Explore Steve Martin’s Life and Career The Road to Stardom: How Steve Martin Became Famous 10. The Jerk (1979) – 83% Score 9. All of Me (1984) – 85% Score 8. Roxanne (1987) – 88% Score 7. The Spanish Prisoner (1997) – 89% Score 6. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) – 89% Score 5. Little Shop of Horrors (1986) – 90% Score 4. L.A. Story (1991) – 91% Score 3. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987) – 92% Score 2. Parenthood (1989) – 92% Score 1. Only Murders in the Building (2021-Current) – 99% Score
Steve Martin has donned many hats in the entertainment industry throughout his prolific career.
As a writer, comedian, musician, actor, and so much more, this extremely talented creator has always made us smile. At 78 years old, Steve Martin hasn’t let his age hold him back and has continued to flex his comedic acting muscles without slowing down.
As this beloved actor’s birthday passes and we continue to laugh at his outrageous performances, we thought it’d be a joy to look back at this masterful amuser’s career so far.
With such a...
Steve Martin has donned many hats in the entertainment industry throughout his prolific career.
As a writer, comedian, musician, actor, and so much more, this extremely talented creator has always made us smile. At 78 years old, Steve Martin hasn’t let his age hold him back and has continued to flex his comedic acting muscles without slowing down.
As this beloved actor’s birthday passes and we continue to laugh at his outrageous performances, we thought it’d be a joy to look back at this masterful amuser’s career so far.
With such a...
- 6/6/2024
- by Anne De Guia
- Your Next Shoes
“Rob (Reiner) always wanted to do from the moment My Dinner With Andre came out — ‘My Lunch With Albert,” Albert Brooks shares about his best friend’s vision for a movie about himself.
“I never wanted to do that,” Brooks adds.
But when a documentary about the stand-up comic turned Oscar nominated Best Supporting Broadcast News actor fell apart, Brooks reached out to Reiner for help. What if they combined the documentary with the whole ‘My Lunch With Albert’ concept?”
“Then everything lit up,” emphasizes Brooks on today’s Crew Call with Reiner.
And that’s how the Max documentary, directed by Reiner, Albert Brooks: Defending My Life came to be.
Walk down memory lane with us below:
“Because I’ve known Rob forever, it seemed ideal. We could do our lunch, we could branch out, he could talk to people he chose to talk to,” said Brooks.
We chat...
“I never wanted to do that,” Brooks adds.
But when a documentary about the stand-up comic turned Oscar nominated Best Supporting Broadcast News actor fell apart, Brooks reached out to Reiner for help. What if they combined the documentary with the whole ‘My Lunch With Albert’ concept?”
“Then everything lit up,” emphasizes Brooks on today’s Crew Call with Reiner.
And that’s how the Max documentary, directed by Reiner, Albert Brooks: Defending My Life came to be.
Walk down memory lane with us below:
“Because I’ve known Rob forever, it seemed ideal. We could do our lunch, we could branch out, he could talk to people he chose to talk to,” said Brooks.
We chat...
- 5/30/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Richard Foronjy, who spent more than eight years in prison before he turned to acting and appeared in such films as Serpico, Midnight Run, Repo Man and Carlito’s Way, died Sunday, his family announced. He was 86.
Foronjy said he was arrested more than 20 times for “forgery, bank robbery, credit card rip-offs, assorted crimes and skullduggery … [guilty of] almost everything except drugs and homicide,” he said in a 1987 interview with Upi’s Vernon Scott.
The Brooklyn native was convicted only once, but that got him an 8½-year stretch in the New York prisons Sing Sing and Attica before he was released when he was 32.
In Hollywood, not surprisingly, Foronjy specialized in portraying cops and crooks.
He was a cop killer in his screen debut, Serpico (1973), and cops in The Morning After (1986) and Prince of the City (1981), all for Sidney Lumet. “I was especially good at playing cops, no doubt because I got to...
Foronjy said he was arrested more than 20 times for “forgery, bank robbery, credit card rip-offs, assorted crimes and skullduggery … [guilty of] almost everything except drugs and homicide,” he said in a 1987 interview with Upi’s Vernon Scott.
The Brooklyn native was convicted only once, but that got him an 8½-year stretch in the New York prisons Sing Sing and Attica before he was released when he was 32.
In Hollywood, not surprisingly, Foronjy specialized in portraying cops and crooks.
He was a cop killer in his screen debut, Serpico (1973), and cops in The Morning After (1986) and Prince of the City (1981), all for Sidney Lumet. “I was especially good at playing cops, no doubt because I got to...
- 5/21/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It all started when Rob Reiner tried to convince Albert Brooks to let him film his own version of “My Dinner with Andre” titled “My Lunch with Albert Brooks.” His high school chum refused. After someone else came to Brooks wanting to make a documentary about him, the financing fell through. Then the men decided to combine the two things.
“There’s about 4000 documentaries now,” said Brooks at an FYC event with Reiner and moderator Judd Apatow this week at the Academy of Motion Pictures. “It’s the way they’re willing to spend money without spending real money. Everyone has a story and 99 out of 100 are done pretty much the same way. Either the person’s no longer living, or they’re being talked about from an off-stage voice. So to be able to do that this way…that’s what makes it special. Because it’s Rob and...
“There’s about 4000 documentaries now,” said Brooks at an FYC event with Reiner and moderator Judd Apatow this week at the Academy of Motion Pictures. “It’s the way they’re willing to spend money without spending real money. Everyone has a story and 99 out of 100 are done pretty much the same way. Either the person’s no longer living, or they’re being talked about from an off-stage voice. So to be able to do that this way…that’s what makes it special. Because it’s Rob and...
- 5/10/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The Story: A goofball gym teacher (Mark Harmon) is forced to teach a remedial English class over the summer.
The Players: Starring: Mark Harmon, Kirstie Alley, Dean Cameron, Courtney Thorne-Smith & Shawnee Smith. Music by Danny Elfman. Directed by Carl Reiner.
The History: Hollywood spent a couple of years trying to make Mark Harmon happen as a movie star. Fresh off an arc on “St. Elsewhere” which infamously had his character contract AIDS from a one-night stand, his career was red hot. For a while, he was seriously considered to replace Don Johnson on “Miami Vice” after contract negotiations fell through, and in 1987-88, we got a bunch of starring vehicles that would try him out in a variety of genres to see if one would stick. He did action in The Presidio (even doing his own stunts – although the film was stolen by co-star Sean Connery), drama in Stealing Home,...
The Players: Starring: Mark Harmon, Kirstie Alley, Dean Cameron, Courtney Thorne-Smith & Shawnee Smith. Music by Danny Elfman. Directed by Carl Reiner.
The History: Hollywood spent a couple of years trying to make Mark Harmon happen as a movie star. Fresh off an arc on “St. Elsewhere” which infamously had his character contract AIDS from a one-night stand, his career was red hot. For a while, he was seriously considered to replace Don Johnson on “Miami Vice” after contract negotiations fell through, and in 1987-88, we got a bunch of starring vehicles that would try him out in a variety of genres to see if one would stick. He did action in The Presidio (even doing his own stunts – although the film was stolen by co-star Sean Connery), drama in Stealing Home,...
- 4/20/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Clockwise left to right: Get Out (Universal Pictures), This Is Spinal Tap (MGM Home Entertainment), That Thing You Do! (20th Century Studios), Lady Bird (A24)Graphic: The A.V. Club
It’s always neat when someone you’ve admired shows off a hidden talent that makes you see them in a different light.
It’s always neat when someone you’ve admired shows off a hidden talent that makes you see them in a different light.
- 4/12/2024
- by Mary Kate Carr, Saloni Gajjar, Drew Gillis, William Hughes, Matthew Jackson, Jarrod Jones, Emma Keates, Jacob Oller, Matt Schimkowitz, and Cindy White
- avclub.com
One of the most famous moments in TV history came on September 26, 1962 with the airing of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" episode "Never Name a Duck," the first episode of the second season. During the opening credits of the show, Rob Petrie (Van Dyke) entered through his front door while the upbeat theme music (composed by Earle Hagan) played on the soundtrack. The announcer shouted out the names of the stars: Dick Van Dyke, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Larry Matthews, and Mary Tyler Moore. Rob stepped out of a foyer and immediately tripped over a large ottoman in his way. Van Dyke, a brilliant physical comedian, tumbled all the way over, rolling over his shoulder and landing on his back. It remains, to this day, one of the most celebrated pratfalls in the history of the medium.
For many years, certain audience members assumed the fall was accidental and that the show's creator,...
For many years, certain audience members assumed the fall was accidental and that the show's creator,...
- 4/8/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
A year after it moved from its longtime PBS home to CNN, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is switching telecast partners again. Netflix has struck a multi-year deal with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to move the Mark Twain Prize event to the streamer.
The deal begins this year, with Kevin Hart honored at the ceremony. This marks the 25th anniversary of the Mark Twain Prize, and Hart will be recognized “for his extraordinary contributions to the genre and his impressive achievements across comedy, film, and television.” This year’s event takes placeat the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on Sunday, March 24, and will be taped to premiere on Netflix on Saturday, May 11 — as the Netflix is a Joke Fest takes place in Los Angeles.
Performers set for this year’s Mark Twain ceremony including Dave “Lil Dicky” Burd, Dave Chappelle, Jimmy Fallon, Tiffany Haddish,...
The deal begins this year, with Kevin Hart honored at the ceremony. This marks the 25th anniversary of the Mark Twain Prize, and Hart will be recognized “for his extraordinary contributions to the genre and his impressive achievements across comedy, film, and television.” This year’s event takes placeat the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on Sunday, March 24, and will be taped to premiere on Netflix on Saturday, May 11 — as the Netflix is a Joke Fest takes place in Los Angeles.
Performers set for this year’s Mark Twain ceremony including Dave “Lil Dicky” Burd, Dave Chappelle, Jimmy Fallon, Tiffany Haddish,...
- 3/14/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
The Ocean’s trilogy of movies is confirmed for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in the UK, with a release pencilled in for the end of April: more here.
Steven Soderbergh’s trilogy of Ocean’s films – Ocean’s 11, Ocean’s 12, Ocean’s 13 – brought together a starry ensemble cast for a trio of crime caper movies. Really successful ones at that, even if the sort-of twist in Ocean’s 12 continues to have a degree of Wtf did they really do that about it.
Ocean’s 11 in particular though is a an absolute treat, and there’s much to enjoy across the three films, which as coming to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in the UK for the first time.
Warner Bros is putting the films out, initially in posh Steelbook casing, and they’re set to debut on 29th April 2024. What’s more, you’ve got four different options if you’re...
Steven Soderbergh’s trilogy of Ocean’s films – Ocean’s 11, Ocean’s 12, Ocean’s 13 – brought together a starry ensemble cast for a trio of crime caper movies. Really successful ones at that, even if the sort-of twist in Ocean’s 12 continues to have a degree of Wtf did they really do that about it.
Ocean’s 11 in particular though is a an absolute treat, and there’s much to enjoy across the three films, which as coming to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in the UK for the first time.
Warner Bros is putting the films out, initially in posh Steelbook casing, and they’re set to debut on 29th April 2024. What’s more, you’ve got four different options if you’re...
- 3/13/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
When "The Dick Van Dyke Show" kicked off its third season on September 25, 1963, the United States was in the midst of a societal transformation. The Civil Rights Movement's Birmingham campaign, which sought to desegregate the Alabama city's downtown businesses, was in full swing, and the images being transmitted to Americans' living rooms were ugly as hell. Birmingham's Commissioner of Public Safety Eugene "Bull" Connor countered peaceful protests with disgusting brutality. He ordered law enforcement to blast marching students with fire hoses; these children were also attacked by police dogs and the equally savage white locals, who, when they felt Connor's violent tactics weren't going far enough, bombed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's headquarters.
And then, one week prior to the show's season debut, a pack of racists killed four little girls when they blew up the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.
These events would play a significant role in driving...
And then, one week prior to the show's season debut, a pack of racists killed four little girls when they blew up the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.
These events would play a significant role in driving...
- 3/12/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Mark Harmon has been married to Pam Dawber for decades, now. And although the two boast one of the happiest marriages in Hollywood, at one point Dawber couldn’t imagine herself a married woman.
Pam Dawber found marriage scary Pam Dawber and Mark Harmon | Ron Galella/Getty Images
Dawber and Harmon both married in 1987 and never looked back. It all started with Harmon famously making his move on his wife through a mutual friend. According to an interview with People, the friend wanted to set Harmon up on a group date. But Harmon preferred to speak to Dawber personally.
“I said, ‘Can I just call? Can I get a number and just cold call?’ And so I did. I got the number, and I called, and I got an answering machine. And I started to leave a message that said, ‘We don’t have to all go out. We could...
Pam Dawber found marriage scary Pam Dawber and Mark Harmon | Ron Galella/Getty Images
Dawber and Harmon both married in 1987 and never looked back. It all started with Harmon famously making his move on his wife through a mutual friend. According to an interview with People, the friend wanted to set Harmon up on a group date. But Harmon preferred to speak to Dawber personally.
“I said, ‘Can I just call? Can I get a number and just cold call?’ And so I did. I got the number, and I called, and I got an answering machine. And I started to leave a message that said, ‘We don’t have to all go out. We could...
- 3/9/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Rob Reiner is the multi-hyphenate who has excelled both in front of and behind the camera for over 50 years, starting as an actor before moving into directing. Let’s take a look back at 12 of his greatest films as a director, ranked worst to best.
Reiner was born into the business as the son of performer Estelle Reiner and comedian Carl Reiner, creator of “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” He shot to fame on television with his role as Mike “Meathead” Stivic, the liberal son-in-law to buffoonish bigot Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor) on “All in the Family.” The series brought him two Emmys as Best Comedy Supporting Actor (1974 and 1978). His victory, in fact, made the show the first to ever win acting prizes for all four of its leads, with O’Connor and Jean Stapleton prevailing in lead and Sally Struthers in supporting.
He transitioned into filmmaking with the rock...
Reiner was born into the business as the son of performer Estelle Reiner and comedian Carl Reiner, creator of “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” He shot to fame on television with his role as Mike “Meathead” Stivic, the liberal son-in-law to buffoonish bigot Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor) on “All in the Family.” The series brought him two Emmys as Best Comedy Supporting Actor (1974 and 1978). His victory, in fact, made the show the first to ever win acting prizes for all four of its leads, with O’Connor and Jean Stapleton prevailing in lead and Sally Struthers in supporting.
He transitioned into filmmaking with the rock...
- 3/1/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
E. Duke Vincent, the writer and two-time Emmy-winning producer who partnered with Aaron Spelling on such hugely popular shows as Dynasty, Beverly Hills, 90210, Charmed, 7th Heaven and Melrose Place, has died. He was 91.
Vincent died on Feb. 10 in his home in Montecito, California, his wife, actress Pamela Hensley, announced.
He and Spelling produced more than 40 series together, also including Hotel, Vegas, Matt Houston, Madman of the People and The Colbys; seven miniseries, among them Jackie Collins’ Hollywood Wives in 1985 and James Michener’s Texas in 1994; and more than three dozen telefilms.
Vincent won his Emmys for executive producing Day One, a 1989 CBS movie about the Manhattan Project that starred David Strathairn as J. Robert Oppenheimer, and the 1994 HBO movie And the Band Played On, centering on the AIDS epidemic.
An only child, Edward Ventimiglia was born on April 30, 1932, in Jersey City, New Jersey. His father, Egizio, was a pilot...
Vincent died on Feb. 10 in his home in Montecito, California, his wife, actress Pamela Hensley, announced.
He and Spelling produced more than 40 series together, also including Hotel, Vegas, Matt Houston, Madman of the People and The Colbys; seven miniseries, among them Jackie Collins’ Hollywood Wives in 1985 and James Michener’s Texas in 1994; and more than three dozen telefilms.
Vincent won his Emmys for executive producing Day One, a 1989 CBS movie about the Manhattan Project that starred David Strathairn as J. Robert Oppenheimer, and the 1994 HBO movie And the Band Played On, centering on the AIDS epidemic.
An only child, Edward Ventimiglia was born on April 30, 1932, in Jersey City, New Jersey. His father, Egizio, was a pilot...
- 2/27/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By the end of its fifth season, "Cheers" had become one of the most popular sitcoms on television. Every Thursday night, viewers tuned in to hang with the regulars at the Boston pub where everybody knows your name, and the gang always delivered. You could put the "Cheers" gang up against the very best in the history of the medium.
Most amazingly, the series didn't miss a beat when Woody Harrelson stepped in for Nick Colasanto after the latter's unexpected death. It just became a different kind of excellent.
And yet, as the show headed into its sixth season, no one was sure if "Cheers" could survive the departure of Shelley Long. The actor's combustible, Tracy-Hepburn chemistry with Ted Danson gave every episode the charge of the unexpected, and kept everyone in their orbit perpetually unsettled. Without her, the entire dynamic of the show might change, turning fans off a...
Most amazingly, the series didn't miss a beat when Woody Harrelson stepped in for Nick Colasanto after the latter's unexpected death. It just became a different kind of excellent.
And yet, as the show headed into its sixth season, no one was sure if "Cheers" could survive the departure of Shelley Long. The actor's combustible, Tracy-Hepburn chemistry with Ted Danson gave every episode the charge of the unexpected, and kept everyone in their orbit perpetually unsettled. Without her, the entire dynamic of the show might change, turning fans off a...
- 2/11/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Max Announces Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast In Collaboration With Turner Classic Movies
Max and Turner Classic Movies have announced their newest collaboration titled Talking Pictures, co-produced by the teams that created “The Plot Thickens” and recent hits like HBO's “The Last of Us Podcast” and “Succession Podcast.” Featuring TCM host Ben Mankiewicz in conversation with iconic filmmakers and writers as they discuss their earliest film memories, favorite films, creative influences and guilty pleasures, the podcast debuts on Tuesday, January 16 and will be available on Max.
A must-listen podcast for both film buffs and amateur enthusiasts alike, the intimate conversations in each episode serve as a window into the artistic process and defining experiences of some of the greatest creatives in the industry today. The creative evolution of future film professionals is influenced by the films they grow up watching and hold dear in their hearts. Listen in as host Ben Mankiewicz sits down with cinematic filmmakers and impactful writers to peel back...
A must-listen podcast for both film buffs and amateur enthusiasts alike, the intimate conversations in each episode serve as a window into the artistic process and defining experiences of some of the greatest creatives in the industry today. The creative evolution of future film professionals is influenced by the films they grow up watching and hold dear in their hearts. Listen in as host Ben Mankiewicz sits down with cinematic filmmakers and impactful writers to peel back...
- 1/16/2024
- Podnews.net
Kevin Hart is back with another Netflix film but this time instead of a comedy we see him as a master thief. Directed by F. Gary Gray, the Netflix film Lift revolves around a group of thieves who join hands with Interpol to get immunity for their past crime, but to do that they have to steal half a billion dollars worth of gold from a flying airplane without being caught by the owner of the gold, who is surprise surprise the bad guy. Lift also stars Úrsula Corberó, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sam Worthington, Billy Magnussen, Kim Yoon-ji, Jean Reno, and Vincent D’Onofrio starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved Lift and all of its action here are some similar films you could watch next.
The Italian Job (Paramount+ & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – Paramount Pictures
From the same director and in the same genre as Lift, this film deserves to be on this list.
The Italian Job (Paramount+ & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – Paramount Pictures
From the same director and in the same genre as Lift, this film deserves to be on this list.
- 1/13/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Bill Hayes, the actor and singer who with his real-life wife, Susan Seaforth Hayes, starred on NBC’s Days of Our Lives as the beloved first couple of daytime television, died Friday in Los Angeles, a rep from the show told The Hollywood Reporter. He was 98.
Before he was known as a soap opera legend, Hayes was a regular on Sid Caesar‘s famed live TV variety program Your Show of Shows, and in 1955 he had the No. 1 song in America, “The Ballad of Davy Crockett.”
He also partnered in a nightclub act with future Brady Bunch star Florence Henderson; they were known as “The Singing Sweethearts” and sang about Oldsmobiles on TV commercials, many of them performed live.
Hayes joined Days of Our Lives to play con artist/lounge singer Doug Williams in February 1970. Seaforth Hayes, who portrayed the spoiled heiress Julie Olsen Banning Anderson Williams, had joined the show 15 months earlier.
Before he was known as a soap opera legend, Hayes was a regular on Sid Caesar‘s famed live TV variety program Your Show of Shows, and in 1955 he had the No. 1 song in America, “The Ballad of Davy Crockett.”
He also partnered in a nightclub act with future Brady Bunch star Florence Henderson; they were known as “The Singing Sweethearts” and sang about Oldsmobiles on TV commercials, many of them performed live.
Hayes joined Days of Our Lives to play con artist/lounge singer Doug Williams in February 1970. Seaforth Hayes, who portrayed the spoiled heiress Julie Olsen Banning Anderson Williams, had joined the show 15 months earlier.
- 1/13/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mark Harmon starred in a few notable projects beyond NCIS. Years before he was cast as Jethro Gibbs in the police procedural, Harmon starred in the cult classic comedy Summer School. But he initially wasn’t interested in doing the project, and urged for another star in mind to take his place.
Mark Harmon didn’t think he was funny enough for ‘Summer School’ Mark Harmon | Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
Harmon took a role that many felt was a departure from his usual work in Summer School. The feature was a 1987 comedy movie where Harmon played a high school teacher assigned to a remedial class during the summer. One of the reasons Harmon did the project was because he was intentionally looking for a lighthearted movie to do.
Harmon was coming off the feature The Deliberate Stranger where he played Ted Bundy. He felt Summer School was the exact...
Mark Harmon didn’t think he was funny enough for ‘Summer School’ Mark Harmon | Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
Harmon took a role that many felt was a departure from his usual work in Summer School. The feature was a 1987 comedy movie where Harmon played a high school teacher assigned to a remedial class during the summer. One of the reasons Harmon did the project was because he was intentionally looking for a lighthearted movie to do.
Harmon was coming off the feature The Deliberate Stranger where he played Ted Bundy. He felt Summer School was the exact...
- 12/29/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Mark Harmon is famous for his role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS — but that’s far from the only role he played. In the ’70s and ’80s, Harmon started to act in TV shows and movies. He went on to play Freddy Shoop in the 1987 film Summer School. While Harmon might reflect fondly on the role of Freddy Shoop now, he recalled how his wife didn’t want him to take the part.
‘NCIS’ star Mark Harmon said his wife told him not to take this film role
Mark Harmon made the right choice to take the role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS in 2003. The part launched Harmon to superstardom. Now, he’s a household name for CBS viewers. But NCIS isn’t the only production Harmon participated in. Over a decade before he accepted the role of Gibbs, Harmon played Freddy Shoop in Summer School.
Summer School...
‘NCIS’ star Mark Harmon said his wife told him not to take this film role
Mark Harmon made the right choice to take the role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS in 2003. The part launched Harmon to superstardom. Now, he’s a household name for CBS viewers. But NCIS isn’t the only production Harmon participated in. Over a decade before he accepted the role of Gibbs, Harmon played Freddy Shoop in Summer School.
Summer School...
- 12/28/2023
- by Lauren Weiler
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
During a 1963 appearance on The Tonight Show, comedian Carl Reiner said that a 16-year-old named Albert Einstein was the funniest person he knew. That Albert Einstein was too young to be the famed physicist, of course. No, the Albert Einstein getting such high praise was a friend of Reiner’s son Rob. Now, of course, the world knows Rob Reiner as the All in the Family actor who went on to direct the films Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally…, and A Few Good Men, among other cinematic favorites. And that Albert Einstein — who still doesn’t know why his parents gave him that name — rebranded himself as Albert Brooks and starred in films like Lost in America, Broadcast News, and Defending Your Life. For a new CBS News Sunday Morning segment, Brooks and the younger Reiner ...
- 12/24/2023
- TV Insider
Earlier this year, NBC pulled out all the stops for it special “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love.” And on Dec. 21, CBS is throwing a birthday party for one of its biggest stars, Dick Van Dyke, who headlined the landmark 1961-66 sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show” as well as the lighthearted detective series “Diagnosis, Murder,” which ran from 1993-2000.
“Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic” is a two-hour valentine to the actor, who celebrated his birthday on Dec. 13, featuring special guests such as Jane Seymour, Rob Reiner, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen and testimonials from Carol Burnett, Mark Hamill and “Mary Poppins” herself, Julie Andrews. Song-and-dance also play an important part of the special. Van Dyke earned a Tony in 1961 for “Bye Bye Birdie” and reprised his role in the 1963 musical. He introduced the Oscar-winning tune “Chim Chim Cher-ee” from 1964’s “Mary Poppins” as well as the...
“Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic” is a two-hour valentine to the actor, who celebrated his birthday on Dec. 13, featuring special guests such as Jane Seymour, Rob Reiner, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen and testimonials from Carol Burnett, Mark Hamill and “Mary Poppins” herself, Julie Andrews. Song-and-dance also play an important part of the special. Van Dyke earned a Tony in 1961 for “Bye Bye Birdie” and reprised his role in the 1963 musical. He introduced the Oscar-winning tune “Chim Chim Cher-ee” from 1964’s “Mary Poppins” as well as the...
- 12/19/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
I was about 8 years old when I first met Norman Lear.
My dad, Carl Reiner, was working on Sid Caesar’s Show of Shows and Norman was writing for Colgate Comedy Hour, so they were both in New York. In those days, it was a small world of people who trafficked in sketch comedy. Mel Brooks, Larry Gelbart, Dom DeLuise — all these guys and their families would hang out together. My family and Norman’s family used to have summer houses near each other on Fire Island, and Norman had a daughter, Ellen, who was around my age, so we used to play together.
One day Ellen and I were playing jacks — I was teaching her how, explaining the rules, showing her what to do. Norman came over to watch and he started to laugh. Apparently, I was teaching her in a funny way, which he found hysterical. And he...
My dad, Carl Reiner, was working on Sid Caesar’s Show of Shows and Norman was writing for Colgate Comedy Hour, so they were both in New York. In those days, it was a small world of people who trafficked in sketch comedy. Mel Brooks, Larry Gelbart, Dom DeLuise — all these guys and their families would hang out together. My family and Norman’s family used to have summer houses near each other on Fire Island, and Norman had a daughter, Ellen, who was around my age, so we used to play together.
One day Ellen and I were playing jacks — I was teaching her how, explaining the rules, showing her what to do. Norman came over to watch and he started to laugh. Apparently, I was teaching her in a funny way, which he found hysterical. And he...
- 12/11/2023
- by Rob Reiner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The great Norman Lear died on Dec. 5 at the age of 101. Over his eight-decade career in showbiz, the television wizard developed more than 100 shows, many of which presented a more idealistic vision for America: All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, Diff’rent Strokes. Lear’s shows tackled hot-button issues — including racism, sexuality, misogyny, and abortion with brutal honesty — thrusting important conversations into the cultural zeitgeist, while remaining entertaining and funny.
There will never be another Norman Lear, and on the day of his death,...
There will never be another Norman Lear, and on the day of his death,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
Rob Reiner Pays Loving Tribute To ‘All In The Family’ Creator Norman Lear: “He Was My Second Father”
Rob Reiner, who rose to fame playing All In The Family‘s liberal firebrand Michael Stivic – or Meathead, to Caroll O’Connor’s Archie Bunker – has paid tribute to Norman Lear, the man who created that launching pad and one of television’s most impactful and enduring sitcoms.
“I loved Norman Lear with all my heart,” Reiner tweeted this morning. “He was my second father. Sending my love to Lyn and the whole Lear family.”
Reiner’s father, comic icon Carl Reiner, died in 2020.
I loved Norman Lear with all my heart. He was my second father. Sending my love to Lyn and the whole Lear family.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) December 6, 2023...
“I loved Norman Lear with all my heart,” Reiner tweeted this morning. “He was my second father. Sending my love to Lyn and the whole Lear family.”
Reiner’s father, comic icon Carl Reiner, died in 2020.
I loved Norman Lear with all my heart. He was my second father. Sending my love to Lyn and the whole Lear family.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) December 6, 2023...
- 12/6/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Rob Reiner has directed some of the most beloved movies in the history of motion pictures. His seven-film run of "This Is Spinal Tap," "The Sure Thing," "Stand by Me," "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally...," "Misery" and "A Few Good Men" is remarkable.
That he transitioned from his portrayal of Archie Bunker's liberal son-in-law, contemptuously dubbed "Meathead," on "All in the Family" to being a first-rate director shouldn't have come as a surprise. His father, Carl Reiner, was one of the greatest comedy writers of the 20th century. No one is a preordained success, but if you decide to pursue a career in entertainment coming out of that environment, you at least have a rock-solid notion of what works.
Reiner also, thanks to his father, developed a social conscience. As he knocked out his string of hit films, he established himself as one of Hollywood's most outspoken celebrities.
That he transitioned from his portrayal of Archie Bunker's liberal son-in-law, contemptuously dubbed "Meathead," on "All in the Family" to being a first-rate director shouldn't have come as a surprise. His father, Carl Reiner, was one of the greatest comedy writers of the 20th century. No one is a preordained success, but if you decide to pursue a career in entertainment coming out of that environment, you at least have a rock-solid notion of what works.
Reiner also, thanks to his father, developed a social conscience. As he knocked out his string of hit films, he established himself as one of Hollywood's most outspoken celebrities.
- 11/30/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Victor J. Kemper, the former president of the American Society of Cinematographers whose career spanned four decades and included films as diverse as Dog Day Afternoon and Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, has died according to the ASC. He was 96.
Kemper made films with many of the greats of ’70s cinema, including John Cassavetes, Arthur Hiller, Michael Ritchie, Peter Yates, Sidney Lumet, George Roy Hill, Robert Wise, Carl Reiner, Richard Attenborough and Norman Jewison.
His very first film was Cassavetes’ Husbands, and it was an education in itself.
“We shot more than a million-and-a-half feet of film during 10 weeks in New York and 12 weeks in London,” Kemper recalled. “That’s the way Cassavetes worked.”
He went on to make Mikey & Nicky with the director.
Subsequent work included The Candidate, And Justice for All, Audrey Rose, Slap Shot, Oh God!, The Gambler, The Jerk, The Four Seasons, Coma, Mr. Mom, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure,...
Kemper made films with many of the greats of ’70s cinema, including John Cassavetes, Arthur Hiller, Michael Ritchie, Peter Yates, Sidney Lumet, George Roy Hill, Robert Wise, Carl Reiner, Richard Attenborough and Norman Jewison.
His very first film was Cassavetes’ Husbands, and it was an education in itself.
“We shot more than a million-and-a-half feet of film during 10 weeks in New York and 12 weeks in London,” Kemper recalled. “That’s the way Cassavetes worked.”
He went on to make Mikey & Nicky with the director.
Subsequent work included The Candidate, And Justice for All, Audrey Rose, Slap Shot, Oh God!, The Gambler, The Jerk, The Four Seasons, Coma, Mr. Mom, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure,...
- 11/29/2023
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
"Frasier" had a bevy of guest stars throughout its original eleven-season run, but you might not recognize some of them on first watch. That's because many of the most famous actors to appear on the beloved sitcom did so in voice only, calling into psychologist Frasier Crane's (Kelsey Grammer) Seattle radio show for all manner of life advice. Casting a celebrity who viewers never actually see felt like a new gimmick when the series first premiered, and it's frankly still a rarity now.
In an oral history of the series published by Vanity Fair in 2018, series co-creators Peter Casey and David Lee, casting director Jeff Greenberg, and director Jimmy Burrows talked about how the call-in guest stars idea originated, who showed up on the other end of the line, and which celebrities turned "Frasier" down. "Early on, someone suggested getting guest voices," Casey recalled. "Kelsey agreed, as long as they weren't goofy calls.
In an oral history of the series published by Vanity Fair in 2018, series co-creators Peter Casey and David Lee, casting director Jeff Greenberg, and director Jimmy Burrows talked about how the call-in guest stars idea originated, who showed up on the other end of the line, and which celebrities turned "Frasier" down. "Early on, someone suggested getting guest voices," Casey recalled. "Kelsey agreed, as long as they weren't goofy calls.
- 11/19/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
It was the Thanksgiving show for Bill Maher’s Real Time, typically his last show of the fall season before a hiatus. But because of the Writers Guild strikes, the show will go on into December.
That’s reason enough to be thankful. But Maher had an added reason for grace on Friday’s show – he had the comic geniuses of Rob Reiner and Albert Brooks, whose masterful storytelling and energy allowed Maher the privilege of sitting back and simply basking in their glow.
The duo were out in support of their new HBO documentary, Albert Brooks: Defending My Life. But they really didn’t need the excuse of a project to propel things. Fast friends since high school, the conversation flowed easily about their long association with little prompting.
Brooks remembered their first meeting. Seeking to impress, Brooks blurted out that he knew Carl Reiner. Of course, Rob Reiner said,...
That’s reason enough to be thankful. But Maher had an added reason for grace on Friday’s show – he had the comic geniuses of Rob Reiner and Albert Brooks, whose masterful storytelling and energy allowed Maher the privilege of sitting back and simply basking in their glow.
The duo were out in support of their new HBO documentary, Albert Brooks: Defending My Life. But they really didn’t need the excuse of a project to propel things. Fast friends since high school, the conversation flowed easily about their long association with little prompting.
Brooks remembered their first meeting. Seeking to impress, Brooks blurted out that he knew Carl Reiner. Of course, Rob Reiner said,...
- 11/18/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Max Announces Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast In Collaboration With Turner Classic Movies
Max and Turner Classic Movies have announced their newest collaboration titled Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast, co-produced by the teams that created “The Plot Thickens” and recent hits like HBO’s “The Last of Us Podcast” and “Succession Podcast.” Featuring TCM host Ben Mankiewicz in conversation with iconic filmmakers and writers as they discuss their earliest film memories, favorite films, creative influences and guilty pleasures, the podcast debuts on Tuesday, January 16 and will be available on Max.
A must-listen podcast for both film buffs and amateur enthusiasts alike, the intimate conversations in each episode serve as a window into the artistic process and defining experiences of some of the greatest creatives in the industry today. The creative evolution of future film professionals is influenced by the films they grow up watching and hold dear in their hearts. Listen in as host Ben Mankiewicz sits down with cinematic filmmakers and...
A must-listen podcast for both film buffs and amateur enthusiasts alike, the intimate conversations in each episode serve as a window into the artistic process and defining experiences of some of the greatest creatives in the industry today. The creative evolution of future film professionals is influenced by the films they grow up watching and hold dear in their hearts. Listen in as host Ben Mankiewicz sits down with cinematic filmmakers and...
- 11/16/2023
- by Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
TCM host Ben Mankiewicz sits down with some of Hollywood’s biggest filmmakers in a new interview podcast to find out what makes them tick — through their favorite films.
On “Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast,” to debut in January, Mankiewicz will speak with directors and writers as they discuss their earliest film memories, favorite films, creative influences and guilty pleasures. Each episode of the series, a partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery corporate siblings TCM and Max, will run about 45 minutes.
Among Mankiewicz’s guests: Mel Brooks, the 97-year-old Egot winner (on the eve of the 50th anniversary of his landmark comedies “Young Frankenstein” and “Blazing Saddles”); Nancy Meyers; and Patty Jenkins. The podcast is scheduled to debut Jan. 16, 2024, with new installments dropping weekly on Max and all major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. The show has been slated to run 10 episodes but that’s subject to...
On “Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast,” to debut in January, Mankiewicz will speak with directors and writers as they discuss their earliest film memories, favorite films, creative influences and guilty pleasures. Each episode of the series, a partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery corporate siblings TCM and Max, will run about 45 minutes.
Among Mankiewicz’s guests: Mel Brooks, the 97-year-old Egot winner (on the eve of the 50th anniversary of his landmark comedies “Young Frankenstein” and “Blazing Saddles”); Nancy Meyers; and Patty Jenkins. The podcast is scheduled to debut Jan. 16, 2024, with new installments dropping weekly on Max and all major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. The show has been slated to run 10 episodes but that’s subject to...
- 11/16/2023
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Kevin Hart will be awarded the 25th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts next March, joining a roster of previous recipients that includes Carol Burnett, Bill Murray, David Letterman, Dave Chappelle and last year’s honoree Adam Sandler.
“I’ve been doing comedy since the inception of this award 25 years ago,” Hart said in a statement. “To be honored in this commemorative year feels surreal. Comedy is my outlet for social commentary and observations on life – I am grateful to the Kennedy Center for recognizing my voice and impact on culture.”
The prize will be presented to Hart at a gala performance on March 24, 2024, in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Broadcast and casting details will be announced at a later date.
The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor recognizes individuals who have had an impact on American society in ways...
“I’ve been doing comedy since the inception of this award 25 years ago,” Hart said in a statement. “To be honored in this commemorative year feels surreal. Comedy is my outlet for social commentary and observations on life – I am grateful to the Kennedy Center for recognizing my voice and impact on culture.”
The prize will be presented to Hart at a gala performance on March 24, 2024, in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Broadcast and casting details will be announced at a later date.
The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor recognizes individuals who have had an impact on American society in ways...
- 11/15/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Albert Brooks and Rob Reiner, now both 76, have been best friends since high school, having met in the drama club at Beverly Hills High. (Richard Dreyfuss was also in their class.) Both were what might now be referred to as “nepo babies” in that both of their fathers had successful careers in comedy — Rob as son of the legendary Carl Reiner, creator of The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Albert the son of Harry Einstein (yes — his real name is Albert Einstein), a radio comedian who found fame as a character called Parkyakarkus. Harry might have gone on to greater heights had he not suffered a fatal heart attack moments after his routine at a roast of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in 1958. Eleven-year-old Albert was listening live on the radio that night.
We learn those amazing facts and so many more on HBO’s Albert Brooks: Defending My Life,...
We learn those amazing facts and so many more on HBO’s Albert Brooks: Defending My Life,...
- 11/11/2023
- by Seth Abramovitch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sofia Coppola, whose awards contender “Priscilla” is now in theaters, is just one of several filmmakers whose parents were already major names in the industry. Both her father, Francis Ford Coppola, and her mother, Eleanor Coppola, are directors, as is her brother Roman.
Here are some of the most notable second-generation directors in Hollywood, including Jason Reitman, Rob Reiner, Mario Van Peebles and Colin Hanks.
We’re also a big fan of Francesca Scorsese’s TikTok videos with her dad, Martin Scorsese, especially the one where he auditions the family dog.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Ivan and Jason Reitman
Jason has picked up the “Ghostbusters” mantle from his father, who died in Feb. 2022. He directed “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and the fourth film in the franchise is due in 2024. Jason’s films include “Up in the Air,” “Juno” and “Thank You For Smoking.”
Photo credit: Getty Images
Brandon and David Cronenberg
The...
Here are some of the most notable second-generation directors in Hollywood, including Jason Reitman, Rob Reiner, Mario Van Peebles and Colin Hanks.
We’re also a big fan of Francesca Scorsese’s TikTok videos with her dad, Martin Scorsese, especially the one where he auditions the family dog.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Ivan and Jason Reitman
Jason has picked up the “Ghostbusters” mantle from his father, who died in Feb. 2022. He directed “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and the fourth film in the franchise is due in 2024. Jason’s films include “Up in the Air,” “Juno” and “Thank You For Smoking.”
Photo credit: Getty Images
Brandon and David Cronenberg
The...
- 11/9/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Fred Gallo, a former assistant director on a slew of classic 1970s pictures who went on to become the president of production at Paramount, has died. He was 78 years old.
The Hollywood titan, who had worked on Oscar-winning gems like “The Godfather,” “Annie Hall” and “Rocky,” died on Sept. 7 at his Santa Ynez Valley home.
His family confirmed his passing, while Lee Rosenthal called him a “singular force in the industry.” Paramount and Nickolodean’s president of worldwide physical production said, in a statement obtained by TheWrap, that “beneath a formidable exterior was a big-hearted, one-man masterclass in filmmaking and production management.”
“Some of the most iconic movies of our time — ‘The Godfather,’ ‘Rocky’ and ‘Annie Hall,’ to name a few — are imprinted with Fred’s artistry,” Rosenthal stated. “He was a vestige of a time and place in Hollywood history, an early champion of inclusivity and a mentor to many.
The Hollywood titan, who had worked on Oscar-winning gems like “The Godfather,” “Annie Hall” and “Rocky,” died on Sept. 7 at his Santa Ynez Valley home.
His family confirmed his passing, while Lee Rosenthal called him a “singular force in the industry.” Paramount and Nickolodean’s president of worldwide physical production said, in a statement obtained by TheWrap, that “beneath a formidable exterior was a big-hearted, one-man masterclass in filmmaking and production management.”
“Some of the most iconic movies of our time — ‘The Godfather,’ ‘Rocky’ and ‘Annie Hall,’ to name a few — are imprinted with Fred’s artistry,” Rosenthal stated. “He was a vestige of a time and place in Hollywood history, an early champion of inclusivity and a mentor to many.
- 9/20/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Fred Gallo, who served as an assistant director on films including the Oscar best picture winners The Godfather, Rocky and Annie Hall before becoming a top production executive at Paramount Pictures, has died. He was 78.
Gallo died Sept. 7 after a long illness at his home in the Santa Ynez Valley, his family announced.
Gallo also earned producing credits on Floyd Mutrux’s American Hot Wax (1978), Martin Brest’s Going in Style (1979), James Caan’s Hide in Plain Sight (1980) and Lawrence Kasdan’s Body Heat (1981).
After a run as a production vice president at Warner Bros., Gallo joined Paramount in 1993. He was promoted to executive vp feature production management in 1996 and worldwide president of features production management in 2001, overseeing day-to-day physical production for the studio through his retirement in 2005.
“Fred was a singular force in the industry,” Lee Rosenthal, president of worldwide physical production for Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon, said in a statement.
Gallo died Sept. 7 after a long illness at his home in the Santa Ynez Valley, his family announced.
Gallo also earned producing credits on Floyd Mutrux’s American Hot Wax (1978), Martin Brest’s Going in Style (1979), James Caan’s Hide in Plain Sight (1980) and Lawrence Kasdan’s Body Heat (1981).
After a run as a production vice president at Warner Bros., Gallo joined Paramount in 1993. He was promoted to executive vp feature production management in 1996 and worldwide president of features production management in 2001, overseeing day-to-day physical production for the studio through his retirement in 2005.
“Fred was a singular force in the industry,” Lee Rosenthal, president of worldwide physical production for Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon, said in a statement.
- 9/20/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Robert Klane, the writer-director best known for penning Weekend at Bernie’s and National Lampoon’s European Vacation, died Aug. 29 of kidney failure in Woodland Hills, CA. He was 81.
Besides the 1989 movie that starred Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman, Klane also wrote for Tracey Takes On …,The Odd Couple: Together Again, The Man With One Red Shoe and Unfaithfully Yours. He also worked in the writers rooms for M*A*S*H* and The Michele Lee Show.
“Klane’s satirical and daring writing pushed the boundaries of good taste, while depicting the unfairness of life through themes of sex, family, madness and death,” Klane’s son, Jon, said in a statement.
Born in Long Island, Klane earned his English degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He penned two novels —The Horse is Dead and Where’s Poppa? — the latter of which was adapted by Klane into a...
Besides the 1989 movie that starred Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman, Klane also wrote for Tracey Takes On …,The Odd Couple: Together Again, The Man With One Red Shoe and Unfaithfully Yours. He also worked in the writers rooms for M*A*S*H* and The Michele Lee Show.
“Klane’s satirical and daring writing pushed the boundaries of good taste, while depicting the unfairness of life through themes of sex, family, madness and death,” Klane’s son, Jon, said in a statement.
Born in Long Island, Klane earned his English degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He penned two novels —The Horse is Dead and Where’s Poppa? — the latter of which was adapted by Klane into a...
- 9/4/2023
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Robert Klane, who wrote the screenplays for the irreverent comedy classics Weekend at Bernie’s and Where’s Poppa? and directed the disco-era favorite Thank God It’s Friday, has died. He was 81.
Klane died Tuesday in his Woodland Hills home of kidney failure after a long illness, his son Jon Klane announced.
He wrote for the films Every Little Crook and Nanny (1972), Fire Sale (1977), The Man With One Red Shoe (1985), National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985), Unfaithfully Yours (1984), Walk Like a Man (1987) and Folks! (1992).
Among his TV writing credits were six episodes of M*A*S*H* and The Odd Couple: Together Again, a 1973 reunion telefilm starring Jack Klugman and Tony Randall that he also directed. He also wrote and produced Tracey Takes On…, winning an Emmy for his work in 1997.
“Bob had a brilliant comedy mind that went deeper and deeper to get to the truth,” Rob Reiner, an actor in Where’s Poppa? (1970), said in a statement.
Klane died Tuesday in his Woodland Hills home of kidney failure after a long illness, his son Jon Klane announced.
He wrote for the films Every Little Crook and Nanny (1972), Fire Sale (1977), The Man With One Red Shoe (1985), National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985), Unfaithfully Yours (1984), Walk Like a Man (1987) and Folks! (1992).
Among his TV writing credits were six episodes of M*A*S*H* and The Odd Couple: Together Again, a 1973 reunion telefilm starring Jack Klugman and Tony Randall that he also directed. He also wrote and produced Tracey Takes On…, winning an Emmy for his work in 1997.
“Bob had a brilliant comedy mind that went deeper and deeper to get to the truth,” Rob Reiner, an actor in Where’s Poppa? (1970), said in a statement.
- 9/4/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Robert Klane, screenwriter of films including “Weekend at Bernie’s” and “Where’s Poppa?,” died from kidney failure on Aug. 29 at his home in Woodland Hills, Calif. He was 81.
Klane’s son Jon shared the news with Variety in a statement, which reads, “Klane’s satirical and daring writing pushed the boundaries of good taste, while depicting the unfairness of life through themes of sex, family, madness and death.”
“Bob had a brilliant comedy mind that went deeper and deeper to get to the truth,” said filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner, who appeared in “Where’s Poppa?” “Most people have a censor in their minds and know how far they can go. Bob didn’t have a censor. That’s what made him great and set him apart. He was fearless.”
Klane wrote the screenplays for dark comedies such as 1989’s “Weekend at Bernie’s” and its 1993 sequel, as well as 1970’s “Where’s Poppa?,...
Klane’s son Jon shared the news with Variety in a statement, which reads, “Klane’s satirical and daring writing pushed the boundaries of good taste, while depicting the unfairness of life through themes of sex, family, madness and death.”
“Bob had a brilliant comedy mind that went deeper and deeper to get to the truth,” said filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner, who appeared in “Where’s Poppa?” “Most people have a censor in their minds and know how far they can go. Bob didn’t have a censor. That’s what made him great and set him apart. He was fearless.”
Klane wrote the screenplays for dark comedies such as 1989’s “Weekend at Bernie’s” and its 1993 sequel, as well as 1970’s “Where’s Poppa?,...
- 9/4/2023
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
How does one edit “A Black LadySketch Show” when comedic talent such as Issa Rae, Gabrielle Dennis and Robin Thede have gone off-script? “It’s a challenge because everyone is giving you something hilarious,” editor Stephanie Filo says.
Filo is no slouch herself. This year, she achieved something remarkable, landing three Emmy nominations for her editing work on HBO’s “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” Netflix’s “Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” and Hulu’s “History of the World, Part II.”
On “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” Filo relished the chance to edit a Coral Reefs gang sequence on the “WeMurk” sketch featuring Rae, Thede and Dennis . “I didn’t get to cut the other iterations, so I got to have a swing at it,” Filo says. This time, Tracee Ellis Ross, who she describes as “hysterical,” was also in the sketch.
Filo was used to having one...
Filo is no slouch herself. This year, she achieved something remarkable, landing three Emmy nominations for her editing work on HBO’s “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” Netflix’s “Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” and Hulu’s “History of the World, Part II.”
On “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” Filo relished the chance to edit a Coral Reefs gang sequence on the “WeMurk” sketch featuring Rae, Thede and Dennis . “I didn’t get to cut the other iterations, so I got to have a swing at it,” Filo says. This time, Tracee Ellis Ross, who she describes as “hysterical,” was also in the sketch.
Filo was used to having one...
- 8/13/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
There’s an empty spot in front of a fence in Arlen, Texas, today after we’ve learned about the death of Johnny Hardwick, known to many as the voice of Dale Gribble on King of the Hill. According to reports, Hardwick died in his home in Austin, Texas. He was 64. Hardiwck’s death is sudden, though no foul play is suspected. The actor’s cause of death is pending until the Austin Coroner’s Office can thoroughly investigate.
Born John Michael Hardwick in Austin, the actor made a name for himself performing local stand-up in the 1990s. After gaining some notoriety, Hardwick made guest appearances on The Jon Stewart Show, the Laugh Factory in L.A., and the Montreal Comedy Festival. In King of the Hill, Hardwick voices Dale Gribble, an exterminator, bounty hunter, gun enthusiast, and conspiracy theorist. Gribble is a featured player on King of the Hill,...
Born John Michael Hardwick in Austin, the actor made a name for himself performing local stand-up in the 1990s. After gaining some notoriety, Hardwick made guest appearances on The Jon Stewart Show, the Laugh Factory in L.A., and the Montreal Comedy Festival. In King of the Hill, Hardwick voices Dale Gribble, an exterminator, bounty hunter, gun enthusiast, and conspiracy theorist. Gribble is a featured player on King of the Hill,...
- 8/10/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Imagine a time before 90 inch TV screens were sold at Walmart for $200 on Black Friday, a time when the family would gather around one rabbit eared black and white television to watch a show on one of the four channels they had available to them. Now imagine a world in the immediate aftermath of World War 2, when everyone needed a good laugh. In that time you may turned on your TV’s after enjoying your mother’s pot roast and carrot dinner to see young men such as Carl Reiner, Sid Caesar and Mel Brooks performing comedic routines that gave you truly guttural laughs. The premises seemed so simple, yet the genius that went into crafting these bits would soon shape the entire direction of comedy. These men would go on to become some of the most iconic figures in the history of entertainment. Sadly, as time does to us all,...
- 7/21/2023
- by Brad Hamerly
- JoBlo.com
In the early 1980s, Stephen King was officially a household name. Writer of such instantly memorable titles as “Carrie,” “The Shining” and “The Stand,” it was very unlikely to find someone who’d not read – or at least heard of – a Stephen King novel. The author was getting so big that pretty much anything he published landed on the number one spot of the bestseller list. But would his devoted readers gobble up anything he put in front of them? That was put to the test in the middle of 1982, when King convinced his publisher to put out a collection of four novellas he’d written in between novels. The stories had some macabre elements in them, and one did indeed feature a bit of the old supernatural, but for the most part these stories were dramas that dealt with the human condition. The collection was called “Different Seasons,” and...
- 7/6/2023
- by Eric Walkuski
- JoBlo.com
Alan Arkin etched many indelible performances over his long career in movies. From heroin-snorting grandfathers (“Little Miss Sunshine”) to ornery movie producers (“Argo”) to harried dentists (“The In-Laws”), Arkin, who died on June 29 at the age of 89, played an extraordinary range of roles with great gusto.
But it’s fair to say that none of it would have been possible were it not for 1966’s “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming,” a Cold War comedy that marked Arkin’s first major screen role. It’s the film that earned him the first of four Oscar nominations (he’d win for 2006’s “Little Miss Sunshine”) and a part that launched his career as a shape-shifting character actor.
And it was Norman Jewison, riding high on the success of “The Cincinnati Kid,” who took a bet that Arkin, a gifted Broadway actor but movie novice, could make the transition from stage to screen.
But it’s fair to say that none of it would have been possible were it not for 1966’s “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming,” a Cold War comedy that marked Arkin’s first major screen role. It’s the film that earned him the first of four Oscar nominations (he’d win for 2006’s “Little Miss Sunshine”) and a part that launched his career as a shape-shifting character actor.
And it was Norman Jewison, riding high on the success of “The Cincinnati Kid,” who took a bet that Arkin, a gifted Broadway actor but movie novice, could make the transition from stage to screen.
- 7/2/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Alan Arkin, the versatile actor who finally won an Oscar — for Little Miss Sunshine — after making a career of disappearing into characters with turns that could be comic, chilling or charming, has died. He was 89.
His sons, Adam, Matthew and Anthony, announced the news in a joint statement. “Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man,” they said. “A loving husband, father, grand and great-grandfather, he was adored and will be deeply missed.”
He had heart trouble and died Thursday at his home in San Marcos, California.
In his first significant role in a feature, Arkin received a rare best actor Oscar nomination for work in a comedy when he played a Russian sailor whose submarine is marooned off the coast of a New England fishing village in Norman Jewison’s The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming (1966).
Two years later,...
His sons, Adam, Matthew and Anthony, announced the news in a joint statement. “Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man,” they said. “A loving husband, father, grand and great-grandfather, he was adored and will be deeply missed.”
He had heart trouble and died Thursday at his home in San Marcos, California.
In his first significant role in a feature, Arkin received a rare best actor Oscar nomination for work in a comedy when he played a Russian sailor whose submarine is marooned off the coast of a New England fishing village in Norman Jewison’s The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming (1966).
Two years later,...
- 6/30/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When I was a little kid in the 1960s and a teen in the 1970s, there was simply no one cooler than Mel Brooks. He was the guy (along with Buck Henry) who created and wrote the comedy masterpiece “Get Smart,” and even as a child I could recognize the genius behind it. While I was a little too young to appreciate the greatness of his 1967 directorial debut, “The Producers”, once the ’70s rolled around I was in comedy heaven thanks to “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein.” Those two classics of big screen comedy came out the same year: 1974.
As a result, I spent much of that year as a high school sophomore and junior laughing my proverbial butt off in movie theaters (those things we used to frequent prior to the advent of streaming technology). The campfire farting scene in “Bs” was my generation’s comedic colossus.
I lost...
As a result, I spent much of that year as a high school sophomore and junior laughing my proverbial butt off in movie theaters (those things we used to frequent prior to the advent of streaming technology). The campfire farting scene in “Bs” was my generation’s comedic colossus.
I lost...
- 6/28/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
For months fans have speculated who would succeed the late Logan Roy (Brian Cox) as the head of Waystar Royco on HBO’s critically acclaimed drama “Succession.” In the end, after the GoJo deal was approved by the board — and with Shiv (Sarah Snook) acting as the deciding vote — the servile Tom Wambsgans came out on top. And now it seems like his portrayer, Matthew Macfadyen, might as well.
The British actor, who beat out co-stars Kieran Culkin and Nicholas Braun to take home the Emmy for Best Drama Supporting Actor last year after revealing emotional new depths to Tom as he prepared to go to prison, is in a good position to repeat and become the latest performer to go back to back in the category, which loves consecutive winners. With Culkin — who was arguably the Mvp of the show’s fourth and final season — competing against Cox and...
The British actor, who beat out co-stars Kieran Culkin and Nicholas Braun to take home the Emmy for Best Drama Supporting Actor last year after revealing emotional new depths to Tom as he prepared to go to prison, is in a good position to repeat and become the latest performer to go back to back in the category, which loves consecutive winners. With Culkin — who was arguably the Mvp of the show’s fourth and final season — competing against Cox and...
- 5/31/2023
- by Kaitlin Thomas
- Gold Derby
[Editor’s Note: The following interview contains spoilers for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Season 5, Episode 9, “Four Minutes.”]
In the same week that “Barry” and “Succession” come to their undoubtedly grisly conclusions, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” finale is the perfect antidote. Amy Sherman-Palladino’s comedy ends a five-season run with a joyous and gratifying conclusion, the culmination of Season 5’s daring flash-forwards and the future teased for Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) all those years ago.
Officially, “Maisel” premiered in November 2017, but the first episode was one of several contenders in Prime Video’s spring pilot season that March, where viewer feedback was taken into account before the streamer greenlit further episodes. Over five seasons and six years, “Maisel” amassed 20 Emmys with 66 nominations, pop ups all over New York City, and an honorary star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The finale sees Midge take the stage at “The Gordon Ford Show,” the fictitious late-night staple where she cuts her teeth as...
In the same week that “Barry” and “Succession” come to their undoubtedly grisly conclusions, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” finale is the perfect antidote. Amy Sherman-Palladino’s comedy ends a five-season run with a joyous and gratifying conclusion, the culmination of Season 5’s daring flash-forwards and the future teased for Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) all those years ago.
Officially, “Maisel” premiered in November 2017, but the first episode was one of several contenders in Prime Video’s spring pilot season that March, where viewer feedback was taken into account before the streamer greenlit further episodes. Over five seasons and six years, “Maisel” amassed 20 Emmys with 66 nominations, pop ups all over New York City, and an honorary star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The finale sees Midge take the stage at “The Gordon Ford Show,” the fictitious late-night staple where she cuts her teeth as...
- 5/27/2023
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
Spoiler alert! Spoilers ahead for the series finale of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, titled “Four Minutes”. Read on at your own risk.
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” took its final bow on Friday, as the season 5 finale showed us exactly where Rachel Brosnahan’s titular comedienne, Midge Maisel, ended up in the later years of her A-list career.
The flash-forward-heavy fifth and final season of the Emmy-winning comedy took away the suspense of Midge’s success early on in the final episodes, sharing with viewers that she did, in fact, become one of the biggest names in comedy. The unique story structure was one that the “Mrs. Maisel” creative team had been planning for some time, executive producer Dan Palladino told Et.
“Once we decided it was the last season, we just dove right into it,” he recalled. “It was fun, because we got to do time travel, but we’re not science fiction.
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” took its final bow on Friday, as the season 5 finale showed us exactly where Rachel Brosnahan’s titular comedienne, Midge Maisel, ended up in the later years of her A-list career.
The flash-forward-heavy fifth and final season of the Emmy-winning comedy took away the suspense of Midge’s success early on in the final episodes, sharing with viewers that she did, in fact, become one of the biggest names in comedy. The unique story structure was one that the “Mrs. Maisel” creative team had been planning for some time, executive producer Dan Palladino told Et.
“Once we decided it was the last season, we just dove right into it,” he recalled. “It was fun, because we got to do time travel, but we’re not science fiction.
- 5/27/2023
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
Movies that get remade don’t always live up to their originals, but some have second-time-around successes. So we’re taking a look at the ten best movie remakes ever. Each of these remake films has built on what made them classics in the first place and created something just as good, if not better, than before.
Related: 18 Best Thriller Movies (Ranked by IMDb Votes)
Nothing is more cringe-worthy for fans of certain movies than seeing an unsuccessful Hollywood reboot or remake. Nonetheless, film studios seem to keep doing so regardless due to their potential profitability, even amongst skeptic audiences. It’s all part of the cyclical nature of cinema, which has seen plenty of examples throughout history—from Robin Hood to Romeo + Juliet. And though most deserve our moans and groans, now and again, gems emerge amidst duds.
To save you time sifting through bad releases, here’s...
Related: 18 Best Thriller Movies (Ranked by IMDb Votes)
Nothing is more cringe-worthy for fans of certain movies than seeing an unsuccessful Hollywood reboot or remake. Nonetheless, film studios seem to keep doing so regardless due to their potential profitability, even amongst skeptic audiences. It’s all part of the cyclical nature of cinema, which has seen plenty of examples throughout history—from Robin Hood to Romeo + Juliet. And though most deserve our moans and groans, now and again, gems emerge amidst duds.
To save you time sifting through bad releases, here’s...
- 4/20/2023
- by Buddy TV
- buddytv.com
“Over hill, over dale, as we hit the dusty trail, and those caissons go rolling along. In and out, hear them shout, counter march and right about, and those caissons go rolling along.”
Catchy tune, isn’t it? The war tune, “The Army Goes Rolling Along” was belted out on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel every time someone used the bathroom in Gordon Ford head writer Alvin’s office. God forbid anyone in the writers’ room hear someone pee.
But this was the ’60s when modesty and manners were still important. So singing the catchy song was an added quirk to tickle the audience’s funny bone.
Why was ‘The Army Goes Rolling Along’ chosen for ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Season 5?
Even choosing the right tune for the writers’ room scene was a bit for Maisel writers and creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino. “The funny story is Dan Palladino wrote that episode.
Catchy tune, isn’t it? The war tune, “The Army Goes Rolling Along” was belted out on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel every time someone used the bathroom in Gordon Ford head writer Alvin’s office. God forbid anyone in the writers’ room hear someone pee.
But this was the ’60s when modesty and manners were still important. So singing the catchy song was an added quirk to tickle the audience’s funny bone.
Why was ‘The Army Goes Rolling Along’ chosen for ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Season 5?
Even choosing the right tune for the writers’ room scene was a bit for Maisel writers and creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino. “The funny story is Dan Palladino wrote that episode.
- 4/18/2023
- by Gina Ragusa
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.