In the interest of realism: guns and space

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I read The Straight Dope religiously every Friday. Last week’s column mentioned Armageddon and the subject of guns and space.

In the movie Armageddon, someone pulls a gun on Bruce Willis in outer
space. But would a firearm really work in space? Where would the oxygen
for gunpowder combustion come from?

Turns out the answer is yes.

The gunpowder and explosive material in the primer already contain all the oxygen they need; they’ll ignite and burn quite happily with no external source of O2.

Bonus fun fact: space is not cold, as most people believe. It actually has no temperature at all. Trippy!
(Fun fact #2: I completely forgot that Owen Wilson was in this movie until I went looking for pictures. In my defense, I haven’t seen it in seven years.)

With his Lady at LFF

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Currently the most popular photo on the Flickr stream: Buscemi and wife Jo Andres at London Film Festival 2007.

Academy Awards 2008

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Another year, another Oscar nominee list. While Buscemi got nothin’ (shocking, I know) the Cohen brothers wiped the damn floor with every other sucker named. Their movie No Country for Old Men leads the pack (Okay, so it shares the lead of the pack) with eight nominations including Best Picture. Congratulations, guys!

Cruz joins G-Force

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Cast update for G-Force: Penelope Cruz has been added as a guinea pig (opposite Nicholas Cage) in the animation/live action mash-up movie. Other talent includes Steve Buscemi, Will Arnett and Tracy Morgan.

The movie opens May 1, 2009 with Jerry Bruckheimer as producer. Hoyt Yeatman, known until now for his visual effects work, is making his directorial debut. I’m looking forward to seeing what he’s made of.

Source: Reuters. Photo: my guinea pig Gide, who did not make final casting.

Free time in Shanghai

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A (not-so) little website on Shanghai culture tells me Buscemi attended the gallery exhibit of Chinese artist Ying Tang while in town filming John Rabe. The opening took place in the restaurant Southern Barbarian, with some great pictures of the event over on Flickr. You can see examples of the artist’s stunning photography here.

A special thank you is in order to The Shanghaiist. It’s a true honor.

Interview screencaps

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I have been with all kinds of whores, all over the world, and you, my dear, are no crackwhore.

Only about two months too late: Interview screencaps are up on Flickr. This movie… it was really, really great. The camera work especially really gave that fly-on-the-wall feeling. The ending, too, will make you stop and think.

Watch it twice, once for content and again for Theo-spotting. Brother Mike B. even pops in for a cameo, the veritable frosting on an already tasty cake.

Tucci does the Dance

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Happy Sundance Film Festival, everybody! While Buscemi won’t be involved this year, we have the next best thing: Stanley Tucci. He’s running Blind Date, the second film in the Theo van Gogh trilogy, and the movie premieres tomorrow night. This will be Tucci’s first film in eight years. From an interview with NY Mag:

Steve Buscemi had called me and told me about the trilogy — he had already chosen Interview, and out of the other two films that were left, I preferred this one. I liked the idea that there was this sort of conscious confusion of identities, and I liked that I could explore it in a way where I wouldn’t be beholden to a studio’s idea of this kind of drama, that I could do it in a way that was very dark. But still humorous, we hope.

I really hope it does well. It looks like a very decent film. Tucci and Buscemi will be working together quite a bit from now on, what with Olive Productions and all. Way to rule the world, gentlemen.

The man has fans

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Looking a little overwhelmed, isn’t he?
This was sent to me with a note that it came from Flickr. If anyone knows the photographer, please toss me a note. I believe this is from Sundance 2006.

Renfro: 2007

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Actor Brad Renfro was found dead in his home yesterday morning. Having grown up with him, in a manner of speaking, I am very sorry to have to type those words. He was only 25, just three years older than me. Buscemi fans may remember him as Josh in Ghost World, but he worked on a number of successful movies in his fifteen year career. Continue reading Renfro: 2007…

Win a Chuck and Larry prize pack

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This outrageously funny comedy tells the story of a tough fire fighter who finds himself as part of one very unlikely couple when he agrees to help his best buddy out.

If you know the answer to the brain busting trivia question (’Which actor plays Chuck Levine?’), you can have a chance to win a Chuck and Larry prize pack: a DVD, a red and black branded bag, a hoodie and an apron and glove set. Exciting! I haven’t seen the movie yet, but yay! Click here to enter. Your deadline in February 10, 2008.

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