http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/ HAL - Hollywood's Aggregated Links en-US 2009-05-20T13:39:33-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/05/so-long-and-thanks-for-all-the-fish-the-one-where-hal-says-goodbye.html Hi, all. This post isn't really a post -- it's the last post for HAL. I really enjoyed collecting the links, and the writing, but as the blog's increasing (in)frequency will testify, there isn't enough time to do it. However,... Variety 2009-05-20T13:39:33-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/bob-dylans-first-manager-the-fast-strange-life-of-roy-silver.html Funny, you don't look famous: Roy Silver, Bob Dylan's first manager A new Bob Dylan album is always cause for curiosity, especially when it comes to the extras that have been a feast for hard-core Bobologists. The deluxe edition of... Music Variety 2009-04-30T18:51:54-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/ashton-kutcher-vs-everybody-the-valentines-daydel-twitter-smackdown.html Laurie Percival at Lalawag astutely noticed that Ashton Kutcher has somehow managed to finagle nearly 800,000 Twitter followers -- second only to CNN Breaking News. Then Kutcher made a video saying he would "ding dong ditch" Ted Turner's house if... Online Variety 2009-04-16T13:35:05-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/joseph-helfgot-face-of-the-future.html Our own Joseph Helfgot, founder of Variety sister company MarketCast, died earlier this month from complications of a heart transplant. However, as The Wrap reports, he will live on: In a Hollywood-style ending to a colorful life, Joseph Helfgot, the... Various and Sundry Variety 2009-04-14T12:30:59-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/lindsay-lohan-does-her-best-work-in-years.html Give Lindsay Lohan credit for having a sense of humor, and a willingness to poke fun at her tabloid-darling status and her recent break-up with Sam Ronson. La Lohan made a faux eHarmony profile vid that just hit FunnyOrDie.com. It's... Variety 2009-04-14T10:52:38-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/cameron-crowe-working-on-pearl-jam-movie.html Billboard is reporting that director Cameron Crowe and Pearl Jam are teaming up on an upcoming film about the Seattle-based rock group. The project, which sounds like a compilation of pre-existing Pearl Jam footage, was revealed last month on Seattle's... Music Variety 2009-04-13T16:56:19-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/phil-spector-in-happier-times.html This was Phil Spector as captured some 33 years ago by Brad Elterman at the Magic Castle. It's part of an exhibition that will open May 9 at Equator Books in Venice. Also of note: A virtually unrecognizable Leif Garrett... Celebrity Variety 2009-04-13T16:26:13-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/michael-bay-and-thundercats-the-onion-needs-to-try-harder.html From The Onion: Michael Bay Signs $50M Deal To Fuck Up 'Thundercats' LOS ANGELES—In the largest deal ever made to shit out a movie, Warner Bros. and director Michael Bay announced a landmark $50 million agreement this week to monumentally... Film Variety 2009-04-13T13:38:18-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/the-caa-email-when-they-say-well-we-got-someone-else-who-will-do-it-for-less-they-aint-kidding.html An 1,875-word email -- one that details the current challenges in the entertainment industry, that may or may not have been sent by a CAA talent agent to his/her clients -- is making the rounds in Hollywood. [UPDATED 4/13: A... Agents Variety 2009-04-10T17:00:01-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/short-film-cillian-murphy-and-feist-star-in-the-water.html Broken Social Scene frontman Kevin Drew directs this touching yet somewhat unraveling short entitled, "The Water." We'd tell you what it's about but we don't want to ruin the surprise. Cillian Murphy ("28 Days Later," "Batman Begins") and Drew's close... Film Variety 2009-04-10T16:28:24-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/trailer-mike-judges-extract-starring-jason-bateman-and-ben-affleck.html Fans of Mike Judge rejoice! The hilarious creator of such hits as "Office Space" and "King of the Hill" appears to be returning to form in "Extract," Miramax's new comedy starring Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck and Mila Kunis. Check out... Film Variety 2009-04-08T18:13:16-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/video-zac-efron-random-celebs-star-in-new-funny-or-die-sketch.html Director Adam Shankman's first Funny or Die experience was for the wildly popular (and hilarious) "Prop 8: The Musical," starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly and a long list of other notable celebs. In a new, albeit much less comical,... Celebrity Variety 2009-04-08T13:02:47-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/star-trek-the-porno-remake-slated-for-may-12-release.html Just in time to embrace the "Star Trek" juggernaut, Hustler Video has wrapped production on "This Ain't Star Trek XXX." For those who keep track of such things, it's the latest title in Hustler's trademark-skating series of porno parodies that... Porn Variety 2009-04-07T17:11:45-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/music-video-eminems-new-single-we-made-you-.html Celebrities beware: Slim Shady is ba'aack. "We Made You," Eminem's first not-so-great single off of the forthcoming disc, "Relapse," has gotten the video treatment. The Detroit rapper's latest targets? Jessica Simpson, Sarah Palin and Lindsay Lohan, among others. Music Variety 2009-04-07T13:12:47-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/video-snl-and-seth-rogen-parody-fast-furious.html Thanks to original cast members Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, Universal's "Fast & Furious" drove off with a record-breaking $72.3 million at the box office over the weekend. Meanwhile, Seth Rogen and "Saturday Night Live's" Andy Samberg took the street-racing... TV Variety 2009-04-06T12:41:58-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/three-days-three-fox-statements-roger-friedman-is-reprehensible-and-was-fired-over-wolverine-or-mayb.html If you aren't up to speed on the fracas inspired by the "Wolverine" piracy/Roger Friedman review, click here. As to where things stand now? Depends who you ask! On Friday, when Friedman posted his "Wolverine" review, this was blowback from... Film Variety 2009-04-05T14:53:04-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/fox-removes-wolverine-review-reviewer.html This week's online leak of "Wolverine" wreaked 31 flavors of corporate havoc at 20th Century Fox -- so what was Fox News "freelance" columnist (a decade's worth of freelancing, but who's counting) Roger Friedman thinking when he posted a review... Film Variety 2009-04-04T21:24:29-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/ever-hear-of-swastika-probably-not-it-was-made-in-1973-and-didnt-get-much-further-than-the-cannes-film-festival-where-the.html Ever hear of "Swastika"? Maybe not; Philippe Mora and Lutz Becker's 1973 documentary about how Nazis infiltrated German lives had a rough go ever since its Cannes Film Festival premiere, which had to be stopped when audience members began fighting.... Documentaries Variety 2009-04-03T17:27:05-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/video-keira-knightley-beaten-to-a-pulp-in-new-domestic-violence-ad.html Whenever director Joe Wright and Keira Knightley team up ("Pride and Prejudice," "Atonement"), there's usually a whirlwind romance, tea party dresses, and gaping English hillsides, but never has the 24-year old actress taken a bruiser for Joe (unless, of course,... Celebrity Variety 2009-04-03T13:30:35-07:00 http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/2009/04/trailer-bruno-warning-restricted-footage.html Just days after the MPAA slapped Sacha Baron Cohen and Universal Pictures' "Bruno" with an NC-17 rating, the "Borat" creator has unleashed the first trailer for his new comedy on MySpace. Enjoy. Warning: Adult content ahead! (Video may take a... Film Variety 2009-04-02T13:45:31-07:00