A first promotional interview with Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones has been released to promote the theatrical release of “Hope Springs”. This interview is rather short and I’m sure there’s plenty more to come these following weeks. You can watch the interview in the video archive. In “Hope Springs”, Kay (Streep) and Arnold (Jones) get on a plane for a week of marriage therapy to bring back the spice to their marriage. The film releases in US cinemas on August 10, 2012.

I remember having parts of this interview posted before, but somehow – I guess with the new video archive – this one got lost. So here’s a treat from the past I was reminded of when preparing “The Manchurian Candidate” as Movie of the Week. In 2004, Jonathan Ross aired a half-hour interview special with Meryl as part of his “Film 2004” series. The full interview can be watched in two parts in the video archive.

Besides the insightful and funny interview, footage from the 2003 BAFTA Awards (“I would like to spank Spike Jonze”), the 1983 Oscar press room as well as from the makings of “The French Lieteunant’s Woman” and “Plenty” are – unfortunately only briefly featured. Screencaptures from the interview have been added as well. My thanks to Alvaro, who originally taped and sent this to me. Thanks!

We always come back, because the good nights at the Delacorte have a rare, peculiar magic. Wind stirs the trees, the skies darken, the stage fills with a blending of real and artificial moonlight; then one of our country’s greatest actors, working for sub-minimum, steps forward to speak the best and most beautiful words ever written, revealing aspects of ourselves we never expected to encounter in Central Park. Boundaries dissolve, between actor and audience, self and park, art and nature.

We discover anew how porous boundaries always are. This summer, for the price of a little urban strategy, Sitzfleisch, and faith, we’ll walk into the woods of Central Park to enter… the woods, either Shakespeare’s or Sondheim and Lapine’s, their ersatz forests onstage not a twig more unnatural than the park the stage is nestled in. Gloriously self-invented and self-deceiving, Lily Rabe’s Rosalind will speak, and Donna Murphy’s witch will sing, and our knowledge of what it is to be human will deepen. In this theatrical heart of this communal dream of paradise that’s the heart of the ceaselessly inventing, deluding, magical city surrounding us, our hearts will skip a beat, or momentarily stop, or swell to bursting – and then begin beating anew, pumping through our veins and arteries revivified and richer blood.

Two new video clips have been added to the archive. First, a stars’ salute to the 100th anniversary of Universal Studios, featuring bits from Kirk Douglas, Meryl Streep, Tipi Hedren, Danny DeVito, Charlize Theron and many more. Then, a trailer for the upcoming documentary “Radioman”, a former homeless man whose unparalleled obsession with the movies has taken him from sleeping on the streets to becoming a New York City movie legend with over 100 small parts in films to his name. The documentary features interviews with many of the celebrities who know him, including George Clooney, Whoopi Goldberg, Sting, Robin Williams, Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep.

Yahoo Movies has posted an excerpt of one of the Blu-Ray documentaries on “The Iron Lady” – creating Margaret Thatcher – in which Oscar-winner Mark Coulier talks about the process of transforming Meryl into Margaret. Lots of new footage from behind the scenes is shown. The full documentary and more featurettes can be found on the Blu-Ray, which is available in the US since April 10 and in the UK since today.

Today, the theatrical trailer for “Hope Springs” has been released. Have a look at it in the video archive. Additionally, screencaptures from the trailer and the film’s poster have been added to the image library. Thanks to everybody for the heads-up on this!

“To the Arctic 3D” will be released in US theaters on April 20. I’ve added a lenghty making of – featuring an interview with Meryl and behind-the-scenes footage of her narration – to the video archive.

A host of stars, including Justin Bieber and Meryl Streep, added their names to a petition aimed at making the censors change their minds and Weinstein subsequently announced he would release the movie, unrated, in a limited number of theatres. But he has now decided to re-edit a crucial scene, which featured expletives, to land Bully a PG-13 rating, enabling younger teenagers to see the movie. A statement from the National Association of Theatre Owners reads, “We are pleased the Weinstein Co. respected the rules and processes of the voluntary ratings system by editing and resubmitting Bully in order to receive the PG-13 rating.” The above video is a report from ABC World News on the New York screening that was hosted by Meryl. Many thanks to Rachel for guiding it my way.

As reported earlier, Meryl Streep was in New York City today for Newsweek and The Daily Beast’s third annual Women in the World Summit. Housed at Lincoln Center, the three-day event spotlights the urgent challenges facing women today, from forced marriage to the economic crisis to the Arab spring. The full speech has been added to the video archive and a bunch of pictures can be found in the image library. Pictures are © Marc Bryan-Brown.

In summit’s final act before Secretary of State Hillary Clinton closed out the third annual weekend’s events, Meryl Streep took to the stage to praise the women in the room and the panelists’ many achievements. She went on to compare herself – “as every woman my age has done” – to Clinton, who shares so many attributes with the film star: they both were raised in middle-class families by big-hearted mothers who encouraged them to lead interesting lives. They both went to public schools and on to prestigious all-women colleges, then Yale. “But while I became a cheerleader, Hillary became the president of her class,” Streep joked. “And there, the two paths in the woods diverged.” Streep held up her Oscar to illustrate what actresses receive for playing parts well, but, she said, “Hillary is the real deal.” When Clinton emerged onto the stage, the women shared a long embrace – sisters at the top of their fields, inspiring other women of all ages to aspire to the same.

A wrap-up on Meryl’s Tokyo visit to promote the Japanese premiere of “The Iron Lady”. Additional pictures have been added as well as a video compilation of television reports and interviews from the premiere and the full press conference on the film in two parts. Many thanks to Yasuko for additional information and video contribution. Enjoy!