It’s probably safe to say that Your Monster is the only film ever to score a sex scene to Jimmy Durante’s raspy voice singing, “I could turn the gray skies to blue, if I only had you.” Caroline Lindy’s first feature (based on her short) is a singing, dancing, skewed comic take on rom-coms, heartbreak, rebounds and revenge. Full of affection for big Broadway-style tunes, with a heroine whose dream man is soft-hearted but also not human, it is a sharp, witty confection.
Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera), a would-be actress, is in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery when her boyfriend breaks up by text. As we see in the opening sequence, she howls and weeps, but even as she’s being wheeled out of the hospital, we hear Dick Van Dyke cheerfully singing “Put on a Happy Face” from the original Broadway cast album of Bye Bye Birdie.
Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera), a would-be actress, is in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery when her boyfriend breaks up by text. As we see in the opening sequence, she howls and weeps, but even as she’s being wheeled out of the hospital, we hear Dick Van Dyke cheerfully singing “Put on a Happy Face” from the original Broadway cast album of Bye Bye Birdie.
- 1/19/2024
- by Caryn James
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lola Dee, whose 1951 hit “Pretty Eyed Baby” under the name Lola Ameche rose to No. 21 on the Billboard singles chart, has died at 95. She died of natural causes in a Hinsdale, Il, nursing facility, her publicist said.
The singer had her name changed in the 1960s to better appeal to the burgeoning youth market.
Dee toured with Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante and Johnnie Ray, and was signed to the Columbia and Mercury labels in the ’50s. In her heyday, she recorded more than 20 songs, including “Hitsity Hotsity,” “Dance Me Loose,” “Old Man Mose,” “Down Yonder,” “Take Two to Tango” and “Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes.”
In the 1960s, the now blonde singer recorded the songs “Padre” and “Dig That Crazy Santa Claus.” Under Mercury’s subsidiary label, Wing Records, her cover of the Platters’ “Only You (And You Alone)” sold close to one million copies.
Dee...
The singer had her name changed in the 1960s to better appeal to the burgeoning youth market.
Dee toured with Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante and Johnnie Ray, and was signed to the Columbia and Mercury labels in the ’50s. In her heyday, she recorded more than 20 songs, including “Hitsity Hotsity,” “Dance Me Loose,” “Old Man Mose,” “Down Yonder,” “Take Two to Tango” and “Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes.”
In the 1960s, the now blonde singer recorded the songs “Padre” and “Dig That Crazy Santa Claus.” Under Mercury’s subsidiary label, Wing Records, her cover of the Platters’ “Only You (And You Alone)” sold close to one million copies.
Dee...
- 12/9/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Pop singer Lola Dee, who recorded for the Columbia and Mercury labels in the 1950s and toured around the world with the likes of Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante and Johnnie Ray, has died. She was 95.
Dee died Thursday of natural causes at a nursing facility in Hinsdale, Illinois, her publicist and CD producer, Alan Eichler, announced.
After signing a five-year contract with Chicago-based Mercury Records, a recently formed company that had Frankie Laine, Vic Damone and Patti Page on its roster, the singer, then billed as Lola Ameche, teamed with the Al Trace Orchestra for 1951’s “Pretty Eyed Baby,” which reached No. 21 on the Billboard charts.
She and Trace followed that year with another hit, “Hitsity Hotsity,” and she recorded more than two dozen songs over the next three years, including swinging versions of “Dance Me Loose,” “Old Man Mose,” “Down Yonder,” “Take Two to Tango” and “Don’t Let...
Dee died Thursday of natural causes at a nursing facility in Hinsdale, Illinois, her publicist and CD producer, Alan Eichler, announced.
After signing a five-year contract with Chicago-based Mercury Records, a recently formed company that had Frankie Laine, Vic Damone and Patti Page on its roster, the singer, then billed as Lola Ameche, teamed with the Al Trace Orchestra for 1951’s “Pretty Eyed Baby,” which reached No. 21 on the Billboard charts.
She and Trace followed that year with another hit, “Hitsity Hotsity,” and she recorded more than two dozen songs over the next three years, including swinging versions of “Dance Me Loose,” “Old Man Mose,” “Down Yonder,” “Take Two to Tango” and “Don’t Let...
- 12/9/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Norman Lear, who died today at 101, had been in the TV business for more than 70 years. Along the way, he’d written and created some of the most iconic and groundbreaking shows in television history and worked with some of the biggest of Hollywood’s stars.
After World War II, where he was decorated for his service in a B-52 bomber, Lear broke into show biz in 1950 as a writer on All Star Revue, where he worked with such legendary comedians as Jimmy Durante, Danny Thomas, Martha Raye and George Jessel. He followed that by working on the Colgate Comedy Hour with the likes of Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope, Abbott and Costello and Eddie Cantor.
Those gigs led to Lear working on The Martha Raye Show, The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show, Henry Fonda and Family and the film The Night They Raided Minsky’s.
But it was the ’70s...
After World War II, where he was decorated for his service in a B-52 bomber, Lear broke into show biz in 1950 as a writer on All Star Revue, where he worked with such legendary comedians as Jimmy Durante, Danny Thomas, Martha Raye and George Jessel. He followed that by working on the Colgate Comedy Hour with the likes of Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope, Abbott and Costello and Eddie Cantor.
Those gigs led to Lear working on The Martha Raye Show, The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show, Henry Fonda and Family and the film The Night They Raided Minsky’s.
But it was the ’70s...
- 12/6/2023
- by David Morgan
- Deadline Film + TV
To briefly remind readers of the saga:
Back in June of 2023, it was announced that the leadership behind Turner Classic Movies, a long-beloved curator of cinema from Hollywood's Golden Age and beyond, would be laid off. VP of enterprises and strategic partnerships Genevieve McGillicuddy, senior VP of programming and content strategy Charles Tabesh, executive vice president and general manager Pola Changnon, marketing VP Dexter Fedor, and VP of studio production Anne Wilson all lost their jobs. The future of TCM was suddenly up in the air. This not only outraged fans of classic cinema but threw some of Hollywood's most beloved filmmakers into a panic. Was David Zaslav, the CEO of the beleaguered Warner Bros. Discovery nixing the entire TCM brand the same way he did with so much of the films and TV shows on HBO Max? Perhaps Zaslav, having already accrued a horrendous reputation for a long series of consumer-hostile business decisions,...
Back in June of 2023, it was announced that the leadership behind Turner Classic Movies, a long-beloved curator of cinema from Hollywood's Golden Age and beyond, would be laid off. VP of enterprises and strategic partnerships Genevieve McGillicuddy, senior VP of programming and content strategy Charles Tabesh, executive vice president and general manager Pola Changnon, marketing VP Dexter Fedor, and VP of studio production Anne Wilson all lost their jobs. The future of TCM was suddenly up in the air. This not only outraged fans of classic cinema but threw some of Hollywood's most beloved filmmakers into a panic. Was David Zaslav, the CEO of the beleaguered Warner Bros. Discovery nixing the entire TCM brand the same way he did with so much of the films and TV shows on HBO Max? Perhaps Zaslav, having already accrued a horrendous reputation for a long series of consumer-hostile business decisions,...
- 9/1/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The Nineties are in full swing on the soundtrack to the recent second season of Yellowjackets.
Yellowjackets Season 2 Official Soundtrack: Music from The Original Series, set for release Sept. 1, will include tracks from Alanis Morissette, Nirvana, Garbage, Elliott Smith, Veruca Salt, the Cranberries, and Pulp. It also features an original track, “Just a Girl,” by Florence + the Machine, as well as Papa Roach’s “Last Resort” in a nod to a memorable moment from the show.
Morissette’s contribution is a cover of the Showtime series’ theme song, “No Return,...
Yellowjackets Season 2 Official Soundtrack: Music from The Original Series, set for release Sept. 1, will include tracks from Alanis Morissette, Nirvana, Garbage, Elliott Smith, Veruca Salt, the Cranberries, and Pulp. It also features an original track, “Just a Girl,” by Florence + the Machine, as well as Papa Roach’s “Last Resort” in a nod to a memorable moment from the show.
Morissette’s contribution is a cover of the Showtime series’ theme song, “No Return,...
- 7/21/2023
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
John Cameron Mitchell is in the midst of his 60th-birthday festival — yes, festival — when I call him to discuss his latest cameo: a singing, dancing parrot on the latest episode of Yellowjackets. “I love 60,” he says. “It’s the new 40.” And if his role as a cigar-chomping, silk-robe-wearing African grey is any indication, it’s also another glorious decade in Mitchell’s long career of being up for anything.
Mitchell appears in Episode Seven of the second season of the Showtime hit, which follows a group of Nineties teen soccer...
Mitchell appears in Episode Seven of the second season of the Showtime hit, which follows a group of Nineties teen soccer...
- 5/12/2023
- by Brenna Ehrlich
- Rollingstone.com
“Fair to middling” is how Angie Dickinson is feeling this morning as she talks about “Rio Bravo,” the 1959 film that made her a star. “Somebody who says they’re great at 90, you can figure out that they lie a lot.” It’s a line that could have come straight from Jules Furthman and Leigh Brackett’s script for the film — and a reminder that Dickinson’s gift for delivery isn’t dependent on working with a brilliant director, though she has many times in her seven-decade career.
Dickinson has more then 350 screen credits — an enormous body of work that includes “Ocean’s Eleven” (the 1960 original), “Point Blank” and “Dressed to Kill.” She’s set to appear April 13 at the TCM Film Festival to introduce a 4K restoration of Howard Hawks’ classic Western, whose boys’ club cast of John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson and Walter Brennan she breaks up with that same brisk humor.
Dickinson has more then 350 screen credits — an enormous body of work that includes “Ocean’s Eleven” (the 1960 original), “Point Blank” and “Dressed to Kill.” She’s set to appear April 13 at the TCM Film Festival to introduce a 4K restoration of Howard Hawks’ classic Western, whose boys’ club cast of John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson and Walter Brennan she breaks up with that same brisk humor.
- 4/12/2023
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
As Jimmy Durante once noted, “Everybody wants to get into the act!”
That was evidenced by disturbances at Manchester, UK’s Palace Theater Friday night, where unruly patrons wouldn’t stop singing along with the musical “The Bodyguard,” according to a report by Sky News.
Police were called to the theater, resulting in the show being stopped 10 minutes before the end. Some audience members were reportedly “singing over the lead during the final song.”
Two people were removed from the venue, Greater Manchester Police said, and charges are being decided.
“Officers were called to the Palace Theatre last night after staff reported a number of people in the audience causing a disturbance,” a spokesperson said. “Two people removed by security staff were spoken to by police and a decision about any further action will be made once the evidence has been reviewed.”
The removal at the end was the second such incident on the night.
That was evidenced by disturbances at Manchester, UK’s Palace Theater Friday night, where unruly patrons wouldn’t stop singing along with the musical “The Bodyguard,” according to a report by Sky News.
Police were called to the theater, resulting in the show being stopped 10 minutes before the end. Some audience members were reportedly “singing over the lead during the final song.”
Two people were removed from the venue, Greater Manchester Police said, and charges are being decided.
“Officers were called to the Palace Theatre last night after staff reported a number of people in the audience causing a disturbance,” a spokesperson said. “Two people removed by security staff were spoken to by police and a decision about any further action will be made once the evidence has been reviewed.”
The removal at the end was the second such incident on the night.
- 4/8/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
NBC’s landmark “Your Show of Shows” won its second consecutive best variety program statuette at the primetime Emmy Awards held Feb. 5, 1953 at the old Hotel Statler hosted by Art Linkletter. The 90-minute live program had strong competition- “Arthur Godfrey and His Friends” (CBS); “The Colgate Comedy Hour” (NBC); “The Jackie Gleason Show” (CBS) and “The Toast of the Town” (CBS).
Other winners that evening included another landmark series, CBS’ “I Love Lucy” which was named best situation comedy with NBC’s “Robert Montgomery Presents” receiving best dramatic program honors. CBS’ “What’s My Line? claimed the title of best audience participation, quiz or panel show. NBC’s “Dragnet” was the recipient of the best mystery, action or adventure program. Ktla’s “Time for Beany” won best children’s program, while Edward R. Murrow’s “See It Now” (CBS) received the Emmy for public affairs program.
On the acting front, Oscar-winners...
Other winners that evening included another landmark series, CBS’ “I Love Lucy” which was named best situation comedy with NBC’s “Robert Montgomery Presents” receiving best dramatic program honors. CBS’ “What’s My Line? claimed the title of best audience participation, quiz or panel show. NBC’s “Dragnet” was the recipient of the best mystery, action or adventure program. Ktla’s “Time for Beany” won best children’s program, while Edward R. Murrow’s “See It Now” (CBS) received the Emmy for public affairs program.
On the acting front, Oscar-winners...
- 3/21/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Jules Bass, who produced and directed a number of classic animated holiday specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman, has died at the age of 87, his publicist confirms to our sister site Variety.
Bass is most famous for his collaborations with Arthur Rankin Jr., including the 1964 stop-motion animated special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which Bass co-produced. The retelling of the famous Christmas carol narrated by Burl Ives became a beloved annual tradition for TV viewers and still runs each year on CBS. Rankin/Bass followed up that success with 1968’s The Little Drummer Boy, 1970’s Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town...
Bass is most famous for his collaborations with Arthur Rankin Jr., including the 1964 stop-motion animated special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which Bass co-produced. The retelling of the famous Christmas carol narrated by Burl Ives became a beloved annual tradition for TV viewers and still runs each year on CBS. Rankin/Bass followed up that success with 1968’s The Little Drummer Boy, 1970’s Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town...
- 10/25/2022
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
Jules Bass, whose work as a producer and director of stop-motion and animated television specials such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town and The Year Without A Santa Claus has become an integral part of the holiday season for generations, died today in Rye, New York, of age-related illnesses. He was 87.
His death was confirmed by publicist Jennifer Fisherman Ruff.
Bass was working in advertising in New York City when, in 1960, he teamed up with an art director at ABC named Arthur Rankin Jr. to form a film production company called Videocraft International. The company was launched with the 1960 series The New Adventures of Pinocchio, utilizing traditional animation, but found its breakthrough success in 1964 with the stop-motion classic Rudolph, featuring the voice of Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman.
Rankin died in 2014 at 89.
Based on the Gene Autry hit song of 1949, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer...
His death was confirmed by publicist Jennifer Fisherman Ruff.
Bass was working in advertising in New York City when, in 1960, he teamed up with an art director at ABC named Arthur Rankin Jr. to form a film production company called Videocraft International. The company was launched with the 1960 series The New Adventures of Pinocchio, utilizing traditional animation, but found its breakthrough success in 1964 with the stop-motion classic Rudolph, featuring the voice of Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman.
Rankin died in 2014 at 89.
Based on the Gene Autry hit song of 1949, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer...
- 10/25/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Jules Bass, the animator, producer, director and composer whose work included stop-motion holiday television specials like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman” and “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” died at the age of 87 on Tuesday at an assisted living facility in Rye, New York, publicist Jennifer Fisherman-Ruff confirmed.
The three prominent holiday specials, “Rudolph,” voiced by Burl Ives, “Frosty” starring Jackie Vernon and Jimmy Durante and “Santa Claus,” voiced by Fred Astaire and Mickey Rooney, all debuted during the 1960s and 1970s. In the decades since, the specials have become staples of seasonal holiday programming on television.
Bass was known for his longstanding creative partnership with director Arthur Rankin Jr., who died in 2014 at 89. The two pushed many productions through their banner Rankin/Bass Productions, which was known for its laborious cel-animated, stop-motion films that took long periods of time to turn into full-length features.
Bass and Rankin...
The three prominent holiday specials, “Rudolph,” voiced by Burl Ives, “Frosty” starring Jackie Vernon and Jimmy Durante and “Santa Claus,” voiced by Fred Astaire and Mickey Rooney, all debuted during the 1960s and 1970s. In the decades since, the specials have become staples of seasonal holiday programming on television.
Bass was known for his longstanding creative partnership with director Arthur Rankin Jr., who died in 2014 at 89. The two pushed many productions through their banner Rankin/Bass Productions, which was known for its laborious cel-animated, stop-motion films that took long periods of time to turn into full-length features.
Bass and Rankin...
- 10/25/2022
- by EJ Panaligan
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Jules Bass, the animator, producer, director and composer who partnered with Arthur Rankin Jr. on the stop-motion holiday TV specials Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, has died. He was 87.
Bass died Tuesday at an assisted living facility in Rye, New York, publicist Jennifer Fisherman Ruff told The Hollywood Reporter.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, based on the song popularized by Gene Autry and featuring the voice of Burl Ives, debuted in 1964. Frosty the Snowman, starring Jackie Vernon and Jimmy Durante, bowed in 1969, and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, starring Fred Astaire, premiered in 1970. All three have remained strong television draws through the decades.
Rankin/Bass Productions’ cel-animated, stop-motion features were farmed out to Japanese animators and were painstaking to make, with thousands of still photos of their characters’ incremental movements put together at 24 frames...
Jules Bass, the animator, producer, director and composer who partnered with Arthur Rankin Jr. on the stop-motion holiday TV specials Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, has died. He was 87.
Bass died Tuesday at an assisted living facility in Rye, New York, publicist Jennifer Fisherman Ruff told The Hollywood Reporter.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, based on the song popularized by Gene Autry and featuring the voice of Burl Ives, debuted in 1964. Frosty the Snowman, starring Jackie Vernon and Jimmy Durante, bowed in 1969, and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, starring Fred Astaire, premiered in 1970. All three have remained strong television draws through the decades.
Rankin/Bass Productions’ cel-animated, stop-motion features were farmed out to Japanese animators and were painstaking to make, with thousands of still photos of their characters’ incremental movements put together at 24 frames...
- 10/25/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Pat Carroll, the gregarious Emmy-winning comedienne who was a television mainstay for decades before segueing to a voiceover career that included portraying the villainous sea witch Ursula in The Little Mermaid, has died. She was 95.
Carroll died Saturday of pneumonia at her home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, her daughter Kerry Karsian told The Hollywood Reporter.
Carroll’s perky personality, screwball wit and impeccable timing made her a great second banana, and Red Buttons, Jimmy Durante, Mickey Rooney, Steve Allen and Charley Weaver were among those who called upon her to make their programs funnier. Her antics on Caesar’s Hour earned her an Emmy in 1957, and she was nominated for her work on the classic variety show the following year.
In a 2013 interview with Kliph Nesteroff, Carroll compared Howard Morris, Carl Reiner and Sid Caesar on Caesar’s Hour to the Chicago Cubs’ legendary double-play...
Pat Carroll, the gregarious Emmy-winning comedienne who was a television mainstay for decades before segueing to a voiceover career that included portraying the villainous sea witch Ursula in The Little Mermaid, has died. She was 95.
Carroll died Saturday of pneumonia at her home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, her daughter Kerry Karsian told The Hollywood Reporter.
Carroll’s perky personality, screwball wit and impeccable timing made her a great second banana, and Red Buttons, Jimmy Durante, Mickey Rooney, Steve Allen and Charley Weaver were among those who called upon her to make their programs funnier. Her antics on Caesar’s Hour earned her an Emmy in 1957, and she was nominated for her work on the classic variety show the following year.
In a 2013 interview with Kliph Nesteroff, Carroll compared Howard Morris, Carl Reiner and Sid Caesar on Caesar’s Hour to the Chicago Cubs’ legendary double-play...
- 7/31/2022
- by Chris Koseluk
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Our first episode back in the studio! Robert Weide discusses a few of his favorite movies with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)
Mother Night (1996)
Woody Allen: A Documentary (2011)
Mort Sahl: The Loyal Opposition (1989)
Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth (1998)
Marx Brothers in a Nutshell (1982)
W.C. Fields: Straight Up (1986)
Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time (2021)
It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Mary Poppins (1964)
The French Connection (1971) – Dennis Lehane’s trailer commentary, Mark Pellington’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Magnificent Seven (1960) – Jesus Treviño’s trailer commentary
The Godfather (1972) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Exorcist (1973) – Oren Peli’s trailer commentary
Patton (1970) – Rod Lurie’s trailer commentary
Mash (1970)
Short Cuts (1993) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Lenny...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)
Mother Night (1996)
Woody Allen: A Documentary (2011)
Mort Sahl: The Loyal Opposition (1989)
Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth (1998)
Marx Brothers in a Nutshell (1982)
W.C. Fields: Straight Up (1986)
Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time (2021)
It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Mary Poppins (1964)
The French Connection (1971) – Dennis Lehane’s trailer commentary, Mark Pellington’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Magnificent Seven (1960) – Jesus Treviño’s trailer commentary
The Godfather (1972) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Exorcist (1973) – Oren Peli’s trailer commentary
Patton (1970) – Rod Lurie’s trailer commentary
Mash (1970)
Short Cuts (1993) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Lenny...
- 11/30/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
‘Aquaman’ star Jason Momoa has entered into negotiations with Warner Bros. to voice the character of ‘Frosty The Snowman’ in a forthcoming live-action/CG hybrid animation.
David Berenbaum (Elf) will pen the script, Momoa will also produce with Geoff Johns, and Stampede’s Greg Silverman and Jon Berg.
“We know Jason’s a true human being filled with love, compassion and a deep connection to ohana … all of which is the living spirit of Xmas and Frosty,” Silverman said.
“From his role as a count in a land of ice and fire to the oceanic success we all had with ‘Aquaman,’ it felt only right to realize Jason this time in snow,” said Berg, who was an executive producer on “Aquaman.
Also in news – Penelope Cruz and Pedro Almodóvar set to reunite (again) for ‘Madres paralelas’
‘Frosty the Snowman’ is a popular Christmas song written by Walter Rollins and Steve Nelson,...
David Berenbaum (Elf) will pen the script, Momoa will also produce with Geoff Johns, and Stampede’s Greg Silverman and Jon Berg.
“We know Jason’s a true human being filled with love, compassion and a deep connection to ohana … all of which is the living spirit of Xmas and Frosty,” Silverman said.
“From his role as a count in a land of ice and fire to the oceanic success we all had with ‘Aquaman,’ it felt only right to realize Jason this time in snow,” said Berg, who was an executive producer on “Aquaman.
Also in news – Penelope Cruz and Pedro Almodóvar set to reunite (again) for ‘Madres paralelas’
‘Frosty the Snowman’ is a popular Christmas song written by Walter Rollins and Steve Nelson,...
- 7/2/2020
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Jerry Stiller — perhaps best known for playing George’s father Frank Costanza on Seinfeld — has died at the age of 92. His son, actor Ben Stiller, confirmed the news on Monday morning via Twitter.
“I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes,” the younger Stiller wrote. “He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad.”
“I remember watching Stiller and [Anne] Meara as a kid on Ed Sullivan, loving them,...
“I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes,” the younger Stiller wrote. “He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad.”
“I remember watching Stiller and [Anne] Meara as a kid on Ed Sullivan, loving them,...
- 5/11/2020
- by Brenna Ehrlich
- Rollingstone.com
Tom Waits and collaborator and wife Kathleen Brennan penned a tribute to late producer and longtime friend, Hal Willner. Willner died last week at the age of 64. The cause of death has not yet been publicly confirmed, but he was reportedly suffering from symptoms consistent with the coronavirus.
In 1974, the pair met after one of Waits’ shows when he was 24 and Willner was 18. Calling the producer “more than kin and more than kind, more than friend and more than fiendish in his daunting pursuit of the lost and buried,” Waits...
In 1974, the pair met after one of Waits’ shows when he was 24 and Willner was 18. Calling the producer “more than kin and more than kind, more than friend and more than fiendish in his daunting pursuit of the lost and buried,” Waits...
- 4/16/2020
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
Despite having barely finished its theatrical release – a lengthy one given its jaw-dropping financial success – Joker has already been pencilled in for its home viewing bow. The psychological psycho-drama starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular clown will be available for Digital and Blu-ray purchase on December 17th, well in time to get it under the tree – should you wish to traumatize your loved ones this Christmas.
The movie’s official Twitter feed, @JokerMovie, made the announcement with a typically unnerving promo, though I confess that Jimmy Durante song is starting to wear thin on me. Try as I might to smile, I think I’ll have more luck without hearing the word worm its way through my mind every time I think I have a moment’s peace. If the marketeer’s aim was to convey how it feels to lose your marbles, go off your rocker, have a screw loosened,...
The movie’s official Twitter feed, @JokerMovie, made the announcement with a typically unnerving promo, though I confess that Jimmy Durante song is starting to wear thin on me. Try as I might to smile, I think I’ll have more luck without hearing the word worm its way through my mind every time I think I have a moment’s peace. If the marketeer’s aim was to convey how it feels to lose your marbles, go off your rocker, have a screw loosened,...
- 12/4/2019
- by Alex Crisp
- We Got This Covered
There must have been some magic in that old silk ratings hat they found, as the annual CBS airing of the animated Frosty the Snowman topped the night’s ratings wars.
The 50th airing of the Rankin-Bass animation special, based on the Walter E. Rollins and Steve Nelson song and featuring the voices of Jimmy Durante, Bille De Wolfe and Jackie Vernon, had an 0.7 rating among the 18-49 set and drew a total audience of 4.04 million in the 8 Pm slot. The numbers were steady with last year’s airing.
CBS doubled down on its Frosty magic with an 8:30 Pm airing of Frosty Returns.The 1992 special, featuring Jonathan Winters as the narrator and John Goodman doing the Frosty voice (with music by Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh) had an 0.6 and 3.45 million audience. Repeats of Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods closed out the eye network’s night.
At Fox, the WWE Friday...
The 50th airing of the Rankin-Bass animation special, based on the Walter E. Rollins and Steve Nelson song and featuring the voices of Jimmy Durante, Bille De Wolfe and Jackie Vernon, had an 0.7 rating among the 18-49 set and drew a total audience of 4.04 million in the 8 Pm slot. The numbers were steady with last year’s airing.
CBS doubled down on its Frosty magic with an 8:30 Pm airing of Frosty Returns.The 1992 special, featuring Jonathan Winters as the narrator and John Goodman doing the Frosty voice (with music by Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh) had an 0.6 and 3.45 million audience. Repeats of Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods closed out the eye network’s night.
At Fox, the WWE Friday...
- 11/30/2019
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Hey, "Hawaii Five-0" fans. Unfortunately, we have some bad news for you guys in this brand new article. It turns out that CBS has elected to not air the next, new episode 10 of this current season 10 of Hawaii Five-0 tonight, November 29, 2019. We're guessing this might have to do with the Thanksgiving holiday activities. Who knows? Here's what we do know. You guys can officially expect to see the brand new episode 10 hit the airwaves next Friday night, December 6, 2019 in its same 7 pm central standard time slot on NBC of course. So, be sure to mark down that every important date on your TV show calendars as soon as you possibly can. So, what is CBS airing in place of Hawaii Five-0 tonight? According to the TV Guide listings, CBS will be airing two Frosty The Snowman specials. The first one is, "Frosty The Snowman" in the 7 pm to 7:32 pm central standard time slot.
- 11/30/2019
- by Andre Braddox
- OnTheFlix
“Jojo Rabbit” dares to be a slice of Third Reich hipster whimsy about an awkward lad and budding 10-year-old Hitler youth (Roman Griffin Davis), whose faithful imaginary companion is none other than a rather buffoonish iteration of Der Fuhrer himself. As played by the dark satire’s half-Jewish writer/director Taika Waititi in khaki pantaloons and askew mini-mustache, this demented dictator starts out as a goofy father substitute who encourages Jojo to be a good Nazi as he struggles to learn such skills as killing rabbits and throwing a grenade – an act that ends rather badly. But by the end, this alt-world Adolf grows resentful that his reign in the real life has come to an end while Jojo literally gives the hateful being the heave-ho and banishes him from his life forever.
See‘Jojo Rabbit’ is a strong contender in 11 Oscar categories
Film fans and history buffs know all...
See‘Jojo Rabbit’ is a strong contender in 11 Oscar categories
Film fans and history buffs know all...
- 10/21/2019
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Even heavily invested fans of the great director may not have known about this little-seen film from Vittorio De Sica. A multi-storied phantasmagoria about the end of the world (announced from on high in a booming voice) the movie features a psychotronic cast worthy of Irwin Allen’s The Story of Mankind including Anouk Aimee, Jack Palance, Ernest Borgnine, Melina Mourcuri and… Jimmy Durante.
The post The Last Judgment appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post The Last Judgment appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 6/14/2019
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
In the spring of 1949, Hank Williams had his first Number One hit with “Lovesick Blues” and made his final appearance on the Louisiana Hayride. He would then join the Grand Ole Opry, where he made his triumphant debut that June, shortly after his son, Hank Jr., was born. In October of that monumental year for the entertainer, Williams began hosting his first syndicated radio program, The Health & Happiness Show. In honor of the show’s upcoming 70th anniversary, BMG will release both a two-cd and three-lp vinyl set containing the...
- 5/6/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
The Joker is officially back on the big screen, this time with his very own origin movie in which Joaquin Phoenix steps into the role made iconic by Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and others. Joker's trailer is an insanely uncomfortable two minutes that will probably give you nightmares for days. If it felt like a preview for a horror movie, you're definitely not alone in sensing that. Most outlets are already labeling the upcoming movie as a psychological thriller. When you consider the trailer alongside recent cast comments, it's pretty obvious that director Todd Phillips's Joker will be one of the scariest comic book movies ever - but is it a horror movie?
We've known the Joker to be a psychopathic mass murderer throughout his time in pop culture, but he's never been quite as scary or unsettling as he appears to be in the latest trailer.
We've known the Joker to be a psychopathic mass murderer throughout his time in pop culture, but he's never been quite as scary or unsettling as he appears to be in the latest trailer.
- 4/8/2019
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix’s “Joker” broke through the pop culture zeitgeist in a huge way this week thanks to its CinemaCon buzz and the world premiere of its teaser trailer. The latter earned over 13 million views on Youtube alone in its first 24 hours. “Joker” finds Phoenix putting a tragic spin on the iconic Batman villain, and it’s one made all the more terrifying when mashed together with one of Phoenix’s other towering performances, Freddie Quell in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master.”
Courtesy of film and television editor Nelson Carvajal (visit his website Free Cinema Now), the “Joker”/”The Master” mash-up trailer seamlessly brings together the two movies to create one singular experience of Phoenix’s psychological downfall. Both Anderson’s dialogue and Jonny Greenwood’s original score fit perfectly onto images seen in the “Joker” trailer. Greenwood’s discordant melodies in particular make “Joker” feel...
Courtesy of film and television editor Nelson Carvajal (visit his website Free Cinema Now), the “Joker”/”The Master” mash-up trailer seamlessly brings together the two movies to create one singular experience of Phoenix’s psychological downfall. Both Anderson’s dialogue and Jonny Greenwood’s original score fit perfectly onto images seen in the “Joker” trailer. Greenwood’s discordant melodies in particular make “Joker” feel...
- 4/4/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Warner Bros. has revealed the first trailer (see above) for “Joker,” which is directed by Todd Phillips (the “Hangover” trilogy) and arrives in theaters on October 4. Before you say, hey, that guy makes comedies, consider that Martin Scorsese and Bradley Cooper are part of the producing team. That’s no joke.
It’s an origin story about the clown-faced Batman villain with a scarily rail-thin Joaquin Phoenix donning the grease-paint and a red rubber nose. Phillips, who co-wrote the script with Scott Silver, was inspired by Scorsese’s gloomy urban dramas such as “Taxi Driver” and “Raging Bull.”
We have seen various iterations of one of the Caped Crusader’s greatest foe of all time but this one really digs deep and goes super dark, making you feel sorry for the creepy fellow. “My mother always tells me to smile and put on a happy face,” says Arthur Fleck before...
It’s an origin story about the clown-faced Batman villain with a scarily rail-thin Joaquin Phoenix donning the grease-paint and a red rubber nose. Phillips, who co-wrote the script with Scott Silver, was inspired by Scorsese’s gloomy urban dramas such as “Taxi Driver” and “Raging Bull.”
We have seen various iterations of one of the Caped Crusader’s greatest foe of all time but this one really digs deep and goes super dark, making you feel sorry for the creepy fellow. “My mother always tells me to smile and put on a happy face,” says Arthur Fleck before...
- 4/4/2019
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Smile… because “Joker” looks pretty good.
On Wednesday, Warner Bros. dropped the teaser trailer (watch above) for its upcoming Joker movie, an origin story of the iconic villain starring Joaquin Phoenix and directed by Todd Phillips (“The Hangover” trilogy).
Set to Jimmy Durante‘s “Smile,” the teaser follows Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), a struggling comedian who’s literally and figuratively so beaten down that he spirals into Gotham City’s criminal underworld, and thus the Joker is born.
“I used to think that my life was a tragedy,” he says. “But now I realize it’s a comedy.”
See Joaquin Phoenix’s 12 greatest movies, ranked
At CinemaCon on Tuesday, where Phillips and Phoenix debuted the teaser, Phillips called the movie a “tragedy.” A standalone film from the DC Extended Universe — aka it has no ties to Wonder Woman and the rest of the Justice League — “Joker” definitely looks and feels like the darkest DC film yet.
On Wednesday, Warner Bros. dropped the teaser trailer (watch above) for its upcoming Joker movie, an origin story of the iconic villain starring Joaquin Phoenix and directed by Todd Phillips (“The Hangover” trilogy).
Set to Jimmy Durante‘s “Smile,” the teaser follows Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), a struggling comedian who’s literally and figuratively so beaten down that he spirals into Gotham City’s criminal underworld, and thus the Joker is born.
“I used to think that my life was a tragedy,” he says. “But now I realize it’s a comedy.”
See Joaquin Phoenix’s 12 greatest movies, ranked
At CinemaCon on Tuesday, where Phillips and Phoenix debuted the teaser, Phillips called the movie a “tragedy.” A standalone film from the DC Extended Universe — aka it has no ties to Wonder Woman and the rest of the Justice League — “Joker” definitely looks and feels like the darkest DC film yet.
- 4/3/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
The seriously creepy teaser for Warner Bros’ Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix has landed, and you don’t need to be clown-phobic to get the heebie-jeebies.
The trailer was unveiled Tuesday to eager attendees at CinemaCon, but now the rest of the world can get a first look at the DC standalone pic. Check out the so, so serious teaser to Todd Phillips’ R-rated Joker above.
Set to the strains of Jimmy Durante’s “Smile,” the ultra-dark teaser begins with a voice-over from Phoenix’s Arthur, who says his mother “told me I had a purpose to bring laughter and joy to the world.” Arthur’s street clown is not having such a happy time, though, as he’s attacked by thugs in a Gotham that is “getting crazier out there.” An homage to Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, the teaser is a love letter to ’70s fare.
The trailer was unveiled Tuesday to eager attendees at CinemaCon, but now the rest of the world can get a first look at the DC standalone pic. Check out the so, so serious teaser to Todd Phillips’ R-rated Joker above.
Set to the strains of Jimmy Durante’s “Smile,” the ultra-dark teaser begins with a voice-over from Phoenix’s Arthur, who says his mother “told me I had a purpose to bring laughter and joy to the world.” Arthur’s street clown is not having such a happy time, though, as he’s attacked by thugs in a Gotham that is “getting crazier out there.” An homage to Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, the teaser is a love letter to ’70s fare.
- 4/3/2019
- by Greg Evans and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
The Clown Prince of Crime made his Vegas debut.
The crowd of exhibitors at CinemaCon, the annual trade show convention currently unfolding at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, got a first look at footage of Joaquin Phoenix’s “Joker.” It looks gritty and very, very, very dark.
The footage shows Phoenix as a failed stand-up slowly losing touch with reality. At one point he stares into a dressing room mirror and slowly pushes his mouth into a macabre grin. While talking to a therapist, Phoenix’s character says “my mother always tells me to smile and put on a happy face.” The footage which looks much more grimy than the typical comic book movie, unspooled as Jimmy Durante sang “Smile,” the optimistic lyrics undercutting scenes of an urban hell-scape.
At one point, Phoenix gets assaulted by muggers on a subway, at another he dances in tighty whities in a derelict apartment,...
The crowd of exhibitors at CinemaCon, the annual trade show convention currently unfolding at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, got a first look at footage of Joaquin Phoenix’s “Joker.” It looks gritty and very, very, very dark.
The footage shows Phoenix as a failed stand-up slowly losing touch with reality. At one point he stares into a dressing room mirror and slowly pushes his mouth into a macabre grin. While talking to a therapist, Phoenix’s character says “my mother always tells me to smile and put on a happy face.” The footage which looks much more grimy than the typical comic book movie, unspooled as Jimmy Durante sang “Smile,” the optimistic lyrics undercutting scenes of an urban hell-scape.
At one point, Phoenix gets assaulted by muggers on a subway, at another he dances in tighty whities in a derelict apartment,...
- 4/2/2019
- by Rebecca Rubin and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The Empire State Building finale of “Sleepless in Seattle,” the hit romantic comedy starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks celebrating its 25th anniversary on June 25, has become an indelible scene in pop culture.
It almost didn’t happen — but fortunately, Nora Ephron knew people.
Annie (Ryan), a writer from Baltimore, finally meets Seattle widower (Tom Hanks) and his young son Jonah (Ross Malinger) at the observation deck on the famed landmark on Valentine’s Day.
But producer Gary Foster recalled they weren’t granted permission to shoot there.
So, Foster told Ephron, who co-wrote and directed the film. “And Nora said, ‘I know somebody.’ It was a famous publicist who represented Leona Helmsley, who was in prison at the time. The man said I’m going to see her in a few days and I’ll bring her up.”
The publicist asked the Queen of Mean, who owned the building,...
It almost didn’t happen — but fortunately, Nora Ephron knew people.
Annie (Ryan), a writer from Baltimore, finally meets Seattle widower (Tom Hanks) and his young son Jonah (Ross Malinger) at the observation deck on the famed landmark on Valentine’s Day.
But producer Gary Foster recalled they weren’t granted permission to shoot there.
So, Foster told Ephron, who co-wrote and directed the film. “And Nora said, ‘I know somebody.’ It was a famous publicist who represented Leona Helmsley, who was in prison at the time. The man said I’m going to see her in a few days and I’ll bring her up.”
The publicist asked the Queen of Mean, who owned the building,...
- 6/25/2018
- by Susan King
- Variety Film + TV
Just like Dr. Logan, Waxwork Records has been keeping busy with new vinyl horror score releases this year, and now they're resurrecting two favorites as re-issues with a slightly new look: George A. Romero's Day of the Dead and Sam Raimi's Darkman:
Press Release: Waxwork Records is beyond thrilled to present George A. Romero’s Day Of The Dead Original Motion Picture Score on deluxe double vinyl. Originally released by Waxwork in 2013 and 2014, and selling out almost immediately, the score to George A. Romero’s Day Of The Dead by composer John Harrison (Creepshow, Tales From The Dark Side) is 100% synth driven, dark, and blends elements of tropical compositions and atonal, droning electronic cues.
In 2013, Waxwork and composer John Harrison unearthed the original, lost 1985 master tapes containing the complete Day Of The Dead film score from the attic of a recording studio in Pittsburgh, Pa. After painstakingly restoring,...
Press Release: Waxwork Records is beyond thrilled to present George A. Romero’s Day Of The Dead Original Motion Picture Score on deluxe double vinyl. Originally released by Waxwork in 2013 and 2014, and selling out almost immediately, the score to George A. Romero’s Day Of The Dead by composer John Harrison (Creepshow, Tales From The Dark Side) is 100% synth driven, dark, and blends elements of tropical compositions and atonal, droning electronic cues.
In 2013, Waxwork and composer John Harrison unearthed the original, lost 1985 master tapes containing the complete Day Of The Dead film score from the attic of a recording studio in Pittsburgh, Pa. After painstakingly restoring,...
- 9/26/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Stars: Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle, Ethel Merman, Jimmy Durante, Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, Phil Silvers, Terry-Thomas, Jonathan Winters | Written by William Rose, Tania Rose | Directed by Stanley Kramer
If you are a fan of comedy films, you’ll already know that It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is one of the greatest ones ever brought to the silver screen. Including most of the biggest names in comedy, it quite simply is a film that could never happen again. Now the Criterion Collection release has come to the UK and it is well worth buying.
When Smiler Grogan (Jimmy Durante) has a high-speed crash, a group of drivers who come to his aid find him close to death. Before he literally kicks the bucket, he shares with them the location of a $350,000 treasure, leading to a frantic race to be first to the prize. One thing they...
If you are a fan of comedy films, you’ll already know that It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is one of the greatest ones ever brought to the silver screen. Including most of the biggest names in comedy, it quite simply is a film that could never happen again. Now the Criterion Collection release has come to the UK and it is well worth buying.
When Smiler Grogan (Jimmy Durante) has a high-speed crash, a group of drivers who come to his aid find him close to death. Before he literally kicks the bucket, he shares with them the location of a $350,000 treasure, leading to a frantic race to be first to the prize. One thing they...
- 9/7/2017
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
Now as I was young and fuzzy, mired in what we were assured was a university education, just beginning to pull my head out of my… Okay, look – no need for vulgarity here. Let’s leave it at this: I was pulling my head from the sand and becoming aware of kinds of culture other than what I was being fed to us by radio and movies (that Bob Hope! What a stitch!) and that alien entity in the living room we called “the teevee” or “the television” or simply “the set.”
(No need for further elaboration: we had only two sets, the one in the living room and the one Mom kept tucked away somewhere and that we saw only on the most festive of occasions, such as Christmas and the like, Oh, and full disclosure; I’m not sure we ever really had a holiday meal on the family set.
(No need for further elaboration: we had only two sets, the one in the living room and the one Mom kept tucked away somewhere and that we saw only on the most festive of occasions, such as Christmas and the like, Oh, and full disclosure; I’m not sure we ever really had a holiday meal on the family set.
- 5/11/2017
- by Dennis O'Neil
- Comicmix.com
This story originally appeared as the cover story in Issue 330, November 13th, 1980.
It's eight o'clock and everyone's here... well, almost everyone. There's Carl Reiner, and there's Gavin MacLeod, and there's Betty White and Allen Ludden. They're all here, in this awkward white screening room up four flights of stairs and down a winding hallway deep in the bowels of Paramount Studios. It's a hybrid crowd – TV people and movie people, performers and people from behind the scenes, chorus girls and choreographers, even a few who are just regular people with...
It's eight o'clock and everyone's here... well, almost everyone. There's Carl Reiner, and there's Gavin MacLeod, and there's Betty White and Allen Ludden. They're all here, in this awkward white screening room up four flights of stairs and down a winding hallway deep in the bowels of Paramount Studios. It's a hybrid crowd – TV people and movie people, performers and people from behind the scenes, chorus girls and choreographers, even a few who are just regular people with...
- 1/25/2017
- Rollingstone.com
I find it impossible to believe anyone called Hobart Henley could ever be a great film director, but on the other hand, I also find it impossible to dislike a film director called Hobart Henley. It's too much fun reading his name in a credits sequence.Henley had been an actor, which seems to account for his preposterous, alliterative name, except it seems that really was his name, not a stage contrivance. He directed numerous silent films from the teens on, all of them obscure, but his late-career outpouring of a few cute pre-Codes is better remembered. Night World (1932) is enjoyable, and Roadhouse Nights (1930) is remarkable for being the only official adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's Red Harvest (unofficial source material for Yojimbo, A Fistful of Dollars, Last Man Standing...), only you wouldn't know it because it reached the screen as a Jimmy Durante musical. The only thing it has...
- 4/14/2016
- by David Cairns
- MUBI
By Lee Pfeiffer
The Vinegar Syndrome video label continues to unearth obscure examples of 1960s erotica. None is more bizarre than "Infrasexum", a 1969 concoction by director/actor Carlos Tobalina, who would ultimately be regarded as one of the more prolific hardcore filmmakers. Back in '69, however, it was still difficult to get theatrical showings of hardcore films, which were generally relegated to 8mm film loops sold in adult book stores. Tabolina tried to push the envelope with "Infrasexum" but was still confined by the dreaded "community standards" obscenity laws that mandated only soft-core movies could generally be shown without causing a major legal flap from local conservative groups that had routinely declared war on pornography. "Infrasexum" (I have no idea what the title means and apparently neither did Tobalina) attempts to tell a poignant story about the toll the aging process takes on sexual libido. The film opens in the...
The Vinegar Syndrome video label continues to unearth obscure examples of 1960s erotica. None is more bizarre than "Infrasexum", a 1969 concoction by director/actor Carlos Tobalina, who would ultimately be regarded as one of the more prolific hardcore filmmakers. Back in '69, however, it was still difficult to get theatrical showings of hardcore films, which were generally relegated to 8mm film loops sold in adult book stores. Tabolina tried to push the envelope with "Infrasexum" but was still confined by the dreaded "community standards" obscenity laws that mandated only soft-core movies could generally be shown without causing a major legal flap from local conservative groups that had routinely declared war on pornography. "Infrasexum" (I have no idea what the title means and apparently neither did Tobalina) attempts to tell a poignant story about the toll the aging process takes on sexual libido. The film opens in the...
- 4/2/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
'Ben-Hur' 1959 with Stephen Boyd and Charlton Heston: TCM's '31 Days of Oscar.' '31 Days of Oscar': 'Lawrence of Arabia' and 'Ben-Hur' are in, Paramount stars are out Today, Feb. 1, '16, Turner Classic Movies is kicking off the 21st edition of its “31 Days of Oscar.” While the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is being vociferously reviled for its “lack of diversity” – more on that appallingly myopic, self-serving, and double-standard-embracing furore in an upcoming post – TCM is celebrating nearly nine decades of the Academy Awards. That's the good news. The disappointing news is that if you're expecting to find rare Paramount, Universal, or Fox/20th Century Fox entries in the mix, you're out of luck. So, missing from the TCM schedule are, among others: Best Actress nominees Ruth Chatterton in Sarah and Son, Nancy Carroll in The Devil's Holiday, Claudette Colbert in Private Worlds. Unofficial Best Actor...
- 2/2/2016
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Abe Vigoda, the long-faced character actor best known for his turn as Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather and grumpy Detective Phil Fish on Barney Miller, died on Tuesday, The Associated Press reports. He was 94.
According to Vigoda's daughter, Carol Vigoda Fuchs, the actor died in his sleep of old age at her home in Woodland Park, New Jersey. "This man was never sick," Fuchs said.
"It was great working with Abe in The Godfather and wonderful to have him among us," said Vigoda's Godfather co-star Robert Duvall. "We...
According to Vigoda's daughter, Carol Vigoda Fuchs, the actor died in his sleep of old age at her home in Woodland Park, New Jersey. "This man was never sick," Fuchs said.
"It was great working with Abe in The Godfather and wonderful to have him among us," said Vigoda's Godfather co-star Robert Duvall. "We...
- 1/26/2016
- Rollingstone.com
Legendary character actor Abe Vigoda has died at the age of 94. Vigoda, famous for playing detective Phil Fish in Barney Miller, died in his sleep Tuesday morning at his daughter Carol Vigoda Fuchs' home in Woodland Park, New Jersey, she confirmed to the Associated Press. Fuchs reports the cause of death as old age, saying, "This man was never sick." In addition to his role on Barney Miller, Vigoda is best known for playing the traitorous Corleone henchman Sal Tessio in The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. Vigoda's death has been erroneously reported numerous times in the past,...
- 1/26/2016
- by Michael Miller, @write_miller
- PEOPLE.com
It's time to celebrate Jimmy Fallon.
The Harvard Lampoon will award Fallon the Elmer Award for Excellence in Humor and crown him "Emperor of Comedy" during a celebration on Saturday in Cambridge, Massachusetts, People has learned exclusively.
Fallon will have quite the celebration as he's honored with the prestigious comedy award. The festivities will include a personal parade, complete with a marching band and a flotilla of Roman Chariots.
The Tonight Show host, 41, will parade through Harvard square with his convoy and end up on the steps of Lampoon Castle, where there will be a brief (and no doubt silly) ceremony.
The Harvard Lampoon will award Fallon the Elmer Award for Excellence in Humor and crown him "Emperor of Comedy" during a celebration on Saturday in Cambridge, Massachusetts, People has learned exclusively.
Fallon will have quite the celebration as he's honored with the prestigious comedy award. The festivities will include a personal parade, complete with a marching band and a flotilla of Roman Chariots.
The Tonight Show host, 41, will parade through Harvard square with his convoy and end up on the steps of Lampoon Castle, where there will be a brief (and no doubt silly) ceremony.
- 10/19/2015
- by Sheila Cosgrove Baylis, @sheilabot
- People.com - TV Watch
Jack Carter, a comedian whose nearly seventy-year career encompassed fare as diverse as Cavalcade of Stars and iCarly, is dead at the age of 93.
Carter died of respiratory failure on Sunday, June 28, at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif., our sister site Variety reports.
The actor — who also worked as a singer, director and emcee — got his TV break in Milton Berle’s Texaco Star Theatre in 1948, from which he built a long career as a character actor who appeared in TV fare as varied as I Dream of Jeannie, Fantasy Island and Desperate Housewives.
A contemporary of Jimmy Durante,...
Carter died of respiratory failure on Sunday, June 28, at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif., our sister site Variety reports.
The actor — who also worked as a singer, director and emcee — got his TV break in Milton Berle’s Texaco Star Theatre in 1948, from which he built a long career as a character actor who appeared in TV fare as varied as I Dream of Jeannie, Fantasy Island and Desperate Housewives.
A contemporary of Jimmy Durante,...
- 6/29/2015
- TVLine.com
Cast
Captain T. G. Culpeper Spencer Tracy J. Russell Finch Milton Berle Melville Crump Sid Caesar Benjy Benjamin Buddy Hackett Mrs. Marcus Ethel Merman Ding Bell Mickey Rooney Sylvester Marcus Dick Shawn Otto Meyer Phil Silvers J. Algernon Hawthorne Terry-Thomas Lennie Pike Jonathan Winters Monica Crump Edie Adams Emeline Finch Dorothy Provine Cabdriver Eddie “Rochester” Anderson Tyler Fitzgerald Jim Backus Man driving in the desert Jack Benny Union official Joe E. Brown Biplane pilot Ben Blue Police sergeant Alan Carney Detective Chick Chandler Mrs. Halliburton Barrie Chase Mayor Lloyd Corrigan Police chief William Demarest Sheriff of Crocket County Andy Devine Ginger Culpeper (voice) Selma Diamond Cabdriver Peter Falk Detective Normal Fell Colonel Wilberforce Paul Ford Deputy sheriff Stan Freberg Billie Sue Culpeper (voice) Louise Glenn Cabdriver Leo Gorcey Fire chief Sterling Holloway Mr. Dinckler Edward Everett Horton Irwin Marvin Kaplan Jimmy the Cook Buster Keaton Nervous motorist Don Knotts Airport...
Captain T. G. Culpeper Spencer Tracy J. Russell Finch Milton Berle Melville Crump Sid Caesar Benjy Benjamin Buddy Hackett Mrs. Marcus Ethel Merman Ding Bell Mickey Rooney Sylvester Marcus Dick Shawn Otto Meyer Phil Silvers J. Algernon Hawthorne Terry-Thomas Lennie Pike Jonathan Winters Monica Crump Edie Adams Emeline Finch Dorothy Provine Cabdriver Eddie “Rochester” Anderson Tyler Fitzgerald Jim Backus Man driving in the desert Jack Benny Union official Joe E. Brown Biplane pilot Ben Blue Police sergeant Alan Carney Detective Chick Chandler Mrs. Halliburton Barrie Chase Mayor Lloyd Corrigan Police chief William Demarest Sheriff of Crocket County Andy Devine Ginger Culpeper (voice) Selma Diamond Cabdriver Peter Falk Detective Normal Fell Colonel Wilberforce Paul Ford Deputy sheriff Stan Freberg Billie Sue Culpeper (voice) Louise Glenn Cabdriver Leo Gorcey Fire chief Sterling Holloway Mr. Dinckler Edward Everett Horton Irwin Marvin Kaplan Jimmy the Cook Buster Keaton Nervous motorist Don Knotts Airport...
- 1/22/2015
- by Sam Moffitt
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The great “schnozzola” Jimmy Durante’s signature catch phrase “Everybody wants ta’ get into da’ act!’ couldn’t be more true when it comers to animated features these days. Perhaps this may be a result of the incredible all-ages success of Pixar. Or it might be the love of animation held be many aging “baby boomer” film makers who awaited Saturday mornings in front of the tube (which just ended now that no broadcast networks run weekend ‘toons) or those grand ole’ special kiddie matinees. Tim Burton may have kick-started this trend by coming off his big Batman flicks to produce The Nightmare Before Christmas and later direct The Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie. Johnny Depp and his Pirates director scored a hit with Rango. And recently Adam Sandler started a new franchise with Hotel Transylvania. New to the animation arena, but a big name in the fantasy/horror genre is...
- 10/17/2014
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Article by Sam Moffitt
It’s tough to say goodbye to Sid Caesar. I’ve been pondering what I can possibly say about a comedy legend who has been around as long as I can remember and contributed so much to comedy, mostly on television but also many times in motion pictures.
Firstly Sid Caesar was in on the ground floor of television, his earliest programs done live in 1949 before the video switch board had even been invented. In those earliest shows the director was on the stage telling the floor managers which cameras and mikes to hook or unhook to the coax and audio cables! Consider that just for a moment!
Caesar’s wonderful book Caesar’s Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter, co written with Eddie Friedfeld tells all about Sid Caesar’s years in show business and the legendary live variety shows; Your Show of Shows...
It’s tough to say goodbye to Sid Caesar. I’ve been pondering what I can possibly say about a comedy legend who has been around as long as I can remember and contributed so much to comedy, mostly on television but also many times in motion pictures.
Firstly Sid Caesar was in on the ground floor of television, his earliest programs done live in 1949 before the video switch board had even been invented. In those earliest shows the director was on the stage telling the floor managers which cameras and mikes to hook or unhook to the coax and audio cables! Consider that just for a moment!
Caesar’s wonderful book Caesar’s Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter, co written with Eddie Friedfeld tells all about Sid Caesar’s years in show business and the legendary live variety shows; Your Show of Shows...
- 3/31/2014
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Bob Thomas, the tireless, longtime Associated Press reporter who kept the world informed on the comings and goings of Hollywood's biggest stars, from Clark Gable to Tom Cruise, died Friday. He was 92. Thomas died of age-related illnesses at his Encino, Calif., home, his daughter Janet Thomas said. A room filled with his interview subjects would have made for the most glittering of ceremonies: Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, Groucho Marx and Marlon Brando, Walt Disney and Fred Astaire. He interviewed rising stars (James Dean), middle-aged legends (Humphrey Bogart, Jack Nicholson) and elder institutions (Bob Hope...
- 3/14/2014
- by Associated Press
- PEOPLE.com
Eddy and Sid after a Master Class at Nyu, 2003. (Photo: Michael Doft)
Sid Caesar’s funeral service was held on Sunday afternoon, February 16 at a private ceremony in Los Angeles. Among the family and friends paying tribute was Sid’s biographer and friend, Cinema Retro’s Eddy Friedfeld, who co-authored Sid’s creative biography, Caesar’s Hours, published by Public Affairs in 2003.
What follows is the eulogy Eddy delivered before Sid's family, friends and colleagues.
Sid said that, like Isaac Newton, he stood on the shoulders of giants, his inspirations- Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy and W.C. Fields, who helped him develop his career and craft. Today, Sid, we stand on your shoulders- and celebrate your life, your art, your warmth, character, and friendship. You did things no one else could do and you inspired many others, including people in this room, to take the same artistic risks.
Sid Caesar’s funeral service was held on Sunday afternoon, February 16 at a private ceremony in Los Angeles. Among the family and friends paying tribute was Sid’s biographer and friend, Cinema Retro’s Eddy Friedfeld, who co-authored Sid’s creative biography, Caesar’s Hours, published by Public Affairs in 2003.
What follows is the eulogy Eddy delivered before Sid's family, friends and colleagues.
Sid said that, like Isaac Newton, he stood on the shoulders of giants, his inspirations- Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy and W.C. Fields, who helped him develop his career and craft. Today, Sid, we stand on your shoulders- and celebrate your life, your art, your warmth, character, and friendship. You did things no one else could do and you inspired many others, including people in this room, to take the same artistic risks.
- 2/23/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The man whose animated holiday TV specials have touched generations of fans died Thursday at his home in Bermuda. Arthur Rankin Jr was 89. His death was reported by local newspaper The Royal Gazette. With his partner Jules Bass, Rankin mined popular Christmas songs to create enduring stop-motion TV classics including Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) — which beat The Voice and Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the 18-49 demo when CBS aired it Thanksgiving Eve last year – The Little Drummer Boy (1968), Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (1970) and The Year Without A Santa Claus (1974). The Jimmy Durante-narrated Frosty The Snowman (1969) was done in tradition cel animation and was the first of their Christmas specials done as a half-hour rather than an hour. Rankin and Bass founded their company in 1960 as Videocraft International, and the name was changed to Rankin/Bass Productions eight years later. They also produced plenty of non-holiday fare as well,...
- 2/1/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
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Hollywood Goes "Mad"
By Raymond Benson
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, the 1963 classic epic comedy directed by Stanley Kramer, is one of those Hollywood train wrecks that you can’t help but like. It’s a one-of-a-kind all-star extravaganza featuring some of the biggest names of mostly 1950s and early 1960s comedy (and a good number of them were known primarily as television actor/comics rather than big screen performers). The United Artists release was one of a current trend of movie star ensemble film in which the producers attempt to throw in as many big names as possible (e.g. Exodus, Judgment at Nuremberg, The Longest Day). As Kramer himself states in a reunion extra that appears on Criterion’s new Blu-ray/DVD combo set, “It would be impossible to make today,” due to the salaries stars demand now.
Hollywood Goes "Mad"
By Raymond Benson
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, the 1963 classic epic comedy directed by Stanley Kramer, is one of those Hollywood train wrecks that you can’t help but like. It’s a one-of-a-kind all-star extravaganza featuring some of the biggest names of mostly 1950s and early 1960s comedy (and a good number of them were known primarily as television actor/comics rather than big screen performers). The United Artists release was one of a current trend of movie star ensemble film in which the producers attempt to throw in as many big names as possible (e.g. Exodus, Judgment at Nuremberg, The Longest Day). As Kramer himself states in a reunion extra that appears on Criterion’s new Blu-ray/DVD combo set, “It would be impossible to make today,” due to the salaries stars demand now.
- 1/18/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
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