Friday, December 5, 2008

No more just a lone star

"For Texas-bred Austin Nichols the I'm-gonna-be-in-pictures moment arrived his senior year of high school, when he crashed a party at Sundance while visiting relatives in Park City, Utah. 'A woman in the corner kept looking at me, which was sort of awkward,' saysthe 24-year-old, whose snarled smile and cut-from-stonecheekbones had caught the eye of a prominent manager. "Six months later I was enrolled at USC and going on auditions.' "
- Vogue, September 2004

10 years later Austin returns to Sundance as part of the ensemble cast that is getting major buzz for The Informers. With Mickey Rourke hot in the running to be nominated for an Academy Award for The Wrestler, Billy Bob Thorton, Kim Bassinger and a return of Winona Ryder, The Informers is throwing a constellation of star power for Sundance. The buzz is already starting f and best bet is that the it won't be a buzz but a roar by the time the movie premieres in January.

Can we hope for some great new pictures from the Sundance photo shoots? Fingers crossed. And wanna bet there's gonna be a few interviews too.

And if Sundance is the North American premiere - could Cannes be the next premiere for it? And isn't there another movie that got the bump to premiere Cannes. Brothers, perhaps?

The stars are getting really bright for this Texan


Differences Then and Now:

Then : Snuck into parties
Now: Sneaking out of parties ???

Then: One woman in the corner looking at him
Now: Everyone looking at him

Then: No swag
Now: Swagged a plenty

Then: Was a high school kid
Now: Playing a kid not too far out of high school

Then: Went for the snow skiing
Now: Snow skiing , when is there time to ski?

Then: Only Austin Nichols known was a Bourbon
Now: 30 Projects later- Austin Nichols, actor is gaining quicker than liquor

Then: High school kid with big dreams of being a great actor.
Now: Guy who has grown into that great actor.

Some big chances in 10 years - makes you wonder what else has happened since then. ; )





Funny how the circle goes - getting discovered there, playing a character who takes his movie to there and now going back to Sundance - not a fan, not as a character but as actor in a movie premiering there.

Julian on his way to Sundance - you know there something about this look I like. Maybe it's that JG Hook sweater.

Variety


Salt Lake City Tribune

Sundance Film Festival

Blogging Sundance

Ifilm - Sundance



OMG Season of Sharing

Art for Refugees in Transition

39 million people around the world are refugees or internally displaced. More than 40 percent of refugees are children. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2007.

A.R.T. provides curriculum and training programs to engage both children and adults in refugee communities in visual, performing and creative arts drawn from their own cultures. These activities provide local and international relief institutions with tools to help refugee communities recover from the trauma, terror and dislocation of war.

A.R.T - is not only looking for monetary contributions, but also donate airline miles, volunteer services and those who can provide printing.

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

Reese looking beat and by her lonesome

Anonymous said...

New Austin pic looking great! :)

Austin Nichols Journal

Special K said...

Yes he does! Thanks Spooky for it. And thanks new pic for linking

destiny said...

I've always loved that story about Austin, it's so old Hollywood. The new picture of Austin is great, any idea where it is from and who the other two men are?

I've never heard of A.R.T. I'm going to check this one out, I like the mix of helping children and promoting art and the kids' own culture.

Special K said...

Well the guy on the far right is Chad Michael Murray aka Lucas - from OTH,
the guy in the middle - not sure but a suit, could we assume - a network guy? The date in the filename for the pic was yesterday. Guess we will have to wait for Spooky to give us the full scoop.

Anonymous said...

Austin is looking great and how exciting that his film will be at Sundance. There is something to be said for working your way up the hard way. When you break through you appreciate it so much. I look forward to seeing The Informers.

I had hoped to see Milk this weekend but it's still at only 1 theater in this area and not in a convenient location for me. Opens wider the following week so I just have to be a bit more patient.

destiny said...

Ok, I am officially blind--or blinded by Austin. Didn't recognize Chad, and I thought the picture might be an older one for some reason.

destiny said...

Not to mention I was looking very quickly; by scrolling down OMG looks work-friendly, no way to do that with Spooky's, which I usually don't visit at work. :-D

Anonymous said...

Austin looks really sexy here: The Informers

Anonymous said...

Congrats to Austin and all on Informers at Sundance!

I'm going to look into A.R.T. as well, I like the sounds of it.

prairiegirl said...

Not to mention I was looking very quickly; by scrolling down OMG looks work-friendly, no way to do that with Spooky's, which I usually don't visit at work. :-D


lol! Which is why one never opens up Dlisted up @ work. No way!

Waaaaaay back on Dec 2, Destiny said:

That comment about 4Cs filling a need for a holiday/comedy movie, which I've seen expressed in a lot of places, just proves once again that if you give the people the kind of movie they want they'll come, even if it is bad, and it has very little to do with who is in it.

Sorry for my late comments on everything, but I had wanted to say something about this. I got to thinking on something, Destiny, because it struck a note. I like going to craft shows, used to go to them all the time, not as much anymore. Why is that? Well, when craft shows really started out like gangbusters, they were so unique. Women went to them in droves around here, myself included. There'd be a convention hall full of estrogen looking at this stuff.

But then gradually, alot of stuff started looking the same. Duplicate ideas, like it all came off the same production line. Or even worse? Poor, shoddy, cheap workmanship. It was as if they knew what the women liked (or thought they knew ) and in order to make a quick buck, threw some painted wood together, threw on some paint, and shoved it out the door with nary a glance at it. That's how some movies come out looking. Your copycat movies. No imagination, no thought given to it, just try to feed the masses and make some $$$$.

Now I do still really like to look at the crafts. But you need either really good craftmanship or unique, new ideas.

prairiegirl said...

I wanted to thank you, Smiley, for your mention of the planets in alignment with the moon. I couldn't remember which planets it was supposed to be but I had also forgotten when it was supposed to be or how many days we could see it. I just know this was them. They were incredible. So, so bright & big. And they didn't move so they weren't planes. It's always something to have visible confirmation that there are indeed these planets floating around out there. I mean, I know they're out there, but I never see them.

Cool song choice! I always liked this one by Duran Duran.

Ha!! Speaking of craft shows, I am going to one tomorrow. It is at this convent in Paola, KS. I went last year with my mom & one of her sisters (both raging Catholics,lol). It was fascinating. You know, I don't think there are very many nuns around anymore. The nuns who lived at this convent were mostly all very mature/or elderly. But they still crocheted, sewed, baked, etc. and they put all these things out for sale throughout the main building, which is sooo old. It's a beautiful campus, right in the middle of town with an iron gate around it, and a small prayer garden on the grounds. Well, they're closing the convent, relocating these nuns eastward, and so this is their last year doing this. I hope to get some pictures of this place because it is like a trip back through time with beautiful oak wood throughout, big old doors & scuffed up wooden floors, and it just feels like a very peaceful, holy place. You just know that so much has happened in those halls and it's chilling. I'm sad that they're closing it.

Well, that's all for now. It was a popcorn lunch. That's 2 days in a row now, popcorn for lunch. Everyone have a nice Friday evening.

Anonymous said...

PG, you are so lucky to have seen the planets in conjuction with the moon. I love that sort of thing, and I didn't know it was coming, but I have been admiring the crescent moon on my way out to the parking lot this week, and on the drive home, so I think I did see it too! I'd better pay attention to the road, in the daytime I'm always watching hawks in the sky as I drive in. The sky has been very clear at night lately too. I'm going to look again tonight, but there will be a quarter moon tonight, and Venus and Jupiter will be further apart. The next time this happens I'll be 95 or something, dang it!

I love craft shows too - every now and then I find something that really is unique, and makes you marvel at human creativity. Have a good time. :)

Anonymous said...

OK!'s Strategy: Don't Publish

Why does the public not sufficiently appreciate the hardworking people at OK! magazine? Last month there were rumors that Richard Desmond, the billionaire British publisher of the laughable celebrity mag, actually flew to America to personally investigate why new OK! boss Kent Brownridge was losing money. The magazine's flack denied this, saying they where "doing fine." Shockingly, it appears what that flack said was not entirely true, because OK! has decided to skip four issues at the end of this year:

"Skipping dates suggests it is cheaper to not publish than it is to publish. Publishing sources estimate that its edition in the slow-moving Thanksgiving week had sold only 300,000 copies while a double issue with Michelle Obama sold about 500,000 copies. That suggests that the magazine has been missing its rate- base promise to advertisers of 900,000 copies a week."

We also heard recently that Brownridge has put a $100K cap on the amount of money the magazine can bid for its favorite things: celebrity baby pictures. That's like, what, Kelly Osbourne prices? This does not look good.

http://gawker.com/5102494/oks-strategy-dont-publish

Wicked said...

I hope to get some pictures of this place

I hope you will put them on your blog, PG!

Anonymous said...

Oh no Reese has been unseated as the "highest paid actress" by Angelina Jolie. I don't have a link but its in entertainment news. What is RW gonna do now? How is she gonna be described now after her name? Its no suprise really, AG ( and Julia roberts) didn't make many movies last year because of pregnancy, thats why RW got the spot and wht she lost it because all she has is 4C *gag* and Penelope *double gag* while at least AG has better (and drama) stuff. Also Abby is taking Ryan to Oz to meet her parents next week (engagement?). I love it, first Ted C lambastes her then she loses her holy title then its all over the gossip news the ex is meeting the new gf's parents. Not to mention but I will she has that shitty volcano movie in the works, Ted basically outed her as the Shafterella BV (I'm guessing she was screwing Joaquin Phoenix and it ended not so good, its probably no coincidence he has a hard time finding work right now), her image isn't good now (wearing black to all the 4C promos (wtf with that?), Avon (people are aware she gets paid to show up at charity, then she skipped the LA walk), she said in 4C interviews she only gets her kids 1 or 2 gifts for XMas (she probably wanted to sound conservative and like a "good mom" but now the press is calling her stingy). And then Jake postponed the wedding (LOL). This, after all her efforts of Vogue and being vague. Methinks its the start of the downhill slide. Me HOPES its an avalanche. I expect she will be doing some heavy Reeking the next week to make up for it. Hopefully Jake will wise up and be too busy with his life and too apathetic to care.

Anonymous said...

PG re:planets aligning with the moon...it was Venus & Jupiter and was very visible here in the desert southwest. Venus was the brighter star on the left, and Jupiter being far more distant planet appeared on the right. Won't occur again until 2052!

Special K said...

Saw the planets up here in Boston, after a friend called to remind me. Love the description "look for the two light blobs to the bottom right of the moon" - where did they call from the Bioengineering dept at BU - guess they thought they needed to put it in layman's terms.

During all of this uncertainty on the job and every one a little on edge no matter what kind of job you do, it makes you take the time to look at all the things you have accumulated in your office.

Here's some of my collection of oddities amassed how it's hard to tell:

The Cole Porter Sing A long Songbook

Two postcards - Go Ahead Make my Porkchop and Devil I'm taking my Health Back(a book promotion - excerpt of the TOC - Chapter 6 You are what you eliminate)

2 DVDs from Church of Scientology (unopened)

School Bus with the words Bus to Hell along the side

Dexter, Mandark & DeeDee figures

The Other Guy's Sperm - book with different approach at looking at cancer (Don't ask)

Box of N'sync Valentine heart candies - (there's a In a box joke there)

A box of Pop Art postcards

Sticky eyeballs

One knitting needle

Bunch of bottle caps

CD of building demolition pictures

Mutant devil Spork

Sign Language stickers

a nun with a gun stamp

Hong Kong comics post cards (hey I like post cards)

Red Sox M&M's

and a 1994 Rand McNally Road Atlas that was here when I got here

Anonymous said...

LOL Spesh :) I don't get to look on the internet at work any more.

Great Austin Friday post; I'm looking forward to Informers ...

Anonymous said...

Oh no Reese has been unseated as the "highest paid actress" by Angelina Jolie. I don't have a link but its in entertainment news. What is RW gonna do now? How is she gonna be described now after her name? Its no suprise really, AG ( and Julia roberts) didn't make many movies last year because of pregnancy, thats why RW got the spot and wht she lost it because all she has is 4C *gag* and Penelope *double gag* while at least AG has better (and drama) stuff. Also Abby is taking Ryan to Oz to meet her parents next week (engagement?). I love it, first Ted C lambastes her then she loses her holy title then its all over the gossip news the ex is meeting the new gf's parents. Not to mention but I will she has that shitty volcano movie in the works, Ted basically outed her as the Shafterella BV (I'm guessing she was screwing Joaquin Phoenix and it ended not so good, its probably no coincidence he has a hard time finding work right now), her image isn't good now (wearing black to all the 4C promos (wtf with that?), Avon (people are aware she gets paid to show up at charity, then she skipped the LA walk), she said in 4C interviews she only gets her kids 1 or 2 gifts for XMas (she probably wanted to sound conservative and like a "good mom" but now the press is calling her stingy). And then Jake postponed the wedding (LOL). This, after all her efforts of Vogue and being vague. Methinks its the start of the downhill slide. Me HOPES its an avalanche. I expect she will be doing some heavy Reeking the next week to make up for it. Hopefully Jake will wise up and be too busy with his life and too apathetic to care.

Chris, you're too happy with someone else's misfortune. And it's unfair to take advantage of other people's misfortunes. It's not about loving Reese, it's about being a decent person. Sorry, I didn't mean to lecture you.

prairiegirl said...

netb!!!! They were so bright, I still can't get over it. I hope to post some pics, Wicked, if I can take some decent ones. It is an old building. Too bad it's not going to exist anymore.

Have a good evening once again; I'm out the door & on to watch Chloe & the Major. Hopefully I can check in sometime over the weekend.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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destiny said...

That OK issue that only sold 300,000 copies was the one with Reese on the cover. Just more evidence people could care less about Reeke. I bet her covers for other magazines have been slow sellers too, hence the need to go down the food chain to OK.

Anonymous said...

PG, I saw Venus and Jupiter on the way home in the twilight sky tonight - amazingly bright, you couldn't miss them! Venus like a diamond chip, Jupiter a little bit hazy. I've been looking up at the crescent moon all week, but I didn't know this was coming! Oh well. :)

Florida Tom said...

I am excited. I have my tickets to see "Milk" tomorrow night at 7:20pm. I sure haven't been this excited about seeing a move since Brokeback. Hopefully when most of us have seen the movie we can start talking about what we thought.

I saw the new moon and the planets on Thanksgiving night. It was quite impressive. The sky was incredibly clear that night.

Well it seems like Jake hasnt come running back to LA as fast as some of us feared including me. Maybe he is spending time with the subject of todays post.

I was also interested in the remarks that reese made about her leading men. Sounds like she is saying the idea that she has been romantically involved with many of her leading men is incorrect. How could Jake and reese ever back out of reeke now. They have taken it way to far to totally deny a romantic relationship. I think if it ends it will go away quietly.

Anonymous said...

I understand Reese is noone's cup of tea around here, me included, but aren't you getting a bit overboard Chris has she killed anyone in your family or something?

Anonymous said...

Reese is a selfish vindictive person. She would be the first one in line to revel in her perceived enemies misfortune. She earned her bad karma.

I cannot fathom why anyone would defend her.

Anonymous said...

I call it like I see it. You reap/reek what you sow. Reese after all her PR lies, talking out both sides of her mouth, treating people like shit and her holier than thou high and mighty attitude might finally be getting her due. Karmas a bitch.

Anonymous said...

tr I didn't even see your comment before! Good to know we're on the same wavelength.

Anonymous said...

I got ya bro. I agree with everything you posted.

Anonymous said...

Not sure about you though, you seem a bit weak mentally.

That ^^^^ from someone who wrote this: In life there are up and down! people like Reese have resort you know , kind of killers!

WTF? LOL! My best laugh of the day..thanks! LOL!

Anonymous said...

Took another look at that Austin pic. Not only does he look great, but he looks really happy. I think his boyfriend is back. Or on his way anyway.

Saw an article in my local paper re how younger people today do not know how to read facial expressions and non verbal signals because their social interaction is so web based. I look at comments saying Jake looks happy and in love and think Are these people crazy? How can they possibly think that. Explains a lot.

I dont wish any ill will on anyone but over the years I've seen Karma play it self out. Always.

Look forward to hearing any comments about Milk. It looks like I will see it next Monday. Not this Monday but week after.

Anonymous said...

Saw an article in my local paper re how younger people today do not know how to read facial expressions and non verbal signals because their social interaction is so web based.

I never thought about that m. Your local paper has a smart reporter or whoever it was who did research. Do you have a link or was there other studies or references on it? I'd like to read more about it.

I look at comments saying Jake looks happy and in love and think Are these people crazy? How can they possibly think that. Explains a lot.

It sure does. When the pics of Reeke in a car and looking at Jakes shoes came out or when they were driving everyone thought they looked in love. I was like WTF? And the Cabo pics when Reese was talking to Jake when he was under the cabana people said they looked so much in love and they wished Jake would look at them like that. Again WTF?? To me they alwaysd look normal like friends talking and looking at each other like normal people do, far far away from the typical in-love facial expressions and constant eye contact and body touching people in love do. I always said the people who say Reeke look like they are in love must be terribly inexperienced and never been in love themselves. Your article comment hits the nail on the head. Makes me wonder if they can't read expressions and body language posture in pics where its recorded and can be studied, how are they doing it in real life with motion and all the other signals? Sad in a way.

Austin does look happy! Next pics lets hope he looks tired and sore. heh. Goodnight everyone.

Anonymous said...

Last thing, that Informers pic, where they're on a balcony, (huge high quality pic btw, thanks Spesh and Wicked), I just clicked on it and looked at it. 1 word: AUSTINOMFG

Anonymous said...

Reese is a selfish vindictive person. She would be the first one in line to revel in her perceived enemies misfortune. She earned her bad karma."

Why would Jake (who never seemed vindictive to me--self-entitled, snobbish, childish and narcissistic YES but never vindictive) want to spend so much time with such a ghastly person? Doesn't reflect well on him at all.

I wonder what Reese thinks of Ryan flying with Abbie to Australia to meet her parents. Seems serious...

Anonymous said...

I see, tr, did she eat your chihuahua? hope you have more than tabloid/internet gossip to validate your point.

destiny said...

AUSTINOMFG indeed. :-D

Anonymous said...

Hey clicked on the last picture. Is that JG on Austin's sweater?

Anonymous said...

I think so.

Anonymous said...

Australian paper reports Abbie taking Ryan home

Engagement soon anyone?

Anonymous said...

It could be serious, but meeting the parents is not a big deal.

prairiegirl said...

Good morning! Stopped by home before headed off to the convent. I suppose if no one saw my comment about that yesterday, it would sound like I was getting ready to go commit myself, lol.

Glad I got on here, tho.

Chris, you made some good observations. And no, you're not going to find any Reese fans here. If there is anyone who reflects that sort of admiration, I would lean towards feeling that person is also a fan of Reeke. And while the forum is open to all opinions, chrissy and lily, don't expect alot of joining of hands & chanting over defense of Reese. Certainly not from this one, myself.

Glad to hear her cover of OK! didn't sell very well. I would think that all magazine sales are down, too, though. When people are struggling to just chuck down $4 for a gallon of milk to feed their little ones, it's hard to justify $3.95 for a magazine. But Destiny, you make another good point in that why is her cover of OK! magazine such a coup? I draw the line at that one. I give National Enquirer kudos for some of the stories that they break, they're not as bad as some people think. But Ok!? That's a coming down, that's what that is.

Anonymous said...

I have my own observations and first hand accounts to support my statements.

prairiegirl said...

And holy cow, that second picture (the blown up one) on Spooky's Journal is quite the WOW. Man alive. Boy, he's got some real chocolate brown eyes, doesn't he?

Ooooh, now my dogsitter people have Showtime as well. Man alive, it's cable heaven. Although with my long hours @ work, shoot, I get so stinkin tired, I can't even stay up to enjoy it. 20:30 and I'm dozing off already. Pretty sad.

Rendition was on last night and I was on there just long enough to see some scene of Jake's character putting a choke hold on some guy in a chair. Okay, and so that turned me off big time and I knew that wasn't a movie I wanted to see anyway. Zodiac was on some other channel and while I liked Jake in that, it's a long movie and I didn't like the scene at all where those poor people got tortured & killed beside their car. That about made me sick. I just can't do violence whatsoever in movies. There's enough of that going on in real life that I don't need to see how it's actually played out. All it does is put a picture to it and I don't need it.

When I watch a movie, if it has to be a drama it needs to have a happy ending or it needs to make me think, like Dead Man Walking or Brokeback.

I know that's limiting and I'm sure lowers my exposure to all kinds of movies, but oh well.

Hey tr!!!! Good morning to you. Somebody's up, lol. You & Smiley, you Saturday earlybirds.

I think Special's still buried in the covers, aren't you Special?

And before I forget, E.V. TB, maybe you are OMG's most western stateside blogger. I'm always on a mission to find the most western. I told Valentino on his blog that maybe he was, but maybe you are. Valentino, check out your blog; I did, lol.

prairiegirl said...

And one last thing while I have the mouth running (but hey, I've been without laptop & no time to get on at work, so it's been a real dry spell!).

Oh, and London, that's sad that you can't get on at work anymore. Guess your IT people probably blocked the site. I'm just waiting til the day I try to get on and clunk can't get on. Access denied. I got scolded yesterday by Help Desk corporate IT (they can be so irritating alot of the time) because I tried to reply to some emails I was getting that were in a foreign language and I was trying to tell them to stop emailing me; they had the wrong people. And he told me it was Spam and to stop it. Heck, I didn't know that. Don't have to scold me like that, using my name & all.

Oh well. Anyway, yesterday people were talking about kharma and I don't know that I believe in it but I do believe there are consequences to actions. And I have reaped (reeked - lol, Chris, that was a good one!) my own sown oats, let me tell you, so I'm not just picking on Reeke. I pick on myself for some of my own choices. But Jake & Reese keep up the high-end pretenses and keep elevating it to bigger screens, so to speak, and well, they very well may find out about tangled webs. You're just inviting trouble. I hope Jake gets his wits back. I don't think Reese is a good influence at all. It shows in the actions he's been taking since he hooked up with her.

Well, don't want to end on a sour note. Hope everyone has a good Saturday. It's pretty cold here but at least the sun is out a little bit.

Anonymous said...

It could be serious, but meeting the parents is not a big deal.

Haven't seen Reeke together with their respective 'rents, now have we?

Anonymous said...

No we haven't - it's almost like Jake has been brainwashed into the cult of Reeke.

To me, bringing your guy home to meet the 'rents is a big deal, a big, next step.

Anonymous said...

Meeting the parents is a common courtesy if you're dating someone for a long time.

Abbie and Ryan are dating, Reeke are a showmance no matter who they meet or are seen with.