So, that happened. With Brett Ratner‘s recent exodus at the Oscars, and Eddie Murphy quickly jetting as well, it was hard to know how fast it would be until someone was set up with the gig. And now we know it’s Brian Grazer who will be producing the award show to end all award shows, the 84th Academy awards.
Because his bestest buddy Brett Ratner decided to back out of producing the Oscars next year (for lobbing a an offense comment towards homosexuals, and then bragging about sex with Lindsay Lohan, and for making a ton of offensively bland films), now Eddie Murphy has also followed suit, joining his Tower Heist director in bowing out of next year’s ceremonies.
Remember earlier in the week when we reported that Brett Ratner slipped his foot into his mouth and stated that only “fag” directors rehearse their films before shooting? Well, on top of that, he’s been spending his Tower Heist promotional tour talking less about the film (which might be for the best) and is spending more of his time graphically describing sex with Lindsay Lohan and Olivia Munn, as well as his sperm count and sexual prowess. All of which has led the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to say, “hey, maybe this isn’t the guy to produce the Oscars next year.”
Dwight Errington Myers, better known the world as Heavy D, has passed away at the age of 44. Best known for such hits songs as “Now that We Found Love” and “Nuttin’ But Love” in the heady days of “Yo MTV Raps!” Myers was known for his trademark sunglasses, and heft. Eventually he lost the weight, and became a sometime actor, appearing most recently in Brett Ratner’s Tower Heist.
Oh, Brett Ratner. After doing his damndest to offend humanity and culture in general by making some of the most offensively bland films without the slightest semblance of a unique directorial style (Rush Hour parts 1-3, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Family Man, After the Sunset, Tower Heist), the hobbit-like director has decided to start offending very specific groups in particular.
The L.A. Times has a story about how Tower Heist, the Brett Ratner-directed, Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy comedy will be hitting VOD in two markets for $60 a pop three weeks after it hits theaters. We recently wrote about how 8 Ways Television has changed, and this may be a part of that evolution. But what does this mean for theatrical distribution?
Brett Ratner is producing the next Oscar telecast. Brett Ratner just directed Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy in Tower Heist, and has been the rumored choice for a Beverly Hills Cop 4 movie. So perhaps it’s no surprise that Ratner asked Murphy to host the Academy Awards. The surprise is that Murphy has said yes (according to Deadline Hollywood).
Update: Looks like Brett Ratner has selected Eddie Murphy as the host for the next Academy Awards broadcast!
As we reported in July, the trailer for the Brett Ratner directed, Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller-starring heist film Tower Heist has been released, and it features many things—Eddie Murphy seems to be at least kind of trying to be funny again, it also stars Casey Affleck (which is odd, since the film appears to be a total rip off of the Ocean’s trilogy, also starring… Casey Affleck), and that Brett Ratner is once again helming a picture with the totally faceless, directed-by-studio-committee direction that he brought to such not-good films as Red Dragon, the Rush Hour series, and X-Men 3: Seriously Can You Believe How Bad We Screwed This Franchise Up With This One?. And it appears that the trailer features one other thing—an offensive remark about epileptics.
The Heist movie genre is filled with a number of great films, and usually a solid premise. Enacting a plan and following through – regardless of the unforseen complications – is inherently gripping, whether it’s perpetrated by heroes or anti-heroes. But Ben Stiller, Matthew Broderick, Michael Pena, Casey Affleck, Gabourey Sidibe and Eddie Murphy in the Tower Heist looks like heroes, and Alan Alda looks a fairly repellent bad guy with a big safe. Well, the real bad guy may be director Brett Ratner if he blows a great cast and what appears to be the best material he’s worked with. Take a look at the trailer…
