The brilliant Ataque de Pánico! (Panic Attack!)

In a rare feat for a first-time feature director, Ghost House Pictures has made a seven-figure deal with Uruguayan commercials director Fede Alvarez for his pitch for an alien invasion film. The deal was made based on heat generated by "Ataque de panico!" (Panic Attack), a four-minute, 48-second short about an apocalyptic robot attack Alvarez directed through his commercial production house for less than $500, Variety reports.

The short made its way to the Internet and was linked to by Kanye West on his blog. The 30-year old Alvarez then found the biggest agencies in Hollywood in a panic to sign him, the trade says.

After he signed with CAA, Anonymous Content and attorney Karl Austen, Alvarez made a preemptive deal with Ghost House that sets him up to make his first film under the guidance of one of his directing heroes, Sam Raimi.

The short offers a stylized vision of apocalyptic destruction that appears to have been made for far more than Alvarez spent. After Alvarez pitched an original idea for an alien invasion idea to Raimi, Ghost House closed a deal with Alvarez's new reps that guarantees him a six-figure holding deal to wait while Ghost House hires a high-end writer to turn the idea into a feature.

Stephen King Spills Beans on 'Shining' Sequel

Did Stephen King accidentally announce plans to make a sequel to 'The Shining'?

According to Torontoist, the prolific author spoke to celebrated Canadian director David Cronenberg in Toronto's Canon Theatre last night and, after reading from his new novel 'Under the Dome,' "dropped a fan bombshell on the crowd by casually describing a novel idea he began working on last summer."

It turns out King may not be finished with 'The Shining,' his classic tale about the Torrance family and their strange attachment to the Overlook Hotel immortalized on film in 1980 by Stanley Kubrick. When we last saw Danny Torrance, the young boy was recovering with Wendy Torrance and Dick Hallorann (the latter, played by Scatman Crothers, died in the film but survived in the novel). Now, King stated that Danny's reactions to the events at the Overlook and how he uses his psychic powers may be fodder for an upcoming sequel, tentatively titled 'Doctor Sleep.'

According to King, Danny would now be 40 years old -- and we hope now called Dan or Daniel -- living in upstate New York and working at a hospice for the terminally ill. However, given his unique powers, he helps his patients "make that journey" to the other side.

With the exception of 'The Dark Tower' series, King is not known for revisiting his past work. Tempering expectations a bit, King said he wasn't 100% committed to the project, telling the crowd, "Maybe if I keep talking about it I won't have to write it."

So given the iconic status of the original, how would you like to see the sequel play out? Who should take over from Kubrick? And who should play Danny, now that original actor Danny Lloyd retired from acting soon after that unforgettable role?

James Cameron and Avatar on 60 Minutes

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Is Roger Avary Twittering from Jail? Oscar winner gets jail time for fatal crash

http://twitter.com/AVARY/

Screenwriter, director and producer Roger Avary, 44, was sentenced Tuesday to a year in jail and five years’ probation for drunken driving and causing an Ojai accident that took the life of an Italian citizen who was visiting Avary and his wife.
Ventura County Superior Court Judge Edward Brodie said he took into consideration Avary’s age, that he had no criminal history and what the defendant has done with his life.
“And, he has shown remorse,” Brodie said.
Avary is the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of the feature film “Pulp Fiction.”
Prosecutor Michael Lief said in an interview that the maximum sentence was 12 years and eight months, but the District Attorney’s Office was asking for six years and eight months in prison.
“I am satisfied that, in light that the court chose to put him on probation, it gave him a year in the county jail,” Lief said.
The judge said Avary can be put on the jail’s work furlough program if he qualifies, which means he can work while serving his time. He was also ordered to attend a DUI education program.
Sheriff’s officials said Avary was driving a car that slid into a pole about 12:30 a.m. Jan. 13, 2008, fatally injuring passenger Andreas Zini, 34. Avary’s wife, Gretchen Avary, 42, was ejected from the car and injured.
In August, Avary pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and to drunken driving and causing an accident.
The sentencing was attended by Zini’s widow, Maria Giulia Pavesi-Zini, and his parents, Rina and Sergio Zini, who live in Modena, Italy.
Avary’s friends and family were also in the courtroom.
During the hearing, the judge learned that Avary had reached a $4.1 million settlement with the victim’s family.
Zini’s family and his best friend, Alberto Reggiani, told the judge about the pain of losing a loved one and how much he meant to those who knew him. In a letter addressed to his dead friend, Reggiani described his widow’s suffering.
“She is still shaken,” Reggiani said. “She loved you with all her heart.”
Zini was a Red Cross volunteer, his family said in an impact statement to the court. Relatives sobbed during the sentencing.
Lief told the judge that after five hours of conversation and alcohol at a restaurant, the three headed to the Avary home, which was two miles away. Pavesi-Zini got into another vehicle with a friend.
The car was going more than 100 mph on a two-lane road when Avary lost control, Lief said. An hour after the accident, Avary had a blood-alcohol level of 0.11 percent, which is above the .08 level at which California law considers a driver intoxicated, Lief said.
Avary said he is deeply sorry for what happened and takes full responsibility for it. He said he will mourn, every day, the death of Zini.
“It has profoundly altered me to the very core of my being,” Avary said, sometimes breathing heavily.
His attorney, Mark Werksman of Los Angeles, told the judge that Avary hired a lawyer to get his insurance company to quickly settle a civil lawsuit filed by Zini’s family.
Werksman said that 138 letters of support for Avary were filed with the court. “I have never seen such an outpouring of love and support and respect,” he said.
Werksman asked for Avary to be allowed on the work furlough program so he could continue two film projects. “There are people depending on him.”

KISS: 35 years

Kiss is a band that needs no introduction, as the face-painted, pyro-loving, blood-spitting rockers have been at it for more than three decades.
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of its February ’74 self-titled debut, the ever-popular concert attraction, founded by frontmen Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, has been out on its worldwide KISS Alive/35 Tour, which stops Tuesday at Honda Center in Anaheim and Wednesday at Staples Center in L.A.
Still, none of these reasons to return were needed to get the band back on the road. “It’s always a good time for Kiss,” Stanley said during a phone interview last week, in the same breath noting that he was only wearing a robe. He, Simmons, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer were enjoying a rare day off during this latest leg of their lengthy tour, between gigs in Canada.
After months of performing in ginormous arenas throughout Europe, Australia and South America, Stanley says the band is excited to bring its newest spectacle to North America.
“These have been the biggest and best shows we’ve ever done,” he boasts, noting that “besides getting raves from fans, we’ve been suspiciously getting good reviews from the critics. I have a feeling that either they just got pummeled into realizing that we’re the right way to go, or the critics who gave us bad reviews have all been fired.”
Of course, original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley have once again acrimoniously parted ways with Stanley and Simmons, splitting over financial and creative matters shortly after Kiss’ career-reviving reunion tours of the late ‘90s. Filling in are longtime Criss replacement Singer, who has served behind the kit for the better part of 20 years, and seven-year Kiss veteran Thayer.
“It isn’t our first tour with this lineup,” Stanley points out. “Quite honestly, once again the philosophy has turned out to be true that the band is not about any particular individual. The band is a way of thinking. It’s a frame of mind, it’s a mantra -– it’s living up to everything that Kiss is supposed to be.
“Kiss should be timeless. It shouldn’t depend upon specific people being in the band.”

CUTTING OUT THE CLUTTER

Sonic Boom, released on Oct. 6, took just four months to create, from songwriting to completed recording –- remarkably fast for a band that had to squeeze in sessions while touring South America throughout spring. By June, the guys had hunkered down inside L.A.’s Conway Studios to cut the disc quickly.
Stanley says he “wanted to make a Kiss album that was really steeped in our heritage but is also a statement of today and for tomorrow. I thought it would be great to go into the studio, provided I could produce the album, because (Psycho Circus) was such an unpleasant experience. It sort of soured it for us.”
The trouble with the previous collection was a case of too many leaders, not enough followers. “I mean, even in a car someone has to drive -– if everyone just has their hands on the steering wheel it crashes. Democracy in the studio is vastly overrated. Everyone should have an opinion, but at the end of the day someone has to make the decisions.
“We’re about making a great Kiss album, instead of being about what kind of music each person likes, or the idea that everyone is entitled to a quota of songs on an album, or entitled to sing because they’re in the band.” (That said, for Sonic Boom Thayer takes the lead vocally on “When Lightening Strikes” while Singer steps up with “All for the Glory.”)
Having one chief overseer, Stanley says, is the healthiest way for Kiss to work in the studio –- and as such, the recording process was effortless this time. “We wrote on our days off from the tour, and when we were recording, nothing got past a first or second take.”
Times certainly have changed since ’74 –- and so have Kiss’ luxuries. Like other touring giants, the band now flies around the world on a private jet. “It allows us to stay based in a city longer and fly out every day and do more shows,” Stanley explains.
“Those early times are great, though, because they toughen you up and make you appreciate the rewards. If you’re just getting everything from the beginning, then what’s there to work toward?”

ROUGH ROAD TO THE HALL OF FAME

Stanley, soon to be 58, insists that when he and Simmons, now 60, formed what would become one of the most successful (and often reviled) bands of the ’70s, one that served as a dividing line between baby boomers and their offspring, he never could have foreseen all the spoils that have come their way. He still doesn’t take any of it for granted.
“At that point (in the ’70s) there was no precedent for this sort of thing. There weren’t bands that had lasted more than five to seven years, so the idea of a band lasting 35 years … no, no, no. There was a time when rock ‘n’ roll was so disposable.
“Mind you, there’s still an element of it now, where you have almost a product-manufactured artist or band that would have an appeal for only a certain period of time, and then they’re replaced. If we weren’t Kiss, and we weren’t doing these great shows and constantly building on what we’ve done, we wouldn’t still be here.
“There’s a lot of commitment to what we do. We live in our own shadows. We’ve made a career out of not competing with anything but ourselves.”
And, at last, they’re on the verge of receiving one of rock’s highest honors.
Not that Kiss entirely cares.
“It’s a double-edged sword,” Stanley says, “because the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is like a private club. It’s a group of people, mainly critics and a couple of record executives, who got together and came up with a terrific name that sounds very official and very impressive, even to me. But it’s not a reflection of the public’s taste. You only have to look at some of the people who have been inducted, and you go, ‘Who? But what about this band … or this one?’
“Yet there have been people fighting so hard to get us in. So should they want to induct us, I’ll be there, absolutely. It would be an insult to the people who have fought for us to get in to not show up.”
All the same, he adds, “I’m also very proud of the people who have been fighting to keep us out of there, too. That’s part of what makes us so great.”
Studio photo by Glenn La Ferman, for KISS Records. Live shots by Fernando Vergara, The Associated Press.

The House that Alex Cross Built

If you'd like to be an author with a nice house, write thrillers. The best author houses I've seen belong to the thriller writers. Today's home in Palm Beach Florida belongs to James B. Patterson. According to the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties column Patterson calls his beautiful home with frontage on the intracoastal waterway the house that Alex Cross built, referring to his popular psychologist main character. Patterson used a wood-paneled office with a water view (outfitted with plenty of Patterson books in the listing pictures) as his writing studio. The turquoise and white kitchen currently decorated with a collection of gleaming copper pots has the type of farmhouse style appeal one doesn't usually see in lavish Palm Beach homes. Outside there is a terrace surrounding a heated pool with spa ,built-in barbecue and a dock with boat lift. This home is listed at $14.95 million.

Patterson is moving his family to an even bigger home, a two-acre Palm Beach estate, with a 20,505-square-foot main house which he picked up for $17.45 million over the summer.

Bentley Continental GT Supersports 2010

 

The Art of Tim Burton

Very few original (bold) stories make the big time...

Here's the list, including studio, year of release and worldwide gross. Original film titles are in bold:
1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (New Line; 2003) $1,119,110,941
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (Disney; 2006) $1,066,179,725
3. The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.; 2008) $1,001,921,825
4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Warner Bros.; 2001) $974,733,550
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (Disney; 2007) $960,996,492
6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Warner Bros.; 2007) $938,212,738
7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Warner Bros.; 2009) $929,022,922
8. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (New Line; 2002) $925,282,504
9. Shrek 2 (DreamWorks; 2004) $919,838,758
10. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Warner Bros.; 2005) $895,921,036
11. Spider-Man 3 (Columbia; 2007) $890,871,626
12. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Warner Bros.; 2002) $878,643,482
13. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (20th Century Fox; 2009) $878,615,229
14. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (New Line; 2001) $870,761,744
15. Finding Nemo (Disney/Pixar; 2003) $864,625,978
16. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (20th Century Fox; 2005) $848,754,768
17. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Paramount; 2009) $833,229,011
18. Spider-Man (Columbia; 2002) $821,708,551
19. Shrek the Third (DreamWorks; 2007) $798,958,162
20. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Warner Bros.; 2004) $795,634,069
21. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Paramount; 2008) $786,636,033
22. Spider-Man 2 (Columbia; 2004) $783,766,341
23. The Da Vinci Code (Sony/Columbia; 2006) $758,239,851
24. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Disney; 2005) $745,011,272
25. The Matrix Reloaded (Warner Bros.; 2003) $742,128,461
26. Transformers *DreamWorks/Paramount; 2007) $709,709,780
27. Ice Age: The Meltdown (20th Century Fox; 2006) $655,388,158
28. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Disney; 2003) $654,264,015
29. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (20th Century Fox; 2002) $649,398,328
30. Kung Fu Panda (DreamWorks; 2008) $631,736,484
31. The Incredibles (Disney/Pixar; 2004) $631,442,092
32. Hancock (Columbia; 2008) $624,386,746 
33. Ratatouille (Disney/Pixar; 2007) $623,707,397
34. The Passion of the Christ (Newmarket; 2004) $611,899,420
35. Mamma Mia! (Universal; 2008) $609,841,637
36. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (DreamWorks; 2008) $603,900,344
37. Casino Royale (MGM/Columbia; 2006) $594,239,066
38. War of the Worlds (DreamWorks/Paramount; 2005) $591,745,540
39. Quantum of Solace (MGM/Columbia; 2008) $586,090,727
40. I Am Legend (Warner Bros.; 2007) $585,349,010
41. Iron Man (Paramount; 2008) $585,133,287
42. Night at the Museum (20th Century Fox; 2006) $574,480,450
43. King Kong (Universal; 2005) $550,517,357
44. Mission: Impossible II (Paramount; 2000) $546,388,105
45. The Day After Tomorrow (20th Century Fox; 2004) $544,272,402
46. Madagascar (DreamWorks; 2005) $532,680,671
47. The Simpsons Movie (20th Century Fox; 2007) $527,071,022
48. Monsters, Inc. (Disney/Pixar; 2001) $525,366,597
49. WALL-E (Disney/Pixar; 2008) $521,268,237
50. Meet the Fockers (Universal; 2004) $516,642,939