Four items to check out….

Sara Beck, on January 30th, tweeted: The snow is making me excited about hitting the road with Kevin Costner & Modern West in February....snow in Berlin sounds pretty memorable~ and on January 31st Sara tweeted: Braving the snowy streets to go in search of winter socks. Traveling with cold feet gets me down, and I hear Germany is chilly!

Contactmusic.com reported that Kevin announced that he’s getting ready to start shooting a World War II drama and while in Germany on tour he will cast four or five German actors. They quoted Kevin on his singing as saying, “I am always totally nervous before I go on. And that's not because I am not prepared, it's because I am scared that the people have certain expectations for the evening which I cannot fulfill. Or that my voice won't hang on."
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/kevin-costner-going-to-war_1130380

Another Turkish Airlines ad poster at the following link: (Note: the article is not worth reading)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/big-in-japan-the-stars-who-shine-in-unlikely-places-1884307.html

Excerpt: Twelve hundred men sat silently inside New Hope Community Church on Saturday morning watching Kevin Costner plunge from a helicopter into a churning sea. Playing a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Costner fought powerful waves and a desperate, frightened man to save two lives in the clip from "The Guardian." Earlier Mike Silva, a Christian evangelist based in Portland, had reminded participants in the Northwest Men's Conference of the rescue swimmers' motto: "So others may live." When the clip ended, the lights came back on. The room was still quiet. See the article at the following link:
http://www.oregonlive.com/living/index.ssf/2010/01/hundreds_of_christian_men_gath.html

Some more about ‘The Company Men’…..

From Ned Prickett who interviewed John Wells – Excerpt: “And Kevin Costner called me out of the blue and said he wanted to play Jack. He had read the script because someone he knew had it and said it was a good piece and he called me and said he could do it.” See the interview at the following link:
http://blastmagazine.com/the-magazine/entertainment/movies/sundance-2010/2010/01/sundance-2010-blast-interviews-director-john-wells/

From Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein – Excerpt: Fourteen-year-old Anthony O’Leary credits Ben Affleck and Kevin Costner for making him feel comfortable on the set of “The Company Men,’’ director John Wells’s fine new film about corporate downsizing. It’s the first film for O’Leary, who plays Affleck’s son. “While John was setting up scenes, Kevin played football with me and some other kids,’’…..The made-in-Massachusetts movie,…..got good reviews at the Sundance Film Festival and a rave response at this week’s screening at the Coolidge. See the article at the following link:
http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2010/01/30/pauly_d_of_jersey_shore_spins_tunes_in_boston/

Also from Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein – Excerpt: ‘Company Men’ screening Director John Wells screened his new film, “The Company Men,’’ at the Coolidge Corner Theatre last night. The downsizing drama starring Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, and Kevin Costner was shot in Boston last year. Some of the cast and crew saw it the night before at Kendall Square Cinema, after which Wells and a few others, including actor Tom Kemp, headed to Tommy Doyle’s in Harvard Square. . . . Article at the following link:
http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2010/01/29/anne_hathaway_riding_high_at_harvard/

From Jacob Soboroff who talks to Ben Affleck, Rosemarie DeWitt and Chris Cooper about The Company Men – two videos at the following link:
http://www.amctv.com/videos/amc-news/?bcpid=13955382001&bclid=62932215001&bctid=63424709001

From Jim Brunzell III – Grade B – Review excerpt: A film with Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, and Kevin Costner doesn't really scream independent or Sundance; it's flawed but is also well-acted, engaging, and shows how the recession is blowing up in everyone's face without any promise of letting up anytime soon. The Company Men should have no problem finding a home in theaters and on DVD. See the review at the following link:
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2010/01/29/movies-report-sundance

Some various links to check out…..

A large version of the Flickr slideshow I have on my blog. This link was given to me by Tessa. Thanks Tessa!
http://www.flickr.com/search/show/?q=kevin+costner+modern+west

Two pictures of Kevin in Turkish Airlines ads at the following links:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/l-jeezy/4278749556/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mixofsunandcloud/4282743753/

See picture of Kevin with Tim Hoctor and Joe Sweigart at the following link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joesweigart/4298720858/
I thought Joe Sweigart sounded familiar so I checked through my resources and found this link:
http://www.stogiefresh.com/journal/Cigar_Journal/Journal_Main/Entries/2008/7/28_New_Book_by_Joe_Sweigart.html

See the video ad for one of Kevin Costner and Modern West’s upcoming European concerts at the following link:
http://www.vox.de/583_13438.php?media=video1&set_id=25297
Again, thanks to Tessa for passing this along!

More on ‘The Company Men’……

From Christine Tell-Lorenz: We’re attending Thursday night’s premiere of The Company Men at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline and we’re interviewing director, John Wells. If you have a burning question you’d love to ask him, let us know and we’ll ask for you! Filmed-in-Mass The Company Men, stars Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Ben Affleck, and Kevin Costner. Post your question or email us at info@hollywoodeastconnection.com
Christine’s website at the following link:
http://hollywoodeastconnection.com/?p=4453

From Boston’s Inside Track – Excerpt: Ben’s latest flick, co-starring Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper and Kevin Costner has been playing to rave reviews out in Park City. Entertainment Weekly called it “a shrewd, juicy, timely, and terrifically engrossing big-cast Sundance drama that marks the feature directorial debut of John Wells (best known as the executive producer and head writer of ‘ER‘).” And New York maggie decreed “The Company Men” is “a sterling drama about corporate downsizing in Boston that rattled nerves, stoked anger, and sparked Oscar gossip. It’s the movie ‘Up in the Air’ should have been.” The flick will get a local Sundance screening at the Coolidge Corner Theatre Thursday night. See article at the following link:
http://news.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view/20100126ben_affleck/srvc=home&position=also

From Isaac Russell - Excerpt: Another film that sounds like it might be a "Wall Street"-like story, is called "Company Men" (starring Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, and Tommy Lee Jones). Anyone who has been a victim of corporate downsizing or who has had to lay off employees will appreciate this film. It is a stark and honest look at the mental challenges of being a boss bearing bad news. Affleck really gets into character here, showing us the dark side of the C-Level Executive, the impact that corporate decisions have on the average, hard-working company employee, and the repercussions that doing unpleasant work have on a person’s personal life, sense of self-worth, and down into the soul. See the review at the following link:
http://www.edgesanfrancisco.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=movies&sc2=&sc3=&id=101465

A mixed review from Damon Wise – Excerpt: The Company Men was the jewel in Friday night's screening schedule….. Clearly, this being an American movie, there has to be a moral to all this, which is why we get Kevin Costner as Bobby's brother-in-law, the man who sneers at Bobby's former yuppie lifestyle but proves to be an unlikely saviour in his time of need. See the review at the following link:
http://www.empireonline.com/empireblogs/under-the-radar/post/p754

See the John Wells on “The Company Men” Video interview (no KC mention) at the following link:
http://makingof.com/posts/watch/1189/john-wells-on-the-company-men

From Peter Howell, an article entitled: ‘The Company Men, a fine film the studios wouldn’t make’ – Excerpt: Wells is still hopeful of making a deal at Sundance with a distributor that shares his view of The Company Men as being more than just another drama. But he realizes he can't afford to be too choosy. "If only one person offers to distribute it, I will have to distribute it in whatever form it can be distributed because I would like people to see it." It's a harsh kind of reality for a movie that seeks to be as real and as truthful as possible. Read the article at the following link:
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/sundance/article/756289--howell-the-company-men-a-fine-film-the-studios-wouldn-t-make

‘The Company Men’ perspective buyer and more reviews….

Hannover House, the entertainment distribution division of Target Development Group, Inc has closed its first acquisition agreement at the Sundance Film Festival, and is moving towards closure on three additional titles, reports company C.E.O. Eric Parkinson…..Hannover is also pursuing several high-profile theatrical titles at the Sundance Festival. "The Company Men" starring Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper and Kevin Costner, directed by John Wells, is one of Hannover's top targets and negotiations have commenced with C.A.A., the agency representing the film, according to the article at the following link:
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0580088.htm
For information about Hannover House and Target Development Group, see the following links:
http://www.HannoverHouse.com
http://www.TargetDevelopmentGroup.com

From Kevin Z. – Excerpt: By all accounts this has been one of the snooziest Sundance Festivals yet, at least for the non-documentary crowd. The Ben Affleck/Tommy Lee Jones/Kevin Costner drama about corporate layoffs, The Company Men, is still being touted as this year’s best chance for a breakthrough, although Sundance may have some tricks up its sleeve yet. See the article at the following link:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978013807&grpId=3659174697243100&nav=Groupspace

From Larry Carroll – Excerpt: ….These days, Affleck is promoting "The Company Men" — an intimate drama about men dealing with a round of corporate downsizing at their company. Co-starring Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones, the film premiered to mostly positive reviews over the weekend. See the article at the following link:
http://www.vh1.com/movies/news/articles/1630470/20100125/story.jhtml?rsspartner=rssYahooNewscrawler

From David Germain – Excerpt: "The film invites us to ask ourselves for a moment how big a deal it is to go from a job that pays $160,000 a year to a job that pays $60,000 a year. How big a deal is it to give up your Porsche?" Jones said. "I don't think there's a single citizen in Haiti that wouldn't be happy to go to a job that pays $60,000 a year, or $6,000 a year. On the scale of things, this movie I think invites us to consider our materialism and the emotional and spiritual stakes that we put into it, and considers to some degree that that might be mistaken." See the review at the following link:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gH1mYqoRCQTvwPNNiJ3OmTcUXqGg

From Neil Miller – Excerpt: He shows Bobby to be a responsible, if conflicted family man, and has great rapport with his co-stars, especially a very Bostonian Kevin Costner, who plays his blue collar brother in law…..It’s an often-powerful film, driven by performance and Wells’ keen eye for the little visual nuances that surround these men…..Ten years down the line, this could serve as one of the better examinations of this situation. But right now, it is heartbreaking. See the review at the following link:
http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/reviews/sundance-review-the-company-men.php

From Paul Fischer – Excerpt: "The Company Men" is a film that delves into these issues, yet writer/director Wells does not imbue his film with simplistic answers or hit his audience over the head. Superbly and elegantly crafted, this directorial debut is an impressive achievement as it combines intricate characterization with narrative depth and cohesion. See the review at the following link:
http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/16159

From Patrick Z. McGavin – Excerpt: The first narrative feature of the powerhouse television producer John Wells (“ER,” “Southland”), “The Company Men” is an absorbing and often painfully observant work about the interlocking fortunes of three corporate executives whose mounting unease and loss of identity is exacerbated by the profound economic downturn…. “The Company Men” is not perfect, but it’s alive to feeling and gets at mood, frustration, despair and anger that make it very a work of its time that is uneasy, sharp and unfortunately all too realistic. See the review at the following link:
http://www.emanuellevy.com/reviews/details.cfm?id=15099

Two reviews that weren’t favorable by David Fear, Katey Rich and Tim Grierson, at the following links:
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Sundance-Review-The-Company-Men-16691.html
http://www3.timeoutny.com/chicago/blog/out-and-about/2010/01/sundance-2010-first-looks-the-company-men-the-shock-doctrine/
http://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-company-men/5009948.article

TV Alert: GillznFinz Television at KC’s ranch…..

This Week (posted January 25th) on GillznFinz we Hang out at Kevin Costner's Ranch in Aspen Colorado with Umphrey's Mcgee and Dangermuffin and catch some trout...Tune in to see if we broke the lake record! on VERSUS!
Versus: 7:30am Monday / 3:00pm Tuesday / 1:00pm Thursday
Also at the same time on:
World Fishing Network HD (Dish Network 394)
Untamed Sports TV (Direct TV 340)
America One Network
RSN – Resort Sports Network
(Check your local listings and times but this seems to not be listed on Tvguide.com so you'll have to check the TV at times it could be on. Not sure if it is EST or CST or PST)
Found a posting that says it will re-air on February 8, 2010, on Versus and WFN and UTF.

See GillznFinz Television on Facebook at the following link:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/GillznFinz-Television/24640438723?ref=nf

The buzz about possible purchase of ‘The Company Men’…..

By Sharon Swart and Pamela McClintock - Excerpt: One of the first high-profile movies to premiere at the fest this year was John Wells' "The Company Men," featuring a starry cast, including Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner. Movie has plenty of pedigree, but buyers and their marketers are grappling with how to sell the gloomy storyline, which, like "Up in the Air," revolves around layoffs and downsizing. Article at the following link:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014226.html?categoryId=13&cs=1

From Dan Mecca – Excerpt: In other bidding news, the word on the street is that movie business vet John Wells’ corporate drama The Company Men (starring Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones and Ben Affleck) is generating a lot of heat. One has to wonder how much of the positive buzz comes from the nice-looking teaser that came out online about a week ago? Could the film get the highest bid at the festival? Article at the following link:
http://thefilmstage.com/2010/01/24/sundance-lionsgate-gets-buried-company-men-stock-soars-catfish-hunted/

From John Horn - Excerpt: Among the high-profile movies that did not immediatelty sell were Ben Affleck and Kevin Costner in the layoff story "The Company Men," Natalie Portman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the dark comedy "Hesher," Kristen Stewart and James Gandolfini in the runaway redemption tale "Welcome to the Rileys" and James Franco as poet Allen Ginsberg in "Howl." Article at the following link:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/01/sundance-2010-buried-lands-first-big-deal-1.html

From Mike Fleming - Excerpt: But I'm hearing the biggest money deal might go to the John Wells-directed The Company Men. Then again it carries a bigger budget and more stars than most Sundance efforts. Aside from the Sundance preem, screenings are being held for studios back in Hollywood. Article at the following link:
http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/biggest-sundance-money-deal-for-john-wells/

Some more ‘The Company Men’ reviews…..

Review by Brandon Lee Tenney – Excerpt: Well's nearly pitch-perfect screenplay captures the utter bleakness of our current economic recession and how it's effecting the people who can't afford a golden umbrella…..The three leading men (Affleck, Jones, and Cooper) all turn out splendid performances. Their characters are deep and real and all of them are able to bring what is ostensibly an internal turmoil to the forefront of the film's exterior. They're joined by a wonderful supporting cast including Craig T. Nelson, Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, and Rosemarie DeWitt, all of who are great. See the review at the following link:
http://www.firstshowing.net/2010/01/24/brandons-sundance-review-john-wells-the-company-men/

Review by Bilge Ebiri – Excerpt: When Bobby takes a job with his contractor brother-in-law (a great Kevin Costner),….. Wells pulls back at just the right moment, making it clear that Costner's character doesn't have it any easier than anyone else….The existential gloom the film has charted never really dissipates. It feels a bit weird to call that a breath of fresh air in these days of artificial moral uplift, but, well, there it is. See the review at the following link:
http://www.ifc.com/blogs/indie-eye/2010/01/company-men.php

Review by Karina Longworth – Excerpt: The Company Men is the kind of Oscar-ready adult drama that movie studios used to make, and now mostly don't. Just a few years ago, it would have been produced by a major conglomerate and released just after Thanksgiving…..But Hollywood has changed as the fortunes of the nation have, and now Sundance -- the film festival that has branded itself as a showcase for "cinematic rebellion" -- is also the only refuge left for the kind of film that used to fit comfortably in the middle of the movie industry. It's a new global economy after all. See the review at the following link:
http://www.voicefilm.com/2010/01/the_company_men.php

Review by Noel Murray – Excerpt: The cast alone is reason enough to see The Company Men… See the review at the following link:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/noel-murray-sundance-10-day-three,37439/

Several reviews of ‘The Company Men’…..

Review by S.T. Vanairsdate - Excerpt: The high-octane recession parable The Company Men entered the Sundance zeitgeist Friday night, screening again this morning to a monumentally stuffed, 1,270-person strong Eccles Theater. The question going in seemed to be, “Do we really need another Up in the Air right now?” The answer, of course, would be “No.” But The Company Men isn’t just another Up in the Air. It’s better. See the review at the following link:
http://www.movieline.com/2010/01/company-men-when-ben-met-tommy-lee-met-chris-met-kevin.php

Review by Todd McCarthy - Excerpt: Despite its strong name cast, the picture has more the air of a deluxe cable TV offering than of a viable theatrical attraction….Cooper, Jones and Nelson shrewdly underplay in cagey-old-vet fashion, while Costner's common man seems years younger and healthier. See the review at the following link:
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117941949.html?categoryid=31&cs=1

Review by Rob Thomas – Excerpt: Kevin Costner also has a small but effective role as Bobby's brother-in-law, a blue-collar carpenter who eventually hires him on…..Wells said the fact that these boom-and-bust periods seem to always hurt ordinary workers the most indicates that it's time to evaluate how the entire economy is structured. "It's really time that we look at how this all works," Wells said. "It seems like the people on the top always skate away while the people in the middle get smashed." See the review at the following link:
http://host.madison.com/entertainment/movies/reviews/article_fc6642b4-089e-11df-a669-001cc4c002e0.html

Review by Kirk Honeycutt – Excerpt: Naturally, Wells attracts top-flight talent, so this “first-timer” has Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones to head his cast. That ought to help out a film that could meet considerable box office resistance. Those who have been laid off know all about this and those hanging on probably don’t want to hear about it. A distributor can expect only modest returns, although the film may show up in college courses in a decade or two when students study the calamitous recession of the early 21st century. See the review at the following link:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film-reviews/the-company-men-film-review-1004061388.story

Review by Christopher Kelly – Excerpt: ….it deserves considerable credit for capturing so many precise details of middle-class unemployment…..And the cast — which also includes Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married) as Affleck’s wife, Kevin Costner in a small role as his working-class brother-in-law and Craig T. Nelson as a heartless corporate CEO — is uniformly terrific. Here’s hoping a distributor takes a chance on this downbeat but deeply relevant effort. See the review at the following link:
http://www.star-telegram.com/entertainment/story/1917290.html

Review by Steve ‘Frosty’ Weintraub and David Chen – on VIDEO at the following link:
http://www.collider.com/2010/01/23/sundance-video-review-john-wells-the-company-men-starring-tommy-lee-jones-ben-affleck-chris-cooper-and-rosemary-dewitt/

Company Men review from /Film on Vimeo.

Posted by Aaron and Loren – Excerpt: I got the last (golden) ticket. 'The Company Men' stars Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Craig T. Nelson, and Kevin Costner. It really is quite a good movie about today's economy and what it all means to the people finding themselves laid off in the wake of corporate greed. See their blog and a picture of the movie ticket, at the following link:
http://aaronandloren.blogspot.com/2010/01/good-movie-day.html

Remember this? “Kevin Costner Throws The Pigskin” at Extra while filming ‘The Company Men’ at the following link:
http://extratv.warnerbros.com/videos/?autoplay=true&mediaKey=9e917a14-162c-4015-be3a-3bb8cde66cee&isShareURL=true

More ‘The Company Men’ reviews and some Tweets…..

Review by Owen Gleiberman, entitled: Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, and Chris Cooper are superb in ‘The Company Men,’ a juicy drama of downsized executives. Owen says, “Bobby, with the mortgage payment due, goes to work as a carpenter for his honest-prole brother-in-law, played by Kevin Costner with gruff, gone-to-seed nobility……The Company Men, I have no trouble saying after just two days at Sundance, is destined to be one of the talked-about highlights of the festival.” See full review at the following link:
http://movie-critics.ew.com/2010/01/23/a-juicy-drama-of-downsized-excutives/

Review by Erik Davis who says, “a ball-busting brother-in-law (Kevin Costner in a scene-stealing performance)” – see the full review at the following link:
http://www.cinematical.com/2010/01/23/the-company-men-review-sundance/

Review by Hollywood-elsewhere, says: “Kevin Costner has a smallish role in Company Men as the house-renovating brother of Affleck's wife, played by Rosemary DeWitt. He doesn't have very many lines, but I wish the story had been mostly about him because he's easily the most appealing personality on the boat.” See full review at the following link:
http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2010/01/downish_trapped.php

NY said: “Waited about an hour to try to see the world premiere of THE COMPANY MEN @ Eccles starring Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, and Maria Bello- no such luck...”
http://ny-notes.blogspot.com/2010/01/wait-listing.html

Tweet: athensbynite RT @PriveAccess: Adrien Brodi, Ashton, Wilmer, Kevin Costner, Ben Affleck, and more all stopping by The Actors Lodge tonight


Sundance 2010 The Actors Lodge - Today Privé international was at The Actors Lodge. This is a venue where celebrities and vips will be able to relax, conduct interviews, and socialize. Description and pictures at the following link:
http://blog.priveinternational.com/2010/01/21/sundance-2010-the-actors-lodge/

Tweet: rnmphotography Just got called to shoot a Sundance Film Festival party with Bill Murray, Ben Affleck and Kevin Costner. One of my... Links to:http://www.facebook.com/ryanmuirheadphotography/posts/244985287705

Tweet: CoachPriest Sundance Film Fest: Just saw world premiere of Company Men starring Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, and Tommy Lee Jones. I smell Oscars! Go C It

Tweet: marthaGroves Loving "Company Men" at Sundance Film Fest. Affleck, Jones, Costner--all terrific. Writer John Wells based it on his bro-in-law's job loss.

The first Sundance review of ‘The Company Men’….

The review is by Gregory Ellwood and is entitled: “Is Ben Affleck and Tommy Lee Jones’ ‘Company Men’ Sundance’s first Oscar player?” Gregory says, “Kevin Costner is superb as Affleck's blue-collar brother-in-law” and “for fans of strong acting and smart storytelling, "Company" will be one not to miss.” He thinks a distributor may want to hit theaters with it as soon as possible. You can read the whole review at the following link:
http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-11-awards-campaign-2009/posts/is-ben-affleck-and-tommy-lee-jones-company-men-sundance-s-first-oscar-player

Some miscellaneous items….

From twitter: ericcalderon: I don't normally name drop, but holy crap I just met with Kevin Costner! We talked about animation! Craziness!!! (about 12 hours ago – which would be 2pm, 01-21-09 in L.A.)

Also from twitter: KellyBergin: Kevin Costner at the W hotel! I'm here (about 4 hours ago, which would be 9pm PST)

See the Waterworld, 1995 Gottlieb picture – “This is, surprisingly, not the most expensive pinball machine ever made. But boy does Kevin Costner look heroic in the backglass art” at the following link:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/reviews/4342588.html?page=4

See the photo from the Edmonton Ball concert, I think, at the following link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelkryton/4272525936/

A nice story about a Chef at Le Cirque, Benjamin Lambert, whose grandfather told the story: “Benjamin invited Kevin Costner to go golfing but due to work obligations he was unable to, however, he (Costner) later came back to the restaurant with a very expensive bottle of wine which he shared with the kitchen staff.” See the article at the following link:
http://www.timesreporter.com/news/x201792143/Chef-with-local-ties-serves-Obamas

See the video of several celebrities for M6Tv. Kevin is shown about 3 times, at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2fKeuuXotg

More of the buzz about “The Company Men”…...

Excerpt by Movie Geeks: “Just looking at the cast list…that’s quite a lineup….The film sounds like UP IN THE AIR by way of TRAFFIC,…. Seems like the film is perfect fodder for a few of these actors to really show their stuff and possibly earn a couple of Oscar nominations come 2011. We’ll have to wait and see on that. For now, we’re just excited enough to be seeing it next week.
http://wearemoviegeeks.com/2010/01/sundance-2010-our-16-most-anticipated-films/

Kevin Williamson puts ‘The Company Men’ in the middle of the “Ten of the most buzzed-about films that will play at Sundance 2010” list, at the following link:
http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/movies/2010/01/20/12541866.html

David Germain quotes John Wells, “The story was inspired by a job loss in Wells' own family, but he talked with many others in the same boat as unemployment soared during the recession. Rather than spinning a dreary drama, though, Wells aimed to capture the resilience that hard times can foster. "It actually has, I think, a very uplifting message. It's about these things we think are going to kill us, and they're actually things that make you stronger somehow," Wells said. "We imagine that our jobs define us, and the loss of a job is a death. I think at least for many, many of the people I've spoken to, that's the fear, and the reality is something actually very different."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iTzGJtC_URwtvU_x3bOp_YMqiSWw

Spencer Morton says, “Now for a film that many people will be able to relate to……This is director John Wells’ feature film debut. Let’s see if he can muster up enough originality and heart-felt emotion to do this all-star cast justice.”
http://www.weekinrewind.com/2010/01/sundance-film-festival-preview.html

Kevin C. says, “The trailer for The Company Men has dropped and it's an interesting first glimpse. No dialogue, no punchy exchanges, just a montage of scenes from the film. It has a teaser feel, without being too teasing. The music has a somber, droning, Mediterranean feel. In this first trailer, the filmmakers avoid those snap judgments many movie goers make when seeing the first glimpse of a movie hard to categorize or too real to grasp in one minute. And, they avoid the potential scorn of early exposure to faltering Boston accents (our famous local beef.)”
http://redfezwriter.blogspot.com/2010/01/company-men-trailer.html

Larry Carroll says, “How does a first-time filmmaker land a cast like Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner, Chris Cooper, Maria Bello and Craig T. Nelson? With a really, really good script. The advance buzz on this corporate-downsizing drama is that it's "Up in the Air" meets "Traffic," which is a comparison that has us asking only one question: When can we start lining up outside the theater?”
http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1630114/story.jhtml

Katie Campbell says, “The Company Men is also causing something of a stir amongst festival aficionados. Considering it is a very starry, on-trend corporate downsizing drama from West Wing and ER alumni writer/director John Wells, and features appearances from Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones, this is really no surprise.
http://www.littlewhitelies.co.uk/blog/sundance-2010-preview/

Peter Howell reports, in an article entitled: Robert Redford’s festival declares war against mainstream, firing opening salvo in ‘the battle for brave new ideas’ – “Sundance director John Cooper, a 20-year veteran who recently assumed the top post……"There's always going to be a place for independent film, as long as there's an audience. And what Precious did is prove there's an audience……"We all looked each other in the eyes and we said, `We are only going to show a film if someone among us loves that film.'"…….Cooper's festival picks also include The Company Men….
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/753587--it-s-hollywood-vs-indiewood-at-sundance-2010

John Horn interviewed John Wells and says, “Wells worked as a carpenter before making it in Hollywood -- Costner plays a contractor and is the film's voice of reason.” See the whole article at the following link:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-wells22-2010jan22,0,3939195.story

Kevin visits set of ‘Castle’ TV show….

Found out from Twitter that Kevin visited the set of the TV show, ‘Castle’ - one of my favorite shows – today, January 20, 2010. It’s filmed mainly in Los Angeles and Armyan Bernstein is one of the Executive Producers.

TerriEdda tweeted: “Kevin Costner on the set of Castle. Just visiting, folks. And ME in the boots." With link to photo:   http://tweetphoto.com/9177893

Venice4charge tweeted: “Kevin Costner and Stana Katic talk shop on the set of Castle." With link to photo:   http://tweetphoto.com/9178635

Nathan Fillion who plays the part of ‘Castle’ tweeted today: “I just met a hero of mine today. I won't sully it by dropping a name, but DUDE! A hero!” The speculation on twitter is that he was talking about Kevin!

Pictures from 'The Company Men' trailer....

KC & MW to play Bratislava, Slovakia….

Kevin Costner and Modern West are to play Bratislava, Slovakia, on March 25, 2010, according to the following link with a nice picture slideshow:
http://www.cas.sk/clanok/147392/video-kevin-costner-mieri-na-slovensko-osobny-strazca-pride-zaspievat.html

I had to look it up on a map because I had no idea where it was:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&sa=N&tab=Tl

Two more videos to view…..

VIDEO: John Wells Producer Of The company Men Posted by chinky02 Uploaded June 3, 2009 – Filming at the house that is Ben Affleck’s parent’s in the movie, John Wells talks with neighbors watching at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc4ReLnwfAI&feature=related


VIDEO: Celebrity Interviews, DP Stuart Kiehl Posted by evenkiehl Uploaded January 7, 2010 Italian TV, RAI Uno, interviews in Los Angeles of film personalities, including President Reagan, Kevin Costner, Stallone and others. Kevin is shown at 1:56 to 2:15 at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTdB3lUEOsg

For Kevin's birthday....

What’s being said about ‘The Company Men’ so far…..

At the following link:
http://flavorwire.com/61949/rate-a-trailer-the-company-men
Excerpt by Eva Medoff: “If nothing else, it’s nice to see Tommy Lee Jones, stellar character actor Chris Cooper, and an aging Kevin Costner together. Did we mention Craig T. Nelson? Ben Affleck tries his hand at playing with the big dogs, while Maria Bello and Rosemarie Dewitt (whom we’ve had a hankering to see ever since she nearly stole the show in Rachel Getting Married) round out the cast…..Regardless, this could go one of two ways: a powerful collection of performances and portrait of economic strife, or a dripping mess of sentiment.”

At the following link:
http://blog.reelloop.com/6019/news/the-company-men-teaser-trailer-debuts/
Excerpt by John Cooper: “While I had never heard of the film — which premieres at Sundance this year — before today, a quick glimpse of the teaser makes me want to see it immediately….. Judging from the cinematography by Roger Deakins and an excellent cast that includes Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner, Craig T. Nelson and Maria Bello, Wells might have a sleeper hit on his hands.”

At the following link:
http://www.rowthree.com/2010/01/13/the-company-men-gets-a-teaser/
Excerpt by Jonathan B: “Check it out and keep your eyes peeled for the reviews come Sundance. It’s got an all-star cast, it’s very relevant to our times, it has Roger Deakins as its cinematographer, and it looks to be chuck full of melodrama, which means it possibly could be a major Oscar contender come next year.”

At the following link:
http://www.daemonsmovies.com/2010/01/13/the-company-men-movie-trailer-with-ben-affleck-and-kevin-costner/
Excerpt by Daemon: “So many great actors, and although we don't hear anything in the trailer, it definitely looks like something I would enjoy. This is without a doubt going to be one of the movies to check out at Sundance.”

And the whole article by George ‘El Guapo’ Roush, at the following link:
http://www.latinoreview.com/news/new-trailer-for-the-company-men-starring-kevin-costner-8957

Two KC & MW concert videos to view……

VIDEO: Kevin Costner & Modern West live Posted by ichiban2592007 Uploaded January 13, 2010 at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWMGxUra5-Q


VIDEO: Kevin Costner & Modern West live posted by ichiban2592007 Uploaded January 13, 2010 - Kevin Costner Modern West in concert in Jüchen Redhot at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OHMNaoVgAA

Three items to check out…..

See the picture of the Turkish Airlines ad on a bus, at the following link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/darylchapman/4268319457/

See what John Connolly has to say about ‘The New Daughter’ at the following link:
http://www.johnconnollybooks.com/2010/01/on-new-daughter.html

VIDEO: Kevin Costner, Long Hot Night Posted by CrazyCat9898 uploaded January 10, 2010 Mannheim Oct-22-2009, Kevin Costner, Long hot night, Ein kleiner Ausschnitt vom Konzert in Mannheim at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sE4vjGuGoI

Gillznfinz TV show episode filmed at KC’s ranch…..

According to the article by Nick Smith, Gillznfinz TV show’s creator, Adam Paul and his guests, the band ‘Dangerrmuffin’ filmed an episode for the show and were guests in one of Kevin’s homes when a storm blew in. Read the article at the following link:
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/gillznfinz-tv-show-is-a-prime-time-fishing-hit/Content?oid=1672436
And see the Gillznfinz website which is being developed, some links say “Launching Soon” at the following link:
http://www.gillznfinz.com

See the Aspen Episodes (17 & 18) recipes at the following link:
http://www.gillznfinz.com/show/index.php/food

‘The Company Men’ movie website and video…..

See ‘The Company Men’ movie website at the following link:
http://www.thecompanymenfilm.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vihWSXpqrLI

Just for fun......

More picture links and a tweet….

A tweet from Sara Beck says, ”Recording background vocals for the new Kevin Costner & Modern West record! (about 4 hours ago – which would be about 8am EST, January 9, 2010, if she’s in Nashville), at the following link:
http://twitter.com/saralynbeck

See six concert pictures from the Redhot Juchen concert taken by the guys who did the sound engineering, at the following link:
http://www.gae.de/start_d.htm

See the picture someone did of Kevin as Robin Hood, at the following link:
http://www.pamelaheath.com/PLAINgallery2.htm

See the picture of Kevin with Kevin Farmer in Silverado, click on thumbnail for large version, at the following link:
http://kenfarmer.actorsite.com/Thumb.htm

See the 25 pictures in the slideshow from the Berlin premiere of The Guardian, at the following link:
http://www.am-ende-des-tages.de/g/061001-guardian-costner/0001.html

Several links to pictures I found…..

Someone tweeted that they met Kevin yesterday, January 7, 2010, and posted a picture of him at the following link:
http://twitpic.com/x3ogs

See the picture caption: “This car is like a beautiful woman in a bar—every guy goes up to it.” Says Kevin Costner, leaning against his 1966 Mustang Cobra G.T. 350H. He fell for the car after driving it in Bull Durham (1988) and picture of Kevin with his car at the following link:
http://pmmplus.blogspot.com/2010/01/auto-celebrity-wheels-by-ad-mag.html

See the Radio B95 Listener Paula with Kevin at Northern Lights at the following link:
http://www.b95.com/upload/image/Paula%20Kevin.jpg

See the picture posted by KC & MW’s myspace by TinPink at the following link:
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/15/l_3e54ea47f7c54894b49bb8f0072cdf7b.jpg
See more of TinPink’s pictures from the concert at the following link:
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=420199685&albumId=1009168

See a picture of Kevin at the Max Azria fashion show October 11, 2006, at the following link:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/staciblog/

See the picture of Kevin when in San Francisco when doing ‘Swing Vote’ press and the article by Omar P.L. Moore at the following link:
http://www.popcornreel.com/htm/kcostner.htm

Two more ‘The New Daughter’ reviews…..

See the review by Pete Hammond at the following link:
http://boxoffice.com/reviews/2010/01/new-daughter.php

A very short review by BC, scroll down to “Best Movie I Managed To See In Theaters” at the following link:
http://horror-movie-a-day.blogspot.com/2010/01/hmads-3rd-annual-end-of-year-awards.html

Three videos to view……

VIDEO: Kevin Costner and Modern West München 2009 posted by duckie2510 Uploaded January 3, 2010 Kevin Costner and Modern West 23.10.2009 at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar5vG-OEOco

VIDEO: Kevin Costner and Modern West München 23.10.2009 Nogales posted by duckie2010 uploaded January 3, 2010 Kevin Costner and Modern West München 23.10.2009 Nogales at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmrlSCcaEXE

VIDEO: 500 Nations Intro by Kevin Costner HD Posted by previewsondvds Uploaded January 3, 2010 - 500 Nations Intro By Kevin Costner HD. This comprehensive documentary chronicles the history of the indigenous people of North and Central America, beginning with the pre-Colombian era through their brushes with European colonization, capping off with the defeat of the North American Plains Indians in the 19th century. The remarkable story unfolds through transcripts depicting the historical events, as well as first-hand recollections, photographs and computer reenactments. If you have a chance please rate the video and Check out my site at http://www.previewsondvds.comThank you for watching.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKywejQXeBA