Chickenheart? Gibson stands accused of terrorizing women and children.
By Lee Pfeiffer
We generally don't dwell on average celebrity scandals but even by sordid Hollywood standards, the Mel Gibson affair continues to shock and appall. Radar On Line has released new information that alleges Gibson not only beat up his lover Oksana Grigorieva in front of her terrified 12 year-old son, but also drew a pistol and threatened to kill them both along with himself. Gibson laced his threats with a string of shocking profanities and at one point prior to the confrontation, so terrified a nanny that the woman took Gibson's infant daughter and hid in a bedroom. Gibson is now under police investigation. His few defenders have alleged that Grigorieva is exaggerating the situation in order to wring maximum dollars from the Oscar-winner, but as the drip-drip-drip of incriminating evidence and audio tapes becomes public, Gibson finds himself increasingly isolated. One thing is certain: this is shaping up as one of the most notorious film industry scandals in history and, unless some major evidence emerges that negates the allegations against him, industry pundits are predicting that Gibson's career has been irreparably damaged. For more click here
(Photo copyright Adrian Smith. All rights reserved)
Ray
Harryhausen: Myths and Legends
By
Adrian Smith
On
the 29th June one of the world’s most legendary filmmakers
celebrated his 90th birthday. To coincide with this, the London Film
Museum is hosting a brand new exhibition devoted to the great man himself.
Cinema Retro was fortunate enough to attend the event and join in the birthday
celebrations, alongside such notable guests as John Landis, Terry Gilliam,
Peter Jackson and special effects guru Rick Baker.
Rick Baker and John Landis get uncomfortably close to a sword-wielding skeleton. (Photo copyright Adrian Smith. All rights reserved.)
Gilliam
was very clear at to why he was in attendance. “I’ve been a fan, like most
people, especially my generation I think, because we grew up with his monsters,
his creatures, his Greek mythology even. What I love about him is his handiwork.
It’s not digital, with teams of people doing it. It’s Ray giving life to these
things. That’s why I think this stuff works. It’s a performance. There’s
something about that kind of handiwork that I just find extraordinary. It’s not
real, and it seems to trigger off all sorts of childhood fantasies. You see
something that’s clearly not real, but totally believable at the same time. We
know that stuff is clay and rubber and stuff, and suddenly it’s given life.
It’s magic!†So with all that said, will Gilliam be using stop motion in his
next project, the much-anticipated The
Man Who Killed Don Quixote? “No, I’m using computers! I need things done
quickly and cheaply!â€
After
Ray had cut the ribbon in front of a wall of cameras we went into the
exhibition itself. The first thing you see is a recreation of King Kong atop
the Empire State Building. Although Ray Harryhausen is the main focus of this
exhibition, he was keen to ensure that it presented a history of the animation
art form as well. After all he has recently co-written a hugely informative
book on the subject, A Century of Model
Animation. Ray happily posed for photos, alongside his wife Diana and
daughter Vanessa. At one point a spontaneous singalong of Happy Birthday broke
out.
Actress Bette White may be the only person with gray hair still getting acting assignments in Hollywood. At age 88, the last remaining star of The Golden Girls is arguably at the peak of her career, riding a new wave of popularity that has endeared her to young audiences. Now producer Jerry Weintraub is trying to interest Warner Brothers in having her play the title role in a remake of the 1977 George Burns hit Oh, God! For more click here