This comment was posted by JP and provides a fascinating insight into his comments on The Dukes of Hazzard.
Ben Jones was predisposed against the film from the beginning.
I met him when he was appearing at an event last winter. The Dukes film was in mid-production at the time.
I asked Jones about the film version and he went on a tirade….one of Jone’s assistants kept ranting about how the film had ’sold out’ as they were too ‘PC’ to keep the confederate flag on the car.
I informed the ASSistant that I had been on the set and not only seen the flag on the car but also seen all 37 General Lee’s used in the film and that every single one of them had the flag. The assistant first called me a liar….and then stuttered and stammered and said ‘well, they’re going to take it off for the final version using computers!’.
Jones is just bitter that he wasn’t invited for the film version. But rarely does a film adaptation of a tv series use any of the orginal cast…except maybe for cameos. Bewitched did not use the original cast, Herbie did not, the Brady bunch did not, and the upcoming Miami Vice did not either.
I doubt many teenagers would have paid to see a bunch of 40-somethings they have never even heard of….and that’s assuming most of the original cast is still alive!
Jones has milked the Dukes franchise his entire life…and I dare to say he’s still stuck in the 70’s and nostalgic for the days when many fans actually knew who he was.
Outside of the hardcore Hazzard fans who attend the re-unions and such, very few have any clue who Ben Jones is.
As far as the film ‘trashing’ the original….well, the original was a pretty BAD show- so campy and over top…but we watched it because there were only 3 channels at the time and yes, now many of us ‘love’ it in a nostalgic way.
But the original show was not exactly high-brow…and nor was it very ‘family’. The Duke boys were playboys- their characters were not married and had no kids…and then we had Daisy romping around in short shorts in a total sexual objectification - granted Bach always tried to be classy and downplay the sexpot thing.
The Dukes series stereotyped southerners as moonshining yahoos, and it mocked law enforcement and made police officers look like bungling keystone cops.
So don’t give me all this about the film version ‘trashing’ the original- for it’s time, the original was trashy in it’s own way. Heck, one of the original series legacy’s is sex-kitten shorts that most fathers were apalled to see their daughters wearing in emulation of the tv show….not to mention the halter tops.
Jones needs to lighten up and go back to milking the Dukes with his restaurants and souvenier shops.
The makers of the film are hoping that Jones will keep making appearences on tv where he tells the potential audience that the film contains sexual situations’, ’sleeze’, and ‘violence’- he’s the best PR the film could have hoped for. He has unwittingly and ignorantly only caused a buzz that will bring the film even more success. ( his character in the series never was too bright….maybe same goes for the actor? ).
In fact, were it not for that run-in with Jones way before he came out in protest publically…I might even have thought that this whole thing is a PR stunt in which Jones was paid to generate controversy that will benefit the film.
That’s the question on everyone’s mind right now. We all know that Jessica is comfortable in front of a camera after having filmed many Newlywed episodes and specials, as well as performing in tonnes of concerts. But how will she go on the big screen?
“I don’t want people walking out of a movie thinking I was trying to act or be some movie star. I want them to think, ‘That might make me like Jessica a little bit more’.” - Jessica Simpson.
Do you think The Dukes of Hazzard will do well in the box office? Not long to wait now!
Fans of The Dukes of Hazzard, who are eagerly awaiting the August 5 movie release from Warner Bros. Pictures, can get a jump-start on the action, thanks to a new Kodak promotional campaign. From now until August 26, 2005, consumers who sign up for a free 30-day trial of KODAK Mobile Service will receive a free ticket to the movie and one of four special edition mobile phone wallpaper images featuring Johnny Knoxville, Jessica Simpson, Seann William Scott and the famous General Lee.
Send a text message from your mobile phone to KODAK (56325) with “Dukes” in the body of the message or go to www.kodakmobile.com/dukes.
Joe Simpson, Jessica’s dad and manager, has come out and said that the divorce rumours about Jessica and Nick are complete rubbish. It’s a little strange that he’s speaking on behalf of the couple, I’m not sure if I’d be happy if my dad made public statements about my relationships but I guess Hollywood is a little different.
What do you think? Should Joe have said anything, or is enough enough when it comes to these silly rumours about their marriage? I’m guessing this won’t stop anything though.
“Hell yes, they fight. Have there been moments when Nick has wanted to leave Jessica or Jess has wanted to leave Nick? Absolutely. If fighting is a sign of divorce, then we’re all going to get divorced. We stick together. So we laugh together. We cry together. We drink together.”
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Yay! The Dukes of Hazzard Soundtrack is finally out! If you’ve got a copy, let us know what you think of it here.
If you haven’t got your copy yet, listen to it online here »
When: Tuesday August 16th, 8-10pm ET/PT on Fox.
Where: Gibson Theater, LA.
Additional celebrities scheduled to appear at THE 2005 TEEN CHOICE AWARDS include Paris Hilton (THE SIMPLE LIFE 3: INTERNS), Eva Longoria (”Desperate Housewives”), actress Jessica Alba (”Fantastic Four”), TV and radio personality Ryan Seacrest (AMERICAN IDOL), actress Rachel Bilson (THE O.C.), Wilmer Valderrama (THAT ’70s SHOW), actress Eva Mendes (”Hitch”), recording artist/actor Jesse McCartney (”Summerland”), TV hunk Jesse Metcalfe (”Desperate Housewives”), singing sisters Ashlee Simpson, teen star Emma Roberts (”Unfabulous”) and singer/actor Tyler Hilton (”One Tree Hill”).
Duff and Schneider will preside over the seventh annual awards, where the coolest stars will receive coveted Teen Choice surfboard awards in categories such as Choice Breakout TV Show, Choice Movie Chemistry, Choice Reality/Variety Show, Choice Breakout Artist, Choice Male Hottie, Choice Female Athlete, Choice Liplock and Choice TV Sidekick. From now until Thursday, Aug. 4, voters can log on exclusively to http://www.teenpeople.com/teenchoice to cast their ballots for the hottest celebrities in film, television, music, sports and fashion.
Posted by Rachel at 7/20/2005 |
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Dozens camped out for tickets to see Johnny Knoxville, Jessica Simpson, and Sean William Scott when they come to Knoxville on July 30th for a special screening of their new Dukes of Hazzard movie. Proceeds will benefit Variety, a multi-million dollar children’s charity that raised money through celebrity events.
Tickets were sixty dollars a piece and sold out in less than 45 minutes.
Source
Who will be at the premiere? Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, Jessica Simpson, Burt Reynolds, Lynda Carter, Willie Nelson, producer Bill Gerber and director Jay handrasekhar. With more celebrity guests to follow …
When: Thursday, July 28, 2005 Crew Arrivals: 5:15 PM Celebrity Arrivals: 6:00 PM Screening: 7:00PM
Where: WHERE: Grauman’s Chinese Theatre 6925 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood
The Dukes of Hazzard follows the adventures of “good old boy” cousins Bo (Seann William Scott) and Luke (Johnny Knoxville) Duke, who with the help of their eye-catching cousin Daisy (Jessica Simpson) and moonshine-running Uncle Jesse (Willie Nelson), try and save the family farm from being destroyed by Hazzard County’s corrupt commissioner Boss Hogg (Burt Reynolds). Their efforts constantly find the “Duke Boys” eluding authorities in “The General Lee,” their famed 1969 orange Dodge Charger that keeps them one step ahead of the dimwitted antics of the small southern town’s Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane (M.C. Gainey).
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Bill Gerber Production, The Dukes of Hazzard starring Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott and Jessica Simpson. The film also stars Burt Reynolds and Joe Don Baker, with Lynda Carter and Willie Nelson. Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar (Club Dread, Super Troopers), the film is produced by Bill Gerber. Eric McLeod, Dana Goldberg and Bruce Berman are the executive producers. Based on characters
created by Gy Waldron, the film is written by John O’Brien. Director of photography is Lawrence Sher; production designer is Jon Gary Steele; and film is edited by Lee Haxall and Myron Kerstein. Music by Nathan Barr.
Press releases went out Monday about Jessica’s birthday party Saturday night at her parents’ house in Encino, Calif., noting there were “Silverspoon gift bags” with “Lush cosmetics, Benefit makeup, Poko Pano Brazilian bikinis, Theory clothing,” and more. Sources say Joe arranged for all the goodies in exchange for publicity.
We hear People magazine paid over $100,000 for “exclusive rights” to the party, including pictures, and had a reporter there.
Source
Posted by Rachel at |
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“Newlyweds” Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey looked married as ever canoodling at ESPN’s ESPY awards in Los Angeles this week, it was reported Friday.
There have been rumors for months about trouble on the homefront for the MTV reality show couple and an anonymous email sent to media outlets claims “Dukes of Hazzard” co-stars Simpson and Johnny Knoxville were getting ready to go public with an alleged affair, the New York Post said Friday.
“Jessica Simpson and Johnny Knoxville are going public. Johnny is leaving his wife, Simpson is filing for divorce-they are shopping the exclusive story to the weeklies under Joe Simpson’s direction. Her PR instinct is that the news will break in next week’s weeklies to fuel some fire before the July 28th Dukes of Hazzard premiere.”
Simpson spokesman said “TThis is all absolutely false. The entire story is a complete lie.”
But is it another case of movie publicity? Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie; Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes….
Source 1, Source 2.
