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Severin continues their good work in bringing hitherto largely unavailable Russ Meyer titles to home video in glorious new 4K restorations. Their latest releases are Motorpsycho, a gritty genre mashup that’s been unjustly dismissed as merely a “dry run” for the better known Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, and the late-period gonzo comedy Up!, involving, among other things, leather gimp masks and an orgy-loving Adolf Hitler.

Motorpsycho, from 1965, starts off as a rip-roaring exposé of a renegade biker gang led by troubled Vietnam vet Brahmin (Stephen Oliver). He’s joined by Slick (Thomas Scott), who has a fondness for his transistor radio, and Dante (Joseph Cellini), whose major signifier as a character is that he spouts off in Italian when he gets excitable. These two are, in true Meyer fashion, little more than caricatures, but Brahmin actually gets to display some nuance in his role. Mind you, these are far...

It goes without saying that The Lord of the Ringstrilogy changed the lives of everyone involved. Director Peter Jackson went on to direct and produce some of the biggest blockbusters of the 2010s. Stars like Orlando Bloom went to equally big things, like the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy: the second-most popular film trilogy of the 2000s after Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic. Others, like Viggo Mortensen, starred in smaller but much darker films.

To be more specific, the actor who an entire generation associates with the heroic and noble Aragorn took on the role of a brutal gangster in Eastern Promises four years after The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King brought the battle of Middle-Earth to an end. While Eastern Promises was far from Mortensen's first dark and violent role, it was one of the first times he led such a film.

On Tuesday 28 January 2025, BBC One broadcasts Silent Witness!

Vanishing Point – Part 2 Season 28 Episode 8 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Silent Witness,” titled “Vanishing Point – Part 2,” promises to be an intense continuation of the gripping storyline. As the episode airs on BBC One, viewers will see the stakes rise even higher for Nikki and the Lyell team.

In this episode, the situation on the plane worsens as more passengers become infected. With time running out, Nikki and her team must dig deep to uncover the truth behind the outbreak. The pressure is on as they race against the clock to find a cure and prevent further chaos.

The episode will explore themes of urgency and teamwork, showcasing the dedication of the Lyell team as they face this critical challenge. With twists and turns, “Vanishing Point – Part 2” is set to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Fans of the series...

On Monday 27 January 2025, BBC One broadcasts Silent Witness!

Vanishing Point – Part 1 Season 28 Episode 7 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Silent Witness,” titled “Vanishing Point – Part 1,” promises to be an intense and gripping installment. Set to air on BBC One, this episode takes viewers on a thrilling journey as Dr. Nikki Alexander confronts a dire situation.

The story begins when a mysterious contagion breaks out on a flight from Mumbai. As panic spreads among the passengers, Dr. Alexander must act quickly to understand the nature of the illness. With the plane soaring at 30,000 feet, time is of the essence. The stakes are high, and the pressure is on as she races to contain the deadly contagion before it spreads further.

This episode highlights not only the challenges of dealing with a medical crisis in a confined space but also the emotional toll it takes on those involved. Dr. Alexander’s expertise...

The history of cinema is filled with films that were under-appreciated at the time that they were released, but then subsequently found an audience and the adoration that comes with it. These cult classics include Donnie Darko, the Jake Gyllenhaal psychological thriller, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the rip-roaring hallucinogenic road movie starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which Roger Ebert called a "social phenomenon" more than a movie. Another such film that can be entered into the cult canon is Vanishing Point, the seminal road movie from 1971 that has that almost mystical quality to it that exists in the greatest cult films.

"Hollywood has developed countless ways to make car chases feel more real and visceral to audiences." This easy-to-watch video essay takes a quick 10-minute look back at a handful of the most unforgettable car chases in movie history. We missed this video when it first dropped on YouTube back in 2021 - it was made as promotion for Fast and Furious 9 aka just F9 which opened in 2021 - but it's still fun to watch anytime. The video covers iconic car chase scenes from Bullitt (1968), The French Connection (1971), Vanishing Point (1971), Ronin (1998), Drive (2011), Black Panther (2018), Extraction (2020), Ford v Ferrari (2019) + a few others. Insider's How Car Chase Scenes Have Evolved Over 100 Years begins with the iconic Buster Keaton chase in 1924's Sherlock Jr. (followed up by his classic The General). While this isn't the most in-depth or extensive cinema history video essay, it will get you excited to watch more of these movies.

NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.

Roxy Cinema

The Limits of Control and Unfaithful screen on 35mm; Claire Denis’ No Fear, No Die and the rare Turkish film Yol play Sunday.

Film Forum

An Ealing Studios retrospective starts; the 4K restoration of Michelangelo Antonioni’s Il Grido continues and Willy Wonka screens on Sunday.

Bam

Films by Harmony Korine, Todd Haynes, and Martin Scorsese play this weekend in “Outrage: Movies and the Culture Wars, 1987–1996.”

Museum of the Moving Image

The Frank Oz series continues, while Vanishing Point screens on Sunday.

Metrograph

Napoleon Dynamite, Throne of Blood, and Wild at Heart show on 35mm; a Lev Kalman and Whitney Horn program begins; The World Is a Stage, Nicolas Uncaged, My Crazy Uncle (or Aunt), Insomnia, and Crush the Strong, Help the Weak continue.

Museum of Modern Art

A massive retrospective of Portuguese cinema continues.

IFC Center

A...

Dolly Lewis stars in the CW crime drama Sight Unseen as former detective, Tess Avery, and while this may be the first time most viewers have seen the actress in action, there's a chance they may have heard her previously. Born on July 12, 1986, Lewis began her professional acting career in 2018, appearing in the short, Vanishing Point as Carlotta the artist. This role was followed by a series of several more short films before she got her first television part, a one-episode role in Dead of Winter as Patricia.

Lewis, like her character in Sight Unseen, has a visual impairment, only Lewis' began around age 5 or 6. (via NYPost). Lewis' retinas are detaching and could possibly detach completely, an event that would require emergency surgery or leave her fully blind. This visual impairment has not stopped Lewis from entering a visual medium like acting, and she has made a career out of...

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office has confirmed Good Times and Roots star John Amos died of congestive heart failure, according to the actor’s death certificate obtained by TMZ.

Amos died August 21 at the age of 84, but his death was just announced yesterday October 1 by his son Kelly Christopher Amos.

His daughter Shannon Amos shared in an Instagram post Tuesday night that she was “without words” after learning of her father’s death through the media.

“I am without words…Our family has received the heartbreaking news that my Dad, John Allen Amos, Jr., transitioned on August 21st,” she wrote. “We are devastated and left with many questions about how this happened 45 days ago, learning about it through the media like so many of you.”

Amos was known for playing Florida Evans’ (Esther Rolle) husband James in Good Times, which spun off of Maude, and for playing...

John Amos, star of Good Times, Roots, and many more, died Oct. 1 at the age of 84.

Amos was known for playing Florida Evans’ (Esther Rolle) husband James in Good Times, which spun off of Maude, and for playing Gordy Howard the weatherman on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which helped him break into entertainment in 1970. Other appearances for Amos included several episodes of The Tim Conway Comedy Hour, Future Cop, Hunter, 704 Hauser, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, In the House, The District, three episodes of Two and a Half Men, a few episodes in The Ranch and two episodes of Ballers.

He went on to appear in Die Hard 2 (1990), The West Wing, All About the Andersons alongside Anthony Anderson, Men in Trees. He reprised his role as Cleo McDowell in the sequel to 1989’s Coming To America — Coming 2 America (2021). Other film roles include Vanishing Point (1971), Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song...

John Amos, the beloved TV dad best known for his roles on Good Times and Roots, died in his home in Los Angeles on August 21 of natural causes. His son, Kelly Christopher Amos confirmed the news in a statement shared with Variety. "He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold…...

Norman Spencer, the British producer, production manager and screenwriter who worked alongside famed director David Lean on films including Blithe Spirit, Great Expectations, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia, has died. He was 110.

Spencer died Aug. 16 in Wimbledon three days after his birthday, the European Supercentenarian Organisation announced.

Apart from Lean, Spencer produced Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), starring Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift and Katharine Hepburn; Richard C. Sarafian’s Vanishing Point (1971), the car chase movie that starred Barry Newman; and Richard Attenborough’s Cry Freedom (1987), starring Denzel Washington.

Spencer was Lean’s unit manager on the ghost comedy Blithe Spirit (1945), based on the Noël Coward play, and served as his production manager on his adaptations of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948).

He produced Lean’s The Passionate Friends (1949) and the Hepburn-starring, Venice-set Summertime (1955); worked on a rewrite of the script for...

Two-time Academy Award winner Alexander Payne (“The Holdovers”) teased the upcoming sequel to his beloved black comedy “Election” Sunday in Sarajevo while dishing on his desire to dabble in genre, sharing more details of an upcoming Western while also expressing his hopes “to do a good car chase film.”

Payne, who’s appearing at the Sarajevo Film Festival to receive a lifetime achievement award, gave an update on the anticipated sequel to his 1999 adaptation of the novel by Tom Perrotta, starring Reese Witherspoon as the ruthless go-getter Tracy Flick.

Paramount is reported to be developing a sequel for streaming service Paramount+, “Tracy Flick Can’t Win,” based on Perrotta’s follow-up novel, published in 2022, with Witherspoon reprising her iconic role and Payne tapped to direct.

“There is talk. Jim Taylor and I are conceiving that now,” Payne said on Sunday, describing conversations with his longtime collaborator, also in attendance. “If...

Alexander Payne teased post-The Holdovers projects to an audience at the Sarajevo Film Festival on Sunday (August 18), providing an update on the Election sequel and saying he wants to make “a car chase movie.”

“Jim Taylor and I are conceiving what the sequel would look like now,” said Payne of the Election sequel, which is in the works at Paramount+. Taylor is a regular collaborator with Payne, including as co-writer on Downsizing and Sideways.

The film will be based on the 2022 sequel novel Tracy Flick Can’t Win by Tom Perrotta, who wrote the first book Election on which...

What is it with Nicolas Cage and evil cults? From the trashy thrills of his Wicker Man remake to the stylized hyper-violence of Mandy, the veteran actor has taken out countless crazed believers throughout the course of his long and varied career, and I don’t think he’s about to stop anytime soon. That being said, there’s only one Nick Cage flick where he gets into a shoot-out with homicidal Satanists while continuing to have sex with a waitress – and that would 2011’s underrated neo-grindhouse thriller, Drive Angry – a near-perfect example of Horror Adjacent cinema.

Hot off the success of 2009’s surprisingly profitable My Bloody Valentine 3D (which I’d argue is one of the best horror remakes of the 2000s), director Patrick Lussier wanted to keep experimenting with new 3D technology in a more action-packed cinematic playground. Inspired by the sleazy exploitation flicks of the 70s (as...

When I turned 18, I dreamed of getting a Harley in Los Angeles. It wasn’t a realistic idea for me, but it likely stemmed from my love of flicks like Easy Rider, Vanishing Point, and others taking place on the open road. And then there was Sons of Anarchy, which I adored. And now we have The Bikeriders. The latest from the fantastic Jeff Nichols brings Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, and Jodie Comer to this gorgeous tale of a Midwestern motorcycle club called The Vandals. It has excellent performances and a terrific script that balances a little humor with this tale inspired by actual events. It fits right into my love of the road explored through the cinematic lens.

I recently had the opportunity to live my dream of being around these beautiful bikes and finally getting ink. I spent the day at The Bike Shed in Los Angeles. While there,...

Put on any action movie made between 1903’s The Great Train Robbery and 2017’s John Wick, pay attention to the risks playing out before you, and you’ll never stop asking why the hell aren’t stunt performers lauded for their efforts by the Academy Awards. In the 1970s, one of the greatest and most underrated decades for action movies, you could still see every danger to life and limb on screen. CGI wasn’t around yet, and the law was barely paying attention.

The result is an era where bloody martial arts imports and Blaxploitation commentary blended with tight-wire action and terrifyingly real stunts. The very best remain iconic, from the Dirty Harrys to 1979’s global phenomenon, Mad Max. But with the passage of time comes forgetting, and the ‘70s hide some of the best, wildest, and sometimes even edgiest movies waiting for fans to rediscover.

Get Carter (1971)

Once upon a time,...

On "Star Trek: Enterprise," the character of Ensign Hoshi Sato, played by actress Linda Park, served as the communications officer on board the titular ship. "Enterprise" takes place a century before the events of the original "Star Trek" series, so the franchise's notorious universal translator hadn't yet been refined, leaving human translators like Hoshi to fill in the gaps. Hoshi had a talent for xenolinguistics, but didn't quite have the constitution for long-range space missions or combat situations. She was young and inexperienced, and had to constantly face her anxieties head-on. As the show progressed, Hoshi came into her own, displaying more and more confidence. 

The problem with characters that can be defined as "young and inexperienced" is that eventually they will have to become adult and experienced. They will then require other character traits to define them ... and TV writers don't always think that far ahead. Many of the...

"Vanishing Point" isn't exactly a mainstream classic, but for a portion of moviegoers who like to see cars go fast and people do drugs, it's pretty much unmissable. Based on that description alone, it makes sense that the cult film's audience grew when it was directly referenced in Quentin Tarantino's 2007 road slasher film "Death Proof." Other directors who are major fans of the film include Edgar Wright and Steven Spielberg, who once told Entertainment Weekly it was one of his favorite movies.

The 1971 film didn't feature many stars, but did include a handful of actors who would become famous for other projects in the years following the film. Cleavon Little, who played radio DJ Super Soul in the film, went on to star in Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" three years later, while actress Charlotte Rampling, who was Oscar nominated for her work in "45 Years" in 2016, apparently appeared as...

Heading Out promises to be the ultimate fantasy world for someone who has always wished to hit the road with their car and see where it takes them as they live life by their own rules. FandomWire had an up close and personal with Szymon Adamus, Business Development Manager at Serious Sim.

The Polish Development Team, Serious Sim, had previously created Radio Commander which allowed users to immerse themselves in a narrative-driven storyline where they operated as Radio Commander marshalling his troops for America in the fight against Vietnam.

Szymon Adams opened up about the team’s experience something so different in Heading Out and talked about believing that Aaa games tend to focus more on budget than the creative aspect.

Szymon Adamus Almost Seems Thankful That Heading Out Did Not Have an Aaa Budget

Games with Aaa budgets tend to make all the headlines in the industry. But 2024 has...

The episode of Revisited covering Grindhouse was Written by Cody Hamman, Edited and Narrated by Lance Vlcek, Produced by Tyler Nichols and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

Quentin Tarantino. Robert Rodriguez. Rob Zombie. Edgar Wright. Eli Roth. Back in 2007, these five filmmakers joined forces, all contributing to the same project. A film that brings us sights like deformed, decomposing zombies. Vehicular homicide. Limbs replaced with weaponry. Danny Trejo wiping out bad guys. A holiday slasher. Supernatural beings dripping white goo. And even some Nazi werewolves. It was a fun experiment… and a box office bomb. The film is called Grindhouse (watch it Here) – and we think it’s time for it to be Revisited.

In the ‘90s, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez decided to collaborate on From Dusk Till Dawn, with Rodriguez directing from a screenplay by Tarantino. The result was one of the most entertaining vampire movies ever made.

Grindhouse is one of the most influential box office failures of the 21st century. Despite grossing a paltry $25.4 million at the box office on a budget of around $60 million, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s 2007 love letter to exploitation cinema has managed to spawn four spin-off movies — Machete, Machete Kills, Hobo with a Shotgun, and now Thanksgiving— in addition to reintroducing a vintage aesthetic that has been mimicked by countless other throwback movies.

Rodriguez’s Planet Terror and Tarantino’s Death Proof each have their merits — the former plays like a satirical pastiche of nonstop action, while the latter is more indicative of genuine exploitation fare — but Grindhouse is more than just a double feature. It’s an experience, complete with faux aging to recreate the look of beat-up film prints along with vintage interstitials and retro-inspired trailers for nonexistent movies.

Planet Terror is the first part of the double bill,...

Manifest's best episodes introduce high stakes and shocking twists, emphasizing the risky quest for answers and unraveling the show's mysteries. Many of the show's top installments also feature characters death, real or fake, that ramp up the emotional impact. Several great installments of Manifest drive home the show's message about hope and morality.

Manifest featured many suspenseful, thought-provoking episodes over its four-season run, and some of the best ones raised the stakes surrounding the passengers of Flight 828 and introduced or solved the show's major mysteries. The series started on NBC and later moved to Netflix for its final season, which brought the mystery of Flight 828 to a close at long last. Manifest introduced numerous storylines before reaching this point, some of which were undoubtedly stronger than others.

Given the show was often dubbed the "new Lost," it makes sense that Manifest took a few detours on the way to...

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...

If you don't know him by name, you almost certainly know Vernon Wells by his face if you're a fan of '80s movies. He was Bennett, the Aussie villain with the chainmail tank top and Freddie Mercury mustache in "Commando," and he scared the pants off kids as Mr. Igoe, the sinister hitman with an interchangeable hand in "Innerspace." Or you may remember him as Lord General, the crazed leader of a mutant biker gang that crashes the party in "Weird Science."

Wells' career as one of Hollywood's go-to bad guys at the time was made possible by his ferocious performance as Wez, the psychotic henchman in "The Road Warrior," George Miller's sequel to his low-budget smash, "Mad Max." This time around, a bigger budget enabled the director to go bigger, faster, wilder, and weirder than his original vision. This time, our hero Max Rocktansky is battling a...

In the pantheon of the best action films ever, many of the same worthwhile titles come up: Die Hard, Speed, Aliens…And of course there’s Predator, The Killer, Runaway Train – well, not according to Variety, at least, who made some glaring omissions and curious inclusions on their list of “The 50 Best Action Movies of All Time”.

This ranking of the best action movies has, expectedly, come under scrutiny, with many readers wondering, Where’s this movie? and Where’s that movie? Of course, even with the prestige of Variety, this list of “The 50 Best Action Movies of All Time” is still just opinion. Still, we can’t help but notice a few things here…

The 50 Best Action Movies of All Time https://t.co/NWrrY0jfzE

— Variety (@Variety) July 14, 2023

Where are movies like Predator and True Lies? Predator stands as a fan favorite with some terrific action sequences and...

This article contains Manifest spoilers.

Based on the events in the final season of Manifest, it’s clear that there was a lot more time travel going on besides the five-year leap forward at the beginning of the series. Even the comparatively smaller jumps that armed robber James Griffin and cave dweller Zeke Landon experienced were mere kinks in the twisting timeline that, when all was said and done, was at the mercy of the divine consciousness. While we saw a certain logic to it all through Michaela’s eyes, the life of her late husband (now living taxi driver) Zeke was perhaps the most convoluted of all.

Never have we rooted for a MacGuffin more, and make no mistake, that’s what Zeke was, although Manifest would have us believe he served at the whim of the divine consciousness rather than the narrative the writers contrived. Either way, he...

Barry Reardon, the veteran film executive who served as Warner Bros.’ chief of theatrical distribution from 1978 to 1999, has died at age 92, the studio announced Monday.

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, and a graduate of College of the Holy Cross and Trinity College, Reardon got his start at the printing company Litton Industries in 1957. A decade later, he made the jump to the entertainment industry with a job at Paramount Pictures as the associate to the VP of finance in their New York office.

From 1967 to 1975, he worked his way up to become the VP of marketing and distribution at Paramount before becoming the head of marketing and film procurement for General Cinemas, which at the time was America’s largest movie theater chain. He worked at General Cinemas for three years before being recruited by Warner Bros.

Also Read:

Jacky Oh, Cast Member on MTV’s ‘Wild ‘N Out,’ Dies at...

Anna Shay, star of Netflix’s “Bling Empire,” has died. She was 62.

“It saddens our hearts to announce that Anna Shay, a loving mother, grandmother, charismatic star, and our brightest ray of sunshine, has passed away at the early age of 62 from a stroke,” her family said in a statement to media on June 5. “Anna taught us many life lessons on how not to take life too seriously and to enjoy the finer things. Her impact on our lives will be forever missed but never forgotten.”

Shay appeared on two seasons of the Netflix show, first showing up on the first season in 2021 and rising to fame for her outstanding wealth. The first season profiled Shay’s rivalry with international fashionista Christine Chiu in addition to a complicated love triangle situation between three other stars — self-made entrepreneur Kelly Mi Li, model Kevin Kreider and her ex-boyfriend “Power Rangers”.

Also Read:

Barry Newman,...

Barry Newman alongside the iconic white Dodge Challenger in Vanishing Point

52 years after he became a cult icon by starring in Richard C Sarafian's Vanishing Point, Barry Newman has passed away. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he died of natural causes at NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

The Boston-born actor, who originally trained as an anthropologist, appeared on Broadway and had small roles in a number of films and TV series before Vanishing Point made him a star, first in Europe and then in the US. He remained in the industry well into old age, retiring just eight years ago, and his career included appearances in Bowfinger, The Limey and, more recently, What The Bleep Do We Know!? He got back behind the wheel in 1972's Fear Is The Key, and continued to choose thrillers in his later years.

He is survived by his wife Angela....

Barry Newman, best known for starring in the action-thriller “Vanishing Point”, has died. He was 92.

Newman’s wife, Angela, confirmed the news of Newman’s death to The Hollywood Reporter on Sunday. The actor died of natural causes on May 11 at the NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Newman had a number of smaller screen roles and performed on Broadway until he was cast in the 1971 car chase classic “Vanishing Point”, by director Richard C. Sarafian. He starred as a former race car driver named Kowalski who drives a Dodge Challenger across the US while avoiding cops and getting entangled in a deadly criminal conspiracy.

The film went on to be a cult classic and genre-defining epic that went on to be revered for its action set-pieces and proved to be influential on the next generation of blockbuster filmmakers.

Newman later went on to play defence lawyer Anthony J. Petrocelli...

Barry Newman, best known for playing the muscle-car-driving Kowalski in the cult classic Vanishing Point and the titular defense attorney in the NBC series Petrocelli, has died. He was 92. The veteran actor passed away on Thursday, May 11, of natural causes at NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center, his wife, Angela, told The Hollywood Reporter. Born on November 7, 1930, in Boston, Massachusetts, Newman started his acting career in Herman Wouk’s comedy Nature’s Way, playing a jazz musician. Following this, he landed a featured part in Mel Tolkin’s play Maybe Tuesday. He would go on to appear in numerous Broadway productions, including the musical What Makes Sammy Run, Sidney Kingsley’s Night Live, and Jean-Claude van Itallie’s America Hurrah. This soon led to film and TV work, including the role of John Barnes in the daytime drama The Edge of Night and the breakthrough role of Tony Petrocelli in...

Barry Newman, who somehow made souped-up muscle cars look even cooler in the 1971 film “Vanishing Point” and starred in the titular role on NBC’s legal drama “Petrocelli,” has died. He was 92 years old.

Newman died at Columbia University Irving Medical Center on May 11, according to media reports.

Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, he took a college course with renowned acting instructor Lee Strasberg, who inspired him to become an actor. After graduating from Brandeis University and serving time in the army, Newman moved to New York City to study with Strasberg.

Newman went on to perform in various Broadway and New York theater shows before moving into feature films like 1971’s “The Lawyer” and, of course, “Vanishing Point,” in which he played Kowalski, a car delivery driver known for transporting hot rods in record time — but with a knack for running into trouble with highway cops.

He went...

Barry Newman, the Emmy-nominated actor who starred in the 1971 cult action thriller “Vanishing Point” and as the eponymous lawyer in the NBC series “Petrocelli,” died on May 11. He was 92. No further details are currently available on his death.

In “Vanishing Point,” Newman played former race car driver Kowalski, a speedster that darts around in a Dodge Challenger after becoming entangled in a criminal conspiracy. The film is regarded as one of the defining American action films of the ’70s by genre enthusiasts.

Two decades and change later, Newman would play a heavy in Steven Soderbergh’s fractured crime yarn “The Limey,” which featured a second act car chase involving the actor getting back behind the wheel.

Newman was born in Boston on Nov. 7, 1938, where he would attend Boston Latin School and go on to attend Brandeis University. During his education, Newman met Lee Strasberg and became inspired to pursue acting.

Barry Newman, who was behind the wheel of a “super-charged” Dodge Challenger in Vanishing Point, a 1971 film featuring several breakneck police chases, and later starred as a defense attorney on the NBC series Petrocelli, has died. He was 92.

He died May 11 in a New York hospital, with his death confirmed by social media posts from friends. No cause has been established.

Newman had appeared on Broadway and the film The Lawyer (1970) (which later spun off into the TV series Petrocelli) when he was offered Vanishing Point. In the film, his drug-addicted character was tasked with delivering a car from Colorado to California, with the stipulation that if he could do it in 15 hours, his meth purchase would be free.

The film was directed by Richard C. Sarafian and became a cult classic, as Cleavon Little kept up a steady stream of radio chatter on the epic journey. No less than...

Actor Barry Newman, star of the 1971 hot rod classic “Vanishing Point”, has died at age 92.

Newman’s wife, Angela, told The Hollywood Reporter that Newman died May 11 at New York-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

After appearing in Broadway, Newman was cast in 1970 feature “The Lawyer”. That led to a starring role in director Richard C. Sarafian’s 1971 “Vanishing Point”, which went on to become a cult classic that has influenced the likes of Steven Spielberg.

Read More: Canadian Actor Gordon Pinsent, Who Starred In ‘Away From Her’, Has Died At 92

Newman then reprised his role in “The Lawyer” — brash young attorney Anthony Petrocelli — in the 1974 made-for-tv movie “Night Games”, which was spun off as the series “Petrocelli”, which ran from 1974 until 1976.

Among Newman’s extensive list of credits are the TV movies “King Crab”, “City on Fire”, “Amy” and “Good Advice”, and TV series including “L.A. Law”, “Murder, She Wrote...

Just a few days ago, we published a list of great car movies (which is about to get a follow-up), and one of the movies we highlighted was 1971’s Vanishing Point. Many people consider it the greatest car movie ever made, with Quentin Tarantino paying homage to it in Death Proof, with the “hero car” a 1970 Dodge Challenger, just like the one featured in that movie. Sadly, the star of Vanishing Point, Barry Newman, is no more, with THR reporting the iconic seventies actor has died at 92.

In the movie, Newman plays Kowalski, a disaffected ex-cop turned car delivery driver who makes a wager that he can drive from Denver to San Francisco in two days. Hopped up on speed and driving up to 160 miles an hour, he quickly runs afoul of the law, but nothing will stop him from delivering the Dodge Charger by the agreed-upon delivery date. He soon becomes a counter-culture hero,...

Barry Newman, who propelled a supercharged Dodge Challenger across the American West in Vanishing Point and portrayed a defense attorney on the NBC series Petrocelli, has died. He was 92.

Newman died May 11 of natural causes at NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center, his wife, Angela, told The Hollywood Reporter.

After appearing on Broadway and starring in The Lawyer (1970), the Boston-born actor was up for a change of pace when he was offered the role of a man tasked with transporting a car from Denver to San Francisco in the action-packed Fox film Vanishing Point (1971), directed by Richard C. Sarafian.

“This was very unique,” he said. “I had just done this film about a lawyer, a Harvard graduate, and I thought this is a different kind of thing. The guy was the rebel, the antihero. I enjoyed doing that very much.”

Newman’s taciturn character, Kowalski, was a Vietnam veteran, former...

Nothing can look pretty gorgeous in widescreen, and there was quite a lot of it in the Australian New Wave of the '70s. The daunting expanse of the Outback provided the canvas for several classic films of the period, such as two masterpieces that were roughly analogous to the folk horror genre emerging in Britain around the same time: Nicholas Roeg's "Walkabout" and Ted Kotcheff's controversial "Wake in Fright." In these movies, the stark setting created a dislocating sense that white settlers don't belong in such a harsh and humbling environment, adding to their aura of unease.

Most of the notable films of the Aussie New Wave were set in the past or present but, as the '80s beckoned, the biggest hit of the bunch looked to the future in George Miller's "Mad Max." Unlike "Walkabout" and "Wake in Fright," which were both shot in the heart of the Outback,...

George Miller's "Mad Max" was a wild undertaking. The dystopian action flick, which envisioned an Australia verging on lawlessness due to a worldwide oil shortage, became a box office sensation on the strength of its calamitous, perilously practical high-speed car chases and fiery crashes. U.S. cinema was hardly lacking for such entertainment, but there was a breakneck, open-road fury to Miller's film that set it apart from its stateside counterparts.

Set safety regulations were not quite what they are today in the 1970s; in fact, they were practically non-existent in Australia. Though the country's cinema was in the midst of a "New Wave" of its own as the 1980s approached, the films being made by Peter Weir, Gillian Armstrong, and Bruce Beresford were atmospheric dramas that asked viewers to soak in the eerie beauty of the land down under. They were not stunt-heavy affairs. "Mad Max" was,...

Nothing beats a good car chase in a movie. These wacky stunts are a hallmark of modern Hollywood blockbusters, but they've been around since silent films. Nowadays, car-centric flicks conjure images of "The Fast & Furious" and "Mad Max" franchises. However, action doesn't always have to be the focus.

Cars playing an integral part in developing a main character always hold more weight for me than a gonzo chase scene. We see a sense of isolation from society in movies like "Taxi Driver" and "Drive." Meanwhile, in John Carpenter's 1983 horror, "Christine," the auto becomes a ruthless death machine. The Stephen King adaptation makes for a clever metaphor about bullying, acceptance, and toxic masculinity in teens.

It would be unfair to say that a car movie can't be enjoyed without the profound social commentary of a Martin Scorsese film or the brooding touches of Nicolas Winding Refn. Sometimes, we crave high-octane...

Steven Spielberg’s early-career made-for-tv thriller Duel famously never revealed the identity of its villainous truck driver, and the director had a specific motivation for this creative decision. Spielberg’s second feature-length directorial effort after his Name of the Game episode, “L.A. 2017,” Duel stars Dennis Weaver as a commuter on the run from a dangerous trucker. The screenplay by Richard Matheson was adapted from his own short story of the same name, originally published in Playboy magazine. It won the Grand Prize at the 1973 Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival and an Emmy for sound editing, and is now a beloved cult classic revered as one of the all-time greatest made-for-tv movies.

While driving across the California desert to meet with a client, a business commuter – played by Gunsmoke star Weaver – finds himself tormented by the driver of a semi-trailer truck, who is determined to run him off the road. The...

During the premiere of Rian Johnson’s “Poker Face” at the Hollywood Legion Theater on Tuesday evening, the cast and crew had nostalgia on the brain.

Viewers who have been longing for a good old-fashioned episodic mystery series like “Columbo” and “The Rockford Files” may finally have their wishes granted by the “Glass Onion” director’s new murder mystery series, starring Natasha Lyonne.

The Peacock series follows a 10-episode mystery-of-the-week template that puts Lyonne’s Charlie on the road with the help of her Plymouth Barracuda, as she solves various crimes from one stop to the next. Lyonne’s character, a “human lie detector,” uses her ability to sniff out the truth in a series of strange situations. Joining Lyonne is a strong cast of guest stars including Adrien Brody, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Chloë Sevigny, Tim Meadows, Benjamin Bratt, Hong Chau, Ron Perlman, Stephanie Hsu, Lil Rel Howery and Luis Guzmán.

Hong Kong’s Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf) on Thursday unveiled a rich, 28-title selection for its forthcoming 21st edition, featuring promising projects in development from Singaporean Camera d’Or winner Anthony Chen, maverick Hong Kong director Fruit Chan, rising Thai talent Jakrawal Nilthamrong and veteran festival ringmaster Marco Mueller, among many others. Haf is returning in 2023 for its first in-person forum since 2019, following three consecutive online editions during the coronavirus pandemic.

As per usual, the event will be held March 13–15 in tandem with the 27th Hong Kong Film & TV Market (aka Filmart), which runs March 13-16.

Of the 28 titles picked from 244 submissions spanning 38 countries and territories, Haf says half are from first-time filmmakers and eight are Chinese-language projects developed at recent editions of the Haf Film Lab mentorship program. The selection spans a broad range of genres, including arthouse drama, horror, fantasy, romance, animation and family films.

Chen, director...

When Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez teamed up for the hybrid horror crime film "From Dusk Till Dawn," audiences knew to expect a sleazy drive-in movie that was going to be filled to the brim with sight gags, bloodstained carnage, and whip-smart dialogue. The vampire action comedy featured television star George Clooney in his first major role after breaking hearts as Dr. Ross on NBC's smash-hit hospital drama "ER." Seeing Clooney playing against type as a maniacal bad boy must have appealed to the mainstream, and the cinematic clout earned from the new indie classics "Pulp Fiction" and "Desperado" translated into an unlikely hit when "Dawn" staked its way into theaters in January of 1996. 

With that success under their belts, Tarantino and Rodriguez had every right to think that the regular moviegoing public knew what a grindhouse theater was, and that they were familiar with 1970s exploitation films. "From Dusk Till Dawn...

Julien Baker has released B-Sides EP, featuring three previously unreleased songs from the recording sessions for her third LP, Little Oblivions.

The three-track EP, out now via Matador Records, includes “Guthrie,” which Baker dropped in June. The other two songs are “Vanishing Point” and “Mental Math.”

Baker released Little Oblivions last year, and followed the album with Little Oblivions Remixes, an EP featuring select tracks off her album that were remixed and reworked by artists like Helios, Half Waif, Gori, and Jesu.

Since releasing Little Oblivions, Baker has stopped by several late-night shows.

I've never been much of a car person. I don't even know what brand our family runaround is; to me it's just a red thing with four wheels and some seats inside. I don't even have a driver's license, and I always start looking for an excuse to leave a conversation when other guys start talking about horse power and stuff like that. Yet despite my general lack of interest in all things automotive, there are a few movie cars that leave me salivating.

If I had my pick, I'd take a 1970 Dodge Challenger from "Vanishing Point." Of course, I wouldn't say no...

The post Ferris Bueller's Day Off's Signature Ferrari Wasn't As Real As You Might Think appeared first on /Film.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman takes hosts Joe Dante and Josh Olson on a journey through some of his favorite cinematic tonal shifts.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Thank You For Smoking (2006)

Up In The Air (2009)

Juno (2007)

Young Adult (2011)

Citizen Kane (1941) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

Seven Samurai (1954) Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Rififi (1955)

Titane (2021)

Cannibal Girls (1973)

Raw (2016)

Hellraiser (1987)

A Serbian Film (2010)

Cast Away (2000)

What Lies Beneath (2000)

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Downhill Racer (1968) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review

Breaking Away (1979)

Boys Don’t Cry (1999)

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

The Great Waldo Pepper (1975)

Psycho (1960) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings

Psycho (1998) – Ti West’s trailer commentary

Last Night In Soho (2021)

Funny Games (1997)

Funny Games (2008)

The Piano Teacher (2001) – Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray

I, The Jury (1982)

Mother! (2017)

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Tully (2018)

Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary links...

Despite starring in Speed together, a romance between Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock never really took off.   Ever since the two starred alongside each other in the 1994 action-thriller, fans couldn't help but wonder if the pair ever tested their on-screen chemistry off-set. The answer according to Sandra in a recent interview with Esquire magazine? "Nope."   "But who knows?," she continued. "Keanu's a guy who, I feel like, is friends with every woman he's ever dated. I don't think there's anyone who has something horrible to say about him. So maybe we could have survived. I don't know. But we didn't have to survive anything. We just get...

Celebrating the release of his new memoir, multi-hyphenate Steven Van Zandt joins hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss a few of his favorite movies.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Elevator To The Gallows (1958) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review

Breathless (1960) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary

Angels With Dirty Faces (1938)

The Fisher King (1991)

Tony Rome (1967)

Lady In Cement (1968)

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

The Killer (1989)

True Romance (1993)

True Lies (1994)

Get Shorty (1995) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary

Point Blank (1967) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

Catch Us If You Can a.k.a. Sweet Memories (1965)

Double Trouble (1967)

Performance (1970) – Mark Goldblatt’s trailer commentary

The Driver (1978)

A Hard Day’s Night (1964) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Tfh’s Don’t Knock The Rock piece

Help! (1965) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s review

Blue Collar (1978) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s...