Police in London are studying the video that allegedly shows singer Amy Winehouse smoking crack, they confirmed Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the U.K.’s Sun ran stills from the tape, which shows the troubled chanteuse, 24, smoking what the paper claims in a crack pipe.
Now detectives at Scotland Yard are looking at the footage, the police confirmed. (Despite claims the tape had been “seized,” officers were, in fact, handed a copy of the video by reporters from the tabloid yesterday.)
As of now there is no investigation launched into the singer, a spokesman added. “Officers will be reviewing the footage and will then assess the footage and ascertain whether any action is to be taken.”
Shortly after the news of the alleged drug use surfaced, Winehouse (who’s gone back to her burnette roots after a short stint as a platinum blonde) was photographed leaving her East London home for an appointment with her doctor – something her rep says was part of her ongoing treatment.
Heath Ledger’s rep called the actor’s death an “accident” and asked for privacy for his family.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked by this accident,” said publicist Mara Buxbaum in a statement. “This is an extremely difficult time for his loved ones. We’re asking the media to please respect the family’s privacy and avoid speculation until the facts are known.”
Ledger, 28, was found dead Tuesday in a New York apartment. A police source says that two bottles of prescription sleep aids were near the body.
After the shockingdeath of Heath Ledger yesterday, some fans wondered about The Dark Knight, while others were curious about Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. While the bat-flick wrapped earlier, Variety reports that there was still a lot of work ahead for the Python alum's next movie: "The $30 million indie pic wrapped the London leg of its shoot last Saturday. The production team has moved to Vancouver, Canada, where blue-screen work was due to start next week and continue until early March." (Ledger's name was a key part of the indie flick getting so much money.)
So far, there has been no statement issued by the producers on the film's plans, as I imagine they're all suffering from a mixture of shock, grief, and panic. The project, which also includes the likes of Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole, and Tom Waits, focuses on "the story of an ancient traveling show which arrives in modern London with a magical mirror that can transport its audience into fantastical realms of the imagination."
Between this and the Don Quixote turmoil, I would not want to be in Gilliam's shoes.
But I do want to leave you with this sad, yet touching, quote that Variety posted from Gilliam, which he said last month during an interview: "Heath is extraordinary. He's just so good, and he's going to be a film director. He's watching everything, and he's going to be a much better director than I will ever be." (Ledger had been planning his directorial debut with The Queen's Gambit.)
After all of the shocking and sad news yesterday, there's nothing like a refreshing laugh, or 50. I've enjoyed many of the Funny or Die shorts that have popped up, but this one is pure gold. This time around, Jerry O'Connell spoofs Tom Cruise's creepy Scientology video -- you know, the one Patrick Walsh blogged about, where Tommy reveals that he, and other Scientologists, are like an EMT/Jaws of Life combo for terrible accidents. (Oh, how I'd love to hear WHY.)
After watching this clip, my appreciation for the former Slider has increased exponentially. I could type away and share some of the jokes Jerry includes in this clip, but it's better to just see it for yourself. Suffice to say, if there is ever a Tom Cruise biopic, I want O'Connell to star. Enjoy!Permalink | Email this | Comments
In the midst of Sundance Deals and mainstream news, here are some indie bites:
While it won't be competing, Jam! reports that Guy Maddin's wonderful film My Winnipeg will screen on the opening night of Berlinale's International Forum of New Cinema program. (Check out my TIFF review here.) Personally, I wish it could compete and then take over the world, but I realize that Maddin hasn't gotten enough recognition yet. (He's seriously one of the most accessible filmmakers of strange fare out there. Go check him out if you haven't already.) While Winnipeg isn't competing, another production with Canadian roots is -- Amos Kollek's Restless.
Meanwhile, Til Schweiger continues to face problems. After ticking people off with his risque all-ages comedy, now Variety reports that he's quit the German Film Academy in protest. Why? Because Keinohrhasen, the movie that's been making waves, wasn't considered for a German film award. The Academy claims they didn't register in time, and that should it get registered, it could be eligible in 2009. I guess that wasn't good enough for Schweiger.
Remember that movie ban in China? Well, now Variety reports that The Water Horse will be the first foreign film to screen to bust through the ban, over the previously announced Atonement. The latter is screening on February 22, but Horse nabbed itself a February 16 screen date. Will this "blackout" continue? Is it all just a farce? Stay tuned!
Penelope - Trailer 2 A magical story of a young woman, Penelope Wilhern (Christina Ricci), born to wealthy socialites. Penelope is afflicted by a secret family curse that can only be broken when she is loved by “one of her own kind”. Hidden away inthe family’s majestic home, she is subjected to meeting a string of blue-bloods through her parent’s futile attempt to marry her off and break the curse. Directed by: Mark Palansky Starring: Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Catherine O’Hara, Peter Dinklage, Reese Witherspoon
War/Dance - Trailer Set in Northern Uganda, a country ravaged by more than two decades of civil war, Oscar-nominated documentary WAR/DANCE tells the story of Dominic, Rose, and Nancy, three children whose families have been torn apart, their homes destroyed, and who currently reside in a displaced persons camp in Patongo. When they are invited to compete in an annual music and dance festival, their historic journey to their nation’s capital is also an opportunity to regain a part of their childhood and to taste victory for the first time in their lives. Directed by: Sean Fine, Andrea Nix Fine Starring:
Never Back Down - Trailer Set against the action-packed world of Mixed Martial Arts, NEVER BACK DOWN is the story of Jake Tyler, a tough kid who leads with his fists, and, often, with his heart. Jake Tyler, played by Sean Faris, is the new kid in town with a troubled past. He has recently moved to Orlando, Florida with his family who has relocated to support his younger brother’s shot at a professional tennis career. Jake was a star athlete on the football team at home, but in this new city he is an outsider with a reputation for being a quick tempered brawler. Making an attempt to fit in, at the invitation of a flirtatious classmate, Baja (Amber Heard), Jake goes to a party where he is unwittingly pulled into a fight with a bully named Ryan McDonald (Cam Gigandet). While he is defeated and humiliated in the fight, a classmate introduces himself to Jake and tells him about the sport known as Mixed Marshall Arts (MMA). He sees a star in Jake and asks that he meet with his mentor, Jean Roqua, played by Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, In America). It is immediately apparent to Jake that MMA is not street fighting, but rather an art form he wants to master. Roqua will take Jake under his wing, but it is up to Jake to find the patience, discipline, willingness and reason within him to succeed. For Jake, there is much more at stake than mere victory. His decision will not just settle a score; it will define who he is. Directed by: Jeff Wadlow Starring: Djimon Hounsou, Sean Faris, Amber Heard, Cam Gigandet
Spiral - Trailer A reclusive telemarketer, whose dysfunctional friendship with his boss is alleviated when a whimsical co-worker enters his life. But as he begins to sketch his new friend’s portrait, disturbing feelings from his past threaten to lead him down a path of destruction. Directed by: Adam Green Starring: Joel David Moore, Amber Tamblyn, Zachary Levi, Tricia Helfer
Charlie Bartlett - Trailer 1r Among the classic high-school rebels of American movies, there have been truants, delinquents, pranksters and con artists – but there has never been anyone quite like Charlie Bartlett. An optimist, a truth-teller and a fearless schemer, when Charlie slyly positions himself as his new school’s resident “psychiatrist,” dishing out both honest advice and powerful prescriptions, he has no idea the ways in which he will transform his classmates, the school principal and the potential of his own life. Directed by: Jon Poll Starring: Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey, Jr., Hope Davis, Kat Dennings
Police in London are studying the video that allegedly shows singer Amy Winehouse smoking crack, they confirmed Wednesday.
After the 
In the midst of Sundance Deals and mainstream news, here are some indie bites:
