Haven’t yet seen all the best old-school vintage naval combat epics? This color & ‘scope thriller has a terrific cast of Brit stars and up-n-comers, can boast excellent visuals and is historically accurate. Alec Guinness captains a ship during the Napoleonic Wars, and finds his duty complicated by a psychopathic top officer (Dirk Bogarde) who usurps authority and sees the crew as fresh meat for his sadistic ideas about discipline. All the tech and art credits are top-tier, plus we get nice supporting perfs from the likes of Anthony Quayle, Nigel Stock, Maurice Denham, Victor Maddern, Tom Bell, and Murray Melvin.
Damn the Defiant!
Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 136
1962 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 101 min. / Street Date June 29, 2022 / H.M.S. Defiant / Available from Viavision / Australian 34.95 / and Amazon US / 34.95
Starring: Alec Guinness, Dirk Bogarde, Maurice Denham, Nigel Stock, Richard Carpenter, Peter Gill, David Robinson, Robin Stewart, Ray Brooks, Peter Greenspan, Anthony Quayle, Tom Bell,...
Damn the Defiant!
Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 136
1962 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 101 min. / Street Date June 29, 2022 / H.M.S. Defiant / Available from Viavision / Australian 34.95 / and Amazon US / 34.95
Starring: Alec Guinness, Dirk Bogarde, Maurice Denham, Nigel Stock, Richard Carpenter, Peter Gill, David Robinson, Robin Stewart, Ray Brooks, Peter Greenspan, Anthony Quayle, Tom Bell,...
- 7/26/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Johnny Briggs, a British actor best known for his role as businessman Mike Baldwin in the long-running TV soap opera Coronation Street, has died. He was 85.
A family statement said Briggs died peacefully Sunday morning after a long illness.
Briggs was a fixture on Coronation Street, playing his role for 30 years. Baldwin, a Cockney clothing factory boss, became one of the most memorable characters in the show’s fictional town of Weatherfield. John Whiston, managing director of the drama, said Briggs brought charisma to his role which made it “very hard to look at anyone else” when he was on screen....
A family statement said Briggs died peacefully Sunday morning after a long illness.
Briggs was a fixture on Coronation Street, playing his role for 30 years. Baldwin, a Cockney clothing factory boss, became one of the most memorable characters in the show’s fictional town of Weatherfield. John Whiston, managing director of the drama, said Briggs brought charisma to his role which made it “very hard to look at anyone else” when he was on screen....
Johnny Briggs, a British actor best known for his role as businessman Mike Baldwin in the long-running TV soap opera Coronation Street, has died. He was 85.
A family statement said Briggs died peacefully Sunday morning after a long illness.
Briggs was a fixture on Coronation Street, playing his role for 30 years. Baldwin, a Cockney clothing factory boss, became one of the most memorable characters in the show’s fictional town of Weatherfield. John Whiston, managing director of the drama, said Briggs brought charisma to his role which made it “very hard to look at anyone else” when he was on screen....
A family statement said Briggs died peacefully Sunday morning after a long illness.
Briggs was a fixture on Coronation Street, playing his role for 30 years. Baldwin, a Cockney clothing factory boss, became one of the most memorable characters in the show’s fictional town of Weatherfield. John Whiston, managing director of the drama, said Briggs brought charisma to his role which made it “very hard to look at anyone else” when he was on screen....
He’s mean, he’s nasty, he carries a razor and he’s dating your sister! Cosh Boy was front & center in 1953 debates about ‘what’s wrong with the British cinema.’ It holds up well, if not as PC social comment, then as solid exploitation fare, with our verminous hero putting the moves on tough-but-vulnerable local girl Joan Collins. The entire cast will want to stand in line to get revenge against Roy Walsh, the punk who steals from his own mum and lets his criminal gang do the dirty work. Take it from me, he’s a dirty rat.
The Slasher (Cosh Boy)
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1953 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 75 min. / Street Date January 7, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 19.95
Starring: James Kenney, Joan Collins, Betty Ann Davies, Robert Ayres, Hermione Baddeley, Hermione Gingold, Nancy Roberts, Laurence Naismith, Ian Whittaker, Stanley Escane, Michael McKeag, Sean Lynch, Johnny Briggs, Nosher Powell.
The Slasher (Cosh Boy)
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1953 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 75 min. / Street Date January 7, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 19.95
Starring: James Kenney, Joan Collins, Betty Ann Davies, Robert Ayres, Hermione Baddeley, Hermione Gingold, Nancy Roberts, Laurence Naismith, Ian Whittaker, Stanley Escane, Michael McKeag, Sean Lynch, Johnny Briggs, Nosher Powell.
- 1/4/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
1960: Search for Tomorrow's Alison dealt with her mother-in-law.
1980: General Hospital's Monica faced a divorce decision.
1989: As the World Turns Paul shot his father, James Stenbeck.
2008: Hollyoaks' John Paul found Kieron's body."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"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...
1938: Radio soap opera Life Can Be Beautiful premiered on CBS, starting a successful 16-year run. Life Can Be Beautiful quickly became known to radio insiders by its initials, and widely referred to as "Elsie Beebe." It was the story of Carol Conrad, a disadvantaged child who--still...
1980: General Hospital's Monica faced a divorce decision.
1989: As the World Turns Paul shot his father, James Stenbeck.
2008: Hollyoaks' John Paul found Kieron's body."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"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...
1938: Radio soap opera Life Can Be Beautiful premiered on CBS, starting a successful 16-year run. Life Can Be Beautiful quickly became known to radio insiders by its initials, and widely referred to as "Elsie Beebe." It was the story of Carol Conrad, a disadvantaged child who--still...
- 9/6/2019
- by Unknown
- We Love Soaps
1982: Guiding Light's Justin deal with the Jackie's death.
1991: Days of our Lives' Frankie and Eve left Salem.
2007: One Life to Live's Jessica and Nash were married.
2010: On ABC.com's What If, Erica Kane met Sonny Corinthos."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"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...
1966: On The Guiding Light, Ed (Robert Gentry) found Bill (Ed Bryce) drunk at a bar.
1966: On Dark Shadows, Roger (Louis Edmonds) encountered Victoria (Alexandra Moltke) on Widows' Hill and told her the story of its legend and history. Meanwhile,...
1991: Days of our Lives' Frankie and Eve left Salem.
2007: One Life to Live's Jessica and Nash were married.
2010: On ABC.com's What If, Erica Kane met Sonny Corinthos."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"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...
1966: On The Guiding Light, Ed (Robert Gentry) found Bill (Ed Bryce) drunk at a bar.
1966: On Dark Shadows, Roger (Louis Edmonds) encountered Victoria (Alexandra Moltke) on Widows' Hill and told her the story of its legend and history. Meanwhile,...
- 7/16/2019
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
1960: Search for Tomorrow's Alison dealt with her mother-in-law.
1980: General Hospital's Monica faced a divorce decision.
1989: As the World Turns Paul shot his father, James Stenbeck.
2008: Hollyoaks' John Paul found Kieron's body."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...
1938: Radio soap opera Life Can Be Beautiful premiered on CBS, starting a successful 16-year run. Life Can Be Beautiful quickly became known to radio insiders by its initials, and widely referred to as "Elsie Beebe." It was the story of Carol Conrad, a disadvantaged child who--still in her teens--ran into the Slightly Read Bookshop seeking shelter and...
1980: General Hospital's Monica faced a divorce decision.
1989: As the World Turns Paul shot his father, James Stenbeck.
2008: Hollyoaks' John Paul found Kieron's body."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...
1938: Radio soap opera Life Can Be Beautiful premiered on CBS, starting a successful 16-year run. Life Can Be Beautiful quickly became known to radio insiders by its initials, and widely referred to as "Elsie Beebe." It was the story of Carol Conrad, a disadvantaged child who--still in her teens--ran into the Slightly Read Bookshop seeking shelter and...
- 9/8/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
1982: Guiding Light's Justin deal with the Jackie's death.
1991: Days of our Lives' Frankie and Eve left Salem.
2007: One Life to Live's Jessica and Nash were married.
2010: On ABC.com's What If, Erica Kane met Sonny Corinthos."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...
1966: On The Guiding Light, Ed (Robert Gentry) found Bill (Ed Bryce) drunk at a bar.
1966: On Dark Shadows, Roger...
1991: Days of our Lives' Frankie and Eve left Salem.
2007: One Life to Live's Jessica and Nash were married.
2010: On ABC.com's What If, Erica Kane met Sonny Corinthos."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...
1966: On The Guiding Light, Ed (Robert Gentry) found Bill (Ed Bryce) drunk at a bar.
1966: On Dark Shadows, Roger...
- 7/12/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
From Bananaman to Grange Hill, join us in a spot of TV nostalgia as we celebrate 50 great 1980s kids' TV theme songs...
There comes a time to turn away from the horrors of the world and retreat underneath the soft, comforting duvet of nostalgia. That time is Friday. That metaphorical duvet is below.
Here are fifty of the best kids’ TV theme songs (spread over two pages and in arbitrary order) of the 1980s. Some, like Alan Hawkshaw’s distinctive Grange Hill intro, are unarguable classics of the era, while others, like Mike Harding's Count Duckula, only started in the late-eighties and spent the rest of their run in the next decade.
Obviously, there being only 50 on this list, we may have missed out your favourite (deliberately or otherwise). Let us know if so, but remember that links may take a while to appear in the comments thread because...
There comes a time to turn away from the horrors of the world and retreat underneath the soft, comforting duvet of nostalgia. That time is Friday. That metaphorical duvet is below.
Here are fifty of the best kids’ TV theme songs (spread over two pages and in arbitrary order) of the 1980s. Some, like Alan Hawkshaw’s distinctive Grange Hill intro, are unarguable classics of the era, while others, like Mike Harding's Count Duckula, only started in the late-eighties and spent the rest of their run in the next decade.
Obviously, there being only 50 on this list, we may have missed out your favourite (deliberately or otherwise). Let us know if so, but remember that links may take a while to appear in the comments thread because...
- 7/29/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
A 2012 documentary which paid tribute to Coronation Street's Anne Kirkbride is to be repeated by ITV following the news of her death.
Deirdre and Me: A Tribute will air on Tuesday, February 3 in a 7.30pm timeslot on ITV.
An ITV press release bills the programme as "another chance to see this documentary special looking at the woman behind those famous glasses, showing as a tribute to the late Anne Kirkbride and her 40-year career playing Deirdre Barlow on Coronation Street".
The programme was originally shown in November 2012 in celebration of Kirkbride reaching her 40th year in the role of Deirdre.
Deirdre and Me sees Kirkbride take the cameras backstage at Coronation Street while opening up over her soap career and her own personal life.
Coronation Street stars past and present including Bill Roache, Johnny Briggs, Michelle Keegan and Chris Gascoyne all appear in the documentary.
Kirkbride passed away in...
Deirdre and Me: A Tribute will air on Tuesday, February 3 in a 7.30pm timeslot on ITV.
An ITV press release bills the programme as "another chance to see this documentary special looking at the woman behind those famous glasses, showing as a tribute to the late Anne Kirkbride and her 40-year career playing Deirdre Barlow on Coronation Street".
The programme was originally shown in November 2012 in celebration of Kirkbride reaching her 40th year in the role of Deirdre.
Deirdre and Me sees Kirkbride take the cameras backstage at Coronation Street while opening up over her soap career and her own personal life.
Coronation Street stars past and present including Bill Roache, Johnny Briggs, Michelle Keegan and Chris Gascoyne all appear in the documentary.
Kirkbride passed away in...
- 1/21/2015
- Digital Spy
Amazon's first original series has now begun its second season. Alpha House, which follows a group of Republican senators who live together in a house in DC, has added ten new episodes to its library on Amazon Prime. Alpha House stars John Goodman as Gil John Briggs, a Senator who, during the second season, must fend off a Democratic challenger and win re-election. This plot is ripped straight from the headlines; Alpha House's debut comes less than two weeks before midterm elections in the Us. When the first season of Alpha House arrived last year, critics met it with middling reviews. This year, the early consensus seems to have come out a little more positive, with critics from Variety and the Los Angeles Times praising the series' low-key brand of comedy. "Alpha House isn't the most popular or celebrated title amid the present onslaught of D.C.-set political series,...
- 10/24/2014
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Daniel Villegas, a man who has been serving a life sentence for murders he claims he did not commit, was released from custody on Tuesday, Jan. 14 after almost 20 years of imprisonment.
Villegas, 37, was convicted in 1995 of killing Robert England, 18, and Armando Lazo, 17 in a drive-by shooting in El Paso, Texas. Villegas himself was only 17 at the time of his conviction, and 16 at the time of the crime.
Daniel Villegas Released From Prison After 19 Years
After years of litigation, an appellate court vacated the 1995 conviction in December, 2013, and Villegas was released Tuesday on a $50,000 bond. In the eyes of the law, Villegas remains convicted of murder, and it is unclear whether or not a new trial will be scheduled.
“I never thought this day would come. Thank God,” Villegas told the large crowd of supporters and reporters upon his release from El Paso County Jail.
Villegas went to church before grabbing...
Villegas, 37, was convicted in 1995 of killing Robert England, 18, and Armando Lazo, 17 in a drive-by shooting in El Paso, Texas. Villegas himself was only 17 at the time of his conviction, and 16 at the time of the crime.
Daniel Villegas Released From Prison After 19 Years
After years of litigation, an appellate court vacated the 1995 conviction in December, 2013, and Villegas was released Tuesday on a $50,000 bond. In the eyes of the law, Villegas remains convicted of murder, and it is unclear whether or not a new trial will be scheduled.
“I never thought this day would come. Thank God,” Villegas told the large crowd of supporters and reporters upon his release from El Paso County Jail.
Villegas went to church before grabbing...
- 1/15/2014
- Uinterview
Johnny Briggs claims he's slept with more women than his former 'Coronation Street' co-star Bill Roache. Bill recently said he had bedded 1,000 females over the years, but Johnny - who played Bill's soap Weatherfield rival Mike Baldwin for 30 years - insists he has been intimate with more ladies. He said: ''I'm amazed that Bill Roache said he's slept with that many women. What goes on in the bedroom stays in the bedroom. I was a bit of a ladies' man myself. ''I don't know if I can say how many I've bedded, but it's probably more than him.'' Bill - who has...
- 4/24/2012
- Virgin Media - TV
Johnny Briggs claims he's slept with more women than his former 'Coronation Street' co-star Bill Roache. Bill recently said he had bedded 1,000 females over the years, but Johnny - who played Bill's soap Weatherfield rival Mike Baldwin for 30 years - insists he has been intimate with more ladies. He said: ''I'm amazed that Bill Roache said he's slept with that many women. What goes on in the bedroom stays in the bedroom. I was a bit of a ladies' man myself. ''I don't know if I can say how many I've bedded, but it's probably more than him.'' Bill - who has...
- 4/20/2012
- Virgin Media - TV
Former Coronation Street star Johnny Briggs has criticised the show, claiming that there is no "fun" in it anymore. The 75-year-old actor appeared in the ITV1 soap as Underworld boss Mike Baldwin for 30 years. Briggs's criticism comes after producer Phil Collinson hit back at claims that ratings have fallen dramatically. Briggs told The Mirror: "There's no laughter or humour. The Duckworths have gone, Hilda Ogden is gone, the comedy and drama is dead. People were once happy in the soap. There is no-one in it I recognise now. "I watched the 50th anniversary episode [in December] but could only stand five minutes before I flicked over to the golf. There is no fun in the show anymore." > 'Coronation Street' boss refutes 'gay agenda' claims
> Johnny Briggs: 'Corrie has no one star' Briggs continued: (more)...
> Johnny Briggs: 'Corrie has no one star' Briggs continued: (more)...
- 7/14/2011
- by By Ryan Love
- Digital Spy
Johnny Briggs is "heartbroken" over the state of 'Coronation Street'. The 75-year-old actor - who played knicker factory boss Mike Baldwin for 30 years until 2006 - criticised the lack of humour in the ITV1 soap and says he can no longer bear to tune in because the new, younger characters have derailed the soap. He said: "There's no laughter or humour. The Duckworths have gone, Hilda Ogden is gone, the comedy and drama is dead. People were once happy in the soap. There is no one in it I recognise now. "I watched the 50th anniversary episode in December but could only...
- 7/13/2011
- Virgin Media - TV
Simon Gregson has described the effect high-profile actors on Coronation Street had on him when he joined the show. Gregson, who has played Steve McDonald since 1989, said that he was "in awe" of William Roache (Ken Barlow) and Johnny Briggs (Mike Baldwin). "I was in awe of people like William Roache and Johnny Briggs when I started.You knew you were joining something big with those types of actors," he told Inside Soap. The 36-year-old highlighted the now-retired (more)...
- 6/25/2011
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
Former Coronation Street actor Johnny Briggs has claimed that the soap has survived because no one person has been allowed to become the star. The Weatherfield drama will celebrate its 50th anniversary next month and Briggs - who played Mike Baldwin for 30 years - told Hello magazine that there is only one true star. "The true strength of the Street is that there isn't a star," he said. "The star of the show is The Rovers. "People (more)...
- 11/15/2010
- by By Ryan Love
- Digital Spy
Johnny Briggs has warned his 'Coronation Street' pals not to ask for pay rises - unless they want to be killed off. The actor - who played Weatherfield legend Mike Baldwin from 1976, until his alter-ego died from a heart attack in 2006 - believes stars of the soap should be on their best behaviour over the next few months, to stop them from being culled in the upcoming tram crash storyline. He said: ''They'll get rid of anyone who asks! You can't predict who will go - it could be anyone. They seem to get rid of people right, left and centre.'' As ..
- 8/18/2010
- Virgin Media - TV
Johnny Briggs has warned the cast of Coronation Street that anyone could die in the upcoming tram crash. The actor - who played Mike Baldwin - told The Sun that none of the soap's actors should risk asking for a pay rise in the next few months. "They'll get rid of anyone who asks!" he claimed. "You can't predict who will go - it could be anyone," he added. "They seem to get rid of people right left and centre." Speaking at the launch of the new Corrie! stage play, Briggs claimed that the show needs to "listen to the fans". (more)...
- 8/18/2010
- by By Ryan Love
- Digital Spy
Keith Duffy has revealed that he would love to see Mike Baldwin make a shock return to Coronation Street. The actor, who recently returned to his own role as womaniser Ciaran McCarthy on the ITV1 soap, explained that he is still friends with 74-year-old Johnny Briggs, who played the Weatherfield legend for 30 years. Mike was killed off in 2006 after Briggs decided that he wanted to go into semi-retirement. Viewers saw the character passing away after suffering a heart attack. Despite this, Duffy has now told Pa: "I'd love Mike Baldwin to come (more)...
- 2/2/2010
- by By Daniel Kilkelly
- Digital Spy
Former Coronation Street actor Johnny Briggs has revealed that he would be willing to sign up for a permanent role in Doctors. The 71-year-old, best known for his role as Weatherfield's Mike Baldwin, will be seen making a guest appearance as convicted criminal John Cotham on the BBC medical drama next week. Discussing his time with the soap in an interview with What's On TV, Briggs commented: "It's been absolutely wonderful. When I stopped and semi-retired I thought I wouldn't do much, but it was absolutely great - what a nice bunch they are as well!" Asked (more)...
- 11/4/2009
- by By Daniel Kilkelly
- Digital Spy
Johnny Briggs has insisted that his recent comments about a possible return to Coronation Street should not have been taken seriously. Last week, a tabloid newspaper reported that Briggs wanted to make a Weatherfield comeback in the future, even though his character Mike Baldwin was killed off in 2006. At the time, the 71-year-old actor was quoted as saying that such a move could work because Us soap Dallas set a precedent with its unexpected Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) twist. However, asked if the reports were accurate in an interview with What's On TV, Briggs replied: "No, it was a joke! They asked was there any chance of me going back to Coronation Street and I said, 'Mike's dead - how could I come back?'. They pointed out (more)...
- 11/4/2009
- by By Daniel Kilkelly
- Digital Spy
Johnny Briggs has revealed that he would be interested in returning to Coronation Street in the future. According to the Daily Star, the 74-year-old actor wants to keep the option open even though his character Mike Baldwin was killed off following a heart attack in 2006. Briggs reportedly said that he could play Mike's evil twin one day, arguing that Dallas character Bobby Ewing set a precedent for surprise comebacks in soap. On the possibility of a return, the star is quoted as saying: "Why not? I think it could work. (more)...
- 10/28/2009
- by By Daniel Kilkelly
- Digital Spy
Former Coronation Street veteran Johnny Briggs is to make a guest appearance in BBC medical drama Doctors. The 74-year-old actor, best known for playing Mike Baldwin in the ITV1 soap, will be seen in the role of convicted criminal John Cotham on the daytime serial next month. Briggs's one-off episode, titled 'Robbed', sees his jailed character volunteering to help the police solve a cold case by showing them the location of a buried gun. Due to ill-health, John, who is serving time for murder and armed robbery, must be given the all-clear to go ahead with the trip and visits The Mill. When John's condition deteriorates, (more)...
- 10/7/2009
- by By Daniel Kilkelly
- Digital Spy
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button -- Obviously, the stars of David Fincher's cinematic telling of the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" are Brad Pitt as the title character and Cate Blanchett as his soul mate, Daisy. But this spellbinding fairy tale -- beautifully adapted by Oscar winner Eric Roth (Forrest Gump) -- requires much more than just A-list power to paint its haunting picture.In a New Orleans hospital, a dying woman asks her grown daughter, Caroline (Julia Ormond), to read from a journal. The woman is Daisy, and the diary is the extraordinary story of a man she knew named Benjamin Button, who was born old and grew younger. They shared a lifetime bond, though they only truly connected in the middle for a while. Caroline and Daisy (an astonishing deathbed performance by Blanchett) lead us into Ben's narrative of a life lived backward,...
- 1/15/2009
- backstage.com
Since the days of silent films, the lives of real people have been compelling movie subjects, and 2008 was no different, with bios of performers and politicians leading this year's award contenders. Nixon Gets Frosted Ron Howard's film Frost/Nixon, which Peter Morgan based on his award-winning stage play, tells the mesmerizing story of a disgraced American president and the tenacious journalist who butted heads with him in front of 45 million viewers. The historic interviews occurred over four intense broadcasts in 1977, culled from 28 hours of footage. Richard Nixon had been pressured to resign the presidency in 1974 in the wake of the Watergate scandal, and jet-setting TV host David Frost was determined to elicit candor — and a public apology — from a man with a reputation as a shrewd, self-serving political player. Frank Langella plays Nixon and Michael Sheen plays Frost in a rare case of two actors re-creating their roles from...
- 12/11/2008
- by Les Spindle
- backstage.com
Attending the press conference for Gus Van Sant’s biopic Milk, I had a Eureka moment that revealed my own naivety. A woman had asked Van Sant about his creative casting decisions, not just in choosing straights to play all the major gay characters (including a stunning Sean Penn as the gay civil rights leader Harvey Milk), but also in selecting the talented and out Denis O’Hare to embody homophobe extraordinaire John Briggs (the face behind the Proposition 6/Briggs Initiative to kick gay and lesbian teachers out of California’s public schools). I waited anxiously for the director to expound upon what the press notes referred to as “sexual-preference-blind casting,” a subversive t ...
- 12/1/2008
- by Lauren Wissot
- Spout
Attending the press conference for Gus Van Sant’s biopic Milk, I had a Eureka moment that revealed my own naivety. A woman had asked Van Sant about his creative casting decisions, not just in choosing straights to play all the major gay characters (including a stunning Sean Penn as the gay civil rights leader Harvey Milk), but also in selecting the talented and out Denis O’Hare to embody homophobe extraordinaire John Briggs (the face behind the Proposition 6/Briggs Initiative to kick gay and lesbian teachers out of California’s public schools). I waited anxiously for the director to expound upon what the press notes referred to as “sexual-preference-blind casting,” a subversive twis ...
- 12/1/2008
- by Lauren Wissot
- Spout
Johnny Briggs has confessed that he is finding life away from Coronation Street "boring". Despite having a role in ITV's Echo Beach, Briggs, who played Corrie businessman Mike Baldwin for 30 years, admitted that he misses working on the soap. "I'm finding semi-retirement boring. Very boring," he told the Press Association. Briggs added that he would like to be involved in the 50th anniversary celebration for Coronation Street. "Oh (more)...
- 11/6/2008
- by By Simon Reynolds
- Digital Spy
Ex-Coronation Street star Johnny Briggs wanted to be an extra in the ITV1 soap when it filmed in his local pub. The 72-year-old, who played Mike Baldwin for 30 years, asked producers if he could be in the background when they filmed scenes for a girl gang fight storyline. His character, whose final scenes aired in April 2006, died from a heart attack in the arms of Ken Barlow (William Roache). A source told The Sun: "They were filming in Johnny’s (more)...
- 8/6/2008
- by By Alex Fletcher
- Digital Spy
'There's Nothing wrong with being gay, so to deny it is to make a judgment," said actor Keanu Reeves.
We Are on the verge of receiving a movie ti tled "Milk." It will open on Oct. 29 in the Castro District of San Francisco, with a great cast playing the roles of the real-life protagonists in the story of the late Harvey Milk.
In case you've forgotten, Milk was the first openly gay city supervisor of San Francisco. He was assassinated, along with Mayor George Moscone, in 1978, becoming a...
We Are on the verge of receiving a movie ti tled "Milk." It will open on Oct. 29 in the Castro District of San Francisco, with a great cast playing the roles of the real-life protagonists in the story of the late Harvey Milk.
In case you've forgotten, Milk was the first openly gay city supervisor of San Francisco. He was assassinated, along with Mayor George Moscone, in 1978, becoming a...
- 8/5/2008
- by By LIZ SMITH
- NYPost.com
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