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George Hadley-Garcia
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 30, 2012
Bardem brings the sky down on James Bond
"I am so bad that I'm taking the heat off of James Bond," laughs Javier Bardem, whose MI6 operative-turned-cyberterrorist in the film "Skyfall" is winning plaudits as the best 007 villain in a decade.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 2, 2012
Madonna finds kindred spirit in Wallis Simpson
"At dinners and parties," Madonna recalls, "I found that whenever I brought up the topic of Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, it was like throwing a Molotov cocktail into the conversation." Of course, the same story could be told about the speaker herself.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 5, 2012
Cusack delves into the dark with 'The Raven'
"One of the negative things about the Internet," actor John Cusack remarks when asked about rumors surrounding casting in his new film, "The Raven," "is unnecessary information. Stuff that doesn't serve any real purpose and can be detrimental to someone's ego or ... like I say, useless. Hopefully a good...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 24, 2012
Ridley Scott returns to sci-fi with 'Prometheus'
"As a cinematic genre, science-fiction has a longer shelf life than most," says director/producer Sir Ridley Scott. The mastermind behind such classics as "Alien" (1979), "Blade Runner" (1982) and this year's "Prometheus" is referring to how aspects of a sci-fi film can morph from fiction into fact with...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 10, 2012
Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson back to save the world in 'The Avengers'
Actor Robert Downey Jr. is eager to share his theory of why superheroes are now so prominent and popular at cinemas across the United States.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 11, 2012
Clooney comes of age as land and loves collide
Of all the descriptors actor George Clooney gets pegged with, "father" is not usually among them. Academy Award-winner? Sure. Activist? Yes. Sexiest Man Alive? You bet. It was his turn as a dad in "The Descendants" last year, however, that earned him a Golden Globe award and an Oscar nomination.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 3, 2012
DiCaprio visits America's dark past in 'J. Edgar'
Leonardo DiCaprio admits that he didn't hear much about the famously feared J. Edgar Hoover while he was growing up. That doesn't stop him from making an astute observation: "The man was a troll."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 19, 2011
Pitt, Penn heap praise on Malick's 'real world'
Terrence Malick kicks off his new film, "The Tree of Life," with a bang. The Big Bang, actually. Over the next 138 minutes, the viewer witnesses a journey through history that ends up in a small town in Texas. Critics seem to agree that you'll either love it or hate it.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 20, 2011
Depp adds more gold to his treasure chest
Johnny Depp is wrestling with a monster. No, it's not one of the numerous sea monsters from "Pirates of the Caribbean" — it's the franchise itself.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 23, 2011
Knightley learns about life from Ishiguro adaptation
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Keira Knightley, at age 26, has proven herself much more than just a pretty face. Born March 26, 1985, she requested a showbiz agent at age 3 — not all that surprising, considering that her father, Will Knightley, is an actor and her mother is the acclaimed playwright Sharman...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 25, 2011
Jolie acts out a teenage crush in 'The Tourist'
"Of course I always wanted to work with Johnny Depp!" laughs Angelina Jolie. "What actress hasn't? I've thought he was the coolest thing for years. I practically grew up with him and had such a crush on him in 'Edward Scissorhands'!"
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 28, 2011
Greed is good again in 'Wall Street' sequel
BEVERLY HILLS, California — After having announced a week earlier that he had beaten cancer, Michael Douglas took the stage at the Golden Globes awards ceremony in Beverly Hills, California, on Jan. 16 and was greeted with a warm round of applause.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 14, 2011
'The Social Network' wins friends among film critics
The Japanese tagline for "The Social Network" translates as "Genius, backstabber, dangerous guy, billionaire." Probably not the kind of sentiment a website trying to connect friends wants to be associated with. However, for a film — it's damn sexy.
CULTURE / Film
Nov 26, 2010
Radcliffe, Watson prepare to graduate from Hogwarts
HOLLYWOOD, California — W hen asked about longtime "Harry Potter" costar Emma Watson, with whom he stars in the penultimate film of the blockbuster movie franchise, actor Daniel Radcliffe says: "She's great. She'll go far, professionally and educationally."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 17, 2010
Firth on playing it gay by playing it straight
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Colin Firth was nominated for an Oscar for best actor this year for "A Single Man." As we know, Hollywood insider Jeff Bridges took home the Oscar, but Firth was "genuinely thrilled at the nomination and genuinely relieved when it was over. The stress is something else. So are...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 10, 2010
Eat, pray, love, kiss and tell
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Javier Bardem sounds almost as happy as he was the night he won the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for "No Country for Old Men" in 2008. No wonder. He is recently married, to fellow Spaniard and Oscar-winner Penelope Cruz — his memorable costar in Woody Allen's "Vicky...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 30, 2010
Charismatic Chan makes 'Karate Kid' role his own
HOLLYWOOD — He's featured in more than 100 movies spanning six decades, holds the Guinness World Record for most stunts by a living actor, and has enjoyed a career as one of China's truly global superstars. And despite all this, Jackie Chan continues to dazzle audiences and critics alike — well,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 9, 2010
Bradley Cooper: hot and hung over
HOLLYWOOD — They say nothing is as hot as a slow-burning fire, and Bradley Cooper's career had been warming up for a number of years before it turned white-hot last year thanks to his starring role in "The Hangover."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 11, 2010
From pretty-boy star to grizzled veteran
HOLLYWOOD — "My next movie is a sequel to the one I did where I play a guy trapped inside a video game," says Jeff Bridges, veteran of over 60 films.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 14, 2010
'Whip It' with Drew
HOLLYWOOD — "The politest thing I can say is, 'It's about bleeping time!' " says Drew Barrymore with a giggle reminiscent of Gertie, the "E.T." role that made her famous back in 1982.

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