Showtime Lays Off 7 In Affiliate Sales

Showtime has laid off 7 employees in affiliate sales. The most prominent among them is Anne Droste, SVP and General Manager of the Western Zone. The trimming surprised some as Showtime is doing very well financially and has been adding subscribers. The move was part of a consolidation effort, a Showtime spokesperson said. “We announced a restructuring of our marketing and sales groups a few months ago and this is part of that process,” the spokesperson said. As part of the restructuring of Showtime’s marketing operations following the departure of marketing head Len Fogge, the affiliate marketing division was moved under the purview of EVP affiliate sales Tom Christie whose department had to absorb a number of employees from different areas in the last few months. Additionally, Showtime has most of its affiliate deals locked in for the foreseeable future.

Kelly Clarkson on Making Peace With Her Label, New Album: 'It's About Putting All That Crap in the Back'

Harper Smith When Kelly Clarkson held a for-fans-only show at L.A.s famed Troubadour (capacity: 500) on Oct. 19, a moment stood out. It wasn't during the chorus of "Since U Been Gone," which was, as always, met with a room full of frenetically bobbing heads, nor was it in the outro to "Mr. Know It All," her latest addictive single that had the crowd echoing every line. Rather, it preceded the fan's choice song of the night: "Sober" off ofMy December.our editor recommendsKelly Clarkson's 'VH1 Unplugged' Will Debut Online First in NovemberAdam Lambert Enlists Nile Rodgers for New Album (Video)'The X Factor' Vs. 'American Idol:' Who's Leading the Battle for Talent Show Supremacy (Analysis) Surveying the sweat-soaked scene while facing the very devotees who have been with her from the start, Clarkson took it all in, smiled, and practically yelped with joy and self-satisfaction, in spite of the song's somber tone (and, as she admitted later on, sobriety was not in the cards). "It's so funny, anytime you give them a choice, my die-hard fans always pick something from My December," Clarkson says the following morning, still nursing a mild hangover. "But that song, it means a lot to me." As it should. It was that song from that album which pitted Clarkson against then RCA Music Group head Clive Davis and the entire major label system, a, er, sobering experience no doubt. At issue: the singer's desire, perhaps even intrinsic need, to write her own material and not to feel like a pawn in the pop game. A ballsy move for any artist but especially so for an American Idol winner. VIDEO: Kelly Clarkson's 'Mr. Know It All' Premieres She's put it all behind her now, as Clarkson's new album Stronger (out October 25) drives home with uber-confident declarations such as "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)" and "I Forgive You." The video for "Mr. Know It all" also spells it out: showing a no-BS Clarkson standing if front of her "Wall of Doubt" -- real headlines from articles printed throughout her career -- and declaring, "You don't know a thing about me." "Everybody has that wall, not just famous people," she says. "It's about putting all that crap in the back and being, like, 'Yep, we're done with that.' And the symbolism is, this is all just silly. It's music, that's it. We're not curing cancer, I'm not changing the world, it's fun." You could say Clarkson is having the time of her professional life these days. Some nine years after winning the very first Idol crown, she's come to a place of peace, both with her label, the people around her and with herself. It made the recording of her fifth full-lengthStronger, as she describes it, "smooth and easy -- my label loves the album. The stars kind of aligned on this one. I'm on cloud nine at the moment." Q&A:RCA Records' Peter Edge and Tom Corson on Why the Label Downsized and its Place in Sony's Big Picture In contrast, she says all four of her previous albums were "a struggle." So what was the difference this time around? "I think it's because everybody knows each other better," she reasons. "Everyone's on the same team, no one's fighting with anybody... Also as you get more experience under your belt, now when I walk into a studio, I don't have to describe what I want to do. Greg [Kurstin] didn't have to guess, he's seen me live, he's heard my previous records. When you have something to go off of, it gets easier." Indeed, back when Clarkson lacked experience, like when she began working on her debut album back in 2002, it took some convincing to sell her on the song that would be her breakout hit, "Since U Been Gone." "It didn't sound like how it sounds now," she recounts. "It didn't have any lyrics and the melody really wasn't finalized. The track was done on a computer, there was no band on it. My record label was freaking out about it and I was, like, why? But they were right... Once that song was recorded, it was like, 'Oh, this is a no-brainer. This is a great song.' It's one of those songs that doesn't come along too often." Clarkson will have a chance to showcase many of her biggest hits when she tapes an episode of VH1 Unplugged this week. To prepare for the performance, which will double as her intimate NY show, she and her band have been practicing at every opportunity. "We have literally been rehearsing in hotel lobbies and ballrooms, because our schedule is so packed, we're trying to fit it in anywhere we can," she says. "But we love breaking it down, and I haven't seen an Unplugged since Nirvana did it years ago, so I'm very excited to be asked to be on it." One song that's sure to make the set list? Carrie Underwood's "I Know You Won't," which was a highlight of the Troubadour concert, a sort of practice run for the VH1 version, Clarkson reveals. VIDEO: Carrie Underwood Gives Album Update at iHeartRadio Music Fest So now that she's covered an Idol, is it time to duet with a fellow alum? Maybe... Adam Lambert? "I'd love to do something with him," says Clarkson excitedly. "He's like a male Pink, I love his voice." The two certainly have vocals prowess in common, they're on the same label and both are among Idol's most successful graduates. But where Lambert's commercial launch took freedom of expression to the extreme (who can forget his tongue-wagging performance at the 2009 American Music Awards?), it's been a tougher climb for Clarkson, despite album sales of 9 million in the U.S. alone. "From the beginning, it's been really hard just to be me," she says. Even today, while still on cloud nine, says Clarkson, "Everything's going so well both personally and work-wise, I'm just waiting for that big kick in the butt." Twitter: @shirleyhalperin Adam Lambert Carrie Underwood Kelly Clarkson American Idol

James Murdoch faces threat to BSkyB role

MurdochLONDON -- James Murdoch's position at News Corp. and as chairman of U.K. paybox BSkyB is looking increasingly precarious. Murdoch last Friday survived an attempt by angry stockholders at a Los Angeles meeting of News Corp.'s investors to remove him as a director, when almost 35% of them voted against his re-election to the board. But there is certain to be renewed calls for Murdoch, who is News Corp.'s deputy COO, to stand down as chairman of BSkyB at the satcaster's annual general meeting, due to be held in London Nov. 29. If a majority of BSkyB's independent shareholders vote against him, this would put the independent non-executives on BSkyB's board "in a tricky position," according to the BBC's business editor Robert Peston. Peston quoted "a source close to the board," who thought that in those circumstances they would almost certainly feel obliged to ask Murdoch to ankle. On Nov. 10 Murdoch will face a second interrogation by MPs at Britain's House of Commons over the phone-hacking and police corruption scandal at the News of the World. Murdoch has always insisted that he was ignorant of the fact that intercepting voice messages was widespread at the U.K. tabloid when he authorised a payment of 700,000 ($1.1 million) to soccer official Gordon Taylor in April 2008 after Taylor's phone was hacked. But his version of events has been challenged by ex-News of the World editor Colin Myler and News International lawyer Tom Crone. Michael Wolff, who wrote a biography of Rupert Murdoch, "The Man Who Owns the News," told U.K. newspaper the Guardian that it was now inevitable that James Murdoch would leave. "James will probably go by himself, that's what everybody will be waiting for. "I wonder too if Lachlan (Murdoch) will step off the board. But could this drag on for another year? Yes." Wolff added that the size of the vote at Oct. 21's stockholder meeting against James had created "a very difficult family moment." Peston agreed that James Murdoch's credibility was heavily compromised. He said: "He wants to be seen as a talented business person in his own right, rather than the heir of one of the world's most powerful media tycoons. "James Murdoch's reputation has been hurt by having been in charge of News Corp.'s U.K. operations during the years when it failed to disclose the scale of phone hacking and wrongdoing at the News of the World." On Monday, James Murdoch did receive some words of support -- from ex-News International topper Les Hinton, Rupert Murdoch's right-hand man for around half a century. Hinton was asked by British MPs, via a video link from NY, if James Murdoch should take responsibility for what had occurred on his watch. "I see no reason why James Murdoch should resign," said Hinton, who himself resigned from News Corp. in July. Hinton again insisted to the pols that he was completely in the dark about acts of criminality at the News of the World when he was in charge of News International. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Google Considers Yahoo Bid

NY - Google has joined the lineup of companies exploring a potential bid for Yahoo, the Wall Street Journal reported. The online giant, led by CEO Larry Page, has talked to at least two private equity firms about possibly helping them finance a deal to acquire Yahoo's core business, according to the paper. Google is mainly interested in selling advertising across Yahoo's sites and bringing its social networking service Google+ to Yahoo's nearly 700 million monthly unique visitors, the Journal said, citing people familiar with the company's thinking. Yahoo also has deals with content companies, such as a recent agreement with ABC News, which could allow Google to strengthen its content relationships, the paper added. Any deal tying Google and Yahoo, which are two of the world's biggest Internet companies, would be sure to attract antitrust scrutiny, which could explain why it is looking for private equity partners to lead the charge. However, Google's interest could also partly be an attempt to bid up prices in an auction. Yahoo's board last month got rid of CEO Carol Bartz and started exploring strategic alternatives. Among other possible Yahoo bidders are Jack Ma, CEO of Alibaba Group, a China-based Internet firm, in which Yahoo owns a stake of about 40 percent, and Microsoft, which is looking at extending loans to potential deal partners Silver Lake Partners, a private equity firm, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, according to the Journal. Yahoo management during a quarterly earnings call the other week provided no timeline for a decision about the company's future. Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Topics Google Carol Bartz Yahoo

Early One Morning ((P bon matin))

A L'ensemble des Films du Losange, Need Prods. in coproduction with France 2 Cinema, Rhone-Alpes Cinema, RTBF, Belgacom, using the participation of Canal Plus, Cinecinema, France Televisions, La Region Rhone-Alpes, CNC, along with the support from the Region Ile p France, Center du Cinema et p l'Audiovisuel p la Communaute Francaise p Belgique et des Teledistributeurs Wallons, in colaboration with Cinemage 5. (Worldwide sales: L'ensemble des Films du Losange, Paris.) Created by Margaret Menegoz, Regine Vial. Co-producer, Denis Delcampe. Directed by Jean-Marc Moutout. Script, Jean-Marc Moutout, Olivier Gorce, Sophie Fillieres.With: Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Valerie Dreville, Xavier Beauvois, Yannick Renier, Laurent Delbecque, Aladin Reibel, Francois Chattot, Nelly Antignac, Pierre Aussedat, Rob Amoussou, Frederic Leidgens, Richard Sammut, Marion Denys, Jean-Francois Pages.The backstory that partially discloses why a good investment banker all of a sudden kills several co-workers is unfurled in elliptical Gallic drama "Early One Morning," helmer Jean-Marc Moutout's latest take a look at contempo professionals in crisis. As with his earlier "Strive, Play Hard," Moutout fires up the cost of capitalism with the prism of people dealing with intense career demands. Jean-Pierre Darroussin's moving yet subtle lead perf reps the pic's greatest bonus, however the story's downbeat trajectory and excessively fragmentary storytelling might explain why it's had merely a smallish release in Gaul, generating a decent but modest $717,000 approximately since March. 5. Per the helmer within the pic's production notes, the script he co-authored with Olivier Gorce and Sophie Fillieres was inspired with a real-existence report concerning a fiftysomething banker in Europe who all of a sudden walked into his office one Monday morning and shot a couple of his more youthful superiors dead. Pic does not carry any "according to true occasions" tag, but rather invents its very own version of methods someone so apparently respectable might crack and turn to such violence. Protag here's Paul Wertret (Darroussin), first seen brushing his teeth, kissing his sleeping wife, Francoise (Valerie Dreville), goodbye, and leaving for make use of a loaded gun in the brief-case. In the glassy modern offices of BICF, his (imaginary) bank within an un named city, Paul shoots two males who have been, we learn later, his boss, Alain Fisher (thesp-helmer Xavier Beauvois), and more youthful manager, Fabrice Van Listeich (Yannick Renier). Paul then silently would go to sit lower at their own desk together with his gun while his remaining co-workers scatter in stress. After that, asynchronous flashbacks from Paul's existence go a way -- but, apparently deliberately, not completely -- toward explaining how he got until now. The short response is he increased to hate aggressive, tricky Alain and weaselly, backstabbing Fabrice once they sidelined Paul in the bank, and used research he did to warrant reducing a friend he loved, Clarisse (Nelly Antignac), once the world economic crisis forced the financial institution to create cuts. The greater complete answer lies much deeper, partially in the once-rocky marriage with Francoise, and partially in the own feeling of guilt for getting once been just like callous to achieve success regardless of the cost. Moments showing Paul speaking to some counselor (Frederic Leidgens) some several weeks prior to the killing uncover a guy who excessively compartmentalizes his existence and it is arrogantly certain of their own judgment yet estranged from their own feelings. In a nutshell, he was an ideal banker, and also the system that made him has become breaking him. Inside a typically humanist move that's designed to show Paul's moral complexity, Moutout creates inside a sketchy subplot about how exactly he and Francoise required a gap year to complete volunteer operate in Mali and today sponsor a Malian teen, Youssef (Rob Amoussou) who's comparable age his or her own boy, Benoit (Laurent Delbecque). However the strand is not quite satisfyingly meshed in to the primary story, and ultimately, there is the sense the viewer discovers many of the particulars but could never quite begin to see the problem. That perfectly may be intentional, an effort to suggest through jagged editing and oblique storytelling the way we can figure all this out about one man's existence but know him so very little. However, the ultimate effect is quite distancing, leaving "Early One Morning" feeling a little psychologically inert. Darroussin's contained, being applied perf rectifies this somewhat, but it is less than enough.Camera (color, widescreen), Pierric Gantelmi d'Ille editor, Marie Da Costa production designer, Jerome Pouvaret costume designer, Marie Da Costa seem (Dolby Digital), Francois Guillaume supervisory seem editor, Julie Brenta. Examined at London Film Festival (French Revolutions), March. 18, 2011. (Also in Busan Film Festival -- World Cinema.) Running time: 93 MIN. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

John Calley Remembered at Sony Memorial

What could be a more fitting place for a memorial for someone who ran three studios than a soundstage?our editor recommendsJohn Calley Dies at 81John Calley Memorialized By 'Leaving Las Vegas' Director Mike Figgis (Exclusive)John Calley Remembered by Candice BergenL.A. Film Critics honor John CalleyRelated Topics•Obituaries Sony's Stage 27, which once served as Munchkinland in the production of The Wizard of Oz, was the location for the John Calley memorial. He's died Sept. 13 at age 81. During his four-decade career, he'd run Warner Bros., UA and Sony. The stage's walls were covered in black drapes with stripes of 25-foot-high blue canvas and the floor covered with a dark blue, synthetic turf. At the building's east end was a brightly lit, elevated podium with three massive video screens behind it. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Notable Deaths The late-afternoon event drew roughly 350 friends, family and co-workers who included Robert Towne, Paul Masursky, James L. Brooks, Brian Glazer, Tony Bill, Bryan Lourd, David Foster, Pierce Brosnan, Stan Freberg and Annette Bening. The memorial began with remarks from Sony co-chair Amy Pascal, who said, "If John was what studio heads are like, then we must be a classy bunch. But the truth is, there was no one like John Calley." She noted that her former boss had a certain amount of "Hollywood cynicism, but he never let it get the better of him." She mentioned a long list of Calley's likes and dislikes with top position going to "the bright yellow Rolls Royce always parked in front of Bijan. He'd yelled at it as he drove by." STORY: Spotlight: John Calley Pascal introduced a video tribute reel with speakers including Norman Jewison, Michael Barker, Seth Greenland, Neil Winter, Maria Bello, Tom Bernard, Sid Ganis, Yair Landau (who said Calley was "not in it for his ego, but he wanted to succeed"), Akiva Goldsman and Natalie Portman, who said Calley's advice to her was "don't go after the money. It leads to loneliness. Do it for the love and a great life." There was also a clip of Calley giving this advice to filmmakers: "If you use your gut, and it's a good one, you'll do very well." Sony chairman Howard Stringer began by saying he wondered what Calley would say if he knew the film clips at his memorial were out of sync. What the honoree would say, he decided, was "So was I most of the time." STORY: Studio Legends: Sony After noting that Calley ran the studio with "the maximum of taste and the minimum of tyranny," he told the story first printed in the NYer of how Calley had once tried to hire someone to help him run Warner Bros. When the potential jobholder asked what his title would be, Calley offered him a title higher than the one he had. He said he could be worldwide head of production. When asked what his own title would be, Calley said, "I could be the assistant to the worldwide head of production." The potential employee asked to think about it over the weekend, then turned down the job "because he couldn't find the catch." It was a great story, except it was the same one Mike Nichols asked Warren Beatty to read when it was time for him to read the director's prepared remarks. It put Beatty in an interesting position. He just went forward with telling the same story twice, but gave it an actor's elocution. STORY: John Calley Remembered: Hollywood Pays Tribute to the Late Studio Executive Screenwriter Buck Henry spoke of having a percentage of 1972's What's Up Doc?, which Calley told him to hold onto as it looked like the film would be a hit. Soon after, Calley went to Warners and then told him he should sell his What's Up share to the studio. Henry asked why he'd told him not to sell and Calley said that was before I became an executive at Warners. The writer told him he was keeping the shares because "he preferred the advice of Calley the friend." Mel Brooks spoke about a conversation he'd had with Calley over making Blazing Saddles and a scene where an old lady was beaten up -- "really, really beaten up" -- made him nervous. Calley told him to go for it. "If you go up to the bell," he said, "ring it." EXCLUSIVE: Sir Howard Stringer Remembers John Calley Dana Delany talked about how much Calley loved women and how much they loved him because "he accepted you for what you are. He didn't want you to change." She said their last conversation was him asking "will we love each other always?" Related Topics Annette Bening Howard Stringer John Calley Mel Brooks Warren Beatty Obituaries Sony Amy Pascal

Tech roundup

Digital production and visual effects studio Big Block signed an exclusive deal with Alex Topaller and Dan Shapiro, the directorial and design duo known as Aggressive. Aggressive is now represented under the Big Block banner for direction and design for commercials, advertising and broadcast design. The collaboration has already yielded branded content that was unveiled at the Oracle OpenWorld technology conference in San Francisco. East Coast-based Aggressive will be a creative complement to Big Block's focus on digital production for commercials, features and TV. Company designed and directed graphics and vfx-driven broadcast and web content for P&G Anna Sui Cosmetics, Toyota and RalphLauren. * * * Woods TV, part of Paris- and L.A.-based Woods Media Group, has purchased a Quantel Enterprise sQ system together with QTube global workflow technology. The system will be the backbone of the production and program adaptation company's new HD, file-based facility as the company moves its Europe HQ to Boulogne Billancourt near Paris. Company has also appointed Elodie Brulere Powers as VP, global operations, in the L.A. office. Meanwhile, Hollywood-based digital intermediate facility Light Iron has purchased has purchased a third Pablo 4K system to boost its collaborative digital workflow and a Pablo PA to add more productivity and flexibility to its DI pipeline. * * * In a bid to further serve the growing Bollywood film community, post tools and digital workflow provider Assimilate has expanded to India, extending its dealer network and training centers. The new unit is led by Prasenjit Sengupta, who joined recently as director of sales for India. Assimilate also recruited Arun Kumar, who will provide training and tech support services. The expansion is in response to demand for the company's $18,000 Scratch Six digital cinema and broadcast finishing tools for Red and other digital workflows, and its $5,000 Scratch Lab digital system for review, versioning, color correction, conform and deliverables of dailies created during production or the VFX process Contact Peter Caranicas at peter.caranicas@variety.com

Exclusive: New John Carter image

Look at this brand-new exclusive image from forthcoming Disney epic John Carter.Good books by Tarzan's Edgar Grain Burroughs, it's directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo) and notifies the story of yank Civil War soldier John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) strangely gone to live in Mars and reluctant charged with becoming the planet's saviour by utilizing great eco-friendly warrior Tars Tarkas (William Dafoe) and wonderful princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). New footage proven at D23 lately shown Carter finding his new surroundings plus an capacity to leap great distances, while meeting a number of Martians great and small."It's a period film from the period we don't know anything about," states Stanton, which has Harry Potter-sized desires a possible franchise of Burrough's "pulp Shakespeare" epic.Though no matter the size, Stanton's adamant an individuals element is important, with JC "Fighting a thing that happened to him formerly. In my opinion making him more real" according to him. "Everybody has ghosts that people are chasing after after."

Human Centipede II to acquire Uk cinema release?

"The job was passed with no cuts made," states the ruling for your Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) round the British Board of Film Classification website.We i i never thought we'd hear people words about of a film which has been while using the phrase "Banned inside the Uk" to promote itself along with other nations.It's only when you gaze slightly much much deeper you realize it's under the whole Sequence, since the BBFC's remarks are the line: "Cut version. Pre-cut by company in line with DVD version."The version Bounty Films published on 6 June 2011 that was rated R went at 86 minutes and 50 seconds, because the cut which has been passed becoming an 18 Certificate for film and DVD now runs at 84 minutes and 19 seconds.That's two minutes and 31 seconds the comfort around the world is 'enjoying' and we're not!Nicely i suppose, no less than we now have still got utilization of an individuals Centipede game. All the challenges of classic Centipede while using added fun of human ass-to-mouth action!

American Horror Story On Solid Start

Ryan Murphy and Kaira Falcuk’s new Foreign exchange drama series American Horror Story launched with 3.2 million audiences and two million grownups 18-49 at 10 PM last evening. It matched up in the premiere demo rating of Murphy’s previous Foreign exchange series, the hit Puppy puppy nip/Tuck, and was up 33% within the series debut of Foreign exchange’s current flagship drama Sons of Anarchy (1.5 million). It's running behind the all-time Foreign exchange champion — the series premiere of Foreign exchange’s signature cop drama The Shield, which collared 3.2 million audiences in 18-49 — but that could change, according to Foreign exchange leader and gm John Landgraf. Were really thrilled with the premiere ratings performance of yank Horror Story, he mentioned. We understand that when the Live+7 ratings can be found in, individuals from the 13 drama series Foreign exchange has opened up, AHS will rank no less than No. 2 all-in time grownups 18-49 behind The Shield, and there is possible that may be our finest ever. Landgraf also noted the spike in social media traffic triggered with the AHS premiere. Due to its premiere evening, including two encores, AHS averaged 5 million audiences, 3.2 million of those inside the grownups 18-49 demo.

Jon Hamm on Working With Partner Jennifer Westfeldt

Jon Hamm on Working With Partner Jennifer Westfeldt By Scott Feinberg October 5, 2011 Photo by Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt Last month, I had the opportunity to meet up in Toronto with Jon Hamm, the actor best known for his starring role on AMC's hit television show "Mad Men," all four seasons of which have brought him Emmy nominations for best actor in a drama (but, inexplicably, no wins). Hamm, 40, was in town to attend the world premiere of "Friends with Kids," the feature directorial debut of his longtime partner Jennifer Westfeldt, at the Toronto International Film Festival. The indie romantic-dramedy, which Westfeldt also wrote and stars in, and which Hamm co-produced and plays a small but memorable part in, played like gangbusters at its world premiere, was acquired shortly thereafter by Lionsgate (the same studio that produces "Mad Men"), and will be released in theaters sometime next spring. During our time together, Hamm and I discussed that and much more.Some highlights of our conversation...On getting into acting: "I was always kind of outspoken, and rarely shy, and, from a very early age, was, sort of, on board with standing up in front of other people and making an idiot out of myself, so it wasn't too big of a leap to turn that into a possible vocational decision."On moving out west after college (for which he'd had a theater scholarship): "Coming from St. Louis, Missouri to Los Angeles, California is a significant paradigm shift, to say the least... I basically didn't work for three years -- I, sort of, auditioned for a lot of things, and went up to a certain point in the audition process, and then would, sort of, fail... but I was either naive enough, or confident enough, or dumb enough, or some combination of the three to not get too terrifically discouraged... I'd never really done anything else -- I'd taught school, and I always knew that that was, like, a fallback position if it ever got dire."On meeting Westfeldt: "Jen and I met in L.A. at a party -- a mutual friend's birthday party... completely random meeting... she was out here auditioning for a pilot or something... and I was, too... and she got an audition for Jake Kasdan's film "Zero Effect" [1998]... and wanted to read with somebody who was a guy, and she didn't really know any guys out here, so she called... and that was, kind of, how we first officially met, running scenes from "Zero Effect." Apparently I wasn't very good, 'cause she didn't get the part."On finally starting to 'make it': "I started working steadily just before 2000... I finally started working, and that's, you know, when I was able to, kind of, not wait tables every day or every other day, and was making enough money to actually pay my bills and not put them off -- that was a pretty good feeling. And I ended up getting a television show called "The Division" [on which he appeared from 2002-2004], which I worked on for three years, and that was a steady paycheck, which was the first time in my existence that that had really happened. And that was actually around the time of "Kissing Jessica Stein" [the popular 2001 romantic-comedy co-written by and starring Westfeldt and featuring Hamm in a small role]... and then, you know, you know, that show ended, and a pilot here and a thing there." On landing the role of Don Draper in "Mad Men" six years ago: "They certainly didn't 'go to me.' I had to audition for it many, many, many times... The network, the studio, and everybody else wanted a big star to hang it on, and Matt [Weiner]'s thought process, which I think is wise, was, you know, 'This guy is basically an enigma. I don't think we can have a person who comes in with a lot of star persona really effectively do it.' And it was to my great benefit, so I'm happy that he fought for me."On his willingness to play supporting roles in films (i.e. "The Day the Earth Stood Still," "The Town," "Bridesmaids," and "Friends with Kids") even after becoming a bona fide leading man on TV: "I like to work with people whose work I respect and whose work interests me in some way... it's nice to have the opportunity to do that, I think. Unfortunately, sometimes you can get a little pigeonholed into one thing, and, you know, banging on the same piano key, after a while, is a little repetitive and maybe not so interesting, so it's nice to be able to, kind of, switch it up."On the genesis of "Friends with Kids:" "We had, kind of, been talking about just the idea of what's happened to our, sort of, 'friend-base,' and we realized, 'Oh, they all had kids!' We went to, like, nine one-year-old birthday parties in one year and were like, 'Wow, man, we have a lot of friends with kids -- this is crazy!' And we watched them and watched how parenthood takes a toll... And then she basically decided to write it down."On the night they decided to make "Friends with Kids:" "We had a table read of it at our house with Adam [Scott]... Jason Segel... Paul F. Tompkins... a bunch of fun people came and read. We were like, 'Come on, you want to read this? We'd love to have you. We'll make some pasta. Free wine!' And it, kind of, played well."On the challenges of making "Friends with Kids:" "We shot this movie over 24 days in one of NY's worst winters in something like three or four decades, [which] presented production challenges, but... we got it done, somehow... and we're thrilled with the result."On the first question begged by "Friends with Kids:" Were he and Westfeldt friends first? "Oh, yeah, very much so. She was involved with somebody, and I may have been involved, as well. Yeah, we were friends for a long time before we officially started dating -- and we've never gotten out of the 'dating' thing. We're still in it."On the second question begged by "Friends with Kids:" Do they have kids? "We don't. It's always on the periphery of the discussion, but we do not have children. You know, it's a tricky balance to strike. And I have a tremendous amount of respect for my friends who do balance this particular career with raising a kid, 'cause it's a tricky environment to bring them into... So not for us just yet."On the third question begged by "Friends with Kids:" Was it ever considered that he, rather than Adam Scott, would play Westfeldt's romantic interest in the film? "No. You know, we see enough of each other during the day. That has its own set of landmines, and pitfalls, and whatnot, and our relationship is -- I don't think -- something we need to explore on screen."On season five of "Mad Men" (will air in 2012): "We just started, so we're at the bottom of a very steep, very long hill, and I'm looking forward to getting to the top of it... It's tremendously fun. I love it. It's a great job. You know, at my advanced age, it's a nice thing to be able to work on something that you really enjoy... It's impossible to quantify what the show has done for my career and, sort of, footprint in the industry... it's been, you know, huge, and I certainly wouldn't be having this conversation -- or any conversations -- without it." The Hollywood Reporter Jon Hamm on Working With Partner Jennifer Westfeldt By Scott Feinberg October 5, 2011 Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt PHOTO CREDIT Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images Last month, I had the opportunity to meet up in Toronto with Jon Hamm, the actor best known for his starring role on AMC's hit television show "Mad Men," all four seasons of which have brought him Emmy nominations for best actor in a drama (but, inexplicably, no wins). Hamm, 40, was in town to attend the world premiere of "Friends with Kids," the feature directorial debut of his longtime partner Jennifer Westfeldt, at the Toronto International Film Festival. The indie romantic-dramedy, which Westfeldt also wrote and stars in, and which Hamm co-produced and plays a small but memorable part in, played like gangbusters at its world premiere, was acquired shortly thereafter by Lionsgate (the same studio that produces "Mad Men"), and will be released in theaters sometime next spring. During our time together, Hamm and I discussed that and much more.Some highlights of our conversation...On getting into acting: "I was always kind of outspoken, and rarely shy, and, from a very early age, was, sort of, on board with standing up in front of other people and making an idiot out of myself, so it wasn't too big of a leap to turn that into a possible vocational decision."On moving out west after college (for which he'd had a theater scholarship): "Coming from St. Louis, Missouri to Los Angeles, California is a significant paradigm shift, to say the least... I basically didn't work for three years -- I, sort of, auditioned for a lot of things, and went up to a certain point in the audition process, and then would, sort of, fail... but I was either naive enough, or confident enough, or dumb enough, or some combination of the three to not get too terrifically discouraged... I'd never really done anything else -- I'd taught school, and I always knew that that was, like, a fallback position if it ever got dire."On meeting Westfeldt: "Jen and I met in L.A. at a party -- a mutual friend's birthday party... completely random meeting... she was out here auditioning for a pilot or something... and I was, too... and she got an audition for Jake Kasdan's film "Zero Effect" [1998]... and wanted to read with somebody who was a guy, and she didn't really know any guys out here, so she called... and that was, kind of, how we first officially met, running scenes from "Zero Effect." Apparently I wasn't very good, 'cause she didn't get the part."On finally starting to 'make it': "I started working steadily just before 2000... I finally started working, and that's, you know, when I was able to, kind of, not wait tables every day or every other day, and was making enough money to actually pay my bills and not put them off -- that was a pretty good feeling. And I ended up getting a television show called "The Division" [on which he appeared from 2002-2004], which I worked on for three years, and that was a steady paycheck, which was the first time in my existence that that had really happened. And that was actually around the time of "Kissing Jessica Stein" [the popular 2001 romantic-comedy co-written by and starring Westfeldt and featuring Hamm in a small role]... and then, you know, you know, that show ended, and a pilot here and a thing there." On landing the role of Don Draper in "Mad Men" six years ago: "They certainly didn't 'go to me.' I had to audition for it many, many, many times... The network, the studio, and everybody else wanted a big star to hang it on, and Matt [Weiner]'s thought process, which I think is wise, was, you know, 'This guy is basically an enigma. I don't think we can have a person who comes in with a lot of star persona really effectively do it.' And it was to my great benefit, so I'm happy that he fought for me."On his willingness to play supporting roles in films (i.e. "The Day the Earth Stood Still," "The Town," "Bridesmaids," and "Friends with Kids") even after becoming a bona fide leading man on TV: "I like to work with people whose work I respect and whose work interests me in some way... it's nice to have the opportunity to do that, I think. Unfortunately, sometimes you can get a little pigeonholed into one thing, and, you know, banging on the same piano key, after a while, is a little repetitive and maybe not so interesting, so it's nice to be able to, kind of, switch it up."On the genesis of "Friends with Kids:" "We had, kind of, been talking about just the idea of what's happened to our, sort of, 'friend-base,' and we realized, 'Oh, they all had kids!' We went to, like, nine one-year-old birthday parties in one year and were like, 'Wow, man, we have a lot of friends with kids -- this is crazy!' And we watched them and watched how parenthood takes a toll... And then she basically decided to write it down."On the night they decided to make "Friends with Kids:" "We had a table read of it at our house with Adam [Scott]... Jason Segel... Paul F. Tompkins... a bunch of fun people came and read. We were like, 'Come on, you want to read this? We'd love to have you. We'll make some pasta. Free wine!' And it, kind of, played well."On the challenges of making "Friends with Kids:" "We shot this movie over 24 days in one of NY's worst winters in something like three or four decades, [which] presented production challenges, but... we got it done, somehow... and we're thrilled with the result."On the first question begged by "Friends with Kids:" Were he and Westfeldt friends first? "Oh, yeah, very much so. She was involved with somebody, and I may have been involved, as well. Yeah, we were friends for a long time before we officially started dating -- and we've never gotten out of the 'dating' thing. We're still in it."On the second question begged by "Friends with Kids:" Do they have kids? "We don't. It's always on the periphery of the discussion, but we do not have children. You know, it's a tricky balance to strike. And I have a tremendous amount of respect for my friends who do balance this particular career with raising a kid, 'cause it's a tricky environment to bring them into... So not for us just yet."On the third question begged by "Friends with Kids:" Was it ever considered that he, rather than Adam Scott, would play Westfeldt's romantic interest in the film? "No. You know, we see enough of each other during the day. That has its own set of landmines, and pitfalls, and whatnot, and our relationship is -- I don't think -- something we need to explore on screen."On season five of "Mad Men" (will air in 2012): "We just started, so we're at the bottom of a very steep, very long hill, and I'm looking forward to getting to the top of it... It's tremendously fun. I love it. It's a great job. You know, at my advanced age, it's a nice thing to be able to work on something that you really enjoy... It's impossible to quantify what the show has done for my career and, sort of, footprint in the industry... it's been, you know, huge, and I certainly wouldn't be having this conversation -- or any conversations -- without it." The Hollywood Reporter

David Cronenberg, Michael Fassbender Bring Their Dangerous Method to NYFF

How does Keira Knightley devour so much scenery in A Dangerous Method yet stay so thin? That was the big question Tuesday at Lincoln Center, where her director David Cronenberg and co-star Michael Fassbender dropped by to meet the press ahead of tonight’s NY Film Festival premiere of Method. All right, so that wasn’t the exact question for Cronenberg, whose leading lady couldn’t make the afternoon panel comprising himself, Fassbender, screenwriter Christopher Hampton, producer Jeremy Thomas and NYFF programmer extraordinaire Scott Foundas. But it basically does get to the immediate issue with A Dangerous Method, a terminally dramatic glimpse at the overlapping relationships between Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (Fassbender), his hysterical patient-turned-masochist lover-turned-gifted protg Sabina Speilrein (Knightley), and the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen). Set in the decade before World War I, their tempestuous romantic and intellectual clashes presage the ravaged Europe to come, right down to one character’s haunting apocalyptic visions. What they don’t quite do is congeal in any especially cinematic way, transplanting instead the chatty conventions of Hampton’s source play The Talking Cure (itself based on John Kerr’s book A Most Dangerous Method) to Cronenberg’s meticulously reconstructed Zurich and Vienna. Fassbender and Mortensen embody all the entitlements of their influence, each doing smart work against the other’s buttoned-down, tobacco-huffing academe. But they can only stand back as Knightley takes over, Jung’s admitted “catalyst” who sparks everything from revolutionary advancements on his “talking cure” (which is basically just him sitting behind Spielrein as she juts, jolts and contorts the contents of her soul upon admittance to his university’s hysteria clinic) to eye-popping, bodice-ripping, ass-whipping kink. “It’s a lot of acting — maybe not good acting — but it sure gets the point across,” my colleague Stephanie Zacharek wrote following Method’s Venice Film Festival premiere. Indeed, it’s insufferable in the early going, which also — not coincidentally, for the filmmaker whose canon is synonymous with the phrase “body-horror” — happen to be Cronenberg’s most visually adventurous span, experimenting with depth of field in rich, deep slate- and molasses-hued interiors. But one thing at a time. Why so… I don’t know, hysterical? “Unbeknownst to me, Keira went to Christopher for advice, and that screwed it all up,” Cronenberg joked, coaxing a laugh from the packed house at the Walter Reade Theater. “It took me ages to undo the damage that did. But he did give her a stack of book to read, as did I, in fact. “Beyond that,” the director continued. “We began of course with the first scenes, which were the hysteria scenes. Hysteria was a disease that seems to have disappeared; it seems to have been a product of that era and the repression of women that was part of that culture. In fact, the word ‘hysteria’ comes the Greek word that means ‘uterus,’ and at times they would actually remove the uterus of a hysterical woman thinking that would cure her. That gives you a bit of the context. However extreme it might seem at the beginning is actually very subdued compared to what Sabina Spielrein would have presented to Jung. In fact, Christopher has mentioned that he’s actually seen the notes that Jung wrote upon her admission detailing her symptoms. So we knew what the symptoms of her particular hysteria were, and then there’s actually filmed footage of hysterical patients at the turn of the century, and a lot of photos of it [from] Dr. [Jean-Martin] Charcot, who was a big influence on Freud and specialized in hysteria. It was all these strange paralyses and hysterical laughters and deforming of the body and twisting and tormenting your physical parts… All of these are documented. “So for me, basically, it was to decide how high you could pitch that,” Cronenberg said. “It’s very difficult to watch; it makes you feel very uncomfortable, as it would. But I have to deliver the disease to you, the audience, so you would understand why she was completely disabled. She was dysfunctional, and that’s why she was brought to this institute — because she couldn’t function. So we had to show how extreme it was, and I thought it should really be centered around her mouth. Because she is being asked by Jung — it is called ‘the talking cure’ — to say unspeakable things about herself, about grief, about her sexuality, about her masochism and all that. Masturbation — things that you were not supposed to speak about. So the idea that she should be trying to speak — the words try to come out, but another part of her tries to prevent those words from coming out, to deform them so that they’re not understandable. That’s how we did that, and so on. Gradually, she loses the hysteria and becomes more and more confident under Jung’s tutelage and has her affair, so you can see the evolution of the character.” Fair enough. Like everything, it’s a matter of taste, and Knightley suited Cronenberg’s so exquisitely that Method actually used less production time than it needed. “By the time we got to the set, Keira was there,” he said. “It was fantastic. We did two takes, and done.” “It was quite incredible,” Fassbender added. “I’d just add to that how we were, what? Four days ahead by week two?” “Well, actually,” Cronenberg replied, “after three days, we were five days ahead. Which seems impossible, but part of it was that I had boarded the schedule taking into account how difficult it might be to develop Keira’s performance. I had never worked with her before, and this was very difficult stuff, and it was terrain that sort of was new to her. And she was just so good, and so right on, that we were finished in no time.”

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