andPOP » crowe

DVD Review: Cinderella Man

Adam Gonshor — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 17:47:45 +0000

Cinderella Man is heartwarming, has an uplifting story, and has a solid cast. Too bad nobody saw it.

Russell Crowe stars as James J. Braddock, the real life boxer from the depression. His boxing career appears to be coming to an abrupt end just as he is in need of money to support his family. At the risk of not being able to afford to keep his children, he makes a return to the boxing world. This time, he has the whole community on his back, seeing his winning as the only encouragement in their lives.

Crowe is great, considering the tabloids paint him as the complete opposite person in real life. Ren?e Zellweger plays his wife convincingly. But even with those two A-listers, the man who steals every scene he is in is Paul Giamatti, who plays Braddock’s manager. He adds a bit of humour to an otherwise far-from-funny film.

If you have a lot of time, the features are some of the best that can be seen on a DVD. There is a lot of time spent talking about the history of Braddock and the depression, which is a perfect addition to the DVD.

Crowe Fined $160 for Phone-Throwing

andPOP Staff — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 21:46:10 +0000

Academy Award-winning actor Russell Crowe has been slapped on the wrist.

Reuters reports that Crowe was fined $160 and given a warning after pleading guilty to reduced misdemeanour charges. Crowe admitted he used a telephone to assault Nestor Estrada, a hotel clerk.

The star of A Beautiful Mind and Gladiator was originally charged with a felony assault and criminal possession of a weapon and could have faced up to seven years in jail. Even with reduced charges, he could have spent a year locked up if convicted.

After he received the conditional discharge, Crowe kissed his wife Danielle Spencer, who he was trying to call with that infamous telephone, before leaving the court without speaking to reporters.

Crowe’s lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, said that if the actor were arrested again in the coming year, he would face the original felony charges. “He is very happy to have this behind him,” said Lefcourt. ” He can now go on with his life.”

The incident took place in June at a posh SoHo hotel. When Estrada was unable to get through to Spencer in Australia, Crowe pulled the phone out of the wall and argued with Estrada before throwing the phone at him. The New Yorker magazine reported that Crowe got mad because Estrada told him “Whatever.”

‘The Fog’ Tops Weekend Box Office; Elizabethtown Does Not

andPOP Staff — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 20:43:23 +0000

Vengeful ghosts, rabbits, and a romantic comedy were at the top of this weekend’s box office.

The Fog, starring Selma Blair and Tom Welling, earned a rather modest $12.2 million, but still came in at number one. The film is a remake of the 1980s version, in which a coastal town is terrorized by a mysterious mist and some rather unfriendly ghosts and the remains of a 100-year-old shipwreck.

Last weekend?s number one film, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, dropped to second place with sales of $11.7 million.

The Cameron Crowe film Elizabethtown, starring Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom, opened in third with a somewhat unimpressive $11 million.

U.S. and Canadian business for the top 12 films Friday through Sunday was down more than 18 per cent from the same time last year, making it the third straight weekend of declining revenue.

Settlement Reached in Russell Crowe Telephone Incident

andPOP Staff — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 16:57:58 +0000

As it turns out, Russell Crowe’s nerves are slowly recovering from Cinderella Man.

The actor’s publicist, Robin Baum, released a statement saying the matter involving Crowe and a hotel concierge has been settled.

Few details were released about the agreement. However, the charges laid against Crowe are punishable up to seven years in prison.

The actor was staying at the Mercer Hotel in June to promote his latest role in the movie when he thwarted the telephone at the clerk out of frustration, after trying to get a hold of his wife in Australia.

The telephone hit the hotel worker in the face and he was treated at hospital for minor cuts.

Crowe made an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman two days after the incident to issue an appology.

“I regret everything that took place,” said Crowe. “The bottom line is I did something pretty stupid. This is probably the most shameful situation I’ve ever gotten myself into.”

The 41-year-old was arrested for second degree assault and fourth degree criminal possesion of a weapon (the phone).
His next court date is Sept. 14.