Now the reason why I am doing the re - post while I still haven´t finished the second part of my report from the ComicCon Stuttgart 2017 is that I wrote most of this way in advance, in fact a few months ago. Like ever so often there were a few new things I wanted to add so I pimped the old post but when I set out to finish the post Today the part with the new stuff got so long that I decided to split the post into two parts : this one which has most of the film stuff and the second part which will be my special comic book movie casting with a few choice comments as always.
But as one of our times biggest cult sirens Halle Berry really deserved a special post. A Bond Girl winning an Academy Award ? You must be joking !
But it happened as Halle Berry won for her heartwrenching performance in Monster’s Ball. Not to mention for baring everything in the name of art.
History was made that night, even as people found her acceptance speech as either pretentious fluff or sincere plea. But why should we care ? Well, being a Bond Girl makes you almost immediately a cult siren. And if you are a silver screen sexbomb playing a weather - manipulating mutant with white hair in a super hero movie franchise, how could you go wrong ?
Halle Berry was born on August 14th 1966, the union of an african - american father, Jerome, and a white mother, Judith. She has an older sister, Heidi. Her name comes from the Halle Building in Cleveland, her home town, which housed a big department store and is the fictional setting of the store in The Drew Carey Show ! The parents divorced when Halle was four, so she was raised by her mom, with whom she’s still close to this day. As a teenager, she trained to be a cheerleader and began appearing in beauty pageants, winning at the age of 17 the Miss Teen All - American Pageant, representing the state of Ohio. In 1986, she was the first runner - up in the Miss USA Pageant and first black American in the Miss World Competition. Consequently, Halle began to dream of a career in the entertainment business. What was a girl to do ? Become a model.
In 1989, her professional acting debut was made for the tv series Living Dolls, a sitcom about a teen model agency that lasted only one season.
She was already perceived as an actress that remained in character during the entire shoot. Work was soon found in the popular tv show Knots Landing. 1991 was an even more important year. After appearing in a R. Kelly and Public Announcement’s music video, she made her movie debut in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever, playing a crack addict. The same year, she also convincingly played a stripper in The Last Boy Scout, starring Bruce Willis.
In 1992, Halle made a great partner to Eddie Murphy in the comedy Boomerang. This was followed by a prestigious television miniseries Queen about author Alex Haley’s mother, narrating her arduous experiences with slavery. This role won her great acclaim when it was aired in February 1993. Halle was then seen in the role of Sharon Stone ( no, not the actress ) in the live - action adaptation of The Flintstones in 1994. With this amusing role, she got my attention for the first time.
Is it just me or does she look absolutely hot in EVERY movie she´s in ?
Another hit miniseries followed, this time as Queen of Sheba in Solomon and Sheba, for which Halle Berry was nominated for an Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television movie, Miniseries or Drama Special.
In 1995, she returned to crack addiction for Losing Isaiah and the role was an omen for things to come. Her next projects were a bit on the easier side with Executive Decision where she plays a stewardess, Girl 6 where she plays herself and the comedy B*A*P*S for which, at least, she wore a colorful wardrobe. Believe it or not, she was nominated as Best Actress for this film at the Acapulco Black Film Festival ! Was this a sign that meaty roles for black actresses were not that many in Hollywood ?
She starred in a little more successful comedy in 1998, Why Do Fools Fall in Love, telling the story of singer Frankie Lymon and his three wives ( played by Halle, Lela Rochon and Vivica A. Fox ). Next came a tv movie produced by all - powerful Oprah Winfrey, The Wedding. But the main project in 1998 was being offered a role in Bulworth, a political satire directed by and starring Warren Beatty. Beatty as a hip’- hoppin’ soul brother ? You better believe it and Halle again won great reviews. In fact, she began associating herself with more high - profile movie projects.
In 1999, Halle Berry became engaged to singer Eric Benét, who already had an eight year old daughter. An important part came along, that of doomed entertainer Dorothy Dandridge in a TV movie. Dorothy Dandridge was virtually the only black female star in American movies of the fifties, a fact that was inspiring for Halle. In fact, Dandridge was once nominated as Best Actress at the Academy Awards, but didn’t win. Halle discovered that she and Dorothy were both born in the same Cleveland hospital.
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge was a huge success and Halle Berry’s performance hailed as a tour de force. She won the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries from the Screen Actors Guild Award, the Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie / Miniseries / Dramatic Special from the Image Awards, the Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television from the Golden Satellite Awards, the Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for TV from the Golden Globes Award and the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie from the Emmy Awards. And she won many more fans through the movie.
Soon after, Halle allegedly complained about the lack of quality roles for african - american actresses, as she was supposedly dismayed at playing a super hero in some action film. The role of Storm in the X - Men movie was soon shrouded in criticism, as Halle’s white wig for the character of Ororo Munroe didn’t seem to find approval among the rabid comic book fans. But her screen presence was formidable and the huge critical and box - office success of the film buried any harsh words of the past.
In 2001, Swordfish was unleashed on the big screens, starring John Travolta and Halle’s co - star in X - Men, Hugh Jackman. This movie got mixed reviews, but everyone talked about it, mainly for Halle Berry’s magnificent topless scene, of which there’s still a rumor that she was paid a few dollars more to perform. If that´s true I really have to thank whoever had the deep pockets to make Halle pop out her big puppies.
Then out of the blue came Monster’s Ball and a strong female role, which was passed down by Vanessa L. Williams and Angela Bassett, mainly for reason of on - screen nudity. Halle finally agreed to play Leticia, a young woman trying to make ends meet when her husband is electrocuted on Death Row. Leticia begins an unexpected relationship with a racist prison guard who served at her hubby’s death sentence. This movie was considered one of the best of the year and Halle’s work masterful.
Then came the night of the Oscars and the events couldn’t have been better scripted, with Sydney Poitier being honored and Denzel Washington named as Best Actor. I was personally rooting for Halle, not for the lack of " black " recognition, but just for the simple fact that she gave the best performance of the nominees. Halle Berry had already won at the Screen Actors Guild Award, the National Board of Review and the Berlin International Film Festival. So, she was the first african american actress to win the Oscar for Best Actress, Hattie McDaniel having won for Best Supporting Actress in 1939 for Gone with the Wind as Mammy.
Halle Berry became a Bond Girl in 2002 for the 20th episode of 007’s adventures, Die Another Day. She gave homage to the first ever Bond Girl, Ursula Andress, wearing similar swimwear. The shoot was not without danger, however, as one of her eye received shrapnel during an action scene and she nearly choked to death on a fig, being rescued by Pierce Brosnan ( who suffered an knee injury ). Much was made of Halle’s nomination for Monster’s Ball, as she learned the news on location while working on Die Another Day. It was also announced that her significant other, Eric Benét, was having wild orgies while Halle was away. So if that´s true it´s his own fault that she broke up with him soon afterwards because with whom do you cheat on the sexiest woman on the planet ?
The success of Die Another Day led to a rumor that Halle’s character Jinx would have her own action movie franchise, which if realized, would be a first for the Bond series. And, yes, I know that Kim Basinger won an Oscar too, but her 007 movie, Never Say Never Again, is not officially part of the " legitimate " Bond series. Reprising her role of Storm in X2, Halle clashed with returning director Bryan Singer during some turmoil between himself and the producers. She allegedly told him to " kiss her black ass ".
So that´s all for this part that has been supplied by the ever faithful CULT SIRENS website and you might want to go over there and read Halle´s full entry as I had to redact it to fit the post. Also a bigger - I mean longer - biography of sexbomb Halle Berry can be found here. And as a reminder click here for the second part but prepare some tissues because if you don´t cream your pants before the end of the post I´m not doing my job.
Two years ago all the videos were about Halle Berry but since I like to include some new stuff last year´s post had videos from other people who also celebrate their birthday. I am doing two posts this year so I get to do both but I don´t think it will be all Halle Berry videos in the second part.
Catherine Bell, better known as the juggs of J.A.G. by her fans turns 49 and so far I haven´t gotten around to do a solo post on her but like Halle Berry she has been a candidate in my Casting the Justice League of America Movie, this time as Catwoman in the Hollywood edition.
After J.A.G. Catherine starred in another very successful military series, Army Wives and is currently busy with The Good Witch. Here in Germany the series still hasn´t arrived yet and there are very few DVDs available on amazon so it is mainly self interest that makes me post the first movie.
The illegitimate child of Russ Meyer and Andy Sidaris, Jim Wynorski celebrates his 67th birthday and among his cineastic oeuvre are such classics like Dinosaur Island, Not Of This Earth with Traci Lords and The Lost Empire with Raven De La Croix. I wrote a bit more about the last one ( and posted two videos ) in my first Justice League Casting Alternates .
He also did two comic book adaptions, Vampirella and The Return of Swamp Thing with Heather Locklear which I have to re - watch some day because I don´t think the movie is as bad as people paint it to be. I know it´s more of a comedy and from what I have seen the producers pretty much stayed true to the cartoon. Usually I would post something with Swamp Thing in it but since the late great Bernie Wrightson was the artist on the original series written by Len Wein - and I still haven´t gotten around to do a proper post on him - here is a video with a true master.
Speaking about cartoons, Gary Larson world famous creator of The Far Side also celebrates his 67th birthday. I used to get these desk calendars where you rip off a page with a new cartoon each day. As a comic hoarder I didn´t throw them away and still have them in my desk. I wonder if they still make those. Maybe it´s not too late to get the calendar for 2017.
What I still could not confirm is the existence of an adaption of the comic in animated form - be it as a series or a special - but I found this video.
And speaking about comics, Steve Martin known from such movies like Dead Men Don´t Wear Plaid, Roxanne and The Three Amigos turns 72.
Last year I posted a rather long video with one of Steve´s classic stand up routines so here is a shorter skit from the cult show Saturday Night Live.
From cult comedy shows it´s back to cult comic books as I want to end this post by paying homage to René Goscinny, one of the most famous comic writers of the 20th century who co - created Pitje Pit, Luc Junior Umpah - Pah and Asterix with Albert Uderzo and wrote Morris´ Lucky Luke and Jean Tabary´s Isnogood although he worked on dozen more strips. Most of them were and still are translated to german and I remember reading all of his comics in those old Zack magazines and pocket books.
Here is another edition of Der phantastische Adventskalender for german readers about Goscinny´s best known series, Asterix and Lucky Luke.
New to the blog ? Everything you need to know about TALES FROM THE KRYPTONIAN : top ten posts / more posts of interest / best of the best
Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.
No comments:
Post a Comment