When screenwriter A.I. Bezzerides was asked about the complex layers of meaning running through his adaptation of Mickey Spillane‘s classic crime novel “Kiss Me Deadly,” he denied having any conscious intention of exploring the post-wwii anxieties that gave the film its jittery core. “People ask me about the hidden meanings in the script,” he told an interviewer. “About the A-bomb, about McCarthyism, what does the poetry mean, and so on. And I can only say that I didn’t think about it when I wrote it . . . I was having fun.” Bezzerides may have been just “having fun,” but in the process, he and director Robert Aldrich crafted one of the greatest noirs of all time, an apocalyptic detective story that looks into the heart of 1950s America and sees annihilation.
It’s one of several stone-cold masterpieces written by the novelist-turned-screenwriter, whose work is being properly acknowledged by the...
It’s one of several stone-cold masterpieces written by the novelist-turned-screenwriter, whose work is being properly acknowledged by the...
- 4/16/2024
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Rereleased for its 70th anniversary, Elia Kazan’s classic exploration of corruption and whether or not to squeal is made all the more viscerally powerful by his own Huac testimony
‘The Romans found out what a handful could do, if it’s the right handful,” says Karl Malden’s priest Father Pete Barry to the crowd of sullen, nervous New Jersey longshoremen he’s persuaded to come to his church, like the early Christians hiding in caves; they are wondering whether to stand up to the crooked union mob boss Johnny Friendly, played by Lee J Cobb. Meanwhile, ex-boxer Terry Malloy, played by Marlon Brando, sits at the back of the church, smirking and eavesdropping; midway between Judas and Jesus, he is the washed-up fighter who gets cushy dockworker jobs from Johnny in return for shameful dirty work, his stevedore’s hook hitched over his shoulder. It’s same kind...
‘The Romans found out what a handful could do, if it’s the right handful,” says Karl Malden’s priest Father Pete Barry to the crowd of sullen, nervous New Jersey longshoremen he’s persuaded to come to his church, like the early Christians hiding in caves; they are wondering whether to stand up to the crooked union mob boss Johnny Friendly, played by Lee J Cobb. Meanwhile, ex-boxer Terry Malloy, played by Marlon Brando, sits at the back of the church, smirking and eavesdropping; midway between Judas and Jesus, he is the washed-up fighter who gets cushy dockworker jobs from Johnny in return for shameful dirty work, his stevedore’s hook hitched over his shoulder. It’s same kind...
- 4/3/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Honors were even atop the U.K. and Ireland box office as Universal’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” and Warner Bros.’ “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” battled for top spot during the Easter holiday weekend.
While “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” won the three-day weekend, “Kung Fu Panda 4” had the higher gross including previews. According to numbers provided by Comscore, “Kung Fu Panda 4” collected £5 million ($6.3) million, while “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” took in £4.1 million ($5.2 million).
In third place, in its second weekend, Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” collected £2.1 million for a total of £8.2 million. In its fifth weekend, in fourth place, Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part II” grossed £1.6 million to take its total to £34 million.
Debuting at fifth place was Indian filmmaker Blessy’s acclaimed desert saga “Aadujeevitham” (“The Goat Life”), distributed by Dg Tech, with £480,977.
There were two more debuts in the top 10. Studiocanal...
While “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” won the three-day weekend, “Kung Fu Panda 4” had the higher gross including previews. According to numbers provided by Comscore, “Kung Fu Panda 4” collected £5 million ($6.3) million, while “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” took in £4.1 million ($5.2 million).
In third place, in its second weekend, Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” collected £2.1 million for a total of £8.2 million. In its fifth weekend, in fourth place, Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part II” grossed £1.6 million to take its total to £34 million.
Debuting at fifth place was Indian filmmaker Blessy’s acclaimed desert saga “Aadujeevitham” (“The Goat Life”), distributed by Dg Tech, with £480,977.
There were two more debuts in the top 10. Studiocanal...
- 4/2/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The 2024 Oscar race is on, and one film has the potential to accomplish a feat that hasn’t happened in 64 years. “Oppenheimer” leads the nominations with 13, and it’s on track to win several of those categories. If Christopher Nolan‘s epic claims Best Picture, Best Actor (Cillian Murphy) and Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.), it will be the first time since 1960 that the same film (“Ben-Hur”) has won those three exact categories. And it would be only the fourth time it’s ever happened.
See Cillian Murphy interview: ‘Oppenheimer’
Since the Best Supporting Actor category was introduced in 1937, only three films have walked away with Best Picture as well as both male acting categories. In 1945, the inspirational musical comedy “Going My Way” not only became the highest-grossing film of 1944, but also won seven of its ten Oscar nominations, making it the big winner of the night. Beside the top prize,...
See Cillian Murphy interview: ‘Oppenheimer’
Since the Best Supporting Actor category was introduced in 1937, only three films have walked away with Best Picture as well as both male acting categories. In 1945, the inspirational musical comedy “Going My Way” not only became the highest-grossing film of 1944, but also won seven of its ten Oscar nominations, making it the big winner of the night. Beside the top prize,...
- 3/2/2024
- by Susan Pennington
- Gold Derby
The 1973 classic The Exorcist (watch it Here) is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with a 4K release and a theatrical re-release… and fifty years after it first reached the screen, there are still new things to discover about it. In early October, filmmaker Paul Davis took to social media to share a snippet of actress Eileen Dietz’s Pazuzu makeup test, where she was shown wearing makeup designed by the legendary Dick Smith. Davis promised he would be releasing a commentary video including10 minutes of unseen outtakes and the full 2 minute makeup test video on Halloween – but when Halloween arrived, he delivered more than promised, revealing 35 minutes of rare outtake footage! You can check it out at the bottom of this article.
Based on a novel by William Peter Blatty (pick up a copy Here), who also wrote the screenplay, The Exorcist was directed by William Friedkin and tells the following...
Based on a novel by William Peter Blatty (pick up a copy Here), who also wrote the screenplay, The Exorcist was directed by William Friedkin and tells the following...
- 11/1/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The Exorcist is my choice for the best horror movie of all time. Some may say Rosemary’s Baby or The Shining or Night of the Living Dead, but as a good Catholic boy, nothing has ever gotten under my skin the way William Friedkin’s original did. But, with great success comes the desire for Hollywood to make a hit into a franchise, but Friedkin was not a franchise director. He famously turned down French Connection II, but the studio, perhaps noticing how the second French Connection turned out decently, decided to go ahead and turn it into a franchise. Still, the results, with one notable exception were a disaster. So without any further adieu, here’s our list of Exorcist movies ranked – from worst to best.
Exorcist II: The Heretic
So, worst is a degree here rather than a black-and-white fact. All of the Exorcist sequels – with that one...
Exorcist II: The Heretic
So, worst is a degree here rather than a black-and-white fact. All of the Exorcist sequels – with that one...
- 10/8/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
There’s a new Exorcist sequel, The Exorcist: Believer, reaching theatres tomorrow, October 6th – but in his review of the film, JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray says it’s abysmal and advises horror fans to “Watch the original instead.” And watching the 1973 classic The Exorcist (watch it Here) is always good advice to follow. The movie is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with a 4K release and a theatrical re-release… and fifty years after it first reached the screen, there are still new things to discover about it. Filmmaker Paul Davis has taken to social media to share a snippet of actress Eileen Dietz’s Pazuzu makeup test, where she’s wearing makeup designed by the legendary Dick Smith. The snippet is less than 30 seconds long, but there’s more to come. Over Halloween, Davis will be releasing a commentary video that includes 10 minutes of unseen outtakes and the full 2 minute makeup test video.
- 10/5/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The ExorcistPhoto: Bettmann (Getty Images)
Nosferatu, the original vampire movie, set in motion the cinematic tropes of the subgenre, and since then many subsequent movies have done great things with its concepts, from Universal’s Dracula to Fright Night. John Carpenter’s Halloween crystallized everything we now associate with the slasher subgenre,...
Nosferatu, the original vampire movie, set in motion the cinematic tropes of the subgenre, and since then many subsequent movies have done great things with its concepts, from Universal’s Dracula to Fright Night. John Carpenter’s Halloween crystallized everything we now associate with the slasher subgenre,...
- 10/2/2023
- by Luke Y. Thompson
- avclub.com
Gangsters, mobsters, thugs, and mugs. Organized crime holds the upper tier of the international cinematic commission. “Crime pays,” Edward G. Robinson, who played Rico Bandello in the seminal gangster film Little Caesar (1931), is famous for saying. “But only in the movies.” When a good mob movie is on the table, it is an offer no filmmaker can refuse. There is more intrigue, suspense, violence, mayhem, and madness to be found in the criminal element than any other genre.
“Gone are the days of the gangsters,” audiences heard for years, usually in movies about mobsters. They always rise up, even if they are splattered across the ornate fountains of their gangland mansions in the last frame, like Al Pacino’s Tony Montana in Brian DePalma’s Scarface (1983), or rolling down the steps of a church, dead from a hail of bullets. That’s how James Cagney’s Eddie Bartlett went out in The Roaring Twenties (1939). Now,...
“Gone are the days of the gangsters,” audiences heard for years, usually in movies about mobsters. They always rise up, even if they are splattered across the ornate fountains of their gangland mansions in the last frame, like Al Pacino’s Tony Montana in Brian DePalma’s Scarface (1983), or rolling down the steps of a church, dead from a hail of bullets. That’s how James Cagney’s Eddie Bartlett went out in The Roaring Twenties (1939). Now,...
- 9/16/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
God, or at least the idea of a god, is an omniscient presence that’s also suspiciously absent in William Friedkin’s The Exorcist. The faith is kept alive in the film’s perpetual use of religious iconography, implying a worldly sense of spiritual belief, but the way in which the various priests conduct their pietism, most exemplified by Jason Miller’s brooding church psychologist Damien Karras, practically render their convictions as moot. At one point, Karras openly doubts his career choice after seeing firsthand the anxieties of his patients.
Of course, the devil is another story. It manifests itself within poor 12-year-old Regan McNeil (Linda Blair), turning a figure of pure innocence into a bile- and vulgarity-spewing demon who goes unnoticed by divine intervention. Friedkin and William Peter Blatty, adapting his own bestselling novel, forgo the easy psychological introspection that’s found in a crisis of faith, instead externalizing...
Of course, the devil is another story. It manifests itself within poor 12-year-old Regan McNeil (Linda Blair), turning a figure of pure innocence into a bile- and vulgarity-spewing demon who goes unnoticed by divine intervention. Friedkin and William Peter Blatty, adapting his own bestselling novel, forgo the easy psychological introspection that’s found in a crisis of faith, instead externalizing...
- 9/12/2023
- by Wes Greene
- Slant Magazine
While you wait for The Exorcist: Believer, in theaters on October 6, Fathom Events wants you to relive the terror of the original horror classic on the biggest screen you can find.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of The Exorcist and Fathom Events is bringing it back to theaters nationwide as part of Fathom’s annual Fright Fest lineup.
The recent passing of legendary director William Friedkin has cast a renewed spotlight on the film, which hits theaters on Sunday, October 1 at 4pm and 7pm local time, and Wednesday, October 4 at 7pm local time.
The limited engagement puts the spotlight on William Friedkin’s Extended Director’s Cut, sourced from the Original 1973 Cut Camera Negative with newly restored and remastered picture and sound in stunning 4k—removing dirt, scratches, and other defects, while maintaining the film’s original creative integrity.
Leading into each screening is an all-new exclusive tribute to...
This year marks the 50th anniversary of The Exorcist and Fathom Events is bringing it back to theaters nationwide as part of Fathom’s annual Fright Fest lineup.
The recent passing of legendary director William Friedkin has cast a renewed spotlight on the film, which hits theaters on Sunday, October 1 at 4pm and 7pm local time, and Wednesday, October 4 at 7pm local time.
The limited engagement puts the spotlight on William Friedkin’s Extended Director’s Cut, sourced from the Original 1973 Cut Camera Negative with newly restored and remastered picture and sound in stunning 4k—removing dirt, scratches, and other defects, while maintaining the film’s original creative integrity.
Leading into each screening is an all-new exclusive tribute to...
- 9/12/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
If American filmgoers are at all aware of the work of filmmaker Damiano Damiani, it’s likely because of his deranged “Zapata western” A Bullet for the General, or else his bonkers horror sequel Amityville II: The Possession, which easily surpasses its more famous predecessor in sheer Wtf factor. Neither of those films are necessarily indicative of Damiani’s serious-minded approach to the titles included in Radiance Films’s Cosa Nostra: Franco Nero in Three Mafia Tales by Damiano Damiani, but they do illustrate Damiani’s determination to pepper his works with pungent social commentary. The three films in this new box set may illuminate very different aspects of the mafia’s tentacular grip on Sicilian society, but they’re united in their bleak, often hopeless diagnoses of these social ills.
The Day of the Owl, from 1968, pits carabiniere Captain Bellodi (Nero) against mafia boss Don Mariano Arena (Lee J. Cobb...
The Day of the Owl, from 1968, pits carabiniere Captain Bellodi (Nero) against mafia boss Don Mariano Arena (Lee J. Cobb...
- 8/14/2023
- by Budd Wilkins
- Slant Magazine
Yesterday, we had to share the sad news that director William Friedkin has passed away at the age of 87. While Friedkin made numerous popular films – The French Connection, Sorcerer, Cruising, and To Live and Die in L.A., among others – his most popular is probably the one that’s celebrating its 50th anniversary this year: The Exorcist (watch it Here). And The Exorcist star Linda Blair has taken to social media to share a tribute to Friedkin.
Blair wrote, “Like Sidney Poitier‘s famous movie To Sir with Love, how do you put into words appreciation to the person that changed your life forever, along with the world? Billy Friedken was a game changer, thought outside the box, was a genius with an incredibly bold personality and extraordinary imagery that electrified colleagues and moviegoers alike and remained a true maverick throughout his career in the film industry.
Every actor wanted to...
Blair wrote, “Like Sidney Poitier‘s famous movie To Sir with Love, how do you put into words appreciation to the person that changed your life forever, along with the world? Billy Friedken was a game changer, thought outside the box, was a genius with an incredibly bold personality and extraordinary imagery that electrified colleagues and moviegoers alike and remained a true maverick throughout his career in the film industry.
Every actor wanted to...
- 8/8/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Is there another modern horror movie as influential and enduringly terrifying as The Exorcist?
Some might make a case for the atmospheric chill of works that preceded it, like Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby or Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now. Others perhaps will point to subsequent hits — the brutal shocks of John Carpenter’s Halloween, for instance, or the mercilessly ratcheted suspense of Ridley Scott’s Alien.
But few, if any, horror films have left such an indelible impression, not only on the genre but on broader popular culture, as the 1973 demonic possession thriller that marked the peak of director William Friedkin’s long career.
Two years earlier, Friedkin, who died Monday at his home in Los Angeles, aged 87, had already reinvented the police procedural with The French Connection, a bristling neo-noir that to this day has few equals in its hurtling car-chase action, its viscerally immersive camerawork, its...
Some might make a case for the atmospheric chill of works that preceded it, like Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby or Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now. Others perhaps will point to subsequent hits — the brutal shocks of John Carpenter’s Halloween, for instance, or the mercilessly ratcheted suspense of Ridley Scott’s Alien.
But few, if any, horror films have left such an indelible impression, not only on the genre but on broader popular culture, as the 1973 demonic possession thriller that marked the peak of director William Friedkin’s long career.
Two years earlier, Friedkin, who died Monday at his home in Los Angeles, aged 87, had already reinvented the police procedural with The French Connection, a bristling neo-noir that to this day has few equals in its hurtling car-chase action, its viscerally immersive camerawork, its...
- 8/8/2023
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Burbank, Calif. – As part of the year-long centennial celebration for the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studio, the iconic supernatural film The Exorcist from Academy Award-winning director William Friedkin (The French Connection) will be available for purchase on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital for the first time this September.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of its 1973 release, on September 19, The Exorcist will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc from online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu, and more.
The Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs include both the 1973 theatrical version of the film and the 2000 Extended Director’s Cut of the film, which features eleven additional minutes of footage not seen in theaters.
Directed by Friedkin, who died today at age 89, from a screenplay by Academy Award winner William Peter Blatty, the film is based on Blatty...
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of its 1973 release, on September 19, The Exorcist will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc from online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu, and more.
The Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs include both the 1973 theatrical version of the film and the 2000 Extended Director’s Cut of the film, which features eleven additional minutes of footage not seen in theaters.
Directed by Friedkin, who died today at age 89, from a screenplay by Academy Award winner William Peter Blatty, the film is based on Blatty...
- 8/7/2023
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
"What an excellent day for an exorcism." Warner Bros has unveiled a new official trailer for the 4K Ultra HD re-release on Blu-ray of the horror classic The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin. As everyone already knows, there's a brand new reboot/remake of this Exorcist series coming up later this year - called The Exorcist: Believer (featuring Ellen Burstyn returning again). This original film is celebrating its 50th anniversary, originally released around Christmas time (seriously) in the US back in 1973. When a teenage girl is possessed by a mysterious demonic entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to try and save her daughter. The Exorcist stars Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, and Jason Miller. Still regarded as one of the scariest movies ever made, this looks better than ever properly restored in pristine 4K quality. Is it still as creepy as before?...
- 8/4/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The 1973 classic The Exorcist (watch it Here) isn’t just getting a new sequel (called The Exorcist: Believer and scheduled to reach theatres on October 13th) for its 50th anniversary. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced that they will be celebrating the film’s anniversary by giving it a new 4K release on September 19th – and this 4K edition will be available on physical media as well as digital. Copies can be pre-ordered at This Link.
Based on a novel by William Peter Blatty (pick up a copy Here), who also wrote the screenplay, The Exorcist was directed by William Friedkin and tells the following story: One of the most profitable horror movies ever made, this tale of an exorcism is based loosely on actual events. When young Regan starts acting odd — levitating, speaking in tongues — her worried mother seeks medical help, only to hit a dead end. A local priest,...
Based on a novel by William Peter Blatty (pick up a copy Here), who also wrote the screenplay, The Exorcist was directed by William Friedkin and tells the following story: One of the most profitable horror movies ever made, this tale of an exorcism is based loosely on actual events. When young Regan starts acting odd — levitating, speaking in tongues — her worried mother seeks medical help, only to hit a dead end. A local priest,...
- 8/3/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The episode of Revisited covering The Exorcist III was Written and Edited by Ric Solomon, Narrated by Kier Gomes, Produced by Tyler Nichols and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
In 1973 William Friedkin unleashed his iconic horror film The Exorcist upon the masses. Since its release, it has been widely regarded as one of the most influential and iconic horror films of all time and would go on to have a huge cultural impact. It tapped into primal fears and because of its powerful storytelling, was able to captivate and terrify audiences. I think its safe to say this secured its status as a timeless horror classic. But we’re not here to discuss a movie that has been dissected, overanalyzed, added to most people’s Top 4 films on Letterboxd and reviewed by everyone and their mothers. No, in this episode we want to talk about the “true sequel” to this iconic film…...
In 1973 William Friedkin unleashed his iconic horror film The Exorcist upon the masses. Since its release, it has been widely regarded as one of the most influential and iconic horror films of all time and would go on to have a huge cultural impact. It tapped into primal fears and because of its powerful storytelling, was able to captivate and terrify audiences. I think its safe to say this secured its status as a timeless horror classic. But we’re not here to discuss a movie that has been dissected, overanalyzed, added to most people’s Top 4 films on Letterboxd and reviewed by everyone and their mothers. No, in this episode we want to talk about the “true sequel” to this iconic film…...
- 8/2/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
As part of the year-long centennial celebration for the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studio, the iconic supernatural film The Exorcist from Academy Award-winning director William Friedkin (The French Connection) will be available for purchase on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital for the first time this September, Bloody Disgusting has learned today.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of its 1973 release, on September 19 The Exorcist will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc from online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more.
The Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs include both the 1973 theatrical version of the film and the 2000 Extended Director’s Cut of the film which features eleven additional minutes of footage not seen in theaters.
Directed by Friedkin from a screenplay by Academy Award winner William Peter Blatty, the film is based on Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of its 1973 release, on September 19 The Exorcist will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc from online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more.
The Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs include both the 1973 theatrical version of the film and the 2000 Extended Director’s Cut of the film which features eleven additional minutes of footage not seen in theaters.
Directed by Friedkin from a screenplay by Academy Award winner William Peter Blatty, the film is based on Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name.
- 8/1/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Beyond the Fulcis, Bavas and Argentos of the world, I have to confess that my experience of Italian cinema is very limited, so I’m coming to this boxset of Damiano Damiani and Franco Nero’s collaborations with not just fresh eyes, but little context for what to expect beyond the basics laid out by the description ‘three mafia tales’. You’ll have to pardon me if I miss some context to these films that having seen more, or knowing more about this late ’60s and early ’70s in Italian film, would allow.
The Films
The Day of the Owl begins with one of the film’s best sequences. As the credits come up, we see what we assume is a hunter, hiding on the side of a road on a hill. We never see his face, and when a truck carrying a load of cement rounds the hill, he fires,...
The Films
The Day of the Owl begins with one of the film’s best sequences. As the credits come up, we see what we assume is a hunter, hiding on the side of a road on a hill. We never see his face, and when a truck carrying a load of cement rounds the hill, he fires,...
- 6/12/2023
- by Sam Inglis
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Gunsmoke was one of the most popular television shows ever to hit the air. The network, CBS, knew what it had on its hands after its 1955 premiere and milked it for 20 seasons before suddenly canceling it in 1975. The Western genre later died off, as its wave of popularity never quite returned to form. Here’s a list of five other vintage television shows to dig into if Gunsmoke was your jam.
L-r: Milburn Stone as Doc Adams, James Arness as Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell, and Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen | CBS via Getty Images ‘Bonanza’ (1959-1973) L-r: Dan Blocker as Eric ‘Hoss’ Cartwright, Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright, Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright, and Michael Landon as Joseph ‘Little Joe’ Cartwright | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Bonanza first hit the air in 1959, a few years after Gunsmoke first established its legs among Western shows. The story follows...
L-r: Milburn Stone as Doc Adams, James Arness as Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell, and Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen | CBS via Getty Images ‘Bonanza’ (1959-1973) L-r: Dan Blocker as Eric ‘Hoss’ Cartwright, Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright, Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright, and Michael Landon as Joseph ‘Little Joe’ Cartwright | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Bonanza first hit the air in 1959, a few years after Gunsmoke first established its legs among Western shows. The story follows...
- 2/28/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In 1966, Montreal-born William Shatner was cast in the role that would change his life, Capt. James Tiberius Kirk in NBC's sci-fi drama "Star Trek." Shatner would go on to play the starship captain for three seasons before reprising Kirk in a Saturday morning cartoon and then in several "Trek" movies throughout the 1970s, '80s, and '90s until Kirk's demise in 1994's "Star Trek Generations." There's no argument that Shatner — who celebrated his 91st birthday in March 2022 — will forever be associated with his "Trek" character. And while Kirk will always be his signature role, the truth is that it's one of many for an actor who first made his way to Hollywood in the 1950s after performing Shakespeare with the famed Stratford Festival in his native Canada.
In fact, Shatner has amassed a whopping 250 screen credits over the years. His roles have run the gamut, ranging from Ranger...
In fact, Shatner has amassed a whopping 250 screen credits over the years. His roles have run the gamut, ranging from Ranger...
- 2/15/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- Slash Film
It’s time for a new episode of The Manson Brothers Show, which is hosted by the writers/stars of the horror comedy The Manson Brothers Midnight Zombie Massacre – Chris Margetis (Stone Manson) and Mike Carey (Skull Manson). With this episode, the Manson Brothers are looking back at one of the most popular horror movies, ever made, the 1973 classic The Exorcist (watch it Here). To find out what they have to say about The Exorcist, check out the video embedded above!
Directed by William Friedkin from a screenplay written by William Peter Blatty (based on Blatty’s own novel), The Exorcist has the following synopsis: When young Regan starts acting odd — levitating, speaking in tongues — her worried mother seeks medical help, only to hit a dead end. A local priest, however, thinks the girl may be seized by the devil. The priest makes a request to perform an exorcism, and...
Directed by William Friedkin from a screenplay written by William Peter Blatty (based on Blatty’s own novel), The Exorcist has the following synopsis: When young Regan starts acting odd — levitating, speaking in tongues — her worried mother seeks medical help, only to hit a dead end. A local priest, however, thinks the girl may be seized by the devil. The priest makes a request to perform an exorcism, and...
- 1/9/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
In May 2020, a former NASA engineer named Ronald Edwin Hunkeler passed away at the age of 85. During his time with the space agency, he had patented heat shields that helped put people on the moon in 1969, but he lived in constant fear that his other claim to fame would be unearthed. For during his teenage years, he was the boy who inspired "The Exorcist."
Although the case has been subject to great scrutiny and skepticism since it was reported in 1949, the "Roland Doe" exorcism remains one of the most famous possession cases, largely thanks to its relation to William Friedkin's blockbuster movie. Hunkeler, who was given pseudonyms to protect his identity, was 13 years old when the disturbances began. First, there were strange noises and moving objects. Then he started displaying increasingly unusual behavior, talking in a guttural voice unlike his own, speaking Latin phrases, and showing extreme discomfort when presented with sacred objects.
Although the case has been subject to great scrutiny and skepticism since it was reported in 1949, the "Roland Doe" exorcism remains one of the most famous possession cases, largely thanks to its relation to William Friedkin's blockbuster movie. Hunkeler, who was given pseudonyms to protect his identity, was 13 years old when the disturbances began. First, there were strange noises and moving objects. Then he started displaying increasingly unusual behavior, talking in a guttural voice unlike his own, speaking Latin phrases, and showing extreme discomfort when presented with sacred objects.
- 1/8/2023
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Some people say the 1990s wasn’t the best time for horror since it marked the end of many of the popular slasher franchises from the ‘70s and ‘80s that previous generations grew up on. In those movies’ place, the ‘90s introduced way more postmodern teen horrors (following on from Scream). But there was way more to ‘90s horror than that, and it was an era which deserves a second look. While Scream was revising the slasher model, making it more female-friendly and catering to teen gore hounds who knew all the tricks, The Blair Witch Project ushered in a new era of found footage horror, and high-concept marketing. And horror was suddenly becoming more mainstream: Silence of the Lambs became the first and only horror to win the Best Picture Oscar, though The Sixth Sense mustered up 6 nominations the following year. Meanwhile the well-respected director of The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola...
- 10/29/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
No possession film will ever be as frightening as The Exorcist (1973) because it is a movie no one wants to make anymore. Filmmakers repeatedly try to copy it, but that’s not the same as producing a bold and groundbreaking original work, and when they do, they try to speed up the action to get to the thrills. The devil likes it slow and has never been more intimate, and real as in director William Friedkin’s multi-Oscar-nominated film. It is scary because it is studiously subdued, and daringly sloppy.
The Exorcist terrified moviegoers when it came out a day after Christmas in ‘73. William Peter Blatty’s novel was a bestseller before that, threatening to infest every bookshelf in every home in America. It was a demon just waiting for some studio to unleash it into theaters, and Warner Bros. heralded its unholy unveiling.
Word on the street warned that...
The Exorcist terrified moviegoers when it came out a day after Christmas in ‘73. William Peter Blatty’s novel was a bestseller before that, threatening to infest every bookshelf in every home in America. It was a demon just waiting for some studio to unleash it into theaters, and Warner Bros. heralded its unholy unveiling.
Word on the street warned that...
- 10/19/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Few movies have the diabolical aura of "The Exorcist," and much of its reputation comes from its sensational and controversial release almost 50 years ago. William Friedkin's film had people queuing in the streets to see what all the fuss was about, as tales of moviegoers vomiting or passing out in theaters only served to emphasize its devilish allure. Critic Andrew Sarris of The Village Voice even went so far as to call it "a thoroughly evil film." Then there were the predictable rumors of an on-set curse and the subsequent ban in the UK, all of which added to its stature as one of the most frightening mainstream horrors ever made.
Despite its whiff of sulfur, I never saw the film as anything remotely evil. I approached it with caution at first but I consider it a good film in the purest sense of the word. Sure, it catalogs...
Despite its whiff of sulfur, I never saw the film as anything remotely evil. I approached it with caution at first but I consider it a good film in the purest sense of the word. Sure, it catalogs...
- 10/16/2022
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Besides his work on the 1978 Diana Ross and Michael Jackson-starring cult classic "The Wiz," I know the late, great director Sidney Lumet for his legal/courtroom dramas such tas "The Verdict" and "Find Me Guilty." I was first introduced to such works in college when a criminal justice professor showed my class Lumet's first feature film, "12 Angry Men." The movie allows viewers to become flies on the wall as a jury who, on the hottest day of the year, is sent into the deliberation room to unanimously decide whether to send an 18-year-old murder suspect to the electric chair.
Though the then 33-year-old Lumet had the simple goal of just getting his first feature film under his belt, "12 Angry Men" would go on to become one of the director's greatest films. For me, a feature about 12 hot and sweaty jurors doing their civic duty in a cramped...
Though the then 33-year-old Lumet had the simple goal of just getting his first feature film under his belt, "12 Angry Men" would go on to become one of the director's greatest films. For me, a feature about 12 hot and sweaty jurors doing their civic duty in a cramped...
- 8/26/2022
- by J. Gabriel Ware
- Slash Film
Kino’s Noir boxes offer interesting noir-adjacent crime and mystery pix. This seventh return to the well of darkness brings up the organized crime ‘meller’ Chicago Confidential with Brian Keith and the more ambitious The Boss, starring John Payne and written by Dalton Trumbo. The third show The Fearmakers is a real oddity. Starring Dana Andrews and directed by Jacques Tourneur, it’s a political conspiracy tale about manipulating opinions with fraudulent polls. It sounds a lot like the fractured state of modern America, 65 years later. With commentaries by Jason A. Ney and Alan K. Rode.
Film Noir the Dark Side of Cinema VII
The Boss, Chicago Confidential, The Fearmakers
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1956-1958 / B&w / Street Date June 7, 2022 / 249 min. / available through Kino Lorber / 49.95
Starring: John Payne, Gloria McGehee, Brian Keith, Beverly Garland, Dana Andrews, Marilee Earle.
Directed by Byron Haskin, Sidney Salkow, Jacques Tourneur
Kino treads the dark...
Film Noir the Dark Side of Cinema VII
The Boss, Chicago Confidential, The Fearmakers
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1956-1958 / B&w / Street Date June 7, 2022 / 249 min. / available through Kino Lorber / 49.95
Starring: John Payne, Gloria McGehee, Brian Keith, Beverly Garland, Dana Andrews, Marilee Earle.
Directed by Byron Haskin, Sidney Salkow, Jacques Tourneur
Kino treads the dark...
- 5/31/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
It’s astonishing to think that a few judicious edits, a deletion of seconds here, or a few minutes there, can sometimes change the entire meaning, theme, and even narrative trajectory of a motion picture. But it happens more often than you may think: look at movies like Aliens, The Abyss, or Blade Runner–just to name a handful–where such excisions literally made a movie-defining difference. That’s what happened with The Exorcist too.
That religious chiller is still renowned as the greatest horror movie of all time, and it starts a run on Netflix this week. When director William Friedkin made The Exorcist in 1973, his initial cut was two hours and 20 minutes. Over several objections by producer and screenwriter William Peter Blatty (who adapted his own novel), Friedkin pruned away 20 minutes or so, bringing the film in at a tight two hours.
Some 17 years later, however, Friedkin–whose...
That religious chiller is still renowned as the greatest horror movie of all time, and it starts a run on Netflix this week. When director William Friedkin made The Exorcist in 1973, his initial cut was two hours and 20 minutes. Over several objections by producer and screenwriter William Peter Blatty (who adapted his own novel), Friedkin pruned away 20 minutes or so, bringing the film in at a tight two hours.
Some 17 years later, however, Friedkin–whose...
- 2/3/2022
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
Retro-active: The Best From The Cinema Retro Archives
Review – Naked City: The Complete Series
Rlj Entertainment / 6,063 minutes
By Harvey F. Chartrand
Naked City was like no other TV series before or since – Michel Moriarty, star of Law and Order, once told this reviewer.
Inspired by Jules Dassin's 1948 film of the same name, Naked City centers on the detectives of the NYPD’s 65th Precinct, but the criminals and New York City itself often played as prominent a role in the dramas as the series regulars. Like the film it was based on, Naked City (1958- 1963) was shot almost entirely on location. The first season ran as a half-hour show under the title The Naked City, starring James Franciscus and John McIntire playing, respectively, Detective Jimmy Halloran and Lieutenant Dan Muldoon—the same roles essayed by Don Taylor and Barry Fitzgerald in the film.
The Naked City also starred Harry Bellaver as Det.
Review – Naked City: The Complete Series
Rlj Entertainment / 6,063 minutes
By Harvey F. Chartrand
Naked City was like no other TV series before or since – Michel Moriarty, star of Law and Order, once told this reviewer.
Inspired by Jules Dassin's 1948 film of the same name, Naked City centers on the detectives of the NYPD’s 65th Precinct, but the criminals and New York City itself often played as prominent a role in the dramas as the series regulars. Like the film it was based on, Naked City (1958- 1963) was shot almost entirely on location. The first season ran as a half-hour show under the title The Naked City, starring James Franciscus and John McIntire playing, respectively, Detective Jimmy Halloran and Lieutenant Dan Muldoon—the same roles essayed by Don Taylor and Barry Fitzgerald in the film.
The Naked City also starred Harry Bellaver as Det.
- 11/28/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
This colorful gangland drama was made by a studio in transition, in the middle of a crippling musician’s strike. Robert Taylor and Cyd Charisse were MGM’s last contract stars; her costumes and dance numbers are wildly anachronistic for the period setting and she refused to take direction from Nicholas Ray, whose career was coming apart at the seams. Yet the maverick director must have done something right, as the show has remained a favorite of audiences and critics. Co-starring Lee J. Cobb, John Ireland and Corey Allen. The Wac’S remastered Blu-ray is a beauty.
Party Girl
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1958 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 99 min. / Available at Amazon.com / Street Date November 30, 2021 / 21.99
Starring: Robert Taylor, Cyd Charisse, Lee J. Cobb, John Ireland, Kent Smith, Claire Kelly, Corey Allen, David Opatoshu, Barbara Lang, Myrna Hansen, Betty Utey.
Cinematography: Robert Bronner
Art Director: John McSweeney Jr.
Original Music: Jeff Alexander
Written...
Party Girl
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1958 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 99 min. / Available at Amazon.com / Street Date November 30, 2021 / 21.99
Starring: Robert Taylor, Cyd Charisse, Lee J. Cobb, John Ireland, Kent Smith, Claire Kelly, Corey Allen, David Opatoshu, Barbara Lang, Myrna Hansen, Betty Utey.
Cinematography: Robert Bronner
Art Director: John McSweeney Jr.
Original Music: Jeff Alexander
Written...
- 11/27/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
“Stick close to me puss. You’re bringing me good luck.”
1958. American actor Robert Taylor with Cyd Charisse on the set of Party Girl, a film by Nicholas Ray.
Cyd Charisse in Nicholas Ray’s Party Girl (1958) will be available on Blu-ray November 30th from Warner Archive
When maverick director Nicholas Ray turns his talents to a gangster movie, a familiar genre becomes startling and new. Under the auspices of long-time M-g-m musical producer Joe Pasternak, and with the added gloss of the CinemaScope widescreen and Metrocolor, the auteur created a cult classic. Set in 1930s Chicago, Party Girl follows a bum-legged mouthpiece for the mob (Robert Taylor) and a gorgeous, wised-up vamp (Cyd Charisse) who fall in love, try to go straight… and head straight for trouble. Ray deepens the drama and heightens the violence with filmmaking artistry that has given Party Girl cult status: a screen painted in sinister ebony and blood red,...
1958. American actor Robert Taylor with Cyd Charisse on the set of Party Girl, a film by Nicholas Ray.
Cyd Charisse in Nicholas Ray’s Party Girl (1958) will be available on Blu-ray November 30th from Warner Archive
When maverick director Nicholas Ray turns his talents to a gangster movie, a familiar genre becomes startling and new. Under the auspices of long-time M-g-m musical producer Joe Pasternak, and with the added gloss of the CinemaScope widescreen and Metrocolor, the auteur created a cult classic. Set in 1930s Chicago, Party Girl follows a bum-legged mouthpiece for the mob (Robert Taylor) and a gorgeous, wised-up vamp (Cyd Charisse) who fall in love, try to go straight… and head straight for trouble. Ray deepens the drama and heightens the violence with filmmaking artistry that has given Party Girl cult status: a screen painted in sinister ebony and blood red,...
- 11/15/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The former head of the ACLU discusses some of the movies – and sports legends – that made him.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Mighty Ira (2020)
The Jackie Robinson Story (1950)
42 (2013)
Shane (1953)
Panic In The Streets (1950)
Last Year At Marienbad (1962)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
La Strada (1954)
Wild Strawberries (1957) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
The Virgin Spring (1960) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Last House On The Left (1972) – Darren Bousman’s trailer commentary
A Walk In The Sun (1945) – Glenn Erickson’s review
Paths Of Glory (1957) – George Hickenlooper’s trailer commentary, John Landis’s trailer commentary
All Quiet On The Western Front (1930) – Ed Neumeier’s trailer commentary
Lonely Are The Brave (1962)
Casablanca (1942) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
On The Waterfront (1954) – John Badham’s trailer commentary
12 Angry Men (1957)
Inherit The Wind (1960)
Judgment At Nuremberg (1961)
Witness For The Prosecution (1957)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
The Verdict (1982)
Twelve Angry Men teleplay (1954)
The Front (1976)
Judgment At Nuremberg teleplay...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Mighty Ira (2020)
The Jackie Robinson Story (1950)
42 (2013)
Shane (1953)
Panic In The Streets (1950)
Last Year At Marienbad (1962)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
La Strada (1954)
Wild Strawberries (1957) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
The Virgin Spring (1960) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Last House On The Left (1972) – Darren Bousman’s trailer commentary
A Walk In The Sun (1945) – Glenn Erickson’s review
Paths Of Glory (1957) – George Hickenlooper’s trailer commentary, John Landis’s trailer commentary
All Quiet On The Western Front (1930) – Ed Neumeier’s trailer commentary
Lonely Are The Brave (1962)
Casablanca (1942) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
On The Waterfront (1954) – John Badham’s trailer commentary
12 Angry Men (1957)
Inherit The Wind (1960)
Judgment At Nuremberg (1961)
Witness For The Prosecution (1957)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
The Verdict (1982)
Twelve Angry Men teleplay (1954)
The Front (1976)
Judgment At Nuremberg teleplay...
- 10/19/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
With the long-delayed 74th Tony Awards set for Sept. 26 at the Winter Garden and streaming on Paramount + and a CBS special, let’s take a deep dive into Tony Awards history and look back at the first decade. Broadway was bristling with excitement post World War II. Young playwrights such as Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller and William Inge breathed new life into the Great White Way. And new talents electrifying audiences included Marlon Brando, Julie Harris and Gwen Verdon. It was the perfect time for the creation of the Tony Awards in 1947. The Antoinette Perry Awards or Theatre Excellence were named after the legendary theater actress who was co-founder of the American Theatre Wing; she had died in 1946.
The first annual Tony Awards took place on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria and was broadcast on radio on Wor and Mutual Network radio. There was no categories for best play or musical,...
The first annual Tony Awards took place on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria and was broadcast on radio on Wor and Mutual Network radio. There was no categories for best play or musical,...
- 9/23/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
TV director Dan Attias discusses his favorite cinematic moments with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Sweet Smell of Success (1957) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
White Dog (1982)
Silver Bullet (1985)
Witness (1985)
The Verdict (1982)
Scent Of A Woman (1992)
The Piano (1993)
The Pawnbroker (1965)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
True Romance (1993)
Infested (2002)
A History Of Violence (2005)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary links
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) – Bill Duke’s trailer commentary, John Landis’s trailer commentary
Jaws (1975) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982) – Karyn Kusama’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion review
Heaven Can Wait (1978)
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion review
12 Angry Men (1957)
Dodes’ka-den (1970)
Memento (2000)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Other Notable Items
Phillips Club in NYC
Tfh Guru Alan Spencer
Sledge Hammer! TV series (1986-1988)
The Garland in...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Sweet Smell of Success (1957) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
White Dog (1982)
Silver Bullet (1985)
Witness (1985)
The Verdict (1982)
Scent Of A Woman (1992)
The Piano (1993)
The Pawnbroker (1965)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
True Romance (1993)
Infested (2002)
A History Of Violence (2005)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary links
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) – Bill Duke’s trailer commentary, John Landis’s trailer commentary
Jaws (1975) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982) – Karyn Kusama’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion review
Heaven Can Wait (1978)
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion review
12 Angry Men (1957)
Dodes’ka-den (1970)
Memento (2000)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Other Notable Items
Phillips Club in NYC
Tfh Guru Alan Spencer
Sledge Hammer! TV series (1986-1988)
The Garland in...
- 9/14/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
All products and services featured by IndieWire are independently selected by IndieWire editors. However, IndieWire may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
You don’t have to be obsessed with nostalgia to appreciate the aesthetic of a vintage movie poster — but it definitely helps. Vintage movie posters are multi-functional as far as gift giving goes. They’re perfect for movie lovers, they’re collectible, and they add a bit of character to any room. Whether you’re shopping for a gift for your home or office, or buying a present for someone else, we gathered up a short list of Old Hollywood movie posters to purchase online.
The round up of posters feature Marilyn Monroe, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine, Ed Begley Sr., and other unforgettable faces from Hollywood’s Golden Age. High quality...
You don’t have to be obsessed with nostalgia to appreciate the aesthetic of a vintage movie poster — but it definitely helps. Vintage movie posters are multi-functional as far as gift giving goes. They’re perfect for movie lovers, they’re collectible, and they add a bit of character to any room. Whether you’re shopping for a gift for your home or office, or buying a present for someone else, we gathered up a short list of Old Hollywood movie posters to purchase online.
The round up of posters feature Marilyn Monroe, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine, Ed Begley Sr., and other unforgettable faces from Hollywood’s Golden Age. High quality...
- 5/24/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
Witness six noir heroes, doing what noir heroes do: one crooked gambler, one psycho, another psycho with access to a gun, a dope railroaded into a prison sentence, and an even bigger dope who doesn’t realize he’s poisoning himself. That’s only five, but the sixth is a cop, and not a particularly compromised one, the way we like ’em in noir. This third Columbia Noir Collection can boast big stars and some name directors, beautiful HD transfers and some fascinating short subjects as extras.
Columbia Noir #3
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1947-57 / B&w / 1:37 Academy, 1:85 widescreen / Street Date May 17, 2021 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £49.99
Starring: Dick Powell, Lee J Cobb, Nina Foch, William Holden, Edmond O’Brien, Dorothy Malone, Glenn Ford, Broderick Crawford, Marie Windsor, and Vince Edwards.
Directed by Robert Rossen, Rudolph Maté, Henry Levin, Gordon Douglas, Edward Dmytryk, Irving Lerner
Powerhouse Indicator’s...
Columbia Noir #3
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1947-57 / B&w / 1:37 Academy, 1:85 widescreen / Street Date May 17, 2021 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £49.99
Starring: Dick Powell, Lee J Cobb, Nina Foch, William Holden, Edmond O’Brien, Dorothy Malone, Glenn Ford, Broderick Crawford, Marie Windsor, and Vince Edwards.
Directed by Robert Rossen, Rudolph Maté, Henry Levin, Gordon Douglas, Edward Dmytryk, Irving Lerner
Powerhouse Indicator’s...
- 5/4/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
He was super agent Phil Gersh’s signature client from the start of his acting career through his death in 1957, all through his heyday in the 1940s and 1950s in The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, The African Queen, Key Largo, Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The Caine Mutiny. Now, Humphrey Bogart is back with the Gersh Agency, which has signed the Humphrey Bogart Estate.
While estate business signings are usually mundane, this was an excuse for a trip down Hollywood’s memory lane for Bob and David Gersh, who took over the agency from their father. As boys, they grew up around Bogart, and the other stars from dad’s stable that included William Holden, David Niven, Kirk Douglas, Lee J. Cobb, and Fredric March. David Gersh recalled the dialogue between his storied agent father and the legendary Bogart, and it’s not what you might think. “Every time Bogey saw my father,...
While estate business signings are usually mundane, this was an excuse for a trip down Hollywood’s memory lane for Bob and David Gersh, who took over the agency from their father. As boys, they grew up around Bogart, and the other stars from dad’s stable that included William Holden, David Niven, Kirk Douglas, Lee J. Cobb, and Fredric March. David Gersh recalled the dialogue between his storied agent father and the legendary Bogart, and it’s not what you might think. “Every time Bogey saw my father,...
- 4/6/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
You know, once the floodgates open, it’s kinda hard to stop. After a 26-year drought, the Best Supporting Actor Oscar category has now featured double nominees from one film for the third time in four years. Granted, no one expected the head-scratching combo of “Judas and the Black Messiah” stars Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield to be nominated in this category, but hey, it happened. Their bids come a year after “The Irishman” produced nominations for Al Pacino and Joe Pesci and three years after “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” ended the dry spell with Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell, the latter of whom won. Kaluuya remains the frontrunner to win — by a wide margin — which would mark the seventh time a Best Supporting Actor champ defeated a co-star.
“Judas” is the 20th film to yield multiple supporting actor nominations. The first was Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939), whose...
“Judas” is the 20th film to yield multiple supporting actor nominations. The first was Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939), whose...
- 3/17/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Four of the featured fellows in “The Trial of the Chicago 7” — Sacha Baron Cohen, Frank Langella, Eddie Redmayne and Mark Rylance — made the BAFTAs longlist of 15 contenders for Best Supporting Actor. We are predicting that Cohen, who also reaped Golden Globes and SAG bids, will earn a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. Rylance, who won this award in 2015 for “Bridge of Spies,” is jockeying for the fifth slot.
Four-time Tony winner Langella and Redmayne, who took home the Best Actor Oscar in 2014 for “The Theory of Everything,” are longer shots than another of the supporting actors in the film: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II makes our Top 10 for his searing portrayal of Bobby Seale.
Since the supporting acting categories were introduced in 1937, 19 films have reaped bids for at least two of their male featured players. As you can see from the list below, it took till the ninth time that this...
Four-time Tony winner Langella and Redmayne, who took home the Best Actor Oscar in 2014 for “The Theory of Everything,” are longer shots than another of the supporting actors in the film: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II makes our Top 10 for his searing portrayal of Bobby Seale.
Since the supporting acting categories were introduced in 1937, 19 films have reaped bids for at least two of their male featured players. As you can see from the list below, it took till the ninth time that this...
- 2/8/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Viavision’s first deluxe Film Noir boxed set gives us four titles that emphasize star power — Glenn Ford, Ray Milland, Kirk Douglas and Lee J. Cobb. The Australian release includes three Columbia titles and the home video premiere of a rare Paramount picture. Which ones are core Noir and which are merely ‘noir adjacent?’ The special extras invest in a quartet of audio commentaries from the top experts and Film Noir Foundation creators Eddie Muller and Alan K. Rode. There’s nothing that pair doesn’t know about these pictures.
Essential Film Noir Collection 1
Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 18, 19, 20, 21
1947-1957 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 366 min. / Street Date October 28, 2020 / Available from Viavision [Imprint] / 149.99
Starring: Glenn Ford, Janis Carter, Barry Sullivan; Ray Milland, Audrey Totter, Thomas Mitchell; Kirk Douglas, Eleanor Parker, Joseph Wiseman, Lee Grant; Lee J. Cobb, Richard Boone, Kerwin Mathews.
Directed by Richard Wallace, John Farrow, William Wyler, Vincent Sherman
The Australian disc boutique...
Essential Film Noir Collection 1
Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 18, 19, 20, 21
1947-1957 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 366 min. / Street Date October 28, 2020 / Available from Viavision [Imprint] / 149.99
Starring: Glenn Ford, Janis Carter, Barry Sullivan; Ray Milland, Audrey Totter, Thomas Mitchell; Kirk Douglas, Eleanor Parker, Joseph Wiseman, Lee Grant; Lee J. Cobb, Richard Boone, Kerwin Mathews.
Directed by Richard Wallace, John Farrow, William Wyler, Vincent Sherman
The Australian disc boutique...
- 1/16/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Region B Blu-ray-capable noir fans have a formidable six-pack of noir crime pictures on tap: a WW2 espionage thriller, two caper pix and the show that launched the notion of a hit man who’s both charismatic and psychopathic. The list of leading actors is stellar as well: Glenn Ford, Kim Novak, Eli Wallach, Brian Keith, James Whitmore and Nina Foch. Do you like extras? Like to read about the movies you see? No video extra has been left behind, and Pi’s big yellow box contains a 120-page book. Plus — several newly remastered Three Stooges shorts. Don’t forget, Noir and Stooges go together like sanity and American politics!
Columbia Noir #1
Region B Blu-ray
Escape in the Fog, The Undercover Man, Drive a Crooked Road, 5 Against the House, The Garment Jungle, The Lineup
Powerhouse Indicator
1945-1958 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen, 1:37 Academy / 8 hours, 11 min. / Street Date November 30, 2020 / available...
Columbia Noir #1
Region B Blu-ray
Escape in the Fog, The Undercover Man, Drive a Crooked Road, 5 Against the House, The Garment Jungle, The Lineup
Powerhouse Indicator
1945-1958 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen, 1:37 Academy / 8 hours, 11 min. / Street Date November 30, 2020 / available...
- 11/7/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
To mark Fabulous Films latest releases on 19th October, we’re giving away a DVD bundle including The Holiday, Green Street, Coogan’s Bluff, Green Zone and Rumble Fish on DVD.
The Holiday
Meet Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz), two women who couldn’t be more different – one lives in a cosy English cottage, the other in a swanky Hollywood estate- but both are alike in their mutual bad luck with men. In desperate need of an escape, they meet online and impulsively switch homes. Both find the last thing either wants or expects- a new romance- and discover that a change of address really can change your life.
Rumble Fish
Two brothers whose desire to break out of their urban trap eventually leads to the death of one and a new beginning for the other.
Coogan’s Bluff
Walter Coogan (Eastwood), a soft-spoken, straightforward Arizona lawman, is
sent...
The Holiday
Meet Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz), two women who couldn’t be more different – one lives in a cosy English cottage, the other in a swanky Hollywood estate- but both are alike in their mutual bad luck with men. In desperate need of an escape, they meet online and impulsively switch homes. Both find the last thing either wants or expects- a new romance- and discover that a change of address really can change your life.
Rumble Fish
Two brothers whose desire to break out of their urban trap eventually leads to the death of one and a new beginning for the other.
Coogan’s Bluff
Walter Coogan (Eastwood), a soft-spoken, straightforward Arizona lawman, is
sent...
- 10/15/2020
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Sipping his morning coffee, Sam Rockwell joined Venice Film Festival and Mastercard’s “Life Through a Different Lens: Contactless Connections” virtual talk on Wednesday. The Oscar winner for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” talked about his early cinematic influences – including the first film he ever saw. “It was the 1933 version of ‘King Kong’ with Fay Wray. That movie blew me away. I started watching very sophisticated films as a child: ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,’ ‘Sophie’s Choice’ or ‘The Deer Hunter.’ I was maybe too young for that! One that had a great effect on me was ‘The Tin Drum’ and that mix of comedy and drama became a part of my education as an actor.”
Born to actor parents, Rockwell wanted the same adventure. “I romanticized it. It seemed fun! I wasn’t even concerned about the money. I wanted it, obviously, but when you are young it...
Born to actor parents, Rockwell wanted the same adventure. “I romanticized it. It seemed fun! I wasn’t even concerned about the money. I wanted it, obviously, but when you are young it...
- 9/10/2020
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
With the Emmy Awards nominations set for Tuesday, it is a good time to back at a few of the greatest Emmy-winning and Emmy-nominated performances from some of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
Ingrid Bergman, “The Turn of the Screw” (1959)
The Oscar-winning Swedish actress certainly ended the 1950s on a different note than she began the decade. After making her U.S. film debut opposite Leslie Howard in 1939’s “Intermezzo,” Bergman became one of the top Hollywood stars earning her first Oscar for 1944’s “Gaslight.” Married with a young daughter, she shocked the U.S. when she had an affair and became pregnant by famed Italian director Roberto Rossellini during the production of “Stromboli.” She was even denounced in Congress for her affair. The couple did marry, have three children including actress Isabella Rossellini and made several films together before they divorced in 1957. All was forgiven by 1956 when she won...
Ingrid Bergman, “The Turn of the Screw” (1959)
The Oscar-winning Swedish actress certainly ended the 1950s on a different note than she began the decade. After making her U.S. film debut opposite Leslie Howard in 1939’s “Intermezzo,” Bergman became one of the top Hollywood stars earning her first Oscar for 1944’s “Gaslight.” Married with a young daughter, she shocked the U.S. when she had an affair and became pregnant by famed Italian director Roberto Rossellini during the production of “Stromboli.” She was even denounced in Congress for her affair. The couple did marry, have three children including actress Isabella Rossellini and made several films together before they divorced in 1957. All was forgiven by 1956 when she won...
- 7/24/2020
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Helping you stay sane while staying safe… featuring Leonard Maltin, Dave Anthony, Miguel Arteta, John Landis, and Blaire Bercy from the Hollywood Food Coalition.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Plague (1979)
Target Earth (1954)
The Left Hand of God (1955)
A Lost Lady (1934)
Enough Said (2013)
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)
Heaven Can Wait (1978)
Down to Earth (2001)
Down To Earth (1947)
The Commitments (1991)
Once (2007)
Election (1999)
About Schmidt (2002)
Sideways (2004)
Nebraska (2013)
The Man in the Moon (1991)
The 39 Steps (1935)
Casablanca (1942)
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
The Night Walker (1964)
Chuck and Buck (2000)
Cedar Rapids (2011)
Beatriz at Dinner (2017)
Duck Butter (2018)
The Good Girl (2002)
The Big Heat (1953)
Human Desire (1954)
Slightly French (1949)
Week-End with Father (1951)
Experiment In Terror (1962)
They Shoot Horses Don’t They? (1969)
Ray’s Male Heterosexual Dance Hall (1987)
Airport (1970)
Earthquake (1974)
Drive a Crooked Road (1954)
Pushover (1954)
Waves (2019)
Krisha (2015)
The Oblong Box (1969)
80,000 Suspects (1963)
Panic In The Streets (1950)
It Comes At Night (2017)
Children of Men (2006)
The Road (2009)
You Were Never Really Here...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Plague (1979)
Target Earth (1954)
The Left Hand of God (1955)
A Lost Lady (1934)
Enough Said (2013)
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)
Heaven Can Wait (1978)
Down to Earth (2001)
Down To Earth (1947)
The Commitments (1991)
Once (2007)
Election (1999)
About Schmidt (2002)
Sideways (2004)
Nebraska (2013)
The Man in the Moon (1991)
The 39 Steps (1935)
Casablanca (1942)
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
The Night Walker (1964)
Chuck and Buck (2000)
Cedar Rapids (2011)
Beatriz at Dinner (2017)
Duck Butter (2018)
The Good Girl (2002)
The Big Heat (1953)
Human Desire (1954)
Slightly French (1949)
Week-End with Father (1951)
Experiment In Terror (1962)
They Shoot Horses Don’t They? (1969)
Ray’s Male Heterosexual Dance Hall (1987)
Airport (1970)
Earthquake (1974)
Drive a Crooked Road (1954)
Pushover (1954)
Waves (2019)
Krisha (2015)
The Oblong Box (1969)
80,000 Suspects (1963)
Panic In The Streets (1950)
It Comes At Night (2017)
Children of Men (2006)
The Road (2009)
You Were Never Really Here...
- 5/1/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
If you’re looking to take a break from binge-watching garbage television and exercise your brain during quarantine, film historian Annette Insdorf and 92Y might have a perfect solution for you. Beginning Sunday, March 29, you can take the online film course “Reel Pieces Remote: Classic Films with Annette Insdorf,” for five weeks every Sunday at 8 p.m.
The five films she has selected — all of them indisputable masterpieces — can be streamed on The Criterion Channel. You can view the film any time before the Sunday night class, along with a prerecorded introduction from Insdorf, followed by the weekly lecture that will also engage live group discussion. Signing up for the 92Y class includes a free Criterion Channel trial membership good for 45 days. The cost for the five courses altogether is $150 — not free by any means, if you’re in the position to enroll.
More from IndieWireThe Show Must Go On:...
The five films she has selected — all of them indisputable masterpieces — can be streamed on The Criterion Channel. You can view the film any time before the Sunday night class, along with a prerecorded introduction from Insdorf, followed by the weekly lecture that will also engage live group discussion. Signing up for the 92Y class includes a free Criterion Channel trial membership good for 45 days. The cost for the five courses altogether is $150 — not free by any means, if you’re in the position to enroll.
More from IndieWireThe Show Must Go On:...
- 3/22/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
After a 26-year dry spell, we’ve now had double nominations in the Best Supporting Actor Oscar category twice in the last three years. “The Irishman” became the 19th film to score multiple supporting actor bids on Monday, for Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, just two years after Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell did the same for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017).
“Three Billboards” was the first film to garner double bids since “Bugsy” (1991) fielded Harvey Keitel and Ben Kingsley. Three films earned three in the category: 1954’s “On the Waterfront”, 1972’s “The Godfather” and 1974’s “The Godfather Part II”.
Pacino and Pesci are up against Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Tom Hanks (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”) and Anthony Hopkins (“The Two Popes”).
See Here’s the full list of Oscar nominations
In the previous 18 instances, six people have prevailed against a co-star for a 33.3 percent success rate,...
“Three Billboards” was the first film to garner double bids since “Bugsy” (1991) fielded Harvey Keitel and Ben Kingsley. Three films earned three in the category: 1954’s “On the Waterfront”, 1972’s “The Godfather” and 1974’s “The Godfather Part II”.
Pacino and Pesci are up against Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Tom Hanks (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”) and Anthony Hopkins (“The Two Popes”).
See Here’s the full list of Oscar nominations
In the previous 18 instances, six people have prevailed against a co-star for a 33.3 percent success rate,...
- 1/13/2020
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Stars: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Eva Marie Saint | Written by Budd Schulberg | Directed by Elia Kazan
The opening tells us everything. We can visualise the shipyard before we’re shown a single image. Leonard Bernstein’s horn-heavy score sounds like the song of ships. It’s almost peaceful. Then a piano strikes like military drums.
1954’s On the Waterfront is a furious, blue-collar political drama, sandwiched between A Streetcar Named Desire (also starring Marlon Brando) and East of Eden in the filmography of its director Elia Kazan. The film takes place amongst the largely Irish American community of shipyard workers in New Jersey. Manhattan can often be seen, tantalisingly, across the water, visible through prison-like iron railings, or from the rooftop where Terry Malloy (Brando) cares for a dead man’s pigeons, like a form of repentance.
The dead man is Joey Doyle (Ben Wagner), murdered by local gangsters.
The opening tells us everything. We can visualise the shipyard before we’re shown a single image. Leonard Bernstein’s horn-heavy score sounds like the song of ships. It’s almost peaceful. Then a piano strikes like military drums.
1954’s On the Waterfront is a furious, blue-collar political drama, sandwiched between A Streetcar Named Desire (also starring Marlon Brando) and East of Eden in the filmography of its director Elia Kazan. The film takes place amongst the largely Irish American community of shipyard workers in New Jersey. Manhattan can often be seen, tantalisingly, across the water, visible through prison-like iron railings, or from the rooftop where Terry Malloy (Brando) cares for a dead man’s pigeons, like a form of repentance.
The dead man is Joey Doyle (Ben Wagner), murdered by local gangsters.
- 12/2/2019
- by Rupert Harvey
- Nerdly
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