Mere mortals have been fascinated by witchcraft for hundreds of years, and the film industry has taken note, with witch-themed movies going back more than 100 years.
In 1922, the silent partly documentary-style Swedish film “Haxan” sought to understand the roots and misunderstandings of witchcraft, and the mania that surrounded the witch hunts. Controversial at the time, it is now considered one of the most influential of the early horror films. Less than 20 years later, Margaret Hamilton would make the Wicked Witch the standard for evil witches, and help make “The Wizard of Oz” a timeless classic.
SEE25 best TV witches, ranked worst to best
In the decades since, witches have appeared in just about every genre of film. Early romantic comedies “I Married a Witch” and “Bell, Book and Candle” were so popular they inspired the classic 1960s TV series “Bewitched.” But while a witch’s antics on the small screen were amusing audiences,...
In 1922, the silent partly documentary-style Swedish film “Haxan” sought to understand the roots and misunderstandings of witchcraft, and the mania that surrounded the witch hunts. Controversial at the time, it is now considered one of the most influential of the early horror films. Less than 20 years later, Margaret Hamilton would make the Wicked Witch the standard for evil witches, and help make “The Wizard of Oz” a timeless classic.
SEE25 best TV witches, ranked worst to best
In the decades since, witches have appeared in just about every genre of film. Early romantic comedies “I Married a Witch” and “Bell, Book and Candle” were so popular they inspired the classic 1960s TV series “Bewitched.” But while a witch’s antics on the small screen were amusing audiences,...
- 10/28/2023
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Mere mortals have been fascinated by witchcraft for hundreds of years, and the film industry has taken note, with witch-themed movies going back more than 100 years.
In 1922, the silent partly documentary-style Swedish film “Haxan” sought to understand the roots and misunderstandings of witchcraft, and the mania that surrounded the witch hunts. Controversial at the time, it is now considered one of the most influential of the early horror films. Less than 20 years later, Margaret Hamilton would make the Wicked Witch the standard for evil witches, and help make “The Wizard of Oz” a timeless classic.
SEE25 best TV witches, ranked worst to best
In the decades since, witches have appeared in just about every genre of film. Early romantic comedies “I Married a Witch” and “Bell, Book and Candle” were so popular they inspired the classic 1960s TV series “Bewitched.” But while a witch’s antics on the small screen were amusing audiences,...
In 1922, the silent partly documentary-style Swedish film “Haxan” sought to understand the roots and misunderstandings of witchcraft, and the mania that surrounded the witch hunts. Controversial at the time, it is now considered one of the most influential of the early horror films. Less than 20 years later, Margaret Hamilton would make the Wicked Witch the standard for evil witches, and help make “The Wizard of Oz” a timeless classic.
SEE25 best TV witches, ranked worst to best
In the decades since, witches have appeared in just about every genre of film. Early romantic comedies “I Married a Witch” and “Bell, Book and Candle” were so popular they inspired the classic 1960s TV series “Bewitched.” But while a witch’s antics on the small screen were amusing audiences,...
- 10/27/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
Jeff Goldblum shared a brief tease about the set of Universal Pictures’ upcoming adaptation of Broadway mainstay Wicked.
The Hollywood Reporter previously reported that the Jurassic Park star was in talks to sign on to the Jon M. Chu-directed film as the Wizard, and he confirmed his role during Wednesday’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
“I was just on this set of Wicked. I’m not supposed to talk about that, but it’s been out and about,” he said while talking about one time when he brought his two sons, River and Charlie, to set.
He then explained to Kimmel that they showed his children “one of my favorite movies” – 1939’s The Wizard of Oz — but that it didn’t go over well with them. “It was too scary for them,” Goldblum said. “That witch is terrifying. Margaret Hamilton, terrifying.” He later added that they didn’t...
The Hollywood Reporter previously reported that the Jurassic Park star was in talks to sign on to the Jon M. Chu-directed film as the Wizard, and he confirmed his role during Wednesday’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
“I was just on this set of Wicked. I’m not supposed to talk about that, but it’s been out and about,” he said while talking about one time when he brought his two sons, River and Charlie, to set.
He then explained to Kimmel that they showed his children “one of my favorite movies” – 1939’s The Wizard of Oz — but that it didn’t go over well with them. “It was too scary for them,” Goldblum said. “That witch is terrifying. Margaret Hamilton, terrifying.” He later added that they didn’t...
- 3/25/2023
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A prop used in the 1939 film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz has sold at auction for nearly half a million dollars.
The item in question is an ornate hourglass belonging to the Wicked Witch of the West, played in the film by Margaret Hamilton.
Auction company Heritage describes the hourglass as “the most recognisable signature prop from the film”.
The item features prominently in the scene in which Dorothy (Judy Garland) confronts the Witch, who gestures to the hourglass and tells her: “You see that? That’s how much longer you’ve got to be alive! And it isn’t long, my pretty! It isn’t long!”
Smithsonian Magazine reports that the hourglass was bought at auction for a total of 495,000.
According to the sellers, the object stands at more than 20 inches tall, and is more than a foot wide.
The hourglass’s Gothic frame is said to have...
The item in question is an ornate hourglass belonging to the Wicked Witch of the West, played in the film by Margaret Hamilton.
Auction company Heritage describes the hourglass as “the most recognisable signature prop from the film”.
The item features prominently in the scene in which Dorothy (Judy Garland) confronts the Witch, who gestures to the hourglass and tells her: “You see that? That’s how much longer you’ve got to be alive! And it isn’t long, my pretty! It isn’t long!”
Smithsonian Magazine reports that the hourglass was bought at auction for a total of 495,000.
According to the sellers, the object stands at more than 20 inches tall, and is more than a foot wide.
The hourglass’s Gothic frame is said to have...
- 12/27/2022
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
Whether you’re chilling out before a costume party or working late at the lab (Halloween is a Monday this year), October 31 practically screams, “Watch something!”
Yes, there are myriad seasonal activities to be enjoyed away from the ghastly glow of your screens: be it bobbing for apples, carving jack-o-lanterns, summoning the undead, or an overpriced rideshare. But few experiences are as instantly and totally transporting as the ones provided by our go-to movies and TV shows. That’s why so many of us insist on sneaking in annual viewings of our favorites between social events and trick-or-treaters. No matter how scary busy our schedules may get, making time for the Halloween tales we cherish feels in some small way important.
Maybe you’re putting on your makeup to the familiar beats of “Beetlejuice” or working from home with “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” to keep you company.
Yes, there are myriad seasonal activities to be enjoyed away from the ghastly glow of your screens: be it bobbing for apples, carving jack-o-lanterns, summoning the undead, or an overpriced rideshare. But few experiences are as instantly and totally transporting as the ones provided by our go-to movies and TV shows. That’s why so many of us insist on sneaking in annual viewings of our favorites between social events and trick-or-treaters. No matter how scary busy our schedules may get, making time for the Halloween tales we cherish feels in some small way important.
Maybe you’re putting on your makeup to the familiar beats of “Beetlejuice” or working from home with “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” to keep you company.
- 10/31/2022
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
One of the most sought-after lost episodes of “Sesame Street” has been unearthed by Internet archivists, as a rare encounter between Big Bird and the Wicked Witch of the West from “The Wizard of Oz” is now available to view online.
Back in 1976, actress Margaret Hamilton was asked by Sesame Workshop to reprise her role as the Wicked Witch for a “Sesame Street” episode, 37 years after her iconic “Oz” performance opposite Judy Garland. The 73-year-old Hamilton agreed, filming a sketch teaching children to face their fears in which The Wicked Witch demands that the denizens of Sesame Street return her broom, even threatening to turn Big Bird into a giant feather duster.
But according to the show’s producers, the episode prompted hordes of angry parents to call in, complaining that the Wicked Witch had terrified their children. As a result, Hamilton’s appearance on “Sesame Street” was never re-aired...
Back in 1976, actress Margaret Hamilton was asked by Sesame Workshop to reprise her role as the Wicked Witch for a “Sesame Street” episode, 37 years after her iconic “Oz” performance opposite Judy Garland. The 73-year-old Hamilton agreed, filming a sketch teaching children to face their fears in which The Wicked Witch demands that the denizens of Sesame Street return her broom, even threatening to turn Big Bird into a giant feather duster.
But according to the show’s producers, the episode prompted hordes of angry parents to call in, complaining that the Wicked Witch had terrified their children. As a result, Hamilton’s appearance on “Sesame Street” was never re-aired...
- 6/19/2022
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Many of us grew up watching "The Wizard of Oz." While the word "iconic" is thrown around a lot these days, I think this film has earned it. Yellow brick roads, red slippers, and flying monkeys are all symbols we constantly encounter throughout pop culture. Oz is a fantasy world of Technicolor wonder and excitement, but the reality is much darker.
The abuse Judy Garland suffered during her time as Dorothy is often discussed today. She was put on a strict diet of soup, coffee, cigarettes, and pills. During filming, she was given uppers to keep her lively, and then she...
The post How The Wizard of Oz Changed Margaret Hamilton and Her Stunt Double Forever appeared first on /Film.
The abuse Judy Garland suffered during her time as Dorothy is often discussed today. She was put on a strict diet of soup, coffee, cigarettes, and pills. During filming, she was given uppers to keep her lively, and then she...
The post How The Wizard of Oz Changed Margaret Hamilton and Her Stunt Double Forever appeared first on /Film.
- 5/4/2022
- by Christian Gainey
- Slash Film
Billie Hayes, whose portrayal of the flamboyantly and comically wicked witch Witchiepoo on the 1969-70 Saturday morning live-action children’s classic H.R. Pufnstuf, died of natural causes April 29 at Cedar’s Hospital in Los Angeles. She was 96.
Her death was announced by her family.
A Broadway veteran by the time she reached national fame as the flute-stealing nemesis to a psychedelic dragon, Hayes had starred as Mammy Yokum in both the Broadway and film versions of the popular late-1950s musical Lil’ Abner. She’d made her Broadway debut in New Faces of 1956 along with an ensemble that included actress Maggie Smith.
Following a couple of guest appearances on episodic TV in 1967 – including a Mammy Yokum-type matriarch in the “Hillbilly Honeymoon” episode of The Monkees – Hayes endeared herself to a generation of glued-to-the-tube Saturday morning viewers in 1969 as the eccentrically costumed, ever-cackling and always bumbling Witchiepoo (full name: Wilhelmina W.
Her death was announced by her family.
A Broadway veteran by the time she reached national fame as the flute-stealing nemesis to a psychedelic dragon, Hayes had starred as Mammy Yokum in both the Broadway and film versions of the popular late-1950s musical Lil’ Abner. She’d made her Broadway debut in New Faces of 1956 along with an ensemble that included actress Maggie Smith.
Following a couple of guest appearances on episodic TV in 1967 – including a Mammy Yokum-type matriarch in the “Hillbilly Honeymoon” episode of The Monkees – Hayes endeared herself to a generation of glued-to-the-tube Saturday morning viewers in 1969 as the eccentrically costumed, ever-cackling and always bumbling Witchiepoo (full name: Wilhelmina W.
- 5/3/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Geoffrey Scott, an actor known for his roles in “Dark Shadows” and “Dynasty,” has died, his wife confirmed to Variety. He was 79.
Scott was also a lauded commercial actor, starring in over 100 commercials such as the “Walk a Mile for a Camel” campaign shot at the Taj Mahal and a Maxwell House Coffee ad alongside Margaret Hamilton. Scott was also featured as one of the Old Spice and Marlboro men.
Born on Feb. 22, 1942, Scott grew up in San Fernando Valley, Calif., on the same street where both John Wayne and Clark Gable lived. Scott got his start in show business when he was signed by legendary agent Dick Clayton, who represented the likes of James Dean, Burt Reynolds and Jane Fonda, which led to a contract with Universal.
His first major acting role was as Sky Rumson in the vampire soap “Dark Shadows” in 1970. In 1972, Scott portrayed Jeffrey Jordan in “Where the Heart Is,...
Scott was also a lauded commercial actor, starring in over 100 commercials such as the “Walk a Mile for a Camel” campaign shot at the Taj Mahal and a Maxwell House Coffee ad alongside Margaret Hamilton. Scott was also featured as one of the Old Spice and Marlboro men.
Born on Feb. 22, 1942, Scott grew up in San Fernando Valley, Calif., on the same street where both John Wayne and Clark Gable lived. Scott got his start in show business when he was signed by legendary agent Dick Clayton, who represented the likes of James Dean, Burt Reynolds and Jane Fonda, which led to a contract with Universal.
His first major acting role was as Sky Rumson in the vampire soap “Dark Shadows” in 1970. In 1972, Scott portrayed Jeffrey Jordan in “Where the Heart Is,...
- 3/3/2021
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Network: ABC.
Episodes: 6 (hour).
Seasons: One.
TV show dates: April 23, 2019 — May 28, 2019.
Series status: Ended.
Performers include: Tariq Trotter aka Black Thought, Jazz Jennings, Laverne Cox, Margaret Hamilton, Katherine Johnson, Christine Darden, Michael Collins, Charlie Duke, and Gerry Griffin.
TV show description:
From ABC News, the 1969 TV show is a docu-series about the year that brought trouble and triumph to a world in turmoil.
Each episode delves into notable people and events of President Richard Nixon’s first year in office, including the moon landing; the Manson murders; Mary Jo Kopechne, Senator Ted Kennedy, and the Chappaquiddick scandal; Woodstock; John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Bed-Ins; the Black Panthers; and the Stonewall Uprising.
Along with...
Episodes: 6 (hour).
Seasons: One.
TV show dates: April 23, 2019 — May 28, 2019.
Series status: Ended.
Performers include: Tariq Trotter aka Black Thought, Jazz Jennings, Laverne Cox, Margaret Hamilton, Katherine Johnson, Christine Darden, Michael Collins, Charlie Duke, and Gerry Griffin.
TV show description:
From ABC News, the 1969 TV show is a docu-series about the year that brought trouble and triumph to a world in turmoil.
Each episode delves into notable people and events of President Richard Nixon’s first year in office, including the moon landing; the Manson murders; Mary Jo Kopechne, Senator Ted Kennedy, and the Chappaquiddick scandal; Woodstock; John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Bed-Ins; the Black Panthers; and the Stonewall Uprising.
Along with...
- 12/21/2020
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Margaret Hamilton with Ray Bolger and Jack Haley in an MGM promotional photo for "The Wizard of Oz".
Movie lovers associate actress Margaret Hamilton almost exclusively with her immortal portrayal of the Wicked Witch in the 1939 MGM classic "The Wizard of Oz". However, as writer Veronika Bondarenko points out in a column for Pocket Worthy, there was much more to the woman and her talents. Hamilton was proud of her performance in "Oz" but ultimately resented the fact that her other career achievements were largely ignored by the public and critics. She appeared in such diverse productions as "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", "13 Ghosts", "My Little Chickadee", "The Red Pony", "Brewster McCloud" and "The Anderson Tapes". She was also a veteran of stage productions and appeared in countless hit TV shows.
To read about her remarkable life and career, click here.
Movie lovers associate actress Margaret Hamilton almost exclusively with her immortal portrayal of the Wicked Witch in the 1939 MGM classic "The Wizard of Oz". However, as writer Veronika Bondarenko points out in a column for Pocket Worthy, there was much more to the woman and her talents. Hamilton was proud of her performance in "Oz" but ultimately resented the fact that her other career achievements were largely ignored by the public and critics. She appeared in such diverse productions as "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", "13 Ghosts", "My Little Chickadee", "The Red Pony", "Brewster McCloud" and "The Anderson Tapes". She was also a veteran of stage productions and appeared in countless hit TV shows.
To read about her remarkable life and career, click here.
- 8/14/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
It was 80 years ago today that a cyclone whisked Dorothy from her drab, sepia tone life in Kansas to the Technicolor land of little people, bewitched poppy fields and flying monkeys.
You may know the story well, but here are a few things about “The Wizard of Oz” that might take you by surprise.
Judy Garland had a difficult time shaking the giggles after the Lion burst into tears when Dorothy smacked him for scaring Toto. After numerous takes, you can spot her holding back a grin in what made it to the big screen.
Continuity issues arose during filming, including one that slipped through the cracks and made it into the final film. We’re talking about Dorothy’s hair length in the scene where she first encounters the Scarecrow. It’s short, it’s long, it’s short again.
The purple, red and yellow Horse of a Different...
You may know the story well, but here are a few things about “The Wizard of Oz” that might take you by surprise.
Judy Garland had a difficult time shaking the giggles after the Lion burst into tears when Dorothy smacked him for scaring Toto. After numerous takes, you can spot her holding back a grin in what made it to the big screen.
Continuity issues arose during filming, including one that slipped through the cracks and made it into the final film. We’re talking about Dorothy’s hair length in the scene where she first encounters the Scarecrow. It’s short, it’s long, it’s short again.
The purple, red and yellow Horse of a Different...
- 7/30/2020
- by Rosemary Rossi
- The Wrap
by Jason Adams
What's your favorite flavor of witch? Do you prefer a goth punk madwoman like Fairuza Balk in The Craft? A sexy hyper-stylish artiste like Tilda Swinton in Suspiria? A cackling crone like Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard of Oz?
What if I told you you didn't have to pick just one? That there exists a witch out there already that snatches a dash of this, a dash of that, until her cauldron bubbles over with the cartoonish bombast of Cruella de Vil meets Helena Markos. I think you'd nod, say duh, throw your head back and holler, "Anjelica Huston as the magnificent Grand High Witch forever, darling-kk!!!"...
What's your favorite flavor of witch? Do you prefer a goth punk madwoman like Fairuza Balk in The Craft? A sexy hyper-stylish artiste like Tilda Swinton in Suspiria? A cackling crone like Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard of Oz?
What if I told you you didn't have to pick just one? That there exists a witch out there already that snatches a dash of this, a dash of that, until her cauldron bubbles over with the cartoonish bombast of Cruella de Vil meets Helena Markos. I think you'd nod, say duh, throw your head back and holler, "Anjelica Huston as the magnificent Grand High Witch forever, darling-kk!!!"...
- 5/13/2020
- by JA
- FilmExperience
As Disney quietly disappears huge swathes of film history into its vaults, I'm going to spend 2020 celebrating Twentieth Century Fox and the Fox Film Corporation's films, what one might call their output if only someone were putting it out.And now they've quietly disappeared William Fox's name from the company: guilty by association with Rupert Murdoch, even though he never associated with him.***The coming of sound cost the American film industry plenty: it forced them to soundproof their stages, refit their theaters, and it rendered a fair few actors unemployable, by reason of heavy accents or lack of facility with the English language. In fact, one of the founders of 20th Century Fox was the comedy star Raymond Griffith, whose damaged vocal cords prevented him speaking above a croak, and who made the transition to writing and producing when he saw the writing on the wall. But on the other hand,...
- 3/18/2020
- MUBI
Burbank, CA, August 22, 2019 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that 1939’s acclaimed and beloved classic The Wizard of Oz will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on October 29th. Directed by Victor Fleming (Gone With the Wind) and starring Judy Garland as Dorothy Gayle, The Wizard of Oz is widely considered to be one of the most influential films in cinematic history.
Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s timeless children’s tale about a Kansas girl’s journey over the rainbow, The Wizard of Oz officially premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on August 15, 1939. The film was directed by Victor Fleming (who that same year directed Gone With the Wind), produced by Mervyn LeRoy, and scored by Herbert Stothart, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Ray Bolger appeared as the Scarecrow; Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Woodman.
Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s timeless children’s tale about a Kansas girl’s journey over the rainbow, The Wizard of Oz officially premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on August 15, 1939. The film was directed by Victor Fleming (who that same year directed Gone With the Wind), produced by Mervyn LeRoy, and scored by Herbert Stothart, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Ray Bolger appeared as the Scarecrow; Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Woodman.
- 8/24/2019
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
By Lee Pfeiffer
The Warner Archive has showcased another "B" movie and rescued it from relative obscurity with the release of "Lady Scarface". The 1941 movie is an Rko "Poverty Row" production with a low budget (i.e. there are almost no exterior shots) and abbreviated running time of only 66 minutes. The titular character is never referred to as such in the film. She's simply called Slade and she's a mysterious Chicago gangster who the police have been searching for under the assumption their prey is a man. Slade does bear a scar on her cheek but it would appear this was added simply to enable the producers to capitalize on the "Scarface" moniker in order to tie the film in with Paul Muni's classic gangster flick. Slade appears in the opening scene in which she and her gang rob a businessman and loot his safe. She ends up shooting him in cold blood.
The Warner Archive has showcased another "B" movie and rescued it from relative obscurity with the release of "Lady Scarface". The 1941 movie is an Rko "Poverty Row" production with a low budget (i.e. there are almost no exterior shots) and abbreviated running time of only 66 minutes. The titular character is never referred to as such in the film. She's simply called Slade and she's a mysterious Chicago gangster who the police have been searching for under the assumption their prey is a man. Slade does bear a scar on her cheek but it would appear this was added simply to enable the producers to capitalize on the "Scarface" moniker in order to tie the film in with Paul Muni's classic gangster flick. Slade appears in the opening scene in which she and her gang rob a businessman and loot his safe. She ends up shooting him in cold blood.
- 7/30/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Chicago – The Windy City is off to see the Wizard again, as the Grant Park Music Festival celebrates the 80th Anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz” at the Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park. The festivities include a costume party, hosted by Linda Kollmeyer (“The Lottery Lady”), followed by the presentation with a live orchestra accompaniment – on the Park’s giant Led screen – of the classic 1939 film.
The event is free and open to the public in both the “seating bowl” area and lawn, and begins at 6:30pm with the costume party, with the screening at 8pm. For more information, click here.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ at Millennium Park
Photo credit: Warner Home Video
At the time of the late 1930s filming of “The Wizard of Oz,” the idea of an event children’s film was brand new. The film stars Judy Garland in...
The event is free and open to the public in both the “seating bowl” area and lawn, and begins at 6:30pm with the costume party, with the screening at 8pm. For more information, click here.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ at Millennium Park
Photo credit: Warner Home Video
At the time of the late 1930s filming of “The Wizard of Oz,” the idea of an event children’s film was brand new. The film stars Judy Garland in...
- 7/9/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
1969 was a year of groundbreaking change in the United States: not only was it the year of the moon landing and Woodstock, but it was also the year of the Stonewall riots and anti-war protests, a time when young people looked around and saw the sorry state of world affairs and decided they needed to do something about it. A new, six-part ABC docuseries, 1969 tells the story of this extraordinary year, and it kicks off with the untold story of perhaps one of the most formative events of the 20th century: the moon landing.
- 4/16/2019
- by EJ Dickson
- Rollingstone.com
We have ourselves another heartfelt and beautiful hour of this series.
It's impressive following the series, as with each hour, it settles into what it wants to be and strikes the right emotional chord.
While the flashback, non-linear style is still something that requires getting used to, it wasn't as jarring during Good Trouble Season 1 Episode 6, and the series continues to flourish with its storytelling.
It may be up for debate, but while the series has an ensemble cast, the show knows how to not only whittle down each installment to focus on a couple of the main characters in a way that is conducive to real character development and growth, but it also has fully realized, multifaceted supporting and recurring characters.
That takes a juggling act that not too many people can pull off, even on shows that have been around for a significant amount of time. I find...
It's impressive following the series, as with each hour, it settles into what it wants to be and strikes the right emotional chord.
While the flashback, non-linear style is still something that requires getting used to, it wasn't as jarring during Good Trouble Season 1 Episode 6, and the series continues to flourish with its storytelling.
It may be up for debate, but while the series has an ensemble cast, the show knows how to not only whittle down each installment to focus on a couple of the main characters in a way that is conducive to real character development and growth, but it also has fully realized, multifaceted supporting and recurring characters.
That takes a juggling act that not too many people can pull off, even on shows that have been around for a significant amount of time. I find...
- 2/13/2019
- by Jasmine Blu
- TVfanatic
Exciting news for fans of director Robert Altman. His Brewster McCloud (1970) is now available on Blu-ray From Warner Archives. Ordering information can be found Here
Master filmsmith Robert Altman followed up the smash hit M*A*S*H* with one of the most unusual – and decidedly non-commercial – films of his career. A fairy tale for the post-flower power era, Brewster McCloud enchants while dripping venom across its own escapist heart. Bud Cort’s Brewster sits at the heart of the fable, a young man who yearns to fly like a bird and lives in a fallout shelter inside the recently built Houston Astrodome. Sally Kellerman plays the fairy godmother figure who aids Brewster in his quest to construct his human-powered wings, while the Wicked Witch of the West herself, Margaret Hamilton, plays Brewster’s anthem-belting nemesis, Daphne Heap. Shelly Duvall embodies temptation for Brewster in the part of Suzanne, while...
Master filmsmith Robert Altman followed up the smash hit M*A*S*H* with one of the most unusual – and decidedly non-commercial – films of his career. A fairy tale for the post-flower power era, Brewster McCloud enchants while dripping venom across its own escapist heart. Bud Cort’s Brewster sits at the heart of the fable, a young man who yearns to fly like a bird and lives in a fallout shelter inside the recently built Houston Astrodome. Sally Kellerman plays the fairy godmother figure who aids Brewster in his quest to construct his human-powered wings, while the Wicked Witch of the West herself, Margaret Hamilton, plays Brewster’s anthem-belting nemesis, Daphne Heap. Shelly Duvall embodies temptation for Brewster in the part of Suzanne, while...
- 12/4/2018
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Robert Altman’s first opportunity to cut loose with an entirely personal film is this scattershot comedy that satirizes the American scene, taking pokes at patriotism, greed, and silly police movies. To his favorite eccentrics from M*As*H Bud Cort and Sally Kellerman he adds the new discovery Shelley Duvall; the movie’s like a bag of absurdist jokes that spilled onto a Houston Highway.
Brewster McCloud
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1970 / Color / 2:35 enhanced widescreen / 105 min. / Street Date November 27, 2018 / available through the Warner Archive Collection / 21.99
Starring: Bud Cort, Sally Kellerman, Michael Murphy, William Windom, Shelley Duvall, Rene Auberjonois, Stacy Keach, John Schuck, Margaret Hamilton, Jennifer Salt, Corey Fischer, G. Wood, Bert Remsen.
Cinematography: Lamar Boren, Jordan Cronenweth
Film Editor: Lou Lombardo
Original Music: Gene Page
Written by Doran William Cannon
Produced by Lou Adler
Directed by Robert Altman
Robert Altman may be gone but he’s far from forgotten...
Brewster McCloud
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1970 / Color / 2:35 enhanced widescreen / 105 min. / Street Date November 27, 2018 / available through the Warner Archive Collection / 21.99
Starring: Bud Cort, Sally Kellerman, Michael Murphy, William Windom, Shelley Duvall, Rene Auberjonois, Stacy Keach, John Schuck, Margaret Hamilton, Jennifer Salt, Corey Fischer, G. Wood, Bert Remsen.
Cinematography: Lamar Boren, Jordan Cronenweth
Film Editor: Lou Lombardo
Original Music: Gene Page
Written by Doran William Cannon
Produced by Lou Adler
Directed by Robert Altman
Robert Altman may be gone but he’s far from forgotten...
- 11/24/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Whaddaya know, this new disc of the Carole Lombard / Fredric March comedy hit looks great, besting by far all previous videos and prints I’ve seen of the early (1937) Technicolor production. Hazel Flagg’s Madcap Manhattan Weekend now pops with brilliant hues. And a little digging tells us that Ben Hecht’s morbid premise is based on a real-life scandalous workplace tragedy called ‘The Living Dead Women.’
Nothing Sacred
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1937 / Color / 1:37 flat Academy / 74 min. / Street Date November 13, 2018 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Carole Lombard, Fredric March, Charles Winninger, Walter Connolly, Sig Ruman, Troy Brown, Max ‘Slapsie Maxie’ Rosenbloom, Margaret Hamilton, Olin Howland.
Cinematography: W. Howard Greene
Original Music: Oscar Levant
Written by Ben Hecht suggested by a story by James H. Street
Produced by David O. Selznick
Directed by William A. Wellman
Here’s something we didn’t expect to see. When I reviewed an older Kino disc of this title,...
Nothing Sacred
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1937 / Color / 1:37 flat Academy / 74 min. / Street Date November 13, 2018 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Carole Lombard, Fredric March, Charles Winninger, Walter Connolly, Sig Ruman, Troy Brown, Max ‘Slapsie Maxie’ Rosenbloom, Margaret Hamilton, Olin Howland.
Cinematography: W. Howard Greene
Original Music: Oscar Levant
Written by Ben Hecht suggested by a story by James H. Street
Produced by David O. Selznick
Directed by William A. Wellman
Here’s something we didn’t expect to see. When I reviewed an older Kino disc of this title,...
- 11/17/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The Night Stalker/The Night Strangler
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1972/73 / 1.33:1 / 74/90 Min. / Street Date October 2, 2018
Starring Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland
Cinematography by Michel Hugo, Robert B. Hauser
Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey, Dan Curtis
In January of 1972 ABC broadcast the story of a middle-aged newsman hot on the trail of a vampire seemingly escaped from a 50’s horror comic. The man and the monster had one thing in common – by the 70’s they were both anachronisms, adrift in an era of hot pants and roller disco.
Carl Kolchak, the overbearing reporter played by crusty TV vet Darren McGavin, was not simply immune to current fashions – his steadfast belief in the supernatural ensured his outsider status throughout two films and 20 hour-long episodes broadcast between 1974 and 1975.
The first of those movies was The Night Stalker, a nocturnal thriller animated by the lurid neon of the Vegas strip where a string of showgirl...
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1972/73 / 1.33:1 / 74/90 Min. / Street Date October 2, 2018
Starring Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland
Cinematography by Michel Hugo, Robert B. Hauser
Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey, Dan Curtis
In January of 1972 ABC broadcast the story of a middle-aged newsman hot on the trail of a vampire seemingly escaped from a 50’s horror comic. The man and the monster had one thing in common – by the 70’s they were both anachronisms, adrift in an era of hot pants and roller disco.
Carl Kolchak, the overbearing reporter played by crusty TV vet Darren McGavin, was not simply immune to current fashions – his steadfast belief in the supernatural ensured his outsider status throughout two films and 20 hour-long episodes broadcast between 1974 and 1975.
The first of those movies was The Night Stalker, a nocturnal thriller animated by the lurid neon of the Vegas strip where a string of showgirl...
- 10/16/2018
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
1953: Valiant Lady premiered on CBS.
1979: As the World Turns' Lisa was spooked
1981: David Canary debuted on Another World as Steve Frame.
1993: Days of our Lives' Jack Deveraux left Salem."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1950: NBC aired the final primetime episode of Hawkins Falls, one of network television's first successful soap operas. The show premiered in June 1950 as an hour-long weekly nighttime drama in a summer replacement slot but was cut back to a half-hour in August until the end of its run. Hawkins Falls returned to the air in April 1951 as a fifteen-minute weekday soap for NBC.
1979: As the World Turns' Lisa was spooked
1981: David Canary debuted on Another World as Steve Frame.
1993: Days of our Lives' Jack Deveraux left Salem."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1950: NBC aired the final primetime episode of Hawkins Falls, one of network television's first successful soap operas. The show premiered in June 1950 as an hour-long weekly nighttime drama in a summer replacement slot but was cut back to a half-hour in August until the end of its run. Hawkins Falls returned to the air in April 1951 as a fifteen-minute weekday soap for NBC.
- 10/12/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
Now that October is officially underway, that means we have a big week of Blu-ray and DVD releases to get excited for, and there are some great genre-related titles coming out on Tuesday. Universal Studios Home Entertainment is unleashing both Tales from the Hood 2 and The First Purge on multiple formats, and for fans of action cinema, Death Race: Beyond Anarchy races home this week, too. Kino Lorber is giving both The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler the limited edition treatment, and for those who enjoy indie horror, Feral, Housewife,and Blood Fest are certainly all worth your time.
Other notable releases for October 2nd include Extremity, Molly, The Legend of Halloween Jack, The Evil Dead in 4K, Sleep No More, and West of Hell, with Rob Zombie’s Halloween getting a Steelbook release as well.
The First Purge
Blumhouse Productions welcomes you to the movement that began as...
Other notable releases for October 2nd include Extremity, Molly, The Legend of Halloween Jack, The Evil Dead in 4K, Sleep No More, and West of Hell, with Rob Zombie’s Halloween getting a Steelbook release as well.
The First Purge
Blumhouse Productions welcomes you to the movement that began as...
- 10/2/2018
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
"The Wizard of Oz has great music and amazing chemistry among its cast. It's a perfect storm, no pun intended," William Stillman, co-author of the new book The Road to Oz exclusively told Closer Weekly — in the magazine's latest issue, on newsstands now — of the cinematic masterpiece. What fans might not know, he hinted, are behind-the-scenes trials and tribulations that went on during the making of the 1939 classic. Stillman and his writing partner, Jay Scarfone, cover all the backstage drama, starting with the fact that Judy Garland almost lost the part of Dorothy to Shirley Temple, who much more closely resembled the character L. Frank Baum described in his 1900 kids' novel. When Shirley's studio refused to let her out of her contract to star in the MGM vehicle, Judy secured the role, despite being older than Dorothy was originally written to be. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) Then the 16-year-old had...
- 9/27/2018
- by Closer Staff
- Closer Weekly
If you can read the stories of a whole bunch of women pioneers — such as the ones in the book I’m about to discuss — without being at least a little bit annoyed at men in general, frankly there’s something wrong with you.
And you can take “men in general” as expansively as you want, o dudes who insist “man” is always and ever a perfectly good word to mean “humanity.” There’s enough shittiness and negativity in the world for at least two genders.
But damn did every single advance for women come because a woman demanded it, fought for it, and faced down multiple men who insisted that not only shouldn’t she do that, it was physically impossible for her to do it, so she should just go back her knitting and housekeeping.
(And if I hear a single “not all men,” I’m going to smack you so hard.
And you can take “men in general” as expansively as you want, o dudes who insist “man” is always and ever a perfectly good word to mean “humanity.” There’s enough shittiness and negativity in the world for at least two genders.
But damn did every single advance for women come because a woman demanded it, fought for it, and faced down multiple men who insisted that not only shouldn’t she do that, it was physically impossible for her to do it, so she should just go back her knitting and housekeeping.
(And if I hear a single “not all men,” I’m going to smack you so hard.
- 8/11/2018
- by Andrew Wheeler
- Comicmix.com
Before the influential Kolchak: The Night Stalker series aired on ABC in the mid-’70s, Darren McGavin brought the titular investigative reporter to life for the first time in the 1972 TV movie The Night Stalker, which is getting a 4K restoration Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber this October, along with its 1973 sequel, The Night Strangler.
Announced on Facebook and Twitter, The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler Blu-rays will be released on October 2nd in the Us. Each release will come with a new 4K restoration, a new audio commentary with film historian Tim Lucas, and other new special features.
Below, we have the announcements from Kino Lorber, as well as a look at the new cover art by Sean Phillips. Let us know if you'll be adding these releases to your home media collection, and in case you missed it, read Scott Drebit's It Came From the Tube column...
Announced on Facebook and Twitter, The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler Blu-rays will be released on October 2nd in the Us. Each release will come with a new 4K restoration, a new audio commentary with film historian Tim Lucas, and other new special features.
Below, we have the announcements from Kino Lorber, as well as a look at the new cover art by Sean Phillips. Let us know if you'll be adding these releases to your home media collection, and in case you missed it, read Scott Drebit's It Came From the Tube column...
- 7/25/2018
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
1989: Atwt's Ellen was unhappy with her husband.
1989: Gl's Will fatally injured Rose.
1994: Gh's Bobbie and Tony said goodbye to B.J.
2012: Days' Lucas and Sami reacted to Will coming out."All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1967: On Days of our Lives, Tom (Macdonald Carey) told Susan (Denise Alexander) that Dickie didn't have any fractures but had not regained consciousness.
1979: On Another World,...
1989: Gl's Will fatally injured Rose.
1994: Gh's Bobbie and Tony said goodbye to B.J.
2012: Days' Lucas and Sami reacted to Will coming out."All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1967: On Days of our Lives, Tom (Macdonald Carey) told Susan (Denise Alexander) that Dickie didn't have any fractures but had not regained consciousness.
1979: On Another World,...
- 5/16/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
While female baddies abound in Marvel comics, few have made the transition to the screen. But that’s about to change with Blanchett’s role in Thor: Ragnarok
When it comes to truly splendid villains, there’s nothing like a dame. From Tilda Swinton’s icy, curdled charisma in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) to Margaret Hamilton’s cackling Wicked Witch of the West in the classic 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz, female baddies are more than capable of holding their own in terms of offering up sheer, undiluted evil. Which makes it all the more disappointing that there have been so few in the superhero genre. Sure, there’s been the odd juicy role – Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns (1992) or Marion Cotillard as Talia al Ghul in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises (2012). But more often than not, Hollywood’s...
When it comes to truly splendid villains, there’s nothing like a dame. From Tilda Swinton’s icy, curdled charisma in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) to Margaret Hamilton’s cackling Wicked Witch of the West in the classic 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz, female baddies are more than capable of holding their own in terms of offering up sheer, undiluted evil. Which makes it all the more disappointing that there have been so few in the superhero genre. Sure, there’s been the odd juicy role – Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns (1992) or Marion Cotillard as Talia al Ghul in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises (2012). But more often than not, Hollywood’s...
- 8/1/2017
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Fritz Lang continues his take-no-prisoners indictment of America’s curious relationship with crime; this time he presents the thesis that an innocent man can be a pawn in cosmic game of injustice. Three-time loser Henry Fonda, the glummest actor in ’30s films, doesn’t mean to rob or kill, but gosh darn it, They Made Him a Criminal. Those considerations aside, it’s a wonderful cinematic achievement, made all the better by a decent digital restoration.
You Only Live Once
Blu-ray
ClassicFlix
1937 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 86 min. / Street Date July 25, 2017 / 29.98
Starring: Sylvia Sidney, Henry Fonda, Barton MacLane, Jean Dixon,
William Gargan, Jerome Cowan, Charles ‘Chic’ Sale, Margaret Hamilton, Warren Hymer,
Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams, Ward Bond, Jack Carson, Jonathan Hale
Cinematography: Leon Shamroy
Art Direction: Alexander Toluboff
Film Editor: Daniel Mandell
Original Music: Hugo Friedhofer
Written by Graham Baker and Gene Towne
Produced by Walter Wanger
Directed by Fritz Lang...
You Only Live Once
Blu-ray
ClassicFlix
1937 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 86 min. / Street Date July 25, 2017 / 29.98
Starring: Sylvia Sidney, Henry Fonda, Barton MacLane, Jean Dixon,
William Gargan, Jerome Cowan, Charles ‘Chic’ Sale, Margaret Hamilton, Warren Hymer,
Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams, Ward Bond, Jack Carson, Jonathan Hale
Cinematography: Leon Shamroy
Art Direction: Alexander Toluboff
Film Editor: Daniel Mandell
Original Music: Hugo Friedhofer
Written by Graham Baker and Gene Towne
Produced by Walter Wanger
Directed by Fritz Lang...
- 7/31/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
During the Oscars Sunday, the stars of Hidden Figures paid tribute to Katherine Johnson, one of the women who inspired the nominated film. Johnson, a renowned Nasa mathematician, came out on stage with Taraji P. Henson, who portrayed her onscreen, Janelle Monáe, and Octavia Spencer. Hidden Figures, a box office hit, has helped raise the profiles of Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan, but now Johnson is being immortalized in another fashion: blocks. According to the Associated Press, Johnson is one of the people featured in Lego’s new “Women of Nasa“ set. The other scientists turned into toys include Margaret Hamilton, Sally Ride, Nancy Grace Roman, and Mae Jemison. Stem-lovers and admirers of awesome ladies will have to wait a while before they can purchase the collection; it won’t be available until either late 2017 or early 2018, the AP noted.
- 3/2/2017
- by Esther Zuckerman
- avclub.com
The women behind the Nasa space program have made the big screen, and now they are being honored as little Lego figurines.
The toy company said Wednesday it had chosen the "Women of Nasa" project as the winner of its fan design contest.
The set includes Margaret Hamilton, Sally Ride, Nancy Grace Roman, Mae Jemison and Katherine Johnson, who was portrayed by Taraji P. Henson in the biographical drama Hidden Figures.
The announcement comes on the heels of the Oscar-nominated film, which tells the story of three black female mathematicians who helped Nasa during the space race.
The "Women of Nasa" set...
The toy company said Wednesday it had chosen the "Women of Nasa" project as the winner of its fan design contest.
The set includes Margaret Hamilton, Sally Ride, Nancy Grace Roman, Mae Jemison and Katherine Johnson, who was portrayed by Taraji P. Henson in the biographical drama Hidden Figures.
The announcement comes on the heels of the Oscar-nominated film, which tells the story of three black female mathematicians who helped Nasa during the space race.
The "Women of Nasa" set...
- 3/2/2017
- by Associated Press, THR Staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The members of the HFPA (The Golden Globes) have to turn in their ballots today with nominations announced on Monday. In the less celebrated corner of Precursor World the Bfca Critics Choice ballots are also due for the winners. My own votes are all over the place as I don't do lazy sweep voting but judge each category separately as one should. The Critics Choice Awards are this Sunday evening -- watch it live -- and the Golden Globe nominations are announced Monday morning. But movies, as events to celebrate, are more than just temporal things. You can celebrate anything you'd like across the time continuum via the happy things known as anniversaries and birthdays...
On this day in history as it relates to showbiz
1854 Alfred Tennyson published his famous war poem "Charge of the Light Brigade" - it would be made into a movie three times, most famously with...
On this day in history as it relates to showbiz
1854 Alfred Tennyson published his famous war poem "Charge of the Light Brigade" - it would be made into a movie three times, most famously with...
- 12/9/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
When Barack Obama announced this week the latest recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest honor that can be bestowed upon a civilian, there were many prominent names, people whose stories are widely known throughout pop culture including Michael Jordan, Robert Redford, Bill and Melinda Gates, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Hanks, Ellen DeGeneres, Lorne Michaels, Diana Ross, and Robert De Niro.
The Names You Didn't Recognize On The Presidential Medal of Freedom List
Amid that glittering Medal of Freedom list, there were two lesser known names that gladdened my heart: Grace Hopper and Margaret H. Hamilton. That they are lesser known is a crime, really. Each has been a pioneer in the history of computing, and each deserves a bigger place in our cultural conversation. It is to the president’s credit that in his last group of Medal of Freedom recipients, he included two of our country’s greatest scientists,...
The Names You Didn't Recognize On The Presidential Medal of Freedom List
Amid that glittering Medal of Freedom list, there were two lesser known names that gladdened my heart: Grace Hopper and Margaret H. Hamilton. That they are lesser known is a crime, really. Each has been a pioneer in the history of computing, and each deserves a bigger place in our cultural conversation. It is to the president’s credit that in his last group of Medal of Freedom recipients, he included two of our country’s greatest scientists,...
- 11/17/2016
- by David Bloom
- Tubefilter.com
Halloween is a time when regular folk allow themselves to see the world as us horror lovers do – weird and wonderful, sinister mischief with tongue in cheek under (and over) tones. They watch that scary movie they’ve been meaning to get to for the past year, string up skeletons, and parade around at office parties in the latest ironic costumes (expect tons of Trumps and Weiners this year). But for the fearful faithful, this is our workaday; we watch the films daily, display our rooms with terror trinkets, and dress up as our favourite icons at constant conventions around the globe. So what separates the actual day of Halloween from our normal routine? TV viewing, of course.
‘Tis the season when every station trots out horror programming, sometimes for weeks on end leading up to and including the big night. A lot of this is for Johnny and Jane...
‘Tis the season when every station trots out horror programming, sometimes for weeks on end leading up to and including the big night. A lot of this is for Johnny and Jane...
- 10/30/2016
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Leave it to director William Wellman to direct the most compelling social justice movie of the 1940s. Taken from a bestselling novel, it's a wrenching examination of the workings of a natural American phenomenon, the Lynch Mob. The Ox-Bow Incident Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1942 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 75 min. / Street Date July 12, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, Mary Beth Hughes, Anthony Quinn, William Eythe, Harry Morgan, Jane Darwell, Matt Briggs, Harry Davenport, Frank Conroy, Marc Lawrence Cinematography Arthur Miller Art Direction James Basevi, Richard Day Film Editor Allen McNeil Original Music Cyril J. Mockridge Written and Produced by Lamar Trotti from a novel by Walter Van Tilburg Clark Directed by William A. Wellman
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
In the first scene of this grim feature, Henry Fonda stumbles out of a saloon street and throws up in the street. Apparently that was the reaction shared...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
In the first scene of this grim feature, Henry Fonda stumbles out of a saloon street and throws up in the street. Apparently that was the reaction shared...
- 8/22/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Radical changes were required to adapt Lillian Hellman's Broadway play for post-Code Hollywood, to eradicate a theme that in 1934 was entirely taboo. But were audiences really unaware of the subject matter switch? William Wyler excels with this bowdlerized, yet curiously near-perfect, story about the power of scandal. These Three DVD-r The Warner Archive Collection 1936 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 93 min. / Street Date February 9, 2016 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon, Joel McCrea, Catharine Doucet, Alma Kruger, Bonita Granville, Marcia Mae Jones , Carmencita Johnson, Mary Ann Durkin, Margaret Hamilton, Walter Brennan. Cinematography Gregg Toland Film Editor Daniel Mandell Original Music Alfred Newman Written by Lillian Hellman Produced by Samuel Goldwyn Directed by William Wyler
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
William Wyler directed half a decade's worth of silent westerns before his big break came. From that point on he made high profile dramas, almost all of which are excellent movies.
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
William Wyler directed half a decade's worth of silent westerns before his big break came. From that point on he made high profile dramas, almost all of which are excellent movies.
- 8/9/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Did you ever see an actor/actress in a famous role and then hear later that they were not the first, or even the second choice to play the iconic part? Many of the legendary movie characters began as a vehicle for a different star than the one who we know-and-love in the part. Here are a few of the greatest examples of famous "Almosts'.
Christopher Walken As Han Solo: George Lucas had a very hard time finding his Han Solo in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977). This character was the last of the lead figures to be cast. Lucas’ leading contender at one point was none other than Christopher Walken. Just think about the possibilities in that performance! However, a chance meeting with Harrison Ford (Who was working as a carpenter at the time) inspired Lucas to cast Ford in the part instead, which launched him into super stardom in the 80s.
Christopher Walken As Han Solo: George Lucas had a very hard time finding his Han Solo in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977). This character was the last of the lead figures to be cast. Lucas’ leading contender at one point was none other than Christopher Walken. Just think about the possibilities in that performance! However, a chance meeting with Harrison Ford (Who was working as a carpenter at the time) inspired Lucas to cast Ford in the part instead, which launched him into super stardom in the 80s.
- 4/30/2016
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Rob Young)
- Cinelinx
William Castle’s 13 Ghosts (1960), 13 Frightened Girls, Homicidal, and Mr. Sardonicus are coming to Blu-ray in two double features from Mill Creek Entertainment! Both double bills will be released on July 5th.
From Mill Creek Entertainment: “13 Ghosts (1960) – B&W – 85 minutes – Not Rated
Charles Herbert, Jo Morrow, Martin Milner, Rosemary DeCamp. Donald Woods, Margaret Hamilton
When an eccentric uncle wills a huge, ramshackle house to his impoverished family, they get the shock of a lifetime. Their new residence comes complete with a spooky housekeeper, plus a fortune in buried treasure and 12 horrifying ghosts.”
13 Frightened Girls (1963) – Color – 88 minutes – Not Rated
Murray Hamilton, Joyce Taylor, Hugh Marlowe, Khigh Dhiegh, Charlie Briggs, Norma Varden
The girls of a Swiss boarding school have one thing in common — they are all daughters of diplomats. One in particular finds out that she has a knack for espionage, and uncovers the murder of a Russian diplomat. Now she...
From Mill Creek Entertainment: “13 Ghosts (1960) – B&W – 85 minutes – Not Rated
Charles Herbert, Jo Morrow, Martin Milner, Rosemary DeCamp. Donald Woods, Margaret Hamilton
When an eccentric uncle wills a huge, ramshackle house to his impoverished family, they get the shock of a lifetime. Their new residence comes complete with a spooky housekeeper, plus a fortune in buried treasure and 12 horrifying ghosts.”
13 Frightened Girls (1963) – Color – 88 minutes – Not Rated
Murray Hamilton, Joyce Taylor, Hugh Marlowe, Khigh Dhiegh, Charlie Briggs, Norma Varden
The girls of a Swiss boarding school have one thing in common — they are all daughters of diplomats. One in particular finds out that she has a knack for espionage, and uncovers the murder of a Russian diplomat. Now she...
- 4/13/2016
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Anne Marie is tracking Judy Garland's career through musical numbers…
How do you talk about this movie? How do you talk about this song? Sure, there are star-turns. There are underdog stories. But there is nothing in Hollywood legend so powerfully wedded as Judy Garland and The Wizard of Oz. It's the kind of lightning-in-a-bottle marriage of star and song that comes once every couple of generations. This was the number that would define Judy Garland as she defined it. It would be her biggest hit; one she recorded and re-recorded. It would follow her throughout her career, and outlive her when she died. Every moment before and after in the story of Judy Garland, MGM, and Studio System Hollywood lives in the shadow of "Over The Rainbow."
The Movie: The Wizard of Oz (MGM, 1939)
The Songwriter: Harold Arlen (Music & Lyrics)
The Players: Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton, Billie Burke,...
How do you talk about this movie? How do you talk about this song? Sure, there are star-turns. There are underdog stories. But there is nothing in Hollywood legend so powerfully wedded as Judy Garland and The Wizard of Oz. It's the kind of lightning-in-a-bottle marriage of star and song that comes once every couple of generations. This was the number that would define Judy Garland as she defined it. It would be her biggest hit; one she recorded and re-recorded. It would follow her throughout her career, and outlive her when she died. Every moment before and after in the story of Judy Garland, MGM, and Studio System Hollywood lives in the shadow of "Over The Rainbow."
The Movie: The Wizard of Oz (MGM, 1939)
The Songwriter: Harold Arlen (Music & Lyrics)
The Players: Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton, Billie Burke,...
- 3/2/2016
- by Anne Marie
- FilmExperience
Let's say someone told you that they had just seen the next big horror-movie sensation waiting to happen — you would probably not expect them to follow that declaration with "it's an early-to-mid 17th-century Puritan story that calls to mind the paranoia and persecution of the Salem witch trials." And yet ever since Robert Eggers' The Witch premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015, his self-proclaimed "New England folktale" has been building an increasingly deafening buzz thanks to its otherworldly combination of infanticide, full-moon blood rituals, and an animal imbued...
- 2/18/2016
- Rollingstone.com
As a child, Robert Eggers was obsessed with witches and mythical creatures, while other children dreamed of Disneyland, Eggers’ dream vacation probably looked more like something out of Häxan. It makes sense then, that he would grow up to become a sorcerer of sorts, at least one could call him that based on the enthralling qualities of his debut feature The Witch, an otherworldly folk tale set in seventeenth century New England which deals with how a Puritan family chooses to face the presence of the occult. Or at least, what they think are the dark forces that might have turned the eldest daughter, Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) into a witch.
Not one to place judgment on his own characters, Eggers invites the audience to try and uncover the mysteries along with the family. We aren’t allowed to feel smarter than the characters, just because we’re “modern,” instead he...
Not one to place judgment on his own characters, Eggers invites the audience to try and uncover the mysteries along with the family. We aren’t allowed to feel smarter than the characters, just because we’re “modern,” instead he...
- 2/18/2016
- by Jose Solís
- The Film Stage
Who's the best witch in all pop culture-dom?
That's a tough question to answer, since movies and TV have offered us all manner of witchy women. Some are good. Some are bad. Some are beautiful (but aren't so nice inside) and some look scary (but are still a lot of fun). In lieu of power ranking the various pop culture spellcasters, we've heralded their individual achievements with yearbook-style superlatives.
1. Most Improved: Mildred Hubble in The Worst Witch
Mildred (Fairuza Balk) is a witchy underdog. No one at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches thinks much of Mildred's potential as master of the supernatural elements,...
That's a tough question to answer, since movies and TV have offered us all manner of witchy women. Some are good. Some are bad. Some are beautiful (but aren't so nice inside) and some look scary (but are still a lot of fun). In lieu of power ranking the various pop culture spellcasters, we've heralded their individual achievements with yearbook-style superlatives.
1. Most Improved: Mildred Hubble in The Worst Witch
Mildred (Fairuza Balk) is a witchy underdog. No one at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches thinks much of Mildred's potential as master of the supernatural elements,...
- 10/26/2015
- by Drew Mackie, @drewgmackie
- People.com - TV Watch
Virginia Bruce: MGM actress ca. 1935. Virginia Bruce movies on TCM: Actress was the cherry on 'The Great Ziegfeld' wedding cake Unfortunately, Turner Classic Movies has chosen not to feature any non-Hollywood stars – or any out-and-out silent film stars – in its 2015 “Summer Under the Stars” series.* On the other hand, TCM has come up with several unusual inclusions, e.g., Lee J. Cobb, Warren Oates, Mae Clarke, and today, Aug. 25, Virginia Bruce. A second-rank MGM leading lady in the 1930s, the Minneapolis-born Virginia Bruce is little remembered today despite her more than 70 feature films in a career that spanned two decades, from the dawn of the talkie era to the dawn of the TV era, in addition to a handful of comebacks going all the way to 1981 – the dawn of the personal computer era. Career highlights were few and not all that bright. Examples range from playing the...
- 8/26/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Hammer horror fans are in for a treat, as respective collections of five William Castle films and five Hammer horror movies are coming out on Blu-ray in August, and The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant has been set to come out on Blu-ray.
The William Castle and Hammer horror collections will respectively come out on DVD August 18th from Mill Creek. The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant, meanwhile, is slated for release later this year by Kino Lorber. Stay tuned to Daily Dead for further updates.
From Mill Creek: "Iconic horror director William Castle created a simple, but winning formula for his films: a little comedy, a lot of scares, a preposterous gimmick, and a clear sense that fright films should be fun. This even meant Castle would, like Alfred Hitchcock, appear in his trailers and even the movies themselves. Though his career spanned 35 years and included everything from westerns to crime thrillers, he'll...
The William Castle and Hammer horror collections will respectively come out on DVD August 18th from Mill Creek. The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant, meanwhile, is slated for release later this year by Kino Lorber. Stay tuned to Daily Dead for further updates.
From Mill Creek: "Iconic horror director William Castle created a simple, but winning formula for his films: a little comedy, a lot of scares, a preposterous gimmick, and a clear sense that fright films should be fun. This even meant Castle would, like Alfred Hitchcock, appear in his trailers and even the movies themselves. Though his career spanned 35 years and included everything from westerns to crime thrillers, he'll...
- 7/31/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Olivia de Havilland picture U.S. labor history-making 'Gone with the Wind' star and two-time Best Actress winner Olivia de Havilland turns 99 (This Olivia de Havilland article is currently being revised and expanded.) Two-time Best Actress Academy Award winner Olivia de Havilland, the only surviving major Gone with the Wind cast member and oldest surviving Oscar winner, is turning 99 years old today, July 1.[1] Also known for her widely publicized feud with sister Joan Fontaine and for her eight movies with Errol Flynn, de Havilland should be remembered as well for having made Hollywood labor history. This particular history has nothing to do with de Havilland's films, her two Oscars, Gone with the Wind, Joan Fontaine, or Errol Flynn. Instead, history was made as a result of a legal fight: after winning a lawsuit against Warner Bros. in the mid-'40s, Olivia de Havilland put an end to treacherous...
- 7/2/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
B&B Wildwood Theatre is having their March Retro Night on Thursday, April 2. They are showing the classic film, The Wizard Of Oz. Shows are at 4pm & 7pm.
This magical cinematic event finds Kansas farm girl Judy Garland (“A Star is Born,” “Meet Me in St. Louis”) caught in a tornado and magically transported to the Land of Oz. Needing help to return home, she is told to follow the Yellow Brick Road and find the powerful Wizard (Frank Morgan). On her perilous journey, she is befriended by the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), the Tin Man (Jack Haley), and the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) who help her battle the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) and her flying monkeys. Based on the classic book by Frank L. Baum, “The Wizard of Oz” is a dazzling motion picture achievement, featuring unforgettable songs (including Oscar-winner “Over the Rainbow”), scenery, and costumes.
Tickets...
This magical cinematic event finds Kansas farm girl Judy Garland (“A Star is Born,” “Meet Me in St. Louis”) caught in a tornado and magically transported to the Land of Oz. Needing help to return home, she is told to follow the Yellow Brick Road and find the powerful Wizard (Frank Morgan). On her perilous journey, she is befriended by the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), the Tin Man (Jack Haley), and the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) who help her battle the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) and her flying monkeys. Based on the classic book by Frank L. Baum, “The Wizard of Oz” is a dazzling motion picture achievement, featuring unforgettable songs (including Oscar-winner “Over the Rainbow”), scenery, and costumes.
Tickets...
- 3/26/2015
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Teresa Wright and Matt Damon in 'The Rainmaker' Teresa Wright: From Marlon Brando to Matt Damon (See preceding post: "Teresa Wright vs. Samuel Goldwyn: Nasty Falling Out.") "I'd rather have luck than brains!" Teresa Wright was quoted as saying in the early 1950s. That's understandable, considering her post-Samuel Goldwyn choice of movie roles, some of which may have seemed promising on paper.[1] Wright was Marlon Brando's first Hollywood leading lady, but that didn't help her to bounce back following the very public spat with her former boss. After all, The Men was released before Elia Kazan's film version of A Streetcar Named Desire turned Brando into a major international star. Chances are that good film offers were scarce. After Wright's brief 1950 comeback, for the third time in less than a decade she would be gone from the big screen for more than a year.
- 3/11/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Over on Twitter Alex posed an interesting question to me and I thought I'd share it with you. Is Meryl Streep the first actor to be Oscar-nominated for playing a witch, or anyone in a fairy tale for that matter? As far as I can tell the answer is "in the way that you mean, yes" and "I believe so."
Though no witches in the fairy tale or broom-riding sense have been nominated before Streep, technically a witch star turn has won an Oscar and another spell-caster has been nominated. The first would be Ruth Gordon's diabolical coven leaderbusybody in Rosemary's Baby which we discussed in worshipful detail here. And Sir Ian McKellen was nominated for playing "Gandalf the Grey" who, being a sorcerer, is basically the male equivalent of a witch. Otherwise, no witches. The famous witches we think of when we think of the movies weren't actually nominated.
Though no witches in the fairy tale or broom-riding sense have been nominated before Streep, technically a witch star turn has won an Oscar and another spell-caster has been nominated. The first would be Ruth Gordon's diabolical coven leaderbusybody in Rosemary's Baby which we discussed in worshipful detail here. And Sir Ian McKellen was nominated for playing "Gandalf the Grey" who, being a sorcerer, is basically the male equivalent of a witch. Otherwise, no witches. The famous witches we think of when we think of the movies weren't actually nominated.
- 1/19/2015
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
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