A great man is gone.  John Damiano, the director of Deep Throat, the most mainstream porno of all time, died today in a Miami hospital after suffering a stroke last month.  He was 80.

Titanic, the number one box office movie in history, has a return on its budget of around 10 to 1. Deep Throat, on the other hand, boasts a return somewhere along the lines of 25,000 to 1. And that’s a guess – because the film came from Mafia money, nobody was exactly reporting profits to the IRS. At any rate it’s the single most financially successful film in the history of the medium. [CHUD]

Deep Throat was re-released three years ago to coincide with the release of the documentary Inside Deep Throat.  Just how big a deal was the original?

The film quickly became a phenomenon. It was unprecedented. The FBI later estimated that Deep Throat had probably grossed at least $600 million. It was distributed by the Mob. They leaned on the theater owners, burning down a few cinemas here and there whenever somebody refused to give them their cut (50%). Not surprisingly, the gangsters kept a tight rein on the prints.

Then Frank Sinatra got ahold of a print somehow (cough, cough) and screened it in his home for party guests. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew saw it at one of Frank’s parties. Sammy Davis, Jr. too. In fact, Sammy got so turned on that later he and his wife got together for a four-way with Linda and her husband. Read the rest of this entry »

In an interview with Variety Friday, Marvel studios head Kevin Feige revealed that not only will we get to hear the Hulk speak in the new film, he will be voiced by original Hulk/deaf guy/bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno.

Variety: Do I finally get to hear a good "Hulk smash!" or what?
Feige: Yes. After five TV seasons, several TV movies and the first feature, Hulk will speak. (Yeah, he had a line in the Ang Lee film, but it was a dream.)
Hulk’s verbal skills and intelligence have varied in the comics, but he’s never been as mute as the TV version. So it’s a little ironic that TV Hulk Lou Ferrigno will give voice to the Hulk in this film.
Producer Gale Ann Hurd says Ferrigno was a last-minute addition to a panel on the movie at New York’s Comic-Con. Director Leterrier invited him to "audition" onstage.
"Lou did this amazing, ‘Hulk smash!’ " says Hurd. "And (director Louis Leterrier) said, ‘Come in, we’ll record you next week.’ Everybody thought it was either a staged event or we wouldn’t really do it. But the next week Lou came in in L.A. and his voice is the voice of the Hulk." [Source]

So a deaf guy is good at saying “Hulk smash!”, big whoop.  I’ve seen a gorilla do sign language.  Which is more amazing?  I don’t know, but I say we settle this via thunderdome.

The first picture of Justin Chatwin as Goku in the Draggin Ballz movie has hit the web, sparking a heated flame war amongst the mouth breathers who actually care.

[SIC]
Posted by: GOD YOU PEOPLE on May 11, 2008 at 01:44:03
[Responding to others commenters complaining Chatwin’s too skinny to play Goku] WHat is Wrong with you PEOPLE you know this is based on the time when goku was a kid in the first place and 2nd This is a actualy time when he was 18 he was skinny and wasn’t mist SUPER SAIYAN that he is in DBZ be was small still strong but wasn’t ripped so shut up he looks fine. Oh and for muscle bound JACK A$$ES i have seen and 250 pound man taken down by a 130 pound teen so size has nothing to do with it. If you dont want to see it then DONT stop BEING A$$ES AND SHUT UP [SuperheroHype]  [/SIC]

In his defense, it’s probably hard to type with flipper hands.  Also, I think it sucks that they cast a white dude as an Asian guy.  It looks like they just gave him a Pikachu haircut and went, “See look – he’s totally Asian now!”  How racist is that?  I mean, at least have him tape his eyes sideways or something.  Hopefully he’ll make up for it by speaking in an authentic accent.  "Ohhh rooky heel, I find a D-lagon Bar! Now I weer be unstoppaburr!"

A bus and several other cars were involved in a collision on the set of G.I. Joe in Prague this weekend.  There were only minor injuries, and sadly, the production remains on schedule.

[Source] 

A Bollywood film apparently based on Harry Potter has been released in India, and the most surprising thing about it is that the title sounds exactly like Harry Potter in an Indian accent.  And by surprising I mean, wow, you’re making it really easy for me here.

The film stars Zain Khan, Sarika, Jackie Shroff, Sweeni Khera, Sourabh Shukla and Vijay Raaz, and will be narrated by two animated characters, Hari Puttar and Fantoon.  Actress Emma Watson, who played Hermione in the Harry Potter franchise, reportedly prepared for a role in the film by growing out her muff for last three months… but her part was shaved at the last minute.  

In a key Hari Puttar scene, Hari gears up for the biggest quittage match of his career by calling tech support.  You can read about all this and more in my new book, "How to Make Easy Jokes at the Expense of Other Ethic Groups, Vol. 7".

[Source - Thanks, Robo]