celebrity movie archive
celebrity movie archive |
| Steven Spielberg vs. Netflix - The Atlantic Posted: 11 Mar 2019 09:13 AM PDT  At 72 years old, Steven Spielberg has made movies for several decades and has an estimated net worth of $3.7 billion. He might be one of Hollywood's most beloved directors, but it's not too difficult for the industry's newer generation to view him as someone who might be a little out of touch with the ordinary movie consumer's experience. So when the Oscar-winning filmmaker first publicly aired complaints about Netflix's release strategy last March—contending that films debuting on the streaming service concurrent with a very limited theatrical release shouldn't be eligible for Oscars—he was mostly ignored or dismissed. In the year that followed, Netflix began a drawn-out, still-unresolved battle with the Cannes Film Festival over the eligibility of its movies. The company then spent an unprecedented amount of money on an awards campaign for Roma that netted the film three Oscars (though it missed on Best Picture). After that show of force, Spielberg has responded in kind; he is preparing to petition the Academy to ban Netflix movies from Oscar contention unless they have an exclusive theatrical "window" of four weeks. It's a bid that, judging by comments from many Oscar voters, probably won't attract the necessary support (the next Academy meeting, where such an issue could be raised, is in April). But Spielberg's demand shouldn't be written off as being hostile to change, though many people in the industry are suggesting exactly that. It's more of a last-ditch effort at compromise with a company that's rapidly changing the way people think of cinema. Currently, Oscar rules demand that a film have a one-week theatrical engagement in Los Angeles during the calendar year to be eligible for awards. That's more than enough for Netflix, which usually releases its movies simultaneously online and in a few indie theaters to qualify. Major theater chains refuse to screen Netflix movies because of that "day-and-date" strategy; the agreed-upon window of exclusivity for multiplexes is 90 days, after which films can be made available online. Last year, Netflix showed some willingness to budge from its hard-and-fast rule that movies be made available to subscribers instantaneously. Roma was exclusively in theaters for three weeks before dropping on Netflix, while The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Bird Box also received limited, exclusive runs in cinemas. Those moves were partly a concession to Oscar voters, and partly an acknowledgment that Roma (which is designed to be projected with sophisticated Dolby Atmos speakers) offered a unique in-theater experience that some film fans might seek out. It was also an indication to major directors who might want to work with Netflix that the company was not opposed to cinemas. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix has been planning similar theater runs for its big 2019 awards contenders, which include Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, Steven Soderbergh's The Laundromat, David Michôd's The King, Dee Rees's The Last Thing He Wanted, Noah Baumbach's as-yet-untitled new film, and Fernando Meirelles's The Pope. Those planned (short) theatrical runs are apparently not enough for Spielberg. Last year, when promoting his film Ready Player One, he mused that Netflix movies should be treated as TV releases and be eligible for Emmys instead of Oscars. "I don't believe that films that are just given token qualifications in a couple of theaters for less than a week should qualify for the Academy Award nomination," the director said. As an Academy governor from the director's branch, Spielberg is using his celebrity and clout to speak for a group of members who are alarmed that the theatrical experience will soon go extinct. "I'm a firm believer that movie theaters need to be around forever," he said in an awards speech a week before the 2019 Oscars. Read: Steven Spielberg's Netflix fears Among Netflix's disruptive qualities is its lack of transparency—even when its films play in theaters, their box-office totals aren't reported, because the company rents, or "four-walls," the screen from the cinema and pockets whatever ticket sales it gets. In general, box-office totals are independently reported and evaluated. Netflix's audience numbers are a proprietary secret, and the company only announces very limited viewership data for its biggest hits. Though Hollywood's obsession with box office can be one-dimensional, the evidence of a high-grossing hit is a crucial metric for movie studios. A film like Black Panther grossing $700 million domestically, for instance, can help sway producers into backing more diverse projects in the future. The biggest fear for directors like Spielberg, though, is that Netflix's current torrent of content will prove unsustainable—no major studio pumps out movies at that pace and quantity—and that whatever changes it forces on the industry will be difficult to undo. As the at-home, online viewing experience becomes more of a cultural norm, paying to go to a theater could become a boutique experience, which is anathema to many generations who were raised on cinema. By leveraging the Oscars' rules, Spielberg is taking advantage of something he knows Netflix cares about (given its massive "for your consideration" marketing budgets during awards season) and trying to propose the trade-off of a 28-day theatrical window. The idea will likely fail. Netflix responded vociferously to the reports, saying in a statement, "We love cinema. Here are some things we also love: Access for people who can't always afford, or live in towns without, theaters. Letting everyone, everywhere enjoy releases at the same time. Giving filmmakers more ways to share art. These things are not mutually exclusive." Industry soundings on Spielberg's proposal have been widely negative, with some Academy members saying that when it comes to streaming, the "ship has sailed." Netflix works with a lot of high-profile filmmakers (some of whom, like Ava DuVernay, tweeted in support of the company). It also makes a lot of the mid-budget movies that major studios largely ignore these days—a budget range that's essential for voting bodies like the Academy because it produces the kinds of prestige dramas that tend to win awards. The argument that Netflix caters to people who lack access to theaters is a little simplistic. With a 28-day window, everyone in the U.S. would still be able to see the same movies within weeks, theater or not; Roma's three-week cinema exclusivity hardly caused a stir last December. Plus, Netflix is a private company, not a public utility. It's a business that provides a service specifically to subscribers who have high-speed internet and who can afford a monthly subscription—not "everyone, everywhere." Still, the company's cultural reach can't be overstated, and while its archival cinematic offerings are extremely thin, its library is filled with worthwhile projects from the past few years and is only expanding as the months go on. For all those reasons, Spielberg's plan will probably not get the required votes to change Academy rules this year. The real junction point for Netflix will come later in 2019, as it gears up for the biggest movie release in the company's lifetime: The Irishman, a gangster epic starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. Demand by viewers to see that film in theaters might be high enough to reopen discussions between the company and big theater chains on how to get a Netflix movie into AMCs, Regals, and other multiplexes. If that moment passes without a resolution, Spielberg's fears about the decline of the old-fashioned moviegoing experience could be realized. We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.  David Sims is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he covers culture.  |
| 15 Celebrities Who Went on Extreme Diets for a Movie Role - The Cheat Sheet Posted: 11 Jul 2018 12:00 AM PDT Celebrities are no strangers to changing their looks for a role. And in some instances, they have to get pretty extreme. From 500-calorie-a-day diets to drinking pints of ice cream, these actors and actresses know what it takes to change their bodies in preparation for a new film. Whether it was weight loss or weight gain, here are the celebrities who weren't afraid to go to extremes. And don't miss the one actor who had to gain a ton of weight in a short period of time to play a character (No. 9). 1. Natalie Portman for Black Swan Natalie Portman in Black Swan | Cross Creek Pictures
She won an Oscar for her portrayal of a troubled ballerina in Black Swan — and her dedication and extreme diet proved worth it in the end. E! News reports Natalie Portman practiced for up to 16 hours a day. As for her diet, she said she was barely eating — and there were reportedly some nights she thought she might die from being so thin. Portman did her best to mimic the actual diet of a New York ballerina, which typically consisted of "a small salad for lunch, a small amount of nuts, fruit and nothing in the evening." Next: This actress did the complete opposite of Portman. 2. Charlize Theron for Tully Charlize Theron in the film Tully | Tully Movie via Instagram
She's no stranger to gaining and losing weight for movie roles, as we remember her transformation in Monster. Entertainment Tonight reports Charlize Theron gained close to 50 pounds for her role as Marlo in Tully. Theron said that "for the first time in my life I was eating so much processed foods and I drank way too much sugar. … I remember having to set my alarm in the middle of the night in order to just maintain [the weight]." Theron also said it was commonplace for her to wake up in the middle of the night and eat cold macaroni and cheese to keep the weight on. Next: This actor ate a shockingly low number of calories for this role. 3. Chris Hemsworth for In the Heart of the Sea Chris Hemsworth shows off his weight loss for In the Heart of the Sea. | Chris Hemsworth via Instagram
You're used to his hulk-like figure in Thor, but In the Heart of the Sea required a totally different diet. Daily Mail Online reports the movie required the castmembers lose a ton of weight to make their stuck-at-sea plight more believable. Chris Hemsworth said there were days when all he ate was one boiled egg, a couple of crackers, and a celery stick. Hemsworth said losing the weight was hard, but having his co-stars doing it with him made it easier. "I was skinnier than ever before but at least we were losing weight together," he said. Next: We remember when this actor was scary-thin for this role. 4. Christian Bale for The Machinist Christian Bale in The Machinist | YouTube Movies via YouTube
Here's another actor who isn't afraid to do what it takes to get into character for a movie role. In The Machinist, Christian Bale plays an insomniac who's seriously frail. Men's Journal reports the actor lost 60 pounds to play the role. And Bale says he existed on a steady diet of cigarettes and whiskey to lose all the weight necessary. While this worked for him in his younger years, Bale explains he tried to do the same thing again in his 40s, but it was a much more difficult task. "I was waking up with heart palpitations and just not feeling right at all," he said. Next: This actress looks way different now than she did in this iconic role. 5. Shailene Woodley for Adrift Shailene Woodley in Adrift | Adrift Movie via Instagram
Adrift chronicles the real-life experiences of Tami Oldham, who became lost at sea with her injured fiancé following a horrific storm. Shailene Woodley portrayed Oldham and went through rigorous training to build the strength necessary for sailing. And People reports she also went on an insane diet to accurately portray a woman who was stranded for 41 days. "For the last two weeks I had a can of salmon, some steamed broccoli and two egg yolks every day — 350 calories," Woodley said. Next: She starved herself to play this iconic role. 6. Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables Anne Hathaway in Les Misérables | Universal Pictures
She wanted to get serious for her role in Les Misérables, as she was playing Fantine, a starving prostitute with tuberculosis. So Anne Hathaway went on a diet of "rabbit food" to drop 25 pounds, Daily Mail Online explains. Hathaway explained her diet was essentially just starving herself, but she didn't want to give details, as she doesn't want to encourage anyone to copy her emaciated look. She did note that she "just had to stop eating for a total of 13 days shooting," however. And at one point, her bones became so frail that she reportedly broke her arm. Next: She had to play someone with anorexia, and this is how. 7. Lily Collins for To the Bone Lily Collins in To the Bone | Netflix via YouTube
This actress with a history of disordered eating decided to take on the part of Ellen, an anorexic young woman in To the Bone. "I personally knew that this was something I needed to do to tell this story," Lily Collins said. And though she lost the weight under direct supervision, fans grew concerned over her shrinking frame, USA Today reports. Like Anne Hathaway, Collins didn't want to divulge how she lost the weight. But the fact that she could touch her index finger and thumb around her bicep clued us into how small she was. Next: He won for best actor in this role that required a huge transformation. 8. Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club | Focus Features
His portrayal of Ron Woodruff, a man with HIV/AIDS, was spot-on, earning him the title of best actor at the Oscars. But it also required a serious physical transformation. Matthew McConaughey said he lost 38 pounds for the role, E! News reports. During filming, he said he lost a lot of energy from eating so little — and he hit plenty of plateaus along the way. Finally, with a strict diet, he got down to 143 pounds. And while he did cardio to help with the weight loss, he said it was 90% what he was eating and portion size. Next: You'll never believe what this actor ate to gain a lot of weight. 9. Jared Leto for Chapter 27 Left: Jared Leto looking trim | Jason Kempin/Getty Images, Right: Jared Leto in his role in Chapter 27| Peace Arch Entertainment/Getty Images
This actor's known for his extreme tactics for getting into his roles — and such was the case for Chapter 27. In this film, Jared Leto gained a whopping 67 pounds to play Mark Chapman, the man who assassinated John Lennon. The Guardian notes he achieved his weight loss by drinking microwaved pints of ice cream mixed with olive oil and soy sauce. The quick weight gain came with a price, though. Leto ended up developing gout, which forced him into a wheelchair for a period of time. Next: The film was heralded by critics, and this actor transformed for the role. 10. Michael Fassbender for Hunger Michael Fassbender in Hunger | Criterion Collection via YouTube
Eating so few calories is no easy feat — but Michael Fassbender knew he had to do it to accurately portray Bobby Sands in Hunger. Sands is an Irish historical figure known for starting a hunger strike in Northern Ireland, and eventually, he died from starvation, The Telegraph reports. To prepare for the role, Fassbender "settled on a diet of berries, nuts and sardines, eating 900 calories a day for the first five weeks." He also helped in the weight loss process by walking four a half miles per day, skipping, and doing yoga. Next: She had to put on a massive amount of muscle for this role. 11. Hilary Swank for Million Dollar Baby Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby | Warner Bros.
She says the training for Million Dollar Baby was the hardest thing she's ever done for a role, The Hollywood Reporter explains. All in all, Hilary Swank had to put on 23 pounds of pure muscle for her role as a boxer. The process doesn't sound easy, however. "I started working out five hours a day — I had to eat 210 grams of protein a day," Swank said. She also mentioned that she had to consume 60 egg whites per day, and when that proved too difficult, she had to drink them. And to keep the muscle on, she would get up and drink protein shakes in the middle of the night. Next: This actor credits chicken with helping him lose an extreme amount of weight. 12. Matt Damon for Courage Under Fire Matt Damon in Courage Under Fire | Wochit Entertainment via YouTube
You probably remember Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan in Courage Under Fire — and another standout performance came from the gaunt Matt Damon. Men's Journal explains Damon got down to 139 pounds for the role with a strict diet and exercise routine. "I had to run about 13 miles a day, which wasn't even the hard part," Damon said. "The hard part was the diet." According to Damon's Ask Me Anything on Reddit, he said all he ate was chicken breast, as he didn't have any advice from nutritionists on what to eat. Next: This well-known rapper shocked us all with his transformation. 13. 50 Cent for All Things Fall Apart 50 Cent in All Things Fall Apart | YouTube Movies via YouTube
You know him for his music, but his sincere performance in All Things Fall Apart really shocked viewers. 50 Cent played a cancer patient in the film, and he chose to drop from 214 pounds to 160 in just nine weeks. He accomplished this with a liquid diet and running for three hours per day on a treadmill, The Huffington Post reports. 50 Cent also said he ran to suppress his hunger, but things got really difficult toward the end. "There is no way to play a role like this without really committing to it," he said. Next: This actor was hospitalized for his new diet. 14. Ashton Kutcher for Jobs Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs in Jobs | Open Road Films
Steve Jobs was a "fruitarian" — and it nearly ruined Ashton Kutcher's pancreas. TIME reports Kutcher was playing Jobs in the biopic of the same name, and he decided to try Jobs' infamous fruitarian diet, which involved a large consumption of raw fruits. Kutcher said he was "doubled over in pain" just a few days before shooting, and when doctors checked him out in the hospital, his "pancreas levels were completely out of whack." Oddly enough, Jobs died from pancreatic cancer, so perhaps his diet had something to do with it. Next: She's famous for her singing — and now, for her cleanse. 15. Beyoncé for Dreamgirls Beyoncé Knowles attends the Dreamgirls premiere presented by DreamWorks Picture. | Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
She wanted to shed pounds for her role in Dreamgirls, and thanks to the Master Cleanse, she succeeded. E! News reports Beyoncé consistently drank a cocktail of lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper for some of her meals. And People says it resulted in a 20-pound weight loss. At one point, the director was even asking her to stop losing weight, as there was a chance continuity would be ruined. "I really wanted to go all the way," Bey said. "I was inspired by Tom Hanks. He did it all the way (in Castaway), so I said, I can do it all the way!" Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!  |
| You are subscribed to email updates from "celebrity movie archive" - Google News. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
Comments
Post a Comment