Liam Neeson is just as protective of his Taken (and Taken 2 and Taken 3) daughter Maggie Grace in real life as he is in the movies. Grace told Conan O'Brien that once, when she was feeling down over a breakup, she had occasion to employ Neeson's particular set of skills, which apparently include prank calling.
Liam Neeson's Daily Show interview last night ostensibly served to promote his latest movie Non-Stop, but over half of it was taken up by his passionate advocacy to keep horse-drawn carriages in New York. True to his action-hero persona, Liam Neeson cares a lot and is not afraid of anything—not even the wrath of PETA. What a weird fucking platform, though.
Taken 2 is where crap becomes unwatchable crap. Its 2008 predecessor was garbage, too, but at least it was well-paced garbage. For a while, Taken 2 is one of those cookie-cutter sequels that goes beat-for-beat with what came before it, a la Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. The plot-point repetition alone makes for an over-the-top experience that actually seems to be owning up to its junkiness. It's just too ridiculous.
Liam Neeson didn't show his legendary celebrity big dick (Janice Dickinson has compared it to an Evian bottle) on Ellen yesterday, but he came closer than usual. In the name of breast cancer charity slash Taken 2 awareness, he stripped down to show his own chesticles and the result was an almost-nude 60-year-old who looked like an almost-nude 60-year-old.
Sketch comedy troupe Captain Hippo asks and answers the ultimate question: What if Luc Besson's 2008 cult thriller Taken happened in real life — but instead of bad-ass retired CIA field operative Liam Neeson using any means necessary to hunt down the Albanian human traffickers who kidnapped you, your only hope of being rescued was your own dad?
It should come as no surprise that The Grey AKA Liam Neeson Fights Some Goddamn Wolves topped the box office on Friday. The Hollywood Reporter predicts an $18 million weekend, which would be more impressive if it weren't competing against so many shitty movies. In second place, the Katherine Heigl vehicle One for the Money, which has the distinct disadvantage of no wolves and a fairly contentious star. Even Heigl, at one point, admitted that no one liked her.
Here's a trailer for Battleship, a movie based on the classic board game, but really in name only. This thing, directed by Peter Berg of all people, actually seems based on something more recent.
One living person beloved by children is attempting to sully the work of a dead person beloved by children, and only one can be victorious in the end. Also today: Matthew Fox is going to kill you, Darren Aronofsky thought better of it, and we might officially have our Katniss.
This week's box office saw the further success of our old friend Liam Neeson, plus the emergence of a new sorta-successful action star from the British Isles.
Willingly involved! You never know a guy until you do, huh? Also today: A Ouija board movie directed by McG sure is going to be good, Camille Grammer is to retire on Frasier money, and Illeana Douglas news.
Jon and Kate plus eight... bullies? Kanye West and Billy Ray Cyrus hate giving interviews about interesting things. Read Mel Gibson's love letters, if you dare. Spencer and Heidi renew themselves. Saturday Gossip Roundup is jamming to the beat.
It was about being "fake." Speaking of fakes, guess which starlet got a boob job now? Jake Gyllenhaal fears ostriches. Ed Westwick fears Olivia Munn. Bethenny Frankel filmed her childbirth for a TV show.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt picking up a few things for the kids from a street vendor on Park Avenue ... Lindsay Lohan leaving Century 21 with an armful of bags last week, and sitting in the stands at a Rangers game at Madison Square Garden on Saturday ... Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick carrying their twin daughters in the West Village ... Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz shopping at the Union Square Greenmarket on Thursday and leaving their apartment on Saturday ... Liam Neeson walking his dog in Millbrook, New York ...and Natalie Portman going into a building late last week with her dog, Charlie.
We may not have anything left of our environment or economy by 2010, but at least we'll have something to keep us interested in the cinema. And the marketing machine is already starting. Check out the coming attractions!
A Kate Hudson/Minka Kelly catfight is brewing, Matt Damon gets fat, Mary-Kate and Ashley double date, Kourtney Kardashian gets knocked up, Sienna Miller takes the "Slinky Wizard" home, Seth MacFarland says Stewie is gay and Jaime Pressly pees in public.
Lots of casting news, yet again. James Franco keeps rolling along, as does Liam Neeson. Little Bryce Dallas Howard might be teaming up with her papa, while a bunch of grizzled old thespians are teaming up to teach architecture.
