Someday There'll Be a Cure for Pain: Five Things You May Not Have Heard About This Week

By Cindy Davis | Lists | August 5, 2012 |

By Cindy Davis | Lists | August 5, 2012 |

I find the Important Stuff so you don’t have to.

5. Macaulay Culkin’s Publicist Denied Allegations the Actor Is a Heroin Addict.

Though the headlines—masked as concern—did originate with the National Enquirer, sometimes the tabloid gets things right (see John Edwards). According to the magazine, Culkin was hit hard by his 2011 split with Mila Kunis and has a big problem with heroin, Percocet and Vicodin; the actor has been arrested for possession of controlled substances in the past. Regardless of the outward denials, hopefully if there is a real problem someone steps in to help. We’ve lost enough creative people to drugs already, thank you very much.

4. We Got Our First Look at Tobias Lindholm’s A Hijacking.

Denmark’s up and coming Writer/Director Lindholm will debut this psychological thriller at the Venice Film Festival and from the looks of this trailer, it’ll be a compelling watch. Somali pirates take over a cargo ship and play nasty games both with the crew and the shipping company head, as ransom is negotiated. Lindholm, along with Thomas Vinterberg wrote The Hunt, for which Mads Mikkelsen won the Best Actor award at Cannes.

3. Christian Bale Went into Negotiations for Todd Field’s The Creed of Violence.

Academy Award nominated Director Fields (Little Children, In the Bedroom) is taking on the adaptation of Boston Teran’s story, set during the 1910 Mexican revolution. A government agent and an assassin (Bale) are forced to work together to “infiltrate the criminal underground, encountering thieves, smugglers and professional killers.” The novel also has an interesting twist, which you may (not want to) encounter by reading Amazon’s editorial reviews.

2. Jimmy Fallon’s Name Got Tossed into the Academy Awards Host Ring.

Is Billy Crystal’s schtick getting old? In yet another attempt to revamp the Oscars, the affable late night host is reportedly being considered in a package deal, with “Saturday Night Live’s” Lorne Michaels as producer. Of course ABC isn’t too hot on the idea, since Fallon works for NBC (in competition with ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel), but the final decision rests with the Academy president—newly elected Hawk Koch. If not Fallon, who?

1. Today Marks the 50th Anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s Death.

There can be only one. PBS airs “Marilyn Monroe: Still Life” tonight (check local listings for time).

Also of note, BBCA is running “Doctor Who” specials through August, Saturdays at 9 pm; “The Science of Doctor Who, The Women of Doctor Who, The Timey-Wimey Stuff of Doctor Who” and “The Destinations of Doctor Who.” Set those DVRs.

Cindy Davis is nothing like a candle.