Before he started filling up the nation's drug store book racks with tawdry tales of romance and suspense, Sidney Sheldon was one of Hollywood and Broadway's most prolific writers. He could write comedies, musicals, musical-comedies, mysteries, dramas, thrillers ... just about everything short of slasher flicks (though he probably would've knocked out one of those had they been a thing during his 1940s - '60s heyday). Clearly, he had an ear for what worked, and he wasn't just knocking out quickie programmers. He won a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for the Cary Grant-Myrna Loy-Shirley Temple screwball hit "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer," and earned a Best Musical Tony for the Gwen Verdon-led Broadway smash "Redhead."
And when television came calling, rather than turn up his nose as many of his established film and theater colleagues did during the medium's early days, he enthusiastically picked up the phone.
Sheldon...
And when television came calling, rather than turn up his nose as many of his established film and theater colleagues did during the medium's early days, he enthusiastically picked up the phone.
Sheldon...
- 2/16/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The moment Elvis Presley stepped in front of the camera for his second appearance on "The Milton Berle Show" in 1956, there was no doubt that this young man was destined for more than pop music superstardom. Much more.
Conversationally, he was downright adorable with his boyish good looks and aw-shucks Southern shyness, but once the music kicked in he was transformed into a hunk of burning lust. That gyrating pelvis and run-riot voice spurred sexual awakenings in living rooms across the country (in full view of outraged parents). To teenagers, Elvis belted out a call to rebellion. To parents, he was a pompadoured incubus. To Hollywood, he was singing, swaggering box-office gold.
Between 1956 and 1972, Elvis starred in 31 features and two concert films. There were lulls (particularly when his popularity faded prior to his 1968 comeback special), but for the most part Elvis reliably packed 'em in. According to producer Hal B. Wallis...
Conversationally, he was downright adorable with his boyish good looks and aw-shucks Southern shyness, but once the music kicked in he was transformed into a hunk of burning lust. That gyrating pelvis and run-riot voice spurred sexual awakenings in living rooms across the country (in full view of outraged parents). To teenagers, Elvis belted out a call to rebellion. To parents, he was a pompadoured incubus. To Hollywood, he was singing, swaggering box-office gold.
Between 1956 and 1972, Elvis starred in 31 features and two concert films. There were lulls (particularly when his popularity faded prior to his 1968 comeback special), but for the most part Elvis reliably packed 'em in. According to producer Hal B. Wallis...
- 1/20/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
If anyone is good at spotting hidden meanings in movies, it’s Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino wrote a book of film criticism in which he said one of Elvis Presley’s movies had a rich subtext. The film was helmed by one of the most consequential action movie directors of all time.
Quentin Tarantino felt 1 Elvis Presley movie is similar its director’s struggles in Hollywood
In his 2022 book Cinema Speculation, Tarantino talked about the work of film director Don Siegel of Dirty Harry fame. “But the rogue law enforcement officer, at odds with their superiors, who operates independently to get their man and enforce their own self-determined version of justice, is practically the quintessential Siegel protagonist,” he wrote. “Even his criminals go rogue.
“Mickey Rooney’s Baby Face Nelson stands in direct contrast to Leo Gordon’s Dillinger, and both Walter Matthau’s Charley Varrick and Burt Reynolds’ cat burglar...
Quentin Tarantino felt 1 Elvis Presley movie is similar its director’s struggles in Hollywood
In his 2022 book Cinema Speculation, Tarantino talked about the work of film director Don Siegel of Dirty Harry fame. “But the rogue law enforcement officer, at odds with their superiors, who operates independently to get their man and enforce their own self-determined version of justice, is practically the quintessential Siegel protagonist,” he wrote. “Even his criminals go rogue.
“Mickey Rooney’s Baby Face Nelson stands in direct contrast to Leo Gordon’s Dillinger, and both Walter Matthau’s Charley Varrick and Burt Reynolds’ cat burglar...
- 12/17/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
One of Elvis Presley‘s songs features a spoken word section. The tune is partly based on a famous quotation from William Shakespeare. Colonel Tom Parker had Elvis record the song for a very special reason — and Elvis went the extra mile to make sure the song sounded just right.
Elvis Presley’s song is based on ‘As You Like It’ by William Shakespeare
“Are You Lonesome Tonight?” is a highly atypical Elvis song, mostly because it features a long spoken word section. The spoken word bit begins “You know someone said that the world’s a stage and each of us must play a part / Fate had me playing in love with you as my sweetheart / Act one was where we met / I loved you at first glance / You read your lines so cleverly and never missed a cue / Then came act two, you seemed to change, you acted...
Elvis Presley’s song is based on ‘As You Like It’ by William Shakespeare
“Are You Lonesome Tonight?” is a highly atypical Elvis song, mostly because it features a long spoken word section. The spoken word bit begins “You know someone said that the world’s a stage and each of us must play a part / Fate had me playing in love with you as my sweetheart / Act one was where we met / I loved you at first glance / You read your lines so cleverly and never missed a cue / Then came act two, you seemed to change, you acted...
- 12/17/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
For better or worse, Elvis Presley and Jesse James are two of America’s rebel icons. Elvis lost out on the opportunity to play the Western outlaw for reasons beyond his control. Another famous actor of the era replaced him. Regardless, the Western genre became a significant part of the singer’s career.
The director of ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ wanted Elvis Presley to play Jesse James
Nicholas Ray was a film director known for making movies about outcasts. His filmography includes King of Kings, In a Lonely Place, Johnny Guitar, and, most famously, Rebel Without a Cause. According to the book Elvis Films Faq: All That’s Left to Know About the King of Rock’ n’ Roll in Hollywood, Ray wanted the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll to star in his movie The True Story of Jesse James. The director wanted James to come across as a sex symbol,...
The director of ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ wanted Elvis Presley to play Jesse James
Nicholas Ray was a film director known for making movies about outcasts. His filmography includes King of Kings, In a Lonely Place, Johnny Guitar, and, most famously, Rebel Without a Cause. According to the book Elvis Films Faq: All That’s Left to Know About the King of Rock’ n’ Roll in Hollywood, Ray wanted the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll to star in his movie The True Story of Jesse James. The director wanted James to come across as a sex symbol,...
- 12/15/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Plot: Young Priscilla Presley (Cailee Spaeny) meets Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi) while he’s stationed in Germany and quickly becomes part of his surreal world.
Review: Sofia Coppola‘s Priscilla is an interesting companion to Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. While that latter film was a dazzling spectacle that took up head-on into Elvis’s legend, Priscilla takes a much more intimate look. While Elvis’s life was jet set and exciting, what was Priscilla’s life like as she waited at Graceland for him to return? As Coppola’s film expertly shows, her life was often far from exciting – it was downright dull.
While some have blasted the film for torpedoing Elvis’s legend, it takes a pretty balanced, nuanced approach, and the King of Rock n’ Roll emerges as a primarily sympathetic, tragic figure. While the film will be controversial due to how it shows his lightning-quick flashes of...
Review: Sofia Coppola‘s Priscilla is an interesting companion to Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. While that latter film was a dazzling spectacle that took up head-on into Elvis’s legend, Priscilla takes a much more intimate look. While Elvis’s life was jet set and exciting, what was Priscilla’s life like as she waited at Graceland for him to return? As Coppola’s film expertly shows, her life was often far from exciting – it was downright dull.
While some have blasted the film for torpedoing Elvis’s legend, it takes a pretty balanced, nuanced approach, and the King of Rock n’ Roll emerges as a primarily sympathetic, tragic figure. While the film will be controversial due to how it shows his lightning-quick flashes of...
- 11/3/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Few American filmmakers of the last 40 years await a major rediscovery like Hal Hartley, whose traces in modern movies are either too-minor or entirely unknown. Thus it’s cause for celebration that the Criterion Channel are soon launching a major retrospective: 13 features (which constitutes all but My America) and 17 shorts, a sui generis style and persistent vision running across 30 years. Expect your Halloween party to be aswim in Henry Fool costumes.
Speaking of: there’s a one-month headstart on seasonal programming with the 13-film “High School Horror”––most notable perhaps being a streaming premiere for the uncut version of Suspiria, plus the rare opportunity to see a Robert Rodriguez movie on the Criterion Channel––and a retrospective of Hong Kong vampire movies. A retrospective of ’70s car movies offer chills and thrills of a different sort
Six films by Allan Dwan and 12 “gaslight noirs” round out the main September series; The Eight Mountains,...
Speaking of: there’s a one-month headstart on seasonal programming with the 13-film “High School Horror”––most notable perhaps being a streaming premiere for the uncut version of Suspiria, plus the rare opportunity to see a Robert Rodriguez movie on the Criterion Channel––and a retrospective of Hong Kong vampire movies. A retrospective of ’70s car movies offer chills and thrills of a different sort
Six films by Allan Dwan and 12 “gaslight noirs” round out the main September series; The Eight Mountains,...
- 8/21/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
I honestly never expected Steven Spielberg in a Criterion Channel series––certainly not one that pairs him with Kogonada, anime, and Johnny Mnemonic––but so’s the power of artificial intelligence. Perhaps his greatest film (at this point I don’t need to tell you the title) plays with After Yang, Ghost in the Shell, and pre-Matrix Keanu in July’s aptly titled “AI” boasting also Spike Jonze’s Her, Carpenter’s Dark Star, and Computer Chess. Much more analog is a British Noir collection obviously carrying the likes of Odd Man Out, Night and the City, and The Small Back Room, further filled by Joseph Losey’s Time Without Pity and Basil Dearden’s It Always Rains on Sunday. (No two ways about it: these movies have great titles.) An Elvis retrospective brings six features, and the consensus best (Don Siegel’s Flaming Star) comes September 1.
While Isabella Rossellini...
While Isabella Rossellini...
- 6/22/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
“I made him the highest paid actor in Hollywood history. We had a lot of fun!” So purrs Tom Hanks’ brazenly camp Col. Tom Parker in the new Elvis biopic. The film, which is the most decadent, jewel-encrusted piece of kitsch ever given an 85 million budget, is as much a monument to director Baz Luhrmann’s showmanship as it is Elvis Presley’s. For who else could condense the larger than life excess of a man dubbed “the King of Rock ’n Roll” into a three-ringed circus that keeps all its plates in the air for 160 minutes?
Elvis really is a marvel in spectacle and indulgence—plus a breakout for star Austin Butler who is so superb as the titular character that Luhrmann more than once slips in footage of the real Elvis’ 1950s rock star career, as well as clips from his ill-advised detour in 1960s Hollywood… and few viewers ever seemed to notice!
Elvis really is a marvel in spectacle and indulgence—plus a breakout for star Austin Butler who is so superb as the titular character that Luhrmann more than once slips in footage of the real Elvis’ 1950s rock star career, as well as clips from his ill-advised detour in 1960s Hollywood… and few viewers ever seemed to notice!
- 9/7/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
What is not to love about Brett Morgen’s David Bowie doc? The director has created a fascinating paean to Bowie from a montage of archive footage, which includes stage performances, backstage material and some of his most famous interviews. He captures how hugely talented, immensely intelligent and ridiculously sexy Bowie was. Alongside all that, Bowie’s innate niceness and honesty seeps through in virtually every interview. As one weeping fan from the 1970s put it: ‘He’s smashing’. And so is this documentary.
Starting from Bowie’s heyday, the viewer follows the performer onstage for his remarkable Ziggy Stardust tour. His playfulness and sexiness, plus his almost godlike hold over the audience, shine through even fifty years later. Yet Morgen also touches on Bowie’s formative years, his family life in southeast London: the significance of his half-brother Terry, who was institutionalised for schizophrenia for most of his adult...
Starting from Bowie’s heyday, the viewer follows the performer onstage for his remarkable Ziggy Stardust tour. His playfulness and sexiness, plus his almost godlike hold over the audience, shine through even fifty years later. Yet Morgen also touches on Bowie’s formative years, his family life in southeast London: the significance of his half-brother Terry, who was institutionalised for schizophrenia for most of his adult...
- 5/24/2022
- by Jo-Ann Titmarsh
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
In 1998, the year Black Star made their debut, shameless commercial rappers were the culture’s equivalent to co-workers who heat up fish in the office microwave. They were guilty of an obvious if prevalent faux pas that probably felt too good to abandon just for propriety’s sake. But Mos Def and Talib Kweli captivated the underground with their Boogie Down Productions–sampling single, “Definition,” whose charming raggamuffin vibes felt refreshingly organic—something like a soul-clearing sage to purify the bad stench on the scene.
The duo’s 13-track LP,...
The duo’s 13-track LP,...
- 5/6/2022
- by Will Dukes
- Rollingstone.com
After a hiatus where New York’s theaters closed during the pandemic, we’re delighted to announce the return of NYC Weekend Watch, our weekly round-up of repertory offerings. While many theaters are still focused on a selection of new releases, a handful of worthwhile repertory screenings are taking place.
Metrograph
“We Won’t Grow Old Together” includes The Brood and Carol on 35mm; a 4K restoration of Possession is running; two of Clint Eastwood’s greatest films, A Perfect World and White Hunter, Black Heart, screen this Saturday.
Film at Lincoln Center
NYFF’s Revivals winds down with new restorations of Assault on Precinct 13, Ratcatcher, and Ed Lachman’s Songs for Drella.
IFC Center
In anticipation of Bergman Island, films by Mia Hansen-Løve screen side-by-side with Ingmar Bergman; while the 4K restoration of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s masterpiece Cure continues and World of Wong Kar-wai keeps going, Arrebato, Crash, and Mulholland Dr. have showings.
Metrograph
“We Won’t Grow Old Together” includes The Brood and Carol on 35mm; a 4K restoration of Possession is running; two of Clint Eastwood’s greatest films, A Perfect World and White Hunter, Black Heart, screen this Saturday.
Film at Lincoln Center
NYFF’s Revivals winds down with new restorations of Assault on Precinct 13, Ratcatcher, and Ed Lachman’s Songs for Drella.
IFC Center
In anticipation of Bergman Island, films by Mia Hansen-Løve screen side-by-side with Ingmar Bergman; while the 4K restoration of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s masterpiece Cure continues and World of Wong Kar-wai keeps going, Arrebato, Crash, and Mulholland Dr. have showings.
- 10/7/2021
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Though New York moviegoing is (sort of) getting back to normal, we’ve only now filled one of the biggest spots: Metrograph have announced a return of their theater and commissary on October 1, while Metrograph At Home programming will continue through their site and Metrograph TV app.
The lineup, currently handled by new programmer-at-large Nellie Killian, doesn’t seem to have missed a step: there’s the cool factor of Żuławski’s Possession restored in 4K, the auteurist cred of a four-film Eastwood series, new releases like Bulletproof and Labyrinth of Cinema, the high art of an Amos Vogel tribute—precisely what we’ve missed for, God help us, 18 months.
Health and safety guidelines can be found here, and a highlight of October programming below.
Opens October 1
Possession (1981)
New 4K Restoration of Andrzej Żuławski’s Hallucinatory Masterpiece
Banned upon its original release in 1981, Andrzej Żuławski’s stunningly choreographed nightmare of...
The lineup, currently handled by new programmer-at-large Nellie Killian, doesn’t seem to have missed a step: there’s the cool factor of Żuławski’s Possession restored in 4K, the auteurist cred of a four-film Eastwood series, new releases like Bulletproof and Labyrinth of Cinema, the high art of an Amos Vogel tribute—precisely what we’ve missed for, God help us, 18 months.
Health and safety guidelines can be found here, and a highlight of October programming below.
Opens October 1
Possession (1981)
New 4K Restoration of Andrzej Żuławski’s Hallucinatory Masterpiece
Banned upon its original release in 1981, Andrzej Żuławski’s stunningly choreographed nightmare of...
- 9/9/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Yasiin Bey offered a frank assessment on the status of the new Black Star record, saying it’ll arrive when he and Talib Kweli are ready for it to arrive, and no sooner, during an appearance on Kweli’s People’s Party podcast.
The follow up to the duo’s celebrated, and so far only, album — 1998’s Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star — has been in the works for years, with news that lauded beatmaker Madlib was producing the entire album stoking the anticipation. When Kweli brought up...
The follow up to the duo’s celebrated, and so far only, album — 1998’s Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star — has been in the works for years, with news that lauded beatmaker Madlib was producing the entire album stoking the anticipation. When Kweli brought up...
- 6/21/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Dave Chappelle is doubling down in the podcast space.
The comedian’s Pilot Boy Productions has joined People’s Party With Talib Kweli as an executive producer as the series is moving exclusively to subscription podcast platform Luminary.
It marks the latest example of exclusivity of hit podcasts, such as The Joe Rogan Experience on Spotify, which also snapped up exclusive rights to sex and relationship series Call Her Daddy last week.
People’s Party With Talib Kweli will become exclusive to Luminary and Luminary’s channel on Apple’s subscription podcast service on July 5. The video of each episode will be available on Uproxx’s YouTube channel the Monday following each episode.
The show, co-created by Kweli and Jarret Myer, is a weekly interview show produced by Uproxx. The pair have had guests including Dmx, Ice Cube, Lil Kim, Macklemore, The Game, Ice Cube, Lamar Odom, Dax Shepard,...
The comedian’s Pilot Boy Productions has joined People’s Party With Talib Kweli as an executive producer as the series is moving exclusively to subscription podcast platform Luminary.
It marks the latest example of exclusivity of hit podcasts, such as The Joe Rogan Experience on Spotify, which also snapped up exclusive rights to sex and relationship series Call Her Daddy last week.
People’s Party With Talib Kweli will become exclusive to Luminary and Luminary’s channel on Apple’s subscription podcast service on July 5. The video of each episode will be available on Uproxx’s YouTube channel the Monday following each episode.
The show, co-created by Kweli and Jarret Myer, is a weekly interview show produced by Uproxx. The pair have had guests including Dmx, Ice Cube, Lil Kim, Macklemore, The Game, Ice Cube, Lamar Odom, Dax Shepard,...
- 6/14/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
In 1995, a young rapper named Jay-Z appeared on The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show, a radio program that served as an essential proving ground for any fledgling New York Mc. The gifts that would transform Jay-Z into a million-selling megastar were already evident as he freestyled, shifting deftly between swaggering and agitated rhyme patterns. But the rapper was still unproven, hunting for a record deal on the strength of his solo debut single, “In My Lifetime.” “It’s in some stores,” he told his hosts. “Once we lock this distribution thing down,...
- 5/18/2021
- by Elias Leight
- Rollingstone.com
Celebrating its 15th year in amplifying emerging diverse writers, NBCUniversal’s annual Writers on the Verge program has selected comedy writers Kim Tran, Shawn Parikh, and Hakim “Kimo” Hill along with drama writers Cristina Boada, Julian Johnson, Hussain Pirani, Sujana Gowni, and Eric Anthony Glover for its 2020-21 class. The new class was selected from an applicant pool of more than 2,400 submissions. This year’s program is taking place virtually.
Like the name suggests, the program provides talented writers who are “on the verge” of breaking into episodic television with a final polish to their writing and pitch presentation skills in order to prepare them for a staff writing position following the completion of the program. The program counts executive producers Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier (LA’s Finest), Keto Shimizu (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) and Gina Monreal (NCIS), among its alumni.
After NBCUniversal’s recent announcement that the company’s diversity,...
Like the name suggests, the program provides talented writers who are “on the verge” of breaking into episodic television with a final polish to their writing and pitch presentation skills in order to prepare them for a staff writing position following the completion of the program. The program counts executive producers Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier (LA’s Finest), Keto Shimizu (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) and Gina Monreal (NCIS), among its alumni.
After NBCUniversal’s recent announcement that the company’s diversity,...
- 12/16/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Talib Kweli has announced a new album, Cultural Currency, which will be made available exclusively to fans who subscribe to his new Patreon campaign.
The New York rapper did not share any specifics about the record, such as a release date. His Patreon, however, will feature a three-tiered subscription service with various incentives for fans. For instance, the $5-a-month tier will come with a monthly unreleased track by various hip-hop legends, curated by Kweli; the $10-a-month tier will include that track, plus a new Kweli song, with the rapper planning...
The New York rapper did not share any specifics about the record, such as a release date. His Patreon, however, will feature a three-tiered subscription service with various incentives for fans. For instance, the $5-a-month tier will come with a monthly unreleased track by various hip-hop legends, curated by Kweli; the $10-a-month tier will include that track, plus a new Kweli song, with the rapper planning...
- 7/13/2020
- by Jonathan Bernstein
- Rollingstone.com
The conventional wisdom among cineastes is that Elvis Presley’s best movie was the Don Siegel Western Flaming Star (1960), mainly thanks to the fact that it was one of the few times the singer worked with an important auteur. While I bow to no one in my admiration of Siegel in general and Flaming Star in particular, it’s less a great Elvis movie than a great movie that has Elvis in it; for a terrific film by a terrific director that’s also a supercharged vehicle for what Presley did best, one need look no further than 1958’s King Creole, which […]...
- 5/15/2020
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The conventional wisdom among cineastes is that Elvis Presley’s best movie was the Don Siegel Western Flaming Star (1960), mainly thanks to the fact that it was one of the few times the singer worked with an important auteur. While I bow to no one in my admiration of Siegel in general and Flaming Star in particular, it’s less a great Elvis movie than a great movie that has Elvis in it; for a terrific film by a terrific director that’s also a supercharged vehicle for what Presley did best, one need look no further than 1958’s King Creole, which […]...
- 5/15/2020
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Acclaimed stuntman and action director extraordinaire Jesse V. Johnson joins us to discuss the U.S. based action films and filmmakers that have influenced him the most.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
On The Waterfront (1954)
Fultah Fisher’s Boarding House (1922)
Undisputed (2002)
Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006)
Undisputed III: Redemption (2010)
Boyka: Undisputed (2016)
The Killer Elite (1975)
Convoy (1978)
The Osterman Weekend (1983)
Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
Le Cercle Rouge (1970)
Straw Dogs (1971)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Birdcage (1996)
Cross of Iron (1977)
Electra Glide in Blue (1973)
Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974)
Easy Rider (1969)
Fail Safe (1964)
The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
Ride The High Country (1962)
Major Dundee (1965)
Jinxed! (1982)
Beowulf (2007)
Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
The Girl Hunters (1963)
Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)
Point Blank (1967)
Falling Down (1993)
M (1951)
M (1931)
The Black Vampire (1953)
The Roaring Twenties (1939)
Scum (1979)
Elephant (1989)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), possibly Joe’s favorite John Ford...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
On The Waterfront (1954)
Fultah Fisher’s Boarding House (1922)
Undisputed (2002)
Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006)
Undisputed III: Redemption (2010)
Boyka: Undisputed (2016)
The Killer Elite (1975)
Convoy (1978)
The Osterman Weekend (1983)
Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
Le Cercle Rouge (1970)
Straw Dogs (1971)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Birdcage (1996)
Cross of Iron (1977)
Electra Glide in Blue (1973)
Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974)
Easy Rider (1969)
Fail Safe (1964)
The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
Ride The High Country (1962)
Major Dundee (1965)
Jinxed! (1982)
Beowulf (2007)
Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
The Girl Hunters (1963)
Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)
Point Blank (1967)
Falling Down (1993)
M (1951)
M (1931)
The Black Vampire (1953)
The Roaring Twenties (1939)
Scum (1979)
Elephant (1989)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), possibly Joe’s favorite John Ford...
- 3/24/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Issue #46
Highlights Of Issue #46 (2020) Include:
John Wayne and Rock Hudson are "The Undefeated"
Unpublished 1974 interview with Albert Finney
Don Siegel's "Madigan" starring Richard Widmark and Henry Fonda
Interview with writer/director Michael Armstrong
The making of the epic film "Waterloo" starring Rod Steiger and Christopher Plummer
Hammer Films Actor John Richardson interview Part II
Vietnam Before and After: "Go Tell the Spartans" and "Rolling Thunder"
Brian Keith in "The McKenzie Break"
Plus review of DVDs, soundtracks and film books.
USA/ Canada : Cinema Retro #46 USA/ Canada : Cinema Retro #46 $12.00 Usd UK : Cinema Retro Issue #46 UK : Cinema Retro Issue #46 £8.50 Gbp Europe : Cinema Retro Issue #46 Europe : Cinema Retro Issue #46 £10.50 Gbp Rest Of The World : Cinema Retro Issue #46 Rest Of The World : Cinema Retro Issue #46 £12.00 Gbp
Issue #47
Nick Anez covers "Flaming Star", the Elvis Presley drama that remains an overlooked gem.
Director John Stevenson's tribute to...
Highlights Of Issue #46 (2020) Include:
John Wayne and Rock Hudson are "The Undefeated"
Unpublished 1974 interview with Albert Finney
Don Siegel's "Madigan" starring Richard Widmark and Henry Fonda
Interview with writer/director Michael Armstrong
The making of the epic film "Waterloo" starring Rod Steiger and Christopher Plummer
Hammer Films Actor John Richardson interview Part II
Vietnam Before and After: "Go Tell the Spartans" and "Rolling Thunder"
Brian Keith in "The McKenzie Break"
Plus review of DVDs, soundtracks and film books.
USA/ Canada : Cinema Retro #46 USA/ Canada : Cinema Retro #46 $12.00 Usd UK : Cinema Retro Issue #46 UK : Cinema Retro Issue #46 £8.50 Gbp Europe : Cinema Retro Issue #46 Europe : Cinema Retro Issue #46 £10.50 Gbp Rest Of The World : Cinema Retro Issue #46 Rest Of The World : Cinema Retro Issue #46 £12.00 Gbp
Issue #47
Nick Anez covers "Flaming Star", the Elvis Presley drama that remains an overlooked gem.
Director John Stevenson's tribute to...
- 10/12/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Wow — a good Audie Murphy movie. Clair Huffaker’s screenplay should take credit, as well as the workmanlike direction of former Hitchcock assistant Herbert Coleman. Even John Saxon comes off well, plus the film can boast good work from favorites Zohra Lampert and Vic Morrow, and fine support from Rodolfo Acosta, Royal Dano and Lee Van Cleef.
Posse from Hell
(Die Gnadenlosen Vier)
Blu-ray
Explosive Media GmbH
1961 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 89 min. / Street Date June 21, 2018 / Eur 14,84
Starring: Audie Murphy, John Saxon, Zohra Lampert, Vic Morrow, Robert Keith, Rodolfo Acosta, Royal Dano, Frank Overton, James Bell, Ward Ramsey, Lee Van Cleef, Ray Teal, Charles Horvath, Harry Lauter.
Cinematography: Clifford Stine
Film Editor: Frederic Knudtson
Written by Clair Huffaker from his novel
Produced by Gordon Kay
Directed by Herbert Coleman
Yes, I have to admit that I’ve seen more bad Audie Murphy movies than good ones, including a few outright losers. But...
Posse from Hell
(Die Gnadenlosen Vier)
Blu-ray
Explosive Media GmbH
1961 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 89 min. / Street Date June 21, 2018 / Eur 14,84
Starring: Audie Murphy, John Saxon, Zohra Lampert, Vic Morrow, Robert Keith, Rodolfo Acosta, Royal Dano, Frank Overton, James Bell, Ward Ramsey, Lee Van Cleef, Ray Teal, Charles Horvath, Harry Lauter.
Cinematography: Clifford Stine
Film Editor: Frederic Knudtson
Written by Clair Huffaker from his novel
Produced by Gordon Kay
Directed by Herbert Coleman
Yes, I have to admit that I’ve seen more bad Audie Murphy movies than good ones, including a few outright losers. But...
- 1/29/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Tom Reese, a menacing-looking character actor who had his share of memorable onscreen fistfights and appeared in the noteworthy "The Midnight Sun" episode of The Twilight Zone, has died. He was 89.
Reese died Dec. 12 at a hospice facility in Studio City after a brief illness, his longtime friend Charles Leinenweber told The Hollywood Reporter.
A former U.S. Marine and military policeman who was a sturdy 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds in his prime, Reese played the cowpoke named Jute who has a knock-down, drag-out with Elvis Presley in Flaming Star (1960), directed by Don Siegel. Pacer Burton (Presley, who...
Reese died Dec. 12 at a hospice facility in Studio City after a brief illness, his longtime friend Charles Leinenweber told The Hollywood Reporter.
A former U.S. Marine and military policeman who was a sturdy 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds in his prime, Reese played the cowpoke named Jute who has a knock-down, drag-out with Elvis Presley in Flaming Star (1960), directed by Don Siegel. Pacer Burton (Presley, who...
- 3/8/2018
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
We may be a day late, but it's never the wrong time to celebrate the birthday of the king of rock 'n' roll, Elvis Presley! A lot of people take cheap shots at Elvis' movie career, and he was never very excited about the fact that no one took him seriously, but there is a ton of joy to be gleaned from these films, and I could not be happier that chunks of his on-screen ouevre are making it to Blu-ray every year. The latest trio of HD upgrades come from the Elvis friendly Twilight Time, who've previously released Big E's genuinely great western, Flaming Star, with a new upgrade of boxing musical Kid Galahad, and Kino Lorber Studio Classics with Dixie steamboat romance Frankie...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 1/9/2018
- Screen Anarchy
He sings, he fixes cars, and he takes punches better than De Niro’s Raging Bull. Elvis Presley excels in one of his few ’60s pictures that shows an interest in being a ‘real movie,’ a remake of a boxing saga with entertaining characters and fine direction from noir specialist Phil Karlson. Plus Charles Bronson, Lola Albright and Joan Blackman in standout roles.
Kid Galahad
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1962 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 95 min. / Street Date August 14, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store 29.95
Starring: Elvis Presley, Gig Young, Lola Albright, Joan Blackman, Charles Bronson, Robert Emhardt, Liam Redmond, Judson Pratt, Ned Glass, George Mitchell, Roy Roberts, Michael Dante, Richard Devon, Jeff Morris, Edward Asner, Frank Gerstle, Seamon Glass, Bert Remsen.
Cinematography: Burnett Guffey
Film Editor: Stuart Gilmore
Original Music: Jeff Alexander
Written by William Fay, Francis Wallace
Produced by David Weisbart
Directed by Phil Karlson
What, a good Elvis Presley picture?...
Kid Galahad
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1962 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 95 min. / Street Date August 14, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store 29.95
Starring: Elvis Presley, Gig Young, Lola Albright, Joan Blackman, Charles Bronson, Robert Emhardt, Liam Redmond, Judson Pratt, Ned Glass, George Mitchell, Roy Roberts, Michael Dante, Richard Devon, Jeff Morris, Edward Asner, Frank Gerstle, Seamon Glass, Bert Remsen.
Cinematography: Burnett Guffey
Film Editor: Stuart Gilmore
Original Music: Jeff Alexander
Written by William Fay, Francis Wallace
Produced by David Weisbart
Directed by Phil Karlson
What, a good Elvis Presley picture?...
- 8/29/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Revenge of the Blood Beast
Blu-ray
Rarovideo
1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 79 min. / Il lago di Satana, La sorella di Satana, The She-Beast / Street Date January 17, 2017 / 29.95
Starring: Barbara Steele, John Karlsen, Ian Ogilvy, Mel Welles, Lucretia Love
Cinematography: Gioacchino Gengarelli
Film Editor: Nira Omri
Original Music: Paul Ferris
Produced by: Paul Maslansky, Michael Reeves
Written and Directed by Michael Reeves
It’s back into the genre argument pits with the interesting director Michael Reeves. Reeves has persisted as a cult figure far longer than most directors with only three credited feature films. The movies are uneven but promising, and certainly the artistic equal (or better) than most of the work being turned out at the time by American-International and the majority of the Euro-horror crowd. The second half of the 1960s saw a general depression in the horror field, with Hammer losing touch with its audience and continental fare turning to sex content to generate interest.
Blu-ray
Rarovideo
1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 79 min. / Il lago di Satana, La sorella di Satana, The She-Beast / Street Date January 17, 2017 / 29.95
Starring: Barbara Steele, John Karlsen, Ian Ogilvy, Mel Welles, Lucretia Love
Cinematography: Gioacchino Gengarelli
Film Editor: Nira Omri
Original Music: Paul Ferris
Produced by: Paul Maslansky, Michael Reeves
Written and Directed by Michael Reeves
It’s back into the genre argument pits with the interesting director Michael Reeves. Reeves has persisted as a cult figure far longer than most directors with only three credited feature films. The movies are uneven but promising, and certainly the artistic equal (or better) than most of the work being turned out at the time by American-International and the majority of the Euro-horror crowd. The second half of the 1960s saw a general depression in the horror field, with Hammer losing touch with its audience and continental fare turning to sex content to generate interest.
- 1/13/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The actor Douglas Dick has died at the age of 95. His family announced the news in an obituary in The Los Angeles Times. Dick. who appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's thriller Rope, died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles on Dec. 19, 2015. As well as an esteemed actor, Dick's family noted that Dr. Douglas M. Dick was also a naval officer, writer and psychologist. In 1960 he starred alongside Elvis Presley and Barbara Eden in Flaming Star. He was described by his family as "an honest, intelligent, charitable and principled man, was an active member of the Academy...
- 1/8/2016
- by George Stark, @GeorgeStark_
- PEOPLE.com
The actor Douglas Dick has died at the age of 95. His family announced the news in an obituary in The Los Angeles Times. Dick. who appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's thriller Rope, died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles on Dec. 19, 2015. As well as an esteemed actor, Dick's family noted that Dr. Douglas M. Dick was also a naval officer, writer and psychologist. In 1960 he starred alongside Elvis Presley and Barbara Eden in Flaming Star. He was described by his family as "an honest, intelligent, charitable and principled man, was an active member of the Academy...
- 1/8/2016
- by George Stark, @GeorgeStark_
- PEOPLE.com
Musician-turned-director John Maclean strikes gold with this haunting mix of genres in the old west
Musicians have long been drawn to the cinematic myths of the old west. From the singing cowboys of early sound cinema (Ken Maynard, Gene Autry et al) through such big-screen Elvis vehicles as Flaming Star (1960) and Charro! (1969), to Glen Campbell in True Grit (1969) and Bob Dylan in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), the western has proved the natural home of the troubadour.
More recently, Australian rocker Nick Cave has done some of his very best work writing and co-scoring The Proposition (2005) and even having a cameo as a storytelling saloon singer in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), on which he collaborated once again with long-term musical compadre Warren Ellis. Little surprise, then, that this first feature from former Beta Band musician John Maclean should be a western, albeit one...
Musicians have long been drawn to the cinematic myths of the old west. From the singing cowboys of early sound cinema (Ken Maynard, Gene Autry et al) through such big-screen Elvis vehicles as Flaming Star (1960) and Charro! (1969), to Glen Campbell in True Grit (1969) and Bob Dylan in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), the western has proved the natural home of the troubadour.
More recently, Australian rocker Nick Cave has done some of his very best work writing and co-scoring The Proposition (2005) and even having a cameo as a storytelling saloon singer in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), on which he collaborated once again with long-term musical compadre Warren Ellis. Little surprise, then, that this first feature from former Beta Band musician John Maclean should be a western, albeit one...
- 6/28/2015
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
By Lee Pfeiffer
Christopher Lee and Boris Karloff collectively made countless films that varied widely in terms of quality. However, they always brought dignity to every role they performed. Sadly, the two icons of the horror film genre only worked together twice.The first time in the late 1950s in "Corridors of Blood" and the second and last time in what turned out to be the final film of Karloff's career, the 1968 Tigon Films production of "The Crimson Cult" (released in the UK as "Curse of the Crimson Altar" and in some territories as "The Crimson Altar" and "Black Horror"). Karloff barely got through the arduous shoot during a particularly cold and unpleasant British winter. However, always the ultimate professional, he persevered and continued the film until completion, even after having been hospitalized with pneumonia. The result is a film that is not particularly well-loved by horror film fans...
Christopher Lee and Boris Karloff collectively made countless films that varied widely in terms of quality. However, they always brought dignity to every role they performed. Sadly, the two icons of the horror film genre only worked together twice.The first time in the late 1950s in "Corridors of Blood" and the second and last time in what turned out to be the final film of Karloff's career, the 1968 Tigon Films production of "The Crimson Cult" (released in the UK as "Curse of the Crimson Altar" and in some territories as "The Crimson Altar" and "Black Horror"). Karloff barely got through the arduous shoot during a particularly cold and unpleasant British winter. However, always the ultimate professional, he persevered and continued the film until completion, even after having been hospitalized with pneumonia. The result is a film that is not particularly well-loved by horror film fans...
- 6/27/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Twilight Time is celebrating its 4th anniversary with a major promotion that sees some of their limited edition titles reduced in price through April 3. These are the titles on sale.
Group 1
Retail price point: $24.95
Picnic
Pal Joey
Bite The Bullet
Bell, Book, And Candle
Bye Bye Birdie
In Like Flint
Major Dundee
The Blue Max
Crimes And Misdemeanors
Used Cars
Thunderbirds Are Go / Thunderbird 6
Group 2
Retail price point: $19.95
Rapture
Roots Of Heaven
Swamp Water
Demetrius And The Gladiators
Desiree
The Wayward Bus
Cover Girl
High Time
The Sound And The Fury
The Rains Of Ranchipur
Bonjour Tristesse
Beloved Infidel
Lost Horizon
The Blue Lagoon
Experiment In Terror
Nicholas And Alexandra
Pony Soldier
The Song Of Bernadette
Philadelphia
The Only Game In Town
Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
Sleepless In Seattle
The Disappearance
Sexy Beast
Drums Along The Mohawk
Alamo Bay
The Other
Mindwarp
Jane Eyre
Oliver
The Way We Were...
Group 1
Retail price point: $24.95
Picnic
Pal Joey
Bite The Bullet
Bell, Book, And Candle
Bye Bye Birdie
In Like Flint
Major Dundee
The Blue Max
Crimes And Misdemeanors
Used Cars
Thunderbirds Are Go / Thunderbird 6
Group 2
Retail price point: $19.95
Rapture
Roots Of Heaven
Swamp Water
Demetrius And The Gladiators
Desiree
The Wayward Bus
Cover Girl
High Time
The Sound And The Fury
The Rains Of Ranchipur
Bonjour Tristesse
Beloved Infidel
Lost Horizon
The Blue Lagoon
Experiment In Terror
Nicholas And Alexandra
Pony Soldier
The Song Of Bernadette
Philadelphia
The Only Game In Town
Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
Sleepless In Seattle
The Disappearance
Sexy Beast
Drums Along The Mohawk
Alamo Bay
The Other
Mindwarp
Jane Eyre
Oliver
The Way We Were...
- 3/31/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Andy Warhol's 1963 painting of Elvis Presley Triple Elvis (Ferus Type) has sold for nearly $82 million at the Christie's contemporary art sale on Wednesday night in Manhattan reports The New York Times. The Presley painting topped the night's sales, beating out 79 other pictures including Warhol's depiction of Marlon Brando in Four Marlons. Triple Elvis, a silk screen that depicts Presley dressed as a cowboy gun-in-hand for publicity shot from the 1960 film Flaming Star, had a pre-sale estimate of $60 million. Read more Marilyn Monroe's Lost Love Letters to be Auctioned Indeed, Christie's had a stellar night, with 22 of
read more...
read more...
- 11/13/2014
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chicago – Next year will mark the 50th Anniversary of the seminal 1960s sitcom, “I Dream of Jeannie.” Unforgettable – for many reasons – was Barbara Eden, who portrayed a genie named Jeannie. Ms. Eden was at the “Hollywood Show” Chicago last year, and was interviewed by HollywoodChicago.com.
Eden was born Barbara Jean Morehead in Tucson, Arizona. After her family moved to the West Coast, Eden began singing, first in the church choir and eventually in night clubs. This led to acting and performance classes, including the City College of San Francisco and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. After winning the title of Miss San Francisco, Eden moved to Los Angeles, and began a series of appearances on classic TV shows including “I Love Lucy,” “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” “Perry Mason,” “Gunsmoke,” “Father Knows Best” and “The Andy Griffith Show.”
Barbara Eden at the “Hollywood Show Chicago” in 2013
Photo...
Eden was born Barbara Jean Morehead in Tucson, Arizona. After her family moved to the West Coast, Eden began singing, first in the church choir and eventually in night clubs. This led to acting and performance classes, including the City College of San Francisco and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. After winning the title of Miss San Francisco, Eden moved to Los Angeles, and began a series of appearances on classic TV shows including “I Love Lucy,” “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” “Perry Mason,” “Gunsmoke,” “Father Knows Best” and “The Andy Griffith Show.”
Barbara Eden at the “Hollywood Show Chicago” in 2013
Photo...
- 7/8/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Hollywood actor best known for his starring role as Lieutenant Dan 'Hondo' Harrelson in the 70s cop series S.W.A.T.
Steve Forrest, who has died aged 87, was a product of the Hollywood studio system, then at its tail end in the 1950s. Although MGM had the handsome, rugged 6ft 3in actor under contract for five years, from 1952 to 1957, they gave him few chances to shine. It was only when he left the studio that Forrest got bigger and better parts in feature films – one of his best performances was as the white brother of Elvis Presley, who plays the son of a Native American mother and a Texas rancher father, in Don Siegel's excellent western Flaming Star (1960) – and he was able to start a long and busy career on television.
In fact, it was on the small screen that Forrest would build his fame, notably in S.W.A.T. (1975-...
Steve Forrest, who has died aged 87, was a product of the Hollywood studio system, then at its tail end in the 1950s. Although MGM had the handsome, rugged 6ft 3in actor under contract for five years, from 1952 to 1957, they gave him few chances to shine. It was only when he left the studio that Forrest got bigger and better parts in feature films – one of his best performances was as the white brother of Elvis Presley, who plays the son of a Native American mother and a Texas rancher father, in Don Siegel's excellent western Flaming Star (1960) – and he was able to start a long and busy career on television.
In fact, it was on the small screen that Forrest would build his fame, notably in S.W.A.T. (1975-...
- 5/24/2013
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
Actor Steve Forrest has passed away at the age of 87. The brother of famed actor Dana Andrews, Forrest had a successful career in films and television. A WWII veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, Forrest was discovered by Gregory Peck and appeared in numerous films including Flaming Star, Spies Like Us, The Longest Day, Heller in Pink Tights, North Dallas Forty and Mommie Dearest. He was also a proficient vocalist and golfer. On TV, Forrest enjoyed his greatest success, starring in the short-lived, but fondly remembered British adventure series The Baron. As the titular character in the 1965 show, Forrest played an American antiques dealer living in London who would secretly undertake dangerous international missions in the service of British Intelligence. Forrest also had the lead role in the 1970s hit TV series S.W.A.T. For more click here...
- 5/24/2013
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Veteran actor Steve Forrest, who had more than 100 TV credits including starring on the mid-1970s police actioner S.W.A.T., died May 18 in Thousand Oaks. He was 87. The brother of actor Dana Andrews, Forrest made guest appearances on scores of TV shows and recurred on the original Dallas. He also played Lt. Hondo Harrelson on ABC’s 1975-76 police actioner S.W.A.T. — he had a cameo in the 2003 feature adaptation — and starred as John “The Baron” Mannering on the 1966 Cold War spy drama The Baron, the first color series on UK TV. Forrest, from Texas, was a sergeant in the Army and saw action in the Battle of the Bulge. He later moved to La and graduated from UCLA in 1950 with a theater arts degree. He went on to work as a stagehand at the La Jolla Playhouse, where he was discovered by Hollywood icon Gregory Peck, who cast Forrest in a...
- 5/23/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
With his latest film grasping desperately for paedophilia-based laughs, John Patterson fears the former SNL funnyman's decline is terminal
Something terrible is happening to Adam Sandler's already terrible career. When I look back over last two decades' worth of money-spinning Sandler product, I get that helpless, existentially bleak what's-the-point feeling I only otherwise suffer when I'm pondering the 31 movies Elvis made: Ok, Jailhouse Rock for the title number, Flaming Star because Don Siegel made it, and Viva Las Vegas because of Ann-Margret. The other 28? Burn the negatives, bring me the silver nitrate.
I could happily cull some similar ragged remnant of laughter and wit from the diverse, yet horribly monotonous Sandler back catalog: it would probably include Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, maybe The Wedding Singer (for Drew), and perhaps Anger Management (for low-grade Late Jack). And then there's the kind of stuff you'd expect us snooty, fun-phobic critics...
Something terrible is happening to Adam Sandler's already terrible career. When I look back over last two decades' worth of money-spinning Sandler product, I get that helpless, existentially bleak what's-the-point feeling I only otherwise suffer when I'm pondering the 31 movies Elvis made: Ok, Jailhouse Rock for the title number, Flaming Star because Don Siegel made it, and Viva Las Vegas because of Ann-Margret. The other 28? Burn the negatives, bring me the silver nitrate.
I could happily cull some similar ragged remnant of laughter and wit from the diverse, yet horribly monotonous Sandler back catalog: it would probably include Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, maybe The Wedding Singer (for Drew), and perhaps Anger Management (for low-grade Late Jack). And then there's the kind of stuff you'd expect us snooty, fun-phobic critics...
- 8/31/2012
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
In the credits to his masterpiece "Unforgiven," Clint Eastwood included a dedication: "for Don Siegel and Sergio Leone." Leone was a no-brainer, one of the great filmmakers who worked with Clint on a trio of films ("The Good The Bad And The Ugly," "A Fistful Of Dollars" and "For A Few Dollars More"). But Siegel was less beloved of cinephiles. A cosmopolitan Chicago native who studied at Jesus College, Cambridge, he started directing montages at Warner Bros. (including the opening scene of "Casablanca"), before breaking into features, with a string of B-movies with everyone from Robert Mitchum to Elvis Presley (the latter on 1960's "Flaming Star"), but became most notable for his work with Eastwood on five pictures from 1968's "Coogan's Bluff" to 1979's "Escape From Alcatraz."
Siegel was an unpretentious, unprecious director, best known for tough, muscular crime movies, but he never became an auteur favorite, despite his obvious...
Siegel was an unpretentious, unprecious director, best known for tough, muscular crime movies, but he never became an auteur favorite, despite his obvious...
- 4/20/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Elvis Presley: Double Elvis (Ferus Type) Elvis Presley as a cowboy as seen by Andy Warhol. Warhol's Presley Portrait "Double Elvis (Ferus Type)" will be sold to the highest bidder at Sotheby's on May 9. The 1963 portrait, owned by a "private collector," is expected to sell for anywhere between $30-50 million. As per Sotheby's, this is the first "Double Elvis" to appear on the market since 1995. And to think I had no idea there had ever been more than one Elvis despite his myriad imitators. In truth, Warhol painted 22 images of Elvis Presley, nine of which belong to various museum collections. Presley starred in about 30 films, mostly flimsy musicals (e.g., Blue Hawaii, Harum Scarum, Kissin' Cousins) featuring minor leading ladies as his love interest. Exceptions include the Westerns Love Me Tender (1956), with Richard Egan and Debra Paget, and Flaming Star (1960), with Barbara Eden and Dolores del Rio; the...
- 3/15/2012
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
DVD Playhouse—June 2010
By
Allen Gardner
The White Ribbon (Sony) On the eve of Ww I, a small village in Germany is struck by a series of tragic, seemingly unconnected events until the townspeople, and the audience, start to connect the dots. Shot in stark, beautiful black & white, director Michael Haneke has fashioned a haunting metaphorical drama that is as coldly chilling as anything made by Ingmar Bergman, and darkly unsettling as anything from the canon of David Lynch. A rich, tough, brilliant cinematic experience you’re not likely to forget. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bd bonuses: Interviews with cast and crew; featurettes. Widescreen Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
Alice In Wonderland (Disney) Tim Burton’s take on the Lewis Carroll classic finds young Alice (Mia Wasikowska), a 19th century girl who finds herself in an unhappy engagement to a boorish suitor, tumbling down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, where she encounters magical cakes,...
By
Allen Gardner
The White Ribbon (Sony) On the eve of Ww I, a small village in Germany is struck by a series of tragic, seemingly unconnected events until the townspeople, and the audience, start to connect the dots. Shot in stark, beautiful black & white, director Michael Haneke has fashioned a haunting metaphorical drama that is as coldly chilling as anything made by Ingmar Bergman, and darkly unsettling as anything from the canon of David Lynch. A rich, tough, brilliant cinematic experience you’re not likely to forget. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bd bonuses: Interviews with cast and crew; featurettes. Widescreen Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
Alice In Wonderland (Disney) Tim Burton’s take on the Lewis Carroll classic finds young Alice (Mia Wasikowska), a 19th century girl who finds herself in an unhappy engagement to a boorish suitor, tumbling down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, where she encounters magical cakes,...
- 6/23/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Chicago – Attention Elvis Presley fans. Coming out a few months after what would have been his actual birthday on January 8th is the “Elvis 75th Birthday Collection” from 20th Century Fox, which includes seven of the King’s films in one set. With a few hits and a few more unheralded gems, the “75th Birthday Collection” has a very low price point (under $6 a movie) that might make it the perfect Father’s Day gift choice for the patriarch in your family.
DVD Rating: 3.5/5.0
With no special features and standard video/audio quality, the only notable thing about the “75th Birthday Collection” is the chance to have seven films from Presley’s career in one affordable set. With only the films that Elvis made under the MGM banner available, instantly recognizable hits like “Jailhouse Rock,” “Viva Las Vegas,” and “Girl Happy” are not included (but will be in a massive,...
DVD Rating: 3.5/5.0
With no special features and standard video/audio quality, the only notable thing about the “75th Birthday Collection” is the chance to have seven films from Presley’s career in one affordable set. With only the films that Elvis made under the MGM banner available, instantly recognizable hits like “Jailhouse Rock,” “Viva Las Vegas,” and “Girl Happy” are not included (but will be in a massive,...
- 6/14/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Elvis Presley holds the throne as “The King” of rock n’ roll. Music was his forte, but he did dabble in film for awhile and the results were a mixed bag. In honor of his 75th birthday which he won’t be able to celebrate for himself (unless you’re an Elvis Lives conspiracy theorist), Fox has released the Elvis 75th Birthday Collection. Presented in 2.35:1 Widescreen (save for Kid Galahad in 1.85:1 and Frankie and Johnny in 1.66:1), the collection shows its age in a few places as Fox seems to have done little to remaster these classics, but overall it’s a nice look at the musician who would be an actor, even if the selection of films leaves a lot to be desired. If the set is good for anything it’s for showing his progress as an actor from his first film ever, Love Me Tender,...
- 6/12/2010
- by Lex Walker
- JustPressPlay.net
Milwaukee - Henry Winkler is not the Fonz.
He played the coolest guy on Happy Days for eleven seasons. But he doesn’t wear a leather jacket, ride a motorcycle or fix things by bumping them with his elbow. He’s not even Italian. He’s got a life that has gone beyond the Fonz. There’s probably a generation that knows him better for Adam Sandler movies and Arrested Development. On a May evening at the Quail Ridge bookstore in Raleigh, there is a group of kids under 12 years old that know him as the author of the Hank Zipzer books (along with co-writer Lin Oliver).
Many stars of the ’70s sell their tawdry memoirs of behind the scenes perversions. Winkler created a young adult book series that taps into grade school life instead of the action in Arnold’s bathroom. We’ll have to wait for lurid tales of the Hooper triplets.
He played the coolest guy on Happy Days for eleven seasons. But he doesn’t wear a leather jacket, ride a motorcycle or fix things by bumping them with his elbow. He’s not even Italian. He’s got a life that has gone beyond the Fonz. There’s probably a generation that knows him better for Adam Sandler movies and Arrested Development. On a May evening at the Quail Ridge bookstore in Raleigh, there is a group of kids under 12 years old that know him as the author of the Hank Zipzer books (along with co-writer Lin Oliver).
Many stars of the ’70s sell their tawdry memoirs of behind the scenes perversions. Winkler created a young adult book series that taps into grade school life instead of the action in Arnold’s bathroom. We’ll have to wait for lurid tales of the Hooper triplets.
- 5/28/2010
- by UncaScroogeMcD
For this edition Shadows of Film Noir, we take a look at Don Siegel's The Lineup, produced by the "B" unit at Columbia Pictures in 1958. It was unavailable for years, but Sony thankfully released it as part of the 2009 Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics DVD box set.
Behind the Scenes
Director Don Siegel was born in Chicago in 1912 and was educated at Cambridge. He landed a job as a "montage" director at Warner Bros., and made most of those little transitional sequences you see in Casablanca and the Bette Davis movie Now, Voyager. He made his feature directorial debut in 1946 with The Verdict, and continued making low-budget crime films (along with some Westerns and war films) -- including The Lineup -- for over a decade. His biggest hit from this period was, of course, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). In 1960, he directed what many consider Elvis Presley's best film,...
Behind the Scenes
Director Don Siegel was born in Chicago in 1912 and was educated at Cambridge. He landed a job as a "montage" director at Warner Bros., and made most of those little transitional sequences you see in Casablanca and the Bette Davis movie Now, Voyager. He made his feature directorial debut in 1946 with The Verdict, and continued making low-budget crime films (along with some Westerns and war films) -- including The Lineup -- for over a decade. His biggest hit from this period was, of course, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). In 1960, he directed what many consider Elvis Presley's best film,...
- 5/21/2010
- by Jeffrey M. Anderson
- Cinematical
You just can’t keep a good serial killer down, especially when he only exists in our imaginations. Freddy Krueger returns once again this Friday, April 30, but this time without Robert Englund. Jackie Earle Haley slips into the scar makeup and knife-fingered glove this time around, hoping to give new life to an old favorite. Haley has already proven himself is short time to be one of this generation’s great character actors, with a knack for the dark and creepy side of the craft. In light of the new Nightmare On Elm Street film, We Are Movie Geeks has compiled our Top Ten List of the Best Creepy Character Actors.
Honorable Mention: Rondo Hatton
Of all the actors on this list, none has had a more tragic personal story as Rondo Hatton. As a young man Hatton was diagnosed with a rare pituitary disorder known as acromegalia (the studios...
Honorable Mention: Rondo Hatton
Of all the actors on this list, none has had a more tragic personal story as Rondo Hatton. As a young man Hatton was diagnosed with a rare pituitary disorder known as acromegalia (the studios...
- 4/28/2010
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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