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Hey from Seattle!

I have a minute so I thought I would say 'Hi' and I'm having a great time. We ate Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant but it wasn't so bad, no waiting - no dishes. Eric had to DJ last night so I was recruited to run the camera for his club's "Show us your Stuff" stripping contest. Nothing beats pumpkin pie like drunk men dropping trou to Missy Elliott. Wee Neo got to do a little pole dancing but totally blew his chance to have his picture taken with the glorious Diva Delish. Maybe next time ;)

Well, I'm going to head across the street for a soy latte, my new drink of choice.

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First off, thank you to Irene for this beautiful image.
He's the perfect angel to watch over me as I fly the friendly skies tonight.

I'm sure I'll be fine.....or drunk......whichever.
Seriously, thank you so much to everyone for your wishes and pep talks.

I really feel lucky to know such kindness.

I've so much to be thankful for this year, everything and more than last year even.

Of course, I'm thankful for my health and my family and friends. I'm thankful for the orange kitty that sleeps at my feet and the calico one that sleeps on my head. I'm thankful for the Station Wagon because it gets me to see friends, rock out and have fun in the coolest way...with a kickass sound system.

I also can't say enough how thankful I am that this site continues to attract the most wonderfully kind, intelligent, talented and respectful people.

I'm thankful that I've quit smoking, and started playing guitar again.

I'm thankful for Keanu's bass and his belly scar and for his dedication and talent and character....

And for the inspiration he gives me to create, to push my own limits and to try and be the best I can be, every day.

I'm thankful and so very proud to be a fan.

I wish him and all of you an abundance of things to be thankful for in the coming year.

Thank you to Nadia for this....

'Matrix,' other geek icons become philosophy-class fodder

ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania (AP) -- Long after The Matrix Revolutions morphs itself off the big screen, the eternal battle of reality versus illusion, fate versus free will and good versus evil will rage on in philosophy classrooms everywhere.

The third and final installment of the trilogy opened November 5 on more than 10,000 screens at the exact same time, and, in spite of mixed reviews, soared quickly to No. 1.

"It didn't raise as many philosophical issues as the other two, but there certainly was a philosophical overlay to the darn thing," said Theodore Schick Jr., head of Muhlenberg College's philosophy department.

He's one of many educators across the country using pop-culture examples of timeless conundrums to challenge students into new thoughts. "It's what a liberal education should do: liberate people from preconceived ideas and prejudices," said Schick.

He's also one of the professors who contributed to a recent book, The Matrix and Philosophy, which reached the New York Times best seller list earlier this year.

To briefly sum up the plot of the movies, the matrix is an illusion generated by robotic machines that have finally gotten their revenge on humans by enslaving them as living battery cells. Humans don't know this, however. They think they are living free.

Along comes Neo (Keanu Reeves), who just may be The One to lift the veil and set humans free; his wise mentor and rebel leader, Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne); and Neo's love interest, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss). They have the ability to travel between reality and illusion, kung fu fighting with robots and battling giant metallic squids. Symbols from the works of Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell and James Frazer abound.

In his introduction to The Matrix and Philosophy, William Irwin, assistant professor of philosophy at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, describes the Matrix writers and directors, the Wachowski brothers, as "college dropout comic-book artists intrigued by the Big Questions."

In his contributed chapter, "Fate, Freedom, and Foreknowledge," Schick addresses a predominant Matrix topic: Is anyone -- man or machine -- free, or are they slaves to inescapable destiny?

Schick said there are only three branches of philosophy, and the Matrix trilogy supplies examples for them all.

Metaphysics asks: What makes something real or not real? If all that exists is matter and motion, what is a mind? Can a computer like Agent Smith, Neo's nemesis, have a mind?

Epistemology asks: What is the nature of knowledge? "Skeptics say we can't acquire knowledge by means of the senses, because we can't be certain that what our senses tell us is true," said Schick. So how can we be certain that we're not living in the matrix?

Ethics asks: What makes something right or wrong? Is all that matters in life having good experiences even though you're a "brain in a vat," or the kind of choices you make?

"Neo thinks that leading a good life requires making good choices," said Schick, which brings up the whole issue of fate and free will -- the illusion of a choice, or a real choice -- which leads back to metaphysics.

The Matrix and Philosophy was published before the second movie, The Matrix Reloaded, was released, "but I got the Oracle right, suggesting that she really didn't know the future but was using humans' faith in her to manipulate them," said Schick.

Schick also has contributed a chapter to another book in Irwin's series, Seinfeld and Philosophy. Schick analyzed the final, "Good Samaritan" episode of Seinfeld, in which Jerry and friends end up in a Massachusetts jail for not coming to the aid of an injured person, or even calling 911 on their cell phone.

"What is our obligation to our fellow human beings?" Schick asked, comparing the libertarian duty not to interfere with the communitarian obligation to help.

And he's also in the latest Irwin book, The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy with a chapter titled "The Cracks of Doom: The Threat of Emerging Technologies and Tolkien's Rings of Power."

Schick's contribution examines what we should do with technologies that threaten to destroy us, said Schick, just like J.R.R. Tolkien's rings gave their possessors wealth or dominion over others, but also had the power to corrupt.

Some people think we should stop all research into genetics, robotics and nanotechnology because they have the potential to destroy the human race, said Schick. "We should throw these technologies back into the fire," just like the Council of Elrond voted to destroy the One Ring of Sauron, the Dark Lord, he said.

The Return of the King, the final film in the adaptation of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings fantasy, opens December 17. It follows hobbits Frodo and Sam into the land of Mordor to destroy Sauron's ring of power.

Schick also finds material in Tolkien's story as a study in loyalty and courage. "Frodo is seduced by the ring, and Sam keeps him true," he said.

"The original theories of ethics developed by Plato and Aristotle were based on virtue, in which a good life was one that was led in accordance with the virtues, such as temperance, courage, loyalty, honesty and prudence," he said.

Students: For an easy A, expound on this in your next classroom discussion: What are the philosophical implications of Hugo Weaving, the Australian actor who is Agent Smith in The Matrix trilogy, also playing Elrond, the elven Lord of Rivendell, in the Lord of the Rings trilogy?

Constantine News from SciFi Wire via Club-Keanu:

Reeves Offers Constantine Hints

Keanu Reeves—who stars in Constantine, based on the DC/Vertigo comic series Hellblazer—told SCI FI Wire that his character is conflicted about his God-given mission on Earth. Constantine is entering its seventh week of principal photography in Los Angeles under director Francis Lawrence.

Reeves' character, supernatural detective John Constantine, is "a guy who's angry and ambivalent," Reeves said. "There's a line in it: 'God has a plan for all of us. Some people like it, and some people don't.' That's kind of my Constantinian take on it. Some people like it. John Constantine doesn't like it, but he likes it." ["huh?" -krix]

Reeves acknowledged that the character and the story are dark, but not so dark as to preclude delivering a piece of commercial entertainment. "Well, we're hoping to make a PG-13 film," he said. "I'm playing a character who is damned, and he's trying to escape hell. He goes to Gabriel [Tilda Swinton] and says, 'Come on, I'm taking demons out of little girls. Who's that for?' Gabriel says, 'Well, you don't believe.' I go, 'I believe, for Christ's sake!' He says, 'No, you don't. You know you don't have faith.' After that [encounter with Gabriel], you see my character with scratches on his back, and he's drinking some whiskey, and he's just made love with a demon. So we're trying to deliver a PG-13 film. My feet are on the floor by the bed, and she's under the covers." Warner Brothers will release Constantine, which also stars Rachel Weisz and Shia LeBeouf, in 2004.

A whole 'nuther kind of demon ride, eh? Rwowwrrr....

And via the Straight to Hell forums, Comics Continuum reports...

DC Comics will be publishing adaptations of the upcoming Catwoman and Constantine films from Warner Bros., DC's Dan DiDio told The Continuum.

"It would seem kind of silly not to," said DiDio, DC's VP -- publishing, at Wizard World Texas on Sunday.

DiDio said the creative teams and formats have not been finalized yet. It's possible that instead of simply a film-to-comic translation, the books will contain features and other materials, similar to DC's ongoing Smallville comic.

DC has comics based on all three of its current television shows, Smallville on The WB, Justice League on Cartoon Network and Teen Titans on Cartoon Network and Kids' WB!.

Neither Catwoman nor Constantine has a release date yet. Both films are currently in production and will likely be summer releases. DiDio said the adaptations would come out just before the movies.

As always, John and Ade are the voices of reason.

Also, AleXXei shares this:

Lauren Shuler Donner talks (Yahoo News)

(...) " Fans also have been vocal about "Constantine," whose comicbook premise of a chain-smoking, hard-drinking con artist and occultist with real magical knowledge is about as far removed from superheroes as you can get. Aficionados' foremost concern is the recasting of the comics' very English John Constantine as an American."

But Shuler Donner, who believes fans will be happy with Reeves, says the character's bad attitude and irreverence has survived intact. "It's extremely close in spirit. John Constantine is a really unique character because he walks the line between good and bad, between hell and heaven. He doesn't care if he's liked."

Something's very wrong. I am sure I've packed everything I need....yet I still have room in both bags.

Hmmmm.

I've decided to leave eddieshirt home. Too irreplacable, and it would just be my luck to have my luggage lost or damaged.

Apparently, dressing for Seattle is all about the layers, so I've decided to make use of part of the T-shirt collection as my base layers. It will be my little secret knowing Neo or Johnny or Ted is close to my skin under a pile of fleece.

Ooooh! A book, I must pack a book. Also must remember to pack the phone charger, camera and little Neo.

Oi, I know I'm forgetting something.

Extra TV tonight will have the cast (including Keanu I assume) talking about Something's Gotta Give

Check your local listings and also the video clips at the Extra TV site.
(I'm not sure if Keanu's in the clips, I can't watch media at the office)

I figured I'd better be early with this....

I suppose saying "I can't wait for this movie" is a little obvious when talking about his films, huh?

Hee.

I wish we knew a release date for this. IMDB shows it in March but only for Belgium.
...what the hell?

Ooooh, Club-Keanu has some lovely new pictures of Keanu, who's in New York doing press for Something's Gotta Give. He's just yummy in the chocolatey brown suit and (new?)shoes.

So speaking of chocolate, you know who RAWKS?

Julie Does.

I got a fabulous care package to help me with my fear of flying from her yesterday, all the way from Amsterdam. Along with a Kustom Keanu enhanced survival handbook, something with eyes that wiggle, and other very cool things, she also sent me.....Chocolate K-E-A-N-U!

I plan on savoring every nibble and making it last a long time. Or at least until the stewardess flight attendant starts pouring the wine.

E! online is having a sweepstakes for two tickets to LA to go to the Something's Gotta Give premiere.

Click here.

Thanks Jena!

Heh.

I used to read MAD magazine. I think it's responsible for me deveolping the typically "masculine" habit of reading in the bathroom. My brother left a few of them when he moved away to college and I would have to sneak to read them because my mom really didn't think the humor was appropriate for a 9 year old girl.

And somehow reading it on the toilet seemed "appropriate".

The movie spoofs were always funny (my god, do I remember the Star Wars one? Ack! I'm old...) although I'm sure a lot of the humor went over my head at that age. I do know that I loved the Don Martin cartoons. Oh! and Spy vs. Spy. Hee!

Is this issue still on the stands? Man, it's been well over 20 years since I last read an issue of MAD. I may have to use this Matrix spoof as an excuse to spend some extra time in the bathroom again.

KEANU: NOTHING MY FANS DO IS STRANGE

The Matrix superstar Keanu Reeves has been in the movie business so long, he doesn't find obsessive behaviour by his fans shocking anymore.

The hunky actor - who shot to fame in comedy caper Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure - is aware that big event films like The Matrix and its two sequels can turn into a way of life for some devotees, and finds their fascination amusing.

He says, "People do Matrix costume parties and get Matrix tattoos and that sort of thing.

"But there was a breakfast cereal called Bill and Ted's Excellent Cereal named after that movie, so nothing seems that strange anymore."

First off, a Matrix dress-up party sounds really cool.

Why, yes. I have DOGSTAR license plates, and a Keanu film t-shirt collection (which I really need to do an updated inventory of), and yeah there's this little website thing but can you really call that obsessive?

Nahhhh....

It's quirky! It's a healthy interest, it's sexier than beanie babies or NASCAR.

And frankly, eddieshirt is so comfy I would sleep with him anyway.

Everyone needs a hobby. Keanu fandom is mine and it's been good to me. I've met the greatest people and had the best time supporting him and his career and interests. Being a Keanu fan changed my life. You can just read this site and see the friendships and recount the events that testify to that.

I sometimes get a little peevy when people who don't understand a fandom throw around words like "obsessed" or my least favorite, "rabid". So what if my idea of a perfect trip is to go see his band play and not to some football game or to climb some rock? Yeah, I'm a grown woman and have a Neo doll on my dashboard.

Bite me.

Keanu's cool with it and so am I.

You are Ted Logan from Bill and Ted's Excellent
Adventure. Rock on Dude!


Which Keanu Reeves Character Are You?(with pictures)
brought to you by Quizilla

Heh, I hate these quiz things, but this one's on-topic...

The NYPost's Liz Smith:

"WENT to see the full version of the coming Jack Nicholson/Diane Keaton comedy "Something's Gotta Give" (I'd seen a snippet a few weeks back and loved it.) Well, this Nancy Meyers' movie is going to be huge precisely because, in some respects, it mirrors Jack's real life (dating very young women) and it more than proves that middle-aged women, Diane Keaton for instance, still have "a dance in the old dame yet." (She is simply divine; no wonder Warren Beatty and Woody Allen and many another guy found - and find - her so wonderful.) I also loved Keanu Reeves in this movie - here blessedly removed from his inscrutable "Matrix" persona, which certainly doesn't tap his talents. And I wish the film had shown us more of the great Frances McDormand.

If I say "Something's Gotta Give" could use some judicious cutting near the end, that's just because I'm a fuddy-duddy who thinks most "entertainments" are too long. But this one will tickle you."

(Thanks Jane)

Also, Coming Soon has a new trailer up (choose 'B') that has some choice shots of our dream doctor. Thanks to Club-K, who already have some stills in their gallery

becky's Paulie will be playing goal in an upcoming All Star Celebrity Hockey Game.

Universal Studios and the LA King Alumni present 3 on 3 Thanksgiving Pond Hockey Game, November 28th at Universal Studios CityWalk.

The game will once again feature LA King Alumni and a host of celebrities in 'hockey action' at CityWalk's outdoor ice rink.

The lead guitarist of the famed new band, "becky!", will be ripping up the ice the same way he rips up the frets onstage with his band. This will be one goalie to reckon with!

The game will feature two 25-minute periods with a 10 minute break. The opening festivities will commence at 11:00 am, followed by the one-hour game and post game meal.

Alumni Celebrity Allstars assist worthwhile Los Angeles based charities, represented by the LA King Alumni and the LA Kings Hockey team.

www.allstarshockey.com

Hope to see you there!

This actually sounds like a fun way to spend the day after Thanksgiving.
If you're in the area, check it out.

...and I really should be since I have a ton of stuff to do before I go away next week.

But this is so much more fun.

"He would come home from school, and there was nobody home, so I would take him to the studio. He wanted to be with the guys. I think he was very happy being over there with the band, cause we were loud and always laughing, you know? We were always like playing with him all the time, and there would be a bass guitar, and he would just be hitting it with his hands, because it would, "BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!"

-Alice Cooper
A&E Biography

I admit that I've been wondering about our workaholic being well into working on Constantine and not having his next project lined up yet.

Or maybe he does.

Coming Soon (via Club-Keanu) reports....

Keanu Reeves Replaces Russell Crowe in Tripoli

Keanu Reeves has replaced Russell Crowe in director Ridley Scott's Tripoli. However, 20th Century Fox has put the film into turnaround, and now co-financing companies are kicking the tires. The movie could have been Reeves' first big role after the "Matrix" trilogy.

Reeves is now attached to the story of how U.S. soldier William Eaton joined forces with an exiled king to overthrow the corrupt ruler of what is now Libya.

Screenwriter William Monahan wrote the script.

I'm not a fan of the period war epic, but this looks to be a meaty role, and working with Ridley Scott? Bonus.

update: Here's a moviebus.com page on Tripoli (thx Rhonda!)

Well, this is a nice suprise....

It seems I'm a nominee for a Women.com Groupie Award for Best Keanu Fan Site.
Other nominees are Keanuweb, A Keanuholic, Keanuville and Yummy Keanu.

If you'd like to vote for me, just click on the graphic and go to the page and scroll down to the little poll thingy.

I sort of wonder how they arrived at the nominees because it's not really a contest without Club-Keanu or Reeves Drive or several others up there, but in any case, it's a nice little write up.

This fan site takes the form of a Web log with daily postings, including pictures, poetry (check out "Ode to Keanu"), wallpaper and more. Enjoy the really personal feel of this site, as other Keanu groupies send in pictures and even create special graphics to celebrate the "birthday" of the Website.

Well hell. Was the only repeat of A&E's Biography show on Keanu at one in the morning last night? I've heard it wasn't bad and was going to get Roi to tape it for me. Ah well, not to fret. A very lovely person is making me a tape of all the cable stuff I missed so I'll see it eventually.

I'm so behind, I just watched the E! thing that Roi taped for me yesterday. I hear it wasn't as bad as most of the "True Hollywood Story" shows usually are, but it was still pretty bad. Tabloidy. Feh.

It was a treat at the end to see the infamous "E! for Egregious!" footage.

You said it, babe.

Him, his eyes, this groove.
All perfect things to lose yourself in on this sleepy Sunday morning.

311 - Amber (right click and save)

Brainstorm
take me away from the norm
I got to tell you something
this phenomenon
I had to put it in a song
and it goes like

Whoa, amber is the color of your energy
whoa, shades of gold displayed naturally
you ought to know what brings me here
you glide through my head blind to fear
and I know why
whoa, amber is the color of your energy
whoa, shades of gold displayed naturally

Whoa, amber is the color of your energy
whoa, shades of gold displayed naturally

You live too far away
your voice rings like a bell anyway
don't give up your independence
unless it feels so right
nothing good comes easily
sometimes you gotta fight

Whoa, amber is the color of your energy
whoa, shades of gold displayed naturally
launched a thousand ships in my heart, so easy
still it's fine from afar, and you know that
whoa, brainstorm take me away from the norm
whoa, I got to tell you something

Thanks Rhonda for this perfect addition to the Keanu-mix

becky! now has a new design at the official site! a new message board! and apparently a new exclamation point that is now a part of the band's name....

Go check it out

I just woke up and the blog is back.

....eddieshirt really wants this for Christmas.

It's a nostalgia thing.

By the way, eddieshirt and I? We're sleeping together again.

"Burt" sez:

"Keanu Reeves is rad. Yeah, people say his a bad actor, POINT BREAK sucked, "I am an FBI agent..." blah, blah, blah ... and I am tired of it. Got booked to work this 5:30pm to 5:30am movie on a rush call and I had know idea I was stepping into Reeve's next MATRIX-like blockbuster. This film is about a guy who fights demon's or something, but I was mostly impressed by Keanu's work ethic. No entourage, no hullabaloo, no BS. He gets dropped off in an SUV, and he works. He doesn't have people bringing him his food, or smoking his cigarettes for him. He is there in every sense of the word. In fact, he was working in a scene THAT HE WASN'T EVEN IN. Rachel Weisz needed an eyeline, and rather then have someone else do it, Keanu stood BEHIND the camera so she could actually look at him for the shot. He didn't do this once or twice, he did it like fifteen times. And when one of the extra's was given a line, Keanu and Co. were very cordial to him. And best of all, I think the beautiful Rachel Weisz gave me the eye a few times but I can't be sure.

I spent a decent amount of time on this shoot in my car (I keep getting booked with it) talking on the phone to various people."

That sounds like our guy.

-from movieweb, via the hellforums, thanks duda!

More than meets the eye
Is Keanu Reeves as amiable in real life as he is on screen?
MUMTAJ BEGUM emphatically says "yes".

IT IS time to set the record straight – Keanu Reeves is more intelligent than he lets on. While most of us were (or still are) scratching our heads over The Architect’s speech at the end of The Matrix Reloaded, Reeves thought it a challenging concept. Ergo, he knew then, it was a crucial scene in the trilogy.

During a 15-minute interview with Reeves in Sydney he tells how he found the three books – Simulcra and Simulation, Out of Control and Evolutionary Psychology (which he was asked to read by the Wachowski brothers before playing Thomas Anderson a.k.a. Neo a.k.a. The One in The Matrix trilogy) to be helpful in different ways.

“I would say, in terms of the acting part of it, it’d probably be Simulcra and Simulation. And the one that was kind of disturbing was Evolutionary Psychology. The whole idea of detachment of emotions like ‘What is friendship?’ except what do they call it? Reciprocal altruism,” says Reeves in disbelief. “And to understand the film and the evolution of what occurs in the films; Why the system starts to have this organic development? Why certain programmes left alone would develop certain traits, almost Darwinist survival traits? Anomalies that pop out of nowhere, why does that happen? What goes in terms of the evolution of nature, even if it’s inorganic?

“I mean Neo ultimately meets programmes who talk about love. And the machines, they’re just fighting for survival. It’s almost not personal, it’s just, you know, they create the Matrix so that their crops of humans don’t die.”

Having acknowledged the fact, it’s also true that Reeves lives up to that all-American habit (although technically Reeves is Canadian) of using the words “you know” as a form of punctuation and every once in a while he falls into Ted-mode (of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure) ending his sentences with “man” or “yeah”.

Then magically again he switches to a completely poker-faced expression – which critics have dismissed as wooden acting – making it hard to read what he’s really thinking. Despite an “inability” to talk about himself (he’ll only offer a short sentence or two), he has lots to say about films. And he’s affable enough for one to conclude that he is humble and polite.

Coming face to face with him one realises just how strikingly handsome he is, more so in person than on screen if that is possible. Even his fatigue cannot disguise his pan-ethnic good looks, revealed in his Asian (light brown) eyes, and Caucasian square-jaw. Dressed simply and in dark colours (black jacket, brown shirt), Reeves looks all the more fetching because of the stubble on this face and just-out-of-bed hairstyle.

There is something sweetly refreshing about a movie star who promptly brushes off the question if he was the first choice to play Neo, the role that ultimately placed him in Hollywood’s A-list. He jokes that he is actually the directors’ 33rd choice to play Neo, but the truth is he was the only one who could make sense of the Wachowski brothers’ mind-blowing vision.

“All I can say is when I met them in 1996, and they showed me the script and I read it, and they showed me some of the materials, painting, drawings, you know, what they had in mind. Also from the script we had a real kind of...” he pauses. “Erm, we liked the same things in terms of graphic artists like Frank Miller and writer Philip K. Dick. We had things in common and I think that helped in terms of the way I can speak of their project. They were like, ‘He gets it.’

“I think they were surprised too when I came in with (research) notes. I had questions like what it meant, what they were hoping for. We got along,” he says simplifying his role in The Matrix.

Dig a bit deeper and you find out just how dedicated Reeves was in bringing the brothers’ vision onto the big screen. He would turn up everyday for the martial arts training even though he had just undergone neck surgery (back in 1997 when the training for The Matrix commenced) that restricted his movements. Shooting long hours, he’d have fights that would take three weeks (or more) to complete.

Hugo Weaving, his co-star in The Matrix trilogy, notes the amount of training they went through, “It was fantastic to get healthy and fit. That was great. The other side of it is waking up everyday feeling exhausted. The way I was exhausted was nothing like the way Keanu was exhausted. The amount of work Keanu put into this is absolutely amazing.”

At one point Reeves apparently had to sit in a bathtub full of ice. But all he says is, “It was all very good fun, but very hard work as well. And painful – ice is your friend.”

Not surprisingly, Reeves expresses interest in doing a couple more kung fu films even when he’s not interested in pursuing martial arts outside films.

“Movie kung fu is fun. It’s like fake fights. It’s like going out and playing Cowboys and Indians. It’s a sense of play. Everyone’s in a big fight between good and evil. And it’s beautiful, even when it’s brutal, there’s something beautiful about it.

“But the movie would have to have the right story though. I don’t want to just go out and start doing cheesy chop-socky movies.”

Indeed the care Reeves shows in picking projects could be due to the fact that his life has been balanced by both good and bad.

[...]

He himself has been in more than one accident and has the scars – on his leg, abdomen, above his lip and left eyebrow – to prove it.

With this in mind, it is sometimes easy to understand why Reeves doesn’t care much when he becomes the target of harsh (and sometimes unwarranted) criticism. Walking the path he has paved, he remains compassionate about people, as proven recently when he gave away part of his salary to The Matrix crew.

When asked whether he is a serious bloke, he protests with a “No, no no.”

“Well, I’m serious about my work for sure,” he finally agrees. “When it’s time to go to work or my application to what I do in acting, my responsibilities to film, that’s what I’m really serious about. Definitely.”

Just like the reluctant hero he plays in The Matrix, Reeves often downplays his talent in real life.

On the night of the interview, he dutifully turns up for the premiere of The Matrix Revolutions at the Sydney Opera House. His appearance on the black carpet is accompanied by deafening screams from his fans, females and males alike, who have been steadily growing in numbers despite having to stand out in the cold wind and rain for more than four hours.

A little uncomfortable with the attention paid to him, especially by the photographers, Reeves nonetheless turns to greet his fans with polite waves, autographs and handshakes.

But there is no disguising the fact that the star is looking for an exit to do what he loves best – be a regular guy.

If you're keen on the music of the Matrix, you should check out MatrixBeats.com. It lists music from all the films, the trailers, the Animatrix and even the game.

Thanks to Rhonda for the link.

By the way, did you know that the Revolutions CD is enhanced? Pop it into your computer.

I'm still enjoying it in the car, especially on the way to work. Yesterday was yet another somewhat surreal driving/listening experience.
Let me just say, if you have the chance to listen to Neodämmerung in the pouring rain, do it.

And then be prepared to laugh maniacally when you come around a corner and see yourself reflected in the back of a gasoline truck emblazoned with the word...Mobil, because it's just all too weird.

The official becky website has a lot of new photographs from the last four shows on the main page and also a new message board.

No word on any new shows.

LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) --Neo is indeed mightier at the box office than Frodo.

In a game of revision and counter-revision, the title holder for the biggest worldwide opening in history -- which has passed during the past few days from "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" to "The Matrix Revolutions" and then back to "Two Towers" -- is once again in the "Matrix" camp.

After adding in some late-arriving international grosses, Warner Bros. is now claiming victory for "The Matrix Revolutions," which amassed $202.8 million in its first five days since opening last Wednesday. That puts it slightly ahead of New Line's "Towers," which racked up $201.9 million in its first five days late last year.

The contest over bragging rights began Sunday when Warners estimated the five-day opening of "Revolutions" at $204 million. The studio issued a news release dated Monday that hailed the film as "the biggest consecutive five-day opening in motion picture history."

At the time, New Line's last-reported tally on "Towers" stood at $201.4 million.

Advantage: Warners.

But later Monday, Warners revised its number down slightly -- to $201.4 million.

That would have put Warners in a dead heat with New Line, except that since New Line last reported its $201.4 million figure in May, it revised the "Towers" number, raising it to $201.9 million, which put "Towers" $500,000 ahead of "Revolutions."

Advantage: New Line.

On Wednesday, however, as a few more international dollars trickled in, Warners revised its "Revolutions" take up to $202.8 million, slightly above the revised New Line number on "Towers."

Current winner: Warners.

Overall winner: Time Warner, which owns both studios. (It's also the parent company of CNN.)

"We've never released this broadly before and in this many countries, so it's been an incredible challenge coming up with an accurate box office count for this many territories," said Veronica Kwan-Rubinek, president of Warner Bros. Pictures International Theatrical Distribution.

"When we released in 107 markets, we were in many territories that we don't traditionally track daily box office figures."

"Revolutions" went out in a record 94 countries, 107 markets and with more than 10,000 prints internationally in an unprecedented day-and-date, hour-to-hour release November 5.

Kwan-Rubinek also noted that various countries were on holiday Monday, which delayed getting accurate numbers, and she also said that smaller countries usually take extra time to tally.

The newly revised international box office for "Revolutions" is $119 million, up slightly from the $117.6 million reported by the distributor Monday. In either case, in terms of its international grosses, "Revolutions" easily topped the first five days of "Two Towers" in the international marketplace, which brought in $99.8 million.

"Revolutions" earned a relatively disappointing $83.8 million in its first five days of release in North America, compared with about $102 million for "Two Towers."

In its first seven days, "Revolutions" has amassed a worldwide gross of $232.2 million, with $93.6 million coming from the domestic side and $138.6 million from international receipts. Traditionally, the international side of the "Matrix" series has outperformed the domestic side, and the third film in the series looks to continue that pattern.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): My reading of your astrological omens suggests that you are now standing before three doors. The word "scapegoat" is written on door number one. "Chameleon" is on door two and "weaver" on door three. What you do in the next six days will determine whether you'll ultimately have a choice about which door you open. If you do succeed in winning that privilege, I advise you to pick the "weaver" door sometime after November 22. Selecting the "chameleon" door wouldn't be terrible, but it wouldn't be half as stimulating.

From freewillastology.com

Perhaps I should consider offering my services as a Keanusultant.

From my inbox...

"because you're an expert i wanted YOUR advice...

people are always hounding me with, "whoa you resemble keanue reeves!"

and i wanted YOU to tell me what YOU think, so i can close the book on that subject.

a million pics of me here:
antidisestablishmentarian.blogspot.com

thank you in advance."

I probably should have corrected his spelling, huh?

My reply:

So far my opinion is that your blog takes forfuckingever to load on dialup.
From what I can tell from the pics from the top banner (which is the only thing loading), you may have a bit of a Thomas Anderson thing goin' on.

Oh wait, it's finally loaded.

*scrutinizes*

OK.
You're hella fucking cute and I can see where someone (who was not a Keannoisseur) would say that you resembled him. You do scruffy well, very well......
In my "expert" opinion, you come from the same part of the factory, but a different conveyor belt. Probably not enough to get a gig as a look-alike unless you studied his mannerisms, etc. And even then, you could probably only wow the audience at a kid's party, not a bachelorette's.

Of course, I'm only judging by the few pictures on your front page, I'd have to sleep with you to give a full assessment.

So, if you'd just like an answer for those who are hounding you, you can say:
"Well I asked a girl who runs a Keanu website and spends way too much time editing the hundreds of pictures she has on her hard drive and she said 'Close, but no Keanu' but she'd totally do me if she had the chance."

Hope this helps,

krix

Was that too slutty?

So call me a doctor, STAT!

Extreme Big Love to Ale for the link to LatinoReview.com's page on Something's Gotta Give that has some great looking stills from the movie, including these.

MovieMistakes.com already has over twenty mistakes spotted in Revolutions.

From the 'quite nitpicky, actually':

"In the rain battle scene, where Neo is laying on the soaked ground after crashing into the road, Neo's ear is filled with water, in the next shot, the water is gone. Neo's head hasn't moved between the two shots."

[Stop scrutinizing my sweet baboo's ears you maniacs.]

To the 'well, this is sort of important':

"In the train station, the Indian program explains to Neo that he cannot come with his daughter because it is his karma to keep doing his job as a program. In both Hinduism and Buddhism (it is not definite which religion he is) karma is the overall value of one's spirit, or soul. The concept that he was speaking of was dharma, which is the duty that a soul is obligated to perform."

Reloaded has a count so far of 80 mistakes spotted, and The Matrix? 112.

Also Matrix related, this entry has taken on a life of its own as a idea exchange for cracking the new 128-bit code over at the official site.

Which is just so cool I can hardly stand it. You rock on hax0r boys!

audio post powered by audblog

eeeee! I was so nervous! Congrats to the winners :)

Keanu Celeb photos
RedKitt & R.J. Girl

Dogstar Quattro Formaggi CD
Janice & Ale

Revolutions Soundtrack CD
BakedNudel & Zen

Reloaded DVD
BritJams & Renee452

Again, thank you all for the great birthday celebration, I wish I had a ton more stuff to give away.

Of course, I picked up a copy of the Revolutions Soundtrack for myself yesterday. It looks like Don Davis is going to be our generation's John Williams.

Listening to a film score while doing your everyday things puts a whole new emotional perspective in them. It makes every red light on the way to work a chance to pause in poignant thought.

"Trinity Definitely" was playing as I reached the bottom of an exit ramp to find a swirling display of loose newspaper pages dancing in the wind above the intersection. Had I been listening to something more contemporary I may not have even noticed, or I would have just seen it as trash and a traffic hazard, but instead it was actually a beautiful moment for me.

The folks behind me? Not so much.
A few honks got me rolling again, still lost in the music.

Then, just as my eyes were starting to well up, the track changed to "Neodämmerung".

Now, I'm not sure that which of Jack's Ultimate Salads I chose for lunch was crucial to human existence or not, but I felt I had to choose carefully. Of course part of me already knew what I was going to choose. The Chicken Club. I'd seen this all play out before.

What's the difference, in movie terms, between want see and must see? Answer: the second and third Matrix films. Before it opened in May, The Matrix Reloaded had fans drooling to find out how Larry and Andy Wachowski, the gifted brothers behind The Matrix, would expand the first movie's vistas and visions. That's want see in its most avid form. It earned Reloaded a record $209 million in its first 10 days but only $72 million in the rest of its run, a sure sign it disappointed its audience. So when the trilogy's finale, The Matrix Revolutions, arrived last week, seeing it was not so much a craving as a duty. Hence must see. As in must eat soybeans. Must visit Aunt Harriet. Must complete my set of Matrix in-theater viewing experiences.

Like Reloaded, Revolutions begins with no flashbacks, no summary of the story thus far. For those who are hazy on the battle of the reborn computer whiz Neo (Keanu Reeves) and his band of rebel humans against Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) and the nasties of the virtual-reality Matrix, a brief refresher course is in order.

The 1999 original was a genuine Neo classic. It trumped its nifty martial artistry and digital effects with a theme of self-discovery in the great heroic tradition. So, what did the brothers do for an encore? They spread the sequel over two feature-length films and, with all that time to fill, got a little gassy in their storytelling. The rebel fortress of Zion was a drab lair whose denizens engaged in way too much Jedi Council — style nattering. Then — as if producer Joel Silver had pleaded, "Could you please have somebody hit somebody?"--Reloaded 180'd into an action film, with the most elaborate car chase ever shot but without the first film's zip or resonance.

Well, Silver did warn us: M2, he said back in April, was "only half a movie." Revolutions is the other half, and if it doesn't touch the original for sheer cinematic wow, it's a big improvement over M2 and brings the enterprise to a satisfying climax.

Neo is now unplugged, lost in a nightmare realm between the Matrix and the machine world. He's pursued by Smith, who has gone free-lance and has become a fatal computer virus. Neo's friends Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) can't count on him, so they must plan the defense of Zion with the help of only the fractious rebel commanders. Their immediate obstacle: the pruny, petulant, dangerous Merovingian (Lambert Wilson). Their possible key to Neo's location: the Oracle (Mary Alice), who, we learned in M2, is a computer program and not always trustworthy.

The movie takes its time reaching warp speed. The Zion debates drone on, and much of the acting and dialogue is stilted, perfunctory, at a level somewhere between a Star Trek TV episode and a Star Trek convention. But the ass kicking starts early, when Morpheus and Trinity have a cool fight with the Merovingian's goons. Meanwhile, Neo is being dogged by a "human" whose voice sounds ... strangely ... familiar. Our hero's lids are seared shut, and through the hot coals of his X-ray eyes, he sees Smith, grimacing triumphantly. It's one of the epiphanies of the movie year.

Any martial trilogy needs a climactic battle scene. This one pits the humans against a swarm of the Matrix's sentinels — those metal octopests, those enemy anemones that chased the humans in M1 and M2. They're back in megaforce, forming a snake shape that rears and strikes at Zion. So the human soldiers get outfitted in gigantic robot armor — clinking, clanking, clattering collections of collagenous junk.

Ah, yes: The Wizard of Oz. That's the touchstone here, not just in the war of a few good guys against a vicious aerial host but in Neo's trip to the Machine (Emerald) City to meet its virtual vizier — who, as seen on a giant screen, looks a bit like the Oz wiz in the 1939 movie — and learn how to get home.

Somehow, though, you knew that the fate of the universe would hang on the outcome of a kung-fu fight between Neo and Smith. It comes at the end on and above city streets in a slow, heavy rain. The trilogy ascends and soars with the two combatants and ends not with a whimper but with a blast of light.

Thus the fabulous original film has found an honorable way to sign off. For those who didn't bother to join the early crowds, The Matrix Revolutions is a definite might see.

Producer Lauren Shuler Donner talks Constantine in this Chicago Sun-Times article

As if saving mankind from machines wasn't enough. Now Keanu Reeves must go to hell to save our souls.

The star of this weekend's revolutionary No. 1 hit, "The Matrix Revolutions," isn't out partying, but busy on the set of his 2004 film "Constantine."

"Basically, Keanu sends demons to hell in this one," says producer Lauren Shuler Donner. "The twist is that he goes there too to make sure the job is done."

She says filming is about a third of the way through on the Los Angeles set. "Tilda Swinton is coming out this week to do her role, plus there is a lot of creature stuff left to do," the producer divulges.

"It's not an origin story of the character," played by Keanu Reeves, Donner said in an interview while promoting her next movie, Timeline. "It's 'Dangerous Habits,' if you know the Hellblazer [series]."

"Dangerous Habits," the 1994 graphic novel by Irish writer Garth Ennis, focuses on John Constantine, a magician faced with death from lung cancer, who finds himself straddling the line between life and death, heaven and hell. "We're filming," Donner said. "We're about a third into it. It's come along great. And it'll be out next year, probably, well, at the moment, September."

And thanks to AleXXei over at the hellforums for a translation of this part of an interview with Keanu on the Brasilian site, SetOnline.

SET - You are filming "Constantine". John Constantine (star of the Hellblazer comics) is one of my favorite characters in the comics.
KEANU - - He is fantastic, incredible character...

SET - Aren´t you worried about the reaction of the fans for not being English as Constantine?
KEANU - Ah, I believe that it really goes to be a problem in the beginning, but I hope that the spirit of the character and the way as I interpret him make people to observe the essence of it, although he is not English nor blond.

SET - The director spoke that he has a Sid Vicious attitude.
KEANU - John Constantine is a fuck*** son of bitch. (laughs)

SET - Are you going to give the finger for the demon?
KEANU - YEAH! Yes, yes, man I will do that, I will do everything. Very funny. (laughs).

I just want to thank everyone for you submissions today and your comments every day. The domain has been renewed until 2005 so you're stuck with me at least until then, probably longer.

I'd also like to give a shout-out and a thank you to my webhost, Jennifer of WebSpun Consulting. For helping me get the site started two years ago, and for being a great friend and patient admin (especially when I call her at home freaking out about something).

Thank you for all your kind words and support, I'm so glad that I could make keanuvision something that I could be proud of and that others would enjoy.

And thank you to Keanu.
Without him, this would just be a blank page.

He is a presence that shines, that attracts even in the most quiet, remote moments. . . He sat alone on the stage in the empty hall, on the one case not yet yanked out by the hurried but precise movements of the crew. He looked tired, yet relaxed, removed from the frenetic rushing backstage or the VIP area, which held the only people left in the building. He smoked, and taking alternating sips from a bottle, swinging his legs occasionally against the case. A post-show winding down, a moment in which he looked out over the bare room, lost in his thoughts. It was as if he were releasing all the consuming energy of the past two hours, letting the passion ease away, a smoke from a fire softly extinguished. Half-hidden by the proscenium of the stage, few people could see him, or even bothered to look. They were caught up in their own partying, or their pressing determination to get backstage. I’m not sure what made me look – a shift in the lights perhaps – but when I turned, I felt my heart twist. He was alone, but not, contained so perfectly in that presence that is a magnet for cameras, an enticement for directors, an enchantment for fans. And yet, “just a guy,” winding down after work. I stared, unabashed, not wanting to look away, as if he existed there, like Schroedinger’s Cat, simply because I was looking. But the moments past, and he glanced offstage suddenly, as if someone, or many someones, had spoken his name. And he slid off the case, gathered his cigarettes, and loped offstage. But something of the presence lingered, glistening in a quiet time loop in the silent hall.

Thank you to RedKitt for sharing these beautiful words about him.

Yum! Thanks BritJams for this tasty eye candy!

How perfect that Irene chose to quote my favorite sonnet for this.

Beautiful.

Thank you so much.

The Matrix Revolutions Ignites Global Box Office Revolution with $204 Million Opening, Setting a New Record for the Biggest Consecutive 5-Day Opening of All Time

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 9, 2003--Matrix fans around the globe turned out in record numbers to experience Warner Bros. Pictures' and Village Roadshow Pictures' The Matrix Revolutions, the final explosive chapter in the blockbuster Matrix trilogy. The combined five-day opening weekend box office receipts for The Matrix Revolutions totaled a staggering $204 million, charting the biggest consecutive five-day opening in motion picture history. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.
Additionally, The Matrix Revolutions scored the biggest international weekend of all time with an estimated $118.6 million, and set a new domestic record for the second largest R-rated opening ever behind The Matrix Reloaded with an estimated $85.470 million. The film also earned an estimated $14.9 million in the UK, Japan $14.8 million, France $11.2 million, Germany $8 million, Spain $6.3 million, Italy $6.2 million, Australia $5.5 million, Korea $5.2 million, Russia $4.8 million and $1.5 million in China.

In an unprecedented global release distribution scenario, Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures unveiled The Matrix Revolutions to fans in every major city around the world at the exact same moment in time on November 5. The film opened simultaneously at 6 a.m. in Los Angeles, 9 a.m. in New York, 2 p.m. in London, 5 p.m. in Moscow, 11 p.m. in Tokyo and at corresponding times in over 90 additional countries worldwide. Marking the widest global opening ever, The Matrix Revolutions launched approximately 18,000 prints in 109 markets on six continents, ranking it #1 around the world. The film was also simultaneously released in 60 IMAX(R) Theatres worldwide.

"It required the unparalleled efforts of our international teams on six continents to bring this film to 107 markets simultaneous to its release in the United States and Canada," Kwan-Rubinek said. "It is (therefore) extremely gratifying to see these terrific numbers reflect the impact of everyone's efforts worldwide."

"The zero hour simultaneous opening of The Matrix Revolutions once again positioned the Matrix films as the cutting edge experience in motion pictures, and we're thrilled that this remarkable trilogy continues to break global box office records with the performance of Revolutions," Fellman added.

"This achievement is a testament to the brilliant vision of Larry and Andy Wachowski, the work of our exceptional cast and crew, and the devotion of Matrix fans around the world," said Joel Silver, producer of the phenomenal Matrix trilogy. "The film's unprecedented zero hour release and the record-breaking audience turnout worldwide makes for the perfect ending to our incredible five year journey in bringing the Wachowskis' groundbreaking trilogy to the screen."

The success of The Matrix Revolutions comes just five months after the record-shattering release of the trilogy's second chapter, The Matrix Reloaded, on May 15. To date, The Matrix Reloaded has earned over $737.9 million in worldwide box office, making it the highest-grossing film of 2003 and the highest-grossing R-rated film in history, both domestically and internationally. Additionally, Reloaded scored the domestic record for the largest single week ever with $158.2 million and reached $150 million in a record-breaking six days. Internationally, it is the 10th highest grossing film of all time, and is the first film in history to gross more than $100 million in a single weekend.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment, a Silver Pictures production, The Matrix Revolutions, starring KEANU REEVES, LAURENCE FISHBURNE and CARRIE-ANNE MOSS. The film also stars HUGO WEAVING and JADA PINKETT SMITH.

The Matrix Revolutions is written and directed by THE WACHOWSKI BROTHERS and produced by JOEL SILVER. The executive producers are ANDY WACHOWSKI, LARRY WACHOWSKI, GRANT HILL, ANDREW MASON and BRUCE BERMAN. The director of photography is BILL POPE, A.S.C.; the production designer is OWEN PATERSON; the editor is ZACH STAENBERG, A.C.E.; the music is composed by DON DAVIS; the visual effects supervisor is JOHN GAETA; and the costume designer is KYM BARRETT.

The Matrix Revolutions is being released worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

This film has been rated "R" by the MPAA for "sci-fi violence and brief sexual content."

Wowsers! I damn near bent my spoon when I saw this!
Smooches to Keanuette!

Janice rocks for sending these cool becky and Dogstar greetings.

\m/

Thank you!

Hee!
Thank you, Shanice!!!

Thanks to Catz for this wallpaper. Gorgeous!

Here's another one sent by Catz, well after the deadline *cough*, but it was so good I had to add it.

These great wallpapers were made by "jankoe". Great stuff! I think she needs her own site!

Thanks Atalanta for this design with a beautiful theme and touching lyrics by Rufus Wainwright

Thank you to Paine for this Neo and Trinity wallpaper. Sigh, Such love!

And Melissa rocks for sending this!

Be sure and click this one for the larger size to read the cool becky/dogstar song inspired greeting, RAWK!

"An Ode to Keanu"

Deep brown orbs that with one look, suck me in.
And with a glance know my heart's desire.
They cause me to think of thoughts filled with sin.
They do know when my heart is afire.

Oh, lucious lips! So like fresh red roses,
Ready and waiting for that one great kiss.
My soul does know what a threat it poses,
Yet, that moment I do not want to miss.

That hair! Those beautiful locks of brown hair.
My fingers wishing they could run through it.
My nose wanting to breath it up like air.
Adore it so, with these words I have writ.

Oh, those eyes, lips, and hair! I love them all
Wish you knew I existed when I call.

~By Talia

Thank you to Wendy of skittish.org for this fantastic SimKeanu and SimKrix, ready to celebrate keanuvision's 2nd birthday in style.

And I'm going to make this the official give-away entry as well.
Here's how that's going to work....

Everyone who submits something and everyone that leaves a "Happy Birthday" comment on this entry up until midnight PST tonight will have their name put into a hat* and I will draw names to give away:

• 2 Reloaded DVDs
• 2 Revolutions Soundtrack CDs
• 2 Dogstar Quattro Formaggi CDs
• 2 pairs of Keanu celebrity photographs

Show me some love :)

*smoooooch*

*On Monday at the office, I'm going to print out the names/emails of everyone and then fold them up and put them into most likely a Big Gulp cup or something since I won't have an actual hat. I will do an audblog live as I draw the names. Multiple comments do not get multiple entries, but those who send in submissions can also leave a comment for two chances to win something. You can't win twice, but your odds are better if you send me something pretty.

Tomorrow is keanuvision.com's 2nd birthday!
Yep, on November 9th, 2001 I finally became a dot com. I had a wallpaper site on Geocities for a while before that and technically started blogging on the old blogspot blog in September, moved to Movable Type the following May...yadda yadda, so in order to avoid confusion (and also domain expiration is a handy reminder), November 9th is the official day to celebrate.

How am I going to celebrate? By taking the day off and letting you supply the content.

From now until sometime tomorrow (let's say noonish, my time PST) I will take submissions of wallpapers, digital collages, other edits (including arty ones like the one from Shelly of Ashton-Kutcher.net below or silly ones like these magazine spoofs), drawings, poetry, lyrics/song parodies or anecdotes (as in "the funny thing my friends and I did to get a Neo standee from Blockbuster" or "The time I loaned Keanu my lighter outside the Viper room").

Submission guidelines below....

Send all submissions to KEANUVISIONARY@AOL.COM. Put the word "birthday" in the subject line. Please do not send to my regular email.

Sending images:

• Only one image per email. AOL puts multiple images into a zip-file, and I don't want to have to download mysterious zips. If you use that incredimail thing, have stationary or images in your sig, please turn it off, because it will read as multiple images. You can submit more than one thing, but do it in separate emails.

• Images MUST be in .JPG or .GIF format (preferably JPG)No BMP or TIFF or any other weird files, please. Also, please make sure the file doesn't have to be resized. It should not be bigger than my screen.

• PLEASE put a signature ON the actual image, down in the corner or something. Use your name, your screen name, whatever you want but if I get a lot of these I'm just going to put them all in a web album and upload it and I'm HIGHLY disorganized and I want to make sure everyone knows who did what.

• Take a little time, don't just put an "emboss" filter on a pic and send it. (Actually, don't use the "emboss" filter at all. It's an UGLY effect). Send something you're proud of.

• If you have sent me something in the past, please re-send (add the sig, please) it if you still have it. Like I've said, I'm really freaking disorganized and probably still have what you sent in a folder called "stuff2sort03" somewhere, but I can't find it.

• BLOGGERS! This ain't just for Keanu fans. I know you got the graphic skills to go to the spoony category, pick a pretty picture and make me a damn birthday card.
  

• Copy and Paste your submission into the body of the email, do not attach a document.

• Make sure you use plain text or a simple font. Ariel/Verdana 10 or 12 point is perfect. No scripty, giant or "baby-blue on a white page", please.

• If it's an original poem/lyrics, format it like this:
  

  TITLE

  Roses are red
  Violets are not
  I love Keanu
  He makes me so hot

  -by Your Name Here

• If you parody lyrics, please let me know the song and artist of the original, because I live under a rock and don't know my Pink from my Evanessance.
  

Also since birthdays are also all about the presents, I'm going to go through my stuff and find some things to give away. For sure there will be a couple Quattro Formaggi CDs and some Bill and Ted trading cards.

If anyone has questions about submissions, leave a comment.
Please hold your birthday greetings until tomorrow.

BIG love and kisses to Deborah who sent me a copy of Arena!

This pic of him is from the fold-out poster (hot chick on one side, Keanu and Uma "Kill Bill" on the other), and there are some other great pics by photographer Amanda DeCadenet (whose name I'm sure you recognize) as well. I'm sure most of you have seen them already, but I'll be doing my own scans next week for wallpapers and stuff.

Also, I spoke to a friend earlier today and she picked up a copy of Arena at Tower records, so if you're not in the UK, you might check that out.

Keanu Reeves doesn't own a computer and has no plans to acquire one. "I don't use the internet, I don't send email, I don't have a secret identity," the star of the Matrix trilogy says. "You don't have to be a computer geek to be interested in the subjects these movies raise."

Still, he says, fans who love the movies and want to talk bytes find it odd - and there are many fans: after the first Matrix film grossed $US171 million, the second instalment, Matrix Reloaded, pulled in $US735 million.

What's even stranger, though, is the black-curtained room inside a Warner Bros sound stage in which we're sitting to discuss part 3, Matrix Revolutions. Reeves, too, is dressed head to toe in black and, despite the gloom, wearing dark glasses.

"Maybe I'm having a hard time letting go," he says of the Neo-esque attire.

"I lived and breathed these films for three years.

"I've read a lot, I've thought differently about things and now I'm almost 40. So now I'm perfectly positioned for a midlife crisis, right?"

He's tired because he's in the middle of making his next film, called Constantine, in which he plays a supernatural detective.

His all-black attire and some unflattering overhead lighting make him look pasty. Coiling and uncoiling his fingers is about as animated as he gets.

The Matrix creators, brothers Andy and Larry Wachowski, are notoriously press-shy so the burden of plugging their movie falls to the actors.

"They made it clear from the get-go that this isn't their thing," Reeves says.

"I'm not saying that it's mine. But this has been a pretty life-altering experience for me, these movies, so if I can back them up that's fine. I'm cool with it."

...Continue reading "Making Sense of The Matrix at TheAge.com.au

"I just think there's such beauty in life, in living, that oftentimes it's amazing to me just how badly we treat each other. We have this wonderful opportunity to be alive, and yet people insist on just treating each other with complete disregard -- not just the atrocities of the world but just the littlest gesture. You see the way people treat other people and you think, 'Did you just do that? Did you just say that? What are you thinking?' That's something I think about a lot, really. I watch my little goddaughter and I think, life is so precious, so beautiful. There's so much possibility and potential in it. It's all such a gift. So why can't we just enjoy it?"

KEANU RELOADED
'Matrix' star had to be smart as a whip to shake image of being dumb as a post

By Stephen Whitty
Newhouse News Service

NEW YORK -- Keanu Reeves is smarter than you think.

Sure, those two long-ago "Bill and Ted" movies stereotyped him in a heinous way. ("I used to have nightmares that they would put 'He played Ted' on my tombstone," he admitted.)

And, yes, he has said some silly things in the past and even merits his own chapter in the snarky book "Movie Stars Do the Dumbest Things."

And -- OK, OK -- he does tend to overuse the word "awesome," and salute people with "hey, man," and wonder aloud about things like spontaneous combustion, and did utter the movies' most famous "Whoa!" in "The Matrix."

But Keanu Reeves is also smart enough to love Shakespeare, and read the great Russian novelists, and listen to Joy Division. He's been smart enough to say yes to working with Gus Van Sant and Bernardo Bertolucci, and no to making "Speed 2."

And he was smart enough four years ago to see something in the screenplay for "The Matrix," and to sign on for a sci-fi milestone -- and increasingly profitable payday. (Reeves' reported salary on "The Matrix Revolutions," which opened Wednesday: $15 million plus 15 percent of the gross.)

"When I saw the script for the first one, there was just a kind of modernity in it that appealed to me," he says, sprawled in a Manhattan hotel suite. "The synthesis of all the forms -- classic myth, a love story, even kung fu. I loved that. And the question, 'What is the Matrix?' you know, being really 'What is the world? What is reality? How do we get past that veil to see the truth?' I thought that was fantastic."

The movie's vision of a sexually liberated, casually colorblind society appealed, too.

"It doesn't draw attention to itself and yet it's there," says Reeves of a script by the reclusive directors Larry and Andy Wachowski that gives equal weight to all its characters. "It takes this opportunity to go beyond racial issues and gender orientation to create this kind of inclusive world, and I thought that was a really cool element as well."

The movies don't often feature that sort of multicultural world. Yet, growing up, it was the only one Reeves knew. [...]

"It was just awesome," Reeves remembers happily. "There was no fear, no worry -- I remember chestnut fights, and hide-and-go-seek games that would go on in the street until 11 o'clock at night. . . . People fought, but it was never about anything more than two people wanting to fight. I didn't hear a racial epithet until I was in high school, and when I did, I was just like, 'Are you kidding me? Did you actually just say that?' "

Reeves wasn't much of a presence in high school, where he seemed to major in hockey. But then one day in a sophomore English class, he was called on to recite one of Mercutio's scenes from "Romeo and Juliet." And something happened.

"I just remember that it was really fun, and I felt really alive, and I said, 'This is what I'm going to be,' " he says. " 'I'm going to be an actor.' "

The boy who had no interest in going to school during the day started taking serious acting classes at night. By 22, he'd landed a couple of parts on Canadian TV and a supporting part in the Rob Lowe film "Youngblood." Encouraged, Reeves moved to Los Angeles, where he got a bigger part in a better film: the creepy, alienated "River's Edge."

It was a dark little classic about aimless youth, but co-star Crispin Glover got most of the attention, while Reeves got stamped as a pleasant, not-too-bright hunk. Signing on for "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" in 1989 (and then doing the voice for the Saturday morning cartoon spinoff, and returning for the 1991 movie sequel) only confirmed his image as a handsome, vaguely hammered high schooler.

It was profitable for a while, but in the end it was unwelcome and mostly undeserved. Reeves' performance as the clueless Ted was sweet and unforced, and gave Hollywood its funniest dope since Sean Penn lit up "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." Yet while everyone knew Penn wasn't Jeff Spicoli, no one seemed able -- or interested -- in telling Reeves apart from Ted.

Eventually Reeves pulled himself out of the rut by taking on more challenging material such as Van Sant's "My Own Private Idaho" and Bertolucci's "Little Buddha." Neither was a mainstream success, but they helped Reeves shake the surfer-dude image and rebuild his credibility as something more than a movie stoner.

Then "Speed" hit and made him a major star at 30.

Since then, Reeves' career has been marked by some odd choices and even odder films. (Remember "Feeling Minnesota"? "The Last Time I Committed Suicide"?) For every "Speed" and "The Matrix," there have been two or three or four films such as "Sweet November," "The Watcher" and "Johnny Mnemonic."

His life has been marred by some horrible tragedies, too. [...]
Some of that Reeves has used in his work ("I've lost my best friends," he says, "and that can't help but be a part of certain scenes"). Much of it he's tried to deal with and move past.

And so Reeves now plays bass in an underachieving band called Becky. He rides vintage motorcycles, way too fast. He thinks about marriage, and kids, but not too much. ("Before you get married, you have to meet someone you want to marry, and you can't control that.") He hangs out with old buddies, some of whom he's known since grade school.

"I've been fortunate to make some pretty incredible friends in my life, and friends keep you down-to-earth," he says. "But my nature is pretty down-to-earth anyway."

He still looks like a college senior and talks like a bright high-schooler, but Reeves turns 40 next year. Although he has a number of projects either already finished or lined up -- including the romantic comedy "Something's Gotta Give" in December -- he has "no idea" what the next decade will be like. This one has been dramatic enough to last for quite a while.

Mostly, he says, he's looking forward to continuing to act, to "finding the truth in the make-believe," and to simply enjoying life.

"I watch my little goddaughter and I think, life is so precious, so beautiful. There's so much possibility and potential in it. It's all such a gift. So why can't we just enjoy it?"

It's not such a dumb question. And sometimes Keanu Reeves sounds like he just might be smart enough to figure it out.

LOS ANGELES — Which way do you spin "The Matrix Revolutions"? The third movie in the cyberpunk trilogy earned $24.3 million at the domestic box office in its first day of release, Warner Bros. said Thursday.

That's a great one-day total for any other movie, but it comes in far below what "The Matrix Reloaded" collected in its nationwide debut last spring.

In May, "Reloaded" opened with a few late-night screenings on Wednesday evening and earned about $5 million. Then it expanded to 3,600 theaters on Thursday and earned about $37.5 million, according to Brandon Gray, proprietor of BoxOfficeMojo.com.

At the time, Warner Bros. lumped the Wednesday totals in with the Thursday figures and announced a total debut of $42.5 million for "Reloaded."

Gray said there may have been less anticipation for "Revolutions" simply because of the rapid-fire release timing.

"With the last one ('Reloaded') there was four years of pent-up demand and 'Revolutions' comes out after only six months," he said. "It's not quite the same event as the one that came out after a long drought."

Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. head of U.S. distribution, dismissed the notion that some viewers may be less enthusiastic about the franchise after "Reloaded," which scored poorly with critics and many fans.

"These are staggering numbers," Fellman said. "If you talk to any large theater operator they're totally out of their minds with joy."

"Revolutions" also collected $18.8 million internationally after staging the widest simultaneous release for a single film by opening in an unprecedented 18,000 screens around the world at the same hour (9 a.m. ET), according to Variety. Part of the studio's worldwide effort was to combat piracy.

"Revolutions" also ranked as the third best Wednesday debut for a movie, behind $28.5 million for 1999's "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace" and $26.1 million for last year's "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers."

Although hampered by critics who lambasted "Revolutions" as a glorified videogame, the Keanu Reeves sci-fi adventure could still come close to topping $100 million domestically by the end of the weekend.

Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co., said he would wait until the weekend to judge how "Revolutions" compares to "Reloaded."

The critically acclaimed first film, "The Matrix," earned $33.7 million in its first weekend in April 1999 and went on to rake in $171.5 million.

"Reloaded" earned a total of $281.6 million and became the year's third highest-grossing movie of the year, behind "Finding Nemo" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," respectively.

Today is National Men Make Dinner Day.

I sometimes wonder if Keanu cooks (if he ever has the time) and what his speciality might be.

Similar to the notion that you can tell by the way a man interacts with animals what kind of father he might be, I believe the care and attention he puts into creating a meal is a good indication of his lovemaking skills.

I like to imagine that Keanu would serve up several luscious and creative courses, with an extremely rich and satisfying meat entree, followed by two, maybe three desserts.

The Matrix Official Site has a load of new content now that the movie is out.

Now that I don't have to worry about spoilers, I'm going to take a bit and check out the various matrix boards and see what people are saying and also try and catch up on some articles.

While I have been known to make a Mac-friendly Keanu wallpaper on request from time to time, I usually do my wallpapers for a PC layout - icons on the left. But this picture from the recent Entertainment Weekly cover feature on Keanu was just perfect for the alternate orientation.

Well, there was no official Matrix swag to be had at the screening I went to, but I did score 2 CDs (Train, 3Doors Down) and a leather CD wallet for outing myself as the Über queen geek of Matrix Trivia in Las Vegas.

"What is the name of the compan...."
"Metacortex! Hah! In your face!"
*does victory dance down the aisle*

OK, so I really just raised my hand. And the victory was a little hollow because I was apparently the only one in the theater that knew it.

Well, that knew it and wanted some crappy radio promo.

Anyhoo....Second viewing was as good or better as this morning. I think I'm going to actually have to take notes next time.

I do have a couple pressing questions that I'll ask before I head to bed...

blah blah spoilers yadda don't click pfffft!

• What's the deal with the candy? is it important or not?
• What the FUCK up with the sentinal passing through Neo when they are following the power lines?
• Did the elevator button at Mero's say "Hell"?
• Wasn't there supposed to be a big helicopter sequence in one of these movies (2&3)?

I could be wrong about that last one, maybe they used the helicopter for filming but it wasn't actually a helicopter scene (like you actually see it).

I hope I can get to sleep. I had two mochas before the show tonight.

Don't click if you haven't seen Revolutions yet.
This goes for the comments link as well, as it will show the whole entry.

I mean it.

OK, of course the whole thing needs to be watched again. Here's a few things I can remember wanting to comment on:

• While sitting in the theater, when the green-tinged Warner Lot/Village Roadshow logo came up, I panicked. For a moment I wanted to flee, because this was it, the story would be over and I wasn't sure if I wanted that.
• I was glad that they got right into it, picked up right where Reloaded left off.
• "MOBIL" = LIMBO. Got it.
• Liked the upside-downedness of the bondage lobby fight, I also liked the "deja-vu" feeling re: the original lobby gunfight. There were a few times in the movie they did this, calling back to the first film. Nice.
• "Merv"...Bwahahahaha! I "heart" Trinity.
• The battle at the dock was breathtaking. Like I said in the audblog, bless the twisted mind of Geoff Darrow. Fucking Amazing, I can't wait to see it in IMAX.
• Liked the way they explained The Oracle's "new look", Gloria Foster left a big cookie sheet to fill and Mary Alice was perfect.
• At this moment, my favorite part was when Trinity saw the sun and the blue sky.
• Sigh, Trinity.
• Neo, heartbroken. Unable to shed tears. Fuck ALL Y'ALL who say he can't act. I lost it. Note to Self: Bring tissues next time.
• Hugo was fucking MARVELOUS.
• The rain fight was also incredible, loved the various sybolic effects withing the lightening.
• Much more....

Really, so much more. But that's all I can wrap my mind around right now.

I can't wait to see it again tonight.

OK, I have a major thing that I have to deal with at work before I can even begin to collect a coherent thought about seeing Revolutions.

I wanted to post this though: if you haven't seen the movie yet, consider that clicking on the comments of any entry from today (and on) may contain spoilers of some sort. It's just the nature of discussing the movie.

Any actual entries I get to today will be safe here - on the main page, but there may be spoilers in the extended entry, and the whole thing will show up if you click to comment.

I'll be back.

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Hooray!
I'm going to the "official" Revolutions opening screening here in Vegas tomorrow night, thanks to Dave.

I'm still going to the first showing at 6am, too.

You know you're a true-blue Keanu Reeves fan when you develop "the radar".

I usually sleep with the TV on, and this morning I woke up at 5:38 (naturally, not cat-induced) and caught a repeat airing of Access Hollywood just in time to see whatshisname talking to Keanu outside one of the premieres (Sydney, I think...I was still groggy). I stayed up for a little bit watching some local news and then let myself fall back asleep, since I'd set the VCR to tape the Today show. I wasn't looking forward to scanning the three hour program later for his appearance but I really do love to sleep so I snuggled in and dozed off again.

[tangent] I ended up dreaming about someone wanting to borrow my Reloaded DVD to watch and I couldn't find it, all I could find were clear discs. It turned out that my father had borrowed it and was arguing with me that it didn't make any sense. I vividly remember trying to follow him up an escalator crowded with people calling after him "It's like all this is a dream, and you wake up from it to a completely different world and all of this never existed." Which is very meta when you think about it, especially compounded by the fact that right afterward....I woke up. [/tangent]

Wrong!
"Coming up, blah blah blah Matrix something something, Keanu Reeves!" quipped Katie, her voice only slightly betraying her jealousy that Lauer got to do the interview...

The interview itself was brief. His sleepy, velvety voice was better than the cream in my coffee. He's got new shoes and the way he holds his feet continues to make my own toes curl.
To bastardize Rumi, God made krix love Keanu so much, just his feet could cause confusion in her.

They showed the fighting in the rain clip.
OK, this was the first time I haven't averted my eyes for this clip and good god.
It. Was. Beautiful.
The movement, the fight choreography, everything. Perfect. I'm so excited.

Eighteen hours left until Revolutions.

I wonder if I'll be able to sleep at all tonight.

(update - thanks Keanuette for a better link. You can watch the video and there's also a pretty good and lengthy article as well.)

I hate air travel, but I booked a flight today to go to Seattle to see my best friend Eric (the only other person besides Keanu that I would even consider getting on a plane for) over Thanksgiving. And I'm not even going to be a wussy girl about the flying aka "being in a big metal thing that really is too heavy to be in the sky and my god was that bourbon on the pilot's breath? and wait a minute! you didn't check my shoes for bombs, did you check everyone elses? I'm not getting on the plane until you check my shoes! Augh!"

Ahem....oh, sorry.

Because once again, Keanu is an inspiration for living my life better. He has been fearlessly flying around the world to attend Revolutions premieres. And I bet he doesn't even flinch during takeoff....unlike me.

I believe he's in Japan today.

And before that, Sydney.

Look! How cute when he waves!
Hi Baby! I miss you! Come home safe and sound soon!

I know that it's part of the job, and might even look glamorous to some, but can you imagine flying around the world in just a few days? It must get to be quite a blur after a while, between jet lag and the press, asking mostly the same questions wherever you go. And I can't even fathom what it must be like to deal with scenes like this.

It's yet another reason why I love and admire him so much.

Big Love to Jena for this list of Keanu and Matrix related programming* this month. I hope you've stocked up on blank tapes!

- Nov. 2,3,4th TBS is running The Matrix with Behind the Scenes footage of The Triogy all starting at 7C/8ET

- Nov. 3rd Extra: Keanu to talk about turning 40. (update-clip can be found here)

- Nov. 3rd and all this week: Access Hollywood, Pat O'Brien travels on the Matrix Jet with the Matrix cast, Friday he gave a tour of the jet, they had it decorated for Halloween. :-)

- All this week make sure to tape E! News, Extra, AH and ET for Revolutions coverage that could be on at anytime

- Nov. 3rd TechTV: Lives of Creators will feature Revolutions effects, 8pm ET(?-check your listings to be sure)

- Nov. 3rd HBO2: 1st Look The Matrix Revolutions 3:30pm ET

- Nov. 4th TechTV: Revolutions effects 5pm ET

- Nov. 4th: Carrie-Anne Moss will be on the Wayne Brady show (syndicated, check local listings)

- Nov. 4th: Keanu on The Today Show

- Nov. 5th TechTV: Keanu 5pm ET

- Nov. 5th HBO: 1st Look at The Matrix Revolutions 12pmET & 11pmET

- Nov. 6th E! Behind the Scenes of Revolutions (check local listings, I want to say 4:30pm ET, but don't quote me on that)

- Nov. 7th TechTV: Nine Inch Nails soundtrack/Revolution coverage 3pm ET

- Nov. 7th Keanu will be on Regis and Kelly

- Nov. 8th HBO: 1st Look at The Matrix Revolutions 4pm ET

- Nov. 9th HBO: 1st Look at The Matrix Revolutions 3:30am ET, also 8:45am ET on HBO2

- Nov. 9th E! True Hollywood Story: Keanu Reeves 8pm ET

- Nov. 11th HBO2: 1st Look at The Matrix Revolutions 12:30am ET

- Nov. 16th Keanu Reeves Biography A&E Channel 9pm ET(also showing again on Nov. 17th at 1am ET on A&E, if you have the Biography Channel, it's scheduled to appear on that as well but I'm not sure on dates and time)

- Nov. 18th HBO: 1st Look at The Matrix Revolutions 10:35pm ET

- Nov. 21 HBO: 1st Look at The Matrix Revolutions 4:45pm ET

*Your Mileage May Vary. Be sure and check your local listings, especially for the cable stuff.

Wowsers.

No sooner had we reached the Star Trek Experience and Neo infiltrated the lair of the Borg Queen...

That lost its appeal pretty fast, so he went to meet Marcie(still dressed for Halloween!) and then hit the bar for a martini....

Of course, once you get a drunk systemal anomaly on your hands, he's everybody's friend. Here he is telling Rahn the Ferengi "I love you man! hic!"
I think he may have hit on the waitress as well.

Along with some pretty creatively named drinks on the menu, there were such items as a HamBORGer and The Wrap of Khan. Heh. (I tried to take a pic of the menu, but it didn't turn out)
I had a tasty Salad of Kalasas or something, it tasted a lot like chicken caesar.
Neo surveyed the carnage and let Alan pick up the tab.

I tried to explain the causality of mixing liquors, but he gave me the finger and headed for the door. I should have left him in the box of tribbles (spank them!) in the gift shop, but seeing as how one of those tall glasses was mine, I figured I needed my co-pilot.

The One sure had a good time, and I did too :)
Thanks and smooches to Marcie and Alan! Here's wishing them a safe, less-than-10-hour trip back home to LA!

I'm getting ready to go meet Marcie of Dogs Don't Purr at Quark's Bar for some midday cocktails of the Romulan Ale variety. I might be smuggling little co-pilot Neo in to intimidate some Klingons.

I would take Lobby or Dojo, but they are too busy mocking and playing mind games with Real World Neo, aka "Dickie" for his bad hair and worse fashion sense.

I would have introduced "Dickie" (a cruel nickname, foisted on him by Lobby due to his cheesy sweater design) sooner, but he really hasn't integrated well with the boys and frankly, we like to not air our little family dysfunctions in public.

Anyhoo, how about a couple links?

Thanks Joy for letting me know that E! online has a whole lotta Matrix and Keanu goin' on, and here's another article that I haven't even read for for fear of spoilage (I'll come back and click it on Wednesday). I like the title though, "Keanu's Hard Drive", because you know.....I'm twelve (insert "software" joke here).

And now, I'm off to go drinking and schmoozing.

Well, Keanu is Entertainment Weekly's current cover boy and I didn't even realize it. I hate being out of the loop.

Here's and excerpt from the article, "His Excellent-cy" by Scott Brown:

Keanu Reeves is 39 years old and through making apologies. In younger days, he told interviewers he was a ''meathead,'' sensing their dim opinions of him and meeting them head-on with bodacious self-effacement. (Call it the Ted Offensive.) But little of that old self-consciousness is in evidence now. The tics are still there, of course. He fidgets constantly, crossing and recrossing his legs, Gumby-ing his obscenely thick hair from side to side. Any query that comes across as even vaguely invasive is deflected with polite monosyllables, but one mention of Hamlet elicits an entire soliloquy (''If it be now, 'tis not to come. If it be not to come, it will be now.'') and a bardolater's joke about his all-black outfit. (''My inky cloak,'' he cracks.)

Reeves is famous for quoting Shakespeare at the drop of a hat, but you can see why Hamlet agrees with him: a regal yet mercurial soul, confounding our often low expectations. And confound Reeves has, every step of the way. With ''The Matrix Revolutions,'' he concludes a sci-fi trilogy that entranced audiences in 1999 and befuddled them in 2003, grossing nearly $1.2 billion worldwide along the way. Whether it will lure back those whose heads are still spinning from ''Reloaded'' is today's multimillion-dollar question; Reeves himself admits the second movie was ''dense'' and says that it ''benefits from a second viewing.''

But just when you were getting used to Keanu in that sleek-if-impractical black cassock (''superhero evening attire,'' he calls it), you'll have to readjust to him in ''Something's Gotta Give,'' a romantic comedy that positions Reeves -- a doctor in this one [note from krix...Dr. Julian? My pretend boyfriend for December] -- opposite Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson (opening Dec. 12). Next he'll be seen as a New Age orthodontist in ''Thumbsucker.'' And after that...well, you can follow him into hell, or at least halfway. That's where his next big role -- hard-boiled ethereal middleman John Constantine, of the ''Hellblazer'' comic -- will strand him. Sensing a pattern here? Don't worry. Neither is anyone else.

Reeves' identity has always been a bit of a blur. He's your average bass-playing, beer-drinking motorcycle enthusiast who's only now getting comfortable with moonlighting as a tremendous celebrity. One thing is clear: He's no longer the guy who once said, ''I make excellent good short copy because I use words like 'excellent.'''

''Ah,'' he sighs, smiling. ''That's an early '90s quote, isn't it? Early '90s Reeves?''

He smiles beatifically and offers no further insights. No doubt about it, the guy is downright mysterious. Of course, there is a competing theory.

''He's just sullen!'' laughs Alex Winter, the Bill to Reeves' Ted and a longtime friend. ''If someone thinks he's a mystery, it just probably means he doesn't like them very much.''

And I love this part..

Reeves' friends and associates have a tendency to defend his intellect even when no one's really attacking it. ''I learned my lesson the first time we played a game of chess,'' recalls Laurence Fishburne. ''We were living in Sydney [filming 'The Matrix'], and I thought we'd have a little game and I'd see how bright the motherf---er was. Beat my ass in 15 minutes and left.''

Heh.

The whole article is in the November 7th issue of Entertainment Weekly, a continuation of this excerpt can be read by AOL members by going to keyword: EW.

Dear Keanu,

toodles,
krix

Thanks to Shelly of the Darkroom and Ashton-Kutcher.net.