Wed, Apr 8, 2020
In 1971 actor Elliott Gould was on top of world. Then he started A Glimpse of Tiger, a new movie that he was starring and producing. What followed was a tumultuous five day production that would see Gould fire his director, terrify his co-star, and have armed guards be called to the set.
Wed, Jun 10, 2020
John Barry was a deeply respected set designer, responsible for the Korova Milk Bar in A Clockwork Orange, the cantina in Star Wars, and the Fortress of Solitude in Superman, among other starkly original film locales. But when it came time to make his own film, Saturn 3, things fell apart.
Tue, Jul 21, 2020
In 1985, Baltimore infomercial star Santo Victor Rigatuso, aka Santo Gold, produced an extravaganza with something for everyone: It promised horror, wrestling, rock, and even a "three-headed Munga Magoon." It was all supposed to be filmed and turned into a feature film more exciting than the recent Rocky III. The spectacle, called Blood Circus, was also supposed to introduce some exciting new technology called a "scream bag." Attendees were promised a Thundervision sound system, atomic fleas, and a "new type of movie unlike anything you will ever experience." They received none of these things. But the failure of Blood Circus is a remarkable story that brings together The Wire creator David Simon, indie music star Santigold, and Mark H. Weingartner, who would later work on Inception, Dunkirk and The Hunger Games Saga.
Tue, Sep 15, 2020
Christopher Reeve came out of Superman retirement to make Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, a film widely considered a disaster. He had said in 1983, after the release of Superman III, that he was done with the role that made him a star. So why did he return for a relatively low-budget superman movie, in which he battled a villain named Nuclear Man?
Tue, Nov 17, 2020
In 1970 Warner Brothers had a surprise hit on its hands when they released the documentary/concert film Woodstock. Though the studio spent less than a million dollars on it, the film would eventually gross $50 million at the box office. Warner Bros. had caught lightning in a bottle. The question for the suits was: How do we make lightning strike twice?