As Gov. Phil Murphy continues his push to woo film and television production to New Jersey, the state economic development authority today approved a partnership with a $1+ billion studio complex including 23 sound stages set to rise in the Bergen Point neighborhood of Bayonne, New Jersey at the site of a former Texaco oil refinery.
The project will break ground this fall, said Arpad Busson, the New York-based French financier whose Togus Urban Renewal is spearheading the project along with Rothschild in the UK and New York-based Moore Group. He said construction will take two years. Called 1888 Studios, after the year New Jersey-native Thomas Edison filed a patent for the motion picture camera, the 1.5 million square feet structure designed by architecture firm Gensler will look to evoke imagery of Golden Age Hollywood, spanning 55 acres and including comprehensive on-site production services, security, and a waterfront park and promenade accessible to the public.
The project will break ground this fall, said Arpad Busson, the New York-based French financier whose Togus Urban Renewal is spearheading the project along with Rothschild in the UK and New York-based Moore Group. He said construction will take two years. Called 1888 Studios, after the year New Jersey-native Thomas Edison filed a patent for the motion picture camera, the 1.5 million square feet structure designed by architecture firm Gensler will look to evoke imagery of Golden Age Hollywood, spanning 55 acres and including comprehensive on-site production services, security, and a waterfront park and promenade accessible to the public.
- 5/8/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
In 1977, aspiring cartoonist Matt Groening moved from his hometown of Portland, Oregon to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming a writer. Like most people who move to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming a writer, he took on some of the most menial jobs imaginable. Groening worked in a sewage treatment plant, as a dishwasher, and as a waiter. All the while, Groening worked on what would become his signature creation, the "Life in Hell" comic strip.
Groening would leave "Life in Hell" comics in a small corner of Licorice Pizza, the celebrated Los Angeles record store where he occasionally worked. It was an embittered strip about modern life, a harsh critique of life, love, school, and work. Groening attacked everything the establishment celebrated as normal and good, finding nothing but misery in the real world.
"Life in Hell" was picked up by Wet Magazine and, later the Los Angeles Reader.
Groening would leave "Life in Hell" comics in a small corner of Licorice Pizza, the celebrated Los Angeles record store where he occasionally worked. It was an embittered strip about modern life, a harsh critique of life, love, school, and work. Groening attacked everything the establishment celebrated as normal and good, finding nothing but misery in the real world.
"Life in Hell" was picked up by Wet Magazine and, later the Los Angeles Reader.
- 3/30/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
"Star Trek" has always loved a deep-cut starship name. In the original series, the U.S.S. Farragut borrowed a name from a Civil War-era Union Navy officer. In "Star Trek: Lower Decks," every California Class ship is named after a different city in the West Coast state, from Redding to Riverside. Figures ranging from Ursula K. Le Guin to Thomas Edison to Elmer Fudd have all gotten the starship name treatment, but one of the earliest named starships in the series had a much less admirable origin story.
The S.S. Botany Bay made its first appearance in the "Star Trek: The Original Series" episode "Space Seed," which introduced viewers to the infamous villain Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban). Viewers with a keen sense of geography may have realized they were due to meet a baddie before Khan ever appeared, though, because Botany Bay holds a uniquely horrifying place in history.
The S.S. Botany Bay made its first appearance in the "Star Trek: The Original Series" episode "Space Seed," which introduced viewers to the infamous villain Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban). Viewers with a keen sense of geography may have realized they were due to meet a baddie before Khan ever appeared, though, because Botany Bay holds a uniquely horrifying place in history.
- 2/2/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Dive into a delightful adventure with Season 13 Episode 15 of “Curious George” titled “Swimspiration; Museum of George.” Airing at 9:30 Am on Friday, February 2, 2024, on PBS, this episode promises a mix of fun, learning, and creativity for the young and the young at heart.
In the first part, George, along with his friends Allie, Bill, and Vicki, embarks on a journey to explore the various ways different animals swim. Their discoveries lead them to a friendly competition—a swimming race in the pond. The stakes are high as the friends aim to win a treat in this aquatic adventure.
The excitement continues as George visits a museum exhibit dedicated to the legendary Thomas Edison. Inspired by the inventor’s creativity, George decides to create his very own “Museum of George,” showcasing his own unique and imaginative creations.
Tune in at 9:30 Am on PBS for an episode that combines the joy of exploration,...
In the first part, George, along with his friends Allie, Bill, and Vicki, embarks on a journey to explore the various ways different animals swim. Their discoveries lead them to a friendly competition—a swimming race in the pond. The stakes are high as the friends aim to win a treat in this aquatic adventure.
The excitement continues as George visits a museum exhibit dedicated to the legendary Thomas Edison. Inspired by the inventor’s creativity, George decides to create his very own “Museum of George,” showcasing his own unique and imaginative creations.
Tune in at 9:30 Am on PBS for an episode that combines the joy of exploration,...
- 1/26/2024
- by Jules Byrd
- TV Everyday
The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation Season 10 Episode 10 Launching Salmon Airs January 27 2024 on CBS
This Saturday at 7:30 Am on CBS, “The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation” offers an exciting lineup in Season 10 Episode 10, titled “Launching Salmon.” The episode brings a fascinating mix of innovative stories, showcasing the ingenuity and creativity that shape our world.
Viewers can anticipate the extraordinary concept of a salmon cannon, a device propelling fish upriver, contributing to their natural migration. The resurgence of vinyl records is explored, tapping into the timeless appeal of analog music in a digital age.
The show also features a flying bird robot designed to scatter flocks, offering a unique solution to manage avian populations. Additionally, the episode delves into the historic rivalry between inventors Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, shedding light on the iconic clash of brilliance.
Tune in at 7:30 Am this Saturday on CBS for an episode of “The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation” that celebrates the marvels of invention and the diverse tapestry of human creativity,...
Viewers can anticipate the extraordinary concept of a salmon cannon, a device propelling fish upriver, contributing to their natural migration. The resurgence of vinyl records is explored, tapping into the timeless appeal of analog music in a digital age.
The show also features a flying bird robot designed to scatter flocks, offering a unique solution to manage avian populations. Additionally, the episode delves into the historic rivalry between inventors Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, shedding light on the iconic clash of brilliance.
Tune in at 7:30 Am this Saturday on CBS for an episode of “The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation” that celebrates the marvels of invention and the diverse tapestry of human creativity,...
- 1/21/2024
- by Jules Byrd
- TV Everyday
Studio takeovers have been the talk of the town in Hollywood for some time. It’s been less a discussion of if control will be ceded to new companies and more a conversation about who is buying, and why. Will it be studios taking over other studios, or, perhaps, tech giants elbowing further into the industry?
This week the megadeal fever was kickstarted again as it was floated that Warner Bros. Discovery has expressed interest in a tie-up with Paramount Global, following a meeting between Warners CEO David Zaslav and Paramount CEO Bob Bakish in New York last Tuesday. Such a merger would be historic, especially since the rolling back of the 1948 consent decrees that ended in major studios divesting in their theater chains.
Given that such a merger would (once again) reshape the Hollywood landscape, it’s worth remembering the first time Warner Bros. was involved in a mega...
This week the megadeal fever was kickstarted again as it was floated that Warner Bros. Discovery has expressed interest in a tie-up with Paramount Global, following a meeting between Warners CEO David Zaslav and Paramount CEO Bob Bakish in New York last Tuesday. Such a merger would be historic, especially since the rolling back of the 1948 consent decrees that ended in major studios divesting in their theater chains.
Given that such a merger would (once again) reshape the Hollywood landscape, it’s worth remembering the first time Warner Bros. was involved in a mega...
- 12/22/2023
- by Chris Yogerst
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Cinema will not die. Do you know who invented TikTok? The Lumière brothers with their shorts.”
Cannes Film Festival delegate general Thierry Frémaux discussed cinemagoing, streaming, and the emerging generation of Argentinian auteurs in a Ventana Sur masterclass in Buenos Aires.
Under the banner ‘The Future of Cinema’, Frémaux, speaking fluent Spanish, reflected on platforms, cinema’s DNA, Cannes selection policy, and the importance of classic films with local journalists and critics Diego Batlle and Luciano Monteagudo.
As part of Frémaux’s annual participation in the Buenos Aires market the delegate general curates Cannes Film Week, which runs through December...
Cannes Film Festival delegate general Thierry Frémaux discussed cinemagoing, streaming, and the emerging generation of Argentinian auteurs in a Ventana Sur masterclass in Buenos Aires.
Under the banner ‘The Future of Cinema’, Frémaux, speaking fluent Spanish, reflected on platforms, cinema’s DNA, Cannes selection policy, and the importance of classic films with local journalists and critics Diego Batlle and Luciano Monteagudo.
As part of Frémaux’s annual participation in the Buenos Aires market the delegate general curates Cannes Film Week, which runs through December...
- 11/30/2023
- by Emilio Mayorga
- ScreenDaily
“Cinema will not die. Do you know who invented TikTok? The Lumière brothers with their shorts.”
Cannes Film Festival delegate general Thierry Frémaux discussed cinema-going, streaming, and the emerging generation of Argentinian auteurs in a Ventana Sur masterclass in Buenos Aires.
Under the banner ‘The Future of Cinema’, Frémaux, speaking fluent Spanish, reflected on platforms, cinema’s DNA, Cannes selection policy, and the importance of classical movies with local journalists and critics Diego Batlle and Luciano Monteagudo.
As part of Frémaux’s involvement, the delegate general curates Cannes Film Week at the Buenos Aires market, which runs through December 3 and...
Cannes Film Festival delegate general Thierry Frémaux discussed cinema-going, streaming, and the emerging generation of Argentinian auteurs in a Ventana Sur masterclass in Buenos Aires.
Under the banner ‘The Future of Cinema’, Frémaux, speaking fluent Spanish, reflected on platforms, cinema’s DNA, Cannes selection policy, and the importance of classical movies with local journalists and critics Diego Batlle and Luciano Monteagudo.
As part of Frémaux’s involvement, the delegate general curates Cannes Film Week at the Buenos Aires market, which runs through December 3 and...
- 11/30/2023
- by Emilio Mayorga
- ScreenDaily
R.L. Stine, the famous novelist, had said that there wouldn’t be so many stories about zombies, undead, and other weird and strange creatures if they didn’t exist. Unfortunately, best friends Amy (Madi Monroe) and Mike (Marlon Kazadi) found out about it the hard way. Amy was a huge movie buff and had been obsessed with zombies and other creatures for as long as she could remember. Mike was just the opposite; he couldn’t stand these made-up stories written just for the sake of scaring children. Little did they know, Mike and Amy would soon unlock a century-old secret that would pin them against their own town. Zombie Town is one horror-comedy film you won’t regret watching.
Spoilers Ahead
Who Is Len Carver? Why Did He Take A Sabbatical?
Len Carver (Dan Aykroyd) was a big-shot Hollywood director who had made a fortune making horror films, like...
Spoilers Ahead
Who Is Len Carver? Why Did He Take A Sabbatical?
Len Carver (Dan Aykroyd) was a big-shot Hollywood director who had made a fortune making horror films, like...
- 11/22/2023
- by Rishabh Shandilya
- Film Fugitives
Eve Hewson is one of the most talented and beautiful actresses working in the film industry. The Irish actress began her career with a 2005 short film titled Lost and Found, and after that she made her feature debut with the 2008 film The 27 Club. Hewson’s first major role was in the 2011 drama film This Must Be It and recently she starred in Apple TV+’s musical drama film Flora and Son. So, if you love Hewson’s performances here are the 10 best movies and shows starring Eve Hewson that should be on your watchlist.
10. Behind Her Eyes (Netflix) Credit – Netflix
Synopsis: Simona Brown plays Louise, a single mother who has an affair with her psychiatrist boss David (Tom Bateman). Her life takes a strange turn when she later befriends his wife Adele (Eve Hewson), and she finds herself caught in a web of secrets and lies where nothing is what it seems.
10. Behind Her Eyes (Netflix) Credit – Netflix
Synopsis: Simona Brown plays Louise, a single mother who has an affair with her psychiatrist boss David (Tom Bateman). Her life takes a strange turn when she later befriends his wife Adele (Eve Hewson), and she finds herself caught in a web of secrets and lies where nothing is what it seems.
- 11/14/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Facing tight budgets and continued uncertainty in the entertainment sector, buyers at this year’s MipJunior are expected to largely stick to tried and true IP, but many still see opportunities for exciting original content.
In addition to presenting the hottest new kids’ shows from around the globe, MipJunior, which runs Oct. 13-15, will examine the latest developments and trends that are redefining the market, such as the state of co-production and financing amid audience fragmentation, consumer use of multi-platform media, the growing role of gaming and the emergence of disruptive technologies like AI.
“Given the current uncertainties in the sector around streamers and broadcasters, we see less appetite for risk and thus more interest in established brands and IP with built-in audiences,” says Bernd Wendeln, COO of Munich-based Your Family Entertainment (Yfe).
A subsidiary of Beverly Hills- based Kartoon Studios, Yfe’s recent hit titles include “Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten,...
In addition to presenting the hottest new kids’ shows from around the globe, MipJunior, which runs Oct. 13-15, will examine the latest developments and trends that are redefining the market, such as the state of co-production and financing amid audience fragmentation, consumer use of multi-platform media, the growing role of gaming and the emergence of disruptive technologies like AI.
“Given the current uncertainties in the sector around streamers and broadcasters, we see less appetite for risk and thus more interest in established brands and IP with built-in audiences,” says Bernd Wendeln, COO of Munich-based Your Family Entertainment (Yfe).
A subsidiary of Beverly Hills- based Kartoon Studios, Yfe’s recent hit titles include “Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten,...
- 10/13/2023
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Film Independent is currently in the middle of a Matching Campaign to raise support for the next 30 years of filmmaker support. All donations make before or on September 15 will be doubled—dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000. To kick off the campaign, we’re re-posting a few of our most popular blogs.
Why 24 frames per second, why not 23 or 25?
Or for that matter, why not 10 or 100?
What’s so special about seeing images 24 times per second?
The short answer: Not much, the film speed standard was a hack.
The longer answer: the entire history of filmmaking technology is a series of hacks, workarounds and duct-taped temporary-fixes that were codified, edified and institutionalized into the concrete of daily practice. Filmmaking is one big last-minute hack, designed to get through the impossibility of a shot list in the fading light of the day.
The current explosion in distribution platforms means that the bedrock standard of...
Why 24 frames per second, why not 23 or 25?
Or for that matter, why not 10 or 100?
What’s so special about seeing images 24 times per second?
The short answer: Not much, the film speed standard was a hack.
The longer answer: the entire history of filmmaking technology is a series of hacks, workarounds and duct-taped temporary-fixes that were codified, edified and institutionalized into the concrete of daily practice. Filmmaking is one big last-minute hack, designed to get through the impossibility of a shot list in the fading light of the day.
The current explosion in distribution platforms means that the bedrock standard of...
- 7/31/2023
- by Eric Escobar
- Film Independent News & More
As both his first western and first time with sci-fi, there’s never been an entry into either genre that looks quite like what Wes Anderson conjured with Asteroid City. With its dreamlike, milky textures captured under the blazing sun of Spain (standing in for a fictional desert town of 1950s Americana) and extraterrestrial sequences that have a uniquely otherworldly touch, I was eager to speak with cinematographer Robert Yeoman about his process. For having first collaborate with Anderson on his debut Bottle Rocket and subsequently worked on all of his live-action features since, he’s been with the director every step of his evolution, honing the craft with a beautifully persnickety preciseness simply otherwise absent in American filmmaking.
Ahead of Asteroid City‘s NY/LA release this Friday, followed by a wide expansion next week, I spoke with Yeoman about the exacting details of his workflow with Anderson, how...
Ahead of Asteroid City‘s NY/LA release this Friday, followed by a wide expansion next week, I spoke with Yeoman about the exacting details of his workflow with Anderson, how...
- 6/14/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
As engaging and impressive a documentary as you’re going to see, 32 Sounds starts with a kind of obvious––yet eminently under-asked––question: why do most of us take sound for granted? Director Sam Green quickly reminds us of Thomas Edison’s invention of the phonograph. He tell us a newspaper at the time “predicted the machine would actually stop death.” Only moments later there’s a playful investigation into how we hear, spurned by a digression about the Whoopee cushion. Which is to say this is not only a documentary of interest, but entertainment. Consider a cute moment in which we watch a tree fall in the woods, though we hear nothing. The press notes acknowledge the clear inspiration, from the title on down: the masterpiece Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould by François Girard.
Green collaborates with composer Jd Samson to examine sound through 32 different “specific sonic experiences.
Green collaborates with composer Jd Samson to examine sound through 32 different “specific sonic experiences.
- 4/29/2023
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Quentin Tarantino has worked with a variety of actors in his career. This list of performers he’s collaborated with has also included child stars. But when it came to working with children, there were certain scenes in his own films he felt were perhaps too extreme.
Quentin Tarantino believed that movies can affect its audience Quentin Tarantino | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Tarantino has always embraced violence in his movies. The director is not shy about being a violent filmmaker at his core. His films often involve characters in deadly shootouts or other dangerous situations that sometimes end in a lot of blood and dismembered body parts.
“As an artist, violence is part of my talent. If I start thinking about society, or what one person is doing to someone else, then I have on handcuffs,” Tarantino once said according to Channel 4.
He agrees that movie violence can provoke a...
Quentin Tarantino believed that movies can affect its audience Quentin Tarantino | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Tarantino has always embraced violence in his movies. The director is not shy about being a violent filmmaker at his core. His films often involve characters in deadly shootouts or other dangerous situations that sometimes end in a lot of blood and dismembered body parts.
“As an artist, violence is part of my talent. If I start thinking about society, or what one person is doing to someone else, then I have on handcuffs,” Tarantino once said according to Channel 4.
He agrees that movie violence can provoke a...
- 4/28/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Shortly after the invention of the phonograph in 1877, a prominent newspaper of the time predicted that Thomas Edison’s machine was powerful enough to stop death itself. The human body was still ephemeral, but the human voice had effectively become immortal. It was now capable of being heard long after the person who produced it had decomposed into nothing more than bone and memory.
When AI broke into the mainstream some 150 years later, tech websites almost immediately began reporting about new digital tools that allow people to upload audio recordings of their loved ones in order to keep talking with them after they’re gone.
That development is a bit too recent to be included in “A Thousand Thoughts” and “The Weather Underground” director Sam Green’s “32 Sounds,” but it provides a perfect coda to this soft and semi-interactive documentary about the ambient power of acoustic vibration; to a...
When AI broke into the mainstream some 150 years later, tech websites almost immediately began reporting about new digital tools that allow people to upload audio recordings of their loved ones in order to keep talking with them after they’re gone.
That development is a bit too recent to be included in “A Thousand Thoughts” and “The Weather Underground” director Sam Green’s “32 Sounds,” but it provides a perfect coda to this soft and semi-interactive documentary about the ambient power of acoustic vibration; to a...
- 4/26/2023
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Paul McCartney said he was trying to be obscure with one lyric in The Beatles‘ “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.” The rest of the band didn’t like the song, but Paul was proud of it.
Paul McCartney | Express/Getty Images A French dramatist inspired Paul McCartney to write an obscure lyric in ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’
In his book The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, Paul explained that he tried to be obscure with one lyric in The Beatles’ “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.”
He was zooming up the highway, traveling from London to Liverpool, in his Aston Martin one day when he heard something on BBC Radio 3. It was a production of Ubu Cocu, which was first broadcast in December 1965 and repeated in January 1966.
Ubu Cocu is one of three plays, including the better-known Ubu Roi, by the French dramatist Alfred Jarry. It’s subtitled “a pataphysical extravaganza.” Paul said...
Paul McCartney | Express/Getty Images A French dramatist inspired Paul McCartney to write an obscure lyric in ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’
In his book The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, Paul explained that he tried to be obscure with one lyric in The Beatles’ “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.”
He was zooming up the highway, traveling from London to Liverpool, in his Aston Martin one day when he heard something on BBC Radio 3. It was a production of Ubu Cocu, which was first broadcast in December 1965 and repeated in January 1966.
Ubu Cocu is one of three plays, including the better-known Ubu Roi, by the French dramatist Alfred Jarry. It’s subtitled “a pataphysical extravaganza.” Paul said...
- 3/26/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
A strong argument could be made for King Kong being the most influential movie ever made. Kong’s progeny includes Mighty Joe Young, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Godzilla, Ray Harryhausen films, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings, Avatar, many of the character-driven stop motion creations of the past ninety years, and dozens of authorized and unauthorized spin-offs, sequels, remakes, and rip-offs. The film inspired dozens, if not hundreds of directors, special effects artists, sound effects creators, composers, and film creators of all kinds, who have in turn inspired the next generation of filmmakers, and they the next. It is the first special-effects driven blockbuster of the sound era; a genre-crossing spectacular that introduced the world to some of cinema’s most iconic imagery and sound, the screen’s first true Scream Queen, and one of the all-time great gods and monsters of film history.
King Kong...
King Kong...
- 3/24/2023
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
Have no fears: The Simpsons has stories for years.
The seminal cartoon created by Matt Groening is back in the headlines with the return of a fan-favourite character after 33 years.
The animated show has covered a lot of subject matter over the course of its nearly 700-episode run.
While it retains a devoted fan following across the globe, it's also been kept strangely relevant in recent years, thanks to an uncanny pattern of headlines that suggest only one thing: The Simpsons can predict the future.
From a sly mention of a Donald Trump presidency in a 20-year-old episode, to a revolutionary scientific theorem 14 years before its discovery, the series has often been months, years or even decades ahead of global news events.
While its creators have sometimes disputed the veracity of the show's status as a modern Nostradamus, The Simpsons' ability to foreshadow seemingly unforeseeable occurrences is often astounding.
Here...
The seminal cartoon created by Matt Groening is back in the headlines with the return of a fan-favourite character after 33 years.
The animated show has covered a lot of subject matter over the course of its nearly 700-episode run.
While it retains a devoted fan following across the globe, it's also been kept strangely relevant in recent years, thanks to an uncanny pattern of headlines that suggest only one thing: The Simpsons can predict the future.
From a sly mention of a Donald Trump presidency in a 20-year-old episode, to a revolutionary scientific theorem 14 years before its discovery, the series has often been months, years or even decades ahead of global news events.
While its creators have sometimes disputed the veracity of the show's status as a modern Nostradamus, The Simpsons' ability to foreshadow seemingly unforeseeable occurrences is often astounding.
Here...
- 3/20/2023
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - TV
More than two centuries after the publication of Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, Mary Shelley's powerful prose still resonates with readers and helped lay the foundation for science fiction as we know it, making her the perfect subject for one of the five historical fiction biographies being released digitally in English for the first time from Comixology Originals and Italian publisher Becco Giallo.
Titled Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream, the graphic novel is written by Alessandro Di Virgilio and features artwork by Manuela Santoni, and ahead of its March 28th release, we've been provided with exclusive preview pages to share with Daily Dead readers!
Below, you can check out our exclusive preview from Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream, as well as the official press release with additional details on all five historical fiction biographies coming out digitally as part of Amazon's Comixology Originals. To learn more about Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream,...
Titled Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream, the graphic novel is written by Alessandro Di Virgilio and features artwork by Manuela Santoni, and ahead of its March 28th release, we've been provided with exclusive preview pages to share with Daily Dead readers!
Below, you can check out our exclusive preview from Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream, as well as the official press release with additional details on all five historical fiction biographies coming out digitally as part of Amazon's Comixology Originals. To learn more about Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream,...
- 3/16/2023
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
So many feature documentaries today are little more than self-indulgent, self-oriented personal "essays," so when one comes along that's actually about something, the effect is refreshing.
John Biffar's film about a Florida businessman's relationship with some of the pivotal figures of the 20th century is small in scale and scope, but it's a fascinating historical portrait of a real-life Zelig who managed to become friends with several titans who changed the world.
Narrated by the man America trusts, Walter Cronkite, "Uncommon Friends of the 20th Century," is catnip for history buffs and will no doubt become a public television staple. It opens today for an exclusive theatrical run at New York's Cinema Village.
The film is based on the autobiography of one Jim Newton, now 94, who spent his life working as a real estate developer in Fort Myers, Fla. In the 1920s, when he was just starting out, Newton became involved with the creation of a housing development next to the home of Thomas Edison. The elderly inventor and young Newton became fast friends. As the years went on, the latter went on to form relationships with other famous residents of the town, including Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, heart surgery pioneer Dr. Alexis Carrel and Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh.
The film is the usual mixture of interviews with the highly affable Newton (it's easy to see why even the pathologically shy Lindbergh was drawn to him), archival footage of his famous friends and somewhat cheesy re-creations. The relationships varied in intensity -- from his casual acquaintance with the automobile magnate to his deep bond with Lindbergh, who served as best man at Newton's wedding.
Although the film doesn't purport to provide substantial biographical information on its various subjects, Newton does present personal insights and anecdotes that illuminate these highly complex men. Along the way, we also get to know Newton himself, and though the film's claim of his "genius for friendship" seems a bit overblown, his charm and bedrock faith are undeniable.
UNCOMMON FRIENDS OF THE 20TH CENTURY
Bush Entertainment
Director-producer: John Biffar
Screenplay: Patrice Malloy, John Biffar
Co-Producer/editor: Davew Beaty
Cinematography: Flip Minott
Narration: Walter Cronkite
Color/stereo
Running time -- 63 minutes
No MPAA rating...
John Biffar's film about a Florida businessman's relationship with some of the pivotal figures of the 20th century is small in scale and scope, but it's a fascinating historical portrait of a real-life Zelig who managed to become friends with several titans who changed the world.
Narrated by the man America trusts, Walter Cronkite, "Uncommon Friends of the 20th Century," is catnip for history buffs and will no doubt become a public television staple. It opens today for an exclusive theatrical run at New York's Cinema Village.
The film is based on the autobiography of one Jim Newton, now 94, who spent his life working as a real estate developer in Fort Myers, Fla. In the 1920s, when he was just starting out, Newton became involved with the creation of a housing development next to the home of Thomas Edison. The elderly inventor and young Newton became fast friends. As the years went on, the latter went on to form relationships with other famous residents of the town, including Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, heart surgery pioneer Dr. Alexis Carrel and Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh.
The film is the usual mixture of interviews with the highly affable Newton (it's easy to see why even the pathologically shy Lindbergh was drawn to him), archival footage of his famous friends and somewhat cheesy re-creations. The relationships varied in intensity -- from his casual acquaintance with the automobile magnate to his deep bond with Lindbergh, who served as best man at Newton's wedding.
Although the film doesn't purport to provide substantial biographical information on its various subjects, Newton does present personal insights and anecdotes that illuminate these highly complex men. Along the way, we also get to know Newton himself, and though the film's claim of his "genius for friendship" seems a bit overblown, his charm and bedrock faith are undeniable.
UNCOMMON FRIENDS OF THE 20TH CENTURY
Bush Entertainment
Director-producer: John Biffar
Screenplay: Patrice Malloy, John Biffar
Co-Producer/editor: Davew Beaty
Cinematography: Flip Minott
Narration: Walter Cronkite
Color/stereo
Running time -- 63 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 10/13/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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