Tag: hollywood

Mel Gibson Called Jews Oven Dodgers — Winona Ryder Says So

Can someone please explain how Mel Gibson got away with his career for as long as he did?  I know that Hollywood continues to employ assholes — talent or not — but anti-Semites?  According to Winona Ryder, she ran into him at a Hollywood party with her gay friend, and Gibson not only made a gay joke, but when he found out she was Jewish, he called Jews “oven dodgers.”  Enough said.

Will Howard Stern Re-Sign With Sirius? — All Signs Point to Yes

Here’s what I know about deal-making in Hollywood. It’s often a mess, and it takes a lot of time. This is especially true when the talent is difficult, and Howard Stern fits the bill. He’s a notorious curmudgeon, and he’s been very open about his lengthy contract negotiations with Sirius. So what’s the holdup, and will the deal fall apart? I say no, and here’s why. First, I’ve been a Howard Stern fan since my father used to play him in his car when I was a teenager — and if there’s anything I’ve learned about Stern — it’s that he’s a raging egomaniac who wouldn’t leave Sirius without an elaborate party involving news crews and a megaphone. No such party is planned, because he’s still knee deep in contract negotiations in hopes of re-signing. I imagine that there are three major sticking points and both sides are holding firm. I doubt it’s money related. Stern probably wants more vacation days and less hours on air. Sirius knows that it would defeat his morning radio brand, and that Sirius subscribers are already pissed enough about his insane vacation schedule. So who will give, and when will we know? I predict Sirius will fold in a couple of days, and Stern will sign. Why? Because if Stern doesn’t re-sign prior to his last day on the air, Sirius loses the insane amount of promotion they stand to gain with the announcement. If I’m right about this, I’d like my readers to give me an electronic pat on the back. Get ready.

UPDATE: Howard Stern is rumored to be making a three year, $600 million deal with Apple’s iTunes.  Stern refused to put the rumors completely to rest, cryptically saying that he is intentionally keeping tight-lipped about his negotiations.  I still think he’ll stick with Sirius, but if he’s actually being offered this insane amount of money (which I don’t think he is), you can be sure he’ll accept.  Who the fu*k turns down $600 million?

Vintage Movie Clip: A Streetcar Named Desire — “Hey, Stella!”

I watched A Streetcar Named Desire during a Screen on the Green in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park.  When Marlon Brando yelled, “Stella,” the entire audience erupted in applause, including people in surrounding houses that heard the line through their windows.  I had obviously heard the famous line uttered in the past, but when I saw the movie for the first time, I’m not sure I entirely understood why it became so famous.  Perhaps it’s the quality of the movie as a whole, coupled by Brando’s dreamy six-pack?  Or maybe when a man screams out a woman’s name, an audience remembers it?  That theory would certainly explain the historical prowess of “Adrian!”  Elia Kazan directed the film, and Vivien Leigh played Brando’s wife.  Kazan also directed the original Broadway show, and all of the cast members except Leigh starred in the Broadway show.  The interesting thing about the film is that Tennessee Williams’ original play left the ending ambiguous as to whether Stella and Stanley stayed together, but the movie ending made it clear that she left him.  In Tennessee’s memoirs, he said the movie was “marvelous,” but only “slightly marred by a Hollywood ending.”