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Home , Jared Leto, Kevin Kline, Morgan Freeman

LIFESTYLE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2013 Music37 & Movies

MC has renewed its hit zombie drama “The Walk- ing Dead” for a fifth season. The series has been a Aratings bonanza for the network, returning for its fourth season premiere earlier this month with 20.2 mil- lion total viewers in Live + 3 Day ratings. Among those viewers, 13.2 million were in the advertiser-cherished 18-49 demographic. AMC president Charlie Collier acknowledged that the renewal was a no-brainer. “We are very happy to make what has to be one of the most anti-climactic renewal announcements ever: ‘The Walking Dead’ is renewed for a fifth season,” Collier said in a statement. “This is a show that has erased traditional distinctions between cable and broadcast. Its expanding base of passionate fans has grown every season, most recently - and most notably - with the season four premiere earlier this month, which broke viewership records for the series and became the biggest non-sports telecast in cable history.” The series, which has seen its share of showrunner shakeups, will continue with Scott Gimple, who came aboard earlier this year, for the fifth season. AMC is also developing a “Walking Dead” companion series, to be executive produced by “Dead” crew Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert, which is expected to premiere in 2015.—Reuters

A minute with Review ’’ a Geritol-powered ‘Hangover‘ s creaky as an arthritic hip, “Last Vegas” does for four leading stars of Athe ‘70s and ‘80s what movies like “Tough Guys” and “Grumpy Old Men” did for survivors of Hollywood’s storied Golden Age: It lets them show they can still throw a punch, bust a move, and get it on, and that they’re not quite ready for the Motion Picture Home just yet. Beyond that, this genteel “Hangover” for the AARP crowd has little to recommend it, though a smatter- ing of funny gags and the nostalgia value of the cast keeps the whole thing more watchable than it has any right to be. One doesn’t exactly expect “Death in Venice” from a movie that begins on a shot of female cellulite jiggling beneath the surface of a Florida community pool. But as various senior-centric pics have proven, from Martin Brest’s delightful caper “” to Ron Howard’s “Cocoon,” going gray isn’t automatically an impediment to a screenplay that consists of more than death and Viagra jokes. But “Last Vegas” scribe Dan Fogelman (who wrote the monumentally smarter and shrewder “Crazy, Stupid, Love”) pretty much sticks This image released by CBS Films shows, from left, , , to the lowest denominator as and in a scene from “Last Vegas.”—AP he contrives to get four childhood friends together in Sin City for the bachelor party on his wife’s funeral (she was their shared (and a lot less funny) than the concurrent This image released by shows as Rayon in a scene childhood sweetheart). “Bad Grandpa.” The rest of the movie rarely from “.”—AP of the last unmarried man among them. He’s named Billy and played by a blow- From all points they converge on the if ever rises to Steenburgen’s level. Most ultra-luxurious Aria casino resort, where of the comic payoffs are so obviously fter transitioning from a Holly- And then there were the heels, the wax- dried, spray-tanned Michael Douglas in what feels like a watered-down version they find themselves comped with a telegraphed that the audience can see wood heartthrob to a critically ac- ing of the body, the removal of the eye- penthouse suite - and a personal concierge them coming within a few frames of the claimed actor, then fronting a rock brows, the losing of 30-40 pounds (13-18 of the actor’s magnificent aging lothario A from 2009’s “Solitary Man.” When Billy (Romany Malco) - after Archie cleans house setup. band with worldwide success, Jared Leto kilos, so there was a lot there, but it was impulsively proposes to his strapping at the blackjack table. That pretty much Actors like these can sometimes be takes on one of his biggest challenges an incredible and fascinating experience. 31-year-old girlfriend (in the midst of gives them the run of the place, though a pleasure to watch even when saddled yet, playing a transgender HIV patient Q: How challenging was the weight delivering a friend’s eulogy, no less), best they do make one important side trip to with sitcom material, because their timing in his return to film. “Dallas Buyers Club,” loss? bud Sam (Kevin Kline) - the one trapped nearby Binion’s, where Billy catches the eye and delivery is still better than most. But out in US theaters on Friday, is based on A: It’s absolutely brutal, as it should in that infernal Florida swimming pool - of a jazz chanteuse shimmering in a sparkly in “Last Vegas,” everyone seems to be on a a real story. Leto, 41, plays Rayon, a HIV- be. But the weight loss is really impor- suggests a boy’s weekend in Vegas, and mauve gown as she belts out “Only You” in mildly diverting paid vacation, especially positive transgender woman who helps tant because it changes the way you the rest of this white-haired wolf pack is a desolate hotel bar. Freeman, who can scarcely disguise his The singer, Diana (), is contempt for the material. He doesn’t just homophobic drug addict Ron Woodruff walk and talk, the way people treat you soon to follow. Back when they were kids also “of a certain age” and has been around seem to be phoning it in; he seems to be (Matthew McConaughey) smuggle much and the way you feel about yourself. So it on the streets of Brooklyn, Billy and his pals were known as the Flatbush Four, though the block a few times, but unlike her male emailing it in from his . “Last Vegas,” needed medication not approved in the becomes a really essential tool. counterparts in “Last Vegas,” she’s been a CBS Films release, is rated PG-13 by the to other AIDS patients. Q: Your role as Rayon has not only now they’re mainly just flat and bushed: In addition to Sam, there’s stroke survivor written as more than a one-dimensional Motion Picture Association of America for Leto, who rose to fame as a com- garnered critical acclaim, it has gener- Archie (Morgan Freeman, essentially type, and she’s played by the marvelous “sexual content and language.” Running plex teenager on TV series “My ated awards buzz. How important is it reprising his “Bucket List” character) and Steenburgen with a richness that goes time: 104 minutes.—AP So-Called Life” and has had roles in to you to have awards recognition? surly widower Paddy (Robert De Niro), even beyond what’s on the page. She’s 1999’s “,” 2000’s “Requiem for a A: Oh, it’s certainly not important to who hasn’t forgiven Billy for skipping out an oasis of real, grown-up emotion in a Dream” and 2002’s “,” recently me to have it, because I never, ever get it. movie that often feels more sophomoric focused on being the frontman of the I’m never around. If it was important, I’d rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. Rayon is make films more often but it’s absolutely his first film role in five years. Leto, spoke wonderful that it’s happening now. It’s to Reuters about why he was drawn back great, it’s incredible to celebrate art and to acting and what he has learned about creativity in a film and performance, yes Hollywood through his film and music. I think it’s great. The people that thumb Q: You’ve established a very suc- their noses at that, I don’t understand cessful career in music that seems to the bitterness there. The funny thing be keeping you occupied full time. about art and success is that you fail all What drew you back to film after five the time, you just succeed sometimes. years away? You fail much more than you win, there’s ust how mighty a box-office hammer could go as high as $650 million worldwide. A: I fell in love. I was seduced by the all kinds of failures all the time, and once “Thor: The Dark World” will wield will The studio has done all it can to tie “Dark idea of bringing (Rayon) to life. I saw her in a while something happens and you Jcome into sharper focus starting yes- World” to the No. 3 all-time box office earner as an incredibly gracious, kind, funny, celebrate that. terday, when the Marvel superhero sequel (behind “Avatar” and “Titanic”), plastering fun, big-hearted dreamer, and I couldn’t Q: How does your music inform rolls out in the UK, France, Germany and 21 its ads with the catch phrase “Return of an say no. your acting? other foreign markets. Expectations are high Avenger.” Q: How did you interpret the rela- A: I wasn’t looking to make a film, I and overseas will be critical if Disney is to Disney has opted to go out overseas first, tionship your character develops with hadn’t made a film in five or six years, see the sort of returns it is hoping for on the as it did with “The Avengers” and “Iron Man Matthew McConaughey’s Ron? and I hadn’t read a script in years. That’s a big-budget follow-up to 2011’s “Thor.” Disney 3,” both of which hit the US with a ton of A: They need each other. Ron ulti- very wild thing to do after you’ve worked hasn’t released a production number for “Dark momentum built on foreign returns. “The mately needs Rayon because she chang- so hard in the business, to walk down a World,” which opens in North America on Nov Avengers” opened No. 1 in all 39 foreign es him and I think that Ron provides a different path. But I think it was a really 8, but reports have it around $200 million. The markets in which it debuted, and had $178 certain father figure to Rayon. They both good thing for me to do. I think it made original film cost $150 million to make and million in the box-office bank before it help each other in that fight, that battle me a better actor. It gave me more to took in $450 million worldwide, with nearly 60 opened in the US “Iron Man 3” hit the US to stay alive. contribute because of the experiences I percent of that coming from abroad. after taking in $195 million in its first week Q: You went through an extreme had with 30 Seconds to Mars and in turn But “Thor” came out before “The Aveng- abroad. physical transformation to convey the with my life. ers,” and the success of that 2012 blockbuster Momentum aside, foreign returns have symptoms of a HIV-positive character. Q: Were you worried you wouldn’t changed the game for all that will follow become more important than the domestic How challenging was that? be taken seriously when you tran- in Disney and Marvel’s cinematic universe. box office for the bottom line of would-be A: It’s one of the most challeng- sitioned from acting to fronting 30 Exhibit A would be “Iron Man 3,” which nearly blockbusters. And overseas audiences have ing roles I’ve ever taken on, physical Seconds to Mars? doubled the global haul of its pre-“Avengers” embraced action- and effects-driven super- bad brother Loki, the villain from the “Aveng- and emotional. But when I read this, I A: I always knew that would be a chal- predecessor with $1.2 billion earlier this year. hero adventures - particularly in 3D, which ers,” and Natalie Portman, who returns as thought it was a really steep climb and I lenge but I also knew that I wasn’t going It played more like a sequel to the Marvel su- “Dark World” is - like never before. But one the Norse god’s love Jane Foster. Newcomer wanted to walk down this path. I started to let that stop me from pursuing my perhero mash-up than “Iron Man 2,” and “Dark challenge facing “Dark World” is Lionsgate’s Christopher Eccleston will play the baddie at the beginning as far as research goes, dreams. I think in the end, consistency, World” is expected to do the same. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” The Jenni- Malekith. In the past week, they’ve all hit listening, meeting with transgender commitment, passion and results speak No one expects Chris Hemsworth and fer Lawence sci-fi sequel opens in London on splashy carpets in London, Paris and Berlin people, learning about the culture. Then the loudest.—Reuters “Thor: The Dark World” to match the numbers Nov 11, and globally and in the US on the Nov for “Dark World.”—Reuters (there were) a series of other challenges, put up by Robert Downey’s Tony Stark, but 22 weekend, and that could limit its longer- from the voice, the dialect, the register, early projections call for a US opening north term prospects. the body center, the movement, the of $85 million. Analysts believe it will exceed Joining Hemsworth in “Dark World” are emotional conditions and circumstances. the $180 million domestic total of “Thor” and Tom Hiddleston, who reprises his role as the