Image Credit: Mary Evans Picture Library/Everett Collection; David Mcgough/DMI/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images; PRN/PR PhotosWe now know that I’m Still Here — Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck’s “documentary” of Phoenix’s time as strung-out bearded man — is a hoax. Many were fooled, even EW critic Owen Gleiberman. Keeping in mind that there’s a difference between Andy Kaufman-esque performance art and the suspending of oneself from the rafters at an MTV award show to ass-plant Eminem and drum up publicity for your new movie, let’s run through a few more pop culture hoaxes, after the break. Which is the best? READ FULL STORY »
Tag: Celebrity Scandals (91-100 of 236)
Sep 16
2010
06:26 PM ET
Casey Affleck admits his Joaquin Phoenix documentary wasn't real: Are you at all surprised?
Well, now we finally have our answer, and, after all the build-up, it’s frankly kind of anticlimactic. In an interview with the New York Times, Casey Affleck has admitted that his documentary, I’m Still Here, which chronicles Joaquin Phoenix’s apparent drug-fueled meltdown and misbegotten attempt to reinvent himself as a rapper, was almost entirely made up. (For the record, we told you the same thing way back in 2009, when sources told EW that Phoenix’s antics were “a put-on.”) “I never intended to trick anybody,” Affleck says, explaining that the movie is an exercise in “gonzo filmmaking,” intentionally blurring the line between what is real and what is not, and not merely a hoax or a stunt. Affleck calls Phoenix’s depiction of his own supposed disintegration in the film “the performance of his career,” and, indeed, you can’t help but admire (if that’s the right word) the total commitment it took for Phoenix to turn himself into a bizarre, bloated, bearded celebrity car wreck for nearly two years. But you also have to ask: To what end? The film has received mixed reviews, and, in the end, many critics and moviegoers are unlikely to appreciate the subtleties of Affleck and Phoenix’s artistic intentions. They’ll just feel duped. As Roger Ebert wrote in his generally positive review of I’m Still Here, “If this film turns out to still be part of an elaborate hoax, I’m going to be seriously pissed.” UPDATE: As for Phoenix’s thoughts on the matter? Well, turns out we’ll have to wait to find out his side of the story — the actor’s rep told EW he’s not talking until his Sept. 22 appearance on Late Show with David Letterman.
What about you, PopWatchers? Are you genuinely surprised by Affleck’s admission? Or, if you saw it coming a mile away, what was the giveaway: Phoenix’s laughable attempts at rapping? His too-weird-to-be-true appearance on David Letterman’s couch (which Affleck insists Letterman wasn’t in on)? If you saw the movie, does this news make you like it more or less? And now that this whole strange mystery has been solved, how does it change your image of Joaquin Phoenix?
Read more:
Joaquin Phoenix’s rap career: An elaborate hoax?
Joaquin Phoenix doc: Is it a hoax? Hollywood mystified
Anyone still wondering whether Joaquin Phoenix is ‘Still Here’?
Joaquin Phoenix will return to ‘Late Show with David Letterman’
Sep 2
2010
01:15 PM ET
Lunchtime Poll: Will success spoil Tom Sizemore?
For a brief shining moment, Tom Sizemore was the modern American man. His IMDB page reads like a frathouse movie marathon: Heat, Natural Born Killers, Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, and even a voiceover in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. He then descended into a pit of celebrified scandal that makes Bald Britney look like Shirley Temple. If you believe an interview over at the Daily Beast, though, he’s been saved…by reality TV. After a lengthy stint in the Dr. Drewniverse, he’s ready to restart his career. And lest you think he’s all talk, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Charlie Day told EW’s Kate Ward that Sizemore appears in the sitcom’s upcoming season. “He’s off the wall and hysterical and he plays a psychotic truck driver,” Day says. “It is perfect. And I think it will really surprise people as well.” Pollsters, are you surprised?
Aug 31
2010
09:30 AM ET
Mel Gibson still a potential box office draw, according to new poll
Image Credit: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.comSeventy-six percent of Americans have no problem separating Mel Gibson the actor from Mel Gibson the scandal magnet, according to a 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll conducted earlier this month by randomly phoning 847 adults. Only 20 percent of participants said they were less likely to see a Mel Gibson movie as a result of the recent accusations by Oksana Grigorieva. Breaking the results down by gender: 80 percent of men and 72 percent of women said they were undeterred by the ongoing scandal. An online poll accompanying the results shows slightly different numbers: 62 percent of responders say the scandal has no effect on the likelihood of them seeing a Mel Gibson movie.
PopWatch’s own August poll, centered on the fourth Mad Max film, Fury Road, had less positive but still promising results for the actor: 33 percent of readers thought the movie was a good idea only if Gibson doesn’t have a cameo, but 24 percent said the film was a good idea only if he makes an appearance. Another 23 percent were supportive of the movie, whether or not Gibson was involved. Twenty percent thought the movie was a bad idea, period.
If you were a studio exec reading these numbers, would you gamble on Gibson?
More Mel Gibson:
Fourth ‘Mad Max’ film still a go: Ready to revisit one of Mel Gibson’s signature roles?
Seventh purported Mel Gibson tape leaks
Aug 23
2010
12:45 PM ET
Lunchtime Poll: Speidi sex tape or Spidey sex tape?
Image Credit: PRN/PR Photos; Zade RosenthalI’m sorry to be so inconsiderate as you’re about to eat, but there’s supposed to be a Spencer Pratt/Heidi Montag sex tape. A “flurry” of tapes, according to Spencer. Ewwww, don’t say flurry. There might also be footage of Heidi and a Playboy Playmate getting intimate. No way do I care about either of these tightly packed bowls of (probably) whipped-potato lies, but I might have watched the latter had the Playmate been Kendra, because then it could just be a slow-looping track of her laugh, like on The Soup. Maybe I’d even score some tips on how to keep my nasolabial folds in check while getting tickled by a stupid feather. ANYWAY, I’d been blissfully unaware of any of this until this morning, at which point someone in a meeting mentioned “the Speidi sex tape” and I misinterpreted it as “the Spidey sex tape.” There it is. (FYI: Seth/Summer Spider-man kiss!)
Read more: All Lunchtime Polls on PopWatch
Annie on Twitter: @EWAnnieBarrett
Aug 13
2010
10:24 AM ET
Dina Lohan on 'Today': A lesson in using the word 'recused,' dodging questions, and hating the media
Image Credit: Danny Moloshok/LandovStage/party mom Dina Lohan appeared on the Today show this morning to talk to Matt Lauer about her daughter Lindsay’s recent troubles. You know, the jail and, now, the court-mandated rehab. If you’re at all familiar with Dina Lohan (maybe you, like me, enjoyed her on that E! reality delight Living Lohan two summers ago?), you know that she is a very special breed of mother. Specifically, she doesn’t seem to be too worked up about this gigantic mess that’s become her daughter’s life. As such, the whole interview was a wash, as Dina never revealed much about Lindsay’s well-being or took any responsibility for the situation. At one point she even told Lauer: “You can’t make your child not go out and not go to a club.” Yes, of course, what can you do in this type of situation but throw your hands up, make a spa appointment, and hope everything works out for the best?
Anyway! A few important takeaways from the chat:
–Dina Lohan is very proud to know the word “recused.” At every turn, she used the word to talk about the judge on Lindsay’s case and how she had been “recused” from it. We get it, D-Lo: You understand what “recused” means! So do we!
–Dina Lohan knows how to dodge a question. READ FULL STORY »
Aug 3
2010
02:15 PM ET
Lindsay Lohan on her legal woes: 'This too shall pass'
Unlike her tear-splashed courtroom face or those tragic pictures of her passed out in a car, Lindsay Lohan appears on the September cover of Maxim looking — dare we say it — good. In the interview, the 24-year-old starlet, who yesterday was transferred to a rehab facility after serving 13 days in jail for violating her probation, talks about her recent downward spiral and, from the excerpts, she seems to have been drinking some of the self-help juice, philosophizing that “this too shall pass” and “stay true to yourself always.”
Well, it’s going to take a lot more than Deepak Chopra-isms to win this Mean Girls fan back. What do you guys think of the article? Is Lohan winning you over? Will she ever?
More Lindsay Lohan:
Lindsay Lohan released from jail
Lindsay Lohan ordered to rehab after jail stint
Lindsay Lohan likely to serve two weeks in jail, says Sheriff’s spokesman
Robert Shapiro no longer Lindsay Lohan’s lawyer
Lindsay Lohan’s ‘Machete’ poster
Jul 21
2010
12:37 PM ET
Lunchtime Poll: Lindsay Lohan meets an old enemy in prison?
Ah, cruel fate! Lindsay Lohan probably wanted to spend her jail time in quiet contemplation. Maybe she’d carve herself a chess set, or take a class to learn how to read good. But her stint in the clink just got more interesting. According to People, Lindsay Lohan’s cell is right next to the cell occupied by Alexis Neiers, a member of the infamous “Bling Ring” that burglarized several celebrity homes…including, allegedly, the home of Lindsay Lohan. (To make things more surreal, Neiers’ cell was once occupied by Paris Hilton. If these walls could talk…they’d probably vom.)
PopWatchers, we all know that things get weird in prison. We’ve all seen Oz and/or The Shawshank Redemption. The normal trappings of society disappear. Friends become enemies, enemies become friends, everybody gets a tattoo. Apparently, Lohan and Neiers are close enough to talk right now. Presumably, neither of these young women will be able to resist engaging in conversation. But just what are they conversing about?
Darren’s tweeting from the prison cell he shares with Bernie Madoff: @EWDarrenFranich
Bernie” Madoff
Jul 16
2010
06:22 PM ET
Jack Osbourne's Mel Gibson t-shirt: Too soon?
Among the indelible quotes Mel Gibson has added to the English language in the last few days, one of the most vivid was his purported invitation to ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva: “You should just smile and bl– me!” Last night, Jack Osbourne stepped out with a t-shirt emblazoned with that and Mel Gibson’s face. It was a nice try at satire I thought, but obviously pulled together rather quickly. And really, it’s got nothing on the (very NSFW) Mel Gibson dance mix. Quick, what has been the best Mel Gibson spoof you’ve seen or heard so far? Does Jack here even rate?
Read more:
Fifth purported Mel Gibson tape online
Mel Gibson recordings: Have you listened?
Owen Gleiberman: Mel Gibson and the tale of the tape
A fifth Mel Gibson tape: Enough is enough!
Jul 15
2010
05:02 PM ET
Mel Gibson: Christian leaders keeping quiet on leaked tapes
Image Credit: Philippe AntonelloThe last time Mel Gibson found himself in the middle of a media firestorm — i.e. when he made sexist and antisemitic comments during his D.U.I. arrest in Malibu — Christian leaders rushed to his defense. But this time, the people who so fervently supported him and helped turn The Passion of the Christ (pictured) into the highest-grossing independent film of all time have remained silent for the most part. Such prominent Gibson defenders as James Dobson Focus on the Family (which Dobson founded, but no longer runs), and the evangelical group Promise Keepers had issued no statements regarding the five leaked recordings of Gibson purportedly ranting at his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. Following the actor’s 2006 outburst, Dobson released a statement saying, “Mel has apologized profusely for this incident, and there the matter should rest.” At the time of this posting, Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Promise Keepers had not responded to EW’s request for comment.
Only Catholic League president Bill Donohue has publicly commented on the matter, telling Yahoo’s The Upshot Blog: READ FULL STORY »
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