How Did ‘Identity Thief’ Make So Much Money?

How Did ‘Identity Thief’ Make So Much Money?
Jordan Hoffman - Film.com

At around the same time Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s bill to ban the sale of bathtub-sized containers of soft-drinks rich in high fructose corn syrup was blocked, “Identity Thief” crossed the $120 million mark in box office receipts. Call it a coincidence but we’re reading signs in the (sweet, sweet iced) tea leaves. Our culture is killing itself and asking for seconds.

I like this article except for this opening statement and so I just have to interact with it for a minute. While I don’t drink soda and i do think that our culture is killing itself with stuff like that, and it’s killing…

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Iran Threatening ‘Argo’ Lawsuit

Iran Threatening ‘Argo’ Lawsuit
Entertainment Weekly

Iran is planning to sue Hollywood over the Oscar-winning Argo because of the movie’s allegedly “unrealistic portrayal” of the country, Iranian media reported Tuesday.

Several news outlets, including the pro-reform Shargh daily, said French lawyer Isabelle Coutant-Peyre is in Iran for talks with officials over how and where to file the lawsuit. She is also the lawyer for notorious Venezuelan-born terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as Carlos the Jackal.

Do I really need to tell you how I feel about this? Because my political views might start coming out, and would probably make a…

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Bruce Willis Talks ‘Die Hard 6’, Opposed to Gun Control

Bruce Willis Talks ‘Die Hard 6’, Opposed to Gun Control
The Playlist

So the fifth entry in the wheezing “Die Hard” franchise comes out in just over a week, and surprisingly, it’s taken this long for the inevitable talk about a sixth entry to crop up. But with Bruce Willis on the press trail, the question has been asked, and the answer from the actor is simple: “Yes.”

I’ll wait to say for sure until I have seen Die Hard 5, but I think this is probably good.

But post-Sandy Hook and Aurora, the question of violence in media and gun control is one that increasingly comes up in press rounds and Willis has weighed in on the touchy subject of gun control.…

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Connecticut Congressman Challenges ‘Lincoln’ Inaccuracies

Connecticut Congressman Challenges ‘Lincoln’ Inaccuracies
Entertainment Weekly

Joe Courtney, Democratic member of the House from Connecticut, was alarmed to find a historical inaccuracy that depicted his home state in a negative light while watching Oscar-nominated film Lincoln.

In the movie, two congressmen from Connecticut voted against the 13th amendment, which would abolish slavery. Courtney was surprised by the vote, and decided to check the facts.

He started with a simple Internet search, according to the AP, which lead to a request for the Congressional Research Service to look into the issue. In fact, all four Connecticut congressmen voted for the…

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Tarantino Blows Up in Interview

Tarantino Blows Up in Interview
Movieline

Quentin Tarantino probably had a vastly different idea of how the months leading up to the 85th Academy Awards would transpire for him. As he began to promote Django Unchained, he no doubt expected to spend the majority of Awards Season talking about America’s legacy of slavery, about his decision to portray it as unambiguously horrific, and how the peculiar institution has historically been treated in film.

No doubt.

In the interview, which I’ll embed below, Tarantino pretty much blew up, and the interviewer kept trying to come back to it, kept trying to get him to say something…

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Tommy Lee Jones Discusses ‘Lincoln’

Tommy Lee Jones Discusses ‘Lincoln’
Moviefone

Tommy Lee Jones’ life story is as interesting to me as his no-nonsense movie characters. It’s not often that we hear about his acting technique, relationship to his fellow stars, or his thoughts on American history.

In Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, Mr. Jones plays Congressman Thaddeus Stevens. Sharon Knolle pinned Tommy down for a fun interview.

As he says of Stevens’s and Lincoln’s often-contentious relationship, “They could laugh together.” Jones also discussed whether Stevens could exist in today’s political climate and the fiery on-screen exchange he has with Sally Field’s character,…

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Christian Bale Stands for Life

Christian Bale Stands for Life
Movieguide.com

“He [Chen] had exposed a program of forced abortion and sterilization in Shandong,” Bale told attendees at a Human Rights First event. “A program of forced abortion means that women are being dragged from their homes against their will. They are being forced to have abortions, sometimes late-term – imagine that – with some women reportedly dying in the process.”

“This is true horror,” he added. “And, in this insane world, this man, Chen, who was helping these women – who was living by some of the most simple, brave and universally admired values – values we teach our children every day,…

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Romney Zombies, from Joss Whedon’s Point of View

Romney Zombies, from Joss Whedon’s Point of View
E! Online

When it comes to choosing a presidential candidate, you have to think of what they’ll bring to the table. And if it’s a zombie apocalypse you want, then you should vote for Mitt Romney, according to filmmaker Joss Whedon.

The Avengers director released a spoof video endorsing the Republican candidate, saying, “Like a lot of liberal Americans, I was excited when Barack Obama took office four years ago. But it’s a very different world now, and Mitt Romney is a very different candidate.”

Why is he different, you ask?

That’s funny. I thought that the last few presidents have worked…

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Brad Pitt Talks U.S. War on Drugs

Brad Pitt Talks U.S. War on Drugs
Movie Line

“My drug days have long since passed,” Pitt told THR as reported by The Guardian. “But I could probably land in any American city and within 24 hours find whatever you want. But we still support this charade called the drug war. We spent a trillion dollars over 40 years and a lot of people have lost their lives over it.”

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“After prohibition, we regrouped and said it was a bad idea what we’re doing. Now we have a system where alcohol is illegal for children; the government profits off it; grownups can use it responsibly, which means if I go out in my car and kill some one it’s…

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Casting News on ‘Reykjavik’

Casting News on ‘Reykjavik’
Entertainment Weekly

Christoph Waltz better get used to people wanting to touch his head: The Oscar winner has signed up to play former Soviet Union chairman Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik, about the historic 1986 nuclear arms summit between Gorbachev and President Ronald Reagan (Michael Douglas). Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) is directing from a script by Kevin Hood (Becoming Jane).

I remain unconvinced that this film will be any good whatsoever. It still seems really strange for Michael Douglas to play this part. As I’ve said, it seems like a real slap in the face to get someone who is…

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