Sean Faris - Never Back Down - interview

CELEBTV.COM CHATS WITH SEAN FARIS

March 17, 2008

Sean Faris, star of the new mixed martial arts (MMA) flick Never Back Down might be a new face in Hollywood, but the 25-year-old got a jump on acting when he was just a kid.

The Cleveland native, who bears a striking resemblance to Tom Cruise, used to tell people the Top Gun star was his dad.

But these days, Faris is making a name for himself.

CelebTV.com talked with Faris about the Hollywood scene, Karate Kid and whipping himself into shape for his new film.

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THE TOP FILMS OF 2007

At first, I thought I would do the Top 7 films of 2007. Then it became 21.
This is a link to the pdf file as this is only available in print right now.

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The Water Horse: The Legend of the Deep - movie review

Jeff: ‘Water Horse’ just barely strong enough

Jeff Bayer | Beep Film Critic
Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Plot: Based on the book by Dick King-Smith, the film follows a young boy named Angus (Alex Etel) who discovers a magical egg, which hatches a creature known as a water horse. The story is set in Scotland during World War II, and the house that Angus’ mother cares for becomes overrun with soldiers. Angus must try to keep his pet a secret. It’s a twist on the telling of the Loch Ness Monster.
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Holiday Movie Preview - feature

What are you watching this holiday?

Jeff Bayer | Contributing Writer
Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Just like the typically insane overdone holiday meal, Hollywood brings us an overflowing plate of films to choose from. The main dish is the Oscar hopefuls. Normally at this time of year, there are a couple of films that already seem to have nominations locked up, but this year’s race is wide open. Beyond the films hoping for awards, we have some family crowd pleasers such as Disney’s “Enchanted.” There are side dishes as well like “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” by the team that brought us “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.” So without further ado, let’s chow down on the 2007 Holiday Movie Preview.
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Josh Brolin - No Coutnry for Old Men & American Gangster - interview

Hitting his stride: Beep chats with Josh Brolin

Jeff Bayer | Beep Film Critic

Friday, November 9, 2007

The older brother in “Goonies” is probably the most popular role Josh Brolin has ever played. After more than 20 years as an actor on stage and the big screen, that might be changing. Brolin starred in “Grindhouse,” “American Gangster,” “Into the Valley of Elah,” and his biggest role of the year in the Coen brothers’ “No Country for Old Men.”

Before we sat down to begin the interview, Brolin looked out the window and said, “ I actually slept well for the first time in about a year last night.” It’s easy to understand why, considering he was getting roles in films like “Into the Blue” and now he’s working with Denzel Washington, Tommy Lee Jones and Russell Crowe. And if you’re curious, even though he looks like a black coffee kind of guy, he drinks hot tea.
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Wes Anderson & Jason Schwartzman - interview

Train of thought: Beep chats with ‘Darjeeling’ director, actor

Jeff Bayer | Beep Film Critic
Friday, October 19, 2007

“The Darjeeling Limited” is about three American brothers who haven’t seen each other in a year. They reunite in India on a train ride aboard the Darjeeling Limited, which they hope will lead to a spiritual journey and once again being a close family. But with any Wes Anderson film, there is much more going on. Typically, his movies such as “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “Rushmore” get better with repeat viewings, so you might just want to consider a second sit-through.

I sat down with director Anderson and star Jason Schwartzman at the Drake Hotel. “Rushmore” is one of my favorite films of all-time, so after a quick compliment, we talked about traveling to India, Schwartzman being barefoot in the film, and Anderson’s secret film with Noah Baumbach.
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Emile Hirsch - Into the Wild - Interview

Emile Hirsch chats with Beep about ‘Into the Wild’, Sean Penn and ‘Speed Racer’

“Into the Wild” opens the same weekend I get married. It’s a story about running away from society with no plan, no money and no family contact and I absolutely loved it. Please keep in mind that I have no plans in following Christopher McCandless’s footsteps, played perfectly by Emile Hirsch, nor am I worried about entering into marriage with the woman I love. I just think it’s one of those funny coincidences that should be noticed and appreciated. I swear.
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Christian Bale - 3:10 to Yuma - Interview

Bale storm: Beep chats with ‘Yuma,’ ‘Batman’ star Christian Bale

I sat down with Batman and talked about my tonsils. Sure, movie star Christian Bale is currently filming “The Dark Knight,” the follow-up to “Batman Begins,” and he might have better things to talk about (and don’t worry, we did) but I had just had mine removed four days before the interview took place at the Four Seasons downtown.

“Did they give you toast?” he asked is his usual intense manner, albeit sans his English accent. I responded with a no, telling him that was one of the foods they didn’t want me touching.
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Julie Delpy - 2 Days in Paris - Interview

Beep chats with 'Paris' actress, director (and even gopher) Julie Delpy

Julie Delpy can’t seem to get enough of running around Europe with men. First she starred in “Before Sunrise” with Ethan Hawke, then years later the sequel, “Before Sunset,” both directed by Richard Linklater. Now she’s directed, wrote, starred, composed and edited the film “2 Days in Paris.” It’s almost the opposite of the “Before” films, instead focusing on the trouble that a relationship can have. Marion (Delpy) and Jack (Adam Goldberg) travel from New York to her parent’s home in Paris, where their bickering hits new heights when they continue to run into Marion’s former boyfriends.

I sat down the Delpy, who greeted me in a robe, but that quickly lost its allure when she explained she had the stomach flu. We spoke about going crazy putting a film together, working with co-star Adam Goldberg and dysfunctional relationships.
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Cast of "Superbad" - Interview

Love to McLovin: Beep chats with the cast of ‘Superbad’

Jonah Hill, Michael Cera and Christopher Mintz-Plasse don’t know where they had dinner last night. Really, the last few weeks are a blur.

For the stars of the movie “Superbad,” the high school comedy about friends, parties and foul language, it’s been a wild ride. They’ve appeared on Letterman, traveled across the country and, in September, they’ll be in Europe promoting the film.

Hill, of “Knocked Up” fame, is the oldest at 23 and definitely seems to be the leader of the three. Mintz-Plasse, who steals the show in “Superbad” as McLovin, is a first-time actor. And Cera is best known as George Michael from “Arrested Development.”

I sat down with the three on a rooftop in Wrigleyville. Three other reporters joined and we talked about everything from Comic-Con to Seth Rogen, and of course McLovin.
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Matthew Vaughn - Director of "Stardust" - Interview

'Stardust' director Matthew Vaughn chats with Beep about Gaiman, De Niro and a necrophiliac Prince Charming

A young man who lives next to a magical land makes a promise to the girl he loves that he’ll retrieve a fallen star … and that star ends up being Claire Daines. Michelle Pfeiffer is a witch and Robert De Niro is an effeminate pirate. Don’t worry, it’ll all make sense when you sit down for “Stardust,” which opens this week.

The man who brought this vision to the screen is Matthew Vaughn. I sat down with Vaughn, who wrote the screenplay and directed the film, and spoke about the amazing cast in this film, how he got his start and any wedding advice he might have (Vaughn’s wife is Claudia Schiffer and he was the best man at Guy Ritchie and Madonna’s wedding). He also told me I sounded like Ben Affleck and asked if I’m from Boston (first time questions on both accounts).
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Michael Winterbottom - A Mighty Heart - Interview

‘A Mighty Heart’ director Michael Winterbottom chats with Beep

And no, he didn't get teased about his name

Director Michael Winterbottom has a wide variety of genres under his belt, but lately it’s been the war in the Middle East that has captured his attention. First, he directed “The Road to Guantanamo” which was part documentary, part drama. And now he has directed the adaptation, written by Mariane Pearl, “A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of my Husband, Danny Pearl.” This is the real-life story of The Wall Street Journal reporter, Danny Pearl, who was working in Pakistan, and goes missing. The book and now film chronicle the ordeal Mariane (played by Angelina Jolie) went through as Danny went missing, the effort to find him and his eventual murder.
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Bruce Willis - "Live Free or Die Hard" - Interview

Bruce Willis chats with Beep about the latest ‘Die Hard’ ... and cross-dressing

Bruce Willis. Yes, THE Bruce Willis. The kind of person for whom you can capitalize all the letters of the word “the” because he’s that big of a name. I mean, we’re talking David Addison, Butch Coolidge, James Cole, Harry Stamper, Dr. Malcolm Crowe and, of course, John McClane, the trouble-prone protagonist of the “Die Hard” series. Willis was in Chicago last week promoting the fourth installment, “Live Free or Die Hard.”

I can remember going to see “Hudson Hawk” opening weekend, and being one of the few to love it. And it still kills me that “Unbreakable” won’t be a trilogy because it only made $95 million.

When someone this big rolls into town, it’s hard to get a one-on-one. But I did join in on a round table, so instead of our usual format, I’m going to do my best to recreate the vibe of the experience (while leaving the garbage on the cutting room floor). I’m going to assign parts, too. There were radio people there and other print guys. Seven of us total (though some remained silent) with Willis.

Willis arrived with a shaved head, cap and seemed to have just woken up at about 12:30 p.m. But his Starbucks helped him shake off the “Ocean’s Thirteen” premiere the night before.
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Emma Roberts - "Nancy Drew" - Interview

Doing the Drew: Emma Roberts chats with Beep

Teen star stepping out the shadow of her famous family and into the shoes of the iconic sleuth

Sure, her dad is Eric Roberts (“Heroes”) and her aunt is Julia Roberts, but after June 15, most people are going to think of the teen detective Nancy Drew when they see 16-year-old Emma Roberts. She’s already famous with the Nickelodeon crowd, having starred in “Unfabulous.” And just like other young actresses, she’s got a pop album. In talking with Roberts, we discussed the club scene, her family of actors and, of course, the famous Nancy Drew.
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The Summer Movie Preview

Blockbusters on board: Big summer on the big screen

Ahhh, summer. A time to catch up with old friends. And this summer, there are more old friends than ever to choose from when you go to the theater. Whether it’s a sequel, a series, a TV show making the big leap or a trilogy coming to an end, most of the movies we’ll be seeing in the next few months will be familiar faces.
The bottom line for film studios is simple: make money. And continuing a film franchise makes that cha-ching sound just about better than anything else (until it doesn’t, then you hear that sad waa-waa sound from the studio execs).

But we don’t care about the studios. This summer’s all about getting to hang out with those familiar faces again. In the mood to do a little gambling — and perhaps steal millions of dollars? Then you’ll want to give Danny Ocean a call. If you feel like you can’t die and want to prove it by getting into a high-speed car chase, then John McClane or Jason Bourne need to be sitting shotgun. Maybe you want to play dress up with elaborate costumes, makeup and a little make-believe? I recommend Captain Jack Sparrow or that Potter kid. Or perhaps you just want a pal who’s fat, bald and stupid. Is there anyone better than Homer Simpson? Well, maybe an ogre.
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Steve Austin - "The Condemned" - Interview

‘The Condemned’ star ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin chats with Beep

The night before I sat down with Steve Austin, there was a screening of his new film, “The Condemned.” After we were all seated, Austin strolled in, looking like a giant. It seems a natural fit for the former WWE wrestler to be the new action-star.

“The Condemned” stars Austin and Vinny Jones (“X-Men: The Last Stand”) as two of 10 convicts on death-row who are sent to a deserted island where they fight to the death while the world watches on the Internet.

The next day, I went to shake his hand and actually had a stronger grip then him. In fact, his whole demeanor was laid back. At no point did I fear my body would end up getting slammed. Austin struck me as a man who would rather be fishing, but somehow got stuck being famous.
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Molly Shannon - "Year of the Dog" - Interview

‘Heavy’ petting: Molly Shannon chats with Beep about ‘Year of the Dog’

Molly Shannon is a superstar. She’s also been a Catholic school girl, a Joyologist and 50! She gets the chance to do that all over again when she hosts “Saturday Night Live” on May 12. Shannon will become the second female cast member to come back and host (the first being Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Shannon’s new film is a chance to enter into more a more dramatic arena, while still getting some laughs. It’s also Mike White’s directorial debut.
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Adam Brody - "In the Land of Women" - Interview

Inside Adam Brody's land of women: Ex-'O.C.' star chats with Beep

And yes, he tells Beep, some do scream at him

With a title like “In the Land of Women,” you don’t know what to think. Images of a man trapped on an island only to discover he is surrounded by beautiful native women immediately come to mind ... or maybe that’s just me. But that’s not Jonanthan Kasdan’s first film.
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"Hot Fuzz" cast, director - Interivew

‘Hot Fuzz’ cast, director: It’s not a cop spoof

From the makers of “Shaun of the Dead” comes “Hot Fuzz.” This time, instead of a British comedy tangling with zombies, it’s a cop action flick with plenty of laughs.

I sat down with Edgar Wright (director, writer), Simon Pegg (actor, writer) and Nick Frost (actor) and managed to get a few questions into the general conversation.
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Shia LaBeuof - "Disturbia" - Interview

From 'Even Stevens' to Steven Spielberg

'Transformers,' 'Disturbia' star Shia LaBeouf chats with Beep about how life has changed for the former child star

Shia (Shy-a) LaBeouf (La-Buff). You’re going to hear that name a lot this summer. Not only is he starring in “Disturbia,” opening this Friday (April 13), but later, he has a small, independent film called “Transformers” opening up on the Fourth of July weekend (note the sarcasm).
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