Michael Moore today revealed the title of his next movie, which I feel compelled to share — Capitalism: A Love Story. Due Oct. 2, Moore's film will look at the impact of corporations and their profit motives on the lives of Americans and others. Doesn't sound like much of a love story? Moore says it's a relationship movie and "It will be the perfect date movie. It's got it all — lust, passion, romance, and 14,000 jobs being eliminated every day.”
Former MTV VJ and Revlon model Karen Duffy, whose career was sidelined when she was diagnosed with sarcoidosis in the mid 90s, is back with a new TV show Sunday, Surprise Vacations, on the Fine Living Network at 8 p.m. ET. Duffy, who shot to fame in the late 80s, hosts the show, which gives deserving people a surprise free vacation. She says the people to be featured have “truly been illuminating the world” with their charity work. Duffy tells our Steve Thompson that she has been filming the show for the past six months while also studying to be a chaplain at the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. “One of the things we learn is care-taking for the caregiver,” says Duffy, “people who are taking care of a loved one or sick child.” Although Duffy, 48, has her own illness to deal with — sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease — she says helping others helps her. “My parents have always really led by example, (showing) that the only thing worth doing is what you do for others,” Duffy says. “I think that has really helped me through my hard times. I mean, my life isn’t perfect and I’ve got to deal with this big lump in my head all the time and deal with chronic pain issues, but I’m so grateful for the days that I feel good.” Next up, Duffy has a small role in Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox this fall, which — lucky for her — stars a former beau, George Clooney.
Photo courtesy of Fine Living Network
Tom Hanks, in theaters now with Angels & Demons, celebrates his 53rd birthday today. Looking ahead to 2010, the back-to-back Oscar winner will again voice sheriff Woody in Pixar's Toy Story 3. Multi-talented musician Jack White, of both the White Stripes and the Raconteurs, is 34. He started a new group this year, The Dead Weather, whose debut album Horehound gets released on Tuesday. Oscar-winning actor Chris Cooper (Adaptation) is 58. He next stars in the ensemble drama New York, I Love You, in theaters in October. Jimmy Smits, an alum of L.A. Law, The West Wing and Dexter, turns 54. Infamous footballer OJ Simpson spends his 62nd birthday in jail, after being convicted of armed robbery. Fred Savage, the curly-haired boy from The Wonder Years, is all grown up at 33, and Kurt Cobain’s erratic widow, singer Courtney Love, is 45.
Photo by Zade Rosenthal
Sacha Baron Cohen’s newest movie, Bruno, in theaters Friday, is expected to do big numbers at the box office. So I sent intern Steve Thompson to a screening Tuesday just to get an idea of what this movie, from the creator of the mega-successful but silly Borat, which made more than a quarter of a billion dollars in the U.S. alone, is like.
Steve says Cohen likes to push limits, but in Bruno, no amount of full-frontal nudity, prankster antics (a couple of them with Paula Abdul and Ron Paul) and offensive comments is enough for the comic’s gay Austrian fashionista character. And much of the time those questionable actions don't come from his Bruno character but from those around him. Sometimes it's hard to decide which is worse, what Bruno is doing or the violent reactions of the people around him. (For example, there's a scene in Arkansas where Bruno is at a WWE-type wrestling show and ends up making out with another guy in front of some drunk fans.)
In Bruno and Borat, it’s usually what the apparently normal people say or do that is the most shocking and funny. But Cohen was on The Late Show with David Letterman last night saying the reactions are unscripted (and he’s got the lawsuits to prove it). Check out part of his interview below, which is for once the real Sacha Baron Cohen, not Borat or Bruno.
Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
Last weekend's cover story in the print edition of USA WEEKEND was on the charitable foundations that have been inspired by U.S. conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Writer Dennis McCafferty wrote about five of them; you can read his story here. However, one foundation that wasn’t mentioned — but deserves attention — commands much star power: Pro vs. GI Joe. It works with the USO to provide deployed servicemen and women with a once-in-a-lifetime experience — to play their favorite video game with a professional athlete or celebrity. And as often as possible, Pro vs. GI Joe seeks to match a deployed person up with an athlete or celebrity from his or her hometown, so family members and friends can both watch and greet their loved ones during the event. “During this year’s NBA All-Star Game festivities in February, for example, a serviceman stationed in Germany was able to hook up with star Shaquille O’Neal for a video game hoops matchup,” Dennis says. “Shaq was playing on his home court in Phoenix. And during the event, Shaq lifted the serviceman’s son to the Web cam for a special ‘hello’ to dad. The little boy just turned 8 that day.”
Happy 41st birthday today to actor Billy Crudup. He starred as super man Dr. Manhattan in the blockbuster Watchmen earlier this year, and you can currently see him on the big screen as FBI boss J. Edgar Hoover opposite Johnny Depp and Christian Bale in Public Enemies. Country star Toby Keith is 48 — maybe he'll make some time for cake while working on his next studio album, due this fall. Robert Knepper, best known as T-Bag on Prison Break, is 50. The show just finished its fourth and final season, although Knepper will reprise his role in the DVD movie Prison Break: The Final Break out July 21. He will play another villain in this fall's fourth season of Heroes, co-starring with another birthday boy, Milo Ventimiglia, who's 32. Kevin Bacon, the husband of Kyra Sedgwick who next stars in the summer comedy My One and Only, is 51 today. Indie rocker Beck turns 39, and legendary actress Anjelica Huston, who won an Oscar for Prizzi's Honor in 1985, is 58.
Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
This week, PBS stations across the country will start airing Cody, a documentary following Cody Unser, the daughter of famed race car driver Al Unser Jr. Cody, 22, was a 12 year old playing basketball when she started having trouble breathing and her legs went numb. In 20 minutes, she was paralyzed. She was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a condition where your own immune system attacks your spinal cord. Since then, Cody has turned her disability into a passion, lobbying for stem cell research, creating the Cody Unser First Step Foundation, and getting a degree in Biopolitics from the University of Redlands. Our Steve Thompson watched the film (narrated by Glenn Close) and says it is an invasive and emotional look into the life of someone with a disability and the challenges she faces. Steve spoke with Cody about the film, so click read more to learn about her plans to change politics and to one day walk again. And click on the clip below to get a sneak peek at the film.
Thousands of regular folks like those pictured at left scored tickets to the Michael Jackson memorial today at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. But millions more will be glued to their TV and computer screens as the extravagant service gets under way at 1 p.m. ET. If you're stuck in an office without TV, E! Online will be streaming live video from the event, which features Mariah Carey and Jennifer Hudson, among others, paying tribute to Jackson. You can pay tribute, too, right here. Write your thoughts about Jackson and his legacy, the memorial service, the media coverage or anything else Michael-related in a post below.
Photo courtesy USA TODAY
Beatle Ringo Starr, who still looks the part of a rocker post-retirement age, celebrates his 69th birthday today. Starr and the other living member of the Fab Four, Paul McCartney, took the stage last month at E3 to promote the new The Beatles: Rock Band video game, out in September (check out the eye-popping trailer below). Billy Campbell, who had his breakout role in The Rocketeer in 1991, is 50. He next appears alongside Marla Sokoloff and Christopher Lloyd in Meteor, a two-part TV event that premieres on NBC Sunday night. Shelley Duvall, of such classics as Annie Hall and The Shining, is 60. Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan turns 29, and WNBA pioneer Lisa Leslie, who will be retiring after this season with the Los Angeles Sparks, is 37.
The Sci Fi network changes its logo and its name — to Syfy — officially tomorrow, and it’s kicking off its new identity with a new original series, Warehouse 13. The show, which our Brian Truitt thinks is Indiana Jones by way of Moonlighting, stars Joanne Kelly and Eddie McClintock as a couple of Secret Service agents who are reassigned to a mysterious South Dakota warehouse. What's being housed in the middle of nowhere? Strange and oftentimes supernatural artifacts from throughout history collected by the U.S. government. Brian liked it so much he wanted to get the scoop on the show from the stars and its producers, Jack Kenny and David Simkins, so click read more to see what he learned and check out a sneak preview of the series below.
Photo courtesy of Sci Fi
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Before Chris Columbus was directing big-budget movies like the first two Harry Potter movies and producing the Fantastic Four and Night at the Museum franchises, the filmmaker got his start in Hollywood writing the 1980s classics Gremlins and The Goonies. It’s this era he harks back to in his new comedy, I Love You, Beth Cooper, in theaters on Friday. In the movie based on the Larry Doyle book, a nerdy high school valedictorian named Denis Cooverman (newcomer Paul Rust) confesses his feelings for the most popular girl in school, head cheerleader Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere), in front of the student body on their graduation day. From there, they and their friends are thrown into the wildest night of their lives. We have an exclusive clip from the film, and our Brian Truitt caught up with Columbus last week on the set of his next directorial effort, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Adapted from the popular book series by Rick Riordan and boasting an A-list cast including Rosario Dawson, Uma Thurman and Pierce Brosnan, it’s a modern-day family adventure interspersed with Greek mythology that opens in February. Click read more for Brian’s exclusive Q&A with Columbus, and check out our Beth Cooper clip below.
Photos by Joe Lederer
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Happy birthday to both John Rambo and Rocky Balboa, as the '80s action icon Sylvester Stallone celebrates his 63rd. He just finished filming next year's flick The Expendables, which he wrote, directed and stars in with fellow action heroes Jet Li, Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Fresh off the July 4 holiday, former commander-in chief George W. Bush is 63. Interestingly, our former president shares his birthday with the Dalai Lama, turning 74, and a first lady, Nancy Reagan, who is 88 today. Rapper 50 Cent will probably be partying on his 34rd birthday. The G-Unit mogul is set to release his next album, Before I Self Destruct, this fall. And actor Geoffrey Rush is 52. He's one of only 20 people ever to have won an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony.
Photo by Robert Hanashiro/USA Today
