The Valley Wire -5/7/2010

Hollywood Kicks Summer Off Early
By Mary Beth Gentle

Clear your schedule. Start the Countdown. Prepare to dive into a tub of popcorn. Because folks, summer has come early to Hollywood. Even though it is still May and we are barely into spring, the summer movies have arrived. The first three films this cube dweller has circled on her calendar are; Iron Man 2 on May 7th and Robin Hood and Letters to Juliet both May 14th. These are the three kick-off movies for what looks to be a very good movie summer.




From the trailer, Iron Man 2 promises to be the sequel to end all sequels. In the first Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. delivered the action-packed tale of wealthy, playboy genius Tony Stark who after a tragic accident is turned into the ultimate super human machine. In the second movie, Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark/Iron Man and will have to battle it out against his Russian arch nemesis, Whiplash, played by Mickey Rourke. Also making their Iron Man debuts are Sam Rockwell as corporate rival Justin Hammer and Scarlett Johansson as Russian spy Black Widow. Early word from those in the Hollywood cubicles who were lucky enough to catch an advanced screening is thumbs up!






The next movie I will be racing from my cube on to go see will be Robin Hood on May 14th. It is being advertised as ‘The story behind the legend’. This latest take on the classic tale of adventure stars Russell Crowe and is directed by Ridley Scott. That right there tells me that this movie will blow the classic Errol Flynn Robin Hood out of the water! If you haven’t seen the trailer, go check it out online and I am sure you will be standing in line to see it on opening night.







And finally, there is Letters to Juliet, also out May 14th. Just typing the title made me smile a little. I have been watching this trailer for months and I can’t wait to go see it. This is not a race to the theatre, guns and swords blazing summer popcorn movie, this one looks to be a heartwarming tale of that ever elusive second chance at love and I have very high hopes for it. When a Young American girl, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) travels to the city of Verona and finds a long lost love letter she inspires its author (Vanessa Redgrave) to go in search of her lost love. Along the way Sophie finds true love of her own. Now, if that doesn’t get you to the theater I don’t know what will!

So, whether it is the action hero intensity of Iron Man 2, the swashbuckling heroics of Robin Hood or the search for true love in Letters to Juliet, this summer movie season looks to be shaping up to be a great one! So, even though we are still in spring, my summer starts May 7th with Iron Man 2!

The Valley Wire - 3/5/2010 Column

Hollywood Rolls Out the Red Carpet
By Mary Beth Gentle

This year when Hollywood rolls out the red carpet there will be quite a few more hopeful filmmakers walking down it. This year, the best picture category goes from five films to ten, with all of them vying for the coveted title of Best Picture. That’s five more films that Academy Members have to watch, five more sets of filmmakers crossing their fingers and five more chances that a movie I actually saw will win the top prize. The top ten contenders this year are; Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Bastards, Precious, A Serious Man, Up and The Air Up There.

It’s tough to clearly know which Film will be the big winner this year. There are more choices than there have been since 1944 – that was the year the Academy began restricting the nominations to five films. But, it seems like this year, even with double the titles – it looks to be coming down to two films that will be going for the golden statue, Avatar and The Hurt Locker. They have gone head to head at all the award events up to this point.

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker follows a United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team during the Iraq War as they deal with defusing bombs, the threat of insurgency and their own internal tensions. The film is based on the accounts of freelance journalist Mark Boal as he expertly tells the story of soldiers dealing with life in a war zone. The film practically swept the BAFTA’s (British Academy Awards) and has been winning Guild Awards all over town.

In the story of Avatar, Oscar-winning director James Cameron takes us to a world beyond the imagination. Set in the future, paraplegic war veteran, Jake Sully is sent to the moon called Pandora where he will become an Avatar. He will regain the use of his legs as he is transformed into one of the indigenous people on the planet. In his new body, he will embark on an epic adventure to save a race of people and a planet from its human invaders. Avatar has also won awards with Best Picture at the Golden Globes, but with a gross of 700 Million domestically and close to 2.5 Billion worldwide, it has really been the biggest winner at the box office.

This is the first year in a long time that I have actually seen more than just one of the nominated films. For that reason alone, it promises to be an exciting Awards show. And even though there are films that deserve the golden statue for their dramatic story telling or for their heartbreaking honesty, I can’t help but cling to the hope that the box office favorite, Avatar, will take home the big win. And it’s not for any other reason than it has done for movies what none other has done in a long while, it has pulled people out of their homes, out of their routines, away from their television sets and brought them back into the movie theatre.

So, no matter what your favorite film may be, I hope you take the time to tune into the Academy Awards show on March 7th, grab a bowl of popcorn and sit back and enjoy the show. Because no matter what film takes home the prize this year, it’s bound to be worth watching.

The Valley Wire - 2/5/2010 Column

Hollywood and the Valentine
by Mary Beth Gentle

Love is in the air in Hollywood. Some desks in the Hollywood cubicles are scattered with rose petals, while dishes of little candy hearts adorn others and a few are even draped in black with warnings to stay clear until after February 14th. But, no matter who you are or what your view of the heart shaped holiday might be, Hollywood has always been more than happy to fill our Valentine's Day with a love story or two.

From the classics to the current favorites, if this Valentine's Day involves a movie night, you will have more than enough to choose from. If you decide to go the classic movie route, then topping my list would have to be An Affair to Remember. For me, nothing says 'romantic movie' like Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr falling in love, falling apart and finding each other again. I don't care how many times I have sat and watched that movie, it still gets me right in the heart, every single time. Another of my favorite classic love stories is a romantic comedy called, The Shop Around the Corner. You may know this one as the Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks remake, You've Got Mail. But, if you haven't seen the original starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullivan as two pen-pals who find love, trust me, it's worth the rental!

An addition to the Valentine Day movie list this year is La Cucina. The triple-award winning film featuring Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) in her feature film debut opposite international star Joaquim de Almeida (The Burning Plain and 24), super-model-turned actress, Rachel Hunter (A Walk in the Park) and Showtime's L Word pin-up girl Leisha Hailey has just been released on DVD and Blu-Ray.



La Cucina is a slice of life about the ways in which we search for love. In the kitchens of neighboring apartments, two conversations go late into the night. Downstairs, young successful Lily (Hendricks) squares off in an emotional duel with the dashing and sophisticated older man, Michael (de Almeida). In the kitchen above, the very pregnant Shelly (Hailey) is terrified that becoming a mother will drive her husband away and turns to her lesbian friend Jude (Hunter) who is in a long-term relationship for advice. Through the night, as they cook up culinary delights, they share their dreams and fears, they argue and they reveal their darkest secrets on their quest to figure out what makes a relationship work. Delving into the tangled web of their lives, La Cucina also reminds us, in mouthwatering detail, that food and love go hand in hand.

La Cucina was written by award winning screenwriter and novelist, AW Gryphon. Recently, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to speak with her about her latest film...

What was your inspiration for writing La Cucina?
I love to cook. I love the kitchen. And I love what the process of preparing a meal does to people. In my experience, the kitchen is the least self-conscious room in the house. People relax, they eat, they drink. People tend not to over think things in the kitchen, they just live - and they talk. For me, the best conversations always happen in the kitchen, and one night after a doozey, a friend of mine suggested that I write it down. The idea swirled around in my head for a few years, and then one day I just decided it was time to put it down on paper. Seven months later we began filming. Just like that.

How closely did the final film follow your original script?
The final movie is not too far from the script I wrote. There were some dialogue adjustments, as to be expected. The neighbor paying guitar was not in the script at all, that was an idea that the Director brought to the table. That character (Ian Ball) was also our composer and is the lead guitarist in the band Gomez. The biggest change was that in the original script all of the characters lived in various parts of Los Angeles, and in the final product they are all neighbors living in the same apartment building.

La Cucina won Best Screenplay at the Bragacine International Festival of Independent Cinema and in addition to it's DVD release, has been airing on Showtime.

And if you are looking for a Family movie night this Valentine's Day, then the Disney Channel has a brand new one premiering just for the occasion, Starstruck. Written by the wonderful screenwriter, Annie DeYoung, Starstruck is a music and adventure-filled movie about a Hollywood pop star who, after unexpectedly meeting a down-to-earth Midwest girl is faced with either following his heart or doing what is best for his glitzy career. The movie stars the Disney Channel favorite, Sterling Knight and Danielle Campbell and premieres Sunday, February 14th on the Disney Channel.



So, no matter if your Valentine's Day is filled with rose petals, candy hearts or draped in black there are plenty of movies out there to fit your mood and remind us that when it comes to Hollywood - Love is in the air! Happy Valentine's Day!

The Valley Wire -1/15/2010

Hollywood and the New Year
By Mary Beth Gentle

New Year’s Resolution lists begin the same way every year; Start that long overdue exercise routine. Tackle the dreaded diet. Spend more time with Family and Friends. And everyone in Hollywood, from the super elite to the lowly cube dwellers, want the same thing, a fresh start. Each New Year holds the promise for a chance to begin again. It is the chance to wash away the mistakes of the past year and to set out on a new path. Whether we believe we will be able to achieve everything that we write down on our list or not, we cling to the hope that it just might be possible.

I can only begin to guess what the Hollywood Elite have put on their New Years Resolution list. I am sure that the one thing topping the Studio Executives list for 2010 is to be the lucky Studio to have a hit like Avatar. I can almost guarantee that there have already been a multitude of meetings to figure out how to achieve this goal. Entire Studio conference rooms are no doubt filled with writers pitching their epic Sci-Fi love stories to overly eager creative teams. Production executives are busily analyzing the new technology trends to see what they can imitate. And Finance Executives are plotting out budget scenario after budget scenario.

And I am sure the Hollywood talent roster has the same type of list going, although since most of them already live and breathe salads and sit-ups, theirs will probably start off with hopes of being on the short list for the Oscar worthy material making its way around town. Or they could be hoping to star in the next big hit movie or TV Series so they can be even bigger mega-stars than they already are.

But here in the lowly Hollywood Cubicle, the lists are a little more down to earth and I think realistic. When I sat down to write my list this year, I decided that I wanted it to be something I could actually achieve. So this year I left off the big grand goals of winning the lottery or jetting off to Paris on a whim and I decided to get down to the bare roots of what I wanted to achieve in a years time. I started off with the required three resolutions:

1. Get myself to the gym at least three times a week.
2. Stick to my Diet and eat healthier.
3. Spend more time with my Family and Friends.

With the standards out of the way I really dug deep to see what mattered and what I thought I could achieve:

4. Sit down at the computer and write a few articles a month (something I a sure your Editor will appreciate!)
5. Organize my photographs – I have boxes and computer files full of them. (This one is tedious but totally achievable)
6. Pull out the novel that I have been working on for years, dust it off and get it finished.

Okay. That was the one that got me. That was the one that mattered. And that was when it hit me – I could do this. This list was something I could put up on my cube wall and make happen. And then because lists are no fun without at least on big grand goal I wrote down one more:

7. Get my book published.

And that was it, my list was complete and I was ready for the New Year. If you haven’t made your New Year’s Resolution list yet, it’s not too late. You never know what you can achieve until you try – Imagine the possibilities! Happy 2010 everyone!

La Cucina on DVD!!!

Out on DVD and BLU-RAY TODAY from the wonderful Writer AW Gryphon!!! Order your copy now! You can also rent from Netflix!

A triple-award winning film starring Christina Hendricks ( Mad Men breakout sensation) in her film debut opposite international star Joaquim de Almeida ( Three Rivers, The Burning Plain, 24 ), supermodel-turned actress Rachel Hunter ( A Walk in the Park ) and Showtime s L Word pin-up girl Leisha Hailey, La Cucina is a brief slice of life about the ways in which we search for love. In the kitchens of neighboring apartments, two conversations go late into the night. Downstairs, young successful Lily (Hendricks) squares off in an emotional duel with the dashing and sophisticated older man, Michael (Almeida). In the kitchen above, the very pregnant Shelly (Hailey) is terrified that becoming a mother will drive away her husband and has turned for advice to her lesbian friend Jude (Hunter),sure that this magnificent cook who s been in a long-term relationship has it all figured out. Through the night, as they cook up culinary delights, they share dreams and fears, argue, and reveal their darkest secrets, as they try to figure out what makes a relationship work. Delving into the tangled web of attraction, lust, commitment, marriage, betrayal, insecurity, affection and hope, La Cucina also reminds us, in mouthwatering detail, that food and love go hand in hand.

The Valley Wire -12/4/2009

Hollywood and the Holiday Movie
By Mary Beth Gentle

Candy canes hanging on the Christmas tree. Sugar cookies baking in the oven. Burl Ives belting out a classic tune on the radio. These are just a few of the holiday traditions that I look forward to every year. But, the one thing that always makes my holiday season complete is sitting down and deciding which of the big studio movies will make it onto my Christmas movie wish list. And this year without a doubt, my top three holiday picks are Walt Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, James Cameron’s Avatar and Universal Pictures It’s Complicated.

The Princess and the Frog is Walt Disney Animation Studios return to 2D Animation. It is the real thing; it is old school hand-drawn animation that we have not seen from Disney for quite some time. Christmas came early for me this year, I was lucky enough to attend an advanced screening and the one thing I can say is that Disney has delivered classic family fun, complete with an unforgettable soundtrack in The Princess and the Frog.

The story is set during the Jazz era in the heart of New Orleans. A young woman named Tiana works three jobs to fulfill a dream born out of the love for her father and the many hours spent cooking in the family kitchen. She plans to save enough money to open her own restaurant to make those dreams come true. When the young and handsome, jazz-loving Prince Naveen of Maldonia comes to town, he gets into trouble with a shady Voodoo Doctor in the hopes of making money the easy way. But, the Voodoo Doctor sees it as his own chance to make a fortune and turns the Prince into a frog. That is when the classic tale takes a turn for the worse and the fateful kiss from the beautiful girl, Tiana, turns her into a frog instead of turning the young Prince into a human again. The story quickly takes the two young frogs on an unexpected adventure through the bayous of Louisiana and the excitement of the New Orleans Mardi Gras as they learn to dig deep to find the true meaning of life and love.

In the story of Avatar, Oscar-winning director James Cameron takes us to a world beyond the imagination. Set in the future, paraplegic war veteran, Jake Sully is sent to the moon called Pandora where he will become an Avatar. He will regain the use of his legs as he is transformed into one of the indigenous people on the planet. In his new body, he will embark on an epic adventure to save a race of people and a planet from its human invaders. It took James Cameron over five years to bring his vision to the screen and as VFX Editor, Christopher Marino, who has worked on the movie for the past three years says, “Avatar promises to deliver the goods on December 18th!”

It’s Complicated is the third movie on my Holiday movie wish list. It stars Meryl Streep as Jane, the mother of three grown children and the owner of a thriving restaurant. After a decade of divorce, she has formed an amicable relationship with her ex-husband, Jake, played by Alec Baldwin. But, when Jane and Jake find themselves out of town for their son’s college graduation, emotions and old desires get out of control. The complication begins as we learn of Jake’s remarriage to a much younger woman and Jane’s involvement with Adam, an architect played by Steve Martin. Should Jane and Jake move on with their lives or do they give love a second chance? Thus the title, It’s complicated.

The Princess and the Frog leaps to the screen on December 11th, Avatar lands in theatres on December 18th and It’s Complicated hits the screens on Christmas day. Three weeks of what promises to be top-notch entertainment and the perfect gift this Christmas. I hope you all get the opportunity to sneak away from the Office party, skip out on one trip to the mall or maybe turn a family holiday outing into a trip to the Cineplex for at least one movie this busy Holiday season. Happy Holiday’s from the Hollywood Cubicle, to one and all!

The Valley Wire - 10/30/2009 Column

Hollywood and the Spookiest Time of the Year
By Mary Beth Gentle

Blood curdling screams. Nightmares come to life. Hearts pounding in fear. And those are not just the sounds coming from the offices of studio executives as they react to the latest box office flop, but clear signs that Halloween time has come to Hollywood. No one, except maybe the real ghouls themselves, can do Halloween quite like Hollywood. From the frighteningly real make-up to the edge of your seat Visual EFX to the spine tingling soundtracks, Hollywood has spent years perfecting the fine art of fear.

Every year we fill up our movie viewing time with our favorite scary movies. If it’s classic horror that you are after, you can try a chilling line-up such as Psycho, The Birds and Rosemary’s Baby. If it’s tales from your nightmares that make your Halloween complete you can watch a title or two from one of the famed series such as, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street or Halloween. Or maybe it’s just plain spooky family fun you are looking for with It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, Hocus Pocus or The Nightmare Before Christmas.

I grew up trick or treating, eating caramel apples and watching It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown every Halloween. And even though age has insisted that I stop trick or treating and calorie counting has ruined the fun of a chewy sugary caramel apple, I still sit down every year and watch Charlie Brown and the gang set out to fill their trick or treat bags and convince Linus that there is no such thing as a ‘Great Pumpkin’.

The Peanuts special first aired in 1966 and has captured many hearts since that time. And every year I tune in to see the kids prepare their costumes, see the excitement in Charlie Brown’s face when he gets invited to the big Halloween party and watch Linus’ unending faith in the Great Pumpkin. And even though I know the story by heart, I still hope that poor old Charlie Brown is going to get more than just a rock in his goodie bag.

But, when it comes to Halloween in Hollywood, the big and the small screen is not the only place to see the spooky holiday come to life. I just have to walk across the Studio lot on the big day to see the real fun begin. There is always one guy whose cube looks like a scene from Tales from the Crypt, clearly he knows someone in the Prop Department. Then there is the woman a few cubes over who looks like she just might be the Wicked Witch of the West. And a trip to the Studio commissary at lunchtime is like walking onto a set of The Living Dead.

I have been in this business long enough to know that it is all make believe. I have been on set with the fake monsters and watched the make-up artists work wonders with tubes of fake blood. But, even knowing all of that, my imagination still gets the best of me. So even though there is quite a list of fright filled movies to pick from, I will probably opt for yet another viewing of Charlie Brown this year.