When he wasn’t rooting out Communists, cracking down on the mob and spying on civil rights leaders, FBI head J. Edgar Hoover toiled as a one-man culture warrior battling Hollywood decadence. He prevented Charlie Chaplin from reentering the U.S. because of his leftist political views, and he condemned Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life for its “rather obvious attempt to discredit bankers.” So what did he have to say about Alfred Hitchcock, who gave American moviegoers new and strange things to fear? Not a bad word.
The only questions anyone’s asking about Hitchcock these days are just how much and what kind of a creeper was he? The famed director’s wandering eye, his sexual obsessions, and less-than-decorous urges roil at the center of Hitchcock, the just-released biopic starring Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren, as well as last month’s The Girl, the HBO film with Toby Jones and Naomi Watts.
As The Birds actress Tippi Hedren claimed earlier this fall, the Master of Suspense could be masterfully cruel and unforgiving. But as far as his popular image as an artiste-provocateur goes, there’s probably more than a little self-mythologizing — or branding, if you’d prefer — in that ironic Englishman persona, the casually sadistic remarks about actors, the pretensions to finding truth in nightmares.
It’s that last detail that fuels Hitchcock, a tempting portrait of “Hitch” as a crowd-pleasing, truth-telling anti-hero — not unlike Howard Stern and Larry Flynt in their respective biopics — who shows moviegoers the dark things they didn’t know they wanted to see. But was his threat to the American psyche all smoke and mirrors? That’s certainly what Hitchcock’s FBI file, obtained via MuckRock.com, suggests.
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J. Edgar is undoubtedly one of the flashiest Oscar contenders this year. With Clint Eastwood’s direction, Dustin Lance Black’s script, and the well-pancaked melodrama of Leonardo DiCaprio, Judi Dench and Armie Hammer, we’re dealing with a formidable award-attractant group. But was the film’s quality worthy of opening AFI Fest this year? Movieline saw J. Edgar last night — along with a bunch of other critics, bloggers and assorted plebes — and we’re not quite sure. Here are the first 140-character reactions to the movie. (We threw in some comedian takes for the hell of it.)
Nightline’s Terry Moran starts us off with good cheer.
@TerryMoran
Terry Moran In L.A. to interview Eastwood and DiCaprio about their new movie, “J. Edgar.” A great film about a repellent man.
Nov 04 via Osfoora HDFavoriteRetweetReply
Screening attendee “Jingle Belle” is a little more damning (and realistic cough).
Julian Sharpe summed up what will almost assuredly be the moviegoing audience’s response to the film.
Neal Brennan probably hasn’t seen the movie, but he explains everything you need to know about Hoover’s makeup.
@nealbrennan
Neal Brennan I’d like to congratulate Tony Clifton’s make-up people for their work in “J.
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Kendall Jenner is already a 15-year-old bikini model. Yup, Pimp Mama Kris’ fame whore plan for her is right on track – The Superficial
Leonardo DiCaprio’s pockmarked forehead on the J. Edgar Hoover poster looks like ass. Specifically, Cameron Diaz’s pizza ass – Lainey Gossip
Finally, some real natural talent around these parts – (site NSFW) Drunken Stepfather
JoJo was probably too young to be a MySpace picture slut so I guess she’s making up for lost time – Hollywood Tuna
Elisabetta Canalis is wet humping on some Eggs – Celebitchy
The Anthony Weiner gay porn parody we’ve all been waiting to fap to – Towleroad
GET ME THIS!!!! – The Daily What
Ashley Greene wears a Canadian swimsuit cover on Women’s Health – Popoholic
Johnny Depp will fill his pockets full of more “silly money” to play Dr. Seuss – Just Jared
Brit Brit leaks – ICYDK
Penelope Cruz is obviously playing my cousin circa 1987 in that new Woody Allen movie – Popsugar
It’s Emma Watson with a peen! – The Berry
Dog wash watch – Cityrag
Lady CaCa’s interpretation of Teresa Giudice’s hairline – Moe Jackson
Sad Keanu almost died (not really) – Hollywood Rag
Michelle Pfeiffer on plastic faces – I’m Not Obsessed
“Fetch me a sandwich, robot!” will soon be the new “Fetch me a sandwich, woman!” – Videogum
Presenting Princess Bitchatrice – OMG Blog
Justin Theroux is a selfish umbrella hog! But he’s wearing a $12,000 hat made of panda fur that he bought with Jennifer Aniston’s AMEX so I totally understand – Lainey Gossip
Because you’ve been telling yourself all day, “What I really need is a photo series of Chaz Bono’s nipples” – The Superficial
“And I wish my wife was an asshole attached hot a piece of man,” Hugh Jackman went on to say – The Berry
Do ask, do tell, do try not to melt into a puddle over this coming out video – Towleroad
Leonardo DiCaprio in the trailer for J. Edgar Hoover (working title: PLEASE GIVE ME AN OSCAH ALREADY) – Just Jared
Anna Paquin can do half of a chin-up while I can do zero percent of a chin-up! – Hollywood Tuna
Russell Armstrong’s lawyer called Taylor Lipstrong a STUNT QUEEN for allegedly faking her abuse pictures – Celebitchy
73-year-old Jane Fonda’s got the ass of a 2-week-old fetus AT LEAST – (site NSFW) Drunken Stepfather
Brad Pitt leaves Angie Jo at home for the Oakland premiere of Moneyball – Popsugar
Dear Anna Faris, The House Bunny finished shooting a long ass time ago. You can get out of your costume now! – Popoholic
It’s all fun
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“We must never forget our history,” Leonardo DiCaprio warns in the brand new trailer for J. Edgar. Conveniently, this narrative demand means that you should probably see the very biographical drama from director Clint Eastwood that this trailer advertises. Take a look at DiCaprio as FBI director J. Edgar Hoover below in the film’s first trailer.
To see the trailer in high definition, head on over to Apple. Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar will follow the career of J. Edgar Hoover from the Palmer Raids onwards. The Warner Bros. picture also stars Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts and Judi Dench and is scheduled to arrive in U.S. theaters on November 9.
[Apple]
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Brit Brit humped on the back of Pauly D’s neck last night and I bet it sounded like a rubber spatula slapping against a puddle of grease. One of them definitely got a yeast infection – Just Jared
Bradley Cooper has headband hair – Lainey Gossip
Donatella Versace should put a hex on who ever chewed on her bangs – The Superficial
The preview for Rise of the Planet of the Cats – OMG Blog
Those aren’t Lindsay Lohan’s nipples, those are quartz rocks – (site NSFW) Drunken Stepfather
Brooke Burke’s Beach Bikini Butt (I would’ve added the word ” ottom” in there ut my keyboard ran out of rhymes with ees) – Hollywood Tuna
Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover looks like Leonardo DiCaprio – Towleroad
The MTV VMAs has yet to pay homage to the greatness that is Sweet Sensation, but they’re paying tribute to Brit Brit? Those morons need to learn their history! – Popsugar
RiRi’s weaves must be made of red panda – The Berry
MiserAlba’s case of the babies is stretching into its 99th month now – Popoholic
Rose McGowan was raised by drag queens after escaping her cult family. There’s a Tyler Perry movie in there somewhere…. – ICYDK
Nasty skank whore cheated
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Oh, great. Just when we thought Armie Hammer’s kiss with Leonardo DiCaprio in Clint Eastwood’s upcoming J. Edgar Hoover biopic was going to be explosive, Eastwood himself is confirming that he’s leaving the first FBI director’s sexual orientation “open to interpretation.” I know a certain TV personality who might have damning evidence to the contrary.
Eastwood says that the rumored affair/relationship between Hoover and his Associate FBI director Clyde Tolson isn’t exactly a sure bet: “Some people might say [they] were just inseparable pals. Or maybe it’s a love story without being gay, I don’t know. But it’s very interesting, the way [Dustin] Lance [Black] laid out the script. It was nicely written. It didn’t go to the obvious.”
First of all, Tim Gunn told us that during his childhood, he’s pretty sure he talked to J. Edgar Hoover while he was dressed up as Vivian Vance. That doesn’t make J. Edgar Hoover gay, but that does mean he, y’know, dresses up as Vivian Vance. Makes you think J. Edgar Hoover had firm answers about his own sexual orientation, and none of the ambiguity that Eastwood describes. Plus, J. Edgar Hoover was a real person, not a literary character. Can we stop pretending there’s anything to “interpret” about whether he preferred to sleep with men?
Mind you, there’ve been plenty of biopics featuring main characters whose sexual preferences remain nebulous: For instance, in 1977’s Julia, Jane Fonda, as playwright Lillian Hellman, attacks a restaurant patron who questions her relationship with the titular activist. The difference between the ambiguity in that movie and in the ambiguity in J. Edgar is how that gray area relates to the public perception of the…
Full Story »· As part of the new Current series 50 Documentaries to See Before You Die, Morgan Spurlock cozied up to the controversial Thierry Guetta, Mr. Brainwash from Exit Through the Gift Shop, the man who may or not be an actual Banksy product. So! Does Mr. Brainwash still hear from the man who made him famous? Click through to watch a behind-the-scenes video, then stick around for more Buzz Break.
[via Current]
· Disney has acquired the film rights for The Finest Hours, a best-selling true-life book about a daring Coast Guard rescue off the coast of Cape Cod in 1952. Like, The Perfect Storm, but with a happier ending. [Deadline]
· If you didn’t get enough of Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover earlier this morning, EW.com has more images from the Clint Eastwood film for you to peruse. [EW]
· Footage from the 3D release of Titanic has screened in England, and it sounds… deep. “Opening on the crowd scene in the docks as the ship is boarding, the most noticeable thing about the footage is how much detail there is. When a film is converted to 3D, objects are rotoscoped and separated out onto layers. Ordinarily there are only a few layers in a shot, but with Titanic, it would seem that stereographers, Digital Domain have put every single object onto a separate plane. The effect is astonishing – and completely justifies a 3D version of the film.” [Coming Soon]
· Scream 4 star Nico Tortorella is in talks to join Guy Pearce, Amy Ryan and Felicity Jones in Like Crazy director Drake Doremus’s untitled follow-up. [Variety]
Full Story »There have been so many unofficial images of Leonardo DiCaprio in J. Edgar floating around the Internet that you’d think it he was starring in The Dark Knight Rises. As such, this is a momentous occasion: the first official photo of DiCaprio in the Clint Eastwood-directed biopic of J. Edgar Hoover has shown up online, and… well, it looks a lot like all the spy pics. Click through for a new (old) look.
Furrow that brow, Leo! J. Edgar will bypass the Toronto International Film Festival and New York Film Festival, but expect it to be a major Oscar player upon its release on Nov. 9.
[via EW]
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The L.A. Film Festival’s “Coffee Talk” series — where film professionals in the same occupation gather to discuss the job and upcoming projects — enjoyed one of its most noteworthy moments of the season on Sunday with its “Screenwriters” meetup: Dustin Lance Black (of Oscar-winning Milk fame) and Diablo Cody (of Oscar-winning Juno and Movieline fame) spoke most, while Christopher Marcus and Stephen McFeely (The Chronicles of Narnia, Captain America) and Josh Olson (A History of Violence) also fielded questions, offered insights, and even deigned to make us laugh.
Most of the buzziest returns came courtesy of Black, whose Leonardo DiCaprio-starring, Clint Eastwood-directed biopic of J. Edgar Hoover comes out this winter, and Cody — who said her new movie Young Adult is a less “congenial” turn for director Jason Reitman.
Dustin Lance Black agrees that his last film wasn’t good, so he’s revising it
Black’s What’s Wrong with Virginia debuted at TIFF last year to poor reviews. He concurred: “I directed a film last year and took it to the Toronto Film Festival and it got murdered. And they were right, it was pretty bad. So I opened up the edit and got a new editor and went back to script and finishing that film. Doing color correction on that tomorrow.” The harsh feedback became a necessary turning point for the film. “It took a month or two of me going, ‘I can sell it, it’ll be in theaters for a week, then it’ll go to video, and it’ll never quite be what it should’ve been — or I thought, I can listen to what just happened… and revive it.”
Diablo Cody’s dream writing project is a biopic of Brian Wilson
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