Daily News --  Updated August 26, 2006 6:31 AM

Note: I will be away on vacation from the morning of Saturday 8/26 until Late Saturday 9/2. I will be on a computer only occasionally, and any updates during that time will be at the Crowe backup blog instead of here at Murphsplace. You can reach me at my g-mail address for mail.

August 26

August 25

August 24

MidHudson News: (Stewart Airport) – "Scenes from “American Gangster,” a period movie set in the 1970s and starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe were shot at Stewart Airport near Newburgh this week. Three locals were part of the cast as extras. [...] For two days this week, the crew of 300 transformed a large Supermarine company hangar into a Vietnam era airport with soldiers and coffins being flown in from overseas. When the movie is released you may be able to spot some local stars who were hired as extras in the film. Carlos Nieves, Shane Harris and Ray Lopez are employees of Supermarine who were dressed as Vietnam soldiers and placed in a scene where a plane was returning from overseas." - Thanks, Steph

Today's shooting - AG - From imdb: They are currently filming in Harlem, NY... on W 141st and Fifth Ave... Vintage cars are all over the block.... Thanks, CIndy

Just for a laugh - North Jersey.com: Plenty to Crow about (A couple of mentions of our "Crowe." - Thanks, Maria

The Examiner (NJ): Local theater to host filmmakers symposium - "Imagine seeing a movie before anyone else. Then, as the lights come up, the creators of the film are there ready to discuss their work. Starting Sept. 18, the Filmmakers Symposium series will run for 12 weeks at two New Jersey theaters: the Multiplex Cinemas at Town Center Plaza, located at 319 Route 130 north in East Windsor, and AMC Loews Mountainside, located at 1021 Route 22 east in Mountainside, according to a press release from Chuck Rose, the series' director....Confirmed films and those under consideration for the upcoming session include..."A Good Year" with Russell Crowe, Albert Finney and director Ridley Scott... - Thanks, Allison

Bafta LA: Screenings of films - Scroll to "Anticipated Screenings" for AGY (No date as yet) - Thanks, Ivani

Variety (Related): BETTANY DIPS INTO 'INKHEART' - Thesp joins Fraser in family pic -- "New Line Cinema has tapped Paul Bettany ("The Da Vinci Code") to star opposite Brendan Fraser in its family fantasy "Inkheart," to be directed by Iain Softley. "Inkheart," which spent 19 weeks on the New York Times Children's Chapter bestseller list, revolves around a girl whose father has the power to bring characters from books to life by reading aloud."

August 23

USA Today - Lifeline: Two little Crowe bits

The Times Record Herald: Film Crews roll out to Stewart -- Newburgh NY — Andy Velez got the callback on Monday. Universal Studios wanted him to play the role of the guy who unlocks the school building so Russell Crowe can set up his headquarters inside and track down Denzel Washington. - Thanks, Steph

The AGY Trailer is one of those featured on the IMdb's main page today - Thanks, Allison

EW's popwatch.com (Scroll a bit): "...But we're a little worried about this lineup; when a film casts that many rappers, it's easy to wonder if it's not just a marketing ploy, a shortcut that'll give the movie some instant street cred. Or worse, a lazy way to fill stereotypical gangsta/drug-pusher roles." - Thanks, Allison

August 22

The Times online UK: The Frighteners - 50 Controversial films -- ROMPER STOMPER (1992) This brutal Australian portrayal of skinheads and racial violence features a remarkable performance by the pre-Gladiator Russell Crowe, and was barred from cinemas in Glasgow.

The Guardian UK: Ejiofor joins Ridley Scott's American Gangster

The Australian: At the Australian International Movie Convention by film distributors last week - AGY shown in full

If any fan gets to see AGY in Toronto, we would love a report. Just e-mail it to me - I will mark spoilers for those of us who have to wait!

Toronto's description of AGY: "London-based investment expert Max Skinner (Russell Crowe) is fiercely successful and not at all afraid to make bold - if somewhat unethical - moves on the stock market. Having been reprimanded for his latest wrong-doing, Max makes a quick trip to Provence to sell a small vineyard he has inherited from his late uncle Henry. When he arrives at the estate, he discovers that the vineyard is in a state of disrepair - and worse, its wine is awful. Steadfast, Max readies the crumbling estate for sale. But memories of happy summers spent with his uncle on the vineyard prove distracting. As Max reluctantly settles into what ultimately becomes an intoxicating new chapter in his life, he encounters additional obstacles to the sale of the estate. The surly estate winemaker stubbornly clings to his post, a feisty local beauty falls into the picture and leaves Max smitten, and a young woman named Christie arrives suddenly in Provence, claiming to be Max's cousin. With A GOOD YEAR, Ridley Scott brings all of the novel's wonderful charm to screen. Warm, tender, and romantic, A GOOD YEAR is a light-hearted celebration of life's riches. -- Directed and produced by Ridley Scott, A GOOD YEAR is distributed worldwide by 20th Century Fox." - Thanks, barbiecat

A list from the Toronto Festival of those expected to attend - Thanks, barbiecat (Note Chrisitan Bale)

Original 3:10 to Yuma -- The Little Round Headed Boy review: "...It's easy to understand: Ben Wade is a great role, a wily, cold-blooded stagecoach robber and murderer with a charming smile and a sociopath's heart, who makes his brutal mark "quietly" through slowly escalated shades of psychological menace." (also read his account of the scene between Ford and Felicia Farr)

From Cheryl and JoYo: "The UK Daily Express newspaper has an article today headlined The Robinsoe Crusoe of Estate Agents about a man who sells exclusive islands, where it states that Russell Crowe has been recently inducted into the Hollywood island-owning club. There is a picture of him and Danielle"

Toronto Film Festival: "...Today's announcements include eight Gala Presentations, including the world premiere of Michael Apted's AMAZING GRACE, starring Ioan Gruffudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rufus Sewell, Youssou N'Dour, Ciaran Hinds, Romola Garai, Michael Gambon, and Albert Finney, as the Closing Night Film; Ridley Scott's A GOOD YEAR, a world premiere starring Russell Crowe, Albert Finney, and Abbie Cornish " (Saturday September 9) - Thanks, to all, for this same story at various sources - Here is Variety's Article

Russell attending.... CP - The Toronto Film Festival: "...Pitt's film Babel made a splash at Cannes earlier this year but the star wasn't able to attend due to the birth of his daughter Shiloh with Angelina Jolie. But organizers announced this morning that he's coming to the Toronto event, along with a laundry list of other celebs, including Russell Crowe, Jude Law, Reese Witherspoon, Dustin Hoffman, Pierce Brosnan and Sharon Stone. - Thanks, Allison, Steph

Related: The NY Times Arts Briefly -- Blythe Danner and Carla Gugino will star in Tennessee Williams’s “Suddenly Last Summer,” the season-opening Off Broadway production of the Roundabout Theater. The show, directed by Mark Brokaw, will open on Nov. 15, after previews starting on Oct. 20.

The Hollywood Reporter via Reuters: Rappers join Crowe, Washington in drugs saga (More info on the parts they will play, plus Chiwetel Ejiofor has joined the cast - (also Yul Vazquez according to Variety - thanks, Bea) - Thanks, Kris C -- For some reason Carla Gugino is no longer listed as a cast member at the IMdb

Does Russell know? There is a UK Rabbitohs team

The NY Post: "Meeting of the minds - THE spiky-haired, fiftysomething white guy nodding his head backstage at the Wu-Tang Clan concert at Webster Hall the other night was movie producer Brian Grazer. Hip-hop elder statesman Fab 5 Freddy brought the Tinseltown titan to see Wu-Tang leader RZA, who has a role in Grazer's upcoming "American Gangster." Denzel Washington stars as 1970s Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas - who famously smuggled heroin in the caskets of American soldiers returning from Vietnam - and Russell Crowe is Richie Roberts, the NYPD detective who busted him. Freddy is a consulting producer on the Ridley Scott-directed flick, much as he advised filmmakers on vintage cool for "New Jack City," the 1991 cracksploitation classic. "Working with Ridley Scott is like a master class for me," raved the rap royal. Meanwhile, "American Gangster" is shooting all over Manhattan and Brooklyn in the coming months. Yesterday, the production set up shop inside Brooklyn Supreme Court for a scene with Crowe." - Thanks, Kris C

Russell won last week's Hello magazine poll. He moves on to the monthly contest. - Thanks, Ivani

August 21

Scan from EW Magazine (AGY) - Thanks, Eve

International Herald Tribune: An article about the Bonnieux region, some AGY mentions - Thanks, Maria

Related: Variety: (Paul G keeps busy) "Paul Giamatti will play John Adams in a seven-episode miniseries about the American Revolution that Playtone is producing for HBO Films. Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman are exec producing the project based on the David McCullough bestseller "John Adams." Co-exec producer Kirk Ellis scripted the mini, which begins shooting in January in Virginia. HBO will begin airing the seven hourlong segments in March 2008."

August 20

AG Filming today and tomorrow: Locations for this movie by - nycoed 4 hours ago (Sun Aug 20 2006 12:12:10) -- "Tonight and tomorrow (aug 20-21), they're filming in Brooklyn Heights along Cadman Plaza West." - Thanks, Maria

Related: Sanctuary: Lisa Gerrard - A Portrait by Clive Collier is a 2006 documentary film about life and work of Australian musician and singer, Lisa Gerrard. It is directed by Clive Collier. The film is scheduled for release in September, 2006. (Russell is one of the people featured as speaking about her) - Thanks, Steph

The Townsville Bulletin (Scroll): FIRST it was the Battle of Long Tan. Then 40 years later to the day came the long-awaited apology to the Long Tan veterans by the PM. And now the movie. Bruce Beresford will write the multi-million dollar screen version of the famous – or is it infamous – battle that is expected to feature Heath Ledger, Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman among others. A script contract is being finalised and work will begin as soon as finance is arranged. Much of the filming will be in Sydney but the jungle scenes will be shot "somewhere in North Queensland". We suspect that might mean somewhere around Tully. - Thanks, Steph

The SMH: The set builders were flat out during the Australian International Movie Convention, the annual showcase for coming movies and cinema industry issues on the Gold Coast. Distributors previewed scores of movies for cinema operators, mostly with trailers and excerpts, while talking up their box-office potential. There were advance looks at the Ridley Scott comedy A Good Year, which has Russell Crowe playing an Englishman who inherits a French vineyard,... - Thanks, Allison

Northjersey.com - related: Thanks to dialect coaching, foreign actors sound like us -- "...By now, most people are aware of the distant roots of movie chameleons like Catherine Zeta-Jones (Wales), Tom Wilkinson (England), Cillian Murphy (Ireland), Russell Crowe (New Zealand) and Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Toni Collette, and Hugh Jackman (all Australia). But people may not realize how many TV actors they watch every week are also from Down Under or across the pond." [Some interesting Providence related/Britherhood info] -Thanks, Allison

Buffalo News: (A quote from an interview in Boxing Illustrated in 1959) - "The greatest boxer in my time was Jimmy Slattery. I know from experience. I fought him," Jim Braddock told Boxing Illustrated in 1959. Braddock, who beat Max Baer for the heavyweight title in 1935 and lost it two years later to Joe Louis, was the subject of the film "Cinderella Man," which starred Russell Crowe. "[Slattery] had a pair of hands that worked so fast you couldn't see them. . . . Joe [Louis] was a fine boxer, but Jim Slattery was far better." - Thanks, Steph

Related - The NY Times: Curtis Hanson on poker

The Observer (UK) Food Monthly - a little snarky - How do you get a meal for free? - Thanks, Steph

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