The irony of Bob Clark's 1983 film "A Christmas Story" was that it was initially intended to be a satire, a wicked deconstruction of the placid, false, Normal Rockwell-ian idyll of 1950s Americana. Christmastime was not a time of peace and ease in "A Christmas Story," but a bitter world of selfishness, childhood greed, bullying, and disappointment. Over the years, "A Christmas Story" grew in estimation to such a degree that it now is run in Holiday-season 24-hour marathons on certain cable TV stations. What was once meant to dismantle nostalgia is now just a new generation's nostalgia.
The film was adapted to a stage musical in 2009, which was, in turn, broadcast on live TV in 2017. Some who pay close attention will also have noted that 2012 saw the release of the straight-to-video "A Christmas Story 2," with actor Braeden Lemasters playing a teenage version of Ralphie, the star of the first film,...
The film was adapted to a stage musical in 2009, which was, in turn, broadcast on live TV in 2017. Some who pay close attention will also have noted that 2012 saw the release of the straight-to-video "A Christmas Story 2," with actor Braeden Lemasters playing a teenage version of Ralphie, the star of the first film,...
- 11/14/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
In today’s television landscape, Hill Street Blues would have been lucky to last four episodes. But, on a struggling NBC network in 1981, the show was given time to find its audience. It didn’t — at least, not in its first year. As the show accumulated more and more critical acclaim, though, more viewers found it. Following its first season, Hill Street Blues racked up an astounding 21 Emmy Award nominations, including eight wins. In its second season, it jumped into TV’s Top 30 and lasted another six seasons. James B. Sikking, who played Sgt. Howard Hunter on the show, a few years back spoke to us about the show’s early struggles and how it managed to survive. (Click on the media bar to hear James B. Sikking) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/James_B_Sikking_Hill_street_Blies_.mp3
Hill Street Blues is currently streaming on Hulu.
The...
Hill Street Blues is currently streaming on Hulu.
The...
- 11/7/2022
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Michael Callan, the versatile actor who appeared in everything from broad comedies such as Cat Ballou to the original Broadway production of West Side Story to frothy romances like Gidget Goes Hawaiian and virtually every hit TV show of the ’70s and ’80s has died, according to a Deadline source. He was 86.
Callan may be most recognizable for his work as Clay Boone in Cat Ballou opposite Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin, who won an Oscar for his work in the film. In it, Callan plays and accused cattle rustler and the romantic lead opposite Fonda.
Michael Callan and Jane Fonda in ‘Cat Ballou’
On Broadway, Callan played Riff in the original production of West Side Story from 1957-1959. Just 21, the actor auditioned multiple times before landing the role that would put him on Hollywood’s radar.
Michael Callan as Riff in ‘West Side Story’ in 1959
As a result, he...
Callan may be most recognizable for his work as Clay Boone in Cat Ballou opposite Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin, who won an Oscar for his work in the film. In it, Callan plays and accused cattle rustler and the romantic lead opposite Fonda.
Michael Callan and Jane Fonda in ‘Cat Ballou’
On Broadway, Callan played Riff in the original production of West Side Story from 1957-1959. Just 21, the actor auditioned multiple times before landing the role that would put him on Hollywood’s radar.
Michael Callan as Riff in ‘West Side Story’ in 1959
As a result, he...
- 10/11/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Hello, everyone! August 23rd is a quiet day for horror and sci-fi home media releases, but that doesn’t mean that this week’s offerings aren’t pretty darn great all the same. Scream Factory has put together a killer Collector’s Edition 4K release for Neil Marshall’s Dog Soldiers and Kino Lorber has put together reissues of their Blu-ray box sets for seasons one and two of The Outer Limits, which genre fans will definitely want to pick up.
Cheers!
Dog Soldiers: 4K Collector’s Edition
A group of soldiers dispatched to the Scottish Highlands on special training maneuvers face their biggest fears after they run into Captain Ryan – the only survivor of a Special Ops team that was literally torn to pieces. Ryan refuses to disclose his mission even though whoever attacked his men might be hungry for seconds. Help arrives in the form of a...
Cheers!
Dog Soldiers: 4K Collector’s Edition
A group of soldiers dispatched to the Scottish Highlands on special training maneuvers face their biggest fears after they run into Captain Ryan – the only survivor of a Special Ops team that was literally torn to pieces. Ryan refuses to disclose his mission even though whoever attacked his men might be hungry for seconds. Help arrives in the form of a...
- 8/23/2022
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Throughout Emmy season, IndieWire will be evaluating the top contenders for TV’s most prestigious prize, and it all starts here. At the bottom of this page are IndieWire TV Critic Ben Travers’ predictions for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. This article will be updated throughout the coming months, along with all our predictions, to reflect an up-to-the-minute state of the race. Make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest coverage on the 2020 Emmys, including breaking news, analysis, interviews, podcasts, FYC event coverage, reviews of all the awards contenders, and more. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be given out Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13. The 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will take place at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, September 20. (See our awards calendar for a more detailed breakdown of important dates.) ABC is broadcasting the ceremony.
Last Year’s Winner: Peter Dinklage,...
Last Year’s Winner: Peter Dinklage,...
- 8/3/2020
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
The Fox building where the late producer Steven Bocho made television magic with such hit shows as Doogie Howser, M.D. and NYPD Blue has been dedicated to his name. It will henceforth be known as the Steven Bochco Building, with a plaque bearing his trademark signature greeting visitors at its entrance.
On hand to celebrate the dedication were a collection of stars that made those shows sizzle, including Dennis Franz and Kim Delaney of NYPD Blue; Jimmy Smits, Corbin Bernsen, Michael Tucker, Jill Eikenberry and Susan Ruttan of L.A. Law; and James Sikking and Belinda Montgomery of Doogie Howser, M.D.
The ceremony was led by Fox Television Group chairman and CEO Gary Newman, who was joined by Bochco’s wife, Dayna. Bochco died last month at age 74 after a struggle with cancer.
In addition to the above shows, 20th Century Fox helped Bochco produce Hill Street Blues,...
On hand to celebrate the dedication were a collection of stars that made those shows sizzle, including Dennis Franz and Kim Delaney of NYPD Blue; Jimmy Smits, Corbin Bernsen, Michael Tucker, Jill Eikenberry and Susan Ruttan of L.A. Law; and James Sikking and Belinda Montgomery of Doogie Howser, M.D.
The ceremony was led by Fox Television Group chairman and CEO Gary Newman, who was joined by Bochco’s wife, Dayna. Bochco died last month at age 74 after a struggle with cancer.
In addition to the above shows, 20th Century Fox helped Bochco produce Hill Street Blues,...
- 5/6/2018
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
On a beautiful sunny Southern California spring day, the Steven Bochco players gathered to see the TV legend, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-bochco-dead-hill-street-blues-la-law-nypd-blue-creator-741199" target="_blank">who died April 1</a>, honored on the 21st Century Fox studio lot. And oh, what a reunion it was: In one corner,<em> NYPD Blue</em> alumni Jimmy Smits, Dennis Franz and Mark-Paul Gosselaar huddled together; in another stood an<em> L.A. Law</em> foursome of Corbin Bernsen, Susan Ruttan, Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry; and across the room was Doogie Howser’s parents (James Sikking and Belinda Montgomery) and his boss Dr. Canfield (Lawrence Pressman).
Sprinkled in the crowd were Kim Delaney, Gordon Clapp, James McDaniel and other ...
Sprinkled in the crowd were Kim Delaney, Gordon Clapp, James McDaniel and other ...
Joseph Wambaugh’s breakthrough novel went through a blender to fit George C. Scott into the narrative, but it’s still a great cop show with terrific work from Stacy Keach and Scott Wilson, not to mention Jane Alexander and Rosalind Cash. The pro-cop agenda has a definite tone of personal experience, and the grim finish is anything but feel-good puffery.
The New Centurions
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1972 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 103 min. / Street Date March 20, 2018 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95
Starring: George C. Scott, Stacy Keach, Jane Alexander, Scott Wilson, Rosalind Cash, Erik Estrada, Clifton James, James Sikking, Isabel Sanford, Carol Speed, William Atherton, Ed Lauter, Dolph Sweet, Stefan Gierasch, Roger E. Mosley, Pepe Serna, Kitten Natividad.
Cinematography: Ralph Woolsey
Film Editor: Robert C. Jones
Production Design: Boris Leven
Original Music: Quincy Jones
Written by Stirling Silliphant, Robert Towne (uncredited) from the book by Joseph Wambaugh
Produced by Robert Chartoff,...
The New Centurions
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1972 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 103 min. / Street Date March 20, 2018 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95
Starring: George C. Scott, Stacy Keach, Jane Alexander, Scott Wilson, Rosalind Cash, Erik Estrada, Clifton James, James Sikking, Isabel Sanford, Carol Speed, William Atherton, Ed Lauter, Dolph Sweet, Stefan Gierasch, Roger E. Mosley, Pepe Serna, Kitten Natividad.
Cinematography: Ralph Woolsey
Film Editor: Robert C. Jones
Production Design: Boris Leven
Original Music: Quincy Jones
Written by Stirling Silliphant, Robert Towne (uncredited) from the book by Joseph Wambaugh
Produced by Robert Chartoff,...
- 3/27/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
I sure love me some witches. I especially adore the satanic kind, pentagrams, candles, and the whole shmear. Welcome to Bay Coven (1987), where the tropes are oh so familiar yet warm and snuggly like a quilted comforter.
Originally broadcast on Sunday, October 25th, Bay Coven was part of the NBC Sunday Night at the Movies, and was summarily trounced by Game 7 of the World Series as the *checks notes* Minnesotans beat the other ones to win the cup. Or something. Anyhoo, for those who were into horror, especially so close to Halloween, Bay Coven (Aka Bay Cove) was a fun treat; nothing original at all, but merely the next in the hallowed tradition of what I like to call (as of right now) the Killer Hospitality sub-genre: Rosemary’s Baby, Crowhaven Farm, and The Dark Secret of Harvest Home all setting out the chips and dip for what Bay Coven has in store.
Originally broadcast on Sunday, October 25th, Bay Coven was part of the NBC Sunday Night at the Movies, and was summarily trounced by Game 7 of the World Series as the *checks notes* Minnesotans beat the other ones to win the cup. Or something. Anyhoo, for those who were into horror, especially so close to Halloween, Bay Coven (Aka Bay Cove) was a fun treat; nothing original at all, but merely the next in the hallowed tradition of what I like to call (as of right now) the Killer Hospitality sub-genre: Rosemary’s Baby, Crowhaven Farm, and The Dark Secret of Harvest Home all setting out the chips and dip for what Bay Coven has in store.
- 3/11/2018
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
James Sikking is best known for playing the pipe-smoking funny man Lieutenant Howard Hunter -- along side Daniel Travanti and Michael Warren -- in the long running '80s drama 'Hill Street Blues.' Guess what he looks like now! Read more...
- 8/14/2017
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Welcome to your weekend flashback! In case you blocked it out, The Cop Rock TV show premiered on ABC on Wednesday, September 26, 1990. A police procedural TV series musical drama created by Steven Bochco and William M. Finkelstein, Cop Rock was cancelled by ABC after 11 episodes -- of the 13 ordered -- had been produced. ABC famously gave sponsors free ad time on the experimental hybrid project. The Cop Rock TV series finale, "Bang the Potts Slowly," aired Wednesday, December 26, 1990.The Cop Rock TV series cast includes: Anne Bobby, Barbara Bosson, Ronny Cox, Vondie Curtis-Hall, David Gianopoulos, Larry Joshua, Paul McCrane, James McDaniel, Ron McLarty, Mick Murray, and Peter Onorati. Terri Austin, Dennis Lipscomb, William Thomas, Jr., and Kathleen Wilhoite recurred.Actors from Bochco's other series were featured in crossovers: James B. Sikking from Hill Street Blues and L.A. Law's Jimmy...
- 7/9/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Lock your doors! Hulking menace Victor Buono gets the full-on psycho treatment, based (very) roughly on early reports of The Boston Strangler. The 'baby doll' killer also prefigures the fiendish Richard Speck. Burt Topper's film is routine but ex- Baby Jane star Victor Buono's performance is decidedly not. The Strangler DVD-r The Warner Archive Collection 1964 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 89 min. / Street Date November 10, 2015 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Victor Buono, Diane Sayer, Davey Davison, Jeanne Bates, Ellen Corby, Mimi Dillard, Selette Cole, David McLean, Baynes Barron, Michael Ryan, Russ Bender, Wally Campo, Byron Morrow, John Yates, James Sikking, Robert Cranford. Cinematography Jacques R. Marquette Film Editor Robert S. Eisen Original Music Martin Skiles Written by Bill S. Ballinger Produced by Samuel Bischoff, David Diamond Directed by Burt Topper
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
The old-time independent producer Edward Small gravitated to United Artists in the 1950s, while his counterpart...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
The old-time independent producer Edward Small gravitated to United Artists in the 1950s, while his counterpart...
- 3/12/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Late in the DVD commentary for the pilot episode of "Hill Street Blues," actor Joe Spano marvels at the show's impact on the medium. "It's extraordinary," he says, "the repercussions of this 48 minutes of television." The cop drama's co-creator Steven Bochco follows by suggesting, "It's sort of a family tree, and if you look at the branches of the tree, you'll see 25 years of television." Bochco is, if anything, underselling the importance of "Hill Street," which is on the short list of the most influential TV shows ever made. Whether through shared actors, writers, directors or through stylistic and thematic complexity, its DNA can be found in nearly every great drama produced in the 30-plus years since it debuted. The show was only occasionally interested in the legal trials of the criminals in its unnamed fictional city, but the complete series DVD set (it arrives in stores on Tuesday, for...
- 4/28/2014
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
Brace yourselves. This list of the Top 100 Greatest Gay Movies is probably going to generate some howls of protest thanks to a rather major upset in the rankings. Frankly, one that surprised the hell out of us here at AfterElton.
But before we get to that, an introduction. A few weeks ago we asked AfterElton readers to submit up to ten of their favorite films by write-in vote. We conducted a similar poll several years ago, but a lot has happened culturally since then, and a number of worthy movies of gay interest have been released. We wanted to see how your list of favorites had changed.
We also wanted to expand our list to 100 from the top 50 we had done previously. We figured there were finally enough quality gay films to justify the expansion. And we wanted to break out gay documentaries onto their own list (You'll find the...
But before we get to that, an introduction. A few weeks ago we asked AfterElton readers to submit up to ten of their favorite films by write-in vote. We conducted a similar poll several years ago, but a lot has happened culturally since then, and a number of worthy movies of gay interest have been released. We wanted to see how your list of favorites had changed.
We also wanted to expand our list to 100 from the top 50 we had done previously. We figured there were finally enough quality gay films to justify the expansion. And we wanted to break out gay documentaries onto their own list (You'll find the...
- 9/11/2012
- by AfterElton.com Staff
- The Backlot
Whisper Of The Heart
Stars: Ashley Tisdale, David Gallagher, James Sikking, Youko Honna, Kazuo Takahashi, Takashi Tachibana | Written by Hayao Miyazaki | Directed by Yoshifumi Kondô
Yet another release from the prolific and highly-regarded Studio Ghibli, Whisper of the Heart, originally released in 1995, is written by animation master Hayao Miyazaki and directed by his protégé Yoshifumi Kondo. It tells the tale of a young girl named Suzuku who finds that all the books she chooses in the library have been previously checked out by the same boy. She later meets Seji, an infuriating, yet disarmingly charming, young boy who may or may not be her “friend” from the library, and whose grandfather owns an antique shop. When Seji gets the chance to build violins in Italy it inspires Suzuku to follow her dreams of becoming a writer, and she pens a story about the “Baron”, the cat statue in Seji’s grandfathers shop,...
Stars: Ashley Tisdale, David Gallagher, James Sikking, Youko Honna, Kazuo Takahashi, Takashi Tachibana | Written by Hayao Miyazaki | Directed by Yoshifumi Kondô
Yet another release from the prolific and highly-regarded Studio Ghibli, Whisper of the Heart, originally released in 1995, is written by animation master Hayao Miyazaki and directed by his protégé Yoshifumi Kondo. It tells the tale of a young girl named Suzuku who finds that all the books she chooses in the library have been previously checked out by the same boy. She later meets Seji, an infuriating, yet disarmingly charming, young boy who may or may not be her “friend” from the library, and whose grandfather owns an antique shop. When Seji gets the chance to build violins in Italy it inspires Suzuku to follow her dreams of becoming a writer, and she pens a story about the “Baron”, the cat statue in Seji’s grandfathers shop,...
- 1/8/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Outland (Original Release Date: 22 May 1981)
I'm going to do something I haven't done yet and recommend that you not watch Outland at its original speed. Sometimes life gets in the way of these Retro Reviews and I end up having to make compromises. I was dealing with a time crunch this week. I've seen Outland before, so I decided to watch it at 1.5 times its original speed using the Vlc media player. (It's free, it's open source, and it can be yours by clicking here.) It turned a 104 minute movie into a seventy-minute movie. What follows is a review of the seventy minute version.
If you look at a plot description on-line, you will probably think to yourself, That sounds like High Noon in space. To quote a western standard often sung by Tex Ritter (Tex recorded the version of the title track you hear in the opening moments of...
I'm going to do something I haven't done yet and recommend that you not watch Outland at its original speed. Sometimes life gets in the way of these Retro Reviews and I end up having to make compromises. I was dealing with a time crunch this week. I've seen Outland before, so I decided to watch it at 1.5 times its original speed using the Vlc media player. (It's free, it's open source, and it can be yours by clicking here.) It turned a 104 minute movie into a seventy-minute movie. What follows is a review of the seventy minute version.
If you look at a plot description on-line, you will probably think to yourself, That sounds like High Noon in space. To quote a western standard often sung by Tex Ritter (Tex recorded the version of the title track you hear in the opening moments of...
- 5/19/2011
- by Thurston McQ
- Corona's Coming Attractions
Filed under: Features
In 1981, Britney Spears and Natalie Portman were born, and NBC, a network known for popularity if not quality ('Diff'rent Strokes', 'CHiPs'), was about to become an awards juggernaut.
NBC's cop drama 'Hill Street Blues' debuted on Jan. 15, 1981. With a huge cast of character actors darting about Capt. Francis Xavier Furillo's Hill Street station, the hour-long drama with a documentary look was an evolutionary leap in broadcast television.
The show might've been a one-season wonder if not for a boatload of Emmy nominations and wins, right from the start (including one for the late, great actor Michael Conrad, whose "Let's be careful out there" became an 80's catchphrase). Cancellation staved off, NBC's Thursday night anchor went on to collect nearly 100 Emmy nods before it ended after 146 episodes on May 12, 1987
"Hill Street' gave perennial police procedural guest stars like Daniel J. Travanti (as Furillo) and...
In 1981, Britney Spears and Natalie Portman were born, and NBC, a network known for popularity if not quality ('Diff'rent Strokes', 'CHiPs'), was about to become an awards juggernaut.
NBC's cop drama 'Hill Street Blues' debuted on Jan. 15, 1981. With a huge cast of character actors darting about Capt. Francis Xavier Furillo's Hill Street station, the hour-long drama with a documentary look was an evolutionary leap in broadcast television.
The show might've been a one-season wonder if not for a boatload of Emmy nominations and wins, right from the start (including one for the late, great actor Michael Conrad, whose "Let's be careful out there" became an 80's catchphrase). Cancellation staved off, NBC's Thursday night anchor went on to collect nearly 100 Emmy nods before it ended after 146 episodes on May 12, 1987
"Hill Street' gave perennial police procedural guest stars like Daniel J. Travanti (as Furillo) and...
- 1/15/2011
- by Jane Murphy
- Aol TV.
Michael Davis, writer and director of the Clive Owen action flick Shoot ‘Em Up, has signed on to helm a remake of the 1981 Sean Connery space western Outland. Chad St. John, who scripted the WB drama The Days Before, is on board to write the screenplay. The original, which drew comparisons to High Noon, starred Connery as a marshal on one of Jupiter's moons who is investigating mysterious deaths. He's forced to take on the colony's corporate administrators alone when the rest of the colonists refuse to help. The new take expands the concept, while keeping the original's theme. The story takes place in an orbiting city around the moon, where a cop uncovers a murderous conspiracy endangering the entire city. With a week before his retirement back to Earth, our hero has to choose between walking away with his wife, or taking on a private army with his overachieving ex-partner and wife's former boyfriend.
- 8/19/2009
- by James Cook
- TheMovingPicture.net
While many child stars have had serious problems later in life, Neil Patrick Harris has proven to be one of the exceptions. He was thrust into the spotlight at age 16 as the star of his own hit ABC show, Doogie Howser MD. He's received a lot of kidding about his alter-ego but he's always been happy to joke about it himself.
Doogie Howser, MD centers around Douglas "Doogie" Howser, a protege who becomes a doctor at 14 and works as a resident surgeon in Los Angeles. The series stars Harris, Max Casella, Lawrence Pressman, James Sikking, Kathryn Layng, Belinda Montgomery, Lucy Boryer, Markus Redmond, Mitchell Anderson, Lisa Dean Ryan, and Rif Hutton.
Following the end of the series, Harris continued to act on television and also worked in movies and musicals. His second breakout role came in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle . That role led him to being cast in...
Doogie Howser, MD centers around Douglas "Doogie" Howser, a protege who becomes a doctor at 14 and works as a resident surgeon in Los Angeles. The series stars Harris, Max Casella, Lawrence Pressman, James Sikking, Kathryn Layng, Belinda Montgomery, Lucy Boryer, Markus Redmond, Mitchell Anderson, Lisa Dean Ryan, and Rif Hutton.
Following the end of the series, Harris continued to act on television and also worked in movies and musicals. His second breakout role came in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle . That role led him to being cast in...
- 1/12/2009
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
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