News

Paul Morrissey, the avant-garde filmmaker who worked on Andy Warhol movies including Chelsea Girls, Flesh, Trash and others who also managed The Velvet Underground in the mid-1960s, died Monday. He was 86.

His archivist Michael Chaiken told The New York Times that Morrissey died of pneumonia in a Manhattan hospital.

Morrissey collaborated with Warhol on several ultralow-budget features focused on the NYC subculture, starting with 1965’s My Hustler through 1974’s Blood for Dracula aka Andy Warhol’s Dracula. Their experimental movies — on which Morrissey often served in roles also including cinematographer and editor — often featured non-pro actors including Joe Dallesandro and Candy Darling and generally were ad-libbed rather than scripted.

Their biggest commercial success — a relative term — was with Trash, the 1970 pic starring Dallesandro as and junkie gigolo and Holly Woodlawn as his wife. Other Morrissey-Warhol films include 1968’s Lonesome Cowboys and 1972’s Heat and Women in Revolt. The duo...

This week on the Film Stories Podcast Network, our array of film and TV chats cover 1960s comedy, B-movie science fiction and more. Here’s what we’ve been up to…

Den of Ten

Sam Stokes regularly unpacks people’s favourite top ten’s in popular culture, today being joined by Geoff Owen to discuss their Top 10 Gaming Systems…

The Magic Box

A possible language barrier this week between Kurt North and guest Carl Sweeney as they discuss Lost 1×06 ‘House of the Rising Sun’…

At the Movies in the 90s

The first of a series of bonus episodes coming over the next month sees A. J. Black talk to Perry Constantine about Roger Corman’s 1990 sci-fi horror Frankenstein Unbound…

ChuckyVision

Mark Adams and Dev Elson continue their odyssey into killer doll territory, joined by Violet Hammond to discuss, err… Heartstopper Season 3. Good old tenuous links, eh?

Britcom Goes to the Movies

Not only Peter Cook,...

Over the weekend, the Chicago International Film Festival and Second City honored Mike Myers with a “Career Achievement Award,” in recognition of his work in beloved movies such as Wayne’s World, Austin Powers and Shrek. Thankfully, the event didn’t end with one of the organizers suddenly remembering that The Love Guru exists and attempting to wrestle the award out of Myers’ hands.

The ceremony also included a “lengthy conversation” between Myers and Kids in the Hall’s Dave Foley. The talk touched on a number of different subjects, including Myers’ fears that the studio wouldn’t release Wayne’s World, his fears that the studio wouldn’t release Austin Powers and how Michael Caine couldn’t get Beyoncé’s name right while filming Austin Powers in Goldmember. “He’d just go, ‘Hey, Be-yonts,’” Myers recalled.

They also chatted about how Myers’ Wayne’s World 2 co-star Christopher Walken seemingly couldn’t...

The British are coming! The British are coming! Or at least the funny ones are on their way if Rob Schneider has anything to say about it.

Schneider took a break from bashing the libs and apologizing to his estranged daughter today to offer a life raft to all of those U.K. comics under assault by their oppressive government.

Yikes! What’s going on across the pond?

“Tyranny has returned to the United Kingdom,” Schneider brayed on his Twitter/X account.

Sounds serious. Are comedians being placed in the stocks? Having their heads cut off? Not exactly. Schneider is reacting to another social media post decrying a decision by a British judge to jail someone for an offensive social media post.

Could Ricky Gervais and his edgy vodka ads be next? Not if Schneider has anything to say about it. “I am starting a new media company and I am bringing over British writers,...

Legendary supermodel Christie Brinkley pulled out all the stops for her daughter Sailor’s 26th birthday, hosting an Italian-themed dinner party at their Hamptons home.

The celebration, held under what Brinkley affectionately calls “our great Kitchen Tree,” featured twinkling lights that mimicked the starry sky above. Brinkley shared glimpses of the festivities on social media, including a collection of photos showcasing Sailor’s life from childhood to the present day.

“The happy birthday candles collected wishes for Sailor’s new year to be her best one yet!” Brinkley wrote in her post.

Photos from the event revealed a picturesque outdoor setting with long wooden tables adorned for the occasion. Brinkley, 70, donned a classic white summer dress with yellow patterns and an off-the-shoulder design, complemented by a colorful scarf tied over her blonde hair. The birthday girl opted for a form-fitting, off-white patterned dress, her long blonde locks flowing in soft waves.

With the 96th Academy Awards in the history books, it’s time to become obsessed over the 77th Tony Awards. Nominations are April 30th with the awards set to air on CBS on June 16 from Lincoln Center. Among the contenders for Tony nominations are many musicals based on movies including “Back to the Future,’ “The Notebook,” “Water for Elephants” and “The Outsiders”: high profile revivals such as Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People” with Jeremy Strong; “Cabaret” with Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne and the Who’s “Tommy”; imports from London and transfers from off-Broadway.

Do you remember the Tony landscape 50 years ago? The 28th annual honors took place April 21, 1974, at the Shubert Theater and aired on ABC. And to say it was a star-studded affair is something of an understatement. Robert Preston, Peter Falk, Cicely Tyson, Florence Henderson hosted; presenters included Al Pacino –-let’s hope he had better...

Coming up on March 1st from AppleTV+ is yet another joyful and whimsical British comedy ‘The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin.’ Led by Mr Great British Back-off host Noel Fielding in the titular role and propped up by some of the biggest and best names in British comedy.

The six-episode Apple Original centres on Dick Turpin (Fielding), who sets out on a journey of wildly absurd escapades when he’s made the reluctant leader of a band of outlaws — and tasked with outwitting corrupt lawman and self-appointed thief-taker Jonathan Wilde (Hugh Bonneville).

In this irreverent retelling set in the 18th century, Turpin is the most famous but least likely of highway robbers, whose success is defined mostly by his charm, showmanship and great hair. Together with his gang of lovable rogues, Turpin rides the highs and lows of his new endeavours, including a brush with celebrity, all whilst trying...

The BBC is celebrating the art of the literary adaptation by screening a variety of classics on BBC Four. More details here.

The BBC is quite rightly celebrated for its rich history of book to screen adaptations, such as the iconic 1995 version of Jane Austen’a Pride And Prejudice to Cbbc’s hugely successful adaptation of Dame Jacqueline Wilson’s Tracy Beaker series.

It has now put together a season of 14 adaptations from the BBC archive, some of which have rarely been seen since their original broadcast.

The dramas are:

The Great Gatsby

Toby Stephens, Mira Sorvino and Paul Rudd lead the cast in this 2000 BBC adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel on the American dream in the jazz age.

Small Island

Naomie Harris, Ruth Wilson, David Oyelowo, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ashley Walters star in this 2009 TV version of Andrea Levy’s novel focusing on the lives and...

A UK print film magazine, and a big one too! Here’s Film Stories issue 48 – what’s in it, and how you can get it!

Introducing issue 48 of Film Stories, where once again we’ve clearly gone made and produced another 168 page bumper issue. And printed it on nice paper too!

We’re 100% independent, so this is an absolute labour of love for us.

We’re really proud of it. We hope you’re going to like it, and we hope you might consider supporting it. Sold primarily via mail order, and popping up in a few WHSmiths stores around the country too, here’s the cover of the new issue…

And inside?

Huge Exclusive

Bob Marley: One Love

The story of bringing Bob Marley’s life story to the screen: with director Reinaldo Marcus Green, stars Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch, and the irrepressible Ziggy Marley.

Plus

All Of US Strangers...

Tl;Dr:

Paul McCartney revealed an important actor who appeared in Help! inspired The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.” Paul knew her well before writing The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.” She compared the Fab Four to Greek demigods like Orpheus.

The Beatles‘ “Eleanor Rigby” was partly inspired by a star who appeared in the movie Help! In addition, Paul McCartney said she might have dated John Lennon. On the other hand, the star prefers to keep her personal life private.

A star of ‘Help!’ inspired the title of The Beatles’ ‘Eleanor Rigby’

During a 2021 interview with The New Yorker, Paul discussed the writing of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.” He started taking piano lessons and played an early draft of the song for his teacher. At that time, the tune had the title “Ola Na Tungee.” The teacher wasn’t that impressed with the song, preferring to hear Paul play piano scales.

“When I...

Paxton Whitehead, the Tony-nominated British actor best known for his snooty roles on “Mad About You” and in the Rodney Dangerfield comedy “Back to School,” died Friday at age 85, according to his son, Charles Whitehead.

In the latter feature film, he memorably played Dr. Barbay, the disapproving dean of the business school who is horrified to learn that Rodney Dangerfield’s low-brow middle-aged character has bribed his way into college. Whitehead also had a recurring role on ’90s sitcom “Mad About You” as the “neighbor from hell” Hal Conway. The actor additionally guested on a number of series including “Frasier” and “Friends.”

Also Read:

Barry Reardon, Former Warner Bros. Theatrical Distribution Chief, Dies at 92

Actress Dana Ivey remembered him fondly on Twitter: “I’ve just heard that my beloved friend Paxton Whitehead has died, on Friday the 16th. We first worked together in ‘My Fair Lady’ in 1964, and the...

Paxton Whitehead, the prolific and acclaimed actor whose career stretched from 17 Broadway productions, a recurring role on the hit 1990s sitcom Mad About You and a memorable turn as a snooty professor who takes an instant disliking to Rodney Dangerfield’s crude self-made man in 1986’s Back to School, died June 16 at a hospital in Arlington, Va. He was 85.

His death has been confirmed by his son Charles Whitehead, with many friends and colleagues sharing their memories on social media.

Actor Dana Ivey wrote: “We first worked together in My Fair Lady in 1964, and the last time was in Importance of Being Earnest in 2010 — friends for 59 years. I loved him so. Heartbroken.”

Tony-nominated for his performance as Pellinore in the 1980 revival of Camelot, Paxton, born in English village of East Malling, made his Broadway debut in a short-lived production of Ronald Millar’s The Affair. His next Broadway show — Beyond the Fringe...

Christie Brinkley shared then-and-now photos with her son on Instagram to celebrate his 28th birthday.

The 69-year-old supermodel and her son Jack Paris Brinkley-Cook recreated a throwback photo of Jack as a toddler. The old shot from two decades ago is paired with the more recent picture, with the mother and son in the same position.

Alongside the adorable snapshots were poetic words paying tribute to Jack, expressing Brinkley’s love towards her second child on this special occasion.

“From there to here, in the blink of an eye, You’ve turned into the most wonderful guy!” she wrote. “28 years of adventures and fun, you’re the very best brother and my favorite son!”

“Thoughtful kind and wicked smart, what makes me proudest is your beautiful heart!” she continued.

“We all love you so much Giacomo! Happy Birthday Jack Paris! ”

Brinkley also tagged her son in the post. In the flashback image,...

What do the 76th annual Tonys have in common with the 17th annual awards?

Stephen Sondheim.

The late, great influential composer is represented in this year’s Tonys with the acclaimed, popular revivals of his 1979 classic “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Street” earning eight nominations and 1987’s “Into the Woods” receiving six.

Sixty years ago, it was Sondheim’s musical comedy “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” which dominated the Tony Awards with six wins: best musical, best producer for Harold Prince, best director for George Abbott, best author for Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, leading actor for Zero Mostel and featured actor for David Burns. Ironically, Sondheim failed to earn a nomination for best original score (music and/or lyrics) written for the theater. He would not win for his tunes until “Company” in 1971. Vying in that category were “Stop the World I Wanted...

Barry Humphries, the Australian entertainer whose gladioli-waving alter ego Dame Edna charmed and roasted celebrities, all with a Cheshire grin, outrageous eyewear, a “Hello, Possums!” greeting and a flurry of caustic wit, died Saturday. He was 89.

Humphries died at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney of complications from hip surgery, his family announced.

“He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit,” they said. “With over 70 years on the stage, he was an entertainer to his core, touring up until the last year of his life and planning more shows that will sadly never be.”

He portrayed Dame Edna Everage — whom he called a “gauche, garrulous Melbourne housewife with a very shrill voice who was obsessed with interior decoration” — for more than six decades across cabarets, clubs, stage and screen as one of the world’s oldest continual comic creations.

Los Angeles – Raquel Welch never let anyone define who she was, despite being touted as a sex symbol in her early career. She defined sexy in films such as “One Million Years B.C.,” “Fantastic Voyage” and the 1970s Three Musketeers series. The movie star and entrepreneur died at age 82 at her home in Los Angeles.

She was born in Chicago as Jo Raquel Tejada (her father was Bolivian). Her family moved to California and she desired a theatrical and dance career, attending San Diego State College on a theater arts scholarship. After marrying her high school sweetheart James Welch – they separated after having two children together – she began her early career in film as Raquel Welch … her agent advised her against a Latina last name. Her first credited film role was in “A Swingin’ Summer” (1964).

Raquel Welch in Chicago circa 2010

Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com...

Since the very beginning, absurdity has been the name of the game for "The Animaniacs." Following the adventures of the Warner Brothers Yakko (Rob Paulsen), Wakko (Jess Harnell), and the Warner Sister, Dot (Tress MacNeille), "The Animaniacs" is a beloved variety sketch series filled with innuendos, enough catchy songs to justify its own ranking, timely parodies, and a slew of spotlight characters like Pinky (Paulsen) and the Brain (Maurice Lamarche). Canonically speaking, the characters were first drawn in 1929, which explains their rubber-hose animated style, but were deemed too weird to release and were locked up in the Warner Bros. water tower ... until one day, they escaped.

The first series lasted for 99 episodes and the feature-length film "Wakko's Wish," but was given a revival in 2020 to bring the zany antics of "The Animaniacs" to a brand new generation. The show is one of the few in existence to find a way...

It's not a secret that Hollywood has a really sordid history with the way transgender characters have been presented on film. While bigoted pundits like to pretend that trans people and trans representation in entertainment is somehow a new concept, films like "Myra Breckinridge" were shocking and subverting audience expectations over half a century ago. Unlike the transgender media of our current era that often put cis men like Jared Leto, Eddie Redmayne, and Jeffrey Tambor in drag, "Myra Breckinridge" instead chose to cast Raquel Welch, an international sex symbol at the time, in the titular role.

The film was an adaptation of Gore Vidal's controversial book of the same name, a title that was equal parts bestseller and banned text. It's one of the earliest known novels to feature a protagonist who has undergone gender affirmation surgery and dissects themes of feminism, gender performance, America's unhealthy relationship with toxic masculinity,...

Raquel Welch, the big-screen star of the 1960s and ’70s who gained fame in movies including Fantastic Voyage, One Million Years B.C., Myra Breckinridge and many others, died today after a brief illness. She was 82.

Her death was confirmed by her reps at Media 4 Management.

Related: Raquel Welch: A Career In Photos

Welch’s career spanned more than 50 years, 30 films and scores of TV series and appearances, including about a dozen visits to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson spanning two decades. She also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Imagen Foundation in 2001.

From left: Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch and Donald Pleasence in ‘Fantastic Voyage’ (Everett Collection)

Born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5, 1940, in Chicago, Welch’s family moved to San Diego when she was a toddler. She attended San Diego State on a theater arts scholarship and got her start as a local TV weathercaster before starting to...

Raquel Welch, an international sex symbol and icon of the 1960s and 70s has died after a brief illness, according to her management company Media Four. Welch was 82.

Welch’s films included “Fantastic Voyage,” “The three Musketeers” and “Legally Blonde.”

Welch is best known for her breakout role in “Fantastic Voyage” (1966), after which she was signed to a talent contract with 20th Century Fox. She followed that with “One Million Years B.C.” in which she had only three lines. But her skimpy two-piece deerskin bikini became a best-selling poster and launched her into star status as an international sex symbol.

Raquel Welch publicity portrait for the film ‘One Million Years B.C.’, 1966. (Photo by 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images)

Welch would then go on to star with Dudley Moore and Peter Cook in “Bedazzled” (1967) and star in the Western “Bandolero!” (1968) opposite Dean Martin and James Stewart.

Also Read:

Hollywood’s Notable Deaths...

Legendary actress and iconic 1960s sex symbol Raquel Welch has died at the age of 82.

Welch’s family tells TMZ that the Golden Globe winner died following a brief, undisclosed illness.

Her TV career kicked off in the mid-1960s with guest spots on shows such as The Virginian, McHale’s Navy and Bewitched. That led to one of her first film roles,...

In her latest Instagram snaps, Sailor Brinkley Cook posted a series of photos of herself wearing a high-rise blue one-piece swimsuit.

Sailor, 24, paired the swimsuit, which came from supermodel Candice Swanepoel‘s eco-brand Tropic of C, with a long gold necklace and a pair of thin hoop earrings. She posed next to palm trees in front of the rolling beach waves.

In Memoriam 2022: 100 Great Celebrities Who Died In 2022

She wore minimal makeup, instead going for a very natural look.

This got many of her fans to see similarities between her and her mother and famed model Christie Brinkley.

Christie rose to fame in the late 70s and early 80s when she appeared on three consecutive covers of Sports Illustrated‘s Swimsuit Issues.

Christie is a mother to three children. Sailor and Jack, 27, are from her marriage to architect Peter Cook. Her oldest daughter, Alexa, 37, was with musician Billy Joel.

When it comes to on-screen characters, few are nearly as vibrant as Austin Powers. Fewer still can pull off the larger-than-life superspy's careful balancing act: equal parts endearing and unapologetically cringe-inducing, there's never a dull moment when Austin is around. But as flashy as the character might be, Mike Myers had just one quiet, touching thing on his mind when he dreamt up Austin Powers: his late father, Eric Myers.

It's pretty common for parents to shape their kids' tastes, and Eric Myers was no exception. As Mike would tell The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, his father played a large role in developing his own sense of comedy — and Austin Powers was meant to pay homage to that influence:

"After my dad died in 1991, I was taking stock of his influence on me as a person and his influence on me with comedy in general. So Austin Powers was a tribute to my father,...

British actor and satirist John Bird has died aged 86.

The Bremner, Bird and Fortune star passed away “peacefully” on Christmas Eve at a care home in West Sussex, UK, according to his representatives.

Bremner, Bird and Fortune, which was from Vera Productions, ran for 16 seasons in the UK on Channel 4, ending in 2008.

His long-time comedy partner Rory Bremner led the tributes, writing on Twitter he was “deeply saddened to hear that the great John Bird has left us. One of the most modest of men and most brilliant of satirists. And one of the last surviving pillars of the anti-establishment.”

Bremner urged people to view Bird and John Fortunes’ ‘Long Johns’ comedy sketch interviews, in which they played members of the establishment, “and ask yourself if it’s ever been more beautifully done.

Bird (left)on stage with Rory Bremner and John Fortune. Credit: Chris Young – Pa Images/Pa Images via Getty Images

“I used to watch from the wings and marvel at how the two friends made it look so effortless, so blissfully funny, their skill and enjoyment in the moment making light of the seriously detailed research that went into each piece.”

Bird also worked with Fortune and Bremner on Rory Bremner, Who Else? for Channel 4 and the BBC’s Now Something Else.

Fortune died aged 74 on New Year’s Eve 2013.

“Lord knows, satire has missed them this last decade and now that loss is permanent,” said Bremner. “John may not have felt he got his life right, but by god he got it written.”

Bird met Fortune at Cambridge University, where he was part of the famous Cambridge Footlights Revue, where his contemporaries included Peter Cook.

His career included spells at the Royal Court Theatre and acted in fantasy comedy film Jabberwocky, UK comedy series Yes, Prime Minister and One Foot in the Grave, and also played Professor Plum in a TV adaptation of board game Cluedo. He also appeared in popular British detective shows Jonathan Creek, Inspector Morse and Midsomer Murders.

He is survived by wife Libby and two stepsons.

The actor and comedian John Bird has died aged 86.

Bird died peacefully on Christmas Eve, his representatives have confirmed.

Following news of his death, fellow comedian Rory Bremner paid tribute to “one of the greatest satirists”.

Together with the late John Fortune, Bird and Remner made up the trio of the TV series Bremner, Bird and Fortune.

The satirical show ran between 1999 and 2009. Across its 16 seasons, it was nominated for numerous Bafta TV Awards.

In the Sixties, Bird was part of the satire boom. He appeared reguarly in shows such as BBC’s That Was The Week That Was, which was presented by David Frost, and was one of the first BBC programmes to mock politicians.

The Nottingham-born comedian’s death follows almost nine years to the day after his co-star Fortune died at 74 years old (on New Year’s Eve 2013).

In a 2004 appearance on Desert Island Discs, Fortune described...

The writer, broadcaster and satirist Victor Lewis-Smith has died, aged 65.

The former Independent columnist and documentary-maker died in Bruges, Belgium, on Saturday (10 December) after a short illness.

Born in Essex, Lewis-Smith began his career at BBC Radio Medway. After working at Radio York, he moved to Radio 4 where he was a staff producer for Midweek and Start the Week during the mid-1980s.

Lewis-Smith went on to work as a film, TV and radio producer, predominantly through his production company Associated Rediffusion Productions Limited.

He worked on Spitting Image and the short-lived Channel 4 comedy show TV Offal.

He was also a restaurant critic and columnist. He wrote a regular column for Private Eye, and was the chief TV critic at the Evening Standard for 15 years.

In 1993, Lewis-Smith co-wrote and presented the BBC sketch show Inside Victor Lewis-Smith, which starred Roger Lloyd Pack, Annette Badland, Moya Brady, Tim Barlow, Nickolas Grace and George Raistrick.

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The Movie: "The Princess Bride"

Where You Can Stream It: Disney+

The Pitch: Maybe you've watched "The Princess Bride" a thousand times. Maybe you've never seen it. Either way, I implore you to do it again. I fall into the "thousand times" category, but it had been a while. If you have not yet experienced the wonder that is "The Princess Bride," here's the deal with your future favorite comedy (I feel pretty confident in saying that). 

The story begins with a young boy (Fred Savage) who is home sick. His grandfather (Peter Falk) comes to read him a story. At first, the kid is annoyed with it all and wants to skip the "kissing parts," but later gets into the tale.

Sailor Brinkley Cook stuns in a pretty yellow sundress Pic credit: ©ImageCollect.com/StarMaxWorldwide

Sailor Brinkley Cook showcases her curves on a beautiful sunny day in a cute yellow sundress. The 19-year-old daughter of Christie Brinkley looks stunning as she enjoys the warm weather in a summer dress.

As she begins her four poses, one hand reaches for the sky, and the other goes gracefully behind her. The lush green trees in the background are a beautiful backdrop to this photo, and we see her furry white dog.

The second pose showcases the model standing sideways with her head turned toward us and her left arm arched and resting on the top of her head.

Her lovely blonde hair resembles spun gold with the sun reflecting down upon her. The natural beauty of her hair is enhanced by the sunlight, making it look like an actual work of art.

In the third pose,...

Sailor Brinkley-Cook is lounging under the sun wearing trendy earrings with her name. Pic credit: ©ImageCollect.com/Mario Santoro/AdMedia

Sailor Brinkley-Cook is showing off her hoops as the daughter of Christie Brinkley shared her look of the day on her social media.

Sailor appeared bare-faced as she took a video of herself with a calm expression on her face. She filmed the short clip outside while soaking up the sun at a residence.

She wore a hot pink bikini with silver clasps and secured her hair in a top knot while strands blew in the wind.

Sailer rocked a natural look with minimal jewelry, including a thin necklace with a jewel and the massive hoops with her name prominently displayed.

Although the video only appeared for 24 hours because it was an Ig Story, a fan account captured the short clip. Sailor cleverly set the video to Say My Name by Destiny’s Child,...

Ask me to describe my sense of humor and I can answer in six words: “What We Do in the Shadows.”

While I have a deep affection for the feel-good Emmy champ “Ted Lasso,” which makes me chuckle and cringe, the supernatural mockumentary about vampiric roommates living the undead lifestyle in Staten Island makes me laugh out loud and snort milk out my nose. It isn’t pretty.

Now premiering in its fourth season, the 10-time Emmy nominee and spawn of the 2014 feature from New Zealanders Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement, is a show that can be watched in an endless loop. The FX show’s a combination of slapstick, zingers and situation comedy, Marx Brothers meet “The Munsters,” that, like its main characters, is undead on arrival. The season’s showrunners, Stefani Robinson and Paul Simms, who began as writers on the first series, never flag, keeping the fun...

By Lee Pfeiffer

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's timeless 1902 Sherlock Holmes novel "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is said to be the most often-filmed adaptation of a book. I don't know if that's true but it's quite clear that over the decades, the tale has indeed inspired many adaptations for the cinema and television. The 1939 classic introduced audiences to the teaming of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson. The 1959 Hammer Films version was the first Holmes movie made in color and starred Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in another highly impressive adaptation. By the1970s, revisionist versions of Holmes stories were all the rage in cinema and on television, as evidenced by films such as "The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter ", "They Might Be Giants", "The Seven-Per-Cent Solution" and "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes". Thus, the famed comic duo of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore opted...

Spoiler Alert: The story includes details about the Season 5 finale of NBC’s This Is Us.

Updated with comments from This Is Us Emmy FYC Event at the Rose Bowl: During an early flashback in tonight’s This Is Us season 5 finale, Mandy Moore’s Rebecca Pearson settles down to watch the wedding season finale of ABC’s Dynasty.

“Ok, Dynasty, let’s kill some friggin’ wedding guests!” she exclaims with her wine, popcorn and M&Ms set out before her.

Unbeknown to Rebecca, she’s foreshadowing what’s to come tonight. While there aren’t any wedding guests who are killed, two marriages fall apart. In present day, it’s Kevin and Madison (Justin Hartley and Caitlin Thompson) who decide not to tie the knot. However, we also learn in a flash-forward that Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Toby (Chris Sullivan) don’t work out. Read on.

After a season...

A musical that charms even audiences that don’t like musicals, this adaptation of a big 1955 Broadway hit is noted for capturing much of the original’s power and brilliance — more legendary stage performances should be filmed like this, immortalizing theater history that otherwise disappears into the ether. Gwen Verdon, Ray Walston, Russ Brown and star replacement Tab Hunter shine, yet ‘unknown’ Broadway talent Shannon Bolin and Robert Shafer earn just as much applause. The Verdon-Bob Fosse creative hookup is at its strongest here, complete with a show-stopper of a dance duo. Come to think of it, almost every song in this thing stops the show, like one of Joe Hardy’s home runs: Wow!

Damn Yankees

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1958 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 111 min. / Street Date March 16, 2021 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Tab Hunter, Gwen Verdon, Ray Walston, Russ Brown, Shannon Bolin, Nathaniel Frey, James Komack, Rae Allen,...

Clothes make the man. And in the case of Sacha Baron Cohen even underwear makes the man. In a recent American Cinematheque Zoom conversation between the star of the two “Borat” comedy films and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” with his good friend Monty Python legend Eric Idle, the two discussed the fact that there is jeopardy in Baron Cohen’s comedy.

“In my movies, they occasionally get violent if they realize you’re not who you say you are,” acknowledged Baron Cohen. “Maybe you’re to make sure that the rhythm of the words is consistent, that the pitch is unique, that the choice of words, the way you walk, the costume, the way you smell has to be completely believable. I remember very early on I once did Borat I ended up taking off my trousers off in scene. I had my underpants on, and the scene ended.

Charlie Hauck, a writer-producer who penned scripts for some of TV’s most iconic sitcoms – Maude, Frasier, Home Improvement, One Day At A Time and, under a pseudonym as a favor to Larry Gelbert, one episode of M*A*S*H – died at his Los Angeles home on Saturday, Nov. 14, of complications from pancreatic cancer. He was 79.

His death was confirmed by his daughter Flannery Cogan Hauck.

“Nobody made me laugh harder, or more often, than Charlie Hauck,” said Maude creator Norman Lear. “He defined ‘funny’ and was a glorious man and friend.”

Hauck, whose career spanned more than 35 years, created the 1986 Valerie Harper comedy Valerie and co-created The Associates, the 1979 ABC sitcom that introduced a young Canadian actor named Martin Short to U.S. audiences.

Hauck’s knack for recognizing young comic talent also contributed heavily to another longstanding Hollywood career: Remembering a friend from his pre-Los Angeles days at Pittsburgh’s Wqed-tv,...

Raquel Welch made a name for herself as an international sex symbol, but also an accomplished thespian as her career progressed. But what are her greatest accomplishments? Scroll down to see Welch’s most notable movies ranked, plucked from a career spanning well over half a century.

After winning beauty pageant titles including Miss San Diego and Maid of California as a teen, she attended San Diego State College on a theater arts scholarship and performed in local theater productions. Then she was a weather forecaster at a local San Diego TV station. And in 1963 she started to pursue roles with movie studios. Welch had a small part in 1964’s “Roustabout” starring Elvis Presley, and she stood out in the beach movie romp “A Swingin’ Summer” in 1965 as a bookworm who eventually tosses her glasses, lets down her hair, heats up the screen and even sings a tune.

Welch’s...

British screenwriter and playwright Charles Wood, known for such productions as “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” “Tumbledown” and “Iris,” has died at the age of 87.

His death, on Saturday, was confirmed to Variety by his agent Sue Rodgers at Independent Talent.

Born into a theater family, he began working in his local theater when he was a teen. After studying theatrical design at art college, he spent several years in the British army. After an assortment of jobs, he began to write professionally from 1959, with the completion of his play “Prisoner and Escort,” drawing on his army experience.

His first screenplay was 1965 comedy “The Knack … and How to Get It,” based on Anne Jellicoe’s play. Directed by Richard Lester, and starring Rita Tushingham and Michael Crawford, it won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Wood was nominated for the BAFTA for British screenplay.

Among many films with Lester,...

” Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. “

There is nothing more fun (or romantic) than a Tenacious Eats ‘Movies For Foodies’ Film Series event! This time it’s the beloved 1987 cult classic The Princess Bride. It’s February 14th (that’s Valentine’s Day Guys!) from 6:30 to 10pm at The Mahler Ballroom. Ticket information can be found Here. A Facebook invite for the event can be found Here

The Tenacious Eats site can be found Here

What a fun night this will be:

Doors open at 6:30Pm with a special movie themed Selfie Station, cash bar and multiple rounds of film and music trivia for tons of prizes and tickets to future Tenacious Eats Shows!

*Film begins at 7:00Pm along with special Teats Treats! No dress code. Costumes always encouraged and rewarded!

*Film will be paused to introduce each course.

*Selfie Station!

Jonathan Miller, a distinguished British theatre and opera director, writer and TV producer, has died at the age of 85 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

Miller’s family confirmed his death and said he passed away “peacefully at home” following a multi-hyphenated career in arts and entertainment, on which he embarked after originally training as a doctor at Cambridge University.

Miller moved into the arts world through stage revue Beyond the Fringe in the 1960s, starring alongside Alan Bennett, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in the seminal comedy stage show that took the West End and Broadway by storm.

He went on to work for the BBC, editing and presenting arts show Monitor, as well as directing and producing six of the BBC’s Television Shakespeare Collection. This included the 1980 adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, starring John Cleese as Petruchio, and the 1981 version of Othello, featuring Anthony Hopkins.

Jonathan Miller, the writer, director and member of iconic British stage revue Beyond the Fringe, has died at 85.

The multi-talented Miller worked across stage and screen as well as in other fields of the arts. His family said Wednesday that he died peacefully at home after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

After first studying medicine and qualifying as a doctor, the London-born Miller broke into the arts with Beyond the Fringe in the 1960s. Miller appeared alongside Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Alan Bennett in the revue, which played in the West End and on Broadway.

He was a well-known face on TV in the U.K. and worked in front of and behind the camera, with numerous programs to his credit. These include six of the BBC’s Shakespeare productions, and several documentaries that he wrote and presented for the pubcaster. His later-career TV work included “Atheism: A...

Peter Cook is ready to say "I Do" to a special someone. The famous ex of Christie Brinkley is engaged to 21-year-old college student Alba Jancou, according to Page Six. "We consider ourselves incredibly lucky to have found, in each other, our soulmate," the 60-year-old architect shared with the publication. "We are looking forward to many years of wedded bliss!" So how did the romantic proposal happen? According to the outlet, the special moment happened in September near Santorini, Greece in front of a church. Alba received a six-carat diamond ring by jewelry designer Glenn Bradford. And now, it's time to plan a wedding! While the couple tries to keep their...

“Dancing with the Stars” has undergone a cast shakeup — and no, we’re not talking about Artem Chigvintsev and Sharna Burgess. Christie Brinkley has dropped out due to injury and will be replaced by her daughter, Sailor Brinkley-Cook, for the 28th season, which premieres Monday.

The supermodel injured her arm and wrist during rehearsals and requires surgery, according to a statement from ABC. “While rehearsing for the premiere of ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ Christie Brinkley suffered injuries which required surgery to her wrist and arm. She is unable to continue her planned participation on the show,” the statement read. “Keeping it all in the family, her daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook, a ‘Sports Illustrated’ model, has chosen to quickly step in with hours to learn the entire routine and will compete in her mother’s place for the remainder of the season. We wish Christie a full and speedy recovery and look...

All hail the memory of Stanley Donen. We also appreciate the razor-sharp satire of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, whose genius Donen preserved in this hilarious Faustian comedy. Poor pitiful Stanley Moon bargains with the Devil for seven chances to win the woman of his dreams, which naturally turns out to be a big mistake. Who could make a wise decision with Raquel Welch’s ‘Lillian Lust’ climbing into their bed?

Bedazzled

Blu-ray

Twilight Time

1967 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 104 min. / Street Date February 19, 2019 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95

Starring: Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Eleanor Bron, Raquel Welch, Barry Humphries, Alba, Michael Bates, Robin Hawdon, Robert Russell, Evelyn Moore.

Cinematography: Austin Dempster

Art Direction: Terence Knight

Film Editor: Richard Marden

Original Music: Dudley Moore

Written by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore

Produced and Directed by Stanley Donen

Stanley Donen took his first big screen credit at age 19, and at 28 co-directed...

I wasn't too keen on doing the film. When I got the call, they said, "Peter Cook and Dudley Moore are doing a movie about the seven deadly sins and they want you to play Lilian Lust." And I was like, "Ugh, I don't need to wear something skimpy again." I was about to turn it down and then they said, "And Stanley Donen is directing." I was like, "Are you kidding? He's legendary!"

I met him on the set in London right before we started shooting. I didn't have ...

I wasn't too keen on doing the film. When I got the call, they said, "Peter Cook and Dudley Moore are doing a movie about the seven deadly sins and they want you to play Lilian Lust." And I was like, "Ugh, I don't need to wear something skimpy again." I was about to turn it down and then they said, "And Stanley Donen is directing." I was like, "Are you kidding? He's legendary!"

I met him on the set in London right before we started shooting. I didn't have ...

Director Bryan Forbes tries his hand at comedy. His nostalgic Victorian farce features an eclectic choice of Brit stars — established greats John Mills & Ralph Richardson, the freshly-minted Michael Caine, reigning jester Peter Sellers and even a debut for the collegiate pranksters Peter Cook & Dudley Moore. It’s a beaut of a production with a charming John Barry music score… but the result yields more indulgent smiles than out-and-out laughs.

The Wrong Box

Region A+B Blu-ray

Powerhouse Indicator

1966 / Color / 1:75 widescreen / 105 min. / Street Date November 23, 2018 / available from Amazon UK / £14.99

Starring: John Mills, Ralph Richardson, Michael Caine, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Nanette Newman, Tony Hancock, Peter Sellers, Wilfrid Lawson, Thorley Walters, Gerald Sim, Irene Handl, Norman Bird, John Le Mesurier, Norman Rossington, Diane Clare, Tutte Lemkow, Charles Bird, Vanda Godsell, Jeremy Lloyd, James Villiers, Graham Stark, Dick Gregory, Valentine Dyall, Leonard Rossiter, André Morell, Temperance Seven, Andrea Allan, Juliet Mills.

Cinematography:...

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Christie Brinkley and Sailor Brinkley-Cook enjoyed some mother-daughter time while modeling at New York Fashion Week. The supermodel mom, who just turned 65 on Feb. 2, and her 20-year-old daughter (with ex-husband Peter Cook) hit the runway side-by-side at the fall/winter 2019 Elie Tahari show on Thursday in New York City. […]...

William Goldman and Rob Reiner’s unchallenged modern classic captures the magic of fairy tales about noble lovers, loyal warriors and low-down villains. Everybody’s terrific, all the characters are hilariously magical and Goldman’s writing glows with love for happy storytelling leavened further by sly wit. Criterion presents the Blu-ray in a lush storybook package with a treasure chest of extras.

The Princess Bride

Blu-ray

The Criterion Collection 948

1987 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 98 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date October 30, 2018 / 39.95

Starring: Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Peter Falk, Mandy Patinkin, André the Giant, Wallace Shawn, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Fred Savage, Peter Cook, Carol Kane, Billy Crystal.

Cinematography: Adrian Biddle

Original Music: Mark Knopfler

Written by William Goldman from his book

Produced by Rob Reiner, Andréw Scheinman

Directed by Rob Reiner

Criterion’s extra label for the front of its new The Princess Bride special edition doesn’t tell us that it’s authorized,...

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 50 years since the founding of the comedy troupe that gave us Silly Walks, Dead Parrots, Hell’s Grannies, the Argument Clinic and Sam Peckinpah’s Salad Days, to name only a few of the classic Monty Python sketches, but as with other great comedy artists, from Laurel and Hardy to Chaplin, Keaton, Abbott and Costello and Lewis and Martin, there’s something timeless about the truly ridiculous in the hands of the truly brilliant.

One of the founders of the Python troupe, Eric Idle, aided and abetted his colleagues, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam, in their wonderful five-year run on the BBC as well as in their classic films such as “Life of Brian,” “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and “Meaning of Life.”

Idle has also carved his own spectacularly funny way through the world of show business,...

She became synonymous with her slinky vamp in Carry on Screaming, but Fenella Fielding was a richly intelligent stage performer who came within a whisker of being Fellini’s muse

Some time in the late 1960s, Federico Fellini is said to have taken the beautiful young Fenella Fielding out to dinner at Claridge’s in London and offered her a movie that he would direct, featuring her in half a dozen roles: a sensational showcase. But Fielding turned him down, on the grounds that she was booked for a theatrical season at Chichester. It may not have happened quite that way – Fielding had a mischievous way of exaggerating anecdotes for the benefit of saucer-eyed interviewers. But however serious or merely seductive Fellini’s movie idea (did he expansively improvise it over brandies?), the great director was undoubtedly impressed with Fielding’s acting talent. She was a brilliant interpreter of Wilde and...