the A- Z of cOoL
"ice cool in the afternoon."
E - H
Eels, Entourage, Evil Dead 2, Jon Favreau, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sherilyn Fenn, Fight Club, Nathan Fillion, Firefly, Freaks & Geeks, Morgan Freeman, From Dusk Till Dawn, Fun Lovin' Criminals, Garfield & Friends, Gina Gershon, Get Shorty, Ghostbusters, Ghost World, Good vs Evil, GoodFellas, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Grosse Pointe Blank, Heathers, Carl Hiaasen, The Hire, Philip Seymour Hoffman, House of Games, Holly Hunter
* = latest entries are highlighted
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EELS http://www.eelstheband.com/ http://www.souljacker.co.uk/
Although marketed as a band, the leader and focus of alt-rockers Eels is undeniably singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist E (real name Mark Oliver Everett). Born April 9, 1963, in Virginia, Everett became interested in rock music at an early age via his sister's record collection. After his father's passing just a few years later, Everett began leading a troubled teenage life, being arrested and expelled from school. But the turmoil led to an even stronger interest in music for Everett, as he taught himself how to play his sister's guitar, and shortly thereafter wrote his own original compositions. Due to the fact that several of his friends also were called Mark, Everett began going by just his initials, and eventually, solely by the letter "E." By his early 20s, E was demoing countless songs on a used four-track cassette recorder, eventually deciding to pursue his rock & roll dreams by relocating to Los Angeles. Due to his prolific songwriting, the quality of his songs naturally began to improve, which prompted a recording contract as a solo artist for Polydor Records. A pair of underappreciated releases soon followed, 1992's A Man Called E and 1993's Broken Toy Shop, before E left the label and formed Eels along with bassist Tommy Walter and drummer Butch Norton. The trio inked a deal with the then-newly formed DreamWorks label, and issued their debut, 1996's Beautiful Freak. The album spawned a sizeable MTV/alternative radio hit with "Novocaine for the Soul," as its promo clip received three MTV Video Music Award nominations the following year, and the group's popularity rose in England (resulting in a Brit Award, presented to the group by goof metallists Spinal Tap). What should have been a time of great promise for E and company turned out to be one of tragedy, as both the singer's sister and mother passed away (in addition to Walter leaving the group). The dark mood resonated in Eels' sophomore effort, Electro-Shock Blues, which proved to be even stronger than their debut, yet failed to break the group through to the big time commercially. With new bassist Adam Siegal in tow, the group toured behind the release, before returning to the studio immediately afterward to work on their third album. Issued in 2000, Daisies of the Galaxy proved to not be as dark as its predecessor, but again, failed to expand the group's following. Despite the album's commercial failure, E put together "the Eels Orchestra" to support the release on tour, playing throughout Europe, America, and Australia. After a live recording of the 2000 Orchestra tour, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, was issued via the group's official website, E began preparing for Eels' fourth studio release. Instead of penning the entire album by himself (as he'd done with the group's previous work), Souljacker was co-written and co-produced by E along with John Parish, as the album was issued throughout most of the world in September of 2001, but not in the U.S. until March of 2002. A live disc, Electro-Shock Blues Show, followed soon after. Spring 2003 began a flurry of Eels/E-related releases, beginning with MC Honky and his SpinART release I Am the Messiah. While the man behind Messiah's splattering mix of hip-hop beats, dance grooves, and kitschy samples may or may not have been E in DJ drag, the album was nevertheless an enjoyable slice of summertime fun. April of that year saw the release of Everett's score for the indie film Levity, and in June came Shootenanny!, the Eels fifth studio album. 2005 sees the release of the sixth, a monster 33-track double album, entitled Blinking Lights & Other Revelations.
Discography
A Man Called E (92), Broken Toy Shop (94), Beautiful Freak (96), Electro-Shock Blues (98), Daisies of the Galaxy (00), Oh What A Beautiful Morning (01), Souljacker (01), Electro-Shock Blues Show (02), Shrek (02), MC Honky: I Am The Messiah (03), Shootenanny (03), Levity Soundtrack (03), Holes Soundtrack (03), Shrek 2 (04), Blinking Lights & Other Revelations (05)
ENTOURAGE (2004 - ?) http://www.hbo.com/entourage/
starring: Kevin Connelly (Eric), Adrien Grenier (Vincent 'Vince' Chase), Kevin Dillon (Johnny 'Drama' Chase), Jerry Ferrara (Turtle), Jeremy Piven (Ari Gold), Debi Mazar (Shauna) guest stars: Ali Larter, Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Alba, Samaire Armstrong, Monica Keena, Lennox Lewis, Sarah Silverman, Luke Wilson, Val Kilmer, Gary Busey, Larry David, Scarlett Johansson, Amanda Peet, Jaime Pressley, Holly Valance, Hugh Hefner, Ralph Macchio, Pauly Shore, Chris Penn, Anthony Anderson, James Cameron, Maury Chaykin, Mandy Moore, Vanessa Angel, U2, Malcolm McDowell, Melinda Clarke, Brooke Shields, Richard Schiff
creator: Doug Ellin genre: comedy drama
why it's cool: Your best friend's star is rising in Hollywood, so there's only one thing to do: join his entourage. Meet Eric, Turtle and Johnny Drama: three guys from Queens dedicated to helping their film-star buddy Vincent Chase navigate the absurdities and pitfalls of modern-day Hollywood - where sex, parties and super-agents rule the town.
Fans of films like "Diner" or "Swingers" should lap this up, an HBO classic and one of the finest comedies currently showing on American television (and there aren't many). And Jeremy Piven. You are God.
number of series: 2 (22 episodes) (so far) shown on: HBO availablity: Season One is available on Region 1 dvd
EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN (1987) http://www.deadites.net/
starring: Bruce Campbell
director: Sam Raimi genre: horror comedy
JON FAVREAU http://home.comcast.net/~nezee/jon_favreau.html http://www.dinnerforfive.com/
An actor whose solid everyman quality has endeared him to audiences and critics alike, Jon Favreau first made his name with 1996's Swingers. The story of a group of rat pack-obsessed, out-of-work actors slumming amiably through life in L.A., the indie-comedy was one of the year's biggest sleeper hits and made a star out of Favreau, who also wrote the script. A native of Queens, New York, where he was born on October 19, 1966, he studied improvisational comedy with Del Close in Chicago and was a member of the ImrovOlympic troupe. Favreau's time in Chicago ended when he decided to head to L.A. to try to break into film; his experiences as a lovelorn, out-of-work actor would later provide the inspiration for Swingers. After years of false hopes and false starts, Favreau began channeling his experiences and those of his friends (including Vince Vaughn) into a script for Swingers. Encouraged to make his script into a film, the actor despaired of securing enough funding for the project until he met fledgling director Doug Liman, who convinced him that the film could be made for $250,000. Costs were cut by filming largely without permits and making use of inexpensive shooting locations such as Favreau's own apartment. The film's low-budget charm was sufficient enough to sway the powers-that-be at Miramax, who picked it up for distribution. When Swingers was eventually released in 1996, it was hailed by critics as a funny and painfully accurate account of the L.A. scene and its various faux-hipster denizens. In the wake of the film's success, Favreau, who was being hailed as the latest in the long line of Hollywood Next Big Things, chose to star in Very Bad Things (1998), a black comedy directed by actor-turned-director Peter Berg. The film, in which Favreau played a soon-to-be married man whose Las Vegas bachelor party goes disastrously wrong, received very mixed reviews, although most critics praised the actor's performance. After playing boxing legend Rocky Marciano in the made-for-TV movie in 1999, Favreau returned to the screen in 2000 to star as a football player in The Replacements. That same year, he returned to the indie scene with Love & Sex. In 2001, Favreau re-teamed with Vaughn for Made, a crime comedy that cast the two actors as aspiring mobsters and marked Favreau's feature directorial debut. Also in 2001, Favreau made the jump to the small screen, producing and hosting IFC's Dinner for Five, a candid round-table program featuring fellow actors and filmmakers. 2003 proved to be Favreau's most successful year to-date. Not only did he show up in supporting roles in the hits Daredevil and Something's Gotta Give, his sophomore directorial effort, the holiday comedy Elf, proved to be one of the season's biggest crowd-pleasers, grossing over $100 million at the box-office. He'll be next be seen in British comedy Wimbledon before he directs next year's follow-up to Jumanji, 'Zathura'.
Filmography
Swingers (writer/actor - 96), Dogtown (97), Deep Impact (97), Friends (97), Very Bad Things (98), Hercules (tv : 98), Love & Sex (00), The Replacements (00), The Sopranos (00), Made (dir/actor - 01), Dinner For Five (tv: 01 - ?), Undeclared (tv: 02), Family Guy (02), Daredevil (03), The Big Empty (03), Elf (dir - 03), Something's Gotta Give (03), Wimbledon (04), Zathura (dir - 05), The Break Up (06)
SHERILYN FENN http://www.homunculus.com/eikona/fenn.html
Actress Sherilyn Fenn had her first taste of show business while touring the country with her mother, a rock musician. Fresh out of high school, Fenn decided to put her stunning physical attributes to good use as a Playboy bunny, but, alas, she failed to survive the first year of "bunny school." After posing for perfume and designer jean ads, Fenn made her film debut in The Wild Life (1984). She skyrocketed to fame in the early '90s as Audrey Horne in David Lynch 's cult TV series Twin Peaks . (Her singular series highlight was the scene in which she tied a knot in a cherry stem with her tongue.) Fenn played a seductive wife in Gary Sinese 's 1992 version of John Steinbeck 's Of Mice and Men, and the following year replaced a recalcitrant Kim Basinger in the role of a haughty beauty whose arms and legs are amputated by a love-obsessed surgeon in Boxing Helena , directed by David Lynch 's daughter, Jennifer Lynch . The apex of Fenn 's '90s roles, however, may well have been her take-no-prisoners 1995 TV performance as screen goddess Elizabeth Taylor.
Filmography
The Wraith (86), Two Moon Junction (88), Twin Peaks (tv: 90 - 91), Wild at Heart (90), Meridian (90), Ruby (92), Of Mice & Men (92), Three of Hearts (93), Boxing Helena (93), Fatal Instinct (93), Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story (95), Just Write (97), Rude Awakening (tv: 98 - 01), Cupid (tv: 98), Dawson's Creek (tv: 02), $windle (02), The United States of Leland (03), Boston Public (tv: 03), Pop Rocks (04)
FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF (1986) http://www.idiotsavant.com/bueller/index.htm
starring: Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck, Jeffrey Jones, Jennifer Grey, Cindy Pickett, Lyman Ward, Charlie Sheen, Kristy Swanson
director: John Hughes genre: teen comedy
FIGHT CLUB (1999) http://www.foxmovies.com/fightclub/
starring: Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, Jared Leto, Zach Grenier
director: David Fincher genre: satirical comedy thriller
NATHAN FILLION http://www.nathanfillion.co.uk/version2.htm
Nathan was born on Saturday March 27th 1971, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Both his parents are teachers and Nathan was close to following in their footsteps, acting as a side job. Honing his acting skills at the Theatresports Workshops Rapidfire Theatre in Edmonton, he was eventually seen by an agent while performing at the Fringe Theatre Festival. Fillion had done numerous stage and television appearances in Canada, and made his first U.S. debut in the TV film Ordeal in the Arctic. He left the University of Alberta just one semester short of getting his degree when he was offered the role of Joey Buchanan on the daytime drama One Life to Live for which he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy. He stayed with the soap for 3 years.
Since moving to Los Angeles in 1996, Nathan has made numerous appearances in both film and television. He's most notably recognized in the role of Johnny, Sharon's (Traylor Howard) boyfriend, on the TV sitcom Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place (or Two Guys and a Girl ). He's also guest-starred on Spin City, Outer Limits and Miss Match. You may also have recognised Nathan as the 'wrong' Private James Ryan in the critically acclaimed Spielberg film Saving Private Ryan, or in the Blast From The Past movies with Alicia Silverstone and Brenden Fraser, or Wes Craven's Dracula 2000.
But he is perhaps best known now for his role as Captain Malcolm "Tightpants" Reynolds in Joss Whedon's Firefly . Unfortunately, this show was cancelled by FOX but through the continued support of Firefly fans past and present, the cast will soon by gracing the big ol' silver screen in the upcoming movie Serenity .
On May 18th, 2003, Nathan won the Cinescape Face of the Future Award at the 29th Annual Saturn Awards for his role in Firefly. After Firefly, Nathan then was asked by Whedon to play the villainous woman-hating Southern preacher Caleb, the Big Bad of the final episodes of Buffy 's final season.
Recently, Nathan signed up for the SciFi Horror movie Slither alongside Elizabth Banks to be written/directed by James Gunn.
Filmography
One Life To Live (tv: 94 - 97), Saving Private Ryan (98), Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place (tv: 98 - 01), Blast From The Past (99), Dracula 2000 (00), Firefly (tv: 02 - 03), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (tv: 03), Water's Edge (03), Outing Riley (04), Serenity (05), Slither (06)
FIREFLY (2002) http://www.fireflyfans.net/
starring: Nathan Fillion (Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds), Gina Torres (Zoe Warren), Alan Tudyk ('Wash' Warren), Morena Baccarin (Inara Serra), Jewel Staite ('Kaylee' Frye), Adam Baldwin (Jayne Cobb), Sean Maher (Simon Tam), Summer Glau (River Tam), Ron Glass (Shepherd Book)
creator: Joss Whedon genre: sci-fi western
why it's cool: While the term 'sci-fi western' usually brings back (very) unwelcome memories of Will Smith's Wicky Wicky 'Wild, Wild, West', Buffy/Angel creator Joss Whedon 's genre-bending masterclass is so good, you'll forget that film ever existed. What can be said that hasn't already been said about 'Firefly'. All I can say is that everything about this show is brilliant. From the acting to the directing to the writing to the set design to the music. So brilliant that Fox decided to cancel the show midway through its first season. Say what? Don't worry though, sales of the dvd sets last year were spectacular and so a feature film is currently in production and due for release in Summer 2005 with Whedon himself in the director's chair. If the film's a hit then its unlikely that this'll be the last we hear about 'Firefly'. Season Two anybody?
number of series: 1 (14 episodes) (so far?) shown on: Sci-Fi Channel availability: available on DVD
FREAKS & GEEKS (1999 - 2000) http://www.freaksandgeeks.com/
starring: Linda Cardellini (Lindsay Weir), John Francis Daley (Sam Weir), James Franco (Daniel Desario), Samm Levine (Neal Schweiber), Seth Rogen (Ken Miller), Jason Segel (Nick Andopolis), Martin Starr (Bill Haverchuck), Becky Ann Baker (Jean Weir), Joe Flaherty (Harold Weir), Busy Philipps (Kim Kelly)
creator: Paul Feig genre: high school comedy drama
why its cool: Most teen shows (eg. 'Dawson's Creek', 'The O.C.) seem to neglect the fact that at school the so-called freaks were actually probably the more interesting group of people. These kind of shows constantly strive for realism but rarely end up finding it. With 'Freaks & Geeks', we finally have show which is as real as it is brilliant. Whether it be the loveable Linda Cardellini, the smooth James Franco (now becoming a star in his own right in the Spider-Man movies) or the hilarious Samm Levine, you'll find that there's at least one character in the show who you can relate to in some way or another. Stunningly funny & touching, wonderfully written and brilliantly cast, with an awesome soundtrack, the problem with 'Freaks & Geeks' was that it was so good, it was bound to get cancelled. And so it was, after only 18 episodes. NBC should be shot. As a result, we are left to savour these episodes for what they are. For this is some of the best television you'll ever see.
number of series: 1 (18 episodes) shown on: E4 availability: available on Region 1 dvd
MORGAN FREEMAN
Morgan Freeman has had an impressive and varied career on stage, television, and screen. It is a career that began in the mid-'60s, when Freeman appeared in an off-Broadway production of The Niggerlovers and with Pearl Bailey in an all-African-American Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! in 1968. He went on to have a successful career both on and off-Broadway, showcasing his talents in everything from musicals to contemporary drama to Shakespeare.
Before studying acting, the Memphis-born Freeman attended Los Angeles Community College and served a five-year stint with the Air Force from 1955 to 1959. After getting his start on the stage, he worked in television, playing Easy Reader on the PBS children's educational series The Electric Company from 1971 through 1976. During that period, Freeman also made his movie debut in the lighthearted children's movie Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow? (1971). Save for his work on the PBS show, Freeman 's television and feature film appearances through the '70s were sporadic, but in 1980, he earned critical acclaim for his work in the prison drama Brubaker . He gained additional recognition for his work on the small screen with a regular role on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives from 1982 to 1984.
Following Brubaker , Freeman 's subsequent '80s film work was generally undistinguished until he played the dangerously emotional pimp in Street Smart (1987) and earned his first Oscar nomination. With the success of Street Smart , Freeman 's film career duly took off and he appeared in a string of excellent films that began with the powerful Clean and Sober (1988) and continued with Driving Miss Daisy (1989), in which Freeman reprised his Obie-winning role of a dignified, patient Southern chauffeur and earned his second Oscar nomination for his efforts. In 1989, he also played a tough and cynical gravedigger who joins a newly formed regiment of black Union soldiers helmed by Matthew Broderick in Glory . The acclaim he won for that role was replicated with his portrayal of a high school principal in that same year's Lean on Me .
Freeman has been one of the few African-American actors to play roles not specifically written for African-Americans, as evidenced by his work in such films as Kevin Costner 's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), in which he played Robin 's sidekick, and Clint Eastwood 's revisionist Western Unforgiven (1992). In 1993, Freeman demonstrated his skills on the other side of the camera, making his directorial debut with Bopha! , the story of a South African cop alienated from his son by apartheid. The following year, the actor received a third Oscar nomination as an aged lifer in the prison drama The Shawshank Redemption . He went on to do steady work throughout the rest of the decade, turning in memorable performances in films like Seven (1995), in which he played a world-weary detective; Amistad (1997), which featured him as a former slave; Kiss the Girls (1997), a thriller in which he played a police detective; and Deep Impact , a 1998 blockbuster that cast Freeman as the President of the United States. Following an appearance opposite Renee Zellweger in director Neil LaBute 's Nurse Betty , Freeman would return to the role of detective Alex Cross in the Kiss the Girls sequel Along Came a Spider (2001). Freeman continued to keep a high profile moving into the new millennium with roles in such thrillers as The Sum of All Fears (2002) and Stephen King 's Dreamcatcher , and the popular actor would average at least two films per year through 2004 (with a staggering five films scheduled for release in 2003 alone).
By the time Freeman appeared opposite Hillary Swank and Clint Eastwood in Eastwood 's acclaimed 2004 boxing drama Million Dollar Baby , his reputation as one of Hollywood's hardest working and and most respected actors was as cemented in place as it was well deserved. When it was announced at the 77th Annual Academy Awards that Freeman would take home the Oscar for his performance as the former boxer turned trainer who convinces his old friend to take in a scrappy female fighter ( Swank ) under his wing - the award surprised few who had followed the actor's enduring career. Indeed many considered the award to be well overdue given Freeman 's impressive body of work, and the fact that it came as the result of such a powerful performance made the win seem especially noteworthy.
Filmography
Driving Miss Daisy (89), Glory (89), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (91), Unforgiven (92), The Shawshank Redemption (94), Outbreak (95), Se7en (95), Kiss the Girls (97), Amistad (97), Deep Impact (98), Nurse Betty (00), Along Came A Spider (01), The Sum of All Fears (02), Bruce Almighty (03), Million Dollar Baby (04), Unleashed (05), Batman Begins (05), An Unfinished Life (05), Lucky Number Slevin (05), Edison (05), The Contract (06)
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (1996) http://archives.obs-us.com/obs/english/films/mx/dusk/top.htm
starring: George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Quentin Tarantino, Juliette Lewis, Ernest Liu, Salma Hayek, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, Tom Savini, Fred Williamson, Michael Parks, John Saxon, Kelly Preston
director: Robert Rodriguez genre: action horror thriller
FUN LOVIN' CRIMINALS http://www.flcnyc.com/ http://www.difontaine.net/
Fun Lovin' Criminals joined forces in 1993 when Huey first met Fast at NYC's Limelight. Fast was already in a band at this point & he and F-L-C's first drummer Steve-O had formed a techno group, Moses On Acid. Meanwhile, Huey was spending a lot of time playing blues guitar and soon started writing tunes with Fast. Huey and Fast recruited Steve-O to drum, and the Fun Lovin' Criminals were formed. The three became roommates and ended up jamming together in their apartment and writing songs until they had enough material to convince the Limelight's manager to let them play a gig at the club. Their sixth performance was seen by the head of A&R for EMI America who passed them a business card and asked them to give him a call. EMI had soon booked them into a studio for a two-week recording session. However, the band finished all of their recording inside of three days and spent the rest of the studio time running up a huge alcohol and food bill and waiting for EMI to wake up to what was going on. Instead, one year later, EMI released Come Find Yourself, which spawned the hit singles: The Fun Lovin' Criminal, King of New York and the UK number 1, Scooby Snacks. The Fun Lovin' Criminal is the band's self professed 'redneck hip-hop song,' an introduction to the ways of F-L-C, and a good musical overview, containing funky guitar riffs, trumpets, harmonicas and a catchy bass line (the latter three all played by Fast). King of New York shows a slightly more political side to the trio, with calls to 'Free John Gotti' while reserving the story-telling rapping for Huey. The band, having toured the world in support of Come Find Yourself, made us wait until 1999 for their follow up, 100% Colombian. That release was short-lived as corporate nonsense led to the bands parting ways with Virgin Records. No tears were shed as the band hopped the next plane to London to begin a self-imposed exile. The next bunch of records, Mimosa, the amazing Loco, and Bag 'O Hits, which crashed into the UK charts at number 5. were only available in the US as imports. Prior to the release of Bag of Hits, F-L-C also released Love Ya Back, a DVD featuring all their promo videos up to the end of Mimosa, their film debut, the classic Maui Homicide 2000 and lots of tour footage. The band have taken their label, DiFontaine Records, to a new home, Sanctuary Records. The deal with Sanctuary saw the band not only releasing their new album, Welcome To Poppy's in September 2003 but will also see the guys release their first film score music. They have two soundtracks due over the next 12 months and at least another two in 2005. This year's soundtracks are for Irish feature film Headrush (www.headrushthemovie.com), which also showcases Huey in a realistic portrayal of a transvestite drug-dealing man-ho, and Spanish/UK co-production Oh Marbella (www.ohmarbella.com). F-L-C performed at the premiere of Oh Marbella in Marbella, Spain on 23rd August 2003. Look out for the soundtracks to be released on DiFontaine/Sanctuary Records by the end of 2005! For the new album, F-L-C have yet another new drummer, Frank The Rhythm Master. The third in an impressive line of drummers, The Rhythm Man is a UK native, hailing from Leicester, where he has received much notoriety for his work in many different bands. Rhythm Man is a great new addition to the band and slaughtered his debut UK gig at Meltdown. He's blazin' and we couldn't do it without him. After four albums proper, one 'lounge' album, a DVD and a top 5 best of package, the band return with the latest offering: Livin' In The City. What the Fun Lovin' Criminals are trying to say is that they still mean business and business is still very cool.
Discography
Original Soundtrack for Hi-Fi Living (95), Come Find Yourself (96), 100% Colombian (98), Mimosa (99), Titan A.E. Soundtrack (00), Maui Homicide 2000 (00), Loco (01), Bag of Hits (02), Scooby Snacks: The Collection (03), Welcome to Poppy's (03), A-Sides, B-Sides & Rarities (04), Livin' in the City (05), Oh Marbella Original Score (05), Headrush Original Soundtrack (05)
The Unofficial Karmic-Chi Love Thing
GARFIELD & FRIENDS (1988 - 1994) http://www.garfield.com/
voices: Lorenzo Music, Thom Huge, Gregg Berger, Howard Morris, Frank Welker, Julie Payne, Desiree Goyette
creator: Jim Davis genre: animated comedy
why its cool: What's not to love about Garfield?
number of series: 6 (360 episodes) shown on: Boomerang availability: available on Region 1 dvd
GINA GERSHON http://www.ginagershon.org/
Gina Gershon was born June 10, 1962 and raised in Woodland Hills in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles. A mix of Dutch, Russian and French, she was never your typical Beverly Hills chick. Gina was a little bit of a juvenile delinquent, but she acted in order to help her stay out of trouble. She developed a love for cigars thanks to her dad's cigar smoking habit. Like many actors, Gina got her start on the stage. She was one of the founding members of the New York based theater group, Naked Angels. She finally got her break when she was cast in a bit part in 1986's Pretty in Pink. Gina next appeared in Red Heat (where she recalls smoking cigars with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and had a bigger part in Cocktail as one of Tom Cruise's love interests. Gina was also working in TV, with a role on Melrose Place. She appeared in the films Out for Justice and The Player. In 1992, Gina received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Nancy Sinatra in the made-for-TV bio-pic, Sinatra. In 1995, Gina made heads turn and other body parts stand, in her Showgirls role as Vegas dancer, Cristal Conners. She allegedly refused to reprise Sharon Stone's famous "leg crossing" scene in the film. Although Showgirls was one of the decade's biggest bombs, Gina went on without a hitch. Her next role was even more risqué, as Corky, an ex-con who gets mixed up in a lesbian affair with Jennifer Tilly, in the mobster flick, Bound. In 1997, she co-starred with John Travolta and Nicolas Cage in Face/Off, and gave an excellent performance in the cable film Lies & Whispers. 1998 was busy for Gina, with roles in Palmetto, I'm Losing You, One Tough Cop, and Black and White. While starring in the TV series Snoops, Gina appeared as an artist in the alternative film, Guinevere and played with big-timer Al Pacino in 1999's The Insider. She also starred in the Broadway version of 'Cabaret'. Gina could be seen recently in Sylvester Stallone's Driven, in Picture Claire with Juliette Lewis & Mickey Rourke, the French thriller Demonlover and Prey for Rock & Roll in which she plays an ageing rock singer. This year, she's appeared on tv in Jon Favreau's 'Dinner For Five' & ABC's The Practice, had her own documentary series 'Rocked with Gina Gershon' and recorded voices for the animated shows 'Tripping the Rift' and 'The Batman'. She'll next be seen in sexy noir '3-Way' and alongside Dennis Hopper in the thriller 'Out of Season'. Although she hasn't been a leading lady in many movies, she leaves her mark in the films she appears in. In addition to film, Gina has also starred in a music video for the Cars song, "Hello Again," as well as Lenny Kravitz's video for "Again." Apparently, Lenny and Gina attended the same high school.
Quote:"I have one rule as an actress. Fuck the rules."
Filmography
Red Heat (88), The Player (92), Showgirls (95), Bound (96), Face/Off (97), This World, Then The Fireworks (97), Black & White (98), The Insider (99), Driven (01), Demonlover (02), Borderline (02), Prey For Rock & Roll (03), Tripping the Rift (tv - 04), Dinner For Five (04), Rocked w Gina Gershon (tv - 04), The Batman (tv - 04), 3-Way (04), Out of Season (05), Syriana (05), Man About Town (05)
GET SHORTY (1995)
starring: John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, Dennis Farina, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini
director: Barry Sonnenfield genre: crime comedy
GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) http://www.sonypictures.com/cthe/ghostbusters/ http://www.ghostbustershq.com/
starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, Ernie Hudson
director: Ivan Reitman genre: supernatural comedy
GHOST WORLD (2000) http://www.mgm.com/ghostworld/
starring: Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Brad Renfro, Illeana Douglas
director: Terry Zwigoff genre: comic-book adaptation
GOOD VS EVIL (1999 - 2000))http://www.scifi.com/goodvsevil/
starring: Clayton Rohner (Chandler Smythe), Richard Brooks (Henry McNeil), Googy Gress (Decker), Marshall Bell (Ford)
creator: The Pate Brothers genre: supernatural comedy thriller
why it's cool: Cancelled (for no apparent reason) after terrific ratings in America, this slickly produced slice of cheese is about as fun a series as you could ask for. In rough terms, it's a cross between 'Pulp Fiction', 'Starsky and Hutch' and 'Buffy'. The music is funky, the visuals fresh, the dialogue crisp and the acting nigh on naturalistic. The story follows the exploits of Wall Street worker Chandler Smythe, who after being murdered in cold blood by a demon-like assassin called a Morlock is offered a deal to return to Earth working for an organisation called the Corps; who's object is to kill these creatures and renounce Faustian deals (deals with the Devil) which people have made in order to get higher in the world. Far fetched? Maybe. Fun? Hell yes!
number of series: 2 (22 episodes) shown on: Sky One, Sci-Fi Channel
GOODFELLAS (1990) http://www.netreach.net/~bundyman/
starring: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino
director: Martin Scorsese genre: gangster biopic
JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT http://www.josephgordon-levitt.com/
Born in Los Angeles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt grew up in front of the camera as a child and teen actor. Winning his first major role at age seven in the TV movie Stranger on My Land (1988), Gordon-Levitt appeared in a number of TV movies and series during the late '80s and early '90s, including a recurring role on the hit sitcom Roseanne from 1993 to 1995. After making his feature film debut as the young version of Craig Sheffer in A River Runs Through It (1992), the young actor garnered further notice as the boy whose prayers are answered in the sleeper Angels in the Outfield (1994) and as Demi Moore 's son in The Juror (1996). Gordon-Levitt achieved considerable TV fame, though, when he was cast in NBC 's critical and popular hit Third Rock From the Sun (1996-present). As old/young alien Tommy Solomon , he cracked wise with multiple Emmy-winner John Lithgow and attracted teen fans. Making the most of the late-'90s teen movie resurgence during the series' hiatuses, Gordon-Levitt appeared in the teen slasher sequel Halloween: H20 (1998) and starred as one of the romantic schemers in the popular Shakespeare -via-high school comedy 10 Things I Hate About You (1999). Since then, he has starred alongside Don Cheadle in the critically aclaimed Manic and played a victim of child abuse in the hugely controversial Mysterious Skin. He will next be seen in one of the hits at Sundance this year, the teen film noir Brick.
Filmography
A River Runs Through It (92), Roseanne (tv: 93 - 95), Third Rock From The Sun (tv: 96 - 01), The Juror (96), Halloween H20 (98), Ten Things I Hate About You (99), Manic (01), Treasure Planet (02), Mysterious Skin (04), Havoc (05), Shadowboxer (05), Brick (2006), The Lookout (06)
GROSSE POINTE BLANK (1997)
starring: John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Alan Arkin, Dan Aykroyd, Joan Cusack, Hank Azaria, K.Todd Freeman, Jeremy Piven
director: George Armitage genre: romantic crime comedy
HEATHERS (1989) http://w1.340.telia.com/~u34001021/heathers/
starring: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty
director: Michael Lehmann genre: high school black comedy
CARL HIAASEN http://www.carlhiaasen.com/
Carl Hiaasen (pronounced "hiya-sun") was born and raised in South Florida and presently lives with his family in the Florida Keys. He attended Emory University and was graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Florida in 1974.
Since 1976, Hiaasen has worked for The Miami Herald, beginning as a general assignment reporter and later joining the newspaper's prize-winning investigations team. There he worked on projects exposing dangerous doctors, crooked land deals and drug corruption in the Bahamas and the Keys. For the last nineteen years, Hiaasen has written a regular column that has won numerous awards and earned him the enmity of many sleazy politicians, who've found themselves the target of his pen.
In the eighties, Hiaasen also turned his hand to fiction. His first novel, Tourist Season , was named "one of the ten best destination reads of all time" by GQ Magazine. He is the author of nine other best-selling novels, Double Whammy , Skin Tight , Native Tongue , Strip Tease , Stormy Weather , Lucky You , Sick Puppy , Basket Case , and HOOT , a Newbery-award winning book for young readers. Together Hiaasen's novels have been translated into 27 languages, and the London Observer has called him "America's finest satirical novelist."
Writing in Cosmopolitan, Louise Berkow describes Hiaasen's fiction as "unbelievably funny -- tears-running-down-your-cheeks funny in spite of some pretty weighty themes like the destruction of the environment." Tony Hillerman calls him "the Mark Twain of the crime novel."
The film Striptease, based on Hiaasen's novel , was a major motion picture starring Demi Moore in pasties and Burt Reynolds in a Newt-Gingrich hairpiece.
Hiaasen is also the author of Team Rodent , an unsparing essay about the Disney empire, and two recent collections of newspaper columns, Kick Ass and Paradise Screwed.
His latest book is Skinny Dip.
Novels
Tourist Season (86), Double Whammy (87), Skin Tight (89), Native Tongue (91), Strip Tease (93), Stormy Weather (95), Lucky You (97), Sick Puppy (00), Basket Case (02), Hoot (02), Skinny Dip (04)
THE HIRE (01 - ?) http://www.bmwfilms.com/
starring: Clive Owen directors: John Frankenheimer, Ang Lee, Wong Kar-Wai, Guy Ritchie, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, John Woo, Joe Carnahan, Tony Scott
guest stars: Mickey Rourke, Forest Whitaker, Madonna, Stellan Skarsgard, Don Cheadle, F. Murray Abraham, Dennis Haysbert, Ray Liotta, Robert Patrick, Gary Oldman, James Brown, Marilyn Manson, Danny Trejo
creator: David Fincher genre: action thriller
why it's cool: Quite probably the coolest marketing campaign of all time. Visit the BMW website to see why.
number of series: 2 (8 episodes) (so far) availability: available on dvd from BMW website
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN http://ddraven.tripod.com/psh/
One of the most original, versatile, and steadily employed actors in Hollywood, Philip Seymour Hoffman has made a name for himself playing some of the most dysfunctional characters in movie history. Although he had been acting for years, most audiences were first introduced to the actor in the award-winning Boogie Nights , where he played a nebbishy soundman with a jones for Mark Wahlberg 's Dirk Diggler . Imbuing his character with both humor and poignant complexity, Hoffman was one of the more memorable aspects of an unforgettable film.
Born in Fairport, NY, in 1968, Hoffman trained at New York's Tisch School of Drama. Before breaking into film, he did a host of theater work, performing in New York, Chicago, and on a European tour. He made his film debut in the 1992 film Scent of a Woman , a critically acclaimed picture starring Al Pacino and Chris O'Donnell . Roles in a number of films of varying quality followed, including My New Gun (1992) and When a Man Loves a Woman (1994). The actor then nabbed a sizable role in Jan de Bont 's 1996 tornado thriller Twister and the same year began an ongoing working relationship with Paul Thomas Anderson by appearing in his directorial debut Hard Eight . The crime drama , which also starred Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson , received positive critical attention, although it didn't create more than a minor blip at the box office. However, Hoffman 's next feature and second collaboration with Anderson , Boogie Nights (1997), was both a critical and financial success, scoring a host of Academy Award nominations and simultaneously reviving the careers of some of its stars, such as Burt Reynolds and Mark Wahlberg , while providing a breakthrough for others, such as Heather Graham and Hoffman himself. He next appeared in the Robin Williams comedy Patch Adams (1998), and the same year starred in two critically acclaimed independent films, Todd Solondz 's Happiness and Brad Anderson 's Next Stop Wonderland . The prolific actor added an appearance in The Big Lebowski (also 1998) to his already impressive resumé. In addition to his burgeoning acting career, Hoffman won favorable notices for his directing debut with the off-Broadway In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings . Hoffman came into his own with three notable performances in 1999. He reunited with Paul Thomas Anderson to play empathic hospice nurse Phil Parma, one of the emotional anchors in Magnolia . His portrayal of upper-crust snob Freddie Miles in The Talented Mr. Ripley earned him strong notices from many critics. Hoffman 's peers awarded him with a Screen Actor's Guild nomination for his role as a cross dresser in Flawless opposite Robert De Niro . He returned to the Broadway stage with fellow Anderson regular John C. Reilly to play very different brothers in Sam Shepard 's True West . They took a risk by switching the lead roles every three days. Their hard work earned critical raves, and each was nominated for a Tony award. In 2000, Cameron Crowe cast Hoffman as Crowe 's childhood hero Lester Bangs in Almost Famous , and David Mamet tapped him to be part of the impressive ensemble in State and Main .
Hoffman maintained his status as one of the most respected and hardest-working actors in the new decade by delivering an excellent supporting turn in Red Dragon as an unctuous tabloid reporter. That same year he co-starred in Spike Lee 's 25th Hour , and played the bad guy for old collaborator Paul Thomas Anderson in the offbeat romantic comedy Punch-Drunk Love . 2002 also saw the release of Love Liza , a very low-budget film scripted by Hoffman 's brother and directed by actor Todd Louiso that starred Phil as a grieving husband addicted to huffing gas fumes. The next year found Hoffman starring as a gambling addict in the small scale Canadian drama Owning Mahowny , and turning in a memorable supporting performance as an amoral preacher in the big screen adaptation of Cold Mountain . Hoffman was in theaters again at the beginning of 2004 as the best friend in the Ben Stiller comedy Along Came Polly . He was also part of yet another outstanding ensemble in the small screen adaptation of Richard Russo's Pulitzer prize winning novel Empire Falls.
Filmography
Scent of a Woman (92), When A Man Loves A Woman (94), Twister (96), Hard Eight (96), Boogie Nights (97), The Big Lebowski (98), Happiness (98), Patch Adams (98), Flawless (99), Magnolia (99), The Talented Mr Ripley (99), State & Main (00), Almost Famous (00), Love Liza (02), Punch-Drunk Love (02), Red Dragon (02), 25th Hour (02), Owning Mahony (03), Cold Mountain (03), Along Came Polly (04), Empire Falls (tv: 05), Capote (05), Mission: Impossible 3 (06)
HOUSE OF GAMES
starring: Lindsay Crouse, Joe Mantegna, Mike Nussbaum, J.T. Walsh, Ricky Jay
director: David Mamet genre: crime thriller
HOLLY HUNTER
One of the most versatile and charismatic actresses that Hollywood has to offer, Holly Hunter has made a name for herself with smart, strong portrayals of dependably eccentric women. Born March 20, 1958, in Conyers, GA, Hunter was raised on a farm as the youngest of seven children. She began acting at a young age, landing her first starring role as Helen Keller in a fifth grade play. Hunter went on to receive theatrical training at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University. Hunter made her onscreen debut in the 1981 horror flick The Burning, a film remarkable for its high schlock quotient. The same year, she had her first collaboration with Ethan Coen and Joel Coen in Blood Simple, making a limited appearance as a voice on an answering machine. In 1987, Hunter finally got her share of the limelight thanks to a starring role in the Coens' Raising Arizona and her Academy Award-nominated turn in Broadcast News. In 1989; the actress won raves for two different films: the screen adaptation of Henley's Miss Firecracker and Steven Spielberg's Always. Hunter's performance in The Firm won her a Best Supporting Actress nomination and her performance in Jane Campion's The Piano won her a nomination for Best Actress. Her work in David Cronenberg's Crash (1996) won her strong notices, but it was swallowed by the controversies surrounding the film. Hunter won overwhelmingly positive reviews for her performance in Richard LaGravenese's Living Out Loud. Hunter also had a minor role in the indie drama Jesus' Son. Hailing in the new millennium with a memorable performance in the Coen Brothers O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), the talented actress then had a minor role in the 2002 drama Moonlight Mile. 2003 found Hunter drawing favorable reviews for her role in the drama Levity and in 2004, she won another Best Actress nomination for her performance in Thirteen.
Filmography
Raising Arizona (87), Broadcast News (87), Always (89), The Piano (93), The Firm (93), Copycat (95), Crash (96), A Life Less Ordinary (97), Living Out Loud (98), Jesus' Son (99), Timecode (00), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (00), Moonlight Mile (02), Levity (03), Thirteen (03), Little Black Book (04), The Incredibles (04), The Big White (05), Downloading Nancy (05)