Fred Roos, the casting director turned producer who jump-started the career of Jack Nicholson and collaborated often with Francis Ford Coppola, sharing a best picture Oscar with the filmmaker for The Godfather Part II, has died. He was 89.
Roos died Saturday at his home in Beverly Hills, a publicist announced.
It’s part of Hollywood lore that before Harrison Ford became a famous actor, he was laboring as a carpenter to make ends meet. What some might not know is that it was at Roos’ house where Ford was woodworking when the casting director befriended him, eventually pushing him for roles in George Lucas’ American Graffiti (1973) and Star Wars (1977) and Coppola’s The Conversation (1974).
And it was Roos who convinced Lucas — who had been leaning toward Amy Irving — that Carrie Fisher should portray Princess Leia in Star Wars. (Roos did not have an official role on that film.)
Roos, however,...
Roos died Saturday at his home in Beverly Hills, a publicist announced.
It’s part of Hollywood lore that before Harrison Ford became a famous actor, he was laboring as a carpenter to make ends meet. What some might not know is that it was at Roos’ house where Ford was woodworking when the casting director befriended him, eventually pushing him for roles in George Lucas’ American Graffiti (1973) and Star Wars (1977) and Coppola’s The Conversation (1974).
And it was Roos who convinced Lucas — who had been leaning toward Amy Irving — that Carrie Fisher should portray Princess Leia in Star Wars. (Roos did not have an official role on that film.)
Roos, however,...
- 5/21/2024
- by Chris Koseluk
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Fred Roos, casting director for landmark films such as “American Graffiti” and who went on to have a close relationship with Francis Ford Coppola, including producing best picture winner “Godfather Part II” and “Apocalypse Now,” died Saturday in Beverly Hills. He was 89.
Roos was both casting director and executive producer on Coppola’s most recent film “Megalopolis” which premiered last week at the Cannes Film Festival. Last year, Coppola posted a photo of Roos with Adam Driver on Instagram and thanked him for his work on the long-gestating epic.
Roos was instrumental in helping stars including Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Carrie Fisher and Richard Dreyfuss get their early notable roles.
His long collaboration with Coppola as producer or co-producer included “The Conversation,” “One From the Heart,” “The Outsiders,” “Rumble Fish,” “The Cotton Club,” “The Godfather Part III,” “Tetro,” “Youth Without Youth” and “Tucker: The Man and His Dream.”
Roos was not credited,...
Roos was both casting director and executive producer on Coppola’s most recent film “Megalopolis” which premiered last week at the Cannes Film Festival. Last year, Coppola posted a photo of Roos with Adam Driver on Instagram and thanked him for his work on the long-gestating epic.
Roos was instrumental in helping stars including Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Carrie Fisher and Richard Dreyfuss get their early notable roles.
His long collaboration with Coppola as producer or co-producer included “The Conversation,” “One From the Heart,” “The Outsiders,” “Rumble Fish,” “The Cotton Club,” “The Godfather Part III,” “Tetro,” “Youth Without Youth” and “Tucker: The Man and His Dream.”
Roos was not credited,...
- 5/21/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Jack Nicholson may have played numerous iconic villains throughout his long-standing career, but this movie probably started the actor’s vicious path in the cinema not less than 60 years ago.
Being a true hidden gem in Nicholson’s abundant filmography, the 1966 Western was quick to become a cult classic of the genre, yet it initially faced some major problems that would’ve easily let it sink into oblivion.
Directed by Monte Hellman, The Shooting now is an easy option to pick on the streaming, but back in the day things got to be much more complicated when it came to the movie’s performance in the theaters.
Released in 1966, The Shooting follows two men, Willet and Coley, portrayed by Warren Oates and Will Hutchins respectively, who are hired by a mysterious woman to keep her safe on the way to a town that lies across the several-mile-long desert. The woman...
Being a true hidden gem in Nicholson’s abundant filmography, the 1966 Western was quick to become a cult classic of the genre, yet it initially faced some major problems that would’ve easily let it sink into oblivion.
Directed by Monte Hellman, The Shooting now is an easy option to pick on the streaming, but back in the day things got to be much more complicated when it came to the movie’s performance in the theaters.
Released in 1966, The Shooting follows two men, Willet and Coley, portrayed by Warren Oates and Will Hutchins respectively, who are hired by a mysterious woman to keep her safe on the way to a town that lies across the several-mile-long desert. The woman...
- 5/19/2024
- by benjamin-patel@startefacts.com (Benjamin Patel)
- STartefacts.com
American film director and producer who liked to describe himself as the ‘Orson Welles of the Z movie’
Roger Corman: cinema’s pulp genius whose talent to shock was rocket fuel – Peter Bradshaw
Although Roger Corman, who has died aged 98, directed more than 50 films, he will be remembered mainly as an influential producer and genial godfather to the New American Cinema of the 1970s. The list of his beneficiaries makes up a Who’s Who of contemporary American film. Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, Francis Ford Coppola, Monte Hellman, and Jonathan Demme were all directing proteges of Corman.
“You can see right away that the guy’s a superior producer,” said Jack Nicholson, who appeared in five films directed by Corman. “He’s the best producer I’ve met in the business. The man carried me for seven years. I feel tremendously indebted to him.”...
Roger Corman: cinema’s pulp genius whose talent to shock was rocket fuel – Peter Bradshaw
Although Roger Corman, who has died aged 98, directed more than 50 films, he will be remembered mainly as an influential producer and genial godfather to the New American Cinema of the 1970s. The list of his beneficiaries makes up a Who’s Who of contemporary American film. Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, Francis Ford Coppola, Monte Hellman, and Jonathan Demme were all directing proteges of Corman.
“You can see right away that the guy’s a superior producer,” said Jack Nicholson, who appeared in five films directed by Corman. “He’s the best producer I’ve met in the business. The man carried me for seven years. I feel tremendously indebted to him.”...
- 5/12/2024
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
“Head South” director Jonathan Ogilvie is all about underdogs.
“It’s not a story about winners. It’s a story about also-rans, to use this racing term, because there is nothing to win,” he tells Variety about the International Film Festival Rotterdam opener, which sees schoolboy Angus (Ed Oxenbould) falling for a girl and for post-punk music in 1979’s New Zealand.
“There wasn’t a real music industry, so you couldn’t become a rock star. Back in those days, we often talked about ‘the tyranny of distance.’ We felt so removed from everything. But it was the triumph of distance, because it allowed people to interpret things in a new way. It’s a film about music, yes, but also about art and creative expression.”
Praising Oxenbould, he adds: “On the page, Angus could seem like a nasty little brat. But Ed was also in a band; his brother was also living in London.
“It’s not a story about winners. It’s a story about also-rans, to use this racing term, because there is nothing to win,” he tells Variety about the International Film Festival Rotterdam opener, which sees schoolboy Angus (Ed Oxenbould) falling for a girl and for post-punk music in 1979’s New Zealand.
“There wasn’t a real music industry, so you couldn’t become a rock star. Back in those days, we often talked about ‘the tyranny of distance.’ We felt so removed from everything. But it was the triumph of distance, because it allowed people to interpret things in a new way. It’s a film about music, yes, but also about art and creative expression.”
Praising Oxenbould, he adds: “On the page, Angus could seem like a nasty little brat. But Ed was also in a band; his brother was also living in London.
- 1/23/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
The episode of Best Horror Movie You Never Saw covering Silent Night, Deadly Night 3 was Written by Andrew Hatfield, Edited by Paul Bookstaber, Narrated by Kier Gomes, Produced by John Fallon and Tyler Nichols, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
Not everything in a given horror series has to be a stone cold classic. That being said, some series entries don’t get the fair shake they deserve. For example, there are some absolute bangers in the later entries of series like Puppet Master or Child’s Play that are overlooked thanks to entries in, say, Leprechaun or Hellraiser that would make you swear off sequels be it direct to video or not. Some series, like the focus of today’s entry, probably didn’t need or deserve sequels but that never stopped an executive from being greedy before. Silent Night, Deadly Night is an all time classic for a reason but what about its 4, yes,...
Not everything in a given horror series has to be a stone cold classic. That being said, some series entries don’t get the fair shake they deserve. For example, there are some absolute bangers in the later entries of series like Puppet Master or Child’s Play that are overlooked thanks to entries in, say, Leprechaun or Hellraiser that would make you swear off sequels be it direct to video or not. Some series, like the focus of today’s entry, probably didn’t need or deserve sequels but that never stopped an executive from being greedy before. Silent Night, Deadly Night is an all time classic for a reason but what about its 4, yes,...
- 12/19/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
60th anniversary collector’s edition of Roger Corman’s The Terror on Blu-ray/DVD, 12th December 2023
Two-Disc Collection Packed With Special Features, Including Bonus Film The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) and Film Commentary by Star Jonathan Haze
The duality of Roger Corman is on display, showcasing his spooky gothic side with The Terror (1963) — marking the 60th anniversary of its release this year — and his more whimsical side with The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) in this double-feature, special-edition, two-disc, collector’s set, on Blu-ray and DVD 12th December 2023 from Film Masters.
In The Terror—with an all-new HD restoration from 35mm archival elements — an 18th century French Lieutenant in Napoleon’s army encounters the ghostly apparition of a young woman (Sandra Knight). Curiosity leads Lt. Andre Duvalier (Jack Nicholson) to the castle of Baron Von Leppe (Boris Karloff), where he notices a painting of the Baron’s late wife Ilsa, who looks identical to the ghostly woman. Determined to unravel the castle’s mystery, Duvalier learns that...
The duality of Roger Corman is on display, showcasing his spooky gothic side with The Terror (1963) — marking the 60th anniversary of its release this year — and his more whimsical side with The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) in this double-feature, special-edition, two-disc, collector’s set, on Blu-ray and DVD 12th December 2023 from Film Masters.
In The Terror—with an all-new HD restoration from 35mm archival elements — an 18th century French Lieutenant in Napoleon’s army encounters the ghostly apparition of a young woman (Sandra Knight). Curiosity leads Lt. Andre Duvalier (Jack Nicholson) to the castle of Baron Von Leppe (Boris Karloff), where he notices a painting of the Baron’s late wife Ilsa, who looks identical to the ghostly woman. Determined to unravel the castle’s mystery, Duvalier learns that...
- 11/20/2023
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
John Bailey, a seasoned Hollywood cinematographer who served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 2017 to 2019, died Friday in Los Angeles. He was 81.
Bailey’s death was announced by his wife, Carol Littleton, in a statement released by the Academy on Friday evening.
”It is with deep sadness I share with you that my best friend and husband, John Bailey, passed away peacefully in his sleep early this morning,” Littleton wrote. “During John’s illness, we reminisced how we met 60 years ago and were married for 51 of those years. We shared a wonderful life of adventure in film and made many long-lasting friendships along the way. John will forever live in my heart.”
“All of us at the Academy are deeply saddened to learn of John’s passing,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a joint statement. “John was a...
Bailey’s death was announced by his wife, Carol Littleton, in a statement released by the Academy on Friday evening.
”It is with deep sadness I share with you that my best friend and husband, John Bailey, passed away peacefully in his sleep early this morning,” Littleton wrote. “During John’s illness, we reminisced how we met 60 years ago and were married for 51 of those years. We shared a wonderful life of adventure in film and made many long-lasting friendships along the way. John will forever live in my heart.”
“All of us at the Academy are deeply saddened to learn of John’s passing,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a joint statement. “John was a...
- 11/11/2023
- by J. Kim Murphy and Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Veteran character actress Elizabeth Hoffman, perhaps best known for her role as Beatrice Reed Ventnor, mother of the titular sisters played by Swoosie Kurtz, Sela Ward, Patricia Kalember and Julianne Phillips, on NBC’s ’90s drama series Sisters, has died. Hoffman passed away of natural causes on Aug. 21 at her home in Malibu, CA, her son Chris confirmed to Deadline’s sister pub THR. She was 97.
Born in Corvallis, Or, Hoffman made her television debut recurring as Miss Mason on Little House on the Prairie in 1980. The following year she made her feature film debut as the lead in Frank Laloggia’s supernatural horror film Fear No Evil.
Hoffman also is known for her portrayal of Eleanor Roosevelt in The Winds of War, the television miniseries directed and produced by Dan Curtis, which spanned the earliest years of World War II, from the Nazi blitzkrieg of Poland in 1939 to the...
Born in Corvallis, Or, Hoffman made her television debut recurring as Miss Mason on Little House on the Prairie in 1980. The following year she made her feature film debut as the lead in Frank Laloggia’s supernatural horror film Fear No Evil.
Hoffman also is known for her portrayal of Eleanor Roosevelt in The Winds of War, the television miniseries directed and produced by Dan Curtis, which spanned the earliest years of World War II, from the Nazi blitzkrieg of Poland in 1939 to the...
- 10/23/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
When first-time documentary director Leonard Manzella premieres his award-winning “Shoe Shine Caddie” at the Portobello Film Festival in London on September 16, it will represent a kind of return to the former actor’s roots in the international film scene.
A professional family therapist for the past 30 years in California, Manzella’s earlier career began when the native Angeleno left Los Angeles for Rome in 1968 “when everything was burning.” In his early 20s and armed with “no contacts and about $50 bucks in my pocket,” a fortuitous introduction to American actor Brett Halsey got Manzella into movies, first as an extra and eventually as a leading man.
Halsey, who landed in Rome in the ‘60s and worked steadily in Euro crime thrillers and in the burgeoning spaghetti western scene, often toiled under the moniker Montgomery Ford and Leonard Manzella became famous as Leonard Mann.
“I went to Rome to study political science,...
A professional family therapist for the past 30 years in California, Manzella’s earlier career began when the native Angeleno left Los Angeles for Rome in 1968 “when everything was burning.” In his early 20s and armed with “no contacts and about $50 bucks in my pocket,” a fortuitous introduction to American actor Brett Halsey got Manzella into movies, first as an extra and eventually as a leading man.
Halsey, who landed in Rome in the ‘60s and worked steadily in Euro crime thrillers and in the burgeoning spaghetti western scene, often toiled under the moniker Montgomery Ford and Leonard Manzella became famous as Leonard Mann.
“I went to Rome to study political science,...
- 9/15/2023
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
A new festival poster has been released for Falling Stars, Richard Karpala and Gabriel Bienczycki’s feature directorial debut, ahead of its North American premiere at Austin’s Fantastic Fest later this month. The American folk-horror witch drama is directed and produced by Karpala and Bienczycki. Find the poster below, along with a teaser trailer.
Karpala wrote and edited and Bienczycki lensed the feature, which was described by Locarno’s artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro as “Monte Hellman doing The Blair Witch Project.”
Offering a uniquely bold mix of tones and genres — and “a touch of Shirley Jackson” (Sight and Sound) — the film is set in the American West on the night of the first harvest as three brothers set out to see a dead witch buried by their friend. When they accidentally desecrate the body, they learn the only way to stop a curse on their family is to burn it before sunrise.
Karpala wrote and edited and Bienczycki lensed the feature, which was described by Locarno’s artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro as “Monte Hellman doing The Blair Witch Project.”
Offering a uniquely bold mix of tones and genres — and “a touch of Shirley Jackson” (Sight and Sound) — the film is set in the American West on the night of the first harvest as three brothers set out to see a dead witch buried by their friend. When they accidentally desecrate the body, they learn the only way to stop a curse on their family is to burn it before sunrise.
- 9/12/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Cars, it’s often been observed, offer a sort of contradiction of motion: They allow us to move around while sitting still. It only makes sense, then, that the movies have for so long been attracted to the allure of the automobile, for surely the appeal of the cinema lies in its capacity to take us from the comfort of the theater or living room to adventures around the world. The greatest car movies—movies about cars, largely set in cars, or otherwise significantly concerned with them—understand that our affection for our vehicles has as much to do with the possible freedoms they promise as the routines they let us uphold. Cars drive us to and from work every day, keeping our lives precisely ordered. But they also suggest escape: We’re always aware, faintly, that we could drive away from it all at any moment, out and off...
- 8/23/2023
- by Calum Marsh
- Slant Magazine
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, announced today that it has acquired what its curators describe as “a significant collection of items and archives” from the late filmmaker Sam Peckinpah, best known for Western cinema classics such as “The Wild Bunch,” “Ride the High Country” and “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.”
The donation to the Museum comes courtesy of filmmaker/historian Lathan McKay, who Michael R. Grauer, curator of the Museum’s Cowboy Collections and Western Art, describes as “incredibly dedicated to Sam Peckinpah’s legacy,” and who chose the Oklahoma City institution because of the Museum’s commitment to ensure Peckinpah’s belongs and papers would be “preserved, cataloged, researched, interpreted and studied with great respect.”
McKay, who is also the nation’s premier collector of personal effects of the late legendary daredevil Evel Knievel, concurs with Grauer’s description of his motivations in...
The donation to the Museum comes courtesy of filmmaker/historian Lathan McKay, who Michael R. Grauer, curator of the Museum’s Cowboy Collections and Western Art, describes as “incredibly dedicated to Sam Peckinpah’s legacy,” and who chose the Oklahoma City institution because of the Museum’s commitment to ensure Peckinpah’s belongs and papers would be “preserved, cataloged, researched, interpreted and studied with great respect.”
McKay, who is also the nation’s premier collector of personal effects of the late legendary daredevil Evel Knievel, concurs with Grauer’s description of his motivations in...
- 6/28/2023
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
Lots of goodies - as is to be expected - from our friends at Arrow Video this coming June. Higlights include Sammo Hung's Warriors Two, Toru Murakawa's Game Trilogy and Damiano Damiani's mafia films in the Costra Nostra Collection. Arrow Offers Classic and Cutting Edge Cult Cinema June 2023 Lineup Includes Martial Arts, Blood Money, John Cassavetes, Monte Hellman and Sci-Fi Stunners June 2023 Seasons: Ero Guro, Martial Arts Mayhem, Eli Roth Selects, The Game Trilogy, Sci-Fi Stunners, Blood Money Collection, Cosa Nostra Collection London, UK - Arrow Video is excited to announce the June 2023 lineup of their subscription-based Arrow platform, available to subscribers in the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland. June 2nd kicks off the month with Arrow's latest...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 5/30/2023
- Screen Anarchy
Gary Kent, the actor, director and stunt performer who also served as one of the inspirations for Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth character in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” died on May 25 in Austin, Texas, The Austin Chronicle confirmed. He was 89.
Kent began his career as a seasoned stunt performer after to traveling to Los Angeles in 1958. Ahead of doubling for Jack Nicholson in Monte Hellman’s “Ride in the Whirlwind” and “The Shooting,” Kent worked in film production offices and acted on the side, appearing in “Legion of the Doomed,” “King of the Wild Stallions,” “Battle Flame,” “The Thrill Killers” and “The Black Klansman.”
Soon after his stuntman debut in 1965, Kent appeared as a gas tank worker in Peter Bogdanovich’s debut feature film “Targets,” then worked on “Hell’s Bloody Devils,” “The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant” “Angels’ Wild Women” and Richard Rush’s “Psych-Out,” racking up injuries along the way.
Kent began his career as a seasoned stunt performer after to traveling to Los Angeles in 1958. Ahead of doubling for Jack Nicholson in Monte Hellman’s “Ride in the Whirlwind” and “The Shooting,” Kent worked in film production offices and acted on the side, appearing in “Legion of the Doomed,” “King of the Wild Stallions,” “Battle Flame,” “The Thrill Killers” and “The Black Klansman.”
Soon after his stuntman debut in 1965, Kent appeared as a gas tank worker in Peter Bogdanovich’s debut feature film “Targets,” then worked on “Hell’s Bloody Devils,” “The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant” “Angels’ Wild Women” and Richard Rush’s “Psych-Out,” racking up injuries along the way.
- 5/26/2023
- by Charna Flam
- Variety Film + TV
Gary Kent, the iconic B-movie stunt performer, actor and director who worked with Peter Bogdanovich, Richard Rush and Monte Hellman and served as an inspiration for Brad Pitt’s character in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, has died. He was 89.
Kent died Thursday evening at an assisted care facility in Austin, his son Chris Kent told The Hollywood Reporter.
Kent suffered two of his most painful injuries as a stunt performer in Rush films. He sliced up his arm on broken glass during a barfight fracas in Hells Angels on Wheels (1967) and was run over by an out-of-control motorcycle in The Savage Seven (1968), where he shared scenes with Penny Marshall.
His half-century stunt career came to an end on the set of Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) when he tumbled down a hill and damaged his leg, but he kept at it as a stunt coordinator, working as recently...
Kent died Thursday evening at an assisted care facility in Austin, his son Chris Kent told The Hollywood Reporter.
Kent suffered two of his most painful injuries as a stunt performer in Rush films. He sliced up his arm on broken glass during a barfight fracas in Hells Angels on Wheels (1967) and was run over by an out-of-control motorcycle in The Savage Seven (1968), where he shared scenes with Penny Marshall.
His half-century stunt career came to an end on the set of Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) when he tumbled down a hill and damaged his leg, but he kept at it as a stunt coordinator, working as recently...
- 5/26/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Quentin Tarantino first worked alongside veteran actor Steve Buscemi in his debut feature film Reservoir Dogs. But before the two linked up, Buscemi already left an unforgettable impression on Tarantino with his acting alone.
Steve Buscemi didn’t think Quentin Tarantino was the writer behind ‘Reservoir Dogs’ when he first talked to him Quentin Tarantino | Massimo Insabato/Getty Images
Buscemi was already one of Hollywood’s most prolific and versatile actors before starring in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. He built up a nice career for himself in the mid to late-80s, and was maintaining momentum in the beginning of the 90s.
Tarantino, however, was a very small name in the world of cinema while Buscemi was reaching new heights in his career. Buscemi only first heard of the filmmaker when he was given the script for Reservoir Dogs. But the actor formed an impression of Tarantino based on the...
Steve Buscemi didn’t think Quentin Tarantino was the writer behind ‘Reservoir Dogs’ when he first talked to him Quentin Tarantino | Massimo Insabato/Getty Images
Buscemi was already one of Hollywood’s most prolific and versatile actors before starring in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. He built up a nice career for himself in the mid to late-80s, and was maintaining momentum in the beginning of the 90s.
Tarantino, however, was a very small name in the world of cinema while Buscemi was reaching new heights in his career. Buscemi only first heard of the filmmaker when he was given the script for Reservoir Dogs. But the actor formed an impression of Tarantino based on the...
- 4/9/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Comedian Jonah Ray discusses his favorite year in cinema (1994) with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Airport (1970)
Airport 1975 (1975)
Airport ’77 (1977)
Airplane! (1980)
Basket Case (1982)
Destroy All Neighbors (Tbd)
Satanic Hispanics (2022)
Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022)
Black Christmas (1974) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s franchise power rankings
Tales From The Crypt (1972)
Donnie Darko (2001)
Pooka! (2018)
Pooka Lives! (2020)
Harvey (1950) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary
Ed Wood (1994)
Black Dynamite (2009)
Bride Of The Monster (1955) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s review
Glen Or Glenda (1953)
Plan 9 From Outer Space (1957)
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Frankenweenie (2012)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Dumb And Dumber (1994)
Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (1997)
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
The Mask (1994)
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
Scream (1996)
Evil Laugh (1986)
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Clerks (1994)
The Search For One-Eye Jimmy (1994)
Cabin Boy (1994)
Scary Movie 2 (2001)
Scary Movie 4...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Airport (1970)
Airport 1975 (1975)
Airport ’77 (1977)
Airplane! (1980)
Basket Case (1982)
Destroy All Neighbors (Tbd)
Satanic Hispanics (2022)
Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022)
Black Christmas (1974) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s franchise power rankings
Tales From The Crypt (1972)
Donnie Darko (2001)
Pooka! (2018)
Pooka Lives! (2020)
Harvey (1950) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary
Ed Wood (1994)
Black Dynamite (2009)
Bride Of The Monster (1955) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s review
Glen Or Glenda (1953)
Plan 9 From Outer Space (1957)
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Frankenweenie (2012)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Dumb And Dumber (1994)
Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (1997)
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
The Mask (1994)
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
Scream (1996)
Evil Laugh (1986)
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Clerks (1994)
The Search For One-Eye Jimmy (1994)
Cabin Boy (1994)
Scary Movie 2 (2001)
Scary Movie 4...
- 1/17/2023
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Writer/producer/showrunner David Kajganich discusses a few of his favorite films with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
All The Fine Young Cannibals (1960)
Badlands (1973)
Bones And All (2022)
A Bigger Splash (2015)
Suspiria (2018)
Deathdream (1974) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Porky’s (1981)
A Christmas Story (1983)
Black Christmas (1974) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Murder By Decree (1979) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things (1972)
Black Vengeance a.k.a. Poor Pretty Eddie (1975)
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)
The Last Wave (1977) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003)
What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary
Dressed To Kill (1980) – Dennis Cozzalio’s Criterion review
The Last Picture Show (1971) – Mark Pellington’s trailer...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
All The Fine Young Cannibals (1960)
Badlands (1973)
Bones And All (2022)
A Bigger Splash (2015)
Suspiria (2018)
Deathdream (1974) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Porky’s (1981)
A Christmas Story (1983)
Black Christmas (1974) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Murder By Decree (1979) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things (1972)
Black Vengeance a.k.a. Poor Pretty Eddie (1975)
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)
The Last Wave (1977) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003)
What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary
Dressed To Kill (1980) – Dennis Cozzalio’s Criterion review
The Last Picture Show (1971) – Mark Pellington’s trailer...
- 11/22/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Writer/Director Lucky McKee discusses a few of his favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Tár (2022)
Speed Racer (2008)
The Matrix (1999)
Gloria (1980) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Old Man (2022)
Don’t Breathe (2016)
Avatar (2009)
Band of the Hand (1986)
May (2002)
The Piano (1993)
The Crying Game (1992)
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi (1983)
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack Of The Clones (2002)
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith (2005)
The Dark Crystal (1982) – Bernard Rose’s trailer commentary
Cockfighter (1974) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary
Days of Heaven (1978)
Sweetie (1989)
The Power of the Dog (2021)
Do The Right Thing (1989) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
A History Of Violence (2005)
Se7en (1995)
Straw Dogs (1971) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary,...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Tár (2022)
Speed Racer (2008)
The Matrix (1999)
Gloria (1980) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Old Man (2022)
Don’t Breathe (2016)
Avatar (2009)
Band of the Hand (1986)
May (2002)
The Piano (1993)
The Crying Game (1992)
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi (1983)
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack Of The Clones (2002)
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith (2005)
The Dark Crystal (1982) – Bernard Rose’s trailer commentary
Cockfighter (1974) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary
Days of Heaven (1978)
Sweetie (1989)
The Power of the Dog (2021)
Do The Right Thing (1989) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
A History Of Violence (2005)
Se7en (1995)
Straw Dogs (1971) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary,...
- 11/1/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
The classic Christmas slasher Silent Night, Deadly Night is already available on Blu-ray (pick up a copy Here), and so is its stock footage filled sequel Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 (you can buy that one Here) – and pretty soon the oddball sequels Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out, Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation, and Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker will be joining them! All three of the movies are getting the Vestron Video Collector’s Series treatment, and you won’t have to buy three different items to collect all of them. This is going to be a triple feature release.
Dawn of the Discs reports that “All 3 films will come together in one package, will be presented in their original aspect ratio and will feature new special features for each film.” Details on the special features haven’t been revealed. Nor has the release date.
Dawn of the Discs reports that “All 3 films will come together in one package, will be presented in their original aspect ratio and will feature new special features for each film.” Details on the special features haven’t been revealed. Nor has the release date.
- 10/12/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Genre: Drama, Crime
Rating: R
On 4K Ultra HD: November 15, 2022
Running Time: 100 minutes
Cast: Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, Chris Penn, Edward Bunker, Kirk Baltz, Quentin Tarantino, and Lawrence Tierney
Written by: Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Produced by: Lawrence Bender
Executive Producers: Richard H. Gladstein, Monte Hellman, Ronna B. Wallace
Co-Producer: Harvey Keitel
Director of Photography: Andrzej Sekula
Production Designer: David Wasco
Edited by: Sally Menke
Casting by: Ronnie Yeskel
Costume Designer: Betsy Heimann
Synopsis:
Frenzied, soaked in blood, and featuring gangsters both ruthless and engaging (who debate the deeper meanings of “Like a Virgin”), Reservoir Dogs — Quentin Tarantino’s debut film about a heist gone horribly wrong — attained iconic cult status upon its release in 1992, and launched the career of a director whose singular vision has influenced a generation of filmmakers. To celebrate the movie’s 30th anniversary, the cocked-and-loaded world of Mr.
Rating: R
On 4K Ultra HD: November 15, 2022
Running Time: 100 minutes
Cast: Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, Chris Penn, Edward Bunker, Kirk Baltz, Quentin Tarantino, and Lawrence Tierney
Written by: Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Produced by: Lawrence Bender
Executive Producers: Richard H. Gladstein, Monte Hellman, Ronna B. Wallace
Co-Producer: Harvey Keitel
Director of Photography: Andrzej Sekula
Production Designer: David Wasco
Edited by: Sally Menke
Casting by: Ronnie Yeskel
Costume Designer: Betsy Heimann
Synopsis:
Frenzied, soaked in blood, and featuring gangsters both ruthless and engaging (who debate the deeper meanings of “Like a Virgin”), Reservoir Dogs — Quentin Tarantino’s debut film about a heist gone horribly wrong — attained iconic cult status upon its release in 1992, and launched the career of a director whose singular vision has influenced a generation of filmmakers. To celebrate the movie’s 30th anniversary, the cocked-and-loaded world of Mr.
- 10/1/2022
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
Update: El Pais has shared the first details of the film, which will take a meta approach as we follow a director living in retirement and now enjoying a life of fishing. He left a film in the 1990s unfinished after his star (also a friend from the military) disappeared. A television program investigating his disappearance causes the director to reunite with his former collaborators, leading to an “emotional earthquake.” See the original story below.
There are not many directors who have amassed such a rich contribution to the world of cinema amongst so few films as Víctor Erice. The 82-year-old Spanish director broke out with 1973’s The Spirit of the Beehive, followed by El Sur in 1983 and The Quince Tree Sun in 1992. Now, he’s finally set to return with his first feature in over thirty years.
As revealed by El Diario, Erice is preparing to shoot a new...
There are not many directors who have amassed such a rich contribution to the world of cinema amongst so few films as Víctor Erice. The 82-year-old Spanish director broke out with 1973’s The Spirit of the Beehive, followed by El Sur in 1983 and The Quince Tree Sun in 1992. Now, he’s finally set to return with his first feature in over thirty years.
As revealed by El Diario, Erice is preparing to shoot a new...
- 7/7/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Cannes Directors’ Fortnight has appointed former arthouse sales agent Julien Rejl as its new delegate general and tweaked its French name in a move to usher in a new era of inclusivity for the 60-year-old parallel sidebar.
Rejl replaces outgoing Directors’ Fortnight head Paolo Moretti who took up the role in September 2018, succeeding Edouard Waintrop who oversaw the section from 2012-2018.
France’s Directors’ Guild, or Société des Réalisateurs de Films (Srf), the body which oversees the sidebar, said his appointment had been voted on during a general assembly on June 25.
“His absolute passion, which is communicative, constructive and pluralist is what arthouse filmmakers will need in the years to come,” it said in a statement.
It added that the organisation had also voted to change its French name to La Quinzaine des Cinéastes, from its previous name of La Quinzaine des Réalisateurs at the meeting.
This move makes its...
Rejl replaces outgoing Directors’ Fortnight head Paolo Moretti who took up the role in September 2018, succeeding Edouard Waintrop who oversaw the section from 2012-2018.
France’s Directors’ Guild, or Société des Réalisateurs de Films (Srf), the body which oversees the sidebar, said his appointment had been voted on during a general assembly on June 25.
“His absolute passion, which is communicative, constructive and pluralist is what arthouse filmmakers will need in the years to come,” it said in a statement.
It added that the organisation had also voted to change its French name to La Quinzaine des Cinéastes, from its previous name of La Quinzaine des Réalisateurs at the meeting.
This move makes its...
- 6/27/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The good news is that Kino’s new 4K encodings of Sergio Leone’s first two Italo ‘Dollars’ oaters look terrific, with Fistful showing a lot of improvement: the basic restorations are from prime Italian film elements. And the packages are collector / home theater enthusiast friendly — standard Blu-ray encodings are part of the deal. As the films are still licensed from MGM, they include the extras from 2007 of which we’re very proud. The end results may be the first Leone disc release that makes this viewer ‘The Man with No Complaints.’ Don’t forget, they’re separate purchases.
A Fistful of Dollars + For a Few Dollars More
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1964-1965 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / Street Date May 31, 2022 / Separate Purchases / Available through Kino Lorber Fistful and A Few More /
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Gian-Maria Volontè, Lee Van Cleef
Original Music: Ennio Morricone
Directed by Sergio Leone
Yes,...
A Fistful of Dollars + For a Few Dollars More
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1964-1965 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / Street Date May 31, 2022 / Separate Purchases / Available through Kino Lorber Fistful and A Few More /
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Gian-Maria Volontè, Lee Van Cleef
Original Music: Ennio Morricone
Directed by Sergio Leone
Yes,...
- 5/17/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Writer, director and actor Michael Showalter joins hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss his favorite movies.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)
The Baxter (2005)
Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015)
Runaway Daughters (1994)
Clueless (1995)
Bagdad Cafe (1987)
Coda (2021)
The Long Goodbye (1973) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Jaws (1975) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Do The Right Thing (1989)
Sugarbaby (1985)
City Slickers (1991)
Attack! (1956) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Paris, Texas (1984) – Karyn Kusama’s trailer commentary
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)
Pretty In Pink (1986)
Escape From New York (1981) – Neil Marshall’s trailer commentary
Hamburger: The Motion Picture (1986)
The Warriors (1979)
The Thing (1982) – Jesus Treviño’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Innerspace (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Christine (1983)
Crossing Delancey (1988)
Annie Hall (1977) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary
When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
The Fugitive (1993)
The Big Sick (2017) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Between The Lines...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)
The Baxter (2005)
Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015)
Runaway Daughters (1994)
Clueless (1995)
Bagdad Cafe (1987)
Coda (2021)
The Long Goodbye (1973) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Jaws (1975) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Do The Right Thing (1989)
Sugarbaby (1985)
City Slickers (1991)
Attack! (1956) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Paris, Texas (1984) – Karyn Kusama’s trailer commentary
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)
Pretty In Pink (1986)
Escape From New York (1981) – Neil Marshall’s trailer commentary
Hamburger: The Motion Picture (1986)
The Warriors (1979)
The Thing (1982) – Jesus Treviño’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Innerspace (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Christine (1983)
Crossing Delancey (1988)
Annie Hall (1977) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary
When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
The Fugitive (1993)
The Big Sick (2017) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Between The Lines...
- 4/5/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Walter Coblenz, who was Oscar-nominated for producing “All the President’s Men” and also produced “The Candidate” and “The Onion Field,” died March 16. He was 93.
Coblenz also produced the Emmy-nominated Joseph Wambaugh TV mini-series adaptation “The Blue Knight.”
After serving as assistant director and production manager on Robert Redford’s “Downhill Racer,” he went on to work with Redford on “The Candidate” and “All the Presidents Men,” which racked up eight Oscar nominations and four wins.
Coblenz served as Sr. V.P. of production at both Tri-Star Pictures and Carolco Pictures, where he oversaw production on films including “The Natural.” “Places in the Heart,” “Terminator 2,” “The Doors” and “Rambling Rose.”
His other producing credits include “Money Talks,” “Her Majesty,” “The Babe” and “18 Again.”
Born in Germany, Koblenz came to the U.S. as a child and graduated from the University of Houston. He began his career as a camera...
Coblenz also produced the Emmy-nominated Joseph Wambaugh TV mini-series adaptation “The Blue Knight.”
After serving as assistant director and production manager on Robert Redford’s “Downhill Racer,” he went on to work with Redford on “The Candidate” and “All the Presidents Men,” which racked up eight Oscar nominations and four wins.
Coblenz served as Sr. V.P. of production at both Tri-Star Pictures and Carolco Pictures, where he oversaw production on films including “The Natural.” “Places in the Heart,” “Terminator 2,” “The Doors” and “Rambling Rose.”
His other producing credits include “Money Talks,” “Her Majesty,” “The Babe” and “18 Again.”
Born in Germany, Koblenz came to the U.S. as a child and graduated from the University of Houston. He began his career as a camera...
- 4/2/2022
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Who will be included for the special “In Memoriam” segment for Sunday night’s Oscars 2022 ceremony? For almost all other Academy Awards productions since the 1990s, producers typically select 40-50 people from the various branches. The 2021 segment had close to 100 people in a particularly fast-paced three minutes that was not very well-received since many of them were only on screen for a second or two.
SEECelebrity Deaths 2022: In Memoriam Gallery
Previous Oscar winners from acting categories passing away since last year’s late April ceremony are Olympia Dukakis, William Hurt and Sidney Poitier. Past acting nominees include Ned Beatty, Sally Kellerman and Dean Stockwell.
Almost all of the dozens on the list below were Academy members, previous nominees/winners or both.
Louie Anderson (actor)
Ed Asner (actor)
Ned Beatty (actor)
Marilyn Bergman (composer)
Val Bisoglio (actor)
Robert Blalack (visual effects)
Peter Bogdanovich (director)
David Brenner (editor)
Leslie Bricusse (composer...
SEECelebrity Deaths 2022: In Memoriam Gallery
Previous Oscar winners from acting categories passing away since last year’s late April ceremony are Olympia Dukakis, William Hurt and Sidney Poitier. Past acting nominees include Ned Beatty, Sally Kellerman and Dean Stockwell.
Almost all of the dozens on the list below were Academy members, previous nominees/winners or both.
Louie Anderson (actor)
Ed Asner (actor)
Ned Beatty (actor)
Marilyn Bergman (composer)
Val Bisoglio (actor)
Robert Blalack (visual effects)
Peter Bogdanovich (director)
David Brenner (editor)
Leslie Bricusse (composer...
- 3/24/2022
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Decades ago, in his landmark “Biographical Dictionary of Film,” critic David Thomson said of filmmaking legend Francis Coppola: “No one retains so many jubilant traits of the kid moviemaker.” As Coppola approaches production on “Megalopolis,” his biggest, most creatively ambitious project of the 21st century, that description seems more apt than ever.
And a quick glance at the Variety archives vividly illustrates Coppola’s explosive emergence as a veritable force of nature while still enrolled as a film student at UCLA.
The wunderkind announced his arrival with his name blasted in a Variety page one headline as the winner of a student screenwriting competition. The story below goes on to note: “The $2,000 first prize in UCLA’s eighth annual Samuel Goldwyn Foundation Creative Writing contest was won by Francis Ford Coppola, grad student in the Theatre Arts for his screenplay, ‘Pilma Pilma.’
He is slated to go to Europe soon...
And a quick glance at the Variety archives vividly illustrates Coppola’s explosive emergence as a veritable force of nature while still enrolled as a film student at UCLA.
The wunderkind announced his arrival with his name blasted in a Variety page one headline as the winner of a student screenwriting competition. The story below goes on to note: “The $2,000 first prize in UCLA’s eighth annual Samuel Goldwyn Foundation Creative Writing contest was won by Francis Ford Coppola, grad student in the Theatre Arts for his screenplay, ‘Pilma Pilma.’
He is slated to go to Europe soon...
- 3/20/2022
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
Hart, who founded the “Screen On” cinema chain and distribution company Mainline Pictures, died on December 28
Tributes have been paid to Romaine Hart OBE (1933-2021), one of the doyennes of UK independent arthouse exhibition and distribution, who died on December 28 aged 88.
Hart was the founder of the “Screen On” chain and distribution company Mainline Pictures. She gave a significant boost to the careers of several prominent current industry figures, among them Mia Bays, the new director of the BFI Film Fund, and producers Lucy Darwin (Match Point), Stephen Woolley (Number 9 Films) and John Battsek.
“It is an extraordinary legacy that she has left behind,...
Tributes have been paid to Romaine Hart OBE (1933-2021), one of the doyennes of UK independent arthouse exhibition and distribution, who died on December 28 aged 88.
Hart was the founder of the “Screen On” chain and distribution company Mainline Pictures. She gave a significant boost to the careers of several prominent current industry figures, among them Mia Bays, the new director of the BFI Film Fund, and producers Lucy Darwin (Match Point), Stephen Woolley (Number 9 Films) and John Battsek.
“It is an extraordinary legacy that she has left behind,...
- 1/4/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Revisiting last year's introduction when putting together 2021's favorites, it is with a shock to realize how little has changed in the wildly disrupted world of cinema under the shroud of the pandemic. The urge to copy-and-paste the whole shebang is quite tempting indeed.What can we say about this year, 2021? We got a little more used to long-term instability. Cinemas and festivals re-opened, only for some to close again. We, like many, ventured carefully out into the world to finally see films again with audiences, all kinds: nervous ones, uproarious ones, spartan ones, and delighted ones. It was an experience both anxious and joyous. We also doubled down on the challenges, but also the pleasures, of home viewing: of virtual cinemas and virtual festivals, of straight to streaming premieres, of trying to capture a social joy in semi-isolation by connecting with others over experiences shared and disparate.The long...
- 12/27/2021
- MUBI
After a hiatus as theaters in New York City and beyond closed their doors during the pandemic, we’re delighted to announce the return of NYC Weekend Watch, our weekly round-up of repertory offerings. While many theaters are still focused on a selection of new releases, there’s a handful of worthwhile repertory screenings taking place.
IFC Center
A Paul Verhoeven retro is underway as the 4K restoration of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s masterpiece Cure continues and World of Wong Kar-wai keeps going, Lost Highway, Mulholland Dr., House, and Persona have showings.
Museum of the Moving Image
“See It Big: Extravaganzas!” offers Daisies and films by Guy Maddin and Wes Anderson; Little Fugitive plays on Saturday.
Metrograph
A series on punk cinema is underway, spearheaded by Dennis Hopper’s incredible Out of the Blue. Karyn Kusama’s Girlfight screens on Sunday.
Film Forum
While the stacked series of road movies continues,...
IFC Center
A Paul Verhoeven retro is underway as the 4K restoration of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s masterpiece Cure continues and World of Wong Kar-wai keeps going, Lost Highway, Mulholland Dr., House, and Persona have showings.
Museum of the Moving Image
“See It Big: Extravaganzas!” offers Daisies and films by Guy Maddin and Wes Anderson; Little Fugitive plays on Saturday.
Metrograph
A series on punk cinema is underway, spearheaded by Dennis Hopper’s incredible Out of the Blue. Karyn Kusama’s Girlfight screens on Sunday.
Film Forum
While the stacked series of road movies continues,...
- 11/26/2021
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Director, producer and screenwriter Michael Laughlin, whose credits include Two-Lane Blacktop, Town & Country and Strange Behavior, died on October 20th at the age of 82.
Laughlin succumbed to complications related to Covid-19 and passed in his residence in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Michael Stoddard Laughlin was born in 1938 and brought up in Minonk, Illinois. Laughlin played basketball at Stanford University, later graduating from Principia College in 1960.
Shortly after, he moved to London where he started his career as a film producer. He worked on projects like The Whispers and 1968’s Joanna directed by Michael Sarne. Laughlin married French actress Leslie Caron during his time in Europe. They divorced in 1980.
In the ’70s, Laughlin helped produce the Monte Hellman-directed cult classic Two-Lane Blacktop, starring James Taylor. In 2012, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Other credits include 1981’s Strange Behaviors,...
Laughlin succumbed to complications related to Covid-19 and passed in his residence in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Michael Stoddard Laughlin was born in 1938 and brought up in Minonk, Illinois. Laughlin played basketball at Stanford University, later graduating from Principia College in 1960.
Shortly after, he moved to London where he started his career as a film producer. He worked on projects like The Whispers and 1968’s Joanna directed by Michael Sarne. Laughlin married French actress Leslie Caron during his time in Europe. They divorced in 1980.
In the ’70s, Laughlin helped produce the Monte Hellman-directed cult classic Two-Lane Blacktop, starring James Taylor. In 2012, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Other credits include 1981’s Strange Behaviors,...
- 11/1/2021
- by Brandon Choe
- Deadline Film + TV
Michael Laughlin, a filmmaker and producer whose credits included the likes of 1971’s “Two-Lane Blacktop” and 1981’s “Strange Behavior,” died on Oct. 20 from complications related to Covid-19. He was 82 years old.
Laughlin’s death was confirmed to Variety by his friend Brooke Nasser. He died in Honolulu, Hawaii, where had been living for many years.
Laughlin was born and raised in Illinois. He was recruited to play basketball at Stanford University and graduated from Principia College in 1960.
After moving to London, Laughlin began a career as a film producer, working on projects such as Bryan Forbes’ 1967 thriller “The Whispers” and the 1968 feature “Joanna,” director Michael Sarne’s precursor to “Myra Breckinridge.” He met and married French actress and ballerina Leslie Caron during his time abroad. The two separated in 1975.
During the 1970s, Laughlin helped bring eight independent features to fruition, including the Monte Hellman-directed cult classic “Two-Lane Blacktop.” Interviews...
Laughlin’s death was confirmed to Variety by his friend Brooke Nasser. He died in Honolulu, Hawaii, where had been living for many years.
Laughlin was born and raised in Illinois. He was recruited to play basketball at Stanford University and graduated from Principia College in 1960.
After moving to London, Laughlin began a career as a film producer, working on projects such as Bryan Forbes’ 1967 thriller “The Whispers” and the 1968 feature “Joanna,” director Michael Sarne’s precursor to “Myra Breckinridge.” He met and married French actress and ballerina Leslie Caron during his time abroad. The two separated in 1975.
During the 1970s, Laughlin helped bring eight independent features to fruition, including the Monte Hellman-directed cult classic “Two-Lane Blacktop.” Interviews...
- 10/31/2021
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Known as “Call Him Mr. Shatter” in the U.S., this was the second of a three-movie deal co-production between Shaw Brothers and the British Hammer Film Productions. “The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires” starring Peter Cushing, David Chiang and Shih Szu was the first. Since both movies were box office failures, their third collaboration never materialized.
on Amazon
At the start of the movie, an assassin named Shatter (Stuart Whitman) is hired to kill an African dictator. His weapon of choice is a gun hidden inside a camera in which he kills his targets by taking their pictures. Maybe they should call him “Shutter” instead. Anyway, after the successful photo shoot, he heads to Hong Kong to meet Hans Leber (Anton Diffring) to collect his payment. But instead of getting his money, he soon discovers that he has become a target as the local hit-men...
on Amazon
At the start of the movie, an assassin named Shatter (Stuart Whitman) is hired to kill an African dictator. His weapon of choice is a gun hidden inside a camera in which he kills his targets by taking their pictures. Maybe they should call him “Shutter” instead. Anyway, after the successful photo shoot, he heads to Hong Kong to meet Hans Leber (Anton Diffring) to collect his payment. But instead of getting his money, he soon discovers that he has become a target as the local hit-men...
- 10/27/2021
- by David Chew
- AsianMoviePulse
One of the best director debuts of the 1960s is Francis Coppola’s earnest effort to deliver a marketable thriller to producer Roger Corman, a gory, sexy horror show that will get past the censor. The 21-year-old student filmmaker comes through in high style. The spirited tale of axe murders on an Irish estate brings back a time when a talented beginner could hit a $40,000 movie out of the park. It’s been reconstituted to Coppola’s preferred cut after sixty years in Public Domain purgatory, and he provides a new commentary that will please his fans as well as lovers of the horror genre.
Dementia 13 Director’s Cut
Blu-ray
Lionsgate / Vestron Video Collector’s Series
1963 / B&w / 1:78 widescreen / 69 min. / The Haunted and the Hunted / Street Date September 21, 2021 / 17.99
Starring: William Campbell, Luana Anders, Bart Patton, Mary Mitchel, Patrick Magee, Ethne Dunne, Peter Read.
Cinematography: Charles Hannawalt
Art Director: Albert...
Dementia 13 Director’s Cut
Blu-ray
Lionsgate / Vestron Video Collector’s Series
1963 / B&w / 1:78 widescreen / 69 min. / The Haunted and the Hunted / Street Date September 21, 2021 / 17.99
Starring: William Campbell, Luana Anders, Bart Patton, Mary Mitchel, Patrick Magee, Ethne Dunne, Peter Read.
Cinematography: Charles Hannawalt
Art Director: Albert...
- 9/21/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
France’s Ministry of Culture gave a French toast to Variety’s Steven Gaydos on Thursday, naming him a chevalier/knight for his decades of work in entertainment.
Julie Duhaut-Bedos, consul general of France in Los Angeles, reminded the crowd that only a few such awards are handed out yearly, to “people who have distinguished themselves by their creations in the artistic or literary field or by the contribution they have made to the influence of arts and letters in France and in the world.”
In the ceremony at the French Residence in Beverly Hills, Duhaut-Bedos rattled off multiple accomplishments of Gaydos, who is Variety’s exec VP of global content. She praised his “open-mindedness and advocacy for world cinema, which allowed Variety to achieve a successful international expansion and become the worldwide reference for entertainment industry reviews. Your involvement has been key to Variety’s successful international development. We...
Julie Duhaut-Bedos, consul general of France in Los Angeles, reminded the crowd that only a few such awards are handed out yearly, to “people who have distinguished themselves by their creations in the artistic or literary field or by the contribution they have made to the influence of arts and letters in France and in the world.”
In the ceremony at the French Residence in Beverly Hills, Duhaut-Bedos rattled off multiple accomplishments of Gaydos, who is Variety’s exec VP of global content. She praised his “open-mindedness and advocacy for world cinema, which allowed Variety to achieve a successful international expansion and become the worldwide reference for entertainment industry reviews. Your involvement has been key to Variety’s successful international development. We...
- 9/10/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
One of the most troubled productions ever, and one of the most acclaimed. Although he considered shooting in Australia, Francis Coppola decided on the Philippines because production coordinator Fred Roos had contacts there from shooting two back-to-back Monte Hellman films. Some of the eventually $30 million budget went into the pockets of Ferdinand Marcos’s local officials. Shooting began in 1976 but after nearly two years in post production it finally met the public in 1979. Reissued in 2001 as Apocalypse Now Redux with 49 minutes of extended material.
The post Apocalypse Now appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post Apocalypse Now appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 8/11/2021
- by TFH Team
- Trailers from Hell
Don Jones, a soundman and stuntman who went on to write and direct the low-budget films Schoolgirls in Chains, Sweater Girls and The Forest, had died. He was 83.
Jones died Tuesday in Los Angeles near his San Fernando Valley home of nearly 40 years after recently suffering a stroke, his daughter, Coeli Jones, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Jones worked sound for Larry Peerce on One Potato, Two Potato (1964), did stunts for Monte Hellman in Ride in the Whirlwind (1966) and for Richard Rush on A Man Called Dagger (1968) and served as the cinematographer on The House of Seven Corpses (1974), starring John Ireland.
His horror films Schoolgirls in ...
Jones died Tuesday in Los Angeles near his San Fernando Valley home of nearly 40 years after recently suffering a stroke, his daughter, Coeli Jones, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Jones worked sound for Larry Peerce on One Potato, Two Potato (1964), did stunts for Monte Hellman in Ride in the Whirlwind (1966) and for Richard Rush on A Man Called Dagger (1968) and served as the cinematographer on The House of Seven Corpses (1974), starring John Ireland.
His horror films Schoolgirls in ...
- 8/10/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Don Jones, a soundman and stuntman who went on to write and direct the low-budget films Schoolgirls in Chains, Sweater Girls and The Forest, had died. He was 83.
Jones died Tuesday in Los Angeles near his San Fernando Valley home of nearly 40 years after recently suffering a stroke, his daughter, Coeli Jones, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Jones worked sound for Larry Peerce on One Potato, Two Potato (1964), did stunts for Monte Hellman in Ride in the Whirlwind (1966) and for Richard Rush on A Man Called Dagger (1968) and served as the cinematographer on The House of Seven Corpses (1974), starring John Ireland.
His horror films Schoolgirls in ...
Jones died Tuesday in Los Angeles near his San Fernando Valley home of nearly 40 years after recently suffering a stroke, his daughter, Coeli Jones, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Jones worked sound for Larry Peerce on One Potato, Two Potato (1964), did stunts for Monte Hellman in Ride in the Whirlwind (1966) and for Richard Rush on A Man Called Dagger (1968) and served as the cinematographer on The House of Seven Corpses (1974), starring John Ireland.
His horror films Schoolgirls in ...
- 8/10/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
‘Beckett’ Review: John David Washington Isn’t Your Traditional Hero in Formula-Bending Manhunt Movie
John David Washington shot “Beckett” before last summer’s “Tenet” put the actor on a short list of potential action figures. But when it comes to this considerably more modest, Greece-set manhunt movie — which kicks off the Locarno Film Festival before releasing via Netflix on Aug. 13 — it helps to look at Washington (son of Oscar winner Denzel) as a different kind of character: not your conventional Hollywood hero so much as an average guy caught up in a deadly conspiracy.
Washington plays the eponymous American tourist, who’s roughly the kind of out-of-his-league everyman that Alfred Hitchcock gravitated toward in classics such as “The Man Who Knew Too Much” and “North by Northwest.” But director Ferdinando Cito Filomarino isn’t operating by that playbook as much as audiences might think, which might disappoint those who find the movie on Netflix and expect a straightforward thriller. The suspense is much subtler,...
Washington plays the eponymous American tourist, who’s roughly the kind of out-of-his-league everyman that Alfred Hitchcock gravitated toward in classics such as “The Man Who Knew Too Much” and “North by Northwest.” But director Ferdinando Cito Filomarino isn’t operating by that playbook as much as audiences might think, which might disappoint those who find the movie on Netflix and expect a straightforward thriller. The suspense is much subtler,...
- 8/4/2021
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSAbove: Cinemateca Brasileira. (WikiCommons)A devastating fire hit the Cinemateca Brasileira on July 29 and has left significant damage to the longest-running cinema institution in Brazil. In response, the workers of Cinemateca Brasileira have shared a statement regarding the continual mistreatment of facilities and staff by the government: "Without workers archives can not be preserved!" After facing unexpected budget cuts, microcinema No Evil Eye Cinema has announced a fundraising call for action and is seeking grants, foundational support, and other funding opportunities to sustain their programming and educational programs. On the Score podcast last week, composer Carter Burwell stated that "[Ethan Coen] just didn’t want to make movies anymore," in response to a question about Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth. This may mean the Coens are done working as a directing duo,...
- 8/4/2021
- MUBI
Next month’s lineup at The Criterion Channel has been unveiled, featuring no shortage of excellent offerings. Leading the pack is a massive, 20-film retrospective dedicated to John Huston, featuring a mix of greatest and lesser-appreciated works, including Fat City, The Dead, Wise Blood, The Man Who Would Be King, and Key Largo. (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre will join the series on October 1.)
Also in the lineup is series on the works of Budd Boetticher (specifically his Randolph Scott-starring Ranown westerns), Ephraim Asili, Josephine Baker, Nikos Papatakis, Jean Harlow, Lee Isaac Chung (pre-Minari), Mani Kaul, and Michelle Parkerson.
The sparkling new restoration of La Piscine will also debut, along with Amores perros, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s To the Ends of the Earth, Cate Shortland’s Lore, both Oxhide films, Moonstruck, and much more.
See the full list of August titles below and more on The Criterion Channel.
Abigail Harm,...
Also in the lineup is series on the works of Budd Boetticher (specifically his Randolph Scott-starring Ranown westerns), Ephraim Asili, Josephine Baker, Nikos Papatakis, Jean Harlow, Lee Isaac Chung (pre-Minari), Mani Kaul, and Michelle Parkerson.
The sparkling new restoration of La Piscine will also debut, along with Amores perros, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s To the Ends of the Earth, Cate Shortland’s Lore, both Oxhide films, Moonstruck, and much more.
See the full list of August titles below and more on The Criterion Channel.
Abigail Harm,...
- 7/26/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
From Pig starring Nicolas Cage, Writer/Director Michael Sarnoski and Writer/Producer Vanessa Block join Josh and Joe to discuss the movies that inspired them during the creation of their film.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Nobody (2021)
Infested (2002)
The Big Chill (1983)
A History of Violence (2005)
Pig (2021)
Mandy (2018)
John Wick (2014)
The Testimony (2015)
No Country For Old Men (2007) [Both] – John Badham’s trailer commentary
The Maltese Falcon (1941) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Blood Simple (1984) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review, Dennis Cozzaliio’s review
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Raising Arizona (1987)
Moonstruck (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary
Joe (2013)
Witness For The Prosecution (1957) [Vanessa Block] – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary
Easter Parade (1948)
Titanic (1997)
Never Been Kissed (1999)
Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
The Crow (1994)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Midnight Cowboy (1969) [Michael Sarnoski] – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Nobody (2021)
Infested (2002)
The Big Chill (1983)
A History of Violence (2005)
Pig (2021)
Mandy (2018)
John Wick (2014)
The Testimony (2015)
No Country For Old Men (2007) [Both] – John Badham’s trailer commentary
The Maltese Falcon (1941) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Blood Simple (1984) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review, Dennis Cozzaliio’s review
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Raising Arizona (1987)
Moonstruck (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary
Joe (2013)
Witness For The Prosecution (1957) [Vanessa Block] – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary
Easter Parade (1948)
Titanic (1997)
Never Been Kissed (1999)
Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
The Crow (1994)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Midnight Cowboy (1969) [Michael Sarnoski] – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion...
- 7/16/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
The late American indie film auteur Monte Hellman was fond of a quote from Jean Cocteau that poetically summed up the fate of any real work of art: “A work of art should also be ‘an object difficult to pick up.’ It must protect itself from vulgar pawing, which tarnishes and disfigures it. It should be made of such a shape that people don’t know which way to hold it, which embarrasses and irritates the critics, incites them to be rude, but keeps it fresh. The less it’s understood, the slower it opens its petals, the later it will fade.”
Cocteau’s dictum certainly applies to Hellman’s 1971 film, “Two-Lane Blacktop.” It opened its petals 50 years ago today and still confounds not only the critics but its fans and friends, including the film’s unit publicist Beverly Walker, whose groundbreaking campaign for the film included getting Esquire magazine...
Cocteau’s dictum certainly applies to Hellman’s 1971 film, “Two-Lane Blacktop.” It opened its petals 50 years ago today and still confounds not only the critics but its fans and friends, including the film’s unit publicist Beverly Walker, whose groundbreaking campaign for the film included getting Esquire magazine...
- 7/7/2021
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
At the dawn of the Seventies, the Beach Boys had a lot to prove. Their pop success was a thing of the past — even artistic triumphs like Pet Sounds and Wild Honey were commercial flops. The boys of summer were pushing 30 by now, bearded dads reckoning with marriage, divorce, changing times. When they went to work at Brian Wilson’s home studio on Bellagio Road in Bel Air, they were struggling to find their place in a new world that had written them off as a nostalgia act. But the...
- 6/3/2021
- by Rob Sheffield
- Rollingstone.com
After a hiatus as theaters in New York City and beyond closed their doors during the pandemic, we’re delighted to announce the return of NYC Weekend Watch, our weekly round-up of repertory offerings. While many theaters are still focused on a selection of new releases, there’s a handful of worthwhile repertory screenings taking place.
Paris Theater
The late Monte Hellman’s masterpiece Two-Lane Blacktop plays in 35mm on Saturday and Sunday.
IFC Center
The long-lost, newly restored George A. Romero feature The Amusement Park is now playing.
Museum of the Moving Image
The Fabulous Baker Boys plays in 35mm on Saturday. Read Matthew Eng on Michell Pfeiffer’s performance from his recent feature:
Pfeiffer egregiously lost an easy Oscar years earlier to Driving Miss Daisy’s sentimental favorite Jessica Tandy, despite claiming every major critics’ prize for playing escort-turned-lounge-singer Susie Diamond in The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989). Slinking on...
Paris Theater
The late Monte Hellman’s masterpiece Two-Lane Blacktop plays in 35mm on Saturday and Sunday.
IFC Center
The long-lost, newly restored George A. Romero feature The Amusement Park is now playing.
Museum of the Moving Image
The Fabulous Baker Boys plays in 35mm on Saturday. Read Matthew Eng on Michell Pfeiffer’s performance from his recent feature:
Pfeiffer egregiously lost an easy Oscar years earlier to Driving Miss Daisy’s sentimental favorite Jessica Tandy, despite claiming every major critics’ prize for playing escort-turned-lounge-singer Susie Diamond in The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989). Slinking on...
- 5/20/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Mubi has unveiled their lineup for next month, featuring the exclusive streaming premiere of Frederick Wiseman’s masterful documentary City Hall, the late Monte Hellman’s final film Road to Nowhere, a trio of works by Stephen Cone, two films by Alain Resnais, the multi-month series Sex, Truth, and Videotape: French Feminist Activism, and Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant.
As a special addition in addition to the regular programming listed below, the new restoration of Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris will be available as a free presentation celebrating Juneteenth, from June 18-19. Timed with the release of his latest gem Undine, a Christian Petzold retrospective continues with his earlier, essential films Yella, Barbara, Ostwärts, and The Warm Money.
Check out the lineup below, with links to reviews where available, and get 30 days of Mubi for free here. One can also check back for our new streaming picks every Friday here.
As a special addition in addition to the regular programming listed below, the new restoration of Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris will be available as a free presentation celebrating Juneteenth, from June 18-19. Timed with the release of his latest gem Undine, a Christian Petzold retrospective continues with his earlier, essential films Yella, Barbara, Ostwärts, and The Warm Money.
Check out the lineup below, with links to reviews where available, and get 30 days of Mubi for free here. One can also check back for our new streaming picks every Friday here.
- 5/19/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSAbove: Marlon Brando and Willy Kurant on the set of The Night of the Following Day (1969). The great Belgian cinematographer Willy Kurant has died. During his illustrious career, Kurant worked on films including Agnès Varda's The Creatures, Jean-Luc Godard's Masculin Feminin, and Orson Welles' The Immortal Story. David Cronenberg has confirmed the title of his next feature film, Crimes of the Future. Sharing the same title as his film from 1970, the film is set to star Kristen Stewart, Lea Seydoux, and Viggo Mortensen.Robert Haller, the Anthology Film Archives Director of Libraries, has also died. As Afa points out in its tribute to Haller, "with 35 years at Anthology all told, only Afa’s founder Jonas Mekas could claim seniority over Haller!" After more than 100 years, Technicolor Post has announced its integration into Streamland Media's postproduction services,...
- 5/5/2021
- MUBI
Who was Monte Hellman? The iconic director, who passed away on April 20, never became a household name in the way that some of his contemporaries did. He never made a purely commercial career maneuver; even when he was offered the chance to direct the third film in the “Silent Night, Deadly Night” franchise, his acceptance of said assignment felt like more of a defiantly personal choice than any kind of bid for mainstream acceptance.
Continue reading Remembering Monte Hellman: The Five Essential Films You Can Stream Now at The Playlist.
Continue reading Remembering Monte Hellman: The Five Essential Films You Can Stream Now at The Playlist.
- 4/27/2021
- by Nicholas Laskin
- The Playlist
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