Oscar-tipped black comedy The Wolf of Wall Street has become Martin Scorsese’s highest-grossing film after racing past the $300mn mark at the global box office last week.
The haul for Scorsese’s tale of ’80s and ’90s excess beat the $294mn made by psychological thriller Shutter Island in 2010. The film is likely to continue pulling in cinemagoers if it triumphs at next month’s Oscars, where Scorsese, star/producer Leonardo DiCaprio and co-star Jonah Hill are all up for prizes.
Success for The Wolf of Wall Street suggests the various controversies surrounding it — whether Scorsese’s treatment amounts to a condoning of fraud, whether any animals were harmed in its making — have done little to damage the interest of cinemagoers. It is less certain whether the film’s scenes of rampant sex and drug-taking will delight the US Academy’s conservative membership, who are responsible for deciding where the big prizes go on Oscar night.
The film has also been criticised by disability rights groups for a scene in which DiCaprio reaches “cerebral palsy stage” while under the influences of the sedative quaaludes. Scorsese revealed in an interview with US talk show host Conan O’Brien that a drug expert was hired to help with the offending scenes. But he also admitted he could have used his own experiences with the long-banned drug to help the film.
“I could put a few words in there myself. Thirty five years ago, at that time they were legal,” said Scorsese. “And I was actually prescribed a quaalude for fear of flying. You took that pill, it was like a five-hour flight, you didn’t care where you were.
“Finally it wound down by the time you landed, thankfully, because you wanted to hug everybody, that sort of thing, and crying. I’m not kidding.” — By Ben Child, Guardian News & Media
Cassidy’s wife files for divorce
Actor-musician David Cassidy’s wife Sue is set to file for divorce to end their 23-year marriage.
Tmz.com reports that Sue revealed that the decision to divorce isn’t coming out of the blue, saying, “This has been looming for some time.” But she added: “I am truly heartbroken that our marriage is ending.”
However, Sue, a songwriter, didn’t reveal whether the decision to divorce has anything to do with David’s ongoing and often losing battle with alcohol, but said: “I’m glad David is getting the help he needs and I am confident he will come back better and stronger than ever.” David was arrested last month in LA for driving under influence (DUI) and is currently in rehab. This is his 3rd DUI arrest. The couple has a son, Beau, 23. If sources are to be believed, the couple has been living separately for the past four months. — IANS
Gisele Bundchen wants to be a backup dancer!
It seems that the supermodel Gisele Bundchen loves dancing and is keen to take it forward. The 33-year-old took to her Instagram page to share a video of herself and three friends dancing while playing the Just Dance video game at home recently. She even gave a shout-out to Rihanna while dancing to her song Where Have You Been? reports eonline.com.
“Hey, if you need any extra back up dancers please let us know! Lol #funweekend #dancemachines,” the Brazilian beauty wrote with the short video.
Rihanna has yet to respond via Twitter, but one can’t wait to know what she thinks of having Gisele as a backup dancer! — IANS
Tom Hiddleston never expected to get famous
Actor Tom Hiddleston has said that he never expected the fame he received for his role as Loki in films Thor and The Avengers. The 33-year-old said he found fame “weird” and “upredictable”, reports contactmusic.com.
“I never expected it. Fame is weird and amorphous and unpredictable. All acting is for an audience. It’s just that my audience now is ... quite large,” Bang Showbiz quoted Hiddleston as saying.
He also added that his Thor director Kenneth Branagh had told him and actor Chris Hemsworth about how popular they would become. “At the end of the shooting, Thor Kenneth Branagh took Chris Hemsworth and myself aside and said, ‘In 12 months, boys, prepare yourselves!’ We were both just, ‘Nah!’ We couldn’t imagine it,” Hiddleston said. The actor has also featured in films like War Horse, The Deep Blue Sea and Midnight in Paris. — IANS
Joaquin Phoenix never had a heartbreak so far
Actor Joaquin Phoenix, seen as a heartbroken man who falls in love with operating system named Samantha in his new film Her, says he had a tough time preparing for the role as he never suffered from heartbreak.
“I’ve never had one of those relationships. I’ve never had one which ended that I felt heartbroken and consumed by. I’ve had unrequited love,” Phoenix said in a statement.
“I’ve definitely been like, ‘I love you,’ and they don’t feel the same. But I’ve never been in a relationship and been heartbroken,” he added. — IANS