Jon Bernthal Lines Up The Bottoms

There are a couple of actors who've slid off of my reserve mood-board and straight onto the official canvas of my dreams this past couple of years and Jon Bernthal, in case you hadn't noticed, has definitely been one of them. I hate hate hated his performance on The Walking Dead -- nobody should let him anywhere near a southern accent ever again -- but he's proven himself a capable screen-presence enough over the past couple of years, and then he got The Haircut, which, well... I have talked about The Haircut before. It's a demarcation line. And he was real good on Daredevil and The Punisher (having hot homoerotic chemistry with both Charlie Cox and Ben Barnes) and then he was the only thing worth looking at in Ford V Ferrari (god what a dreary movie that was)... yadda yadda cut to yesterday and I am now digging up terrible comedies he made over a decade ago where he flashed his bum for gifs. We come a long way, Baby Bernthal! 

Aaaaanyway all of that is my long-ass introduction to today's news, that Mr. Bernthal is creating an Amazon series for himself called -- ahem -- The Bottoms. He's creating, starring, co-writing the thing, which THR calls a long-gestating "passion project," and here is how they describe it and I quote:

"The Bottoms will follow the interconnected systems of family structures, friends and neighbors, law enforcement, and criminality all intersecting in Shreveport, Louisiana in the early '90s. Set in a particularly wild corner of the Deep South, the show will examine the inflection points, the blurred lines, and the human cost on all sides. Details on which role Bernthal will portray were not immediately available. "

Now, ya see, we have already run into a problem here, Jon. You're setting your series, that you will star in, in the "Deep South"??? Please tell me that your character will be a Northerner, with a Northerner's accent, who comes down to the Deep South to visit and gets embroiled in the local Southern-accented criminality, all while maintaining a proper and respectful elocutionary distance. Please! We've been through so much together. I don't know if I can make it through any more Hee-Hawing shenanigans. (Also I really hope this doesn't effect the American Gigolo series he's been attached to.)

In related news I made this gif pic.twitter.com/DCvt7eoe5W

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) December 1, 2020

Good Morning, World

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Quick note: I've got Tribeca screenings this morning so we'll be blog-quiet until later today. That said... hello, good morning, hey did you hear that Vincent Cassel just joined the cast of Westworld for the third season? That's the sort of casting news that sounds obvious in retrospect -- like you find yourself asking yourself if he hadn't already been there on the show the entire time. Of course they're not telling us anything about his character yet, and I'll be goddamned if I can recall literally anything about how the last season ended -- anybody? But Ben Barnes and Rodrigo Santoro and James Marsden all need a boyfriend if you ask me, so...

Ben Barnes Eight Times

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This shoot here for Flaunt Magazine is the second photo-shoot I've covered of Ben in as many weeks -- see the previous one here, and if you'd like to read the chat with Ben from this new one click here. Did anybody watch the second season of The Punisher? I don't think I even ever managed to finish the first season. Still I keep hoping they put Ben in something I feel like watching, so let's keep encouraging them. Hit the jump for the rest of this new shoot....

Ben Barnes Three Times

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This shoot is a 2015 shoot of Ben that I just realized I've never posted, and that I should post -- there's a brand new shoot of him right here though, if you need a fresher meat. (I like this shoot better though.)

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Good Morning, World

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So who's watched The Punisher? Anybody? I've gotten through two episodes, not terribly enthusiastically, but I keep watching because it's got a pretty stellar group of actors on it - Shohreh Aghdashloo! Ebon "Gratuitous" Moss-Bachrach! And Ben Barnes... 

... seen there giving me more reasons to keep watching. Y'all know I run hot + cold on Jon Bernthal - he was an abhorrent ham on The Walking Dead. But he's grown on me over the past year and yes, it's because of the haircut, don't judge. I think he's fine as Frank Castle. (And fine.) I'm just... not hooked yet. I keep hoping Charlie Cox will show up... but then, welcome to my life. Anyway I made more gifs of Ben and I stole a bunch of gifs of Jon  of Tumblr so hit the jump for those...

Ben Barnes Three Times

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If I was at my work computer I would be able to photo-shop and edit the big gallery of Ben Barnes pictures over at Da Man Magazine better but I am not, I am at home, and my home computer's not being my friend right now. So just click over and see the entire gallery there. (thx Mac) There's also an interview so if you care what Ben has to say boy are you in luck.

Anyway yesterday I never properly waved bye-bye for the weekend like I meant to, but I figure since I had that review I posted a couple of hours ago going up today I could go ahead and do that - the bye-bye thing - now. So this is it! Bye bye! See y'all Monday.

Quote of the Day

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"I mean, look at my life! I'm naked in front of Anthony Hopkins, playing a robot. I welcome the craziness. And of course he's a consummate pro. We would cut, and in between takes, when I wasn't allowed to get up and put a robe on, he would tell me stories, acting as if I was clothed. It's funny; when you're on set and you're naked, it's literally the first minute or two. Once those minutes are over, you become a little bit of an exhibitionist. 'You know, this is actually very comfortable and liberating.'"

-- That's James Marsden talking to THR (thx Mac) about wiggling his cock-sock in Hannibal Lecter's general direction for Westworld. Actually James keeps saying "naked" over and again, making no mention of any cock-sock, so now he's got me wondering if it was full junk to the wind... and from there he's got me wishing there was a portal into Anthony Hopkins' brain a la Being John Malkovich so I could experience this scene through the good Sir's eyeballs. 

Anyway are we all watching the show? 

I like it well enough. Another shoe needs to drop 

(and more Ben Barnes Gay Sex please) but I'm in.

Cowboy Junkies

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The first big batch of promotional images for HBO's Westworld series got dropped over the weekend (thx Mac) and several of our favorites gentlemen-callers were featured among them - namely James Marsden & Rodrigo Santoro & Ben Barnes. Now we know better than to put anybody up against Jimmy because... Jimmyyyyyyy... but we'll ask you to choose between the other two because cruelty is indeed our middle name...

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Westworld premieres October 2nd.
And a happy birthday to Rodrigo today...

I Am Link

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--- Damned Spot - I'll be seeing the other 2015 Michael Fassbender movie this weekend (the "other" one in this case meaning Danny Boyle's Steve Jobs) at the New York Film Festival, but I gotta say I'm more excited for his Macbeth, which lord knows when I'll see that. Presumably with the rest of you people in December, sigh. Anyway there are some new pictures and posters and an interview with the likely suspects (Michael's wearing an awfully clingy little t-shirt) over at The Playlist today, with regards to Macbeth, so check those out if you care to.

--- Holy Waters - That BFI tribute to John Waters in London is starting tomorrow I think and BuzzFeed chatted with the director on what else, his dating techniques. Some very funny stuff in there though, as usual -- it makes me sad that I'm not totally on-board with his obsession with Boom! and therefore he hates me - I recognize its camp value but it's also tedious as fuck to watch.

--- Genitals Deep - Well this is unexpected and strange -- Deadline's gotten a hold of a contract that the extras working on HBO's reboot of Westworld had to sign, which details a whole lotta sinnin' going on:

"This document serves to inform you that this project will require you to be fully nude and/or witness others fully nude and participate in graphic sexual situations. By accepting this Project assignment, you may be required to do any of the following: appear fully nude; wear a pubic hair patch; perform genital-to-genital touching; have your genitals painted; simulate oral sex with hand-to-genital touching; contort to form a table-like shape while being fully nude; pose on all fours while others who are fully nude ride on your back; ride on someone’s back while you are both fully nude; and other assorted acts the Project may require. The Project will also include language and sexual situations that some may consider personally objectionable or uncomfortable.”"

That's 'Quote of the Day' stuff right there! Of course this will just be porny background noise, and I doubt that main players like James Marsden, Ben Barnes or Rodrigo Santoro will be involved with any "genital-to-gential touching"... dammit.

--- Always Bet On Bill -  I'm down with the essence of this piece over at HitFix - why is the 1990 comedy Quick Change with Bill Murray and Geena Davis so damned hard to find? It's an astonishingly funny film, from what I remember -- I loved it when I was a kid, but I haven't seen it in many years. Besides that that article also led me to this old interview with Mr. Murray which is a must-read to believe - he was at Elvis' funeral! He's the legendiest of legends.

--- A Hem's Worth - While this interview with Kate Winslet talking about making The Dressmaker is fun, I was kind of sad with the way she danced around the subject of "Liam Hemsworth's Abs" - clearly she's a pro and has been at this media game long enough to know that would be all of the headlines and she doesn't want to objectify poor Liam that way, but come on, Kate. It's Liam Hemsworth. His abs are a hashtag, not human.

--- No Guilt in Pleasure - Having seen the documentary De Palma at NYFF (and reviewed it) I've been looking around and clicking on anything having to do with the director, which led me to this 1987 interview with him talking about all of his so-called "Guilty Pleasure" movies, and it's quite the list. In a weird way I feel as if it speaks more to the man who was making movies at 1987 specifically (that's the year he put out The Untouchables) than it does to what he'd say today, which makes it even more interesting.

--- Big Book - I wasn't really very fond of Jurassic World so I'm not especially looking forward to whatever director Colin Trevorrow does next (besides another Jurassic movie because those damned dinos will always suck me in) but this is a pretty killer cast he's lined up for The Book of Henry -- Naomi Watts, Sarah Silverman, Lee Pace, Dean Norris, and that kid from Room that's getting all the raves alongside Brie Larson. (thanks Mac) No word on what the movie's about yet though.

--- Pose Struck - Last week we celebrated the 20th anniversary of Showgirls and I totally missed this piece at EW where they actually talked to director Paul Verhoeven about the film! (Thanks Mac) In fact I haven't read it yet, I'm saving it for today's lunch-time read since it's a bit lengthy - a blessing, not a curse! I did skim it to see if they got any information on him about the release of his "rape revenge" movie with Isabelle Huppert though, and saw nothing. Come on, man! I need that like air.
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I Am Link

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--- Future Smash - Demolition, the other other Jake Gyllenhaal movie coming out, the one that's not Everest or Southpaw (which no I haven't gotten a chance to see yet, I am a louse), the one directed by Dallas Buyer's Club (boo) and Wild (yay) director Jean-Marc Vallée and co-stars Naomi Watts, has gotten scooted off to next year, probably because of something Harvey Weinstein did damn him; it will actually be opening the Toronto Film Festival in the Fall though, and The Playlist has the first picture. It's just a picture of Jake. I'm sold!

--- Bailed By Eion - This all happened so quickly I wasn't even able to get excited before getting disappointed -- apparently last week my furry love Eion Bailey joined the cast of HBO's Westworld series, which would've put him possibly on-screen opposite James Marsden and immediately blown my synapses like so much malfunctioning robot. It would've been worth it though! His role was described as "hedonistic" which I translate to "sexy and naked." But, sigh, just as quick he's gone, replaced by Ben Barnes. Barnes is hot enough (some examples) but he's no Eion.

--- Saint Patty - I just realized I haven't even watched this yet myself but here's the trailer for Patrick Wilson's new sex movie (I wish that description were what I wanted it to be) called Zipper, in which he plays a dude (a hot one, since he's Patrick Wilson) who's sex obsessed. I haven't heard good stuff about this movie but clearly we'll watch Patrick Wilson be sex obsessed. Mostly we're just killing time waiting for Fargo to come back with his hot ass along for the ride though. Have you been seeing the little trailers FX has been airing? Oooh ooh ooh it looks so good!

--- We're In The Monkey - We saw that relatively unimpressive teaser for the new King Kong movie called Kong: Skull Island (I wish they'd go back to just Skull Island) so many many months ago it's already forgotten and they haven't even begin filming the thing yet; this world we live in is weird, you guys. Anyway the movie will apparently star Tom Hiddleston (that we already knew) and Brie Larson (which is the new news) so we're so so very there all the same. She's gonna make a great entry in the Ape Blonde lexicon!

--- Big Chop Charlie - I think it's safe to assume that you pervs have already perved over the lovely pictures of Charlie Hunnam on the cover and inside of Entertainment Weekly stroking his gigantic man-sword for that King Arthur movie he's starring in from Guy Ritchie, but maybe you missed this behind-the-scenes video of him talking about how much he loved stroking his gigantic man-sword? (thanks Mac) It's the sort of thing one wants to listen to, anyway.

--- Little Gray Suit - While I was away I missed the 30th anniversary of Tim Burton's glorious life-changing 1985 film Pee-wee's Big Adventure on Sunday, but the funny man himself (Paul Reubens that is) celebrated it over on his website (thanks Mac) by sharing a bunch of never before seen pictures from the set - what struck me is how similar Paul still looks in his Pee-wee get-up (we should all take his lead and wear the same clothes for thirty years) while how very very young TIm Burton looks.

--- A Second Sense - Apparently Netflix still hasn't let the Wachowskis know if Sense8 has been renewed for a second season - boo, Netflix, boo! I need more hot dude mind orgies dammit. Gratuity aside (that's a goddamned big aside, granted) I really did come to love the show and I want more and more adventures with that pack of weirdos, so I hope they give it another go. I know reactions were pretty mixed but I'm really curious to see where they'd take it from here.

--- Can't Quit You - I feel like Out Magazine kinda jumped the gun by posting their 10 year anniversary piece on Brokeback Mountain this month since the movie's actual anniversary isn't until December but I guess they wanted to get the credit for screaming "FIRST!" and meaning it. Anyway it's a good read, (llots of good stuff from Jake and Anne Hathaway) although I just kept wishing Michelle Williams had participated - you really feel her absence. I don't know if it's just difficult for her to reminisce about that time what with losing Heath or what but I hope she can talk about it one day.

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Ben Barnes Seven Times

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There's one more shot over at Interview Magazine; these pictures are actually several weeks old but they somehow slipped by me, for shame. I wish Ben would find something to star in that I cared enough about to pay more attention! I think he's getting more attractive with age and I would appreciate it if Hollywood would put him in front of me. Hit the jump for the rest!

Ben Barnes Three Times

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(via)

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Which is Hotter?

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Josh Duhamel or Ben Barnes as Dorian Gray?

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poll by twiigs.com

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See more of Ben here and see more of Josh here. Oscar Wilde was born on this day 159 years ago, and as always, we must give our thanks to the patron saint of Jude Law playing Bosie. See more of Jude/Bosie here, plus some amazing new gifs after the jump...

I Am Link

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--- Suck This - I still don't watch The Vampire Diairies (I know, I know, you've told me a thousand times) but that's not going to stop me from linking to this tribute to all of its shirtlessness, duh.

 --- The Past Is Present - I just finished reading Stephen King's book 11/22/63 a week or two ago - that's the one about tiem travel and the JFK assassination - and I really liked it quite a bit. Def. recommended. It's one of the best things he's done recently (although to be honest I only read every fourth or fifth thing he puts out these days). Anyway Jonathan Demme was working on a script with King but The Playlist is reporting that ain't gonna happen - I guess they couldn't see eye to eye on how to turn a very very long dense book into a single film. It's gonna be tough nigh impossible, no doubt. Screams for a miniseries.

--- Bone Riders - You had me at cannibalistic troglodytes! Timothy Olyphant don't hurt neither. He's going to star in Bone Tomahawk, along with Kurt Russell, Peter Sarsgaard, and Richard Jenkins, as a group of fellows that come into conflict with the cannibalistic troglodytes in question. I just wanna keep saying that - cannibalistic troglodytes cannibalistic troglodytes cannibalistic troglodytes!

--- Storm Fronts - James Marsden and Halle Berry might be in Bryan Singer's X-Men Flays of Doodoo Puss too, joining all the other former and new mutants in one big sexy mutant orgy through time and space and so so many special effects. Oh, and I can't wait to see what terrible wig Halle gets this time!

--- Knight Writer - Today Aaron live-blogged his first viewing of The Dark Knight Rises over at Electronic Cerebrectomy - I haven't read it all yet since it's long, but no doubt, this being Aaron, it'll be worth reading; his stuff always is.
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--- Play Footie - That soccer bio-pic starring beautiful Brazilian Rodrigo Santoro called Heleno is out this weekend here in NYC; I reviewed it way back in July, and found it a mixed bag... indeed the review at The Playlist today pretty much makes the exact same points I did. So we must be right! It's the only opinion to have. Still, Rodrigo is so damn handsome in it.
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--- The Pale Man Sings - Guillermo Del Toro is working on a stage musical version of Pan's Labyrinth, and the music and lyrics are being written by Paul Williams (aka he wrote "The Rainbow Connection"!!!) and Gustavo Santaolalla (aka he wrote the music to Brokeback Mountain!!!). I mean, what kind of response can I even make to that?

--- Brothers in Pelts - I knew this movie Seventh Son sounded familiar (they just released the first pair of pictures, including a goth-tastic Julianne Moore) and sure enough I'd posted about it, just because it stars Ben Barnes and Kit Harington, which is like Teen Beat exploded all over my face. Plus Moore and Olivia Williams! I'm so there, I don't give a shit what it's about.
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--- The Golden Girls - Joe Reid takes on where the Best Actress race for the Oscars stands right now - I pretty much like all of the performances being talked up that I have seen. Lawrence is wonderful, Cotillard is wonderful, Riva is wonderful, Wallis is wonderful (although honestly I think she's too young for this kind of recognition - they should bring back their juvie award). The only name on his list that would make me angry is Helen Mirren, who played some ridiculous clown-person instead of Alma Hitchcock.

--- Rusted Lady - Speaking of Marion in Rust and Bone though, fellow TFE contributor Jose wrote up a great piece on her performance at Pop Matters. I hope she gets some traction, she's a marvelous actress and that film, which I just sorta reviewed the other day, is a marvel.

--- And finally, my pal Sean reviews the much anticipated by good geeks everywhere box of illustrated maps for George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire saga called The Lands of Ice and Fire. I'm really annoyed that I asked for this for Christmas, because I'm sick of waiting to see if I get it or not - I just should've bought it for myself! Patience is murder!

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Ben Barnes Four Times

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Gimme All The Medieval Emo Twinks You've Got

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Wait, aren't A Game of Thrones' Kit "Jon Snow" Harington and The Chronicles of Narnia's Ben Barnes kind of the same person? How can they both star in the same movie? Won't this cause some kind of rift in space and time and hair-gel? Via BD:

"Production is still to get underway on Warner Bros. Pictures long-gestured The Seventh Son, yet they continue to cast away. With hopes of going behind the camera this April, "Game of Thrones" star Kit Harington is in final negotiations to join the cast of Warners and Legendary Pictures' exorcism flick, says Variety. ... He joins a cast that already includes Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander with Sergey Bodrov helming.

Formerly known as "The Spook's Apprentice," tale is adapted from Joseph Delaney's young adult series about a teen who's the seventh son of a seventh son, and learns about wizardry from a forbidding spook. Harington will play the former apprentice of Bridges' character."

Ben Barnes Two Times

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Now It's Just Getting Weird

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Yesterday I posted some pictures from the recent Dorian Gray movie, starring Ben Barnes, because as I explained a couple of random occurrences came together to put it at the fore of my mind. Well this morning I clicked on a story over at PopWrap about some casting news for the fourth Pirates of the Carribean movie because the dude pictured was pretty and well apparently all roads lead back to Dorian Gray. Let's start with the story at PopWrap:

"After an exhaustive search for an actress who does not have breast implants to star in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Strangers Tides," Disney has finally found their dream chest. And naturally they had to leave Hollywood to do so.

Meet Astrid Berges-Frisbey -- a poly-blend of nationalities (born in Barcelona to French and Catalan parents) which has resulted in one of the most captivating faces I've seen in ages. In "Stranger Tides," Astrid will play Syrena, an alluring mermaid who works alongside Captain Jack to ... do something epic, I'm sure.

Also rumored to be jumping into the fray is Maximilian Irons -- son of Jeremy and a model -- whose killer cheekbones would theoretically replace Orlando Bloom's since he, like Keira Knightley, won't be returning for more."

Naturally I don't care about the lady here; it's Jeremy Irons' 24 year old son Max that we're focusing on. He's a very pretty boy (which makes me curious what his mother looks like, since I've never been attracted to his father in the slightest). Anyway I went in search of photos, which led me to the realization that he's one of the dudes hanging on Ben Barnes in those pictures I posted yesterday!


When I posted his picture with Ben yesterday I remember wondering who the heck he was, because he was so pretty - what I'm getting at is the universe is a kind and benevolent beefcake-loving force, and I appreciate it. Thanks, universe! Here's some more of Max, whom I expect we'll be hearing more from in the future.

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