Actor Dennis Letts dies at 73 Feb 26, 2008
Born in Oklahoma City, Letts began acting at age 50, building credits including "Walker, Texas Ranger" and "Cast Away." Before that, he taught writing and literature at colleges and universities including Southeastern Oklahoma State. He is survived by his wife, his brother and three sons. (Variety)
Whose line is it? Test your movie quote knowledge Feb 10, 2008
D. Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland in Cast Away (2000). 2. (La Crosse Tribune, WI)
Patriots coach shows warmer side Feb 2, 2008
Moss, whose me-first personality got him run out of Minnesota and cast away by Oakland, behaved impeccably in a New England locker room with a hierarchical structure where conduct is dictated by veterans Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Kevin Faulk and other team leaders. Moss also set an NFL record with 23 touchdown catches, complementing Brady's record of 50 TD throws on what obviously is Belichick's most talented team. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
Lonely people more likely to believe in God Jan 26, 2008
One group was shown a clip from "Cast Away," the movie in which the main character played by Tom Hanks is deserted on a remote island, in order to induce a feeling of isolation. The second group was shown a clip from the crime thriller "The Silence of the Lambs" to promote a sense of fear. (MSNBC -- Health)
TNT, Master Card to Cast SAG 'Mini-Drama' Jan 24, 2008
Two months later, the network executed a second short-form initiative with Chase, running the five-part Change of Plans series during its presentation of the Tom Hanks theatrical Cast Away. In order to river the campaign over to the Web and drive viewers to a special co-branded promotional contest, the final segment was available exclusively on TNT.tv. (MediaWeek.com)
Inspirational Popular Movies Jan 21, 2008
Cast Away slows you down and takes you back to basics, offering a wonderful escape from your hectic routine. Think Your Life is Meaningless. (Suite101.com)
The week's best films Jan 15, 2008
Cast Away (Robert Zemeckis, 2000) 10. 40pm, BBC1. (Guardian Unlimited -- Film)
Can't anyone here play this game? Top table tennis stars lonely at the top Jan 12, 2008
There are times when Cretu feels a bit like Tom Hanks' Chuck Noland character in the movie Cast Away. You know, the scenes where Noland goes a bit stir crazy and forges a friendship with a bloodied handprint on a volleyball he names Wilson. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Sports)
Will Smith's legendgrows in Britain Jan 2, 2008
Smith, in a performance of stamina and subtlety that recalls that of Tom Hanks in Cast Away, wanders around an island that has become a wilderness, Sandhu writes. Forget the sale prices in Abercrombie and Fitch; this is really a New York many of us would pay to visit not least, I suppose, as we wouldn t face any endless queues and hostile immigration officers at JFK.. (The Palm Beach Post)
Teen heartbreak drives Smith's success Dec 31, 2007
Smith's performance has been hailed by most American critics, with the New York Times comparing the role to Tom Hanks in Cast Away. "This star, whose amiability makes him easy to underestimate as an actor, deserves his share of the credit," The New York Times wrote in its recent review. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Dr. Jack Wheeler: Real story from a man who pushed for Soviet defeat in Afghanistan Dec 28, 2007
His mannerisms, voice, posture, facial expressions: Hanks is Charlie, and he might get his third Oscar for playing him that he was denied in "Cast Away" and "Saving Private Ryan" (he along with six others have won twice; no one has won it three times). Further, Hanks portrays Charlie as the hero he really was. (WorldNetDaily)
MOVIE REVIEW: 'Legend' perfectly blends action and suspense Dec 23, 2007
Take a mix of "Cast Away" and "28 Days Later," and you have a survival film with the right amount of action ... Just as Tom Hanks did in "Cast Away," Smith nails his performance of a man in solitude slowly going nuts. (Fresno Bee -- Lifestyle)
5Top: Memorable Tom Hanks films Dec 22, 2007
$7 online stock buys. from Kaplan University. (MSNBC -- News)
Movie review: In 'Legend,' Will Smith is not alone Dec 20, 2007
Updated Thursday, December 20, 2007. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT. (Lompoc Record, CA)
'I Am Legend': Play it again, Sam Dec 19, 2007
So when Smiths Robert Neville is cast away in I Am Legend, Manhattan becomes his deserted island, Sam the German Shepherd his Wilson, and the movie his one-man Hamlet. But Smith wants to be the biggest movie star in the world and he goes about it in a more calculating fashion. (Seacoast New Hampshire)
What if Will Smith was the last man alive on Earth? Dec 15, 2007
This is akin to following Tom Hanks alone on the island in Cast Away, but at least in that circumstance there was curiosity in watching Hanks' character learn how to survive on his own. Here we get a sense of how Neville lives and the film quickly becomes redundant. (Hillsdale Independent, NY)
I Am Legend **1/2 Dec 14, 2007
At the outset, it must be said the dog makes a better companion for a man alone than a volleyball, which served as Tom Hanks's companion in Robert Zemeckis's desert island drama Cast Away. Neville has some urban advantages: He can go joyriding in his car, drive golf balls from the wing of an abandoned fighter plane, borrow all the DVDs he wants without late fees. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
The last human inhabitant of New York in a race against the zombies Dec 14, 2007
Tom Hanks did it in "Cast Away," with only a volleyball as his buddy, foil and straight man. Smith has a few more companions, including an expressive German shepherd, some department store mannequins and a high-powered rifle. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
Movie review: Last-man-on-Earth saga ‘I Am Legend’ strikingly shot, then turns cheesy Dec 12, 2007
But he s also achingly lonely, talking to store mannequins as if they were real people, not unlike Tom Hanks and his beloved volleyball Wilson in Cast Away. For all his charm and personality, Smith doesn t quite have the emotional depth of a Hanks to pull it off completely, but he does make you sense his pain nonetheless. (Somerset Daily American, PA)
'Beowulf' Slays Santa, Seinfeld At Box Office Nov 20, 2007
With titles including "Back to the Future," "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "Forrest Gump" and "Cast Away," Zemeckis' movies have made nearly $2 billion more than any other director except Steven Spielberg. A blockbuster nearly 1,300 years in the making made short work of last week's winner, as Jerry Seinfeld's "Bee Movie" fell roughly 44 percent to buzz into second place with $14. (VHI.com -- Music News)
'Beowulf' slays competition Nov 19, 2007
7 million, while "Cast Away" debuted at $28. 8 million. (Variety)
'Beowulf' animation redefines poetry in motion Nov 19, 2007
And yet along comes filmmaker Robert Zemeckis (Romancing the Stone, Back to the Future, Who Framed R 00004000 oger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, Contact, Cast Away and The Polar Express) who seizes upon this ancient literary giant with great gusto. Being a creative type, Zemeckis saw endless possibilities. (The Clarion-Ledger)
‘Beowulf’ is awesome, but not for kids Nov 19, 2007
And now, 15 years removed from my last high school English class, director Robert Zemeckis ( Cast Away ) is looking to lure you and me to the theater to watch his Hollywoodized version that will have many an English teacher crying in their popcorn. Now is probably a good time to offer a warning to parents: Simply put, this is not a cartoon. (Logan Herald Journal, UT)
'Beowulf' wins Friday box office Nov 18, 2007
Pic's opening day reps the second best for director Robert Zemeckis behind "Cast Away," which bowed to $11 million in 2000. The PG-13 motion-capture animated pic, produced by Shangri-La Entertainment and distributed overseas by Warner Bros. (Variety)
Lead actor cheat sheet Nov 17, 2007
( "Charlie Wilsons War ) Has won two Oscars, for Forrest Gump and Philadelphia, and has been nominated three other times: for Cast Away, Saving Private Ryan and Big. Charlie Wilsons War marks the first time Hanks has worked with director Mike Nichols, co-star Julia Roberts and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. Has completed work on 2008 release The Great Buck Howard. Emile Hirsch ( "Into the Wild ) No prior nominations. Recently completed filming the lead role in the... (Variety)
For her students, developmental math finally adds up Nov 16, 2007
She uses clips from movies such as Cast Away and Little Big League to introduce math concepts in a non-threatening way and has a knack for analogies that build understanding. Untangling algebraic equations, for example, is like taking off shoes before socks and socks before pants. (USA Today -- News)
Jungle turns boys into beasts Oct 26, 2007
Based on the 1954 novel by William Golding, the play tells a story about 11 boys cast away on a desert island during wartime. The group soon divides. (The Daily Lobo, NM)
Will Smith brings hot action to winter screens Oct 20, 2007
Buzz: Zemeckis (Cast Away) shot this film in 3-D CG, using the motion capture techniques he developed in Polar Express (lets hope the characters dont suffer from the dead-doll eye syndrome that ruined 000005A1 that film). With the magic of technology, the animators were also able to make the 50-year-old Winstone (marvelous in the film, The Proposition) look 18. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Keeping it real. Well, sort of Oct 13, 2007
Or Tom Hanks's Cast Away (2000), in which a man marooned on a desert island develops a relationship with a volleyball named Wilson. Or perhaps various Hal Ashby films. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Beating Michigan and French silk Oct 3, 2007
DI: So you weren't sad when Wilson floated away in the movie Cast Away. Schipper: Laugh. (Daily Iowan, IA)
Shipwrecked! An Entertainment -- The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself) Oct 1, 2007
Melody Butiu invests Louis' aboriginal sweetheart Yamba with a rare glow, and Michael Daniel Cassady's Bruno, Louis' canine companion after the wreck, could be the most fully realized stage pup you'll ever see, his eventual loss felt as keenly as that of Wilson, the volleyball, in "Cast Away." (Both thesps could use some dialect work, though, as their English and Australian accents are as muddy as their physical business is sharp. . (Variety)
Remaking History Sep 29, 2007
A&E Television Networks, the parent of History, brought Dubuc in to revive the network, in part to cast away once and for all the service s outdated image as the World War II Channel or the Nazi Network. Those stereotypes of The History Channel stem from its long-ago strategy of airing military programming, much of it incorporating historical footage. (Multichannel News)
QUICK SLANTS: Our celebrity-NCAA pairs Sep 20, 2007
I was thinking more along the lines of Elba or that place where Tom Hanks washed ashore in Cast Away. Preferably somewhere without running water or communication with the outside world. (SportsIllustrated.CNN)
Do My Chemical Romance, Kanye West Or Christina Aguilera Have What It Takes To Be Movie Stars? Sep 19, 2007
We can't help but wonder how bad "Cast Away" would have been if Tom Hanks' character kept staring at the camera with bedroom eyes. Robin might have lucked out in the looks and musical-talent departments, but when it comes to acting, Thicke ends up seeming a little thin. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Sacked for praising Nazi values Sep 10, 2007
Herman, who was a news presenter for the network's flagship "Tagesschau" news programme for 18 years to 2006, also hosted several other shows on NDR. While presenting her book, she said family values nurtured in the Nazi era were cast away by the turmoil of the late 1960s. Loading. (India Times, India)
'I've made 10 good films', says John Cusack Sep 2, 2007
Only a handful of actors have ever been entrusted with the lion's share of an entire film - think of Tom Hanks shooting the breeze with a basketball for most of Cast Away, or Philip Baker Hall prowling the Oval Office alone as Nixon in Secret Honour. But to this elite breed we can now add Cusack, who dominates 1408. (Guardian Unlimited)
What's coming to high-def and when? Aug 28, 2007
Among high-definition discs in the wings - USATODAY.com. Sign up to receive our free Books e-newsletter and get the top news of the day in your inbox. (USA Today -- Life)
Posts tagged 'blu-ray' Aug 22, 2007
The release went on to say that Fox intends to put out "at least one state-of-the-art title per month featuring numerous BD 'firsts'" and highlighted the fact that "Blu-ray was out-performing HD DVD 2-to-1 at retail in 2007." Among the 29 new releases, my eye was drawn to Master nder, Ronin, Cast Away, Independence Day, A Bridge Too Far, 28 Days Later, The Day After Tomorrow, and the Die Hard trilogy. After the email went out, the phone started ringing: All the CNET the home-theater editors were... (CNET Crave Blog)
Edwards Calls Coulter 'She-Devil'... Aug 18, 2007
It's understood that you're deathly afraid of Coulter and her ilk, and so intolerant that you would gladly cast away the Bill of Rights if it would stifle this type of outspoken conservatism -- but you could sure take some debating lessons from her. As for Edwards, does this cheap ambulance-chasing hack actually inspire anything more than a curdled stomach. (The Drudge Report)
In Spain, No Ole for Bullfights Aug 7, 2007
" Although the Government seems divided over the issue, Narbona certainly speaks to a growing sentiment within Spain. According to a Gallup poll, only 8% of Spaniards consider themselves bullfighting fans, But the end of bullfighting as we know may not be around the corner. If anything, its appeal may be growing beyond Spain's borders. Many South American and other European countries like Portugal and France maintain a vibrant bullfighting tradition French President Nicolas Sarkozy and former... (Time.com)
Narrative art Aug 3, 2007
Since Floyd made his swimming artwork with scrap lumber, salvage tile pieces, thrift store booty and other cast away materials, "Fish" also gives new life to human debris. Take a look today during the First Friday reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Snow City Cafe (1034 W. Fourth Ave., ). (Anchorage Daily News)
What are the worst films of all time? Aug 1, 2007
The Sydney Morning Herald Blogs: News Blog. Welcome to Sydney Morning Herald Online. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Marsha Wattanapanich: Carrying a horror film all alone Jul 26, 2007
"And seeing Tom Hanks could carry almost an entire film by himself in Cast Away, that also drove me to prepare for the role.". The preparation had some contrasting results: production was temporarily halted when Marsha suffered exhaustion, but on the other hand, she said she felt completely at ease during the whole process of filming the frightening parts. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
Florida battles for distinction of harboring biggest bass Jul 23, 2007
Fishing for fame, those "big bass hunters" cast away daily in hopes of breaking the record. Through the Orlando Sentinel High School Sports Reporting Institute, my peers and I got the opportunity to participate in Disney's BASS fishing experience. (Orlando Sentinel -- Sports)
Card sharks for a cause Jul 7, 2007
Robert Zemeckis ("Back to the Future," "Forrest Gump," "Cast Away") wrote the screenplay for Carrey and will direct the film, which will be made for a 3-D stereoscopic release. (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER). (Boston Globe -- Living)
Review: War distilled to its gist (3.5 stars) Jul 7, 2007
The lesson turns practical when Dieter is shot down over Laos, and the movie briefly turns into Cast Away as the pilot makes his way through a depopulated, verdant landscape. But rather than befriending a volleyball, he is captured by locals, briefly (and, given Herzog's famous squeamishness, bloodlessly) tortured and then tossed into a camp with a handful of other prisoners, including Americans Eugene (Jeremy Davies) and Duane (Steve Zahn). (National Post)
Great moments in movie merchandising Jul 3, 2007
That success was followed by the America Online propaganda film You Got Mail, and later Cast Away, which was one big Fed Ex ad with a smaller subplot about a mans friendship with a Wilson volleyball. For Hanks next film, expect him to sit in front of the camera for 110 minutes eating bowl after bowl of Rice Chex. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Istanbul: Living with real-life tolerance of diversity Jul 1, 2007
Favorite gifts (beside rugs) * Anything with blue Devil's Eye, believed to cast away evil spirits: Bracelets, necklaces, fridge magnets, mugs, photo frames -- you name it. Ibrik (Turkish coffee grinder). (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
Back to the arms of the enemy Jun 16, 2007
The campaign began in 1989 with the withdrawal of Soviet troops: Soviet memorials were demolished, Russian-sounding names of streets and squares changed, and red stars from walls cast away. In some countries, the tensions calmed after the turbulent transition period, but in the Baltic republics this anti-historical cold war seems to be a permanent crusade. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Silence is captivating May 19, 2007
Take for example, the anger Sissy Spacek conveys in slapping Marissa Tomei in In the Bedroom, the exhilarating, giddy satisfaction Diane Lane experiences in Unfaithful, or the loneliness felt by Tom Hanks in Cast Away. In other words, no pun intended, our facial expressions and body language readily reveal our emotions in a way that no single word could. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
States compete with location incentives May 10, 2007
Memphis, with its own filmography including "Cast Away" and "21 Grams," reaped a direct spend of $6. 1 million for fiscal year 2004-05, a time that saw the production of "Walk the Line" (47-day shoot), "Hustle (26-day shoot) and "Elizabethtown" (one-day shoot). Production for "My Blueberry Nights," this year's Cannes Film Festival opener, lensed for seven days this year in Memphis.Even a 10-day shoot can prove lucrative if it's a mega-shoot for "Spider-Man 3. (Variety)
Dropping Out May 2, 2007
But castaway lore remains as strong as ever in popular culture, as television's Lost and Survivor, and films like The Blue Lagoon and Cast Away attest. Our daydreams of total isolation remain alive and well, seasoned with subplots of romance and conquering adversity. (Forbes)
'Chat line' to aid calf of deaf dolphin Apr 30, 2007
Mother and calf -- whom the volunteers want to call ''Wilson,'' after the volleyball in Tom Hanks' movie Cast Away -- will spend about nine months at the conservancy before moving to their permanent home at Dolphins Plus. Just five months ago, Castaway was a wild animal who had spent her life of about 25 years roaming the Atlantic. (The Miami Herald)
Basketball boosts CBS Apr 11, 2007
75) for the week's cable lead, bolstered by a weekend triple play of "Cast Away." Discovery placed third (0. 71), faring well Sunday with a pair of "Planet Earth" specs. (Variety)
BBC reality show is cast away to a midweek slot Mar 27, 2007
The broadcaster yesterday announced the show was being removed from its prime-time Sunday slot and well and truly cast away to the murky waters of early evening midweek viewing. Though the launch episode of the reality programme attracted 4. (Independent)
Feature TV DVD Release: 'Bosom Buddies' Mar 23, 2007
If you want to understand how far a talented actor can go, compare Bosom Buddies with Saving Private Ryan or Cast Away. Copyright. (Orlando Sentinel -- Entertainment)
Airlines Beef Up Their Content Mar 12, 2007
"Cast Away": Easily the most terrifying portrayal of a jet crashing into the Pacific. Yes, Tom Hanks survived, but the manner of his ditching had fliers rethinking trips to Hawaii, Asia or Australia for years. (Multichannel News)
Wrongheaded characterizations sink OSF's 'As You Like It' Feb 25, 2007
When she asks if he would not have her honest, he remarks that "to cast away honesty upon a foul slut were to put good meat into an unclean dish.". Again and again, Shakespeare waves Touchstone in front of us as if to demonstrate the old notion that those who spend all their time demeaning others in the end demean themselves. (Mail Tribune, OR)
Superior HBO film portrays faith-driven politician Feb 17, 2007
Look for Sharon Gless ("Cagney and Lacey) as a steely American Secretary of Defense at the heart of the intrigue. "The Big Chill" gets a "Cold Case" (9 p.m. Sunday, CBS, TV-14) makeover with a Bob Dylan soundtrack. The police procedural unfolds in an atmosphere of nostalgia within nostalgia as new evidence reopens a case of a couple killed in an apparent gas-line explosion in 1981. It turns out that the victims' circle of friends' shared past in Vietnam-era radical politics may have something to... (The Standard-Times, MA)
Keeping Score Feb 1, 2007
SUPER BOWL GAMES VS. COMMERCIALS / Are ads superior to game. Are ads superior to game. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
SUPER BOWL GAMES VS. COMMERCIALS Feb 1, 2007
" Final score: Not a great year for commercials -- does anyone even know what EDS sells? But the ads were still way better than this defense-oriented game, which featured the coma-inducing combination of Trent Dilfer and Kerry Collins as starting quarterbacks. Commercials 15, football 6 XXXVI (2002) The game: New England 20, St. Louis 17 The ads: Charles Schwab features Barry Bonds, the Coen brothers direct an Hk commercial and several ads feature 9/11 tributes. Final score: The post-9/11... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Edwood Film Festival to showcase movies at Spectrum 8 Jan 24, 2007
The short movies, called "microsodes," will be filmed June 30 and then sent to Hollywood where they will be edited by film industry editors who have worked on movies such as Apocalypto, Cast Away and The Polar Express. The edited microsodes will be shown during the 10th Edwood Film Festival on Sept. 21-22 at the Spectrum Theatre. (Albany Business Review, NY)
Consumers Overwhelmingly Choose ''Blu'' Jan 9, 2007
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Players & Samsung Electronics Recorders ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PCs & Computer Dell, Pioneer, Sony Drives ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Blu-ray Disc Media TDK ---------------------------------------------------------------------- North America: Cars, Chicken Little, Con Air, Crimson Tide, Finding Neverland, G.I. Jane, King Arthur... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Jeffrey Godsick Named President of Marketing at Fox-Walden Joint Venture Dec 11, 2006
At Fox he has overseen campaigns for Independence Day, The Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition, The Day After Tomorrow, the X-Men films, Cast Away, Ice Age, Minority Report, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Moulin Rouge, Walk the Line, and many, many others. Previously, he was a senior executive at Rogers & Cowan. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Double Christmas joy Dec 8, 2006
Academy Award-winning duo Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Cast Away) reunite for The Polar Express (Dec 24, 9pm), which is based on a beloved classic Christmas story by Chris Von Allsburg. Combining classic storytelling with cutting-edge filmmaking, The Polar Express is about a crucial moment of innocence and maturity where a child chooses between a path that will close his heart forever and another where he learns that faith has no age, rules or limits. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
