Contributed by Todd Gilchrist
During MTV’s recent conversation with "Che" director Steven Soderbergh, discussion turned to the "Ocean’s" trilogy, all three films of which Soderbergh directed.
So what does the future hold for the venerable franchise? Not much, according to Soderbergh, who said that the loss of one among its ranks might leave another film feeling incomplete. “With Bernie Mac being gone, I don’t think any of us would want to return to that,” he said, referring to the comedian’s untimely passing earlier this year.
Soderbergh is one of the most versatile directors in Hollywood , having worked steadily (and interchangeably) as both a crowd-pleaser and art-house auteur since making his directorial debut in 1989 with "Sex, Lies and Videotape." Read more...
Bernie Mac didn’t mince words. The comedian and actor, who died suddenly this past August due to complications from pneumonia, was profane, hilarious, and, yet, always touching in the way he went straight for the truth.
So it makes perfect sense that his “Soul Men” co-star and long-time friend Samuel L. Jackson would remember him with exactly the same attitude. And what was Jackson’s favorite memory of Mac from their time together on set?
“Actually, the funniest day for me was a day when I didn’t even work. I actually went over there to see [noted pornstar] Vanessa del Rio the day I wasn’t working,” Jackson said of a brief scene in the film where Mac’s character has casual sex with his neighbor, played in a cameo by Del Rio. Read more...
It's one of those odd twists of fate I suppose that this film, "Soul Men," that wasn't on many of our collective radar's before a few days ago, now has so much resonance. "Soul Men" now has the strange distinction of containing some of the final on-screen performances of both Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes. Mac passed away over the weekend after a bout with pneumonia while Hayes succumbed to a stroke on Sunday. The folks behind "Soul Men" have released a few clips from the film today featuring both men. You can view them all here or one featuring Mac and Samuel L. Jackson below.
Sad news today, as word comes that stand-up comedian-turned-actor Bernie Mac has died of complications due to pneumonia. The 50-year-old had been hospitalized since mid-July but had been expected to recover.
Mac had been active in Hollywood for nearly two decades, with a slate of stand-out roles in such films as the "Ocean's Eleven" trilogy, "Bad Santa" and last year's "Transformers." He was also well-known for his Peabody-winning television series "The Bernie Mac Show." Most recently, he had been working on a variety of current projects, including Samuel L. Jackson's "Soul Men" and the comedy "Old Dogs" alongside John Travolta and Robin Williams.
Did you have a favorite Bernie Mac role? Personally, I'd vote for the negotiation scene in "Bad Santa" which still ranks as a favorite of mine (and you can't understate his hilarious part in "House Party 3” either). I also recall fanboys getting up in arms over his casting in "Transformers" and then universally changing their minds when they actually saw his performance (a true testament to him that he could win over that frenzied crowd). Remember the star below.
