Film Forum is turning back the clock to the ’80s and celebrating golden era cinemas with the New York premiere of Richard Shepard’s “Film Geek.”
Emmy winner Shepard writes and directs the cine-memoir feature centered on moviegoing in the ’70s and ’80s. “Film Geek” debuts as part of Film Forum’s “Out of the ’80s” programming, which includes over 50 films ranging from blockbusters to cult classics.
Films such as “Blue Velvet,” “Do the Right Thing,” “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” and more will screen at the theater. Actors such as Griffin Dunne and Isaac Mizrahi will revisit their own ’80s features, while directors like Charlie Ahearn, Charles Lane, and Jerry Schatzberg discuss their filmmaking styles.
The series is programmed by Bruce Goldstein, Film Forum’s Repertory Artistic Director, and was inspired by Richard Shepard’s documentary “Film Geek.” The festival centers on the debut of “Film Geek,” which is...
Emmy winner Shepard writes and directs the cine-memoir feature centered on moviegoing in the ’70s and ’80s. “Film Geek” debuts as part of Film Forum’s “Out of the ’80s” programming, which includes over 50 films ranging from blockbusters to cult classics.
Films such as “Blue Velvet,” “Do the Right Thing,” “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” and more will screen at the theater. Actors such as Griffin Dunne and Isaac Mizrahi will revisit their own ’80s features, while directors like Charlie Ahearn, Charles Lane, and Jerry Schatzberg discuss their filmmaking styles.
The series is programmed by Bruce Goldstein, Film Forum’s Repertory Artistic Director, and was inspired by Richard Shepard’s documentary “Film Geek.” The festival centers on the debut of “Film Geek,” which is...
- 4/25/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
It’s time for Peter Sarsgaard to finally shatter the Oscar glass.
Once upon a time, actor Peter Sarsgaard won the most precursors prizes during the 2003-2004 awards season for his supporting turn in Billy Ray’s “Shattered Glass.” In the film, he plays Charles Lane, a newly promoted editor who suspects one of his revered writers (played by Hayden Christensen) could have fabricated some of his stories. It was a breakout performance in the early days of online Oscar punditry that had everyone buzzing. However, when it came time for the major televised ceremonies, he was only able to muster a Golden Globe nod, then to be followed by shocking snubs from SAG, BAFTA and eventually the Academy Awards.
It was one of the few times in recent awards history where the leader of critics’ acting prizes failed to nab Oscar recognition (others include Ethan Hawke for “First Reformed...
Once upon a time, actor Peter Sarsgaard won the most precursors prizes during the 2003-2004 awards season for his supporting turn in Billy Ray’s “Shattered Glass.” In the film, he plays Charles Lane, a newly promoted editor who suspects one of his revered writers (played by Hayden Christensen) could have fabricated some of his stories. It was a breakout performance in the early days of online Oscar punditry that had everyone buzzing. However, when it came time for the major televised ceremonies, he was only able to muster a Golden Globe nod, then to be followed by shocking snubs from SAG, BAFTA and eventually the Academy Awards.
It was one of the few times in recent awards history where the leader of critics’ acting prizes failed to nab Oscar recognition (others include Ethan Hawke for “First Reformed...
- 9/10/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
It’s the Gold Standard of Christmas movies and likely the oldest feature still broadcast on network TV during the holidays: Frank Capra’s sentimental favorite is his most human movie, the kind of show that convinced people that raising a family is a great idea. Although we’re now a full three generations removed from the world events that surround the story of George Bailey, his problems haven’t dated. Paramount’s anniversary disc gives us a new encoding from a 4K scan, a repressing of the older colorized version, a good making-of piece by Craig Barron and Ben Burtt, a reel of home movies from the film’s wrap picnic in the summer of ’46. . . and a set of ‘Bailey Family Recipe Cards.’
It’s a Wonderful Life 75th Anniversary
Blu-ray
Paramount
1946 / B&w + Colorized / 1:37 Academy / 130 min. / Street Date November 16, 2021 / Available from /
Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore,...
It’s a Wonderful Life 75th Anniversary
Blu-ray
Paramount
1946 / B&w + Colorized / 1:37 Academy / 130 min. / Street Date November 16, 2021 / Available from /
Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore,...
- 11/30/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
George Seaton’s literal feel-good comedy is the flipside of pandemic films like Contagion: a powerful virus ‘cures’ grumpiness and bad vibes, encouraging a kind of Urban Utopia. The picture has nothing more to say than ‘have a nice day,’ yet it’s difficult to argue with any positive sentiment, especially these days. George Peppard and Mary Tyler Moore battle nobly with the material, which varies from good parody (Dom DeLuise) to awful vaudeville schtick to wafer-thin satire to terrible musical interludes. A Toucan bird from South America steals the show — his trainer Ray Berwick should have won an Oscar.
What’s So Bad About Feeling Good?
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 94 min. / Street Date August 24, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: George Peppard, Mary Tyler Moore, Susan Saint James, Don Stroud, Dom DeLuise, John McMartin, Charles Lane, Nathaniel Frey, George Furth, Morty Gunty, Frank Campanella, Thelma Ritter,...
What’s So Bad About Feeling Good?
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 94 min. / Street Date August 24, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: George Peppard, Mary Tyler Moore, Susan Saint James, Don Stroud, Dom DeLuise, John McMartin, Charles Lane, Nathaniel Frey, George Furth, Morty Gunty, Frank Campanella, Thelma Ritter,...
- 7/17/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Stephanie Stein, an editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books, described her “unreal” experience getting trounced by reigning “Jeopardy!” champion James Holzhauer.
“The James machine is inexorable,” Stein wrote in the New York Times on Saturday. “What makes him a “Jeopardy!” machine is all of that and his impeccable timing on the buzzer. It’s unreal.”
At the time Stein faced him, Holzhauer had already put away five games. The show, as she noted, films multiple episodes a day, and Stein described the growing sense of dread building up on set.
Also Read: Alex Trebek Has Surges of 'Deep, Deep Sadness' Over Cancer Battle, But Is 'Fighting Through It' (Video)
“I remember someone joking, ‘Who’s next into the meat grinder?’ I couldn’t decide if I wanted it to be me. At least then the wait would be over,” Stein wrote. “My mother was in the audience, and you’re...
“The James machine is inexorable,” Stein wrote in the New York Times on Saturday. “What makes him a “Jeopardy!” machine is all of that and his impeccable timing on the buzzer. It’s unreal.”
At the time Stein faced him, Holzhauer had already put away five games. The show, as she noted, films multiple episodes a day, and Stein described the growing sense of dread building up on set.
Also Read: Alex Trebek Has Surges of 'Deep, Deep Sadness' Over Cancer Battle, But Is 'Fighting Through It' (Video)
“I remember someone joking, ‘Who’s next into the meat grinder?’ I couldn’t decide if I wanted it to be me. At least then the wait would be over,” Stein wrote. “My mother was in the audience, and you’re...
- 5/6/2019
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
A solid mainstream hit for 1947, Loretta Young and Joseph Cotten’s political fairy tale maintains its charm despite the usual populist dodges — a spirited young woman finds both romance and The American Dream when she runs for Congress. But will the political system accept her?
The Farmer’s Daughter
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1947 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 97 min. / Street Date September 25, 2018 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Loretta Young, Joseph Cotten, Ethel Barrymore, Charles Bickford, Rhys Williams, Harry Davenport, Tom Powers, William Harrigan, Keith Andes, Harry Shannon, Lex Barker, Thurston Hall, Art Baker, Don Beddoe, James Arness, Anna Q. Nilsson, Charles McGraw, John Gallaudet, William B. Davidson, Cy Kendall, Frank Ferguson, William Bakewell, Charles Lane Forrest J. Ackerman, Robert Clarke.
Film Editor: Harry Marker
Original Music: Leigh Harline
Written by Allen Rivkin, Laura Kerr, from a play by Juhani Tervapää
Produced by Dore Schary
Directed by H.C. Potter
This year...
The Farmer’s Daughter
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1947 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 97 min. / Street Date September 25, 2018 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Loretta Young, Joseph Cotten, Ethel Barrymore, Charles Bickford, Rhys Williams, Harry Davenport, Tom Powers, William Harrigan, Keith Andes, Harry Shannon, Lex Barker, Thurston Hall, Art Baker, Don Beddoe, James Arness, Anna Q. Nilsson, Charles McGraw, John Gallaudet, William B. Davidson, Cy Kendall, Frank Ferguson, William Bakewell, Charles Lane Forrest J. Ackerman, Robert Clarke.
Film Editor: Harry Marker
Original Music: Leigh Harline
Written by Allen Rivkin, Laura Kerr, from a play by Juhani Tervapää
Produced by Dore Schary
Directed by H.C. Potter
This year...
- 9/11/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Ronald Colman: Turner Classic Movies' Star of the Month in two major 1930s classics Updated: Turner Classic Movies' July 2017 Star of the Month is Ronald Colman, one of the finest performers of the studio era. On Thursday night, TCM presented five Colman star vehicles that should be popping up again in the not-too-distant future: A Tale of Two Cities, The Prisoner of Zenda, Kismet, Lucky Partners, and My Life with Caroline. The first two movies are among not only Colman's best, but also among Hollywood's best during its so-called Golden Age. Based on Charles Dickens' classic novel, Jack Conway's Academy Award-nominated A Tale of Two Cities (1936) is a rare Hollywood production indeed: it manages to effectively condense its sprawling source, it boasts first-rate production values, and it features a phenomenal central performance. Ah, it also shows its star without his trademark mustache – about as famous at the time as Clark Gable's. Perhaps...
- 7/21/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
(See previous post: Fourth of July Movies: Escapism During a Weird Year.) On the evening of the Fourth of July, besides fireworks, fire hazards, and Yankee Doodle Dandy, if you're watching TCM in the U.S. and Canada, there's the following: Peter H. Hunt's 1776 (1972), a largely forgotten film musical based on the Broadway hit with music by Sherman Edwards. William Daniels, who was recently on TCM talking about 1776 and a couple of other movies (A Thousand Clowns, Dodsworth), has one of the key roles as John Adams. Howard Da Silva, blacklisted for over a decade after being named a communist during the House Un-American Committee hearings of the early 1950s (Robert Taylor was one who mentioned him in his testimony), plays Benjamin Franklin. Ken Howard is Thomas Jefferson, a role he would reprise in John Huston's 1976 short Independence. (In the short, Pat Hingle was cast as John Adams; Eli Wallach was Benjamin Franklin.) Warner...
- 7/5/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The late 80s and 90s heralded a breakthrough led by Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing and John Singleton’s Boyz N the Hood. At first, Hollywood embraced this wave of talent, then it ignored it. Now, in the wake of #OscarsSoWhite, black film is rising again
‘Black film properties may be to the 90s what the carphone was to the 80s; every studio executive has to have one,” wrote the New York Times magazine in the summer of 1991. It’s a comment that speaks volumes about both a cultural moment and its transience. The piece was titled They’ve Gotta Have Us, referring to Spike Lee’s 1986 breakthrough movie She’s Gotta Have It. The group portrait on the cover brought together an impressive collection of young, black film-makers – what has been labelled “the class of 91”. Lee was head boy, of course. By that time he was well...
‘Black film properties may be to the 90s what the carphone was to the 80s; every studio executive has to have one,” wrote the New York Times magazine in the summer of 1991. It’s a comment that speaks volumes about both a cultural moment and its transience. The piece was titled They’ve Gotta Have Us, referring to Spike Lee’s 1986 breakthrough movie She’s Gotta Have It. The group portrait on the cover brought together an impressive collection of young, black film-makers – what has been labelled “the class of 91”. Lee was head boy, of course. By that time he was well...
- 10/13/2016
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
For New Yorkers: This rare, contemporary, silent film, shot in beautiful black-and-white in downtown New York, screens at the Metrograph (7 Ludlow St in Manhattan) tomorrow, April 5, at 7pm. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Charles Lane, moderated by David Garza. Tickets are $15. It's a rare opportunity to see it on the big screen, so take advantage. *** It’s been a good few years for silent film, which has enjoyed some popularity with movies like "Blancanieves" and "The Artist," Michael Hazanavicius’ love letter to Old Hollywood that gained the adoration of critics and several Oscars statuettes. The movie’s charming sense of...
- 4/4/2016
- by Zeba Blay
- ShadowAndAct
Gary Cooper movies on TCM: Cooper at his best and at his weakest Gary Cooper is Turner Classic Movies' “Summer Under the Stars” star today, Aug. 30, '15. Unfortunately, TCM isn't showing any Cooper movie premiere – despite the fact that most of his Paramount movies of the '20s and '30s remain unavailable. This evening's features are Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), Sergeant York (1941), and Love in the Afternoon (1957). Mr. Deeds Goes to Town solidified Gary Cooper's stardom and helped to make Jean Arthur Columbia's top female star. The film is a tad overlong and, like every Frank Capra movie, it's also highly sentimental. What saves it from the Hell of Good Intentions is the acting of the two leads – Cooper and Arthur are both excellent – and of several supporting players. Directed by Howard Hawks, the jingoistic, pro-war Sergeant York was a huge box office hit, eventually earning Academy Award nominations in several categories,...
- 8/30/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
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
Raymond Massey ca. 1940. Raymond Massey movies: From Lincoln to Boris Karloff Though hardly remembered today, the Toronto-born Raymond Massey was a top supporting player – and sometime lead – in both British and American movies from the early '30s all the way to the early '60s. During that period, Massey was featured in nearly 50 films. Turner Classic Movies generally selects the same old MGM / Rko / Warner Bros. stars for its annual “Summer Under the Stars” series. For that reason, it's great to see someone like Raymond Massey – who was with Warners in the '40s – be the focus of a whole day: Sat., Aug. 8, '15. (See TCM's Raymond Massey movie schedule further below.) Admittedly, despite his prestige – his stage credits included the title role in the short-lived 1931 Broadway production of Hamlet – the quality of Massey's performances varied wildly. Sometimes he could be quite effective; most of the time, however, he was an unabashed scenery chewer,...
- 8/8/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Teresa Wright-Samuel Goldwyn association comes to a nasty end (See preceding post: "Teresa Wright in 'Shadow of a Doubt': Alfred Hitchcock Heroine in His Favorite Film.") Whether or not because she was aware that Enchantment wasn't going to be the hit she needed – or perhaps some other disagreement with Samuel Goldwyn or personal issue with husband Niven Busch – Teresa Wright, claiming illness, refused to go to New York City to promote the film. (Top image: Teresa Wright in a publicity shot for The Men.) Goldwyn had previously announced that Wright, whose contract still had another four and half years to run, was to star in a film version of J.D. Salinger's 1948 short story "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut." Instead, he unceremoniously – and quite publicly – fired her.[1] The Goldwyn organization issued a statement, explaining that besides refusing the assignment to travel to New York to help generate pre-opening publicity for Enchantment,...
- 3/11/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Cast
Captain T. G. Culpeper Spencer Tracy J. Russell Finch Milton Berle Melville Crump Sid Caesar Benjy Benjamin Buddy Hackett Mrs. Marcus Ethel Merman Ding Bell Mickey Rooney Sylvester Marcus Dick Shawn Otto Meyer Phil Silvers J. Algernon Hawthorne Terry-Thomas Lennie Pike Jonathan Winters Monica Crump Edie Adams Emeline Finch Dorothy Provine Cabdriver Eddie “Rochester” Anderson Tyler Fitzgerald Jim Backus Man driving in the desert Jack Benny Union official Joe E. Brown Biplane pilot Ben Blue Police sergeant Alan Carney Detective Chick Chandler Mrs. Halliburton Barrie Chase Mayor Lloyd Corrigan Police chief William Demarest Sheriff of Crocket County Andy Devine Ginger Culpeper (voice) Selma Diamond Cabdriver Peter Falk Detective Normal Fell Colonel Wilberforce Paul Ford Deputy sheriff Stan Freberg Billie Sue Culpeper (voice) Louise Glenn Cabdriver Leo Gorcey Fire chief Sterling Holloway Mr. Dinckler Edward Everett Horton Irwin Marvin Kaplan Jimmy the Cook Buster Keaton Nervous motorist Don Knotts Airport...
Captain T. G. Culpeper Spencer Tracy J. Russell Finch Milton Berle Melville Crump Sid Caesar Benjy Benjamin Buddy Hackett Mrs. Marcus Ethel Merman Ding Bell Mickey Rooney Sylvester Marcus Dick Shawn Otto Meyer Phil Silvers J. Algernon Hawthorne Terry-Thomas Lennie Pike Jonathan Winters Monica Crump Edie Adams Emeline Finch Dorothy Provine Cabdriver Eddie “Rochester” Anderson Tyler Fitzgerald Jim Backus Man driving in the desert Jack Benny Union official Joe E. Brown Biplane pilot Ben Blue Police sergeant Alan Carney Detective Chick Chandler Mrs. Halliburton Barrie Chase Mayor Lloyd Corrigan Police chief William Demarest Sheriff of Crocket County Andy Devine Ginger Culpeper (voice) Selma Diamond Cabdriver Peter Falk Detective Normal Fell Colonel Wilberforce Paul Ford Deputy sheriff Stan Freberg Billie Sue Culpeper (voice) Louise Glenn Cabdriver Leo Gorcey Fire chief Sterling Holloway Mr. Dinckler Edward Everett Horton Irwin Marvin Kaplan Jimmy the Cook Buster Keaton Nervous motorist Don Knotts Airport...
- 1/22/2015
- by Sam Moffitt
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Loretta Young films as TCM celebrates her 102nd birthday (photo: Loretta Young ca. 1935) Loretta Young would have turned 102 years old today. Turner Classic Movies is celebrating the birthday of the Salt Lake City-born, Academy Award-winning actress today, January 6, 2015, with no less than ten Loretta Young films, most of them released by Warner Bros. in the early '30s. Young, who began her film career in a bit part in the 1927 Colleen Moore star vehicle Her Wild Oat, remained a Warners contract player from the late '20s up until 1933. (See also: "Loretta Young Movies.") Now, ten Loretta Young films on one day may sound like a lot, but one should remember that most Warner Bros. -- in fact, most Hollywood -- releases of the late '20s and early '30s were either B Movies or programmers. The latter were relatively short (usually 60 to 75 minutes) feature films starring A (or B+) performers,...
- 1/6/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Jean Arthur films on TCM include three Frank Capra classics Five Jean Arthur films will be shown this evening, Monday, January 5, 2015, on Turner Classic Movies, including three directed by Frank Capra, the man who helped to turn Arthur into a major Hollywood star. They are the following: Capra's Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, You Can't Take It with You, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; George Stevens' The More the Merrier; and Frank Borzage's History Is Made at Night. One the most effective performers of the studio era, Jean Arthur -- whose film career began inauspiciously in 1923 -- was Columbia Pictures' biggest female star from the mid-'30s to the mid-'40s, when Rita Hayworth came to prominence and, coincidentally, Arthur's Columbia contract expired. Today, she's best known for her trio of films directed by Frank Capra, Columbia's top director of the 1930s. Jean Arthur-Frank Capra...
- 1/6/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
There are no absolutes; but one thing that is absolutely true is that good films will always eventually find an audience. Yes, sometimes it takes years. They might be rejected at first only, years later, to be discovered by an appreciative audience. And sometimes, for various reasons, they’re popular at first and get great reviews, but fall by the wayside, and are forgotten only to be rediscovered again years later for filmgoers looking for something different and of substance. The latter has been the case for Charles Lane’s wonderful silent dramedy "Sidewalks Stories," which I vividly recall seeing when it first came out in 1989, and thought it would signal the beginning...
- 7/3/2014
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
It’s been a good few years for silent film, which has enjoyed some popularity with movies like Blancanieves and The Artist, Michael Hazanavicius’s love letter to Old Hollywood that gained the adoration of critics and several Oscars statuettes. The movie’s charming sense of nostalgia was deemed an inspired, refreshing change of pace from the norm, a reminder that the image is paramount in what makes the storytelling of film work. Of course, The Artist is only one in a long line of modern films that have attempted to capture the magic of the silent era. In 1989, a similar movie, this time by a black filmmaker, was greeted by its own flurry of adoration and applause. Charles Lane’s...
- 5/27/2014
- by Zeba Blay
- ShadowAndAct
Jeanne Crain: Lighthearted movies vs. real life tragedies (photo: Madeleine Carroll and Jeanne Crain in ‘The Fan’) (See also: "Jeanne Crain: From ‘Pinky’ Inanity to ‘Margie’ Magic.") Unlike her characters in Margie, Home in Indiana, State Fair, Centennial Summer, The Fan, and Cheaper by the Dozen (and its sequel, Belles on Their Toes), or even in the more complex A Letter to Three Wives and People Will Talk, Jeanne Crain didn’t find a romantic Happy Ending in real life. In the mid-’50s, Crain accused her husband, former minor actor Paul Brooks aka Paul Brinkman, of infidelity, of living off her earnings, and of brutally beating her. The couple reportedly were never divorced because of their Catholic faith. (And at least in the ’60s, unlike the humanistic, progressive-thinking Margie, Crain was a “conservative” Republican who supported Richard Nixon.) In the early ’90s, she lost two of her...
- 8/26/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Fred MacMurray movies: ‘Double Indemnity,’ ‘There’s Always Tomorrow’ Fred MacMurray is Turner Classic Movies’ "Summer Under the Stars" today, Thursday, August 7, 2013. Although perhaps best remembered as the insufferable All-American Dad on the long-running TV show My Three Sons and in several highly popular Disney movies from 1959 to 1967, e.g., The Absent-Minded Professor, Son of Flubber, Boy Voyage!, MacMurray was immeasurably more interesting as the All-American Jerk. (Photo: Fred MacMurray ca. 1940.) Someone once wrote that Fred MacMurray would have been an ideal choice to star in a biopic of disgraced Republican president Richard Nixon. Who knows, the (coincidentally Republican) MacMurray might have given Anthony Hopkins a run for his Best Actor Academy Award nomination. After all, MacMurray’s most admired movie performances are those in which he plays a scheming, conniving asshole: Billy Wilder’s classic film noir Double Indemnity (1944), in which he’s seduced by Barbara Stanwyck, and Wilder...
- 8/8/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Mary Boland movies: Scene-stealing actress has her ‘Summer Under the Stars’ day on TCM Turner Classic Movies will dedicate the next 24 hours, Sunday, August 4, 2013, not to Lana Turner, Lauren Bacall, Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Esther Williams, or Bette Davis — TCM’s frequent Warner Bros., MGM, and/or Rko stars — but to the marvelous scene-stealer Mary Boland. A stage actress who was featured in a handful of movies in the 1910s, Boland came into her own as a stellar film supporting player in the early ’30s, initially at Paramount and later at most other Hollywood studios. First, the bad news: TCM’s "Summer Under the Stars" Mary Boland Day will feature only two movies from Boland’s Paramount period: the 1935 Best Picture Academy Award nominee Ruggles of Red Gap, which TCM has shown before, and one TCM premiere. So, no rarities like Secrets of a Secretary, Mama Loves Papa, Melody in Spring,...
- 8/4/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
It’s been a good few years for silent film, which has enjoyed some popularity with movies like Blancanieves and The Artist, Michael Hazanavicius’s love letter to Old Hollywood that gained the adoration of critics and several Oscars statuettes. The movie’s charming sense of nostalgia was deemed an inspired, refreshing change of pace from the norm, a reminder that the image is paramount in what makes the storytelling of film work. Of course, The Artist is only one in a long line of modern films that have attempted to capture the magic of the silent era. In 1989, a similar movie, this time by a black filmmaker, was greeted by its own flurry of adoration and applause. Charles Lane’s...
- 4/29/2013
- by Zeba Blay
- ShadowAndAct
By Lee Pfeiffer
I have always been a great admirer of Paul Henning, the crooner-turned-tv producer/writer of some of the best-loved shows of the 1960s. It was Henning who gave a voice to rural audiences by creating such classic TV series as The Beverly Hillbilllies, Petticoat Junction and Green Acres. If you revisit any of them today, they remain far superior to most contemporary sitcoms. Henning not only created shows that have timeless appeal, but he also brainstormed the concept of interweaving characters and plot devices between the series- a stroke of genius that brought cross-promotion marketing to new levels. Henning also prided himself on making his country characters eccentric, but never idiotic. They were simple people living simple lives and if they seemed to exist in a time warp, they were all honest, admirable folks. It was always the sophisticated city slickers who would get their comeuppance at...
I have always been a great admirer of Paul Henning, the crooner-turned-tv producer/writer of some of the best-loved shows of the 1960s. It was Henning who gave a voice to rural audiences by creating such classic TV series as The Beverly Hillbilllies, Petticoat Junction and Green Acres. If you revisit any of them today, they remain far superior to most contemporary sitcoms. Henning not only created shows that have timeless appeal, but he also brainstormed the concept of interweaving characters and plot devices between the series- a stroke of genius that brought cross-promotion marketing to new levels. Henning also prided himself on making his country characters eccentric, but never idiotic. They were simple people living simple lives and if they seemed to exist in a time warp, they were all honest, admirable folks. It was always the sophisticated city slickers who would get their comeuppance at...
- 3/25/2013
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Stephen Colbert is truly concerned about the changing demographics of the Republican Party and now, he's offering up a bit of advice: the key to regaining voters is backing white male patriarchy. New York City recently had a day where no murders were reported and according to Colbert, this is terrible for the Republican party. Getting tough on crime used to be a "key conservative issue" and without it, Republicans are at a loss for how to bring voters back to their side. "Declining street violence may seem like a good thing," says Colbert, but as Charles Lane, writer for The Washington Post, recently said, "Fear of street crime...converted many a white working-class Democrat into a Republican," but "safer streets have...blunted what was once a sharp wedge issue."...
- 12/5/2012
- by Anjali Sareen
- Mediaite - TV
Roswell, N.M. - The aliens have returned! Maybe not returned so much as finally arrived on home video with the release of Dark Skies: The Declassified Complete Series on DVD. Startling enough, the show only lasted a season on NBC in 1996. It gained a large cult with an alternative history of America in the ’60s. “History as we know it is a lie” was the startling series slogan. John Loengard (Eric Close) went from plucky congressional aide to a member of the ultra creepy Majestic 12 run by Frank Bach (J.T. Walsh) to battle the alien menace. An equally bizarre transformation happens to his girlfriend, Kimberly Sayers (Megan Ward). She gets alien abducted and returned. The perky perfect sixties gal goes to dark side. Can he bring her back?
Megan Ward called up the Party Favors hotline for a brief chat about the series, being covered in cow guts,...
Megan Ward called up the Party Favors hotline for a brief chat about the series, being covered in cow guts,...
- 2/4/2011
- by UncaScroogeMcD
In 1990, shortly after The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover was refused an R rating by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Harvey Weinstein of Miramax Films found himself confronted with the exact same dilemma. The film in question this time was Pedro Almodovar’s Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!.
The film, starring a young, thin Antonio Banderas, is completely different from The Cook, with no extreme violence to speak of, and certainly no cannibalism. Any scandalous material in the film can be boiled down to two scenes. One scene involves Marina, played by Victoria Abril, taking a bath. During the bath, she winds up a sex toy which, hilariously, is a little scuba diver attached to a kind of missile. When Marina lets him go in the water, he kicks his flippered feet, launching himself and the missile at a pitiful pace towards her open legs.
The film, starring a young, thin Antonio Banderas, is completely different from The Cook, with no extreme violence to speak of, and certainly no cannibalism. Any scandalous material in the film can be boiled down to two scenes. One scene involves Marina, played by Victoria Abril, taking a bath. During the bath, she winds up a sex toy which, hilariously, is a little scuba diver attached to a kind of missile. When Marina lets him go in the water, he kicks his flippered feet, launching himself and the missile at a pitiful pace towards her open legs.
- 1/13/2011
- by Alice gray
- SoundOnSight
(Peter Sarsgaard in An Education, above.)
by Terry Keefe
(Currently appearing in this month's Venice Magazine.)
Like a seal of approval, it’s always a good sign of a film’s merit to see Peter Sarsgaard in the opening credits, because he chooses his projects well, whether it has been in a leading or supporting role. For a few years now, he has been in a strong enough career position that he could opt only to play leads, even if those were in smaller films, but from his film choices, he has also clearly been more interested in the quality of role, and not necessarily the size of the part, or the paycheck. As Mark, the uniquely resourceful slacker best friend of Zach Braff in Garden State, and as Clyde Martin, the protégé in Kinsey, and in his portrayal of real-life New Republic editor Charles Lane in Shattered Glass, and...
by Terry Keefe
(Currently appearing in this month's Venice Magazine.)
Like a seal of approval, it’s always a good sign of a film’s merit to see Peter Sarsgaard in the opening credits, because he chooses his projects well, whether it has been in a leading or supporting role. For a few years now, he has been in a strong enough career position that he could opt only to play leads, even if those were in smaller films, but from his film choices, he has also clearly been more interested in the quality of role, and not necessarily the size of the part, or the paycheck. As Mark, the uniquely resourceful slacker best friend of Zach Braff in Garden State, and as Clyde Martin, the protégé in Kinsey, and in his portrayal of real-life New Republic editor Charles Lane in Shattered Glass, and...
- 12/21/2009
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Your Avatar: The journalist and opinion columnist Charles Lane has been getting a lot of smack from various progressive political blogs and bloggers for his criticism of some rhetorical flourishes made by Ezra Klein in wake of Joe Lieberman's...well, we're not really interested in all that at the moment. Anyway, he was recently awarded Atrios' coveted Wanker of the Day award by the influential lefty blogger Atrios, and if you are interested, that blog post will take you where you need to go. Anyway. With all this talk about Lane I got to thinking the same thing I did when I first saw Shattered Glass, and the below photos, I think, competently illuminate my question: "Was there ever a real life figure done more of a favor in his motion picture depiction than Charles Lane?"
So the question here, I suppose, should be two-fold: What are your favorite...
So the question here, I suppose, should be two-fold: What are your favorite...
- 12/18/2009
- MUBI
Peter Sarsgaard has played his fair share of, shall we say, ethically dubious characters. From his brutal killer in "Boys Don't Cry" to more vaguely menacing roles in "Flightplan" and "The Skeleton Key," the actor excels at making audiences question what's under the polite surface. In fairness, Sarsgaard has also played his share of good guys, earning laurels for his portrayal of The New Republic editor Charles Lane in "Shattered Glass." But the actor admits he hasn't made any films that his 3-year-old daughter Ramona (with wife Maggie Gyllenhaal) can watch anytime soon. "I don't have a single movie for her," he says with a laugh. "At least Maggie has 'Monster House' and now 'Nanny McPhee 2.' She can't watch anything of mine."The one exception is Sarsgaard's latest film, "An Education," which he says Ramona will be able to watch when she's a teenager. Written by Nick Hornby and Lynn Barber,...
- 12/10/2009
- backstage.com
Welcome to the first installment of a new column here at Fangoria.com, Back Catalogue. Sometimes the Catalogue will cover new releases of older films, and sometimes it will feature exactly what the title implies, back catalogue items. These will normally be from smaller specialty labels that have formed the backbone of the horror fans ability to build a truly representative collection of their favorite films. I'm proud to start this column back up after a two year hiatus and promise to work hard to recommend films that you're in danger of forgetting about, have maybe never heard of, or that might be ready to go out of print.
I'm also proud that the first edition of Catalogue is all about Synapse Films. Anybody who goes to conventions and has stopped by the Synapse table has not only seen first hand the amazing array of labor of love releases and Special Editions they produce,...
I'm also proud that the first edition of Catalogue is all about Synapse Films. Anybody who goes to conventions and has stopped by the Synapse table has not only seen first hand the amazing array of labor of love releases and Special Editions they produce,...
- 4/29/2009
- Fangoria
Since we were kids, we knew the taxman was a bad guy. If we didn't get the message from the lyrics of The Beatles, or the wolfish version of the Sheriff of Nottingham in Disney’s Robin Hood, then we learned through the very real anguish our parents suffered every year, mid-April. As we grew up, we likely heard comedians joke about the IRS, and every character but Jesus appeared to be unforgiving of any person who’d take a job in tax collection. Occasionally we’d see iconic IRS agents, such as the one Charles Lane plays in Capra’s film of You Can’t Take it With You, but even when memorable and enjoyable, they are still mostly identifiably villains. In Abbas Kiarostami’s first film, The Report (Gozaresh), the "hero" is a tax collector, yet h ...
- 4/14/2009
- by Christopher Campbell
- Spout
Veteran character actor Charles Lane passed away last night at the grand age of 102. His son Tom said that he was talking with his father at the time of his passing. "He was lying in bed with his eyes real wide open. Then he closed his eyes and stopped breathing."
Lane's prolific career spanned almost seven decades and he was one of the first to join the Screen Actors Guild in 1933. Though audiences probably wouldn't recognize his name, they surely remember his face and trademark crusty demeanor and a list of over 800 credits.
Among other films, Lane appeared in Mighty Joe Young, The Music Man, and It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. He was a staple of nine Frank Capra films like It's a Wonderful Life, You Can't Take It With You and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Capra once wrote to Lane, "Well, Charlie, you've been my No.
Lane's prolific career spanned almost seven decades and he was one of the first to join the Screen Actors Guild in 1933. Though audiences probably wouldn't recognize his name, they surely remember his face and trademark crusty demeanor and a list of over 800 credits.
Among other films, Lane appeared in Mighty Joe Young, The Music Man, and It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. He was a staple of nine Frank Capra films like It's a Wonderful Life, You Can't Take It With You and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Capra once wrote to Lane, "Well, Charlie, you've been my No.
- 7/10/2007
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
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