Review: Charlie Sheen disappoints with NYC show

Too short (50 minutes, plus a seven-minute video). But also, come to think of it, too long.

Mostly, Charlie Sheen's "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not an Option" show on Friday in New York was forgettable, other than the sting for ticketholders who paid full price to see it. (Sheen's Torpedo of Truth: Caveat emptor!)

Sure, if Charlie's learn-as-you-go tour were long enough, he might eventually get the hang of it. His learning curve climb has doubtless raised him a few notches since his heroically disastrous opening night in Detroit a week ago � by all reports, the sort of show that is so awful that its witnesses can proudly boast of having been there.

But even with improvement, Sheen wasn't ready for New York, where he played the first of two nights (the second is Sunday). With only 20 cities total on the tour, his time is running out.

The audience that filled Radio City Music Hall's 6,000 seats seemed initially to be a welcoming bunch. They were diverse in age and attire, and, overall, rather mainstream. They were the sort of people you might see at Applebee's celebrating a special occasion. They were a cross-section of the people who love him from "Two and a Half Men."

They were there to see Charlie for a blast, not a rumble. And in that vein, the night started promisingly.

Sheen � sporting a New York Yankees jersey and cap � joined affable interviewer Joey Scoleri on stage with no warmup act or other delaying tactic. The Sheendanistas, many loosened up already from the lobby's cash bars, gave him a standing ovation. In a flash, a chain-smoking Sheen was sharing colorful stories, most of them centered on women, drugs and money, most of them self-worshipping, and all of them laced liberally with F-bomb modifiers.

First topic: hotels.

He recalled a less flush, less winning time when he was staying at Manhattan's tatty Chelsea Hotel. Two things happened that night, he said: "I had a dream that I invented Scotch tape. And I performed CPR on a supermodel in a heroin coma.

"She was in the coma, not me," he added as a Borscht Belt-worthy aside.

Another Manhattan hotel story: his notorious night last fall at the Plaza Hotel, where Sheen trashed his suite in a drug-induced frenzy after returning there with his dinner date, an adult-film actress.

"The trouble all started," Sheen grinned mischievously, "when she followed me up to my room." Pause for comic effect. "Maybe, I invited her. But it's my ... story."

Cued with questions from sidekick Scoleri, Sheen's bad-boy-and-loving-it schtick found a receptive audience.

After all, in recent weeks he has emerged as the most popular noisemaker since the Whoopee cushion. At his best � when he's playing the role of all-powerful "Charlie Sheen" for laughs � he is an amusing, rousing mash-up of William S. Burroughs, Rush Limbaugh and Tony Robbins, sprinkled with a heavy dose of angel dust.

At his prompting, the crowd heartily agreed that they, like him, were winning.

They cheered at his stock references to tiger blood and Adonis DNA.

They hailed his stated motivation as an actor: "thousands of chicks and tons of cash."

But attention and material (the crowd's and Sheen's) were wearing thin by the time Scoleri asked one question too many about Sheen's film career.

"Borrring," someone called out.

And when Sheen was about to talk about his kids, another audience member erupted, "We don't want to hear about that."

What began as supportive yelps and squeals had grown into an inattentive hubbub.

To his credit, Sheen was unfazed by the heckling, though he wondered aloud why people don't plan better. Like, plan to "drink less and not yell at the guy you've been waiting six weeks to see."

At the 45-minute mark, Sheen and Scoleri took a break while his video, "Charlie Sheen Unedited," (already viewed on YouTube more than 1.3 million times) unreeled.

Returning to the stage, Sheen hurriedly introduced his two "goddesses," the by-now-famous former porn star, Rachel Oberlin, and actress, Natalie Kenley, who live with him.

Then talk finally turned to "Two and a Half Men." As if he had never thought to mention it before, Sheen noted that he hadn't quit the CBS sitcom but was fired from it.

And of course he wants to come back to it, he declared, also not for the first time. Why wouldn't he? It's "the greatest sitcom ever � EVER," he explained, an overblown assessment received by his wearying flock with a smattering of boos.

By then, Sheen had crossed over from comedy to preaching and the audience just wasn't in the mood.

Maybe sensing that the crowd was about to turn, Scoleri said the night would end ("That's it?!" someone exploded) with Sheen disclosing items from his personal "bucket list." The aisles began to fill with people startled at the concert's brevity yet all too willing, after just an hour, to make for the exits.

One of his bucket list dreams: "I want to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge wearing a parachute," Sheen said above the uproar. "I'm not opening it, just wearing it. I'll live."

Maybe so. It's still his story, what he bills as the truth. For now, he's still winning, even when his fans don't.

Duh, Winning 'Sheen moves to trademark phrases'

Not everyone may have Charlie Sheen's "Adonis DNA" but people may soon be able to wear it, chew on it, drink it and experience it in a videogame.

Within two weeks of Sheen's firing from television's top-rated comedy, a company with ties to the actor applied to trademark 22 of his catchphrases, including "Duh, Winning," "Vatican Assassin," "Tiger Blood" and "Rock Star From Mars."

The former "Two and a Half Men" star introduced the world to many of the phrases during a media blitz in February and early March that Sheen dubbed a "Media Tsunami." That trademark is still up-for-grabs, but the applications point to a possible merchandising blitz.

The phrase, "I'm not bi-polar, I am bi-winning," could end up on cell phones, in comic books, on wallets, purses, stickers and pens and pencils. Other potential items where the phrases may be emblazoned include bras, pens and pencils, pet foods and even alcoholic drinks.

There may even be something for gamblers � "Winning" could end up on slot machines.

Sheen's spokesman, Larry Solters, said Tuesday that how the trademarks are used if they are approved will be determined later.

Records show Hyro-gliff, a California company formed last month, filed trademark applications between March 19 and 22. In filings the company lists its address as the offices of Sheen's attorney, Marty Singer, who is pursuing a $100 million lawsuit against Warner Bros. and "Men" creator Chuck Lorre.

The company also applied to trademark Sheen's name and signature, as well as his nicknames for his home (Sober Valley Lodge) and his girlfriends (Sheen's Goddesses.)

A pair of applications cover the title of the actor's current stage show, seeking protection for the phrases "Violent Torpedo of Truth" and "Defeat is Not an Option."

The filings do not guarantee that any of the products will ever be made, but if approved they will protect Sheen's name and interests from others who try to make merchandise from his sound bites.

There's already plenty of competition for Sheen-isms. Two other people sought to trademark "Adonis DNA" before Sheen, listing potential uses on clothing and as a nutritional supplement. Thirteen others, including Jimmy Buffett's company, have sought to trademark "Tiger Blood" for use on nutritional and alcoholic drinks.

If Sheen gets the trademarks, it could help fill some of the financial void left by his firing from "Men," which reportedly paid him $1.8 million per episode.

Warner ''Charlie Sheen fired from `Two and a Half Men''

Charlie Sheen was fired Monday from "Two and a Half Men" by Warner Bros. Television following the hard-living actor's bouts of wild partying, repeated hospitalizations and a bitter media campaign against his studio bosses.

The action was taken after "careful consideration" and was effective immediately, the studio said in a statement. No decision has been made on the show's future without its star, Warner spokesman Paul McGuire said.

Sheen, 45, who has used TV, radio and social media to create a big megaphone for himself, was not silent for long.

In a text to The Associated Press, he responded by referring to his bosses with the F-word and, "They lose," followed by the word "Trolls." Asked if he planned to sue, Sheen texted back, "Big." As for his next move, Sheen texted, "A big one."

A call to his attorney, Marty Singer, seeking comment was not immediately returned Monday. CBS declined to comment.

The firing capped a rare, raging public battle between a Hollywood star and those who employ him, with Sheen claiming the right to live as he pleased � including the acknowledged use of illegal drugs, although he's said he is currently clean � as long as he showed up sober and ready to work.

"Two and a Half Men," which debuted in 2003, stars Sheen as womanizing bachelor Charlie Harper, who creates an ad hoc family with his neurotic brother, the divorced Alan (Jon Cryer) and Alan's son, Jake (Angus T. Jones).

The show was co-created by veteran producer Chuck Lorre, who contributes two other comedies to the top-rated CBS lineup, "The Big Bang Theory" and "Mike & Molly." Like "Men," both are produced with Warner.
Sheen focused many of his attacks on Lorre, and in the end the studio "went with the hit-maker," said media industry analyst Shari Anne Brill.

Several news camera crews were camped out Monday across the street from Sheen's gated neighborhood, Mulholland Estates, in hopes that he'd emerge to discuss his dismissal. A few news helicopters also surveyed the scene from above the Hollywood Hills.

Warner and CBS had long faced a balancing act with Sheen as he underwent rehab and two ugly splits from wives No. 2 (Denise Richards) and No. 3 (Brooke Mueller Sheen). On one side was the wayward star, on the other was TV's most successful and highly lucrative sitcom, anchoring Monday for CBS and making hundreds of millions of dollars for Warner.

Last month, Warner canceled the remaining eight episodes of what was intended to be a 24-episode season of "Men," citing Sheen's public behavior and rants against Lorre.

In a series of interviews, including with ABC's "Good Morning America" and NBC's "Today" show, Sheen boasted about his "epic" partying, said he's fueled by "violent hatred" of his bosses and claimed to have kicked drugs at home in his "Sober Valley Lodge."

He glorified himself as a "rock star from Mars" with "fire breathing fists" and "Adonis DNA" and talked about his home life with two women he nicknamed his "goddesses."

The actor, who was among TV's highest-paid at a reported $1.8 million per episode for "Men," brashly said at one point that he would ask for $3 million if he signed a new contract for future seasons.

There was public fascination with the gloves-off battle. When Sheen added Twitter to the arsenal, he gained 1 million followers in an unprecedentedly brief 25 hours, leading Guinness World Records to establish a new category and crown him the champion. He now has well over 2 million followers.

But Sheen's professional conflict devolved into a custody battle over his 23-month-old twin sons with estranged wife Mueller Sheen. She used his public remarks, as well as conduct she claimed was threatening and violent, to seek a court order removing the children from his home last week.

While Sheen's text to AP suggested his next major role could be that of plaintiff in a lawsuit, the immediate question for Warner and CBS was whether to keep the show alive by bringing in a new cast member to join Cryer and Jones � the one-and-a-half men left.

"They didn't say the show was canceled. They said he was canceled," said analyst Brill. "So the door is still open for another season."

Shows have replaced stars before and lived to fight for ratings another day. When Valerie Harper left "Valerie" after the 1986-87 season in a dispute with producers, the show was renamed "The Hogan Family," Sandy Duncan was brought in to play a new character and the sitcom continued until 1991.

Drew Carey, who starred in and co-created "The Drew Carey Show," was asked about the possibility recently, before Sheen's firing.

"All you have to do is bring in someone you can plug into a Charlie Sheen-like character and deliver those kinds of lines. There are 100 actors who could do it," said Carey, host of "The Price Is Right."

Carey said he wasn't dismissing Sheen's comedic talent and acknowledged that ratings might suffer if viewers are reluctant to accept a new actor in a new role. But Holland Taylor, who plays Sheen's mother, called him "the brand of the show" in an interview last summer.

The studio, however, could save money by paying the substitute far less than Sheen's salary and extend the life of the lucrative series by another season or two.

Despite his troubled personal life, or perhaps because of it, Sheen found an on-screen niche as the bad boy audiences loved, especially in "Two and a Half Men."

But he had an ugly history, with allegations of violence against women, including Mueller Sheen. On Christmas Day 2009 in Aspen, Colo., she told police that Sheen threatened to kill her and brandished a knife after she asked for a divorce. Sheen said they argued but denied threatening her.

In a plea deal, Sheen pleaded guilty to misdemeanor third-degree assault in exchange for the prosecution dropping two more serious charges, and was sentenced to 30 days in a rehabilitation center and 30 days of probation.

CBS is owned by CBS Corp., whose shares were up 6 cents at $23.68 in after-hours trading Monday after closing down 34 cents, or 1.4 percent, at $23.62 in the regular session. Shares of Warner Bros. parent Time Warner Inc. were down a penny at $36.77 in the extended session after losing 47 cents, or 1.3 percent, to close at $36.78.

The market had closed before the statement about Sheen's firing was released by Warner.

Charlie Sheen Says He's Writing A Book...But Does He Have Bidders?

Only a few days after the announcement of the cancellation of '3 1/2 Men' the actor has announced that he has been and is still currently writing a tell-all book. The book is set to be a biography about everything that went on while filming the show for the past 8 years and what led to it's end.

Charlie Sheen has currently stated he's going to start the bidding on the publishing rights but is expecting the bidding to begin at $10 million...insanity!

TMZ reported earlier that the head honchos of '3 1/2 Men' shut down production after Charlie Sheen told them he wanted to fight creator Chuck Lorre. 

I think Charlie has a big ego and thinks he's much bigger than he actually is. If it hadn't been for that show his name wouldn't be anywhere in the papers and this is coming from someone who didnt even like the show. 

Were you a fan of the shows?

Source

Charlie Sheen thanks CBS bosses fans for support

Charlie Sheen thanked his bosses co-stars and fans for their support Wednesday, hours after authorities released a 911 call in which a doctor described the actor as "very, very intoxicated" and in pain.

Sheen's thanks come as his off-camera antics, which led to a trip to the hospital last week and a return to rehab, caused a halt of production on television's highest-rated comedy, "Two and a Half Men."

In a four-paragraph statement, Sheen thanked his bosses, CBS chief Les Moonves and Warner Bros.' TV division President Bruce Rosenblum, for "their concern and support."

He did not offer any new details on his treatment. "I have a lot of work to do to be able to return the support I have received from so many people," Sheen's statement said.

It was issued hours after the Los Angeles Fire Department released a 5-minute recording in which Dr. Paul Nassif said he received a call from Sheen's residence and spoke with a secretary who sounded worried about the 45-year-old actor.

"They said don't call 911, but I got (Sheen) on the phone and he was very, very intoxicated, also apparently in a lot of pain," Nassif said.

Sheen was taken to a Los Angeles area hospital last Thursday and was released later that day. Sheen's publicist, Stan Rosenfield, cited the actor's history of hernia problems and later said his client went into rehab, but he did not say why.

Rosenfield declined to comment Wednesday on the actor's condition, citing medical privacy laws.
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The statement demonstrated a different tone from the actor, who after his hospitalization sent a text message to an editor of the celebrity website Radaronline.com saying he was fine. "People don't seem to get it.... Guy can't have a great time and do his job also?" the website reported Sheen writing.

In Wednesday's statement, Sheen likened himself to another Hollywood actor who attracted notoriety for his off-camera behavior.

"Like Errol Flynn, who had to put down his sword on occasion, I just want to say, 'thank you.'"

Flynn, the 1930's movie idol famous for his swashbuckling roles, also made headlines for his off-screen personal and legal troubles.

In the 911 call, Nassif is heard asking a dispatcher whether anyone from Sheen's camp had called, and when told that no one had, the doctor said: "These people are afraid to call."

During most of the call, Nassif could be heard finding the address to Sheen's home so Nassif could give it to the dispatcher. Nassif was talking to his wife, Adrienne Maloof-Nassif, a co-star of the reality TV series "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," and placed another call to find Sheen's address.

When the dispatcher asked Nassif for further updates, he replied: "All I know is I got a secretary who called and said he's in severe pain and is intoxicated. He said he's very worried but he said don't call anybody."

Charlie Sheen Goes to Rehab

Actor Charlie Sheen has entered rehab for undisclosed reasons.

"As a preventative measure, Charlie Sheen has entered a rehabilitation facility," his rep said in a statement. "He will take some time off his series Two and a Half Men."

His wife Brooke Mueller also entered rehab earlier this month for a crack and alcohol problem. She recently switched rehab centers for privacy reasons.

Sheen is also dealing with domestic violence charges due to the fight with his wife on Christmas day. He was allegedly drunk at the time of the assault.

The actor has reportedly been in rehab twice before for drug and alcohol abuse. This time his trip to rehab could be a result of dealing with his domestic violence case which has increases his stress level and made him more vulnerable to drugs and alcohol.

"Charlie is stressed. He's tired. The kids are on his mind. Brooke's on his mind," a source told People. "A lot of things are on his mind. He didn't want to get a place where he had the urge to get high. He's not using and he doesn't want to. He felt like he needed to get away from negative influences around him and clear his head, rest and take a short break."

More Bad News for Charlie Sheen

Things aren’t going so well for Charlie Sheen these days. The actor received a call from an OnStar-like service this morning, informing Sheen that his SUV had just crashed.

According to TMZ, the 'Two And A Half Men' star got the call around 4am, learning that his car had been involved in a wreck and the airbags had deployed. Sheen’s security team inspected his home and reported that his car had indeed been stolen. Cops found his SUV on its side at the bottom of a cliff near Mulholland Drive in L.A. The Fire department has not found any victims involved in the crash, and the cops are still searching for a suspect.

This accident comes just days after hearing news that the star will be charged with felony menacing and misdemeanor assault following the Christmas Day incident where he allegedly assaulted his wife Brooke Mueller. TMZ reports that Sheen will report in court on Monday for an arraignment, but is not expected to enter a plea just yet.

The Charlie Sheen Drama

More and more details are emerging everyday about Charlie Sheen's alleged attack on wife Brooke Mueller on Christmas Eve/Christmas morning. An Aspen police officer who responded to the 911 call placed by Brooke, claims in a sworn statement that Sheen had exhibited this type of behavior in the past, held her at knife point, and threatened to kill her if she told anyone what had occurred.

When interviewed by police Sheen admitted that the pair have been having marital problems and an argument over a song Sheen had shared with his daughter by another woman was the cause for the altercation. Sheen claims Mueller became jealous and threatened to divorce him and take the children. Sheen also claims Mueller was drunk at the time, and when officers arrived at the home Mueller's blood alcohol level was .13.

When interviewed by police Mueller shared a different story claiming Sheen became angered over her request for a divorce. He then grabbed her by the throat, and waved around a small switchblade knife.

Officers did discover a small switchblade knife in Sheen's belongs and he was placed under arrest after an officer did take note of red marks on the upper part of Muellers neck!

Story is still developing...