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Frankly My Dear...

    Frankly My Dear...

    Plane from ‘Run Diary’ is from Tavares

    Posted: 18 Oct 2011 04:49 AM PDT

    One of the things I was paying attention to as I watched Johnny Depp’s new film, “Rum Diary,” was the 1960 vintage architecture, clothes and vehicles in this San Juan story based on a Hunter S. Thompson account of his early years in journalism.

    There’s a classic corvette, an ancient Fiat and a 1960 or so Austin Healey.

    And a Twin Bee seaplane that transports Depp’s reporter character to an island that developers want to convert from a bombing range to a resort.

    The actual plane from the movie is in Tavares, not that far from the “True Grit” train, it turns out.

    Tavares, America's Seaplane City is now home to a seaplane "star".  Eric Weaver, owner of Jones Brothers & Co., Seaplane Adventures, had the exciting opportunity to appear with his Twin Bee amphibious aircraft in the soon to be released movie, "The Rum Diary" starring Johnny Depp.  Weaver flew the Twin Bee to Puerto Rico, primary shooting location for the movie, where he and the seaplane appeared in various aerial shots. He also piloted Johnny Depp in several scenes for the movie, as well as other actors in the film.

    Weaver operates the Twin Bee out of the Tavares Seaplane Base, offering both tours and pilot instruction.  The "Bee" is a twin engine, five seat amphibious plane that flies up to 147 mph, with a 900 mile range. The aircraft is tied-down next to the Tavares Prop Shop at 150 E. Ruby Street in downtown Tavares.  Movie buffs are welcome to stop by, talk to Weaver about his adventures in moving making, and to take a photo with the Twin Bee.

    Shia transforms into ‘A Giant’ for a romantic comedy

    Posted: 18 Oct 2011 04:43 AM PDT

    Here’s the latest Shia LaBeouf project, fresh from Variety.

    Shia will play  giant in an untitled quirky love story, shooting under the working title “A Giant.”

    “Gil Kenan (“Monster House”) will direct from a script he wrote”…about “a girl, broke and running from a series of bad relationships, who moves back home to reconnect with her brother. Instead she forms a relationship with a 20-foot tall man-child who lives next door, to be played by LaBeouf.”

    Sounds commercial, yes?

    ‘Bridesmaid’ Melissa McCarthy sells her ‘Tammy’ script

    Posted: 18 Oct 2011 03:50 AM PDT

    Melissa McCarthy has learned from her “Bridesmaids” co-star Kristen Wiig’s example, and written a script around a character tailor made for her talents.

    The Hollywood Reporter describes “Tammy” and a “raunchy” road picture about an overweight working class gal (she flips burgers at Hardees, suggesting this will be a Southern story) who hits the highway with her foul-mouthed (naturally) diabetic alcoholic grandmother after learning her husband has been cheating on her.

    Is Kathy Bates too young for that grandmother role? Shirley MacLaine and Olympia Dukakis can’t play all the foul-mouthed grannies.

    New Line has snapped it up. Sounds something like “Bridesmaids” in its low-self-esteem journey of self-discovery motif.

    McCarthy is a red hot property right now so getting this one going has to be hers and the studio’s top priority.

    Hasbro loses ‘Ouija Board’ and Clue’ movies, so they need ‘Transformers 4, 5′

    Posted: 18 Oct 2011 03:40 AM PDT

    Shia LaBeouf has been widely quoted as being “done” with the “Transformers” film franchise. He did it nicely. He complimented people and things that didn’t need to be complimented, but he’s out.

    But Hasbro, the toy maker, is just getting into the movie business, thanks to “Transformers” and the upcoming “Battleship.” They’re not sure how many of their products they can package as movies. They’ve already been told a couple of their planned film ideas are too weak to pursue (board games). They’ve had the sobering realization that Taylor Lautner may not be a movie star who can open a film, thus “Stretch Armstrong” is now a 2013 project.

    Hasbro has J.J. Abrams involved in a “Micronauts” project, and they’ve brought on a “Zombieland” screenwriter to push that toy-to-movie idea forward.

    And they’re determined to get a little more out of “Transformers” and they’re pushing on with a fourth film.

    Paramount, which collected its share of the massive box office take of the last film, is on board and hinting it wants to shoot two films concurrently.

    Carla Gugino on ‘MILF,’ ‘The Road to Mecca’

    Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:20 AM PDT

    Years have passed since Carla Gugino made “The Mighty Macs,” an indie sports drama about the rise of tiny Immaculata College (then, University now) to to pinnacle of women’s college basketball, transforming the sport to the game it is today and leading women into sports and social equality with men. But it’s finally out this weekend.

    A busy busy actress who mixes sexy roles with more nurturing fare (“Sucker Punch” almost combined the two), the Sarasota native has long been a favorite of mine. She’s amazed that the sports-and-girls centered “Mighty Macs” is earning a big rollout — 1,000 screens, but more on that later.

    Since “Macs,” she’s made a string of movies, “a noir, ‘Girl Walks into a Bar’ with Rosario Dawson, Danny DeVito, Robert Forster, Alexis Bledel” and many others. She just finished a TNT movie, “Hide,” based on writer Lisa Gardner’s detective/heroine D.D. Warren. Gugino had “Righteous Kill” with DeNiro and Pacino, “Faster,” “Sucker Punch,” and several other projects come out in the interim.

    At the end of our chat about “Mighty Macs,” I asked her about her next plans — getting an update on her next trip on stage and a rumored film that had a certain cachet, at least in its title.

    “I’m about to do Athol Fugard’s ‘The Road To Mecca’ with Rosemary Harris this winter (December).  Rosemary has an extraordinary role, thanks to this play. We’re doing it at the Roundabout. Definitely worth flying into the city to catch that one.”

    And “MILF,” a film idea she’s been linked to? Yeah, she may be the movies’ “poster actress for that acronym,” but in this revenge thriller for the director of “P2″, it would stand for “Mothers I’d Like to Fight.” Is that happening?

    “I don’t know that ‘MILF’ is going to get off the ground. There are a lot of action elements to that movie, so there’s cost. It’s a great character to play and he has a great idea for that piece. But ti has to come together in a way that will allow it to get financed”

    Salma Hayek’s projects in the works — ‘The Prophet,’ ‘Wicked’

    Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:07 AM PDT

    Every since “Frida,” we’ve known Salma Hayek was more than just a sultry presence on the screen.

    Ever since “Ugly Betty,” we knew she was a producer with an eye for talent and material that would click with audiences.

    She has four movies in the can, “Puss in Boots” opening Oct. 28, and a bunch of projects on her producer’s plate. Let’s catch up.

    “Right now we are working on some things, no new series,” she says.  “We have a couple of feature films, a movie for Lifetime, and a mini-series for ABC. I get to do 'Wicked' for ABC. I am producing that!

    “I am also producing an animated film version of 'The Prophet,' by Kahil Gibran.  That's my baby. It's what's taking all my time these days. That's a huge thing for us, and I get to wear my producing hat for that one, too.

    “In the acting business, I have four movies in the can. A French film (“Americano”) for Mathieu Demy, son of Agnes Varda and Jacques Demy. He is like the child of French cinema royalty, and I was happy to have a part in his first film.

    I did a movie with Alex de la Iglesia (“La Chispa de la vida”)  in Spain.

    I did this amazing comedy, “Here Comes the Boom,” with Kevin James that is going to surprise people about him. A great experience, .

    And I just finished 'Savages,' with Oliver Stone. I survived. Just barely.”