Howard Zinn, Hereafter

Matt's friend and former neighbor Howard Zinn died on Wednesday. An obituary for the historian is at the Boston Globe. Matt took Zinn to the Toronto Film Festival last year with Matt's mother, and Matt helped finance the documentary of The People Speak on The History Channel last year, which he promoted extensively with Zinn.

Howard Zinn, the Boston University historian and political activist who was an early opponent of US involvement in Vietnam and whose books, such as "A People's History of the United States," inspired young and old to rethink the way textbooks present the American experience, died today in Santa Monica, Calif, where he was traveling. He was 87.

The first report on Hereafter filming around San Francisco is at the Contra Costa Times. Filming is due to finish on Thursday before cast and crew moves to London. Some photos of Matt, Clint, Bryce Dallas Howard and visitor George Lucas on the set at Lithium Technologies in Emeryville is available here and here.

The Warner Bros. film "Hereafter" will be shot in a number of locales, including France, several parts of London and the Hawaiian island of Maui. Given that East Bay native Clint Eastwood is the director of the film, described as a "supernatural thriller," it isn't surprising that the production company also came to the Bay Area to shoot some scenes.

Eastwood, after all, has done numerous shoots in the Bay Area, most often in San Francisco. The surprise with this production was that in addition to shooting on Nob Hill in the city, the crew and lead actor Matt Damon came to Crockett on Tuesday to do interior shooting at the C&H Sugar refinery.

Actor Jay Mohr wrote about filming his scenes for Hereafter on his website's blog. In an interview at The Spectator actor Sir Derek Jacobi stated that he was also working on Hereafter, and is likely to have the role of the Shakespearean actor Matt's character admires (and meets in London).

PopSugar reports that Ben Affleck says he and Matt will be establishing a production company soon which will allow them to spend more time with their families.

PopSugar:Ben Affleck reveals plans to open a production company with Matt Damon so both actors can concentrate on their busy family lives than work.

Ben: Matt also never stops acting so both of us are kind of slowing down a bit on the craziness due to kids and stuff.

A late report on the SAG Awards from Fox News and In Style.

Matt Damon and Stanley Tucci deep in conversation at the SAG Awards post party while Justin Timberlake hung at the “Invictus” table, George Clooney partied solo and Cuba Gooding Jr. sipped on a Grey Goose cocktail as he congratulated Jon Hamm.

Justin Timberlake stopped to share his love for Glee with Matthew Morrison before the show began. Once inside Timberlake was in a mingling mood, making the rounds to chat with Matt Damon and Sofia Vergara.

Anthony Mackie discussed working on The Adjustment Bureau at Cinema Blend.

You just wrapped on The Adjustment Bureau right? What was the experience working on that film?
I was playing basically a liaison to fate. Matt Damon was my subject. George Nolfi, who wrote it, also directed it. The great thing about it is, in Hollywood, certain people are very good at keeping their lives and who they are very private. I've never met anybody as down to earth and cool in Hollywood than Matt Damon. It's surprising when you work with somebody, you get to see who they are. It's refreshing to see that somebody on his level can be a cool, down to earth, talking shit over a football game kind of guy.

That's got to be a relief.
It's a huge relief. You're still that dude from Boston who likes to have a beer and a slice of pizza and make a five dollar bet on a football game and if you don't pay I get to punch you five times. It's really interesting, and I think it shows in his work. The work that he did in this film, that carries over into that as well. It's going to be a pretty good fucking movie.

Jeff Bridges discussed True Grit at the Miami Herald:

True Grit starts filming in March. Here's what Bridges said when I asked him how it felt to be taking on one of John Wayne's most iconic roles (and the only one to win him an Oscar): The tough old coot Marshal Reuben J. Cogburn.

"I'm not thinking of it on those terms. I get my direction from [Joel and Ethan] Coen, who aren't really thinking of it as a remake of the John Wayne movie but as another version of the novel by Charles Portis, which is a wonderful book and was very big when it came out. That's really what the Coens are referencing, and that's what I'm doing as well. I'm not really going to study The Duke's performance or anything like that. I'm just looking forward to working with Matt Damon and Josh Brolin. It's going to be a wonderful team."

Log in