Tuesday, July 31, 2007

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Uploaded pictures

Posted: 30 Jul 2007 10:25 PM CDT

posted by Rex at 7:10 AM 0 comments

Monday, July 30, 2007

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Some old interviews

Posted: 29 Jul 2007 12:57 PM GMT-06:00

Hi everybody!

Wanna watch some old interviews of Tom? Then click here to watch an very young Tom being interviewed by Rona Barrett in 1984. Here Tom talks about his childhood, his parents’ divorce and more.
Click here to watch Tom being interviewed by Barbara Walters in 1993. Both with nice personal photos!

‘Cruisen’ again

Posted: 29 Jul 2007 12:26 PM GMT-06:00

July 29, 2007 — Tom Cruise’s United Artists movie studio and investment bank Merrill Lynch have essentially wrapped up negotiations over roughly $500 million in film financing, The Post has learned.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which owns UA, and Merrill are combing through final deal points and should be ready to go public with the financing by mid-August, according to four sources involved with or close to the deal.

Around Hollywood, however, the actor and his producing partner, Paula Wagner, are already on cruise control, making the rounds and being very open while taking meetings and closing deals as if the money was securely in place, one source added.

“They are really out there talking to producers, directors and actors at a level like never before,” this source said.

The appetite for film-financing deals among investors has curbed considerably since MGM and Merrill first entered into talks about a deal and, as a result, sources said the bulk of the equity in the UA financing is being put up by MGM.

The equity component is considered the riskiest part in film-financing deals since the senior and mezzanine debt, as well as any other obligations, get repaid before the equity partner does.

Consider that the equity investors in the Gun Hill I and Gun Hill II deals with Universal Studios and Sony Pictures were completely wiped out, one source noted.

That MGM had to put up equity to get the deal done speaks to the poor returns the money guys have been reaping from these deals, sources said. After all, the idea behind a film-financing deal is to diversify risk away from the studio.

MGM has publicly stated that it would fund UA until the label got its own bank and credit lines and became a standalone company. And while finalizing the deal with Merrill will go a long way toward establishing UA’s independence, getting access to the entire $500 million will depend on the performance of the films Cruise and Wagner produce.

According to one film-financing source who passed on investing in the Merrill-UA deal, about $300 million of the package is comprised of a revolving senior debt facility, which means that access to the entire amount is dependent on how well the movies perform.

If, for instance, UA’s first few movies bomb, then bank covenants could be tripped that would prevent further borrowing from the senior debt facility until the amount already withdrawn was repaid, sources said. (NY Post)

posted by Rex at 6:45 AM 0 comments

Sunday, July 29, 2007

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2nd arrest in Tom Cruise extortion probe

Posted: 28 Jul 2007 02:41 PM CDT

More details on the second arrest by the LA Times

2nd arrest in Tom Cruise extortion probe
FBI officials announced Friday that a second man has been arrested in connection with an alleged attempt to extort $1 million from actor Tom Cruise in exchange for returning thousands of stolen photographs of Cruise’s private wedding in November to actress Katie Holmes.

The arrest of computer expert Marc Lewis Gittleman, 33, of Los Angeles came one day after authorities confirmed the arrest of David Hans Schmidt, 47, of Arizona for allegedly seeking money for the photographs from Cruise’s representatives.

According to an FBI affidavit, Gittleman took possession of the pictures when he worked on a computer belonging to the wedding’s authorized photographer.

Gittleman made a copy of the hard drive after discovering that it included some 7,600 photographs of the wedding, the affidavit states, and later contacted Schmidt through an Internet search to see what he could do with the photos.

Schmidt, who is known to be a broker of celebrity photographs, contacted Cruise’s representatives in late May. He was arrested Tuesday after an undercover agent met with him and representatives of Cruise, allegedly to discuss payment for the photos, authorities said.

Gittleman was taken into custody Thursday.

Cruise’s attorney, Bert Fields, said in an interview that his client was in Germany filming a movie and had not been contacted directly in the alleged extortion.

“What happened was this man contacted us with all these photographs and asked for a huge sum of money,” Fields said. “We turned it over to the FBI immediately … and did whatever they told us to do.”

Fields said the actor “was not happy with the fact that these [wedding] photographs were being shopped around, because who ever took them stole them.”

and AOL News:

(…) The photographer, identified as Joshua Bobrove, reportedly had taken a damaged computer hard drive containing the wedding photos to Gittleman to employ his services as a data recovery expert.

Gittleman then made copies of photos on the drive and kept them for himself, authorities said. He contacted Schmidt after finding a Web site touting his abilities to broker celebrity photos.

In the past two months, Schmidt had repeated contact with Cruise representatives and threatened to shop the photos around if he didn’t receive $1.25 million to $1.35 million, officials said. At one point, he allegedly e-mailed the actor’s representatives about 7,600 wedding photos as proof he had them.

“He said that the client would turn to the black market and find a buyer for the photos,” said Peter Brust, a special agent in charge in the FBI’s Los Angeles office.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Schmidt or Gittleman had retained attorneys. Schmidt, who lives in Phoenix, was released on $100,000 bond.

Schmidt, 47, was arrested after an undercover FBI agent attended a meeting in West Hollywood between Schmidt and Cruise’s representatives. Federal agents were led to Gittleman, 33, by a license plate number they discovered on a slip of paper in Schmidt’s car.
(…)
Schmidt was charged with sending communications for purposes of extortion, the criminal complaint said. Gittleman was charged with conspiracy to commit extortion. If convicted, Schmidt faces as many as two years in prison and Gittleman as many as five years.

A message left with Cruise’s publicist was not immediately returned.

posted by Rex at 6:42 AM 0 comments

Saturday, July 28, 2007

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Uploaded pictures

Posted: 27 Jul 2007 11:56 PM CDT

Two charged in Tom Cruise photo plot

Posted: 27 Jul 2007 11:44 PM CDT

By JACOB ADELMAN, Associated Press Writer Fri Jul 27, 7:50 PM ET

LOS ANGELES - Two men were charged with plotting to extort more than $1 million from Tom Cruise for the actor’s stolen wedding photographs, federal authorities announced Friday.

David Hans Schmidt, known for brokering deals involving compromising celebrity photos and videos, was charged with sending communications for purposes of extortion, according to a criminal complaint.

Marc Lewis Gittleman, who authorities say helped recover photos from a computer disk, was charged with conspiracy to commit extortion, the complaint said.

Schmidt, 47, was arrested by federal agents Tuesday, while Gittleman, 33, was taken into custody Thursday night, the FBI said.

Schmidt allegedly approached Cruise’s representatives about six weeks ago with photos from the actor’s Italian wedding last year to Katie Holmes, the actor’s attorney, Bertram Fields, has said.

The FBI was then contacted.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Schmidt or Gittleman had retained attorneys. (Source: Yahoo)

posted by Rex at 6:51 AM 0 comments

Friday, July 27, 2007

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How Katie is making Tom happy again

Posted: 26 Jul 2007 03:30 PM CDT

Tom Cruise is under a spell — and her name is Katie Holmes. During the welcome-to-America party TomKat co-hosted for David and Victoria Beckham at the Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown Los Angeles, Tom couldn't take his eyes off his wife. "Tom looked completely in awe of Katie," a guest tells OK!. Hollywood insiders say that Tom, often characterized as a control freak, has learned to let go a little, thanks to his wife and baby daughter, Suri. "It is clear that Tom looks to Katie for praise and inspiration, and he gets it in spades," says an insider. There's even talk that Tom, a devout Scientologist, is now open to exploring other faiths.

FBI Busts Alleged Tom Cruise Extortionist

Posted: 26 Jul 2007 03:28 PM CDT

The Sultan of Sleaze has messed with the wrong superstar.

David Hans Schmidt, who earned his dubious reputation trafficking X-rated footage of Paris Hilton, Colin Farrell and Dustin “Screech” Diamond, among many others, has been arrested for allegedly attempting to extort arguably the biggest star of all: Tom Cruise.

According to Cruise’s lawyer, Bert Fields, the 47-year-old porn peddler was nabbed by FBI agents in Los Angeles Tuesday, after reportedly trying to sell back photos of Cruise’s November 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes. Schmidt allegedly demanded upwards of $1 million for the snaps, which purportedly had been stolen from Cruise’s private collection.

Cruise and Holmes had no official comment. The actor is currently in Germany shooting the WWII-era film Valkyrie.

When E! News contacted Schmidt’s office for comment, one of his assistants said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” before hanging up.

Despite Schmidt’s penchant for more salacious celeb material, the photos do not appear to be anything more than photos of the just-married coupled. It is not known when or from where the pictures were stolen.

Per Fields, Schmidt first approached the actor’s camp earlier this year, announcing he had the photos and wanted to make a deal. Fields said Cruise immediately turned to federal authorities.

Both the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles confirmed David Hans Schmidt was arrested and then arraigned on Wednesday. However, the criminal complaint is under seal, and the government is prohibited from giving out further information.

According to The Smoking Gun, which first reported the alleged extortion plot, once Cruise’s camp informed the feds, private investigators were called in to work undercover to collar Schmidt.

The sting apparently worked. Schmidt, who is based in Phoenix, disclosed to the sleuthing Website last week that he was in the midst of the biggest deal of his career and was rushing to Los Angeles for business.

Over the past several years, Schmidt has become wealthy acquiring and distributing sex tapes of the rich and famous. In the wake of Britney Spears’ split from Kevin Federline, Schmidt offered $100 million to anyone who could produce a sex tape of the couple. No such tape ever surfaced.

The self-professed “CAA of Smarm” was behind last year’s sale of a storage warehouse full of Paris Hilton’s personal belongings, the bulk of which found a home online. He also represented a catering company late last year that claimed to have found more than 200 topless photos of Marcia Cross in a trash can outside the actress’ home. (E! Online)

Entertainment Online adds:
[Tom’s attorney Bert] Fields tells ET: “Tom Cruise is in Germany making a film so he is not actively involved in this situation at all. We were approached by Mr. Schmidt approximately a month and a half ago regarding some stolen wedding photos that he wanted to sell to Mr. Cruise for a very large price. We immediately contacted the FBI and after that the FBI and US Attorney’s office has handled the situation. We have cooperated with them and followed their direction.”

posted by Rex at 7:23 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

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Beckham Party pictures and more

Posted: 23 Jul 2007 10:06 PM CDT

posted by Rex at 6:57 AM 0 comments

Monday, July 23, 2007

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Tom & Katie’s and Will & Jada’s Beckham party

Posted: 23 Jul 2007 04:27 AM CDT

Pics of Tom & Katie at the Beckham party are online, watch them here. I don’t have time to upload them into our Gallery, but my guess is they will be up at TomCruiseFan asap, since we have the fabulous Des as co-webmaster! ;-)
Also, Yahoo news has an intro video of the party for the Beckhams, thrown by the Cruises and Smiths, although you don’t actually get to see anyone arriving or partying. If you still want to watch it, click here.

Tom Cruise to Play Edwin A. Salt

Posted: 23 Jul 2007 04:08 AM CDT

Source: Variety July 22, 2007

Columbia Pictures is in talks with Terry George (Hotel Rwanda, upcoming Reservation Road) to direct Edwin A. Salt, a Kurt Wimmer-scripted drama that is being developed as a star vehicle for Tom Cruise, reports Variety. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Sunil Perkash are producing.

The studio’s hope is for Cruise to play the title character, a CIA officer who is fingered by a defector as a Russian sleeper spy. Salt must elude capture by his superiors and sets out to reunite with his family and prove his innocence.

Cruise has been busy this year making the Robert Redford-directed Lions for Lambs and the Bryan Singer-directed Valkyrie for United Artists.

He has been eyeing several other projects for his next film. Another possibility is a remake of the Doris Dorrie-directed German comedy Men, which has director Todd Phillips attached at Warner Bros. (ComingSoon.net)

posted by Rex at 6:45 AM 0 comments

Sunday, July 22, 2007

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German minister slams Scientology but praises movie

Posted: 22 Jul 2007 07:32 AM CDT

German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has criticised Scientology, but said that would not stop him enjoying Valkyrie, the movie in the making about a true 1944 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.US actor Tom Cruise, who is playing Count Claus von Stauffenberg in the movie, has been ostracized by many Germans because of his advocacy of the Scientology creed.

In remarks released Saturday and to appear Sunday in the newspaper BZ am Sonntag, Schaueble said the federal anti-subversion unit BfV which he oversees would continue to monitor the Scientology organization.

“This sect has the purpose of annulling basic and human rights and thus abolishing constitutional liberty,” and thus had “anti-constitutional objectives,” he said.

Although some German courts had ruled that the Scientology organization was a religious group, this did not mean it did not have to obey the German constitution.

“The cover of a religious community is no use if one wants to get rid of the free, democratic constitution. We do debate this with our American friends,” he said, referring to US criticism of Berlin’s surveillance.

Schaeuble said that all the same he could contemplate going to see Valkyrie when it was ready.

“If it is a good film about July 20, 1944 and Stauffenberg, then the fact that Tom Cruise is a Scientologist would not stop me seeing it.

“I’m interested in the subject, it’s a historically important story, and Hollywood can do good movies,” he said. (Jurnalo.com, Saturday 21 July 2007 20:35)

Happy together

Posted: 22 Jul 2007 07:25 AM CDT

Clearly Tom & Katie are very happy with eachother and with their beautiful little girl Suri. Katie is a great woman, something People knows as well: They now have a story on Katie. Click here to read their article Katie Holmes: Happier than ever, here to read their article Mommy & Me about her and Suri, and here to watch some pics from the People site.

Want to see and read more on Katie? Go visit http://www.katie-holmes.org/, your source for all your Katie needs. ;-)

posted by Rex at 6:46 AM 0 comments

Saturday, July 21, 2007

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New pictures

Posted: 21 Jul 2007 01:17 AM CDT

Anti-Nazi Hero’s Grandson Gets Cameo Role in Tom Cruise Film

Posted: 21 Jul 2007 12:04 AM CDT

By Leon Mangasarian

July 20 (Bloomberg) — The grandson of a German anti-Nazi hero, who’s played by Tom Cruise in a film being shot near Berlin, has been given a cameo role in the movie.

Cruise, 45, is playing Claus Schenk Count von Stauffenberg, who was executed in 1944 after a failed bid to kill Adolf Hitler. Philipp von Schulthess, 34, a son of Stauffenberg’s youngest daughter Konstanze, will play a military officer in the film “Valkyrie,” according to Petra Schwuchow from the LimeLight PR agency, which is representing the film in Berlin.

“The grandson has been given a small role as an adjutant,” Schwuchow said in a telephone interview today. (Source: Bloomberg)

Plotter’s grandson cast in Hitler movie with Tom Cruise

Potsdam, Germany - Germany’s Stauffenberg family has broken ranks over a controversial true-life movie in which Tom Cruise is to depict their ancestor who tried to kill Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, with a family member playing a role in the film. The production company said Friday that Philipp von Schulthess, who is a grandson of Count Claus von Stauffenberg, would play the role of a 1944 German Army adjutant in the film Valkyrie, which began shooting this week.

It was not known Friday how Schulthess came to be in the cast, but it appeared he had attended an audition.

Studio Babelsberg also disclosed that Hitler would be played by British actor David Bamber, who played a Bob Geldof look-alike in the movie I Am Bob earlier this year.

The production company said Cruise was present during the second day of filming. (Source: Earth Times)

posted by Rex at 6:32 AM 0 comments

Friday, July 20, 2007

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New Tom video!

Posted: 20 Jul 2007 08:42 AM CDT

Tom’s on the move in Germany and ET Online has the footage!:

We have new footage of Hollywood’s top gun TOM CRUISE at an airport in Berlin, Germany, where he was catching a flight to Brandenburg to continue filming his WWII thriller, ‘Valkyrie.’

But before hopping on that helicopter, Tom graciously took a moment to allow fans to take his picture.

Meanwhile, Tom is reportedly heading back to Los Angeles this weekend where he and wife KATIE HOLMES will reportedly co-host a “Welcome to America” party for pals and new neighbors VICTORIA and DAVID BECKHAM. Tom and Katie’s friends, WILL SMITH and JADA PINKETT-SMITH, are reportedly co-hosting the event.

Click here to watch the video clip. (Source: ET Online)

Tom reportedly plans to visit the Abbey Road studios

Posted: 20 Jul 2007 08:38 AM CDT

Tom is reportedly planning to visit the studios originally made famous by The Beatles, Abbey Road, according to showbizspy.com.

Tom is said-to-be a massive fan of the legendary foursome, and will take time off from shooting his latest film 'Valkyrie' in Germany to visit the north London studios, in which the band recorded many of their most famous hits. He is said to be particularly keen to visit the pedestrian crossing where John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr posed for their iconic 'Abbey Road' album cover. A source said: "Tom's a massive Beatles fan. They remind him of his teenage years so he was keen to organize a sightseeing trip. He's known to play guitar and drums at his Beverly Hills home. He really likes 60s music."

Tom & Katie to build a house in Montecito, California

Posted: 20 Jul 2007 08:20 AM CDT

According to Celebrity Babylon Tom and Katie have purchased a 3-acre property for $3.5 million dollars in Montecito, California. The couple bought the property, with existing building plans for a lavish home, from actor Rob Lowe and his wife Sheryl.

The property isn’t much to look at now, but thanks to Rob Lowe who pushed and shoved his building plans through the local planning commission, Tom will be able to build his dream vacation home in no time at all. Celebrity Babylon has photos of what exists on the land now, and ground has been broken. A Montecito local tells Celebrity Babylon, “Tom could use the plans for a house that Rob did, or he could have his own custom design.”

Montecito is considered the ritzy seaside enclave just 90 miles north of Los Angeles, where stars like Oprah Winfrey, Ellen Degeneres, Portia DeRossi, Dennis Miller, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Carol Burnett, Kirk Douglas and others have homes. Rob Lowe and his wife have a number of homes in Montecito, and seem to have developed deft skills at high-end house “flipping.” They live at a mansion nearby, and have a beach house near Carpenteria, Ca., as well.

Click here and check out the property that will soon house Tom, Katie, and little Suri!

Cruise & Smith to Host Beckham Party

Posted: 19 Jul 2007 10:51 PM CDT

By WENN | Thursday, July 19, 2007

HOLLYWOOD - Tom Cruise and Will Smith are hosting a private celebrity-packed party to welcome soccer superstar David Beckham and his Spice Girl wife Victoria to Los Angeles on Sunday.

The Beckhams and their three sons arrived in California on July 12, ahead of David’s upcoming debut for local soccer team L.A. Galaxy, set to take place on Saturday–if he recovers from an ankle injury in time.

Family friends Cruise and Smith will host Sunday’s invite-only bash for 600 guests at the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Geffen Contemporary in downtown Los Angeles.

Among those expected to attend are George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Jim Carrey, Steven Spielberg, Anjelica Huston, David Geffen and Jerry Bruckheimer. (Source: Hollywood)

Filming begins on Tom Cruise movie

Posted: 19 Jul 2007 10:48 PM CDT

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER, Associated Press Writer Thu Jul 19, 6:46 PM ET

BERLIN - Shooting began Thursday in a forest outside Berlin on a movie starring Tom Cruise as Germany’s most famous anti-Hitler plotter. The German government said it was letting filmmakers shoot anywhere they requested, except the former German general staff headquarters.

The so-called Bendler Block, where Col. Claus Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg was executed by firing squad 63 years ago Saturday, was off-limits, said government spokesman Torsten Albig, citing “the dignity of the place.”

Cruise plays Stauffenberg in “Valkyrie,” directed by Bryan Singer.

The movie set was cordoned off with yellow-and-black plastic tape in a pine forest near the village of Klein Koeris, 43 miles south of Berlin. Studio Babelsberg, the film’s German producers, confirmed that Cruise was on the set.

The government’s refusal to permit filming where Stauffenberg worked and died led to controversy about whether the 45-year-old actor’s religious beliefs had triggered the decision.

Cruise is one of Scientology’s best-known members. The German government considers Scientology a commercial enterprise that takes advantage of vulnerable people, and some critics maintain that one of its adherents shouldn’t be playing one of the Nazi-era’s few heroes.

Albig said the decision not to allow filming at the Bendler Block, now a memorial for Third Reich resistance fighters, had nothing to do with Cruise’s religion.

“We granted all permissions but the one, for the Bendler Block — because the dignity of this place should not be violated,” Albig said Thursday. “These circumstances show that the religious beliefs of the actor are without relevance.”

Stauffenberg and the other plotters of the July 20, 1944, assassination attempt were caught and executed after Hitler survived the explosion at his headquarters in what was then East Prussia.

“I can’t imagine shooting it anywhere else but on location in Germany, and I’m thrilled that we were able to get Tom Cruise to play Col. Stauffenberg,” Singer said in a statement released Thursday by the Babelsberg studio, which is co-producing the film with United Artists Entertainment LLC. The studio didn’t comment on the controversy. (Source: Yahoo)

posted by Rex at 6:53 AM 0 comments

Thursday, July 19, 2007

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First look at Tom in Valkyrie and new pictures

Posted: 18 Jul 2007 11:29 PM CDT

Pictures of Berlin

Posted: 18 Jul 2007 09:59 PM CDT

Tom is site seeing in Berlin, pictures are here. Thanks Mariana.


posted by Rex at 7:24 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

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Nazi planes fly over village for Cruise film

Posted: 17 Jul 2007 04:03 PM CDT

A Junkers plane in a file photo
BERLIN (Reuters) - Vintage World War Two aircraft bearing swastikas and other Nazi symbols flew low over the German village of Loepten near Berlin Sunday, but local residents had been warned in advance — it was for a film.

The planes were being used to film a segment of Hollywood thriller “Valkyrie,” starring Tom Cruise. He plays German army Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, who was executed after a failed attempt to assassinate Hitler in 1944.

Pictures taken by locals of the planes flying at low altitude over the village were published in Bild newspaper on Monday. “The residents were warned about possible noise,” it quoted Mayor Friedrich Schoenfeld as saying.

It is illegal to display Nazi symbols in public in Germany, although filmmakers and theatrical companies are exempted.

Tom Cruise’s ‘Valkyrie’ gets release date

Posted: 17 Jul 2007 04:02 PM CDT

Tom Cruise’s new film “Valkyrie,” the MGM/United Artists historical thriller that kicked up dust last month in Germany, now has a tentative release date: Aug. 8, 2008.

Cruise, who is also one of the film’s producers, stars at Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, the leader of a July 1944 attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler with a briefcase bomb. Valkyrie was the code name for Stauffenberg’s plot.

A studio spokeswoman said the film’s release date could change, but she said an alternative hadn’t been determined.

The film will have plenty of competition in August if that date holds.

Universal’s “Hellboy 2″ and Buena Vista’s animated feature “South of the Border” are due out on Aug. 1. New Line’s Brendan Fraser adventure “Journey 3-D,” Warner Bros.’ “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2″ and Sony’s Seth Rogen comedy “The Pineapple Express” are all set to release on Aug. 8.

Last month, Germany barred “Valkyrie” filmmakers from shooting at the “Bendlerblock” memorial inside the Defense Ministry complex in Berlin because Cruise is a Scientologist. The government considers Scientology a cult. (LATimes.com)

posted by Rex at 7:01 AM 0 comments

Saturday, July 14, 2007

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New pictures

Posted: 14 Jul 2007 01:50 AM CDT

posted by Rex at 6:36 AM 0 comments

Friday, July 13, 2007

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Video of Katie and Suri

Posted: 13 Jul 2007 06:02 AM GMT-06:00

Okay, Tom’s not in it, but I just couldn’t help myself - I had to post this little video footage of Katie and Suri. Suri’s such an adorable baby!
Click here to watch them walking in the park.

I have to say this: I can’t imagine what it would be like, taking a walk with your baby and be followed around and filmed and photographed, while doing such an ordinary thing as taking a walk! I like watching them, but I also hope they all have a lot of privacy so that they can raise Suri as normal as possible.

posted by Rex at 6:34 AM 0 comments

Thursday, July 12, 2007

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The 411 on Tom’s partner Paula Wagner

Posted: 12 Jul 2007 12:15 AM CDT

Wow, massive print coverage on Tom Cruise’s takeover of United Artists, but little of it as cynical as my posting yesterday how this was hardly more than out of the box PR-think by slapping a studio name onto a housekeeping deal and grabbing positive headlines for the tarnished star. Isn’t everyone and their mother finding outside financing these days? I also feel the need to point out that, as a production company, Cruise/Wagner over the years has been surprisingly glacial in getting projects underway, considering they could get almost anything they wanted done at Paramount and any other studio, and also considering CAA genuflected to them on a regular basis. Why in the world weren’t they more productive as producers? That said, I’ve received emails asking me for the 411 on Tom’s partner, Paula Wagner. OK, here goes: she started out as an actress. After working in New York theater, Wagner moved to Los Angeles and hoped-for stardom, but had to settle for a few bit parts of television. Her agent, Susan Smith, had seen some of the best in the business (Sally Field, Kathleen Turner and Glenn Close) because of her acumen for spotting talent, and Smith quickly recognized that, as an actress, Wagner was only mediocre. After a year of trying to jump-start Paula’s career, Smith finally called Wagner into her office. “Go away over the weekend and think about what I say to you. You have three choices: either you must leave the agency because I don't know how to do it for you, or you have to go to regional theater and remember what acting is about again, or, and this is the one I recommend, you give up acting and let me train you to be an agent, because I think you could be terrific." As Smith talked, tears streamed down Wagner's face. That Monday, Wagner began her training as an agent. From the start, Wagner was good at it. After four years with Smith, Wagner caught the attention of Wally Nicita, Rick Nicita's then wife, who worked as a casting director. She told Rick about this "really tough lady" who would make a great agent at CAA. Nicita went to CAA head Michael Ovitz, and Wagner was offered a job. (When Rick and Wally Nicita later divorced, Rick would marry Paula and they became CAA's power couple.) At CAA, Wagner's unbridled ambition helped her rise fast. She was a good signer, partially because she used to give the same rehearsed half-hour speech to all prospective actors and actresses about how important it was for them to make movies with great directors. (Hilariously, she’d sit at her desk applying makeup while talking on the phone to clients.) She had a knack for recognizing on-the-rise talent. She happened onto Tom Cruise early in his career. When Cruise's star rose after his 1983 breakout in Risky Business, Wagner's rose with him. She left CAA to launch Cruise/Wagner Productions in September 1993. Her husband took over Cruise as a client at CAA. So there you have it. (www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com)

Copy of Hitler HQ built for Cruise film near Berlin

Posted: 12 Jul 2007 12:13 AM CDT

Berlin - A replica of Adolf Hitler’s secret wartime HQ was being built near Berlin Wednesday with just a week to go before filming of a controversial Tom Cruise movie begins, a civic official said. Cruise is to play the chief plotter in the true story about a vain bid to assassinate Hitler with a bomb in 1944.

The film team have been banned from the Berlin building where the plotter, Count Claus von Stauffenberg, was executed by Nazi firing squad.

Officially this is because of fears that filming would lower the dignity of a memorial.

But German politicians had earlier assailed Cruise, 45, over his advocacy of Scientology and demanded such a ban. Scientology is suspected by many Germans of being anti-democracy.

US commentators, cinema industry leaders and part of the media have attacked the ban, insisting Cruise’s beliefs have no relevance to his role in director Bryan Singer’s movie Valkyrie.

Stauffenberg put a bomb under a table in a building at the Wolf’s Lair, Hitler’s secret base in the woods near what is Ketrzyn in contemporary Poland. But Hitler survived the blast and within days many of those involved in the plot on his life were rounded up.

The scene was being recreated in woods at Gross Koeris, 50 kilometres south-east of downtown Berlin.

Reporters were unable to see the set, with the site sealed off by private security teams, roadblocks and kilometres of red-and-white tape.

Filming, partly funded by a German government grant, is scheduled to begin July 19, according to Ulrich Arnts, chief executive of the Schenkenlaendchen district administration.

Stauffenberg is revered in Germany as a national hero for his July 20, 1944 bid to kill Hitler, but leading German journalist Frank Schirrmacher has pointed out that the count had anti-democratic beliefs.

Studio Babelsberg, the German movie studio which is co-producing Valkyrie, declined to give details of the script.

Its deputy chief executive, Christoph Fisser, said “Cruise views Stauffenberg as a hero and will play him that way.” He said script had been carefully researched.

Reporters say Cruise has already been sighted in Berlin. City newspapers say a huge suite was created in a luxury downtown hotel specially for Cruise and wife Katie Holmes. Film publicists decline to confirm this.

In Schenkenlaendchen, Arnts said two other nearby locations were also being prepared for filming: A former East German Air Force reserve airfield and an area of recently burned-over forest.

At the airfield at Loepten, warning signs said only that the airfield would be in use for takeoffs and landings and there was no word of filming.

The project, reportedly also starring Kenneth Branagh, Carice van Houten, Thomas Kretschmann, Christian Berkel and Tom Wilkinson, is reported to be costing 80 million euros. (Source: Earth Times)

posted by Rex at 6:55 AM 0 comments