2014
By Joseph Martinez -
According to CNN, Oscar winning actor and comedian Robin Williams died at his Northern California home Monday. Williams apparently took his own life, law enforcement officials said. He was 63.
"He has been battling severe depression of late," his media representative Mara Buxbaum told CNN. "This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time."
Per a statement from the Marin County, California, Sheriff's Office, coroner investigators suspect "the death to be a suicide due to asphyxia,"
USA Today added "Williams was found by his personal assistant, who broke in to his room Monday morning when he failed to respond to knocks. She was distraught in the 911 call and indicated Williams' death was a suicide by hanging."
The news of Williams' death shocked the Hollywood community and the world. Although the 63-year-old beloved actor and comedy legend has passed, so many unforgettable film and TV roles will ensure that his memory and talent live on.
Robin Williams Trivia Per IMDB:
Moved to San Francisco, California when he was 16.
Studied acting briefly at Julliard under John Houseman. Houseman told him he was wasting his talent at Juilliard and he should strike out on his own and do stand-up comedy.
When he auditioned for the role of Mork from Ork on Happy Days (1974), producer Garry Marshall told him to sit down. Williams immediately sat on his head on the chair. Marshall hired him, saying that he was the only alien who auditioned.
During the making of Mork & Mindy (1978), Williams departed from the scripts and ad libbed so many times and so well, that the producers stop trying to make him stick to the script and deliberately left gaps in the later scripts leaving only "Mork can go off here" in those places so Robin could improvise.
2003: Won Grammy Award for Best Spoken Comedy Album for "Robin Williams - Live 2002".
Was voted "Least Likely to Succeed" by his fellow graduates at Larkspur (highschool).
He was voted the 50th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.
He was a very overweight child. As a result, nobody would play with him. He started talking in different voices to entertain himself.
Most of his dialogue in Aladdin (1992) was ad-libbed.
Co-owned the Rubicon Restaurant in San Francisco with Robert De Niro and fellow Bay area resident Francis Ford Coppola.
Was offered the role of The Riddler in Batman Forever (1995), which eventually went to Jim Carrey.
Williams and Robert De Niro were the last stars to see John Belushi alive, albeit on separate visits to Bungalow #3 of the Chateau Marmont Hotel in Los Angeles that fateful day in March 1982.
Was frequently called up by Steven Spielberg when he was filming Schindler's List (1993). He would put him on speaker phone so he could tell jokes to the cast and crew to cheer them up. He used his character in Aladdin (1992) most of the time.
As of his death in 2014, he had appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Dead Poets Society (1989), Awakenings (1990) and Good Will Hunting (1997).
2014
By Joseph Martinez -
Drew Barrymore, looking radiant in white, hit the red carpet at the premiere of her new movie "Blended" on Wednesday evening (May 21, 2014) at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
The 39-year-old actress, and new mother of a one month old baby, was seen giving her husband Will Kopelman hugs and kisses on the red carpet. Drew, just weeks from giving birth, showed off her post-pregnancy figure in a Tadashi Shoji Spring 2014 lattice and floral-embroidered gown.
Drew was joined at the event by her co-stars Adam Sandler, Bella Thorne, Zak Henri, Emma Fuhrmann and others. Disney Channel stars Zendaya Coleman and Chris Galya also made an appearance to show their support for the film, in theaters this weekend.
“Blended” directed by Frank Coraci, who also directed "The Wedding Singer" as well as Sandler's "Click" and "The Waterboy", is the third comedy collaboration between stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, which follows their successful onscreen pairings in the hit romantic comedies “50 First Dates” and “The Wedding Singer.”
Sandler revealed to Eonline just how uncomfortable and awkward it was during the romantic scenes in the film, "Absolutely, for Drew every time," he laughed. "It's been awkward when we were strangers for her. But I keep saying, 'They paid you, buddy, get in here."
The film is slated for release this Friday May 23, 2014.
About the film:
After a disastrous blind date, single parents Lauren (Barrymore) and Jim (Sandler) agree on only one thing: they never want to see each other again. But when they each sign up separately for a fabulous family vacation with their kids, they are all stuck sharing a suite at a luxurious African safari resort for a week.
“Blended” also stars Wendi McLendon-Covey (“Bridesmaids”) as Lauren’s best friend, Jen, and Joel McHale (“Community”) as her unreliable ex-husband, Mark. Kevin Nealon (“Weeds”) and Jessica Lowe (funnyordie’s “RobotDown”) star as an overly romantic couple who are also vacationing at the resort, and Terry Crews (“The Expendables 2”) stars as the resort’s singing host. Dan Patrick (ESPN SportsCenter) appears as Jim’s boss, Dick; and Shaquille O’Neal as his coworker, Doug. Playing Jim’s three daughters are Bella Thorne (Disney Channel’s “Shake it Up”), Emma Fuhrmann and Alyvia Alyn Lynd. Kyle Red Silverstein and Braxton Beckham appear as Lauren’s two sons.
For more information visit blendedmovie.com
Visit an entire gallery from the event at PictureLuximages.com
2014
By Joseph Martinez -
The Godzilla monster is arguably the most famous monster in the world... and here it comes again in this retelling that is set to reboot the Godzilla franchise one more time. So, it was quite fitting that the entire stretch of Hollywood Boulevard in front of The Dolby Theater in Hollywood was completely shutdown for the monstrous premiere on Thursday night (May 8, 2014).
For those who don't know Godzilla, here are the basics: Godzilla is a science fiction monster film featuring the Japanese film monster of the same name. This current film retells the origin of Godzilla in contemporary times as a "terrifying force of nature" in a style faithful to the Toho series of Godzilla films that began in the 1950s. Back-to-basics seems to be the approach here unlike the previous 1998 incarnation. That 1998 film met with a negative reception from critics and fans alike due to a drastic reinvention of the Godzilla monster and a radical redesign and departure from the original.
This film is directed by British filmmaker Gareth Edwards, written by Max Borenstein and stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn and Bryan Cranston.
Which brings us to the big event. Clad in a simple black dress, Elizabeth Olsen struck a pose on the red carpet with her co-stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston. Other guests at the premiere included Seth Green, Gene Simmons, Chris Hardwick, Ice Cube, Chris Meloni and Saffron Burrows among others.
About the film:
An epic rebirth to Toho's iconic Godzilla, this spectacular adventure, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, pits the world's most famous monster against malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity's scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence.
This film is scheduled to be released in North America on May 16, 2014.
Go to www.godzillamovie.com for more information.
Visit an entire gallery from the event at PictureLuximages.com
2014
By Joseph Martinez -
Zac Efron and Seth Rogen showed up at the premiere of the Frat vs Family comedy, “Neighbors” on Monday night (April 28, 2014) in Westwood, CA. Donning gray suits, the co-stars obliged the screaming fans as they made their way to the Regency Theatre shaking hands, signing autographs and posing for photos.
Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne lead the cast in a comedy about a frustrated young couple who are forced to live next to a fraternity house after the birth of their newborn baby and face unexpected difficulties. The rowdy comedy was directed by Nicholas Stoller who's previous directing credits include "Get Him to the Greek" and Forgetting Sarah Marshall"
Interestingly, Seth Rogen was not a big fan of Zac Efron prior to the making of the film. Rogen revealed to People.com, "I was expecting to not like him very much when I first met him," Rogen, 32, told PEOPLE with a laugh at the movie's premiere. Rogen adds: "I was proven very wrong because he's a sweet, nice guy … He was just so nice, cool and very self-aware and self-effacing and endearing, and all those things that make someone hard to hate."
Efron appeared to be in very good spirits at the event in spite of reportedly getting hacked. According to USA Today the hackers stole his personal assistant's identity and tried to obtain photos of the star from a USA TODAY photographer. "Hi I'm Zac's assistant," wrote the hacker, sending a text personally to one of USA Today's staff photographers. "He was wondering if you can send a copy of the photo shoot you took of him for USA Today. My email is [redacted]." Efron doesn't seem to worry about it too much and shrugs it off but states that this kind of thing happens pretty often.
Nevertheless, all was well on the red carpet that was attended by fellow co-stars Seth Rogen, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Dave Franco, Halston Sage among others.
The film opens nationwide on Friday May 9, 2014
For more info visit the official "Neighbors" at www.neighbors-movie.com
Visit an entire gallery from the event at PictureLuximages.com
2014
Comedy legend Jerry Lewis honored in Hollywood
By Joseph Martinez -
Comedic legendary icon, Jerry Lewis, was honored in cement this weekend at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, Saturday (April 12 2014). This marks the fourth consecutive year Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has featured a handprint and footprint ceremony at the legendary theater. 2011 saw Peter O'Toole as the honoree, followed by Kim Novak in 2012 and Jane Fonda in 2013. Many in Hollywood say it is an honor long overdue for the 88 year old comedy icon who made his first television appearance alongside comedy partner Dean Martin on the June 20, 1948 debut broadcast of 'Toast of the Town' with Ed Sullivan.
The actor/director/producer, who was joined by his wife and daughter, was immortalized in cement during the ceremony as part of the Turner Classic Movie Film Festival. The 88-year-old Lewis, turned the ceremony into an impressive comedy showcase and displayed that he's still got it. During the event, the slapstick master managed to flip the bird, make his trademark funny faces and mock the media by asking for, and getting, an slr camera - then proceeding to bark instructions at the photographers as he was being photographed. Ever the consummate entertainer, Lewis also made funny faces at the crowd while guiding everyone into an impromptu rendition of 'Silent Night'.
Guest speaker Quentin Tarantino was on hand to introduce Lewis during the ceremony, calling the veteran entertainer: "a treasure". After the speech, Jerry gave Quentin a bite, then a kiss, on his hand, to which Quentin screamed, “I got kissed by Jerry Lewis!” "He is one of the great actors/directors in the history of cinema", Tarantino added. Lewis said that the honor was "incredible," especially as it came in a rare public event with his adopted daughter Danielle whom he asked to take a bow. Also there to support Lewis was comedian Richard Lewis (no relation), comedian Dane Cook and actress Illeana Douglas.
After the event, Lewis was scheduled to introduce a special screening of The 'Nutty Professor', a film in which he not only starred in but also directed and co-wrote. “It was wonderful to see all of you,” Lewis waved to the media and guests. “I’ll see you all later.”
Born Joseph Levitch March 16, 1926 in Newark, New Jersey, USA
Had open heart surgery in 1983.
He was presented the French Legion of Honor in 1984 and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977.
He and Dean Martin were the world's top box-office earners from 1950-1956.
Oldest son Gary Lewis and his group Gary Lewis & The Playboys had several pop hits in the 1960s
Starred with Dean Martin on NBC Radio's "The Martin and Lewis Show" (1949-1953).
Was teamed up with Dean Martin from 1946-1956.
Besides Dean Martin, Lewis says the closest friend he ever had was Sammy Davis Jr.
Says his favorite Martin & Lewis film is The Stooge (1952) because "...it came closest to capturing what Dean and I had as a team".
Was offered the role of Jerry/Daphne in Some Like It Hot (1959), directed by his friend Billy Wilder. He declined because he didn't want to dress in drag. The part, of course, eventually went to Jack Lemmon and he received an Oscar nomination for his performance. Lewis says that Lemmon would send him chocolates every year to thank him and he now regrets not taking the role.
Has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star for movies is at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. His star for television is at 6150 Hollywood Blvd.
Visit an entire gallery from the event at PictureLuximages.com
2014
'Divergent' World Premiere in Westwood
By Joseph Martinez -
Expectations are high as the question on everyone's mind in Hollywood circulates - is "Divergent" the new "Hunger Games"?
In any case, the fan frenzy at the "Divergent" world premiere was evident as super-fans lined the streets of Westwood, CA on Tuesday afternoon (March 18, 2014) to get a glimpse of their latest heroine, Trios Prior, played by the talented Shailene Woodley.
Woodley was joined on the black carpet at the Regency Bruin Theatre by co-stars including Kate Winslet, Ashley Judd, Zoe Kravitz, Theo James, Miles Teller, author Veronica Roth and Maggie Q and singer Ellie Goulding.
On the fashion side of things, Woodley wore a gold one-shoulder Elie Saab Couture dress that showed her leg, Winslet went with a red skin-tight gown by Safiyaa. But it was really Maggie Q that turned heads with her daring cutout mini dress.
In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, Woodley opened up about the protagonist being an "empowered" female. “In this movie, there’s no envy and no jealousy — no ridiculous girl-fights. It’s such an important message to send out there in this age of feminism because, yes, men need to respect women, and women need to be the leads of films, but at the same time, how do we expect men to respect women if women don’t respect women?" She goes on to say, "A big theme in my life is sisterhood, and I think that this movie is a really great representation of that—of being there and supporting one-another without the malicious attacks that so often come in movies and media. So many women feel so much anger towards other women."
About the film:
In a future world where people are divided into distinct factions based on their personalities, Tris Prior is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy to destroy all Divergents, she must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it’s too late.
The film is set to open in the U.S.on March 21, 2014.
Visit an entire gallery from the event at PictureLuximages.com
2014
Scarlett Johansson shows her baby bump at 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' Premiere
By Joseph Martinez -
For the first time since news of her pregnancy made it's way through the media, a glowing Scarlett Johansson and tiny baby bump hit the red carpet for the premiere of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on Thursday (March 13, 2014). The ebullient actress, who portrays the Marvel character of Black Widow, posed for photographs wearing a Giorgio Armani Prive top and skirt, Christian Louboutin shoes, and Van Cleef and Arpels earrings.
Johansson, 29, also showed off a diamond ring on her engagement ring finger from her French fiancé, Romain Dauriac. The two were engaged in August.
Scarlett has kept silent about the pregnancy but Marvel Studios President of Production confirmed her maternity in a recent interview. Kevin Feige told Collider.com, 'Well my first reaction was I was very happy for her and very excited for her. 'My second reaction was we've got to move some pieces on the chess board around schedule-wise. But we didn't change the script at all, which is sort of the most important things for us in terms of the storyline.' Feige's comments confirmed reports the 29-year-old actress is due to welcome her first child into the world with her fiancé Romain Dauriac, 31.
Invited attendees at the premiere included the film's co-stars as well as celebrity guests including, Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie and Jeremy Renner among others. (Photos: © 2014 Joe Martinez/ Picturelux - All Rights Reserved)
About the Film:
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off assailants sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy—the Winter Soldier. Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1941, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is produced by Kevin Feige, p.g.a., directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, and stars Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp and Hayley Atwell, with Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.
Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” opens in U.S. theaters on April 4, 2014. For more information on the film, visit: marvel.com/captainamerica
Visit an entire gallery from the event at PictureLuximages.com
2014
By Joseph Martinez -
It was all glitz and glamour of epic proportions on Hollywood Blvd. for the highly anticipated film "300: Rise Of An Empire" held at TCL Chinese Theatre on Tuesday (March 4, 2014) in Hollywood.
Lena Headey looked edgy as she arrived wearing a low back dress and baring her tattoos to photographers and fans.
The 40-year-old actress was joined on the red carpet by co-stars Eva Green, Callan Mulvey and Jack O'Connell. Headey will reprise the role of Queen Gorgo of Sparta from the first film while new face, and former Bond girl, Eva Green will be joining the franchise as a Persian naval commander, Artemisia.
The Noam Murro directed action movie (taking over from Zack Snyder) is the long-awaited sequel to 2007's box office hit '300,' and sees Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) lead a battle at sea to defeat the Persian navy after the demise of the Spartan land army.
Celebrity guests included Miguel Ferrer, Tito Ortiz, McKenzie Westmore, Gene and Nick Simmons among others. (Photos © 2014 Joe Martinez/ Picturelux - All Rights Reserved)
About the Film:
“300: Rise of an Empire,” told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster “300,” is a new chapter of the epic saga, which takes the action to a new battlefield—the sea. The story pits the Greek general Themistokles against the massive invading Persian forces, ruled by the mortal-turned-god Xerxes, and led by Artemisia, the vengeful commander of the Persian navy. Knowing his only hope of defeating the overwhelming Persian armada is to unite all of Greece, Themistokles leads the charge that will change the course of the war. The action adventure stars Sullivan Stapleton as Themistokles and Eva Green as Artemisia. Reprising their roles from “300,” Lena Headey stars as the Spartan Queen, Gorgo; David Wenham appears as Dilios; Andrew Tiernan plays Ephialtes; Andrew Pleavin plays Daxos; and Rodrigo Santoro returns in the role of the Persian God-King, Xerxes. The film is based on the graphic novel Xerxes, by Frank Miller. "300: Rise of an Empire" will open on March 7, 2014.
Visit an entire gallery from the event at PictureLuximages.com
2014
By Joseph Martinez -
The Lego movie has been assembled and is ready for display as evidenced by it's recent premiere in Westwood, Ca on Saturday (February 1, 2014).
The saturated and vivid colors of Lego bricks brightened up LA as Warner Bros. took over a whole city block at Broxton Avenue, creating an enclosed world for the 'The Lego Movie' Premiere. The computer-animated feature had a giant Lego themed red carpet at the Regency Village Theater, near UCLA in Los Angeles, and was a star-filled extravaganza. Many of the stars voicing the characters were present including Chris Pratt, Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Will Arnett, Elizabeth banks to name just a few.
Anna Faris showed off an amazing post-baby body at the Lego premiere as husband Chris Pratt, who plays Emmet in the film, held on to her tight as they posed for the photographers.
Elizabeth Banks, who voices the character of Wyldstyle in the film, looked far from wild and quite a bit more conservative in a fashionably svelte Osman jumpsuit, Jimmy Choo shoes and Edie Parker clutch.
About the film: “The LEGO® Movie” is the first-ever, full-length theatrical LEGO® adventure. Directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller the original 3D computer-animated story follows Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO minifigure who is mistakenly identified as The Special, the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world. He is drafted into a fellowship of strangers on an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant, a journey for which Emmet is hopelessly and hilariously under prepared. (Photos by © 2014 Joe Martinez/ Picturelux - All Rights Reserved)
“The LEGO® Movie” in theaters Friday February 7, 2014
2014
By Joseph Martinez -
James Avery, best known for his portrayal of the patriarch, Will Smith's character's uncle in the TV sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, died at the age of 68 from complications following open heart surgery in a Los Angeles suburb hospital.
His publicist, Toni Benson, confirmed the news of his death to CNN, as well as his former co-star Alfonso Ribeiro, who tweeted, "I'm deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away. He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly."
Avery was born in 1945 in Pughsville, Suffolk County, Virginia and raised in Atlantic City, New Jersey. After graduating high school, he served in the Vietnam War as a member of the U.S. Navy from 1968–1969, Later on, he moved to San Diego, California where he began to write poetry and TV scripts.
Besides playing the beloved character 'Uncle Phil' on the show (ranked as one of TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time"), Avery was a prominent voice actor who supplied the voice of Shredder in the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" television cartoon and the voice of War Machine in the animated "Iron Man" series.
Avery had recently undergone open heart surgery and reportedly died from complications from the operation. Avery is survived by his wife Barbara, whom he had been married to for 26 years, his mother, Florence, and his step-son, Kevin Waters. (photo: © 2013 Joe Martinez / Picturelux)