Category: people

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Heath Ledger dead at 28

The actor was found dead this afternoon of a possible drug overdose.

Heath Ledger first became a blip on fandom radar in the short-lived fantasy series Roar. Ledger was able to move past that with roles in numerous films; including an Oscar-nominated turn in Brokeback Mountain.

What had fandom really geeked out was his upcoming role as The Joker in The Dark Knight. Initial discussion on the news channels discussed a recent interview he gave in which he said that playing The Joker disturbed him so greatly that he was suffering from insomnia. He said that the character was a sociopath and lacked any redeeming qualities.

In what is sure to become the stuff of legend, the actor had turned to sleeping pills in an attempt to get control over the insomnia that had plagued him since filming of that movie.

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In the news: Monday morning reading list

  • Cloverfield smashes January box office records, including the one held by the ANH Special Edition.
  • Lightsaber named top movie weapon in 20th Century Fox poll. (Huh.) The Death Star and Indiana Jones’ whip also made the list, and Luke Skywalker and Indiana Jones are among the favorite weapon-wielding heroes.
  • Skywalker Sound up for BAFTA for There Will Be Blood.
  • AICN has a report from the cancer-free Fanboys.
  • Ewan McGregor claiming Trainspotting had more influence than Star Wars prequels. On his career, perhaps.
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In the news: Wednesday morning reading list

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How not to make friends and influence VIPs

One hopes this is only your standard overblown celebrity news ‘reporting,’ but according to Digitalspy.co.uk, Doctor Who star David Tennant has a stalker who has written a science fiction version of Hamlet co-starring herself, harasses his co-stars (he’s currently working on a more standard version of the play,) and claims to have left her husband for the star.

“She insists that both the Doctor and Hamlet are aliens in a hostile universe, who are terrified of being alone. But she will save him by being his Rose or Ophelia.

“Sadly, the only thing she and Ophelia have in common is their madness. And David is afraid, very afraid.”

It’s creepy as hell when fangirls pull this stuff on the internet, but to cross it over to the real world and the real people… Ugh. (via)