NEW YORK – "House of Sand and Fog" is not for the weak-hearted, Neve Campbell dances on and off stage and a dozen hours of "Lord of the Rings" in today's Foxlight.
Ben Kingsley (search) claims he hasn't heard a word about his odds for being an Oscar contender. He told Katie Couric he doesn't care as long as more people come to see him in "House of Sand and Fog." (search) The huge downer needs good word of mouth because it has a lot going against it -- it's brutal. And Jennifer Connelly hasn't been in anything this depressing since "Requiem for a Dream." That's not easy.
Neve Campbell (search) must love to dance. Three days before she started shooting the Robert Altman film "The Company," (search) she broke a rib. But the show must go on and it did. She trained eight hours a day for six months. And when the film was over, the real Joffrey Ballet Company portrayed in the movie offered her a real gig -- dancing "The Nutcracker." She pirouetted away from the offer because she says the dance world is too tough -- she'd only have a few more years as a dancer -- many more as an actress.
Finally, I don't care how 'hobbit' forming the "Lord of the Rings" (search) trilogy is. How can even the biggest fans sit through all three of the films in one day? They did it Tuesday at theaters across the country. It takes more than 12 hours. But how can you possibly enjoy the latest addition if you're woozy from the first two? Peter Jackson owes each one of them a thank-you note. And a Novocain shot for their keisters.
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