Bert I. Gordon’s career groove of shrinking and bloating various animals and people bottoms out in this trashy drive-in groaner: it’s colorful but nigh-unwatchable. The exploitation target is sci-fi and the teen musical, with incompatible helpings of pre-teen ‘cutes’ and girlie show jiggle for the raincoat crowd. The show apparently did well, but I heard mostly about resentful walkouts. Gordon’s early films have far more charm; this one mostly shows contempt for his audience. For fans that think there’s Camp value here, the Blu-ray transfer is sensationally good, as is the reproduction of Jack Nitzsche’s rock music score. The only thing to call this movie is Poor, but how can that be when I find so much to say about it?
Village of the Giants
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1965 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 81 min. / Street Date February 22, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Tommy Kirk, Johnny Crawford,...
Village of the Giants
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1965 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 81 min. / Street Date February 22, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Tommy Kirk, Johnny Crawford,...
- 2/22/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Michael Nader, an actor whose sharp good looks, leading-man intensity and throaty vocal delivery saw him cast on Dynasty and All My Children as romantic interests for two of the era’s most famous vixens, died Monday at his home in Northern California from an untreatable form of cancer. He was 76.
His death was announced by wife Jodi Lister, who released a statement saying, “With heavy heart, I’m sharing the news of the passing of my beloved, Michael. We had 18 wonderful years together with the many dogs we fostered and adopted. Recently, Michael was so thrilled to reconnect with his friends from the cast of Dynasty during Emma Samms virtual event to help raise funds for Long-Covid research. He was a beautiful and fascinating man with many talents and skills. I will miss him forever.”
Born in St. Louis but raised in California, Nader, a nephew of Hollywood actor George Nader,...
His death was announced by wife Jodi Lister, who released a statement saying, “With heavy heart, I’m sharing the news of the passing of my beloved, Michael. We had 18 wonderful years together with the many dogs we fostered and adopted. Recently, Michael was so thrilled to reconnect with his friends from the cast of Dynasty during Emma Samms virtual event to help raise funds for Long-Covid research. He was a beautiful and fascinating man with many talents and skills. I will miss him forever.”
Born in St. Louis but raised in California, Nader, a nephew of Hollywood actor George Nader,...
- 8/25/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Somewhere in the psychoactive realm between “The Little Mermaid,” “Ponyo,” that mermaid subplot from “Beach Blanket Bingo” and the time you accidentally ate a moldy tangerine and saw never-before-seen colors for hours on end, lies a movie called “Lu Over the Wall.” It’s gorgeous, it’s distinctive, it’s quirky, it’s definitely about mermaids, and it might just make you question your sanity.
“Lu Over the Wall” is a new anime feature from Masaaki Yuasa, who is perhaps best known in America as the director of the ultraviolent, ultra-harrowing television series “Devilman: Crybaby.” Although the two projects are vastly different in tone, they share an extemporaneous quality that is both intoxicating and overwhelming. It would appear that Yuasa’s worlds are full of danger and beauty, squished together into unlikely patterns.
On the surface, “Lu Over the Wall” looks like just another retelling of “The Little Mermaid.” Kai (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas in the American dub) is a middle schooler and aspiring musician, a pessimistic loner who has no desire to communicate with his classmates. To his chagrin, two of his classmates — the effervescent Yūho (Stephanie Sheh) and the enthusiastic but embarrassed Kunio (Brandon Engman) — find out about Kai’s musical talent and invite him to join their band, Siren, which rehearses in secret at the nearby Merfolk Island.
Also Read: Gkids Picks Up North American Rights to Feminist Animated Film 'Miss Hokusai'
It’s not just a name: Kai and his bandmates soon discover that Merfolk are real, and that a mermaid girl named Lu (Christine Marie Cabanos) is totally in love with their music. She’s a great singer to boot. It’s an enormous revelation made all the more dangerous by the town’s troubling history with Merfolk, so when Siren recruits Lu into their musical act and accidentally reveal her to the whole town, and to the whole world, it leads to catastrophic misunderstandings, kidnappings, flooding and attempted fish murder.
“Lu Over the Wall” is many films, all of them vying for the same screen time. It’s as chaotic as it sounds. On one hand, it’s a film about an underdog teen pop band, and that’s probably the most endearing incarnation of this story. Kai is a believably morose adolescent who comes out of his shell when he makes a new friend, and watching Siren deal with petty jealousies and secrets gives each character moments of joy and misery. It’s a bright, sensational storyline with delightful music to amplify it.
Also Read: Paramount and Bad Robot to Develop Live-Action Version of Japanese Anime 'Your Name'
“Lu Over the Wall” is also a film about mermaids, but not just any mermaids: We’re talking some seriously weird mermaids here. It’s a vampiric breed of creature which bursts into flames upon contact with direct sunlight, and which can transform anything else into a mermaid just by biting it. When Lu’s father arrives (a giant leviathan wearing a business suit and mustache for some reason), he proceeds to bite every dead fish in this seaside community. Before long they start getting up and walking away, even after they’ve been eaten, and the movie treats this like a relatively minor plot point even though it’s so strange it makes you want to pull out your hair and beg someone, anyone, to make a big deal out of it.
It’s also a film about lingering generational animosity, xenophobia and racism. It turns out this town was cursed many years ago, when the locals sacrificed one of the Merfolk in the sun. The few Merfolk sightings since are shrouded in mystery and suspicion, so that even Kai’s grandfather thinks they’re responsible for the horrific death of his own mother. History repeats itself and lessons are learned, but if you thought this was a cutesy animated fairy tale about beach bands and happy water sprites, the third act of “Lu Over the Wall” might turn out to be pretty upsetting.
Also Read: DVDs are Dying, But Not for Anime Distributor Funimation
It’s hard to fault Yuasa’s film for its ingenuity; it’s a vividly realized and incredibly distinctive animated fantasy, which touches upon familiar myths, only to suddenly shove them in new and unexpected directions. It’s vivid and colorful, with exuberant music and (at the very least) a respectable American dub. The animation style veers from sweet and traditional to wild and elastic. You never know what’s going to happen next.
But you also never quite know if you’re going to like it. Just when you’ve got your bearings, and have come to accept “Lu Over the Wall” for whatever the heck it seems to be at the moment, it transforms into something different. Whether these mood swings are welcome or frustrating will vary from audience member to audience member, and possibly from moment to moment.
Either way, there’s no other mermaid movie quite like “Lu Over the Wall,” for better or worse. Let’s go with “better.”
Read original story ‘Lu Over the Wall’ Film Review: Wild Mermaid Anime Defies Categorization At TheWrap...
“Lu Over the Wall” is a new anime feature from Masaaki Yuasa, who is perhaps best known in America as the director of the ultraviolent, ultra-harrowing television series “Devilman: Crybaby.” Although the two projects are vastly different in tone, they share an extemporaneous quality that is both intoxicating and overwhelming. It would appear that Yuasa’s worlds are full of danger and beauty, squished together into unlikely patterns.
On the surface, “Lu Over the Wall” looks like just another retelling of “The Little Mermaid.” Kai (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas in the American dub) is a middle schooler and aspiring musician, a pessimistic loner who has no desire to communicate with his classmates. To his chagrin, two of his classmates — the effervescent Yūho (Stephanie Sheh) and the enthusiastic but embarrassed Kunio (Brandon Engman) — find out about Kai’s musical talent and invite him to join their band, Siren, which rehearses in secret at the nearby Merfolk Island.
Also Read: Gkids Picks Up North American Rights to Feminist Animated Film 'Miss Hokusai'
It’s not just a name: Kai and his bandmates soon discover that Merfolk are real, and that a mermaid girl named Lu (Christine Marie Cabanos) is totally in love with their music. She’s a great singer to boot. It’s an enormous revelation made all the more dangerous by the town’s troubling history with Merfolk, so when Siren recruits Lu into their musical act and accidentally reveal her to the whole town, and to the whole world, it leads to catastrophic misunderstandings, kidnappings, flooding and attempted fish murder.
“Lu Over the Wall” is many films, all of them vying for the same screen time. It’s as chaotic as it sounds. On one hand, it’s a film about an underdog teen pop band, and that’s probably the most endearing incarnation of this story. Kai is a believably morose adolescent who comes out of his shell when he makes a new friend, and watching Siren deal with petty jealousies and secrets gives each character moments of joy and misery. It’s a bright, sensational storyline with delightful music to amplify it.
Also Read: Paramount and Bad Robot to Develop Live-Action Version of Japanese Anime 'Your Name'
“Lu Over the Wall” is also a film about mermaids, but not just any mermaids: We’re talking some seriously weird mermaids here. It’s a vampiric breed of creature which bursts into flames upon contact with direct sunlight, and which can transform anything else into a mermaid just by biting it. When Lu’s father arrives (a giant leviathan wearing a business suit and mustache for some reason), he proceeds to bite every dead fish in this seaside community. Before long they start getting up and walking away, even after they’ve been eaten, and the movie treats this like a relatively minor plot point even though it’s so strange it makes you want to pull out your hair and beg someone, anyone, to make a big deal out of it.
It’s also a film about lingering generational animosity, xenophobia and racism. It turns out this town was cursed many years ago, when the locals sacrificed one of the Merfolk in the sun. The few Merfolk sightings since are shrouded in mystery and suspicion, so that even Kai’s grandfather thinks they’re responsible for the horrific death of his own mother. History repeats itself and lessons are learned, but if you thought this was a cutesy animated fairy tale about beach bands and happy water sprites, the third act of “Lu Over the Wall” might turn out to be pretty upsetting.
Also Read: DVDs are Dying, But Not for Anime Distributor Funimation
It’s hard to fault Yuasa’s film for its ingenuity; it’s a vividly realized and incredibly distinctive animated fantasy, which touches upon familiar myths, only to suddenly shove them in new and unexpected directions. It’s vivid and colorful, with exuberant music and (at the very least) a respectable American dub. The animation style veers from sweet and traditional to wild and elastic. You never know what’s going to happen next.
But you also never quite know if you’re going to like it. Just when you’ve got your bearings, and have come to accept “Lu Over the Wall” for whatever the heck it seems to be at the moment, it transforms into something different. Whether these mood swings are welcome or frustrating will vary from audience member to audience member, and possibly from moment to moment.
Either way, there’s no other mermaid movie quite like “Lu Over the Wall,” for better or worse. Let’s go with “better.”
Read original story ‘Lu Over the Wall’ Film Review: Wild Mermaid Anime Defies Categorization At TheWrap...
- 5/11/2018
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
In one of the last interviews he gave before his death this week, Bruce Brown talks about chasing summer and surf around the globe, turning a $50,000 gamble into a $33m cult classic
The first Hollywood movies about surfing like Gidget and Beach Blanket Bingo gave the sport a bad rep. They made us out to be a bunch of idiots having food fights. We wanted to show how it really was: a legitimate sport. In 1955, while I was doing military service in Hawaii, I started filming my buddies on the waves. By the early 60s, my surf films were giving me a regular income, and I decided to take more time over one.
Continue reading...
The first Hollywood movies about surfing like Gidget and Beach Blanket Bingo gave the sport a bad rep. They made us out to be a bunch of idiots having food fights. We wanted to show how it really was: a legitimate sport. In 1955, while I was doing military service in Hawaii, I started filming my buddies on the waves. By the early 60s, my surf films were giving me a regular income, and I decided to take more time over one.
Continue reading...
- 12/13/2017
- by Interviews by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
Cinema Retro has received the following press release:
The Los Angeles Comic Book And Science Fiction Convention presents Classic Movie Poster Artist Robert Tanenbaum, Jean Hale (In Like Flint), Sharyn Wynters (The Female Bunch), and Donna Loren (Bikini Beach) at the August 20, 2017 Show.
Robert Tanenbaum is a Movie Poster Artist with an over 50 year career illustrating every film genre such as Science Fiction, Horror, Comedy, War, Drama and Martial Arts. Robert has illustrated such Classic Movie Posters as A Christmas Story, Battle For The Planet Of The Apes, Cujo, Five Fingers Of Death, Black Christmas, Super Fly, The Color Of Money, My Bodyguard, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, The Iron Cross, The Eagle Has Landed, Ransom, Cleopatra Jones And The Casino Of Gold, Hot Potato, Mel Brooks High Anxiety and Silent Night, Evil Night. Robert’s art is featured on the first announcement that Jaws was being made into a Movie.
The Los Angeles Comic Book And Science Fiction Convention presents Classic Movie Poster Artist Robert Tanenbaum, Jean Hale (In Like Flint), Sharyn Wynters (The Female Bunch), and Donna Loren (Bikini Beach) at the August 20, 2017 Show.
Robert Tanenbaum is a Movie Poster Artist with an over 50 year career illustrating every film genre such as Science Fiction, Horror, Comedy, War, Drama and Martial Arts. Robert has illustrated such Classic Movie Posters as A Christmas Story, Battle For The Planet Of The Apes, Cujo, Five Fingers Of Death, Black Christmas, Super Fly, The Color Of Money, My Bodyguard, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, The Iron Cross, The Eagle Has Landed, Ransom, Cleopatra Jones And The Casino Of Gold, Hot Potato, Mel Brooks High Anxiety and Silent Night, Evil Night. Robert’s art is featured on the first announcement that Jaws was being made into a Movie.
- 8/13/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
(See previous post: “Gay Pride Movie Series Comes to a Close: From Heterosexual Angst to Indonesian Coup.”) Ken Russell's Valentino (1977) is notable for starring ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev as silent era icon Rudolph Valentino, whose sexual orientation, despite countless gay rumors, seems to have been, according to the available evidence, heterosexual. (Valentino's supposed affair with fellow “Latin Lover” Ramon Novarro has no basis in reality.) The female cast is also impressive: Veteran Leslie Caron (Lili, Gigi) as stage and screen star Alla Nazimova, ex-The Mamas & the Papas singer Michelle Phillips as Valentino wife and Nazimova protégée Natacha Rambova, Felicity Kendal as screenwriter/producer June Mathis (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse), and Carol Kane – lately of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fame. Bob Fosse's Cabaret (1972) is notable as one of the greatest musicals ever made. As a 1930s Cabaret presenter – and the Spirit of Germany – Joel Grey was the year's Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner. Liza Minnelli...
- 6/30/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Christian movies: Starring Nicolas Cage, the widely panned 2014 apocalyptic thriller 'Left Behind' was a box office bomb – unlike (relatively) recent popular 'faith movies' such as 'Heaven Is for Real,' 'Son of God' and 'War Room.' A thought on the New Christian American Cinema: Tired of the blatant propaganda found in 'mainstream' Christian movies Two films that might be called “Christian movies” opened last week, and I decided that I wouldn't watch them, write about them, or review them – at least directly. I'm not even going to mention their titles here because I don't promote propaganda films, and that's what this recent advent of Christian movies has become: propaganda. After all, since nearly all American cinema is Christian cinema, the New Christian American Cinema is in fact pure propaganda – not cinema. Worse yet, it bores me. So, here's the thing about what we've come to call...
- 4/14/2017
- by Tim Cogshell
- Alt Film Guide
With the September 23, 2017 debut of Dirty 30 and the September 26 premiere of Laid in America, Hollywood has presented us with two studio-backed low-budget films featuring many prominent social-media influencers. Traditional Hollywood has finally joined, to borrow influencer Michelle Glavan’s phrase, “the YouTube movie circuit.”
That means traditional studios are finally trying a newish model for making and marketing films that are the polar opposite of their usual blockbuster behemoths. The model emerged about three years ago, when indie producers and multichannel networks like AwesomenessTV tapped squadrons of influencers for roles in films such as Expelled and Camp Takota. This model has resulted in small films that typically are profitable, relatively low risk, and can connect with young audiences who otherwise ignore traditional studios.
Previously, the big media companies focused more on buying up multichannel networks (e.g. Maker Studios, Machinima, Collective Digital Studios) and tapping influencers to promote their products.
That means traditional studios are finally trying a newish model for making and marketing films that are the polar opposite of their usual blockbuster behemoths. The model emerged about three years ago, when indie producers and multichannel networks like AwesomenessTV tapped squadrons of influencers for roles in films such as Expelled and Camp Takota. This model has resulted in small films that typically are profitable, relatively low risk, and can connect with young audiences who otherwise ignore traditional studios.
Previously, the big media companies focused more on buying up multichannel networks (e.g. Maker Studios, Machinima, Collective Digital Studios) and tapping influencers to promote their products.
- 10/10/2016
- by David Bloom
- Tubefilter.com
This story was originally published in the February 21st, 1991 issue of Rolling Stone.
Mr. and Mrs. Robin Williams are slow dancing. The time: a winter afternoon. The place: a photographer's studio in the Chelsea section of New York. The music: high-decibel funk. Everybody else in the studio is abuzz — adjusting lights, fussing with props, running back and forth from the kitchen with sushi. Still, Williams and his wife, Marsha, keep coming together in these quick, sweet tableaux. It's strange to see the thirty-nine-year-old actor and comedian with his guard down...
Mr. and Mrs. Robin Williams are slow dancing. The time: a winter afternoon. The place: a photographer's studio in the Chelsea section of New York. The music: high-decibel funk. Everybody else in the studio is abuzz — adjusting lights, fussing with props, running back and forth from the kitchen with sushi. Still, Williams and his wife, Marsha, keep coming together in these quick, sweet tableaux. It's strange to see the thirty-nine-year-old actor and comedian with his guard down...
- 8/12/2014
- Rollingstone.com
Jimmy, you never had a chance.
Jennifer Lopez was a guest on The Tonight Show Monday, and the former In Living Color Fly Girl showed she had a thing or two to teach Jimmy Fallon about dancing.
Fallon resumed an earlier 1960s Beach Blanket Bingo-style dance-off skit he'd originally performed with Will Ferrell – he and Lopez donned Beatles-esque mop-top wigs and sang about wearing tight pants. (Needless to say, Lopez wins.)
"I'm the only one who can wear tight pants in this town," Lopez says to Fallon at the end of the skit. We'll see if Lopez can continue...
Jennifer Lopez was a guest on The Tonight Show Monday, and the former In Living Color Fly Girl showed she had a thing or two to teach Jimmy Fallon about dancing.
Fallon resumed an earlier 1960s Beach Blanket Bingo-style dance-off skit he'd originally performed with Will Ferrell – he and Lopez donned Beatles-esque mop-top wigs and sang about wearing tight pants. (Needless to say, Lopez wins.)
"I'm the only one who can wear tight pants in this town," Lopez says to Fallon at the end of the skit. We'll see if Lopez can continue...
- 6/10/2014
- by Alex Heigl
- People.com - TV Watch
One of two things is going on here: either Jennifer Lopez stole this entire look from her little girl Emme's closet (because it was five sizes too big anyway) or Emme got a hold of Mama's all-white wear and colored it in with a pink highlighter. Otherwise we have absolutely no idea why the frequently best-dressed list topper would wear this electric Pepto-Bismol bottle in the shape of a shirt and pants. We'll give the "Live It Up" singer credit for selecting a perfect shape. The capped-sleeve top and cropped-leg bottom on this J Brand combo have a cute, vintage feel - almost like J.Lo is a character in a Beach Blanket Bingo remake. Her sky-high ponytail definitely helps that cause. But cut alone...
- 3/13/2014
- E! Online
News
NBC’s Constantine pilot has completed casting. Harold Perrinau will play an angel who watches over John Constantine and True Blood alum Lucy Griffiths (she played Eric‘s sister) is an “offbeat young lady” who joins forces with Constantine.
Aubrey Peeple, who plays Layla on Nashville talked with TV Guide about her character’s relationship with closeted singer Will, ” I think that him being good for her career was a huge factor in why they got together. But at this point … she’s totally head over heels for him, because she’s 19. There will always be that aspect of her career that drives her, and that’s what comes first. But she’s a hormonal teenager. She’s in love with him now.” Peeple also hints that Will and Layla’s storyline should get some major developments soon.
I just want Trent back on the show.
The magnificent Lee Pace...
NBC’s Constantine pilot has completed casting. Harold Perrinau will play an angel who watches over John Constantine and True Blood alum Lucy Griffiths (she played Eric‘s sister) is an “offbeat young lady” who joins forces with Constantine.
Aubrey Peeple, who plays Layla on Nashville talked with TV Guide about her character’s relationship with closeted singer Will, ” I think that him being good for her career was a huge factor in why they got together. But at this point … she’s totally head over heels for him, because she’s 19. There will always be that aspect of her career that drives her, and that’s what comes first. But she’s a hormonal teenager. She’s in love with him now.” Peeple also hints that Will and Layla’s storyline should get some major developments soon.
I just want Trent back on the show.
The magnificent Lee Pace...
- 3/6/2014
- by Lyle Masaki
- The Backlot
On TV this Friday: Surf’s up in Disney Channel’s Teen Beach Movie, Aziz Ansari parks it at Comedy Bang! Bang!, the Treehouse Master creates wedded bliss in the season finale and Continuum courts disaster. As a supplement to TVLine’s original features, here are seven programs to keep on your radar tonight.
8 pm Teen Beach Movie (Disney Channel) | Ross Lynch (Austin & Ally) and Maia Mitchell (The Fosters) star as teen sweethearts who find themselves swept into a retro surf musical movie called Wet Side Story. Their efforts to find a way back to 2013 are complicated by the romantic...
8 pm Teen Beach Movie (Disney Channel) | Ross Lynch (Austin & Ally) and Maia Mitchell (The Fosters) star as teen sweethearts who find themselves swept into a retro surf musical movie called Wet Side Story. Their efforts to find a way back to 2013 are complicated by the romantic...
- 7/19/2013
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
Annette Funicello, the gays miss you! The onetime Mouseketeer was damn fab, and it takes one viewing of Beach Blanket Bingo to know she kept a lot of starpower in her hips.
But the Disney alumna's death got me thinking: How many classic Disney characters were probably gay? I know it's stupid to assign sexuality to ancient cartoon characters, but it's stupid-er to pretend they couldn't have been gay at all. And with that, let's talk about how gay they all were. Mickey Mouse, Jafar, Pinocchio, Chip & Dale, and Buzz and Woody from Toy Story, watch out: Someone's tugged on my pull-string, and now I can't stop spewing gay catchphrases.
[logo_video_player|video_id=899045|width=540|height=305]
You can find previous Weeklings! episodes here.
Tags: disney charactersGay Disneygay disney charactersWeeklingsannette funicellobeach blanket bingoIMDbpeter panAladdinToy StoryFinding Nemofinding dorySnow White and the Seven Dwarfsfantasiadonald duckmickey mouseminnie mousescrooge mcduckDavid BurtkaTeaser Photo: ...
But the Disney alumna's death got me thinking: How many classic Disney characters were probably gay? I know it's stupid to assign sexuality to ancient cartoon characters, but it's stupid-er to pretend they couldn't have been gay at all. And with that, let's talk about how gay they all were. Mickey Mouse, Jafar, Pinocchio, Chip & Dale, and Buzz and Woody from Toy Story, watch out: Someone's tugged on my pull-string, and now I can't stop spewing gay catchphrases.
[logo_video_player|video_id=899045|width=540|height=305]
You can find previous Weeklings! episodes here.
Tags: disney charactersGay Disneygay disney charactersWeeklingsannette funicellobeach blanket bingoIMDbpeter panAladdinToy StoryFinding Nemofinding dorySnow White and the Seven Dwarfsfantasiadonald duckmickey mouseminnie mousescrooge mcduckDavid BurtkaTeaser Photo: ...
- 4/12/2013
- by virtel
- The Backlot
Mickey Mouse Club favourite who appeared with Frankie Avalon in 60s Beach Party musicals
Annette Funicello, who has died of complications from multiple sclerosis aged 70, was instantly associated with two names: Mickey Mouse and Frankie Avalon, both of whom were squeaky clean. As a child, Funicello was one of the first Mouseketeers on the original Mickey Mouse Club, the hugely popular Walt Disney children's television programme. In her early 20s, Funicello co-starred with the pop singer Avalon in five "Beach Party" musicals, in which they played wholesome "teenage" sweethearts called Dee Dee and Frankie, always testing each other's fidelity.
Born in Utica, New York, Funicello took ballet dancing lessons as a child to overcome shyness. In 1955, some years after her family had moved to southern California, the 12-year-old was chosen by Disney himself from 200 children auditioning for the first season of the Mickey Mouse Club. From 1955 to 1957, she danced, sang...
Annette Funicello, who has died of complications from multiple sclerosis aged 70, was instantly associated with two names: Mickey Mouse and Frankie Avalon, both of whom were squeaky clean. As a child, Funicello was one of the first Mouseketeers on the original Mickey Mouse Club, the hugely popular Walt Disney children's television programme. In her early 20s, Funicello co-starred with the pop singer Avalon in five "Beach Party" musicals, in which they played wholesome "teenage" sweethearts called Dee Dee and Frankie, always testing each other's fidelity.
Born in Utica, New York, Funicello took ballet dancing lessons as a child to overcome shyness. In 1955, some years after her family had moved to southern California, the 12-year-old was chosen by Disney himself from 200 children auditioning for the first season of the Mickey Mouse Club. From 1955 to 1957, she danced, sang...
- 4/10/2013
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
Annette Funicello, the ’50s and ’60s teen dream who passed away Monday after a long battle with multiple sclerosis, rose to fame as a “Mouseketeer” on the original Mickey Mouse Club and starred with fellow idol Frankie Avalon in a series of iconic big-screen “Beach Party” hits, including Beach Blanket Bingo and Bikini Beach. Along the way she made quite an impression on the music scene, singing and dancing her way into the hearts of millions with songs like “Tall Paul,” “Pineapple Princess,” “Because You’re You,” and “Beach Blanket Bingo.”
People put together a loving tribute to Funicello’s career in music,...
People put together a loving tribute to Funicello’s career in music,...
- 4/9/2013
- by John Mitchell
- EW.com - PopWatch
Today, the Magic Kingdom — and the nostalgic boomers who yearned to make her either their girlfriend or their best friend — are mourning the death of Annette Funicello, the teen idol whose sunny, perky screen presence defined the ’50s and ’60s. The boys in Stand By Me lusted after her; Grease’s Rizzo mocked her (“would you pull that crap with Annette?”); Paul Anka, whom she dated, wrote “Puppy Love” for her in 1960, thus setting the boyfriend bar impossibly high.
Funicello succumbed to complications of multiple sclerosis, a debilitating disease from which she’d suffered since 1987. Her Ms effectively removed her...
Funicello succumbed to complications of multiple sclerosis, a debilitating disease from which she’d suffered since 1987. Her Ms effectively removed her...
- 4/8/2013
- by Hillary Busis
- EW.com - PopWatch
Annette Funicello, who became a child star as a perky, cute-as-a-button Mouseketeer on "The Mickey Mouse Club" in the 1950s, then teamed up with Frankie Avalon in a string of '60s fun-in-the-sun movies with titles like Beach Blanket Bingo and Bikini Beach, died Monday. She was 70.
She died at Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield, Calif., of complications from multiple sclerosis, the Walt Disney Co. said.
Funicello stunned fans and friends in 1992 with the announcement about her ailment. Yet she was cheerful and upbeat, grappling with the disease with a courage that contrasted with her lightweight teen image of old.
Though she was mostly out of the public eye for many years, she was seemingly never forgotten.
...
She died at Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield, Calif., of complications from multiple sclerosis, the Walt Disney Co. said.
Funicello stunned fans and friends in 1992 with the announcement about her ailment. Yet she was cheerful and upbeat, grappling with the disease with a courage that contrasted with her lightweight teen image of old.
Though she was mostly out of the public eye for many years, she was seemingly never forgotten.
...
- 4/8/2013
- by Cineplex.com and contributors
- Cineplex
New York (AP) — Annette Funicello, who became a child star as a perky, cute-as-a-button Mouseketeer on "The Mickey Mouse Club" in the 1950s, then teamed up with Frankie Avalon in a string of '60s fun-in-the-sun movies with titles like "Beach Blanket Bingo" and "Bikini Beach," died Monday. She was 70. She died at Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield, Calif., of complications from multiple sclerosis, the Walt Disney Co. said. Funicello stunned fans and friends in 1992 with the announcement about her ailment. Yet she was cheerful and upbeat, grappling with the disease with a courage that contrasted with her lightweight...
- 4/8/2013
- by Frazier Moore (AP)
- Hitfix
She was one of the top entertainers of her generation and sadly Annette Funicello died after a battle with medical issues.
The 70-year-old actress spent the final moments of her life in a coma that was caused by her advanced multiple sclerosis ailment.
Back in the 1950s, Annette came into the limelight thanks to her role as an original Mouseketeer as well as a few pop radio singles.
From there, she starred along with Frankie Avalon in films like “Beach Blanket Bingo,” “Muscle Beach Party,” and “Beach Party.”...
The 70-year-old actress spent the final moments of her life in a coma that was caused by her advanced multiple sclerosis ailment.
Back in the 1950s, Annette came into the limelight thanks to her role as an original Mouseketeer as well as a few pop radio singles.
From there, she starred along with Frankie Avalon in films like “Beach Blanket Bingo,” “Muscle Beach Party,” and “Beach Party.”...
- 4/8/2013
- GossipCenter
Former child star was hand-picked by Walt Disney and spoke openly about the degenerative effects of multiple sclerosis
Annette Funicello, who became a child star as a perky, cute-as-a-button Mouseketeer on The Mickey Mouse Club in the 1950s, then teamed up with Frankie Avalon on a string of 1960s fun-in-the-sun movies with names like Beach Blanket Bingo and Bikini Beach, died Monday. She was 70.
She died at Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield, California, of complications from multiple sclerosis, the Walt Disney Co said.
Funicello stunned fans and friends in 1992 with the announcement about her ailment. Yet she was cheerful and upbeat, grappling with the disease with a courage that contrasted with her lightweight teen image of old.
"She will forever hold a place in our hearts as one of Walt Disney's brightest stars, delighting an entire generation of baby boomers with her jubilant personality and endless talent," said Bob Iger,...
Annette Funicello, who became a child star as a perky, cute-as-a-button Mouseketeer on The Mickey Mouse Club in the 1950s, then teamed up with Frankie Avalon on a string of 1960s fun-in-the-sun movies with names like Beach Blanket Bingo and Bikini Beach, died Monday. She was 70.
She died at Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield, California, of complications from multiple sclerosis, the Walt Disney Co said.
Funicello stunned fans and friends in 1992 with the announcement about her ailment. Yet she was cheerful and upbeat, grappling with the disease with a courage that contrasted with her lightweight teen image of old.
"She will forever hold a place in our hearts as one of Walt Disney's brightest stars, delighting an entire generation of baby boomers with her jubilant personality and endless talent," said Bob Iger,...
- 4/8/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Annette Funicello -- the undisputed queen of the "Mickey Mouse Club" -- has died, according to Disney's official fan club Twitter. She was 70. Funicello was a triple threat -- Mouseketeer, pop singer and bigscreen star. She was huge in the 60's with movies like "Beach Party," Bikini Beach," and "Beach Blanket Bingo."According to "Extra," Annette had been hospitalized in Bakersfield due to complications from multiple sclerosis and had been in a coma. Funicello disclosed...
- 4/8/2013
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
First it was Roger Ebert, then this morning Margaret Thatcher, and now it's the sweet Annette Funicello, one of the best-known members of the original 1950s Mickey Mouse Club, the original Mouseketeer, has passed away. She was 70.
The Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Diseases Inc. posted on Facebook this sad news.
She was just 12 when Mister Disney himself handpicked her to be one of the original Mouseketeers. She quickly became one of the most popular members. Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Co. called Funicello a "true Disney Legend." Awwww....
Funicello also tried acting in movies with her first role as Frankie Avalon's marriage-minded sweetheart named Dolores (Dee Dee for short) in the 1963 flick "Beach Party." She starred again as Dee Dee opposite Avalon in 1964's "Muscle Beach Party," "Bikini Beach," and "Pajama Party." And in 1965 in films such as "Beach Blanket Bingo," "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini,...
The Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Diseases Inc. posted on Facebook this sad news.
She was just 12 when Mister Disney himself handpicked her to be one of the original Mouseketeers. She quickly became one of the most popular members. Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Co. called Funicello a "true Disney Legend." Awwww....
Funicello also tried acting in movies with her first role as Frankie Avalon's marriage-minded sweetheart named Dolores (Dee Dee for short) in the 1963 flick "Beach Party." She starred again as Dee Dee opposite Avalon in 1964's "Muscle Beach Party," "Bikini Beach," and "Pajama Party." And in 1965 in films such as "Beach Blanket Bingo," "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini,...
- 4/8/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Annette Funicello has passed away at the age of 70. The former Mouseketeer's family confirms to "Extra" that Funicello died after being in a coma in a Bakersfield hospital. The family says the coma was a complication of multiple sclerosis.
It is unclear how long Funicello was in a coma. She announced her Ms diagnosis in 1992 at the age of 50. Over the years, the disease took away Funicello's ability to walk, putting her on a walking cane and eventually confining her to a wheelchair. She eventually lost the ability to talk as well.
Funicello joined the original "Mickey Mouse Club" at the age of twelve and quickly became one of the most well known Mouseketeers. She translated her popularity into a pop music and film career, eventually starring alongside Frankie Avalon in many mid-1960's era "Beach Party" genre films, including "Beach Blanket Bingo, "Pajama Party," and "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini.
It is unclear how long Funicello was in a coma. She announced her Ms diagnosis in 1992 at the age of 50. Over the years, the disease took away Funicello's ability to walk, putting her on a walking cane and eventually confining her to a wheelchair. She eventually lost the ability to talk as well.
Funicello joined the original "Mickey Mouse Club" at the age of twelve and quickly became one of the most well known Mouseketeers. She translated her popularity into a pop music and film career, eventually starring alongside Frankie Avalon in many mid-1960's era "Beach Party" genre films, including "Beach Blanket Bingo, "Pajama Party," and "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini.
- 4/8/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Annette Funicello has died at the age of 70. Her family confirmed to Extra that the former Mouseketeer passed away due to complications from multiple sclerosis. Funicello got her start at the age of 12 as an original member of the Mickey Mouse Club. She went on to have a successful career in both singing and acting, starring in the popular "Beach Party" films of the 1960s, including "Beach Blanket Bingo" and "Bikini Beach." In 1992, Funicello announced that she had Ms. Over the years, she became a spokeswoman for the disease and the terrible toll it takes on those who have it. In 1993, she started the Annette Funicello Fund for Neurological Disorders at the California Community Foundation. [via Extra]...
- 4/8/2013
- by Alex Suskind
- Moviefone
I’ve never had much patience for the “transgressive” avant-grunge indie-cinema noodlings of Harmony Korine. But Spring Breakers, his movie about four college women who go on a psychotic Spring Break bender (and, in vintage B-movie cautionary fashion, pay the price), is now threatening to become a crossover sensation in more ways than one. Without a doubt, it’s the first Korine movie that could at least be mentioned in the same paragraph with the word “mainstream.” Opening today on 1,100 screens, Spring Breakers will probably make more money in one hour than all of Korine’s previous films (Gummo, Julien Donky-Boy,...
- 3/22/2013
- by Owen Gleiberman
- EW - Inside Movies
Army of Darkness really needs no introduction here. The third installment of the Evil Trilogy, it had the largest budget and picks up where Evil Dead 2 ended, telling the story of Ash in King Arthur’s realm. Ash faces many ridiculous foes including a band of tiny versions of himself, the wily Necronomicon, and of course, an army of undead soldiers.
Freaks, not to be confused with Alex Winter’s Freaked which also centered around a sideshow and was conceived as "Beach Blanket Bingo meets The Evil Dead", is Tod Browning’s story of a lovely trapeze artist who falls for a little person from the circus side show. Can a grown woman love a midget? Why, yes she can, and they love her too, at least until she has an affair, as reflected in the famous “Gobble gobble. One of us.” clip (watch it below). Cast with people with real deformities,...
Freaks, not to be confused with Alex Winter’s Freaked which also centered around a sideshow and was conceived as "Beach Blanket Bingo meets The Evil Dead", is Tod Browning’s story of a lovely trapeze artist who falls for a little person from the circus side show. Can a grown woman love a midget? Why, yes she can, and they love her too, at least until she has an affair, as reflected in the famous “Gobble gobble. One of us.” clip (watch it below). Cast with people with real deformities,...
- 2/22/2013
- by Sara Castillo
- FEARnet
Reviewed by Sam Moffitt
In my years as a Movie Geek I have watched a lot of strange stuff. I can well remember the first time I saw Eraserhead, at the Naro theatre at midnight, sometime in 1979, in Norfolk, Virginia, during my Navy years. I recall seeing El Topo and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls at the Tivoli Theater in St. Louis in the early 80s. I saw Le Bete, a wonderful mix of art house and horror movie by Walerian Borowczyk in a theatre in Barcelona, Spain, again during my time in the Navy, with a packed house of Spanish, French, English and Dutch (and who knows how many other nationalities) cinema fans who loved the movie so much they gave it a standing ovation. That is one of my fondest movie memories (if you haven’t seen it I highly recommend La Bete, and everything else Borowczyk has done.
In my years as a Movie Geek I have watched a lot of strange stuff. I can well remember the first time I saw Eraserhead, at the Naro theatre at midnight, sometime in 1979, in Norfolk, Virginia, during my Navy years. I recall seeing El Topo and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls at the Tivoli Theater in St. Louis in the early 80s. I saw Le Bete, a wonderful mix of art house and horror movie by Walerian Borowczyk in a theatre in Barcelona, Spain, again during my time in the Navy, with a packed house of Spanish, French, English and Dutch (and who knows how many other nationalities) cinema fans who loved the movie so much they gave it a standing ovation. That is one of my fondest movie memories (if you haven’t seen it I highly recommend La Bete, and everything else Borowczyk has done.
- 1/29/2013
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Reel Important People is a monthly column that highlights those individuals in or related to the movies who have left us in recent weeks. It is unfortunate that we lose so many great film contributors, on-screen and off, that it's impossible to pay extensive tribute to every one. But I think it's important to recognize them at least in this monthly digest, not to mourn but to remember their work. Below you'll find names big and small and from all areas of the industry, though each was significant to the movies in their own way. Wiliam Asher (1921-2012) - Best known as the producer of TV's Bewitched, he also directed many beach movies, including Beach Party, Beach Blanket Bingo, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, Muscle...
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- 7/28/2012
- by Christopher Campbell
- Movies.com
Palm Desert, Calif. — The director and producer behind the television classics "I Love Lucy" and "Bewitched" has died. Bill Asher was 90.
His wife, Meredith, says he died Monday at a facility in Palm Desert, Calif., of complications from Alzheimer's disease.
Asher was best known for his work on "I Love Lucy," where he directed Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz for 100 of the show's 181 episodes between 1952 and 1957.
He also produced and directed "The Patty Duke Show" and "Bewitched," which starred his then-wife Elizabeth Montgomery. Montgomery and Asher had three children together.
Asher brought Sally Field to TV screens in "Gidget," and took the same sensibility to movies as director of the teen romps "Beach Blanket Bingo" and "Beach Party," starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.
His wife, Meredith, says he died Monday at a facility in Palm Desert, Calif., of complications from Alzheimer's disease.
Asher was best known for his work on "I Love Lucy," where he directed Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz for 100 of the show's 181 episodes between 1952 and 1957.
He also produced and directed "The Patty Duke Show" and "Bewitched," which starred his then-wife Elizabeth Montgomery. Montgomery and Asher had three children together.
Asher brought Sally Field to TV screens in "Gidget," and took the same sensibility to movies as director of the teen romps "Beach Blanket Bingo" and "Beach Party," starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.
- 7/17/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Palm Desert, Calif. — The director and producer behind the television classics "I Love Lucy" and "Bewitched" has died. Bill Asher was 90.
His wife, Meredith, says he died Monday at a facility in Palm Desert, Calif., of complications from Alzheimer's disease.
Asher was best known for his work on "I Love Lucy," where he directed Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz for 100 of the show's 181 episodes between 1952 and 1957.
He also produced and directed "The Patty Duke Show" and "Bewitched," which starred his then-wife Elizabeth Montgomery. Montgomery and Asher had three children together.
Asher brought Sally Field to TV screens in "Gidget," and took the same sensibility to movies as director of the teen romps "Beach Blanket Bingo" and "Beach Party," starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.
His wife, Meredith, says he died Monday at a facility in Palm Desert, Calif., of complications from Alzheimer's disease.
Asher was best known for his work on "I Love Lucy," where he directed Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz for 100 of the show's 181 episodes between 1952 and 1957.
He also produced and directed "The Patty Duke Show" and "Bewitched," which starred his then-wife Elizabeth Montgomery. Montgomery and Asher had three children together.
Asher brought Sally Field to TV screens in "Gidget," and took the same sensibility to movies as director of the teen romps "Beach Blanket Bingo" and "Beach Party," starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.
- 7/17/2012
- by AP
- Aol TV.
William Asher has died aged 90, it has been announced. The director passed away in Palm Desert, California, according to local daily The Desert Sun. Asher worked on I Love Lucy and Bewitched, and co-created The Patty Duke Show. He also wrote the Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon movies Beach Party, Muscle Beach Party, Beach Blanket Bingo and How to Stuff a Wild Bikini. Asher won an Emmy in 1966 for directing an episode of Bewitched, and was nominated at (more)...
- 7/17/2012
- by By Colin Daniels
- Digital Spy
William Asher, the prolific writer-director of such groundbreaking TV sitcoms as I Love Lucy, Bewitched, Gidget and Our Miss Brooks, died today in Palm Springs, according to local reports. He was 90. Asher’s first gig in the beginning days of TV was adapting his short stories for the anthology series Invitation Playhouse, which he also directed. In the early 1950s, CBS asked him to shoot a pilot starring movie actress Eve Arden that became Our Miss Brooks. (When the network came calling for the gig, according to Asher in a later interview, he asked, “What did a television director do”?) He soon was hired to try his hand on another sitcom that was struggling in its first season, I Love Lucy. He went on to direct more than 100 episodes of the series. He eventually worked with pretty much every TV legend-to-be there was from Danny Thomas to Dinah Shore to Sally Field,...
- 7/17/2012
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
[Ed. note: The following playlists -- and introduction -- were curated by our friends at Songza -- a great site that lets you select music based on either your activity or mood. Clicking on a playlist below will open an single window or tab and immediately start the selected music -- no log-in or personal information is required. Enjoy, and happy Fourth!]
Because summer is our favorite season, it only follows that the Fourth of July is our favorite holiday. When you take all the classic summer activities and add parades, fireworks, and a nationwide birthday celebration for America, you have the recipe for a great time. With carefully curated soundtracks for every summertime activity and mood, we promise to make your Fourth, and every day for the rest of your summer, even better.
Patriotic Music
These All-American playlists are the best way to celebrate Independence Day.
Stars and Stripes Forever!
Celebrate America in music, from marching bands to great pops orchestras. Play this sparkling homage to the land we love before, during, and after you watch the fireworks this Fourth of July.
Heartland America
Celebrate the things that make America great -- including cars, young love and rock & roll -- with these classic heartland rockers.
Patriotic Country
Celebrate the spirit of America,...
Because summer is our favorite season, it only follows that the Fourth of July is our favorite holiday. When you take all the classic summer activities and add parades, fireworks, and a nationwide birthday celebration for America, you have the recipe for a great time. With carefully curated soundtracks for every summertime activity and mood, we promise to make your Fourth, and every day for the rest of your summer, even better.
Patriotic Music
These All-American playlists are the best way to celebrate Independence Day.
Stars and Stripes Forever!
Celebrate America in music, from marching bands to great pops orchestras. Play this sparkling homage to the land we love before, during, and after you watch the fireworks this Fourth of July.
Heartland America
Celebrate the things that make America great -- including cars, young love and rock & roll -- with these classic heartland rockers.
Patriotic Country
Celebrate the spirit of America,...
- 7/4/2012
- by Kia Makarechi
- Huffington Post
Tom Lisanti (Cinema Retro contributor and award-winning author of 7 books on Sixties cinema including Hollywood Surf and Beach Movies: The First Wave, 1959-1969) will be co-hosting, with Ben Mankieicz, Turner Classic Movies' Spring Break Film Festival beginning Monday April 16 at 8pm through Friday April 20. Ben and Tom will introduce 19 surf and summer movies from the Sixties including Where the Boys Are; Gidget Goes Hawaiian; Beach Blanket Bingo; Blue Hawaii; The Girls on the Beach; Ride the Wild Surf; and a few in the snow such as Winter a-Go-Go. Click below for more information: http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/474205%7C0/Spring-Break-April-16-20.html Tom will be participating in the Cinema Retro panel about The Poseidon Adventure at the Landmark Loews Jersey Theatre on April 28 and has contributed the article "A Nod to Nonnie" for Cinema Retro's fall issue (#24) celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Poseidon Adventure. Visit his web site www.
- 4/14/2012
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
After a controversial showgirls dance during the March 6 episode of "Dance Moms," Abby Lee Miller blamed the team's loss not on the potentially inappropriate nature of the routine or the fact that the girls were supposed to appear nude behind their over-sized pink feather fans -- but on the girls themselves.
And ironically in Tuesday's (March 13) episode, during which Abby and the girls travel to Miami for a competition, she says, "I want to take the girls back to an era of innocence."
The dancers are supposed to embody Annette Funicello in the 1965 flick "Beach Blanket Bingo" for the number with "big high ponytails and little itsy-bitsy '60s bikinis," Abby says. Because nothing says innocence like a lot of skin?
With that and the big blowout between Abby and Nia's mom, Holly (complete with loads of school-related puns for Holly the principal, courtesy of Abby, like "I'm the principal!
And ironically in Tuesday's (March 13) episode, during which Abby and the girls travel to Miami for a competition, she says, "I want to take the girls back to an era of innocence."
The dancers are supposed to embody Annette Funicello in the 1965 flick "Beach Blanket Bingo" for the number with "big high ponytails and little itsy-bitsy '60s bikinis," Abby says. Because nothing says innocence like a lot of skin?
With that and the big blowout between Abby and Nia's mom, Holly (complete with loads of school-related puns for Holly the principal, courtesy of Abby, like "I'm the principal!
- 3/14/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Chillerama introduced the world to a number of things, from sex-hungry ghouls to man-eating semen, but perhaps the most memorable segment in last year’s anthology hit is Tim Sullivan’s I Was A Teenage Werebear. The hybrid of Rebel Without A Cause and Beach Blanket Bingo (with a little bit of s&m) is a hilarious musical that goes over the top to a sweet tune. Now the tunes featured in Werebear are available in a limited edition soundtrack that, despite being on the market less than 24 hours at this point, is already causing waves.
Sullivan initially offered the disc on Ebay as a bulk quantity auction, but within hours, the auction giant removed his listing, citing it as, “sexually and morally offensive.” As a result, the filmmaker has had to ask interested parties to order directly from him by sending an request to newrebel2211@gmail.com with your...
Sullivan initially offered the disc on Ebay as a bulk quantity auction, but within hours, the auction giant removed his listing, citing it as, “sexually and morally offensive.” As a result, the filmmaker has had to ask interested parties to order directly from him by sending an request to newrebel2211@gmail.com with your...
- 2/17/2012
- by Justin
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Beach blanket bingo this is not. Our first questions when we learned Survivor: One World's gender-divided tribes would share the same beach—whether the Castaways would form co-ed alliances and share resources—were resolved in the opening minutes of tonight's premiere. The answers? No and no. So who won tonight's battle of the sexes at the "remote Polynesian island" otherwise known as Samoa? The men's Manono tribe scored One World's first victory, dodging Tribal Council on a technicality: Tattooed Kourtney, whom we were all ready to nickname Shamu because of her adorable knit cap, fractured her wrist in the first "freefall challenge" and had to leave...
- 2/16/2012
- E! Online
Chillerama is directed by Adam Rifkin, Tim Sullivan, Adam Green and Joe Lynch. The film stars the huge cast of Richard Riehle, Adam Rifkin, Ray Wise, Eric Roberts, Joel David Moore, Kristina Klebe, Kane Hodder, Anton Troy, Brent Corrigan, Lin Shaye, Adam Robitel, Ron Jeremy, Ed Ackerman, Aj Bowen, Remy Lynch, Briana McKay Lynch, Joe Lynch, Tim Sullivan, Laura Ortiz and Alice Haig
The film was shot on an extremely low budget of $300,000, but it is still entertaining to see what can be done on this amount of money. The plan is to make more anthologies like this with other directors in years to come. Chillerama is one of those movies that you have to be prepared to switch your brain off from the beginning and just have fun. If you are a fan of anthology horror films like Creeepshow or more recently Grindhouse, you will love this new take on that classic genre.
The film was shot on an extremely low budget of $300,000, but it is still entertaining to see what can be done on this amount of money. The plan is to make more anthologies like this with other directors in years to come. Chillerama is one of those movies that you have to be prepared to switch your brain off from the beginning and just have fun. If you are a fan of anthology horror films like Creeepshow or more recently Grindhouse, you will love this new take on that classic genre.
- 11/21/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
This weekend (Sept 23-25) Franklin, Indiana is playing host to possibly the most diverse line-up of genre, exploitation, horror, family, action, comedy, and classic cinema anywhere in the world as the B-Movie Celebration rolls out the red carpet for its 5th Annual festival. 35mm prints of Killer Klowns From Outer Space, Night Of The Comet, 7 Brothers Meet Dracula, The Cellar, Angry Red Planet, Beach Blanket Bingo pepper the schedule alongside 27 other films. Not enticing enough? Joe Bob Briggs, workshops, premieres, a scream queen contest, a zombie walk and more await you...
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- 9/23/2011
- by justin@fangoria.com (Justin Beahm)
- Fangoria
This weekend (Sept 23-25) Franklin, Indiana is playing host to possibly the most diverse line-up of genre, exploitation, horror, family, action, comedy, and classic cinema anywhere in the world as the B-Movie Celebration rolls out the red carpet for its 5th Annual festival. 35mm prints of Killer Klowns From Outer Space, Night Of The Comet, 7 Brothers Meet Dracula, The Cellar, Angry Red Planet, Beach Blanket Bingo pepper the schedule alongside 27 other films. Not enticing enough? Joe Bob Briggs, workshops, premieres, a scream queen contest, a zombie walk and more await you...
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- 9/23/2011
- by justin@fangoria.com (Justin Beahm)
- Fangoria
If you have a deep rooted love for b-movies and will be in or near Franklin, Indiana this September, there’s a film festival taking place that is just for you. With everything from b-movie classics to world premieres and several top names from the world of B-filmdom in attendance, think of the B Movie Celebration as the Cannes Film Festival for aficionados of fine schlock.
The annual center of all b-Movie fandom celebration is back again September 23rd-25th in Franklin, Indiana. This year, besides a Huge list of classic films being screened, there are also a few world premieres and screenings of some very eagerly anticipated films. There's the world premieres of Fred Olen Ray's "Dino Wolf" [aka "Dire-Wolf"], David A. Prior's "Night Claws", Jim Wynorski's "Camel Spiders", and screenings of other hotly anticipated titles such as "The Millennium Bug", "El Monstro Del Mar", "Rare Exports:...
The annual center of all b-Movie fandom celebration is back again September 23rd-25th in Franklin, Indiana. This year, besides a Huge list of classic films being screened, there are also a few world premieres and screenings of some very eagerly anticipated films. There's the world premieres of Fred Olen Ray's "Dino Wolf" [aka "Dire-Wolf"], David A. Prior's "Night Claws", Jim Wynorski's "Camel Spiders", and screenings of other hotly anticipated titles such as "The Millennium Bug", "El Monstro Del Mar", "Rare Exports:...
- 8/8/2011
- by Foywonder
- DreadCentral.com
The drive-in movie-going experience is something I recall as a true labor of cinema love for me. Before there was the option to trek to your local Ma and Pa video store to catch a flick, you had no choice but to beg your parents to get in the car to see the latest horror film. And that, my friends, is what is missing from fandom today – that spontaneity to throw caution to the wind to take a chance on what might or might not be a terrible movie. That’s what made it so much fun! The days of battling the crackling speaker in the car window and the giant murky screen where you couldn’t quite see what was happening may seem long gone, but if you search Google maps you’d be surprised to find out there are a few left. But people would rather Netflix, Redbox...
- 7/23/2011
- by Jason Bene
- Killer Films
Killer Film is proud to host the World Premiere trailer for Rolfe Kanefsky’s new film, Emmanuelle in Wonderland, which looks like Naked Glee meets Disney on acid. Brittany Joy, better known as Adult Entertainment hottie Allie Haze, stars as the sexy Emmanuelle.
Make sure you “like” the Emmanuelle in Wonderland Facebook page for the latest news and updates!
While participating in a scientific experiment involving multi-universes, a young woman named Emmanuelle falls through a wormhole and winds up in Wonderland! But this is not just the place Alice visited so many years ago. This is a brand new world where all fairy tales exist and they are finally all grown up!
On her journey to find her way back home, Emmanuelle soon encounters The Mad Hatter, Little Bo Peep, Goldilocks, The Big Bad Wolf, Peter Pumpkin Eater and his wife, Little Boy Blue, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man,...
Make sure you “like” the Emmanuelle in Wonderland Facebook page for the latest news and updates!
While participating in a scientific experiment involving multi-universes, a young woman named Emmanuelle falls through a wormhole and winds up in Wonderland! But this is not just the place Alice visited so many years ago. This is a brand new world where all fairy tales exist and they are finally all grown up!
On her journey to find her way back home, Emmanuelle soon encounters The Mad Hatter, Little Bo Peep, Goldilocks, The Big Bad Wolf, Peter Pumpkin Eater and his wife, Little Boy Blue, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man,...
- 7/6/2011
- by Jason Bene
- Killer Films
You've seen them battle your worst nightmares, you've seen them battle F.E.A.R. 3, now get set to watch the lovely ladies of Team Unicorn battle Alien Beach Crashers. Watch a behind-the-scenes video of the next Team Unicorn film, starring Rileah Vanderbilt and her cohorts, after the jump. Vanderbilt describes Alien Beach Crashers as "a 1960's 'Beach Blanket Bingo' type movie trailer with an alien invasion twist. There's a lot of blood in it. We're planning on debuting the actual project next Tuesday June 28th." You saw it here first, folks.
- 6/21/2011
- FEARnet
Anybody else thinking of a Beach Blanket Bingo remake—or would that be too From Justin To Selena? Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez are in Hawaii, which naturally means the teens headed straight to the beach, with paparazzi getting an eyeful of Bieber beefcake. We can’t help but think of those old Charles Atlas ads looking at these pics, but we can’t decide whether he’s King Of The Beach or the twerp who gets sand in his face. Are you impressed with the Bieber bod?
Bieber's Beach Bod...Market Research
See photos of the young lovers in the gallery below—and check out Bieber’s new tattoo…it’s reportedly “Jesus” in Hebrew!
[Photos: Splash News Online]...
Bieber's Beach Bod...Market Research
See photos of the young lovers in the gallery below—and check out Bieber’s new tattoo…it’s reportedly “Jesus” in Hebrew!
[Photos: Splash News Online]...
- 5/24/2011
- by Anthony Miccio
- TheFabLife - Movies
Celebrity Homes! Disney princess and Green Celebrity Annette Funicello lost her celebrity home in CA to fire? [May 15] Disney princess Annette Funicello, best remembered for her work as one of the Mouseketeers on the Disney Channel program, the Mickey Mouse Club lost her home due to a fire in March 2011. Born in 1942, the actress from movies such as Beach Blanket Bingo alongside actor Frankie Avalon made a name for herself as one of America’s sweethearts! Not only talented as an actress, Annette was also revered as a singer in her movies and television appearances. How has Annette recovered since the fire? As a green celebrity, what is she doing these days to help others in need? Annette Funicello brought many smiles to children worldwide with her role on the Mickey Mouse Club. The world felt her pain when she lost her home in March of 2011 to a fire. On the morning of the fire,...
- 5/15/2011
- by Belky Says
- Green Celebrity
Unlike Aron Ralston, Bethany Hamilton is actually a one-armed hero. After a shark tore off her left arm in 2003, through determination and devout faith, she got back on her surfboard and continued to compete professionally. And it wasn't a matter of let's pity the wounded warrior -- Hamilton went on to place or win in several major professional events with the use of a modified board designed by her father. Her greatest achievement isn't survival, it's that she experienced heartbreaking and life changing adversity, and through unwavering commitment to her sport and her God, she's continued to compete and to help others. Bethany Hamilton is an amazing person.
However, since the accident, they've parlayed her devotion into a marketing campaign for Jesus. Bethany wrote a memoir of the incident, Soul Surfer, with the help of two other folks, which soon became a special book of Soul Surfer devotionals and even a Soul Surfer bible.
However, since the accident, they've parlayed her devotion into a marketing campaign for Jesus. Bethany wrote a memoir of the incident, Soul Surfer, with the help of two other folks, which soon became a special book of Soul Surfer devotionals and even a Soul Surfer bible.
- 4/8/2011
- by Brian Prisco
The California home of actress Annette Funicello has been partially destroyed by fire.
The blaze broke out on Thursday morning at the Beach Blanket Bingo star's Encino home. Three occupants of the house were taken to hospital as a precaution, according to the Los Angeles Times. It is not known if the actress was one of those.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the blaze was contained in less than 30 minutes, but had destroyed memorabilia in the house and furniture.
The house is not listed in ailing Funicello's name, but neighbours insist the actress, who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, has lived there for several years.
The blaze broke out on Thursday morning at the Beach Blanket Bingo star's Encino home. Three occupants of the house were taken to hospital as a precaution, according to the Los Angeles Times. It is not known if the actress was one of those.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the blaze was contained in less than 30 minutes, but had destroyed memorabilia in the house and furniture.
The house is not listed in ailing Funicello's name, but neighbours insist the actress, who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, has lived there for several years.
- 3/11/2011
- WENN
Character actor Frank Alesia died of natural causes in Carlsbad, California on February 27th. He was 65 years old. Alesia was born Born in Chicago, Illinois and came to Hollywood in 1964 and first appeared in Bikini Beach from Frankie Avalon-Annette Funicello films and Beach Blanket Bingo as well as the 1966 comedic horror The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini. Other appearances include That Girl, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Room 222, The Flying Nun and The Odd Couple. Frank Alesia also served as a director on Captain Kangaroo as well as an executive consultant on Laverne and Shirley. He is survived by his wife Sharon, two children and his sister Lucille.
- 3/6/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
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