March 27, 2011

Did Natalie Portman Misrepresent Herself To Win Her Oscar?
— Ace

Natalie Portman won the best acting Oscar for her performance in Black Swan. But which part of her performance was being rewarded?

Her basic actor-ish performance of conveying emotion?

Or the presumed fact that she learned to be a headliner-level ballerina in less than year's worth of training?

Obviously the first part is always considered. Was the second part a strong factor? And if so, what to do if Portman really didn't learn much more about being a ballerina than you'd expect an actor to?

This video was leaked by a visual effects company that worked on Black Swan. Such a thing is sort of standard -- they're showing off their work for future clients.

But they began by showing off something that the studio apparently doesn't wish to be widely known.

Not really too interesting, I admit.

But let me tell you what that video showed two days ago when I watched it: It showed in all the serious dance sequences featuring "Portman" doing pirouettes and dancing "on point" (on tip-toes) that in fact a different person was doing those moves, and Natalie Portman's head was digitally inserted upon the actual dancer's body. (Similar CGI effects were used to put the elderly Christoper Lee's head on a much-faster moving stuntman's body in the awful Star Wars prequels. But that effect was sort of crude -- CGI has come a long way even in just the past five or six years.)

And if you watch that video now, you'll see the head-replacement effects are stripped entirely out of the highlight real.

The evidence is being suppressed. Just 48 hours ago you could see, clear as day, that a ballerina called Sarah Lane actually danced whenever Portman was seen in full-body shots doing pirouettes and other difficult ballet moves, with Portman's head swapped in digitally for Lane's -- and now that is all cut out of the reel.

If you try to click on any of the links for the old video, you now get...

“This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by FOX.”


Why? Because that was the key evidence supporting an allegation made by the ballerina who actually did all this dancing. Usually this would be no big deal -- films always list, for example, "Harrison Ford's Stunt Double." The credits do not attempt to mislead you as to who actually did what (usually). No effort is made in the Indiana Jones credits to convince you that Harrison Ford did all of his own stuntwork. (And he's actually proud of doing a lot of his own stunts, and says so, but never, ever claims to have done them all.)

But in the case of Black Swan, there is no credit whatsoever for "Natalie Portman's Dance Double." Instead, Sarah Lane is listed as "Lady in the Lane" -- apparently she's only being credited for a brief appearance as a background actor.

Somewhere along the way either Portman, the filmmakers responsible for Black Swan, or the studio, or some combination working together, decided to make the claim that Portman did all of her own dancing for the film and have worked, dishonestly, to suppress any evidence that would challenge that.

In Natalie Portman's Oscar acceptance speech, for example, she thanked virtually everyone involved with the movie, and the usual litany of agents, managers, and entertainment lawyers, but somehow forgot to thank the dancer that doubled for her in all the key sequences.

Sarah Lane is now calling foul.

I guess some might be annoyed at her for blowing the whistle -- credits are often a matter of negotiation, and if she agreed to be only credited with "Lady in the Lane," that's on her, right? Maybe she needs to drink a nice tall glass of Shut Up juice.

But even if you think she's a crybaby, it can't help but be noticed that this is a very dishonest trick by the studio and/or Portman.

As I noted, Harrison Ford doesn't claim to have performed the "climbing under the truck" stunt in Raiders of the Lost Ark. No one knocks him for not doing that -- of course he didn't do that. He's just an actor.

And similarly, no one would have knocked Natalie Portman for having used a double in key shots. Of course she didn't do that -- she's just an actor. Of course that's a double.

But rather than play it the honest way that would cause them no problems, someone got rather greedy for undeserved credit and began making claims about Portman studying ballet for just one year, but doing so so intensely and with such skill as to actually have become an accomplished headliner world-class ballerina in such a short period of time.

And she got an Oscar for that.

But she didn't do what she's alleged to have done.

I think people assumed that Portman did her dancing because people 1) aren't yet caught up with what is currently possible with CGI technology and so are still just assuming that it's real if it looks real and 2) because Black Swan isn't a movie like The Transformers, with CGI dripping from every shot; instead it feels more like a small, intimate independent movie where they don't use CGI (or at least don't use much). So people didn't have their guards up regarding sophisticated CGI tricks. They assumed what they saw was basically real (except for the stuff that plainly wasn't, like the transformation into a duck).

But this situation hasn't been caused simply by people's assumptions.

No, there was an affirmative, positive campaign to deceive beginning with the film's hype campaign -- Oh my God, Natalie Portman has made herself a professional ballerina! -- and the failure to give her double a proper credit and now the suppression of the VFX house's demo reel showing how they turned Sarah Lane into Natalie Portman.

It should be noted that Audrey Hepburn did not receive a nomination for My Fair Lady, while just about everyone else involved did, because it was known her signing had been dubbed by Marni Nixon. In that film, though, apparently it was kind of obvious that Hepburn was being dubbed, so few in the community were actually deceived. (The general public, probably, more so.)

So what happens here?


Irony: Black Swan is about people appearing to be different people, identities shifting phatasmagorically.

It's also about a performer whose overweening urge to be perfect at two aspects of a difficult performance (in which a good performance at one aspect would be laudable enough) results in her downfall, sort of career suicide.

I think it's going to turn out that the story of The Black Swan is more intriguing and more filled with wrenching heartache and emotional revelations than the actual film.

One More Thing: While I found this story semi-interesting two days ago, I really didn't think it was so interesting that I should post on it. It seemed like a dispute over credit. Who cares?

And further, it seemed, at that point, like this could all be attributed to mere disagreement and difference of opinion rather than black-and-white Lie vs. Truth.

But now that that video effects reel has been suppressed by Fox, and a different one substituted for it -- well, now there is smoking gun proof that someone is lying, and deliberately.

Posted by: Ace at 07:19 AM | Comments (234)
Post contains 1243 words, total size 8 kb.

1 sounds like it

Posted by: phoenixgirl at March 27, 2011 07:25 AM (eOXTH)

2 I'd hit it.

Posted by: wildwood at March 27, 2011 07:26 AM (VSWPU)

3 Even I am amazed by my total lack of interest in anything Hollywood-related.

Posted by: Johnny at March 27, 2011 07:28 AM (mhmc7)

4 So what happens here? They repeal Obama's Nobel Prize ?

Posted by: Bill D. Cat at March 27, 2011 07:29 AM (npr0X)

5
 So what does one do to engender even mild interest  here?

Posted by: irongrampa at March 27, 2011 07:29 AM (ud5dN)

6 At least Julia Roberts had the class to thank her push-up bra in her acceptance speech for Erin Brockovich. And Julia is pretty classless.

Posted by: ktgreat at March 27, 2011 07:30 AM (7cvwd)

7 Weird, ace. You realize you just wrote this long thing about a movie that no knucklehead would ever watch.

Are you a fag?

Posted by: leonard maltin at March 27, 2011 07:30 AM (JaL+E)

8 Her name is Marni Nixon. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0633262/

Posted by: arb at March 27, 2011 07:30 AM (bL3NJ)

9 Burn Her!!!!

Posted by: Portnoy at March 27, 2011 07:33 AM (azgo2)

10 I won.

Posted by: Natalie Hussein Portman at March 27, 2011 07:33 AM (Nu07D)

11

So, as a straight man, am I supposed to care about anything in this film other than the lesbo sex between Portman and Mila Kunis?

Posted by: beedubya at March 27, 2011 07:34 AM (AnTyA)

12

Ahhhh, the average intelligence of the Ace O' Spades audience.

"Duhhh.  I'd rather be watchin' Capt America!"

Posted by: bedlam at March 27, 2011 07:35 AM (zt0Lg)

13 Hollyweird is corrupt and stupid?  Say it isn't so, Ace!

Seriously, I also was under the impression that Portman did her own dancing for Black Swan.  She has training, yes? 

Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at March 27, 2011 07:35 AM (9hSKh)

14 8 Weird, ace. You realize you just wrote this long thing about a movie that no knucklehead would ever watch.

Are you a fag?

Posted by: leonard maltin at March 27, 2011 11:30 AM (JaL+E)

Portman masturbating, and Mila Kunis going down on her.

Oh and Ace, I believe that Ford did actually get dragged behind the truck for at least one take so they could get a shot that you could tell was him.

Posted by: buzzion at March 27, 2011 07:35 AM (oVQFe)

15 My main image of Natalie Portman is from Heat. And those Star Wars movies. She is the Katie Holmes of Heat, and a reason to not see movies on par with the old version of young Robert Downey, Jr.

Posted by: alexthedude at March 27, 2011 07:36 AM (Nu07D)

16

So, as a straight man, am I supposed to care about anything in this film other than the lesbo sex between Portman and Mila Kunis?

Ugh, pass. 

Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at March 27, 2011 07:36 AM (9hSKh)

17 I guess Portman gets to live with herself, and just think, she'll probably never get another Oscar. 

And I also suspect that a lot of talk shows will be asking Portman to dance on the show, live. 


Posted by: Jack at March 27, 2011 07:36 AM (kCT7A)

18 Meh... Like anyone thinks Hollywood is honest? Tinseltown will do anything to generate buzz about a film. Anyway, there are whole post production houses devoted to "sweetening" a film with CGI, even after all the editing and original CGI has been completed. This is true of movies that do not appear to demand any CGI in the first place, like quiet intimate dramas. I used to know a guy who worked for one such house. The producers bring him the finished film and they take it one step further, whether it is something like a romantic comedy or a sci-fi thriller. If the Portman dancing wasn't partially faked or enhanced (depending on how you view it), that would be unusual.

Posted by: George Orwell at March 27, 2011 07:37 AM (AZGON)

19 >>> I believe that Ford did actually get dragged behind the truck for at least one take so they could get a shot that you could tell was him. Ah yeah, right, but that was being dragged by the whip, not actually moving hand over hand down the undercarriage of the truck. My point is that even though Harrison Ford always says he does MANY of his own stunts (he's proud of that) he never, ever claims he does ALL of his own stunts, or any of the most dangerous ones. arb - thanks for the correction, I changed the name to the right spelling.

Posted by: ace at March 27, 2011 07:38 AM (nj1bB)

20 And I also suspect that a lot of talk shows will be asking Portman to dance on the show, live.

They should ask her on Dancing with the Stars.  It'll be easier to find out if she's a dancing fraud on same magnitude as Milli Vanni was for pop music.   

Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at March 27, 2011 07:38 AM (9hSKh)

21 Oh, and... Mila Kunis: BUNK!

Posted by: George Orwell at March 27, 2011 07:38 AM (AZGON)

22 buzzion, believe me, I've watched all those making of the Jones movies, like ten times each.

Posted by: ace at March 27, 2011 07:39 AM (nj1bB)

23 Uh oh. Someone already got on my case a while back for pointing out that she did little of the dancing and the parts she did do sucked.

Posted by: moi at March 27, 2011 07:39 AM (NKSOm)

24
I thought most of the dancing was done by Charlie Sheen.

Posted by: sartana at March 27, 2011 07:39 AM (7Xm5b)

25 Did not see BS but I cannot imagine it was better than Showgirls. Elizabeth Berkley deserved an Oscar for Best Sweater Puppies.

Posted by: The Chap etc at March 27, 2011 07:41 AM (8DINN)

26 Honey Badger was going to phone with his usual critique, but he don't give a shit.

Posted by: George Orwell at March 27, 2011 07:41 AM (AZGON)

27 Wow, CGI has come a long way.  Used to be you could tell right away when CGI was being used, but in that highlight reel, I never would have guessed the floors, walls, skin, even digital removal of crew members had been done.  It was a bit frightening to watch.

Makes you wonder how much of what we're seeing in news footage is even real anymore.  Are we in fact attacking Libya, or are those just digitally rendered tomahawks we're seeing?

Posted by: I'd Hit Portman's digital head on Chesty LaRue's Body at March 27, 2011 07:42 AM (TCyyS)

28 Why did that crappy movie win any Oscars? And, no, simulated lezbo sex is not great art.

Posted by: moi at March 27, 2011 07:42 AM (NKSOm)

29

At least Julia Roberts had the class to thank her push-up bra in her acceptance speech for Erin Brockovich.

The Erin Brockovich story is an object lesson is just what the fuck is wrong with our legal system . There was never any higher incidence of cancer, or any other disease, as alleged in the areas around the PG&E dumping pools.

It was nothing but extortion and thuggery to get them to pay up or have it taken to trial where the idiots on a jury would have made it worse for them.

And that stupid scrunt Julia Roberts won an Oscar for nothing but a huge fucking lie...and emphasizing her her less than spectacular tits.

 

Posted by: beedubya at March 27, 2011 07:43 AM (AnTyA)

30 21 And I also suspect that a lot of talk shows will be asking Portman to dance on the show, live.

They should ask her on Dancing with the Stars.  It'll be easier to find out if she's a dancing fraud on same magnitude as Milli Vanni was for pop music.   

Posted by: Kratos (Ghost of Sparta) at March 27, 2011 11:38 AM (9hSKh)

She's not a tv star from the 80's or a current Disney channel actor.  There's no way she'd do that show even if she was able to dance.

Posted by: buzzion at March 27, 2011 07:43 AM (oVQFe)

31 >>>If the Portman dancing wasn't partially faked or enhanced (depending on how you view it), that would be unusual. I'd agree except for the marketing campaign claiming she'd become a prima donna in a year PLUS the deliberate ongoing campaign to claim she did almost all her own dancing. If there's no deception intended here, why the fake credit for Sarah Lane? Why the suppressed video effects reel? That's what we call consciousness of guilt.

Posted by: ace at March 27, 2011 07:43 AM (nj1bB)

32 So, it's official.  Hollywood sucks and is full of shit.  Who didn't know that?

Posted by: ©Sponge at March 27, 2011 07:44 AM (CdX98)

33

And, no, simulated lezbo sex is not great art.

What about the real stuff?

Posted by: beedubya at March 27, 2011 07:44 AM (AnTyA)

34 "Did not see BS ..." Don't. It causes sperm counts to drop precipitously.

Posted by: moi at March 27, 2011 07:44 AM (NKSOm)

35 "Makes you wonder how much of what we're seeing in news footage is even real anymore.  Are we in fact attacking Libya, or are those just digitally rendered tomahawks we're seeing?" It's a pity Barry isn't just a Max Headroom president fabricated by the DNC, because then we could simply get rid of him with a well-placed revision of Stuxnet.

Posted by: George Orwell at March 27, 2011 07:46 AM (AZGON)

36 Now that we know who danced for Natalie Portman in Black Swan, can I interest anyone in my theory on who wrote Dreams Fro My Father?

Yeah, I didn't think so.

Posted by: J. Cashill-Can I get a witness? at March 27, 2011 07:46 AM (7Xm5b)

37 Portman masturbating, and Mila Kunis going down on her.


OK, my day's all shot to hell now.  Thanks.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at March 27, 2011 07:46 AM (O6rbB)

38 If they just admitted the fakery, it would be no big deal at all, just like it's no big deal that actors don't do their own stunts. But they're willfully concealing that. They're still trying to sell us on Portman doing "85% of her own dancing," as her now-husband (a choreographer on the film) claims. It would be no big deal at all to know that Portman was doubled extensively -- if they just said so. We'd say, ah yes, of course, of course. How else could you do it, unless you cast an actual prima donna in the part? But they're now suppressing effects reels. That's a cover-up, and stupid, because a lot of people saw the original effects reel. And I wouldn't post on this myself EXCEPT that I now see history is being rewritten, and the old effects reel is substituted for a fake one without the head replacement shots.

Posted by: ace at March 27, 2011 07:46 AM (nj1bB)

39 I just watched black swan last night. Ny husband and I both didnt like it, although he did like the sex scene with portman and mila kunis. Anyway, yeah, portman's baby daddy, who was the choreagrapher, said that she did 85 percent of the dancing. The body double said thats a lie, she only did 5 percent, basically just some arm movement stuff. I believe the dancer because even if portman did train like crazy all year, real ballarinas train like crazy all the time, from when they are little girls, and it takes them years and years and years to get to that level. The body double girl thinks it's insulting, and it is, to her proffesion, to pretend that anyone could become an expert at it in a year.

Posted by: Lilikoi at March 27, 2011 07:48 AM (nt8gj)

40 OFF WITH HER HEAD!

Posted by: Magnificent J at March 27, 2011 07:48 AM (t+GBH)

41 yeah bear in mind too that if the dancing was faked WHO KNOWS IF THE LESBO STUFF WAS FAKED TOO? Chilling stuff. Chilling stuff.

Posted by: ace at March 27, 2011 07:48 AM (nj1bB)

42 "on point" (on tip-toes)

Just being nitpicky, but the term is spelled: en pointe.

That's all.

And I watched a clip of Portman dancing in the movie and she is AWFUL. She has no grace and none of the artless look professional dancers have. No one who has studied or is a big fan of ballet would believe for a second that she did any of the elaborate stuff and even the stuff she did do is incredibly weak.

Posted by: Rum, Goddess of Doom and Sith Apprentice at March 27, 2011 07:48 AM (YxBuk)

43 I was able to spontaneously brainstorm enough excuses to my wife over a 3+ month period that I never had to go see it.

It was really some of my finer work.

Posted by: Johnny at March 27, 2011 07:49 AM (mhmc7)

44 "I'd agree except for the marketing campaign claiming she'd become a prima donna in a year PLUS the deliberate ongoing campaign to claim she did almost all her own dancing." Yes, what I mean is merely that Hollywood will do anything to titillate us into thinking that The Silver Screen Is The Land Of Miracles. That includes dishonest marketing and hype. "Almost all" in H-wood can mean from ten to thirty percent. Maybe even forty.

Posted by: George Orwell at March 27, 2011 07:50 AM (AZGON)

45 All I want to know is if that's Portman's real ass in the trailer for Your Highness.

Posted by: Big Zesty at March 27, 2011 07:51 AM (66pgZ)

46 I'm going to rent the DVD just for the commentary (I already saw the movie). If, as I suspect, the filmmakers claim in the commentary that Portman did almost all of her own dancing and do not mention Sarah Lane, we'll know they're in on it too. I can only think this is Portman's idea. She's the only one who seems to really directly benefit from this.

Posted by: ace at March 27, 2011 07:51 AM (nj1bB)

47 Not too worried about who did what dancing in The Black Swan, but if this is faked, or even enhanced just a little, I'm gonna be really, really pissed.

Posted by: beedubya at March 27, 2011 07:51 AM (AnTyA)

48 There was some fakery with the butt in Your Highness. I think in some promotional material the thong was transformed into a more covering sort of thing, in order to pass standards and practices. but at this point who knows which one is real.

Posted by: ace at March 27, 2011 07:57 AM (nj1bB)

49 Same stuff happened with Flashdance.

Frankly, I think the dancer needs to STFU as she did what she was supposed to do. Yes, it was her body, but she was not given the role of dancer, only the role of a dancing double.

As for Portman, anyone who actually thinks she learned to be a ballerina in a year of training is deluded anyway. Real dancers train hard and for their entire lives in ballet.

Sure, I should think that Portman should feel a little skeezed out at the inference that she danced those numbers, but the idea that she should have thanked the body double is preposterous.

Posted by: jmflynny at March 27, 2011 07:58 AM (piMMO)

50 Meeza not know Her Highness could cut a rug! Major mojoey goodies hiding in there!

Posted by: Jar Jar Binks at March 27, 2011 08:00 AM (d0Tfm)

51

I think Rahm Emmanuel is hardest hit by all this.

Posted by: J. Cashill-Can I get a witness? at March 27, 2011 08:01 AM (7Xm5b)

52 I don't think Portman's Oscar should be revoked unless they actually bought the dancing story and awarded it partially because of that. As for comparisons between this and the Audrey Hepburn/Julie Andrews debate, the standards were higher back then, though it was rather mean towards Hepburn because she wasn't allowed to sing. But Hollywood no longer requires that stars do everything, so it makes sense that you can win an Oscar without doing the stuntwork-- even if it's a large part of playing the character. So again, the question is whether Portman won for acting + dancing or just acting.

Posted by: Miss'80sBaby at March 27, 2011 08:01 AM (UO6+e)

53

The Academy Awards are archaic and irrelevant, like Miss America.

Posted by: Crusty at March 27, 2011 08:01 AM (qzgbP)

54 It's really quite sad, what they've turned the awards into.  It used to be a great honor for actors and actresses, directors, producers etc. to win Oscars.  People were in awe of those that were able to submerse themselves into a character so deep, you believed they became that person beyond belief.  Now, because of their pompous attitudes, idiotic statements and political activism, people care less and less about the awards shows and their blowing of smoke up their own asses.

They've now go more awards shows than they have movies made each year, they're producing pretty shitty movies, charging viewers more, extolling their own greatness every chance they can and putting themselves on a pedestal that no one wants them on.

Their time has come to realize they're just overpaid court jesters whose sole purpose in life is to entertain the masses and they're no smarter or better than the guy standing on the street corner with a sign begging for food.

In other words, FUCK Hollywood and the horse it rode in on.

Posted by: ©Sponge at March 27, 2011 08:02 AM (CdX98)

55 >>>the idea that she should have thanked the body double is preposterous. Why? She's not just a "body double," she's responsible for half the performance. Why would anyone not thank a key collaborator? If you sing your own songs in a movie, would you fail to thank the songwriter? It's this failure to give ordinary credit that makes this seem deceptive. It's ordinary to thank important colleagues. Hence the rote mention of managers and business lawyers. If it would just be ordinary, business as usual for me to thank key collaborators and I fail to and also grab credit for myself and also suppress evidence of collaborators' contributions... well, that's a whole pattern of deception, not just one arguable, ambiguous instance of it.

Posted by: ace at March 27, 2011 08:02 AM (nj1bB)

56 By the way (although many of you guys probably know this) quite a few of the automobile commercials on TV haven't a single real automobile in them. All CGI.

Posted by: George Orwell at March 27, 2011 08:04 AM (AZGON)

57 yeah bear in mind too that if the dancing was faked WHO KNOWS IF THE LESBO STUFF WAS FAKED TOO?

Chilling stuff. Chilling stuff.

Posted by: ace at March 27, 2011 11:48 AM (nj1bB)

Wut? now that's just not right

Posted by: robtr at March 27, 2011 08:04 AM (MtwBb)

58 As I noted, Harrison Ford doesn't claim to have performed the "climbing under the truck" stunt in Raiders of the Lost Ark. No one knocks him for not doing that -- of course he didn't do that. He's just an actor. Ford is pretty savvy with the stunts and stuntmen. He doesn't like doing action scenes with other actors, AT ALL. I once read a bit about the fight scene between Ford and Joaquim de Almeida. The two actors clashed because Ford wanted to do the fight with a stuntman, and de Almeida wanted to do the scene himself. de Almeida won the argument......until he misjudged distances and kicked Ford in the 'nads during one take.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at March 27, 2011 08:07 AM (9Lm5R)

59 It's really quite sad, what they've turned the awards into. It used to be a great honor for actors and actresses, directors, producers etc. to win Oscars. Ricky Gervais delivered the best emcee performance ever at the Golden Globes, and not a lick of CG. Anyway, the Oscars are failing. The viewership has been falling for years. The only purpose for the Oscars is twofold. One, to enhance the bargaining and compensation position of the awards' recipients, and two, to act as a blunt force marketing vehicle for the movie industry. It's just one long boring commercial to get you to fork over fifteen dollars and two or more hours of your life spent in a dark room with a sticky floor, surrounded by coughing, eating strangers.

Posted by: George Orwell at March 27, 2011 08:09 AM (AZGON)

60 By the way (although many of you guys probably know this) quite a few of the automobile commercials on TV haven't a single real automobile in them. All CGI.

Posted by: George Orwell at March 27, 2011 12:04 PM (AZGON)



Exactly why I've been saying for years.....Why bother driving a car in a commercial when it's not the car, it's not on a road and it's not a true representation of the actual vehicle.  The only car that has impressed me in the past several years is the Mustang.

Posted by: ©Sponge at March 27, 2011 08:09 AM (CdX98)

61 That was in Clear and Present Danger, by the way. Durrrrh.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at March 27, 2011 08:10 AM (9Lm5R)

62 I thought the third rerun of the Cowsills was more interesting.

Posted by: Libra at March 27, 2011 08:15 AM (kd8U8)

63 I will be having hearings on this next week. The People demand it.

I am ready for my close up now.

Posted by: Chuck Schumer at March 27, 2011 08:15 AM (V4Pya)

64 Do you know how I know you're gay? You just wrote a thousand words about Black Swan and you thought we'd care. How about we transfer the care, thought and attention to detail you spent on ballet to Libya.

Posted by: Your Mom at March 27, 2011 08:16 AM (GjXkv)

65 >>>By the way (although many of you guys probably know this) quite a few of the automobile commercials on TV haven't a single real automobile in them. All CGI. I did not know that. Re: Ford and fight scenes, he also admits that he sometimes misjudges distance and has clipped stuntmen.

Posted by: ace at March 27, 2011 08:16 AM (nj1bB)

66 She is an ACTRESS! !!!!!

Posted by: AV at March 27, 2011 08:17 AM (4sDEY)

67 >>>Do you know how I know you're gay? You just wrote a thousand words about Black Swan and you thought we'd care. >>>How about we transfer the care, thought and attention to detail you spent on ballet to Libya. How about you please leave the site and never come back?

Posted by: ace at March 27, 2011 08:17 AM (nj1bB)

68 A similar thing happened when Linda Blair was nominated for Supporting Actress for The Exorcist in the 70s. Mercedes McCambridge actually did most (if not all) of the demonic voices. She was supposed to receive a credit in the closing credits. But in the film's original run, her name was not mentioned anywhere in the credits. McCambridge, known as one of the great "voice" actresses of her time, made a big stink in the media. It is speculated that the controversy caused Blair to lose the Oscar. McCambridge is now credited in the prints of the film. "And Mercedes McCambridge" it now says at the end of the list of the film's actors.

Posted by: Book Geek at March 27, 2011 08:18 AM (1+OO5)

69 Meh.

How does this help Michelle's childern?

Posted by: Kemp at March 27, 2011 08:19 AM (JpFM9)

70 "Come, Watson, come! The game is afoot."

Posted by: PoconoJoe at March 27, 2011 08:19 AM (BPd8a)

71 Is Ace saying Portman has no "kinetic" energy?

Posted by: Kemp at March 27, 2011 08:21 AM (JpFM9)

72

It's this failure to give ordinary credit that makes this seem deceptive. It's ordinary to thank important colleagues. Hence the rote mention of managers and business lawyers.

If it would just be ordinary, business as usual for me to thank key collaborators and I fail to and also grab credit for myself and also suppress evidence of collaborators' contributions... well, that's a whole pattern of deception, not just one arguable, ambiguous instance of it.

I'm curious as to what the cob loggers and Poppin' Fresh and Allahpoundsit hae to say about this.

I keed...I keed

Posted by: beedubya at March 27, 2011 08:21 AM (AnTyA)

73 If there was fake lesbo sex going on in Libya, Ace would care -- a lot!!!!1!!!!1!!!

Posted by: moi at March 27, 2011 08:21 AM (NKSOm)

74 >>>A similar thing happened when Linda Blair was nominated for Supporting Actress for The Exorcist in the 70s. Mercedes McCambridge actually did most (if not all) of the demonic voices. She was supposed to receive a credit in the closing credits. ... I didn't know that. I do know that the marketing campaign for the film was chock a block with viral lies, like all of the filmmakers claiming they believed in satanic possession and putting out stories about mysterious accidents that happened on set. Really trying to sell it that Satan was sort of present.

Posted by: ace at March 27, 2011 08:21 AM (nj1bB)

75 Oh damn.  Late to party and it's already covered.

Posted by: CDR M at March 27, 2011 12:02 PM (5I8G0)

If it was covered, you wouldn't have noticed it.

Oh - you mean the topic, not the ass itself.  Never mind.

Posted by: Vina the Moose at March 27, 2011 08:24 AM (ELpjS)

76 Speaking of CGI, I saw Sucker Punch last night. alexthechick called it a couple of days ago: hot mess. Yeah, it's REALLY a mess. One thing they got spectacularly right though, is the girls' gun handling. Especially Abby Cornish, she really rocks the M4 carbine, you can tell that she's extremely comfortable with the rifle.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at March 27, 2011 08:24 AM (9Lm5R)

77 Ace, you're uhhhhhh, thinking stupidly...acting is hard; almost as hard as, ummmmm, presidentin'.

Posted by: TEH WON at March 27, 2011 08:25 AM (MNNZX)

78 Mercedes McCambridge actually did most (if not all) of the demonic voices. She was supposed to receive a credit in the closing credits. But in the film's original run, her name was not mentioned anywhere in the credits. McCambridge, known as one of the great "voice" actresses of her time, made a big stink in the media. It is speculated that the controversy caused Blair to lose the Oscar. McCambridge is now credited in the prints of the film. "And Mercedes McCambridge" it now says at the end of the list of the film's actors.

Posted by: Book Geek at March 27, 2011 12:18 PM (1+OO5)

And not just voice.  She played one mean bitch in Johnny Guitar.

Posted by: Vina the Moose at March 27, 2011 08:25 AM (ELpjS)

79

And I watched a clip of Portman dancing in the movie and she is AWFUL. She has no grace and none of the artless look professional dancers have. No one who has studied or is a big fan of ballet would believe for a second that she did any of the elaborate stuff and even the stuff she did do is incredibly weak.

She does have a pretty nice butt though....firm, yet jiggly

Posted by: beedubya at March 27, 2011 08:25 AM (AnTyA)

80 Was Lane a member of SAG? Where's her union? Aren't they suppose to protect their members and make sure they get credits?

Posted by: moi at March 27, 2011 08:25 AM (NKSOm)

81 Eh, who cares.  What's really important is that this chick is marrying a guy named millipede.

Posted by: huerfano at March 27, 2011 08:26 AM (2pEj7)

82 I thought this was a fine essay.  So there.

Posted by: Mister Christopher at March 27, 2011 08:26 AM (KyR3d)

83

 

The real question here is 'Is it possible that people in Hollywood are stupid enough to believe an actress can become a world class ballerina in one year?' 

It is truly amazing what they can do with technology nowadays.  You can't even see the seems where they take one persons head and plant it on anothers body.  Much different from the green screen, special effects days of movies in my youth.  It should be obvious to anyone, other than an idiot, that the heavily muscled legs of the dancer in the last scene of that video do not belong to Ms. Portman.

One only has to watch a single episode of 'The Actors Studio' to appreciate how seriously these people take themselves.  That show is, unintended, comedy gold.  They think that acting, which is just the combination of verbal and physical lying, is akin to rocket science or brain surgery.  Just don't tell them that an eleven year old girl, one that had never acted before, won an Oscar.  As soon as an eleven year old boy with no wrestling experience wins an Olympic Gold Medal in Greco-Roman wrestling, then I will be impressed with actors and their "craft".

Posted by: hughie at March 27, 2011 08:28 AM (+56Bh)

84 Not having seen the movie, I have to ask - how much of it is the actual dancing?

I'm not justifying Portman not giving credit to this 'double' at her acceptance speech, but I am wondering if she won based on some dramatic scene?

Hollywood just loves their over-the-top dramz. Nicole Kidman won the lead actress Oscar for The Hours in her Virginia Wolfe transformation and she was on the screen for less than a 1/3 of the movie IIRC.

Posted by: laceyunderalls at March 27, 2011 08:28 AM (zUAke)

85 >>>Speaking of CGI, I saw Sucker Punch last night. alexthechick called it a couple of days ago: hot mess. Yeah, it's REALLY a mess Yeah I didn't like the idea of it. The idea as I understand it is they want to make an excuse to do five different fantasy/action movies, some medieval, some with mecha, some like WWII or something, and jam them all together with some nonsense like "it's all psychological delusion but with real-world elements" and etc. I don't get that. If you want to do a Mecha movie, why not just do a mecha movie? Why try to superficially do five in one?

Posted by: ace at March 27, 2011 08:29 AM (nj1bB)

86 Hey ace -

Given the number of posts on this site about Black Swan, when are you going to stop representing yourself as a hetero male? We don't care that you are gay, we just don't like the misrepresentation.

Posted by: steve_in_hb at March 27, 2011 08:32 AM (5lEKX)

87

she's just an actor.

No. Not unless she got a sex change. Until then, she's an actress.

Sorry, but this particular solecism drives me nuts.

Posted by: Jay Guevara at March 27, 2011 08:32 AM (yLJzo)

88

And not just voice.  She played one mean bitch in Johnny Guitar.

Posted by: Vina the Moose at March 27, 2011 12:25 PM (ELpjS)

She won an Oscar for her first film, the original version of All the King's Men, in 1949. She was also nominated for playing the sister of Rock Hudson's character in Giant.

Posted by: Book Geek at March 27, 2011 08:32 AM (1+OO5)

89 >>>I'm not justifying Portman not giving credit to this 'double' at her acceptance speech, but I am wondering if she won based on some dramatic scene? I would say her performance alone is good and possibly worth an Oscar. But there are a lot of good performances every year. They overlook many, only giving oscars for a specific type of movie (dramatic "prestige" movies). I think it was a good performance, combined with it being in the "right" sort of movie, combined finally with the plus-factor of her doing so much of her own dancing that won it for her. They like that kind of plus-factor. Like if you're a beautiful woman and play ugly, you've got a damn good shot at an oscar. Or if you're a male actor and you lose or gain weight for a role, and you've got a shot. the plus factor here was the dancing. Without that, it's a fine performance, and might be the sort of thing to get an Oscar, but I do think the dancing plus-factor was what cinched the deal. As far as the acting, I don't know how hard it was, not being an actor. She played it low key and usually just conveyed that her character was brittle, shy, and confused. I wouldn't say it was "one note" in a bad way because that was what the role was; she didn't do a lot of things outside of that brittle/shy/sheltered/naive/confused mode, but that was her character. Is that hard? No idea. But I do think the dancing thing helped.

Posted by: ace at March 27, 2011 08:34 AM (nj1bB)

90 "She was also nominated for playing the sister of Rock Hudson's character in Giant." She was a lesbo who died with her boots on.

Posted by: moi at March 27, 2011 08:34 AM (NKSOm)

91 >>>Given the number of posts on this site about Black Swan, when are you going to stop representing yourself as a hetero male? We don't care that you are gay, we just don't like the misrepresentation. It's a good movie. If you're going to get snitty, then I will reveal you won't see it because it's a horror movie and you're all a-scared to see horror movies. Homo.

Posted by: ace at March 27, 2011 08:35 AM (nj1bB)

92

I rented The Tourist  with Angelina Jolie and Johhny Depp from the RedBox down to the Piggly Wiggly the other night.

The wifey, who had a couple of wine collers, said that Angie was the hottest woman on the planet and laughingly said that she would do her. I don't think she was kidding though.

There was no fapping that night.

Posted by: beedubya at March 27, 2011 08:37 AM (AnTyA)

93 65 By the way (although many of you guys probably know this) quite a few of the automobile commercials on TV haven't a single real automobile in them. All CGI.

Posted by: George Orwell at March 27, 2011 12:04 PM (AZGON)


You mean those rats with the hoodies aren't really driving that car ?


Posted by: wildwood at March 27, 2011 08:37 AM (VSWPU)

94 Natalie Portman has that "I just bit into a lemon. And it has half a worm in it" look about her.

Also:

The three shitty Star Wars movies.

She peaked in The Professional.

Never saw the attraction. She looks like a pissed-off stoat and acts as well as a loaf of Wonder bread.


ps: Thank You all for saving me $20 on Sucker Punch.

Posted by: sifty at March 27, 2011 08:37 AM (/TRW4)

95 Sorry, but this particular solecism drives me nuts.

Don't be such a drama queen.

Posted by: Darth Ballerina at March 27, 2011 08:38 AM (EvCiU)

96
First came the Nobel Merit Badge awarded to O'BambiMacFuckup for accomplishing nothing, and now we have the Oscar Merit Badge awarded to Natalie Portman for not dancing.  Just wow kiddies!

Posted by: Fish the Impaler at March 27, 2011 08:38 AM (ZHsNw)

97 It's a good movie. If you're going to get snitty, then I will reveal you won't see it because it's a horror movie and you're all a-scared to see horror movies. Homo.

Says the man who actually tries to defend his relentless viewing of romantic comedies.

Posted by: steve_in_hb at March 27, 2011 08:39 AM (5lEKX)

98 #96

It's a good movie.

Must be some liberals in Hollywood gave it an award.  X said it was a chick flick and I'd only like the lesbo scene.  I don't like scary movies, guess I must be the ghey.

I am going with her analysis and buy some Valu rite with the money.

Posted by: Kemp at March 27, 2011 08:41 AM (JpFM9)

99 *shrugs*

Based off what I hear from friends that saw it they say she gave one helluva performance - and they never even discussed the dancing. (Of course these are people that went for the dark, edgy component of it.)

I think w/these awards show, the ball gets rolling with who wins the GG, and then the SAGS and the Oscars just tend to fall in line.

But then again, these are people that starve themselves for a week to fit into their dresses and Botox the palm of their hands as to not sweat when they introduce themselves to reporter on the red carpet.

In other words, I just can't relate  or understand what the hell they do.


Posted by: laceyunderalls at March 27, 2011 08:41 AM (zUAke)

100 Don't talk shit about TOTAL!

Romantic comedies help us homely somebitches seem appealing.

I owe quite a bit of the action I got in the 90's to Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. That and booze.
And sometimes cash.
Or helping chicks move with my truck.
Whatever works.

Posted by: sifty at March 27, 2011 08:42 AM (/TRW4)

101

Natalie Portman ...

Never saw the attraction

Really?

Politically, she's an idiot...but she's still effing hot

Posted by: beedubya at March 27, 2011 08:42 AM (AnTyA)

102 I dated 2 ballet chicks in my time, and married a 3rd. I don't know shit about ballet, other than the dudes involved in it are leftover eunuchs from the greek or roman empire. I don't want to know. I do know that there is no fucking way portman learned to do that in a year, she would be lucky if she even made it to toe shoes in that time.

Posted by: Berserker at March 27, 2011 08:42 AM (gWHrG)

103 See! You bastards can't blame me for Padme's wooden acting.

Posted by: George Lucas at March 27, 2011 08:43 AM (9Lm5R)

104 Imagine Natalie and Keanu as costar leads....

Posted by: Count de Monet at March 27, 2011 08:45 AM (XBM1t)

105 106:

Sorry. She's just not pretty enough to overcome that ferret face.

I'd step over her  to get to Winona Ryder's shoplifting booty.

Winona has that look like Peter's first girlfriend had in Office Space.

Posted by: sifty at March 27, 2011 08:45 AM (/TRW4)

106 I agree with Beserker. My daughter is still young but she is in her fifth year of ballet. It takes *years* of work strengthening the muscles to be able to go en pointe.

Posted by: Barb the Evil Genius at March 27, 2011 08:45 AM (MyByM)

107 Imagine Natalie and Keanu as costar leads.... Film version of Rush's The Trees?

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at March 27, 2011 08:46 AM (9Lm5R)

108 109:

Cue card stimulus! 300 jobs saved or created.

Posted by: sifty at March 27, 2011 08:46 AM (/TRW4)

109 Did use a double for the only scenes of that movie you morons watched? And, I know you know what I mean. Does this knock her off of her Oscar pedestal, so she will habe to do some "edgier" stuff.? ( this goes back to the wonder women thread_)

Posted by: Jean at March 27, 2011 08:47 AM (C3KwS)

110 What?  No hot CGI ballerina lesbo cooter action?

Dammit!

Posted by: Fritz at March 27, 2011 08:49 AM (FaFnu)

111 ace may be indeed listening to Liberace's greatest hits and lounging on a day bed in his sun room covered in lace throws, but he's dressed as Yul Brynner in The Magnificent Seven. So back off.

Posted by: sifty at March 27, 2011 08:49 AM (/TRW4)

112 How about we transfer the care, thought and attention to detail you spent on ballet to Libya.

Sometimes, people just need a break. A quick and simple diversion from all the serious stuff every now and then refreshes the mind. If you are capable of absorbing, non-stop, all the bullshit that's going on in Libya and elsewhere on a 24-hour cycle, then good for you. As for myself, I need a slow news day in the worst way.

Posted by: jmflynny at March 27, 2011 08:55 AM (piMMO)

113 Sarah Lane's career just ended.

Posted by: richard mcenroe at March 27, 2011 08:57 AM (qvify)

114 "...but he's dressed as Yul Brynner in The Magnificent Seven."

Well, he is wearing black leather chaps....but I'm getting more of a Pacino in Cruising vibe.

Posted by: steve_in_hb at March 27, 2011 08:58 AM (5lEKX)

115 I owe quite a bit of the action I got in the 90's to Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.

If I had to identify one way in which I am stereotypically female, it would be that I love those movies. I can practically recite the words along with the film by now. However, on paper, Meg Ryan's characters looks really friggin bad. Particularly in Sleepless in Seattle:

Liar
Cheat
Stalker
Obsessive
Petty

Still, I love it.

Maybe it's the music.

Posted by: jmflynny at March 27, 2011 09:00 AM (piMMO)

116 That technology of putting actor's faces on top of doubles was created for the second Matrix film, wasn't it? For the "Burly Brawl" sequence, where dozens of men all wore the face of Agent Smith.

Posted by: Steven Den Beste at March 27, 2011 09:02 AM (+rSRq)

117

Natalie Portman and Keanu Reeves starring in...

The Wooden Box

Posted by: Count de Monet at March 27, 2011 09:02 AM (XBM1t)

118 Did Barack Obama Misrepresent Himself to Win the Presidency?

Posted by: Mr. Barky at March 27, 2011 09:09 AM (znvl4)

119 I have had basically zero interest in Natalie Portman. I never understood her appeal. She was good in the Professional  -- but her character was a sexualized young teen, so that's not really something that it is so wonderful to be good at. And she still looked like a late-developing 15 year old in the Star Wars movies.

So, no interest in the Portman oeuvre.

But then I saw that trailer to that new movie that stars her ass in a thong.

I now have new found respect for Natalie Portman. A very intense respect. Possibly a short-lived respect. But for some reason I'm now very, very interested in this new trailer.

Posted by: Clubber Lang at March 27, 2011 09:09 AM (QcFbt)

120 Why? She's not just a "body double," she's responsible for half the performance.

As are stuntmen and women in many action flicks. Nonetheless, she negotiated the deal she got.

True, common courtesy would suggest that thanking her would have been warranted and Portman might have appeared magnanimous in doing so, but nothing required her to do so.

That being said, I still believe that Portman should be more than a little embarrassed by the suggestion that she did, indeed, perform the dance sequences herself. If for no other reason than to avoid be labeled as dishonest, you would think she would bring it up somewhere, during some interview or another.

This particular comment, in the Lane interview, is pretty damning if true and Portman should be ashamed if she took part in a deliberate misrepresentation:

Did Fox Searchlight ask you to stop giving interviews before the Oscars?

Yes. A producer, Ari Handel, called me directly and he asked me to not do more interviews. He asked me what interviews I had done and he asked me to not do any more interviews until after the Oscars. I didnÂ’t say that I would, but I kind of wrote an email back that I was sort of offended that after all the hours I put into the movie that he would ask me to do this.


Posted by: jmflynny at March 27, 2011 09:12 AM (piMMO)

121 But then I saw that trailer to that new movie that stars her ass in a thong.

I now have new found respect for Natalie Portman. A very intense respect. Possibly a short-lived respect. But for some reason I'm now very, very interested in this new trailer.

That is an incredibly average ass. You can find a hundred better asses on the beach in Miami on any given weekend. Or, at any Spring break location.

The appeal is BECAUSE it's Portman's ass.

Posted by: jmflynny at March 27, 2011 09:14 AM (piMMO)

122 Dancing was the reason she won the Oscar???  Naaaaw.  More like for:

Portman masturbating, and Mila Kunis going down on her.

she was rewarded for being a  "brave" actress working against "societal stigmas"

plus that eff'n hot...

Posted by: phreshone at March 27, 2011 09:18 AM (T3vCe)

123 Wow, the whining is spectacular, even considering that this is the only blog post to comment on in the entire internet, and there are no activities available for a person in the real world on a Sunday.

Posted by: That Guy Who's Allergic to Viagra at March 27, 2011 09:18 AM (bxiXv)

124

Just imagine when Portman is 87 and she is at the Oscars surrounded by three generations of descendants and they run a montage of her work prior to giving her a Lifetime Achievement award and they run clips of certain Black Swan scenes and a clip of her ass in a thong.

How proud she'll be.

Posted by: Count de Monet at March 27, 2011 09:21 AM (XBM1t)

125 It should be noted that Audrey Hepburn did not receive a nomination for My Fair Lady, while just about everyone else involved did, because it was known her signing had been dubbed by Marni Nixon. Was the signing version of My Fair Lady anything like the semaphore version of Wuthering Heights?

Posted by: Rajiv Vindaloo at March 27, 2011 09:21 AM (KpjMV)

126  and there are no activities available for a person in the real world on a Sunday.

Posted by: That Guy Who's Allergic to Viagra at March 27, 2011 01:18 PM (bxiXv)

 There's a race on in about an hour and beer in the fridge. I'm all set.

Posted by: PoconoJoe at March 27, 2011 09:21 AM (BPd8a)

127 yeah bear in mind too that if the dancing was faked WHO KNOWS IF THE LESBO STUFF WAS FAKED TOO?

Chilling stuff. Chilling stuff.

Haha, ace pinpoints the real issue.

Posted by: Waterhouse at March 27, 2011 09:22 AM (D9etI)

128 Hollywood, like the music industry, isn't so much concerned with producing something that will reshape the future of cinema so much as increasing the bottom line.  The film industry -- ironically the real-life version of the progressive stereotype of what they believe all "big businesses" are -- are in the habit of risk management, not furthering the art; they think that's what indie films are for.

That factory needs the illusion of the actor who can play any role -- even one which involves years of training for real-life dancers, musicians, athletes, etc., even prodigies -- to be accepted by the audience so they can extend the freshness date of their "product".  In the end, it has nothing to do with Sarah Lane getting proper credit so much as it has to do with Natalie Portman continuing to be a revenue generator. 

As this type of CG becomes more prevalent, expect to see the job title (and screen credit) of stunt double will all but disappear.  The actual stunt double will be relegated to the "mere" job of faceless stunt performer, with the face of the "can-do anything" actor pasted on. It's the reverse of, say, Sucker Punch, where the actresses had to dead-lift up to 210 lbs, but the obvious bulk they'd acquired during their training was erased via CGI. 

Posted by: The Ghost of Flannery O'Connor at March 27, 2011 09:25 AM (DNX55)

129 Clear and present danger: The fights were never going to be good when the good guy was almost a foot taller than the bad guy.

Posted by: Cincinnatus at March 27, 2011 09:25 AM (Bbgqk)

130 The Oscars, the Grammys, the CMAs, the ACMs, The MTV Video Awards are all industry marketing functions. What other industries get to be taken seriously when they GIVE THEMSELVES AWARDS merely for doing their jobs?

Posted by: The Power Sweep at March 27, 2011 09:27 AM (F8Ipk)

131 The Erin Brockovich story is an object lesson is just what the fuck is wrong with our legal system . There was never any higher incidence of cancer, or any other disease, as alleged in the areas around the PG&E dumping pools. You'll be happy to know that Brockovich has been reduced to whoring herself out as a "paid spokesperson" for slimeball TV mesothelioma lawyers. She couldn't sink lower if she were an uncredited couch sitter in a Snuggie ad.

Posted by: Rajiv Vindaloo at March 27, 2011 09:27 AM (KpjMV)

132 What other industries get to be taken seriously when they GIVE THEMSELVES AWARDS merely for doing their jobs? Journalists.

Posted by: Rajiv Vindaloo at March 27, 2011 09:27 AM (KpjMV)

133 Actually I found that this clip made me less inclined to watch the movie.  Where were the CGI lesbo scenes?

Posted by: also still kicking at March 27, 2011 09:32 AM (GTbGH)

134 132  and there are no activities available for a person in the real world on a Sunday.

Posted by: That Guy Who's Allergic to Viagra at March 27, 2011 01:18 PM (bxiXv)

Um...Helloooo?

Posted by: God at March 27, 2011 09:34 AM (1+OO5)

135 138:

Unions.

Posted by: sifty at March 27, 2011 09:36 AM (/TRW4)

136 Clear and present danger: The fights were never going to be good when the good guy was almost a foot taller than the bad guy. The Expendables: Jet Li (5'6") vs. Dolph Lundgren (6'5") in the warehouse. The exception that proves the rule.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at March 27, 2011 09:38 AM (9Lm5R)

137 Part of the magic of Hollywood. Somehow they keep finding midgets for MATT DAMON to beat up.

Posted by: sifty at March 27, 2011 09:39 AM (/TRW4)

138 There are folks out there who can give you the name of the dancing school that Natalie Portman attended as a kid.  A high end dancing school with russian style teachers who paid for professionals to come from Manhattan and teach their students.  There are parents out there with videotapes of their kid dancing with their class and portman is in that class.  Btw, those same students also danced with Jamie Lynn Siegler, of Sopranos fame.  Some of those same students lived near Lyndsey Lohan, Billy Joel, and now j. lo has come to the neighborhood along with hannity and rupert.

Makes you wonder what Portman did, who she annoyed or crossed, to have "them" whoever they are, go after her and her oscar like this.  There has to be way more to the story. 

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 09:41 AM (k1rwm)

139 So how many other actresses got famous first as pedo-bait like Portman? Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver is the main other one that comes to mind, but I'm sure it's more common than I realize. Maybe Drew Barrymore, but she got famous as just a little girl playing little girl roles in movies like ET, right? I know her actual life was a hyper-sexualized Hollywood young teen, but I don't remember any movies where she played that role. I just remember her as a little girl in ET and then 15 years later she's the queen of rom-coms.

Posted by: Clubber Lang at March 27, 2011 09:45 AM (QcFbt)

140 Ace is a member of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor.

Posted by: Darth Millepied at March 27, 2011 09:45 AM (GTbGH)

141 A thousand give-a-shits.

Posted by: High Dollar Moron at March 27, 2011 09:48 AM (4sQwu)

142 here's her bio, she share her name with a "tech tv" gal

for ballet, she's not that impressive.  The school Portman attended routinely sent dancers into the ABT.   the next time I go to the ballet I'm going to check for her name, if she's on the program I'm going to skip it and let them know why.

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 09:50 AM (k1rwm)

143 The credits thing bothers me.  I don't care about the Flashdance swapping.  But lying about the credit and suppressing the truth after the fact bothers me.

Posted by: rdbrewer at March 27, 2011 09:54 AM (RVBxX)

144

I rented The Tourist  with Angelina Jolie and Johhny Depp from the RedBox down to the Piggly Wiggly the other night.

The wifey, who had a couple of wine collers, said that Angie was the hottest woman on the planet and laughingly said that she would do her. I don't think she was kidding though.

There was no fapping that night.




Johnny Depp epically bad in that. He was asleep for most of the movie, and his american accent was awful.

Posted by: redclay at March 27, 2011 09:56 AM (MJx6n)

145 Posted by: jmflynny at March 27, 2011 01:12 PM (piMMO)

I think Portman danced the entire part.  I think she thought that was herself dancing there but that the producer who asked her not to do anymore interviews decided to use technology and another ballerina to really vamp up the ballet so that those who would know would be impressed.  probably poor natalie portman knew nothing about this.

I didn't go see the black swan.  My friends weren't so thrilled with the many layers, mostly psychological, in the movie so I skipped it.  they did say Portman deserved her oscar though.

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 09:58 AM (k1rwm)

146 I don't know, I would rather be credited with a part "lady in the lane" rather than "body double for portman".   

What concerns me more though is the fact that technology can now do this CGI stuff so incredibly well.  Sure this is "the movies" but what else can CGI be used on and who would it fool?

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 10:00 AM (k1rwm)

147 Posted by: iknowtheleft at March 27, 2011 02:01 PM (G/MYk)

well, that's your opinion.  A lot hinges on them, especially the amount of money you receive on your next films and  what projects you are offered.  So, while you may think them a joke the industry takes them quite seriously and the audience does too.

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 10:03 AM (k1rwm)

148 Wow, there are a lot of hate-filled comments directed at Sarah Lane in the WSJ.com article.  Paid hacks from the movie studio or Portman's agency, perhaps?

Posted by: Chairman LMAO at March 27, 2011 10:03 AM (yJyNa)

149 Sure this is "the movies" but what else can CGI be used on and who would it fool? JugEars as the first CGI President, with his Sippy-Cup Mafia actually being in charge? It would explain a lot.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at March 27, 2011 10:04 AM (9Lm5R)

150 natalie portman is a nice person.  I really hope that parents "go to the video tape" and begin uploading her dancing in class with their kids.  The school starts you on ballet at 7, will that be far enough back for some of you?

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 10:04 AM (k1rwm)

151 I love when you go off on film stuff, ace. It's so cute.

Posted by: meep at March 27, 2011 10:05 AM (D6IZg)

152 156 Wow, there are a lot of hate-filled comments directed at Sarah Lane in the WSJ.com article.  Paid hacks from the movie studio or Portman's agency, perhaps?

Posted by: Chairman LMAO at March 27, 2011 02:03 PM (yJyNa)


or maybe regular people who grew up with and danced with her, defending her cause she is a very nice person?

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 10:05 AM (k1rwm)

153 Posted by: iknowtheleft at March 27, 2011 02:07 PM (G/MYk)

It was a huge school with students who drove many hours after school and on the weekend just to study there.  Jamie lynn and natalie were their friends growing up.   Of course they are going to defend her, they know she can dance.

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 10:08 AM (k1rwm)

154

Steven Den Beste, I still love you!

Don't worry, Ace.  I love you every day.

Posted by: Quint&Jessel, Sea of Azof, Bly, UK at March 27, 2011 10:08 AM (1kwr2)

155 It'll be fun when Hollywood becomes solely CGI.  Until they start CGIing leftist talking points.

Posted by: Johnny at March 27, 2011 10:09 AM (mhmc7)

156 Curious, wtf are you talking about?  Do you also believe Portman did became a prima ballerina in a year an a half and did 90% of the dancing in the movie?  She can still be a nice person, in spite of the studio creating a cover story that was meant to boost her chances of getting the Oscar.

Posted by: Chairman LMAO at March 27, 2011 10:11 AM (yJyNa)

157 I think it was a good performance, combined with it being in the "right" sort of movie, combined finally with the plus-factor of her doing so much of her own dancing that won it for her.

Absolutely spot on.  The "own dancing" thing was like listing "eagle scout" on you college application.  Not much by itself, but enough to put her over the top.

Posted by: Ace's liver at March 27, 2011 10:15 AM (QgI7g)

158 curious: You didn't even see the damn movie! Sheesh!

Posted by: moi at March 27, 2011 10:18 AM (NKSOm)

159 probably poor natalie portman knew nothing about this.

You're joking, right? Because no amount of dieting and exercise will make a non-dancer's body look like that of a professional dancer.

Posted by: jmflynny at March 27, 2011 10:20 AM (piMMO)

160 I remember when Bill Bixby used to take credit for my work. There's no way he could have bulked up to play that part. 

Posted by: Lou Ferrigno at March 27, 2011 10:27 AM (d6wkB)

161 168 curious: You didn't even see the damn movie! Sheesh!

Posted by: moi at March 27, 2011 02:18 PM (NKSOm)

I don't have time to breathe.  I work constantly.  I have to really want to see something to make the effort.



Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 10:30 AM (k1rwm)

162 (Similar CGI effects were used to put the elderly Christoper Lee's head on a much-faster moving stuntman's body in the awful Star Wars prequels. But that effect was sort of crude -- CGI has come a long way even in just the past five or six years.)
__________

Ricard Montalban, Spy Kids 3

Posted by: Anachronda at March 27, 2011 10:31 AM (6fER6)

163

You're joking, right? Because no amount of dieting and exercise will make a non-dancer's body look like that of a professional dancer.

Posted by: jmflynny at March 27, 2011 02:20 PM (piMMO)

what I'm telling you is that from age 7 Portman danced, she danced a lot, more than 3 x's a week at a rigorous school.  I know a lot of dancers some of whom have now opened schools cause you retire really early in the ballet.  Anyway, the muscles were trained early on, bringing the body back to dancer's form wouldn't be so difficult especially since people who have long studied ballet usually use ballet in their daily fitness routine.

obviously most people think what this "ballerina" is doing isn't nice.  She's probably ruining what little career she had.  when you can hire someone else, why hire anyone controversial?

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 10:31 AM (k1rwm)

164 yeah bear in mind too that if the dancing was faked WHO KNOWS IF THE LESBO STUFF WAS FAKED TOO?

Chilling stuff. Chilling stuff.

If they have the technology for CGI lesbo stuff, there's a decent-sized list of movies that need "special director's cuts" IYKWIMAITYD.

Posted by: Ian S. at March 27, 2011 10:32 AM (cd11S)

165 "I don't have time to breathe. I work constantly. I have to really want to see something to make the effort." Well, that flew right over your head. You look silly defending the film when you have never seen it.

Posted by: moi at March 27, 2011 10:36 AM (NKSOm)

166 I'm now concerned that Stallone isn't really a professional level boxer. And that Charlie Sheen isn't actually a major league level pitcher. What's next? Are you gonna tell me Michael J. Fox really didn't dunk all those basketballs in Teen Wolf? I don't think I can take so much disillusionment all at once. Why don't these meanies just leave Brittany alone!

Posted by: Muhammad's Left Nut at March 27, 2011 10:44 AM (QcFbt)

167 what I'm telling you is that from age 7 Portman danced, she danced a lot, more than 3 x's a week at a rigorous school.

So did my daughter. She attended performing arts schools, training 1-2 hours per day, from age 6 through 15, when she decided that she'd rather go to a regular high school with sports and rallies and have a life.

I, however, am not mistaken into thinking that one year after returning to training would make her a dancer on par with Miss Lane. And, frankly, my daughter would be the first to tell you that.

There's a hell of a lot more to dancing than memorization of the choreography. Her muscles quite simply would not build the requisite strength in one year to enable her to perform the steps. It's that simple. No amount of "want" will make your muscles develop properly in less than adequate time.

Posted by: jmflynny at March 27, 2011 10:45 AM (piMMO)

168

This changes everything. I'll never look at movies the same way again. I'm really not sure how I'll go on now. Sometimes life just throws challenges that seem beyond hope of overcoming. I'll be in my bunk, but not doing anything. 

Posted by: Meremortal at March 27, 2011 10:48 AM (DffuX)

169 I mean, if you can't trust Hollywood, what's left?

Posted by: Meremortal at March 27, 2011 10:51 AM (DffuX)

170 The most depressing thing about all this is that after 180 posts, people are still on topic.

Posted by: Meremortal at March 27, 2011 10:54 AM (DffuX)

171 Posted by: jmflynny at March 27, 2011 02:45 PM (piMMO)

Your point is well taken, however, I still think that there is way more to this story than we know.

Your daughter made the right choice.  A lot of my friends who remained in that environment are sort of one dimensional in a very sad sort of way.  Sure, competing in NY to get into these schools is ridiculously difficult.  Then when you get in, it's exhilerating.   But, if you don't "make it" the way you envisioned you'd make it, the disappointment is overwhelming and your friends have to deal with the shattered dream.

I see the situation differently.  the "ballerina" made a deal.  A deal which probably looked really good at the time since "what's her name again?" was probably how she was referred to in her field.  Probably she came from a connection through the dance coach who now is the baby daddy of portman's baby (notice, engagement ring and all, she's probably too smart to marry the guy) and, if she came through him, this Sarah character, who knows what their relationship was before portman entered the picture?   She might be doubly scorned by him and by the credits.   We don't know, do we?  

I see this as a fight between the steel magnolia and the long island girl.  I'm up for ten grand on the long island girl.

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 11:01 AM (k1rwm)

172

She ruins Star Wars and then steals my an Oscar.

Posted by: A Benning at March 27, 2011 11:04 AM (d6raA)

173 simply because, there are now an awful lot of big law attorneys from those dancing classes back in the day who will readily come to natalie's aid any time she asks.

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 11:04 AM (k1rwm)

174 You can tell by the way the film is shot that it is not Portman dancing.

Posted by: moi at March 27, 2011 11:09 AM (NKSOm)

175 Didn't Portman lose a lot of weight for the role? Academy voters love it when an actor loses a lot of weight. Christian Bale, who lost weight for his role in The Fighter, won Best Supporting Actor. Moral: If you want to win an Oscar, make yourself dangerously thin. Failing that, play a handicapped person. If you can work it so your character is both handicapped and dangerously thin, you're golden, baby.

Posted by: sauropod at March 27, 2011 11:11 AM (zmwmc)

176 You know, in that town where the guy looking out for the folks has his digs, the people there, in the first depression got together and made a fund so that no one in that town lost their home in the first depression.  No one, not one single person, lost their home.  When you move in, the town gives you a little book, outlining the history, that documents this.  Wonder what happened to that spirit, that American can do attitude?

Is this changing the subject enough?

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 11:15 AM (k1rwm)

177 Failing that, play a handicapped person.

It worked for me.

Posted by: happy jack at March 27, 2011 11:21 AM (GTbGH)

178 This is just like the Linda Blair controversy over The Exorcist.  The film-makers had everyone believing that Blair's performance as the demon was entirely her own, so that she could win the Academy Award.  Of course, she was entirely dubbed by another actress who actually did the demon voice.  Freidkin did whatever he could to suppress this knowledge, cutting the actress from the credits and having Warner threaten to sue her for breach of contract when she dared speak out about it.

Posted by: Rod Rescueman at March 27, 2011 11:21 AM (QxGmu)

179 Ooops, book geek beat me to it.

Posted by: Rod Rescueman at March 27, 2011 11:22 AM (QxGmu)

Posted by: Leo Sayer at March 27, 2011 11:31 AM (VMcEw)

181 I didn't get any credit at the end of Teen Wolf, either

Posted by: Flash Wiener at March 27, 2011 11:31 AM (d6wkB)

182 aw geez can't click on the link but i bet it's funny.

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 11:33 AM (k1rwm)

183 Since when did the facts get in the way of winning a undeeserved award it worked for AL GORE and MICHEAL MOORE

Posted by: Spurwing Plover at March 27, 2011 11:33 AM (vA9ld)

184 Sauropod you forgot make become really ugly like Charlize Theron did for Monster. However that only works if you are really beautiful in reality.

Posted by: Long Island at March 27, 2011 11:34 AM (TiURi)

185 I see the situation differently.  the "ballerina" made a deal.  A deal which probably looked really good at the time since "what's her name again?" was probably how she was referred to in her field.

I argued way up thread that the dancer got what she negotiated. I do not think Portman was obligated to thank her in her Oscar speech. I do think, however, that Miss Portman should be more than a little embarrassed at the lingering question as to whether she performed herself. No acknowledgment in any interview, at any time, suggests that she's deliberately hiding the fact that she did not and, in essence, taking credit for it.

Posted by: jmflynny at March 27, 2011 11:37 AM (piMMO)

186 Listen, Portman had a lezzie scene in that movie that is reputed to be pretty damned hawt. That, in my book, automatically makes her worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize... at least, more worthy than Obama ever was or will be. So leave the gal alone. She deserves her Oscar.

Posted by: CoolCzech at March 27, 2011 11:45 AM (kUaEF)

187 Leave me alone, I am just a nice Joo girl that never got a Bat Mitzvah.

Have a little compassion here.

Posted by: Natalie at March 27, 2011 11:45 AM (JpFM9)

188 @198: Really? She is? Hmph! She doesn't look Jewish!

Posted by: CoolCzech at March 27, 2011 11:47 AM (kUaEF)

189 All year I listened to different reviews of The Fighter and they all raved about how hard Wahlberg worked in the gym, became a "real fighter" and all that. Haven't seen the movie yet but I'm now I'm especially skeptical.

Posted by: Lincolntf at March 27, 2011 11:54 AM (xMT+4)

190 Portman dancing in Black Swan is fake but accurate.

Posted by: Mary Mapes at March 27, 2011 11:55 AM (JDnWx)

191 "I argued way up thread that the dancer got what she negotiated. " I'm not so sure of that. If you are SAG, I don't think you can negotiate away certain rights like credits. I may be wrong but I have vague recollection of reading about these types of squabbles in the past.

Posted by: moi at March 27, 2011 12:03 PM (NKSOm)

192 You would think this blog would have one fake but accurate SAG member to pipe up.

Posted by: moi at March 27, 2011 12:04 PM (NKSOm)

193

I see the situation differently. the "ballerina" made a deal. A deal which probably looked really good at the time since "what's her name again?" was probably how she was referred to in her field. Probably she came from a connection through the dance coach who now is the baby daddy of portman's baby (notice, engagement ring and all, she's probably too smart to marry the guy) and, if she came through him, this Sarah character, who knows what their relationship was before portman entered the picture? She might be doubly scorned by him and by the credits. We don't know, do we?

I see this as a fight between the steel magnolia and the long island girl. I'm up for ten grand on the long island girl.

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 03:01 PM

Well you're wrong.  Sarah Lane is a soloist with the American Ballet Theater and well-known.  She has performed as a soloist with many other prestigious companies.  So her career will not be affected by this at all.  Try again.

Posted by: Deanna at March 27, 2011 12:06 PM (Xvujf)

194 You are right, she's an Israeli citizen and a Harvard grad.  Probably someday headed towards Harvard law.

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 12:11 PM (k1rwm)

195 Posted by: Deanna at March 27, 2011 04:06 PM (Xvujf)

I actually don't really care who Sarah is.  Cause she is mean spirited and when you are mean spirited, IMO, what goes around comes around.  I have a very close friend who is a famous ballerina and she is a lovely human being too, it can be done.

Natalie is a nice girl.  The people who grew up with her remember her that way.  If you don't like her, deanna, that's your problem.

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 12:14 PM (k1rwm)

196 I actually don't really care who Sarah is. Cause she is mean spirited and when you are mean spirited, IMO, what goes around comes around. I have a very close friend who is a famous ballerina and she is a lovely human being too, it can be done.

Natalie is a nice girl. The people who grew up with her remember her that way. If you don't like her, deanna, that's your problem.

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 04:14 PM

My you're touchy.  LOL I could care less about either of these women.  But you were describing Lane  inaccurately  so I wanted to correct that.  I'm certain your famous ballerina friend would not have wanted to be described as "since "what's her name again?" was probably how she was referred to in her field. Probably she came from a connection through the dance coach who now is the baby daddy of portman's baby."  Have a nice day.

Posted by: Deanna at March 27, 2011 12:20 PM (Xvujf)

197

This doesn't seem much different to me that the cases of stars playing a handicapped person and getting great accolades as if they had actually overcome a handicap themselves.   (Best thing about Tropical Thunder).

The veneration of actors  . . . meh.

Posted by: Honey Badger at March 27, 2011 12:31 PM (GPzB2)

198 Using CG to plant an actors face on a stuntman's body goes back to Jurassic Park, where it was used for Laura Dern's character to be more athletic than the actress could manage. Even before then, any time a film portrays an actor as highly accomplished in a field that requires intense physical training, I generally assume there is some fakery involved. It's a movie. It's supposed to create a good illusion, not a reality. Besides, which is harder to believe, Mark Wahlberg, with an established history in thuggery, as a competitive boxer in 'The Fighter,' or as a high school science teacher in 'The Happening?' There is no amount of CG that can bring that one off.

Posted by: epobirs at March 27, 2011 12:36 PM (cSH12)

199 #207

What is mean spirited about wanting to be credited for your work? Especially when it is work that requires a substantial level of expertise in your field?

Mean spirited is film studios willingness to stomp on people in order to preserve an illusion after the credits have rolled. Because they think their audiences are really that dumb. Apparently that belief isn't entirely misplaced.

Posted by: epobirs at March 27, 2011 12:41 PM (cSH12)

200 Using CG to plant an actors face on a stuntman's body goes back to Jurassic Park, where it was used for Laura Dern's character to be more athletic than the actress could manage.

I don't think that's correct.  They used CGI over someone's face in one scene, but it wasn't Laura Dern.  It was Arianna Richard's face that was superimposed over a stunt-double, because (oddly enough) they didn't want the 14 year-old actress doing dangerous stunts.

Posted by: Rod Rescueman at March 27, 2011 01:07 PM (QxGmu)

201 Having seen the movie, it's only okay.  The dancing is nice, but there is no way anyone with a brain would think that Portman did ALL the dancing in the movie.  She's not a classically trained ballerina.  And frankly, the only thing I can think was probably her was the parts with the idiotic arm movements....
The movie is hardly a classic and will scarcely be remembered  in a few years.  Like "As Good As It Gets", anything with Clooney in it, and any other overrated critical darlings.....
As for the ballerina, I hope they give her a little more credit as time goes on.  But frankly in a couple of years, no one will remember this controversy anyway.

Posted by: specious at March 27, 2011 01:38 PM (KV25a)

202 I can't wait until we go all CGI and actors are just mimes in blue suits with reflective tape on their asses earning less then the guy who mops up at McDonalds.

Posted by: Jean at March 27, 2011 01:42 PM (0rXxT)

203 Incidentally, the same technique was used in the ballet scenes in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Cate Blanchett's face was digitally grafted onto a ballerina's body. Her face was also made to look younger for that part of the movie. Unlike Black Swan, the Benjamin Button filmmakers made no secret of using these effects techniques.

Posted by: sauropod at March 27, 2011 01:52 PM (zmwmc)

204 25
I thought most of the dancing was done by Charlie Sheen.

Rahm Emanuel.


Posted by: Jugears O. at March 27, 2011 02:07 PM (mQMnK)

205 Original video with face and head replacements up here; http://www.vizworld.com/2011/01/black-swan-visual-effects-video-reel/

Posted by: manofaiki at March 27, 2011 02:38 PM (uSh7j)

206 And frankly, the only thing I can think was probably her was the parts with the idiotic arm movements....

Correct.  There are a few shots of her running around on stage but mostly it is her flapping her guns which is pretty bad.  All the foot work is not her and they take great care not to show the face of the dancer.

Posted by: moron at March 27, 2011 02:42 PM (NKSOm)

207 PORTMAN 'LOOKALIKE' LESBIAN CLAIMS TO HAVE STOOD IN FOR SEX SCENES. Now that would be great. Actually this ridiculous ACTOR fantasy has a long history. Same ridiculous and demeaning hype happened in RAGING BULL. It was leaked” that De Niro was “so good” he could be ranked as one of the TOP TEN MIDDLEWEIGHTS at the time. A claim so stupid it’s laughable to anyone who knows the first thing about the toughest sport, boxing. But’s that’s actors for you. I bet that ‘brain surgeon’ in Greys Anatomy is world-class too!

Posted by: Jack von Bauer at March 27, 2011 02:49 PM (gnGUB)

208 manofaiki:  Thanks, manofaiki.  I believe you settled the argument.  Portman didn't even do some of the simplest of the dancing.  

Posted by: moron at March 27, 2011 02:50 PM (NKSOm)

209 manofaiki's video also has the lezbo scenes where they did add cgi effects, too. 

Posted by: moron at March 27, 2011 02:51 PM (NKSOm)

210 Come for the fake dancing and stay for the fake carpet munching!

Posted by: moron at March 27, 2011 02:53 PM (NKSOm)

211 "I can only think this is Portman's idea." The husband gets to claim credit for turning Natalie Portman into an ABT soloist who trained for 22 years overnight, and hitting that AND knocking her up. FOX gets credit for making this garbage. Natalie Portman gets an Oscar. It was a perfect storm of ego involved.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at March 27, 2011 03:26 PM (mHQ7T)

212 The two actors clashed because Ford wanted to do the fight with a stuntman, and de Almeida wanted to do the scene himself. Posted by: IllTemperedCur at March 27, 2011 12:07 PM (9Lm5R) Harrison Ford is a big stoner, too. I've talked to union guys who have worked with him, and he has it in his contract that he gets a room to play drums and invite people to "jam" with him. He gets pissed off when you interrupt him unless it's an emergency. When he drives around the lot, the windows are down, and everyone knows him. I met him briefly in NYC, because he used to go to this place Keen's Steakhouse all the time, and I worked there as a hostess / coatcheck one holiday season. He seemed nice.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at March 27, 2011 03:33 PM (mHQ7T)

213 Hmph! She doesn't look Jewish! Posted by: CoolCzech at March 27, 2011 03:47 PM (kUaEF) Portman is her paternal grandmother's name.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at March 27, 2011 03:36 PM (mHQ7T)

214 I, however, am not mistaken into thinking that one year after returning to training would make her a dancer on par with Miss Lane. And, frankly, my daughter would be the first to tell you that. There's a hell of a lot more to dancing than memorization of the choreography. Her muscles quite simply would not build the requisite strength in one year to enable her to perform the steps. It's that simple. No amount of "want" will make your muscles develop properly in less than adequate time. Posted by: jmflynny at March 27, 2011 02:45 PM (piMMO) As usual, Hollywood screws up the story to appeal to the lowest common denominator. The challenge in Swan Lake is it is the most physically rigorous role in the dance repertoire. You are dancing TWO roles, and the second is the more athletic. When the black swan does 32 foites, it's because dancers liked to one up over the years. Natalie Portman has some nerve claiming to do "most of it, except the turns." She could maybe do a tenth of the dancing on top of her acting. This was totally unacceptable. Remember this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MR6D7tL38U Plavalaguna (the Diva) was played by the French actress Maïwenn Le Besco. The music was from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor "Il dolce suono", the mad scene of Act III, Scene I and it was voiced by the Albanian soprano Inva Mula-Tchako, who enjoys a certain celebrity for her singing in the film. Can you imagine her not getting credit? These are artists who train for years, not stunt doubles.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at March 27, 2011 03:48 PM (mHQ7T)

215 " Portman, a dual citizen of the United States and Israel,[20] has said that although she "really love the States... my heart's in Jerusalem. That's where I feel at home."" Yeah, she really loves Israel but not enough to do her military service. Skank.

Posted by: moi at March 27, 2011 03:51 PM (NKSOm)

216 Ok, I need some straight morons to set me straight.  What is hot, to a heterosexual male, about two women kissing?  The only answer I can get from my husband is, "It's twice the tit."  However, were I to see two gorgeous nekkid men kissing, I'd turn off the tv and quickly run to the bathroom to barf.  So I don't get it.  Is this just one of those inexplicable differences between men and women?

Posted by: Laura Castellano at March 27, 2011 03:53 PM (fuw6p)

217

Next you are going to tell me Flashdance was faked too.  Thanks Ace.  Thanks a fucking lot. 

 

Posted by: Joe at March 27, 2011 04:08 PM (AxdeT)

218

Ok, I need some straight morons to set me straight.  What is hot, to a heterosexual male, about two women kissing?  The only answer I can get from my husband is, "It's twice the tit."  However, were I to see two gorgeous nekkid men kissing, I'd turn off the tv and quickly run to the bathroom to barf.  So I don't get it.  Is this just one of those inexplicable differences between men and women?

Men assume when they see two women kissing that they can be the meat in the sandwich.  That is why they find it hot. 

Women, with a better grasp of realty, get two men kissing means they are the piece of parsley on the side which gets ignored. 

Posted by: Joe at March 27, 2011 04:11 PM (AxdeT)

219 This post makes Andrew Sullivan blush

Posted by: Get a life, fucker at March 27, 2011 04:14 PM (PKrl6)

220 Men don't like real lesbians.   They like hot straight girls who are willing to "experiment", because, you know, they're easy.  And they're willing to share.

Posted by: Rod Rescueman at March 27, 2011 04:17 PM (QxGmu)

221 Laura Castellano: The real answer is repressed homo urges. Men find themselves attracted to the male when men and women are going at it. That is why they prefer girl on girl action.

Posted by: moi at March 27, 2011 04:22 PM (NKSOm)

222 "Natalie Portman's fiance defends her use of a body double in Black Swan"After reading that I thought to myself "well now, she has all the munition she wants to break that engagement".

and this is interesting too.

Deanna, I apologize if you felt my post was nasty to you in any way.  It wasn't meant that way at all but I think sometimes things don't translate well online.  My only excuse is that today was my "income tax day" and I'm not the least bit happy with the fact that I with held way more tax than was necessary, the most I could and, pending a professional taking a peak in exchange for a frozen lasagna, I have to fricken pay more!

once again, sorry.

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 04:23 PM (k1rwm)

223

Hey manofaiki thanks again for that link.  I've copied the source file from my browser cache (it's in m4v/mp4 format).  I guess it seems trivial in the larger scheme of things, but the actual dancer in the film definitely has cause to "whine".

Posted by: Chairman LMAO at March 27, 2011 04:53 PM (yJyNa)

224 So, another case of actors being profoundly fake. That is, after all, their job. Sadly, many of them get sucked so far into it that they think their thoughts on foreign policy, economic fairness, and what-have-you should carry as much weight as if they actually WERE the experts they sometimes play. Even more sadly, we sometimes get sucked in with them. At least Ronald Reagan had some experience in the political scrum of the screen actors guild before he asked people to vote for him in an electoral role. All too often the Wholly-odd Darlings just want to step off stage and onto the throne of Expert-in-chief. If she deceived the Academy, then fair enough. They have, often enough, voted Best Picture or Best Actor for a politically correct embarrassment that was going to look distinctly dated in as little as six months. If they get to try to fool ME, then she gets to try to fool THEM. And if she DID fool them, good on her.

Posted by: C. S. P. Schofield at March 27, 2011 05:05 PM (7eONq)

225

http://tinyurl.com/4sxyes5

Great stuntman interview. 

Posted by: Joe at March 27, 2011 05:16 PM (AxdeT)

226 Deanna, I apologize if you felt my post was nasty to you in any way. It wasn't meant that way at all but I think sometimes things don't translate well online. My only excuse is that today was my "income tax day" and I'm not the least bit happy with the fact that I with held way more tax than was necessary, the most I could and, pending a professional taking a peak in exchange for a frozen lasagna, I have to fricken pay more!

once again, sorry.

Posted by: curious at March 27, 2011 08:23 PM

No problem.  I didn't take it as nasty.  And been there done that with taxes.  Not so much of a hassle now that I'm officially retired...sort of...kind of...LOL

Posted by: Deanna at March 27, 2011 05:44 PM (Xvujf)

227 Thanks, guys.  I guess those explanations are as good as any I'll ever get.

Posted by: Laura Castellano at March 27, 2011 05:45 PM (fuw6p)

228 There's dancing in the movie? I thought it was all about some lesbian scene with Portman?

Posted by: William Teach at March 27, 2011 05:51 PM (fJini)

229 8 Weird, ace. You realize you just wrote this long thing about a movie that no knucklehead would ever watch.

Are you a fag?

Posted by: leonard maltin at March 27, 2011 11:30 AM (JaL+E)

Black Swan is actually a good movie.  And not even remotely a "chick" movie.  It's actually really quite dark and vaguely Hitchcockian.....sort of.

Anyway, what's with the turning on Portman?  Because she's a Hollywood lefty?  Hollywood lefties annoy the piss out of me, but I don't see why conservatives give a fuck she won an Oscar for this role.  And she didn't win it because, "ooh, she did all of her own dancing!"  She won it for playing a young woman who, over the course of the two-hour film, goes slowly, but absolutely, BAT-SHIT crazy due to her own insecurities, neurosis and toxic relationship with her mother.  It was a good performance.  The end.

Posted by: Vyceroy at March 27, 2011 07:04 PM (neyLJ)

230 in fact, All year I listened to different reviews of The Fighter and they all raved about how hard Wahlberg worked in the gym, became a "real fighter" and all that. Haven't seen the movie yet but I'm now I'm especially skeptical.

Posted by: wholesale lingerie at March 27, 2011 11:07 PM (oCZRk)

231

even her feathered outfit was CGI...much cheaper than actually making a costume.

but hey, most folks still think that jamie foxx did the singing in 'ray' rather than just doing a clownish impersonation while lip-synching to original ray charles recordings.

Posted by: el polacko at March 28, 2011 01:06 AM (gdT4Y)

232 While I found this story semi-interesting two days ago, I really didn't think it was so interesting that I should post on it. It seemed like a dispute over credit. Who cares?

Well, to be fair, it did give you a chance to bitch about the SW prequels - AGAIN - so you go that going for you - which is nice...

Posted by: Holden McGroin at March 28, 2011 05:07 AM (gt0bk)

233

>> And she got an Oscar for that.

Maybe, maybe not. Maybe Hollywood wanted to give an internationally visible pat on the back to an unmarried pregnant woman. Maybe they're trying to rehabilitate everyone involved with the Star Wars prequels so they're seen as "serious." Maybe ... who knows? She got an Oscar for something, but we'll never really know for what.

The whole idea of the Oscars is deceitful. Dances with Wolves was the best picture of the year? Really? In the year GoodFellas came out?

I realize that Hollywood is all about make-believe, and branding its stars (as "Natalie Portman" instead of "Natalie Hershlag," for example) is a big part of that. But the entire entertainment industry has long ago taken its core strength way past storytelling and into the realm of bullshit, and that turns people off.

Posted by: FireHorse at March 28, 2011 06:12 AM (k3RPu)

234 No different than Joaquin Phoenix constantly touting that he learned how to play guitar in order to play Johnny Cash, suggesting he's the guitar player on the soundtrack, even though his left hand never once moves the entire film.

Posted by: SD at March 28, 2011 12:14 PM (hzhrT)

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