Mark Damon, a film producer, sales executive, and spaghetti Western actor, died at 91, representatives for the executive told Deadline on Sunday night.
Damon, born Alan Harris in Chicago, started his career in Hollywood in 1956 after signing a contract with 20th Century Fox. After starring in House of Usher, Damon won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer. The film was directed by Roger Corman, who died on Thursday.
Damon would move to Italy and star in films like The Reluctant Saint (1962), The Young Racers (1963), The Shortest Day (1963), Black Sabbath (1963), 100 Horseman (1964), Secret Agent 777 (1965), Dio, Come Ti Amo! (1966) and Johnny Oro (1966).
he first entered the world of independent sales and production in the 1970s while living and working in Italy where he saw a large market of independent international distributors eager for top American movies. He evolved from acting to film production and, in 1977, founded the Producers Sales Organization to sell American films to international distributors.
Damon, born Alan Harris in Chicago, started his career in Hollywood in 1956 after signing a contract with 20th Century Fox. After starring in House of Usher, Damon won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer. The film was directed by Roger Corman, who died on Thursday.
Damon would move to Italy and star in films like The Reluctant Saint (1962), The Young Racers (1963), The Shortest Day (1963), Black Sabbath (1963), 100 Horseman (1964), Secret Agent 777 (1965), Dio, Come Ti Amo! (1966) and Johnny Oro (1966).
he first entered the world of independent sales and production in the 1970s while living and working in Italy where he saw a large market of independent international distributors eager for top American movies. He evolved from acting to film production and, in 1977, founded the Producers Sales Organization to sell American films to international distributors.
- 5/13/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Mark Damon, who starred in the Vincent Price horror classic House of Usher and spaghetti Westerns before revolutionizing the foreign sales and distribution film business and producing features including 9 1/2 Weeks, Monster and Lone Survivor, has died. He was 91.
Damon died Sunday of natural causes in Los Angeles, his daughter, Alexis Damon Ribaut, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Damon spent the first 20 years of his career as an actor, including about a dozen as a leading man in Italian action movies, before he transitioned to the business side.
He had early success as an executive producer with two movies written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen: the German-language World War II drama Das Boot (1981), which received six Oscar nominations, and The NeverEnding Story (1984), a big-budget fantasy film that featured a Damon-commissioned score by Giorgio Moroder for non-German audiences.
He shared an Independent Spirit Award with director Patty Jenkins and others...
Damon died Sunday of natural causes in Los Angeles, his daughter, Alexis Damon Ribaut, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Damon spent the first 20 years of his career as an actor, including about a dozen as a leading man in Italian action movies, before he transitioned to the business side.
He had early success as an executive producer with two movies written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen: the German-language World War II drama Das Boot (1981), which received six Oscar nominations, and The NeverEnding Story (1984), a big-budget fantasy film that featured a Damon-commissioned score by Giorgio Moroder for non-German audiences.
He shared an Independent Spirit Award with director Patty Jenkins and others...
- 5/13/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mark Damon, an actor-turned-independent sales executive who was a force in the foreign sales world and at film markets for many decades, died Sunday in Los Angeles, according to his wife. He was 91.
Damon won the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer for his starring role in 1960’s “House of Usher” for director Roger Corman, who died Thursday, then went on to appear in numerous Spaghetti Westerns and other B-movies shot in Europe, from “Johnny Yuma” to Mario Bava’s “Black Sabbath.”
Born Alan Harris in Chicago, Damon earned an Mba at UCLA, then moved to Rome where he established a busy acting career. When he returned to the U.S., he founded Producers Sales Organization to bring American independent films to international distributors, helping launch the American Film Market and Independent Film & Television Alliance.
He explained how his business started in a 2013 Variety profile: “Back in 1975, it was very tough.
Damon won the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer for his starring role in 1960’s “House of Usher” for director Roger Corman, who died Thursday, then went on to appear in numerous Spaghetti Westerns and other B-movies shot in Europe, from “Johnny Yuma” to Mario Bava’s “Black Sabbath.”
Born Alan Harris in Chicago, Damon earned an Mba at UCLA, then moved to Rome where he established a busy acting career. When he returned to the U.S., he founded Producers Sales Organization to bring American independent films to international distributors, helping launch the American Film Market and Independent Film & Television Alliance.
He explained how his business started in a 2013 Variety profile: “Back in 1975, it was very tough.
- 5/13/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Mark Damon, the former spaghetti western leading man who turned to a pioneering career in independent sales and financing and was a fixture at the film markets, has died on the eve of Cannes. He was 91.
Damon’s representatives confirmed he died in Los Angeles on Sunday (May 12).
Damon produced, packaged and sold numerous films and led Producer Sales Organization (Pso), Vision International, Mdp Worldwide, Media 8, and most recently Foresight Unlimited.
He attended Cannes dozens of times and produced or served as executive producer on more than 70 films.
One of his most illustrious producer credits came at Media 8 with Patty Jenkins’ Monster.
Damon’s representatives confirmed he died in Los Angeles on Sunday (May 12).
Damon produced, packaged and sold numerous films and led Producer Sales Organization (Pso), Vision International, Mdp Worldwide, Media 8, and most recently Foresight Unlimited.
He attended Cannes dozens of times and produced or served as executive producer on more than 70 films.
One of his most illustrious producer credits came at Media 8 with Patty Jenkins’ Monster.
- 5/12/2024
- ScreenDaily
Mea Culpa is a great title because the story revolves around Mea Harper, a defense attorney whose life changes after she decides to represent the artist Zyair Malloy. Director Tyler Perry is no stranger to this kind of filmmaking. He wears the writer’s hat on this one as he cooks up another one of those steamy thriller plots that culminate in a violent finale. Perry, who is an actor too, is not known for his nuanced writing. His films have been criticized for not looking cinematic enough and being on the wavelength of a soap opera rather than a movie. Mea Culpa is clearly suffering from the fact that it cannot surpass movies like Basic Instinct, or 9½ Weeks, which is what it felt like it was riffing off of, and when that happens, one starts to wonder if it had anything new to say or if it was...
- 2/23/2024
- by Ayush Awasthi
- Film Fugitives
E.L. James' original "Fifty Shades of Grey" trilogy is undoubtedly the most successful piece of fanfiction ever published. James turned the teen-friendly romance between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen in Stephenie Meyer's wildly popular "Twilight" franchise into an erotic reverie explored by the mysterious (and quite wealthy) entrepreneur Christian Grey and college journalist Kate Kavanaugh. It was a Bdsm gateway drug that opened up a healthy portal for kink-curious young adults. You didn't have to feel like a freak for wanting to do what conservative society deemed freaky.
Was it good literature? Does it matter? James' novels have sold hundreds of millions of copies and been translated into 52 different languages. They are adored by people who never knew they wanted to see Bella and Edward engage in consensual sadomasochism. I am happy they have these stories in their lives. What matters, at least when it comes to my bailiwick,...
Was it good literature? Does it matter? James' novels have sold hundreds of millions of copies and been translated into 52 different languages. They are adored by people who never knew they wanted to see Bella and Edward engage in consensual sadomasochism. I am happy they have these stories in their lives. What matters, at least when it comes to my bailiwick,...
- 2/1/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Kim Basinger is the blonde bombshell has certainly proved her bonafides as an actress, quickly going from sex symbol to respected Oscar winner. Let’s take a look back at 10 of her greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1953 in Athens, Georgia, Basinger got her start as a model before turning to acting, catching the attentions of movie audiences as a Bond girl in the Sean Connery-starring “Never Say Never Again” (1983). She earned her first Golden Globe nomination soon thereafter for a supporting performance as Robert Redford‘s love interest in “The Natural” (1984).
She courted controversy with her sexually explicit turn in Adrien Lyne‘s “9 1/2 Weeks” (1986) and became a box office draw with Tim Burton‘s superhero smash “Batman” (1989). She even proved she could poke fun at herself with a cameo appearance in “Wayne’s World 2” (1992) as the aptly-named Honey Horneé.
It was with Curtis Hanson‘s neo-noir masterpiece “L.
Born in 1953 in Athens, Georgia, Basinger got her start as a model before turning to acting, catching the attentions of movie audiences as a Bond girl in the Sean Connery-starring “Never Say Never Again” (1983). She earned her first Golden Globe nomination soon thereafter for a supporting performance as Robert Redford‘s love interest in “The Natural” (1984).
She courted controversy with her sexually explicit turn in Adrien Lyne‘s “9 1/2 Weeks” (1986) and became a box office draw with Tim Burton‘s superhero smash “Batman” (1989). She even proved she could poke fun at herself with a cameo appearance in “Wayne’s World 2” (1992) as the aptly-named Honey Horneé.
It was with Curtis Hanson‘s neo-noir masterpiece “L.
- 12/1/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Roger Corman's 1960 feature films "House of Usher" was the first film in a long series of Edgar Allan Poe-based movies at American International Pictures. From 1960 to 1964, Corman directed eight Poe films, with all but one of them starring Vincent Price. After "House of Usher," Corman made "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Premature Burial," the anthology film "Tales of Terror," "The Raven," "The Haunted Palace," "The Masque of the Red Death," and "The Tomb of Ligeia." Technically, 1963's "The Haunted Palace" isn't a Poe movie. It was named after Poe's 1893 poem but was in fact based on the 1927 short novel "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" by H.P. Lovecraft. Poe, it seems, was a bigger marquee name than Lovecraft, so the latter author's story was merely folded into Corman's short-lived but well-remembered Poe subgenre.
Fans of gothic horror would do well to marathon all eight movies. They're all...
Fans of gothic horror would do well to marathon all eight movies. They're all...
- 11/28/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Clockwise from left: The Departed (Warner Bros.), True Lies (20th Century Studios), Some Like It Hot (United Artists), 12 Monkeys (Universal)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Of all the challenges in the moviemaking universe, redoing a beloved foreign film for an American audience would seem pretty low on the list. You already...
Of all the challenges in the moviemaking universe, redoing a beloved foreign film for an American audience would seem pretty low on the list. You already...
- 11/2/2023
- by Ian Spelling
- avclub.com
Full disclosure: This essay is being written by an avowed Bender (Aka Judd Nelson’s character in “The Breakfast Club”) apologist. And yes, nearly four decades since the release of the classic John Hughes teen dramedy, I’m well-aware of how problematic that is by our contemporary standards. While (sigh) the fingerless gloves, shredded denim vest, and studs made Bender the epitome of swoon-worthy bad boy chic, it took close to a decade for my still-forming teenage brain to realize that no, that is not, in fact, the ideal form of sensitive masculinity….because Bender is kind of a creep.
But this just goes to show how deeply the ’80s-era sexist, problematic dreamboat bad boy character has permeated culture. It’s the patriarchy of romance, by way of Reagan era sensibilities still relevant fifty years later. Broken boys will be broken boys in need of healing; but why has it...
But this just goes to show how deeply the ’80s-era sexist, problematic dreamboat bad boy character has permeated culture. It’s the patriarchy of romance, by way of Reagan era sensibilities still relevant fifty years later. Broken boys will be broken boys in need of healing; but why has it...
- 8/17/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Camerimage Film Festival, which is devoted to the art of cinematography, is to pay tribute to Peter Biziou. The British cinematographer, who won an Oscar for “Mississippi Burning,” and was BAFTA nominated for “The Truman Show,” will receive the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Biziou, the son of cinematographer-animator Leon Bijou, started his career at an animation company in London. In the mid-sixties, he started to light film sets for commercials and shorts, which helped foster “his innate intuition and his courage to implement innovation,” the festival said. He worked with the likes of Len Fulford, Bob Brooks, Terence Donovan, John Swannell and Frank Budgen.
His work with fashion photographer Robert Freeman brought an invitation for Biziou to be in charge of the visuals on Freeman’s fiction film debut, 1969’s “Secret World,” starring Jacqueline Bisset, which was well-received.
He then worked on Alan Parker’s “Bugsy Malone” (1976), Terry Jones...
Biziou, the son of cinematographer-animator Leon Bijou, started his career at an animation company in London. In the mid-sixties, he started to light film sets for commercials and shorts, which helped foster “his innate intuition and his courage to implement innovation,” the festival said. He worked with the likes of Len Fulford, Bob Brooks, Terence Donovan, John Swannell and Frank Budgen.
His work with fashion photographer Robert Freeman brought an invitation for Biziou to be in charge of the visuals on Freeman’s fiction film debut, 1969’s “Secret World,” starring Jacqueline Bisset, which was well-received.
He then worked on Alan Parker’s “Bugsy Malone” (1976), Terry Jones...
- 7/19/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
[Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in March 2022 and has been updated since.]
The erotic thriller — the sleaziest and at one point most enduring genres of the 1980s and ’90s — seemed on the cusp of a comeback last year with the return of director Adrian Lyne. The master behind films like “Fatal Attraction” and “9 ½ Weeks” came back to screens (albeit small ones) with “Deep Water,” his first film in two decades since “Unfaithful” earned Diane Lane an Oscar nomination and one that firmly returns him to the erotic stomping grounds of his heyday.
Alas, the turgid drama, based on a Patricia Highsmith potboiler and starring a listless Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas as open lovers who detest each other, is a turkey, a straight-to-streaming dud that evokes better ideas from better movies and fails to be neither erotic nor thrilling.
Still, “Deep Water” can serve as a twofold instruction point: for Hollywood to dig deeper to come up with hopefully...
The erotic thriller — the sleaziest and at one point most enduring genres of the 1980s and ’90s — seemed on the cusp of a comeback last year with the return of director Adrian Lyne. The master behind films like “Fatal Attraction” and “9 ½ Weeks” came back to screens (albeit small ones) with “Deep Water,” his first film in two decades since “Unfaithful” earned Diane Lane an Oscar nomination and one that firmly returns him to the erotic stomping grounds of his heyday.
Alas, the turgid drama, based on a Patricia Highsmith potboiler and starring a listless Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas as open lovers who detest each other, is a turkey, a straight-to-streaming dud that evokes better ideas from better movies and fails to be neither erotic nor thrilling.
Still, “Deep Water” can serve as a twofold instruction point: for Hollywood to dig deeper to come up with hopefully...
- 7/11/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
In the early 1980s, Stephen King was officially a household name. Writer of such instantly memorable titles as “Carrie,” “The Shining” and “The Stand,” it was very unlikely to find someone who’d not read – or at least heard of – a Stephen King novel. The author was getting so big that pretty much anything he published landed on the number one spot of the bestseller list. But would his devoted readers gobble up anything he put in front of them? That was put to the test in the middle of 1982, when King convinced his publisher to put out a collection of four novellas he’d written in between novels. The stories had some macabre elements in them, and one did indeed feature a bit of the old supernatural, but for the most part these stories were dramas that dealt with the human condition. The collection was called “Different Seasons,” and...
- 7/6/2023
- by Eric Walkuski
- JoBlo.com
Gather ’round, kids, and let’s tell a tale of a time long ago, when movie screens weren’t filled with just superheroes and special effects. A time when parents policed what you were watching for fear of an awkward conversation.
We’re referring, of course, to sex.
From “Basic Instinct” and “Eyes Wide Shut” to “Body Double,” “Risky Business” and “9 ½ Weeks,” on-screen nookie was once a staple of cinema, as much a part of the moviegoing experience as buttered popcorn.
But Hollywood has been strangely celibate for at least the last decade. There are no specific statistics on the declining rate of sex scenes in movies: The closest TheWrap could find was a 2022 report that found R-rated features, where you often found sex scenes, had dipped to a mere 30% share of releases. But if you look at films in theaters today, even R-rated ones like “Joker” and “It,...
We’re referring, of course, to sex.
From “Basic Instinct” and “Eyes Wide Shut” to “Body Double,” “Risky Business” and “9 ½ Weeks,” on-screen nookie was once a staple of cinema, as much a part of the moviegoing experience as buttered popcorn.
But Hollywood has been strangely celibate for at least the last decade. There are no specific statistics on the declining rate of sex scenes in movies: The closest TheWrap could find was a 2022 report that found R-rated features, where you often found sex scenes, had dipped to a mere 30% share of releases. But if you look at films in theaters today, even R-rated ones like “Joker” and “It,...
- 5/19/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
Despite any longevity and adaptability they may have, every artist is inevitably forever associated with a particular time. In terms of movie directors, there exists an association between, for instance, Jean-Luc Godard and the 1960s, or Steven Spielberg and the 1980s, and so on.
In that way, Quentin Tarantino is inexorably tied to the 1990s, with his films "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction" impacting pop culture on a seismic level. As these things usually happen, this was entirely by chance and not design; one of the joys of Tarantino's work as a filmmaker is that his numerous references to other films, TV shows and music are purely based around his own likes rather than some attempt to be hip and up-to-the-minute.
That wasn't always the case, however. One of the two screenplays the struggling young writer first wrote was "True Romance," a script that featured as many character quirks...
In that way, Quentin Tarantino is inexorably tied to the 1990s, with his films "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction" impacting pop culture on a seismic level. As these things usually happen, this was entirely by chance and not design; one of the joys of Tarantino's work as a filmmaker is that his numerous references to other films, TV shows and music are purely based around his own likes rather than some attempt to be hip and up-to-the-minute.
That wasn't always the case, however. One of the two screenplays the struggling young writer first wrote was "True Romance," a script that featured as many character quirks...
- 12/28/2022
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
It might have taken 100 years but since the Me Too movement, Hollywood has become more sensitive to the production of intimate scenes. Today you have intimacy coordinators on set to ensure that all parties feel comfortable with a scene, and in some cases improve them. And after you hear Woody Harrelson talk about his experiences in the 1993 film "Indecent Proposal" you understand why intimacy coordinators are needed on every set.
"Indecent Proposal" is an erotic thriller where a billionaire (Robert Redford) offers a struggling young architect (Harrelson) a million dollars to spend one night with his wife (Demi Moore). The movie quickly joined the pop culture lexicon as a proxy for the question, "What would you do for the right amount of money?" It also stands as a monument for a dying sub-genre, the erotic thriller, and what it often meant for female actors in Hollywood.
The movie was made...
"Indecent Proposal" is an erotic thriller where a billionaire (Robert Redford) offers a struggling young architect (Harrelson) a million dollars to spend one night with his wife (Demi Moore). The movie quickly joined the pop culture lexicon as a proxy for the question, "What would you do for the right amount of money?" It also stands as a monument for a dying sub-genre, the erotic thriller, and what it often meant for female actors in Hollywood.
The movie was made...
- 10/26/2022
- by Travis Yates
- Slash Film
“This is a unique time of great opportunity for independence at scale.”
London-based investment film Centricus has acquired a majority stake in LA-based Sk Global in a move that will enable the Crazy Rich Asians producers to step up IP ownership and strategic acquisitions.
Earlier this year Sk Global acquired Critical Content, the production company focused on unscripted television series including MTV’s Catfish.
Charlie Corwin will become CEO and oversee the company, including corporate expansion and operations, while John Penotti will become chief creative officer focusing on the global film and TV slates of Sk Global. Sidney Kimmel, founder of Sk Global,...
London-based investment film Centricus has acquired a majority stake in LA-based Sk Global in a move that will enable the Crazy Rich Asians producers to step up IP ownership and strategic acquisitions.
Earlier this year Sk Global acquired Critical Content, the production company focused on unscripted television series including MTV’s Catfish.
Charlie Corwin will become CEO and oversee the company, including corporate expansion and operations, while John Penotti will become chief creative officer focusing on the global film and TV slates of Sk Global. Sidney Kimmel, founder of Sk Global,...
- 9/29/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
London-based investment firm Centricus has acquired a majority stake in Sk Global Entertainment, the independent production and finance company known behind film Crazy Rich Asians.
Financial terms weren’t disclosed. A source said the total consideration was in the low-to-mid nine figures.
Charlie Corwin will become CEO and John Penotti chief creative officer focusing on the Sk Global’s film and TV slates. (They had been co-ceos). Sk Global founder Sidney Kimmel will remain chairman, Matt Aragachi will continue as CFO
Centricus will provide additional capital to accelerate Sk Global’s growth strategy through IP ownership and financing strategic acquisitions. Earlier this year, Sk Global acquired Critical Content, a producer of unscripted television series including MTV’s Catfish and Netflix’s Get Organized with The Home Edit.
“With the rapid expansion of platforms and theatrical releases around the world, this is a unique time of great opportunity for independence at scale.
Financial terms weren’t disclosed. A source said the total consideration was in the low-to-mid nine figures.
Charlie Corwin will become CEO and John Penotti chief creative officer focusing on the Sk Global’s film and TV slates. (They had been co-ceos). Sk Global founder Sidney Kimmel will remain chairman, Matt Aragachi will continue as CFO
Centricus will provide additional capital to accelerate Sk Global’s growth strategy through IP ownership and financing strategic acquisitions. Earlier this year, Sk Global acquired Critical Content, a producer of unscripted television series including MTV’s Catfish and Netflix’s Get Organized with The Home Edit.
“With the rapid expansion of platforms and theatrical releases around the world, this is a unique time of great opportunity for independence at scale.
- 9/29/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Centricus has acquired a majority stake in Sk Global Entertainment, the independent film and television production and finance company behind “Crazy Rich Asians.”
The pact is in in the low to mid nine figures, according to a source with knowledge of the transaction. The deal will provide Sk Global with capital to grow its company, potentially through mergers and acquisitions, as well as provide more financing to expand its slate of content. The company plans to double its output, producing four to five movies annually and at least five series. Earlier this year, Sk Global acquired Critical Content, a production company focused on unscripted television series such as MTV’s “Catfish” and Netflix’s “Get Organized With the Home Edit.”
As part of the deal, Charlie Corwin, currently the co-chief executive officer, will now become the sole CEO and will oversee the company, including its corporate expansion and operations. John Penotti,...
The pact is in in the low to mid nine figures, according to a source with knowledge of the transaction. The deal will provide Sk Global with capital to grow its company, potentially through mergers and acquisitions, as well as provide more financing to expand its slate of content. The company plans to double its output, producing four to five movies annually and at least five series. Earlier this year, Sk Global acquired Critical Content, a production company focused on unscripted television series such as MTV’s “Catfish” and Netflix’s “Get Organized With the Home Edit.”
As part of the deal, Charlie Corwin, currently the co-chief executive officer, will now become the sole CEO and will oversee the company, including its corporate expansion and operations. John Penotti,...
- 9/29/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Writer / Director / Actor Halina Reijn discusses some of her favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Rrr (2022)
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
Gothic (1986)
Warlock (1989)
Annie (1982)
Midsommar (2019) – Dennis Cozzalio’s 2019 year-end movie roundup
Bambi (1942) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
Annie (2014)
A Woman Under The Influence (1974)
Husbands (1970) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Opening Night (1977)
The Piano Teacher (2001) – Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Black Book (2006)
Elle (2016) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review, Dennis Cozzalio’s 2016 year-end movie roundup
The Fourth Man (1983)
Basic Instinct (1992) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary
Showgirls (1995)
Indecent Proposal (1993)
Fatal Attraction (1987) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
9 ½ Weeks (1986)
Fifty Shades Of Grey (2015)
365 Days (2020)
A History Of Violence (2005)
Last Tango In Paris (1972) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Chinatown (1974) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary
Marathon Man (1976)
The Abyss (1989)
Apocalypse Now (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Rrr (2022)
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
Gothic (1986)
Warlock (1989)
Annie (1982)
Midsommar (2019) – Dennis Cozzalio’s 2019 year-end movie roundup
Bambi (1942) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
Annie (2014)
A Woman Under The Influence (1974)
Husbands (1970) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Opening Night (1977)
The Piano Teacher (2001) – Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Black Book (2006)
Elle (2016) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review, Dennis Cozzalio’s 2016 year-end movie roundup
The Fourth Man (1983)
Basic Instinct (1992) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary
Showgirls (1995)
Indecent Proposal (1993)
Fatal Attraction (1987) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
9 ½ Weeks (1986)
Fifty Shades Of Grey (2015)
365 Days (2020)
A History Of Violence (2005)
Last Tango In Paris (1972) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Chinatown (1974) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary
Marathon Man (1976)
The Abyss (1989)
Apocalypse Now (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?...
- 9/6/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
"Everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power."Oscar Wilde Adrian Lyne makes erotic films that aspire to be respectable, the kind of movies that barely exist anymore in this age of mainstream geek culture. Lyne's films are about sex, yes, but they're classy, made for adults. Think of Glenn Close and Michael Douglas discussing Madame Butterfly between romps in the sack in Fatal Attraction, an R-rated film that was nominated for six Oscars and the top grossing film of 1987; or Jeremy Irons charming us as an insidiously eloquent writer helplessly smitten with a young girl in Lolita (1997), or the handsome bookseller (Olivier Martinez) wooing an unhappy housewife (Diane Lane) in Unfaithful (2002). Lyne makes movies that want to be taken seriously, never veering into camp, though they can be quite funny, like Michael Douglas hobbling around with Glenn Close in his arms and his pants around his ankles.
- 3/30/2022
- MUBI
There’s nothing sexier than a director providing commentary for a sex scene, right?
“Deep Water” auteur Adrian Lyne confirmed that his method behind erotic thrillers like “9 1/2 Weeks,” “Fatal Attraction,” and “Indecent Proposal” includes cheering on actors during intimate sequences.
Demi Moore wrote in her 2019 memoir “Inside Out” that while filming a sex scene with co-star Woody Harrelson for “Indecent Proposal,” director Lyne “literally didn’t stop talking, practically hollering, the whole time.”
“Lyne would cry things like ‘Fucking raunchy!’ and ‘Oh god, got a boner on that!'” Moore wrote, as reported by The Independent. “Here was this guy getting all sweaty and worked up, yelling about boners. But once I got used to it, I saw its advantages: having Adrian carry on that way took the focus off my own awkwardness.”
Lyne responded in the interview, acknowledging that he does in fact become very captivated on set.
“Deep Water” auteur Adrian Lyne confirmed that his method behind erotic thrillers like “9 1/2 Weeks,” “Fatal Attraction,” and “Indecent Proposal” includes cheering on actors during intimate sequences.
Demi Moore wrote in her 2019 memoir “Inside Out” that while filming a sex scene with co-star Woody Harrelson for “Indecent Proposal,” director Lyne “literally didn’t stop talking, practically hollering, the whole time.”
“Lyne would cry things like ‘Fucking raunchy!’ and ‘Oh god, got a boner on that!'” Moore wrote, as reported by The Independent. “Here was this guy getting all sweaty and worked up, yelling about boners. But once I got used to it, I saw its advantages: having Adrian carry on that way took the focus off my own awkwardness.”
Lyne responded in the interview, acknowledging that he does in fact become very captivated on set.
- 3/22/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas-starring Deep Water definitely feels like a throwback to a different time – one that specifically hit its peak before erotic entertainment was easy to access online. Erotic thrillers used to be a dime a dozen in the 80s and 90s, and they would often make a significant amount of cash at the box office, as audiences filled seats upon the mere suggestion that they would get to see notable movie stars doing salacious things to each other onscreen. But this type of project is now a very rare event in the mid-budget arena, and Deep Water has certainly got people reminiscing about the way things used to be.
Deep Water itself is helmed by Adrian Lyne, famous for the likes of 9½ Weeks, Fatal Attraction, and Indecent Proposal, and he shepherded it into fruition after a twenty year absence from the director’s chair.
Deep Water itself is helmed by Adrian Lyne, famous for the likes of 9½ Weeks, Fatal Attraction, and Indecent Proposal, and he shepherded it into fruition after a twenty year absence from the director’s chair.
- 3/20/2022
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
‘Deep Water’ Director Compares Film’s Sex Scenes to ‘Fatal Attraction’: ‘It’s Not Quite So Easy Now’
Filmmaker Adrian Lyne is best known for directing erotic thrillers like “9 1/2 Weeks,” “Indecent Proposal” and “Fatal Attraction,” but when he made his return to the big screen for the first time in 20 years for “Deep Water,” he found the process of filming sex scenes had changed significantly.
The new 20th Century Studios film, which debuted on Hulu on Friday, is a sexually charged dramatic thriller starring Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas as a married couple. But in an interview with Collider, Lyne got candid about his philosophy when it comes to shooting sex scenes.
“You feel like you’re doing it with them. Even with the sex scenes, I’m a little bit like a cheerleader,” Lyne told Collider about his directorial process during intimate sequences. “I have the horror of imagining these poor people going at it in silence and not knowing whether they look good...
The new 20th Century Studios film, which debuted on Hulu on Friday, is a sexually charged dramatic thriller starring Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas as a married couple. But in an interview with Collider, Lyne got candid about his philosophy when it comes to shooting sex scenes.
“You feel like you’re doing it with them. Even with the sex scenes, I’m a little bit like a cheerleader,” Lyne told Collider about his directorial process during intimate sequences. “I have the horror of imagining these poor people going at it in silence and not knowing whether they look good...
- 3/19/2022
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Adrian Lyne, the director known for movies like Fatal Attraction, Flashdance, Indecent Proposal, and 9 1/2 Weeks, hadn’t made a movie in nearly 20 years before starting work on an adaptation of the 1950s suspense novel Deep Water. His return to filmmaking represented an opportunity to Ben Affleck, who’s become a respected director in his […]
The post Why Ben Affleck Wanted To Get Into ‘Deep Water’ With Adrien Lyne appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
The post Why Ben Affleck Wanted To Get Into ‘Deep Water’ With Adrien Lyne appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 3/18/2022
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
The last erotic thriller to heat up the box office was Unfaithful (2002), featuring Diane Lane as a woman engaged in a dangerous affair. The film was directed by Adrian Lyne, the king of tawdry spectacle who also directed Fatal Attraction (1987), 9 ½ weeks (1986), and Indecent Proposal (1993). It made nearly $120 million at the global box office and earned Lane an Academy Award® nomination. Now, Lyne is back with his first film in two decades, the psychological thriller Deep Water.
Unfaithful, however, remains the last mainstream erotic thriller to receive a theatrical release, as the pandemic shuffle has relegated Deep Water to a Hulu exclusive. Starring Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, who were a couple when filming began back in 2019, the film would likely have made a bit of a splash in theaters. An unapologetic bit of salaciousness starring a real-life celebrity couple is a hard ticket for many to pass by,...
Unfaithful, however, remains the last mainstream erotic thriller to receive a theatrical release, as the pandemic shuffle has relegated Deep Water to a Hulu exclusive. Starring Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, who were a couple when filming began back in 2019, the film would likely have made a bit of a splash in theaters. An unapologetic bit of salaciousness starring a real-life celebrity couple is a hard ticket for many to pass by,...
- 3/16/2022
- by Chris Williams
- CinemaNerdz
"Deep Water" is a genuine instance where the old adage "They don't make 'em like they used to" applies all too well. Based on the novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith, best known for her stories about the sociopathic Tom Ripley, "Deep Water" is a blend of internal character study and trashy erotica that hasn't been a common type of adult drama since the mid-1990s. And who better to direct the film than perhaps the directorial master of such films as "Fatal Attraction," "Indecent Proposal," and "9 1/2 Weeks," Adrian Lyne? Returning behind the camera for the first time in nearly two decades, Lyne has...
The post Deep Water Review: A Return to Thrilling, Trashy Erotica appeared first on /Film.
The post Deep Water Review: A Return to Thrilling, Trashy Erotica appeared first on /Film.
- 3/16/2022
- by Josh Spiegel
- Slash Film
In 1972, the ads for the late Peter Bogdanovich’s hilarious throwback “What’s Up, Doc?” promised, “It’s a screwball comedy. Remember those?” If Disney weren’t consigning “Deep Water” to its Hulu streaming service — the fate for most upcoming titles from the 20th Century and Searchlight shingles — they might well have posters that tease, “It’s an erotic thriller. Remember them?”
And who better to save Hollywood cinema from chaste franchises, stolid superheroes, and a general lack of horniness than director Adrian Lyne, returned from a two-decade hiatus to bring heavy breathing back to mainstream movies.
“Deep Water,” a Patricia Highsmith adaptation starring couple-at-the-time Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, doesn’t invoke the beads of sweat that the genre’s best can manage, but it’s a pleasurably trashy reminder of the flashy fun that Lyne and his many imitators once regularly brought to the screen.
Adapted by the...
And who better to save Hollywood cinema from chaste franchises, stolid superheroes, and a general lack of horniness than director Adrian Lyne, returned from a two-decade hiatus to bring heavy breathing back to mainstream movies.
“Deep Water,” a Patricia Highsmith adaptation starring couple-at-the-time Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, doesn’t invoke the beads of sweat that the genre’s best can manage, but it’s a pleasurably trashy reminder of the flashy fun that Lyne and his many imitators once regularly brought to the screen.
Adapted by the...
- 3/16/2022
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Gonna let you know right up front: Deep Water is not for me. But it’s not for you either, and it’s not for anyone who likes a well-written, well-directed, and well-cast motion picture. Yet like that proverbial car crash we’re always hearing about, it’s hard not to keep looking at it. Just 10 minutes in, it’s all too clear why this turgid “erotic” thriller — based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith, no less (The Talented Mr. Ripley) — was shoved off a theatrical release by 20th Century Studios and shuffled onto a Hulu premiere berth instead.
Ben Affleck plays Vic Van Allen, who’s fabulously wealthy due to his invention of a chip that the military uses in its battlefield drones. In other words, he’s invented something that helps kill people, as numerous characters remind him throughout the film, not that he cares what they think.
Ben Affleck plays Vic Van Allen, who’s fabulously wealthy due to his invention of a chip that the military uses in its battlefield drones. In other words, he’s invented something that helps kill people, as numerous characters remind him throughout the film, not that he cares what they think.
- 3/16/2022
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas Navigate Sex, Infidelity and Murder in New ‘Deep Water’ Trailer (Video)
The official trailer for the new psychological thriller “Deep Water” has arrived, in which Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas play a married couple with some serious troubles.
The 20th Century Studios film is based on the novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith and hails from “Indecent Proposal,” “Fatal Attraction” and “9 1/2 Weeks” director Adrian Lyne. Affleck plays Vic, a husband who is becoming increasingly perturbed by his wife’s open philandering, while de Armas plays Vic’s flirtatious and cunning wife Melinda. Things take a bloody turn at a party when a body turns up in the pool.
The film boasts a screenplay by Zach Helm (“Stranger Than Fiction”) and “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson.
“Deep Water” was a bit in limbo after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, as the film was shot back in 2019 and its seriously R-rated nature is not exactly befitting a streaming service like Disney+.
The 20th Century Studios film is based on the novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith and hails from “Indecent Proposal,” “Fatal Attraction” and “9 1/2 Weeks” director Adrian Lyne. Affleck plays Vic, a husband who is becoming increasingly perturbed by his wife’s open philandering, while de Armas plays Vic’s flirtatious and cunning wife Melinda. Things take a bloody turn at a party when a body turns up in the pool.
The film boasts a screenplay by Zach Helm (“Stranger Than Fiction”) and “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson.
“Deep Water” was a bit in limbo after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, as the film was shot back in 2019 and its seriously R-rated nature is not exactly befitting a streaming service like Disney+.
- 3/7/2022
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
This husband and wife will do anything not to be a cookie-cutter suburban couple.
The latest trailer for “Deep Water” shows Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas playing Vic and Melinda Allen, respectively, a seemingly perfect couple who dabble in dangerous mind games that may or may not lead to murder. When Vic is left watching Melinda flaunting extramarital relationships, one supposed lover winds up floating face-down in their pool.
“It’s always been a game,” Melinda warns her spouse. Well, anything to stave off domestic boredom.
And it turns out Vic just can’t get enough of Melinda’s intriguing dark side. “Why are you the only man who wants to stay with me?” Melinda asks, to which Vic can only assure her — and later, his friends — that Melinda constantly keeps him guessing, which seems to be the sexiest game of all.
As the “Deep Water” tagline warns, “The...
The latest trailer for “Deep Water” shows Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas playing Vic and Melinda Allen, respectively, a seemingly perfect couple who dabble in dangerous mind games that may or may not lead to murder. When Vic is left watching Melinda flaunting extramarital relationships, one supposed lover winds up floating face-down in their pool.
“It’s always been a game,” Melinda warns her spouse. Well, anything to stave off domestic boredom.
And it turns out Vic just can’t get enough of Melinda’s intriguing dark side. “Why are you the only man who wants to stay with me?” Melinda asks, to which Vic can only assure her — and later, his friends — that Melinda constantly keeps him guessing, which seems to be the sexiest game of all.
As the “Deep Water” tagline warns, “The...
- 3/7/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The first trailer for Adrian Lyne’s erotic psychological thriller “Deep Water” has debuted, bringing with it confirmation that the movie will go straight to streaming with a Hulu release next month. The movie, based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, stars Ben Affleck and Ana De Armas as a married couple who play twisted mind games with each other. The supporting cast includes Tracy Letts, Lil Rel Howery, Dash Mihok, Finn Wittrock, Jacob Elordi, Rachel Blanchard and Michael Braun, among others.
The official synopsis for “Deep Water” from Hulu reads: “The film takes us inside the marriage of picture-perfect Vic (Affleck) and Melinda (de Armas) Van Allen to discover the dangerous mind games they play and what happens to the people that get caught up in them.”
“Deep Water” was originally set up at 20th Century Fox before the Disney-Fox merger. It had most recently been slated to open on Jan.
The official synopsis for “Deep Water” from Hulu reads: “The film takes us inside the marriage of picture-perfect Vic (Affleck) and Melinda (de Armas) Van Allen to discover the dangerous mind games they play and what happens to the people that get caught up in them.”
“Deep Water” was originally set up at 20th Century Fox before the Disney-Fox merger. It had most recently been slated to open on Jan.
- 2/14/2022
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
British director’s credits include Unfaithful, Fatal Attraction, Indecent Proposal.
Disney has pulled Deep Water, British director Adrian Lyne’s first film in nearly 20 years that stars Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, from its January 14 2022 release slot.
It remained unclear at time of writing what prompted the studio to remove 20th Century Studio’s erotic thriller from the schedule or whether it would be redated or stay as a theatrical release.
Affleck and de Armas – both enjoying critical acclaim for their respective roles in The Tender Bar and No Time To Die – star in the Patricia Highsmith adaptation about...
Disney has pulled Deep Water, British director Adrian Lyne’s first film in nearly 20 years that stars Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, from its January 14 2022 release slot.
It remained unclear at time of writing what prompted the studio to remove 20th Century Studio’s erotic thriller from the schedule or whether it would be redated or stay as a theatrical release.
Affleck and de Armas – both enjoying critical acclaim for their respective roles in The Tender Bar and No Time To Die – star in the Patricia Highsmith adaptation about...
- 12/9/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“True Things” is a “romantic” drama that is not romantic in the slightest. In the tradition of films like Catherine Breillat’s “Romance” and Adrian Lyne’s “9 ½ weeks,” the focus is on what is revealed about a female protagonist by how much she is willing to sacrifice to briefly experience passion with an unreliable yet sexy man. This premise is fatally undermined by the decision to keep Kate (Ruth Wilson) a vague figure as sophomore director, Harry Wootliff, invites audiences to project their own pasts onto this broadly sketched dynamic of impossible desire based on a book by Deborah Kay Davies, ‘True Things About Me.’ Instead of conjuring resonance, the result is a bland heroine whose lack of distinguishing features makes it hard to give a damn as she goes through the motions of setting fire to her life.
Read More: Venice Film Festival 2021 Preview: 12 Must-See Films To...
Read More: Venice Film Festival 2021 Preview: 12 Must-See Films To...
- 9/7/2021
- by Sophie Monks Kaufman
- The Playlist
The “MacGruber” series at Peacock has added Sam Elliott, Laurence Fishburne and Mickey Rourke to its cast.
The trio of acting legends joins previously announced cast members Will Forte, Kristen Wiig and Ryan Phillippe. In the eight-episode series, after rotting in prison for over a decade, America’s ultimate hero and uber patriot MacGruber (Forte) is finally released. His mission: to take down a mysterious villain from his past—Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth (Rourke). With the entire world in the crosshairs, MacGruber must reassemble his old team, Vicki St. Elmo (Wiig) and Dixon Piper (Phillippe) in order to defeat the forces of evil.
Rourke is known for his early film roles like “9 1/2 Weeks,” “Diner,” and “Rumble Fish.” He saw a career resurgence in the early 2000s, earning an Oscar nomination a Golden Globe win for “The Wrestler” and starring in films such as “Sin City,” “Domino,” and “Iron Man 2.
The trio of acting legends joins previously announced cast members Will Forte, Kristen Wiig and Ryan Phillippe. In the eight-episode series, after rotting in prison for over a decade, America’s ultimate hero and uber patriot MacGruber (Forte) is finally released. His mission: to take down a mysterious villain from his past—Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth (Rourke). With the entire world in the crosshairs, MacGruber must reassemble his old team, Vicki St. Elmo (Wiig) and Dixon Piper (Phillippe) in order to defeat the forces of evil.
Rourke is known for his early film roles like “9 1/2 Weeks,” “Diner,” and “Rumble Fish.” He saw a career resurgence in the early 2000s, earning an Oscar nomination a Golden Globe win for “The Wrestler” and starring in films such as “Sin City,” “Domino,” and “Iron Man 2.
- 6/9/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Actor Mickey Rourke was part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe when it was barely a universe.
In 2010, Rourke starred as the villainous Ivan Vanko a.k.a. Whiplash in Iron Man 2, the third entry into the MCU canon after Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. Since then, the franchise has expanded quite profoundly with 23 films in the fold, many more to come, and a thriving TV universe getting started on Disney+. Now Rourke has shared his thoughts on the state of the MCU via his Instagram and it amounts to a decisive “not a fan.”
Tucked into the very end of an appreciation post for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (more on that in a minute), the actor praises the performances in Svu while sending some friendly fire Marvel’s way.
“Respect to all of you,the work that you all do is real acting, not like...
In 2010, Rourke starred as the villainous Ivan Vanko a.k.a. Whiplash in Iron Man 2, the third entry into the MCU canon after Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. Since then, the franchise has expanded quite profoundly with 23 films in the fold, many more to come, and a thriving TV universe getting started on Disney+. Now Rourke has shared his thoughts on the state of the MCU via his Instagram and it amounts to a decisive “not a fan.”
Tucked into the very end of an appreciation post for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (more on that in a minute), the actor praises the performances in Svu while sending some friendly fire Marvel’s way.
“Respect to all of you,the work that you all do is real acting, not like...
- 5/10/2021
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Lynn Stalmaster, who was the first casting director to receive an Academy Award, died today at home in Los Angeles. He was 93 and his death was confirmed by Laura Adler of the Casting Society of America.
Stalmaster had a legendary vision for casting. He is credited with moving Dustin Hoffman into The Graduate, Christopher Reeve as Superman, and tabbing the young John Travolta for TV comedy classic Welcome Back, Kotter, among many others.
The November 2016 Governors Awards saw Stalmaster become the first casting director to receive an Academy Award. The honorary Oscar recognized his long and meritorious career.
Stalmaster also had another notable achievement: on Norman Jewison’s 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair Stalmaster became the first casting director to receive a single-card credit in the titles.
Stalmaster has more than 400 casting credits among them such classics as Inherit the Wind (1960), The Great Escape (1963), In the Heat of the Night (1967), They Shoot Horses,...
Stalmaster had a legendary vision for casting. He is credited with moving Dustin Hoffman into The Graduate, Christopher Reeve as Superman, and tabbing the young John Travolta for TV comedy classic Welcome Back, Kotter, among many others.
The November 2016 Governors Awards saw Stalmaster become the first casting director to receive an Academy Award. The honorary Oscar recognized his long and meritorious career.
Stalmaster also had another notable achievement: on Norman Jewison’s 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair Stalmaster became the first casting director to receive a single-card credit in the titles.
Stalmaster has more than 400 casting credits among them such classics as Inherit the Wind (1960), The Great Escape (1963), In the Heat of the Night (1967), They Shoot Horses,...
- 2/13/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
The latest phenomenon enrapturing Netflix users is the Polish drama 365 Dni. Released in February of this year but new to the streaming platform, the film centers around a businesswoman named Laura who’s kidnapped by crime boss Massimo while on vacation in Sicily. He imprisons her and gives her 365 days (hence the title) to fall in love with him. Now that’s an untraditional love story.
The movie is getting a lot of attention lately but it isn’t because of the plot or performances. No, it’s the titillation on display. The love scenes are so steamy and realistic that some believe the two actors are actually having sex – as you can see below.
Netflix 365 Dni (Days): Fans Believe Actors Michele Morrone And Anna-Maria Sieklucka’s Love Scenes Were Real https://t.co/vi2OFo4Sxs
— Joanna M (@JoannaSoaps) June 13, 2020
Wait were the actors in 365 dni...
The movie is getting a lot of attention lately but it isn’t because of the plot or performances. No, it’s the titillation on display. The love scenes are so steamy and realistic that some believe the two actors are actually having sex – as you can see below.
Netflix 365 Dni (Days): Fans Believe Actors Michele Morrone And Anna-Maria Sieklucka’s Love Scenes Were Real https://t.co/vi2OFo4Sxs
— Joanna M (@JoannaSoaps) June 13, 2020
Wait were the actors in 365 dni...
- 6/14/2020
- by Ryan Beltram
- We Got This Covered
During the course of his 91 years, Sidney Kimmel has accomplished a lot. That includes making a few videos for web series “Old Jews Telling Jokes.”
“John’s fault,” he says. “He dragged me over there and said, ‘You’ll get a free drink and a dinner out of it.’”
John is independent movie producer-financier John Penotti, a longtime friend and now business partner in S.K. Global. Penotti had been heading up Robert Friedland’s Ivanhoe Pictures when it merged in 2017 with Kimmel’s S.K. Entertainment, and that merger, which introduced TV producing into Kimmel’s vast wheelhouse, proves this particular nonagenarian is far from done with learning new tricks.
“When I first met with Sidney Kimmel, he said, ‘Look, you gotta teach me about television. I don’t know anything about television,’” says Charlie Corwin, co-ceo of S.K. Global. “I said, ‘You absolutely do, you’ve made over 80 movies.
“John’s fault,” he says. “He dragged me over there and said, ‘You’ll get a free drink and a dinner out of it.’”
John is independent movie producer-financier John Penotti, a longtime friend and now business partner in S.K. Global. Penotti had been heading up Robert Friedland’s Ivanhoe Pictures when it merged in 2017 with Kimmel’s S.K. Entertainment, and that merger, which introduced TV producing into Kimmel’s vast wheelhouse, proves this particular nonagenarian is far from done with learning new tricks.
“When I first met with Sidney Kimmel, he said, ‘Look, you gotta teach me about television. I don’t know anything about television,’” says Charlie Corwin, co-ceo of S.K. Global. “I said, ‘You absolutely do, you’ve made over 80 movies.
- 10/15/2019
- by Randee Dawn
- Variety Film + TV
Ethel Ayler, a prolific character actress whose credits include “The Cosby Show,” died Nov. 18 at the age of 88.
She died in Loma Linda, California of undisclosed causes, her family announced Friday.
Ayler’s character on “The Cosby Show,” Carrie Hanks was the mother of Phylicia Rashad’s Claire Huxtable, appearing in six episodes over the course of the series. The actress, whose career spanned five decades, was also known for her roles in “Eve’s Bayou” and “To Sleep With Anger.”
Also Read: Donald Moffat, 'The Right Stuff' and 'The Thing' Actor, Dies at 87
She also appeared in the original 1980s Broadway production of “Fences” and played Addie in a 1997 revival of “The Little Foxes.” In “Eve’s Bayou” Ayler played Garn Mere, a believer in voodoo, and in “To Sleep With Anger,” she played the role of Hattie, for which received a Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Female.
She died in Loma Linda, California of undisclosed causes, her family announced Friday.
Ayler’s character on “The Cosby Show,” Carrie Hanks was the mother of Phylicia Rashad’s Claire Huxtable, appearing in six episodes over the course of the series. The actress, whose career spanned five decades, was also known for her roles in “Eve’s Bayou” and “To Sleep With Anger.”
Also Read: Donald Moffat, 'The Right Stuff' and 'The Thing' Actor, Dies at 87
She also appeared in the original 1980s Broadway production of “Fences” and played Addie in a 1997 revival of “The Little Foxes.” In “Eve’s Bayou” Ayler played Garn Mere, a believer in voodoo, and in “To Sleep With Anger,” she played the role of Hattie, for which received a Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Female.
- 12/22/2018
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Veteran marketing executive Eddie Kalish died Friday at a hospital in Escondido, California, following a brief battle with cancer, publicist Pamela Godwin-Austen announced. He was 78.
After heading the marketing divisions at Paramount, United Artists and MGM/UA in New York starting in 1979, Kalish came to Los Angeles in 1982 to join Mark Damon's Producers Sales Organization as senior vp worldwide marketing.
There, he spearheaded the global campaigns for films including Never Say Never Again (1983), The Cotton Club (1984), The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), Prizzi's Honor (1985), Short Circuit (1986) and 9½ Weeks (1986).
...
After heading the marketing divisions at Paramount, United Artists and MGM/UA in New York starting in 1979, Kalish came to Los Angeles in 1982 to join Mark Damon's Producers Sales Organization as senior vp worldwide marketing.
There, he spearheaded the global campaigns for films including Never Say Never Again (1983), The Cotton Club (1984), The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), Prizzi's Honor (1985), Short Circuit (1986) and 9½ Weeks (1986).
...
- 4/24/2018
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sex sells. Movie producers and marketers have known this since the earliest days of silent films. But mainstream pictures tend to steer clear of kinky sex; films like Last Tango in Paris and Nine ½ Weeks made headlines but didn’t play to mass audiences here in the U.S. The canny people behind the adaptation of E.L. James runaway best-seller Fifty Shades of Grey have made all the right moves, not pushing the envelope beyond an R rating and couching its s&m quotient within the confines of a somewhat conventional romantic drama. Whether or not this will please the readers of James’ writing I cannot say, but it works surprisingly well as a movie. It all boils down to...
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]...
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]...
- 2/13/2015
- by Leonard Maltin
- Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy
Or, more importantly, is "Flashdance" ready for Broadway? The stage adaptation of the sexy '80s flick sunk in London, but it's headed to the Great White Way next fall after a considerable makeover.
The movie was directed by Adrian Lyne, who has quite a number of steamy films under his belt, like "Nine ½ Weeks," "Fatal Attraction," "Indecent Proposal" and "Lolita," while the script was written by Thomas Hedley Jr. and Joe Eszterhas, who is responsible for "Basic Instinct" and "Showgirls," among other things. It's rated R all the way, and while the London stage production sounds like it didn't shy away from the more adult aspects of the story, it didn't quite work either.
The producers are rejiggering it so it's less about arc welding and stripping and more about the love story between the two leads, Alex and Nick. The movie was more about Alex (played by...
The movie was directed by Adrian Lyne, who has quite a number of steamy films under his belt, like "Nine ½ Weeks," "Fatal Attraction," "Indecent Proposal" and "Lolita," while the script was written by Thomas Hedley Jr. and Joe Eszterhas, who is responsible for "Basic Instinct" and "Showgirls," among other things. It's rated R all the way, and while the London stage production sounds like it didn't shy away from the more adult aspects of the story, it didn't quite work either.
The producers are rejiggering it so it's less about arc welding and stripping and more about the love story between the two leads, Alex and Nick. The movie was more about Alex (played by...
- 12/16/2011
- by Jenni Miller
- NextMovie
Adrian Lyne is arguably the king of modern day dysfunctional marriage movies. Even though I haven't seen 9 1/2 Weeks or Lolita -- in which a man marries his landlady so he can take advantage of her daughter -- I know from Unfaithful, Indecent Proposal and Fatal Attraction he has the genre nailed. Of course Flashdance and Jacob's Ladder are a couple of sidesteps, but you can't expect a guy to always delve into the darkness of matrimony... but it sure seems like he tries. Paramount is releasing both Indecent Proposal and Fatal Attraction on Blu-ray on June 9 bringing two more of Lyne's notable features to high-definition following Fox's release of Unfaithful back in January. Neither of these two releases comes with any supplemental material you haven't seen before. Indecent Proposal coming with a lone commentary track by Lyne and Fatal Attraction includes all the features that were released on the 2007 Collector's...
- 6/9/2009
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Mickey Rourke teared up when he received a heartfelt letter from his 9½ Weeks co-star Kim Basinger, expressing how much she loved The Wrestler.
The movie star admits the note from his old friend meant as much to him as winning accolades for the film.
He recalls, "Coming from her, it was very special and it was very generous and heartfelt letter. It brought me to tears, really."
The pair reunited for the first time in 23 years on the red carpet at the premiere for their new movie The Informers in Hollywood on Thursday, and Rourke admits he was very nervous about meeting the screen beauty again.
He says, "We had no screen time together in the movie (The Informers), so I was very nervous. I hadn’t seen her in 23 years."...
The movie star admits the note from his old friend meant as much to him as winning accolades for the film.
He recalls, "Coming from her, it was very special and it was very generous and heartfelt letter. It brought me to tears, really."
The pair reunited for the first time in 23 years on the red carpet at the premiere for their new movie The Informers in Hollywood on Thursday, and Rourke admits he was very nervous about meeting the screen beauty again.
He says, "We had no screen time together in the movie (The Informers), so I was very nervous. I hadn’t seen her in 23 years."...
- 4/18/2009
- WENN
Mickey Rourke has refused to comment on why he left director Quentin Tarantino's latest film Grindhouse, insisting he'll stay silent until Tarantino speaks out first. Rourke was set to play the part of Stuntman Mike on the Kill Bill director's latest collaboration with director Robert Rodriguez, and was later replaced by Kurt Russell. The 9 1/2 Weeks star had previously worked with the directors on the hit movie Sin City and hints there might have been a falling out with Tarantino. He tells Radar Online, "You know what? He hasn't made any comments about it. And until he makes a comment about it, I'm not going to say anything. It just didn't work out. And I hope that's what he has to say. I'm just going to wait." The actor was supposedly Tarantino's first choice to play the movie's villain and he hints in the interview that he was actually the one who passed on the role and he wasn't fired from the film. Rourke also turned down a role in the film that made Tarantino's career, Pulp Fiction, back in the early 1990s.
- 11/7/2006
- WENN
COLOGNE, Germany -- Lew Horwitz, founder and former head of veteran financing group LHO, has signed on as an adviser to leading independent German film fund VIP, VIP co-head Andreas Schmid has said. A 24-year film financing veteran, Horwitz helped source backing for such films as Nine 1/2 Weeks, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and The Devil and Daniel Webster. He also has plenty of experience with the German film fund scene, having worked with various funds on projects spanning FearDotCom, Undisputed and Patty Jenkins' Monster, which was co-financed by VIP. Horwitz will advise VIP on contract negotiations with independent producers and studios as well as future projects. Munich-based VIP, Germany's largest independent film fund, has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in private investor capital to back big-budget features like The Punisher and independent fare like The I Inside. Upcoming projects include the Adrien Brody-Keira Knightley thriller The Jacket and Havoc, starring Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman and Justin Timberlake. VIP's latest fund has so far raised about $150 million, and the company expects to top $200 million by year's end.
- 7/25/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Alec Baldwin remains a huge fan of ex-wife Kim Basinger's acting - despite their bitter bust-up. The Malice star, whose eight-year marriage to the actress crumbled in 2001, has been locked in a battle with his former spouse over his access to their seven-year-old daughter Ireland. He has also been dogged with reports of being an abusive husband to the 9 1/2 Weeks star during their union. But when Baldwin was at the Los Angeles, California, restaurant Katana last week, he showed that he still has an appreciation for Basinger's work. While he was reading the movie listings in the Los Angeles Times, a fellow diner struck up a conversation with the 44-year old star, asking which film he recommended. Baldwin swiftly replied, "I'd go to see 8 Mile. My ex-wife's in it. It's really good."...
- 12/13/2002
- WENN
Hollywood actress Kim Basinger has pinpointed the source of her battles with agoraphobia - she didn't like people ogling her body. The 9 1/2 Weeks star, who plays Eminem's mother in the upcoming flick 8 Mile, admits that she couldn't get to grips with the idea of people eyeing her up, which led to her running home and staying there. She says, "When I came to Hollywood, I could wear a bikini, but I was in misery because people were looking at me. So I wore baggy clothes and watched other girls get the big parts and awards. I used to go home and play piano and scream at night to let out my frustrations. And this led to my agoraphobia."...
- 10/17/2002
- WENN
Mickey Rourke claims Nicole Kidman has ruined his film comeback. The faded 9 1/2 Weeks star was itching to join the cast of erotic thriller In The Cut, but claims executive producer Kidman refused to work with him. He says, "I don't know why. And she's never even met me! But there was nothing I could do, because Nicole has much more influence than I do." Kidman's spokeswoman will say only that Rourke's story "is not true".
- 11/23/2001
- WENN
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.