More of this story Jan 18, 2008
Lucky for them, they had the good sense to cast Heigl, an actress I m certain could have made a sour lemon like Gigli sweet. The consummate pro, she gives McKenna and Fletcher a performance every bit the quality of her breakout turn in Knocked Up. (Brockton Enterprise, MA)
2007: The year of big-star movie flops Dec 28, 2007
Why Jennifer Lopez, after Gigli, thought it would be a good idea to make another movie co-starring the man in her life remains a mystery for the ages. What we do know is that El Cantante, featuring Lopez and Marc Anthony, grossed a measly $7. (MSNBC -- News)
2007 in film: Surprising gems and unconventional roles Dec 27, 2007
Ben Affleck's career had become a tired "Gigli" joke, and his first film as director had the trappings of a vanity project. He shot it in his hometown and even cast his kid brother, Casey, in the lead. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
Kidman leads overpaid celebs Dec 14, 2007
The mother-to-be is quickly becoming known for her box office flops, with her film 'Gigli' not even taking as much as it cost to make. Adam Sandler, Cameron Diaz, Denzel Washington, Will Smith and Tom Cruise also featured in the embarrassing list. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
The Most Overpaid Celebrities Dec 13, 2007
The only film on the list that didn't recover its costs at all was Gigli (2003) starring Jennifer Lopez, which reportedly cost $54 million to make but barely earned a fraction of that at the box office and on video. Kidman actually wasn t the worst earner on our list--that honor went to Russell Crowe. (Forbes -- Business)
Sex To Make You Celibate Dec 8, 2007
" Also honored is "Casino," in which observing Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci get it on "is like watching a Chihuahua hump [NBA star] Yao Ming's leg," Maxim says. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez get the nod for "Gigli," even though they were a real-life couple at the time - "[Now] we know why he ran into the arms of Jennifer Garner and she shacked up with the Skeletor [Marc Anthony's nickname. " Maxim was also grossed out by William H. Macy and Maria Bello in "The Cooler," noting, "If you asked 10... (New York Post -- Gossip)
The NCT staff answers questions live from Qualcomm Dec 8, 2007
Staff Writer Dan Hayes wrote on Dec 7, 2007 9:02 PM:" If I had a time machine I'd go back and not buy movie tickets to see "Gigli", "The Hillz", "Ed", "Police Academy 7: Mission To Moscow", and "From Justin To Kelly. " All were equally the worst decisions of my life. ". (North County Times)
Is that Hillary? Nov 30, 2007
"After bottoming out with his unholy trinity of 'Gigli,' 'Jersey Girl,' and Bennifer, Affleck did something few would dare: He disappeared. Then he adapted and directed 'Gone Baby Gone' with the assuredness of someone who'd been waiting for this shot his whole life.". Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company. (Boston Globe)
Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx Undone in Boston Nov 14, 2007
Let's fill a cauldron with that dirty water they're always singing about at Fenway Park, bring it to a boil, and add 1) a Bill Buckner eyelash 2) a lock of hair from Bucky Dent 3) a ``Gigli'' DVD 4) a Bridget Moynahan photo 5) a three-leaf clover 6) Jeff Bagwell's autograph 7) original plans from the Big Dig 8) a Billy Goat Tavern cheeseburger 9) Stephen King's ``From a Buick 8'' and 10) a Ray Bourque bobblehead. Don't forget protective eyewear -- the Eric Gagne signature series, perhaps. (Bloomberg -- Columnists)
'Gone Baby Gone' Oct 26, 2007
This happens to be Ben Affleck's directorial debut, but don't let his performances in Jersey Girl and Gigli stop you from seeing the film -- it turns out that he's a better director than an actor after all. The film also has many other familiar names attached to it, including Morgan Freeman, Michelle Monaghan, and Ben's little brother, Casey Affleck. (Daily Collegian, PA)
See this film before its Gone Baby Gone Oct 25, 2007
Affleck abandons his streak of low-quality flicks (Gigli anyone. and returns to his Oscar-winning roots. (The Western Gazette)
Headache "Gone" For Ben Affleck Oct 20, 2007
" In between, Affleck has had a string of movies, including some bombs like "Jersey Girl" and "Gigli" and some hits like "Hollywoodland," which earned him the top acting award at the Venice Film Festival last year. He also had a high-profile romance with then tabloid queen Jennifer Lopez, which ended in a broken engagement, and a much lower profile romance with actress Jennifer Garner, which ended in a 2005 marriage and the birth almost two years ago of a daughter, Violet. Jennifer Garner,... (CBS News -- Early Show)
Does star power equal box office? Oct 20, 2007
Ben Affleck went from being a "comer" in "Chasing Amy," to a star in "Pearl Harbor" to a has-been in "Gigli," and he's barely 35 years old ... Entertainment Weekly noted that Affleck's appeal as a movie star was in inverse proportion to his appeal as a subject for magazine covers -- he got 17 covers during the "Gigli" year and half as many for his hits. (Variety)
'Gone Baby Gone' gritty and gripping, with shades of gray Oct 19, 2007
I'm not sure what exactly he did wrong or if it's a combination of things or just some lingering "Gigli" fallout, but if "Gone Baby Gone" doesn't make the case for Affleck as a genuine talent, nothing will. In this, his first film as a director, he has had the good fortune to luck into a good story - a story so good that maybe anybody, working with a healthy budget and a team of professionals, could have turned out something decent. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
Affleck hype aside, 'Gone Baby Gone' is just great Oct 19, 2007
He has parlayed his Hollywood status into something worthwhile, moving beyond and perhaps learning from such debacles as Gigli. Share this story. (USA Today -- Life)
Director is born with 'Gone Baby Gone' Oct 19, 2007
A sometimes-solid actor ("Hollywoodland," "Boiler Room") prone to weak movie choices ("Bounce," "Daredevil," "Gigli"). GONE BABY GONE. (Seacoast New Hampshire)
Oscar voters need to see Gone Baby Gone Oct 18, 2007
Ben Afflecks directorial debut is a full-scale triumph, one that quickly makes filmgoers realize that the actor who has often been mocked for his choices of acting projects Daredevil, Reindeer Games and, of course, Gigli has found his real strength behind the camera. Affleck lets us see his Boston via the gritty blue-collar towns of Dorchester, Roxbury, Chelsea and Everett. (MSNBC -- News)
With crime thriller 'Gone Baby Gone,' Ben Affleck returns home and captures Boston in all its gritty glory Oct 17, 2007
Today's Globe Local Politics Opinion Magazine Education NECN Special reports Obituaries. Welcome home, Ben Affleck - all is forgiven. (Boston Globe)
Powerful Gone Baby Gone has smarts to spare Oct 16, 2007
A sometimes-solid actor (Hollywoodland, Boiler Room) prone to weak movie choices (Bounce, Daredevil, Gigli). Gone Baby Gone will leave you with a new picture: filmmaker. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Ben Affleck on JLo Oct 13, 2007
Over the last decade, he's boxed the compass, going from baby-faced Sundance sensation ("Chasing Amy") to Oscar-winning screenwriter ("Good Will Hunting") to Michael Bay-blockbuster movie star ("Pearl Harbor") to "Bennifer"-era-tabloid subject of derision ("Gigli"). After several box-office duds, his last film, "Man About Town," never got a theatrical release. (Los Angeles Times)
Ben Affleck generates Oscar buzz Oct 10, 2007
When he was making terrible movies like Surviving Christmas and Gigli, or facing embarrassing headlines over the bust-up of his engagement to Jennifer Lopez, he kept going - continuing to work, continuing to talk bravely to reporters, continuing to believe in a better future. That better future appears to be arriving with the Oct. 19 release of Gone Baby Gone, his gripping new film version of crime writer Dennis Lehane's critically acclaimed novel about the mysterious disappearance of a... (Canada.com)
Love hurts box office receipts Oct 9, 2007
"Gigli": This 2003 misfire gave birth to Bennifer, the coupling of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, and grossed a measly $6 million at the box office. "Stromboli": This 1950 Italian neorealist film was never meant to be a box office juggernaut, but it did lead to the derailment of Ingrid Bergman's career, after the already-married star fell in love with director Roberto Rossellini and became pregnant with his child. (Los Angeles Times)
Ben Affleck Cheap Shots, Be 'Gone': Actor-Turned-Director Could Get Last Laugh With New Flick Oct 9, 2007
Even then, before "Reindeer Games" and "Forces of Nature," before "Daredevil" and "Paycheck," before Jennifer Lopez and "Gigli," Ben Affleck was seen as the second fiddle a would-be action star who lucked out beside more talented friends. Guess who has the last laugh. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Panel focuses on film investors Oct 8, 2007
But harnessing movie magic isn't easy, as these new investors try to determine what will be the next "Blair Witch Project" or on the opposite end, the next "Gigli.". "The business itself is much more accessible than it used to be as it no longer requires a multimillion-dollar investment, a big studio lot and all that," said Jim Dillon, founder of Fierce i Films, a St. Petersburg-based production company. (Tampa Bay Business Journal, FL)
That Jolie lady Oct 7, 2007
And then there's the Affleck-J-Lo vanity project Gigli. Nicole Kidman As an Oscar winner - she was the first Aussie to score the Best Actress gong, by the way - she's certainly got the chops to play uptight, emotionally tortured women. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Affleck Behind The Camera Oct 7, 2007
"Gigli," co-starring the couple, brought in a paltry $6 million ... As for "Gigli," he says, "I ended up being in a relationship with somebody, and being in that relationship ended up poisoning the box office." That he wouldn't refer to Lopez by name is perhaps understandable, given that he married another Jennifer. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Affleck hopes to avoid missteps Oct 6, 2007
Or perhaps Little Bro has learned watching Big Bro try to live down "Gigli" and "Daredevil." Casey has hedged his bets behind the camera in a medium where Ben's shadow will likely never hover. Casey sold an animation script to Warner Bros. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Infotainment Oct 4, 2007
After the critical and commercial success of Good Will Hunting, Bens career floundered with a string of turkeys, culminating in the dismal double-whammy of Gigli and Jersey Girl, in which he co-starred with then girlfriend. Dutch designers fashion collectionPARIS: A model presents a creation by Dutch designers as part of the Spring/Summer 2008 fashion collection. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
J. Lo bad for Affleck's career Oct 3, 2007
The 'Pearl Harbor' star conceded his high-profile two-year romance with the singer-and-actress - who he starred with in the widely panned 2003 movie 'Gigli' while they were engaged - turned him into one half of the celebrity couple dubbed 'Bennifer' rather than a credible actor. He told Details magazine, "It was probably bad for my career. What happens in this sort of bleed-over from the tabloids across your movie work. I ended up in an unfortunate crosshair position where I was in a... (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Jennifer Lopez pregnant with first child Sep 20, 2007
You can catch on DVD in Money Train, Jack, Blood and Wine, Selena, Anaconda, U Turn, Out of Sight, The Cell, The Wedding Planner, Angel Eyes, Enough, Maid in Manhattan, Gigli, Jersey Girl, Shall We Dance, Monster-in-Law, and An Unfinished Life. Jennifer Lopez in the News. (Actress Archives)
Madeleine McCann Spoils Ben Afflecks New Film Sep 15, 2007
Or maybe Ben Affleck could keep Gone Baby Gone banned in the UK, making people really want to see it even though they can't, helping the movie achieve mythical status and gigantic box office returns when it is eventually released, despite everyone knowing deep down that it's just a run-of-the-mill private detective movie made by the bell-end from Gigli. Either one's fine. (hecklerspray)
Where did Matt Damon go? Sep 14, 2007
Or to your friend Ben Affleck's disastrous press when "Gigli" collided with Jennifer Lopez. Or is it simply that you have had an amazing run lately with your "Bourne" franchise ("The Bourne Ultimatum" has passed $278 million worldwide) and you're getting a little smug. (Variety)
Julie Taymor flies 'Across the Universe' Sep 7, 2007
But after his experience with "Gigli," which bombed after he gave helmer-scribe Martin Brest final cut, Roth wasn't going to go that route again. Taymor pored through Sony's 200-title Beatles songbook, working closely with screenwriters Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais ("The Commitments"), who had come up with the original concept. (Variety)
Famed tenor Luciano Pavarotti, 71, loses battle with cancer Sep 6, 2007
The King and I, the gossipy 2004 biography co-written by Herbert Breslin, his manager of 36 years, tells how 12-year-old Pavarotti met the celebrated tenor Beniamino Gigli after a performance of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermor in Modena. The boy asked Gigli how long he had studied, and Gigli replied, "I am always studying," according to Breslin's account. (USA Today -- Life)
'Final Destination 2' To 'Return Of The Jedi': 10 Most Shocking Movie Deaths Of All Time Aug 28, 2007
"Smokin' Aces" (Ben Affleck) It's easy to kick the "Gigli" star while he's down, but give credit where it's due: Affleck took a role in Joe Carnahan's bullet-ridden action flick that was so small it wasn't even David Schwimmer-worthy, and then got killed off quicker than a chubby chicken at Colonel Sanders' house. To a nation of filmgoers still smarting from "Surviving Christmas," watching him die was as cool as it was therapeutic. (VHI.com -- Music News)
COMMENTARY: Fall film preview Aug 23, 2007
Since making "Good Will Hunting," lifelong friends Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, both Boston natives, have been like two roads diverged in a wood: Damon to quiet fame, respect and the best action trilogy to come down the Hollywood pipeline in quite a while, the other to tabloid pages, a failed relationship and a few of the worst films ("Gigli" and "Surviving Christmas" come to mind) in memory. But returning home will do Affleck, now in the director's chair, some good. (U-Wire.com)
Mel B slams claims husband is a wife-beater Aug 22, 2007
Mel B slams claims husband is a wife-beater - New Zealand's source for entertainment news, gossip , movie reviews on Stuff. Wednesday, 22 Aug 2007. (Stuff.co.nz)
Star Wars duo 'least convincing' Aug 22, 2007
The pair beat Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's performance in Gigli - which was made when they were a real life couple - into second place ... LEAST CONVINCING SCREEN PARTNERSHIPS 1 Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen - Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones 2 Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez - Gigli 3 Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom - Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy 4 Madonna and Adriano Giannini - Swept Away 5 Catherine Zeta Jones and Sir Sean Connery - Entrapment Source: Pearl and... (BBC News)
Star Wars duo worst screen lovers Aug 21, 2007
The pair relegated Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez to second place for their performance in Gigli, which was made when they were a real-life couple. Affleck actually made the top 10 twice - his not-so-hot chemistry with Kate Beckinsdale in Pearl Harbor took the No. 7 spot. (Daily Telegraph)
Star Wars actors named film couple with least chemistry Aug 21, 2007
The two beat Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez for their performance in Gigli ... Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopezin Gigli. (CBC.ca)
Star Wars romantic duo 'least convincing', say film fans Aug 20, 2007
The pair beat Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez for their performance in Gigli into second place, which was made when they were a real life couple ... LEAST CONVINCING SCREEN PARTNERSHIPS 1 Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen - Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones 2 Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez - Gigli 3 Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom - Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy 4 Madonna and Adriano Giannini - Swept Away 5 Catherine Zeta Jones and Sir Sean Connery - Entrapment Source: Pearl... (BBC News)
Lopez, Anthony partner on biopic Aug 16, 2007
And there have been countless mentions of Lopez's track record of filming with former love, Ben Affleck, in the ill-fated Jersey Girl and Gigli. So far with El Cantante, the critical backlash has not been nearly as severe. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
'Bad choices' ruined Affleck, Damon says Aug 14, 2007
Since then Damon's career has taken off with a series of box office blockbusters, including 'The Departed' and the 'Bourne' trilogy, while Affleck's film 'Gigli' - in which he co-starred with ex-fiance Jennifer Lopez - was a spectacular flop. Damon and Affleck plan to collaborate in the future, but are yet to start working on a script. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
El Cantante Review Aug 7, 2007
Lopez doesn't have the theatrical fortitude to elevate her material, only to match it -- certainly Maid in Manhattan, Enough and, of course, Gigli have demonstrated that. But in this case, Anthony -- winning in supporting roles -- similarly doesn't have the writing or directing support he needs to make El Cantante truly memorable. (IGN FilmForce)
Award winner? Oh, how the mighty have fallen Aug 7, 2007
Folks, dont hate Ben for Daredevil or Armageddon or (shudder) Gigli. Or rather, hate and pity him because he made those movies after having started so strong. (MSNBC -- Movies)
The Bourne Ultimatum Aug 7, 2007
"Pearl Harbor", "Paycheque", "Daredevil" and, of course, "Gigli". Then there was the whole Jennifer Lopez debacle. (Empire Movies)
Producing an idol: 'El Cantante' Aug 6, 2007
The result can sizzle -- Taylor and Burton in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" -- or be a vanity-laden dud: Taylor and Burton in just about everything else, Madonna and Sean Penn in "Shanghai Surprise," Jennifer Lopez and then-boyfriend Ben Affleck in "Gigli.". That infamous 2003 screen pairing of the former Hollywood golden couple that the tabloids christened "Bennifer" might stoke added interest in how Lopez fares opposite husband Marc Anthony in the biopic "El Cantante." In the Latin... (Chicago Tribune)
Cantante cant be saved Aug 4, 2007
As we saw in the infamous Gigli, starring J.Lo and former paramour , and now El Cantante (The Singer) with husband Marc Anthony, the results are rarely what the stars intended. Going for grit as a low-rent femme fatale named Puchi, Lopez looks great as the 60s, 70s and 80s fly by - but she sounds like Rosie Perez. (Boston Herald)
Marc Anthony: Co-Starring With Wife Jennifer Lopez Was... Aug 4, 2007
Lopez, who married Anthony in 2004, starred in "Gigli" and "Jersey Girl" with former fiance Ben Affleck. (Story continues below). (Fox News)
Marc Anthony says he worried about co-starring with J.Lo Aug 4, 2007
Lopez, who married Anthony in 2004, starred in Gigli and Jersey Girl with former fiance Ben Affleck. We all knew the guns were pointing, says El Cantante director Leon Ichaso. (KHOU.com, TX)
J.Lo's heritage looms large in her music and new movie Aug 3, 2007
" Lopez is not just a part of El Cantante. The woman who says she's "constantly in motion, always working" decided to launch a new career as a producer with this film about Lavoe, the Puerto Rican singer who arrived in New York in the mid-60s and became one of Fania Records' most popular talents, a "Latin Sinatra" who was the voice and face of salsa music. Anthony plays Lavoe from his teens through his heyday and up to his death in 1993, when drug use and HIV tore him apart. Lopez plays Puchi,... (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Forget J.Lo Jennifer Lopez has been reborn Aug 3, 2007
If that blah, blah, blah conversation went well then perhaps sneak in a few questions about all those ongoing pregnancy rumors; ask what advice she might have for the Hollywood Four Paris, Nicole, Britney and Li-Lo and if shes gotten over the shame of Gigli; have her share some tips on how to keep your man happy and then find out whether shes still friendly with all of her high-profile exs Ben and Diddy. Well, that plan flew out of a 14th floor window when it became... (MSNBC -- Movies)
REAL J.LO DOWNER Aug 3, 2007
Daring to work with a significant other for the first time since "Gigli," Lopez, who also produced, stars opposite her real-life hubby, singer Marc Anthony. Anthony, who showed his acting chops in "Bring Out the Dead" and "Man on Fire," uncomfortably plays heroin-addicted '60s salsa legend Hctor Lavoe, who died of AIDS in 1993 at 46. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
What are the worst films of all time? Aug 1, 2007
Warren Beatty in 'Shampoo" - it was both. Posted by: Roman E Conti on August 1, 2007 7:28 AM "Lost in Translation" - cliched, wallowing in its own self importance, an over-rated waste of two hours. Even Scarlett Johansson's boobs don't save this one. If it wasn't directed by a Coppola, it would have sunk without a trace. Posted by: Mountjoy on August 1, 2007 7:29 AM "Final Destination 3" - was a bit rough (watched it recently) "caligula" - special anniversary edition was appaling (what do u... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
J-Lo and hubby in 'El Cantante' Aug 1, 2007
You make the call whether this drug-laden, performance-happy, love-bites melodrama is Gigli: The Musical. I just know Lopez, who plays Lavoe s firecracker wife Puchi in El Cantante, has been needing a good movie with her name on it for quite some time. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
El Cantante is a typical clich-ridden biopic Jul 31, 2007
Watching the real-life couple isnt nearly as distracting as it was when Lopez co-starred with then-fiance Ben Affleck in the notorious Gigli. . (MSNBC -- Movies)
For Lopez, the drama stays on the screen Jul 30, 2007
Ben Affleck in 2003's Gigli. Then again, Woody Allen and Diane Keaton sparkled in 1977's Annie Hall. (USA Today)
Will Jennifer Lopez be second time lucky? Jul 28, 2007
Is this going to be another Gigli (remember Jennifer Lopez-Ben Affleck's desperate attempt at on-screen chemistry in August 2003). Four years later, there is reason the question comes to mind. (Rediff)
Jennifer Lopez Dishes On Becoming 'Underground Cool' With Marc Anthony Jul 27, 2007
NEW YORK You would think Jennifer Lopez would shy away from co-starring opposite her famous husband in a film but, "Gigli" be damned, she goes for it with "El Cantante," set for release August 3. Marc Anthony takes center stage in. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Why I swapped the Clash for Chopin Jul 22, 2007
From Iggy to Gigli: my journey to the Proms ... It was Beniamino Gigli singing 'Mi par d'udir ancora' from Bizet's opera, The Pearl Fishers ... I heard it first on an autumn evening in 2001, when I played, more out of duty than anything else, a CD called Beniamino Gigli: Historical Recordings 1927-1951, a crackly, hissy collection from a bygone era. (Guardian Unlimited)
Good old days: Tough on gays on film Jul 18, 2007
Ben Affleck proves his manhood by making Jennifer Lopez' lesbian character into his sassy girlfriend in the awful "Gigli." ... Gigli (2003)After failing to turn Joey Lauren Adams completely heterosexual in 1997s Chasing Amy, Ben Affleck retreated into his lab and perfected his game, emerging for this laugh-challenged mess where he becomes the Doug Henning of sexual orientation, turning devoutly queer Jennifer Lopez into his adoring-yet-sassy girlfriend. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Broadway's summer camp Jul 11, 2007
But before we end up putting License to Wed on the boards, or Gigli: The Musical. a word of caution: Though the new Xanadu is smartly structured like a classical Greek drama and has a few opinions to share about our present uninspired postmodern culture, it succeeds in its strange magic because its chief aspiration is pure frippery. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Travolta says Hairspray isn't a gay film Jul 3, 2007
From now on, the Gigli star told the paper, she plans to do serious film roles and music. If you focus on the money youre not going to get anywhere, she explained. (MSNBC -- Gossip)
The artful designer Jun 29, 2007
His teeny-tiny, often brightly coloured dresses (his biggest influences are the 80s designers of his childhood, particularly Romeo Gigli, Alaia and, yes, Versace - "showmen who made fashion look fun," he says) have inevitably caught the eye of celebrities. But Kane has learned from the mistakes of others. (Guardian Unlimited)
In with the Old Jun 6, 2007
For example, here he is on the Gigli of local edifices: "Commercial architecture of all kinds is growing ever lighter, showier, and more disposable, and Block E in its own crummy but calculated way perfectly expresses these trends.". Our bike tour covers some buildings included in the guide the Schmitz-Rose house, for instance, a Queen Anne that has survived 120 Minnesota winters and the filming of Feeling Minnesota. (City Pages)
