In a sense, he embodies the movie business he hopes to dominate: calculating, impulsive, hard-nosed, and hopeful. (As a boy, he burst into tears whenever he passed a cemetery.) His supporters admire his humor and his contradictions his detractors find him arrogant. Though he’d never volunteer this in a meeting, his strongest motivation is his fear of dying without leaving some monument behind. Pleasantly handsome and immensely competitive, he strives to remain imperturbable and, as he likes to say, “laser focussed.” Yet he’s a hugger, grateful for any true sincerity or passion in a town dedicated to fabricating both. At forty-eight, he is neither young nor old, neither tall nor short, neither trendy nor mainstream. As in almost every Hollywood film about a dystopian future, humanity would outfox and outfeel the machines.įogelson’s face was a mask of amenability. To find Royce, Bellam would have to forge an unlikely bond with Royce’s ape. The film’s hook was that every soldier has an “ape”-a robot sidekick that accompanies him into battle and mimics his habits. So on this sunny afternoon the filmmakers-two producers, the director, and the star, Keanu Reeves, whose black suit and black T-shirt and black beard gave him the look of a stylish sexton-had cheerfully trekked over the hill to STX Entertainment’s offices in Burbank, and STX’s executives had cheerfully welcomed them with a bottomless supply of bottled water.Ĭhris Morgan, one of the producers, explained that “Unmanned,” an action film about a global war set in 2033, was really “ ‘Saving Private Ryan’ five minutes in the future.” Reeves would play Bellam, a discredited soldier who must go behind enemy lines in Hong Kong to rescue his younger brother, Royce. Hollywood pitches are jolly, elaborately courteous affairs. However, if the funds run dry then it's up to your friends and family to decide whether or not the party will go on.Adam Fogelson, the chairman of Hollywood’s newest studio, listened to a pitch for a film called “Unmanned” with an encouraging smile. Your executor or trustees would then be required to make sure those funds are used for your annual birthday party. It's worth noting that unusual requests like this aren't necessarily enforcable by law - Houdini's widow wouldn't lose the house if she didn't perform the seanace - but what better way to really drive a suggestion home than including it in a legal document? If you're extremely serious about your friends or family doing something out of the ordinary, like a throwing a big birthday party in your honor each year, then you'll have to specifically stipulate what needs to happen and the amount of money from your estate that should be used (you could even keep the money in a Trust that can only be used for the party). Considering Houdini died on Halloween, it’s a bit of a no-brainer. But others took up the tradition, which still goes on today. (The code he left for Bess to read was: “Rosabelle, answer, tell, pray, answer, look, tell, answer, answer, tell.”) Unfortunately, her attempts failed and she gave up after 10 years of trying. He requested his wife Bess conduct a seance each year on the anniversary of his death so he could communicate from the other side. Even illusionist Harry Houdini’s final wishes had a little bit of otherworldly magic to it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |