Who Will be the Next Wonka?
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - The original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" introduced a generation of moviegoers to actor Gene Wilder who played the quirky lead character. He was kind and gentle with the Oompa Loompas, yet manic about his fizzy lifting drinks.
The adaptation of the Roald Dahl children's book was directed by Mel Stuart in 1971 at the suggestion of his daughter. She loved the book so much that she decided her father should bring it to the screen.
The story takes place in a dreary nondescript town in Great Britain. An eccentric candy maker opens his factory to five lucky children who all find golden tickets in a Wonka bar. Little do they know, the child who shuns Mr. Slugworth will be rewarded with the factory.
Tim Burton ("Nightmare Before Christmas," "Beetlejuice") is set to direct his own version of the classic. Danny Elfman is set to score. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" begins filming next year in and around London; however a lead actor has yet to be announced.
Naturally, fans of the original are very opinionated about who could fill Wilder's shoes. Some adamantly oppose a remake at all.
Early reports speculate that it is a horse race between three actors: Johnny Depp, Michael Keaton, and Christopher Walken. All have worked with Burton on previous projects.
CODA
Former Iron Butterfly guitarist Erik Braunn died Friday of heart failure at age 52. Braunn played on the band's epic 1968 hit, "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida."
Cleaning Kate's House
Don't look for Katharine Hepburn's Oscars to pop up on eBay anytime soon.
The late acting great willed them to an undisclosed charity.
That's just one of the tidbits to emerge from Hepburn's last will and testament, which was obtained Monday by the Smoking Gun.
Hepburn, who died last month at the age of 96, bequeathed most of her estate to family and friends.
Per her will, written and signed in January 1992 and updated with a six-page addendum in March of '94, Kate's estate will mostly be divvied up between her sister Margaret, brother Robert and descendants of her late siblings Richard and Marion.
According to a July 7 application filed in the the Connecticut Court of Probate by ABC News correspondent and Hepburn's friend and executor Cynthia McFadden, the value of Hepburn's personal property is estimated to be $800,000. But that's a low-ball number, since the "gross taxable estate" on her property is $10 million and a recent appraisal put the figure at closer to $20 million.
Hepburn's siblings and their descendants will each receive a quarter of the sales of her homes in New York City and Connecticut. A nephew and a grandniece will each receive $100,000 trusts in their names.
Among her close friends and associates, Hepburn doled out $200,000 to longtime housekeeper Norah Moore; $50,000 to accountant Erik Hanson; $5,000 to her literary agent, Freya Manson; and $10,000 to her close confidante McFadden, who was also bequeathed furniture from Hepburn's Manhattan townhouse, including an 18th century oak dresser and two works of art, one painted by Hepburn herself. Another portrait was given to the National Gallery of Art.
Hepburn also set aside a piece of her 7.17-acre waterfront residence in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, to local or state officials or a select "environmental or conservation organization" to "protect the lot from development...for the benefit of the general public."
Hepburn honored her roots on both stage and screen with matching $10,000 donations to the Actors Fund of America and the Motion Picture and Television Fund. She also conferred another $10,000 to the Episcopal church in Maryland where her grandfather once served as a clergyman.
Her personal belongings--jewelry, furniture, clothing, cars, rugs, pictures, books, silver, china and artwork--were to be divided up among family and friends. Hepburn earmarked some items for charity and gave permission for them to be auctioned.
Then there are those Oscars--Hepburn won a record four Best Actress statuettes--which apparently won't be on the block. She requested the Oscars, along with an extensive memorabilia collection that includes scripts, photos, letters, costumes, clippings and scrapbooks to a "charitable organization" to be determined by McFadden. She also gave said charity permission to publish her "manuscripts, letters or other personal papers or records" should they choose to do so.
Today's New Releases
After weeks of out and out garbage, this week finally sees new titles that are actually worth watching debuting on video and DVD. Most notably is a movie I thought was great, but others didn't like at all. I'm talking about DAREDEVIL and I'm watching some of it even as I write this. Wow, Jennifer Garner is awesome!
Okay, so without further adieu, here are the major new DVD and Video releases for Tuesday, July 29th, 2003:
DAREDEVIL - A blind man uses his radar super power to fight crime in this superb comic book adaptation. And even if you don't liek BEn Affleck as Daredevil, and think that Colin Farrell is too over the top as Bullseye, I assure you that you will totally enjoy what Jennifer Garner does. Even when she is just standing still! (Ben Affleck, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Garner)
Piglet's Big Movie - Piglet goes missing and the gang must search for him. Unless you have no heart you'll enjoy this. So will teh kids. (John Fiedler, Jim Cummings, Ken Sansom)
Solaris - Strange and deadly things are going on aboard space station. Unfortunately they are also boring, slow moving and moody. Unless you are a fan of the actors in the movie, or director Steven Soderbergh, stay away from this space station! (George Clooney, Natascha McElhone, Jeremy Davies)
The Quiet American - A young Vietnamese woman must choose between two suitors. Michael Caine was Oscar nominated for his work in this movie I have yet to see. (Brendan Fraser, Michael Caine, Rade Serbedzija)
Spider - The plot is this: As a child, a man watches his father murder his mother. The film was directed by Canadian David Cronenberg but since it didn't get a large Canadian theatrical release many of us haven't seen it. Now's our chance! (Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson, Gabriel Byrne)
XX/XY - Three New Yorkers enjoy the pleasures of youth. I just wish I could enjoy the pleasures of Kathleen Robertson. (Mark Ruffalo, Kathleen Robertson, Maya Strange).
Actor Campbell Escapes Weekend Accident
RUCH, Ore. - Actor Bruce Campbell, whose credits include "Evil Dead," "Hercules," "Xena, Warrior Princess" and "Spider-Man," suffered minor injuries in a weekend accident.
Campbell, 45, of Jacksonville, was driving late Saturday when his car was struck by a Jeep driven by 36-year-old Steven M. Sellars of Medford.
Sellars, who was ejected from his vehicle and struck the windshield of the Explorer, was listed in critical condition Sunday with head injuries.
Campbell, who has a cult following among horror film buffs, was treated at a local hospital and released.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Department cited Sellars for driving under the influence of intoxicants, assault, failing to maintain lane of travel, driving with a suspended license and for outstanding traffic tickets.
Friends Recall Hope's Life of Laughter
LOS ANGELES - His name said it all.
Over the course of a full century — through economic hardship, four wars and civil unrest — Bob Hope kept people looking on the bright side.
"Isn't it strange that he gave everybody 'hope' all the time?" Mickey Rooney reflected Monday. "That meant he was giving himself."
Rooney, who appeared with Hope in the 1953 boxing comedy "Off Limits," said his slope-nosed co-star was always "on," always ready with a story, a quip or a smart remark. "Whenever we'd go before the camera or come off there'd be a joke or a laugh or something. Life was a laugh and a memory for Bob Hope," Rooney said
He made presidents laugh. He made servicemen laugh. He tickled the funny bones of little kids and grandparents, and teased with the risque without ever going dirty. He grew from a smart-alecky young man to a smart-alecky old man.
Bill Cosby compared Hope's life to a high-stakes poker game: "He played the heck out of his hand, and I tip my hat to him."
Phyllis Diller, a favorite comic foil for Hope, focused on life with him instead of life without him. After all, Hope was never good with drama.
"He had his long moment in the sun, a long moment," she said. "He lived such a healthful life, no wonder he lived to be 100. He didn't smoke or drink, and he had all that outdoor exercise.
"Plus," she added with a cackle, "you know, when you're that rich you don't have so much worry."
She was only half-joking. Hope amassed a fortune by investing his show-business earnings in real estate in California's San Fernando Valley, Palm Springs and Malibu. Forbes magazine in 1983 estimated his wealth at more than $200 million, although he denied it.
So why did he keep working into his 90s?
Steve Martin may have hit on the answer: "Bob Hope not only entertained millions for decades, but we could also see that he was entertaining himself."
Hope's influence stretched far beyond Hollywood.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan offered his thoughts about the comedian Monday: "I never met him, but he was a great man and he made lots of people happy."
Former President Ford lauded Hope for his "untiring devotion" to American servicemen. From World War II to Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm, Hope swaggered fearlessly through battle zones as if strolling the back nine of a golf course.
"Nobody did what he did. He went to every front line, trench, and foxhole in every major war. In the history of entertainment, no one gave back so much," comedian Sid Caesar said. "There wasn't anything Bob Hope wouldn't do for someone wearing an armed forces uniform."
Diller often accompanied him on his wartime tours to be the butt of his jokes as he compared her aging, skinny frame to the curvaceous beauties brought along for eye candy.
"He believed in our country and the principles of our country and democracy. That's why he had such a desire to pay back or alleviate the problems of the GIs. He had such an empathy with the fighting guys," Diller said.
He wouldn't have been any good carrying a gun or jumping into a foxhole.
"I don't think he would have been a good shot," Diller joked. "However, he was pretty good with that golf club."
Schwarzenegger Denies Pulling Out of Governor Run
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former Mr Universe who is pondering a new role as Mr California Politics, has not decided yet whether to run for governor in a special Oct. 7 vote, an aide said on Monday.
The Republican star of the "Terminator" action films had suggested in recent weeks he would run if an unprecedented recall effort against California's Democratic Governor Gray Davis went forward. But on Monday Fox News television and a Sacramento Bee columnist quoted sources as saying the Austrian-born actor would not seek the position after all.
"There are reports in the media that Arnold Schwarzenegger has decided not to run in the California recall election. These reports are incorrect," Schwarzenegger's political adviser George Gorton said in a statement.
"Arnold spent the weekend continuing his due diligence regarding a possible run. He has made no decision at this time. He will continue to weigh the pros and cons with his family and will continue to seek the counsel of supporters and colleagues."
Media reports speculated that Schwarzenegger's wife, television news personality Maria Shriver -- a member of the nation's best known Democratic family as niece of former President John F. Kennedy -- opposed her husband's entry into high-profile politics.
The filing deadline for candidates seeking to replace Davis is Aug. 9.
Leading Democrats say they will not run in the Republican-backed recall vote. Among Republicans likely to run are Bill Simon Jr., who lost to Davis just last November. U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, who spent $1.7 million of his own money to help qualify the recall petition against Davis, is already running to lead the nation's richest and most populous state.
The Oct. 7 ballot will ask Californians whether they want to remove Davis, who is unpopular over the state's record budget deficit, and in a second question, list replacement candidates. If voters recall Davis, the winner of the most votes on the second ballot will become governor.
Although Schwarzenegger has no experience in electoral politics, analysts say he could emerge as the strongest candidate because he could position himself as an outsider running against traditional insider Davis.
Meanwhile, Davis received a boost on Sunday night when the state senate voted to back a compromise $100 billion budget that puts off much of the pain of the current deficit to future years. The assembly is scheduled to vote on the matter this week and Davis has signaled he would sign it if it passed.