For those of us who remember going to the movies in 1977, we were treated to Star Wars, Smokey And The Bandit, The Spy Who Loved Me, Airport 77, The Car, Orca and Capricorn One. There was a rich wealth of movies to choose from and a time when audiences in their local cinemas would cheer and clap for the heroes. Then on December 14, 1977, coming off the success of Jaws, that director Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi masterpiece graced the screens. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind was the filmmaker’s next movie and, along with star Richard Dreyfuss and the magnificent score from composer John Williams, took audiences on a journey of mankind’s first meeting with aliens and let us know we are not alone in the universe.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning for Best Cinematography by Director of Photography Vilmos Zsigmond (The Sugarland Express...
Close Encounters of the Third Kind was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning for Best Cinematography by Director of Photography Vilmos Zsigmond (The Sugarland Express...
- 3/21/2024
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
How much juice did Lucille Ball have in the late 1960s? While many of her contemporaries struggled to remain relevant as America seemed on the brink of a cultural and political revolution, the old-school Ball was still one of television's most reliable entertainers. "I Love Lucy," the paradigm-setting sitcom she created with her husband Desi Arnaz, was a syndication powerhouse. Five years after ending the series, she shook off the Broadway failure of 1960's "Wildcat" and scored another sitcom hit with "The Lucy Show." At the end of the series' sixth season, it was the second highest-rated show on television, but when Ball sold Desilu Productions to Gulf+Western in 1967, she decided to pull the plug.
Why? Because she didn't want to star in a show owned by someone else. So when "The Lucy Show" aired its final episode on March 11, 1968, Ball turned around and created "Here's Lucy," which premiered...
Why? Because she didn't want to star in a show owned by someone else. So when "The Lucy Show" aired its final episode on March 11, 1968, Ball turned around and created "Here's Lucy," which premiered...
- 9/4/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Here’s looking at Warner Bros. which is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Earlier this year, Turner Classic Movies, which is a member of the Warner Bros. Discovery family, celebrated the centennial with a monthlong tribute to the studio that gave the world such landmark films as 1927’s “The Jazz Singer,” the first feature with synchronized recorded singing and some dialogue; the ultimate gangster flick 1931’s “Public Enemy,: the glorious 1938 swashbuckler “The Adventures of Robin Hood”; and the beloved 1942 “Casablanca.
And during its Golden Age, its roster of stars included such legends as Rin-Tin-Tin, John Barrymore, Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Kay Francis, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Paul Muni, John Garfield and Sydney Greenstreet.
Max is currently streaming the four-part documentary series “100 Years of Warner Bros.” (the first two episodes premiered at Cannes). And also arriving this week is the lavish coffee table book “Warner Bros.
And during its Golden Age, its roster of stars included such legends as Rin-Tin-Tin, John Barrymore, Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Kay Francis, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Paul Muni, John Garfield and Sydney Greenstreet.
Max is currently streaming the four-part documentary series “100 Years of Warner Bros.” (the first two episodes premiered at Cannes). And also arriving this week is the lavish coffee table book “Warner Bros.
- 5/30/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Warner Bros. Studios is celebrating its 100 anniversary by opening its top-secret archives — to the media, anyway — to showcase its incredible collections of film props, costumes, vehicles and documents.
The studio started cataloging and preserving props in the ’90s and continues to add more select items from the films and television series that Warner Bros. produces. The archivists create a wishlist of items to keep from film and tend to prioritize items that are recognizable or iconic. Those include the recent additions of 3 versions of the Jokermobile from Suicide Squad.
The warehouse also holds memorabilia from The Matrix, Superman and Batman films. Ten Batmobiles as well as masks and costumes worn by the actors who portrayed Batman are sealed in a heavily-secured room dubbed “The Batcave.” There’s also a superhero room with all the DC characters’ costumes.
Related: 100 Years of Warner Bros: Gallery Celebrating The Milestones In Film and...
The studio started cataloging and preserving props in the ’90s and continues to add more select items from the films and television series that Warner Bros. produces. The archivists create a wishlist of items to keep from film and tend to prioritize items that are recognizable or iconic. Those include the recent additions of 3 versions of the Jokermobile from Suicide Squad.
The warehouse also holds memorabilia from The Matrix, Superman and Batman films. Ten Batmobiles as well as masks and costumes worn by the actors who portrayed Batman are sealed in a heavily-secured room dubbed “The Batcave.” There’s also a superhero room with all the DC characters’ costumes.
Related: 100 Years of Warner Bros: Gallery Celebrating The Milestones In Film and...
- 4/3/2023
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
Public service announcement to journalists: When discussing Oscars in the next few weeks, please don’t refer to “the technical categories.”
Reminder to Academy/ABC decision-makers: You’ve always stated that all Oscar categories are equal, but the Feb. 22 move was a reminder that some categories are more equal than others.
On that day, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced eight of Oscar’s 23 awards will be handed out before the televised ceremony. That includes five of the nine artisan categories. With the ratings’ steady decline, AMPAS-abc had to do something. The move seemed to be a reality, but 2022 is full of surprises, so who knows?
I’ve been saying for years that the Oscarcast should devote more time, not less, to the nine artisan races. There’s a perception that the general public is uninterested in categories filled with unfamiliar names. But TV viewers don’t know...
Reminder to Academy/ABC decision-makers: You’ve always stated that all Oscar categories are equal, but the Feb. 22 move was a reminder that some categories are more equal than others.
On that day, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced eight of Oscar’s 23 awards will be handed out before the televised ceremony. That includes five of the nine artisan categories. With the ratings’ steady decline, AMPAS-abc had to do something. The move seemed to be a reality, but 2022 is full of surprises, so who knows?
I’ve been saying for years that the Oscarcast should devote more time, not less, to the nine artisan races. There’s a perception that the general public is uninterested in categories filled with unfamiliar names. But TV viewers don’t know...
- 3/6/2022
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Neil Diamond, whose decades-long career has spawned hits including “Sweet Caroline,” has sold his song catalog to Universal Music Publishing Group.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but a flurry of recent catalog deals have reached into the hundreds of millions of dollars. The rise of streaming has set off a scramble to lock down music rights, sending valuations surging.
In addition to a number of well-known Diamond songs, including “Song Sung Blue,” “Cracklin’ Rosie” and “Holy, Holy,” the deal encompasses 110 unreleased tracks, an unreleased album and archival long-form videos. Diamond, 82, has had more than 70 songs on the Billboard charts, selling more than 130 million albums.
Universal already had controlled publishing rights for Diamond’s catalog since 2014. The deal calls for the company to record and release any future music if Diamond decides to return to the studio.
“After nearly a decade in business with Umg,” Diamond said in a press release,...
Financial terms were not disclosed, but a flurry of recent catalog deals have reached into the hundreds of millions of dollars. The rise of streaming has set off a scramble to lock down music rights, sending valuations surging.
In addition to a number of well-known Diamond songs, including “Song Sung Blue,” “Cracklin’ Rosie” and “Holy, Holy,” the deal encompasses 110 unreleased tracks, an unreleased album and archival long-form videos. Diamond, 82, has had more than 70 songs on the Billboard charts, selling more than 130 million albums.
Universal already had controlled publishing rights for Diamond’s catalog since 2014. The deal calls for the company to record and release any future music if Diamond decides to return to the studio.
“After nearly a decade in business with Umg,” Diamond said in a press release,...
- 2/28/2022
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
When the musical version of The Producers first began previews on Broadway in 2001, an incident made headlines after an irate audience member stood up and began pacing the aisles of the St. James Theatre. “Where is Mel Brooks?” he is reported to have shouted. “This is an outrage!”
Brooks—the composer, lyricist, writer, and actual producer of The Producers—was in the theater that night, and as one who never ignores a confrontation, he happily came out. The 75-year-old filmmaker and lifelong funnyman asked the stranger what was the problem. “This show is a disgrace!” cried the patron. “How could you sing about Hitler?! I was a soldier. I fought in World War II!”
At which point, Brooks fired back, “I also fought in World War II. I don’t remember seeing you there!” Depending on whose account you believe, the two either then came to blows or at least...
Brooks—the composer, lyricist, writer, and actual producer of The Producers—was in the theater that night, and as one who never ignores a confrontation, he happily came out. The 75-year-old filmmaker and lifelong funnyman asked the stranger what was the problem. “This show is a disgrace!” cried the patron. “How could you sing about Hitler?! I was a soldier. I fought in World War II!”
At which point, Brooks fired back, “I also fought in World War II. I don’t remember seeing you there!” Depending on whose account you believe, the two either then came to blows or at least...
- 1/5/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Ever since the debut of "The Jazz Singer," the first feature-length movie with sound, filmmaking has always been closely associated with modern music. Musicals, many of which covered popular tunes of the day, were among the earliest blockbusters. Currently, the musician biopic genre is more popular than ever, thanks to the record-breaking box-office and awards success of films like "Straight Outta Compton" and "Bohemian Rhapsody." But in terms of accuracy and raw, visceral energy, the staged recreation of iconic musical numbers can't compare with a concert film or documentary.
Music documentaries can capture a musician's story as they occur, but they can also look back at...
The post The 11 Best Music Documentaries of All Time appeared first on /Film.
Music documentaries can capture a musician's story as they occur, but they can also look back at...
The post The 11 Best Music Documentaries of All Time appeared first on /Film.
- 11/2/2021
- by Liam Gaughan
- Slash Film
The Notebook Primer introduces readers to some of the most important figures, films, genres, and movements in film history.Velvet Goldmine (1998)Todd Haynes’ Velvet Goldmine (1998) opens with a confession that swiftly becomes a command: “Although what you are about to see is a work of fiction, it should nevertheless be played at maximum volume.” Those words, mischievously repurposed from Martin Scorsese’s concert film The Last Waltz (1978), herald one of the great pop music fantasias: a cinema à clef that reimagines ’70s glam rock in an alternate dimension, where fictional versions of David Bowie, Iggy Pop and others perform a parallel version of history as we know it. Embracing the period’s mutable personae and camp energies, the film evokes the spirit of its patron saint, Oscar Wilde—depicted as the original pop star, descended to Earth from outer space—treating “art as the supreme reality and life as a mere mode of fiction,...
- 8/12/2021
- MUBI
Director, writer and producer Roman Coppola is in Cannes to promote his blockchain-based filmmaking platform, Decentralized Pictures — an ambitious undertaking that the “French Dispatch” co-writer describes as “a very long-term endeavor.”
While blockchain’s application in film financing has yielded mixed results over the years — many blockchain ventures that rocked up to Cannes years ago, for example, are now reportedly non-existent — Coppola says he’s taking Decentralized Pictures “very seriously” and that the platform has the backing of his production company with sister Sofia Coppola, American Zoetrope.
“I’ve never done too many things over and over again,” said Coppola, citing his family’s own track record in technical innovation, including his grandfather’s work on “The Jazz Singer.” “Generally it’s a new experience I’m drawn to. I follow my curiosity and this project is very much in that spirit.”
Coppola will premiere “The French Dispatch” on the red steps on Monday night.
While blockchain’s application in film financing has yielded mixed results over the years — many blockchain ventures that rocked up to Cannes years ago, for example, are now reportedly non-existent — Coppola says he’s taking Decentralized Pictures “very seriously” and that the platform has the backing of his production company with sister Sofia Coppola, American Zoetrope.
“I’ve never done too many things over and over again,” said Coppola, citing his family’s own track record in technical innovation, including his grandfather’s work on “The Jazz Singer.” “Generally it’s a new experience I’m drawn to. I follow my curiosity and this project is very much in that spirit.”
Coppola will premiere “The French Dispatch” on the red steps on Monday night.
- 7/12/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
New York, New York is a helluva town. The Bronx is up. And the Battery is down. The people ride in a hole in the ground. New York, New York. It’s a helluva town. And it’s also a perfect backdrop for countless Broadway and movie musicals.
And for good reason. The metropolis is a melting pot of cultures and boroughs. Over the decades, the Great White Way has been home to burlesque, vaudeville, Broadway. The town always is brimming with the best writers and composers. Remember Tin Pan Alley?
There is also a romanticism of New York often depicted in these musicals: most of them were shot on sound stages and studio, so they offer an expressionistic, impressionistic, and even surreal look at NYC. Martin Scorsese tipped his out to these studio musicals with his classic 1977 “New York, New York,” starring Liza Minnelli and Robert De Niro.
The...
And for good reason. The metropolis is a melting pot of cultures and boroughs. Over the decades, the Great White Way has been home to burlesque, vaudeville, Broadway. The town always is brimming with the best writers and composers. Remember Tin Pan Alley?
There is also a romanticism of New York often depicted in these musicals: most of them were shot on sound stages and studio, so they offer an expressionistic, impressionistic, and even surreal look at NYC. Martin Scorsese tipped his out to these studio musicals with his classic 1977 “New York, New York,” starring Liza Minnelli and Robert De Niro.
The...
- 6/24/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Isidore Mankofsky Dies: ‘Jazz Singer’, ‘Muppet Movie’ Cinematographer & Multiple Emmy Nominee Was 89
Isidore “Izzy” Mankofsky, a longtime cinematography who worked on such films as The Jazz Singer, The Muppet Movie and Somewhere in Time and enjoyed a prolific career in TV, earning three Emmy nominations, has died. He was 89. The American Society of Cinematographers said he died March 11 but did not provide details.
He received the President’s Award from the American Society of Cinematographers in 2009 for his decades of leadership and service to the organization and was nominated three times for its ASC Awards: twice for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for a Miniseries or Special and once for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Cinematography for a Miniseries or Special.
Born on September 22, 1931, to Ukrainian immigrant parents in New York City and raised there and in Chicago, Mankofsky served in the Air Force before embarking on his showbiz career. He got his start behind the lens...
He received the President’s Award from the American Society of Cinematographers in 2009 for his decades of leadership and service to the organization and was nominated three times for its ASC Awards: twice for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for a Miniseries or Special and once for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Cinematography for a Miniseries or Special.
Born on September 22, 1931, to Ukrainian immigrant parents in New York City and raised there and in Chicago, Mankofsky served in the Air Force before embarking on his showbiz career. He got his start behind the lens...
- 3/15/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Michelle Williams is attached to star in the biopic “Fever” about the life of singer Peggy Lee. The film will now be directed by Todd Haynes, and MGM is in talks to acquire it, two individuals told TheWrap.
“Fever” was once a project that had Reese Witherspoon attached to star with a screenplay by the late Nora Ephron, but this latest package of the film is still in its early days.
Pop star Billie Eilish has expressed interest in being an executive producer on the film along with her mother, Maggie Baird, and record label boss Justin Lubliner. Eilish previously participated in an online 100th anniversary celebration of Lee’s contributions to music.
“Fever” began as a project under Fox 2000, but was put on hold after Ephron passed away in 2012 and after Witherspoon departed the film. Fox 2000 was then closed in Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, and the project was shelved.
“Fever” was once a project that had Reese Witherspoon attached to star with a screenplay by the late Nora Ephron, but this latest package of the film is still in its early days.
Pop star Billie Eilish has expressed interest in being an executive producer on the film along with her mother, Maggie Baird, and record label boss Justin Lubliner. Eilish previously participated in an online 100th anniversary celebration of Lee’s contributions to music.
“Fever” began as a project under Fox 2000, but was put on hold after Ephron passed away in 2012 and after Witherspoon departed the film. Fox 2000 was then closed in Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, and the project was shelved.
- 2/4/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Ninety years ago, two groundbreaking horror movies were made: Lugosi’s official chiller and a covert version – which might just be its superior
They came under the shadow of darkness – quite literally. Just as Dracula star Bela Lugosi was no doubt being tucked up for the night, director George Melford, cast and crew made their way on to the Universal studio lot in 1931 to shoot a Spanish-language version of the Bram Stoker 1897 horror novel, filmed using the same sets and costumes as the much more familiar Tod Browning masterwork.
Melford’s production of Dracula was what is known as a multiple-language version – Aka Mlv – which was one method by which the recently developed sound “talkie” aimed to reach non-English speaking audiences. Initiated by the 1927 release of The Jazz Singer – which featured 15-minutes of synchronised singing and talking – producers created prints in which dialogue was replaced with music and foreign inter-titles...
They came under the shadow of darkness – quite literally. Just as Dracula star Bela Lugosi was no doubt being tucked up for the night, director George Melford, cast and crew made their way on to the Universal studio lot in 1931 to shoot a Spanish-language version of the Bram Stoker 1897 horror novel, filmed using the same sets and costumes as the much more familiar Tod Browning masterwork.
Melford’s production of Dracula was what is known as a multiple-language version – Aka Mlv – which was one method by which the recently developed sound “talkie” aimed to reach non-English speaking audiences. Initiated by the 1927 release of The Jazz Singer – which featured 15-minutes of synchronised singing and talking – producers created prints in which dialogue was replaced with music and foreign inter-titles...
- 2/3/2021
- by James McMahon
- The Guardian - Film News
“It’s just that jazz ain’t cool anymore,” the sexy saxophonist is told in the new Amazon Prime dramatic feature “Sylvie’s Love.”
But Viola Davis’ title character in Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” disagrees: “Blues helps you get out of bed in the morning.”
Who would have thought that one of the notable trends in filmed entertainment at this time would be an American art form born more than 120 years ago? Amid the stalled and rearranged film landscape of 2020, just as the Black Lives Matter movement re-emerged as a cultural force, numerous film and TV projects are celebrating jazz, blues and other music associated with the Black experience, and its historically challenging path to full respect.
“Sadly, these projects remain timelessly relevant,” said James Erskine, director of the new documentary, “Billie,” about legendary jazz and blues singer Billie Holiday.
Besides those “Sylvie’s Love” and “Ma Rainey,” consider “The Eddy,...
But Viola Davis’ title character in Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” disagrees: “Blues helps you get out of bed in the morning.”
Who would have thought that one of the notable trends in filmed entertainment at this time would be an American art form born more than 120 years ago? Amid the stalled and rearranged film landscape of 2020, just as the Black Lives Matter movement re-emerged as a cultural force, numerous film and TV projects are celebrating jazz, blues and other music associated with the Black experience, and its historically challenging path to full respect.
“Sadly, these projects remain timelessly relevant,” said James Erskine, director of the new documentary, “Billie,” about legendary jazz and blues singer Billie Holiday.
Besides those “Sylvie’s Love” and “Ma Rainey,” consider “The Eddy,...
- 1/13/2021
- by Mary Murphy and Michele Willens
- The Wrap
It would be foolish to expect the new year to bring return to box-office normalcy; much more likely that circumstances will continue evolving toward a new normal. Before we examine what that might include, let’s get the essential stats out of the way: Total 2020 domestic theatrical grosses ended up a bit over $2 billion. That’s under 250 million tickets sold, less than one ticket bought per U.S./Canada resident, for the lowest per-capita attendance in over a century.
The top-grossing domestic film was “Bad Boys for Life,” a January release that became the only title to reach $200 million. The only other film to pass $100 million was “Sonic the Hedgehog” which, released in February, approached $150 million. “Onward” and “The Invisible Man” were doing well in mid-March when theaters closed almost overnight.
Once (some) theaters reopened, the best gross was “Tenet,” just shy of $58 million. “Wonder Woman 1984,” which faced fewer...
The top-grossing domestic film was “Bad Boys for Life,” a January release that became the only title to reach $200 million. The only other film to pass $100 million was “Sonic the Hedgehog” which, released in February, approached $150 million. “Onward” and “The Invisible Man” were doing well in mid-March when theaters closed almost overnight.
Once (some) theaters reopened, the best gross was “Tenet,” just shy of $58 million. “Wonder Woman 1984,” which faced fewer...
- 1/6/2021
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
The Notebook Primer introduces readers to some of the most important figures, films, genres, and movements in film history.Above: 42nd StreetWhile other genres undoubtedly advanced with the dawning of sound technology, the musical is likely the most indebted to the reverberations of this complementary process. More than that, though, the movie musical was fundamentally born with the surge of sound—it simply could not have existed otherwise. And since that time, the musical has indeed been a uniquely cinematic venture, less beholden to conventional narratives and often disposed to experimentations in color, location, camera mobility, production design, and special effects. Especially in its heyday, the so-called “Golden Age” lasting between the mid-1930s and late-‘50s, Hollywood musicals were an enrapturing experience, delighting audiences with spectacle, romance, athleticism, fine performances, and, of course, song and dance. Some of America’s brightest stars sparkled in the musical, while many of...
- 10/7/2020
- MUBI
Darren Lynn Bousman joins Josh and Joe to discuss his favorite over-the-top musicals of the 70s.
Show Notes:
Movies Referenced In This Episode
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
Sorcerer (1977)
Star Wars (1977)
Death of Me (2020)
Jesus Christ: Superstar (1973)
Pennies From Heaven (1981)
A History Of Violence (2005)
Requiem For A Dream (2000)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
The Movie Orgy (1968)
Gremlins (1984)
The Room (2003)
Rocky (1976)
Hair (1979)
The Apple (1980)
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)
Tommy (1975)
Quadrophenia (1979)
Altered States (1980)
The Devils (1971)
Trapped Ashes (2006)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Devil’s Carnival (2012)
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
Rent (2005)
Wild In The Streets (1968)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Jazz Singer (1980)
Forbidden Zone (1982)
Eddie and the Cruisers (1983)
The First Nudie Musical (1976)
Chatterbox (1977)
Goldilocks and the Three Bares (1963)
Cabaret (1972)
Saw II (2005)
Other Notable Items
Final Draft
Paris Hilton
Elvira
Angelyne
The William Friedkin podcast episode
Leonardo DiCaprio
Jesus Christ Superstar...
Show Notes:
Movies Referenced In This Episode
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
Sorcerer (1977)
Star Wars (1977)
Death of Me (2020)
Jesus Christ: Superstar (1973)
Pennies From Heaven (1981)
A History Of Violence (2005)
Requiem For A Dream (2000)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
The Movie Orgy (1968)
Gremlins (1984)
The Room (2003)
Rocky (1976)
Hair (1979)
The Apple (1980)
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)
Tommy (1975)
Quadrophenia (1979)
Altered States (1980)
The Devils (1971)
Trapped Ashes (2006)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Devil’s Carnival (2012)
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
Rent (2005)
Wild In The Streets (1968)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Jazz Singer (1980)
Forbidden Zone (1982)
Eddie and the Cruisers (1983)
The First Nudie Musical (1976)
Chatterbox (1977)
Goldilocks and the Three Bares (1963)
Cabaret (1972)
Saw II (2005)
Other Notable Items
Final Draft
Paris Hilton
Elvira
Angelyne
The William Friedkin podcast episode
Leonardo DiCaprio
Jesus Christ Superstar...
- 10/6/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Family comedies have gone to Schitt. “Schitt’s Creek” that is. The little Canadian comedy series that airs on Pop and streams on Netflix has hit Emmy paydirt in its sixth and final season, earning 15 Emmy nominations including best comedy series, actor for Eugene Levy, actress for Catherine O’Hara, supporting actor, writer and director for Dan Levy and supporting actress for Annie Murphy.
Sort of a reverse “The Beverly Hillbillies,” the series follows a seriously vapid, dysfunctional family, John and Moira Rose and their adult children David and Alexis, who lose their family fortune and end up living in a rundown motel in Schitt’s Creek, a tiny rural town which is the only asset they still own. And “Schitt’s Creek” is a family affair with Eugene Levy creating the series with his son Dan, who plays his eldest on the show. And the comedy legend’s daughter Emily also is...
Sort of a reverse “The Beverly Hillbillies,” the series follows a seriously vapid, dysfunctional family, John and Moira Rose and their adult children David and Alexis, who lose their family fortune and end up living in a rundown motel in Schitt’s Creek, a tiny rural town which is the only asset they still own. And “Schitt’s Creek” is a family affair with Eugene Levy creating the series with his son Dan, who plays his eldest on the show. And the comedy legend’s daughter Emily also is...
- 8/20/2020
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
“A Very Precious Natalie”
By Raymond Benson
The familiar old standard, “A Very Precious Love” (by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster) has been covered by such crooners as the Ames Brothers, Doris Day, Jack Jones, and others, but it was Gene Kelly who introduced it in the 1958 film adaptation of Herman Wouk’s 1955 novel, Marjorie Morningstar, which was directed by Irving Rapper. The song, played incessantly in instrumental form throughout the picture (and sung twice by Kelly), certainly sticks with you—and it received an Academy Award nomination for Best Song that year.
It was the only nomination the film received, however. Despite the good intentions of the filmmakers, the solid performances by Kelly and protagonist Marjorie (played by the luminescent Natalie Wood), and an excellent supporting cast that includes Ed Wynn, Claire Trevor, Carolyn Jones, Everett Sloan, Martin Milner, Martin Balsam, Jesse White, and George Tobias, the picture...
By Raymond Benson
The familiar old standard, “A Very Precious Love” (by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster) has been covered by such crooners as the Ames Brothers, Doris Day, Jack Jones, and others, but it was Gene Kelly who introduced it in the 1958 film adaptation of Herman Wouk’s 1955 novel, Marjorie Morningstar, which was directed by Irving Rapper. The song, played incessantly in instrumental form throughout the picture (and sung twice by Kelly), certainly sticks with you—and it received an Academy Award nomination for Best Song that year.
It was the only nomination the film received, however. Despite the good intentions of the filmmakers, the solid performances by Kelly and protagonist Marjorie (played by the luminescent Natalie Wood), and an excellent supporting cast that includes Ed Wynn, Claire Trevor, Carolyn Jones, Everett Sloan, Martin Milner, Martin Balsam, Jesse White, and George Tobias, the picture...
- 4/9/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Nobody’s perfect. The Oscars honor the best achievements in film. But the Razzies were created in 1980 to single out the worst achievements. The two awards are diametrically opposed, of course, but many actors have been nominated at both events, and more than a dozen have actually won both. Scroll down to see which film performers have gone from best to worst (or the other way around) in their careers and which categories they won at both kudos.
A couple of the earliest Razzie Award winners actually rank among the most highly regarded actors of all time. For instance, the legendary Laurence Olivier claimed the Best Actor Oscar for the title role in “Hamlet” (1948). He earned 10 other Oscar nominations over the course of his career and received two Honorary Oscars. But he was also undefeated at the Razzies, winning Worst Supporting Actor for “The Jazz Singer” (1980) in the very first year of the awards,...
A couple of the earliest Razzie Award winners actually rank among the most highly regarded actors of all time. For instance, the legendary Laurence Olivier claimed the Best Actor Oscar for the title role in “Hamlet” (1948). He earned 10 other Oscar nominations over the course of his career and received two Honorary Oscars. But he was also undefeated at the Razzies, winning Worst Supporting Actor for “The Jazz Singer” (1980) in the very first year of the awards,...
- 3/16/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery and Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
It might be a bit surprising to see the beloved Judi Dench in contention for an award calling out the worst achievements in film, but such was the effect of “Cats,” the widely ridiculed movie musical that leads this year’s Razzie noms. The good news, though, is that even if she wins she’ll be in good company. More than a dozen Oscar-winning actors have won Razzies too.
SEERazzies: Every Worst Picture Winner 1981 to Today
Dench, a Best Supporting Actress winner for “Shakespeare in Love” (1998), is now up for Worst Supporting Actress for her role as Old Deuteronomy, the leader of the Jellicle cats who was actually played by male actors on Broadway and the West End. This Razzies category alone has gone to Oscar winners Faye Dunaway and Kim Basinger.
Dunway also won Worst Actress for “Mommie Dearest” (1981). That category has gone to even more Oscar champs: Liza Minnelli...
SEERazzies: Every Worst Picture Winner 1981 to Today
Dench, a Best Supporting Actress winner for “Shakespeare in Love” (1998), is now up for Worst Supporting Actress for her role as Old Deuteronomy, the leader of the Jellicle cats who was actually played by male actors on Broadway and the West End. This Razzies category alone has gone to Oscar winners Faye Dunaway and Kim Basinger.
Dunway also won Worst Actress for “Mommie Dearest” (1981). That category has gone to even more Oscar champs: Liza Minnelli...
- 3/6/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Historian and scholar Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week in 1926, against the backdrop of Jim Crow America. A half-century later, it would become Black History Month when President Gerald Ford officially recognized it in 1976.
Woodson wanted Negro History Week to help correct a national narrative that barely included African Americans and allowed errors and blatantly racist perspectives to stand uncorrected. It was a time of great change for black people: Just 50 years removed from slavery, racial “uplift” dominated discourse and media and African Americans struggled to find a place in the country.
It was also the early days of cinema, 11 years after the release of D.W. Griffith’s racially incendiary “The Birth of a Nation” (1915), and a year before the first talkie, “The Jazz Singer” (1927), which featured Al Jolson in blackface. Meanwhile, the career of black cinema pioneer Oscar Micheaux was on the rise, as he and other black filmmakers,...
Woodson wanted Negro History Week to help correct a national narrative that barely included African Americans and allowed errors and blatantly racist perspectives to stand uncorrected. It was a time of great change for black people: Just 50 years removed from slavery, racial “uplift” dominated discourse and media and African Americans struggled to find a place in the country.
It was also the early days of cinema, 11 years after the release of D.W. Griffith’s racially incendiary “The Birth of a Nation” (1915), and a year before the first talkie, “The Jazz Singer” (1927), which featured Al Jolson in blackface. Meanwhile, the career of black cinema pioneer Oscar Micheaux was on the rise, as he and other black filmmakers,...
- 2/28/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
John Witherspoon, an actor-comedian who for decades made audiences laugh in TV shows and films, including the hit Friday feature franchise, died suddenly at his home today. He was 77.
“It is with deepest sorrow that we can confirm our beloved husband and father, John Witherspoon, one of the hardest working men in show business, died today at his home in Sherman Oaks at the age of 77,” Witherspoon’s family said in a statement to Deadline. “He is survived by his wife Angela, and his sons Jd, Alexander, and a large family. We are all in shock, please give us a minute for a moment in privacy and we will celebrate his life and his work together. John used to say ‘I’m no big deal’, but he was huge deal to us.”
Comedy great Witherspoon was born in Detroit in 1942 as John Weatherspoon. He launched a stand-up comedy career and...
“It is with deepest sorrow that we can confirm our beloved husband and father, John Witherspoon, one of the hardest working men in show business, died today at his home in Sherman Oaks at the age of 77,” Witherspoon’s family said in a statement to Deadline. “He is survived by his wife Angela, and his sons Jd, Alexander, and a large family. We are all in shock, please give us a minute for a moment in privacy and we will celebrate his life and his work together. John used to say ‘I’m no big deal’, but he was huge deal to us.”
Comedy great Witherspoon was born in Detroit in 1942 as John Weatherspoon. He launched a stand-up comedy career and...
- 10/30/2019
- by Nellie Andreeva and Anita Bennett
- Deadline Film + TV
A Neil Diamond bio-musical, with a score by the iconic singer-songwriter and a book by Bohemian Rhapsody writer Anthony McCarten, is heading to Broadway. Producers Ken Davenport and Bob Gaudio announced today that the as-yet-untitled project is in development.
Michael Mayer will direct.
Diamond – the man behind “Sweet Caroline,” “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” and “Song Sung Blue,” to name just a small few – said in a statement, “I’ve always loved Broadway. The inspiration for many of my early songs came from shows like West Side Story, My Fair Lady and Fiddler on the Roof, so it seems only fitting to bring my songs to The Great White Way. I’m honored and excited to be working with this great team.”
Said McCarten, “On the mantle-piece in my childhood home in New Zealand, there were always two pictures: one was of the Pope,...
Michael Mayer will direct.
Diamond – the man behind “Sweet Caroline,” “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” and “Song Sung Blue,” to name just a small few – said in a statement, “I’ve always loved Broadway. The inspiration for many of my early songs came from shows like West Side Story, My Fair Lady and Fiddler on the Roof, so it seems only fitting to bring my songs to The Great White Way. I’m honored and excited to be working with this great team.”
Said McCarten, “On the mantle-piece in my childhood home in New Zealand, there were always two pictures: one was of the Pope,...
- 7/1/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Many genres occupy the studio talent pool, however, “without a doubt, one of cinema’s most unique genres is the musical film” (Hoffman). Movie musicals were a staple genre of classic Hollywood beginning with the first talking picture The Jazz Singer in 1927 and oddly enough, the picture that many critics consider to be the greatest movie musical of all time is a film based upon The Jazz Singer’s impact. Filmed in 1952, “Singin’ in the Rain represents the pinnacle of movie musicals” (Buchman). Singin’ in the Rain has greatly impacted every movie musical produced since its
The Movie Musical: Singin’ in the Rain as the Enchanted Archetype...
The Movie Musical: Singin’ in the Rain as the Enchanted Archetype...
- 6/11/2019
- by Robert Barger
- TVovermind.com
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’re highlighting the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and an archive of past round-ups here.
Birds of Passage (Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra)
It probably says more about Ciro Guerra’s last film than this inimitable new offering (which he co-directed with his long-serving producer Christina Gallego) to suggest that fans of Embrace of the Serpent might find Birds of Passage just a little on the linear side. However, to compare the two is surely akin to comparing the varying potency of two strains of class-a hallucinogens. Set in Columbia in the 1960s, this violent, operatic, and sparsely trippy film follows the early days of marijuana trafficking in the region. Don’t worry if that all sounds a touch familiar. – Rory O.
Birds of Passage (Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra)
It probably says more about Ciro Guerra’s last film than this inimitable new offering (which he co-directed with his long-serving producer Christina Gallego) to suggest that fans of Embrace of the Serpent might find Birds of Passage just a little on the linear side. However, to compare the two is surely akin to comparing the varying potency of two strains of class-a hallucinogens. Set in Columbia in the 1960s, this violent, operatic, and sparsely trippy film follows the early days of marijuana trafficking in the region. Don’t worry if that all sounds a touch familiar. – Rory O.
- 5/10/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
(In our Spoiler Reviews, we take a deep dive into a new release and get to the heart of what makes it tick…and every story point is up for discussion. In this entry: Avengers: Endgame.) The existence of film franchises goes back to some of the earliest days of cinema. Hollywood’s first talkie The Jazz Singer […]
The post ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Spoiler Review: This is the Fight of Our Lives appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Spoiler Review: This is the Fight of Our Lives appeared first on /Film.
- 4/29/2019
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Editor’s note: Kim Voynar and Nathaniel Luke Pinzon are co-founders of Xr content and consulting studio WonderTek Labs, and are co-producers on Lena Herzog’s 2019 New Frontier selection “Last Whispers.”
Sundance Film Festival began featuring Vr content at its New Frontier section in 2012, but the first wave of Vr development began when cinematographer Morton Heilig filed his 1962 patent for the Sensorama. It gave viewers the passive experiences of riding a bike, a helicopter, or a go-kart, with full-color 3D video, stereo sound, haptic vibrations, scent, and wind effects.
A half century later, his technology’s promise is still waiting to be fulfilled. Head curator Shari Frilot always intended New Frontier to disarm and disrupt, and on that count the 2019 lineup ably delivered. However, if the Vr industry is still yearning for its version of “The Jazz Singer” — the project that could catapult a once-fringe technology into a world-changing sensation — that was not on display.
Sundance Film Festival began featuring Vr content at its New Frontier section in 2012, but the first wave of Vr development began when cinematographer Morton Heilig filed his 1962 patent for the Sensorama. It gave viewers the passive experiences of riding a bike, a helicopter, or a go-kart, with full-color 3D video, stereo sound, haptic vibrations, scent, and wind effects.
A half century later, his technology’s promise is still waiting to be fulfilled. Head curator Shari Frilot always intended New Frontier to disarm and disrupt, and on that count the 2019 lineup ably delivered. However, if the Vr industry is still yearning for its version of “The Jazz Singer” — the project that could catapult a once-fringe technology into a world-changing sensation — that was not on display.
- 2/2/2019
- by Kim Voynar and Nathaniel Luke Pinzon
- Indiewire
Distinct from musicals, music biopics, and documentaries, fiction films about the challenges faced by musicians in practicing their craft have been around since the earliest days of cinema. From The Jazz Singer and A Star Is Born to recent releases such as Not Fade Away and Inside Llewyn Davis, the tribulations of musicianship have long fascinated filmmakers and audiences alike. Although these struggles are typically emphasized for dramatic purposes, rarely is the viewer subjected to the downward spiral of one of these artists for the overwhelming majority of the runtime, let alone with such intoxicating lucidity; a feat that Alex Ross Perry’s Her Smell accomplishes with flying colors.
Becky Something (Elisabeth Moss) is the frontwoman of Something She, a famous indie rock trio in the vein of iconic riot grrrl groups like Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney. It becomes immediately apparent that Becky has almost completely lost her grip on reality,...
Becky Something (Elisabeth Moss) is the frontwoman of Something She, a famous indie rock trio in the vein of iconic riot grrrl groups like Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney. It becomes immediately apparent that Becky has almost completely lost her grip on reality,...
- 9/29/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Noted music biographer David Ritz has written a pair of books about Aretha Franklin. He co-authored her 1998 autobiography, “Aretha: From These Roots,” written with her input. Then in 2014, he published “Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin,” culled from interviews with those closest to her, which essentially shattered his friendship with the Queen of Soul, who was upset by its candor.
What was your experience like working with Aretha on her own autobiography?
I originally was introduced to her by Ray Charles. I chased after her tenaciously for 18 years before she agreed to do it with me. I couldn’t have been more excited. We worked on it for two years. I used to sit in her kitchen, her cooking and me eating, listening to gospel and jazz records. Ultimately, she wouldn’t go where I felt she needed to go, which was to the most difficult challenges in her life.
What was your experience like working with Aretha on her own autobiography?
I originally was introduced to her by Ray Charles. I chased after her tenaciously for 18 years before she agreed to do it with me. I couldn’t have been more excited. We worked on it for two years. I used to sit in her kitchen, her cooking and me eating, listening to gospel and jazz records. Ultimately, she wouldn’t go where I felt she needed to go, which was to the most difficult challenges in her life.
- 8/16/2018
- by Roy Trakin
- Variety Film + TV
Hollywood hasn’t been this on edge since the advent of talking pictures nearly a century ago.
Across every studio lot, in the halls of every network, production company and talent agency, there’s a level of angst that has spiked far beyond the usual panic over opening-weekend box office numbers or the ratings of a big-budget series.
The cause of all the tumult and tsuris? The threat to traditional film and TV businesses posed by the five horsemen of the digital apocalypse: Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google. Their internet-fueled growth over the past decade has left Hollywood scrambling to overhaul core business models to reach consumers directly — instead of indirectly, through distributors. The dread is that the menace posed by the so-called Faang posse will get worse: Many speculate that the infidels have only just begun to storm the castle, and have yet to tap their formidable balance...
Across every studio lot, in the halls of every network, production company and talent agency, there’s a level of angst that has spiked far beyond the usual panic over opening-weekend box office numbers or the ratings of a big-budget series.
The cause of all the tumult and tsuris? The threat to traditional film and TV businesses posed by the five horsemen of the digital apocalypse: Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google. Their internet-fueled growth over the past decade has left Hollywood scrambling to overhaul core business models to reach consumers directly — instead of indirectly, through distributors. The dread is that the menace posed by the so-called Faang posse will get worse: Many speculate that the infidels have only just begun to storm the castle, and have yet to tap their formidable balance...
- 4/24/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton and Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
While he maintained a curiously uneven track record throughout his five decades as a director, Richard Fleischer’s career was speckled with as many underrated gems as camp misfires, which perhaps explains why he’s probably best remembered today for the latter portion of his career, which included the B-grade bombast of Soylent Green (1973) and a couple mid-80s Schwarzenegger vehicles (Conan the Destroyer; Red Sonja). Worse, he was also responsible for that 1980 revamp of The Jazz Singer, a shameless franchise entry with Amityville 3D (1983), and the cringey distinction of adapting Ken Onstott’s controversial Mandingo (1975). Still, he’s an Oscar… Read the rest
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- 4/3/2018
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Over the decades, special or honorary Oscars have gone to everything from a film series to animated shorts to innovators to a ventriloquist to child performers to foreign films. Tour our photo galleries for a look back featuring every performer honored (above) and every non-performer honored (below).
Two special awards were handed out at the first Academy Awards on May 16, 1929:
Charlie Chaplin, who had originally been nominated for lead actor and for comedy direction for his 1928 masterpiece “The Circus,” was withdrawn from those nominations when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ Board of Governors gave him a special award for his “versatility in writing, acting, directing and producing” the comedy.
Warner Brothers also picked up a special honorary for producing 1927’s “The Jazz Singer”-“the pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has revolutionized the industry”.
Now called honorary Oscars, Donald Sutherland, cinematographer Owen Roizman (“The French Connection,” “The Exorcist...
Two special awards were handed out at the first Academy Awards on May 16, 1929:
Charlie Chaplin, who had originally been nominated for lead actor and for comedy direction for his 1928 masterpiece “The Circus,” was withdrawn from those nominations when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ Board of Governors gave him a special award for his “versatility in writing, acting, directing and producing” the comedy.
Warner Brothers also picked up a special honorary for producing 1927’s “The Jazz Singer”-“the pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has revolutionized the industry”.
Now called honorary Oscars, Donald Sutherland, cinematographer Owen Roizman (“The French Connection,” “The Exorcist...
- 2/27/2018
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
On Dec. 30, 1952, Warner Bros.' The Jazz Singer made its world premiere in Technicolor at Hollywood's Fox Beverly Theatre, the final gala debut of that year. The Hollywood Reporter's original review is below.
A fine mixture of song and sentiment, this modern version of The Jazz Singer has all the heart quality of the original, emerging as a tender, poignant film given added entertainment value by the warm singing and comedy routines of Danny Thomas and the enjoyable warbling of Peggy Lee.
Following pretty much the storyline of the Al Jolson starrer, the tale has been ...
A fine mixture of song and sentiment, this modern version of The Jazz Singer has all the heart quality of the original, emerging as a tender, poignant film given added entertainment value by the warm singing and comedy routines of Danny Thomas and the enjoyable warbling of Peggy Lee.
Following pretty much the storyline of the Al Jolson starrer, the tale has been ...
- 12/30/2017
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
On Dec. 30, 1952, Warner Bros.' The Jazz Singer made its world premiere in Technicolor at Hollywood's Fox Beverly Theatre, the final gala debut of that year. The Hollywood Reporter's original review is below.
A fine mixture of song and sentiment, this modern version of The Jazz Singer has all the heart quality of the original, emerging as a tender, poignant film given added entertainment value by the warm singing and comedy routines of Danny Thomas and the enjoyable warbling of Peggy Lee.
Following pretty much the storyline of the Al Jolson starrer, the tale has been ...
A fine mixture of song and sentiment, this modern version of The Jazz Singer has all the heart quality of the original, emerging as a tender, poignant film given added entertainment value by the warm singing and comedy routines of Danny Thomas and the enjoyable warbling of Peggy Lee.
Following pretty much the storyline of the Al Jolson starrer, the tale has been ...
- 12/30/2017
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Neil Diamond will always be a classic gem in the rock business.
With over 130 million albums sold, multiple Grammy wins and a spot in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, the 76-year old singer is currently celebrating more than half a century in the music industry with his 50th Anniversary tour. To join in his festivities, here are the stories behind some of Diamond’s biggest hits.
1. “Red Red Wine” (1967)
Though the song was first recorded by Diamond, UB40 recorded this song as a cover of the Tony Tribe 1969 reggae version.
UB40 didn’t realize until after it topped...
With over 130 million albums sold, multiple Grammy wins and a spot in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, the 76-year old singer is currently celebrating more than half a century in the music industry with his 50th Anniversary tour. To join in his festivities, here are the stories behind some of Diamond’s biggest hits.
1. “Red Red Wine” (1967)
Though the song was first recorded by Diamond, UB40 recorded this song as a cover of the Tony Tribe 1969 reggae version.
UB40 didn’t realize until after it topped...
- 8/21/2017
- by Brianne Tracy
- PEOPLE.com
Exhumed Films is resurrecting some beloved horror favorites from the 1970s and ’80s and projecting them onto the big screen at Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers, including Friday the 13th Part III, starring my original horror crush and maybe yours, too, Jason Voorhees! And also, we have release details for Escape Room, Paperbacks From Hell, Ghastlies, and Mountain Fever, as well as information on the new book Godzilla Faq.
Exhumed Films' Guilty Pleasures IV Marathon: Press Release: "Exhumed Films Presents: Guilty Pleasures IV--in 3-D!
Exhumed Films is pleased to return to the Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers to present the fourth edition of The Guilty Pleasures Marathon, our annual assault of cinematic insanity. For this year’s marathon, we present some of the greatest 3-D films of all time, projected from original 35mm prints using state of the art technology! The 1970’s and 1980’s saw a resurgence of three-dimensional movies, particularly in the realm of genre cinema.
Exhumed Films' Guilty Pleasures IV Marathon: Press Release: "Exhumed Films Presents: Guilty Pleasures IV--in 3-D!
Exhumed Films is pleased to return to the Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers to present the fourth edition of The Guilty Pleasures Marathon, our annual assault of cinematic insanity. For this year’s marathon, we present some of the greatest 3-D films of all time, projected from original 35mm prints using state of the art technology! The 1970’s and 1980’s saw a resurgence of three-dimensional movies, particularly in the realm of genre cinema.
- 8/15/2017
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
'Amazing Tales from the Archives': Pioneering female documentarian Aloha Wanderwell Baker remembered at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival – along with the largely forgotten sound-on-cylinder technology and the Jean Desmet Collection. 'Amazing Tales from the Archives': San Francisco Silent Film Festival & the 'sound-on-cylinder' system Fans of the earliest sound films would have enjoyed the first presentation at the 2017 San Francisco Silent Film Festival, held June 1–4: “Amazing Tales from the Archives,” during which Library of Congress' Nitrate Film Vault Manager George Willeman used a wealth of enjoyable film clips to examine the Thomas Edison Kinetophone process. In the years 1913–1914, long before The Jazz Singer and Warner Bros.' sound-on-disc technology, the sound-on-cylinder system invaded the nascent film industry with a collection of “talkies.” The sound was scratchy and muffled, but “recognizable.” Notably, this system focused on dialogue, rather than music or sound effects. As with the making of other recordings at the time, the...
- 6/28/2017
- by Danny Fortune
- Alt Film Guide
Scream Factory is already celebrating the 40th anniversary of Carrie with a Collector's Edition Blu-ray release of the iconic film, and now they are taking the prom party one step further with a cast and crew reunion screening in Los Angeles to raise money for the weSPARK Cancer Support Center.
Taking place at the Ace Theater in Los Angeles on Friday, October 14th, the 40th anniversary screening of Carrie will reunite cast members Piper Laurie, Nancy Allen, William Katt, and P.J. Soles, as well as editor Paul Hirsch and casting director Harriett B. Helberg.
The 1970s prom-themed evening will feature a screening of Scream Factory's new 4k transfer of Carrie and a cast and crew Q&A moderated by Bryan Fuller (NBC's Hannibal). The money raised through the event will go to weSPARK's cancer support programs. To learn more, we have the official press release with full details:
Press Release: Los Angeles,...
Taking place at the Ace Theater in Los Angeles on Friday, October 14th, the 40th anniversary screening of Carrie will reunite cast members Piper Laurie, Nancy Allen, William Katt, and P.J. Soles, as well as editor Paul Hirsch and casting director Harriett B. Helberg.
The 1970s prom-themed evening will feature a screening of Scream Factory's new 4k transfer of Carrie and a cast and crew Q&A moderated by Bryan Fuller (NBC's Hannibal). The money raised through the event will go to weSPARK's cancer support programs. To learn more, we have the official press release with full details:
Press Release: Los Angeles,...
- 9/8/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Stars: Shô Kosugi, James Booth, Donna Kei Benz, Norman Burton, Kane Kosugi, Shane Kosugi, Matthew Faison, Parley Baer, Robert Ito, Michael Constantine, Alan Amiel, Woody Watson | Written by James Booth | Directed by Gordon Hessler
Pray For Death was the second film – outside of the Ninja Trilogy – to feature Sho Kosugi in a lead role and is easily one of, if not the, best film Kosugi has ever made. The film sees Shô Kosugi star as Akira, a Japanese businessman who, jaded by his job and looking for a better life for his family, moves to America. He opens a restaurant with his wife and kids but his world is shattered when he stumbles upon the headquarters of a sinister gang, led by crime lord Limehouse Willie. Wrongfully accused of stealing a precious necklace, the gangsters begin a rampage of murder that takes the life of Akira’s wife and threatens...
Pray For Death was the second film – outside of the Ninja Trilogy – to feature Sho Kosugi in a lead role and is easily one of, if not the, best film Kosugi has ever made. The film sees Shô Kosugi star as Akira, a Japanese businessman who, jaded by his job and looking for a better life for his family, moves to America. He opens a restaurant with his wife and kids but his world is shattered when he stumbles upon the headquarters of a sinister gang, led by crime lord Limehouse Willie. Wrongfully accused of stealing a precious necklace, the gangsters begin a rampage of murder that takes the life of Akira’s wife and threatens...
- 2/7/2016
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the release of "Crash" (on May 6, 2005), an all-star movie whose controversy came not from its provocative treatment of racial issues but from its Best Picture Oscar victory a few months later, against what many critics felt was a much more deserving movie, "Brokeback Mountain."
The "Crash" vs. "Brokeback" battle is one of those lingering disputes that makes the Academy Awards so fascinating, year after year. Moviegoers and critics who revisit older movies are constantly judging the Academy's judgment. Even decades of hindsight may not always be enough to tell whether the Oscar voters of a particular year got it right or wrong. Whether it's "Birdman" vs. "Boyhood," "The King's Speech" vs. "The Social Network," "Saving Private Ryan" vs. "Shakespeare in Love" or even "An American in Paris" vs. "A Streetcar Named Desire," we're still confirming the Academy's taste or dismissing it as hopelessly off-base years later.
The "Crash" vs. "Brokeback" battle is one of those lingering disputes that makes the Academy Awards so fascinating, year after year. Moviegoers and critics who revisit older movies are constantly judging the Academy's judgment. Even decades of hindsight may not always be enough to tell whether the Oscar voters of a particular year got it right or wrong. Whether it's "Birdman" vs. "Boyhood," "The King's Speech" vs. "The Social Network," "Saving Private Ryan" vs. "Shakespeare in Love" or even "An American in Paris" vs. "A Streetcar Named Desire," we're still confirming the Academy's taste or dismissing it as hopelessly off-base years later.
- 5/6/2015
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
In his first foray in producing since winning a Tony Award for producing “Clybourne Park” on Broadway, “Selma” star Wendell Pierce has come on to produce the racial drama “Billy” with Jerry Leider (“The Jazz Singer”), TheWrap has learned. Writer-director Martin Davidson is behind the adaptation of author Albert French’s debut novel, which was published in 1995. Davidson is the filmmaker behind the cult classics “Eddie and the Cruisers” and “The Lords of Flatbush.” A “To Kill a Mockingbird”-esque drama set in 1947, “Billy” is an emotional roller-coaster that tells the story of how a small segregated town in Mississippi reacts.
- 3/4/2015
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
By Anjelica Oswald
Managing Editor
The 87th Academy Awards could see a collection of familiar names in the costume design category, from Oscar winner and 10-time nominee Colleen Atwood to one-time nominee Michael Wilkinson. When It comes down to securing nominations for costumes, it doesn’t matter how well the film has fared in other Oscar categories. Films such as Jane Eyre (2011), Mirror Mirror (2012) and The Invisible Woman (2013) were only nominated for costume design.
Atwood could receive nominations for Disney’s Into the Woods and Tim Burton’s Big Eyes during the upcoming awards cycle. Of her 10 nominations to date, she’s won three: best picture winner Chicago (2002), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) and Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (2010). Atwood has designed the costumes for nine of Burton’s films: Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Planet of the Apes (2001), Big Fish (2003), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Alice in Wonderland...
Managing Editor
The 87th Academy Awards could see a collection of familiar names in the costume design category, from Oscar winner and 10-time nominee Colleen Atwood to one-time nominee Michael Wilkinson. When It comes down to securing nominations for costumes, it doesn’t matter how well the film has fared in other Oscar categories. Films such as Jane Eyre (2011), Mirror Mirror (2012) and The Invisible Woman (2013) were only nominated for costume design.
Atwood could receive nominations for Disney’s Into the Woods and Tim Burton’s Big Eyes during the upcoming awards cycle. Of her 10 nominations to date, she’s won three: best picture winner Chicago (2002), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) and Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (2010). Atwood has designed the costumes for nine of Burton’s films: Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Planet of the Apes (2001), Big Fish (2003), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Alice in Wonderland...
- 10/2/2014
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
Women presidents at the Academy: Cheryl Boone Isaacs is only the third one (photo: Angelina Jolie, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Brad Pitt) (See previous post: "Honorary Award Non-Winners: Too Late for Gloria Swanson, Rita Hayworth, Marlene Dietrich.") Wrapping up this four-part "Honorary Oscars Bypass Women" article, let it be noted that in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 85-year history there have been only two women presidents: two-time Oscar-winning actress Bette Davis (for two months in 1941, before the Dangerous and Jezebel star was forced to resign) and screenwriter Fay Kanin (1979-1983), whose best-known screen credit is the 1958 Doris Day-Clark Gable comedy Teacher's Pet. Additionally, following some top-level restructuring in April 2011, the Academy created the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, with the CEO post currently held by a woman, former Film Independent executive director and sometime actress Dawn Hudson. The COO post is held...
- 9/4/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
David Crow Apr 20, 2019
Several years ago, it appeared as though the Biblical Epic had risen in Hollywood. After all, it once reigned over all...
At this point, the genesis of the Hollywood Noah’s Ark adaptation is almost as famous as the biblical flood narrative itself: a legendary director takes on one of the Bible’s most famous Old Testament stories from Genesis, one with an angry God, an angrier flood, and a lot of requisite special effects that are essential to pull off the proper disaster. The movie is big, the movie is controversial, and the movie costs so much that the studio is demanding multiple edits of the picture for the most effective commercial appeal.
I’m of course referring to Noah’s Ark, the 1928 early talkie directed by Michael Curtiz, the man who would go on to make such Hollywood masterpieces as The Adventures of Robin Hood...
Several years ago, it appeared as though the Biblical Epic had risen in Hollywood. After all, it once reigned over all...
At this point, the genesis of the Hollywood Noah’s Ark adaptation is almost as famous as the biblical flood narrative itself: a legendary director takes on one of the Bible’s most famous Old Testament stories from Genesis, one with an angry God, an angrier flood, and a lot of requisite special effects that are essential to pull off the proper disaster. The movie is big, the movie is controversial, and the movie costs so much that the studio is demanding multiple edits of the picture for the most effective commercial appeal.
I’m of course referring to Noah’s Ark, the 1928 early talkie directed by Michael Curtiz, the man who would go on to make such Hollywood masterpieces as The Adventures of Robin Hood...
- 3/23/2014
- Den of Geek
Legendary singer Neil Diamond has found his "Sweet Caroline." The crooner announced on Twitter on a "September Morn" (Wednesday, Sept. 7) he is engaged to Katie McNeil.
"Good news coming from sunny La ... and you're the first I want to tell ... Katie & I just got engaged ... I'm lovestruck," writes "The Jazz Singer" star.
McNeil is Diamond's manager and was the executive producer for the 2009 documentary "Neil Diamond: Hot August Night/NYC."
It's been a good year for the 70-year-old Diamond. In addition to the engagement, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Game in March. It was also announced Wednesday that he will receive a Kennedy Center Honor, recognizing his contributions to American culture.
This will be his third marriage.
"Good news coming from sunny La ... and you're the first I want to tell ... Katie & I just got engaged ... I'm lovestruck," writes "The Jazz Singer" star.
McNeil is Diamond's manager and was the executive producer for the 2009 documentary "Neil Diamond: Hot August Night/NYC."
It's been a good year for the 70-year-old Diamond. In addition to the engagement, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Game in March. It was also announced Wednesday that he will receive a Kennedy Center Honor, recognizing his contributions to American culture.
This will be his third marriage.
- 9/8/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Neil Diamond turns 70 today, and even though the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee seems to have deserted us on Twitter — his last tweet was on New Year’s Eve and linked to funny animal voiceovers — we’re still going to celebrate him. We can’t write “Happy Birthday Neil Diamond!” in the sky like someone did Sunday over the Bel-Air hills, but perhaps we can take a moment to each write a sentence describing our love for the man. I’ll give you a few ideas:
• My key chain is a silver guitar with the words “Neil Diamond World Tour 2008″ on it.
• My key chain is a silver guitar with the words “Neil Diamond World Tour 2008″ on it.
- 1/24/2011
- by Mandi Bierly
- EW.com - PopWatch
The Jazz Singer is getting some rock recognition. Neil Diamond—yes, that Neil Diamond—is atop today's list of first-time nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, alongside the likes of Bon Jovi and Alice Cooper. We get Bon Jovi, with the '80s hair and riff-driven hits like "Livin' On a Prayer," "You Give Love a Bad Name," and "Wanted Dead or Alive." And Cooper was the original shock-rocker, with his bad mascara and parent-scaring cuts "School's Out" and "No More Mr. Nice Guy." But the guy who sings "Sweet Caroline?" What kind of rock cred does he have? Plenty, it turns out. While Diamond might be best known for his...
- 9/28/2010
- E! Online
The hit show returns with a few surprises.
By Jean Bentley
Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele in Tuesday's "Glee"
Photo: Carin Baer/ Fox
Ladies and gentlemen, "Glee" is back. And with it, the seemingly impossible task of living up to the already sky-high levels of hype leveled upon it during the show's ultra-long hiatus. Well, you can rest easy knowing that in "Hell-o," creator Ryan Murphy and his writers crafted a well-paced, clever episode of their Golden Globe-winning comedy that culminated in a musical number set to the Beatles' "Hello Goodbye."
What's changed at McKinley High since New Directions won regionals in December? Well, although Kurt, Mercedes and Rachel had hoped everything would be different, three slurpees to the face on their first day back proved otherwise. Sue Sylvester regained control of the Cheerios, thanks to a well-timed roofie that allowed her to take some very compromising photos of her in bed with Principal Figgins.
By Jean Bentley
Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele in Tuesday's "Glee"
Photo: Carin Baer/ Fox
Ladies and gentlemen, "Glee" is back. And with it, the seemingly impossible task of living up to the already sky-high levels of hype leveled upon it during the show's ultra-long hiatus. Well, you can rest easy knowing that in "Hell-o," creator Ryan Murphy and his writers crafted a well-paced, clever episode of their Golden Globe-winning comedy that culminated in a musical number set to the Beatles' "Hello Goodbye."
What's changed at McKinley High since New Directions won regionals in December? Well, although Kurt, Mercedes and Rachel had hoped everything would be different, three slurpees to the face on their first day back proved otherwise. Sue Sylvester regained control of the Cheerios, thanks to a well-timed roofie that allowed her to take some very compromising photos of her in bed with Principal Figgins.
- 4/13/2010
- MTV Music News
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