Cineplex Magazine April 2005

april 2005 | volume 6 | number 4
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contents
Famous | volume 6 | number 4
22
28
FEATURES
16 TILLY ENDURABLE
Glamour puss JENNIFER TILLY
talks about turning 40, keeping
her bust line real and playing a
nurse in the bittersweet Canadian
film Saint Ralph
I BY MATHIEU CHANTELOIS
18 KUTCHER KUTCHER COO

ASHTON KUTCHER continues his
cutie-pie ways starring alongside
Amanda Peet in the rom-com
A Lot Like Love. But according to
the former model, his lifes work
goes beyond getting laughs, its
about getting us to love one another
I BY BOB STRAUSS
22 CUBISM
XXX: State of the Unions ICE CUBE
says that his dream of becoming a
black James Bond was fulfilled
when he took over the XXX franchise
from Vin Diesel. But dont expect
to see him in a third XXX movie. It
just aint in the cards
I BY EARL DITTMAN
16
DEPARTMENTS
06 EDITORIAL
07 LETTERS
08 SNAPS
Adrien Brody and his Chihuahua
take a coffee break
10 SHORTS
Miranda Black catches Fever Pitch,
Star Wars fan films storm the net
14 THE BIG PICTURE

Buckle up for The Hitchhikers
Guide to the Galaxy
20 COMING SOON
The Bad News Bears on deck
32 ON THE SLATE
Nicole Kidman points and shoots
34 STYLE
Fussys out, neat and clean is in
36 THINGS
Spring forward with a new watch
famous 4 | april 2005
38 LINER NOTES
David Usher on If God Had Curves
40 NAME OF THE GAME

All hail the PlayStation Portable
42 VIDEO AND DVD

The Amityville Horror Collection
arrives precisely at 3:15 a.m.
44 HOROSCOPE
Get ready for your close-up Aries
46 FAMOUS LAST WORDS

Stars reveal their real jobs
COVER STORY
28 LURED TO SIN CITY
Think its odd that debonair British
star CLIVE OWEN ended up in
Austin, Texas, to adapt the graphic
novel Sin City for maverick director
Robert Rodriguez? Owen thinks so
too, but as he explains, it was an
offer he couldnt refuse
I BY BOB THOMPSON
64 seating configurations, wipe-down utility floors and a built-in MP3/digital

media jack. Where will it take you? The multifunctional Element from Honda.
4WD Y Package shown. 2005 Honda Canada, Inc.
honda.ca
editorial |
volume 6 number 4
April 2005
SinCitysteal
D
irector Robert Rodriguez is a legend

in Hollywood.
But its not because hes made the
best films of the past 10 years.
Hes a legend because over and over
again he proves what anyone who has
brushed up against the Hollywood
machine already suspects the bloated
budgets of most films are ridiculous and
unnecessary.
He made the 1992 Mexican gunslinger
movie El Mariachi for a pittance $7,000
(U.S.) of his money, about $200,000 of
Columbias for post-production.
Ever since, he has been turning out
innovative, quality pictures for considerably less than the competition
would have you believe it costs to make them.
Despite starring Antonio Banderas, Desperado cost just $7-million.
The Spy Kids movies averaged $38-million each, compared to about
$120-million for each Harry Potter pic. And Rodriguezs latest, the
stylish, digitally manipulated Sin City, is estimated at just $40-million
compared to, say, Januarys widely panned Constantine, which used
similar digital technology and cost about $100-million.
In Robert Rodriguezs 10 Minute Film School, a brilliant piece
thats floating around the internet and exists in expanded versions
in his book and on his DVDs, Rodriguez explains, Youre gonna
come up with problems every day on your set. You can get rid of the
problem one of two ways you can do it creatively or you can wash
it away with the money hose. Coming up with a moneyless solution,
he points out, almost always results in a fresher, livelier result.
Which is why many people who really know film, and love to see
how it can be played with and stretched, are so excited about
Sin City, Rodriguezs faithful translation of comic book writer
Frank Millers dark, dreary world.
In Drawn to Sin City, page 28, one of the films many stars,
Clive Owen, gives us some insight into how Rodriguez keeps making
groundbreaking films on minimal budgets: He shoots, he edits, he
operates the camera, he lights, he does the music. And hes the
most amazing cook.
Also in this issue, in Great XXX-pectations, page 22, Ice Cube
relives stepping into Vin Diesels jackboots for the blow-em-up
sequel XXX: State of the Union.
In Hes a Lover, Not a Fighter, page 18,
A Lot Like Loves Ashton Kutcher tells us why
we should all put a little love in our hearts.
And in The Lady is a Vamp, page 16,
Jennifer Tilly reveals why that starched
white nurses outfit she wears in Saint Ralph
is such a relief.
MARNI WEISZ
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
DEPUTY EDITOR
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
PRODUCTION MANAGER
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
CONTRIBUTORS
SALAH BACHIR
MARNI WEISZ
INGRID RANDOJA
DANIEL CULLEN
SHEILA GREGORY
ZAC VEGA
MATHIEU CHANTELOIS
EARL DITTMAN
SCOTT GARDNER
SUSAN GRANGER
LIZA HERZ
JEAN-FRANOIS LGAR
DAN LIEBMAN
BOB STRAUSS
BOB THOMPSON
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Famous magazine is published 12 times a year by 1371327 Ontario Ltd.

Subscriptions are $32.10 ($30 + GST) a year in Canada, $45 a year in the U.S.
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letters |
FRANKLY, HE GIVES A DAMN
Re: And the Oscar Went To [February 2005]. Where did

you get the fact that Gone with the Wind is the longest movie
to win a Best Picture Oscar? I have just consulted with the
worlds expert on Gone With the Wind, Richard May, who
worked for Turner for many years. He acknowledges that
Gone With the Wind, which has never been cut, is said to be
222 minutes, not including all music filler: overture, intermission, entract, walkout. With the music filler it is indeed
233 minutes. On the other hand, in 1992 I co-authored a
book on the film Lawrence of Arabia. Memos in my possession
written by the Oscar-winning editor, Anne Coates, who I have
interviewed several times and still contact about twice a year,
indicate that the version of Lawrence of Arabia which premiered
in England on Dec. 10, 1962, and was shown in N.Y. briefly
before being cut, works out to be exactly 222.11 minutes.
The film with music was 231.63 minutes. So, while Gone With
the Wind, with music, is a little over one minute longer than
Lawrence, with music, in terms of the film proper, Lawrence is
longer than Gone With the Wind.
Bob Morris, Ph.D., Professor (retd),
Carleton University Ottawa, Ont.
Ummm, yeah. We were counting the music.
UNFORTUNATE
ADDRESS
I thoroughly enjoy your

magazines. Every time I
go to the movies I pick
up copies of Famous and
Famous Kids and read
them cover-to-cover
while waiting for the
film to begin. The Now
in Theatres, Star
Gazing and Famous
Last Words are my
favourite sections. I recently saw Lemony Snickets A Series of
Unfortunate Events and really enjoyed it. My favourite
character is Violet Baudelaire, played by Emily Browning.
I want to write her a letter to tell her how much I enjoyed
her performance but I could not find her contact
address anywhere. Can you help me out, please?
Travis Croome Cambridge, Ont.
We, too, had a bit of trouble tracking this one down because
(surprise, surprise) young Ms. Browning just signed with a
new agent. Shes now with the powerful William Morris Agency,
who told us you should send fan mail to:
EMILY BROWNING, c/o Theresa Peters, William Morris Agency,
151 El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA, 90212.
FAMOUS WELCOMES YOUR COMMENTS

ADDRESS THEM TO: Letters to the Editor, Famous magazine,
102 Atlantic Ave., Suite 100, Toronto, Ontario, M6K 1X9;
or fax us at 416.539.8511; or drop us an email at editor@fpmedia.ca.
Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Please include your full
name, city of residence and contact info (phone or email).
snaps |
CAUGHT ON FILM
PHOTO BY KEVIN MAZUR/WIREIMAGE
THE STARS WORK, PLAY AND GET COFFEE
>>>
Jennifer Lopez watches from backstage as

her Sweetface fashion line is presented at
New York Fashion Week. The line, which
is based on J.Los own style and uses a lot of
fur, has made her PETAs latest target.
>>> Thats
PHOTO BY IPHOTO
Joaquin Phoenix blazing a

trail through Beverly Hills on his Ducati, but
wheres the leather biker jacket? Phoenix is
a strict vegan and wont wear leather unless
absolutely necessary for a role, so even
those boots and belt are fakes. He once
refused to wear leather shoes when modeling
for a Prada campaign, so a stand-in had to be
shot from the knees down.
>>>
Dressed like green

dragons, model-turned-actor
Heidi Klum (she recently played
Ursula Andress in The Life and
Death of Peter Sellers) and her
singing fianc Seal throw
candies at revelers during a
carnival in her hometown of
Bergisch Gladbach, Germany.
PHOTO BY RONALD ASADORIAN/PHOTOGRAPHER SHOWCASE
PHOTO BY JEFF RAYNER/SPLASH NEWS
PHOTO BY IPHOTO
>>>
How embarrassing. Claire

Danes and Katie Holmes
showed up at Calvin Kleins
New York show wearing the
same strappy sandals. No
wonder they look so pissed. At
least Catalina Sandino Moreno
(Oscar nominee for Maria Full
of Grace) had the sense to
wear slightly different strappy
sandals.
>>>
And the winner of the Celebrity Who

Looks Most Like His Pet Award goes to
drumroll Adrien Brody! The Oscarwinning actor and his Chihuahua, Ceelo
Vicious (named after a dice game), stepped
out for Starbucks in Hollywood. We wonder
if Ceelo finished the whole cup.
shorts |
Pitchs
BLACK
A year ago this month, MIRANDA BLACK
did what she always does when she
needs reliable career advice. She pulled
out her tarot cards.
I do a lot of listening to the universe.
This is such a crazy business, who else do
you listen to, the actor asks over a cup
of tea at a caf in her native Toronto.
Black had spent some time living in
New York, where she had a couple of
small spots on Sex and the City as
Samanthas assistant, and was part of
Bravos struggling-young-actor documentary series The It Factor. But a couple
of years ago she moved to Los Angeles,
which is where things became stagnant.
So she asked the deck of cards
whether she should return to Toronto,
And it said, Dreams will be realized,
your childhood dream will come true.
Not convinced, she went downstairs
and watched The Sopranos.
Later that night she sat down with
the cards again, this time asking them
what would happen if she stayed in
L.A.: And I drew a card saying
Nightmares will happen, and I was
like okay, okay, okay!
The clincher came a few days later
when Blacks L.A. agent dropped her,
and that same day my agent here called
and said, Why dont you come back to
Toronto, things are really busy here?
So she packed her bags and headed
homewhere, as it turned out, things
werent all that busy either.
She auditioned for a dream part
Drew Barrymores assistant in Fever Pitch,
based on the Nick Hornby novel about
a Brit whose obsession with the Arsenal
soccer team threatens his relationship.
This Americanized adaptation would
be directed by the Farrelly Brothers
(Theres Something About Mary) with
Jimmy Fallon as a Boston Red Sox
fanatic and Barrymore as his perturbed
girlfriend. Coincidentally, it seemed,
the movie would be shot in Toronto.
But months passed without a word
from the films producers, so Black
assumed she didnt get the part.
Then, one day, she opened her

mailbox and found a letter notifying
residents that Fever Pitch would be
filmed on their street. It was like the
universe was rubbing salt in her wound.
A guy came over and ding-donged
on the door, [asking], Can you sign this
saying you approve? Black recalls.
And I said, I auditioned for this movie,
you know. Hes like, Just sign it.
Black was blueuntil the next day
when she got a call from her agent.
And my agents like Are you sitting
down? And I thought, Why, what terrible thing has happened? And she said,
I think theyre going to offer you
Fever Pitch. And I say, No, they cant.
Fever Pitch is already filming, and she
was like, No, theyre going to make you
an offer on this part.
Better late than never, Black had
And my agents
like, Are you
sitting down....
I think theyre
going to offer
you Fever Pitch.
snagged the role of Carrie, Drew

Barrymores friend and co-worker.
Shes a statistician, were math geeks,
and Im really pushing for her career to
take off because I want to go with her,
Black explains. And she starts really
wanting this guy, and going to baseball
games and messing her career up, and
Im kind of driving her to forget about
the guy and the baseball tickets and go
for her career.
Blacks not sure whether shell head
back to L.A for the films gala premiere
this month. I hope so, she says.
But the city shouldnt hold any nightmares this time. The scariest thing will
be seeing how much of her work made
it to the screen. Its nerve-wracking
because you dont know, she says. Im
just praying that my whole storyline is
in it. Marni Weisz
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shorts I
Much more than clones

Next month, George Lucas releases
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
the sixth and, apparently, final film in
the Star Wars franchise.
But according to Joel Sanders, senior
web producer at AtomFilms.com, thats no
reason their annual competition of satirical
Star Wars fan films, which is co-presented
by Mr. Lucas himself, should end.
The effort that it takes to create a fan
film, thats exceptionally rare, says
Sanders on the phone from AtomFilms
home base in San Francisco. There are
only a few other brands I can think of that
really are even close to Star Wars for that
kind of fandom. So I think that will
always continue.
Til Markson in the 2004 George Lucas Selects

winner, Escape from Tatooine
The union between Lucas and the website began in 2002, when the all-powerful
producer made the surprising decision to
encourage rather than crush the
creative liberties amateur filmmakers were
taking with his universe.
The nominees for the fourth installment
are currently posted on the site. Winners
will be announced there and at Celebration
III, a Star Wars convention in Indianapolis,
on April 22nd. Aside from an Audience
Choice Award, Lucas and AtomFilms
choose the winners.
You can also watch the nominees from
past years on the site, short films with
surprisingly impressive production values
soaring X-wing starfighters, the
desertscape of Tatooine, a Yoda so realistic
looking, and sounding, that Mark Hamill
would have trouble telling him from the
real thing.
Although AtomFilms provides contestants
with official sound effects, stealing images
from Lucass heavily copyrighted works is
strictly verboten. So how are these filmmakers whom Sanders describes as
basement filmmakers all the way up to
people who are semi-professional
creating such dead-on parodies?
Theyre buying high-end models. These
people are rampant fans, says Sanders.
Some people actually build many of
these things completely from scratch,
either in 3-D animation or models.
And dont be fooled by the accuracy
PRICES STAY LOW IN ONTARIO
This past January Famous Players announced a temporary

reduction in ticket prices across Ontario, from a top price of
$13.95 to a high of $9.95. The good-news story touched a
nerve, earning front-page real estate in The Globe and Mail,
Toronto Star and other outlets.
Two months later, the obvious question is What exactly did
they mean by temporary? The summer blockbuster season
unofficially begins next month with the release of Star Wars
Episode III: Revenge of
the Sith, and with the
tough winter months
behind us, is it time to
say bye-bye to the
good deal?
Apparently not.
We have no plans
to take it away at the
moment at all, says
Nuria Bronfman,
2004s Audience Choice Award winner

Pink Five Strikes Back, starring Amy Earhart
Last years Best Animation Award went to

Wampa by Andreas Peterson
Sanders says props like the stormtrooper
costumes in last years Best Comedy
winner, Recruitment (an Imperial Starfleet
spin on industrial training videos), are all
replicas.
I think if anyone could afford a real
one from the movies they probably wouldnt
be wearing it, he says with a little laugh,
theyd probably have it in a glass case.
MW
Famous Players corporate affairs vice-president. I think it will

carry on at least through the summer months.
The price-drop in Ontario was based on attendance increases
of 10 to 15 percent in other markets where similar cuts had
been made. Bronfman confirms that the Ontario price-drop has
yielded a similar 10 to 15 percent bump.
She says attendance data both within Ontario and across the
rest of the country is constantly reviewed with an eye to encouraging maximum attendance numbers. In early 2004, ticket
prices across much of Western Canada were dropped from
$13.95 to $10.95, and have stayed there since.
Right now, $10.95 is the top price for any Famous Players
ticket, while some traditional theatres (meaning those built
before the big expansion a few years back) charge even less
than $9.95 for an adult admission.
Ultimately, the message is an effective one: Keep taking
advantage of the lower prices, and the prices will stay low.
Yeah, we have absolutely no plans to take it away as long
as we keep seeing the same kind of numbers were seeing,
confirms Bronfman. Its proven its point, basically. Theres no
reason why we would take it away. MW
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the | big | picture |
now in theatres
I BY INGRID RANDOJA
APRIL
SAINT RALPH
WHOS IN IT? Adam Butcher, Jennifer Tilly
WHO DIRECTED? Michael McGowan (My Dog
Vincent)
WHATS IT ABOUT? Set in Hamilton, Ontario,
during the 1950s, this bittersweet
Canadian comedy tells the story of
14-year-old Ralph, whose life sucks
his dad is dead, his mom is dying and
hes been banished to his schools crosscountry team. But Ralph believes hes
destined for greatness and sets out to
win the 1954 Boston Marathon. See
Jennifer Tilly interview, page 16.
SAHARA
BEAUTY SHOP
WHOS IN IT? Queen Latifah,
Mena Suvari
WHO DIRECTED? Bille Woodruff (Honey)
WHATS IT ABOUT? Latifah returns as stylist
Gina Norris (first introduced in Barbershop),
who wants to pull her hair out after
opening her own salon and being forced
to deal with yappy clients and unhappy
employees.
HITS THEATRES MARCH 30
APRIL
SIN CITY
WHOS IN IT? Bruce Willis, Clive Owen
WHO DIRECTED? Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller
WHATS IT ABOUT? To turn Frank Millers
comic book about life in seedy Sin City
into a film, director Rodriguez gave it the
digital backlot treatment, meaning the
actors performed in front of green-screens
and the backgrounds and sets were
digitally inserted later. The result is a
stylish film noir that looks as if it sprang
from the panels of the comic book. The
plot intertwines three stories a tough
guy (Mickey Rourke) looking to avenge
his lovers murder, a photographer
(Owen) covering up the accidental death
of a police officer and a cop (Willis)
intent on clearing his name. See
Clive Owen interview, page 28.
help take care of his teenage daughter

Rose (Camilla Belle) after his death.
FEVER PITCH
WHOS IN IT? Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon
WHO DIRECTED? Bobby and Peter Farrelly
(Stuck on You)
WHATS IT ABOUT? Whats the best way to
Americanize Nick Hornbys novel about a
British bloke whose obsession with his
favourite soccer club ruins his relationship?
Simple, turn the lad into a die-hard
Boston Red Sox fan (Fallon), who drives
his girlfriend (Barrymore) crazy with his
baseball obsession.
APRIL
22
A LOT LIKE LOVE
WHOS IN IT? Matthew McConaughey,

Penlope Cruz
WHO DIRECTED? Breck Eisner (debut)
WHATS IT ABOUT? McConaughey steps into
the desert boots of paperback hero Dirk
Pitt, who, along with a comely scientist
(Cruz), searches for a treasure-loaded
American Civil War ship beached somewhere in the Sahara Desert. Breck Eisner,
son of embattled Disney CEO Michael
Eisner, makes his directing debut.
WHOS IN IT? Ashton Kutcher, Amanda Peet

WHO DIRECTED? Nigel Cole (Calendar Girls)
WHATS IT ABOUT? It seems Ashton Kutcher
never met a romantic comedy script he
didnt like. He stars in yet another romcom, this one focusing on polar opposites
Oliver and Emily (Peet), who spend
seven years fighting/dating/breaking up
etc. until they finally grasp the obvious...
See Ashton Kutcher interview, page 18.
THE BALLAD OF JACK AND ROSE
KUNG FU HUSTLE
WHOS IN IT? Daniel Day-Lewis,

Catherine Keener
WHO DIRECTED? Rebecca Miller
(Personal Velocity)
WHATS IT ABOUT? Dying recluse Jack
(Day-Lewis) invites his girlfriend (Keener)
and her two sons to come live on his
Pacific Northwest island hoping they will
WHOS IN IT? Stephen Chow, Yuen Wah

WHO DIRECTED? Stephen Chow
(Shaolin Soccer)
WHATS IT ABOUT? Crouching Tiger
meets West Side Story in this wellchoreographed action pic about a riot
that breaks out in gang-ridden Shanghai
of the 1930s.
THE AMITYVILLE HORROR

WHOS IN IT? Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George
WHO DIRECTED? Andrew Douglas (debut)
WHATS IT ABOUT? This remake of the 1979
horror flick stars Reynolds and George as a
couple whose dream home turns out to be a
demonic crash pad. Scaaaary on-set occurrences such as cast members falling for no
reason and lights turning on by themselves
were reported. We also heard a bowl of
M&Ms in the craft services truck spilled in
the shape of a pentagram.
HITS THEATRES APRIL 15
THE INTERPRETER
WHOS IN IT? Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn
WHO DIRECTED? Sydney Pollack
(Random Hearts)
WHATS IT ABOUT? A-list Oscar winners
Kidman and Penn join forces for this
thriller about a U.N. interpreter (Kidman)
who overhears an assassination plot and is
put under the protection of a U.S. special
agent (Penn). This is the first film set in
the U.N. that had permission to shoot
inside the high-security buildings.
HITS THEATRES APRIL 22
APRIL
29
THE HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE

GALAXY
WHOS IN IT? Martin Freeman, Mos Def
WHO DIRECTED? Garth Jennings (debut)
WHATS IT ABOUT? Geeky anti-establishment
types spent the 80s laughing out loud to
Douglas Adams absurdist sci-fi book
about British everyman Arthur Dent, who
travels the galaxy after the Earth is
destroyed. After almost 20 years in
development hell, the late Adams cult
classic finally hits the big screen.
XXX: STATE OF THE UNION

WHOS IN IT? Ice Cube, Samuel L. Jackson
WHO DIRECTED? Lee Tamahori
(Die Another Day)
WHATS IT ABOUT? Who needs Vin Diesel
when youve got Ice Cube? Well soon
find out if audiences embrace Cube as

the XXX programs second rough-aroundthe-edges secret agent (this time trying
to foil a homegrown terrorism plot) the
same way they embraced Diesels original
XXX. See Ice Cube interview, page 22.
CHECK WWW.FAMOUSPLAYERS.COM FOR SHOWTIMES AND LOCATIONS

Some films play only in major markets. All release dates subject to change.
interview |
Vamp
THE LADYIS A
JENNIFER TILLY squeezes her huge personality into a starched, white nurses uniform for
Saint Ralph I BY MATHIEU CHANTELOIS
n the terrace of one of Torontos grand hotels, Jennifer

Tilly waits for a journalist. Radiant, she sips some red
wine before rising to greet him. Its not even lunchtime
and hes surprised to find her indulging so early in the day.
Between two bursts of laughter she replies, Since your tape
recorder is recording our conversation, Ill only say that this is my first
drink of the day.
And the tone of the interview is set.
When so many actors are indifferent
and arrogant, Jennifer Tilly shines by
being open and playful. Her laugh is
contagious, her voice (a lot less nasal
than on the big screen) is enveloping
and her smile offers a glimpse into her
insatiable desire to take a bite out of
life. Its difficult to resist this overflowing bottle of zany energy.
Tilly was in town to promote
Saint Ralph, a film by Canadian
director Michael McGowan (My Dog
Vincent), at the Toronto International
Film Festival. She plays Nurse Alice.
I loved it, mainly because I only had
to slip on a white uniform every day.
Its very rare that I dont have to worry
daily about what the costume department is going to make me wear,
explains the urbanite fashionista who
owns more than 400 pairs of shoes.
The sweet drama, which will be
released this month, tells the story of
Ralph Walker, a 9th-grader who runs
the 1954 Boston Marathon in the
hopes of helping his sick mother. In
Ralphs confused 14-year-old mind, he
believes only a miracle will bring his
mother out of her coma, and knows
it will be a miracle if he wins the
marathon. Tillys nurse attends to
Ralphs ailing mother, while trying to
prepare him for the worst.
Following major Hollywood productions with a small-budget Canadian
film stimulates me enormously. It
allows me to reach out to touch the sky but still keep my two
feet firmly on the ground, says Tilly.
The self-proclaimed biggest B-movie star in the world
grew up in British Columbia, but graciously explains why she
packed her bags for the United States more than 20 years
ago. My agent told me that if I wanted to be a great actress,
I needed to move to New York. He warned me that

Los Angeles was for people who wanted to sell out. The choice
for me was simple: I moved to L.A., she says with a laugh.
No doubt, Jennifer Tilly relishes the Hollywood life.
Existing on the margins of popular culture, the 46-year-old
loves interviews, camera flashes and
opening nights. She does not understand why the majority of stars arent
up for the celebrity game. I adore
being the centre of attention, she
says. In general, I spend the festivals
being photographed in beautiful
dresses and talking about my career
with journalists. I cant complain
about my life.
But that love of glitz and glam doesnt
mean Tilly isnt extremely motivated
by work and success.
Her ambiguous image as a childlike, yet voluptuous, woman has given
her such memorable roles as the
seemingly simple-minded femme
fatales in the Wachowski brothers
Bound and Woody Allens Bullets Over
Broadway (which earned her an Oscar
nomination for Best Supporting
Actress), as well as the maternal
sexpots in RelaxIts Just Sex and
Dancing at the Blue Iguana.
And her unique voice has made
her both a successful comedic actor
(Liar, Liar) and an in-demand
voiceover talent for films like Stuart
Little and Monsters, Inc.
I have to admit that my career is
evolving in a way that is getting more
and more strange, she says. In the
business we often say that we dont
find as much work after 40. But since
I reached that cap I am finding
myself playing roles that are more
and more different.
Famous, polite and articulate,
Tillys goal is to get as many and as
eclectic roles as she can.
Life is good. I work constantly. I am one of the only
actresses that has succeeded in this milieu without having to
have my breasts done, she concludes between another two
bursts of laughter.
PHOTO BY JOCELYN MICHEL
I have to admit that my

career is evolving in a way
that is getting more and
more strange, says Tilly
Mathieu Chantelois is the editor of Famous Qubec.
interview |
loverfighter
Hes a
ASHTON KUTCHERs bid to become

king of the rom-coms continues with
the sweet date movies Guess Who and
A Lot Like Love. But do you want to
know his ultimate goal in life? To help
people learn to love each other a little
bit more. Awwwwe just want to
pinch his cheeks I BY BOB STRAUSS
not a
Ashton Kutcher and his sometimes

squeeze Amanda Peet in A Lot Like Love
good enough. That father-in-law is

played by Bernie Mac, and in this cheeky,
race-reversed remake of the TracyHepburn classic Guess Whos Coming to
Dinner, Kutcher is the suspect white guy
who wants to marry his daughter.
This movie is obviously a broad
comedy and very different from the original, the actor admits. But Guess Who,
which Kutcher executive produced as
well, also spoke to his social conscience.
That was the reason for me to do the
movie, he says. Ive obviously done
comedies before, so to change it a little
bit and do something with a little more
relevance was, for me, a must. We
found that in this picture. When they
television grind, and get the following

heartfelt dissertation:
My goal is not for myself, its really
more for others. Really, I just want to
use every medium that I can to help
people learn to love each other a little
bit more. Thats the idea, anyway. I love
how the tsunami disaster happens and,
all of a sudden, everybody jumps in and
starts caring about one another again
and really starts pushing to give. But
that soon fades to the back of their
minds and they forget about it. If we
could just keep that up all the time, I
think wed be doing a lot better.
Sounds like that could be his
Kabbalah philosophy talking. Kutcher
Im not going to deny that people want to

see me do comedy, says Kutcher
Kutcher tries to make nice

with Bernie Mac in Guess Who
made the original, the racial gap was

like a mile wide, and now maybe its a
city block. If we can take an inch off of
that, were doing our job.
Despite his contention that he wants
to keep making us laugh, the more
Kutcher speaks, the more his sober side
emerges. Toss him a jokey question
Glad the 70s are finally over? and
you get a melancholy response.
I see a lot of potential growth in it,
he says of leaving the sitcom that made
him a star. But at the same time, the
first day I came to L.A. I started working
on That 70s Show. All those guys and
girls are not just my castmates and crew,
theyre my friends. Not seeing them
every day is going to be tough.
Trying a different route, I ask the
producer of MTVs celebrity practical
joke party Punkd what his creative goals
are now that hes out of the weekly
was introduced to the Hebrew mystical

tradition by his girlfriend, Demi Moore.
And while many dismiss Kabbalah as
the latest in a long line of Hollywood
spiritual fads, Kutcher has a definite
scholarly take on the practice.
Im not one to pan something or not
do it or be afraid of it because I dont
know what it is, so Ive been trying to
learn about it, he says. I find it extremely intriguing. It is the conceptual basis of
most religions, and having been raised
Catholic, its interesting to find out
where a lot of that tradition comes from.
Some incredibly wise people have deciphered the codes of religious history.
Maybe, though, theres a psychological
motivation for all this earnestness. After
all, Kutcher was a poor, farm country kid
who was working his way toward a biochemical engineering degree when he
won the Fresh Faces of Iowa modeling
t some point, sooner rather than

later, Ashton Kutcher knows that
he has to be taken seriously. The
goofy comedy characters, the tabloid
relationships, the trendy investments in
everything from celebrity-stocked
restaurants to those all-white Kabbalah
enlightenment suits they must be
banished to the back of the publics consciousness, so his real work as an actor
and producer can claim the spotlight.
Only problem: He cant imagine life
without clowning around.
I want to do new things that keep
me interested, says the 27-year-old
Kutcher, on the phone from L.A. After
seven seasons, he has just said goodbye
to his signature doofus role, That 70s
Shows Kelso. But at the same time, I
want to continue doing television as
well, in other forms and other ways.
And Im not going to deny that people
want to see me do comedy, so I want to
be able to do both.
Kutcher believes his two new movie
releases allow him to have it both ways.
A Lot Like Love sounds a lot like . . .
well, When Harry Met Sally (not a bad
thing, if it lives up to the models sophisticated mixture of heart and humour).
Kutchers Oliver and Amanda Peets
Emily meet on a plane, decide that
theyre perfectly wrong for one another,
and over seven years keep crossing
paths. Friendship blooms. But will
anything more?
Okay, sounds kind of contrived, as past
Kutcher rom-coms both popular (Just
Married) and not (My Bosss Daughter)
have tended to be. But the actor insists
the movie has insight as well as laughs.
One of the things that makes it
unique and different is that its funny at
times and Im absolutely certain that
theyll sell it as a big comedy but at
the same time I think that its got a
little more soul than that.... This film is
an exploration of timing. Is there ever
really a right time to be with someone?
And its also an exploration of how blind
we can be as people, when the person
that you want to be with can be standing
right next to you and you dont even
know it. Basically, her character is living
in the past and doesnt think that shes
good enough. My character is living in
the future and doesnt think that hes
good enough. And they find that theyre
both good enough for each other.
In Guess Who, released last month,
Kutcher plays a guy whose prospective
father-in-law will never consider him
soon
interview |
contest. Next thing he knew, he was in New York City, being
paid outrageous sums just to pose, then was compensated even
better to look good and act silly in California. Perhaps the
engineer that never was longs for a kind of legitimacy beyond
sex symbol success.
If so, it wont be easy to come by. At least, not as long as the
tabloid media remains obsessed with his relationship with
former superstar Moore, and the fact that shes a very healthy
15 years his senior. Although that kind of attention has died
down a bit, Kutcher remains understandably wary of it.
The respect of privacy and the boundaries that are involved
with that have been breached, he observes. I wouldnt ever
want to be responsible for censoring the press. But is going to
a restaurant news? Is going skiing news? Is it necessary?
Ask him directly about Moore, though, and the carefree
Ashton finally emerges.
Shes great, fantastic, he gushes.
So, whens the much-speculated-about wedding?
Thats a completely irrelevant question, he says, laughing.
At the end of the day, Kutcher doesnt worry much about
how hes perceived. As long as it doesnt limit his productivity
(and besides Punkd, hes got four other series currently in
development), or his opportunities to act as seriously or for
that matter, as stupidly as he wants.
I just want to do new and different things, he says. I dont
care how people look at me. I get off on acting, I get off on
playing different characters, I really love and enjoy it. I want to
do things that Im interested in and share that with people, and
hopefully they appreciate the gift that Im trying to give them.
But look, its like Christmas. Ive given people stuff that
they re-gift right out the door! You never know. But Im going
to keep giving.
Bob Strauss is a Los Angeles-based entertainment writer.
I SAID MAKE LOVE

TO THE CAMERA
Before Kelso, before Punkd and

before Demi, Ashton Kutcher was
just a cute kid from Iowa who
thought he could make some dough
modeling. These portfolio pics
came from his first professional
photo shoot, when he was just 16.
coming
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (MAY)
Stars: Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson

Director: Ridley Scott (Gladiator)
Story: For a movie that doesnt have a single $20-million
actor, Kingdom of Heaven did an admirable job of racking

up a $130-million (U.S.) price tag. Filmed in Morocco and
Spain, the story actually begins in Jerusalem of the 12thcentury, where a poor blacksmith (Bloom) helps fight the
Crusaders who took over his city in 1099. If you squint your
eyes while watching the trailer, youd swear it was for
Scotts 2000 historical epic Gladiator, right down to the
plump snowflakes falling against a gray sky during battle
and the wind-blown waves in a field of wheat.
THE BAD NEWS BEARS (JUNE)
Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Greg Kinnear

Director: Richard Linklater (Before Sunset)
Story: Fans of the 1976 original, which starred Walter
Matthau as the grizzled coach of a ragtag Little League

team and Tatum ONeal as his protg pitcher, will notice a
few changes. For instance, this time the grizzled coach
(Thornton) is a former major leaguer whereas in the first
movie he was a career minor leaguer, and theres a very PC
new plot device about a lawsuit that requires the league to
accept all players regardless of ability. But in the subtle
hands of director Linklater we still have hope this remake
will be done well. Our first clue? Linklater cast an unknown
named Sammi Kraft in ONeals role, rather than a studio
favourite like Dakota Fanning or Hilary Duff.
BATMAN BEGINS (JULY)
Stars: Christian Bale, Liam Neeson

Director: Christopher Nolan (Memento)
Story: The series that began with Tim Burtons 1989
gothic masterpiece Batman had played itself out by 1997s

utterly disappointing Batman & Robin. So, what to do? Go
back to the very origins of our pointy-eared hero. After a
long search Welsh actor Christian Bale best known for
indie films like American Psycho was handed the choice
role. Bales young Bruce Wayne travels the world learning
how to fight evil, like the kind that killed his parents when
he was just a boy. Then he returns to Gotham to take on the
sinister forces threatening the city.
THE BROTHERS GRIMM (JULY)
Stars: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger

Director: Terry Gilliam (Brazil)
Story: Shot in the summer of 2003 on a soundstage in
Prague, this fantastical tale from Monty Python alum

Gilliam will finally see the light of day. Damon and Ledger
play the famous fairytale-writing brothers Jake and Will
Grimm (Jacob and Wilhelm in real life) who travel from town
to town claiming they can rid communities of enchanted
creatures. But when theyre called upon to rid one particular
forest of an evil sorceress who may really be responsible for
the disappearance of little girls, their bluff is called.
interview |
riginally signed to play the sidekick

in XXX: State of the Union, rapperturned-actor Ice Cube was quickly
shifted into the lead role when the films
producers couldnt come to terms with the
star of 2002s XXX, Vin Diesel. Reports are,
it was a money thing.
And that was fine with Ice Cube, especially since starring in what seems destined
to become an action franchise would fulfill
one of his lifelong dreams. Ive done all
kinds of movies, the 35-year-old says
with a smile during an interview in
Beverly Hills, but I always hoped Id get
the chance to show movie audiences that
black folks could kick butt and save the
world just like a James Bond.
In XXX: State of the Union, National
Security Agency (NSA) agent Augustus
Gibbons (a returning Samuel L. Jackson)
springs Special Forces officer Darius
Stone (Cube) from a military prison to
help the government track down a military
splinter group (headed by Willem Dafoe)
planning a coup to overthrow the U.S.
government. Unlike Diesel, who played an
extreme-sports-expert-turnedagent, Cubes streetwise XXX
is a trained killer who was
jailed while trying to uncover

a conspiracy.
But if this is Cubes shot at a
Bond-like character, its a single
shot. As the actor explains, he definitely
wont be back for a third film: To do away
with the over-inflated egos and keep the
bottom line down the producers came up
with the bright idea of a new XXX agent each
film. I guess Ill have to audition for James
Bond, because my time is over in XXX-land.
And thats fine. The Compton-born rapper
who first shot to fame as a member of the
controversial urban group N.W.A. has
already signed to do Four Brothers with
John Singleton, the director who guided
him through his very first film, 1991s
Boyz N the Hood. Shooting is already
underway in Toronto.
When producers couldnt

come to terms with XXX
star Vin Diesel, ICE CUBE
grabbed the lead. Here the
rapper-turned-actor opens
up about fatherhood, flops
and fighting terrorism in
XXX: State of the Union.
I BY EARL DITTMAN
Initially, it was announced that you and

Vin Diesel would be doing this sequel
together. What happened?
Honestly, I dont know all the ins and outs,
but it was a decision made by [producer]
Neal Moritz and all of the people involved at
Revolution Studios. I have to let my ego
Fire and Ice: Ice Cube in

XXX: State of the Union
I always hoped Id get the chance to show movie audiences that

black folks could kick butt and save the world just like James Bond
I understand you sustained some injuries

while doing your own stunts.
Yeah, I did, but they mostly just bruises
and cuts. It was nothing that serious at all.
I didnt want to make a big deal about it.
Actually, my wife didnt even want to know
how I got them because I was probably
gonna do something worse the next day.
A few years ago, Samuel L. Jackson

publicly stated he didnt like rappers
being cast in movies over real actors,
calling it an excuse to just make a quick
buck. Did the two of you ever discuss
that incident?
Oh yeah, everythings cool between us.
That was a long time ago. Samuel is a
classically trained actor, so I now understand why he felt that way. Of course, he
was seeing me in things like Anaconda and
Ghosts of Mars, so he wasnt seeing a
whole lot of talent. But thats all in the
past. While we were doing this movie, he
told me, You know, youre a damn good
actor. That meant the world to me,
because I have such tremendous respect
for Sam as an actor and a man.
A lot of your hip-hop peers feel you were

responsible for making Hollywood
respect rappers as viable actors.
Acting is for everyone who can do it right.
I would say that myself, Will Smith, Queen
Latifah and Ice-T have tried to pave the
way for people to respect rappers as real
actors. I mean, Will and Latifah have
gotten so many nominations for their work,
and they got them because they could act.
Were just trying to show people that we
know what were doing so that other
movies with black actors/musicians or
rappers can get greenlit. I mean, when the
other studios see the kind of money the
Barbershop movies make a movie about
black men made on such a small budget
they go and rewrite a lot of their scripts
and greenlight more movies for black folks.
Thats the real success of all of it.
Do you think rappers who act are finally

getting respect?
Yeah, I do. I mean, I used to hear a lot of
the trained actors say that our movies were
bad and pointless. We had to show them
that we werent trying to be a bunch of
Laurence Oliviers. And I would always tell
them, Look, if a trained actor can make a
bad movie, why cant a rapper? [Laughs.]
Do you know what I mean? Its not an art
that is so untouchable that other artists
cant give it a try.
You once told me that, in hindsight,

many of the movies you made were big
mistakes. Why did you even do them in
the first place?
Because I thought they would fix the
scripts. And, also, when I look at some
of those movies I think, Damn, if I would
have had just a little more control in the
editing bay, I could have made this movie
better. Thats the most frustrating part of
not producing your own movies.
Was Ghosts of Mars one of those misfires?

Oh, yeah, big time. I never knew that the
special effects in it were going to look that
cheesy [laughs]. But that is something that
you, as an actor, cant see while youre
making it. I just saw a lot of blue-screens
and green-screens, but I couldnt see what
the effects were going to look like. I mean,
damn, if the movie had come out in 1979,
it would have been a smash hit. But now it
looks cheesy as hell [laughs].
You seem to be spending more time on

movies than music lately.
Im not done with rap, because its in my
blood. Im gonna do more records. The truth
is Hollywood is much more relaxing than the
rap game which is a full contact sport. With
rap, you gotta be on your toes, be sharp and
watch your back because there are a lot of
snakes. It can be a dangerous game. It can
take over and say that State of the Union was

really tailor-made for me. Im proud of that,
so I want people to come out of the theatre
after seeing it with their jaws dragging on the
ground and completely speechless.
interview |
Ice Cube (centre) and his crew get

busy in XXX: State of the Union
even be deadly or dangerous to your

health. But Im happy with N.W.A.s place in
rap history. People will never forget us, and
even on my own, I was a groundbreaker.
Thats why I switched to movies. My place in
rap history is in stone.
What do you think about the current

state of rap music?
Artists are scared of letting their thoughts
go public. Thats why rap music is 70
percent ego and bravado now and 30
percent message and topic. Im sick of
these new rap guys just talking about how
bad they are. Fine, youre bad. Now go say
something else. Give me more.
Some people were surprised to see you

in such a family-friendly movie as Are
We There Yet? Is there any particular
reason you took that role?
Mainly so my wife Kim [of 13 years] and
our four kids can watch one of their pops
movies without hearing any cursing or seeing
anything sexual.
What kind of dad is Ice Cube?

Im the firm but fair type. Im cool and
understanding, but there are rules. Bottom
line is that I respect my kids. A lot of
parents want to be dictators around the
house, which isnt me. Im also not
friends with my kids. Im clearly in charge,
but I do listen to opinions. Thats all any
kid wants. They want their words to be
heard.
Since your children run the age gamut,

which one do you have to spend the
most time with?
The 13-year-old needs the most attention.
Thats just the toughest age. You dont
know if you want to be a kid or a grown-up.
One day, you act all adult and the next you
cant even comb your hair. One day my kid
comes downstairs looking all fresh and
clean. The next day Im like, Go back
upstairs. You look like youre homeless.
[Laughs.] I guess its not fair because I can
say, If you dont wash up you wont go and
meet Usher. Im lucky I have that one on
the table because it works.
I spoke with you when you first started

acting, and you said your main goal was
to be able to one day say, Im an actor,
a real actor, not just a rapper doing it as
a sideline. Do you think of yourself as a
real actor?
Yeah, I do. I think Ive worked long and hard
to gain respect from the industry and from
within myself. I feel like an actor. I dont
have an Oscar or anything, but thats just a
perk. You know youre an actor when you can
feel it from within. But I still have a lot of
work to do. Im nowhere near where I want to
be. And, hopefully, with all the films Ive got
coming up, Ill get better and better. So, one
day I will be able to say, Im an actor just
like Laurence Olivier. [Laughs.]
Earl Dittman is an entertainment writer

based in Houston, Texas.
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cover | story |
DRAWN
hen you think of

then he told me that
Clive Owen you
Benicio Del Toro was
cant help but
going to be in it. I immethink elegance. The 40-yeardiately said, Great, lets
old Brit is best known
do it.
for roles like the suave
As the leathery trench
writer-turned-dealer in the
coat-wearing photograsophisticated Croupier, and
pher Dwight, Owen gets
the dashing historical
into an ugly fix after
leader in King Arthur. Even
messing with some very
as the cad physician in
strange cannibal call
Closer, Owen exudes a
girls (Alexanders Rosario
classy confidence, impresDawson and Gilmore Girls
sive enough to earn him his
Alexis Bledel) and a
first Oscar nomination.
vengeful assassin (Del
So you can see why the
Toro).
Fresh off an Oscar nomination CLIVE OWEN joins the
London actor was a little
In the two other
ensemble cast of Robert Rodriguezs innovative
bit surprised and mildly
segments that make up
amused when director
Sin City, The Customer
comic book adaptation, Sin City I BY BOB THOMPSON
Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids,
is Always Right has Josh
Depserado) asked him to be in his film adaptation of Frank
Hartnett playing a service-industry employee, and Marley
Millers vivid, but lurid, comic books.
Shelton as his client. Both are bound for bad times. And the
Called Sin City, the $40-million Rodriguez movie is a
sequence based on That Yellow Bastard has Bruce Willis as
cinematic amalgamation of three Miller stories, all featuring
a cop with a heart problem who confronts a ghoulish
wild action in the seething underbelly of a strange slum-like
monster (Nick Stahl) as they both vye for the affections of a
netherworld. The larger-than-life guys and dolls who populate
rope-twirling stripper (Jessica Alba).
the mix include mobsters and morons, brutes and bastards,
Meanwhile, theres Marv (Mickey Rourke), a hard-as-nails
hookers and hangers on, carnivores and, yes, cannibals.
street thug who wanders through all three interconnecting
Outrageous indeed. Even sweet, wide-eyed Elijah Wood
stories as he tries to track down his hooker-girlfriends killer.
gets into the depravity. In a seeming attempt to rid himself
Its raunchy and ruthless and perfectly bizarre, reflecting
of his Hobbit persona, Wood co-stars as a mute cannibal
the tone of the Miller comic book, but minus the comic book
serial killer.
nudity, which Rodrgiuez and Miller decided would be
So Owen was understandably curious to find out just how
overkill and a box-office disaster if the movie was nailed with
odd his adventures in Sin City might be. After all, Rodriguez
a prohibitive NC-17 rating, meaning no one under the age of
had attempted this blend of action, humour and horror once
17 could see it.
before, in 1996s twisted vampire flick From Dusk Till Dawn,
which didnt exactly garner raves.
wens own under-17 years were spent in Coventry,
But what Rodriguez now had at his disposal, besides the
England, with his four brothers, his mom and a father
magnificently weird Miller manifestations, was state-of-the-art
who worked for the British railroad system. When he was
digital effects to define this ethereal noir world. Imagine
young his father took off, leaving the family to fend for itself.
Warren Beattys Dick Tracy with all of the joy and colour
Despite the hard times, Owen knew what he wanted to do
drained out.
with his life act. It was a career choice that was simply
What Owen eventually discovered was that his tough-guy
unthinkable to many in his poor neighbourhood, because it
character, Dwight, wasnt nearly as strange as the world he
was so clearly unattainable.
inhabited.
But I never wanted to do anything else, really, he recalls.
But I do remember thinking, How peculiar, when I got a
Assorted school plays and musicals I was the Artful
call saying, Robert Rodriguez wants you to do Sin City,
Dodger in an Oliver! we did followed, all deepening his
Owen admits at a Los Angeles hotel. Then he sent me a five- enthusiasm for the craft.
minute test that he had already put together to show me how
His technique was honed at the Royal Academy of the
it was going to look.
Dramatic Arts in London and later as a member of the Young
A few weeks later, Rodriguez, continuing the courting
Vic Theatre group.
process, sent the actor Millers book The Big Fat Kill, on which
Finally, in 1990, Owens role in the hit English TV series
Owens Sin City segment would be based.
Chancer provided him with a profile in Britain. But it wasnt
So I read it and we talked about it, recalls Owen. And
until 1998s stylish caper film Croupier that he became
For us, it was very peculiar, standing in green-screen

every day, says Owen. But we knew we would be impressed
with the result, and we were
bankable in Hollywood, leading to

films such as 2001s Robert Altman
ensemble dramedy Gosford Park, 2002s
Matt Damon thriller The Bourne Identity
and his title role of King Arthur last year.
Hes also managed to fit in a series of
short, swanky films for BMW, which are
shown on the automakers website,
confirming his status as a very debonair
fellow, and leading to rumours that he
may be the next James Bond rumours
which he continues to discount.
What do I think about that? he says,
chuckling. I dont really think about it.
I just really never do. The Bond rumour
has been circulating for a while. Thats
all it is. I learned a long time ago not to
waste time thinking about those things.
Owen prefers to live the non-celebrity
quiet life in London with his wife, actor
Sarah Jane Fenton, and their daughters,
Hannah, 7, and Eve, 4. Gardening, he
says, is his most exotic extracurricular
activity, although hes taken up horseback riding, inexplicably, after doing it
for King Arthur.
Which makes one wonder what hobby
he might have picked up doing Sin City.
With luck, it had less to do with killing
and boozing, and more to do with the
incredible work ethic and enthusiasm of
director Rodriguez.
First of all, hes a very nice guy and
hugely impressive, says Owen. But it
was extraordinary watching him go
about his business.
Hes like a renaissance man, com-
pletely one of a kind. Ive never really

come across anyone quite like him,
Owen continues. He does absolutely
everything. He shoots, he edits, he operates the camera, he lights, he does the
music.
Owen smiles, And hes the most
amazing cook.
Sin City was shot at Rodriguezs film
headquarters in Austin, Texas, on
strangely bare sets that were often
green-screened to allow for the allencompassing special effects. Owen was
amazed by Rodriguezs commitment to
not just adapt Millers weird world, but
loyally and painstakingly reproduce it.
In fact, Rodriguez made news in
March of last year when he quit the
powerful Directors Guild of America
because it wouldnt let him give Miller a
co-directors credit on the film. The
guild has a strict policy that only one
director can be attached to any one
movie, but Rodriguez insisted that
Miller was equally deserving of the
directors title simply for creating this
world on paper. (Miller also did some
work on set.)
Hes been so faithful to the images,
Owen says. For us, it was very peculiar,
standing in green-screen every day, but
we knew we would be impressed with
the result, and we were.
Bob Thompson is a Toronto-based journalist
who writes about movies for The National
Post.
AUSTIN
POWERS
Sin Citys director Robert Rodriguez loves making movies, just not in Hollywood. Rodriguez,
along with fellow filmmaker Richard Linklater (Before Sunset), live and work primarily in
on | the | slate |
KIDMAN PLAYS PHOTOGRAPHER, GARNER HAS TROUBLE AT
THE ALTAR, AND BANA PLAYS POKER | BY INGRID RANDOJA
GARNERS ROM-COM RETURN
Okay, so Elektra wasnt so electric. The films
disappointing reviews and box-office figures mean
Jennifer Garner may think twice about playing another
supersexy superhero. Shes definitely playing it safe
with her next flick, Catch and Release, a romantic
comedy about a woman whose fianc dies on the way
to their wedding. His best friend (Timothy Olyphant)
helps her rebuild her life, and together they discover
hubby-to-be kept a few secrets. The film marks the
directorial debut of Susannah Grant, one of Hollywoods
most sought-after chick flick writers having penned
Erin Brockovich, 28 Days and Ever After. The film is
set for release later this year.
Kidmans photo op
Nicole Kidman is proof you should take the saying When opportunity
closes a door, it opens a window seriously. She was set to star in
Eucalyptus with pal (and the films executive producer) Russell Crowe.
But that Aussie film has ground to a halt with Crowe and director
Jocelyn Moorhouse pointing fingers of blame at one another. The films
collapse inadvertently freed up Kidman, and wouldnt you know it, a
to-die-for part has fallen into her lap famed 60s photographer
Diane Arbus in the bio-pic Fur. Arbus made a name for herself by
shooting pics of NYCs misfits and fringe dwellers. Some say she
exploited her subjects, others say she imbued them with dignity and
grace. Arbus took her own life in 1971. Steven Shainberg, who raised
eyebrows with the 2002 S&M dramedy Secretary, will helm the film,
which starts filming next month.
BANA GETS LUCKY

Ever wondered what the Hulk is
doing these days? Good-looking
Aussie Eric Bana, who played
the green giant in
The Hulk and Hector
in last summers
Troy, is busy
counting chips at a
Las Vegas casino,
the setting for the
poker drama Lucky
You. Bana plays card shark Huck
Cheever, who confronts his
demons while vying for the poker
world championship. Curtis
Hanson (L.A. Confidential ) is
directing (he also penned the
script) and Bana will be joined by
Drew Barrymore and Robert Duvall.
B R I E F LY
Rumors are swirling that
Jim Carrey will play the albino
Silas in The Da Vinci Code
adaptation. Robert Downey Jr.
has joined the cast of director
George Clooneys Goodnight,
and Good Luck, which finds
50s TV newsman Edward R.
Murrow taking on Senator
Joseph McCarthy.
Salma Hayek will portray
1940s serial killer Martha Beck
in the drama Lonely Hearts.
Pirate flicks are hot properties
in Hollywood and Keanu Reeves
doesnt want to miss out, hes
agreed to play Sinbad in
The 8th Voyage of Sinbad.
style |
Neat,clean
fresh
B
I BY LIZA HERZ
lame it on Carrie Bradshaw.

Mainstream notions of femininity are tragically narrow
right now. It appears the goal of womankind, according
to Sex and the City and its still-reverberating themes, is to be
a stiletto-shod chick existing on an unhealthy diet of Cosmos,
ciggies and cheap soul-baring. Its so: Look at me, I spend
thousands on shoes and maquillage just so men will notice
me and validate my existence!
So, instead of tottering around on stilettos and revealing
acres of skin this spring, consider a more casual look, incorporating clever choices that make it seem as if youre just
naturally stunning (as opposed to having to work at it,
dahlings). Repeat after me: I wake up this gorgeous. Its
just who I am. Now say it again, but flip your hair back at
the same time. Good. Thats coming along quite nicely.
We like to call it Stealth Girly, a brand of cheerful, seemingly effortless femininity that relies on good grooming and
basic items instead of thick layers of artifice slapped on as if
by a trowel. The effect is of someone so gorgeous as to be
unconcerned with their looks.
Think Gwyneth Paltrow. Or Natalie Portman. Girls who
seem genetically incapable of having a bad hair day. Girls
who ooze a fresh-faced collegiate aura, hinting at a background in varsity cheerleading or field hockey.
This archetypes wardrobe relies on simple, flawless basics
white tank-top, perfectly fitted jeans, diamond stud
earrings augmented by the occasional
This Long Camisole
subtle print, just for varietys sake. And
from Gap ($54.50) is a
remember, if youre on a tight budget,
soft accent to a pair of
less expensive items always look better
jeans or khakis. The
in dark colours.
painterly floral print is a
There are a few ground rules, the first
great way to wear pink
being that this is not a nighttime guise.
without looking babyish.
The subtlety would be all but lost
under artificial lighting. Nor is it
something you can pull on for one
day. It should look more like a world
view, suggesting, to the admiring
bystander, that youre the type who
gets her five daily servings of fruit
and her eight hours of beauty sleep.
That said, we would not be
doing our job if we didnt fill you
in on some excellent ways to
mimic healthy living without
actually becoming a saint. So
stay up late if you must. But
remember to be artful with
that pink blush in the
morning.
Helmut Lang
epitomizes the
casual-but-groomed
look with a white
tank (a staple youll
want to have in multiples), khaki pants
and a black jacket
for that urban edge.
PHOTO BY SIPA
&
Return to the basics for

effortless femininity
Maybelline
Expertwear
Blush ($9, drugstores) in Dusty
Rose gives your
cheeks a natural
flush that implies a
life of clean living.
Lancome Sweet Balm

moisturizing tinted lip balm ($21,
department and select drug stores)
combines sheer colour with a hint
of opalescence adding polish
without being overtly made-up.
If nature didnt bless you with a flawless

complexion, let science and the 20%
glycolic acid strength of Neutrogenas
Advanced Solutions Facial Peel
($40, drugstores) give you a little skinrefining assist.
Evian Affinity
Remineralising
Cleansing Cream ($16).
We think remineralising is
beautyspeak for soft skin.
Helps remove dirt, makeup,
even waterproof mascara while
moisture binding minerals
ensure a soft glowy face.
Marc Anthony Moisture Gloss

Color Extender ($12, drugstores) gives
your tresses the high-beam shine of Rich
Girl Hair, so you can just look nonchalant,
like gleaming locks are your birthright.
With its contoured waist

and strategically placed
pockets (for backside
enhancement) Lee One
True Fit Jeans ($45$55, Sears, The Bay) feel
like a custom cut, but
without a seamstress
hovering over you and
sticking you with pins.
Soft makeup, loose

undone hair and a
sheer top add a
relaxed note to this
white pairing from
Milly (jacket $433,
top $248, Finishing
Touches, Toronto).
things |
Thehours
On April 3rd we finally set the clocks forward, stealing an hour of
sleep but giving us more precious light at the end of the day. Why
not celebrate the time change with a new timepiece? Here are a
few of our favourites. And, although some are a bit pricey, you can
simply use these models for inspiration and find similar versions at
almost any price point I BY JEAN-FRANOIS LGAR
Although it has a bit of a masculine
edge, this womens watch from
DKNY is sleek and elegant ($160,
The Bay, Sears).
A simple mens watch, Roots
Tandem is available in black (as seen
here) or brown ($150, Roots stores).
The glamour of the

thirties returns with
the Malice Dior
DTrick. That strand
of real pearls can be
removed for less
formal occasions
($1,115, Birks and
other jewellers).
Its the rebel look, Dior style.

The Dior 66, with its pretty
pink leather strap, celebrates
your duality a little bit
motorcycle chick, a little bit
princess ($1,055, Birks and
other jewellers).
In association
with Tiger Woods,
TAG Heuer created
this watch specifically for the pro
golferor anyone who
pretends to be. Extremely
light because of its
stainless steel and silicone
construction, the watch
features Woods logo on
the face and his signature
on the back ($1,495,
tagheuer.com for locations
or to buy).
With its lime-green

textured leather strap,
this womens watch
from DKNY is
the perfect
accessory for
summer cocktail parties
($145, The Bay,
Sears).
With its subtle pastel

hues, this Burberry
watch gives a delicate
touch to your summer
wardrobe ($485, Holt
Renfrew and other
jewellers).
Forty years ago,

TAG Heuer released
the Carrera watch,
and it made them
famous. For the
anniversary, theyve
reissued a new
version of the
monumental
timepiece ($3,300,
tagheuer.com for
locations or to buy).
This charm
bracelet from Burberry is
a must have for fashionistas. With
10 different charms including a
watch face and that famous Burberry
B not only will you look great,
youll jangle when you walk ($695,
Holt Renfrew and other jewellers).
Sleek, but without being

boring, this mens watch
from Diesel has a
phosphorescent face that
glows in the dark ($165,
The Bay, Sears).
For women who dont like things

too delicate, this Burberry
watch has a neo-hippie edge,
thanks to that woven, leathertrimmed strap ($825, Holt
Renfrew and other jewellers).
liner | notes |
DAVID USHER GAMBLES ON NEW YORK, AND SAMPLING
CARIBOUS MILK OF HUMAN KINDNESS I BY INGRID RANDOJA
THE OTHER USHER

Writer E.B. White said New York City can destroy an individual,
or it can fulfill him, depending a good deal on luck. No one
should come to New York to live unless he is willing to be lucky.
David Usher feels lucky.
The former frontman for Moist and singer of that catchy 90s
ditty Push, moved from Toronto to New York last year with his
wife and baby daughter. His fourth disc as a solo artist, If God Had
Curves (in stores April 26), was penned and recorded in the
Big Apple where, he says, you have to put up or shut up.
I think its part of American culture, he says on the line from
New York. In a society where there is no safety net, in a city thats
this big and expensive, you have to make it happen or you are in
trouble. Theres that sense that no one is going to catch you if you
dont make it, and that leads you to do really good workor not.
If God Had Curves contains typical Usher tunes reflective,
poetic songs that are made all the more potent by his sparse
singing style. Its a bittersweet album, and yet its the sweet you
remember most, like his first single, Love Will Save the Day.
Its an uplifting anthem coming from a guy who sometimes
sees the glass as half empty, and whos an avowed atheist.
Even atheists are looking for faith, he says with a little laugh.
With a Jewish academic father and Buddhist artist mother, Usher
has spent his life navigating two cultures and practicing tolerance
for both which is the message behind If God Had Curves.
Most people have taken the title to be saying God is a woman,
and thats a facet of it, but its based more on the idea that if we
were all a bit more understanding and a bit more flexible the
religious and the non-religious wed be better off as a society.
Being in New York for the last election, you really saw both the
secular community and the religious community becoming much
more rigid and less willing to see each others points of view, and
without that meeting of the minds were going to be in trouble.
CARIBOU ALERT
Electronic music maestro Dan Snaith used to go by the moniker

Manitoba, but due to a silly lawsuit by American punk rocker
Handsome Dick Manitoba, the Dundas, Ontario, artist changed his
name to Caribou.
Caribous newest CD, The Milk of Human Kindness (in stores
April 19), offers what Caribou calls pop songs for weirdos. His
electronic beats and samplings
are less rigorous on this, his
third, CD, and hes playing
around with gorgeous
melodies and vicious drum
beats. The track Hello
Hammerheads sounds like an
undiscovered Simon and
Garfunkel tune, while the sexy
Bees should be played while
downing a pre-dinner cocktail.
OUT THIS MONTH

NATALIE IMBRUGLIA
Counting Down the Days >> April 5

Aussie singer/actor Imbruglia enlisted the help of her hubby,
musician Daniel Johns, to produce her latest girly pop album.
GARBAGE
Bleed Like Me >> April 12

The hard-drivin rockers from Madison, Wisconsin, admit they
hated each other by the time they were finished making this
album. But lead singer Shirley Manson says this CD comes
the closest to capturing their live sound.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Devils & Dust >> April 26
The Bosss 19th album continues his exploration of spare,

rootsy rock.
THE RETURN
OF COOL.
ITS A BLAST.
_ Manohla Dargis, THE NEW YORK TIMES
BUY IT
41205
ON DVD!
TWO THUMBS UP.

_ EBERT AND ROEPER
oceans12.net AOL Keyword: Oceans Twelve warnervideo.com

Coarse Language
Mature Theme
Bonus Material Not Rated or Closed-Captioned.
2005 Warner Bros Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.
name I of I the I game I
EVERYBODY WAS KUNG FU FIGHTING

Chopsock your way through the beautiful Jade Empire I BY SCOTT GARDNER
JADE EMPIRE
XBOX
Welcome to the Jade Empire. Set in ancient China or at least China as it would
have been if all the legends were true its a mysterious world of harsh mountains,
lush gardens, wild outlaws, evil spirits and magical martial arts.
Created for Xbox by Bioware the Edmonton company behind 2003s blockbuster Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Jade Empire blends the traditional
elements of a role-playing game with inventive real-time fighting.
As the story opens you are a young martial artist just beginning to explore the
world outside your monastery. From the outset it is clear that something is wrong:
spirits and ghosts are appearing frequently, even attacking people in outlying
villages. Your investigation launches you on a journey from the Land of Howling
Spirits to the Imperial City and beyond.
Combat is a mix of gritty Bruce Lee-type kung fu and mystical Hidden Tiger, Flying Daggers aerobatics. There are dozens of fighting styles
to learn, from the fancifully named Legendary Strike and Dire Flame to the more pointed Twin Axes. Each has its own tactical role, and
attacks range from punches and kicks to weapon strikes to conjuring supernatural beasts.
Whether you choose to act for good or evil, youll have to face powerful human and supernatural foes to unravel the dark secrets of your
world and earn a place as a master of martial arts.
PSYCHONAUTS
PS2, XBOX
In a gaming universe increasingly dominated by blockbuster sequels and movie

tie-ins, the surreal look and loopy premise
of Psychonauts positively leap off the
screen and whack you upside the head.
The game tells the story of Raz, a
telepathic, telekinetic and pyrokinetic
young boy learning to hone his formidable
powers as a psychic. But while working on
his Levitation merit badge, Raz discovers
that someone is
kidnapping psychic
children and stealing
their brains.
In order to foil
this evil plot and
earn the title of
Psychonaut,
(psychic astronaut
get it?) Raz must
project himself into the minds of one
bizarre character after another to battle
their inner demons, nightmares and secret
memories.
In a mix of action and platforming
gameplay, Raz runs, bounces, floats,
climbs, swings and sneaks while defeating
monsters, lunatics and demons with the
Psi-Blast, a mental burst of energy that
banishes nightmares.
skulking, bug-eyed, melon-headed alien,

kicking the crap out of every wretched,
sniveling human you see.
Set in 1950s
America, you play
Cryptosporidium137, an operative
sent to Earth on
a dual mission to
harvest human
brainstems and
keep lab-coated sadists from vivisecting a
previous visitor (his brother, Crypto-136)
who had the bad luck to crash in you
guessed it Roswell, New Mexico.
Cryptos helpful tools include futuristic
weapons, psychic powers, a shiny hub-cap
shaped UFO and an utter disdain for
humanity. Packed with humorous sci-fi
and conspiracy mythology, you will soon
discover that it is far, far better to be the
superior being.
DESTROY ALL HUMANS!
PS2, XBOX
Its Grand Theft Auto meets Mars Attacks!
in this amusingly bent action-stealth
title, and for once YOU get to be the
THE PLAYSTATION
PORTABLE
This ambitious little guy, known as the
PSP, is Sonys long-awaited portable
gaming unit and a potential competitor
to Nintendos long-running Game Boy
franchise of handheld systems.
Billed as a comprehensive entertainment experience, the unit plays
disc-based videogames, digital video and
audio, supports wireless play to nearby
PSPs and distance online play where a
wireless network is available. We wont
fry your synapses with an alphabet soup
of techie mumbo jumbo, but basically,
its got the brainpower to support full 3-D
worlds, characters and effects, and its
only about the size of a PS2 controller.
The PSP launches as a Value Pack
for $299, including a Memory Stick,
headphones with remote
control, battery pack,
AC adaptor and case.
And there are more
than 20 games
ready to go, including ATV Offroad
Fury: Blazin Trails,
Gretzky NHL, NFL
Street 2, Need for
Speed Rivals and
Tony Hawks
Underground 2
Remix.
newreleases
video | and | dvd |
GO HOME WITH
ELEKTRA, LEMONY SNICKET
APRIL 5
OR
OCEANS TWELVE I BY SCOTT GARDNER
tender and devoted Flor (Paz Vega)

their already rocky relationship faces
even bigger boulders.
ELEKTRA
Stars: Jennifer Garner,
Goran Visnjic
Director: Rob Bowman
(Reign of Fire)
Story: After her smallish
role in 2002s
Daredevil, comic book
fanboys waited a breathless two years to
see Garner fill out Elektras red leather
superhero gear and bring the pain. Its
just too bad no one thought to bring a
script. DVD Extras: Making of, ComicCon Presentation and Inside the Editing
Room featurettes, three deleted scenes
SPANGLISH
Stars: Adam Sandler,
Ta Leoni
Director: James L.
Brooks (As Good as
it Gets)
Story: Celebrated L.A.
chef John (Sandler)
tiptoes around his hypersensitive wife,
Deborah (Leoni) and her ferocious mood
swings. So when they hire a maid the
sincere, warm, sweet, beautiful, loving,
SIDEWAYS
Stars: Paul Giamatti,
Thomas Haden Church
Director: Alexander
Payne (Election)
Story: A wine-tasting
road trip to salute Jacks
(Church) final days as a
bachelor careens woefully sideways as he
and Miles (Giamatti) hit the gas en route
to mid-life crises. Suddenly, the comically
mismatched pair who share little more
than their history, failed potential and
fading youth, find themselves drowning in
wine and women. DVD Extras: commentary
by Giamatti and Church, eight deleted
scenes, behind-the-scenes featurette,
three Easter eggs
Spanish filmmaker gets a visit from an

actor claiming to be an old school friend,
who draws him into a twisted web of sex,
revenge and murder.
HOTEL RWANDA
Stars: Don Cheadle,
Nick Nolte
Director: Terry George
(Some Mothers Son)
Story: Based on a true
story from the 1994
Rwandan genocide,
hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina
(Cheadle) opens his doors to 1,200
refugees. With a rabid militia at his gates,
he uses courage, flattery and cunning to
protect his guests from certain death.
DVD Extras: a documentary, featurette,
commentaries featuring Cheadle, the
director and the real-life Rusesabagina
APRIL 12
BAD EDUCATION
Stars: Gael Garca Bernal, Fele Martnez
Director: Pedro Almodvar (Talk to Her)
Story: In two-time Oscar-winner
Almodvars latest, a
TVtoDVD
If you love TV on
DVD this a great
month for youto
clean up the yard,
paint the rec room
and catch up on your
reading. But if you
like us are now
addicted to commercial
TV without the commercials you can get reacquainted
with first seasons of Bob Newhart
and Dynasty (Apr. 12) or Highway
to Heaven (Apr. 26).
A few more of the bright spots
include the fine fourth

season of The West
Wing (Apr. 5), the
second seasons of
The A-Team, Knight
Rider, Magnum P.I. and
That 70s Show (Apr.
12). And for a look at
the bonds of love,
friends and family
or more correctly,
everything that can go wrong
with the bonds of love, friends
and family you can hang out
with the homegrown comedy hit
Trailer Park Boys: The Complete
Fourth Season (Apr. 12).
OCEANS TWELVE
Stars: George Clooney,
Brad Pitt
Director: Steven
Soderbergh (Erin
Brockovich)
Story: Its been three
years since Danny
Ocean (Clooney) and his crew robbed

ruthless casino owner Terry Benedict of
every dime in his impenetrable Vegas
vault. Now Benedict has tracked em all
down and it aint to deliver flowers
THE WOODSMAN
Stars: Kevin Bacon,
Kyra Sedgwick
Director: Nicole Kassell
(debut)
Story: Bacon won raves
for his performance as a
pedophile who returns
to his hometown after 12 years in prison
and attempts to start a new life.
APRIL 19
A LOVE SONG FOR
BOBBY LONG
Stars: John Travolta,
Scarlett Johansson
Director: Shainee Gabel
(debut)
Story: A teenage girl
(Johansson) returns to
her supposedly abandoned family home
and discovers an unexpected roommate:
her late mothers lover, a boozy professor
(Travolta) slowly drinking himself to death.
BIRTH
Stars: Nicole Kidman,
Lauren Bacall
Director: Jonathan
Glazer (Sexy Beast)
Story: Part romance,
part mystery, part
family drama, a
woman (Kidman)
becomes convinced that ick a
10-year-old boy is the reincarnation of
her dead husband.
MEET THE
FOCKERS
Stars: Ben Stiller,
Robert De Niro
Director: Jay Roach
(Meet the Parents)
Story: When Greg
(a.k.a. Gaylord)
Fockers up-tight
future in-laws meet his unconventional
parents things go great at least until
the RV toilet episode, the overly zealous
football game, the incident with the
toddler and the glue, the saucy Cuban

caterer with a secret...
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS

Stars: Zhang Ziyi, Andy Lau
Director: Zhang Yimou (Hero)
Story: In medieval China, a blind dancer
finds herself torn between the loyalties of
love and honour as she fights acrobatic
warriors in spectacular and balletic
treetop battles.
APRIL 26
THE ASSASSINATION OF
RICHARD NIXON
Stars: Sean Penn, Naomi Watts
Director: Niels Mueller (debut)
Story: This dark drama tells the tragic true
story of Sam Bicke (Penn), a disillusioned
everyman who, in 1974, was driven to plot
the assassination of U.S. president Nixon.
BLADE: TRINITY
Stars: Wesley Snipes,
Jessica Biel
Director: David S. Goyer
(ZigZag)
Story: After years of
fighting evil alone, the
half-vampire Blade
(Snipes) finally gets some help from the
Nightstalkers, led by tough slayer-babe
Abigail (Biel) and her joke-a-minute partner Hannibal (Ryan Reynolds). DVD Extras:
Unrated DVD includes 10 extras minutes,
commentary by Goyer, Biel and Reynolds,
a 16-part behind-the-scenes doc, alternate
ending, blooper reel, weapons galleries
LEMONY SNICKETS
A SERIES OF
UNFORTUNATE
EVENTS
Stars: Jim Carrey,
Meryl Streep
Director: Brad Silberling
(City of Angels)
Story: Based on the wildly popular and
darkly humourous kids books, the three
Baudelaire orphans are sent to live with
their creepy uncle, Count Olaf (Carrey),
who schemes to steal the childrens
inheritance. DVD Extras: commentary by
the director and the real Lemony Snicket,
and the featurettes Building a Bad
Actor, Making the Baudelaire Children
Miserable and Interactive Olaf
GO TO WWW.BLOCKBUSTER.CA FOR MORE INFORMATION

NEWtoDVD
THE AMITYVILLE
HORROR COLLECTION
or George and Kathy Lutz, the colonial

home on the rivers edge seemed ideal:
quaint, spacious and amazingly affordable.
Of course, six brutal murders had taken
place there just a year before, but houses
dont have memories...or do they?
In one of the most talked about
haunted house stories of all time, blood
drips from the walls, a terrifying chill
rakes through the rooms, and menacing
eyes glow from the upstairs windows.
This four-disc set screams into stores on
April 5, 10 days before the big-screen
remake starring Ryan Reynolds opens in
theatres.
Based on the best-selling book by Jay
Anson, the original The Amityville Horror
(1979) stars James Brolin, Margot
Kidder and Rod Steiger. Bone-chilling
goodies include an introduction and
audio commentary by parapsychologist
Dr. Hans Holzer, Ph.D., author of more
than 100 books on paranormal activity,
a doc entitled For Gods Sake, Get
Out!, a sneak peek of the new
Amityville Horror, seven radio spots and
the original theatrical trailer.
The set also includes the prequel
Amityville II: The Possession (1982),
the jaw-droppingly awful Amityville 3-D
(1983) and Amityville Confidential, an
exclusive bonus disc featuring the
Amityville: Horror or Hoax? documentary that reveals secrets of the house,
including interviews with the real Lutz
family, and Amityville: The Haunting
an account of what actually happened in
the house according to the Lutz family.
star | gazing |
April2005
Aries
March 21
HOROSCOPE | BY DAN LIEBMAN
Leo
April 20
July 23
Some difficult choices face you this

month. Look at the big picture when
weighing pros against cons. Your social
group may include additions and dropouts.
You show a late-month talent for acting,
with the emphasis on spontaneous,
impromptu performances.
Taurus
You face stiff competition when going

after a plum assignment, but your logical
approach gives you an advantage. Prune
your long to-do list you can accomplish
only so much by the end of April. And
prepare an acceptance speech for an
upcoming honour.
Gemini
May 23
You gain recognition for a recent accomplishment, but this is not the time to
coast. Be cautious about taking sides in a
debate between two people you like. Youll
be rubbing shoulders with interesting
types, but dont go overboard trying to
impress them.
Cancer
June 22
Virgo
Capricorn
September 22
Your household is tranquil for a change.

Take advantage of the situation and catch
up on correspondence and paperwork. You
may reverse your opinion about a neighbour
or co-worker. If youre serious about someone, make sure the person knows it.
December 23
Youre extraordinarily in tune with others

right now understanding their needs
and even finishing their sentences.
Unexpected travel opportunities are
scattered throughout April. You continue
to make steady progress as you chase
after an important goal.
Libra
Aquarius
October 22
January 21
February 19
Youre feeling more confident about

speaking your mind and for once
being blunt. At the same time, youre
able to recognize peoples true motives.
Midmonth is a good time to work out
differences. Make an extra effort to keep
in touch with distant relatives.
The month finds you changing opinions

and shifting directions. By the 30th, you
have a clear idea of where youre headed
and with whom. Carefully check
financial and other details. And dont get
carried away with new friends at the
expense of old ones.
Scorpio
Pisces
Its a good month for trying new ways to

fix old problems. You could find that jobs
go faster without an assistant. Maintain a
sense of balance in the areas of health
and fitness. Keep your sense of humour,
too, as April Fools tricksters can strike at
any time.
This is a transition month. You become

more confident, as reflected in everything
from your writing style to your wardrobe.
Keep track of spending. Socially, its a
month of invitations, but watch out for an
absent-minded streak that surfaces
around the 17th.
November 21
February 20
APRIL BIRTHDAYS
1st:
2nd:
3rd:
4th:
5th:
6th:
7th:
8th:
9th:
10th:
January 20
A surprising amount of drama occurs now,

with friends demanding a large chunk of
your attention. But theres more stability
in your life, especially after the full moon
of the 24th. Its a good month to sign up
for a course or other mentally stimulating
program.
October 23
July 22
December 22
Friends continue to surprise you some

with their generosity, others with their
harebrained schemes. Pay extra attention
to matters involving shared arrangements,
especially financial ones. Late month
finds you intuitive and motivated.
September 23
June 21
November 22
You receive some unexpected responses

to recent requests. Its generally a good
month to develop technical skills, travel
to unusual destinations, and re-establish
a friendship. Be as objective as you can
when discussing family issues.
August 23
May 22
April 21
Sagittarius
August 22
Debbie Reynolds
Linda Hunt
Eddie Murphy
Robert Downey Jr.
Peter Greenaway
Marilu Henner
Russell Crowe
Patricia Arquette
Dennis Quaid
Steven Seagal
11th:
12th:
13th:
14th:
15th:
16th:
17th:
18th:
19th:
20th:
Joel Grey
Claire Danes
Rick Schroder
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Emma Watson
Martin Lawrence
Jennifer Garner
James Woods
Kate Hudson
Jessica Lange
21st:
22nd:
23rd:
24th:
25th:
26th:
27th:
28th:
29th:
30th:
Charles Grodin
Jack Nicholson
Michael Moore
Barbra Streisand
Rene Zellweger
Carol Burnett
Sheena Easton
Jessica Alba
Daniel Day-Lewis
Kirsten Dunst
March 20
PRESENTS
4UESDAY-AY
DONATE

WEARDENIMANDFIGHT
BREASTCANCER

WWWCUREFOUNDATIONCOM
famous | last | words
10
VIN DIESEL I worked as a nightclub bouncer but Id get into fights with
other bouncers when a guy was already
on the floor and the other guys thought it
was alright to jump in the air and land
on the guys head.
STARS
TALK
ABOUT
THEIR
EARLY
WORK
I BY SUSAN GRANGER
CAMERON DIAZ I worked at TCBY, the yogurt shop. The

first two weeks I literally lived on the chocolate and vanilla swirl,
then the mere sight of it left me queasy.
would try to shoot. It was fun to be out in the fresh air, but I
didnt fancy doing that for the rest of my life.
MICHELLE PFEIFFER I was a supermarket checkout
slept most of the time.
girl. I had just graduated from high school, and I thought the
rest of my life would be spent telling little old ladies, Im sorry,
maam, that coupon expired 10 years ago.
COURTNEY LOVE I was the phone answerer for an escort

agency in midtown New York. The place smelled really bad.
ROBIN WILLIAMS I was a mime who worked in front of
the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It really required
combat pay. Kids would try to kick you.
SEAN BEAN I worked as a welder for my dads company. I

think he would have liked me to carry on in the family business,
but I knew I wasnt cut out for it.
ORLANDO BLOOM My first job was as a clay trapper,
when I was about 13. I set the clay disks and the gentlemen
PAUL MCCARTNEY I was second guy on a lorry, and I

JILL HENNESSY Playing guitar on Torontos streets for
dinner money. Id sit on the curb and play anything anybody
wanted. After a while, Id have 10 people standing around and
maybe $25 in my guitar case.
CINDY CRAWFORD I had a summer job detasseling
corn near my home in DeKalb, Illinois. In fact, thats what I
was doing when a photographer from a local newspaper took
my picture and the favourable reaction to that picture
convinced me to try modeling. It had to be better than
detasseling corn.
JENNIFER ANISTON I waitressed at the Jackson Hole

diner in New York City. The customers didnt like me because I
would try to memorize the orders instead of writing the entire
thing down. Suddenly, hot dogs became hotcakes.
RELAX, ITS OK TO BE LATE
NOMORE
LATEFEES
Movie and game rentals are due back at the date and time stated on the transaction receipt. There is no additional rental charge if a member keeps a rental item beyond the pre-paid
rental period. However, if a member chooses to keep a rental item for more than a week after the end of the rental period, BLOCKBUSTER will automatically convert the rental to a
sale on the eighth (8th) day after the end of the rental period. BLOCKBUSTER will post to the membership account the selling price for the item in effect at the time of the rental. The
selling price will be discounted by the amount of the initial rental fee paid by the member at the time of rental. If the member returns the item within 30 days of the sale date,
BLOCKBUSTER will credit back to the membership account the amount previously charged to the members account but the member will be charged a one-time restocking fee of
$1.75 per unit plus applicable taxes. These rental terms are subject to change without notice at any time. Available at all BLOCKBUSTER Canada stores. See store for complete terms
and conditions. Membership rules apply for rental. BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster Inc. 2005 Blockbuster Inc. All rights reserved.
Best performance by
300 horses playing a car.
The new Mustang GT.

AJAC Award for Best New Sports / Performance Car.
Buckle up. The new Mustang continues its rich tradition of performance. Take one
out on the open road. And youll see precisely why we keep thinking about freedom.
ford.c

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april 2005 | volume 6 | number 4

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40708019

Keep it until after the sunset.

No late fees at BLOCKBUSTER makes renting stress-free.

Famous | volume 6 | number 4

18 KUTCHER KUTCHER COO

14 THE BIG PICTURE

famous 4 | april 2005

40 NAME OF THE GAME

42 VIDEO AND DVD

46 FAMOUS LAST WORDS

64 seating configurations, wipe-down utility floors and a built-in MP3/digital

irector Robert Rodriguez is a legend

famous 6 | april 2005

ADVERTISING SALES FOR FAMOUS, FAMOUS QUEBEC AND FAMOUS KIDS

SALES & MARKETING

Famous magazine is published 12 times a year by 1371327 Ontario Ltd.

Re: And the Oscar Went To [February 2005]. Where did

I thoroughly enjoy your

FAMOUS WELCOMES YOUR COMMENTS

PHOTO BY KEVIN MAZUR/WIREIMAGE

THE STARS WORK, PLAY AND GET COFFEE

Jennifer Lopez watches from backstage as

Joaquin Phoenix blazing a

Dressed like green

PHOTO BY RONALD ASADORIAN/PHOTOGRAPHER SHOWCASE

PHOTO BY JEFF RAYNER/SPLASH NEWS

How embarrassing. Claire

And the winner of the Celebrity Who

famous 9 | april 2005

Then, one day, she opened her

snagged the role of Carrie, Drew

Great memories werent meant to live inside your digital camera.

Select/edit photos with 2.5"

Preview photos prior to printing

Remove red-eye, zoom, crop,

True-to-life photo quality with 6-ink

Print from any digital camera

Get a $50US mail-in rebate when

Print, fax, scan and copy

with exceptional quality

your local retailer

Much more than clones

Til Markson in the 2004 George Lucas Selects

PRICES STAY LOW IN ONTARIO

This past January Famous Players announced a temporary

2004s Audience Choice Award winner

Last years Best Animation Award went to

Famous Players corporate affairs vice-president. I think it will

famous 12 | april 2005

IMAGINE CONTACT LENSES THAT STAY MOIST ALL DAY.

the | big | picture |

help take care of his teenage daughter

A LOT LIKE LOVE

WHOS IN IT? Matthew McConaughey,

WHOS IN IT? Ashton Kutcher, Amanda Peet

THE BALLAD OF JACK AND ROSE

WHOS IN IT? Daniel Day-Lewis,

WHOS IN IT? Stephen Chow, Yuen Wah