____________________________________________

In the hype-proclaimed Year of The Matrix, I was happy to Take the Red Pill, but I refused to be spoiled or to be Warner Brothers' bitch.
I was, however, Joel's for the taking. Ultimately, none of my suck-uppery did any good, and the only way I got to the Reloaded Premiere was in my dreams.

You'd think the high point of the year would be seeing Keanu in person and shaking his hand, and while that was definitely not sucky, it's really just one of the outstanding memories I have of 2003.

With the release of Reloaded, traffic jumped, and I stressed out over bandwidth and down time. The solution was an upgrade and I can't express how grateful I am to you all for the success of the virtual garage sale to cover the expense and then some. Some of that surplus went to finally get a scanner which is fun to play with and also enhanced my creative output immensely, and some was spent on something I never thought I'd have the chance to experience...

I got to see Keanu Reeves play hockey. That rawked.

What else?....

2003 saw the end (no pun intended)of Ass Friday, but the beginning of the Keanu Mix project.

And speaking of music, it seems that the light from the Dogstar finally flickered out this year.

But, Keanu thumps on, with becky, and I've been very fortunate to be able to see them live a few times.

2003 was quite the year for Keanu as well, in addition to the new band and the promotion for Reloaded and Revolutions he shot Something's Gotta Give, and Thumbsucker and of course, is currently working on Constantine.

Ah, Constantine.
Thanks to Keanu being in this film I've not only spent over a hundred dollars on freaking comic books, but I've met some intelligent and interesting blokes at the Straight-to-Hell Hellblazer forums. I've also grown increasingly enthusiastic about the film, while growing to love the comic as well. Waffles anyone?

I know that I've missed some things so feel free to point out any egregious omissions or just your favorite memory of 2003 in the comments.

Most of all it's just been a great year of Keanu-luv and friendship.
I don't see how 2004 will be able to improve on this year, but somehow I know it will.

And I'm looking forward to it.

Have I told you all lately that you fucking RAWK? \m/

You do.
So very much.

Happy New Year.

*smooooch*

Don't ask me why I've waited until the last minute to begin working on some sort of "end of the year" hooha post, but I did.

Anyway, while I'm sucking down a couple soy lattes and poking through the THOUSAND freaking entries from this year for some highlights, here's a large, desktop sized scan of this pic from Arena Magazine.

By the way, if I hear Outkast's Hey Ya one more time today I'm gonna shake someone like a polaroid, baby.

Anger at sex change for angel Gabriel

SHE has made a reputation for herself by making unusual career choices, but Tilda Swinton is getting ready for what could be her biggest challenge yet – playing the Archangel Gabriel, in a blockbuster comic-book adaptation with Matrix star Keanu Reeves.

Gabriel, who foretold the birth of Christ and revealed the Koran to Muhammad, is traditionally represented as male. But while Swinton's casting could offend Christians, Jews and Muslims alike, it is the fans of the cult Hellblazer comics who seem most outraged by the planned sex change.

The comic-book stories, about a modern sorcerer who has literally been to hell and back, are regarded by their fans as the holy grail of adult comic-book fiction. Gabriel, who is depicted as male in the stories, becomes the arch-enemy of protagonist John Constantine, after Constantine engineers his expulsion from Heaven.

But fans have been outraged by the casting of the Fettes-educated daughter of the Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire in the film version, which is entitled Constantine.

Hellblazer was created in 1985 by the comic-book writer Alan Moore, whose work is in huge demand with film-makers. In the comics, Constantine is a blond, working-class Liverpudlian and ex-punk-rocker.

The film-makers infuriated fans by making the character American to accommodate Reeves. He teams up with a policewoman, played by Rachel Weisz, to investigate the apparent suicide of her twin, and introduces her to a hinterland of demons and angels in modern Los Angeles.

"I can't understand why they are not casting a man for the role," said one fan on an internet movie database forum. "It seems to me that none of the Warner Bros execs have even bothered to read the comic."

Publicist Paulette Osorio said: "In the script the Archangel Gabriel was not specified as a man or woman but more of an androgynous character."

-BRIAN PENDREIGH

It freaking SNOWED in VEGAS last night !

Humphrey is freaking out.

I am too.

Snow!

Thanks, Wry for this December Hit Parader magazine article/interview with becky members Rebecca and Paulie.

This month, Lyrically Speaking found ourselves in a dilemma searching for an answer to a few of life's more complex problems.

So, with this being said, and, us being in the word business, Lyrically Speaking stumbled upon a couple of songwriters who's honest approach to the craft is refreshing, and in one songwriter, her words could "shine" a bright light on lyrical sense all together!

We recently caught up with Rebecca Lord, lead vocals/songwriter, and, Paulie, guitarist/music arranger from the Southern California band, Becky in the recording studio working feverishly on their DVD/CD tentatively titled Studio/Live.

At press time, Paulie assures us that this musical masterpiece will be out by Christmas, and this compilation of the band's favorite studio sessions will be cut together with numerous live shows!

We couldn't resist asking the dynamic (songwriting) duo about the story behind their single Shine, and talk shop about their heart-stopping lyric writing and musical creations!

"Emotionally speaking, I guess my favorite song would have to be Shine," confesses Rebecca. "It's a simple message about love. We live in a world where people tend to focus on the bleak, but love is the key for getting rid of the darkness. Love heals, so it's nice to remind people about that every once in a while."

So, Paulie, how did the band Becky come together? "Rob and I play ice hockey together." He reveals, "We always talked about music, recording, and our favorite bands. Rob invited me over to his home to jam a little. It sounded great from the first chord progression. Rob is an amazing drummer with a great feel for all types of music especially, the upbeat stuff, which I love! We played for about an hour or so, and Rebecca joined in (Rob and Rebecca are dating, so they are always together!)."

He continues, "Right away, she started working her vocals into music I was playing. Her lyrics just fit into the music like a glove! I think we wrote about five or six songs that day! It sounded so unbelievable we decided to get a bass player and start a band. Since Rob has played with Keanu (Reeves) for over 10 years, it was a natural fit from the time we all first played together--and--that's how 'Becky' was formed! "

Speaking of storytelling, Rebecca, how do you bring a musical tale to life? "It's a really natural progression. I let myself run with a melody and the emotion the sound evokes brings the story. I don't go in with preconceived notions about what I want to say. The song tells me what to say- it makes writing flow a lot better, and the song ends up being a lot more honest."

Paulie interjects, "I like to write with tension in mind. in a good way, I like each section of the song to work off each other, so that one part will play off the other. I like to create a little song within the song with each progression should flow whether it's one part or five. It's very important to me with the style that I play that the music works perfect with the beat and Rob can really make it work. He is an excellent drummer who plays right on the money with the chord progressions that I play. That's why his nickname is 'Swatch Mono.' Swatch from the watch and mono from monophonic." (A cliff note: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary says that monophonic means relating to sound transmission, record-ing, or reproduction involving a single transmission path!).

Rebecca, do tell, is there a secret on making the words sound right in revealing a part of your soul? "I definitely have favorite words- all my lyrics begin as stream of consciousness, but as I listen back, I notice a few words always pop up! I am in love with language-words have so much effect, if they are used in the right way. First, the emotion has to come through, if I don't feel that, I don't know how I could even begin to try to write lyrics. It's all about flow."

Paulie, describe your song writing process? "I write the music (guitar parts and arrangements), and Rebecca will sing along and come up with melody and lyrics. Keanu will add his bass parts, while Rob locks down the beat! "

Pssst... where do you listen for lyrics, Rebecca? "What inspires me in lyrics? I would have to say honesty. I love subtlety, and I love when artist show instead of tell. I am not a fan or really obvious messages. I like songs to be a little obscure, so people have room to interpret. Everyone has a different experience, so it is nice to allow people the ability, to take what they wish from a song. My idea is most likely a really personal emotion, so to understand exactly what I mean would be virtually impossible. I like people to have the freedom to interpret."

First off, Paulie, are you a lyrics or a music man? "Music, I am always jamming guitar chords. Rebecca just flows right into them with ease, Keanu, too! He is always writing the coolest little ditty- we call them! I love to use those and write songs around them! He is a very, very melodic bass player! "

On a personal note from Paulie to you: "I would like to say thank you, oh so very much, for this wonderful opportunity to make music that our fans enjoy! Without you, the fans- none of this would be possible! Thank you... Thank you... Thank you!"

For more information on Becky, please visit them on the web at: www.beckyband.com.

Gah! It's almost 2004!

Just a reminder, the calandars from 2003 are linked on the calendar page, but will be taken off the server at the end of January.

According to a highly scientific survey done by Blockbuster Video, Keanu comes in 3rd place with a mere 15% of the vote for who people want as their fantasy date for New Year's Eve.

Nearly a third of people who haven't discovered the joys of Netflix would watch the ball drop with Ashton Kutcher, with Johnny Depp coming in second.

Ah well, I seriously doubt Keanu will be dateless on Wednesday night unless he wants to be.

What I want to know is WHO the hell wants to date Arnold?

eek.

(Thanks Tyler)

I'll be locking myself away this weekend in order to quit my 18-ball-a-day rumball habit. Don't try to coax me out with promises of meaningless sex, because we all know you're just being sarcastic.

Sigh.

This picture (from KeanuWeb) makes me want to run my fingers through his hair.

If you type

how many square feet in an acre

BUT....

if you type

"how many square feet in an acre?"

you get...........p o r n.

[note: DO NOT click on any of the google search results on that second one. Trust Me.]

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and got everything they wanted.
Aside from a deviating-from-traditional-pannetone-for-some-tiramasu-abomination-that-got-cocoa-powder-everywhere fiasco, mine was lovely.

And I'd like to say that my niece and nephew ROCK.

Do they know their aunt krix or what?

Holiday tips from krix:

• Too busy to bake? Go buy some Pier 1 vanilla buttercream candles or scented spray to give your kitchen a yummy smell that will fool everyone....until they ask for a cookie, anyway.
  
• Stop into every Starbucks you pass and have a gingerbread latte while you can.
  
• That pimple in your ear? DON'T MESS WITH IT, you'll only make it worse (this actually applies all year).
  
• Make smart dinner choices, consider Turducken.
  
• If you have last-minute shopping to do, listen to Dtracor (aka Eric) song - Merry Christmas - to get you all riled up to brave the crowds.
  
• The capacity to give a damn if the tree is straight and the lights are all working is in exact inverse proportion to the number of rum balls consumed.
  
• If you are Keanu Reeves, please read the title of this entry again. Don't worry, it's not like there's a subliminal message in it or anything.
  

And most of all, have a rawkin' holiday! \m/

*smoooooch!*

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Some of the finest minds I've ever known have belonged to Virgos. I've benefited greatly from your tribe's analytical power. Though my gig as an astrology columnist may suggest I favor magical thinking over the logical kind, I am in fact a great admirer of the scientific method and objective reasoning. Having said all that, I can in good conscience tell you to trust your passion way more than usual in 2004. Cut out this quote from Ray Bradbury and carry it in your wallet: "If we listened only to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair or friendship. We'd never go into business. Well, that's nonsense. Sometimes you've got to jump off cliffs and grow your wings on the way down."

-from freewillastrology.com

I just got off the phone with Julie! in Amsterdam, who has been MIA due to being ill, but hopefully will be bouncing back shortly.
She's currently all hopped up on antibiotics and some apparently lovely pain meds.

Get well soon, girly!

If you read the comments on Permament Record over at the Backlot, you'll get an idea of the effect it had on people, including those that identified with Chris, and those who came very close to making David's choice as well.

I loved Keanu's performance in this. I think it was one of his best in his early years, so I'm very happy that it will be released on DVD this February.
Thanks to r.j.girl for the info.

Last night, I dreamt I was in a deleted scene from SGG, in which I got to sit across a diner booth/table from a blue t-shirted Dr. Julian and watch him drink a coke from a frosty glass bottle.

Yeaaaaahhh.

....for getting all of that crack off of the streets, as you're obviously smoking it...

Academy Announces Films in Competition for Visual Effects Oscar

Beverly Hills, CA - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced the seven films being considered for Achievement in Visual Effects for the 76th Academy Awards.

The films in consideration are listed below in alphabetical order:

• The Hulk
  
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
  
• Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
  
• Peter Pan
  
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
  
• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
  
• X2
  

Fifteen-minute clip reels from each of the seven films will be screened for the Visual Effects Award Nominating Committee on January 21. The members will then nominate three of these seven films for Oscar consideration.

The finalists will be announced along with nominations in 23 other categories on Tuesday, January 27, at 5:30 a.m. PST.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2003 will be presented on Sunday, February 29, 2004, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland and televised live by the ABC Television Network at 5 p.m. PST, beginning with a half-hour arrival segment.

The Hulk?
The fucking Hulk gets Oscar consideration and neither of the Matrix films do?

(Not that I actually saw it, but I'm pretty sure that this is six kinds of wrong.)

Thanks to Nook for bringing this to my attention and also for the link to this petition about it.

Since they're apparently scared of technology, if you really want your opinion heard you might want to compose a good old-fashioned letter to the Academy of Arts and Sciences and send it to:

Thank you Nadia, for this SGG article at FilmStew.com.
Excerpt below...

The wildcard in Something’s Gotta Give is Reeves. Long a leading man and hot off The Matrix sequels, he nevertheless accepted a supporting role. And he’s more or less the straight man – though an utterly charming and engaging straight man -- to Keating and Nicholson.

“I have a couple of jokes,” Reeves points out. “I hope I do. It's like, ‘Do you take Viagra?’ Yeah, to a certain extent in the film, I am the straight guy, which was great actually. I mean, I thought of the character as he's a cardiologist, he's an emergency room doctor, he's dealing with matters of the heart, and he's a caregiver. So for me, I had to support whoever I was with. With Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson, my feeling was to do whatever it took to play the straight guy, to set it up”.

Reeves describes Keaton and Nicholson as “remarkable people” and “very gracious.” He arrived on the set fairly late in the game and found them remarkably welcoming to him. “They're people with great humor and sensitivity, and so it was a really enjoyable experience,” he notes.

Asked if he can be a fan when working with such veterans, Reeves smiles. “Well, you know, when I met them, it was like, ‘I'm really glad to meet ya,’” he says. “And yes, it was great to be able to communicate my enjoyment of their work. But then, once you go to work, you go to work. They're great. They're great.”

Meyers also earns Reeves’ praise, complimenting her both as a screenwriter and a director. “In speaking about her words, she protects them, and rightfully so because they're really good,” the actor explains.

-Read the whole article at filmstew.com

My secret internet boyfriend, James (formerly known as "Funk") typed up this Constantine article in from the current SFX magazine.

THE SFX 2004 PREVIEW: OCTOBER CONSTANTINE "From Hell they came... to Hell they went!"

THE BUZZ: **** (out of 5)

Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton

THE WORD: Celluloid incarnation of cult comic book occultist John Constantine. First glimpsed in the pages of Swamp Thing then elevated to star status in his own title - the macabre Hellblazer, showcase for such British talents as Warren Ellis and Glenn Fabry - Constantine is a tumbledown, trenchcoat-clad anti-hero, battling demons both personal and all too external. The movie relocates him from the diseased London of the comics, finding satanic shadows in Los Angeles. It's been pitched to the suits as "Dirty Harry meets The Exorcist", so expect a storyline that streamlines the dense, skewed imaginings of the comic book in favour of a multiplex-soothing adventure tale.

BOX OFFICE BLAST OR BOMB?: The character of John Constantine was originally modelled on Sting, later pursued by Nicholas Cage and eventually snatched by Keanu Reeves who is, let's face it, absolutely no-one's idea of a grizzled, Silk Cut-sucking Scouser. They may have rebranded Constantine as an American, but can the famously pine-finish thesping talents of Reeves convey the twisted depths the role demands? There's fine support from The Mummy's Rachel Weisz as Angela Dodson, a police officer who teams with Constantine to investigate her twin sister's mysterious death, and The Beach's Tilda Swanson as the angel Gabriel, but Keanu surely remains the weakest link. Hellblazer writer Warren Ellis believes he's in with a chance, though. "I think Reeves is an interesting choice because he can get at that other part of Constantine, the part that demands social justice and exists in ethical turmoil..."

Thanks, Mr Ellis.

Can we keep the rest of these schmendriks (™Chianti) from reviewing performances they haven't even seen?

It's nice to see that the buzz for the movie is good, though.

Ho.
Ho!
The mistletoe!

I'm making rum balls this weekend.

First off, congratulations to Jack Nicholson and Diane Keanton on their Golden Globe nominations for Something's Gotta Give.

Extra TV has another interview clip with Keanu content. ~Thanks Nadia

Peet and Reeves tell us that locking lips with a Hollywood legend is no ordinary smack in the mouth. Peet says, "He is the master. It was all a little nerve-wracking."

Meanwhile, Reeves says that kissing Keaton was a lot of fun because they were both so immersed in the affection of their characters. He says, "I think that was fun to play, and it was fun to feel."

But, believe it or not, Keaton says she actually felt strange kissing Reeves. She says, "He is a God. He is so beautiful it is ludicrous."

Also, Keanu is scheduled to appear on the syndicated Entertainers show with Byron Allen this weekend. You may have to scour your local listings, it tends to run in the middle of the night. ~Thanks Jena

Some news about another possible new role for Keanu...

Filmforce.IGN - Neo or Aragorn as Superman?

December 18, 2003 - IGN FilmForce has learned the latest on Truth, Justice & the American Way, Focus Features' long-planned biopic of the late Superman star George Reeves. The Allen Coulter-directed project is aiming to begin filming in Los Angeles this March or April. Location scouting, production design work, and casting are currently underway.
[...]
And who might portray George Reeves? Hugh Jackman, Ben Affleck, and Dennis Quaid have all been approached for the part at different times. Now Keanu Reeves has met with Coulter about the lead. Should the Matrix star pass then Viggo Mortensen (Lord of the Rings) might be offered the role.

I've never been hip on the idea of Keanu playing Superman, but this new twist intrigues me...

Playing the man who played Superman.

That cancels out the curse, right?

Go here, read this.

Contemplate committing your own random act of kindness. Whether it's giving a coat away to someone who needs it, donating one (or some blankets) to the local homeless shelter or picking up an extra toy for your local toy drive.

Hold the door for someone with an armload of packages.

Be nice to your retail clerk.

Make sure no one you know is alone for the holidays.

Have a falling out with a friend this year? Make the first move to bury the hatchet.

Say "I love you" out loud.

Does anyone know the name of the restaurant in Paris in Something's Gotta Give?

Brian asked in the comments of this entry, he'd like to suprise his wife and I thought we could help him out.

All together now:

Awwwwwwwwwwww!

Update: Melissa comes through..

Le Grand Colbert

And there is info and some production photos, captions en francais, at this site.

Here's one with Keanu in it....

Thanks to everyone in the comments for the info and translations.

You guys roq.

If you happened to miss the most recent Leno and Letterman appearances, check out Keanu.org's multimedia section.

You can download those plus other clips, including Keanu's bit in the short lived Jay Mohr series, ACTION!, a definite must see.

(a zip utility and Real media player are required to view the clips after download.)

Shopping wasn't so bad last night actually.
I managed to get several things crossed off my list.

So of course I had to treat myself to something.

The trend this season of monograms and initials is going to be my financial ruin. I love things with K's on them, and this pre-dates my Keanu fandom, since it's my initial too.

So, last night when I saw these adorable camisole/underwear separates with pink embroidered monograms I had to splurge.

And there's nothing to do while waiting in line to pay for underwear than fantasize about the adventures you'll have whilst wearing it right?

Keanu? He just can't stand it anymore. He must meet the hilarious girl from keanuvision. Phone calls are made. A dinner date is set.

Steaks are consumed, along with much fine wine (I defer to his selection and am not disappointed).

Of course we hit it off smashingly, as I'm not intimidated by his brilliance or his success. How great is that for him?

We rush through our after-dinner cappucinos (what? you think I'd skip it? this is my fantasy after all) in order to get somplace where we can get naked. Once we have our privacy he can't keep those big ol' bass playing paws off of me. He kisses down my neck and then stops as the pink embroidered K shows itself, just above my heart. I get a quizzical look.

"Hello? Conceited much?" I remind him that my name also begins with a K. He gives a little blush and closes his eyes, gives a little headshake then smiles.

More yummy make-out goodness and then I feel my attention being called by a slightly whiskered chin grinding into my hipbone. I look down and see the brown-eyed boy showing me an R stitched in pink on my underwear . He's holding the corner up by his teeth, and again with the look.

I blink.
He raises his eyebrow.

I smile. "Oh.....that. Um.....yeah, that's totally for Reeves".

audio post powered by audblog

This is a beautiful drawing of Keanu, by russian artist, Lailinka.
More can be found here...

Just breathtaking.

-via KeanuWeb

I was saying how much I would like to have some of Hellblazer cover artist, Tim Bradstreet's artwork for my very own. And what luck, you can now buy Bradstreet books, prints and artist's proofs at Plycon's Keep. Tim does artwork for Vertigo's Punisher series and there looks like there is some Blade works as well.

I've treated myself to this signed proof as a Christmas present.

There was a new interview with Keanu on the set of Constantine over at Superhero Hype, but it's now gone daddy gone.

Club-Keanu has it archived if you'd like to go ahead and read it (spoiler warnings apply).

I read it this morning and it seemed like it gave away WAY too many plot points.
But it did have some interesting bits about the effects and about the atmosphere of the film, which he described as California Noir....

It wasn't pulled fast enough to avoid stirring things up on the straight-to-hell forum either.

Constantine sounds like it's going to be a very cool movie. Maybe not a Hellblazer movie as the fans would like it, but cool just the same.

Last year, I posted my Keanu-themed take on the classic, 'The Twelve days of Christmas', and I'm doing it again this year.

But, we're not going to call it "krix gave up on writing a tribute to Neo's thighs to the tune of 'Jingle Bells' so we get the '12 Days' thing again...."

We're going to call it TRADITION.

And in the spirit of giving, I give to you my dear friends, my complete humiliation for your amusement.

Love among older adults conquered the box office as Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton's romance "Something's Gotta Give" debuted in the top spot with $17 million.

I have the morning news on and I saw this! Very cool, and I'm not suprised at all. It's a very good movie. In fact, when I was watching it Saturday, the first scene with Dr. Julian almost took me by suprise.

Oh yeah! Keanu's in this movie!

I was just enjoying the film that much.

Thanks to Nadia for sending me the link to this article, Her Keaton Heart at the daily news. Excerpt below:

Q: Jack isn't the only one you make out with in the movie. You also have some pretty passionate scenes with Keanu Reeves ...

A: Stop. (Laughs) Just stop. That was embarrassing. I mean, it was fun in the moment, but when you're done you just think, "This is absurd."

Q: He was very convincing in conveying his character's love for you.

A: He's a good actor, see? People underestimate Keanu.

Q: But maybe it wasn't all that hard for him to act that way ...

A: Oh shut up, man! (Laughing) You're making fun of me now and I know it!

Q: Not at all. Not at all. So, the lesson we've learned today is that love makes the world go around, and if it involves hopping into bed with Jack Nicholson or swapping spit with Keanu Reeves, so much the better.

A: Absolutely. I think love can be like that. Why not? Why can't it be? It's really all about a point of view, you know.

My mother, upon leaving the theater after seeing Something's Gotta Give last night:

(spoiler below)

"Well the good thing is, Dr. Julian's still single!"

Hee.

Walls

got my head up to the wall
be my crutch so I don't fall
tonight I swam in alcohol
just got tired of it all

standing by me watching guard
for all the times that were so hard
I miss the flowers in your yard
I miss everything you are

don't hang up please take my call
we all get lonely after all
make me beg I want to crawl
I want you up against my wall

falling deeper into night
I raise my fists and start to fight
don't want to drown in alcohol
because I almost had it all

don't hang up please take my call
we all get lonely after all
make me beg I want to crawl
I want you up against my wall

- Bret Domrose

RottenTomatoes.com is a good one-stop shopping destination for movie reviews, including the latest on Something's Gotta Give, which is currently enjoying a nice freshness rating of 73%, and definitely more juicy tomato icons than splats.

But to hell with reviews, did you see it today? What did you think?
Not just of Keanu but the whole film?

I really went in expecting not to like it but was pleasantly suprised. It wasn't perfect but there were enough laugh-out-loud scenes in it to be worth the ticket. And I have to say again, that Diane Keaton is brilliant and hilarious.

And you already know how I feel about Keanu's performance.

E! Online gets inside the "Constantine" set, and has a great deal to say. Entertainment gossip Anderson Jones said, "Who isn't speaking of Hounsou this awards season? He joins Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton and Keanu Reeves in 'Constantine,' which may well be Reeves' last picture ["oh, bullshit"--krix]. Why? Because by the time the supernatural thriller hits theaters next year, Reeves could have pocketed as much as $300 million (in salary and points) from his work on the 'Matrix' trilogy. But money isn't everything. ["exactly, he doesn't act for the money"--krix]
Word from the set, whispered by the special effects department, headed by Stan Winston, says the team has outdone itself. I think someone told me, 'These things kick ass!' or something to that effect. Apparently, first-time director Francis Lawrence gave the 'Constantine' team complete freedom in bringing the nasty characters of the dark comic book 'Hellblazer' to life, and they pushed the envelope at every turn. Even Winston people think this is some of their best and most frightening work in years. I hear they're particularly proud of the devil's son, one of many creatures in Reeves' hell -- but if I say any more, I'll need to be reanimated myself!"

-via comicbookresources

But I'm officially sick of the commercials.

Has everyone already been to a matinee showing of Something's Gotta Give, yet? I'm actually going to have to wait until tomorrow to see it, since we're jamming tonight. (Roi and Dave are making me sing Nico songs. It's quite amusing.)

Anyway, I'm going to take my mom to a matinee tomorrow. She'll love it.

Speaking of love, who else felll completely in love with him again on Leno last night? (I was almost late for work this morning, rewatching the tape) I think my favorite moment is him saying "Am I a grown-up?" right after running his hand through his hair and making it stick up, looking like the glorious goofball he is.

That smile melts me, and my god, he's funny.

Club-Keanu has a transcript of the interview up and will likely have more captures soon, as well.

And congrats to Chicks and the Club on having over 1000 registered members! \m/
That a lot of Keanu-luv :)

The Hollywood Reporter has a lengthy article and interview with SGG director Nancy Meyers (minimal Keanu content, but interesting nonetheless)....

"I was just blessed in terms of the actors that wanted to sign on to this project. I was blessed with Frances McDormand in a small part (of Keaton's sister). She wanted to be in this movie, which was really very flattering to me. And Keanu also saw it as an opportunity and I will forever be grateful to that guy. He gives the movie so much, I think. Really perfect casting."

Read the whole thing at hollwoodreporter.com ››

Just a reminder that Keanu will be on Leno tonight.

The Spoof.com has decided to take a radical approach in its effort to become one of the top humor destinations on the net by completely eliminating the funny from their extensive website.

"We know that a lot of people like to surf the web at work and we thought that if we reduced the chance of a reader actually - you know - laughing at one of our articles, then we might start getting some of that traffic from dangerously funny sites like The Onion."

A prime example of The Spoof's new cutting-edge unfunny humor is the flaccid ''Keanu Reeves Named Greatest Ever'' by author Brendan Shumway. Brendan couldn't speak to us for fear it would jinx his upcoming interview with The Tracy Morgan Show, but we did get a few words out of his brother, Gordon:

"What Brendan does here is really raising the bar of the new unfunny humor trend. He takes what looks like a generic article heralding an actor's accomplishment and then plugs the name 'Keanu Reeves' in. Get it? The irony! Because of the old 'Keanu can't act' thing, right? But the genius of Brendan is that this particular schtick is so played that it can't possibly be funny! Nope! No chance of your cube-mate hearing you giggle here. And he doesn't muck it up with that over-effusiveness like Whatever-Dude, either. It's really typical dry sarcasm, but while some people make that funny, Brendan is able to keep that from happening."

When asked if the whole article wasn't really just a cheap shot, Gordon Shumway defended his brother by saying, "Cheap shot? Nah...it's not like he's making fun of someone's last name or anything."

Yay! Sony has a bunch of clippy goodness for Something's Gotta Give up.

I've linked the Keanu ones here, just choose your bandwidth and format preference.

CLIPS

Clip 4 - "I Really Am A Big Fan"
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Clip 6 - "Have Dinner With Me?" ["AAIIEEEE!!!"--krix]
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Clip 7 - "Look Who's At The Door"
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SOUNDBITES

Keanu Reeves
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Hollywood.com has a SGG cast interview clip up with a glimpse of Keanu.

Also, Romantic Movies.com has a Keanu interview up.

becky! is featured in the 2003 year end issue of "Hit Parader" magazine.

Thanks to Paulie, Nadia and the POTD club

Thanks Keanuette for this article that indicates that Keanu might be taking to the ice for some charity games this February.

[Doug] Gilmour made his surprise remarks after earlier announcing that he and another former Leaf captain, Rick Vaive, will team up with TV and movie stars for a two-game hockey series to benefit charity.

The Hollywood All-Stars will play on Feb.7 at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton and on the following night at the new Ricoh Coliseum at the CNE grounds.

The series hopes to raise $600,000 for charity. Tickets will range from $10 to $50 at Copps and a flat rate of $44 at Ricoh.

Actor Keanu Reeves and former world champion figure skater Elvis Stojko of Richmond Hill will also play in the games.

The chief benefactor will be St. Joseph's Health Centre in Toronto. Money will also be donated to Shoot for a Cure, Sunshine Dreams for Kids and the Anemia Institute Foundation.

Keanu at last night's Something's Gotta Give premiere in LA.

Thanks to POTD

Check out Club Keanu for more pics and links to pics

Keanu finds Rx in small part
By Stephen Schaefer

Keanu Reeves, who reportedly collected $30 million plus 15 percent of the gross for his two "Matrix" sequels, was eager to take on a small supporting role in the new film "Something's Gotta Give."

"For me, trying to do different kinds of roles, it was a wonderful opportunity, really, just to do something different," Reeves said.

Reeves plays a doctor who treats Jack Nicholson's Casanova-esque Harry [Sanborn] for chest pains and finds his own heart thumping when he meets an accomplished playwright (Diane Keaton). Although the physician is a decade younger, he pursues the attractive 50-something, not knowing he has a rival in [Sanborn].

The actor doesn't find it so odd that he's not the film's leading man. He coveted the "Something's Gotta Give'' role so much that he auditioned for it.

"I was looking for a job,'' he said.

"You laugh, but it's true. Often, you have a gut reaction to scripts you read. . . . You're always looking for good material. I mean, I love acting. Look at Jack Nicholson. He's 66 years old, I think, and he's making movies. He's doing his thing. Does Jack Nicholson have to go and make a movie? That's what we do.''

Yet it wasn't the younger man-older woman scenario that intrigued Reeves.

"Some people speak of this film as being age-oriented, but I would say that it's 'ageless-oriented,' personally,'' he said. "I think that it's about taking a risk, opening up, and somehow it seems so terrifying to open oneself up to another. We see these two beautiful, brave people in this film, Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson, just kind of open up to each other. We get to enjoy it and see it on screen."

Peach of a guy

Turns out Keanu's not that tough to figure out

NEW YORK -- Look up enigmatic in the dictionary and you might just find a picture of Keanu Reeves. All those synonyms from secretive, ambiguous and illusive to indecipherable, paradoxical and inscrutable certainly apply.

Here's the guy who went from playing a goofball in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure to having one of the most excellent contemporary careers in Hollywood. It could be construed as pure good fortune that he stumbled into the thriller Speed -- but it was more than luck that kept him from doing the disastrous sequel.

He easily could have passed on The Matrix after tanking with Johnny Mnemonic but instead parlayed an almost identical sci-fi performance into a movie icon.

Reeves' offscreen person is just as puzzling.

His co-stars talk about how erudite, personable, humorous, sweet and kind he is yet he has long been an infamous interview subject.

In round-table settings and at press conferences his answers are cryptic and his demeanor defensive.

So it was with no small amount of trepidation that I approached our one-on-one interview for the holiday comedy Something's Gotta Give.

I can't pretend I've met the real Keanu Reeves but I've certainly met a much different man than I've encountered through previous group interview situations.

The first thing that struck me was that he is more imposing in person than he is on screen.

He's every bit his 6-foot-1 and he has hands like baseball mitts, but there's a gentleness to his handshake.

He proved far more relaxed, articulate and humorous.

Q: You've had quite a remarkable career since your feature-film debut in 1986 in Youngblood. Did you have a plan when you first started out?

A: I didn't have a plan but I had a hope. I hoped I'd be able to make a living acting because I loved it so much and I hoped I'd get the opportunity to make quality films and work with some of the best actors and directors in the business. I also hoped I could have a career that would allow me to do stage work as well as film."

Q: When you look back, can you remember those early days in Toronto?

A: Like it was yesterday. I arrived in Toronto when I was seven. I went to four different schools and I'm proud and happy to say I still have contact with friends I made in those early years. I love the city and always have.

Q: At what age were you bitten by the acting bug?

A: I started taking acting classes at the Jewish Community Centre when I was 15 and I got my first agent when I played Mercutio in a (community) production of Romeo and Juliet when I was 16. I did a Coke commercial and that led to my first professional acting gig (as the title character) in Wolf Boy, which lead to Youngblood.

Q: When you auditioned for Wolf Boy had you already made the decision to pursue acting as a career?

A: Before I went out to audition for Wolf Boy, I was managing a pasta place. I'd worked there so long they'd made me the manager. One day a woman who was working for me asked if she could have the day off so I was trying to rearrange staffing. I suddenly realized this was not what I wanted to do with my life, so I quit. I walked out of that place and over to the auditions and got the role in Wolf Boy.

Q: Were you surprised when so many people were surprised that you decided to star in the Manitoba Theatre Centre's production of Hamlet?

A: I would have preferred if fewer people were surprised. I want to do more stage work. Before I left Toronto for Los Angeles, I would audition regularly for the Stratford and Shaw festivals. I still harbour a dream of being part of either of those companies for a season.

Q: Is there another Shakespearean role you covet?

A: Absolutely. I'd really like to play the Scotsman in "The Scottish Play."

Q: At what point in your career did you finally concede this acting thing was working for you?

A: I haven't said that to myself yet. I really haven't. It would be foolish of me to pretend things haven't worked out well for me financially but that's an exterior thing and that's what other people tend to gauge an actor's career by. Personally I feel like I'm still searching. I'm still trying. I'm still working on my craft on almost daily basis.

Q: Is it difficult at this point in your career to let people into your life?

A: In terms of my personality, my sensibility and who I am, I'd have to say it hasn't changed all that much. I really trust people until they show me that I can't trust them. When I meet people, I try not to have expectations but I also try not to be naive. I don't want to have to put up any unnecessary walls but I also don't want to leave myself unguarded. Talk to people who knew me in Toronto 30 years ago. That was true of me then just as it's true of me now.

Q: Here comes the inevitable Matrix question. Are you relieved it's all over and that you will soon be able to stop talking about Neo and The Matrix?

A: Not at all. It was an incredible experience. I think they're all wonderful films and I'll speak about them until I croak. I won't ever tire of talking about the character, the films and the whole experience itself. It is a very important part of my life just as it's an important part of my career.

--By Louis B. Hobson

(Thank you to Shae)

Don't think I don't know how terribly savvy you are to choose to do Something's Gotta Give and play a role so different from Neo to follow up the Matrix films. And while I wasn't excited about it at first (I'm sort of "meh" on romantic comedies), now I have to say....good choice. Quite brilliant, actually.... Surrounded by legends. Working with an esteemed director and great script.....And you did it so well. You worked well with Nicholson and had such wonderful chemistry with Ms. Keaton. Your portrayal of Dr. Mercer was perfect, endearing and funny. Exceptional delivery and timing. And so romantic without being cheezy. You were so wonderful that I think that at one point, every woman in the theater tonight spontaneously ovulated. Even the several there that were well past menopause.

You do realize what this performance is going to do, don't you Keanu?

Every woman on the planet is going to fall madly in love with you after seeing this movie. Oh sure, it's smart and well written and funny and yes, there may be mutterings of "Best Nicholson blah blah" "Diane, so lovely and bold yadda yadda" "Gorgeous cinematography, etc. etc" "Oscar lalalalala".
But also there will be a hormonal surge strong enough to twitch seismographs in other counties as each woman sighs "I'm so in love" to herself as she gazes dreamily at the credits and stumbles through the dark, popcorn cluttered aisle.

Not to mention the ones that loved you already. They will be the gasping, moaning, calling her friends on the way out of the theater parking lot making undecipherable sex noises and "oh my god he's just so...so....UNNNNNNHHHHHH!"- ones

Not that that's a big step for some of us.

*cough*

Now I've got to go sit in the tub and write "Mrs. Dr. Julian Mercer" in the steamed up shower door.

Tell Diane she's hilarious.

xo,

a fan

But damn! You just can't read "Jack and Diane" without that song going off in your head, huh?

Understandably, most of the media about Something's Gotta Give is focusing on the stars:

The 5-foot-9-inch superstar is still at the top of his game; just ask writer and director Nancy Meyers. She says, "Why Jack is so sexy? Because he is just the devil. Something is always going on in that brain. He is just delicious."

In "Something's Gotta Give," Nicholson is reunited with his 1981 "Reds" costar, Diane Keaton. And after all of these years, Nicholson hints that is was some reunion. He says, "I would have to write a book, honey." - extra tv

___________

Ask Keaton if she's canoodling with famous ladies' man Jack and she almost chokes when she says, "Me dating Jack? It's not going to happen. Probably not for either one of us. We are just friends." - sun-times

All in all the buzz for the film seems to be good. Even though I'm not big on romantic comedies, I'm looking forward to seeing the preview tonight. I know I'll adore Keanu as Dr. Julian Mercer. *swoon*

I'm also currently freaking out that I'm taller than Jack Nicholson.

They must fear the goaltending greatness of him.

I blame the evil D.B. Sweeney.

Or maybe they figure that having both Kiefer and Keanu is a good way to melt the ice before the game even starts. Rwowwwrrrr.....

Anyhoo, this info is from Paulie, so I am going to assume that he's playing.

From the Hollywood Reporter:

~By Kirk Honeycutt

"Something's Gotta Give" is a cheerful romantic comedy about the rejuvenating power of love and how old dogs can indeed learn new tricks. Writer-director Nancy Meyers smoothly blends several comedy styles -- the delicious oddball situation of Kaufman and Hart and the psychobabble of Woody Allen with a considerable helping of the frothy style Meyers herself has developed over the years with her former screenwriting partner Charles Shyer -- into a kind of updated and saucier version of a Rock Hudson-Doris Day comedy.

Only the characters are determinedly middle-age as Meyers has crafted chewy parts that allow Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton to perform riffs on their own personalities and past roles. This skewers the demographics toward older audiences, of course, but this should be no serious drawback as boxoffice for this joint Sony/Warner Bros. production looks promising. You just wish someone had come up with a better title.

Meyers' premise, in which a divorced mother falls in love with her daughter's much-older boyfriend, could have sent the plot rumbling off in any number of quirky if not edgy directions. But Meyers settles for a sitcom crowd-pleaser. Seemingly at issue here are May-December romances, but this quickly dissolves in favor of a conventional romance with a meet-cute (albeit a very funny one) leading to love, a disruption, then a happy fadeout.

Nicholson's Harry Sanborn, a 63-year-old music business mogul who never dates women older than 30, travels to the Hamptons for a weekend tryst with his latest infatuation, Amanda Peet's Marin. To their horror, the two lovebirds discover that Marin's mom, highly successful Broadway playwright Erica Barry (Keaton), and her aunt Zoe (Frances McDormand) also are in residence.

Mistaking Harry for a burglar as he rummages in the refrigerator clad only in his underwear, Erica and Zoe pull a knife and are in the process of dialing 911 when a red-faced Marin, also clad in scanties, clarifies the nature of this intruder. An understandable hostility develops between Harry and the two disapproving sisters, but this gives way to concern when he suffers a mild heart attack.

His ER doctor, Julian Mercer (Keanu Reeves), allows Harry to return to Erica's beachfront home with the understanding that he is not to budge until his health improves. When the rest of her family decamps for Manhattan after the weekend, a dismayed Erica finds herself with an unwanted housemate. Then Erica, instead of writing her latest comedy, finds her world turned upside down when both Harry and Harry's doctor, a man in his mid-30s, become romantically attracted to her.

All the characters have a tendency to psychoanalyze both themselves and one another, which makes this a very talky comedy. Yet Meyers has handed her leads many juicy lines and several fine comedy situations to play. The film also does something quite remarkable for an American film: It makes middle-age love look sexy and hugely satisfying.

Nicholson and Keaton pair off nicely in their first co-starring outing together. Nicholson performs adroit and hilarious physical comedy to go with line deliveries no one else would do half as well. Similarly, Keaton gives her character's emotional dithering and confusion over all the curves life suddenly throws at her a charm few other actresses could have managed.

Reeves, McDormand, Peet and Jon Favreau, playing Harry's all-purpose assistant, bring star power to what amount to small roles, giving these characters a dimension that was probably barely discernible on the page.

For a film shot mostly on soundstages and backlot sets, "Something's Gotta Give" has a fairly realistic look thanks in large measure to Michael Bullhaus' glistening cinematography. Sets and costumes look like someone hit the shopping mall and bought Pottery Barn and J. Crew out of much of their inventory.

-want my reaction? Click Here;)

Thanks to the Pic of the Day club for this gorgeous pic from OK magazine and for the link to this article.

"AT ANY point in his career, Keanu Reeves has always been the centre of wild speculation. In his mid-20s, mostly because he had played lovable airheads in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Parenthood, everyone speculated he was dumb. In his late 20s, he made a movie called Speed and, suddenly, everyone was heralding the dawn of the new metrosexual action hero. Many have credited Keanu for paving the way for sensitive actors like Tobey Maguire and Christian Bale to be cast in traditional he-man roles like Spiderman and Batman. "

Continue reading the article at star-ecentral.com

Thanks to Mikey2 for the link to The Matrix Online, the online role playing game based on the world of The Matrix due to be released next year. Looking at the screenshots it seems either they expect a lot of women to be playing, or maybe a lot of teenage gamers just want to see what it's like to kick someone in the neck while having really big boobs.

And speaking of boobs, Pam Anderson and Jenna Jameson are scheduled to appear on Spike TV's Video Game awards tonight, but I don't see Keanu's name there anywhere.

You can tape or TiVO it if you think he might be on, but I think I would have felt a surge of sexy if he'd been in Vegas on Tuesday.

Hero Realm recently spoke to artist Tim Bradstreet about his work. You can read the whole interview here. (via SHH)

I have to say that I love his Hellblazer cover work and would probably buy prints of some of my favorites if I had the wall space.

Here's what Tim had to say about Constantine:

A.H.: Any thoughts about Keanu Reeves playing Constantine?

Bradstreet: Hmm. I have to be honest and say that when I first heard the rumor, there was also buzz to the fact that Guy Ritchie would direct. My thought's were, if Ritchie is directing I don't care who they get to star in it cause it should be good. With Ritchie helming, maybe they would move the storyline out of the states and back to the UK where it belongs. Then I heard that Ritchie wasn't in but Keanu was. I don't hate Keanu, it's better than having Arnold attached. And if they are going to build this film around the star it makes sense to Americanize the character given the fact that I just can't see Keanu pulling off a Liverpool accent.

I will reserve final judgment until I see the film. Keanu may just pull it off. The thing I'm most upset about is the fact that they've taken the character out of the UK. London is just as important to Hellblazer as John Constantine is. Fans are already alienated from this production because of that alone. Where is the benefit of alienating your core audience? Apparently, they don't believe that the 14,000 or so people who read it monthly are very important in the scheme of things. But that's Hollywood. Take everything that is essential to the character and change it to fit the profile of the popcorn industry. All that matters is that Keanu does his job and brings in his core audience. That's how the bean counters look at it. It really sucks that if they wanted to stay true to the book it would probably hurt the box office. American audiences just don't want to pay to see a British chap con people and use magic (I'm assuming). Although I would have definitely plunked down my cash to have seen it. Now if I was casting that film I'd have cast Paul Bettany as Constantine. That would have made my day. But Paul Bettany is not proven box office and this industry is all about profit. Too bad really. Now, bitching aside I really hope that director Francis Lawrence and his hard working crew are passionate about the project and deliver a film that makes me eat my words. I wish them all the best of luck. And don't count out Keanu yet. I remember a certain comedic actor who donned the cape and cowl of a certain Bat Man a while back. Fans raised holy Hell when that was announced and then quickly changed their collective minds when they saw the film. If the cast and crew of Constantine manage to create a work that is a cut above the usual comic book to film adaptations, then the jeers will turn to cheers.

Tim posted this portion of the interview over at the Straight to Hell forums a couple weeks ago, so you can read that discussion as well.

Tim isn't the only person close to the Hellblazer property that has spoken about the movie, here's a bit from a recent Interview with Hellblazer Author, Mike Carey:

Given that you are delving into the worlds of movies with Frost Flowers have you resigned yourself to the fact that the movie Constantine more than likely will be a far different person than the Vertigo incarnation? Or is that not something you're even going to bother considering?

MC: I went through the same agonies as every other long-term Hellblazer fan when the project was announced, and then when the rumours started to surface - about the Hellblazermobile, and his sidekick being a feisty lady cop and all that stuff. But from what I hear of the actual storyline, it sounds interesting - and Keanu certainly looks the part in the publicity stills. I'm keeping an open mind. Obviously it's not going to be the comic brought to life - it's going to be a separate entity, with its own look and feel. it's best to regard it in that light - maybe it's an "Elseworlds" tale of Constantine (I think that could be an Ade Brown insight that I've nicked).

It's nice that these guys at least are trying to keep an open mind.

Thank you to MC at RD!

If you live in a major city, there's a good chance that a couple of your local theaters will be showing a sneak preview of Something's Gotta Give on Saturday (Dec. 6) night.

Just check IMDB's movie listings after entering your city or ZIP code. Be SURE to look at the listings for Saturday the 6th, because the movie won't be listed if you just pull up today's listing.

Yay!

....or is my globe just warm?

On December 1st, The Great Warming - a documentary on global warming was shown at the Conference of Parties 9 in Milan.

Keanu co-narrated this documentary with Alanis Morissette for the United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change. A short clip can be found at the UNFCCC website.

OK, now that I've been politically correct and promoted the cause can I just get all squishy for a moment over those lips?

Guuhhhhhhhhhh...........

*sigh*

OK.
Playing more catch up in the media spot....

Keanu will be doing promo for Something's Gotta Give on ET tonight and there is a clip on the site.

Diane Keaton was on both the Today Show this morning and The View. I slept through Today and had a distraction during The View (looked back in time to see the lovely Diane kissing Joy Behar...eep.) so I have no idea if she mentioned Keanu at all She's apparently out of her goddamn mind.

*cough*

I'm hearing from people who have been lucky enough to attend advance screenings of SGG and it sounds like it's going to be very good. I'm going to pick up a newspaper and see if there will be a sneak preview here in Vegas. It could happen, we had one for The Replacements.

For anyone that missed it the first time around, Keanu's Letterman appearance for Revolutions will re-air tonight.

There's also some Revolutions content in the January issue of Starlog Magazine, Club-K has some images and an article from it.

Thanks to POTD, Keanuweb, Club-Keanu and all those who emailed me with news for helping me catch up.

And BIG WET pouty-lipped Keanu kisses to Jena.
She knows why.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The Chilean Congress has recently considered a bill that would mandate afternoon siestas for all workers. As a nap activist who has lobbied long and hard for everyone to get more dream time, I cheered this revolutionary proposal. Now I'm asking you, Virgo, to join me in the struggle to gain even more sleepers' rights. What specific action can you take? For starters, spend more time asleep and dreaming in the coming week than you ever have -- and don't let any workaholic, sleep-deprived cranky-head shame you for it. Your productivity will rise; I guarantee it. (P.S. The astrological moment is also
ripe for you to rise up against the tyranny of Type A overachievers who think everyone should be as addicted to stress as they are.)

-from freewillastrology.com

Thankfully that is NOT a question asked in this nice long interview from moviehole.net:

One easily forgets that there is more to Keanu Reeves than "The Matrix", as is proven by his charmingly romantic turn in "Something’s Gotta Give", in which he plays a doctor smitten by the older Diane Keaton. In an affable mod when chatting to the press in a New York hotel room, Keanu talks romance and movies with PAUL FISCHER.

The doctor is in?
The doctor is in, what seems to be the problem?

Is it fun to come back from blue screens?
And sentinels? I thought that I was playing a human being before. No, if you're speaking about going from 'The Matrix' to this film, 'Something's Gotta Give', I would speak about it going from kind of a formalism of 'The Matrix' to the naturalism of this piece and for me, trying to do different kinds of roles. It was a wonderful opportunity, really, just to do something different and of course to work with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton and work with a wonderful, beautiful script and directed by Nancy Meyers, was really for me a dream come true.

It didn't matter that it wasn't the lead like you've been playing for the last ten years?
Well, I don't know about that. I mean, I played a supporting role in Sam Raimi's 'The Gift'. Yes, it was good fun, and for me, I hope to be able to lay different kinds of roles whether it's a leading role or a supporting role or a character role. For me, hopefully, you get to play differently, and do different kinds of acting and so, in this case, it was a great role, I think.

Did Nancy come to you or send this to your people?
I was looking for a job. You laugh, but it's true, and I read the script. It was a beautiful script and then, I went in to meet on it and I auditioned for the role.

You audition still?
Yeah, sure.

What scene did you do and did you do it with Diane?
The first scene I auditioned with Diane Keaton first, yeah.

Are you as impulsive as this character seems to be?
Sometimes, sometimes, yeah. I tend to leave impulsively.

Would you say that intimacy is the real issue of this film and that it's a universal theme for men and women?
Yes, I would say that. Some people speak of this film as being age oriented, but I would say that it's ageless oriented, personally. Yeah, I think that it's about taking a risk, opening up and somehow it seems so terrifying to open oneself up to another, and I think that we see these two beautiful, brave people in this film, Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson, just kind of open up to each other. We get to enjoy it and see it on screen.

Your character intuitively sort of knows the emotions of this woman. Do you think that people don't have that in real life?
I played a character that I feel had a lot of life experience and playing a doctor, I think that he's had an objective point of view of people and I think that that informed who he was and he's a sensitive guy. I think that if you pay attention to someone that you love, you're going to get them.

Do you think that he told her that?
I mean, he has a line. He says, 'Isn't it great that I'm not intimidated by your brilliance?' No, it's 'How great is it for you that I'm not intimidated by your brilliance?' He gets her, and in that line, he's saying, 'I recognize that this must be hard for you, that other people might be intimidated by your brilliance and I see that it's isolating for you,' and he's like, 'Baby, you ain't alone because I love how brilliant you are.' So, I think that he is telling her that he gets her.

Do you feel that age plays a role in relationships?
I think that you're naive if you think that it doesn't, but I think that it doesn't matter at the same time. It's like one of those kinds of interpersonal things, and I think that if you're are connecting with someone, it's like, 'Don't you know that I'm,' and they're like, 'Yeah.'

Can you talk about Diane Keaton? She said she was scared about your love scene, and that you helped her?
She's great. I guess that in terms of playing the role and being there that it's okay. 'Yeah, we're going to be okay.' I mean, it's nerve racking. Kissing someone is pretty intimate, actually, very intimate and your heart always kind of skips a beat before you do that, but with my character, it was okay. My character kind of takes her and asks her. He kind of puts his hand on her and says, 'Do you want to kiss because it's going to be alright.'

What did you think of how Jack and Diane worked and behaved?
Behaved. 'How are you behaving today, Jack?' 'Well, Keanu, however I want.' [Laughter] That was a good lesson to learn. They're both professionally and personally gracious and wonderful people and unique and in terms of speaking of differences, I think that I'll speak about what's the same. There's not beating [around the bush]. It's just cutting to the chase. They're consummate professionals, incredibly awesome at what they do and any moment that I got to share with them, I felt lucky to be there because they were just great people and really talented artists.

How does it feel to be on the cover of 'Mad' magazine?
Am I on the cover of 'Mad' magazine? Do you have one, right now? You don't have one?

They're satirizing you and Al Pacino.
Oh, fantastic! That's awesome, awesome. I remember that they satirized 'Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure' and I remember speaking with Alex Winter who I performed with in that, and we were like, 'Yeah!' That's awesome.

Do you feel the same about 'Newsweek'?
Well, it depends on what level you're talking about.

What about the fallout from 'The Matrix' now that it's over?
Fallout? Where's the shelter?

Are you glad it's over like Ewan McGregor was talking about he's glad he did it, but also glad that the eight years of work have come to an end?
How many years, eight years? Good God, maybe he and I can go to the hotel bar and reminisce about being in trilogies. 'Oh my God, can you believe?'
'I know, it's mad, isn't it? We're so lucky it's mad.'

Do you think that it was a dangerous thing to go and do a trilogy?
Not at all. I think that they're wonderful films and I'll speak about them until I croak and I loved them. I had a great experience.

What do you think about the comments that the third and second films were not as well received as the first?
They weren't? I disagree, I disagree. I think that they were embraced differently. Sometimes, you have a morning hug, an afternoon hug, you get a goodnight hug. I think that these films, I mean, if you remember way back when in '99 when the first 'Matrix' came out, it took awhile. It was not a critically acclaimed film and it was a kind of underground cult film that became popular and I think that ‘Reloaded' and 'Revolutions' kind of continue on in that tradition. Critically, they were not embraced. Though, when you tend to speak to people who have seen them a couple of times, and later on go, 'I saw Reloaded again, it's really good,' or not, but my experience has been that if you spend some time with the films, and time goes by, you kind of feel differently. I mean, if you didn't get it or if
you didn't feel like you enjoyed it, sometimes that experience can change.

How do you feel about the aspect of you being portrayed as something you don't feel that you are?
I'm not a great fan of speaking about myself, but I love speaking about the films that I act in especially if I enjoy them.

How do you deal with a society that doesn't believe in the private life of any actor?
I try to do it graciously.

Have you seen the biography that they did on you?
I haven't, I haven't.

What do you think about it?
I was told that they were doing a biography on 'Biography' and you hope that it's done in good taste, and you hope that it's good. I have no hope for it, actually. I don't really care. I don't care, whatever. That's something that's kind of orbital and something that kind of exists outside of what I do, and I'm not going to get hired or not hired, or my relationship with a director or another actor isn't going to be based on, 'I was going to work with you, but I saw your biography, and kid, I just don't' Hopefully, those kinds of things, you hope that people aren't climbing your walls to take a picture of you walking to your kitchen, and that's the only thing that you hope, that people conduct themselves in respectful manner in the world.

People have done that to you, haven't they?
(Sarcastically) Oh yeah, they've climbed walls.

Were you committed to Constantine a long time ago?
No, I was working in Australia and working on 'The Matrix' films and just trying to develop work for afterwards and this script came and worked on the script and worked with Warner Brothers and some of the execs there, and writers, Akiva Goldsman came on as one of the producers and so, he's done some writing and it took about a year, and right now, we're about six weeks in.

Is it a comic book?
Yes, it's coming from a comic book series, from a character from Alan Moore. I think that it was introduced in 'Swamp Thing'.

What's the take on the character?
His relationship to God. I guess that it's ultimately it's his relationship to the world. It's a guy who's got anger and ambivalence. There's a line in it, 'God has a plan for all of us, and some people like it, some people don't.' That's kind of a Constantinian take on it. Some people like it and John Constantine doesn't like it, but he likes it.

Do you think that it's going to be commercial because that's a dark comic series?
Well, I mean, we have a character. We're hoping to make a PG-13 film, but
it's also a character who after he goes to Gabriel and finds out that there's no way. I'm playing a character who's damned and he's trying to escape hell and he goes to Gabriel and he's like, 'Come on, I'm taking demons out of little girls. Who's that for?' Gabriel is saying, 'Well, you don't believe.' I go, 'I believe for Christ sake.' He goes, 'No, you know. You don't have faith.'

He's an ex-priest?
I don't know. It depends on what story you’re telling. In this one, he wasn't and after that, he goes and you see my character with scratches on his back and he's drinking some whiskey and he's just made love to the demon. So, you know, we're trying for PG-13. My feet are on the floor of the bed, he's under the covers.

So, that's not exactly like making love to Diane Keaton in this movie?
No comment.

What do you think are some of the cons about getting involved with another franchise?
I don't know about cons. I don't know about that. I mean the business side of it and the storytelling side of it; if we're fortunate enough and it all comes together and we make an interesting, enjoyable film, I'll be really happy. I'm having a really positive experience right now. I'm working with some incredible artists. We have a remarkable DP. I'm working with Francis Lawrence who's very talented, has a fresh vision, a great storyteller. I'm doing a script with Akiva Goldsman, an Oscar award winner. He's one of the best writers in town. I'm working with Rachel Weisz and Tilda Swinton is acting in it. We've got some incredible set direction and we've got one of the best crews that I've ever worked with. We're telling a righteous story and something that I think is cool about adjusting one's place in the world and if we're lucky enough to entertain folks and that they dig it and whoever says, 'Keanu, do you want to do that again,' we'll see. Whether that turns into a franchise, and lunch boxes, I doubt it, but hopefully, if we can make a good film, I don't know.

How is it to come to a decision to make a film as an actor at this point? Do you agonize over it?
Often, you have a gut reaction. I have a gut reaction to the material that I'm dealing with and if there's something, like, with this, 'Something's Gotta Give', when I read this script, I was like, 'This is one of the best scripts that I've ever read, period.' In terms of working with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, there was the role of Dr. Mercer and I was like, 'Call someone,' and I got to meet on it. So, the script and the story and the character and your feeling, I guess.

Are you often in the position of looking for work or are the scripts piled
up for you?
Yeah, you're always looking for good material. I mean, I love acting. So, look at Jack Nicholson. He's sixty six years old, I think, and he's making movies. He's doing his thing. Does Jack Nicholson have to go and make a
movie? That's what we do. I guess that's our life.

Did you get to talk with Jack much or get any advice from him about the business?
Actually, last night, it was great. Nancy Meyers had a dinner and Jack was there, and I was speaking, we were speaking about the film and the process and Nancy Meyers tends to, she likes to let the camera roll and I was speaking to Jack about that, and he was like, 'Yeah, even when I was starting out,' he said, 'I would always tell the operator, Give him a slow cut,' because sometimes, the directors will say, 'Cut,' or the first A.D. will say cut, and the operator because of the cost of film will just flip the switch and so, what Nicholson was saying was that because some things happen at the end of the take, that is the thing, and so, he was like, 'I always asked for a slow cut,' and I got that because sometimes, you know, that's experience. That's someone who's like, 'If you give them a slow cut, I like do that thing,' and he was saying that you get to express something off, more of that other thing, you get to express something that might not be on the page, but that might be a part of the character, and I was thinking about that, and I was like, 'He's right again.'

Would you ever audition for Stratford again?
I auditioned for Stratford like four years in a row.

But that's when you were known?
No, that's when I was young. I was like sixteen. Yes, I mean, I hope that that's something in my life, actually. I like that production too. It was good, straight ahead 'Hamlet', I thought.

Is it possible at this point in your career to sit back and be a couch potato or do you feel compelled to honour your temple, so to speak?
I feel honoured to honour the temple of my body. I mean, yes and no. It's something that won't do the training that I did for that film. I'm kind of making it up as I go along.

Do you believe in true love and soul mates and all of that?
Sure. Yeah, I agree.

Are you a hopeless romantic?
I don't know. Am I a hopeless romantic? It's fun to be hopelessly in love. It's dangerous, but it's fun.

When you were in Paris, was it romantic?
It is indeed.

Had you been there before?
I had worked there before. I worked there on 'Dangerous Liaisons'.

Do people know you when you're there?
Sometimes, once in a while. I get recognized once in a while, but not that often.

Whee! Seattle rawked. I LOVE Eric and had the best time.
I'm going to have major vivace withdrawals tomorrow. We did SO MUCH!

Neo had fun too.

He kept me distracted doing DeNiro impressions ("You talkin' to me?") while I waited for the plane.

Neo also was happy to pose with random strangers (Hi Shelly and Nick!) in the airport bar. You'll notice they were smart and did not get the fifteen dollar cocktail (Which was good, but the buzz calming attributes did not last the flight).

Eric lives in this great loft apartment with roof access. Neo re-enacted the original rooftop scene. Of course, Wee Neo is...well, wee, so I declined to dangle from a rope and let him pull me back up; Lovely view of downtown, though.

We went to Pike Place. The Real World Seattle (Rebecca's season) house was nearby, but we didn't bother to go there.
The guy at Pike Place Fish was happy to pose with The One. He even showed us how to dodge fish.

I have no idea whose ass that is, but here's Neo on the snout of the famous Pike Place pig.

Hee. How funny is this? It's like they knew I was coming to town. How could I not shop there?

We went to the marina at night. The place was deserted and kind of spooky. I half expected the body of David Allen Griffin to pop out of the water at any moment.

We also saw the famous Fremont Troll. He's the opposite of wee. Neo was unafraid.

Late night, MC One busts a move in the DJ booth of the Club. Shake it like a polaroid baby.

More sightseeing, we went to the Tacoma Museum of Glass, which was sort of dull except for the glass blowing demo. I kept Neo in my bag for that, for fear he'd think the glory hole was The Source. We did cross the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, which isn't actually made of glass but is pretty nonetheless.

Too bad Dojo didn't come. The Seattle Japanese Garden was lovely.

Rawk! Neo was too wee to play the drums at Eric's rehearsal space. We did do something there, though....but that's a suprise for later.

Neo hung with Jimi on Broadway.
Speaking of Jimi, we also went to EMP, the Experience Music Project and saw all kinds of Seattle music memorabilia including handritten lyrics by Hendrix and Kurt Cobain. We also drove by the house Ann and Nancy Wilson grew up in and by Kurt's house on the way to the Japanese Garden. That was a little creepy.

We ate out nearly every night, and the food was amazing. Last night, Neo enjoyed some chips and salsa at ¡Cactus!
If you ever go there, have the cowgirl brownie for dessert. It's orgasmic.

Getting up at 6am to be at the airport this morning was NO FUN AT ALL.
And we were both very sad to leave.

Wee Neo travels well, though. I need to be a bit bolder about getting people to pose with him, I think. Which means I need to take more trips!

But it's good to be home for now.

Dude, if you're in town, you should call me.

I know we're both really busy but I can try and squeeze you in.

Um...for a drink or something.

Heh.
Of all the things that I made Eric pull over for so I could take a picture, he rolled his eyes the hardest at this one.

I'm home. Safe and sound.
Lots to do and catch up on.
Wee Neo's adventure in Seattle pics later.

Safe Home (right click and save mp3)

I've been down this road once or twice before
through the open door
i come falling through it
there's a sign post up ahead
like a watershed
and it opens my eyes
ways, for me to begin
to be born again
and knowing for the first time
ways, all so differently
shine for me to see
the better man that I am

I've been places in my head
behind me worse than what's ahead
and on my path just like a dream
takes me from the inbetween
from out of nowhere you came strong as stone
and now I'll never have to be alone
what it is I know

you have always been my safe home
I walk, I run, I burn out into you
you have always been my safe home
my whole world has moved on

i know what i am and I'll always be
your reality, is better than I could dream
all my fears turn from black to white
and i'd stand and fight
the whole world for you
faith, and destiny
I never did believe
my only god is love and
faith, what I see in you
and I can hold it true
like a weight in my hand.

~Anthrax, from the CD -We've Come for You All