The Loquacious Limey » actor

Jason Bateman shows inflated ego at iPhone event

thelimey — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:40:31 +0000

[The Limey] – Fans of Apple’s curious form of overpriced bling are often blessed with a calm outward demeanor, but Jason Bateman made more than 2,000 of them implacable enemies yesterday when he cut in line for the new iPhone 4G.

The former “Arrested Development” star was waiting in line outside Apple’s store at the Grove shopping mall in West Hollywood yesterday, eager to secure the new phone on the day it came out.

Then a store clerk appeared, plucked 41-year old Jason out of the throng and escorted him straight into the store.

“Everyone literally started booing and hissing,” one Apple fanboy told Us Weekly.

‘The crowd just freaked and booed, and he put his head down,’ another recalls.

Once kitted out with the latest technological crutch for a clearly malformed and unstable ego Jason then left the store, met by a chorus of more booing and cat-calls – without saying one single word to those he insulted.

The clearly misplaced admiration of his limited work by those standing in line had given this arrogant ingrate the rare privilege of both the free time and the money to buy the phone in the first place. And their respect is rewarded with inexcusable, self-serving behavior like this.

Also, photos on Us Magazine’s site, and other places, show Jason outside the store with a phone in his hand…Now, how do you suppose the Apple staff knew he was out there?

Does anyone know an app Jason could download that would let him say ‘Sorry, I’m an arrogant a-hole!” to 2,000+ people at once?

Photo: Luke Ford

Text © 2009, The Loquacious Limey
All rights reserved.

Jason Bateman shows inflated ego at iPhone event

Betty White doubles SNL ratings, both new viewers amused

thelimey — Mon, 10 May 2010 05:53:44 +0000

[The Limey] – So, after what feels like six moths of endless, relentless and immeasurably pointless hype and self-serving marketing, the great Betty White / SNL spectacular is finally done.

Now we can suppose NBC will spend the next six months telling us how smart, funny and bitingly relevant the show still is – which is a lie – and how those who don’t watch it clearly need help. But let’s get one thing clear up-front:

If an 88-year old can give teen-focused SNL its best ratings in two years, that only proves what a tired, humorless, self-absorbed corpse the show has become.

For me, it’s a fail. I’m just glad this incessant and patronizing NBC-driven PR stunt is over.

Text © 2009, The Loquacious Limey
All rights reserved.

Betty White doubles SNL ratings, both new viewers amused

Hollywood needs a new blacklist

thelimey — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:59:10 +0000

[The Limey] – People, we need a blacklist. A list of all the brainless, worthless, attention-seeking egocentrics who are currently suffering from the groundless delusion they’re famous.

I’m talking about the seemingly unending swathe of mediocre performers who are so irreparably inept, yet driven by ego they engage in one risible, lamentable and inexcusable publicity stunt after another to achieve notoriety and unwarranted wealth by exploiting and insulting the very people they should regard as the single most important life-forms on this planet – the few blameless souls who even know they’re alive: Their fans.

We need a list which, once one of these dim-bulbs is rightfully placed on it, renders them effectively invisible to all modern media. No interviews, no gossip, no exposure at all – no matter what slick yet desperate stunt they might try to provoke it.

After a short time of such treatment it’s my belief those who face this position will either develop some definable talent – at last – or quit ’showbiz’ altogether and seek out a job they can actually do; Thus freeing both the media’s time and the public’s attention to focus on those comparatively rare beings who possess both a talent and the willingness to work and thereby deserve the reward.

I’ll start the list:–

Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Tila Tequila, Heidi Montag [and her hamster-haired cohort,] Madonna, Jon Gosselin and Jennifer Aniston.

If you can think of others – and there are dozens – add them as comments and let’s get that list made, then we’ll all get some peace…

Photo by Viv

Text © 2009, The Loquacious Limey
All rights reserved.

Hollywood needs a new blacklist

Joaquin Phoenix stars in brutal PETA fur ad

thelimey — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:36:44 +0000

[The Limey] – When Joaquin Phoenix stepped out of the limelight in 2008 the world lost a fine actor. Now back, and with a movie in which he’ll play Edgar Allen Poe already in development Joaquin has made a new film for PETA – and the story is brutally true.

The 35-year Puerto Rico-born actor has already made one PSA in support of suicide prevention, but this time he stars in a video supporting PETA’s campaign to end the sickening and barbaric practice of using animals for fashion.

“Exotic animals are mostly unknown to us,” he says in the video. “And so is what they suffer before being turned into belts and bags. You can help stop the suffering. Anything you have that is made from animal skins can be made without,” the message goes on.

The video cuts between scenes of Joaquin talking and clips that show just a few of the ways in which snakes, alligators and other reptiles are bludgeoned to death and even prematurely skinned to be turned into shoes, boots, handbags, jackets and belts – all to feed the vanity of those who have neither their beauty, nor the IQ to care.

I have not eaten meat or worn leather in more than two decades, and the brutal and brainless abuse and its motives that are undoubtedly displayed in this film – which I would never watch – are one reason why.

For the ghoulishly curious who have not recently eaten, you can watch the PSA here. But PETA don’t pull their punches so don’t say you weren’t warned…

Source

Text © 2009, The Loquacious Limey
All rights reserved.

Joaquin Phoenix stars in brutal PETA fur ad

Spencer Pratt is the victim, Producer should quit

thelimey — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:15:21 +0000

[The Limey] – I’m not the man’s biggest fan and I’ve never seen the show, but the way Spencer Pratt disappeared from MTV”s tiresome ‘reality’ slapstick ‘The Hills’ is too much to stand.

The story, first floated by People said the 26-year old actor was leaving because he’d found “a new passion and new purpose to my life,” when President Obama announced that online security was at serious risk, and Spencer explained he would use his superior intelligence to protect us mere mortals from harm.

But that’s not the real story.

THG says Spencer was actually benched for six weeks after he ‘flipped out’ on a female producer who asked him to do something stupid. [Exactly what is unclear.]

“I should kill you for even asking me to do that!” was his apparent reply.

And here comes the sick part – Instead of growing a spine and fighting her own battles, the ‘victim’ promptly filed an official complaint with MTV’s bosses and Spencer was given a choice – Quit for six weeks or be fired.

And he has to complete an ‘anger management’ course before they’ll allow his return.

As I said, I’m not his biggest fan by any means, but this man is being both victimized and portrayed as a psycho by an MTV flunkie who used both her sex and her superior place in the MTV food-chain to blame Spencer for something solely provoked by her own dumb behavior.

And not one of her female peers sees one thing wrong with that. Swap the genders and those same people would be having a fit.

I stand four-square behind Spencer. What he did was provoked and no more than words. He should be restored to the show with an on-air apology, and the cause of the problem should both face and accept the blame she deserves and lose her own job.

Yes, I know – Fat chance!…

Photo by Gamers

Text © 2009, The Loquacious Limey
All rights reserved.

Spencer Pratt is the victim, Producer should quit

Will and Grace co-star, Sean Hayes drops the last veil

thelimey — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:09:07 +0000

[The Limey] – In the final denouement of what may be Hollywood’s worst-kept secret since the personal life choices of the late Liberace, Will and Grace actor Sean Hayes has finally agreed that he’s gay.

When the now 39-year old actor first appeared on the screen in 1998 as Will’s constantly unemployed neighbor, Jack McFarland, speculation soon grew that no straight guy could play ‘gay’ so well. But Sean was then in public denial.

“When you see me play Jack, I want you to believe that’s a gay character. And when I play a straight character, I want you to believe that, too,” he explained to the press when the show ended its eight-year, 16-Emmy winning run in 2006.

But now, faced with an imminent Broadway debut opposite the sparkling Kristin Chenoweth in ‘Promises, Promises’ a 1968-vintage musical based on the Jack Lemmon film, ‘The Apartment’ Sean has finally decided he’s a gay Emmy winner, and proud of these facts.

“I feel I’ve contributed monumentally to the success of the gay movement in America, and if anyone wants to argue that, I’m open to it,” he rashly declares.

But Sean also tells Qweerty the years of suspicion and whispers really hurt;

“Why would you go down that path with somebody who’s done so much for the gay community?” he asks. “That’s the thing about celebrity – It sets you up to fail because the expectation is so high. What more do you want me to do? Stand on a float? Then what? It’s never enough!”

For me, all that’s really required is to drop the pretense and admit who you are. Especially when you then plan to claim ‘monumental’ contributions to the struggle endured by those you coldly denied as your peers for more than a decade.

This entire admission is entirely self-serving and too long overdue. I remain unimpressed…

Text © 2009, The Loquacious Limey
All rights reserved.

Will and Grace co-star, Sean Hayes drops the last veil

James Cameron’s Avatar deserved Oscar snub

thelimey — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:34:15 +0000

[The Limey] So the music has faded, the red carpet’s rolled up and the whole endless ego-fest is over for a year. Or at least, until James Cameron demands a recount.

But of all the clues to be gathered from this glitzy debacle, two stand out above all: Having an original story helps to win the gold man, while beating your audience over the head with disingenuous, self-serving hype demonstrably does not.

Both prior to and since its debut on December 18, Fox and James Cameron have engaged in a sickening, endless and often clandestine campaign of hype for their $237-million curio, desperately trying to maximize their box-office profits and win the gold man.

And they failed.

Only the art directors, the cinematographer and the geniuses at Wikka Digital with their TRS-80’s took home a prize. James and his tired, plodding and derivative story were rightfully left empty handed.

And the moral of this story is far clearer than the plot of that film; To be successful you need to actually be good at your job. Inept mediocrity inflated by hype does not make a star, or ensure true success.

Many ‘celebrities’ would do well to take notes.

Text © 2009, The Loquacious Limey
All rights reserved.

James Cameron’s Avatar deserved Oscar snub

Adrien Brody to lead Predator reboot

thelimey — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:55:15 +0000

In yet another unjustified reboot, Oscar winner Adrien Brody has now signed on for Fox’s latest horrendous mistake – the forthcoming remake of Predator.

The 36-year old New Yorker will now join Robert Rodriguez’ upcoming retread of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1987 jungle-based romp, which Rodriguez is now writing along with some friends.

‘That 70’s Show’s Topher Grace is also debating getting involved, and if the price gets worked out he’ll join Alice Braga, ‘The Shield’s Walt Goggins, Oleg Taktarov, the UFC star, and one of Rob’s favorite actors [and his second cousin,] Danny Trejo.

This time around – who knows how many more there will be?? – the story concerns a group of elite warriors who become unwilling prey to a swarm of alien trackers called Predators. Adrien is the leader, who has a strong rep as a hunter of men. Topher, meanwhile, plays a placid bean-counter, inside of whom lurks a serial killer. Braga – last seen in ‘I Am Legend’ – is a cold-hearted assassin, Goggins will play a radical type and Taktarov will be a Russian Special Ops expert.

And in what sounds like the most fun role of all, 64-year old Trejo will be a merciless warrior who roams the world with two loaded Uzis strapped on his back.

Shooting is penciled-in for Hawaii next month, with interiors, effects shots and green-screening booked to be done at Rodriguez’ ‘Troublemaker Studios’ in Texas. The finished movie is slated to bow on July 9th, 2010.

Photo by Mecredis

Text © 2009, The Loquacious Limey
All rights reserved.

Adrien Brody to lead Predator reboot

Emma Watson harassed at Harvard

thelimey — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:01:34 +0000

Although admired by millions as Harry Potter’s indulgent accomplice, Hermione Grainger, Emma Watson endured some truly infantile admiration at the hands of people who should have more sense.

The NY Post reports that the 19-year old actress and Brown University freshman was harassed and insulted during a visit to Harvard on Tuesday to attend a football game. She was even protected by minders in case the Ivy League types had plans to get close.

In a day-long display of maturity that could make even Sponge Bob look cultured, members of Harvard’s college magazine, ‘Harvard Voice’ uploaded a blog post before the big game, making it clear they intended to stalk and harass Emma for no other reason than they thought it was fun. “We will be Live-Tweetin’ the game and possibly stalking Emma Watson, so keep your eyes peeled for that!” it read.

There followed a barely literate snowstorm of tweets in which they recorded this puerile pursuit, “Let’s go, Hermione! Lolz!!” said one. A later tweet proved the offenders were now at the game, “In enemy territory. Lookin’ for a certain witch,”

The magazine also posted a photo of Emma on its web site and bragged that their infantile stalking was a total success.

In welcome proof that at least some of Harvard’s alumni had experienced puberty, this sordid campaign of adolescent annoyance drew some scathing reviews, “There is a locatable cause of Ms. Watson’s experience…and a blameworthy party,” said one. “Anybody can do anything unfeeling to anybody in this day and age, especially if they feel entitled by membership in Harvard College.” read another review.

The Voice eventually posted an Editor’s note on their photo of Emma, clearly intended to both diffuse the results and deflect all the blame, “There seems to be much ado about nothing over this photo and live-blog. Understand that these live tweets were intentionally outrageous and overblown,” it explained.

You’ll notice they left out ‘childish,’ ’small-minded,’ ‘intellectually vacant,’ ‘moronic’ and least of all ‘dumb’!

Not surprisingly, the self-absorbed simpletons who publish ‘The Voice’ have refused any comment. Emma’s own university, Brown, is also declining to talk, and her reps clearly have orders to stay silent as well.

The poor girl’s trip was not even worth it – Brown lost to Harvard, 24-21.

Photo by Ursulakm

Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman stop the show

thelimey — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:08:08 +0000

While tickets to the show are hotter than the banquet of neon which surrounds their own theater, it seems Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman are still attracting the usual dim-bulbs.

The BBC reports the two actors stopped a Broadway preview of the Keith Huff drama, ‘A Steady Rain’ in the midst of a scene because one audience member did not bother to silence their cellphone, and the ringing was audible right through the house.

Secretly-filmed footage, seen here, shows Hugh telling the offender to answer the call and thus give them some peace. “We can wait,” he assures them. “Don’t be embarrassed – just grab it.”

In the play, Australia-born Jackman [who'll be 41 on October 12,] and his co-star, Daniel Craig, 40, play childhood friends who grow up to be Chicago policemen and suffer traumatic life changes after a sequence of awful events.

And the two actors are by no means the first to endure such self-absorbed ignorance; Harry Potter star, Richard Griffiths made headlines in Britain in 2004 when he had an audience member literally thrown out of the National Theatre after their phone repeatedly interrupted Griffiths’ performance in ‘The History Boys.’

Luckily for the perpetrator of this unthinking insult, both Craig and Jackman remained entirely in character during the interruption, and the play continued once silence returned.

The show officially opens this week and runs at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on West 45th street until December 6th.

Henry Gibson succumbs to Cancer at 73

thelimey — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:56:34 +0000

Henry Gibson, whose diverse portrayals of the full spectrum of life from Nazis to poets delighted and endeared him to three generations, has died at his home in Malibu after a brief battle with cancer. He was 73.

Born James Bateman, on September 21, 1935 in Germantown, Pennsylvnia, Henry took his stage name from the Norwegian poet, Henrik Ibsen, because, as he once explained to a fan, “if you say his name with a Southern accent it sounds like Henry Gibson”

Like most of those born to act, Henry was a child prodigy, first taking the stage at the age of just six. As his career progressed, his natural talent soon got him noticed and he landed a small part in Paramount’s 1963 classic, ‘The Nutty Professor’ with the great Jerry Lewis.

Three years later fame truly arrived – Henry was cast as a rather hip poet in NBC’s ground-breaking sketch show, “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In.” Each week he’d appear all alone, holding a book and a flower, and recite short, satirical poems – which he also wrote – that often had strongly political themes.

In 1975, Henry debuted the role that secured both his fame, and his first ‘Golden Globe’ nomination; He played the insincere country singer, Haven Hamilton, in Robert Altman’s music-themed movie, ‘Nashville.’

Five years later, the 5′3” acting maven gained a far wider, almost cult-inspired audience when he appeared as an unbalanced Nazi chasing two soul-singing deadbeats across the US, in the John Landis’-helmed classic ‘The Blues Brothers.’ If you’ve not yet seen it, you must!

Henry’s most recent appearance was as ‘Judge Clark Brown’ in over a dozen episodes of ABC’s ‘Boston Legal,’ plus an extended spell as the voice of Bob Jenkins in Mike Judge’s ‘King of the Hill.’

Throughout a varied career, covering more than 40 years and 130 separate appearances on both TV and in movies, Henry was supported by the love of his life, Lois Geiger, who herself died of cancer in 2007. They had three sons, Jon, Charles and James, who are all now successful in the field of production, so Henry’s passion and legacy are sure to live on.

A memorial service is pending. Donations can be made in his name to the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, and to ‘Friends of the Malibu Public Library.’

Partial Source: LA Times

Patrick Swayze, 1952-2009

thelimey — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:30:16 +0000

Good-night, God’s speed and thank you.