Jaunted - Tag: Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman's Box Office Bombing Cultural Faux Pas

egw — 2008-12-16T15:00:32-05:00

The Nicole Kidman-Hugh Jackman epic "Australia" has now been out in theaters for three weekends, and it's still nowhere near a hit. But the Baz Luhrmann-directed mega-movie was dealt another potential blow this weekend, when a German press appearance caused Aboriginal groups to denounce Kidman for playing the didgeridoo.

There are no didgeridoos in "Australia," but in some tribes, the classic Aussie instrument is verboten for women to play. After Kidman, who lest we forget is Australian, tried to play the wind instrument, she was blasted by critics who said she should've known better and that the stunt will make her infertile for life. (Interestingly, that's also her character's burden in the movie; later, she [SPOILER!] takes a young Aboriginal boy under her wing and helps him evade capture by local police, who would send him away to a mission school.)

Come to think of it, we tried playing one of these in 2000, which would explain some of the last eight years. Sorry, America.

[Photo: Celebitchy]

Rome: The Da Kidman Code

egw — 2008-12-05T09:15:25-05:00

Hey, as long as we're in town... Nicole Kidman has been here, there and everywhere promoting her new movie "Australia," the Baz Luhrmann paean to her home country of Down Under. When in Rome, she took an afternoon off to check out the Vatican Museums with husband Keith Urban, though we assume daughter Sunday stayed home.

The Vatican Museums incorporate Egyptian, Etruscan and Assyrian artifacts along with sacred objects and pieces from early Christian churches. Their site badly needs to be updated, but our interest is piqued -- and not just because it's where the stars go.

Related Stories:
· Nicole Kidman Heads To Kosovo [Jaunted]
· Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are Nice Hotel Guests [HC]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Faded Youth Blog]

Australia Movie Screenwriter Inspired by Actual Australia

Victor Ozols — 2008-10-12T14:30:17-05:00

We're just over a month away from the release of Baz Luhrmann's latest epic film, Australia, which the country is hoping will boost its profile as a travel destination (witness this cool Aussie tourism ad). Based on the trailers, the story looks pretty interesting - Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman portray lovers caught in the turmoil of the 1930's - but the real star of the film is the land itself. In a recent interview with National Geographic Adventure magazine (not online), screenwriter Richard Flanagan talked about his childhood in Tasmania and the northern outback region that inspired him to pen the script.

More Movie Set Travel: Australia's Going to Bombard You

amandak — 2008-06-20T09:30:01-05:00

When the "Lord of the Rings" movies came out, Australia sat by and watched neighboring New Zealand steal millions of tourists eager to see the scenery where Frodo Baggins frolicked. Now that "Australia" is nearing release, it's time for the Aussies to get their revenge.

As for the tourism marketing campaign, it should be pretty easy to connect the film to the nation, since the movie is simply called "Australia." It's set around World War II times, but the landscape still looks pretty sexy. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman don't look half bad either.

Australia's tourist board has put together a huge "See the movie, see the country" advertising campaign, including movie maps and location guides, so once the movie's released in November this year, nobody will be able to escape the mysterious pull to visit Australia. And that probably includes us.

Related Stories:
· Kidman to Help Australian Tourism [BBC]
· Australia Movie [Official Site]
· Movie Set Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: mikegoat]

Pregnancy Travel: Kidman Can, Richie Shouldn't

egw — 2008-01-08T09:00:02-05:00

It's baby time! Oscar winner and "Golden Compass" villainess Nicole Kidman announced she's pregnant by country-music husband Keith Urban. Meanwhile, reality-TV star Nicole Richie is due any day now and taking her boyfriend, Joel Madden, to hypnotists to calm her pre-labor fears.

We're not in the sanctimommy business, but here are some tips for Mrs. Keith Urban as she enters this new and exciting phase: WebMD reminds you to get up and stretch your legs and drink plenty of fluids when you fly. BabyCenter.com suggests a cut-off of 36 weeks for expectant moms in the air (and some airlines may require a doctor's letter), but iVillage points out that no major studies have shown that air travel is unsafe for fetuses. So go ahead, book those flights for Memorial Day Weekend! But it never hurts to check with your doctor first since, disclaimer, we're not doctors.

Related Stories:
· Nicole Kidman Is Expecting A Kid [PageSix.com]
· Nicole's Early Labor Pains [PageSix.com]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photos: PageSix.com]

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's Vacation Photos

djk — 2007-03-08T10:00:12-05:00

Nicole Kidman and husband Keith Urban recently took a break in St. Barts, where the stalking opportunities for paparazzi abound. The two were photographed strolling along the waterfront, eating at a cafe, and lounging on a private yacht. The newly rehabilitated Urban got a pole dance from Kidman, plus a bevy of gross kisses--gross when zoomed in on at the wrong moment by a camera lens, at least. The vacation started out as a solo trip for Kidman, before her husband joined her for some couple's quality time.

Urban heads for Europe next month for a tour leg that will take him through Germany and the UK. He'll then take a break before heading to his native Australia, taking another break, and then kicking off a gigantic North American tour in June. The European routing is pretty sensible, and a superfan looking to follow the whole thing could easily snap up budget air tickets or a rail pass (passes, really, because British travel always requires its own product) for transportation between the cities. Then again, the craziest of Keith Urban fans would pay anything and travel any way to see the guy, so sensible routing isn't such a concern.

[Photo: INF/TMZ]

Related Stories:
· Nicole showboats for husband Keith [Daily Mail]
· Nicole and Keith Suck Face in St. Bart's [TMZ]
· Nicole & Keith Heat Up St. Barts [People]

Rome: Film Fest-ivities Wrap Up in Rome

djk — 2006-10-23T10:03:34-05:00

When not doing as the Kosovars do, Nicole Kidman does instead as the Romans do, and parties in Rome. She opened up the first annual Rome Film Fest on October 13 with her movie Fur, before jetting back to the States to tend to her troubled hubby. The event, described as a party for the people of Rome (rather than a traditional, elitist sort of affair), wrapped up on Saturday.

The festival is an official partner of the Tribeca Film Festival, so it's no surprise that Robert DeNiro and his buddy Leo DiCaprio showed up. Also in attendance were Harrison Ford, Monica Bellucci, and Sean Connery, who received this year's lifetime achievement award. Not in attendance: Sophia Loren, who was accidentally snubbed when organizers forgot to invite her. Of the snafu, Rome's mayor commented: "We didn't invite her this year because we hoped she would be the guest of honor next year, just as Sean Connery was this time." Right.

Robert DeNiro unveiled a 20-minute snippet of his upcoming movie, "The Good Shepherd," which stars Super World Traveler herself, Angelina Jolie. Sadly, Borat didn't win any awards, though it did screen there. Top honor went instead to a Russian adaptation of Hamlet called Playing the Victim.

[Photo: SMH]

Related Stories:
· Kidman opens Rome Film Festival [BBC]
· DeNiro Partners With Rome Film Fest [CBS Showbuzz]
· Ford, 'Borat' light up Rome fest [Hollywood Reporter]
· Nicole Kidman Heads to Kosovo [Jaunted]
· Keith Urban to Stay Put in Nashville [Jaunted]