News for
Rain Man (1988) More at IMDbPro »

2009 | 2008 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

1-20 of 47 articles from 2009   « Prev | Next »

---

Man Who Inspired 'Rain Man' Passes Away

5 hours ago | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »

The name Kim Peek might not mean anything to you. But what if I said he was the man who inspired Rain Man?

MSNBC reports that the 58-year-old Peek had a major heart attack on Saturday and was pronounced dead at the hospital. While Rain Man was a fictional narrative, screenwriter Barry Morrow was inspired to create the story after meeting Peek at a convention in the early '80s. Morrow was charmed by Peek's ability to memorize everything he heard, and went on to write Raymond Babbitt, the character that earned Dustin Hoffman an Academy Award.

Kim's father, Fran Peek said of his son: "It was just unbelievable, all the things that he knew. He traveled 5,500 miles short of 3 million air miles and talked to nearly 60 million people -- half have been students." As the years went on, the younger Peek became a "mega-savant," having become a genius in …

- Monika Bartyzel

Permalink | Report a problem

---

The real Rain Man dies of heart attack aged 58

5 hours ago | The Guardian - Film News | See recent The Guardian - Film News news »

Kim Peek, the real Rain Man whose almost unimaginable powers of memory were coupled with severe disabilities and who inspired the Oscar-winning film role played by Dustin Hoffman, has died of a heart attack in his home town of Salt Lake City, aged 58.

Peek has been called a "mega-savant" for his ability to memorise to the word up to 12,000 books, including the Bible and the Book of Mormon. He could read two pages in about 10 seconds – the right page with his right eye and the left simultaneously with his left eye.

He knew phone books by heart, and could tell you what day of the week a particular date fell upon going back decades. One of his party tricks was to tell strangers the names of the people who used to live next door to them years ago.

At the same time, though, he had deep disabilities and relied on …

- Ed Pilkington

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Buzz Break: Persian Rugs

8 hours ago | Movieline | See recent Movieline news »

· Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton go incognito in what's either a new photo from Prince of Persia, or an attempt to sneak out undetected with one of Tobey Maguire's Blu-rays.

· Dollhouse may be ending its run, but at least star Eliza Dushku will have real-life boyfriend Rick Fox on set to keep her company.

· Survivor host Jeff Probst thinks that Russell was robbed in this week's big finale, and I'm inclined to agree. Freakin' Natalie?

· E!'s Marc Malkin says that Entourage's real-life couple of Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Jerry Ferrara has broken up.

· The man who inspired Rain Man has died. He was an excellent plot driver. …

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Kim Peek, the savant who inspired Rain Man, dead at 58

9 hours ago | Monsters and Critics | See recent Monsters and Critics news »

Los Angeles - Kim Peek, the disabled savant who inspired the title character in the Dustin Hoffman film Rain Man, has died at the age of 58, the Salt Lake Tribune reported Tuesday. Peek died Saturday in Salt Lake City after suffering for serveral weeks with a respiratory infection. Born on November 11 1951, Peek was diagnosed as severely mentally retarded at the age of nine months, but by the age of 16 months was already displaying remarkable memory feats. He learnt how to read and write and read eight books a day, committing almost everything he read, saw and heard to memory. He …

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Real Rain Man Dies

16 hours ago | WENN | See recent WENN news »

The man who inspired 1988 movie Rain Man has died, aged 58.

Kim Peek, who was born with mental handicaps, passed away in Utah on Saturday after suffering a heart attack.

Peek inspired the character of Raymond Babbitt, played by Dustin Hoffman in the film, and gained international attention after the picture's release. He later became a popular public speaker.

Peek's unusual medical condition enabled him to memorise and recite vast amounts of information, and he was said to have committed more than 9,000 books to memory. His story inspired writer Barry Morrow to pen the script that went on to win four Academy Awards, including the Best Actor prize for Hoffman.

Peek is survived by his father, Fran. …

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Man who inspired Rain Man dies at 58

21 December 2009 8:45 PM, PST | Monsters and Critics | See recent Monsters and Critics news »

The man who inspired the Hollywood movie Rain Man died in Utah on Saturday of a heart attack, according to reports in the Us media. The movie, released in 1988, starred Dustin Hoffman (pictured) and Tom Cruise in an unforgettable journey into the then little-known condition of autism. The inspiration for Rain Man, Kim Peek, 58, suffered mental disabilities but could memorise and recite huge amounts of information, committing 9,000 books to memory. Peek gained international attention when the movie came out and was made a suject of Mri research at Nasa. He went on to travel the world as a public speaker. His father said Peek developed an upper respiratory tract infection in recent …

- Philippa Bourke

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Al Pacino, Barry Levinson & Buck Henry Adapting The Humbling

16 December 2009 11:34 AM, PST | firstshowing.net | See recent FirstShowing.net news »

After this year's Summer of Death, losing a filmmaking legend like John Hughes got me thinking about how difficult it's going to be in the coming years as more legendary actors, writers and directors responsible for the films I've grown up loving (or discovered recently) start passing away. However, three legendary artists are still alive and kicking as the NY Times reports that Al Pacino, director Barry Levinson and writer/actor Buck Henry are teaming up to adapt Philip Roth's novel The Humbling, the story of  a deteriorating and increasingly irrelevant actor who finds the possibility of renewal in a younger woman. Pacino is the one who purchased the rights to the book (his first time optioning one) so that Henry (who wrote The Graduate) could adapt the screenplay for Levinson (who directed Rain Man) to bring to the big screen. It's sad to note that Pacino's taking on …

- Ethan Anderton

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Al Pacino to Star in The Humbling for Director Barry Levinson

16 December 2009 7:37 AM, PST | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »

The New York Times Arts Beat is reporting that Al Pacino will star in an adaptation of Philip Roth’s latest novel, The Humbling. The film will be directed by Academy Award winning director Barry Levinson (Rain Man, Bugsy) and will be written by legendary screenwriter Buck Henry (The Graduate, To Die For).  Pacino will star in the lead role and also bought the movie rights to the novel, which is about “an aging and irrelevant stage actor who finds hope of renewal through a younger woman”.  This sounds pretty bland and cliche to me, but I do have a little bit of hope for this one just because of Buck Henry’s involvement.

Barry Levinson and Al Pacino also just finished working together on the cleverly named Jack Kevorkian biopic, You Don’t Know Jack, which will air on HBO sometime next year.

…

- Ramses Flores

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Eminem Is MTV News' #9 Man Of The Year

14 December 2009 3:50 AM, PST | MTV Music News | See recent MTV Music News news »

In 2009, Slim Shady reestablished his hard-earned place in popular culture.

By James Montgomery

Eminem

Photo: Interscope/ MTV News

Which stars had the biggest 2009? Over the next week, we'll be unveiling our top nine most newsworthy, controversial and fascinating men and women of the year. We based our list on factors like music sales, box-office performance, MTVNews.com headlines and traffic, overall reach (crossover singles, appearances in movies, licensing of songs for commercials, clothing lines, etc.), plus X-factors like "impact" and "buzz." (And no, President Barack Obama didn't make the list — we'll leave that to the folks at Time.) This is by no means an exact science, but we think the list we've put together represents the men and women who helped make 2009 the most exciting and memorable 12 months in recent history.

We'll be rolling out our list of the Top 9 Men and Women of 2009 two per day until Friday, when …

Permalink | Report a problem

---

6 Actors That Should Probably Not Watch Their Own Movies

23 November 2009 7:16 PM, PST | FilmSchoolRejects.com | See recent FilmSchoolRejects news »

When I interviewed Bill Nighy last year, three things seemed to stand out about the man. One, he shakes hands with only the front part of three fingers like I have to imagine witches do. Two, he had a greater sense of humor about himself than anyone else I've ever met. Three, he was insanely, effortlessly cool. He continues to exude both coolness and the self-effacing grace that makes him such a charismatic personality (aside from the willingness to star in serious work and movies about werewolves fighting vampires) by claiming that he can't stand the experience of watching movies that he's in. He, like most actors who have thrown out that claim in the past, seems completely put off by seeing himself on screen. Hardly an original claim, but one that rings true for anyone who has ever seen a bad photo of themselves (be they regional theater actors or international film stars). So I decided …

- Dr. Cole Abaius

Permalink | Report a problem

---

The Sunday Movie Quiz – The Answers

16 November 2009 12:33 PM, PST | HeyUGuys.co.uk | See recent HeyUGuys news »

Here are the answers to yesterday’s weekly Sunday Movie Quiz. If you missed the quiz yesterday, go here and give it a try before you look at the answers. Hope you had fun, and will come back for another quiz next Sunday.

 

 

 

Movie Quotes – Name the films

1 Who you gonna butcher man? – The Limey

2 Los Locos kick your ass, Los Locos kick your face, Los Locos kick your balls into outer space! – Short Circuit 2

3 You tell him i’m coming, and hells coming with me, you hear? – Tombstone

4 Better hurry up Russell, time is healing this wound! - Up

5 Muad’Dib!! – Dune

6 Oh, i dunno. Cos i wanted to redecorate. A couple of throw pillows, TV news reporter, what do you think? – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

7 Don’T shake hands with messy Tessy. – Garbage Pail Kids

8 I want you to hit me as hard as you can. – Fight Club

9 I love this plan, …

- Barry Steele

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Barry Levinson

10 November 2009 5:30 PM, PST | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »

Barry Levinson is an Oscar-winning director, screenwriter and producer. His film credits include "Diner," "Rain Man," "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Bugsy," "Wag the Dog" and recent documentary "Poliwood." He was executive producer of TV series "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "Oz." Known for his devotion to his native Baltimore, he is a minority owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team. …

- Lisa Horowitz

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Movie Stars Featured In Levinson Documentary

2 November 2009 1:32 PM, PST | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Producer/director Barry Levinson takes a look at the convergence of celebrity and politics in the documentary Poliwood,which airs tonight (Monday) on Showtime. Featured in the film is a raft of Hollywood celebrities, including Susan Sarandon, Spike Lee, Ellen Burstyn, Tim Daly, Anne Hathaway and the late Ron Silver. Levinson, a celebrity in his own right with films such as Rain Man and the political satire Wag the Dog and with TV shows like Homicide: Life on the Street and Oz, attempts to show not only what happens when celebrities come together with politicians but also with ordinary folks. Most critics suggest that the result is confusing. Boston Herald critic Mark A. Perigard says that Levinson's documentary is simply too simplistic. Levinson, he notes, calls his film an "essay." That, says Perigard, is "like calling the back of a cereal box a novel." The Wall Street Journal's Dorothy Rabinowitz comments that Levinson presents "a tonnage of vague pronouncements." Ellen Gray in the Philadelphia Daily News remarks that "for all the eye-rolling that goes on as noncelebrities weigh in on what they believe is Hollywood's undue influence, Poliwood doesn't pack much of a punch." And Alessandra Stanley concludes in the New York Times: "Poliwood feeds our prurient fascination with celebrities' fascination with politics, but Mr. Levinson's thesis is undermined by an election process that he bemoaned but didn't film." …

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Quick Snaps: Aff 'Herpes Boy' Afterparty

28 October 2009 9:30 AM, PDT | Slackerwood | See recent Slackerwood news »

The comedy Herpes Boy sold out both its screenings during Austin Film Festival (Aff) this week. The director, producer and cast gave up their seats at the second screening so more festival attendees could gain admission. Speaking afterwards with writer/lead actor Byron Lane and lead actress Ahna O'Reilly (who is Tim O'Reilly's niece) confirmed the humility and enthusiasm of cast and crew for what proves to be a funny and poignant film. I also enjoyed talking with director Nathaniel Atcheson about the film and festivals, but the true gem was co-producer and actress Beth Grant. I spent more time talking with her over the last few days than any other filmmaker at Aff. Keep an eye on Slackerwood for a special podcast where Beth talks about Herpes Boy along with Donnie Darko, Rain Man, Sandra Bullock, Marlo Brando, Johnny Depp and so much more.

[Photo credit: Byron Lane and Ahna O'Reilly at Herpes Boy Afterparty, by Debbie Cerda. More photos on Flickr.] …

- Debbie Cerda

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Review: Amelia

22 October 2009 11:30 AM, PDT | Slackerwood | See recent Slackerwood news »

It's Oscar contender season, when the studios trot out the films they hope will capture the attention of the bearers of golden statuettes, and the box office revenue those little gold men bring.  One has to wonder just what Fox Searchlight was thinking when they chose to release Amelia.

It seems like a perfect match: Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake) directing a cast of heavyweights, including Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston. Stuart Dryburgh had an Oscar nod for Best Cinematography for The Piano amongst his list of nominations and wins. Both editors, Allyson C. Johnson and Lee Percy, are seasoned professionals, and Johnson has worked on several Nair projects. The writers, Ron Bass (Rain Man, The Joy Luck Club) and Anna Hamilton Phelan (Girl, Interrupted, Mask) each have an Oscar nod. Two books about Earhart are used, including Susan Butler's East to the Dawn and …

- Jenn Brown

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Trailer Watch: Will Amelia Biopic Play?

17 October 2009 11:33 AM, PDT | Thompson on Hollywood | See recent Thompson on Hollywood news »

I’ll be showing Mira Nair’s Amelia at Sneak Previews this week. I’ve seen the biopic of the vanished aviatrix Amelia Earhart, which stars Oscar magnet Hilary Swank and Richard Gere, and look forward to grilling the screenwriters, Ron Bass (Rain Man) and Anna Hamilton Phelan (Gorillas in the Mist). The question at hand: how do you tackle a movie biography these days, when authenticity is at such a premium? Some biopics … …

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Oscar Watch: George Clooney, The Coen Brothers And More

2 October 2009 3:03 AM, PDT | MTV Movie News | See recent MTV Movie News news »

What movies will be taking home little gold statuettes this awards season? We give you some of our predictions.

By Larry Carroll

George Clooney in "Up in the Air"

Photo: Dale Robinette/ Paramount

As the calendar page turns to October and the last of the summer blockbusters fade into the distance, it is time to cleanse our palate. That's right, folks, awards season is here once again, and this weekend's release of "A Serious Man" indicates that it's time to put away remakes, roman numerals and TV adaptations and instead expect movies that are — gasp! — smart.

Naturally, we here at MTV will be all over the 2009 awards season, right up to our annual coverage backstage at the Oscars. But who will be the next "Slumdog," "Brokeback" or "Little Miss Sunshine"? Below you'll find a list of 10 films we'll be watching closely between now and Oscar night.

"Up in the Air"

Over the last few years, …

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Khan does method acting for autistic role

9 September 2009 8:30 AM, PDT | digitalspy | See recent digitalspy news »

Karan Johar has revealed that Shah Rukh Khan stayed in character even at home for his role as an autistic man in the director's latest film My Name is Khan. Khan plays a man who unwittingly gets arrested in America because of his surname, an incident mirrored by the actor's recent experience of being detained at Newark Airport. Johar described Khan's character as similar to that of Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man. The Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (more) …

- By Zakia Uddin

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Superman Producer Accused of Drugs, Tax Fraud and Sexual Harassment

4 September 2009 1:00 PM, PDT | WorstPreviews.com | See recent Worst Previews news »

Back in December, a Hollywood producer filed accusations against another producer that involved the most bizarre and unbelievable things imaginable. Brian Quintana (Superman Returns) accused Jon Peters (Caddyshack, Rain Man, Batman, Superman Returns) of owing him over $500,000, perjury, the forgery of signatures, the procurement of illegal drugs, continuous and pervasive sexual harassment, tax fraud, and the cover up of the statutory rape of Peters' daughter. The battle between the producers intensified in August when Peters was giving a deposition for a sexual harassment lawsuit and ended up turning to Quintana to say: "I am going to cross this table and beat the f*cking sh*t out of you. I am going to kick your ass." Peters then lunged at Quintana, only to be restrained. Peters' lawyer defended his client's outrageous courtroom behavior by saying that Peters "lost his temper" at the deposition because Quintana was throwing kisses at him. …

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Jay-z Calls His Way With Words The 'Rain Man Flow'

28 August 2009 9:00 AM, PDT | MTV Newsroom | See recent MTV Newsroom news »

By Gigi Abrantes

Since he first dropped his debut album in 1996, Jay-z became an instant classic on the hip-hop scene. Now that he is about to drop his 11th album The Blueprint 3, MTV News takes a look back at the history of one of the greatest artists in rap history with The J to Z of Jay-z.

The last time Jay-z used a pen to write a song was back in 1996, for a Reasonable Doubt track called "Can I Life." And he only wrote down the second verse. For the Jigga Man, spontaneity is as important to his style as his flow and his storytelling — in fact, it informs both. It's not that his raps are thoughtless, either. The consummate lyricist, Hova constantly organizes and re-organizes his thoughts, and though his rhymes are constructed in advance, he never actually writes a word down to paper. The result is a natural …

- MTV News

Permalink | Report a problem

---

2009 | 2008 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

1-20 of 47 articles from 2009   « Prev | Next »

---