comment #1

actionman says ...

very much want to see Lust, Caution...the movie sounds cool (I love noir/international espionage) but the sex scenes sound great.

Wells to readers: As the mildly embarassing e-mail I sent to Mangold was and is private, I'm not going to have it posted on Hollywood Elsewhere. Private is private is private, even if certain parties in the Mangold/Lionsgate pipeline feel otherwise. By all means, feel free to visit Nikki Finke's site to read it -- http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/creepiest-email-from-a-blogger-to-hollywood/ -- but not here.

comment #2

gradystiles says ...

Yikes. Creepy is definitely the right word there...

comment #3

JoeJustice says ...

So you're saying Senator Craig liked the movie?

comment #4

stickybump says ...

Wow, that is pretty bad. Especially with the use of "hombre" to create some camaraderie that isn't really there.

Here's the link for the lazy: http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/creepiest-email-from-a-blogger-to-hollywood/

comment #5

BurmaShave says ...

Jesus, Wells. You do understand you're implying that you'll go easy on his film if he sends you naked stills of Vinessa Shaw? I hope someone with a sense of humor sends you naked pictures of Fiona Shaw. In all seriousness though, I don't see how you recover from this. Were you drunk?

comment #6

christian says ...

methinks jeff won't be quoting finke anymore.

comment #7

TheJeff says ...

Classy, Jeff. No wonder you're the toast of the town. Perhaps Larry Craig's team can help with damage control. This thread will self-destruct in 5...4...3...2...

comment #8

Mark G. says ...

Oh this is gonna be so much fun... I'm really looking forward to see what David Poland has to say about this...

comment #9

Geoff says ...

Self-improvement is masturbation.

comment #10

Mike Ock says ...

I bet Mike Binder's hooked Jeff up with tons of nude stills and footage from Mind of The Married Man. That's the only way you can justify him raving about that piece of shit Man About Town, and Reign Over Me.

I wonder what Cameron Crowe gave him when he started hyping the Elizabethtown script a year early?

Shame on you Jeff!!

comment #11

Geoff says ...

This is kinda funny, especially because Wells' post was about arousing sex scenes and discussing them in a men's bathroom....and then we all think back to that time when he posted about his love, or was it his long time devotion? to Mr. Skin.

comment #12

arch451 says ...

I've been reading Wells for many years and that doesn't sound like his prose, actionman.

comment #13

Devin Faraci says ...

It reads like a Wells parody, that's for sure.

comment #14

thezipper says ...

Vinessa Shaw is cute. I'll never forgive Kubrick for blowing his chance in Eyes Wide Shut. I mean really--the only one who's not naked is the prostitute?!

comment #15

Geoff says ...

Could be fake. The reason for it being abridged seems like a cheap shot, that is, writing the rest off as incomprehensible film blather. That Open Range quote seems to be lifted from the review he had of Jesse James, it being a movie that transported you back to that era, etc.

And yes, Vinessa Shaw was gorgeous in Eyes Wide Shut.

comment #16

AH says ...

Everyone: We should reserve our judgment till its confirmed that the email was written by Mr. Wells.

comment #17

christian says ...

but finke said it was "authenticated"...by who?

comment #18

source188 says ...

Doesn't read like something Wells wrote, must be someone out to get Wells.

comment #19

Jesse Perry says ...

Lust 1, Caution 0

comment #20

Bilge says ...

Lord knows I like a good filmblogger beatdown as much as the next guy, but this thing does sound a bit suspicious, almost like a parody of Wells. Also, it seems somewhat unlikely that Wells would have had the time to dash this off while he was getting ready for Toronto.

Then again, if he was drunk, all bets are off, obviously.

comment #21

Wrecktum says ...

Not good at all, Wells. Tsk tsk.

comment #22

thezipper says ...

thezipper to Bilge--it appears to have been written almost a month ago.

comment #23

christian says ...

let's wait until jeff is out of CONTROL.

comment #24

Pablo Villaca says ...

There's absolutely no journalistic value in this "report" by Nikki Finke. Even if Jeff did ask Mangold for nude pictures of Shaw, that was during a private conversation between two adults.

Was it appropriate? Not at all. But it doesn't matter; all Mangold had to do was to a) Say "no" and reprimend Jeff; or b) Ignore the email.

However, apparently he decided to "leak" the email to Finke or someone else (who then "leaked" it to Finke). Why? Well, let me be cynical and say that maybe Mangold realized it would mean some publicity and that it was a subtle way of telling young men that Shaw would appear naked in the movie.

And the best way to leak the email was to send it to a crazy feminist who doesn't know how to judge what's new and what's not: the only thing that matters is that it's a "scoop" (and publishing private emails is considered a scoop, unfortunately).

Yes, Wells wasn't very ethical in his request (if he indeed wrote that email), but Mangold and Finke managed to be worst.

comment #25

MiraJeffAICN says ...

Wow. What the fuck? This definitely requires some sort of explanation. That was just embarassing. This is a dark day for HE.

comment #26

travis b says ...

man, the least finke could've done is put up a yuma spoiler warning

comment #27

Bilge says ...

thezipper: Ah, I should have read the date. And believe it or not, this is not the first time I've been corrected by someone named "zipper."

comment #28

lazarus says ...

Jesse: Brilliant.

Christian: I don't know if you were making a joke, if not...well, you know what the follow up line is.

Whatever happens from here on out, it's sure going to be fun.

And Vinessa Shaw is certainly worthy of an off-base, perverted message to an acquaintaince.

comment #29

WinslowLeachtheComposer says ...

"DiCaprio-strength emoting"? That is pretty embarrassing. And there really is no defense for this e-mail, if it is legit, if Wells is wearing any sort of journalistic cloak at all. I'll withhold my lukewarm take on your film if you slip me some stroke photos of the hot ingenue? Questionable. No not really.

But I think I know drunk-typing when I see it too, and that may turn out to be Wells' ultimate defense. Maybe he'd just come back from an after-screening party and was still all het up from the experience of ogling Ms. Shaw naked. He might need a 28-day vacation to expunge this from his record.

Not to mention this whole discussion has ruined the end of the movie for me.

comment #30

Jeremy Smith says ...

How liable is Finke if this is a hoax?

comment #31

actionman says ...

also, for what it's worth, you never get to see Shaw's boobs in a full-on shot in Yuma...you see some skin but never her ta-ta's...it was a big tease if you ask me, as I've had a crush on her since Lady Bugs.

comment #32

christian says ...

"I don't know if you were making a joke, if not...well, you know what the follow up line is."

i was being spectacularly subtle.

comment #33

christian says ...

LADY BUGS?

comment #34

Rothchild says ...

Nikki Finke is why a lot of people hate the internet and think it's destroying journalism. It's not. But Finke is an unnecessary, duplicitous, lying piece of shit. If Jeff did type this, then this is going to be an awkward thing for him to deal with, but there was no reason for her to put it up in her page. This is not news. It's a private conversation between a director and a pervert. I hope it's fake just so someone can sue the shit out of her. I sound like an unnecessarily angry anonymous poster, but she does more damage than good in this town.

comment #35

James says ...

I'm glad to see that of the nearly 30 comments posted thus far, only a handful are of the MiraJeff morally outraged variety, and that the rest are tinged with giggles at Jeff or are defenses of Jeff.

I mean, assuming this is real, what an insanely twisted thing to do! But is it morally bad? No. Is it even "creepy"? No.

We're talking about a guy who reports on the ins and outs of the movie business--is anyone really surprised that he might be a shameless hornball? Actually, this would make a great bit in an Apatow movie. As David Denby might put it, it is "ripely Apatovian."

comment #36

BurmaShave says ...

JohnnyScumbaum must be Jett Wells. How can I possibly be wrong for subjectively interpretting the e-mail? I'll certainly indeed hope that this turns out not to be Wells. Some response is required. I have the utmost respect for Wells generally even when I often disagree with his disparagements or particular obsessions.

And for the record faggot face, I live and work in D.C. Good guess though. You've really got my number. I'll certainly take your advise into consideration.

comment #37

BurmaShave says ...

Also, I must have missed the word 'qoup' in Latin class. Is it like 'quo'?

comment #38

Pablo Villaca says ...

Winslow, I don't see any insinuation in that email that Jeff (if he wrote the thing) would hold negative comments on the film if he got the naked pictures. Au contraire, he blatantly states that he's not crazy about the film, but respects it.

Don't try to create a scandal where there's none.

comment #39

Jay T. says ...

LOL... fake or real, either way this should be hilarious.

comment #40

Teh Awesome says ...

WinslowLeachtheComposer: Doesn't sound like Wells was bargaining his review of the film for a couple of stills of Miss Shaw, if this is indeed real. It reads to me like he was upfront about his views of the film, offered to publish them at a time that wouldn't damage the film's publicity out of the respect for the film and the director, and asked for the stills as an unrelated, however innapropriate, aside.

Wells: the sooner you speak, the better!

comment #41

gustav13 says ...

crawl out from under those high-thread-count sheets and answer these scurrilous charges!

comment #42

Craig Kennedy says ...

If it's real, and I don't think it really is, am I a bad person for thinking it's actually creepier of Mangold to have shown it to Finke than for Wells to have written it in the first place?

comment #43

Rothchild says ...

If Mangold did do that, he's an asshole. He would be no matter who the columnist/writer was, but especially with Finke. Everyone with class should steer clear of her.

comment #44

btwnproductions says ...

Lust, Caution is a snoozer, Notorious on downers. But if Wells hits up Ang Lee for photos of the female lead, or even co-star Joan Chen, he can forward them to me (not that I believe he really wrote this Mangold e-mail. Maybe Don Murphy has turned against HE and declared vendetta?).

comment #45

MiraJeffAICN says ...

I'm not morally outraged. Please, I have no morals. But even if I knew a major director like Mangold, I'm not sure I'd have the balls to email him and tell him the problems with his film, not to mention ask the guy for naked stills. I mean, did Jeff really think Mangold was the type who'd share something like that. If anyone ever found out no actress would trust him enough to do a nude scene in front of him again, if they wanted to work with him again. I don't know if the email is real and I don't know who leaked it but I do know this does not reflect well on Wells at all. We all do some shady shit on the Internet I suppose, but this time it came back to bite Jeff on the ass, bigtime. And really, of all the beautiful movie stars, is Vinessa Shaw really the one you'd most want titty pics of? She's certainly beautiful but I wouldn't go out of my way to exploit my relationship with a filmmaker just to see her naked. It just doesn't seem worth it to me. And believe it or not, I do have experience with this sort of situation. I don't know if Jeff should just ignore Finke's posting since he doesn't have to defend his personal emails to us, but I feel like some sort of explanation is in order before people change their perception of him as a trustworthy critic.

comment #46

PeytonWestlake says ...

Fake.

comment #47

Johnny Scumbaum says ...

You took Latin Classes??? HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

YOU FUCKING DOUCHEY VAG

comment #48

BurmaShave says ...

"And really, of all the beautiful movie stars, is Vinessa Shaw really the one you'd most want titty pics of? She's certainly beautiful but I wouldn't go out of my way to exploit my relationship with a filmmaker just to see her naked. It just doesn't seem worth it to me."

And with one stroke, MiraJeff becomes creepier than either Wells or whoever wrote this thing pretending to be Wells.

comment #49

BurmaShave says ...

Johnny Scumbaum, ever heard of Catholicism? Stop smoking cocks.

comment #50

Mike Ock says ...

The most interesting part of all this is that Jeff seemed pretty comfortable in asking for the pics, so it's probably not the first time he's asked for/gotten nude pics from a director he's friendly with.

I know he's got personal relationships with people like Cameron Crowe, Mike Binder, and I think Sydney Pollack.

Hmm....

comment #51

BurmaShave says ...

Also Johnny, you make Don Murphy look like Philip Roth. You're charging hard for the title of dumbest, most boring and most childish person to ever post on these threads.

comment #52

roquentin says ...

I agree Teh Awesome...the timing of his review wasn't conditional on him getting his photos. He's not being an unethical writer...he's just scuzzy and shady. The shocking thing to me - apart from the obvious, and again, if it's true - is that, in this age of sped-up DVD releases, he can't wait four months until he can rent it or those pictures inevitably show up online? You really had to ask the director directly for it? A grown man - especially one who often takes the spiritual temperature of the movies he rates - should not act like a sixth grader begging his friend to lend him his porno.

comment #53

Wrecktum says ...

BurmaShave, can you quit it with the homophobic insults? This childish shit is so tough-guy schoolyard and sooo boring.

Just because Finke has Mangold's email doesn't mean that he sent it to her. Hell, if a dirty old horny toad like Wells sent this email to me, I'd forward it to all my buddies, either in shock or in glee. It probably fell into her lap after several people saw it before her.

comment #54

anti-sardine says ...

Any guesses as to how long it takes Jeff to respond to this? He's probably attending a screening, oblivious to the whole thing. My question is if Mangold was so offended by the email then why would he wait almost a month before passing this off to Finke? Something doesn't seem quite right about this yet.

comment #55

BurmaShave says ...

He makes his own stag reels. He's old school. Rock and roll. Deal with it.

comment #56

Rothchild says ...

By the way, shame on Jeff or writing his Wachowski story based on a bullshit blog with no credentials. Shame on Cinematical, too. I could go start a blog now and say James Mangold is really a baby eater and John Stockwell had sex with a 13 year old girl on the set of the Blue Crush pilot. We'll see if someone picks that up and you end up with several journalists calling the production office of Speed Racer to get quotes. You should probably do some homework before pouring gasoline on a fire. Most of it was debunked, in addition to a revealing and "shocking picture" that was "taken earlier this year." It was from Comic Con three years ago. There was no scoop. It was just a dude bringing up something that was old news.

comment #57

The Winchester says ...

If this is true, I may have even more respect for Wells than I already do. He's a straight shooter, telling things like it is. Bravo.

(If it's fake, though, forget it.)

comment #58

MiraJeffAICN says ...

Burma, I'm sick of your holier-than-thou attitude. You act like you've never jerked off before. Go fly a kite or something.

comment #59

Edward Havens says ...

Wells may have sent it, and Mangold may have forwarded it, but Finke did publish it, which makes her the biggest shitheel in this saga.

comment #60

Zoidberg says ...

Ah, Anton Corbijn....
I remember first seeing his work as a teenager, when he directed the very surreal video for Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box". I remember thinking, "This guy should be doing movies."

comment #61

BurmaShave says ...

Wrecktum, I'm sorry if I have offended your delicate sensibilities. Truly. I completely understand where you are coming from. I should not fall to Johnny's level. I guess Anus-eater is not directly a homophobic insult, and I should be more careful in my destructive and hurtful responses to his opprobrium. Please consider this a full retraction.

I would like to submit however that since I am not afraid of Homosexuals, I cannot be a homophobe. But that's really not our issue.

comment #62

Edward Havens says ...

Zoidberg, I remember seeing the video for Losing My Religion, and thought the same thing of that director. And then I saw The Cell.

comment #63

Johnny Scumbaum says ...

Burma - this board is just like real life: You have no friends.

comment #64

anti-sardine says ...

I can't believe a fellow blogger would finke someone over like that.
That's really finked up.

comment #65

thezipper says ...

Dear James Mangold--

Any old shots you have of Liv Tyler, Winona Ryder, Meg Ryan, Amanda Peet or Reese Witherspoon would also be appreciated.

comment #66

BurmaShave says ...

Scumbaum, shut the fuck up. Seriously. I'm just as small a little peon as you think I am. You're just embarrasing yourself.

comment #67

Howlingman says ...

Zoidberg: "Ah, Anton Corbijn....I remember first seeing his work as a teenager, when he directed the very surreal video for Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box". I remember thinking, "This guy should be doing movies."

God damn it Zoidberg, can't you stay on topic? You're derailing this fantastic discussion with comments on an actual movie!

And that goes double for you, "Edward Havens" -- don't encourage Zoidberg!

comment #68

KiwiJoeFrady says ...

What really burns me is that there appears to be a massive 3:10 To Yuma spoiler in that email. A warning would've been nice. Howl!

comment #69

gruver1 says ...

Wells to Nikki Finke (who wrote me & requested a comment)....

Yeah, Nikki, I have a comment -- it was seriously scummy of you to have run an off-the-cuff, one-guy-to-another letter about wanting to get a jump on photos of a hot actress that may or may not turn up on Mr. Skin a few weeks or months down the road. I'm going to pass along a major shocker to you, but you'd better sit down first. Ready? Guys like naked women -- actresses, amateurs, Helmut Newton models, French politicians..anywhere and under almost any circumstance. They dream about naked women, compare notes about naked women, ogle pictures of naked women. I think it's icky to loudly proclaim such interests, which is why I confine my enthusiasms along these lines to guys I know and (ahem) trust.

Vinessa Shaw, as it happens, has long inspired unmentionable thoughts on my part -- unmentionable, I should say, except when it comes to you and your column. Anyway, I was sitting at my desk one afternoon and thinking about that brief nude-sketching scene between she and Russell Crowe in "3:10 to Yuma" was the bees knees, so I said to Mangold -- with whom I share stuff on a private basis from time to time -- and asked him if there were any grabbable stills or hot outtakes (pant, pant). I really don't see what the big effin' deal is, except for your having posted a private e-mail that had nothing to do with anything except a surge of hormonal intemperance on my part that -- silly me -- I trusted would stay in Mangold's e-mail box.

One other point -- you're a good aggressive reporter so you should always ask yourself "why?" when you've been sent something like this. As in who benefits and who's angry at me about what thing I've recently written? You don't have to answer this question, but you way want to kick it around in your spare time.

Let me say in conclusion that I will continue to celebrate the notion of naked women, enjoy pictures of naked women, go to movies with female nude scenes and otherwise express all those appalling libidinal dream-notions that absolutely required publishing this brilliant, earth-shaking expose on Deadline Hollywood Daily. Although I probably won't be sharing them with James Mangold any time soon.

Jeffrey Wells

comment #70

breadlymoore says ...

"What really burns me is that there appears to be a massive 3:10 To Yuma spoiler in that email. A warning would've been nice. Howl!"

Oh, grow up.

You don't want spoilers, stay of the internet. Case closed.

Quit yer yappin'.

comment #71

Dr. Smith says ...

http://member.mrskin.com/Stars/03984/Vinessa_Shaw.htm

comment #72

BurmaShave says ...

Burma to Wells:

There goes my hero! Watch him as he goes!

comment #73

iamagoodguy says ...

breadlymoore i think it is you who should stop yer yappin'. I believe spoiler alerts are a necessary aspect of internet etiquette. Also you are gay.

comment #74

breadlymoore says ...

"breadlymoore i think it is you who should stop yer yappin'. I believe spoiler alerts are a necessary aspect of internet etiquette. Also you are gay."

Perhaps gay, but never a cunt who can't handle something as easy as picking proper sites to visit.

comment #75

lazarus says ...

Wow. Guns blazin'.

He dies for our sins.

comment #76

alynch says ...

The moral of this comment section is...."Fuck Lust, Caution".

comment #77

StewartforPresident says ...

Blue state my ass. That is pure Red state baby.

comment #78

PeytonWestlake says ...

Not fake.

comment #79

TheJeff says ...

I like naked women too, but I don't recall ever asking an acquaintance to "slip me some stills" of some. A-list directors try to respect the privacy of their actors, and I doubt that many of them make a habit of passing around set photos of actresses in the buff.

No, it's not creepy to want to see Vinessa Shaw naked, but it's at least a little unprofessional for a "journalist" to ask a director to hook him up with such pictures. I think that hiding behind the swaggering "Hey I'm a dude...we all like the nekkid ladies!" stance masks the real issue of unprofessionalism.

And yes, if I was Mangold, I would be forwarding this email to all of my buddies. The pathetic groveling for boobies is good for a laugh if nothing else.

comment #80

Teh Awesome says ...

Jeff, you're a tough guy and I'm sure you'll manage the situation. I frankly don't really know about the ethics of asking a director for stills of a naked actress, and I can't really support you in that regard.

I know you're a great writer though, and you spoke the truth in your statement to Nikki. God knows I've googled "Rose McGowan" "Doom Generation". Too bad the truth-telling, honest, genuine guy gets smudged like this. I hope you make it through this slightly embarrassing time.

comment #81

MiraJeffAICN says ...

Classy response, Jeff. Seriously, I'm not being sarcastic or anything. She should've exercised discretion and held back that posting because I bet someone out there has naked pictures of her. Not that I'd wanna see 'em, unless they underwent some reverse aging process like Hopkins did in Red Dragon.

comment #82

Howlingman says ...

Uhh ... so how was 'Control', Jeff?

comment #83

ZayTonday says ...

Great comeback Jeff... Women like Nikki Finke think it's evil for guys to actually admire the naked female form or something. They help contribute to a climate where it's wrong to be a guy or something. How much does anybody want to bet that she'd do the same thing if it was a naked Brad Pitt or Jonathan Rhys Myers or something.. Fucking double standard feminist bitches.

comment #84

ZayTonday says ...

Hell, I'd like some naked stills too Mangold!! Give em up, I say!

comment #85

ZayTonday says ...

Hell, I'd like some naked stills too Mangold!! Give em up, I say!

comment #86

ZayTonday says ...

Naked stille of Vinessa, that is.

comment #87

OddDuck says ...

I wish Finke allowed for comments on her blog.

Good response Wells, and man that was such a scumbag thing to do, publishing that email message, even though it's kinda funny.

comment #88

Hardy says ...

Karma.

Wells had it coming.

comment #89

Wes Anderson says ...

Obviously Jeff has been through a lot this week, I can tell you he has been doing very well, he has been making us laugh.

comment #90

iamagoodguy says ...

Breadlymore I have a number of proper sites I like to visit including hotmail.com, gmail.com and this cool new one facebook you should check it out. Also what does cunt mean we don't have that word down here in New Zealand where I live but I assume it means something like 'awesome guy'. Also you are still gay.

comment #91

Devin Faraci says ...

Why would Mangold share that email with her? Guy seems like a major douchebag.

comment #92

lazarus says ...

The real creepy thing here is imagining Shaw and/or her agent reading this email. It's not just about Wells, Finke, and Mangold.

I don't think Jeff is going to be scoring any interviews with hottie actresses in the near future. Or he'll be frisked for his camera first, at least.

comment #93

Teh Awesome says ...

TheJeff's reaction is pretty much on point. The issue here is professionalism. This is probably why this email got out of Mangold's inbox in the first place, despite being a private email.

As a guy, I can understand Jeff's hormonal intemperance. I don't know if the people who deal with Jeff on a daily basis will be so understanding. I can't imagine this won't have an effect on Jeff's reputation.

I love this blog, I love Jeff's writing, I love Jeff's commitment to this blog and I hope Jeff pulls it through somehow.

comment #94

Craig Kennedy says ...

Even if Wells seriously misjudged the familiarity of his relationship with Mangold, making the email public was first order douchebaggery.

I gave Wells the benefit of a doubt earlier so I'll give it to Mangold now. Perhaps an assistant of some kind leaked it.

As for Finke running it...well no one is really surprised, are they?

comment #95

Teh Awesome says ...

Lazarus: Did wells ever run interview with hottie actresses? Jeff's bread and butter seems to be talking to movie guys, directors, actors. I don't recall many items about interviewing women, apart from the odd barmaid and waitress. This probably won't help!

comment #96

alynch says ...

Can't fault Wells on this. He wouldn't have emailed Mangold if this hasn't worked for him in the past. And if you possess the means to get hard-to-find naked pictures of hotties, than why shouldn't you get them?

comment #97

frankbooth says ...

Wow. I'm away for a few hours, and look what I miss.

So what's this incident gonna be called? Mangoldgate? Shawgate? Yumaboobgate? It will have a name sooner or later, so we may as well decide.

comment #98

Josh Massey says ...

As a fan of this blog, even though I disagree with Wells the majority of the time, I can say I won't give my money to 3:10 to Yuma now. Mangold really showed his ass here.

Especially now that I hear Shaw isn't really naked, of course.

comment #99

James says ...

Oh come on. If this really affects Jeff's professional rep, Hollywood must be an even sillier place than I thought it to be.

If Arnie can get elected governor having physically assaulted women he worked with on movies, I would hope that something like this would not raise too many eyebrows.

That said, the likes of ZayTonday creeps ME out. Or something.

comment #100

Rothchild says ...

I'm buying a ticket for Shoot 'Em Up and going into 3:10.

comment #101

Rothchild says ...

To clarify, I think Jeff can be a douche and a pretentious asshole, but Nikkie Finke and Mangold are way out of line here.

comment #102

Ian Sinclair says ...

In case you chaps may have missed it, here is the utterly ridiculous, completely pretentious and all-around risible THERE MUST BE BLOOD one-sheet. You'd think the guy would take some marketing advice from someone besides his mother.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33924

comment #103

Rothchild says ...

Ian Sinclair, you hate both AOJJBTCRF and TWBB before you've seen them? Well, I'm going to ignore you from now on.

comment #104

buckzollo says ...

How fortuitous for Wells to be at screenings. Finke may have anticipated this as the right time to drop the bomb. Unfortunately, the advantage is to Wells. He gets to scroll through all of this garbage and figure out how to best handle.
If true, I will not be surprised. If true, it reveals at best what a sleeze bag one can be. HE has not shut up about Yuma, I suspected something was up. Just not this.

comment #105

Teh Awesome says ...

James, I hope you're right. The people who appreciate Wells, and I'm sure there are many of them, will have a laugh and look the other way, and those he rubs the wrong way, and I'm sure there are many of them, will use this as an excuse to go up in arms and turn their back.

I feel like a tool discussing this further and I'm starting to talk out of my ass, so I'll go back to lurk-mode. Hopefully we all learnt a lesson today.

comment #106

malibugigolo says ...

For once I agree with Ian. Reminds me of that chicklit book THE HISTORIAN Something along the lines of the cover book that I thought it was based on:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil%21

As for this exchange.

If only Lew Wasserman wrote down his communications (sigh) those would be a scoop.

comment #107

T. S. Idiot says ...

Could the agressive antipathy to Scarlett and Keira be somehow related to the absence of hot photos?

comment #108

Craig Kennedy says ...

Whatever my opinion of Mangold, it doesn't change my enthusiasm for Yuma. Hollywood has proven time and again that you don't have to be a saint to make good movies.

comment #109

Teh Awesome says ...

The thing I noticed about the poster is that it's already rated R. I thought PTA was still tinkering with it?

No, not a great poster, but it hardly justifies any scorn and derision. But we all know Ian has an axe to grind.

comment #110

Armin Tamzarian says ...

Hey, isn't Finke the hypocritical windbag that insisted the filmick guy take down "personal" emails that she had written saying that personal correspondence had no place on the web w/o permission?

comment #111

rocco says ...

A direct and off-the-cuff request for some nudie pics would be perfectly passable, if not normal. It's the uncomfortable pretext and awkward small talk that pin the tale on the pervert donkey...it's the rationalizing preceding the request that makes this weird, just weird. It's embarrasing to read solely for the shame so painfully evident in the request.

"Hey man, got any pics of Vinessa I can see? I promise they'll never leave my harddrive". That's the bluntness that Jeff claims to admire so much that would have mitigated this entire disaster...

I never like to see people embarrassed like this, I just hope this doesn't become a thing of blogger lore...the potential certainly exists.

comment #112

anti-sardine says ...

Yumabate

comment #113

futureman says ...

I don't see how people are blaming this on Mangold and Finke. If Wells never sent the email there isn't a problem.

comment #114

Geoff says ...

It's not only never going to leave his hard drive, it's not even going to be seen by anyone else. The whole 'for my eyes only' agenda is what made it seem weird and a little unprofessional.

Of course, I get where Jeff is coming from, and I also have no idea what kind of relationship he has with Mangold, but it is funny in the way that it reads...saw the film..liked this, didn't like that....BOOBS.

Anyways, it was a personal email and Nikki Finke seems like a cunt.

comment #115

Zimmergirl says ...

Lol.

comment #116

Zimmergirl says ...

"I was hoping this would be akin to Open Range, a movie that really and truly seemed to have been made in the 1890s." -- Jeff Wells

Only the readers of this blog would read that Finke email and conclude that oh, she must be a cunt. I am sure that Jeff asks for stuff like this all the time and gets it. You would probably be stunned to hear what publicists will do to get a good word out there about their clients. I have personally heard of some wild things, even sex being offered in trade. But, what do you know, Mangold didn't play ball. How unusual in this town.

comment #117

romeoisbleeding says ...

I never had any interest in seeing this movie in the first place because I can't stand Russell Crowe. I don't care if he can act. When I see him I just think about what a huge jerk he is. Now I can't stand Mangold either. So I have 2 reasons to skip it.

comment #118

stickybump says ...

The difference in my opinion between what I originally wrote and what I read from Jeff's opinion is:

Mangold -- with whom I share stuff on a private basis from time to time

That means they have (or should have) a sort of confidence, and the fact that it somehow got out of that confidence reflects poorly on Mangold. It definitely seemed creepy when it was Wells sending a note to just some director. But it sounds like they had more of a friendship than that, so I would give it a pass.

Finke is posting something that she got, and all is fair in love, war, and blogging. If Mangold actually, INTENTIONALLY, leaked the note, then it is THERE that my disgust is pointed.

comment #119

Devin Faraci says ...

Is Zimmergirl typing with Mangold's cock in her mouth?

comment #120

Dave says ...

I don't want to pile on, but there's one theory that no one here has brought up that seems pretty intuitive to me: Mangold leaked the email to protect himself.

Imagine you're a director who gets caught sharing-- or even being *suspected* of sharing-- photos of one of your actresses with someone who casually asks for them. Had Mangold did this, his name would have been mud with casting directors, no? Hell, he may actually have sent Jeff the photos for all we know, and this is his way of covering his ass.

Was Jeff being slimy? Yes. Bad Jeff. Dude, really-- the internet's a big place, there's plenty of higher quality pr0n out there, and it's all free.

Is Finke being a bitch? Yes. Bad Finke. But we already knew she was a bitch, so no surprise.

As for Mangold, who knows? His email could have been hacked, seen by an assistant, set on autoforward, whatever. He could be a prick for sharing the email-- or he could be playing CYA for some reason or another.

All I know is that I've been reading Jeff daily since his Hollywood Confidential days, I disagree with half his reviews and nearly all of his politics, but damn if it's not the first site I check out every morning. This little tiff won't change that, but. . . whatever the truth is, it's all still school in the summer (i.e., no class).

comment #121

Mike Binder says ...

Give the guy some slack. He copped to it. Got caught with his pants down maybe, but the truth is he's Jeff, he's not a senator, he's not a corporate spokesman, he's Jeff Wells. Didn't you kind of think he was into photos of nude actresses or something stupid like that?? I did. Good on him. Read the guy regularly and you know he's a high wire act. I also think, knowing him, that he probably has a relationship with Mangold that makes this request not the stretch it seems to us. I bet anything there's something to that. Jeff would not have crossed that line if it weren't already crossed on some level. It also was not a neogtiation for a good review and you know what ,give the guy credit for being real and honest to a friend. Very few people in this business are. Which makes me think Mangold is not the leak. the other woman, the blogger that posted it was wrong too but hey, she's who she is too.

Jeff played his part, Mangold played his, all of the gaybashers and the slug that bashed Man About Town played his, and I think it's all a nice little inconsequential piece of Internet drama. We should be paying for this stuff. Write on Gruver.

P.S. Jeff, I have great photos of Sandler changing in the wardrobe trailer.

Live clean

Mike Binder

comment #122

noname1114 says ...

The issue here isn't whether it's ok for wells to like looking at naked hot chicks; it's that the pics he's asking for are a blatent violation of the actress' privacy. Supposedly she did the nude scene in service of her character etc., and did not expect that any photos that were taken (with or without her knowledge, who knows) would get passed around to "professionals" in the industry acting more like 12-year-olds copping a peek at their dad's Playboy.

And Wells may claim he and Mangold are "friends" of sorts, but the email doesn't read to me like a casual exchange between buddies; this "friendship" may be more in wells' mind.

Finally, what the hell's up with that Maggie Gyllenhall post below, with that photo that wells says proves that "any youngish woman can get into hot-bod shape after having a kid if she sets her mind to it." How does one photoshopped-to-oblivion image of a professionally made up, lit and photographed movie star "prove" anything about what "any" woman can do "if she sets her mind it"? I've been a (lurking) reader of this blog for a while, but today, Wells lost me.

comment #123

MathewM says ...

Who knows if Mangold ever read this email. Mangold's assistant is probably the one to blame. Unless Jeff burned some bridges of course. I remember him doing an interview with Mangold right after Walk the Line premiered. They seemed to have a personable relationship.

Still, it's pretty damn tacky (and stupid) on Jeff's part asking for nudie photos from a director who regards his actors higher than meat on the market. Jeff, do yourself a favor and maybe try to actually date a woman rather than fantasize about them. Of course now you've officially blown any chance that you might have had with Vinessa Shaw.

comment #124

actionman says ...

Binder....who is the slug that bashed Man About Town?

comment #125

malibugigolo says ...

Wells has gotten many more odd and bizzarre requests that what was said he tendered for pub or anything for said pics, as any man, bud to bud, who hasn't?

As for Ms. Funk- do you expect to just keep on shitting on anyone and everything and expect anyone to care or listen to a single syllable of what you print; really what have you pushed for or what people have you put in print that you wanted to succeed?

Just more banal cynicism?

Bart Walker is going to leave CAA. You told US?

Wow.
YAWN.

You would never have that option. Is yours now between LA Weekly and the El Paso Trib.

Please keep us up-to-date!

comment #126

EveHarrington says ...

Like it or not publicists and, yes, "the talent" are capable of stooping far lower than this. Just because Wells' letter is inappropriate and gross doesn't mean that there aren't people out there who haven't offered "favors" or fulfilled unseemly requests like this. Don't be naive.

comment #127

Wrecktum says ...

At the very least Wells should apologize to Vinessa Shaw, publicly or privately. She's the only one who's been victimized in this minor kurfuffle.

comment #128

christian says ...

it's like my mamma always told me: never trust a finke.

comment #129

Shotgun Ed says ...

I lurk as well. Don't always love Jeff's musings, but am consistently interested in the links, references etc.

First of all, without knowing anything much about Nikke behind the scenes, a read of a few of her posts clearly reveals a ludicrously self-promoting, self-imagined gonzo blogger. I tolerate her tacky chainsaw prose to get to the meat of her posts. That's her specialty: fresh meat. Certainly not style or even humanity, something Jeff strives for.

Right or wrong, the email is out there. The fact of its publication is a different issue than the contents and that makes the whole issue complicated. It's too inside and uncomfortable and minor to be trumpeted the way Nikke does, but outside the context of a presumed private forum, it's icky.

The validating issue of the publication is the appearance of professional impropriety. All you need is the appearance of impropriety to burn the crap out of you. If I were Wells I'd continue to keep my head down and stick to demure comments of how it's everyone's worst fear to see a private, free-and-easy email spotlit on the internet. We all have the fear of that embarrassment -- appeal to it.

Separately, as someone else noted above, Vinessa's boobs belong to Vinessa. At least I think so, since they're on her body. The only way to properly request pictures of them is to ask Vinessa. To ask for secret pictures of them through backchannels means that the asker knows it isn't ok.

It's natural and healthy and great to WANT to see Vinessa's boobs, not ok to sneak and get them from someone to whose body they are not attached. This is the scary undercurrent of this email -- Jeff's words tap on a anxiety of so many women: that men will not accept what they consent to make available about her body and sexuality. Regardless of what she wishes, it will snuck or stolen away from her.

Not to equate a desire for nudie shots with an attack or anything, but women's bodies aren't public property, even if they make you horny. If horniness rationalizes action... lock up your women, children, pets and hot apple pie.

It doesn't help that a lot of women ACT as if all women's bodies were public (esp in this business), but this fear of bodily self-determination may be where a lot of the cringing over this issue is coming from.

Hope this passes without further incident. Perhaps somewhere, somehow, a women with attactive breasts will bare them for viewing on the internet. If only such an option existed perhaps this whole sad mess could have been avoided.

comment #130

lazarus says ...

There goes Jeff's Eyes Wide Shut fantasy threesome with Shaw and Faye Masterson.

Backup plan: Leelee Sobieski & Rade Serbedzija.

comment #131

jeffmcm says ...

Wow.
I must say, I have problems with Wells from time to time, but I think he outclassed Nikki Finke today. Let's sum up:
Jeff Wells: "I like looking at naked chicks"
Nikki Finke: "I'm trying to embarrass anyone I can by whatever means necessary, newsworthy or not."

Who's the terrorist in this equation?

comment #132

Wrecktum says ...

Shotgun Ed has the right idea. Wells' sneering attempt to violate Vinessa Shaw's privacy should disturb all. I know he's an engaging and colorful writer, but that doesn't justify these kind of antics.

By the way, if Mangold had acquiesced to Wells' leering request, and Shaw had somehow found out, he would liable to an embarrassing sexual harrassment suit. Why Wells and his throbbing cock would even want to go there is beyond me.

comment #133

ZayTonday says ...

@James: You may know me from the hit song, "Rocolate Chain"..

comment #134

WinslowLeachtheComposer says ...

Let's face it, the e-mail was flabbergasting enough that if you're like me and enjoy the site as much as I do, you feel like Michael Vick's #1 fan trying to come up with a reasonable explanation for a pool full of dogs. But the issue here is central to modern journalism: the danger of getting too close to the people you cover. And if you think you're so close you can exchange requests for candid nudes, that's too close.

comment #135

ZayTonday says ...

Shotgun Ed: From what I understood in that email, Wells asked for basically a couple freeze-frames from the actual movie. A movie that Vinessa willfully bared her breasts in. Something that, like he said, would be available on Mr. Skin eventually.

comment #136

ZayTonday says ...

Shotgun Ed: By your logic, every movie goer wishing to see 3:10 to Yuma needs to have Vinessa's permission.

comment #137

PastePotPete says ...

I don't see that Jeff did anything wrong here. A bit creepy maybe? Okay. But posting the email on the web...wow. Man what a lousy thing to do to someone. I mean really unforgivably lousy.

I agree with jeffMCM(sigh). Nikki Finke is the one who comes out of this looking the worst.

comment #138

Wrecktum says ...

ZayTonday, you're very wrong. Wells asked that Mangold forward photos from the on-set still photographer. Chocolate sleaze!

comment #139

Reel1 says ...

I am sorry, but I don't have the energy to read about how or why all you 'boys' think this behaviour is in any way acceptable. There is no way any of you can call yourselves reasonable human beings and still think this is ok. Take your penis outside of this discussion and your hands - if you really find a woman attractive enough to wank about, keep it to yourself. You all and the Wells' of this world lack respect - to the actress and to the work she does. Sexist assholes, all of you. It is about the work, not the breasts - and there is no irony in what I say - I am deadly serious. Finke, who I do not always agree with, was right to post this.

All you "men" out there who think this is funny - you have set film-making back many decades. Actors, male or female who might have been convinced before that it was all about the art, will no longer believe you. It is only, now, about a man who wants to get his rocks off...

Well done, Jeff, and all the people who are supporting you (probably 90% men)- You have set gender politics back a very long way. You have become the poster boy of the left whose politics have always been a bit dodgy - " don't care if she's stupid, as long as she is sexy" vibe...

There is no excusing your behaviour - blame Finke, Mangold, whomever you like - You wrote it -live with the consequences.

May I say I am very sad by what has transpired today - Jeff is my favourite writer, by far, when it is about the real stuff - but I do believe he has (or did) overstep a line that i may find hard to forgive.

comment #140

EDouglas says ...

I'm fully behind Jeff on this one... so what if he wrote James Mangold and asked for nude pics of Shaw? I actually thought his Email was pretty funny and I would have read it in the light-hearted tone as it was meant.

On the other hand, printing someone's personal and private Emails is a huge no-no in my opinion... if James Mangold was bothered by the request and felt the need to be indiscreet and pass said email around, let alone to a blabbermouth like Finke that's one thing, but where does she get off attacking a fellow blogger--and one who's actually supported her work and linked to her to boot--by printing these private Emails that have absolutely nothing to do with her and spinning it the way she did? I mean WHAT THE FUCK? Is nothing sacred or off-limits to this (insert your favorite derogatory word for women here, cause they all fit)??

So what if Jeff has a thing for this actress and enjoys the fact she was topless in Mangold's movie? The request seemed fairly facetious to me and any straight guy reading this who posts here saying they've never drooled over a picture or movie scene of a semi-clothed or naked woman or watched porn or any of the other things that comes with the territory of being a straight (and single) man, is either a lying hypocrite or not as straight as they'd like to admit. There are people in Hollywood (probably even a few of Nikki's friends) who have a lot worse perversions and fetishes than looking at naked women. (If Jeff were asking for naked pictures of an underage actress, then i'd be worried and this would be a big deal but that's not what happened.)

So for all of those using this to attack Jeff--as if you need any other reason, since that seems to be the hobby of half the posters here--grow the fuck up. We've all written Emails to others we've regretted--it's all part of the fun that comes with making our way in the Internet Age--but for someone to print those Emails in this way is a huge no-no, and frankly, I think Jeff could probably find more than a few lawyers who would take his case if he wanted to go after Finke for this attack.

comment #141

EDouglas says ...

and you know what? In solidarity with Jeff, I'm going to ask Ang Lee on Saturday if he has any pictures from Lust, Caution he can share or better yet, I'll just ask the actress...

but I'm only saying this to try to get the thread back on topic :)

comment #142

Wrecktum says ...

EDouglas, the violation of Vinessa Shaw's privacy means nothing to you, does it? Reel1 is right...the guys on this forum just don't get it. No wonder they like dirty old man Wells so much. They're just like him.

comment #143

jeffmcm says ...

Wrecktum: what privacy? Wells is asking for still pictures of a movie that is going to be in 2600+ theaters tomorrow. He wants to not have to wait until the DVD is released to make his screengrabs.

Sleazy and opportunistic, yes. A violation of someone's privacy, not really.

comment #144

Wrecktum says ...

He didn't want screengrabs, jeffmcm. He asked for candid shots from the still photographer. Don't you know the difference??

comment #145

ZayTonday says ...

Yes, shots that ultimately end up in the movie most of the time.

comment #146

Devin Faraci says ...

Wrecktum must just about shit his pants every time there's a nipple slip picture hitting the web.

BTW, someone should talk to Mangold and give him a chance to lie about this on the record.

comment #147

malibugigolo says ...

Devin:

Some girl from the ATL that just left wanted to know:

What happened to Larry and Eric?

comment #148

Kristopher Tapley says ...

So...why was "said to Mangold -- with whom I share stuff on a private basis from time to time -- and..." edited out of Nikki's recent post for "legal reason?"

And...why does LA Weekly keep her around? What good has she ever brought to the table? What good will she ever bring? Really and truly - why does she have a career beyond a potential spot at the by-line-less TMZ.com?

Full disclosure: I like boobies.

comment #149

PastePotPete says ...

I don't know about "acceptable". It was a crass request on Jeff's part. But there's a long deep line between making a rude request and being deserving of having your entire reputation tarnished publicly.

If you really can't tell the difference between those things then you subscribe to the creeping new media reality where destroying people for doing things you find personally distasteful is an acceptable practice.

He didn't rape anyone. He wasn't asking for photos or images the actress might have been unaware of. He asked for something that at most he'd have to wait 3-4 months to get on his own, that potentially millions of people will see. It's not as if he was a hypocrite about it, or even secretive.

At worst he's a male chauvinistic pig. Is that really worth destroying him over?

comment #150

LFF says ...

this might be the most hilarious thread i've ever read here.

It would have never even occurred to me to email a director and ask for nude stills from a film.

First thought: that's kinda of pervy.
Second thought: Wait. What if he actually sends photos? Has he gotten stills from other people? hmm.

Wells- you pervert. I salute you.

comment #151

T. S. Idiot says ...

But what I really want to know is whether Mangold has any nifty pix of Reese.

comment #152

Josh Massey says ...

malibugigolo: I'm in Atlanta as well. They were fired yet again in late '06.

comment #153

Zimmergirl says ...

"Is Zimmergirl typing with Mangold's cock in her mouth?"

Wow, Devin, you actually removed your face sucker off of Jeff's butt cheeks in order to type that? Of do you not have to look while you type.

comment #154

Mike Ock says ...

Sorry Mr. Binder,

But I caught Man About Town the other night on cable, and it's one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Affleck's just horrible in it as usual, and that performance may have been the final nail in the coffin in terms of his career as a leading man.

No wonder it went straight to DVD.

The only you can make up for making such a piece of shit is if you leak some photos of that hot piece of ass who played your wife on Mind Of The Married Man.

comment #155

BurmaShave says ...

You're not even going to ask for pics of Romjin? What a gaywad!

comment #156

Mike Ock says ...

The blonde from Mind of the Married Man is MUCH hotter than Rebecca Romijin, dick. I'm POSITIVE Wells already hit that hack Binder up for pics of her in her underwear.

Her tits are unreal.

comment #157

chicagodad says ...

Well, this is certainly entertaining, but at this point, has gotten thoroughly muddied and devolved into name calling and shit-slinging.

Not entirely sure if I even want to jump in, but there are a couple of opinions I felt like putting forth.

First, Finke's publishing of the email is crappy, but not particularly surprising. I can't really say I'm disappointed, because that implies that I expect better of her, which I don't. She's a muckracker. It's what she does.

Second, Mangold is responsible for the leak of the email. If it was a private email between Jeff and Mangold, which based on Jeff's response is something that happens fairly regularly, he needed to handle it very differently.

Either he forwarded it to someone it was clearly not meant for, or didn't maintain enough security over his email, allowing an assistant, etc. to forward it. I'd hope that he'll weigh in somehow with what happened on his end. Either own up to doing it yourself and give your reasons, or explain what happened. You can't really claim discretion as an excuse for silence at this point.

And as for Jeff, well, it's creepy. And no, I don't think liking pictures of nekkid wimmins is what makes it creepy, so please don't run that argument out again. I don't have a problem with Jeff digging on naked pictures of beautiful women.

Here's what I do have a problem with. Whatever the nature of Vinessa's nude scene in Yuma, she clearly agreed to do that scene for the purposes of that film. I'm sure there were discussions regarding the nature of the scene, the level of exposure, etc. She entered into an agreement with Mangold regarding these things. Was it written down? Probably not. But that shouldn't really matter. What's being asked for is material that are clearly outside the scope of what would be used for the film, outside the agreement. Therefore, sharing the pics would be unethical.

The tone of the email makes it clear that Jeff understands that it's unethical. You don't provide a suggestion for a way to do something in a roundabout, back-channel way if you think it's just fine to do.

Do I think it makes Jeff a bad reporter? No. Does it devalue his opinions on films and the industry? Not for me. It just makes him a little creepy, but not in any way that affects the way I interact with him through the site.

So, in the end, all 3 parties come out looking kind of sleazy in one way or another, and it has absolutely no impact on my day to day life. Kind of sums up the internet nicely, actually.

comment #158

BurmaShave says ...

Mike Ock, are we talking about the British lady? I thought for some reason (my own confusion) that you meant the brunette model-type, who I remember now was actually his Secretary. My apologies. You are still a scrote-humping nancy, harumph.

While we're on the subject of my own latent homosexuality, I'll say the one big legacy of MIND OF THE MARRIED MAN would be for showing Hollywood exactly what Jake Webber can do. He's doing fine work on MEDIUM, but I hope eventually he can take it to the next level.

comment #159

Mike Ock says ...

I'll take that "British lady" any day over Rebecca Romjin, and the brunette as well for that matter. You can have Jake Weber.

comment #160

MickTravis says ...

This whole situation kind of reminds me of Willem Dafoe.

Unfortunately, it's Willem Dafoe in "Auto-Focus," not Willem Dafoe in "Platoon" or "Clear and Present Danger."

Or even "Baquiat."

comment #161

Midwest Doug says ...

Miss HE for two days and what happens? Well, everything. Wells' e-mail is just plain creepy, and it seems socially retarded to say "Hey, I didn't like your movie so much", then "By the way, this is really sketchy, but do you have any stills you could share because I can't wait the few weeks it'll take before the motion caps are on the 'net", then "back to your film, blah blah blah."

The worst thing? Jeff knows that after 1 week with the Shaw photos, he'd be on to something else. To each his own.

I thought Mangold leaked it just to get into bed (or stay in bed) with Shaw.

comment #162

Jay T. says ...

Seriously, though, the stupid part about the email is to knock the guy's movie and THEN have the balls to make such a request. If you really wanted the pictures, you should have said you loved the film...

Creepy email or not, Mangold is a scumbag for forwarding it to someone he knew would publish it (as opposed to a few friends for a laugh or something like that).

comment #163

frank delsa says ...

Excuse me, long time lurker. I felt like dropping a line because I don't think a lot of people on this talkback have any idea what a " movie still" is.
A "movie still" is a marketing tool. It's a picture taken on a movie set for the sole purpose of helping selling and presenting the film in question.
Therefore its sole purpose IS to be shown. Otherwise it wouldn't exist.
Vinessa Shaw, who's a professional actress, knows this. She knew this, when she allowed the stills to be taken (if they were taken). Those stills will be made public sooner or later, because that's their nature.
These privacy violations claims I'm reading are laughable at best. Lighten up people....
Of course, there's a choice involved. Bridget Fonda, for example, used to forbid movie stills to be taken when she was shooting a nude scene or a sex scene. Vinessa obviously didn't.
Anyway, is that letter a bit crass (and hilarious) in a William Shatner-in-Boston Legal sort of way? Of course it is...But come on...It's a private email, between two people who are (or were) probably in friendly terms with each other.
Wells likes tits. Big deal. Usually heterosexual males like women's bodies. I'm pretty sure it's part of the laws of nature. What's insulting or offensive about that?
I just want to ask...Anything about Gretchen Mol out there? I'm not sure Mangold and/or Finke are the right people to ask this, though...

comment #164

T. Holly says ...

Questions, as usual. Why would a still photographer be on a (probably) closed set? Is Shaw the barmaid? Actionman claims no ta-ta's are seen, true or false? If so, maybe she's wearing modesty things. Are breasts bared in the sketching scene? Is Wells' inbox flooded with nude photos from women around the world? Are people pointing and staring in Toronto? Will Proctor and Gamble pull out of HE? Good thing Wells is single and his own boss.

comment #165

The Winchester says ...

So..... Did you get the pictures or what, Wells?!?!

comment #166

christian says ...

my final thoughts on le affair de wells:

i'm not sure why mangold would release this email as it could bring minor negative publicity on the film. unless mangold was so genuinely offended -- a possibility based on what i know about him -- that he released it. which still seems odd as i'd think he would have simply responded to jeff with a proper outraged response.

but it's borderline sociopathic to tell a director you're not going to give a positive review to his film and then ask for photos of a nude actress in the same movie. i woulda thought wells joking if he wasn't so sincere. actors do have a right to privacy regardless of what the media and some horndogs here think.

as i've said before, finke is filled with self-hatred. sucks to be her. but then...there is no honor among thieves.

comment #167

frank delsa says ...

Excuse me, Christian, but what privacy are we talking about here? If those were movie stills, there's no privacy involved.
You can find candid stills from movies on every celebrity site on the net. Unless these were clandestine pictures taken without Shaw's consent, or Shaw vetoed them for public purposes...
But, come on, this is gelting blown out of proportions by politically correctness and a chronic lack of sense of humour...

comment #168

christian says ...

i mean the same privacy an actress is usually accorded by the director with a closed set for nude or sex scenes and no random photos snapped for private porn perusual. it's a right of respect.

justify it all you want, mr. skin.

comment #169

chicagodad says ...

frank, I totally agree with what you're saying. Publicity stills are clearly for public consumption, hence the name.

But, since you're clearly so much more knowledgeable than me, I have a couple questions.

How common are publicity stills of nude scenes? Not screen grabs, etc, but actual professional publicity stills of the scenes?

Is there anything in the nature of the email that implies that the pics being talked about are legitimate publicity stills? Hell, he asked for outtake footage as well.

Was the set open or closed for the scene?

I think you're confusing political correctness with ethics.

comment #170

frank delsa says ...

Yes, but if she allowed the pictures to be taken in the first place, these are official movie stills.
What is the purpose of an offical movie still if not to be made, at some point, public?
We're not talking about private pictures or a paparazzi pic, we're talking about a fucking movie still, i.e. an official picture.
Now, sorry, I gotta go get my daily Mr. Skin fix...If I find interesting material about Vinessa, I'll post the link here...

comment #171

actionman says ...

Shaw's breasts are never seen in Yuma...she lays on a bed post-coitus as Crowe sketches her while sitting on a chair behind her. you see the curves of her hips and maybe a hint of upper ass-crack (coin-slot). She's always been a stunner. But you never get a full on breast shot, and that left me disappointed. However, that's about the only thing that pissed me off about the movie, which overall, I found to be terrific and exceedingly entertaining.

comment #172

actionman says ...

and Binder...c'mon...who is "the slug that brought down Man About Town"? If you're referring to me, from comments I posted months ago, wow...I am glad I made an impression on you and that you remember my comments. I think you're a very solid filmmaker, and I LOVED The Upside of Anger and even more so Reign Over Me. Hell...I fuckin' think Blankman is funny. Also was a big, big fan of The Mind of the Married Man. And you're a solid actor as well. Jesus, I think I even sent you my resume last year when I was looking for work! All I said was that I thought Man About Town stunk up the joint...shit happens. And I don't think I'm alone in feeling that that wasn't your best work. But who is the slug?

comment #173

Mike Ock says ...

Wells clearly asked for not only stills, but outtakes, and nude shots from the actual film itself. That's what makes him look like a pervert.

The fact that he's asking this from a director who's movie he's reviewing is what calls his integrity into question.

Hard to picture a respected critic like Roger Ebert pulling some shit like this.

comment #174

Josh Massey says ...

Stop patting yourself on the back, actionman. "Mike Ock" put down Man About Town in the 10th comment of this thread.

comment #175

Mike Ock says ...

Actionman,

I'm the slug he was referring to. I called Man About Town a piece of shit.

comment #176

Wrecktum says ...

frank delsa, you pretend to know what you're talking about, but you don't. Only APPROVED stills can be used for marketing purposes. A still photographer will take many, many more shots on set than those that eventually make it into press and publicity material. Wells was clearly angling for shots that were not approved and/or more revealing footage that had been cut from the movie. That's why he asked Mangold if he could get the goods from either the still photographer or the editor.

The way people here are bending over backwards to justify this sleazy, potentially libelous conduct is extraordinary.

comment #177

frank delsa says ...

Yes, Chicago,l in the letter Wells mentions movie stills and the still photographer, in regarding to those pictures. He actually asks if the still photographer took some pictures that day. Again very Denny Crane (for those who watch Boston Legal), very crass, but hardly anything to try to mount a case on.
And no , that I'm aware of, nude still pictures are very rare, if not none-existant (for ratings reasons as well obviously), and I actually don't think they exist in this case either. There might be highly "suggestive" stills of course, and again, if those do exists, they will find their way into Internet sites in no time at all.
But again, let me stress again, if those pictures were taken, they were taken because Vinessa Shaw allowed them. Otherwise the studio would be liable of a giant lawsuit.

comment #178

Zimmergirl says ...

Well, on the upside it should finally put to rest the that Wells is gay.

Look, this would only be a problem if Wells was requesting the photos as payment to keep his mouth shut about the film. If he then smeared the movie because he didn't get the photos, well, that would be a true scandal. I don't see any evidence of that though in either the letter or his follow-up actions; hell, at least he was (brutally) honest with Mangold about how he felt about the movie. If all he wanted were the photos he would have gushed about the movie, don't you think?

comment #179

WinslowLeachtheComposer says ...

Frank D.: when you get back from Mr. Skin and after you've washed your hands, re-read the email; he wants "out-takes", stills from around the set, etc., though he will grudgingly settle for shots from the movie (if he must!). Is this guy a journalist or not? He is NOW, in Toronto, laden with press passes and screening tickets, but not when he's kanoodling with James Mangold over titty shots, apparently. I know, then he's only some schmuck on the internet, with his pants around his ankles. No, you can't have it both ways.

comment #180

frank delsa says ...

Wrecktum, of course she has to APPROVE those that are to be used for Christsakes, but if they exist it's because she allowed the still photographer to take shots of her while she was fiming a nude scene, i.e. she allowed nude or revealing pictures to be taken of her.
Meaning there are outtakes out there of those pic, and if there's any Vinessa Shaw fansite out there, those outtakes will be posted there, sooner or later. Trust me, they will.
Now, if you want to go on on the path of this reactionary, sexophobic outrage over a fucking private, crass email please don't let me stop you...

comment #181

EveHarrington says ...

Frank delsa, Wrecktum is correct. Just because you've seen official stills from a film doesn't mean that every photo taken on set is approved for use. First of all, if a scene is struck from the film, often a still we be instantly killed forever. Next, the talent is generally contractually guaranteed photo approval, then the studio makes its official selection, which then gets reapproved. So clearly the crotch or tit shots Wells is after would probably never otherwise see the light of day.

If Mangold were to release shots like this he could be sued by the studio and talent, and conceivably end his career. Wells knows this.

Again, must agree with Wrecktum, people are contorting themselves to absolve Wells of the unethical grossness of this letter. Yeah, it's shitty to publish someone's private email, but no email screams out to be published more than this one when it comes to trivial internet rabbling.

comment #182

va says ...

Mike Binder's wife in "Married Man" is Sonja Walger, who played Penelope on "Lost" and who is in the new HBO series "Tell Me You Love Me." Judging from previews and reviews, she is going to be plenty nude every Sunday for the next 10 weeks.....I remember Jeff getting all moist over Rosario Dawson in "Alexander," so any questions over his orientation should be moot after those posts. As for l'affaire Vinessa, I like Jeff, Mangold, and Finke - and I will not change my reading pattern because of this e-mail....I believe Jeff is not a pervert - I do think he needs a girlfriend and regular action...which he obviously is not getting.
BTW - 177 comments, and none from D.Z.? Has anyone else missed him on this post?

comment #183

Mike Ock says ...

Va,

I had no idea Walger was in Tell Me You Love Me. You're my new hero. If she does indeed get naked on this show, I'll have a hard time watching it with my pants on.

comment #184

frank delsa says ...

Eve, see my reply above you, then start surfing the net.

comment #185

chicagodad says ...

frank, I have no objection to sex. see my name? chicagoDAD? Dad implies procreation, no? Which implies sex.

I do object to the ethics and method of requesting the pics. I'm pretty sure that most other folks who are objecting are coming from the same direction.

And yes, the pics might get out eventually, even if they don't want them to. That has no bearing on the ethics of Jeff's request.

frank delsa:"Now, if you want to go on on the path of this reactionary, sexophobic outrage over a fucking private, crass email please don't let me stop you..."

So the privacy of Jeff's email is sacrosanct, but since the pics probably might've eventually gotten out there anyway, Vinessa's right to privacy is voided, and we don't need to respect it at all? That makes sense.

But by all means, call those of us who object sexophobic reactionaries. It really highlights the quality of your arguments.

comment #186

frank delsa says ...

"Vinessa's right to privacy is voided, and we don't need to respect it at all? That makes sense."

Yes, since the pics WILL be public sooner or later, and since Wells didn't mean to be the one to make them public, yes, I think you're overreacting just a tiny little bit, and I think you're overeacting mostly because of a latent sexophoby.
Is that (private) letter crass and distasteful in a frat boy sort of way? Yes, of course. But this outrage is VERY reactionary. Sorry, but, I call it as I see it.

comment #187

T. Holly says ...

actionman: "Shaw's breasts are never seen in Yuma..." So did Wells halucinate the "flat-out, boob-baring nude scene?"

comment #188

chicagodad says ...

Respecting someone's privacy isn't fear of sex. It's called being a grown-up.

frank delsa: "Yes, since the pics WILL be public sooner or later, and since Wells didn't mean to be the one to make them public"

How is Mangold releasing the pictures to Wells not "making them public"?

Beause Jeff gives his assurance that he's "not a sleazebag" in the email?

Look, it's simple. If the pics were not intended to be released, and then they are released, it doesn't matter if he released them to Jeff or Mr Skin. It's still a violation of the woman's privacy and unethical.

And the "they would've gotten out eventually anyway" defense is completely weak-kneed chickenshit justification. Just calling it as I see it.

comment #189

YND says ...

Frank Delsa -- You responded to EveHarrington, "See my reply above you, then start surfing the net". I actually have some experience in seeking out the occasional adult pic on this here internet. And as far as I know, I have NEVER seen a nude screengrab or film-set still of a celebrity when said nude footage did NOT appear in the film. Are there specific instances you can cite me? Seems like if this sort of thing happened frequently -- or at all -- there'd be all kinds of shots of naked Natalie Portman in CLOSER or Julia Roberts or Scarlett Johannssen in anything... surely they've been naked on film sets before, yes? Yet you assume that if Shaw was naked on the set of YUMA, any existing pics will be "posted out there sooner or later". You're kinda full of it, huh?

P.S. This stunt of Welles' is beyond creepy and entering unprofessional. That there are so many apologists for it is disheartening. I like the site and I'll continue to read, but any personal opinion I had of the man based on a few years of reading here has been lowered. Actors who put themselves out there for the sake of making a film they believe in don't deserve to have unauthorized peeping tom shots traded around like porn in a jr. high locker room. I like to see naked people too, Jeff, but I don't ask friends to send me pics of their girlfriend changing clothes in the bathroom.

comment #190

MilkMan says ...

Hey. So what are you guys talking about?

comment #191

T. Holly says ...

Thank god, a normal person. MilkMan, did she bare her boobs (like Wells says), or not (like actionman says)?

comment #192

WinslowLeachtheComposer says ...

Sexophoby?! Actually, Wells is kinda lucky the bare boob issue has overshadowed the larger one of what were essentially fan sites having morphed into supposed journalistic entities, but where the geeks and others who run them still have fawning relationships with those they cover, even appearing in movies they end up promoting, and in this case - in a line "redacted" from Finke's reprint of Wells' response - "shar(ing) stuff on a private basis from time to time." And God only knows what THAT means.

Everybody's tangled up in the sleaze issue (cuz come on, it IS sleazy), but these two shouldn't have this cozy a relationship, or Wells should shitcan his press pass. Well, I guess they don't anymore. So how 'bout he apologize for losing his journalistic perspective and promise not to do it again. You know, a little fucking humility. Anybody wanna lay odds?

comment #193

Wrecktum says ...

Case in point to back up YND: Kirsten Dunst shot quite a lot of provocative footage for Crazy/Beautiful back in 2001. The footage was enough to slap an R rating on the flick had it actually been including in the final version. The scenes were edited down and the movie was released with a PG-13.

Did the original footage "get out eventually." Er, no. Of course not. The people involved were too professional to give any pics to pervs like Wells and his pervy, lonely readership.

comment #194

BurmaShave says ...

Somehow Poland's high-minded wading into this situation has made him the biggest cunt in this whole occasion, especially his tit for tat with his readers in the comments.

I assume D.Z. has remained silent because he doesn't have a leg to stand up, having sent letters like this to every director of Anime. The only difference is they were written in crayon.

comment #195

YND says ...

T. Holly -- I saw the film a few weeks ago. As I remember it, actionman is right -- no frontal nudity.

comment #196

actionman says ...

unless Wells saw a different cut a while back, he's wrong about Shaw showing her breasts in the film...she never does.

comment #197

T. Holly says ...

This is important. Wells is in trouble over nudity in a movie that didn't occur and stills that don't exist and outtakes with pasties (if even that)?

comment #198

Craig Kennedy says ...

No T. Holly, no onscreen nudity, hence what Wells was asking for was something that wasn't intended for circulation.

And yeah, as lame as I think it was for Mangold to publicize the email, I'm more and more creeped out by the whole thing. Despite what Mr. Delsa keeps saying, I believe Shaw had every reason to think her privacy would be protected when she agreed to film the scene and trying to subvert that is sketchy at best.

I'm not a prude and I won't pretend I've completely outgrown my adolescent fixation on celebrity nudity, but I'm talking about stuff that was done willingly and is widely available.

Plus, how delusional do you have to be to think you've got a familiar enough relationship with someone to allow you to cross that line...but to be completely wrong?

comment #199

otownroger says ...

Unprofessional, Jeffy.
Very unprofessional.
Kind of brings to mind every other ethical transgression one has heard about you over the years, beginning with that "secret preview" of Last Action Hero that got you in so much hot water, way back when. I used to give you benefit of the doubt on that. Now...
Why don't you go ahead, use your connections with these folks you suck up to (for a price) and get a job reading scripts, doing coverage or making travel arrangements? The Little Miss Sunshine team would hire you, if you're not already on their payroll.
You're giving journalism a bad name. Again.

comment #200

Devin Faraci says ...

"Devin:

Some girl from the ATL that just left wanted to know:

What happened to Larry and Eric?

Posted by: malibugigolo [TypeKey Profile Page] at September 7, 2007 01:39 AM"

I have literally no idea what this means, so I don't know if it's an insult or an honest question or a goof or what.

comment #201

T. Holly says ...

There's an analogy here, I just can't think of it.

A notoriously mischievious guy trips on his dick and later falls on his sword.

Shaw was (probably) wearing modesty patches on a closed set and doesn't even appear nude onscreen. OMG.

comment #202

BurmaShave says ...

I would like to congratulate all of us for our first 200+ response thread since Mutinyco's "This is how THE SOPRANOS ended, there is no other interpretation".

comment #203

Craig Kennedy says ...

In the interest of 300, I'd like to point out that Bob Clark is still dead and Porky's still sucks. Now I'm wondering though if he had any editing room trimmings of Nancy Parsons...

comment #204

BurmaShave says ...

Before this thread is over, the world will know that few stood against many.

comment #205

George Prager says ...

Boy, that CHILDREN OF MEN sucked.

comment #206

Mike Binder says ...

Mke Ock,

"The blonde from Mind of the Married Man is MUCH hotter than Rebecca Romijin, dick. Her tits are unreal."

"I had no idea Walger was in Tell Me You Love Me. You're my new hero. If she does indeed get naked on this show, I'll have a hard time watching it with my pants on."

You leave posts like these, have a screen name like... 'Mike-Ock' and you have the nerve to call me a hack?

Maybe Man About Town was a 'piece of shit' you're probably right. Especially is you think It does. It must.

comment #207

Moosehead says ...

Jeff, When the dust has settled re Yuma, can we have a proper review of "Lust, Caution"? The only reason I read this blog is for movie reviews, not for others and especially not for private email exchanges....

It is somewhat ironic that all of the hoopla re Yuma occurred under your very brief review of "lust, caution"....

comment #208

TheJeff says ...

"Maybe Man About Town was a 'piece of shit' you're probably right. Especially is you think It does. It must."

It does. A lot. The one with Keri Russell was good though. Please post any pics of her tits that you may have.