Terry Gilliam has been to Cannes with three of his own films since 1983, but one of his favorite memories of the festival takes him back to that very first time, at the 36th edition, as the co-writer and co-star of Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. Along with Graham Chapman and the film’s director Terry Jones, he’d emerged from the Carlton hotel’s iconic entrance, then bedecked with promotion for the upcoming Bond movie Octopussy, to encounter a camera crew. Jones started grabbing people at random, shouting, “Who Ees Monty Python???” in a ridiculous foreign accent, and got so carried away that, when they reached the hotel’s famous terrace, he accidentally did it to Gilliam too.
The crowd loved it, and the day only grew stranger. Out on the Carlton’s jetty, they gave an interview to British news channel ITN, with Jones hiding behind Graham...
The crowd loved it, and the day only grew stranger. Out on the Carlton’s jetty, they gave an interview to British news channel ITN, with Jones hiding behind Graham...
- 5/20/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Eric Newman was the showrunner for the Netflix series “Narcos” in 2015 when Sofia Vergara – then in the middle of her run starring as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on the multiple Emmy-winning comedy “Modern Family” – invited him to her home to pitch him on the idea of her fronting a project where she portrayed the Colombian drug “queenpin” Griselda Blanco. “Obviously I knew her work and was a fan of hers,” Newman recalls. “I also knew she (Vergara) was Colombian, which is an important distinction. And I knew a lot about Griselda Blanco and was fascinated with her as a character. I felt that if Sofia was willing to take the risk…just the thought that she was interested in doing this was appealing. So I went into the meeting very excited and hopeful that I would be met with a level of passion and conviction that would help make my decision very easy – and I was.
- 5/13/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Luis Ospina, interviewed shortly before his death, recalls a fierce career that applied the lessons of the French New Wave to his work
Jorge Carvalho’s brief documentary is a study of the Colombian documentarist and film-maker Luis Ospina, the founder of the Grupo de Cali; named after his home town of Cali in Colombia, it was an artists’ collective including director Carlos Mayolo and the writer Andrés Caicedo, whose early death at 25 helped make him a legendary figure of Colombian literature. They were formed in radical opposition to what Ospina and others saw as the dullness and complacency of Colombian cinema, and in sympathy with leftist currents in moviemaking after Godard. The Californian-educated Ospina himself displays a classic New Wave reverence for the American masters such as Hawks and Ford, in whose company he includes Jerry Lewis without any hesitation. Ospina and the Grupo de Cali were the subject...
Jorge Carvalho’s brief documentary is a study of the Colombian documentarist and film-maker Luis Ospina, the founder of the Grupo de Cali; named after his home town of Cali in Colombia, it was an artists’ collective including director Carlos Mayolo and the writer Andrés Caicedo, whose early death at 25 helped make him a legendary figure of Colombian literature. They were formed in radical opposition to what Ospina and others saw as the dullness and complacency of Colombian cinema, and in sympathy with leftist currents in moviemaking after Godard. The Californian-educated Ospina himself displays a classic New Wave reverence for the American masters such as Hawks and Ford, in whose company he includes Jerry Lewis without any hesitation. Ospina and the Grupo de Cali were the subject...
- 5/13/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
‘Hacks’ stars and producers prep for show’s overdue Season 3 return by defending why women are funny
At last, our long national nightmare is nearly over.
It only seems like the much-decorated Max comedy “Hacks” has been away forever. It’s actually been less than two years. Overcoming strikes by writers and actors and a health crisis involving star Jean Smart – who won the Emmy for Best Comedy Actress in each of the show’s first pair of seasons – the series returns for Season 3 on May 2. The streamer will roll out two episodes on May 2, 9, 16 and 23 before running the finale of the nine-episode season on May 30.
“Hacks” was something of an Emmy juggernaut in 2021 and 2022 before going Awol due to a 10-month production delay in 2023. It earned 15 nominations in its first season and 17 in its second. It converted six of those 32 nominations (which included a pair of Best Comedy series bids) to wins, including the two for Smart as well as for the show’s writing and directing.
It only seems like the much-decorated Max comedy “Hacks” has been away forever. It’s actually been less than two years. Overcoming strikes by writers and actors and a health crisis involving star Jean Smart – who won the Emmy for Best Comedy Actress in each of the show’s first pair of seasons – the series returns for Season 3 on May 2. The streamer will roll out two episodes on May 2, 9, 16 and 23 before running the finale of the nine-episode season on May 30.
“Hacks” was something of an Emmy juggernaut in 2021 and 2022 before going Awol due to a 10-month production delay in 2023. It earned 15 nominations in its first season and 17 in its second. It converted six of those 32 nominations (which included a pair of Best Comedy series bids) to wins, including the two for Smart as well as for the show’s writing and directing.
- 4/11/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Marlon Brando – the man whom Time magazine crowned the greatest actor of the 20th century back in 1998 – would be celebrating his 100th birthday today had he not died 20 years ago. Born on April 3, 1924, Brando was a fascinating if divisive character, a perpetually enigmatic figure whose impact not only on the acting profession but on American popular culture itself can’t be overstated. He starred in numerous iconic roles, from Stanley Kowalski in “A Streetcar Named Desire” to Terry Malloy in “On the Waterfront” to Julius Caesar in “Julius Caesar” to Vito Corleone in “The Godfather.”
While he wound up nominated for eight Academy Awards and six Golden Globes and won two of each, it was the one honor Brando rejected, of course, that came to define his awards legacy: his Best Actor win for “The Godfather” in 1973 in which he sent actress and purported Native American representative Sacheen Littlefeather (a.
While he wound up nominated for eight Academy Awards and six Golden Globes and won two of each, it was the one honor Brando rejected, of course, that came to define his awards legacy: his Best Actor win for “The Godfather” in 1973 in which he sent actress and purported Native American representative Sacheen Littlefeather (a.
- 4/3/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
There are entire generations that have no idea that Steve Martin was a stand-up comedian. They may recognize him as one-third of the trio that’s turned Only Murders in the Building into a streaming hit, or the long-suffering patriarch of the Father of the Bride movies, or maybe as that guy with the funny mustache who was in that one thing with Beyoncé (i.e. 2006 Pink Panther reboot). Some might have watched Parenthood or Planes, Trains and Automobiles with their parents when they were younger. He’s the celebrity who,...
- 4/1/2024
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Drake Bell was as much of an icon to 2000s kids as John Lennon was to the children of the 1960s. During an interview, the Drake & Josh star explained why he had a tattoo inspired by one of John’s most famous quotations. The quotation appeared in one of the former Beatle’s most enduring songs.
Drake Bell has tattoos inspired by John Lennon and The Beach Boys
During a 2011 interview with PopSugar, Bell discussed his tattoos. “‘War Is Over,’ it’s from John Lennon, it spoke to me,” he said. “I’m a huge fan of Lennon. The feather on my arm means a lot of things, depends on what the day is and which mood I’m in. I have Lennon’s glasses on my back. They have a broken lens, which is something that spoke to me.” Yoko Ono famously included John’s bloodied glasses on the...
Drake Bell has tattoos inspired by John Lennon and The Beach Boys
During a 2011 interview with PopSugar, Bell discussed his tattoos. “‘War Is Over,’ it’s from John Lennon, it spoke to me,” he said. “I’m a huge fan of Lennon. The feather on my arm means a lot of things, depends on what the day is and which mood I’m in. I have Lennon’s glasses on my back. They have a broken lens, which is something that spoke to me.” Yoko Ono famously included John’s bloodied glasses on the...
- 3/26/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Roxy Cinema
Our 35mm presentation of Bertrand Bonello’s House of Tolerance screens on Saturday and Sunday; Jessica Hausner’s Hotel plays on Friday, as does a Frank Tashlin / Jerry Lewis double-bill of Hollywood or Bust and The Geisha Boy; The Bridges of Madison County and Lenny Cooke play on Saturday, while One Hand Don’t Clap shows Sunday; Red Rock West plays Saturday and Sunday.
Anthology Film Archives
Films by Jean-Luc Godard and more play in Afterimage.
Museum of Modern Art
The essential work of Ernie Gehr plays in a new retrospective.
Film Forum
The Japanese horror series continues with Ugetsu, Throne of Blood, Audition, Godzilla, and more; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang plays on 35mm this Sunday.
IFC Center
The End of Evangelion plays this Sunday; The Big Lebowski, Fight Club, Under the Silver Lake, and The Shining play late.
The post NYC Weekend Watch: House of Tolerance on 35mm...
Our 35mm presentation of Bertrand Bonello’s House of Tolerance screens on Saturday and Sunday; Jessica Hausner’s Hotel plays on Friday, as does a Frank Tashlin / Jerry Lewis double-bill of Hollywood or Bust and The Geisha Boy; The Bridges of Madison County and Lenny Cooke play on Saturday, while One Hand Don’t Clap shows Sunday; Red Rock West plays Saturday and Sunday.
Anthology Film Archives
Films by Jean-Luc Godard and more play in Afterimage.
Museum of Modern Art
The essential work of Ernie Gehr plays in a new retrospective.
Film Forum
The Japanese horror series continues with Ugetsu, Throne of Blood, Audition, Godzilla, and more; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang plays on 35mm this Sunday.
IFC Center
The End of Evangelion plays this Sunday; The Big Lebowski, Fight Club, Under the Silver Lake, and The Shining play late.
The post NYC Weekend Watch: House of Tolerance on 35mm...
- 3/15/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Jerry Lewis was the comedic legend who starred in dozens of films, remaining active until his death at 91 in 2017. But how many of those titles, many of which he also wrote and directed, remain classics? Let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest movies, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1926, Lewis initially gained attention as one half of the team Martin and Lewis, opposite future Rat Packer Dean Martin. The combination of Martin as the lady-killing straight man and Lewis as the spastic goofball started as a night club act and a radio program. They appeared in 17 films together before their breakup in 1956.
He went on to star in, direct, and write a series of slapstick comedies laced with hints of sentimentality. In titles such as “The Bellboy” (1960), “The Ladies Man” (1961), “The Nutty Professor” (1963), and “The Patsy” (1964), Lewis played a lovable, rubber-faced dork who won our hearts while grating on our nerves.
Born in 1926, Lewis initially gained attention as one half of the team Martin and Lewis, opposite future Rat Packer Dean Martin. The combination of Martin as the lady-killing straight man and Lewis as the spastic goofball started as a night club act and a radio program. They appeared in 17 films together before their breakup in 1956.
He went on to star in, direct, and write a series of slapstick comedies laced with hints of sentimentality. In titles such as “The Bellboy” (1960), “The Ladies Man” (1961), “The Nutty Professor” (1963), and “The Patsy” (1964), Lewis played a lovable, rubber-faced dork who won our hearts while grating on our nerves.
- 3/9/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Calls are growing for the 1994 film to be freed from YouTube hell – but is it there because evil Hollywood execs tried to kill it, or is it just a really bad film?
Why exactly are we so fascinated with bad movies? Perhaps it is simple schadenfreude, the delicious mental backwards engineering required to work out just exactly how somebody somewhere decided that the John Travolta-led, Scientology-infused Battlefield Earth, or Ed Wood’s frightful Glen or Glenda were anything approaching a good idea. It cannot be that we actually want to watch these things, for where is the thrill in experiencing completely inept film-making unless it really is about taking pleasure in other people’s creative failure?
The situation becomes even more preposterous when we consider those movies that have always been so terrible that nobody should ever be able to witness them on the big or small screen. Jerry Lewis...
Why exactly are we so fascinated with bad movies? Perhaps it is simple schadenfreude, the delicious mental backwards engineering required to work out just exactly how somebody somewhere decided that the John Travolta-led, Scientology-infused Battlefield Earth, or Ed Wood’s frightful Glen or Glenda were anything approaching a good idea. It cannot be that we actually want to watch these things, for where is the thrill in experiencing completely inept film-making unless it really is about taking pleasure in other people’s creative failure?
The situation becomes even more preposterous when we consider those movies that have always been so terrible that nobody should ever be able to witness them on the big or small screen. Jerry Lewis...
- 3/1/2024
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Jodie Foster, the two-time Oscar-winning actress riding high off her performances in Nyad and True Detective: Night Country, will be honored with a hand and footprint ceremony during the TCM Classic Film Festival, it was announced Tuesday.
Foster, 61, will leave her mark in cement in the courtyard of the iconic Tcl Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard on Friday, April 19 during the 15th annual event.
“The truth is Jodie Foster deserves a hand and footprint ceremony solely for her work in 1976 alone — films she made when she was 13 years old — Taxi Driver, Bugsy Malone, Freaky Friday and The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane. You could see her range already,” said TCM host Ben Mankiewicz in a statement.
“Nearly 50 years later, we have an answer to this question: ‘What is a Jodie Foster character?’ The answer is: There is nothing she can’t play. If you want evidence of that,...
Foster, 61, will leave her mark in cement in the courtyard of the iconic Tcl Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard on Friday, April 19 during the 15th annual event.
“The truth is Jodie Foster deserves a hand and footprint ceremony solely for her work in 1976 alone — films she made when she was 13 years old — Taxi Driver, Bugsy Malone, Freaky Friday and The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane. You could see her range already,” said TCM host Ben Mankiewicz in a statement.
“Nearly 50 years later, we have an answer to this question: ‘What is a Jodie Foster character?’ The answer is: There is nothing she can’t play. If you want evidence of that,...
- 2/27/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jackie Loughery, who parlayed a victory in the first Miss USA pageant into an acting career that included a prominent role opposite future husband Jack Webb in the 1957 military drama The D.I., has died. She was 93.
Loughery died Friday in Los Angeles, Webb biographer Dan Moyer told The Hollywood Reporter. “She was like a mother to me and called me her kid,” he said.
The Brooklyn native also served as Johnny Carson’s assistant on a game show and appeared in the Western comedy Pardners (1956), starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis; the melodrama Eighteen and Anxious (1957), starring William Campbell; and the political drama A Public Affair (1962), starring Edward Binns.
And for television, Loughery portrayed the niece of the title character (Edgar Buchanan) on the 1955-56 syndicated Western series Judge Roy Bean.
Loughery played a cautious shop owner named Annie who is romanced by a tough U.S. Marine drill sergeant...
Loughery died Friday in Los Angeles, Webb biographer Dan Moyer told The Hollywood Reporter. “She was like a mother to me and called me her kid,” he said.
The Brooklyn native also served as Johnny Carson’s assistant on a game show and appeared in the Western comedy Pardners (1956), starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis; the melodrama Eighteen and Anxious (1957), starring William Campbell; and the political drama A Public Affair (1962), starring Edward Binns.
And for television, Loughery portrayed the niece of the title character (Edgar Buchanan) on the 1955-56 syndicated Western series Judge Roy Bean.
Loughery played a cautious shop owner named Annie who is romanced by a tough U.S. Marine drill sergeant...
- 2/26/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After The Daily Show went more than 12 months without being able to find a host to replace Trevor Noah in time to cover a presidential election in which neither major party has been able to find candidates to replace Joe Biden or Donald Trump, the Comedy Central series kicked off a run of fresh episodes with an interim, part-time new host… Jon Stewart.
Whether you find Stewart’s return to be an act of triumph or a sign of desperation — he’ll be doing Monday night shows until November’s election — the venerable performer slid back into the hosting chair like no time had passed since his August 2015 departure.
This didn’t feel like Jon Stewart doing a Jon Stewart impression, exactly. But it definitely felt like Jon Stewart doing a Jon-Stewart-as-host-of-The-Daily-Show impression — a difference without a distinction unless you watched Stewart’s short-lived Apple TV+ show or caught...
Whether you find Stewart’s return to be an act of triumph or a sign of desperation — he’ll be doing Monday night shows until November’s election — the venerable performer slid back into the hosting chair like no time had passed since his August 2015 departure.
This didn’t feel like Jon Stewart doing a Jon Stewart impression, exactly. But it definitely felt like Jon Stewart doing a Jon-Stewart-as-host-of-The-Daily-Show impression — a difference without a distinction unless you watched Stewart’s short-lived Apple TV+ show or caught...
- 2/13/2024
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Until recently, the oldest entertainment program known to survive on color videotape was NBC’s An Evening with Fred Astaire, broadcast live on October 17, 1958.
But now, a rare color videotape of the Kraft Music Hall Starring Milton Berle that predates the Astaire special by nine days has been discovered. The tape will be shown at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum in Westwood on Saturday, February 24th at 7:30 Pm in a program that is free and open to the public.
“The Berle Kraft tape is the oldest known color videotape of an entertainment program,” said Mark Quigley, the John H. Mitchell Television Curator at the UCLA Film & Television Archive. “Entertainment” is a key distinction. The oldest known color tape is of the NBC Washington studios dedication ceremony on 05-22-1958.
“With the introduction of videotape technology in the broadcast industry starting in 1956, one of...
But now, a rare color videotape of the Kraft Music Hall Starring Milton Berle that predates the Astaire special by nine days has been discovered. The tape will be shown at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum in Westwood on Saturday, February 24th at 7:30 Pm in a program that is free and open to the public.
“The Berle Kraft tape is the oldest known color videotape of an entertainment program,” said Mark Quigley, the John H. Mitchell Television Curator at the UCLA Film & Television Archive. “Entertainment” is a key distinction. The oldest known color tape is of the NBC Washington studios dedication ceremony on 05-22-1958.
“With the introduction of videotape technology in the broadcast industry starting in 1956, one of...
- 2/9/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Variety’s annual Showrunners Dinner presented by A+E Studios on Thursday night gathered writers recognized on the publication’s annual TV Producers Impact List, as well as several of this year’s Emmy nominees. In addition, megaproducer Chuck Lorre was honored with Variety’s first Norman Lear Award.
Held at Merois, on the rooftop of the Pendry West Hollywood, the Variety Showrunners Dinner included a very funny acceptance speech by Lorre, who pointed out some of the similarities — but more humorously, the differences — between the two icons.
“I think everyone here understands the enormity and significance of Norman Lear’s body of work,” Lorre began. “So in accepting this award, I don’t think it’s false modesty to take a moment and focus on the very large differences between his career and my own. For starters, Norman Lear began his career writing for Hollywood legends like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
Held at Merois, on the rooftop of the Pendry West Hollywood, the Variety Showrunners Dinner included a very funny acceptance speech by Lorre, who pointed out some of the similarities — but more humorously, the differences — between the two icons.
“I think everyone here understands the enormity and significance of Norman Lear’s body of work,” Lorre began. “So in accepting this award, I don’t think it’s false modesty to take a moment and focus on the very large differences between his career and my own. For starters, Norman Lear began his career writing for Hollywood legends like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
- 1/12/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
The Jersey Shore cast has occasionally touted their show as relatable and accurate in regards to portraying their side of New Jersey. But rock band Bon Jovi had a different experience growing up in the Garden state.
Jon Bon Jovi once voiced his disapproval of ‘Jersey Shore’ Jon Bon Jovi | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Jon Bon Jovi didn’t mince words when it came to the Jersey Shore. The vocalist had strong ties to New Jersey, having been born and raised there. He credited the state for turning him into the person that he was, which he felt other artists could identify with.
“New Jersey shaped who and what I am. Growing up in Jersey gave you all the advantages of New York, but you were in its shadow. Anyone who’s come from here will tell you that same story. … It dates back to Sinatra. Anybody — Jerry Lewis, Abbott and...
Jon Bon Jovi once voiced his disapproval of ‘Jersey Shore’ Jon Bon Jovi | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Jon Bon Jovi didn’t mince words when it came to the Jersey Shore. The vocalist had strong ties to New Jersey, having been born and raised there. He credited the state for turning him into the person that he was, which he felt other artists could identify with.
“New Jersey shaped who and what I am. Growing up in Jersey gave you all the advantages of New York, but you were in its shadow. Anyone who’s come from here will tell you that same story. … It dates back to Sinatra. Anybody — Jerry Lewis, Abbott and...
- 1/4/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Chicago – In his humility, Norman Lear liked to express that he was “just another version of you.” In our humanity, we are different renderings, but all related, as the titan of TV philosophically said. Norman Lear died at his home in Los Angeles on December 5th, 2023. He was 101 years old.
In 2015, Lear was lecturing at the Art Institute of Chicago, and I was privileged to get the opportunity to talk to him for a brief but significant amount of time. If the goal is to seek truth, there is no better guru. As an influencer on our times, Norman Lear is a cultural juggernaut, yet his humility is a driving force of his connection to his fellow humans, and he lived to connect to others.
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
Photo credit: Music Box Films
Lear is the embodiment of television history, having worked in the medium since its advent in the 1950s.
In 2015, Lear was lecturing at the Art Institute of Chicago, and I was privileged to get the opportunity to talk to him for a brief but significant amount of time. If the goal is to seek truth, there is no better guru. As an influencer on our times, Norman Lear is a cultural juggernaut, yet his humility is a driving force of his connection to his fellow humans, and he lived to connect to others.
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
Photo credit: Music Box Films
Lear is the embodiment of television history, having worked in the medium since its advent in the 1950s.
- 12/9/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
A voluntary US health agency working to defeat neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services, and far-reaching professional and public health education
MDA is the largest nongovernmental sponsor of neuromuscular disease research.
More than 1 million Americans are affected by neuromuscular diseases. About 250,000 have some form of muscular dystrophy.
Included in the more than 40 neuromuscular diseases covered by MDA are nine forms of muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Als or Lou Gehrig’s disease), myasthenia gravis, spinal muscular atrophy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and others.
MDA is the first nonprofit agency to be recognized by the American Medical Association with a Lifetime Achievement Award for “significant and lasting contributions to the health and welfare of humanity.”
MDA was founded in 1950 and awarded its first research grant to Dr. Ade Milhorat, a pioneer of modern muscular dystrophy research.
Celebrity supporters
Muscular Dystrophy Association has 54 known supporters, including Jordin Sparks, Reba McEntire, and...
MDA is the largest nongovernmental sponsor of neuromuscular disease research.
More than 1 million Americans are affected by neuromuscular diseases. About 250,000 have some form of muscular dystrophy.
Included in the more than 40 neuromuscular diseases covered by MDA are nine forms of muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Als or Lou Gehrig’s disease), myasthenia gravis, spinal muscular atrophy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and others.
MDA is the first nonprofit agency to be recognized by the American Medical Association with a Lifetime Achievement Award for “significant and lasting contributions to the health and welfare of humanity.”
MDA was founded in 1950 and awarded its first research grant to Dr. Ade Milhorat, a pioneer of modern muscular dystrophy research.
Celebrity supporters
Muscular Dystrophy Association has 54 known supporters, including Jordin Sparks, Reba McEntire, and...
- 12/7/2023
- Look to the Stars
Norman Lear, who died today at 101, had been in the TV business for more than 70 years. Along the way, he’d written and created some of the most iconic and groundbreaking shows in television history and worked with some of the biggest of Hollywood’s stars.
After World War II, where he was decorated for his service in a B-52 bomber, Lear broke into show biz in 1950 as a writer on All Star Revue, where he worked with such legendary comedians as Jimmy Durante, Danny Thomas, Martha Raye and George Jessel. He followed that by working on the Colgate Comedy Hour with the likes of Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope, Abbott and Costello and Eddie Cantor.
Those gigs led to Lear working on The Martha Raye Show, The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show, Henry Fonda and Family and the film The Night They Raided Minsky’s.
But it was the ’70s...
After World War II, where he was decorated for his service in a B-52 bomber, Lear broke into show biz in 1950 as a writer on All Star Revue, where he worked with such legendary comedians as Jimmy Durante, Danny Thomas, Martha Raye and George Jessel. He followed that by working on the Colgate Comedy Hour with the likes of Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope, Abbott and Costello and Eddie Cantor.
Those gigs led to Lear working on The Martha Raye Show, The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show, Henry Fonda and Family and the film The Night They Raided Minsky’s.
But it was the ’70s...
- 12/6/2023
- by David Morgan
- Deadline Film + TV
Television pioneer Norman Lear died Tuesday at the age of 101. The TV creator was associated with a bevy of family comedies throughout the 1970s, namely “All in the Family,” “Sanford and Son,” and “The Jeffersons.”
Lear died of “natural causes,” his reps said in a media release shared with IndieWire. A private service for immediate family will be held.
“It is with profound sadness and love that we announce the passing of Norman Lear, our beloved husband, father, and grandfather,” a family statement, posted to Lear’s official social-media accounts, reads. “Norman passed away peacefully on December 5, 2023, surrounded by his family as we told stories and sang songs until the very end.”
“Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him,” the statement continued. “He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music. But...
Lear died of “natural causes,” his reps said in a media release shared with IndieWire. A private service for immediate family will be held.
“It is with profound sadness and love that we announce the passing of Norman Lear, our beloved husband, father, and grandfather,” a family statement, posted to Lear’s official social-media accounts, reads. “Norman passed away peacefully on December 5, 2023, surrounded by his family as we told stories and sang songs until the very end.”
“Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him,” the statement continued. “He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music. But...
- 12/6/2023
- by Kristen Lopez and Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
Norman Lear, the writer, producer and citizen activist who coalesced topical conflict and outrageous comedy in such wildly popular sitcoms as All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and The Jeffersons, has died. He was 101.
Lear died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by his family who, according to a statement on his official Instagram account, sang songs until the very end.
“Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him. He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music,” read the post. “But it was people — those he just met and those he knew for decades — who kept his mind and heart forever young. As we celebrate his legacy and reflect on the next chapter of life without him, we would like to thank everyone for all the love and support.
Lear died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by his family who, according to a statement on his official Instagram account, sang songs until the very end.
“Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him. He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music,” read the post. “But it was people — those he just met and those he knew for decades — who kept his mind and heart forever young. As we celebrate his legacy and reflect on the next chapter of life without him, we would like to thank everyone for all the love and support.
- 12/6/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
White Bird.The repeatedly delayed film White Bird, based on the 2019 graphic novel by R.J. Palacio, follows an elderly Jewish woman looking back on her youth in France during World War II, particularly the time she spent hiding from the Nazis. The framing is odd: She is telling this tale to impart a lesson to her grandson, a bully character from a different, earlier novel by Palacio, Wonder. Both stories are part of a wider fictive universe authored by Palacio, the “World of Wonder,” which comprises spinoff books, film adaptations, and merchandise, all branded with the poptimistic slogan/hashtag “Choose Kind.” A friendly schoolmate refusing to persecute White Bird’s protagonist for being Jewish is implicitly an example of “choosing kind,” divorced from any historically based understanding of solidarity or resistance to fascism. More problematically, White Bird has as its epigraph George Santayama’s famous quote “Those who can’t...
- 11/28/2023
- MUBI
The shelved Coyote vs Acme film may see the light of day after all. Amid industry outcry that WB was shelving yet another film, the studio has begun screening the movie for streaming services. Deadline reports that Prime Video seems to be the frontrunner as far as acquiring the movie goes. The shelving of the completed film has spurred lots of anger within the industry, as unlike the previously shelved Batgirl or Scoob’s Holiday Haunt, Coyote Vs Acme was complete and scheduled for a theatrical release.
Not only that, but reports suggest that the film was testing very well, with composer Steven Price roasting the company on Twitter for their “bizarre anti-art studio shenanigans.”
Had a lot of fun scoring Coyote Vs Acme. As no-one will be able to hear it now, due to bizarre anti-art studio financial shenanigans I will never understand, here is a bit of behind...
Not only that, but reports suggest that the film was testing very well, with composer Steven Price roasting the company on Twitter for their “bizarre anti-art studio shenanigans.”
Had a lot of fun scoring Coyote Vs Acme. As no-one will be able to hear it now, due to bizarre anti-art studio financial shenanigans I will never understand, here is a bit of behind...
- 11/13/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: The Crown’s Imelda Staunton will lead a revival of the classic Jerry Herman-Michael Stewart Broadway musical Hello, Dolly! into the Andrew Lloyd Webber-owned London Palladium next summer.
Echoing words in composer and lyricist Herman’s titular number, the show’s producer Michael Harrison observed that “it’s so nice to have Imelda back on stage where she belongs.”
Directed by Dominic Cooke, the production — with Staunton playing matchmaker Dolly Levi — will begin performances at the Palladium on July 6 for a strictly limited 10-week season ending September 14.
The Palladium, designed by Frank Matcham, opened on a site close to Oxford Circus in 1910, the year King Edward VII died. It was to become a favorite venue of the Royal Family, often hosting the annual Royal Variety Show in the presence of the late Queen Elizabeth II, great-granddaughter of Edward VII.
Related: 2023 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast,...
Echoing words in composer and lyricist Herman’s titular number, the show’s producer Michael Harrison observed that “it’s so nice to have Imelda back on stage where she belongs.”
Directed by Dominic Cooke, the production — with Staunton playing matchmaker Dolly Levi — will begin performances at the Palladium on July 6 for a strictly limited 10-week season ending September 14.
The Palladium, designed by Frank Matcham, opened on a site close to Oxford Circus in 1910, the year King Edward VII died. It was to become a favorite venue of the Royal Family, often hosting the annual Royal Variety Show in the presence of the late Queen Elizabeth II, great-granddaughter of Edward VII.
Related: 2023 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast,...
- 11/1/2023
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
The Notebook Primer introduces readers to some of the most important figures, films, genres, and movements in film history.Artists and Models.By rights, Martin and Lewis should have the kind of cultural footprint renders them permanent household names: the status that turns artists into Halloween costumes, as archetypal as cartoon characters and ancient gods. For ten years, from 1946 to 1956, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were a double act, and accurately describing how popular they were sounds like gross exaggeration. They were so big that the only fitting comparisons are to rock stars—and not just any rock stars, but Elvis Presley, or The Beatles. “For ten years after World War II, Dean and I were not only the most successful show-business act in history,” Jerry Lewis wrote with his trademark humility in Dean and Me: A Love Story (1984), “—we were history.” Their live shows were pandemonium. They reportedly made eleven million dollars in 1951 alone.
- 10/23/2023
- MUBI
Spoilers for "Killers of the Flower Moon" follow.
Martin Scorsese is the great American filmmaker of his generation — and I don't just mean in nationality. The American Dream underpins Scorsese's films, whether unfolding in his hometown of New York City or the Oklahoma plains like his latest, "Killers of the Flower Moon." Based on David Grann's non-fiction novel, the film is set in 1920s Osage County, Oklahoma. The indigenous Osage tribe came into wealth upon discovering oil on their land — so white settlers murdered them to steal it. While ringleaders William King Hale (Robert De Niro) and Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) were prosecuted, they avoided life in prison. Mollie Burkhart (Lily Gladstone), Ernest's wife and poisoning victim, dies at the age of 50 without her family, while the Osage's wealth dries up. It's hardly a victory for justice, even if the tribe refuses to be forgotten by history.
This...
Martin Scorsese is the great American filmmaker of his generation — and I don't just mean in nationality. The American Dream underpins Scorsese's films, whether unfolding in his hometown of New York City or the Oklahoma plains like his latest, "Killers of the Flower Moon." Based on David Grann's non-fiction novel, the film is set in 1920s Osage County, Oklahoma. The indigenous Osage tribe came into wealth upon discovering oil on their land — so white settlers murdered them to steal it. While ringleaders William King Hale (Robert De Niro) and Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) were prosecuted, they avoided life in prison. Mollie Burkhart (Lily Gladstone), Ernest's wife and poisoning victim, dies at the age of 50 without her family, while the Osage's wealth dries up. It's hardly a victory for justice, even if the tribe refuses to be forgotten by history.
This...
- 10/23/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Martin Scorsese’s 27 narrative feature films range from beloved gangster titles, to a bold religious trilogy, to popcorn thrillers, to dark character portraits. Picking and ranking his 10 best? A list is “wrong” before it even begins (except, perhaps, for No. 1, which might be an inarguable choice). So much depends on which version of Scorsese is most valued by the chooser. Do you revere Scorsese’s breakout 1970s films? His more mainstream 21st century hits? Do you find his religious films moving or a snooze?
Here’s the perspective of this particular list: Scorsese is at his best when his masterful technique is married with compelling characters and propulsive storytelling. Some of the Catholic-raised director’s titles (such as Silence, Taxi Driver and his latest, Killers of the Flower Moon) force moviegoers to endure a cinematic penance that echoes the journey of his tormented protagonists. They evoke that eternal debate between...
Here’s the perspective of this particular list: Scorsese is at his best when his masterful technique is married with compelling characters and propulsive storytelling. Some of the Catholic-raised director’s titles (such as Silence, Taxi Driver and his latest, Killers of the Flower Moon) force moviegoers to endure a cinematic penance that echoes the journey of his tormented protagonists. They evoke that eternal debate between...
- 10/19/2023
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Martin Scorsese (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images), Avengers: Endgame (Disney)Graphic: AVClub
There’s a new Martin Scorsese movie coming out, so of course it’s time for another round of the esteemed filmmaker’s King Lear-like rants against Marvel Entertainment and superhero movies as an existential threat to the art of cinema,...
There’s a new Martin Scorsese movie coming out, so of course it’s time for another round of the esteemed filmmaker’s King Lear-like rants against Marvel Entertainment and superhero movies as an existential threat to the art of cinema,...
- 10/16/2023
- by Ray Greene
- avclub.com
Exactly 40 years later, and Martin Scorsese is laughing about the poor reception to “The King of Comedy.”
The 1983-released film, which has been critically redeemed as one of the best movies of the decade, was used by Scorsese’s daughter Francesca Scorsese as an example to explain something being “slept on.” Francesca used “The King of Comedy” to teach Scorsese modern slang in a TikTok video.
“People hated it when it came out,” Scorsese said. “No, it was the flop of the year. That’s what it was called on Entertainment Tonight, New Year’s Eve ’83-’84. It’s Ok, it’s alright.”
The film followed wannabe stand-up comic Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) who becomes obsessed with a late-night talk show host (Jerry Lewis) and kidnaps him for ransom. “The King of Comedy” directly influenced the 2019 Oscar-winning film “Joker,” which Scorsese executive produced. Both films starred De Niro.
The...
The 1983-released film, which has been critically redeemed as one of the best movies of the decade, was used by Scorsese’s daughter Francesca Scorsese as an example to explain something being “slept on.” Francesca used “The King of Comedy” to teach Scorsese modern slang in a TikTok video.
“People hated it when it came out,” Scorsese said. “No, it was the flop of the year. That’s what it was called on Entertainment Tonight, New Year’s Eve ’83-’84. It’s Ok, it’s alright.”
The film followed wannabe stand-up comic Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) who becomes obsessed with a late-night talk show host (Jerry Lewis) and kidnaps him for ransom. “The King of Comedy” directly influenced the 2019 Oscar-winning film “Joker,” which Scorsese executive produced. Both films starred De Niro.
The...
- 10/6/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
In a new TikTok video that went viral late Thursday, “Killers of the Flower Moon” director Martin Scorsese was tasked by his daughter, the actress and filmmaker Francesca Scorsese, with defining some online slang – and defended his 1983 film “The King of Comedy” in the process.
In the playful video, one of many that Francesca Scorsese has posted alongside her Oscar-winning father, Martin Scorsese is asked to define terms like “ship,” “simp,” and “hits different.” When Francesca Scorsese asks her dad to define “slept on,” she uses “The King of Comedy” as an example to provide context.
“People hated it when it came out,” Martin Scorsese said in response. “It was the flop of the year. That’s what it was called on ‘Entertainment Tonight.’ On New Year’s Eve ’83-’84. It’s okay, it’s alright.”
@francescascorsese
He lowkey slayed. #fyp #martinscorsese #dadsoftiktok #dadguesses
♬ original sound – Francesca
“The King of Comedy...
In the playful video, one of many that Francesca Scorsese has posted alongside her Oscar-winning father, Martin Scorsese is asked to define terms like “ship,” “simp,” and “hits different.” When Francesca Scorsese asks her dad to define “slept on,” she uses “The King of Comedy” as an example to provide context.
“People hated it when it came out,” Martin Scorsese said in response. “It was the flop of the year. That’s what it was called on ‘Entertainment Tonight.’ On New Year’s Eve ’83-’84. It’s okay, it’s alright.”
@francescascorsese
He lowkey slayed. #fyp #martinscorsese #dadsoftiktok #dadguesses
♬ original sound – Francesca
“The King of Comedy...
- 10/6/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Joe Bob is back in town — not that he ever left — as the genre-focused streaming service Shudder has opted not to slash, but to extend his virally popular horror variety series, The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs, bringing it back for a “supersized” sixth season.
Officially kicking off September 15th with a special touting the launch of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, which had director, EP and key franchise creative Greg Nicotero as its special guest, the new season will see Briggs host and dissect more than 30 films, which is a new record. The world’s foremost drive-in movie critic, Briggs will next be back for two Halloween-themed specials in October, a holiday special in December, and a Valentine’s Day special in February, before transitioning to a new series format in March 2024.
Whereas Briggs’ signature movie watch parties have thus far been a double-feature experience, and...
Officially kicking off September 15th with a special touting the launch of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, which had director, EP and key franchise creative Greg Nicotero as its special guest, the new season will see Briggs host and dissect more than 30 films, which is a new record. The world’s foremost drive-in movie critic, Briggs will next be back for two Halloween-themed specials in October, a holiday special in December, and a Valentine’s Day special in February, before transitioning to a new series format in March 2024.
Whereas Briggs’ signature movie watch parties have thus far been a double-feature experience, and...
- 9/28/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Cancel your Sunday brunch plans and say a prayer for Philadelphia because Bill Burr is moving forward with his directorial debut with the comedy Old Dads, with the trailer arriving today.
Coming on Netflix on October 20th, Old Dads isn’t only directed by Bill Burr but is also written and produced by the fan favorite comedian. And yes, he also stars.
As per the official writeup courtesy of Netflix, Bill Burr’s Old Dads “The film follows three best friends who become fathers later in life and find themselves battling preschool principals, millennial CEOs and anything created after 1987. This R-Rated comedy will have you laughing-out-loud with its relatable, edgy and generational spanning storyline.” The supporting cast also includes Katie Aselton, Reign Edwards, Rachael Harris, Miles Robbins, and Jackie Tohn.
With Old Dads, Bill Burr seems to be making the natural progression from someone known strictly for being a comedian to big-time director,...
Coming on Netflix on October 20th, Old Dads isn’t only directed by Bill Burr but is also written and produced by the fan favorite comedian. And yes, he also stars.
As per the official writeup courtesy of Netflix, Bill Burr’s Old Dads “The film follows three best friends who become fathers later in life and find themselves battling preschool principals, millennial CEOs and anything created after 1987. This R-Rated comedy will have you laughing-out-loud with its relatable, edgy and generational spanning storyline.” The supporting cast also includes Katie Aselton, Reign Edwards, Rachael Harris, Miles Robbins, and Jackie Tohn.
With Old Dads, Bill Burr seems to be making the natural progression from someone known strictly for being a comedian to big-time director,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Mes enfants! A Haunting in Venice marks the third entry in Kenneth Branagh’s Agatha Christie movie series, finally giving us enough evidence to sift through in order to solve the present mystery: who is the best screen Hercule Poirot?
Taking into account appearance, accent, mannerisms, brilliance of mind, vanity, theatricality, humour, pathos, and of course the all-important moustache, here’s our ranking from most unfortunately disappointing version of the detective, to Poirot perfection.
A bit of housekeeping: only English-language screen Poirots have been included, so no radio, animated, international or videogame versions appear below, nor do bit-part sketch comedy Hercules. The nine actors in contention range almost a century in time, several inches in height, and vastly in their take on what makes a proper Poirot.
9. Tony Randall in The Alphabet Murders (1965)
A sense of humour is key to Poirot. His fastidiousness and affectations have always made him a...
Taking into account appearance, accent, mannerisms, brilliance of mind, vanity, theatricality, humour, pathos, and of course the all-important moustache, here’s our ranking from most unfortunately disappointing version of the detective, to Poirot perfection.
A bit of housekeeping: only English-language screen Poirots have been included, so no radio, animated, international or videogame versions appear below, nor do bit-part sketch comedy Hercules. The nine actors in contention range almost a century in time, several inches in height, and vastly in their take on what makes a proper Poirot.
9. Tony Randall in The Alphabet Murders (1965)
A sense of humour is key to Poirot. His fastidiousness and affectations have always made him a...
- 9/15/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Clockwise from bottom left: Misery, Galaxy Quest, Almost Famous, Scream, Bye Bye Birdie (all screenshots via YouTube)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Fandom comes in many forms, whether you’re talking about the different franchises and subgenres of the pop-culture obsessed, or the types of fans themselves and how they choose...
Fandom comes in many forms, whether you’re talking about the different franchises and subgenres of the pop-culture obsessed, or the types of fans themselves and how they choose...
- 9/7/2023
- by Matthew Jackson
- avclub.com
A peak-performance engine running wholly on charisma, Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man” revives and revitalizes a genre in awfully short supply. Written by Linklater and star Glen Powell, “Hit Man” is a deliriously entertaining star vehicle, a throwback to the low-concept, high-reward studio crowd-pleasers built around a comic persona and designed to showcase a gifted performer’s range. Among his many other talents, Linklater has now proven himself to be a master of this form, delivering an uproarious film that equals and (maybe surpasses) his previous high with 2003’s “School of Rock.”
But don’t take my word for it: Just ask any one of the 1400 festival-goers who filled Venice’s Palazzo del Cinema with howls of laughter, who offered impromptu mid-film applause and adulation at several points, and who stumbled out of the film’s world premiere nearly drunk on joy. Put simply, “Hit Man” absolutely kills.
Powell begins the film as Gary Johnson,...
But don’t take my word for it: Just ask any one of the 1400 festival-goers who filled Venice’s Palazzo del Cinema with howls of laughter, who offered impromptu mid-film applause and adulation at several points, and who stumbled out of the film’s world premiere nearly drunk on joy. Put simply, “Hit Man” absolutely kills.
Powell begins the film as Gary Johnson,...
- 9/5/2023
- by Ben Croll
- The Wrap
Jimmy Kimmel Live! has proven to be one of the staples of late night TV, with the show more than 3,500 episodes and 20 seasons deep. With this sort of run, Kimmel currently stands as the longest-running late night talk show host. But as it turns out, he almost got out earlier this year, saying he had plans to retire from his namesake program.
Speaking on the first episode of the podcast Strike Force Five – in which he and other notably late night talk show hosts details the goings-on of the continued WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes – Jimmy Kimmel said, “I was very intent on retiring right around the time where the strike started…And now, I realize, Oh yeah, it’s kind of nice to work.” Still, he added, “I was serious, I was very, very serious.” Kimmel really must have been considering the move since he signed a three-year contract extension just last year.
Speaking on the first episode of the podcast Strike Force Five – in which he and other notably late night talk show hosts details the goings-on of the continued WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes – Jimmy Kimmel said, “I was very intent on retiring right around the time where the strike started…And now, I realize, Oh yeah, it’s kind of nice to work.” Still, he added, “I was serious, I was very, very serious.” Kimmel really must have been considering the move since he signed a three-year contract extension just last year.
- 8/31/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Prepare for an intriguing journey into the heart of a longstanding enigma as “Dateline” correspondent Andrea Canning delves into the mysterious case of Michelle Lodzinski and the disappearance and tragic death of her son Timothy Wiltsey. The episode, titled “The Blue Blanket Mystery,” is set to air on Friday, September 1, at 9:00 Pm, Et/8:00 Pm, Ct, on the NBC network.
What Happened to Timothy Wiltsey & Michelle Lodzinski?
In 1991, a young mother from New Jersey reported that her five-year-old son vanished from a carnival, sparking a decades-long investigation that gripped the nation. Michelle Lodzinski, the mother in question, was eventually accused of her son’s murder, and the ensuing trial captivated the public’s attention. Recently, in a shocking turn of events, Lodzinski’s 2016 murder conviction was overturned by the state Supreme Court, breathing new life into a case that has baffled and intrigued for years.
In this special two-hour “Dateline” episode,...
What Happened to Timothy Wiltsey & Michelle Lodzinski?
In 1991, a young mother from New Jersey reported that her five-year-old son vanished from a carnival, sparking a decades-long investigation that gripped the nation. Michelle Lodzinski, the mother in question, was eventually accused of her son’s murder, and the ensuing trial captivated the public’s attention. Recently, in a shocking turn of events, Lodzinski’s 2016 murder conviction was overturned by the state Supreme Court, breathing new life into a case that has baffled and intrigued for years.
In this special two-hour “Dateline” episode,...
- 8/30/2023
- by Alex Matthews
- TV Regular
There’s much to celebrate this September thanks to Plex! The free streaming service is adding 23 new titles to its library of over 50,000 this month, and even though the list may seem short, especially compared to some of the major streamers’ lists, Plex is flexing its movie muscles with major titles such as “L.A. Confidential,” “The King of Comedy,” and more.
Check out The Streamable’s top picks for the coming month and the full list below!
Watch Now $0+ / month plex.tv What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Plex in September 2023? “Pi” | Friday, Sept. 1
Before “Requiem for a Dream,” “The Whale,” and the rest of his filmography, Darren Aronofsky made his feature directorial debut with the black-and-white psychological thriller “Pi.” Starring Sean Gullette, the film follows Max Cohen, a paranoid mathematician with an obsession to find order in the world amongst the diametrically opposed concepts of human irrationality and mathematical rationality.
Check out The Streamable’s top picks for the coming month and the full list below!
Watch Now $0+ / month plex.tv What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Plex in September 2023? “Pi” | Friday, Sept. 1
Before “Requiem for a Dream,” “The Whale,” and the rest of his filmography, Darren Aronofsky made his feature directorial debut with the black-and-white psychological thriller “Pi.” Starring Sean Gullette, the film follows Max Cohen, a paranoid mathematician with an obsession to find order in the world amongst the diametrically opposed concepts of human irrationality and mathematical rationality.
- 8/29/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSEvil Does Not Exist.The Venice Film Festival has unveiled its full lineup, featuring new films from Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Sofia Coppola, and Yorgos Lanthimos in competition, alongside buzzy titles like David Fincher’s The Killer and Michael Mann’s Ferrari.There's lineup news from Toronto as well. So far, TIFF has revealed its opening night selection, Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron (better original title: How Do You Live?), as well as its gala, special, Platform, and nonfiction presentations. On the docket are new films from Raoul Peck, Kitty Green, Atom Egoyan, and Richard Linklater, among others. The Platform section will open with Kristoffer Borgli's Dream Scenario, starring Nicolas Cage; he portrays an academic who begins appearing in people's dreams.Dream Scenario.REMEMBERINGPee-wee's Big Adventure.Comedian and actor Paul Reubens—best...
- 8/2/2023
- MUBI
Robert Lieberman, who directed films including Fire in the Sky and D3: The Mighty Ducks, episodes of The X-Files, Dexter and Criminal Minds and thousands of commercials, has died. He was 75.
Lieberman died July 1 in Los Angeles after a long battle with cancer, his son, Nick Lieberman, who co-directed Searchlight Pictures’ Theater Camp, which hit the big screen this weekend, announced.
Lieberman helmed TV spots for such companies as McDonald’s, Hallmark and Oreo and worked with talent ranging from President Clinton, Ray Charles and Jerry Lewis to Michael Jordan, Anne Hathaway and Kenan Thompson. He received more than two dozen Clio Awards and, in 1979, the inaugural DGA Award for commercials.
Much of his work was done through Harmony Pictures, the company he founded with Stuart Gross.
In addition to Fire in the Sky (1993), starring D.B. Sweeney and Robert Patrick, and the hockey sequel D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996), starring Emilio Estevez,...
Lieberman died July 1 in Los Angeles after a long battle with cancer, his son, Nick Lieberman, who co-directed Searchlight Pictures’ Theater Camp, which hit the big screen this weekend, announced.
Lieberman helmed TV spots for such companies as McDonald’s, Hallmark and Oreo and worked with talent ranging from President Clinton, Ray Charles and Jerry Lewis to Michael Jordan, Anne Hathaway and Kenan Thompson. He received more than two dozen Clio Awards and, in 1979, the inaugural DGA Award for commercials.
Much of his work was done through Harmony Pictures, the company he founded with Stuart Gross.
In addition to Fire in the Sky (1993), starring D.B. Sweeney and Robert Patrick, and the hockey sequel D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996), starring Emilio Estevez,...
- 7/17/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Robert Lieberman, who directed the sci-fi cult classic Fire in the Sky and won the inaugural DGA Award for Commercials, has died in Los Angeles after a long battle with cancer. He was 75.
His death on July 1 was confirmed by his manager, John Bauman.
Lieberman kicked off his 50-plus year career as an assistant editor in commercials but by the mid-’70s had worked his way up to directing. He ended up helming more than a thousand spots for McDonald’s, Hallmark, Oreo among countless others and winning the DGA Award in 1979 and 1995. He worked with talent ranging from spanned from President Bill Clinton, Ray Charles and Jerry Lewis to Michael Jordan, Anne Hathaway and Kenan Thompson, and much of this work was done through Harmony Pictures, the company he founded with partner Stuart Gross.
Lieberman was in the vanguard that brought a more cinematic, filmmaker’s eye to television. He...
His death on July 1 was confirmed by his manager, John Bauman.
Lieberman kicked off his 50-plus year career as an assistant editor in commercials but by the mid-’70s had worked his way up to directing. He ended up helming more than a thousand spots for McDonald’s, Hallmark, Oreo among countless others and winning the DGA Award in 1979 and 1995. He worked with talent ranging from spanned from President Bill Clinton, Ray Charles and Jerry Lewis to Michael Jordan, Anne Hathaway and Kenan Thompson, and much of this work was done through Harmony Pictures, the company he founded with partner Stuart Gross.
Lieberman was in the vanguard that brought a more cinematic, filmmaker’s eye to television. He...
- 7/17/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
When writing a 97th birthday salute to the great Mel Brooks on Wednesday, I neglected to include my favorite story surrounding Brooks. It involved his most embarrassing moment, which happened in 1966. He recalled the cringeworthy moment in a special with talk show host Dick Cavett in 2011, and it involved the affable game show host Bill Cullen.
“About a hundred years ago, I was on a show called, ‘Eye Guess’,” Brooks recalled, “with a lady named Julia Meade and the host, Bill Cullen. I was doing my usual thing, ad-libbing, having a good time. So, the show is over, and I turned and noticed that Cullen is starting to walk out from behind his podium.”
SEERay Richmond: Happy Birthday, Melvin James Kaminsky! Mel Brooks turns 97
Interrupting the story here, Cullen walked in an exaggerated and jerky fashion as a result of a childhood bout with polio that left him disabled with...
“About a hundred years ago, I was on a show called, ‘Eye Guess’,” Brooks recalled, “with a lady named Julia Meade and the host, Bill Cullen. I was doing my usual thing, ad-libbing, having a good time. So, the show is over, and I turned and noticed that Cullen is starting to walk out from behind his podium.”
SEERay Richmond: Happy Birthday, Melvin James Kaminsky! Mel Brooks turns 97
Interrupting the story here, Cullen walked in an exaggerated and jerky fashion as a result of a childhood bout with polio that left him disabled with...
- 6/29/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Pat Cooper, the famously fast-talking and angry stand-up comedian who often appeared on Ed Sullivan and Howard Stern’s shows, died Tuesday in Las Vegas. He was 93.
Cooper appeared on “Seinfeld” in the Friars Club episode, playing himself. He also appeared with Robert DeNiro in the 1999 film “Analyze This” as Salvatore Masiello and reprised his role in “Analyze That.”
He was a frequent guest host on the Mike Douglas Show in the 1970s, and appeared many times on the Howard Stern show throughout the 1990s and 2000s, where he was known for his cranky persona.
Born Pasquale Caputo to an Italian family in Brooklyn, he started out playing local New York clubs. In 1963, he landed a spot on “The Jackie Gleason Show,” and then began performing at the Copacabana, where he opened for acts including the Four Seasons and Jimmy Roselli.
Cooper went on to perform at clubs across the country,...
Cooper appeared on “Seinfeld” in the Friars Club episode, playing himself. He also appeared with Robert DeNiro in the 1999 film “Analyze This” as Salvatore Masiello and reprised his role in “Analyze That.”
He was a frequent guest host on the Mike Douglas Show in the 1970s, and appeared many times on the Howard Stern show throughout the 1990s and 2000s, where he was known for his cranky persona.
Born Pasquale Caputo to an Italian family in Brooklyn, he started out playing local New York clubs. In 1963, he landed a spot on “The Jackie Gleason Show,” and then began performing at the Copacabana, where he opened for acts including the Four Seasons and Jimmy Roselli.
Cooper went on to perform at clubs across the country,...
- 6/7/2023
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Tina Turner played for many dignitaries throughout a music career that spanned over six decades. Her fans spanned far and wide, including Princess Diana and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. However, did she ever have the chance to perform for Queen Elizabeth and the members of the royal family? Here’s what we know.
Queen Elizabeth and Tina Turner in side-by-side photographs | Samir Hussein/WireImage/Steve Rapport/Getty Images Tina Turner once performed for the royal family in the late 1980s
In 1989, Tina Turner was a guest of the royal family and a special guest at the Royal Variety Performance. The event took place at the London Palladium.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attended the musical and variety show at the time. The event took place in November 1989.
The performers of the historical evening included a mix of actors, entertainers, singers, and musicians. Turner was joined by a who’s who of talent,...
Queen Elizabeth and Tina Turner in side-by-side photographs | Samir Hussein/WireImage/Steve Rapport/Getty Images Tina Turner once performed for the royal family in the late 1980s
In 1989, Tina Turner was a guest of the royal family and a special guest at the Royal Variety Performance. The event took place at the London Palladium.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attended the musical and variety show at the time. The event took place in November 1989.
The performers of the historical evening included a mix of actors, entertainers, singers, and musicians. Turner was joined by a who’s who of talent,...
- 5/25/2023
- by Lucille Barilla
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Peppermint wants back on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” She famously was runner-up in Season 9 when Sasha Velour took the crown after her iconic rose petal-filled finale lip sync.
“I would love to go on ‘All Stars,’” Peppermint tells me on this week’s episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast. She was asked to compete in 2018 but was already booked for the Go-Go’s Broadway musical, “Head Over Heels.” “I will happily go onto the show if they invite me,” Peppermint says. “It is quite expensive and quite an investment, but I do think it could be worth it.”
Peppermint will next be seen in “A Transparent Musical,” opening May 23 at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. She plays Davina, a role originated on the “Transparent” television series by Alexandra Billings. Peppermint recalls having “two-person watch parties” with her music producer when the series first premiered on Amazon in 2014.
“The...
“I would love to go on ‘All Stars,’” Peppermint tells me on this week’s episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast. She was asked to compete in 2018 but was already booked for the Go-Go’s Broadway musical, “Head Over Heels.” “I will happily go onto the show if they invite me,” Peppermint says. “It is quite expensive and quite an investment, but I do think it could be worth it.”
Peppermint will next be seen in “A Transparent Musical,” opening May 23 at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. She plays Davina, a role originated on the “Transparent” television series by Alexandra Billings. Peppermint recalls having “two-person watch parties” with her music producer when the series first premiered on Amazon in 2014.
“The...
- 5/17/2023
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Lisa Montell, a starlet in the 1950s and ’60s who appeared in such films as World Without End opposite Rod Taylor and Ten Thousand Bedrooms alongside Dean Martin, has died. She was 89.
Montell died March 7 in Southern California Hospital at Van Nuys of heart problems and sepsis, her daughter, Shireen Janti, told The Hollywood Reporter.
A native of Poland, Montell portrayed characters of various ethnicities during her career. In Naked Paradise (1957) and She Gods of Shark Reef (1958), directed back-to-back in Kauai by Roger Corman, she played Hawaiians.
She also showed up on several TV Westerns, including The Gene Autry Show, Broken Arrow, Tales of Wells Fargo, Colt .45, Have Gun — Will Travel, Sugarfoot, Cheyenne, Bat Masterson and Maverick.
In the sci-fi feature World Without End (1956), written and directed by Edward Bernds, Montell portrayed a woman on Earth in the 26th century, hundreds of years after a devastating atomic war, who...
Montell died March 7 in Southern California Hospital at Van Nuys of heart problems and sepsis, her daughter, Shireen Janti, told The Hollywood Reporter.
A native of Poland, Montell portrayed characters of various ethnicities during her career. In Naked Paradise (1957) and She Gods of Shark Reef (1958), directed back-to-back in Kauai by Roger Corman, she played Hawaiians.
She also showed up on several TV Westerns, including The Gene Autry Show, Broken Arrow, Tales of Wells Fargo, Colt .45, Have Gun — Will Travel, Sugarfoot, Cheyenne, Bat Masterson and Maverick.
In the sci-fi feature World Without End (1956), written and directed by Edward Bernds, Montell portrayed a woman on Earth in the 26th century, hundreds of years after a devastating atomic war, who...
- 5/10/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ginnie Newhart, the wife of famed comedian Bob Newhart who came up with the innovative idea for how to conclude his Vermont-based sitcom by combining with it with his earlier Chicago-based show, has died. She was 82.
She died Sunday at their home in Century City after a long illness, publicist Jerry Digney told The Hollywood Reporter. She and Bob recently celebrated their 60-year wedding anniversary.
Bob Newhart starred for six seasons (1972-78) as clinical psychologist Bob Hartley on CBS’ The Bob Newhart Show opposite Suzanne Pleshette as his wife, then played Vermont innkeeper Dick Loudon on CBS’ Newhart for another eight seasons (1982-90), when his wife was played by Mary Frann.
In one of the most admired series finales in TV history, Newhart winds up with a cheeky scene in which Dick wakes up in the middle of the night as Bob Hartley — he’s in bed with Pleshette in...
She died Sunday at their home in Century City after a long illness, publicist Jerry Digney told The Hollywood Reporter. She and Bob recently celebrated their 60-year wedding anniversary.
Bob Newhart starred for six seasons (1972-78) as clinical psychologist Bob Hartley on CBS’ The Bob Newhart Show opposite Suzanne Pleshette as his wife, then played Vermont innkeeper Dick Loudon on CBS’ Newhart for another eight seasons (1982-90), when his wife was played by Mary Frann.
In one of the most admired series finales in TV history, Newhart winds up with a cheeky scene in which Dick wakes up in the middle of the night as Bob Hartley — he’s in bed with Pleshette in...
- 4/24/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Broken Lizard, the five-man comedy troupe which formed in 1990 at a fraternity on the upstate New York campus of preppy Colgate University, have been stoner icons since the very first scene of their 2001 breakout hit “Super Troopers.” That’s when Jay Chandrasekhar’s mustachioed Vermont cop Lieutenant Arcot “Thorny” Ramathorn pulls over a car full of potheads and proceeds to terrorize and freak them out.
Like they did in 2018 with “Super Troopers 2,” their newest film, “Quasi,” a reimagining of Victor Hugo’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” is a no-holds-barred, scatological combination of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” crossed with Mel Brooks’ “Robin Hood: Men in Tights.” It premieres today — April 20 — as a Hulu Original through Fox Searchlight.
Boasting their own cannabis brand, Smokin’ Lizard, Chandrasekhar notes, “When we get high with friends like Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg, they take it seriously enough to try to smoke us...
Like they did in 2018 with “Super Troopers 2,” their newest film, “Quasi,” a reimagining of Victor Hugo’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” is a no-holds-barred, scatological combination of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” crossed with Mel Brooks’ “Robin Hood: Men in Tights.” It premieres today — April 20 — as a Hulu Original through Fox Searchlight.
Boasting their own cannabis brand, Smokin’ Lizard, Chandrasekhar notes, “When we get high with friends like Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg, they take it seriously enough to try to smoke us...
- 4/20/2023
- by Roy Trakin
- Variety Film + TV
For as long as American media has existed, so too has the allure of a Western. Stories set in the Wild West play an outsized role in the country’s self-mythology, and one of the genre’s favorite tropes is the duel between two opposing gunfighters. These duels often came down to one simple question: who was the fastest in the West? It turns out that few had the reflexes or mental sharpness of Nick Barkley, a character on the show The Big Valley played by Peter Breck.
Breck was one of many actors who learned to fire their weapons accurately in no time. But who was the quickest? It’s a question without a definitive answer.
Peter Breck played the young hothead in ‘The Big Valley’
The Big Valley took place in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The show followed the lives of the Barkley family. They were wealthy owners...
Breck was one of many actors who learned to fire their weapons accurately in no time. But who was the quickest? It’s a question without a definitive answer.
Peter Breck played the young hothead in ‘The Big Valley’
The Big Valley took place in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The show followed the lives of the Barkley family. They were wealthy owners...
- 4/16/2023
- by Sam Hines
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In the first half hour of Netflix series Transatlantic, we get a sense of the range of Lucas Englander.
When we meet the Austrian actor, who plays Albert Hirschman in Netflix’s new international series, he’s a bedraggled refugee, stumbling down the hill toward the beach at Marseilles, the “last free port” in Nazi-occupied France, circa 1940. Spotting the waters of the Mediterranean, he stops. Then breaks into a run. Hitting the beach, he strips off his grimy clothes and plunges into the water, letting out a whoop of pure joy, like a child on the first day of summer. A few scenes later, Englander plays Hirschman as the suave lothario. In a bluff to get past a checkpoint, he pretends to be the lover of American heiress Mary Jayne Gold (Gillian Jacobs), whom he met moments earlier, wrapping his arm around her and giving her a brazen smooch. Later,...
When we meet the Austrian actor, who plays Albert Hirschman in Netflix’s new international series, he’s a bedraggled refugee, stumbling down the hill toward the beach at Marseilles, the “last free port” in Nazi-occupied France, circa 1940. Spotting the waters of the Mediterranean, he stops. Then breaks into a run. Hitting the beach, he strips off his grimy clothes and plunges into the water, letting out a whoop of pure joy, like a child on the first day of summer. A few scenes later, Englander plays Hirschman as the suave lothario. In a bluff to get past a checkpoint, he pretends to be the lover of American heiress Mary Jayne Gold (Gillian Jacobs), whom he met moments earlier, wrapping his arm around her and giving her a brazen smooch. Later,...
- 4/10/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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