Garrett Morris was a man amongst brats during the first five seasons of "Saturday Night Live." The Juilliard-trained actor was 10 years older than his Baby Boomer costars, and came from the theater instead of comedy. Though he'd written plays, he had virtually no experience penning sketches, which placed him at an immediate disadvantage; ergo, as the series' inaugural season got underway, he struggled to find screen time.
One of the biggest issues was cultural. Morris was the only Black member of the cast. He couldn't relate to his colleagues' life experiences and vice versa. But there was another significant factor: these guys could be real jerks. This was partially a toxic outgrowth of the hyper-competitive atmosphere encouraged by producer Lorne Michaels. The superstar trio of John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Bill Murray were known behind the scenes as "the Bully Boys." They could generate their own material, and were so explosively funny that the writers,...
One of the biggest issues was cultural. Morris was the only Black member of the cast. He couldn't relate to his colleagues' life experiences and vice versa. But there was another significant factor: these guys could be real jerks. This was partially a toxic outgrowth of the hyper-competitive atmosphere encouraged by producer Lorne Michaels. The superstar trio of John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Bill Murray were known behind the scenes as "the Bully Boys." They could generate their own material, and were so explosively funny that the writers,...
- 3/18/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
As tonight’s episode of Saturday Night Live wound down, the show paid tribute to its former writer John Bowman, who died suddenly at home in California on New Year’s Eve, aged 64.
Bowman wrote on the series from1988-1989 and won an Emmy for his efforts across 20 episodes, sharing the honor with Mike Myers, Al Franken, Conan O’Brien, Bob Odenkirk, Lorne Michaels, Phil Hartman, James Downey, A. Whitney Brown, Greg Daniels, Tom Davis, Shannon Gaughan, Jack Handey, Herbert Sargent, Tom Schiller, Robert Smigel, Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, Christine Zander and George Meyer.
Bowman also made uncredited appearances in a pair of 1988 episodes hosted by actors Danny DeVito and John Lithgow.
He was otherwise best known for co-creating and producing the ’90s sitcom Martin, writing on series including In Living Color, and leading the WGA’s negotiating committee during the 2007-08 strike.
SNL‘s photo tribute to Bowman from tonight’s show,...
Bowman wrote on the series from1988-1989 and won an Emmy for his efforts across 20 episodes, sharing the honor with Mike Myers, Al Franken, Conan O’Brien, Bob Odenkirk, Lorne Michaels, Phil Hartman, James Downey, A. Whitney Brown, Greg Daniels, Tom Davis, Shannon Gaughan, Jack Handey, Herbert Sargent, Tom Schiller, Robert Smigel, Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, Christine Zander and George Meyer.
Bowman also made uncredited appearances in a pair of 1988 episodes hosted by actors Danny DeVito and John Lithgow.
He was otherwise best known for co-creating and producing the ’90s sitcom Martin, writing on series including In Living Color, and leading the WGA’s negotiating committee during the 2007-08 strike.
SNL‘s photo tribute to Bowman from tonight’s show,...
- 1/23/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Peter Aykroyd, the Emmy-nominated former Saturday Night Live cast member and writer, has died. The NBC sketch show paid tribute to SNL alum following Simu Liu’s eventful hosting debut.
Saturday Night Live revealed the actor-writer’s death with a card that displayed a picture of the previous featured player the years of his birth and death. The Ottawa native was born November 19, 1955, and is younger brother of SNL original Dan Aykroyd.
He began his foray into entertainment with minor roles in The New Avengers and Sctv. In 1979 he joined Saturday Night Live as both a writer and featured player. That same year he starred as Joe in Tom Schiller’s short film Java Junkie.
During his yearlong tenure at Saturday Night Live, Aykroyd received an Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program Emmy nom for SNL, shared with several other writers.
He created the Canadian series Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal...
Saturday Night Live revealed the actor-writer’s death with a card that displayed a picture of the previous featured player the years of his birth and death. The Ottawa native was born November 19, 1955, and is younger brother of SNL original Dan Aykroyd.
He began his foray into entertainment with minor roles in The New Avengers and Sctv. In 1979 he joined Saturday Night Live as both a writer and featured player. That same year he starred as Joe in Tom Schiller’s short film Java Junkie.
During his yearlong tenure at Saturday Night Live, Aykroyd received an Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program Emmy nom for SNL, shared with several other writers.
He created the Canadian series Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal...
- 11/21/2021
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
Even though "Saturday Night Live" is a comedy staple due to the live nature of the late night sketch series, where each episode is exhaustingly created in a single week, the show has always had a place for pre-recorded comedy to shine too.
Folks like Albert Brooks and Tom Schiller delivered comedic short films in the earlier years of "SNL," and Robert Smigel became known for his animated TV Funhouse sketches. The Lonely Island ushered in a new era for the internet age with SNL Digital Shorts, followed by the home video-style antics of Good...
The post What Is Please Don't Destroy? Meet Saturday Night Live's Latest Successor to The Lonely Island appeared first on /Film.
Folks like Albert Brooks and Tom Schiller delivered comedic short films in the earlier years of "SNL," and Robert Smigel became known for his animated TV Funhouse sketches. The Lonely Island ushered in a new era for the internet age with SNL Digital Shorts, followed by the home video-style antics of Good...
The post What Is Please Don't Destroy? Meet Saturday Night Live's Latest Successor to The Lonely Island appeared first on /Film.
- 10/10/2021
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Ryan Lambie Oct 3, 2016
An animated superhero movie featuring Marlon Brando? A Bill Murray comedy? Just two of the strange, starry films we may never get to see.
Film history is littered with movies that have wound up on the shelf for some reason, either because of financial difficulties or, in the case of The Day The Clown Died, because its director and star decided it was too embarrassing to be released. We've written about all sorts of shelved or cancelled films before, from Roger Corman's infamous Fantastic Four to the unreleased John Goodman comedy, Spring Break '83.
Every so often, though, we'll hear about curious-sounding projects that generate a bit of news before vanishing again. An animated film featuring the voices of Marlon Brando and Brendan Fraser, perhaps, or a modern comedy about old Greek gods featuring Christopher Walken as Zeus.
Here, then, are five strange, star-laden movies that,...
An animated superhero movie featuring Marlon Brando? A Bill Murray comedy? Just two of the strange, starry films we may never get to see.
Film history is littered with movies that have wound up on the shelf for some reason, either because of financial difficulties or, in the case of The Day The Clown Died, because its director and star decided it was too embarrassing to be released. We've written about all sorts of shelved or cancelled films before, from Roger Corman's infamous Fantastic Four to the unreleased John Goodman comedy, Spring Break '83.
Every so often, though, we'll hear about curious-sounding projects that generate a bit of news before vanishing again. An animated film featuring the voices of Marlon Brando and Brendan Fraser, perhaps, or a modern comedy about old Greek gods featuring Christopher Walken as Zeus.
Here, then, are five strange, star-laden movies that,...
- 9/30/2016
- Den of Geek
This is definitely the time of year when film critic types (I’m sure you know who I mean) spend an inordinate amount of time leading up to awards season—and it all leads up to awards season, don’t it?—compiling lists and trying to convince anyone who will listen that it was a shitty year at the movies for anyone who liked something other than what they saw and liked. And ‘tis the season, or at least ‘thas (?) been in the recent past, for that most beloved of academic parlor games, bemoaning the death of cinema, which, if the sackcloth-and-ashes-clad among us are to be believed, is an increasingly detached and irrelevant art form in the process of being smothered under the wet, steaming blanket of American blockbuster-it is. And it’s going all malnourished from the siphoning off of all the talent back to TV, which, as everyone knows,...
- 1/9/2016
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
The Writers Guild of America has just announced the nominations for their annual awards for Best Screenplays (by writers who are guild signatories). That’s right, before you get nervous thinking that your favorite may have been left off the list, you must remember that the WGA is the group that is not all-inclusive and leaves out several of the top contenders each year due to them not being part of the guild or not following their very specific rules. For this reason, you won’t see Inside Out, The Hateful Eight, and Ex Machina in the Original Screenplay category or Room, Brooklyn, or Anomalisa in the Adapted screenplay category.
Taking a look at what’s left over for the nominations, we find many that were expected to make a showing, including Spotlight and Bridge of Spies for Original Screenplay, though they apparently had to sink to really low depths...
Taking a look at what’s left over for the nominations, we find many that were expected to make a showing, including Spotlight and Bridge of Spies for Original Screenplay, though they apparently had to sink to really low depths...
- 1/6/2016
- by Jeff Beck
- We Got This Covered
The Writers Guild of America announced some of its nominees for its 2015 awards on Thursday, including television, new media, and radio, and among the TV nominees are series both new and old, and all beloved.
In the comedy series category, freshman Netflix show "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" scored a nomination for best series, as well as an overall best new series nod. "The Last Man on Earth" also landed in that latter category, and was singled out for its pilot episode writing, too.
On the drama side of the equation, lauded "Breaking Bad" spinoff "Better Call Saul" also got best series and best new series nominations, in addition to a an episode writing nod. Newly-minted Emmy winner "Game of Thrones" also scored a best drama citation, as well as an episodic writing nomination.
The full list of nominees released this week are below. Nominations in the theatrical and documentary categories will...
In the comedy series category, freshman Netflix show "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" scored a nomination for best series, as well as an overall best new series nod. "The Last Man on Earth" also landed in that latter category, and was singled out for its pilot episode writing, too.
On the drama side of the equation, lauded "Breaking Bad" spinoff "Better Call Saul" also got best series and best new series nominations, in addition to a an episode writing nod. Newly-minted Emmy winner "Game of Thrones" also scored a best drama citation, as well as an episodic writing nomination.
The full list of nominees released this week are below. Nominations in the theatrical and documentary categories will...
- 12/3/2015
- by Katie Roberts
- Moviefone
An interesting effort is coming your way before long, and it’s pulling together a cast that will make it a kind of who’s who of underappreciated actors. Ghost Team, directed by Oliver Irving, has announced its cast, which includes Jon Heder, David Krumholtz, and many more.
Heder hasn’t managed to find material that resonated with audiences since Napoleon Dynamite, at least, not to the extent he deserves, and Krumholtz is almost the poster boy for not getting the recognition that you’d expect. Unfortunately, both actors often play characters that may not seem that difficult, and/or are something of a sidekick.
The new film, about a team of paranormal investigators who find themselves in over their heads, also stars Melonie Diaz, Paul W. Downs, Justin Long, and the woefully overlooked Amy Sedaris.
Though the film can’t mention its own indie status enough, meaning the budget is extremely tight,...
Heder hasn’t managed to find material that resonated with audiences since Napoleon Dynamite, at least, not to the extent he deserves, and Krumholtz is almost the poster boy for not getting the recognition that you’d expect. Unfortunately, both actors often play characters that may not seem that difficult, and/or are something of a sidekick.
The new film, about a team of paranormal investigators who find themselves in over their heads, also stars Melonie Diaz, Paul W. Downs, Justin Long, and the woefully overlooked Amy Sedaris.
Though the film can’t mention its own indie status enough, meaning the budget is extremely tight,...
- 10/17/2015
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
The official Ghostbusters franchise is back in a big way next year thanks to Paul Feig and his new cast, but there are others who want to snatch a piece of the spook-tracking pie, albeit without the budget or the proton packs. Justin Long, Jon Heder, David Krumholtz and more are all signed on for the cast of indie comedy Ghost Team. Oliver Irving has just kicked off production on the film, working from a script by Peter Warren. Long, Heder and Krumholtz are joined in the cast by Melonie Diaz, Paul W. Downs, Tom Schiller and the always reliable Amy Sedaris for a story that finds a team of ghost hunters embarking on a fresh investigation into paranormal activity. Except this time, it might be a little closer to home and possibly more than they can handle.While this bunch might not have the sort of high-tech gear that the usual Ghostbusters carry,...
- 10/15/2015
- EmpireOnline
Exclusive: The indie feature comedy Ghost Team is set to start production in New York this week, with Jon Heder starring alongside David Krumholtz (Numbers), Melonie Diaz (Fruitvale Station), Broad City‘s Paul W. Downs, Justin Long, Tom Schiller and Amy Sedaris. The film is about a team of ghost hunters who get more than they bargained for when they embark on their own paranormal investigation. Oliver Irving (How To Be) is directing a film that will cover Manhattan, Long…...
- 10/15/2015
- Deadline
- Designed by Quinlan Ohmane
As VH1 Classic’s “SNL Rewind: 2015-1975 Mega Marathon” has reminded viewers, Saturday Night Live has produced 40 years of non-stop laughter, and become an indelible part of pop culture. Even casual fans of the show can name a skit they’ll never forget, some of which are represented here.
Here are emoji formulas for 10 famous Saturday Night Live sketches. Because why not immortalize the things you love with a bunch of smiley faces?
“Porn Stars” Starring Vanessa Bayer and Cecily Strong, featuring James Franco and Seth Rogen (2014)
“Schillervision Hidden Camera Commercial: Folgers” Starring Tom Schiller and Chris Farley (1991)
“Mr. Peeper’s Father” Starring Chris Kattan, Featuring Chris Parnell, Will Ferrell, and Dwayne Johnson (2000)...
- 2/12/2015
- by Tara Aquino
- VH1.com
- Designed by Quinlan Ohmane
As VH1 Classic’s “SNL Rewind: 2015-1975 Mega Marathon” has reminded viewers, Saturday Night Live has produced 40 years of non-stop laughter, and become an indelible part of pop culture. Even casual fans of the show can name a skit they’ll never forget, some of which are represented here.
Here are emoji formulas for 10 famous Saturday Night Live sketches. Because why not immortalize the things you love with a bunch of smiley faces?
“Porn Stars” Starring Vanessa Bayer and Cecily Strong, featuring James Franco and Seth Rogen (2014)
“Schillervision Hidden Camera Commercial: Folgers” Starring Tom Schiller and Chris Farley (1991)
“Mr. Peeper’s Father” Starring Chris Kattan, Featuring Chris Parnell, Will Ferrell, and Dwayne Johnson (2000)...
- 2/12/2015
- by Tara Aquino
- TheFabLife - Movies
On the eve of its 40th anniversary special (though the anniversary itself isn't until October), what is left to say about "Saturday Night Live"? There have been multiple books written about the show, several documentaries, countless essays — riding the never-ending roller-coaster between "Saturday Night Dead" and "Saturday Night Lives Again!" — best-ofs, worst-ofs, and every other kind of list you can think of. I don't know that anything I write over the next few pages will provide new insight into one of the most influential comedy shows ever made, but I wondered if you could tell the story of the show — through good times and bad, through revolutions and evolutions and retrenchments — by looking at its sketches. I wound up picking 21 in all: some among the show's most famous, some obscure but important. These aren't meant as a definitive breakdown of the best "SNL" ever had to offer, but as a...
- 2/12/2015
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
David Liu's posted a terrific conversation between Gabriel García Márquez and Akira Kurosawa. Also in today's round of news and views: Nick Newman and Danny King are discussing Todd Haynes at To Be (Cont'd). Ian Penman riffs on Rainer Werner Fassbinder the Fußball fan. Richard Brody calls Tom Schiller's Nothing Lasts Forever, a 1984 comedy with Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, a forgotten "masterpiece." The new restoration of Alain Resnais's Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) will see its U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival. Paramount may take Martin Scorsese’s Silence featuring Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson, Ken Watanabe and Adam Driver. And more. » - David Hudson...
- 7/15/2014
- Fandor: Keyframe
David Liu's posted a terrific conversation between Gabriel García Márquez and Akira Kurosawa. Also in today's round of news and views: Nick Newman and Danny King are discussing Todd Haynes at To Be (Cont'd). Ian Penman riffs on Rainer Werner Fassbinder the Fußball fan. Richard Brody calls Tom Schiller's Nothing Lasts Forever, a 1984 comedy with Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, a forgotten "masterpiece." The new restoration of Alain Resnais's Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) will see its U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival. Paramount may take Martin Scorsese’s Silence featuring Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson, Ken Watanabe and Adam Driver. And more. » - David Hudson...
- 7/15/2014
- Keyframe
In 1984, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd made a black-and-white, sci-fi comedy that is quirky and convincing as a classic-era production. Saturday Night Live alum Tom Schiller wrote and directed Nothing Lasts Forever — about “an artist [who] fails a test and is required to direct traffic in New York City's Holland Tunnel. He winds up falling in love with a beautiful woman, who takes him to the moon on a Lunar Cruiser.” There are a lot of famous faces in this one, including Gremlins star Zach Galligan in the lead role. The oft-missed John Belushi was set to make an appearance, even, but he died seven weeks before the film started shooting. Movie-music god Howard Shore provided the soundtrack. So why the heck haven’t we seen this thing until...
Read More...
Read More...
- 7/14/2014
- by Alison Nastasi
- Movies.com
Bill Murray appeared in two 1984 films: one, Ghostbusters, became an all-time classic; the other, Nothing Lasts Forever, was never released commercially (after being scrapped by MGM) and faded into cinematic obscurity. But as the A.V. Club notes (via Telegraph), the latter project has resurfaced on YouTube in its full 80-minute form.
A Short History of Bill Murray's Offscreen Antics
Written and directed by Saturday Night Live veteran Tom Schiller, Nothing Lasts Forever is a sci-fi comedy starring Zach Galligan (Gremlins) as an artist struggling to realize his dreams...
A Short History of Bill Murray's Offscreen Antics
Written and directed by Saturday Night Live veteran Tom Schiller, Nothing Lasts Forever is a sci-fi comedy starring Zach Galligan (Gremlins) as an artist struggling to realize his dreams...
- 7/11/2014
- Rollingstone.com
Nothing Lasts Forever is a 1984 sci-fi movie with Zach Galligan and Bill Murray that disappeared. Yet it's resurfaced.
Feature
I love a good quest. There’s nothing that drives a plot quite like it, from Jason setting out to find the Golden Fleece to Indiana Jones’ determination to track down the Ark of the Covenant. Along the way there is always action, and adventure, and some friends to meet and enemies to defeat. Because that’s how a quest works.
Quests don’t have to be about objects. They can also be about finding your place in the world, and Nothing Lasts Forever tells the story of Adam Beckett, a young man who wants to be an artist, even though he has no idea of what an artist actually is. His quest takes him to a strange, totalitarian Manhattan where wannabe artists must sit a practical exam, and eventually to some very surprising places,...
Feature
I love a good quest. There’s nothing that drives a plot quite like it, from Jason setting out to find the Golden Fleece to Indiana Jones’ determination to track down the Ark of the Covenant. Along the way there is always action, and adventure, and some friends to meet and enemies to defeat. Because that’s how a quest works.
Quests don’t have to be about objects. They can also be about finding your place in the world, and Nothing Lasts Forever tells the story of Adam Beckett, a young man who wants to be an artist, even though he has no idea of what an artist actually is. His quest takes him to a strange, totalitarian Manhattan where wannabe artists must sit a practical exam, and eventually to some very surprising places,...
- 7/11/2014
- by sarahd
- Den of Geek
So, how on Earth does a movie, made at the height of fame for both Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, not get released? That's a complicated one to answer, but for comedy fans, the 1984 movie "Nothing Lasts Forever" is something of a holy grail film, but thanks to the (probably temporary) powers of the interwebs, you can see the film that MGM apparently twice prevented from screening at the Cannes Film Festival. Written and directed by longtime "Saturday Night Live" veteran Tom Schiller, "Nothing Lasts Forever" is ambitious stuff, telling the story of a young man ("Gremlins" star Zach Galligan) who gets caught in the machinations of a totalitarian retro/future New York City. Aykroyd plays Galligan's boss, Murray gets an extended cameo, Mort Sahl, Lawrence Tierney, Imogene Coca and Larry “Bud” Melman take on supporting roles, and Howard Shore provided the score. So what happened? It's hard to say.
- 7/8/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Saturday Night Live, “George Carlin/Billy Preston, Janis Ian”
Written by Lorne Michaels, Michael O’Donoghue, Anne Beatts, Tom Davis, Al Franken, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Rosie Schuster, Alan Zweibel
Directed by Dave Wilson
Aired on October 11, 1975 on NBC
Possibly (and very arguably) the most influential television show of all time, Saturday Night Live (SNL for short) is American comedy (albeit with a bit of Canadian help) exemplified: irreverent, absurdist, made for short attention spans, and continually being both panned and lauded by critics. Whether you still lock your door in fear of Land Shark, turned the show off in 1980 and never looked back, or are in need more cowbell, you know the magic that is SNL. Like a boy band or Santa Claus, we each have our favorites and picture a certain cast as the “real” SNL. For example, there are people who swear by the...
Written by Lorne Michaels, Michael O’Donoghue, Anne Beatts, Tom Davis, Al Franken, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Rosie Schuster, Alan Zweibel
Directed by Dave Wilson
Aired on October 11, 1975 on NBC
Possibly (and very arguably) the most influential television show of all time, Saturday Night Live (SNL for short) is American comedy (albeit with a bit of Canadian help) exemplified: irreverent, absurdist, made for short attention spans, and continually being both panned and lauded by critics. Whether you still lock your door in fear of Land Shark, turned the show off in 1980 and never looked back, or are in need more cowbell, you know the magic that is SNL. Like a boy band or Santa Claus, we each have our favorites and picture a certain cast as the “real” SNL. For example, there are people who swear by the...
- 6/29/2013
- by Diana Drumm
- SoundOnSight
The programme for the 67th Edinburgh International Film Festival has launched and the selection looks every bit as eclectic and exciting as last year’s proved to be. For the second year running, artistic director Chris Fujiwara and his team have put together an unpredictable, intriguing and determinedly international array of films, allowing plenty of opportunity for emerging talents and lesser-known directors to showcase their work.
As well as the big opening and closing night gala films, respectively Breathe In and the world premiere of Scottish rom-com Not Another Happy Ending (starring Doctor Who’s Karen Gillan), the highlights include strands from South Korea, America and Sweden, Jean Grémillon and Richard Fleischer retrospectives, and several interesting-looking documentaries.
Due to the variety and unconventiality of the selection, it is difficult, and not entirely preferable, to pick out a list of sure-fire hits, but here are ten films that you should certainly...
As well as the big opening and closing night gala films, respectively Breathe In and the world premiere of Scottish rom-com Not Another Happy Ending (starring Doctor Who’s Karen Gillan), the highlights include strands from South Korea, America and Sweden, Jean Grémillon and Richard Fleischer retrospectives, and several interesting-looking documentaries.
Due to the variety and unconventiality of the selection, it is difficult, and not entirely preferable, to pick out a list of sure-fire hits, but here are ten films that you should certainly...
- 6/7/2013
- by Rob Dickie
- SoundOnSight
The Sopranos was named the best-written show in television history by the Writers Guild of America, edging out an eclectic collection of some of the most beloved and admired series. Members of the Writers Guild of America, West (Wgaw) and the Writers Guild of America, East (Wgae) voted online for the 101 Best Written TV Series, with David Chase’s iconic “family” drama topping Seinfeld, The Twilight Zone, All in the Family, and M*A*S*H*.
“At their core, all of these wonderful series began with the words of the writers who created them and were sustained by the writers...
“At their core, all of these wonderful series began with the words of the writers who created them and were sustained by the writers...
- 6/3/2013
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside TV
"The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion." –Arnold Schwarzenegger
Greetings from the apocalypse! This was a scary-ass week for my homies in Boston. Why we gotta blow each other up, people? If we keep exploding ourselves all we'll wind up with is Charlton Heston screaming at the Statue of Liberty. Truth. Love, peace and chicken grease, y'all. Now, movies …
Friday, April 26
Pow! In Theaters
When Scarface said, "The World is Yours," there should have been an asterisk that read "*As long as you're not a complete knucklehead." That's the heavy-duty lesson Mark Wahlberg, The Rock and Anthony Mackie learn as a trio of gym rats-cum-criminals in "Pain & Gain," the latest filmsplosion from the Michael Bay ejaculatory system. The guy who brought us three "Transformers," two "Bad Boys" and one "I'd...
Greetings from the apocalypse! This was a scary-ass week for my homies in Boston. Why we gotta blow each other up, people? If we keep exploding ourselves all we'll wind up with is Charlton Heston screaming at the Statue of Liberty. Truth. Love, peace and chicken grease, y'all. Now, movies …
Friday, April 26
Pow! In Theaters
When Scarface said, "The World is Yours," there should have been an asterisk that read "*As long as you're not a complete knucklehead." That's the heavy-duty lesson Mark Wahlberg, The Rock and Anthony Mackie learn as a trio of gym rats-cum-criminals in "Pain & Gain," the latest filmsplosion from the Michael Bay ejaculatory system. The guy who brought us three "Transformers," two "Bad Boys" and one "I'd...
- 4/26/2013
- by Max Evry
- NextMovie
NPR is embroiled in yet another scandal as pressure from conservatives mounts to de-fund the public radio broadcaster. NPR president and CEO Vivian Schiller resigned this morning as a fallout of conservative activist James O'Keefe posting a hidden-camera video of senior NPR executive Tom Schiller (no relation) bashing the tea party movement as "racist" and "xenophobic" and saying that NPR would be better off without federal funding. (Tom Schiller resigned after his statements were made public. On Wednesday, he also pulled out of what was to be his next job, at the nonprofit Aspen Institute, citing the controversy.) Last year, Vivian Schiller came under fire for the dismissal of longtime analyst Juan Williams over his comments on Fox News Channel that he feels uncomfortable when he sees people in Muslim garb on planes. "The Board accepted (Schiller's) resignation with understanding, genuine regret, and great respect for her leadership of NPR these past two years,...
- 3/9/2011
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
The 8th annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is all set to run for ten days this Feb. 11-20 in Missoula, Montana. This year, the fest will have a whopping 140 film programs, a growth that necessitates an expansion from its regular home at the Historic Wilma Theatre — where it will occupy two screens — to also feature screenings at the former Pipestone Mountaineering store.
Special events at the fest include a free opening night screening of How to Die in Oregon sponsored by HBO Documentary Films. The film, directed by Peter D. Richardson, examines the impact the legalization of physician-assisted suicide has had on the state. (In 1994, Oregon was the first state to legalize the practice.)
Also, indie rock band Yo La Tengo will perform their acclaimed live score of the films of pioneering French underwater documentary film director Jean Painlevé, something they have done for other film festivals all over the world.
Special events at the fest include a free opening night screening of How to Die in Oregon sponsored by HBO Documentary Films. The film, directed by Peter D. Richardson, examines the impact the legalization of physician-assisted suicide has had on the state. (In 1994, Oregon was the first state to legalize the practice.)
Also, indie rock band Yo La Tengo will perform their acclaimed live score of the films of pioneering French underwater documentary film director Jean Painlevé, something they have done for other film festivals all over the world.
- 1/15/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
In the Alamo programming office, movies are sort of our thing. We watch ‘em, we fight about ‘em, and sometimes we even book ‘em for our theatres. We bring you the greatest and most bizarre movies from the past 100 years, and also highlight some of the greatest achievements in new cinema, too.
It’s a tough job…especially when it comes time to narrow down our favorites at the end of each year. But we do it all for you.
The lists below represent the most powerful and/or entertaining films of 2010, according to Alamo programmers Tim League, Lars Nilsen, Zack Carlson, Henri Mazza, Kayla Williams, Daniel Metz, Bret Neuman, George Bragdon, and Caitlin Stevens. We hope you have some time on your hands, because you’re going to want to read everything.
In case you’re interested, you can see our combined list as a group on Badass Digest.
It’s a tough job…especially when it comes time to narrow down our favorites at the end of each year. But we do it all for you.
The lists below represent the most powerful and/or entertaining films of 2010, according to Alamo programmers Tim League, Lars Nilsen, Zack Carlson, Henri Mazza, Kayla Williams, Daniel Metz, Bret Neuman, George Bragdon, and Caitlin Stevens. We hope you have some time on your hands, because you’re going to want to read everything.
In case you’re interested, you can see our combined list as a group on Badass Digest.
- 1/4/2011
- by Daniel Metz
- OriginalAlamo.com
Aug. 27
8:00 p.m.
Chicago Filmmakers
5243 N. Clark
Chicago, Il
Hosted by: Chicago Filmmakers
As summer starts to wind down, take a riotous trip back to the fun-filled ’80s with a collection of goofy short films, spoofs, music videos and documentaries from the Reagan era. The good times will roll with music from the Residents, Ron and Nancy promoting drug use, an Academy Award-nominated short film and work from SNL alumni.
The full lineup of films that will be screened — in glorious 16mm! — is below, but some of the highlights are: Solly’s Diner, 4 a.m., an Academy Award-nominated short film starring and directed by cult character actor Larry Hankin, most well known as the “other” Kramer on Seinfeld. Java Junkie is a short film directed by former SNL writer/actor/director Tom Schiller and stars ’80s comedy movie icon Terri Garr.
There’s also four One-Minute Movies featuring oddball indie rock band The Residents.
8:00 p.m.
Chicago Filmmakers
5243 N. Clark
Chicago, Il
Hosted by: Chicago Filmmakers
As summer starts to wind down, take a riotous trip back to the fun-filled ’80s with a collection of goofy short films, spoofs, music videos and documentaries from the Reagan era. The good times will roll with music from the Residents, Ron and Nancy promoting drug use, an Academy Award-nominated short film and work from SNL alumni.
The full lineup of films that will be screened — in glorious 16mm! — is below, but some of the highlights are: Solly’s Diner, 4 a.m., an Academy Award-nominated short film starring and directed by cult character actor Larry Hankin, most well known as the “other” Kramer on Seinfeld. Java Junkie is a short film directed by former SNL writer/actor/director Tom Schiller and stars ’80s comedy movie icon Terri Garr.
There’s also four One-Minute Movies featuring oddball indie rock band The Residents.
- 8/23/2010
- by screenings
- Underground Film Journal
It’s not a real trailer but a collection of clips assembled, trailer-wise, from a real movie made in 1984 by Tom Schiller that was never released, even though it starred Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, as well as Zach Galligan, who had just starred in the huge hit Gremlins: See this recent piece in L.A. Weekly about the film. It’s fascinating. And the clips from the film make it look like something Wes Anderson might make today: in fact, the film looks totally modern and feels totally 21st century in sensibility, and not a work from a quarter of a century ago. Maybe we’ll get lucky and it’ll get a DVD release eventually...
- 4/7/2010
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Repertory theaters on the coasts are truly offering a window onto the world this spring, with Jia Zhangke and Bong Joon-ho retrospectives, as well as New French Cinema in New York, "Freebie and the Bean," "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" and Jason Reitman's favorite films invade Los Angeles, and the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin is offering a fond farewell to the video cassette. But consider this a hello to seeing classics, oddities and rarities on the big screen over the next few months.
Cities: [New York] [Los Angeles] [Austin] More Spring Preview: [Theatrical Calendar]
[Anywhere But a Movie Theater]
New York
92YTribeca
Is there a more energetic way to start the spring than with a screening of Russ Meyer's "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" (Feb. 20, with editors Rumsey Taylor, Leo Goldsmith and Jenny Jediny in attendance)? Perhaps not, but it's only the start of an exciting spring season at the 92YTribeca Screening Room, which will present several special events over the next few months.
Cities: [New York] [Los Angeles] [Austin] More Spring Preview: [Theatrical Calendar]
[Anywhere But a Movie Theater]
New York
92YTribeca
Is there a more energetic way to start the spring than with a screening of Russ Meyer's "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" (Feb. 20, with editors Rumsey Taylor, Leo Goldsmith and Jenny Jediny in attendance)? Perhaps not, but it's only the start of an exciting spring season at the 92YTribeca Screening Room, which will present several special events over the next few months.
- 2/20/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
The curtains part yet again as Olympia Film Festival host several concert-worthy guests including Dame Darcy and Death By Doll and a very special visit from Steven Severin of the famed Siouxsie and the Banshees in his Only Northwest performance with his original score for the classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. With generous support, in the form of a $5,000 grant from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, we have been able to increase our capacity to create stronger relationships between filmmakers and the Olympia community, bringing many exciting guests.
Several Northwest premieres are spotlit on the Capitol’s mighty big screen, including the adorable story of Etienne!, as a man takes his terminally ill pet hamster on a bicycle trip up the California coast; the British crime comedy Down Terrace featuring cast members from the original The Office; and the ‘lost’ feature Shut Yer Dirty Little Mouth...
Several Northwest premieres are spotlit on the Capitol’s mighty big screen, including the adorable story of Etienne!, as a man takes his terminally ill pet hamster on a bicycle trip up the California coast; the British crime comedy Down Terrace featuring cast members from the original The Office; and the ‘lost’ feature Shut Yer Dirty Little Mouth...
- 10/17/2009
- MoviesOnline.ca
Yesterday, I talked about how the short films of Saturday Night Live have evolved since the show began. But what about reaching an audience beyond that of the show? Gary Weis and Tom Schiller were sort of pioneers in their day because as Schiller notes, "There was hardly anyone writing and directing shorts on TV at that time." But would Schiller have wanted his films to go viral? "God, yes." He would also agree that Tli's shorts are a natural evolution for the SNL short film. "They reflect the humor of the moment, shape it even, in some cases. And because they're digital, [they] have a chance to go viral and be seen by more people ...The immediacy and look of digital suits the show right now." Obviously, The Lonely Island shorts were not the first to go viral. Before they...
- 9/22/2009
- by Jamie Frevele
- Huffington Post
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