hollywood

Can we believe media reports of the scandal swirling around actor-director Mel Gibson? That he was arrested for drunken driving, spewed angry racist remarks and received preferential treatment? Should we care whether or not “American Idol’s” Simon Cowell has a girl in every port? Does it really matter to us if new parents Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie refrained from “physical intimacy” or indulged in it while Brad was still married to someone else?

Consumer fascination, media dissection, factual distortion, and emotional intensity surround many of America’s celebrities who pass as heroes in today’s cult of personality. Perhaps the proliferation of fallen heroes is a direct result of whom we choose to worship as such. Who could possibly live up to the standards we set? Whether they’re acting, singing, dancing, shooting hoops, making touchdowns, flying to the moon, performing double axels on the ice, serving in political office, writing best sellers, heading a corporation, wrestling opponents into a stranglehold, promoting peace, or waging war, America has an obsession with modern heroes.

Our obsessive interest, however, doesn’t produce a concise definition. Traditional heroes who suffer and sacrifice for a higher purpose are pass

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Go ahead, make his day!

The perpetually squinting marine-core-drill-sergeant-tough Eastwood has defined what it means to be a hard-hitting, merciless but ultimately fair and honest enforcer of “justice,” starting way back with his Italian Spaghetti-Western movies like For a Fist Full of Dollars (1964).

He was born in San Francisco, CA on May 31, 1930.

His other tough-guy classics include Hang’Em High (1968), Kelly’s Heroes (1970), Magnum Force (1973), Unforgiven (1992), In The Line of Fire (1993), Play Misty For Me (1971), Dirty Harry (1971), Absolute Power (1997), Blood Work (2002) and Million Dollar Baby (2004).

Nominated for 5 times, he won an Academy Award in 1993 for Unforgiven and TWO awards in 2005 - for Best Achievement in Directing for Million Dollar Baby (2004), and Best Motion Picture of the Year for Million Dollar Baby (2004) (shared with Albert S. Ruddy and Tom Rosenberg).

Incredibly, in the same year Eastwood was nominated for YET ANOTHER Oscar which he did not win - that of Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Million Dollar Baby (2004).

Did you know these trivia facts about Eastwood?

1) His father was a steel worker.

2) He served for a term as the Mayor of Carmel, California.

3) He was a big baby at birth, weighing 11 lbs 6 oz.

4) Owns a members-only private golf club “Tehama” in Carmel Valley, California.

5) When he won the Best Director Oscar for Million Dollar Baby (2004), he became the oldest director to do so at age 74

Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation. He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 100 companies for the last 7 years.

In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and a Member of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI).

You can reach him at writer111@gmail.com for a FREE consultation on all your copywriting needs.

You are most welcomed to visit his official web site http://www.writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials. While at it, you might also want to check the latest book he has edited: http://www.lulu.com/content/263630

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How often have you seen a movie which was entertaining enough and beautiful to look at but the most important roles were played by actors who didn’t fit? And the opposite; an actor who was so right for the role that it is hard to imagine how anyone else could play that part.

Spartacus has been remade and it may be that the new version appeals to a younger, present-day oriented crowd, but to me Kirk Douglas was so exactly right in the role that anyone else seems tame. There were many excellent actors in that first Spartacus, some who might be considered better actors, but Douglas WAS Spartacus.

How does the casting director make such crucial decisions? There appears to be some genius to it. Lynn Stalmaster is the best know of the long time casting directors. It is said that he never spent more than five minutes with an actor. He had the knack of knowing whether an actor was suitable just by looking at him or her for a few moments, and asking just a question of two.

According to him he works very hard to get the right person. The Hollywood Reported did a great interview with him. You can find it here:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/interviews/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2072058

If the link doesn’t work properly, type in his name in Google and you will find it.

The Internet Movie dataBase lists 383 movies that he has cast. Actors, directors, producers and crew would benefit by studying Stalmaster’s approach. Star Search Casting is a casting company that is available as a website where actors and others can get a great deal of information and create a presence.

John Houston, who used Lynn Stalmaster, was once asked by an actor on the set why Houston didn’t give him any direction. Houston reportedly replied that once the casting was done well, the movie would make itself. If he got the right actor, there was no need for direction.

Jack Wilson is an artist and writer in Tempe, AZ

http://www.geocities.com/galimatio/jackwilson.html

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