The late 1950s and the entirety of the 1960s was the golden age for big, brawny, studio-produced action-adventure epics. Films like "The Bridge on the River Kwai," "The Guns of Navarone," and "The Train" plopped big movie stars in the midst of finely crafted yarns about unflappable heroes pooling their expertise to pull off seemingly impossible tasks. Most of these were next-phase World War II movies that eschewed the reverential tone of the films made in the immediate wake of the conflict's end; they were less about the Axis enemy, and more about the ingenuity of men in high-pressure situations. When done well, they were hailed by critics and ticket-buyers alike.
And with due respect to the many entertaining entries in this subgenre, none of them can match the armrest-shredding suspense and rousing camaraderie of John Sturges "The Great Escape."
Working from a screenplay credited to W.R. Burnett and the...
And with due respect to the many entertaining entries in this subgenre, none of them can match the armrest-shredding suspense and rousing camaraderie of John Sturges "The Great Escape."
Working from a screenplay credited to W.R. Burnett and the...
- 2/24/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Revivals have been a mainstay of Broadway for decades. But it wasn’t until the 31st ceremony in 1977 that the Tony Awards added a new category honoring these productions. The nominees for the inaugural prize were “Guys and Dolls,” “The Cherry Orchard” and “The Three Penny Opera” with “Porgy and Bess” taking the honors. Other winners over the years included “The Pirates of Penzance,” “Anything Goes,” “Death of a Salesman,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Gypsy.”
In 1994, the category was divided into best revival of a musical with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel” winning the award and “An Inspector Calls” taking home the best revival of a play honor.
This year’s nominees in both categories celebrate the work of Stephen Sondheim, Henrik Ibsen and three landmark black playwrights: August Wilson, Suzan-Lori Parks and Lorraine Hansberry. Here’s a closer look at this year’s contenders.
Best Revival of a Musical
“Into the Woods”
“Company,...
In 1994, the category was divided into best revival of a musical with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel” winning the award and “An Inspector Calls” taking home the best revival of a play honor.
This year’s nominees in both categories celebrate the work of Stephen Sondheim, Henrik Ibsen and three landmark black playwrights: August Wilson, Suzan-Lori Parks and Lorraine Hansberry. Here’s a closer look at this year’s contenders.
Best Revival of a Musical
“Into the Woods”
“Company,...
- 6/8/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Mumbai, Feb 22 (Ians) Amateur Riders’ Club on Wednesday announced the beginning of the National Equestrian Championship (NEC) Preliminary Dressage competition.
The event takes place in two categories –Team Preliminary Dressage and Individual Preliminary Dressage — under the aegis of the International Federation for Equestrian (Fei) and the Equestrian Federation of India (Efi).
In the Individual NEC Preliminary Dressage Event on opening day, Navyashree Sai, riding on her pony ‘Abra kadabra’, bagged the top position with a 70 per cent score. Riding on his horse ‘Sir Lancelot’, Moksh Kothari placed second place with 68 per cent and Rajaram Dhewa secured the third position with a score of 68 per cent with his horse Kenwood.
“Very thrilled to have won the title. I’m currently getting to know my horse Abra Kadabra better, and so glad things are going well for us toward a great partnership. This was the nicest way to start the year, and...
The event takes place in two categories –Team Preliminary Dressage and Individual Preliminary Dressage — under the aegis of the International Federation for Equestrian (Fei) and the Equestrian Federation of India (Efi).
In the Individual NEC Preliminary Dressage Event on opening day, Navyashree Sai, riding on her pony ‘Abra kadabra’, bagged the top position with a 70 per cent score. Riding on his horse ‘Sir Lancelot’, Moksh Kothari placed second place with 68 per cent and Rajaram Dhewa secured the third position with a score of 68 per cent with his horse Kenwood.
“Very thrilled to have won the title. I’m currently getting to know my horse Abra Kadabra better, and so glad things are going well for us toward a great partnership. This was the nicest way to start the year, and...
- 2/22/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Mumbai, Feb 22 (Ians) Amateur Riders’ Club on Wednesday announced the beginning of the National Equestrian Championship (NEC) Preliminary Dressage competition.
The event takes place in two categories –Team Preliminary Dressage and Individual Preliminary Dressage — under the aegis of the International Federation for Equestrian (Fei) and the Equestrian Federation of India (Efi).
In the Individual NEC Preliminary Dressage Event on opening day, Navyashree Sai, riding on her pony ‘Abra kadabra’, bagged the top position with a 70 per cent score. Riding on his horse ‘Sir Lancelot’, Moksh Kothari placed second place with 68 per cent and Rajaram Dhewa secured the third position with a score of 68 per cent with his horse Kenwood.
“Very thrilled to have won the title. I’m currently getting to know my horse Abra Kadabra better, and so glad things are going well for us toward a great partnership. This was the nicest way to start the year, and...
The event takes place in two categories –Team Preliminary Dressage and Individual Preliminary Dressage — under the aegis of the International Federation for Equestrian (Fei) and the Equestrian Federation of India (Efi).
In the Individual NEC Preliminary Dressage Event on opening day, Navyashree Sai, riding on her pony ‘Abra kadabra’, bagged the top position with a 70 per cent score. Riding on his horse ‘Sir Lancelot’, Moksh Kothari placed second place with 68 per cent and Rajaram Dhewa secured the third position with a score of 68 per cent with his horse Kenwood.
“Very thrilled to have won the title. I’m currently getting to know my horse Abra Kadabra better, and so glad things are going well for us toward a great partnership. This was the nicest way to start the year, and...
- 2/22/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
The Lincoln Center Theater production of Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot with a new book by Aaron Sorkin will arrive on Broadway next spring rather than this fall, producers announced today.
Camelot, which will reteam Sorkin (who is writing the book based on the original Alan Jay Lerner book) with his To Kill A Mockingbird director Bartlett Sher, will now begin previews at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater on Thursday, March 9, 2023, with an official opening on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
The production previously had been set to begin performances this November. No reason was given for the rescheduling.
Based on The Once and Future King by T.H. White, Camelot, Lerner and Loewe’s 1960 follow up to their My Fair Lady, is, as described by the production, “a story about the quest for democracy, striving for justice, and the tragic struggle between passion and aspiration, between lovers and kingdoms.”
This musical features such characters as King Arthur,...
Camelot, which will reteam Sorkin (who is writing the book based on the original Alan Jay Lerner book) with his To Kill A Mockingbird director Bartlett Sher, will now begin previews at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater on Thursday, March 9, 2023, with an official opening on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
The production previously had been set to begin performances this November. No reason was given for the rescheduling.
Based on The Once and Future King by T.H. White, Camelot, Lerner and Loewe’s 1960 follow up to their My Fair Lady, is, as described by the production, “a story about the quest for democracy, striving for justice, and the tragic struggle between passion and aspiration, between lovers and kingdoms.”
This musical features such characters as King Arthur,...
- 6/29/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
New remastered restorations of Val Lewton pictures? We’re there. This terrific double bill gives us two Lewton shockers that are in no way ‘lesser’. The progressive psycho killer picture The Ghost Ship suffered a legal setback and disappeared for almost fifty years; it’s a masterpiece of taste and tone. Bedlam is a costume picture with an ideal role for Boris Karloff, and multiple eerie moments worthy of Edgar Allan Poe. Both movies exhibit interesting storytelling techniques, too. Rko should have promoted Lewton to A pictures, as they did his collaborators Jacques Tourneur, Robert Wise and Mark Robson.
The Ghost Ship + Bedlam
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1943 + 1946 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / Available at Amazon.com / Street Date October 12, 2021 / 24.99
Starring: Richard Dix, Edith Barrett; Boris Karloff, Anna Lee.
Cinematography: Nicholas Musuraca
Art Directors: Albert S. D’Agostino, Walter E. Keller
Original Music: Roy Webb
Written by Donald Henderson Clarke; Carlos Keith & Mark Robson...
The Ghost Ship + Bedlam
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1943 + 1946 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / Available at Amazon.com / Street Date October 12, 2021 / 24.99
Starring: Richard Dix, Edith Barrett; Boris Karloff, Anna Lee.
Cinematography: Nicholas Musuraca
Art Directors: Albert S. D’Agostino, Walter E. Keller
Original Music: Roy Webb
Written by Donald Henderson Clarke; Carlos Keith & Mark Robson...
- 10/30/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
It didn't take long for us to be completely captivated by leading man Sinqua Walls when Netflix dropped the trailer for Resort to Love earlier this month. Charming, charismatic, and into volunteering, the 36-year-old actor has been gracing our screens since 2007 with roles like Jamarcus Hall on Friday Night Lights, Daniel on The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Sir Lancelot on Once Upon a Time, Vernon Boyd on Teen Wolf, and Shawn on Power. Before you catch him as the dreamy Caleb on Resort to Love on July 29, you can check out some of his hottest pictures ahead. Pro tip: these are best enjoyed imagining you're at a resort in Mauritius.
Related: Who Is Sinqua Walls? The Resort to Love Star Dreams of Being in a Marvel Film One Day...
Related: Who Is Sinqua Walls? The Resort to Love Star Dreams of Being in a Marvel Film One Day...
- 7/28/2021
- by Grayson Gilcrease
- Popsugar.com
If you have to name One movie that’s not likely to ever be screened in a prison, this one’s a good bet. In his sophomore starring outing Burt Lancaster leads a group of rebel convicts on a do-or-die bust-out against Hume Cronyn’s utter Nazi of a warden Captain. Richard Brooks’ script and Jules Dassin’s direction don’t sugarcoat the sadistic goings-on and producer Mark Hellinger pushed the result through the Production Code office. Sure, sure, plenty of noirs are violent … but this one must have been quite a head-spinner in ’47.
Brute Force
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 383
1947 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 98 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date September 8, 2020 / 39.95
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Hume Cronyn, Charles Bickford, Yvonne De Carlo, Ann Blyth, Ella Raines, Anita Colby, Sam Levene, Jeff Corey, John Hoyt, Jack Overman, Roman Bohnen, Sir Lancelot, Howard Duff, Art Smith, Whit Bissell.
Cinematography: William Daniels...
Brute Force
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 383
1947 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 98 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date September 8, 2020 / 39.95
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Hume Cronyn, Charles Bickford, Yvonne De Carlo, Ann Blyth, Ella Raines, Anita Colby, Sam Levene, Jeff Corey, John Hoyt, Jack Overman, Roman Bohnen, Sir Lancelot, Howard Duff, Art Smith, Whit Bissell.
Cinematography: William Daniels...
- 10/10/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
A bigger and brighter film debut couldn’t be imagined … Doris Day became America’s sweetheart in Michael Curtiz’s peppy production, graced with a witty script and several catchy, radio-ready song hits. And the color is better than new in this impressive Blu-ray remastering job — Woody Bredell’s Technicolor hues are literally eye-popping. It’s great fun seeing Ms. Day invent her natural, fresh-faced screen persona right before our eyes.
Romance on the High Seas
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1948 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 99 min. / It’s Magic / Street Date June 16, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Doris Day, Jack Carson, Janis Paige, Don DeFore, Oscar Levant, S.Z. Sakall, Fortunio Bonanova, Eric Blore, Franklin Pangborn, Sir Lancelot, Barbara Bates, George N. Neise, Maila Nurmi, Grady Sutton.
Cinematography: Elwood Bredell
Film Editor: Rudi Fehr
Art Direction: Anton Grot
Special Effects: Robert Burks, Wilfrid M. Cline, David Curtiz
Original Music: Ray Heindorf, Oscar Levant
Written by Julius J. Epstein,...
Romance on the High Seas
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1948 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 99 min. / It’s Magic / Street Date June 16, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Doris Day, Jack Carson, Janis Paige, Don DeFore, Oscar Levant, S.Z. Sakall, Fortunio Bonanova, Eric Blore, Franklin Pangborn, Sir Lancelot, Barbara Bates, George N. Neise, Maila Nurmi, Grady Sutton.
Cinematography: Elwood Bredell
Film Editor: Rudi Fehr
Art Direction: Anton Grot
Special Effects: Robert Burks, Wilfrid M. Cline, David Curtiz
Original Music: Ray Heindorf, Oscar Levant
Written by Julius J. Epstein,...
- 7/21/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
It’s been awhile since we’ve gotten an update on Todd McFarlane’s new Spawn movie. He’s been developing this thing for over a decade! Then he finally got a studio and producer to back him with Blumhouse Pictures. Shortly after it was announced that Jaimie Foxx would be taking on the role of Spawn and Jeremy Renner would take on the role of Detective Twitch.
Well, in a recent update from McFarlane himself, it sounds like he’s having issues trying to convince people to make the film that he wants to make. He also says that if he has to change his script too much, he’ll walk away from it. Here’s what he told Cb:
“The money’s sitting on the sidelines ready to go. I just need to get everyone that wants to put in money to shake their heads to the same script.
Well, in a recent update from McFarlane himself, it sounds like he’s having issues trying to convince people to make the film that he wants to make. He also says that if he has to change his script too much, he’ll walk away from it. Here’s what he told Cb:
“The money’s sitting on the sidelines ready to go. I just need to get everyone that wants to put in money to shake their heads to the same script.
- 5/23/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
On Monday, March 4 at 630pm the medieval court of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table will come to life on the stage of the Vivian Beaumont Theater when Lin-Manuel Miranda stars as King Arthur in Lerner amp Loewe's Camelot, directed by Bartlett Sher, for a one-night-only concert event to benefit Lincoln Center Theater. He will be joined by Solea Pfeiffer as Guenevere, Jordan Donica as Sir Lancelot, Dakin Matthews as Merlyn, Ruthie Ann Miles as Nimue, Ethan Slater as Mordred, Julie White as Morgan Le Fey, and Jenn Colella, Jason Danieley, and Bonnie Milligan as three of the Knights of the Round Table. Andy amp Betsy Kenny Lack, Brooke amp Daniel Neidich, and Caryn Zucker are the Benefit Co-Chairs. Proceeds from the evening will support Lincoln Center Theater's productions and education programs.
- 2/4/2019
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Ruthie Ann Miles continues to soldier on in the wake of tragedy.
The Tony Award winner has booked her first gig since the car crash that took the life of her 5-year-old daughter and the loss of her unborn baby less than a year ago.
On March 4, 2019, the actress, 35, will join Lin-Manuel Miranda in a performance of Camelot to benefit New York City’s Lincoln Center, where the concert will be held, according to a press release from the theater.
Miranda will star as King Arthur and Miles will play Nimue, the enchantress who gives the legendary monarch his magical sword,...
The Tony Award winner has booked her first gig since the car crash that took the life of her 5-year-old daughter and the loss of her unborn baby less than a year ago.
On March 4, 2019, the actress, 35, will join Lin-Manuel Miranda in a performance of Camelot to benefit New York City’s Lincoln Center, where the concert will be held, according to a press release from the theater.
Miranda will star as King Arthur and Miles will play Nimue, the enchantress who gives the legendary monarch his magical sword,...
- 1/31/2019
- by Maura Hohman
- PEOPLE.com
On Monday, March 4 at 630pm the medieval court of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table will come to life on the stage of the Vivian Beaumont Theater when Lin-Manuel Miranda stars as King Arthur in Lerner amp Loewe's Camelot, directed by Bartlett Sher, for a one-night-only concert event to benefit Lincoln Center Theater. He will be joined by Solea Pfeiffer as Guenevere, Jordan Donica as Sir Lancelot, Dakin Matthews as Merlyn, Ruthie Ann Miles as Nimue, Ethan Slater as Mordred, Julie White as Morgan Le Fey, and Jenn Colella, Jason Danieley, and Bonnie Milligan as three of the Knights of the Round Table. Andy amp Betsy Kenny Lack, Brooke amp Daniel Neidich, and Caryn Zucker are the Benefit Co-Chairs. Proceeds from the evening will support Lincoln Center Theater's productions and education programs.
- 1/31/2019
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
If you’re thinking that Todd McFarlane’s upcoming Spawn movie will be a fun, light film, think again. McFarlane, who is directing the film, says that the film will have no joy. Instead it will be a “dark” and “ugly” film. While talking to Nerdist recently, the director promised that there would be “no joy” and explains:
“There’s gonna be no fun lines in it, and it’s just gonna be this dark, ugly two hours worth of movie, which is essentially what a lot of supernatural/horror movies are anyway. There’s not a lot of funny in them. And that seems to be a weird hurdle for a lot of people in this city to get over because they sort of go into a superhero/Avengers default all the time.”
For those of you who are familiar with Spawn, then you know that he’s a super dark character.
“There’s gonna be no fun lines in it, and it’s just gonna be this dark, ugly two hours worth of movie, which is essentially what a lot of supernatural/horror movies are anyway. There’s not a lot of funny in them. And that seems to be a weird hurdle for a lot of people in this city to get over because they sort of go into a superhero/Avengers default all the time.”
For those of you who are familiar with Spawn, then you know that he’s a super dark character.
- 1/2/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Who doesn’t love a good story that’s based on Medieval times? Almost every person is told the story of Sir Lancelot while they’re growing up and if not, they’re told stories about knights in shining armor battling evil foes or they know other stories that are based on griffins, castles or something similar. It is a facet of life in almost every part of the world and as such, people grow up with these types of stories in one capacity or another. Granted, the details of the stories themselves may vary but in the end, much of the moral associated
What We Can Expect from Berserk Season 3?...
What We Can Expect from Berserk Season 3?...
- 11/19/2018
- by Nat Berman
- TVovermind.com
Exclusive: Former The Breaks star Sinqua Walls is set as the lead in American Soul, Bet’s upcoming drama series based on the life and career of Soul Train creator Don Cornelius, from Jesse Collins Entertainment.
Walls will play a young Cornelius in the 10-episode series that is inspired by the personal trials and professional successes of the young, ambitious and troubled impresario Cornelius. The drama series is described as an unflinching look at the entrepreneur, his Soul Train dancers, crew and musicians in an unforgiving Hollywood in the 1970’s – how they work, play, rise and fall against the backdrop of Soul Train — “the hippest trip in America” and one of the most predominant television shows for African American culture. The series was announced in April as part of Bet’s 2018-19 slate. A premiere date has not yet been set.
Produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment,...
Walls will play a young Cornelius in the 10-episode series that is inspired by the personal trials and professional successes of the young, ambitious and troubled impresario Cornelius. The drama series is described as an unflinching look at the entrepreneur, his Soul Train dancers, crew and musicians in an unforgiving Hollywood in the 1970’s – how they work, play, rise and fall against the backdrop of Soul Train — “the hippest trip in America” and one of the most predominant television shows for African American culture. The series was announced in April as part of Bet’s 2018-19 slate. A premiere date has not yet been set.
Produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment,...
- 9/4/2018
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Last week it was rumored that Jeremy Renner was up for the lead role of Detective 'Twitch' Williams in Todd McFarlane's Spawn. Well, Deadline is now reporting that the rumor is true. Renner has officially been cast in the movie and joins Jamie Foxx, who was previously cast as Spawn.
McFarlane had this to say in a statement regarding the casting and why he ended up bringing Renner to the role:
"As a first time director, I wanted to surround myself with the most talent and the most skilled people I can on all fronts. I was lucky enough to land Jason Blum and then Jamie Foxx, and I knew the person on screen the most is this police officer, Twitch Williams. We needed as strong a person as possible because he will be the face of the film. I took my naïve Hollywood approach again, and...
McFarlane had this to say in a statement regarding the casting and why he ended up bringing Renner to the role:
"As a first time director, I wanted to surround myself with the most talent and the most skilled people I can on all fronts. I was lucky enough to land Jason Blum and then Jamie Foxx, and I knew the person on screen the most is this police officer, Twitch Williams. We needed as strong a person as possible because he will be the face of the film. I took my naïve Hollywood approach again, and...
- 7/9/2018
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Exclusive: Jeremy Renner has been set to star alongside Jamie Foxx in Spawn, the Blumhouse film that marks the directorial debut of Todd McFarlane from his scripted adaptation of his comic book creation. In late May, Foxx was set to play the title character, who started out in the comics as Al Simmons, a member of a CIA black ops team who is twice betrayed: after being set up by his cohorts to be murdered with his corpse set aflame, Simmons is then double crossed in Hell. He is convinced to become a Hellspawn warrior in exchange for being able to be reunited with his wife, only to find himself stuck in his demonic creature shell, and that his wife moved on and married his best friend. Spawn turns his rage on street scum and revenge. He realized long ago that he can’t battle the constant evil permeating the globe alone,...
- 7/9/2018
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
20th Century Fox is set to produce a feature film adaptation of Monty Python's Tony Award-winning Broadway hit musical Spamalot. This musical is fantastic and it's great to learn that it will be getting the big screen treatment. Now everyone can experience it!
According to Deadline, the studio has hired Monty Python vet Eric Idle to write the script and produce the film, and they’ve set Casey Nicholaw as the director. I'm not really familiar with the director, but the report says:
He is arguably Broadway’s hottest helmer, having just opened Mean Girls — with Tony noms for Best Director and Best Choreographer — and credits that include The Book of Mormon and Aladdin. He also has Prom coming, which will give him the rare achievement of having four shows running on Broadway at the same time. Nicholaw was the choreographer on the original Broadway production of Spamalot.
The musical...
According to Deadline, the studio has hired Monty Python vet Eric Idle to write the script and produce the film, and they’ve set Casey Nicholaw as the director. I'm not really familiar with the director, but the report says:
He is arguably Broadway’s hottest helmer, having just opened Mean Girls — with Tony noms for Best Director and Best Choreographer — and credits that include The Book of Mormon and Aladdin. He also has Prom coming, which will give him the rare achievement of having four shows running on Broadway at the same time. Nicholaw was the choreographer on the original Broadway production of Spamalot.
The musical...
- 5/4/2018
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
In the inaugural episode of Deadline’s New Hollywood podcast, we welcome actor Sinqua Walls, who has been seen in Power, Once Upon a Time and Friday Night Lights. On the film side, he appears in the upcoming Clint Eastwood-directed The 15:17 To Paris. In addition to talking about his mellow experience working with the Oscar-winning Eastwood, Walls talks about working with Courtney Kemp on Power and being a black actor portraying Sir Lancelot on Once Upon a Time. As for…...
- 11/17/2017
- Deadline TV
In the inaugural episode of Deadline’s New Hollywood podcast, we welcome actor Sinqua Walls, who has been seen in Power, Once Upon a Time and Friday Night Lights. On the film side, he appears in the upcoming Clint Eastwood-directed The 15:17 To Paris. In addition to talking about his mellow experience working with the Oscar-winning Eastwood, Walls talks about working with Courtney Kemp on Power and being a black actor portraying Sir Lancelot on Once Upon a Time. As for…...
- 11/17/2017
- Deadline
By David Kozlowski | 30 June 2017
Welcome to Issue #2 of The Lrm Weekend, a weekly column highlighting cool and unique videos about film, TV, comics, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, animation, and anime. We also want to hear from you, our awesome Lrm community! Share your favorite videos to: @LRM_Weekend and we'll post your Tweets below!
Last Issue: 6.23.17
Why do we love superheroes, martial arts, fantasy, and sci-fi? The big fight scenes, of course. Every week we'll bring you an epic brawl from the recent or distant past -- we want to hear from you, share your favorite fights with us!
Bruce Lee vs. Chuck Norris in Way of the Dragon (1972) Bonus: Chuck Norris Talks About Bruce Lee
The original movie poster from 1972!
What Is It?
If we're going to have a serious, weekly conversation about proper fight scenes, we have to go back to the source...The martial arts fight that...
Welcome to Issue #2 of The Lrm Weekend, a weekly column highlighting cool and unique videos about film, TV, comics, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, animation, and anime. We also want to hear from you, our awesome Lrm community! Share your favorite videos to: @LRM_Weekend and we'll post your Tweets below!
Last Issue: 6.23.17
Why do we love superheroes, martial arts, fantasy, and sci-fi? The big fight scenes, of course. Every week we'll bring you an epic brawl from the recent or distant past -- we want to hear from you, share your favorite fights with us!
Bruce Lee vs. Chuck Norris in Way of the Dragon (1972) Bonus: Chuck Norris Talks About Bruce Lee
The original movie poster from 1972!
What Is It?
If we're going to have a serious, weekly conversation about proper fight scenes, we have to go back to the source...The martial arts fight that...
- 6/30/2017
- by David Kozlowski
- LRMonline.com
Bumblebee in Transformers: The Last Knight, from Paramount Pictures. Photo credit: Paramount Pictures/Bay Films. © 2017 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved. Hasbro, Transformers, and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.
It’s summer, so director/producer Michael Bay brings out another installment of the toy-based franchise. In Transformers: The Last Knight, the good robot/car Transformers called the Autobots are at war with both humans and their perpetual enemies, the bad car/robots the Decepticons – again.
At about two and half hours, Transformers: The Last Knight is a long, dull slog of disorienting, camera-spinning CGI with little actual entertainment.
But wait…”knight?” What do knights have to do with this perpetual robot/human/robot war? It seems that after four movies where the transformers fight in the streets and skies of the good old USA, the creators behind this franchise felt a need for a change for the fifth movie. So let’s throw in a little King Arthur and Knights of the Round Table! There isn’t actually a lot of King Arthur, but there are Sir Lancelot and the magician Merlin, played by Stanley Tucci. In this version of the legend, the Transformers are behind Merlin’s magic.
Mark Wahlberg returns as the Autobots’ ally, would-be inventor Cade Yeager. We also get Anthony Hopkins as an eccentric English lord and Laura Haddock as a pretty Oxford professor. At the start of the story, Autobot leader Optimus Prime has gone off-planet on a quest and Cade (Walhberg), his vocally-challenged transformer buddy Bumblebee and a ragtag group of other transformers are hiding out in an U.S. The government has declared war on all transformers, and Cade and his crew have a bounty on their heads. Josh Duhamel plays a steely-eyed, strong-jawed American military officer hunting Cade and the transformers. The tale also adds a few kid characters, led by a feisty girl named Izabella (Isabela Moner), but these characters quickly fade away in all the explosions and fights.
The trip to the past is brief, and we quickly come back to the present for the usual Transformers action. After battles in America, we get more chases in the streets of London and general mayhem battles in merry ole England and then some globe-spanning destruction.
However, any change is purely superficial. It is still director Michael Bay’s signature action movie style – meaning the action is all about CGI where things fly pass the camera, turning end-over-end, while the camera spins in circles, so you cannot tell what is actually happening in most action scenes. When that is not happening, the characters are usually running or driving, in chases that end in the next battle. The characters strike brave poses, swoop in for the rescue, crack jokes – all the usual stuff.
Like all the movies in this franchise, Transformers: The Last Knight is light on plot and character development, and big on CGI and toss-away lines. The main point is to have non-stop battles in which cameras spin in dizzying fashion, special effects buildings explode and send things and people flying through the air. Robots transform in and out of car-configuration, while the humans and robots trade quips.
More than most summer action entertainment, this franchise aimed at kids has always seemed more about selling toys and CGI effects, and it has not improved over its iterations. There are few, very few reasons, parents would want their kids to see this movie. It has a perfunctory stick-by-your-friends message but also (like several recent entertainment films) has a little anti-science message, where magic trumps those bumbling scientists.
Of course, a few new characters/toys are introduced but even they quickly vanish into the swirling, disorienting battle. The cast are asked to do little more than toss off quips and run from CGI threats. Ok, Hopkins does a little more talking and less running, but still.
At first, it looks like this sequel will finally wrap up the franchise and settle this war for all time, and this critic was willing to give it a little credit for doing that. But no – a clip in the end credits reveals that there is another Transformers sequel to come.
If you liked the previous Transformers movies, Transformers: The Last Knight will fulfill your expectations. If you are not a fan of the franchise or or Michael Bay’s directorial style generally, this film will not change your mind about either.
Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
The post Transformers 5: The Last Knight – Review appeared first on We Are Movie Geeks.
It’s summer, so director/producer Michael Bay brings out another installment of the toy-based franchise. In Transformers: The Last Knight, the good robot/car Transformers called the Autobots are at war with both humans and their perpetual enemies, the bad car/robots the Decepticons – again.
At about two and half hours, Transformers: The Last Knight is a long, dull slog of disorienting, camera-spinning CGI with little actual entertainment.
But wait…”knight?” What do knights have to do with this perpetual robot/human/robot war? It seems that after four movies where the transformers fight in the streets and skies of the good old USA, the creators behind this franchise felt a need for a change for the fifth movie. So let’s throw in a little King Arthur and Knights of the Round Table! There isn’t actually a lot of King Arthur, but there are Sir Lancelot and the magician Merlin, played by Stanley Tucci. In this version of the legend, the Transformers are behind Merlin’s magic.
Mark Wahlberg returns as the Autobots’ ally, would-be inventor Cade Yeager. We also get Anthony Hopkins as an eccentric English lord and Laura Haddock as a pretty Oxford professor. At the start of the story, Autobot leader Optimus Prime has gone off-planet on a quest and Cade (Walhberg), his vocally-challenged transformer buddy Bumblebee and a ragtag group of other transformers are hiding out in an U.S. The government has declared war on all transformers, and Cade and his crew have a bounty on their heads. Josh Duhamel plays a steely-eyed, strong-jawed American military officer hunting Cade and the transformers. The tale also adds a few kid characters, led by a feisty girl named Izabella (Isabela Moner), but these characters quickly fade away in all the explosions and fights.
The trip to the past is brief, and we quickly come back to the present for the usual Transformers action. After battles in America, we get more chases in the streets of London and general mayhem battles in merry ole England and then some globe-spanning destruction.
However, any change is purely superficial. It is still director Michael Bay’s signature action movie style – meaning the action is all about CGI where things fly pass the camera, turning end-over-end, while the camera spins in circles, so you cannot tell what is actually happening in most action scenes. When that is not happening, the characters are usually running or driving, in chases that end in the next battle. The characters strike brave poses, swoop in for the rescue, crack jokes – all the usual stuff.
Like all the movies in this franchise, Transformers: The Last Knight is light on plot and character development, and big on CGI and toss-away lines. The main point is to have non-stop battles in which cameras spin in dizzying fashion, special effects buildings explode and send things and people flying through the air. Robots transform in and out of car-configuration, while the humans and robots trade quips.
More than most summer action entertainment, this franchise aimed at kids has always seemed more about selling toys and CGI effects, and it has not improved over its iterations. There are few, very few reasons, parents would want their kids to see this movie. It has a perfunctory stick-by-your-friends message but also (like several recent entertainment films) has a little anti-science message, where magic trumps those bumbling scientists.
Of course, a few new characters/toys are introduced but even they quickly vanish into the swirling, disorienting battle. The cast are asked to do little more than toss off quips and run from CGI threats. Ok, Hopkins does a little more talking and less running, but still.
At first, it looks like this sequel will finally wrap up the franchise and settle this war for all time, and this critic was willing to give it a little credit for doing that. But no – a clip in the end credits reveals that there is another Transformers sequel to come.
If you liked the previous Transformers movies, Transformers: The Last Knight will fulfill your expectations. If you are not a fan of the franchise or or Michael Bay’s directorial style generally, this film will not change your mind about either.
Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
The post Transformers 5: The Last Knight – Review appeared first on We Are Movie Geeks.
- 6/21/2017
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The actress known to millions as Gone With the Wind‘s Melanie Wilkes is now officially Dame Olivia de Havilland.
The 100-year-old two-time Oscar winner was named a Dame Commander in Queen Elizabeth II‘s Birthday Honors list on Saturday, becoming the oldest-ever person to achieve the distinction.
Of the honor, de Havilland said in a statement to People that she is “extremely proud that the Queen has appointed me a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”
“To receive this honor as my 101st birthday approaches is the most gratifying of birthday presents,” she said.
Promoted along...
The 100-year-old two-time Oscar winner was named a Dame Commander in Queen Elizabeth II‘s Birthday Honors list on Saturday, becoming the oldest-ever person to achieve the distinction.
Of the honor, de Havilland said in a statement to People that she is “extremely proud that the Queen has appointed me a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”
“To receive this honor as my 101st birthday approaches is the most gratifying of birthday presents,” she said.
Promoted along...
- 6/17/2017
- by Peter Mikelbank
- PEOPLE.com
Why ‘King Arthur’ Flopped: You Can’t Make a $300 Million Movie Without Women, and Three More Reasons
In the annals of Hollywood flops, “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” holds a unique space. Not only did it gross just $15 million this weekend off of $300 million in production and marketing costs, its failure also is not an orphan. There are reasons — so many reasons.
Yes, Charlie Hunnam can’t open a movie, the reviews were terrible, and the marketing was as muddled as the filmmaking. However, “King Arthur” made four other wide-reaching and entirely avoidable mistakes — which means, maybe the studios will be wiser next time.
Here are some fundamental miscalculations:
1. Women. There Weren’t Any.
The King Arthur legend has multiple elements, but among them is a love story involving the king, Guinevere, and Sir Lancelot. This version followed what most of director Guy Ritchie’s films focus on: men, and otherwise male interactions. Guin hardly exists.
So, we had a story that incorporated fantasy, swords, sorcery,...
Yes, Charlie Hunnam can’t open a movie, the reviews were terrible, and the marketing was as muddled as the filmmaking. However, “King Arthur” made four other wide-reaching and entirely avoidable mistakes — which means, maybe the studios will be wiser next time.
Here are some fundamental miscalculations:
1. Women. There Weren’t Any.
The King Arthur legend has multiple elements, but among them is a love story involving the king, Guinevere, and Sir Lancelot. This version followed what most of director Guy Ritchie’s films focus on: men, and otherwise male interactions. Guin hardly exists.
So, we had a story that incorporated fantasy, swords, sorcery,...
- 5/15/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Dan Stevens is having a bit of a moment. In February, you could see him in Legion, FX's stellar, must-see Marvel TV series in which the 34-year-old English actor plays a troubled young man who, despite having lived in a mental institution since his teens, discovers that he's not really schizophrenic. (The bad news: He's actually an all-powerful mutant, wanted by the government and controlled by a vicious parasite living inside his mind.) A month later, you might waltz down to your local multiplex and detect Stevens under lots of fur,...
- 4/5/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Unicron??
It is no secret that Michael Bay (director of the Transformers films) has been criticized from day one over his interpretation of this legendary franchise. We may be in for more of that with Transformers: The Last Knight, however there is a possibility that this film may actually be decent. There are definitely positives and negatives, as it seem Optimus Prime will travel back to the King Arthur days and speak with Sir Lancelot and other knights, as evident in the IMDb listings. Of course, the knights could simply be new versions of Transformers. The upside is that we believe that we will finally, after long wait, get Unicron.
We got a new trailer at the Kids Choice Awards on Saturday night, that apparently shows a post-apocalyptic Earth where the Decepticons have won. Check it out.
My first question is, "Um, isn't that the robot from Robocop?" I actually had to look this up,...
It is no secret that Michael Bay (director of the Transformers films) has been criticized from day one over his interpretation of this legendary franchise. We may be in for more of that with Transformers: The Last Knight, however there is a possibility that this film may actually be decent. There are definitely positives and negatives, as it seem Optimus Prime will travel back to the King Arthur days and speak with Sir Lancelot and other knights, as evident in the IMDb listings. Of course, the knights could simply be new versions of Transformers. The upside is that we believe that we will finally, after long wait, get Unicron.
We got a new trailer at the Kids Choice Awards on Saturday night, that apparently shows a post-apocalyptic Earth where the Decepticons have won. Check it out.
My first question is, "Um, isn't that the robot from Robocop?" I actually had to look this up,...
- 3/13/2017
- by Drew Carlton
- LRMonline.com
Bogart finds Bacall and movie history is made; for once the make-believe romantic chemistry is abundantly real. Howard Hawks' wartime Caribbean adventure plays in grand style, with his patented mix of precision and casual cool. It's one of the most entertaining pictures of the 'forties. To Have and Have Not Blu-ray Warner Archive Collection 1944 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 100 min. / Street Date July 19, 2016 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Walter Brennan, Hoagy Carmichael,Dolores Moran, Sheldon Leonard, Walter Szurovy, Marcel Dalio, Walter Sande, Dan Seymour. Cinematography Sid Hickox Art Direction Charles Novi Film Editor Christian Nyby Original Music Hoagy Carmichael, William Lava, Franz Waxman Written by Jules Furthman, William Faulkner from the novel by Ernest Hemingway Produced by Howard Hawks, Jack L. Warner Directed by Howard Hawks
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Speaking for myself, I can't think of a more 'Hawksian' picture than To Have and Have Not.
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Speaking for myself, I can't think of a more 'Hawksian' picture than To Have and Have Not.
- 7/10/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Casa Mañana Theatre is casting principal roles in their production of the Tony Award-winning musical “Spamalot.” The production will be directed by Broadway veteran Hunter Foster, and is set to run June 4–12 in Fort Worth, Texas. Roles including King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, and the Lady of the Lake are available! Auditions are March 18 in Fort Worth. For more details, view the full casting notice for “Spamalot” here, and don’t forget to check out the rest of our Texas audition listings!
- 3/10/2016
- backstage.com
Army investigator John Haven is out to catch some crooks using stealth, his wits and a limitless supply of marvelous hardboiled dialogue. Dick Powell trades a trench coat for a cowboy hat, while luscious Jane Greer swaps a .38 snubnose for a dance hall dress. A great cast, a witty script and Burl Ives' singing voice make this a delightfully different noir-inflected oater. Station West DVD-r The Warner Archive Collection 1948 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 80 min. / Street Date January 12, 2016 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Dick Powell, Jane Greer, Agnes Moorehead, Burl Ives,Tom Powers, Gordon Oliver, Steve Brodie, Guinn Williams, Raymond Burr, Regis Toomey, Olin Howlin, John Kellogg, Charles Middleton, John Doucette . Cinematography Harry J. Wild Film Editor Frederic Knudtson Original Music Heinz Roemheld Written by Frank Fenton, Winston Miller Produced by Robert Sparks Directed by Sidney Lanfield
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Want to discover a 'different,' fun '40s western with clever plotting?...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Want to discover a 'different,' fun '40s western with clever plotting?...
- 2/6/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
After The Seventh Victim‘s disappointing returns, Val Lewton and Rko clashed over their next project. Lewton wanted a comedy, provisionally titled The Amorous Ghost, as a change of pace; studio boss Sid Rogell, Lewton’s bete noir, insisted on a sequel to Cat People, which Lewton resisted. Then Rko suggested a Universal-style monster rally, They Creep By Night, reuniting villains from past Lewton pictures. Charles Koerner rescued Lewton from this absurd prospect by pitching a maritime thriller. “Call it The Ghost Ship,” Koerner ordered. Lewton also scored a big, though past-his-prime star in Richard Dix, an Oscar nominee for Cimarron (1931).
The result is equal parts The Sea Wolf and M, with a dash of Edgar Allan Poe. Tom Miriam signs on as third officer on the ill-starred freighter Altair, ruled by Captain Stone (Richard Dix). At first Stone merely seems strict, but his homilies about authority take on a...
The result is equal parts The Sea Wolf and M, with a dash of Edgar Allan Poe. Tom Miriam signs on as third officer on the ill-starred freighter Altair, ruled by Captain Stone (Richard Dix). At first Stone merely seems strict, but his homilies about authority take on a...
- 10/29/2015
- by Christopher Saunders
- SoundOnSight
This year marked four decades since the original release of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. As part of a lengthy celebration, which includes a 40th anniversary Blu-Ray, DVD, and limited-edition castle gift set, the Pythons have also unspooled a reel of Terry Gilliam's lost art from the film. The 14 minutes of bonus material showcase deleted animations from "The Tale of Sir Robin," "The Tale of Sir Lancelot," and other vignettes, set to hilariously contemptuous, self-aware bits of commentary from the artist himself. For example: "Why have I always liked snails?" he wonders, as one of his surreal creations plops across the screen. "They're dumb pieces of meat."He also talks about how weird it is people will actually buy the repackaged film, which comes out October 27, considering everyone has had ample time to see it in an array of versions. Most importantly, though, he notes that he didn't...
- 10/15/2015
- by Sean Fitz-Gerald
- Vulture
“It is I, Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon, from the castle of Camelot. King of the Britons, defeater of the Saxons, Sovereign of all England!”
Calling all King of the Britons. Grab up your shrubberies because October 14 is “Holy Grail Day”!
Get your costumes and singing voices ready for an epic sing-a-long. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Monty Python And The Holy Grail there are screenings being held around the world.
For information on these screenings in the U.S. visit here.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences takes a look back at the 1975 film in the newest Academy Originals episode this week called “The Moments That Changed The Movies: Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”
It tells the story of how the game-changing British historical farce came to be made, as well as the comedy and comedians it influenced in the decades since its release...
Calling all King of the Britons. Grab up your shrubberies because October 14 is “Holy Grail Day”!
Get your costumes and singing voices ready for an epic sing-a-long. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Monty Python And The Holy Grail there are screenings being held around the world.
For information on these screenings in the U.S. visit here.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences takes a look back at the 1975 film in the newest Academy Originals episode this week called “The Moments That Changed The Movies: Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”
It tells the story of how the game-changing British historical farce came to be made, as well as the comedy and comedians it influenced in the decades since its release...
- 10/14/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Val Lewton, Russian émigré turned horror master, was a reporter, pulp novelist and MGM publicity writer before moving into film. He spent the 1930s as David O. Selznick’s story editor, directing second unit work on A Tale of Two Cities (1935) and script doctoring Gone With the Wind (1939), warning Selznick it would be “the mistake of his life.” While not Hollywood’s most prescient man, Lewton’s professionalism earned Selznick’s respect, and their collaboration led to Rko offering Lewton a producing job in 1942.
Rko was reeling from Orson Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons, an expensive flop forcing a refocus on low budget films. Charles Koerner headed the studio’s B Unit, envisioning a horror series inspired by Universal Studio’s successful franchises. Where Universal culled from established literature (Dracula, Frankenstein), Rko worked from Koerner’s whim: he created a title and left the filmmakers to handle trivia like plot and characters.
Rko was reeling from Orson Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons, an expensive flop forcing a refocus on low budget films. Charles Koerner headed the studio’s B Unit, envisioning a horror series inspired by Universal Studio’s successful franchises. Where Universal culled from established literature (Dracula, Frankenstein), Rko worked from Koerner’s whim: he created a title and left the filmmakers to handle trivia like plot and characters.
- 10/6/2015
- by Christopher Saunders
- SoundOnSight
Can you believe it's been seven years since Colin Morgan's boy wizard first strode onto our screens?
The series premiere of Merlin on September 20, 2008 set us off on a magical five-year journey - one with mythical monsters, wicked warlocks and excessive amounts of bromantic banter.
Millions tuned in each Saturday night for the show's blend of fun, fantasy and friendship - because Merlin and Arthur (Bradley James) were definitely just friends, Ok? - but what's happened to Camelot's finest since that epic final episode?
Colin Morgan
The aged Emrys might still be waiting for King Arthur to revive, but Merlin lead Colin Morgan hasn't lain dormant these past few years. He appeared opposite fellow Irish legend Gabriel Byrne in BBC One's moody detective drama Quirke in 2014, was seduced by Gillian Anderson as mercurial copper Tom Anderson in The Fall and played cyborg Leo in Channel 4's smash hit Humans.
The series premiere of Merlin on September 20, 2008 set us off on a magical five-year journey - one with mythical monsters, wicked warlocks and excessive amounts of bromantic banter.
Millions tuned in each Saturday night for the show's blend of fun, fantasy and friendship - because Merlin and Arthur (Bradley James) were definitely just friends, Ok? - but what's happened to Camelot's finest since that epic final episode?
Colin Morgan
The aged Emrys might still be waiting for King Arthur to revive, but Merlin lead Colin Morgan hasn't lain dormant these past few years. He appeared opposite fellow Irish legend Gabriel Byrne in BBC One's moody detective drama Quirke in 2014, was seduced by Gillian Anderson as mercurial copper Tom Anderson in The Fall and played cyborg Leo in Channel 4's smash hit Humans.
- 9/19/2015
- Digital Spy
B&B Wildwood Theatre is having their September Retro Night on Thursday, September 3rd. They are showing the classic film, Monty Python And The Holy Grail. Shows are at 4pm & 7pm.
The screenplay was a joyous romp through set pieces that sent up the serious, mythic characters at its center. As King Arthur (Graham Chapman) rounds up the gallant Knights of the Round Table to ride to Camelot, he must contend with subjects who are politically unfazed by his divinely-dispensed authority. He must also wield his sword against the Black Knight (John Cleese), a fearsome opponent whose gradual dismemberment fails to quell his desire to fight.
After turning away from Camelot (“It is a silly place,” he says despairingly), Arthur sees a miraculous vision of God in the clouds above, who sets forth a task for his knights: find the Holy Grail. (“Good idea, O Lord.” ” ‘Course it’s a good idea!
The screenplay was a joyous romp through set pieces that sent up the serious, mythic characters at its center. As King Arthur (Graham Chapman) rounds up the gallant Knights of the Round Table to ride to Camelot, he must contend with subjects who are politically unfazed by his divinely-dispensed authority. He must also wield his sword against the Black Knight (John Cleese), a fearsome opponent whose gradual dismemberment fails to quell his desire to fight.
After turning away from Camelot (“It is a silly place,” he says despairingly), Arthur sees a miraculous vision of God in the clouds above, who sets forth a task for his knights: find the Holy Grail. (“Good idea, O Lord.” ” ‘Course it’s a good idea!
- 8/28/2015
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
40 years ago, the British comedy sextet Monty Python released the hilarous Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Decades later, the film is still considered a comedy classic. Cinelinx looks back at the making of one of the great film parodies. It’s being released in certain theaters for special showings this week.
They were something completely different. When Monty Python’s Flying Circus debuted on BBC TV in 1969, they were unlike anything ever seen before and they became the comedy darlings of Britain. But it wasn’t until 1975—and the release of their second film Monty Python and the Holy Grail—that they made it big in America and became an international sensation.
By 1975, the Monty Python comedy troupe—comprised of John Cleese, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam—had already finished their legendary run on the TV show Monty Python’s Flying Circus and...
They were something completely different. When Monty Python’s Flying Circus debuted on BBC TV in 1969, they were unlike anything ever seen before and they became the comedy darlings of Britain. But it wasn’t until 1975—and the release of their second film Monty Python and the Holy Grail—that they made it big in America and became an international sensation.
By 1975, the Monty Python comedy troupe—comprised of John Cleese, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam—had already finished their legendary run on the TV show Monty Python’s Flying Circus and...
- 4/26/2015
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Rob Young)
- Cinelinx
40 years ago, the British comedy sextet Monty Python released the hilarous Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Decades later, the film is still considered a comedy classic. Cinelinx looks back at the making of one of the great film parodies. It’s being released in certain theaters for special showings this week.
They were something completely different. When Monty Python’s Flying Circus debuted on BBC TV in 1969, they were unlike anything ever seen before and they became the comedy darlings of Britain. But it wasn’t until 1975—and the release of their second film Monty Python and the Holy Grail—that they made it big in America and became an international sensation.
By 1975, the Monty Python comedy troupe—comprised of John Cleese, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam—had already finished their legendary run on the TV show Monty Python’s Flying Circus and...
They were something completely different. When Monty Python’s Flying Circus debuted on BBC TV in 1969, they were unlike anything ever seen before and they became the comedy darlings of Britain. But it wasn’t until 1975—and the release of their second film Monty Python and the Holy Grail—that they made it big in America and became an international sensation.
By 1975, the Monty Python comedy troupe—comprised of John Cleese, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam—had already finished their legendary run on the TV show Monty Python’s Flying Circus and...
- 4/26/2015
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Rob Young)
- Cinelinx
If a retelling of Romeo & Juliet in the style of 300 didn't sound good, maybe a different approach to King Arthur will be more your speed. No, we're not talking about Guy Ritchie's new Knights of the Round Table: King Arthur (in production now), but rather a new project called Man at Arms that is being developed by Thunder Road Pictures. This project has Wrath of the Titans and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot director Jonathan Liebesman attached to direct the film that is said to take the King Arthur story we all know, but deliver it in the style of Clint Eastwood's modern classic western Unforgiven. So how'll that work? Well, Deadline says the story is said to follow Sir Lancelot as an older gentleman who wants to make amends after his love for Guinivere (which she gave right back to him) actually ended up ruining King Arthur's Camelot.
- 3/20/2015
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
I don't know how exactly this happens in Hollywood, but rival movies isn't necessarily uncommon. A lot of the time one will fade away and other times you'll get your White House Down meets Olympus Has Fallen. Today we get news of another such situation. We have Guy Ritchie working on his King Arthur movie Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur and today we learn Jonathan Liebesman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Battle: Los Angeles) will direct Man at Arms, described as an epilogue to the Arthur legend Ritchie is said to be exploring in his film. Jeremy Lott penned the screenplay, which has been likened to Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, following the adventures of Sir Lancelot as an older man who is bent on making amends after his love for Guinevere (and hers for him) ended up destroying Arthur's Camelot. This is the second project Lott has seen go into...
- 3/20/2015
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Once upon a time, the idea of competing projects for major studios was a no-no. Then Deep Impact and Armageddon came along and effectively canceled each other out. The lesson learned in that case was: it doesn’t really matter if another movie embracing the same subject matter is also in development, it only matters if it’s better. So, that being said, yet another King Arthur movie has now appeared on the industry radar to rival Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: Knights Of The Roundtable.
Deadline broke the news by announcing that Jonathan Liebesman, the director behind 2014’s Turtles reboot and Terminator: Rise Of The Machines, is in line to direct Man At Arms. Thunder Road Pictures’ Basil Iwanyk (The Expendables) is producing with Aperture Entertainment’s Adam Goldworm (The Last Witch Hunter) and Bryan Brucks (Scouts Vs. Zombies). Erica Lee will executive produce.
Whether Liebesman’s got the...
Deadline broke the news by announcing that Jonathan Liebesman, the director behind 2014’s Turtles reboot and Terminator: Rise Of The Machines, is in line to direct Man At Arms. Thunder Road Pictures’ Basil Iwanyk (The Expendables) is producing with Aperture Entertainment’s Adam Goldworm (The Last Witch Hunter) and Bryan Brucks (Scouts Vs. Zombies). Erica Lee will executive produce.
Whether Liebesman’s got the...
- 3/20/2015
- by Gem Seddon
- We Got This Covered
Exclusive: Jonathan Liebesman, who directed last year’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to a $485M worldwide box office take, is attached to direct Man At Arms for Basil Iwanyk’s Thunder Road Pictures. The project is a King Arthur story, but reminiscent of Clint Eastwood’s classic Western Unforgiven and follows Sir Lancelot as an older man who is bent on making amends after his love for Guinevere (and hers for him) ended up destroying Arthur’s Camelot. Great twist to the…...
- 3/20/2015
- Deadline
In many ways, the "Night At The Museum" movies represent a near-perfect distillation of what Hollywood wants from its franchises. That is not a compliment. The three films in the series are interchangeable because none of the films seem to advance the characters or the premise beyond "Magical tablets bring things alive in a museum at night," and for the audience that keeps turning out to see these films, that seems like all they want or need from them. This one opens in Egypt, decades ago, as the magical tablet is discovered for the first time and a dire warning of a curse is ignored completely. We then flash forward to find that Larry (Ben Stiller) is still a security guard, but he is also somehow in charge of all the "special effects" for a major fundraiser that is being held. I'm not sure many major metropolitan museums put their...
- 12/22/2014
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
Written by David Guion and Michael Handelman
Directed by Shawn Levy
USA/UK, 2014
Getting the band back together for one final gig is almost never a good idea. In the case of Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, however, there’s enough ingenuity and fun to justify the encore. Director Shawn Levy adds a few clever wrinkles and plenty of familiar callbacks as he sends his family franchise out with pomp and poignancy. The untimely death of Robin Williams also adds resonance to the film’s melancholy message that letting go is a necessary, painful fact of life.
It’s easy for critics to dismiss films like Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (Sott). When you’re three films into a franchise that’s fueled by a wafer-thin premise, you can feel bored and dissatisfied before the movie even begins.
Written by David Guion and Michael Handelman
Directed by Shawn Levy
USA/UK, 2014
Getting the band back together for one final gig is almost never a good idea. In the case of Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, however, there’s enough ingenuity and fun to justify the encore. Director Shawn Levy adds a few clever wrinkles and plenty of familiar callbacks as he sends his family franchise out with pomp and poignancy. The untimely death of Robin Williams also adds resonance to the film’s melancholy message that letting go is a necessary, painful fact of life.
It’s easy for critics to dismiss films like Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (Sott). When you’re three films into a franchise that’s fueled by a wafer-thin premise, you can feel bored and dissatisfied before the movie even begins.
- 12/19/2014
- by J.R. Kinnard
- SoundOnSight
In opposition to TV’s “Schoolhouse Rock” classic tune, for movies three is not always the magic number. It’s true for most film franchises especially comedies (with National Lampoon’S Christmas Vacation being the exceptional exception). Many moviegoers still get queasy thinking about last year’s The Hangover Part III. Well, how about a more family friendly comedy series? In 2006 Ben Stiller decided to expand his fan base by starring in the surprise box-office smash, Night At The Museum, an all ages PG slapstick farce. Naturally he followed it up three years later with Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian, which did enough business to warrant another entry….five years later?! Really, it took that long for all the stars to align? Now these flicks are special effects heavy and during the post production two of its stars, well, made sure they weren’t available for a fourth installment.
- 12/19/2014
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Ben Stiller’s long-suffering guard is back – joined by Robin Williams in his final role – and trying to keep the magic alive in this likable third instalment
The third part in what absolutely no one is calling the Night at the Museum “trilogy” turns out to be a good-natured and entertainingly surreal panto fantasy, set partly in London’s British Museum, with nice cameos from Dan Stevens as Sir Lancelot and Rebel Wilson as Tilly, the stroppy, sulky museum guard.
An opening flashback makes it clear that an explorer’s century-old defilement of an Egyptian tomb has triggered a delayed curse: an ancient tablet – resembling a keypad – is failing in its magical power to bring the museum exhibits to life. No one is enough of a spoilsport to point out that the “Epyptian curse” trope was an imperial fiction invented to stigmatise the Egyptians as irrational and malign. To rectify things,...
The third part in what absolutely no one is calling the Night at the Museum “trilogy” turns out to be a good-natured and entertainingly surreal panto fantasy, set partly in London’s British Museum, with nice cameos from Dan Stevens as Sir Lancelot and Rebel Wilson as Tilly, the stroppy, sulky museum guard.
An opening flashback makes it clear that an explorer’s century-old defilement of an Egyptian tomb has triggered a delayed curse: an ancient tablet – resembling a keypad – is failing in its magical power to bring the museum exhibits to life. No one is enough of a spoilsport to point out that the “Epyptian curse” trope was an imperial fiction invented to stigmatise the Egyptians as irrational and malign. To rectify things,...
- 12/18/2014
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Ben Stiller’s long-suffering guard is back – joined by Robin Williams in his final role – and trying to keep the magic alive in this likable third instalment
The third part in what absolutely no one is calling the Night at the Museum “trilogy” turns out to be a good-natured and entertainingly surreal panto fantasy, set partly in London’s British Museum, with nice cameos from Dan Stevens as Sir Lancelot and Rebel Wilson as Tilly, the stroppy, sulky museum guard.
An opening flashback makes it clear that an explorer’s century-old defilement of an Egyptian tomb has triggered a delayed curse: an ancient tablet – resembling a keypad – is failing in its magical power to bring the museum exhibits to life. No one is enough of a spoilsport to point out that the “Epyptian curse” trope was an imperial fiction invented to stigmatise the Egyptians as irrational and malign. To rectify things,...
The third part in what absolutely no one is calling the Night at the Museum “trilogy” turns out to be a good-natured and entertainingly surreal panto fantasy, set partly in London’s British Museum, with nice cameos from Dan Stevens as Sir Lancelot and Rebel Wilson as Tilly, the stroppy, sulky museum guard.
An opening flashback makes it clear that an explorer’s century-old defilement of an Egyptian tomb has triggered a delayed curse: an ancient tablet – resembling a keypad – is failing in its magical power to bring the museum exhibits to life. No one is enough of a spoilsport to point out that the “Epyptian curse” trope was an imperial fiction invented to stigmatise the Egyptians as irrational and malign. To rectify things,...
- 12/18/2014
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Eight years is a long time in the life of a child. While critics are lining up to award Richard Linklater for exploring such an idea, a much larger viewing audience unfamiliar with Boyhood may experience a similar feeling of time passing them by while watching Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. Advertising itself as the finale of the soon-to-be billion dollar grossing Night at the Museum trilogy, Secret of the Tomb lays it on thick with pretences of finality and closure. In truth, the film doesn’t bring the journey to a stop, and instead simply hits the blinker on a lucrative franchise vehicle that’s always been operating in cruise control.
Ben Stiller once again straps on nightshift blues and a flashlight as security guard Larry Daley, who spends his evenings corralling the magically sentient exhibits of the Natural History Museum. Over the course of his adventures,...
Ben Stiller once again straps on nightshift blues and a flashlight as security guard Larry Daley, who spends his evenings corralling the magically sentient exhibits of the Natural History Museum. Over the course of his adventures,...
- 12/17/2014
- by Sam Woolf
- We Got This Covered
Rebel Wilson was joined by a suit-clad Crystal the monkey at the premiere of Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb in New York last night (December 11).
The Aussie actress, who stars as Tilly in the adventure comedy movie's third instalment, had Crystal's arm resting on top of her hair as they posed on the red carpet.
Crystal, who plays Dexter, has appeared in all three of the movies, and has previous credits in Cameron Crowe's We Bought a Zoo (2011), The Hangover Part II (2011) and episodes of NBC's hit comedy Community.
The Shawn Levy-directed film sees Ben Stiller's security guard Larry take a trip across the Atlantic to the British Museum when the cursed tablet that brings exhibits to life starts to lose its power.
Ricky Gervais, Dick Van Dyke, Owen Wilson, the late Robin Williams and the late Mickey Rooney all return to the cast,...
The Aussie actress, who stars as Tilly in the adventure comedy movie's third instalment, had Crystal's arm resting on top of her hair as they posed on the red carpet.
Crystal, who plays Dexter, has appeared in all three of the movies, and has previous credits in Cameron Crowe's We Bought a Zoo (2011), The Hangover Part II (2011) and episodes of NBC's hit comedy Community.
The Shawn Levy-directed film sees Ben Stiller's security guard Larry take a trip across the Atlantic to the British Museum when the cursed tablet that brings exhibits to life starts to lose its power.
Ricky Gervais, Dick Van Dyke, Owen Wilson, the late Robin Williams and the late Mickey Rooney all return to the cast,...
- 12/12/2014
- Digital Spy
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb has premiered a new clip exclusively through Digital Spy.
The third instalment in the hit family adventure series sees Ben Stiller's security guard Larry head from a museum in New York to work at London's British Museum.
Ricky Gervais, Dick Van Dyke, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams and Mickey Rooney all return to the cast, with Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens a newcomer as Sir Lancelot.
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb will open in cinemas on December 19.
The third instalment in the hit family adventure series sees Ben Stiller's security guard Larry head from a museum in New York to work at London's British Museum.
Ricky Gervais, Dick Van Dyke, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams and Mickey Rooney all return to the cast, with Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens a newcomer as Sir Lancelot.
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb will open in cinemas on December 19.
- 12/10/2014
- Digital Spy
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.