Before "Austin Powers," "Johnny English," and "Top Secret!" there was "Get Smart," the 1960s spy sitcom that mined the genre for laughs when the James Bond and "Mission: Impossible" franchises were still in their infancies. Co-created by comedy legends Mel Brook and Buck Henry, "Get Smart" ran for five seasons from 1965 to 1970, earning seven Primetime Emmys and plenty of other accolades along the way.
Stand-up comedian Don Adams starred as Maxwell Smart, the sometimes inept top-secret agent who regularly held the fate of the world in his hands ... and often almost fumbled it. By his side was the beautiful, super-cool Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon), who loves Maxwell despite his clumsiness and penchant for messing up missions. The central trio was rounded out by Edward Platt's The Chief, the supportive leader of the intelligence agency Control, which employed both Agent 99 and Maxwell.
"Get Smart" inspired a follow-up film, sequel TV show,...
Stand-up comedian Don Adams starred as Maxwell Smart, the sometimes inept top-secret agent who regularly held the fate of the world in his hands ... and often almost fumbled it. By his side was the beautiful, super-cool Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon), who loves Maxwell despite his clumsiness and penchant for messing up missions. The central trio was rounded out by Edward Platt's The Chief, the supportive leader of the intelligence agency Control, which employed both Agent 99 and Maxwell.
"Get Smart" inspired a follow-up film, sequel TV show,...
- 9/14/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
In fitting Bob Newhart fashion, the legendary comic, who died this week at 94, liked to sell himself short.
In a 1986 Rolling Stone interview (conducted by future Law & Order boss Warren Leight!), Newhart referred to the secret sauce of his self-titled CBS sitcom as “Brevity. It’s saying it in the fewest number of words, and giving the audience some credit for being intelligent and being able to figure it out.”
Referring, later in the conversation, to his seminal early routine featuring a P.R. guy chatting with an unheard Abraham Lincoln on the phone and offering unsolicited notes on the Gettysburg Address, Newhart noted: “That Abe Lincoln routine is not funny on a piece of paper. It’s what isn’t said that’s funny.”
The Internet — source pending — also quotes Newhart summing up his overall persona with the observation, “I am a minimalist. I like saying the most with the least.
In a 1986 Rolling Stone interview (conducted by future Law & Order boss Warren Leight!), Newhart referred to the secret sauce of his self-titled CBS sitcom as “Brevity. It’s saying it in the fewest number of words, and giving the audience some credit for being intelligent and being able to figure it out.”
Referring, later in the conversation, to his seminal early routine featuring a P.R. guy chatting with an unheard Abraham Lincoln on the phone and offering unsolicited notes on the Gettysburg Address, Newhart noted: “That Abe Lincoln routine is not funny on a piece of paper. It’s what isn’t said that’s funny.”
The Internet — source pending — also quotes Newhart summing up his overall persona with the observation, “I am a minimalist. I like saying the most with the least.
- 7/19/2024
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
An orange cat with a hunger for lasagna and a hatred of Mondays made a big impression with his first primetime special, Here Comes Garfield, more than four decades ago.
The lovably sarcastic feline, who returns to the big screen May 24 in Sony’s The Garfield Movie, was created by cartoonist Jim Davis.
Garfield’s self-titled comic strip — featuring the cat giving guff to owner Jon Arbuckle and blissfully oblivious canine nemesis Odie — landed national syndication in 1978, followed by his first book, 1980’s Garfield at Large, topping the New York Times best-seller list.
While working on Here Comes Garfield, Davis struggled to make the cat stand up and dance, but got some assistance from his hero, Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, who happened to be working in the same studio. “He started drawing over my drawing, saying, ‘The problem is, you’ve made Garfield’s feet too small,’ ” Davis once said in an interview.
The lovably sarcastic feline, who returns to the big screen May 24 in Sony’s The Garfield Movie, was created by cartoonist Jim Davis.
Garfield’s self-titled comic strip — featuring the cat giving guff to owner Jon Arbuckle and blissfully oblivious canine nemesis Odie — landed national syndication in 1978, followed by his first book, 1980’s Garfield at Large, topping the New York Times best-seller list.
While working on Here Comes Garfield, Davis struggled to make the cat stand up and dance, but got some assistance from his hero, Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, who happened to be working in the same studio. “He started drawing over my drawing, saying, ‘The problem is, you’ve made Garfield’s feet too small,’ ” Davis once said in an interview.
- 5/23/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It was the fall of 1967. The Summer of Love had just drawn to a close. Teens and twentysomethings, when they weren't studying or punching the clock, were down for a revolution. They wanted to change the world, and, in the process, cheese off their parents. And there was no better way to accomplish the latter than to switch on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour."
Dick and Tom Smothers didn't look like troublemakers, but their CBS variety show had quickly become an annoyance for the so-called "Tiffany Network." They were a hit with their target demographic, which was, ironically, the problem. Their hip young writing staff was relentlessly satirizing the increasingly uneasy state of the world, which didn't sit well with advertisers or politically conservative executives. And while it was far from provocative to book edgy musical acts, the artists appearing on the Smothers' show were getting young folks to question...
Dick and Tom Smothers didn't look like troublemakers, but their CBS variety show had quickly become an annoyance for the so-called "Tiffany Network." They were a hit with their target demographic, which was, ironically, the problem. Their hip young writing staff was relentlessly satirizing the increasingly uneasy state of the world, which didn't sit well with advertisers or politically conservative executives. And while it was far from provocative to book edgy musical acts, the artists appearing on the Smothers' show were getting young folks to question...
- 3/24/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Oppenheimer won the marquee Cast in a Motion Picture prize as the 30th annual SAG Awards were presented Saturday, and its star Cillian Murphy might have wrestled Oscar front-runner status away from Paul Giamatti by taking the trophy for Male Actor in a Leading Role.
Lily Gladstone was cemented as the favorite for the Best Actress Oscar, winning Female Actor in a Leading Role for Killers of the Flower Moon at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in a ceremony streaming live on Netflix for the first time.
Related: Lily Gladstone Calls For Compassion In Emotional Speech After Historic SAG Awards Win
Robert Downey Jr won the Male Actor in a Supporting Role for Oppenheimer in a mini-upset. But the evening’s first film award wasn’t much of a surprise as Da’vine Joy Randolph continued her awards-season dominance with a Supporting win for The Holdovers.
Related: “Your Solidarity Ignited Workers Around The World,...
Lily Gladstone was cemented as the favorite for the Best Actress Oscar, winning Female Actor in a Leading Role for Killers of the Flower Moon at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in a ceremony streaming live on Netflix for the first time.
Related: Lily Gladstone Calls For Compassion In Emotional Speech After Historic SAG Awards Win
Robert Downey Jr won the Male Actor in a Supporting Role for Oppenheimer in a mini-upset. But the evening’s first film award wasn’t much of a surprise as Da’vine Joy Randolph continued her awards-season dominance with a Supporting win for The Holdovers.
Related: “Your Solidarity Ignited Workers Around The World,...
- 2/25/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Pop singer Petula Clark was one of several celebrities who sang backup on John Lennon‘s “Give Peace a Chance.” The “Downtown” singer didn’t completely understand what was going on at the time. Clark also revealed a certain something was missing from the recording session.
John Lennon’s ‘Give Peace a Chance’ was recorded at a famous protest
During a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Clark recalled singing English and French songs at a 1969 concert in Montreal. She was heckled for this choice, as the Quebec nationalist movement was going strong. Afterward, she went to see John for advice regarding the situation. The “Imagine” singer and Yoko Ono were in Montreal protesting the Vietnam War with one of their famous Bed-Ins.
“They were both still in their nighties,” Clark recalled. “I sat there, dripping water all over their bed, and told them the story. He said: ‘Oh, f*** ’em.’ I said: ‘Thank you,...
John Lennon’s ‘Give Peace a Chance’ was recorded at a famous protest
During a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Clark recalled singing English and French songs at a 1969 concert in Montreal. She was heckled for this choice, as the Quebec nationalist movement was going strong. Afterward, she went to see John for advice regarding the situation. The “Imagine” singer and Yoko Ono were in Montreal protesting the Vietnam War with one of their famous Bed-Ins.
“They were both still in their nighties,” Clark recalled. “I sat there, dripping water all over their bed, and told them the story. He said: ‘Oh, f*** ’em.’ I said: ‘Thank you,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers took the stage at the 2023 Emmys to pay tribute to their former colleague Norman Lear, in addition to other notable television figures who passed away since the previous ceremony.
Charlie Puth and The War and Treaty — comprised of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter — performed the former’s hit 2015 song “See You Again” for the In Memoriam segment. They finished the segment with a rendition of the Friends theme song that coincided with Matthew Perry being featured as the final name in the video tribute.
In keeping with the ceremony’s theme of celebrating television reunions, Reiner and Struthers reminisced about their time together as co-stars on All in the Family, the classic CBS sitcom that debuted in 1971 and ran for nine seasons.
“There’s a Yiddish word that describes Norman’s genius — it’s ‘kochleffel,'” Reiner said. “For all you non-Jews out there,...
Charlie Puth and The War and Treaty — comprised of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter — performed the former’s hit 2015 song “See You Again” for the In Memoriam segment. They finished the segment with a rendition of the Friends theme song that coincided with Matthew Perry being featured as the final name in the video tribute.
In keeping with the ceremony’s theme of celebrating television reunions, Reiner and Struthers reminisced about their time together as co-stars on All in the Family, the classic CBS sitcom that debuted in 1971 and ran for nine seasons.
“There’s a Yiddish word that describes Norman’s genius — it’s ‘kochleffel,'” Reiner said. “For all you non-Jews out there,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Emmys 2023 In Memoriam segment was bound to be a tear-jerker, and boy, did they deliver.
The tribute opened with All in the Family alum Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner, who stood in the Bunkers’ beloved living room as they honored creator Norman Lear. The pioneering producer, who was also behind iconic series like The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, and Good Times, died at 101 last month.
Charlie Puth then appeared on piano to perform his hit “See You Again,” backed by singers and a string arrangement. The slideshow of tributes included Euphoria star Angus Cloud,...
The tribute opened with All in the Family alum Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner, who stood in the Bunkers’ beloved living room as they honored creator Norman Lear. The pioneering producer, who was also behind iconic series like The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, and Good Times, died at 101 last month.
Charlie Puth then appeared on piano to perform his hit “See You Again,” backed by singers and a string arrangement. The slideshow of tributes included Euphoria star Angus Cloud,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
“Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” writer and performer David Steinberg pays tribute to Tom Smothers, who died Dec. 26 at age 86.
I met Tommy (and Dick) Smothers when we were performing at the Hungry I in San Francisco in the late 1960s. I did standup, and Tommy immediately wanted me to be on the show they were creating because I was a different kind of comedian — like they were. I had done a sermon, which was something I had developed at Second City. Tom and Dick, Tom especially, couldn’t get over the uniqueness of it. “Let’s put it on the air!” he said.
The second time Tommy asked me to come on the show, I did one of my sermons.
“Moses takes the shoes off his feet, approaches the burning bush, burns his feet. God goes “Aha! Third one today!” Moses swore. We are not sure what he said. There...
I met Tommy (and Dick) Smothers when we were performing at the Hungry I in San Francisco in the late 1960s. I did standup, and Tommy immediately wanted me to be on the show they were creating because I was a different kind of comedian — like they were. I had done a sermon, which was something I had developed at Second City. Tom and Dick, Tom especially, couldn’t get over the uniqueness of it. “Let’s put it on the air!” he said.
The second time Tommy asked me to come on the show, I did one of my sermons.
“Moses takes the shoes off his feet, approaches the burning bush, burns his feet. God goes “Aha! Third one today!” Moses swore. We are not sure what he said. There...
- 1/1/2024
- by David Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
With the recent death of Norman Lear, we were reminded this year that precious few comedy legends remain with us who were around in the 1960s and ’70s. One of those is George Schlatter, the legendary creator-producer of the iconic 1960s NBC comedy-variety series “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.” Taking its title from the “love-in” and “sit-in” of the hippie counterculture of the time, “Laugh-In” ran from January 1968 to March 1973 and was a giant hit, introducing the world to regulars Lily Tomlin and Goldie Hawn (among many others).
Schlatter turns 94 today (New Year’s Eve), and he still goes into the office every day, looking to produce the next big thing in TV comedy. And this past week, with the death at 86 of Tom Smothers, Schlatter said, “I loved Tommy. Tommy and I were great friends. Tommy took the rap for a lot of what I did, y’know. See, we...
Schlatter turns 94 today (New Year’s Eve), and he still goes into the office every day, looking to produce the next big thing in TV comedy. And this past week, with the death at 86 of Tom Smothers, Schlatter said, “I loved Tommy. Tommy and I were great friends. Tommy took the rap for a lot of what I did, y’know. See, we...
- 12/31/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Ken Fritz, was a personal manager of Tom and Dick Smothers for the better part of 60 years. In 1964 and recently out of college, Fritz started out as a sort of advance man for their tours before becoming their full-time road manager. Later, he co-managed them with Ken Kragen and eventually assumed solo management for all aspects of their careers. He was also an executive producer on many of their projects, including the groundbreaking The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. His other clients have included Neil Diamond, Peter, Paul and Mary and George Benson. Here, Fritz reflects on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour as well as Tom Smothers as a comedian, businessman and friend.
In 1966 William Morris pitched CBS a new variety show starring The Smothers Brothers and CBS wanted it. We were very firm with the network that they were not going to buy the live versions of the nightclub shows,...
In 1966 William Morris pitched CBS a new variety show starring The Smothers Brothers and CBS wanted it. We were very firm with the network that they were not going to buy the live versions of the nightclub shows,...
- 12/29/2023
- by Ken Fritz
- Deadline Film + TV
In 2017, The Hollywood Reporter gave me the opportunity to write an oral history about a passion of mine, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, the groundbreaking variety program anchored by Tommy Smothers, who died Tuesday at age 86, and his brother, Dick. Airing on CBS from 1967-70, the controversial show offered an alternate television universe for a young generation, filled with sharp humor, political satire, rock music and relevance. Not ahead of its time but rather right on it.
I compiled countless interviews with what felt like every surviving performer from the show, including Steve Martin and Rob Reiner. Everyone except the brothers themselves, who had proved rather elusive.
Through back channels, I finally acquired Tommy Smothers’ cellphone number, along with a series of warnings. First, I was told, be persistent because he hardly ever answers his phone. Second, be persistent because he probably won’t return your call. And third, don...
I compiled countless interviews with what felt like every surviving performer from the show, including Steve Martin and Rob Reiner. Everyone except the brothers themselves, who had proved rather elusive.
Through back channels, I finally acquired Tommy Smothers’ cellphone number, along with a series of warnings. First, I was told, be persistent because he hardly ever answers his phone. Second, be persistent because he probably won’t return your call. And third, don...
- 12/29/2023
- by Marc Freeman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Variety shows are complicated,” Tom Smothers told Rolling Stone in 2015. The occasion was the launch of Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, the ultimately short-lived attempt to revive the long-standing song-dance-and-skits format for TV.
Few knew how thorny such undertakings could be than Smothers, who died this week at age 88. With his brother Dick, he injected topical anti-war humor and rock guests like the Who and George Harrison into prime time on the legendary Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967-1969), a daring approach that ultimately led to its cancellation. With...
Few knew how thorny such undertakings could be than Smothers, who died this week at age 88. With his brother Dick, he injected topical anti-war humor and rock guests like the Who and George Harrison into prime time on the legendary Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967-1969), a daring approach that ultimately led to its cancellation. With...
- 12/28/2023
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
I was 10 when I fell in love with Tommy Smothers, who succumbed to cancer on Tuesday at 86. He was my first television hero. He was funny, he was gentle, he was quietly outrageous. And for a pre-teen kid in the 1960s, he was everything I thought a grown-up should be.
Let me back up for a second to note that I was raised in a houseful of liberals bordering on radicals. My parents and siblings were all proudly antiwar when it came to Vietnam. My older sister was the kind who went to love-ins and hung with the hippies, possibly because she was a hippie herself. My mother would bake pot brownies that my sister took to the love-in. Me? I was too young to do much more than get taken along for the ride, but it was made abundantly clear that if I wanted to be a Richmond, I...
Let me back up for a second to note that I was raised in a houseful of liberals bordering on radicals. My parents and siblings were all proudly antiwar when it came to Vietnam. My older sister was the kind who went to love-ins and hung with the hippies, possibly because she was a hippie herself. My mother would bake pot brownies that my sister took to the love-in. Me? I was too young to do much more than get taken along for the ride, but it was made abundantly clear that if I wanted to be a Richmond, I...
- 12/28/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Tom Smothers, one-half of The Smothers Brothers, has died at the age of 86 following a battle with cancer.
The National Comedy Center announced his death on behalf of the family, with his younger brother Dick Smothers releasing a statement. “Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner,” Dick said. “I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage – the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.“
The brothers initially wanted to be folk musicians but quickly realized that they weren’t quite good enough. However, once they began adding a little comedy to their act, it took off. “It was a series of performances when we started out as a duet in Aspen.
The National Comedy Center announced his death on behalf of the family, with his younger brother Dick Smothers releasing a statement. “Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner,” Dick said. “I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage – the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.“
The brothers initially wanted to be folk musicians but quickly realized that they weren’t quite good enough. However, once they began adding a little comedy to their act, it took off. “It was a series of performances when we started out as a duet in Aspen.
- 12/27/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Tom Smothers, who with his younger brother Dick changed the face of comedy with their musical humor and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, died Tuesday in Santa Rosa, California, following a cancer battle. The news was announced by the National Comedy Center, on behalf of Smothers’ family. He was 86.
Tom and Dick Smothers started out as folk musicians in the early ’60s, and soon discovered that, while they were not good enough to be professional musicians, the act worked if they mixed in comedy.
Dick Smothers said in a statement, “Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner. I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage – the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another.
Tom and Dick Smothers started out as folk musicians in the early ’60s, and soon discovered that, while they were not good enough to be professional musicians, the act worked if they mixed in comedy.
Dick Smothers said in a statement, “Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner. I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage – the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another.
- 12/27/2023
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Tom Smothers, one half of the Smothers Brothers musical comedy duo, died on Dec. 26 in Santa Rosa, Calif. due to cancer. He was 86.
Smothers’ younger brother and co-star of “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” Dick Smothers announced that Tom died at home with his family.
Dick Smothers said in a statement, “Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner. I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”
Tom and Dick Smothers were known for their musical comedy act in which they performed folk songs on acoustic guitar and double bass, respectively, and bantered together. Elder brother Tom was known for his signature line,...
Smothers’ younger brother and co-star of “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” Dick Smothers announced that Tom died at home with his family.
Dick Smothers said in a statement, “Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner. I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”
Tom and Dick Smothers were known for their musical comedy act in which they performed folk songs on acoustic guitar and double bass, respectively, and bantered together. Elder brother Tom was known for his signature line,...
- 12/27/2023
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Tom Smothers, who with his brother Dick performed as the Smothers Brothers comedy team, passed away peacefully on Dec. 26, following a recent battle with cancer. He was 86.
Dick Smothers said in a statement that Tom was at home with his family at the time of his death.
More from TVLineBobby Rivers, TV Personality and Food Network Alum, Dead at 70Lee Sun-kyun, of Parasite and TV's My Mister and Dr. Brain, Dead at 48Kamar de los Reyes, One Life to Live Actor, Dead at 56
“Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner,...
Dick Smothers said in a statement that Tom was at home with his family at the time of his death.
More from TVLineBobby Rivers, TV Personality and Food Network Alum, Dead at 70Lee Sun-kyun, of Parasite and TV's My Mister and Dr. Brain, Dead at 48Kamar de los Reyes, One Life to Live Actor, Dead at 56
“Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner,...
- 12/27/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Tom Smothers, one-half of the famed Smothers Brothers comedy duo, who brought a revolutionary hit of music and political satire to late Sixties television, has died, The New York Times reports. He was 86.
Smothers died at his home in Santa Rosa, California, following a “recent battle with cancer,” according to a spokesman for the National Comedy Center, on behalf of the family. No additional details were shared.
Tom’s younger brother and comedic partner, Dick, said in a statement, “Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life,...
Smothers died at his home in Santa Rosa, California, following a “recent battle with cancer,” according to a spokesman for the National Comedy Center, on behalf of the family. No additional details were shared.
Tom’s younger brother and comedic partner, Dick, said in a statement, “Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life,...
- 12/27/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Tom Smothers, the countercultural comedy icon admired for the 1960s variety program he created and hosted with his younger brother, Dick, and for the tenacity he displayed in frequent clashes with CBS censors, has died. He was 86.
Smothers died Tuesday at his home in Santa Rosa, California, after a battle with cancer, his brother announced in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter by the National Comedy Center.
“Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner,” Dick, 84, said. “I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour ran from February 1967 until April 1969, when the pair were fired after...
Smothers died Tuesday at his home in Santa Rosa, California, after a battle with cancer, his brother announced in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter by the National Comedy Center.
“Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner,” Dick, 84, said. “I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour ran from February 1967 until April 1969, when the pair were fired after...
- 12/27/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tom Smothers, the comic half of the Smothers Brothers entertainment duo, died on Tuesday at 86 after a recent battle with cancer.
His brother and “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” costar Dick Smothers announced the news Wednesday.
“Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner,” Dick Smothers said in a statement to TheWrap. “I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”
“The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” a one-hour variety show on CBS, made its debut in February 1967. The show featured skits and songs by the two brothers, bringing fun and innovative comedy to network television. Tom played the guitar and Dick played stand-up bass...
His brother and “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” costar Dick Smothers announced the news Wednesday.
“Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner,” Dick Smothers said in a statement to TheWrap. “I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”
“The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” a one-hour variety show on CBS, made its debut in February 1967. The show featured skits and songs by the two brothers, bringing fun and innovative comedy to network television. Tom played the guitar and Dick played stand-up bass...
- 12/27/2023
- by Natalie Korach
- The Wrap
Few filmmakers have had their finger on the pulse of the American zeitgeist better than John Hughes in the 1980s. A former advertising copywriter and the son of a Chicagoan salesman, also named John Hughes, the now legendary screenwriter and film director rose to prominence in the mid-to-late 20th century by recognizing what audiences wanted to see and hear. And sometimes what they needed to feel.
It was that gift which allowed him to transition from moonlighting as a joke writer for standups like Rodney Dangerfield to writing proper comedy films outright—and sometimes lacing them with an emotional sentimentality that, if not universally true, almost always felt authentic. The ‘80s comedies he wrote and directed, including Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), are still watched and celebrated to this day as much for their moments of earnestness (such as when Alan Ruck demolishes his neglectful...
It was that gift which allowed him to transition from moonlighting as a joke writer for standups like Rodney Dangerfield to writing proper comedy films outright—and sometimes lacing them with an emotional sentimentality that, if not universally true, almost always felt authentic. The ‘80s comedies he wrote and directed, including Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), are still watched and celebrated to this day as much for their moments of earnestness (such as when Alan Ruck demolishes his neglectful...
- 11/22/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Some classic rock stars got credit for things they didn’t do. John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance” was inspired by a phrase he didn’t coin. Interestingly, the tune was inspired by a rabbi who was also a folk singer.
John Lennon felt he carried a torch by singing ‘Give Peace a Chance’
During a 1980 Rolling Stone interview, John discussed the slogan “Give Peace a Chance.” “We’re not the first to say ‘Imagine No Countries’ or ‘Give Peace a Chance,’ but we’re carrying that torch, like the Olympic torch, passing it hand to hand, to each other, to each country, to each generation … and that’s our job,” he opined. “Not to live according to somebody else’s idea of how we should live — rich, poor, happy, not happy, smiling, not smiling, wearing the right jeans, not wearing the right jeans.”
John seemed to distance himself from his saintly public image.
John Lennon felt he carried a torch by singing ‘Give Peace a Chance’
During a 1980 Rolling Stone interview, John discussed the slogan “Give Peace a Chance.” “We’re not the first to say ‘Imagine No Countries’ or ‘Give Peace a Chance,’ but we’re carrying that torch, like the Olympic torch, passing it hand to hand, to each other, to each country, to each generation … and that’s our job,” he opined. “Not to live according to somebody else’s idea of how we should live — rich, poor, happy, not happy, smiling, not smiling, wearing the right jeans, not wearing the right jeans.”
John seemed to distance himself from his saintly public image.
- 10/2/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
John Lennon‘s “Give Peace a Chance” has bizarre lyrics. Notably, the band Hot Chocolate released a reggae version of the song with new lyrics. John unexpectedly embraced the song.
A sign referencing John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance” | Gary Gershoff / Contributor A member of the band Hot Chocolate felt his musical talent was miraculous
During a 1998 interview in The Independent, Hot Chocolate member Errol Brown discussed how the band came together. “Back in 1968, through mutual friends, I met Tony Wilson, whose flat was almost opposite mine,” he said.
“Round this time, I began to get melodies in my head,” he continued. “Normally, I wouldn’t take any notice of them, but one day when Tony was driving the car, it happened again. Instead of ignoring the tune, I started to hum it aloud. He asked me what it was. ‘Just something that popped into my mind,’ I replied.
A sign referencing John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance” | Gary Gershoff / Contributor A member of the band Hot Chocolate felt his musical talent was miraculous
During a 1998 interview in The Independent, Hot Chocolate member Errol Brown discussed how the band came together. “Back in 1968, through mutual friends, I met Tony Wilson, whose flat was almost opposite mine,” he said.
“Round this time, I began to get melodies in my head,” he continued. “Normally, I wouldn’t take any notice of them, but one day when Tony was driving the car, it happened again. Instead of ignoring the tune, I started to hum it aloud. He asked me what it was. ‘Just something that popped into my mind,’ I replied.
- 4/29/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Before Bob Dylan settled in New York to establish himself as a musician, he traveled to Denver. He’d heard about the thriving folk scene in the city and wanted a chance to make a name for himself. He didn’t have nearly as much success here as he did in Greenwich Village, though. He found audiences unwilling to listen to him, and he struggled to make money. Finally, he resorted to theft, which landed him in trouble.
Bob Dylan | Bettmann/Contributor via Getty Bob Dylan traveled to Denver after hearing about the city’s folk scene
In the summer of 1960, Dylan hitchhiked from Minnesota to Denver, Colorado. A friend told him the city had a strong music scene, so Dylan traveled west. His friend told him to look out for a man named Walt Conley, a singer and manager of a local club.
Bob Dylan | Sigmund Goode/Michael Ochs...
Bob Dylan | Bettmann/Contributor via Getty Bob Dylan traveled to Denver after hearing about the city’s folk scene
In the summer of 1960, Dylan hitchhiked from Minnesota to Denver, Colorado. A friend told him the city had a strong music scene, so Dylan traveled west. His friend told him to look out for a man named Walt Conley, a singer and manager of a local club.
Bob Dylan | Sigmund Goode/Michael Ochs...
- 2/12/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Alfred Sole, the prolific television production designer of Veronica Mars, Castle and MacGyver who had achieved cult-horror status with his 1976 film Alice, Sweet Alice featuring a 10-year-old Brooke Shields in a supporting role, died Feb. 14 at his home in Salt Lake City. He was 78.
His death was announced in a Facebook post by his cousin, filmmaker Dante Tomaselli. A cause of death was not specified.
Sole had already written and directed the 1972 sexually explicit, low-budget film Deep Sleep when several years later – and after the first film had been pulled from theaters on charges of obscenity – he turned to the horror genre. Originally titled Communion, Sole’s second movie premiered at the Chicago Film Festival in 1976 and was released by Allied Artists the following year as Alice, Sweet Alice, a name change disliked by Sole.
Inspired in part by Nicolas Roeg’s 1973 moody thriller Don’t Look Now, Sole’s Alice,...
His death was announced in a Facebook post by his cousin, filmmaker Dante Tomaselli. A cause of death was not specified.
Sole had already written and directed the 1972 sexually explicit, low-budget film Deep Sleep when several years later – and after the first film had been pulled from theaters on charges of obscenity – he turned to the horror genre. Originally titled Communion, Sole’s second movie premiered at the Chicago Film Festival in 1976 and was released by Allied Artists the following year as Alice, Sweet Alice, a name change disliked by Sole.
Inspired in part by Nicolas Roeg’s 1973 moody thriller Don’t Look Now, Sole’s Alice,...
- 2/17/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Ken Kragen, a prolific manager and producer in entertainment and a central organizer behind the 1985 charity single “We Are the World,” died from natural causes in his Brentwood, Calif. home on Tuesday. He was 85 years old.
Kragen’s death was confirmed to Variety by his spokesperson and friend Cheryl J. Kagan.
“While I am of course immensely proud of everything he has accomplished professionally, he has also been the best dad to me that I could have ever asked for,” Ken Kragen’s daughter, Emma Kragen, said in a statement.
Kragen was born in Alameda, Calif. on Nov. 24, 1936. Kragen graduated from Harvard Business School before embarking on a career across film, television and music.
One of Kragen’s first key ventures was the Kragen-Fritz management company that he created with his business partner Ken Fritz in the ’60s. For over five years they worked together as co-executives of the “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,...
Kragen’s death was confirmed to Variety by his spokesperson and friend Cheryl J. Kagan.
“While I am of course immensely proud of everything he has accomplished professionally, he has also been the best dad to me that I could have ever asked for,” Ken Kragen’s daughter, Emma Kragen, said in a statement.
Kragen was born in Alameda, Calif. on Nov. 24, 1936. Kragen graduated from Harvard Business School before embarking on a career across film, television and music.
One of Kragen’s first key ventures was the Kragen-Fritz management company that he created with his business partner Ken Fritz in the ’60s. For over five years they worked together as co-executives of the “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,...
- 12/15/2021
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Bob Einstein’s political satire brings together several unlikely duos, Laurel and Hardy, Nixon and Agnew, and Tom Smothers and Jonathan Haze. Smothers and Haze (star of The Little Shop of Horrors) produced this obscure film in 1972—obscure because an unhappy Smothers promptly buried it. Nixon and Agnew are portrayed as hapless clowns in the style of Laurel and Hardy with Rich Little playing Nixon and Herb Voland (Airplane!) as Agnew. Notable for the first, albeit brief, film appearance by Steve Martin. For better or worse, the complete movie can be seen here.
The post Another Nice Mess appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post Another Nice Mess appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 12/21/2020
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Lee Mendelson, the producer behind more than 50 animated TV specials featuring Charlie Brown and the “Peanuts” gang, died on Christmas Day at his home in Hillsborough, Calif., after a long battle with cancer. He was 86.
Mendelson also wrote the lyrics to “Christmas Time Is Here,” a song featured in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the 1965 special that turned “Peanuts” into a TV staple. “Charlie Brown Christmas” brought Mendelson the first of his 12 Emmys. The last came in 2015 for “It’s Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown.” Mendelson’s work with animator Lee Melendez also brought him four Peabody Awards, an Oscar nomination and two Grammy noms.
A lifelong fan of jazz, Mendelson had the inspiration to hire musician Vince Guaraldi to create original music for “Charlie Brown Christmas,” a touch that helped make the specials stand out with viewers young and old. Over the years Mendelson worked with other notable musicians such as Dave Brubeck,...
Mendelson also wrote the lyrics to “Christmas Time Is Here,” a song featured in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the 1965 special that turned “Peanuts” into a TV staple. “Charlie Brown Christmas” brought Mendelson the first of his 12 Emmys. The last came in 2015 for “It’s Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown.” Mendelson’s work with animator Lee Melendez also brought him four Peabody Awards, an Oscar nomination and two Grammy noms.
A lifelong fan of jazz, Mendelson had the inspiration to hire musician Vince Guaraldi to create original music for “Charlie Brown Christmas,” a touch that helped make the specials stand out with viewers young and old. Over the years Mendelson worked with other notable musicians such as Dave Brubeck,...
- 12/27/2019
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
Tony Sokol Jan 2, 2019
Bob Einstein, Curb Your Enthusiam's Marty Funkhouser and Albert Brooks' older brother, was part of TV comedy history.
Comedy veteran Bob Einstein, who wrote for the controversial The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour but is best known for his turn as Marty Funkhouser on Curb Your Enthusiasm, died at age 76 following a recent cancer diagnosis, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Einstein’s death was confirmed his younger brother, Albert Brooks. “R.I.P. My dear brother Bob Einstein. A great brother, father and husband. A brilliantly funny man. You will be missed forever,” posted on Twitter.
"Very sad," Curb Your Enthusiasm writer David Mandel tweeted. "Got to work with him on #Curb. Had heard he was sick. Will never forget him telling @jerryseinfeld the dirty joke about the newlyweds." Costar, actor and comedian Richard Lewis also eulogized on social media.
Since making his debut in season 4, Einstein...
Bob Einstein, Curb Your Enthusiam's Marty Funkhouser and Albert Brooks' older brother, was part of TV comedy history.
Comedy veteran Bob Einstein, who wrote for the controversial The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour but is best known for his turn as Marty Funkhouser on Curb Your Enthusiasm, died at age 76 following a recent cancer diagnosis, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Einstein’s death was confirmed his younger brother, Albert Brooks. “R.I.P. My dear brother Bob Einstein. A great brother, father and husband. A brilliantly funny man. You will be missed forever,” posted on Twitter.
"Very sad," Curb Your Enthusiasm writer David Mandel tweeted. "Got to work with him on #Curb. Had heard he was sick. Will never forget him telling @jerryseinfeld the dirty joke about the newlyweds." Costar, actor and comedian Richard Lewis also eulogized on social media.
Since making his debut in season 4, Einstein...
- 1/2/2019
- Den of Geek
4:15 Pm -- HBO tells us they had scheduled Bob to part of season 10 of 'Curb,' but his health prevented it. Larry David says, “Never have I seen an actor enjoy a role the way Bob did playing 'Marty Funkhouser' on 'Curb.' It was an amazing, unforgettable experience knowing and working with him. There was no one like him, as he told us again and again. We’re all in a state of shock.
- 1/2/2019
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Bob Einstein, a two-time Emmy winner who has recurred on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm since its launch and created the wacky Super Dave Osborne character, died today in Indian Wells, CA. He was 76 and recently had been diagnosed with cancer.
Best known to today’s viewers for playing the serious, often surly but always hilarious Marty Funkhouser on Curb, Einstein was a foil for its creator-star Larry David. He appeared in nearly two dozen episodes of the series dating from 2004 to the most recent season.
Einstein’s younger brother, actor-director Albert Brooks, tweeted today, “R.I.P. My dear brother Bob Einstein. A great brother, father and husband. A brilliantly funny man. You will be missed forever.”
A comedian’s comedian, Einstein first made his name as a writer. His career dates to the 1960s, when he won his first Emmy as part of the writing team for The...
Best known to today’s viewers for playing the serious, often surly but always hilarious Marty Funkhouser on Curb, Einstein was a foil for its creator-star Larry David. He appeared in nearly two dozen episodes of the series dating from 2004 to the most recent season.
Einstein’s younger brother, actor-director Albert Brooks, tweeted today, “R.I.P. My dear brother Bob Einstein. A great brother, father and husband. A brilliantly funny man. You will be missed forever.”
A comedian’s comedian, Einstein first made his name as a writer. His career dates to the 1960s, when he won his first Emmy as part of the writing team for The...
- 1/2/2019
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
I spent some time in Waco as a kid and it was always a friendly place to live, but not particularly bustling when I lived there (at least not when you come from London.) So when I had a chance to tour the Magnolia Market at the Silos and see what all of the excitement was about, I could not believe the hustle and bustle of the crowds shopping, kids running around playing, the lines at the Silos Baking Co. and the general excitement of people of all ages who were making the pilgrimage to Hgtv stars Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Market and Gardens.
- 2/23/2017
- by Kristen O'Brien
- PEOPLE.com
Anne Marie has been chronicling Judy Garland's career chronologically through musical numbers...
Sometimes, surprises happen. And sometimes those surprises are planted. I'm referring in this case to both the reappearance of Episode 9 on this series, and the "unplanned" appearance of Ethel Merman on the already-iconic show guest-starring Barbra Streisand. Though Merman's big reveal was first suggested as a way to placate both the surprise guest and her not-so-gracious host. Judy may have originally balked at the idea of her Tea for Two guest skipping the tea for some titanic trilling, but when the producers roped Barbra into the skit as well, it went from a battle of egos to a mammoth moment in musical history.
The Show: The Judy Garland Show Episode 9
The Songwriters: Various, arranged by Mel Torme
The Cast: Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, The Smothers Brothers, surprise guest Ethel Merman directed by Norman Jewison
The Story: So,...
Sometimes, surprises happen. And sometimes those surprises are planted. I'm referring in this case to both the reappearance of Episode 9 on this series, and the "unplanned" appearance of Ethel Merman on the already-iconic show guest-starring Barbra Streisand. Though Merman's big reveal was first suggested as a way to placate both the surprise guest and her not-so-gracious host. Judy may have originally balked at the idea of her Tea for Two guest skipping the tea for some titanic trilling, but when the producers roped Barbra into the skit as well, it went from a battle of egos to a mammoth moment in musical history.
The Show: The Judy Garland Show Episode 9
The Songwriters: Various, arranged by Mel Torme
The Cast: Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, The Smothers Brothers, surprise guest Ethel Merman directed by Norman Jewison
The Story: So,...
- 11/16/2016
- by Anne Marie
- FilmExperience
Anne Marie has been chronicling Judy Garland's career chronologically through musical numbers...
Sometimes, magic happens. When the production team of The Judy Garland Show invited a budding Broadway star to film Episode 9, nobody could foresee the titanic future of the 21-year-old singer. With just one album under her belt - admittedly Billboard Top 10 album - she was perhaps slightly less famous than her co-guest stars, The Smothers Brothers. But when Barbra Streisand sat down to sing a duet with Judy Garland, it was impossible to ignore that something titanic was happening.
The Show: The Judy Garland Show Episode 9
The Songwriters: Various, arranged by Mel Torme
The Cast: Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, The Smothers Brothers, directed by Norman Jewison
The Story: Barbra Streisand was invited on the show just as her star was rising. Already a well-loved New York cabaret singer, Streisand had stopped the show playing a put-upon secretary in her Broadway debut,...
Sometimes, magic happens. When the production team of The Judy Garland Show invited a budding Broadway star to film Episode 9, nobody could foresee the titanic future of the 21-year-old singer. With just one album under her belt - admittedly Billboard Top 10 album - she was perhaps slightly less famous than her co-guest stars, The Smothers Brothers. But when Barbra Streisand sat down to sing a duet with Judy Garland, it was impossible to ignore that something titanic was happening.
The Show: The Judy Garland Show Episode 9
The Songwriters: Various, arranged by Mel Torme
The Cast: Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, The Smothers Brothers, directed by Norman Jewison
The Story: Barbra Streisand was invited on the show just as her star was rising. Already a well-loved New York cabaret singer, Streisand had stopped the show playing a put-upon secretary in her Broadway debut,...
- 11/9/2016
- by Anne Marie
- FilmExperience
There’s an alternate version of Brian De Palma’s career where 1972’s Get to Know Your Rabbit stands as one of the most seminal entries. The last of De Palma’s early-70s comedies, the film is most readily recognized as a prelude to his directorial turning point. Just a year later, he began a string of legacy defining films: Sisters, Obsession, and Carrie.
But this early-period black sheep is more than a mere historical footnote. It’s the transitional fiasco that De Palma needed. Coming after the modest hits of Greetings and Hi, Mom!, this was the big leagues, a chance for the nascent but rising director to work with Hollywood and establish himself as a conjunction of artistic and financial impulses.
It’s only inevitable that even De Palma’s crowd-pleasing comedy scans as commentary about the prison of working with studios. In an impish reversal of the artist’s own circumstances,...
But this early-period black sheep is more than a mere historical footnote. It’s the transitional fiasco that De Palma needed. Coming after the modest hits of Greetings and Hi, Mom!, this was the big leagues, a chance for the nascent but rising director to work with Hollywood and establish himself as a conjunction of artistic and financial impulses.
It’s only inevitable that even De Palma’s crowd-pleasing comedy scans as commentary about the prison of working with studios. In an impish reversal of the artist’s own circumstances,...
- 9/20/2016
- by Michael Snydel
- The Film Stage
The Office star is resurrecting his greatest creation for a film outing where he lives out his rock star dreams. But has Slough’s finest stood the test of time?
Related: Ricky Gervais is returning to standup and David Brent – we should celebrate
Sit down in front of Ricky Gervais and it’s sometimes hard to tell where he ends and David Brent begins. The Hollywood comic and one-time Suede manager doesn’t make any catastrophic motivational speeches or aggressively insist I join him in a dance-off, but every now and again there’s a hint of Slough’s most obliviously offensive middle manager. Gervais spends our entire interview with his feet up on a desk, his fingers occasionally making their way into a thoughtful templing, and at one point he very sincerely repeats a Tommy Smothers saying about offence: “He said the only valid form of censorship is someone’s right not to listen.
Related: Ricky Gervais is returning to standup and David Brent – we should celebrate
Sit down in front of Ricky Gervais and it’s sometimes hard to tell where he ends and David Brent begins. The Hollywood comic and one-time Suede manager doesn’t make any catastrophic motivational speeches or aggressively insist I join him in a dance-off, but every now and again there’s a hint of Slough’s most obliviously offensive middle manager. Gervais spends our entire interview with his feet up on a desk, his fingers occasionally making their way into a thoughtful templing, and at one point he very sincerely repeats a Tommy Smothers saying about offence: “He said the only valid form of censorship is someone’s right not to listen.
- 8/13/2016
- by Joel Golby
- The Guardian - Film News
To help sift through the increasing number of new releases (independent or otherwise), the Weekly Film Guide is here! Below you’ll find basic plot, personnel and cinema information for all of this week’s fresh offerings.
Starting this month, we’ve also put together a list for the entire month. We’ve included this week’s list below, complete with information on screening locations for films in limited release.
See More: Here Are All the Upcoming Movies in Theaters for July 2016
Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, July 1. All synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.
Wide
The Bfg
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Bill Hader, Jemaine Clement, Mark Rylance, Penelope Wilton, Rebecca Hall, Ruby Barnhill
Synopsis: The Bfg is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been...
Starting this month, we’ve also put together a list for the entire month. We’ve included this week’s list below, complete with information on screening locations for films in limited release.
See More: Here Are All the Upcoming Movies in Theaters for July 2016
Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, July 1. All synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.
Wide
The Bfg
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Bill Hader, Jemaine Clement, Mark Rylance, Penelope Wilton, Rebecca Hall, Ruby Barnhill
Synopsis: The Bfg is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been...
- 7/1/2016
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
It’s never too early to start planning a trip to the movies. Now that July is upon us, we wanted to have a place for movie fans to see every film opening in theaters for the entire month. We’ve separated the wide releases from the arthouse/specialty offerings for each week, giving you the best of both worlds. (Synopses are provided by festivals and distributors.)
For more of what’s on the horizon, you can also bookmark our calendar page, where we’ll update releases for the rest of the year. In the meantime, enjoy your time at the theaters!
Week of July 1 Wide
The Bfg
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Bill Hader, Jemaine Clement, Mark Rylance, Penelope Wilton, Rebecca Hall, Ruby Barnhill
Synopsis: The Bfg is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been...
For more of what’s on the horizon, you can also bookmark our calendar page, where we’ll update releases for the rest of the year. In the meantime, enjoy your time at the theaters!
Week of July 1 Wide
The Bfg
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Bill Hader, Jemaine Clement, Mark Rylance, Penelope Wilton, Rebecca Hall, Ruby Barnhill
Synopsis: The Bfg is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been...
- 6/30/2016
- by Kate Halliwell, Kyle Kizu and Steve Greene
- Indiewire
The setup to De Palma, Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow's engrossing new documentary about the life and career of controversial filmmaker Brian De Palma (opening in theaters on June 10th), couldn't be simpler: The 75-year-old director dissects most of his films and shares analyses and behind-the-scenes anecdotes in between clips. Forget talking-head testimonials from collaborators, flashy visuals or dramatic reenactments. You just get the man himself, looking back and holding court in all his verbose, insightful glory.
And that is more than enough. Known primarily for his obsession with voyeurism,...
And that is more than enough. Known primarily for his obsession with voyeurism,...
- 6/9/2016
- Rollingstone.com
This is what a few unguarded moments with Hillary Clinton sounds like. A private conversation between the Democratic presidential candidate and MSNBC host Chris Matthews was unknowingly recorded during Monday night's town hall from Illinois, as neither party seemed to realize their microphones were still on. The chat, as shared by The Washington Post, covers a range of topics, including Gop front-runner Donald Trump and the current state of the Republican party. "You guys can't stop covering him," the former Secretary of State, 68, told Matthews of Trump. "He is a dangerous presence." She added, "It's just like candy by the bushel.
- 3/15/2016
- by Lindsay Kimble, @lekimble
- PEOPLE.com
This is what a few unguarded moments with Hillary Clinton sounds like. A private conversation between the Democratic presidential candidate and MSNBC host Chris Matthews was unknowingly recorded during Monday night's town hall from Illinois, as neither party seemed to realize their microphones were still on. The chat, as shared by The Washington Post, covers a range of topics, including Gop front-runner Donald Trump and the current state of the Republican party. "You guys can't stop covering him," the former Secretary of State, 68, told Matthews of Trump. "He is a dangerous presence." She added, "It's just like candy by the bushel.
- 3/15/2016
- by Lindsay Kimble, @lekimble
- PEOPLE.com
Editor's Note: The original version of this story misidentified the last time the Who had been on a late-night talk show. The text has been corrected and Rolling Stone apologizes for the error.
The Who kicked off a new, North American leg of their Who Hits 50! Tour this week and will perform tonight on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Although the group's members have appeared on late-night talk shows individually since then, and Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend appeared as a duo version of the Who on Letterman in...
The Who kicked off a new, North American leg of their Who Hits 50! Tour this week and will perform tonight on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Although the group's members have appeared on late-night talk shows individually since then, and Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend appeared as a duo version of the Who on Letterman in...
- 3/4/2016
- Rollingstone.com
From the time it debuted, on CBS, in the fall of 1963, "The Judy Garland Show" featured guests of which Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel could only dream: Count Basie, Lena Horne, Bobby Darin, Peggy Lee. The series was, as evidenced by Garland's singing introduction of Barbara Streisand and The Smothers Brothers in the clip below, very much of its time, with swooning, sincere musical numbers and strained comic chatter, and it failed to measure up to NBC's unbeatable "Bonanza." "The Judy Garland Show" was cancelled in 1964, after just one season. Now, the iconic performer of "The Wizard of Oz," "Meet Me in St. Louis," and "A Star Is Born" is returning to television, in getTV's weekly block of classic variety and talk programming. On Monday nights beginning Oct. 12, the network will showcase both "The Judy Garland Show," long considered "lost," and "The Merv Griffin Show,"...
- 10/7/2015
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
When Neil Patrick Harris returns to TV next week, he won't be cracking jokes in another sitcom. Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris (debuting on September 15th on NBC) marks the return — overdue or not — of the variety show, that long-dormant format in which kooky skits, musical guests, and frenzied production numbers are jammed into an hour of family-friendly entertainment. "When you think of the variety shows we all grew upon — Sonny and Cher and Donny and Marie — those [programs] all said, 'Sit on the couch, be entertained with a little song,...
- 9/10/2015
- Rollingstone.com
The holidays are almost upon us, and if you just can't wait to re-watch seasonal classics like "White Christmas" or "The Muppet Christmas Carol," they're available right now on Netflix. There are also a few Thanksgiving-themed movies you can stream, our favorite being, of course, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles."
There's something for almost every taste, whether you want something nice like an animated film for the kids or something very naughty, like "Bad Santa."
Thanksgiving Movies
1. "American Son" (2008) R
Nick Cannon stars as a young Marine who's just completed basic training and is about to ship out to Iraq: But first, he's home for a volatile four-day Thanksgiving with friends and family.
2. "The House of Yes" (1997) R
Parker Posey proves why she was the '90s Indie Movie Queen in this film where she plays a Jackie Kennedy-obsessed who is unreasonably jealous when her brother (Josh Hamilton) brings home...
There's something for almost every taste, whether you want something nice like an animated film for the kids or something very naughty, like "Bad Santa."
Thanksgiving Movies
1. "American Son" (2008) R
Nick Cannon stars as a young Marine who's just completed basic training and is about to ship out to Iraq: But first, he's home for a volatile four-day Thanksgiving with friends and family.
2. "The House of Yes" (1997) R
Parker Posey proves why she was the '90s Indie Movie Queen in this film where she plays a Jackie Kennedy-obsessed who is unreasonably jealous when her brother (Josh Hamilton) brings home...
- 11/6/2014
- by Sharon Knolle
- Moviefone
Chicago – Rob Reiner has lived two distinct show business lives. He played a major role in one of the most famous television shows in history, “All in the Family,” and broke out afterward as a classic American film director, with hits such as “This is Spinal Tap” and “The Princess Bride.” His latest film is “And So it Goes.”
The film stars Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton, as an older couple discovering a connection that on the surface seems highly unlikely. This is Rob Reiner’s 15th feature film as director, after such classics as “The Sure Thing,” “Stand By Me,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” “Misery,” “A Few Good Men,” “The American President” and “Ghosts of Mississippi.” Michael Douglas last worked with Reiner when he portrayed the title character in “The American President.” Reiner himself performs a small supporting role in “And So it Goes.”
Michael Douglas (left) and Rob Reiner...
The film stars Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton, as an older couple discovering a connection that on the surface seems highly unlikely. This is Rob Reiner’s 15th feature film as director, after such classics as “The Sure Thing,” “Stand By Me,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” “Misery,” “A Few Good Men,” “The American President” and “Ghosts of Mississippi.” Michael Douglas last worked with Reiner when he portrayed the title character in “The American President.” Reiner himself performs a small supporting role in “And So it Goes.”
Michael Douglas (left) and Rob Reiner...
- 7/23/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
In the new 10-part docuseries The Sixties, CNN quite literally isn’t sparing any color commentary.
The debut installment, “Television Comes of Age,” examines the origins of the small screen — including the transition from black-and-white to color TV – through the eyes of the era’s biggest stars: Dick Cavett, Diahann Caroll, The Smothers Brothers, and Carol Burnett, among others.
The Sixties also calls on today’s luminaries to discuss how the era’s advances influenced their lives and changed the world. In an exclusive sneak peek of tonight’s opener, the series’ executive producer Tom Hanks (who also played a...
The debut installment, “Television Comes of Age,” examines the origins of the small screen — including the transition from black-and-white to color TV – through the eyes of the era’s biggest stars: Dick Cavett, Diahann Caroll, The Smothers Brothers, and Carol Burnett, among others.
The Sixties also calls on today’s luminaries to discuss how the era’s advances influenced their lives and changed the world. In an exclusive sneak peek of tonight’s opener, the series’ executive producer Tom Hanks (who also played a...
- 5/29/2014
- by Lanford Beard
- EW - Inside TV
News
Hulu has entered discussions to revive Community for that sixth season. Discussions are preliminary, but the move would make sense. The cult comedy is one of Hulu’s top shows plus the streaming service could use a signature show to draw attention to its original series.
Max Martini has joined the guest cast of the upcoming season of Covert Affairs, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Pacific Rim alum will play a former CIA agent who mysteriously went off the grid. That reminds me of another Covert Affairs character…
Max Martini
I was planning on telling you that LeVar Burton launched a Kickstarter to raise funds for a revived Reading Rainbow as a web show. However, it only took a few hours for Burton to hit his Kickstarter goal. That puts Reading Rainbow on a list with Veronica Mars for the quickest Kickstarter projects to meet its goal.
Wgn...
Hulu has entered discussions to revive Community for that sixth season. Discussions are preliminary, but the move would make sense. The cult comedy is one of Hulu’s top shows plus the streaming service could use a signature show to draw attention to its original series.
Max Martini has joined the guest cast of the upcoming season of Covert Affairs, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Pacific Rim alum will play a former CIA agent who mysteriously went off the grid. That reminds me of another Covert Affairs character…
Max Martini
I was planning on telling you that LeVar Burton launched a Kickstarter to raise funds for a revived Reading Rainbow as a web show. However, it only took a few hours for Burton to hit his Kickstarter goal. That puts Reading Rainbow on a list with Veronica Mars for the quickest Kickstarter projects to meet its goal.
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- 5/29/2014
- by Lyle Masaki
- The Backlot
The Wasteland:
Television is a gold goose that lays scrambled eggs;
and it is futile and probably fatal to beat it for not laying caviar.
Lee Loevinger
When people argue over the quality of television programming, both sides — it’s addictive crap v. underappreciated populist art — seem to forget one of the essentials about commercial TV. By definition, it is not a public service. It is not commercial TV’s job to enlighten, inform, educate, elevate, inspire, or offer insight. Frankly, it’s not even commercial TV’s job to entertain. Bottom line: its purpose is simply to deliver as many sets of eyes to advertisers as possible. As it happens, it tends to do this by offering various forms of entertainment, and occasionally by offering content that does enlighten, inform, etc., but a cynic would make the point that if TV could do the same job televising fish aimlessly swimming around an aquarium,...
Television is a gold goose that lays scrambled eggs;
and it is futile and probably fatal to beat it for not laying caviar.
Lee Loevinger
When people argue over the quality of television programming, both sides — it’s addictive crap v. underappreciated populist art — seem to forget one of the essentials about commercial TV. By definition, it is not a public service. It is not commercial TV’s job to enlighten, inform, educate, elevate, inspire, or offer insight. Frankly, it’s not even commercial TV’s job to entertain. Bottom line: its purpose is simply to deliver as many sets of eyes to advertisers as possible. As it happens, it tends to do this by offering various forms of entertainment, and occasionally by offering content that does enlighten, inform, etc., but a cynic would make the point that if TV could do the same job televising fish aimlessly swimming around an aquarium,...
- 7/22/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
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