ReelHeART Blogs

By Shannonn Kelly

Heath Ledger’s hauting portrayal of “The Joker” in the new summer blockbuster has every one talking.

“Heath was an incredible actor and he brought a very, very scary Joker to life. Heath shocked us as the Joker and his death shocked all of us.”, says actor Christian Bale who reprises his role as Batman in the The Dark Knight being released in July 2008.

Sadly, Ledger was discovered dead in his New York apartment on January 22 after an accidental overdose of where numerous drugs in his system.

The Dark Knight is the last feature film he completed before his death. He was filming Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus days before he died but wasn’t able to finish the film.

During filming, Ledger said the darkness of the role had troubled him. “He’s just out of control - no empathy, he’s a sociopath, a psychotic, mass-murdering clown,” said Ledger in his interview with New York Times writer Sarah Lyall

“Jack (Nicholson) was like a really scary old, nasty uncle with a funny face. Heath’s like the most murderous psychopath you’ve ever seen on the screen.” says Michael Caine who also stars in the film along with Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman and Bale who reprises his turn as Batman.

Chilling promotional images of Ledger portraying the Joker from the upcoming The Dark Knight, have been released - nearly three months after the Perth-born actor was found dead in New York.

In one scene, Ledger is dressed in a white nurse’s uniform, wielding a gun and wearing a surgical mask. In another, his face painted with the Joker’s trademark evil grin in red, he points a gun directly at the camera.

These are just two of the many images film company Warner Brothers Releasing is using to promote The Dark Knight, to be released in Australia, Heath’s home soil on July 17, 2008

From the movie’s promotional material to the trailer, Ledger appears to be the main attraction, with Christian Bale, who plays Batman, taking a back seat. One poster for The Dark Knight features Ledger as the Joker, creepily peering through a frosted window with the catchphrase: “Why so serious?” written in blood.

To view the trailer for the upcoming The Dark Knight click here

written by RHIFF \\ tags: Actor, Heath Ledger, Joker, Shannonn Kelly, The Dark Knight

By Shannonn Kelly

Diagnosed with a neurological disorder with symptoms resembling Alzheimer’s disease, Charlton Heston died Saturday in his home in Beverly Hills, CA with his wife of 64 years, Lydia, by his side. Heston is also survived by a daughter, a son and three grandchildren.

At 6 foot 3 inches tall, Heston was large in life as well as on screen playing heros both fictional and historical on the big screen. “I’ve played cardinals and cowboys, kings and quarterbacks, presidents and painters, cops and con men,” Heston once said.

He played the lead in “El Cid” 1961 and starred as Michelangelo in “The Agony and the Ecstasy” (1965), Moses in the blockbuster 1956 film “The Ten Commandments”, and Roman chariot-racing epic “Ben Hur.”

Heston even had a cult following for his turns in memorable roles as a marooned astronaut in 1968 science-fiction film “Planet of the Apes” and a detective in another futuristic cult classic, 1973’s “Soylent Green”.

Even Heston couldn’t escape Michael Moore’s scrutiny when Moore ambushed Heston in his home for an interview in “Bowling for Columbine” on the topic of guns, showing Heston pictures of children killed by guns. Heston was often in the spotlight for his outspoken political views and his support and leadership of the National Rifle Association (NRA).

He achieved notoriety in 2000 when declaring at an NRA convention that his guns would have to be pried away “from my cold, dead hands.”…

written by RHIFF \\ tags: Actor, Blog, Charlton Heston, death, ReelHeART, Shannonn Kelly

By Shannonn Kelly

As I watched last evenings Academy Awards, I became increasingly anxious realizing that there were going to be some pretty wet eyes in the Kodak Theater when they flashed this year’s departed film industry professionals.

From set designers, to agents, to directors to actresses and actors, I watched as everyone did, while the names and images of people flickered by from film industry lobbyist Jack Valenti, to Hollywood musical staple Betty Hutton, to cinematographer Lazlo Kovacs (Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, to smoky voiced Suzanne Pleshette (The Bob Newhart Show, The Birds). Continue reading »

written by RHIFF

By Shannonn Kelly

Ashley Pearson, a writer for the Daily Mail UK has built a great article on what Hollywood stars (mostly female) go through before appearing on the Academy Awards red carpet.

Tomorrow morning, the conversations will be about the Oscars, the wins, the wardrobe and the glamour. Beneath the glamour, writes Pearson, is where things really get interesting. Continue reading »

written by RHIFF

By Shannonn Kelly

As a big Jon Stewart fan, we here at ReelHeART, really enjoyed Stewart’s performance as emcee of the 2006 Academy Awards. Of course our favorite parts of that evening besides some great wins were Stewart’s jokes.

To prep you for his upcoming Oscar appearance, next Sunday February 24, 2008, here are a few choice bits from 2006-

Continue reading »

written by RHIFF

by Shannonn Kelly

Writers Guild of America members voted 93 percent in favor of ending the walkout that began 14 weeks ago, Patric Verrone, president of the union’s western unit, said Tuesday night at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, California. Continue reading »

written by RHIFF

by Shannonn Kelly

As the Writers Guild of America has moved to end its three-month-old strike, Hollywood writers could be back behind their desks as early as Wednesday. Patric Verrone, president of the guild’s West Coast branch said membership meetings will be held Tuesday in New York and Los Angeles.

Since Sunday WGA membership maintained that there will be no picketing Monday or Tuesday, suspending all picketing until the WGA membership votes to either end or continue the strike. There will be lots of news this week about shows, deals and more. Click on the links below for more articles about the effects and chatter on the 3-month long Writers Guild of America strike.

• Read the Cynthia Littleton article on how it breaks down the WGA deal, analyzing things like “imputed value” and revenue formulas. For WGA voters - and SAG-AFTRA members - only
• WGA settlement will make an actors strike less likely
• Read the Brian Stelter article about Union leaders give up demands on animation and reality television
• Read about which shows might come back and which ones might not

written by RHIFF

by Shannonn Kelly

Too late for the Grammy’s but just in time for the Academy Awards, the WGA Writers Strike may end today.

According to Ireland On Line (IOL), a deal has been reached between the major media companies and the Writer’s Guild of America - whose members have been staging walkouts since November 2007 in an ongoing dispute over royalties. Continue reading »

written by RHIFF

by Shannonn Kelly

It was confirmed Wednesday February 8, 2008 that the actor Heath Ledger died accidentally “from the abuse of prescription medications” — specifically, six kinds of painkillers, sleeping pills and anti-anxiety drugs — a spokeswoman for the New York City medical examiner’s office said.

Ledger was found dead in his rented SoHo district New York apartment on January 22, 2008, when a registered massage therapist tried wake him for an appointment. Continue reading »

written by RHIFF

by Shannonn Kelly
Its been confirmed that the death of Brad Renfro was caused by accidental “acute heroin/morphine intoxication” According to a spokesperson for Los Angeles County Coroner’s office. Renfro had injected himself with the lethal dose hours before he was found dead in his home on January 15, 2008.
Friends who came to visit him in his Los Angeles home found Renfro dead. They may have been the same friends partying hard with Renfro from the night before, but nothing has been confirmed. Continue reading »

written by RHIFF