Dakota Fanning 'embarrassed' about Orlando Bloom encounter
posted by Jas, 07/31/08
Dakota Fanning talks about the 2002 Critics Choice Award where Orlando had to lift her up for her acceptance speech when she received the award for Best Young Actor/Actress.

It's hard to believe that child phenomenon Dakota Fanning is going into 10th grade, but mention Orlando Bloom and you'll see a little blush of the cheeks that makes you realize the actress is truly a teenager. The young starlet recalled the moment back in 2001 when she received the award for Best Young Actor/Actress from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, but was too short to reach the microphone, so presenter Bloom lifted her up for the lengthy acceptance speech.

"I met him again later on the set of 'War of the Worlds' and we talked and had a laugh about it," Fanning told Pop Tarts at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Luncheon in Beverly Hills on Wednesday. "It was funny, but I'm actually a bit embarrassed thinking about it now."

A Movie A Day: Kingdom Of Heaven: The Director's Cut
posted by Jas, 07/17/08
AICN reviews Kingdom Of Heaven: The Director's Cut DVD in their today's installment of A Movie A Day.

This is a true example of a movie that was significantly altered to fit into an easier studio release formula, they took a film that had the makings of a modern classic epic and homogenized it, threw Legolas' face really big on the poster and advertised it like a Lord of the Rings knock-off (remember how the trailers tried to sell the battle scenes just like the LOTR trailers, making them even look similar?).

I don't know this for sure, but I'd be willing to bet if Orlando Bloom has an actor's reel, most of the footage is from Kingdom of Heaven. I remember not being really impressed with him in the original… I think he gets unfairly shat upon as an actor, but he's not exactly easy to defend, but I'd hold up his work in Scott's director's cut as being substantial, subtle work, something he should be proud of.

Final thoughts: If you haven't seen the movie at all, get the director's cut. If you've seen the theatrical cut and didn't like it, get the director's cut. If you saw the theatrical cut and did like it, get the director's cut. Throw it on the Netflix, scour used DVD stores, buy it new online. It's a genuinely great movie that I hope will live in this form, the original castrated version gone from all memory. I know it's gone from mine now. Full review

Orlando Bloom backs the Marlowe
posted by Jas, 06/19/08
Orlando has been named as an honorary Patron of the New Marlowe Theatre campaign, a development project to build a new theatre and centre for the performing arts in the heart of historic Canterbury.

The Canterbury-born actor has joined nine other influential founding Patrons – including Joanna Lumley – who are backing the New Marlowe fundraising campaign, which aims to raise £6m of private donations towards the overall project cost of around £24m. Bloom has a strong affection for Canterbury. He was educated at the city's St Edmund's School and retains firm links with Canterbury through friends and family. The star of blockbuster trilogies 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean' made his very first public appearance at the Marlowe Theatre when he was a child.

That early exposure to the stage, coupled with his love of drama classes at school, imbued the young actor with confidence and ambition. He has often spoken of his early experiences and the importance of giving young people an opportunity to get involved in theatre and acting. He also has a strong appreciation of the valuable community role played by the Marlowe Theatre.

Orlando Bloom said: "Canterbury and The Marlowe Theatre hold a special place in my heart and I'm delighted that I've been invited to be a Patron of The New Marlowe Theatre campaign. Regional theatres like the Marlowe are an integral part of the community, and they have a vital role to play in bringing people together from all backgrounds. "I feel passionately about engaging young people in the performing arts, and I will do all that I can to encourage the region's youngsters to be inspired by The New Marlowe Theatre."