: Moving to Westeros? Then you're going to need a sturdy hunk of man to help you fight ne'er-do-wells by day and keep your direwolf fur-lined bed warm at night. But which "Game of Thrones" hottie is the right husband for you? This simple quiz should help you out. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Olsen Twins Were 'Shocked' by the 'Full House' Spinoff News Posted:  Yesterday's news that Netflix has commissioned a spinoff of "Full House" was accompanied by a love-fest, from fans and the show's cast members. But two prominent stars are "shocked" that it's actually happening -- and that nobody told them about it!Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen -- who played precocious youngest daughter, Michelle Tanner -- told Women's Wear Daily that the spinoff was just as much news to them as the rest of the world. "We just found out about it today," Mary-Kate said. "I guess we're going to talk to the creators and see what's happening." "I ran into Bob [Saget] the other day and we didn't even talk about it," added Ashley. Nor did they hear from John Stamos, who is producing the show and plans to guest star. The spinoff, titled "Fuller House," will star Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, and Andrea Barber, who will reprise their original roles in a set-up very similar to the original comedy. So, two of the Tanner sisters are in - so where's Michelle? The Olsens want to know, too! Ashley said, "I'm going to call [Saget] and get his perspective." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The 10 Weirdest Movies to Ever Hit Theaters Posted:  If you're looking for movies that are a bit -- or a lot -- off center, you've come to the right place.This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| There's a Really Awesome 'Star Wars' Easter Egg in a Bunch of Marvel Movies Posted:  Other than crazy-obsessed fan bases and a film distributor in Disney, the Marvel and "Star Wars" universes don't appear to overlap much. But there is a hidden theme that ties the two together.As fans well know, Marvel loves planting Easter eggs in its movies, mostly to tease upcoming films or characters. Well, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige recently revealed to Cinemablend that every Phase II movie also contains a "Star Wars" Easter egg. "So is this a spoiler for 'Ant-Man' ... not really. I'm obsessed with 'Star Wars.' Who's not? I'm 40 years old. I'm in the movie business. I went to USC," Feige said. "I was sort of looking at it, 'Okay, is Phase Two our 'Empire Strikes Back?'' Not really, but tonally things are a little different. Somebody gets their arm cut off in every Phase Two movie. Every single one." It's true! To wit:
So, keep your eyes peeled during "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Ant-Man"! This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Behold, the Secrets of the Amazing New 'Tomorrowland' Site Posted: Yesterday, Disney unleashed a new trailer for their mystery adventure "Tomorrowland," one that seems to have (finally) gotten people excited, while also quietly launching an amazingly immersive new website that goes along with the film, TakeMeToTomorrowland.com. While it's impressive in any format, it's really special if you look at it on your phone, where you're encouraged to tour the sprawling futuristic utopia using the smart phone's motion sensors. (I was playing around with this on the train and really weirded out the woman behind me, since I had to physically turn around to get a glimpse of the gleaming city.) But giving the site a thorough exploration will yield unexplored treasures that we can exclusively reveal. The site is full of interactive games, narration explaining the landscape and the ability to snap a selfie with a sci-fi backdrop (apparently selfies are still big in the future), but there are also bits of video, like the ones below. The first is a tour of the 1964 World's Fair, held in Queens, that has a particular connection to "Tomorrowland" -- that's where George Clooney's character, Frank Walker, is first transported to the otherworldly realm. (What's really great this too is that it's narrated by "Tomorrowland" director/co-writer Brad Bird!) The other two videos are even more intriguing, charting the history of the mysterious group known as Plus Ultra, a Randian supergroup formed by Jules Verne, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and other luminaries (it would later include people like Walt Disney), bent on the "cultivation of mankind's greatest resource: imagination." The second video shows the design and implementation of Tomorrowland, something they were going to unleash on the rest of the world... but of course that never happened. In the two Plus Ultra shorts, the animation is slick and evocative and I can't help but wonder if Bird, who directed "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille," didn't call in a few favors from his friends at Pixar? Hmmm... Watch the videos below and be sure to check out the rest of TakeMeToTomorrowland.com. It's a trip.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Here's What's Leaving Netflix in May 2015 Posted:  Want to watch that amazing train chase sequence from "Skyfall" one more time? Get to streaming the 2012 James Bond film before May 5, because it's one of the many films leaving Netflix's queue. How about the original "RoboCop"? You have until May 1 to comply, er, stream it. And if you want to catch up on Audrey Hepburn classics "Funny Face" and "Sabrina," those will also be leaving soon, as well as "Romancing the Stone" and its sequel, "The Jewel of the Nile."Here's a complete list of the movies that Netflix is pulling from your streaming list. And, just so you're not left empty-handed, here's a list of what's new on Netflix in May 2015. (All titles and dates provided by Netflix and subject to change.) Leaving May 1 "6 Bullets" (2012) "12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue" (2012) "A Knight's Tale" (2001) "The Accused" (1988) "Airplane!" (1980) "Airplane II: The Sequel" (1982) "All I Want for Christmas" (1991) "Along Came Polly" (2004) "An American Haunting" (2006) "Baby Genius: The Four Seasons" (2003) "Baby Genius: Underwater Adventures" (2010) "BASEketball" (1998) "Bitter Moon" (1992) "Boys Don't Cry" (1999) "Bratz: Babyz: The Movie" (2005) "The Brothers Bloom" (2008) "Call Me Claus" (2001) "Call Me Crazy: A Five Film" (2013) "Cecil B. Demented" (2000) "Deuces Wild" (2002) "Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood" (2002) "Fantastic Voyage" (1966) "Finding Forrester" (2000) "Friday the 13th: Part 7: The New Blood" (1988) "Funny Face" (1957) "Ichi the Killer" (2001) "Into the Blue 2: The Reef" (2009) "The Jewel of the Nile" (1985) "Life Is Beautiful" (1997) "RoboCop" (1987) "Romancing the Stone" (1984) "Sabrina" (1954) "The Secret of NIMH" (1982) "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze" (1991) "True Justice": Season 1 "Valkyrie" (2008) Leaving May 2 "Flight" (2012) Leaving May 3 "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement" (2004) Leaving May 5 "Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel" (2011) "Frank Skinner StandUp: Live from Birmingham's National Indoor Arena" (2008) "Grumpy Old Women Live" (2008) "Russell Kane: Smokescreens & Castles Live" (2011) "Skyfall" (2012) Leaving May 6 "1428" (2009) Leaving May 12 "Grimm's Snow White" (2012) "Robot & Frank" (2012) Leaving May 13 "Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos" (2011) Leaving May 15 "Buffalo Girls" (2012) Leaving May 16 "Fun Size" (2012) Leaving May 17 "Bridezillas:" Season 9 (2004) "Cloud 9" (2014) "Dane Cook: Rough Around the Edges: Live from Madison Square Garden" (2007) Leaving May 19 "Red Dawn" (2012) Leaving May 20 "No Woman, No Cry" (2010) Leaving May 23 "Silent House" (2011) Leaving May 28 "The New Guy" (2002) Leaving May 31 "The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia" (2013) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted:  May on Netflix brings more high-profile original series, including "Grace and Frankie," starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as two women who bond when their husbands -- Sam Waterston and Martin Sheen -- reveal they're gay and leave their wives to be together. It's from Marta Kauffman, the co-creator of "Friends."Also new, the sci-fi mystery series "Between," in which a disease has wiped out everyone over 21. Unlike other Netflix series, "Between" will air a new episode every week for six weeks, beginning on May 21. Jennette McCurdy from "iCarly" stars. And debuting on May 22: A comedy special from Jen Kirkman, best known for her appearances on "Chelsea Lately" and "Drunk History." Here's a full rundown of what's new on Netflix in May 2015, provided by Netflix. As always, all titles and dates are subject to change. We've also go you covered in terms of what's leaving Netflix in May 2015, in case you were wondering. Available May 1 "Beyond Clueless" (2014) "Jimi: All Is by My Side" (2013) "The Last Waltz" (1978) "Legally Blonde" (2001) "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde" (2003) "Longmire": Season 3 "No No: A Dockumentary" (2014) The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio" (2005) "Shameless": Series 10 "Underclassman" (2015) "Witnesses": Season 1 (2015) Available May 2 "Lalaloopsy: Festival of Sugary Sweets" (2015) "LeapFrog Letter Factory Adventures: Amazing Word Explorers" (2015) Available May 3 "Anita" (2013) "D.L. Hughley: Clear" (2014) "Royal Pains": Season 6 Available May 5 "A Few Best Men" (2011) Available May 6 "The Longest Week" (2014) Available May 8 "Grace & Frankie" (2015 series) - Netflix Original "The Adventures of Puss in Boots": Season 1 (5 additional episodes) -- Netflix Original "Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas" (2013) Available May 9 "Jinn" (2014) "The Liberator" (2013) Available May 12 "Extraterrestrial" (2014) "Fruitvale Station" (2013) "Magical Universe" (2013) Available May 13 "The Identical" (2014) Available May 14 "American Restoration" (2010 series, new collection) "Counting Cars" (2012 series, new collection) "Dance Moms" (2011 series, new collection) "Duck Dynasty" (2012 series, new collection) "Hoarders" (2009 series, new collection) "Modern Marvels" (1994 series, new collection) "The Universe" (2007 series, new collection) Available May 15 "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown": Season 4 "Cyber Seniors" (2014) "Dawg Fight" (2015) "Give Me Shelter" (2014) "Granite Flats": Seasons 1 - 3 (2013 series) Available May 16 "First Period" (2013) Available May 17 "Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast" (2015) Available May 19 "Before I Disappear" (2014) "Girlhood" (2014) "Zombeavers" (2014) Available May 21 "Between": Season 1 (2015 series) - Netflix Original The show will air 6 episodes. One episode every Thursday at 8:30 p.m. PT, starting May 21. Available May 22 "H20 Mermaid Adventures" (2015) - Netflix Original "Inglourious Basterds" (2009) "Jen Kirkman: I'm Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine)" (2015) - Netflix Original "The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir" (2014) "Richie Rich": Season 2 (2015 series) - Netflix Original "Transporter: The Series:" Season 1 (2012) Available May 23 "Antarctica: A Year on Ice" (2013) "The Boxtrolls" (2014) Available May 24 "Love and Honor" (2013) "Welcome to the Punch" (2013) Available May 26 "Graceland": Seasons 1- 2 (2013 series) Available May 27 "Before I Go to Sleep" (2014) Available May 29 "Hot Girls Wanted" (2015) "Mako Mermaids": Season 3 (2013 series) - Netflix Original This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| All About Russell Crowe's Directorial Debut, 'The Water Diviner' (EXCLUSIVE) Posted:  Russell Crowe joins the ranks of actors who've directed themselves in "The Water Diviner," which opens in the U.S. this Friday, April 24.Watch this exclusive featurette to hear Crowe discuss his powerful response to the script and explain why he decided to take on the emotional story of a father searching for his sons as his directorial debut. He admits he's "stolen" something from every director he's ever worked with, and since he's worked with many of the best, that's not a bad start. In the film, Crowe plays Joshua Connor, an Australian farmer and water diviner who searches for his three sons, who are presumed dead after the Battle of Gallipoli in World War I. His grief-stricken wife blames him for their deaths, and Joshua vows to find his sons, like he finds water, and bring them home. The historical drama currently has a 71 percent "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which isn't bad for any movie, especially an ambitious directorial debut. In the featurette, Crowe reveals he's caught the directing bug and says he has to make another movie. Check out the video, see the movie for yourself, and then decide as to whether or not you want to see him behind the camera again. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| More People Now Prefer Streaming Than Watching Live TV Posted:  If only the TV ratings system could keep up with how people actually watch shows nowadays. A new survey from Deloitte (via Variety) shows that video-streaming services have surpassed live programming as the preferred viewing method. Their study found that about 56 percent of surveyed viewers now stream movies on a monthly basis, and 53 percent stream TV shows -- as compared with 45 percent who prefer to watch live TV.There's a major age gap within the results, and it shows that the youngest of those surveyed are the most likely to use streaming services. That's not exactly a surprise, but it doesn't bode well for the future of pay TV. Here's how they broke it down: o. "Trailing Millennials" (ages 14-25) - 72 percent named streaming video as one of the most valuable services, with 58 percent saying the same for pay TV. Also, Variety relayed, 25 percent of these Trailing Millennials either canceled their pay-TV services in the last year or haven't had pay TV for more than a year, compared with 16 percent of overall respondents. o. Generation X (32-48) - 80 percent picked pay TV vs 47 percent for streaming o. Baby Boomers - 89 percent picked pay TV vs 43 percent for streaming. Read more of the results here. The survey only included 2,076 people, but it does seem to represent the tide that is turning away from pay TV. What does this mean for the future of the industry? This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Can You Guess the Disney Movie From Its Opening Shot? Posted: You only get one chance to make a first impression. So how much of an impact did the opening shots of Disney movies have on you? It's time to put your childhood to the test. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Embarrassed' Ben Affleck Regrets Asking TV Show to Hide Slave-Owning Ancestor Posted:  Who can blame Ben Affleck for being embarrassed that one of his ancestors owned slaves? It would be strange for him to be proud of that fact. But many can and do blame him for trying to hide that slave-owning past when he signed up for the PBS documentary "Finding Your Roots."The only reason it even came to light that Affleck tried to hide his family's past is because of the Sony e-mail leaks. In a lengthy Facebook post shared Tuesday night, Ben admitted he asked executive producer Henry Louis "Skip" Gates Jr. to leave out that part of his family history, and he now regrets not wanting to include the issue of slavery in the show. Here's Affleck's full post:
He wasn't happy about that aspect of our history being talked about until it came to light from an e-mail leak, but there you go. It's worth noting that Affleck is adding even more clarification in the comments section. Here's one of his responses on Facebook: "Thanks for the comments here. To clarify, because I see this story being framed as 'censorship' on some sites, when I told Skip I was uneasy about the slave owner, he told me he had not included it in his preliminary cut because there wasn't much detail - a name and no details, so he wasn't going with it to begin with. He also told me they would do a book later with a more complete story, and I said I would be happy to participate and talk about the issues more broadly." Meanwhile, PBS and WNET have announced plans for an internal review to determine if the decision to change the segment was based on Affleck's lobbying, which would be "unacceptable." Moral of the story: We all have family members we'd love to chuck from the tree. But you don't sign up for a TV program that exists to reveal those people if you don't want them revealed. This could've been an opportunity for Ben Affleck to do exactly what he said -- talk about that aspect of our country's history openly and honestly, marveling that a humanitarian activist like him could even have a slave-owner in his past. If he ever does decide to run for office, maybe he can find a way to have that conversation, since it seems like he's concerned with how his image is perceived and would love to frame this in a different way. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| David Henrie's Five Favorite Movies to Watch With His Dad Posted: You may know David Henrie from "Wizards of Waverly Place" and as the son on "How I Met Your Mother," but this week the actor turns to the big screen. "Little Boy" stars Henrie opposite Emily Watson and Michael Rapaport in the tale of a young boy who will do whatever it takes to end World War II and bring his father home. In anticipation for his new movie, the young star told Moviefone his five favorite movies to watch with his dad -- complete with commentary from Henrie himself. "Little Boy" arrives in theaters April 24.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The 19 Best Horror Movie Sequels Ever Made Posted: Horror sequels have long seemed, like weeds or mosquitoes, something we just have to put up with, part of Hollywood's natural ecosystem. We tend to think of them as superfluous because it's hard to scare audiences a second time (or third, or tenth) when they know the premise and can anticipate what's coming. But it was not always so. The first major horror sequel, "Bride of Frankenstein," was released 80 years ago this week (on April 22, 1935), and it was actually good, scary, and clever and surprising in a way that amplified the story told in 1931's "Frankenstein." In the eight decades since, only a few horror sequels have lived up to that standard. Here they are, the best return frights.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Here's an 'Epic' Spoiler for 'Game of Thrones' Fans Bored With 'Slow' Season 5 Posted:  Bored with "Game of Thrones" Season 5's first two episodes? You know nothing! For the record, we're loving Season 5 so far, but we've noticed the comments out there from fans impatient for a little less conversation and a little more action.One of those fans wrote to E! News, complaining that GoT has "been slow" in the first two episodes, asking if the action is going to pick up soon. E! asked Kit Harington (Jon Snow) for an action answer, and he told them, "There is one really big battle coming up. There is one really epic battle. There's some other good fights and some good action, too, towards the end of the season. It's definitely one to watch." Try not to focus on that "towards the end of the season" part, since that's not the only time when there will be blood. But it's a good note to keep in mind and pass along to any action-thirsty friends. Will Jon Snow be part of that "epic battle"? Go ahead and re-watch Season 5's trailer below if you want more hints to the big action ahead. There is a certain scene where Jon (now Lord Commander Snow) shouts "With me!" so ... that's a yes on Jon being part of a battle. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Daniel Radcliffe to Star in TV Movie on 'Grand Theft Auto' Controversy Posted: According to Variety, the 90-minute drama currently has the working title "Game Changer." (Too close to the political book/TV movie "Game Change"?) Bill Paxton will star opposite DanRad as lawyer Jack Thompson, who is determined to do whatever he can to stop the relentless rise of "Grand Theft Auto." So the TV movie will follow both the mega-successful game developers and the moral campaigners who oppose the gameplay, which glamorizes violence and the criminal underworld. It should be pretty fascinating. The script was written by James Wood ("Rev, "Ambassadors"), and directed by Owen Harris ("Misfits"). No word yet on when this might air, but we'll keep an eye on it. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| What's New to Amazon Prime and Instant Video in May 2015? Posted:  April showers bring May flowers, and May will also bring more than 30 new movies and a ton of spring TV finales to Amazon Prime Instant Video (PIV) and Amazon Instant Video (AIV). Here's Amazon's complete list of what's being added in May 2015.PIV: New in May - Available for Streaming on Prime Big Trouble In Little China 5/1/15 Ghoulies: Ghoulies Go To College 5/1/15 Grizzly Man 5/1/15 Liberty Stands Still 5/1/15 Men in Black II 5/1/15 Payback 5/1/15 Ravenous 5/1/15 The Big Empty (2003) 5/1/15 The People vs. George Lucas 5/1/15 The Puffy Chair 5/1/15 The Real Blonde 5/1/15 What's The Worst That Could Happen 5/1/15 The Professional (1994) 5/1/15 The Words 5/1/15 Let's Kill Ward's Wife [EXCLUSIVE] 5/2/15 Art And Craft [EXCLUSIVE] 5/8/15 Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas 5/8/15 Slugterra- Slug Fu Showdown 5/9/15 Defiance - S2 5/13/15 The Aviator 5/18/15 Laggies 5/20/15 Struck by Lightning 5/21/15 Manny 5/23/15 The Prince (2014) 5/23/15 Suits - S4 5/25/15 Low Down 5/29/15 AIV: New in May - Available for Purchase Movies Fifty Shades of Grey 5/1/15 Jupiter Ascending 5/5/15 Mortdecai 5/5/15 Seventh Sun 5/12/15 Kingsman: The Secret Service 5/15/15 Chappie 5/19/15 The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water 5/19/15 Project Almanac 5/19/15 TV Finales Madam Secretary 5/4/15 Gotham 5/5/15 The Good Wife 5/11/15 Jane the Virgin 5/12/15 Arrow 5/14/15 The Vampire Diaries 5/15/15 Elementary 5/15/15 Mad Men 5/18/15 The Following 5/19/15 The Flash 5/20/15 Supernatural 5/21/15 This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Sandra Bullock's Response to 'World's Most Beautiful Woman' Title Shows Why She Earned It Posted:  More than 20 years after driving away with our hearts in "Speed," and six years after her Best Actress Oscar for "The Blind Side," Sandra Bullock is now on the cover of People magazine as the World's Most Beautiful Woman. What would Gracie Hart think?!Bullock, now 50 and mom to 5-year-old son Louis, said she just laughed when she heard she was given this honor, adding, "That's ridiculous. I've told no one." Now People has told everyone! "Real beauty is quiet," she told the magazine. "Especially in this town, it's just so hard not to say, 'Oh, I need to look like that.' No, be a good person, be a good mom, do a good job with the lunch, let someone cut in front of you who looks like they're in a bigger hurry. The people I find most beautiful are the ones who aren't trying." Love it. She does set a great example for everyone, not just actresses or moms, and we approve this year's Most Beautiful message. What do you think? Did People get it right this year? Is there a way to get it right at all or should they stop these Most Beautiful/Sexiest lists completely? This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Jack Nicholson Facts: 25 Things You Didn't Know About the Iconic Actor Posted:  Let's hope Jack Nicholson has a pleasant birthday on Wednesday, or at least a less disturbing one than the birthday when pal Hunter S. Thompson showed up outside his house, turned on a spotlight, blasted a recording of a pig being eaten alive by bears, fired several rounds from his 9mm pistol, and (when the terrified actor and his kids refused to open the door) left an elk's heart on the doorstep.Nicholson turns 78 on April 22, and even though he hasn't been in a movie for five years, he still looms large in our collective imaginations. Younger viewers know him from his flamboyant performances in "The Departed," "The Bucket List," "Something's Gotta Give," and "Anger Management," but his older films remain ubiquitous on TV as well, including "As Good as It Gets," "A Few Good Men," "Batman," "The Witches of Eastwick," "Terms of Endearment," "The Shining," and "Chinatown." A late bloomer, who appeared in 19 B-movies over 12 years before becoming a star at age 33, Nicholson has nonetheless spent most of his life as one of the most beloved and familiar actors alive. Still, as prominent as Nicholson has been, there's a lot about him that remains little-known. (Like that Thompson anecdote.) Here, then, are 25 facts about his mysterious parentage, his early years toiling in Hollywood obscurity, and even his famous career highlights and relationships, that suggest you don't really know Jack. 1. Nicholson's middle name is Joseph. 2. His hometown is Neptune, N.J., near Asbury Park on the Jersey Shore, but he was born in Bellevue Hospital in New York City. 3. The reason he was born 50 miles away from where his family lived is that they wanted to keep the circumstances of his birth a secret. His mother, June, was a teenage showgirl; his father was unknown, though musician Don Furcillo later claimed to be the father and that he had committed bigamy by marrying June, as he was already married at the time to another woman. To protect the Nicholson family's reputation, June gave birth out of town, and her mother, Ethel, raised young Jack as her own. Nicholson grew up believing his grandmother to be his mother and his mother to be his sister. 4. Nicholson didn't learn the truth about his mother and grandmother until 1974, when he was 37 and already famous; the facts were dug up by a Time magazine reporter doing a profile on the actor. Both June and Ethel were already long since deceased. 5. As a young man, Nicholson worked a number of odd jobs, including Jersey Shore lifeguard. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles, where he moved in with June, and supported himself in part with racetrack winnings. 6. His first show business job was on the MGM lot as an assistant to animators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, then best known for the Tom & Jerry cartoons. Noticing his sketching talents, the animators offered him a job in the art department. Had he not decided to become an actor, he might have spent the rest of his life drawing Tom & Jerry or Scooby-Doo. 7. Nicholson made his film debut at 21 as the lead in the low-budget crime drama "The Cry-Baby Killer." The film marked the beginning of his decade-plus affiliation with producer/director Roger Corman. 8. Nicholson's most famous early role was as the masochistic dental patient in Corman's "Little Shop of Horrors" (1960). 9. Nicholson, Bruce Dern, and Harry Dean Stanton became friends during the early 1960s when they were all struggling actors, finding work where they could in westerns or TV guest spots. Nicholson and his menacing grin were unlikely guests on not one but two episodes of "The Andy Griffith Show." 10. He was so fond of Stanton that he found a way to write his pal's name or initials in nearly every film he made, whether it was a graffito on a wall or carved into a tree. 11. In 1963, Nicholson turned to screenwriting with political thriller "Thunder Island." He also scripted "Flight to Fury" (1966), in which he played a jewel thief struggling to stay alive after a jungle plane crash; "Ride in the Whirlwind" (1966), a western in which he played a cowboy mistaken for an outlaw; and "The Trip" (1967), starring pal Dern as a troubled man who tries LSD for the first time. After he became famous, he co-wrote and directed the college basketball drama "Drive, He Said" (1971). 12. Nicholson collaborated with the Monkees. He wrote their 1968 film "Head," a trippy collection of music-video vignettes. The director was Bob Rafelson, who'd later direct Nicholson in five movies, including "Five Easy Pieces," "The King of Marvin Gardens," and "The Postman Always Rings Twice." 13. Rip Torn inadvertently gave Nicholson his big break. Torn was to play lawyer-turned-biker-dropout George Hanson in "Easy Rider," but he got into a fight with director Dennis Hopper that nearly turned violent. Hopper fired him and cast Nicholson in what turned into the 33-year-old's breakthrough part. 14. Another breakthrough came in the movie "Five Easy Pieces," with its famous scene where Nicholson tries to order toast from a by-the-book diner waitress who'll only serve it to him as part of a chicken salad sandwich. (He tells her to hold the chicken salad "between your knees.") Nicholson claimed that this really happened to him, at a Hollywood restaurant called Pupi's, and that he told the film's screenwriter, Carole Eastman, who wrote the incident into the script. 15. In the early 1970s, Stanley Kubrick cast Nicholson as Napoleon in a biopic, but the plans for the film fell through. The director and actor would finally work together nearly a decade later in 1980's "The Shining." 16. The actor's first Oscar came for his role as rebellious mental patient Randle Patrick McMurphy in 1975's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," but he wasn't the first or even second choice for the role. He got the part only after Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Burt Reynolds, and James Caan turned it down. 17. Nicholson and Brando, who co-starred in the 1976 western "The Missouri Breaks," were longtime neighbors on Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills. Brando used to stop by, ransack Nicholson's fridge, and leave behind his underwear. After Brando died in 2004, Nicholson, as a gesture of respect, bought Brando's decaying home and knocked it down. 18. Nicholson was married only once, to actress Sandra Knight, from 1962-68. They had a daughter, Jennifer, born in 1963. 19. He has at least three other children, two via his early-1990s relationship with actress Rebecca Broussard: Lorraine (born in 1990) and Raymond (1992). He also had a daughter, Honey, in 1981, by model Winnie Hollman. "Five Easy Pieces" co-star Susan Anspach has claimed Nicholson is the father of her son Caleb (born in 1970), but he has never publicly acknowledged paternity. Nicholson biographer Dennis McDougal claims that the actor finally forged a relationship with Caleb when he was a teenager and paid his way through college. 20. Nicholson's longest-term relationship was, of course, his 17-year romance with Anjelica Huston, who lived with him for most of that time. During those years, they appeared together in "Prizzi's Honor" (directed by her father, John Huston), which proved her breakthrough role and earned her an Oscar. She left him in 1990 after he could no longer hide his affair with Broussard. Sean Penn coaxed Nicholson and Huston to work together once more in his 1995 film "The Crossing Guard." 21. The devilish lead role in "The Witches of Eastwick" was initially supposed to go to Bill Murray, but the comic actor dropped out. Huston, who was due to screen-test for one of the three female leads in the film, told the director that Nicholson was interested in playing Daryl Van Horne, and he was signed within hours. Huston then auditioned but the part she wanted ultimately went to Cher. 22. Nicholson has directed three films: "Drive, He Said" (1971); "Goin' South" (1978) a western in which he also starred as an outlaw; and "The Two Jakes" (1990), a sequel to 1974's "Chinatown," in which he reprised the role of private eye J.J. Gittes. 23. Even though he played the villain in 1989's "Batman," he got top billing over Michael Keaton as the title character. He also made sure he got a percentage of the merchandising, meaning his role as the Joker netted him between $60 and $90 million. 24. In a notorious 1994 road-rage incident, Nicholson infamously smashed up another driver's Mercedes with a two-iron. The star's golf instructor took pride, noting that, to do that kind of damage, "you have to have a near-perfect grip and a killer shoulder turn... and I taught those to Jack Nicholson." 25. With three acting Oscars on his shelf, Nicholson is tied with fellow three-time winners Walter Brennan, Ingrid Bergman, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Meryl Streep; the only actor ever to earn four was Katharine Hepburn. He's been nominated 12 times, which ties him with Hepburn for nominations and puts him second only to Streep (19 so far). This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted:  If you're like us and value your sleep, you probably nodded off into your Ambien dreamland before the party started on post-prime time TV. Don't worry; we've got you covered. Here's the best of what happened last night on late night."The Age of Adaline" star Blake Lively was on "The Tonight Show" Tuesday night, and she talked about fangirling (badly) all over co-star Harrison Ford. She was excited to be around Indiana Jones -- although she had only watched those movies the day before they started shooting "Adaline." Jimmy Fallon brought up that Harrison is also Han Solo. Blake admitted that she still hasn't seen "Star Wars." Blake: "I saw the one with Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen. Does that count?" NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. She just knew him as the dude with the earring who was married to Calista Flockhart, which she thought was awesome. Then she watched all three Indiana Jones movies the night before shooting. (There are four now, but it's OK to skip the fourth one.) She fangirled too hard and Harrison wasn't into it. Blake's husband, Ryan Reynolds, suggested she ignore him when she returned to set, just to play it cool. Now Harrison Ford is ignoring her back and it's awkward. Ryan really needs to sit her down with Harrison Ford's whole filmography, not just "Star Wars" but all of it. She needs to atone. Jimmy and Blake also played a game called "Say Anything," where you say random words and the first person to stumble gets tape on their face. Jimmy ended up covered in tape, like a sticky Hannibal Lecter. He may have enjoyed it, though. Courteney Cox was on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," talking about her feature directorial debut and how it was different from working on "Friends." Her 10-year-old daughter, Coco, has a role in the film and even though it's Rated R, she got to attend the premiere. Courteney also brought a photograph promoting "Every Drop Counts" and if you look at it a certain way, it's dirty. Courteney also talked about her fiance, who is from Northern Ireland. Her own family is from Alabama and they attempted to speak with Irish accents. You can see the family's attempts in the second video. Paul Rudd was on "Late Show with David Letterman" and admitted that, 30 years ago, he joined The David Letterman Fan Club. Paul kept his button and brought it on the show. He also kept his David Letterman sponge that he never put in water. So Dave brought out some water, to close the circle and have Paul dip the sponge right there on the show. Nothing amazing happened, but Paul did say it was a pretty lame fan club. Cute, though. Ben McKenzie, Kristen Stewart, and Mark Ronson were on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" and Kristen talked about her new tattoo, and her other tattoos. Mark got a tattoo of his wife's name and told a great story of a friend who got drunk and wanted a Jim Morrison tat and ended up with Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison. Here's James rapping his opening monologue, with Mark Ronson in the DJ booth. It's so Fallon that Fallon probably wants to book James next. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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