In the years since this column’s debut, ’90s horror movies have actually found a sizable and heartwarming amount of rediscovery and reappreciation. Physical media has resurrected and restored numerous films to the point where even derided efforts like my beloved I Still Know What You Did Last Summer can get a celebratory 4K upgrade. With this new outlook, horror culture is starting to better redefine the historical landscape of the decade. The conversation is no longer enveloped by the shadow of Ghostface.
But, Misery offers a unique issue when it comes to embracing a movie. An issue made more complex and wonderful by Misery being one of the greatest popular stories to occur in our lifetimes.
A bold claim? Of course, but the evidence is on my side. The novel by Stephen King is often cited among his top standalone achievements in fiction. I had never read the novel...
But, Misery offers a unique issue when it comes to embracing a movie. An issue made more complex and wonderful by Misery being one of the greatest popular stories to occur in our lifetimes.
A bold claim? Of course, but the evidence is on my side. The novel by Stephen King is often cited among his top standalone achievements in fiction. I had never read the novel...
- 1/23/2024
- by Drew Dietsch
- bloody-disgusting.com
When it comes to lone acting Oscar nominations, the category with the fewest examples is Best Supporting Actor. After two consecutive years of there being no new additions to that subgroup, Brian Tyree Henry (“Causeway”) became its 54th member in 2023 after having been largely ignored by other awards bodies over the preceding weeks. He directly followed Tom Hanks, who is the only other entrant from the last five years.
Within the last decade, this club has only grown by seven, with those who preceded Hanks and Henry being Robert Duvall, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Shannon, Willem Dafoe, and Christopher Plummer. 2018 marked the fifth instance of two men accomplishing the feat at once, thus tying the category’s record for most bids of this kind in a single year. Contextually, the corresponding Best Supporting Actress record is three, while that of both lead categories is four.
As it happens, the Best Supporting...
Within the last decade, this club has only grown by seven, with those who preceded Hanks and Henry being Robert Duvall, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Shannon, Willem Dafoe, and Christopher Plummer. 2018 marked the fifth instance of two men accomplishing the feat at once, thus tying the category’s record for most bids of this kind in a single year. Contextually, the corresponding Best Supporting Actress record is three, while that of both lead categories is four.
As it happens, the Best Supporting...
- 1/22/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
After taking a look back at House II: The Second Story (a favorite of mine since childhood), House of 1000 Corpses (which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year), and the awesomeness of Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight, JoBlo’s own Lance Vlcek continues his The Best Scene video series by digging into what he feels is the best scene from the classic 1990 Stephen King adaptation Misery (watch it Here). Lance’s choice for the best scene in this one is the leg breaking scene… Yeah, if you’ve seen Misery, you know exactly what we’re talking about. And you can hear all about it in the video embedded above.
Directed by Rob Reiner from a screenplay by William Goldman, based on a novel by Stephen King, Misery has the following synopsis: After a serious car crash, novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by former nurse Annie Wilkes, who...
Directed by Rob Reiner from a screenplay by William Goldman, based on a novel by Stephen King, Misery has the following synopsis: After a serious car crash, novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by former nurse Annie Wilkes, who...
- 12/6/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Since the second Academy Awards ceremony in 1930, 73 people have received acting Oscar nominations for their debut film performances, yielding a total of 15 breakout wins. Conversely, the list of actors who have earned recognition for their final movie appearances is much smaller, featuring only 18 general and two successful examples. Those who belong to this club gained entry in a variety of ways, with some having voluntarily quit acting altogether, others having specifically stepped away from film performing, and a few having sadly not lived long enough to bask in the glory of their farewell nominations.
Since film acting retirement can never be absolutely permanent while a performer is still alive, only deceased individuals can correctly be counted as official members of this group. Although most currently living retired actors did not pick up Oscar nominations for their latest films anyway, the academy did smile upon one – Daniel Day-Lewis – on his declared way out.
Since film acting retirement can never be absolutely permanent while a performer is still alive, only deceased individuals can correctly be counted as official members of this group. Although most currently living retired actors did not pick up Oscar nominations for their latest films anyway, the academy did smile upon one – Daniel Day-Lewis – on his declared way out.
- 11/28/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
A new episode of the Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? video series has just been released, and with this one we’re digging into the 1990 Stephen King adaptation Misery (watch it Here) – the film where Kathy Bates earned her Best Actress Oscar. To find out all about Misery, check out the video embedded above.
Directed by Rob Reiner from a screenplay by William Goldman, Misery has the following synopsis:
After a serious car crash, novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by former nurse Annie Wilkes, who claims to be his biggest fan. Annie brings him to her remote cabin to recover, where her obsession takes a dark turn when she discovers Sheldon is killing off her favorite character from his novels. As Sheldon devises plans for escape, Annie grows increasingly controlling, even violent, as she forces the author to shape his writing to suit her twisted fantasies.
Bates plays Annie...
Directed by Rob Reiner from a screenplay by William Goldman, Misery has the following synopsis:
After a serious car crash, novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by former nurse Annie Wilkes, who claims to be his biggest fan. Annie brings him to her remote cabin to recover, where her obsession takes a dark turn when she discovers Sheldon is killing off her favorite character from his novels. As Sheldon devises plans for escape, Annie grows increasingly controlling, even violent, as she forces the author to shape his writing to suit her twisted fantasies.
Bates plays Annie...
- 12/5/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Robert Aldrich gives the Cavalry Western a rough going-over in this brutal, unforgiving horror-western. Burt Lancaster gets in a fine late-career action turn as well. The pursuit of an Apache raiding party becomes guerrilla war in the desert, the kind of conflict that cements racial hatred forever. Aldrich and Alan Sharp’s answer to the ‘mud & rags’ western of the early 1970s carries on the director’s anarchic streak. This is how the West was won?
Ulzana’s Raid
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1972 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 103 min. / Street Date January 21, 2020 / 29.99
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Richard Jaeckel, Bruce Davison, Jorge Luke, Joaquín Martínez, Lloyd Bochner, Karl Swenson, Douglass Watson, Dran Hamilton, Gladys Holland, Aimee Eccles, Tony Epper, Nick Cravat, Richard Farnsworth, Dean Smith.
Cinematography: Joseph Biroc
Film Editor: Michael Luciano
Original Music: Frank De Vol
Written by Alan Sharp
Produced by Carter DeHaven
Directed by Robert Aldrich
After all of the bloodletting...
Ulzana’s Raid
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1972 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 103 min. / Street Date January 21, 2020 / 29.99
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Richard Jaeckel, Bruce Davison, Jorge Luke, Joaquín Martínez, Lloyd Bochner, Karl Swenson, Douglass Watson, Dran Hamilton, Gladys Holland, Aimee Eccles, Tony Epper, Nick Cravat, Richard Farnsworth, Dean Smith.
Cinematography: Joseph Biroc
Film Editor: Michael Luciano
Original Music: Frank De Vol
Written by Alan Sharp
Produced by Carter DeHaven
Directed by Robert Aldrich
After all of the bloodletting...
- 11/18/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Screenwriter Jeb Stuart joins hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss a few of his favorite movies.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Die Hard (1988)
The Fugitive (1993)
Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
The Face of Fu Manchu (1965) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
The Detective (1968) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Dirty Harry (1971) – Alan Spencer’s trailer commentary, Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Rear Window (1954) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Vertigo (1958) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary, Brian Trenchard-Smith’s review, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
North By Northwest (1959)
The Trouble With Harry (1955)
Casablanca (1942) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Wait Until Dark (1967) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Switchback (1997)
Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The Getaway (1972) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
The Thin Man (1934)
Another 48 Hrs (1990)
Commando (1985) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The Long Riders (1980)
The Warriors...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Die Hard (1988)
The Fugitive (1993)
Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
The Face of Fu Manchu (1965) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
The Detective (1968) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Dirty Harry (1971) – Alan Spencer’s trailer commentary, Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Rear Window (1954) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Vertigo (1958) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary, Brian Trenchard-Smith’s review, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
North By Northwest (1959)
The Trouble With Harry (1955)
Casablanca (1942) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Wait Until Dark (1967) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Switchback (1997)
Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The Getaway (1972) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
The Thin Man (1934)
Another 48 Hrs (1990)
Commando (1985) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The Long Riders (1980)
The Warriors...
- 3/8/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Alvin Straight is not the twisted David Lynch character audiences expected… he’s a well-adjusted old Iowan with the same kinds of regrets that most people have. Taken from a true story, Alvin can’t drive and hasn’t much money, but he undertakes an eccentric Odyssey that in different circumstances might get him committed. And there’s the rub — his ‘impossible’ 5 mph trek across Iowa becomes a voyage of affirmation. Lynch is no cheater: we may expect bloody disaster but he instead gives us a statement about common decency and goodwill from his own Midwestern roots. This one movie will lower your blood pressure by 10 points.
The Straight Story
Region Free Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 61
1999 / Color / 2:39 widescreen / 112 min. / Street Date August 25, 2021 / Available from / 39.95au
Starring: Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, Dan Flannery, Everett McGill, Barbara Robertson, James Cada, Sally Wingert, Kevin P. Farley, John Farley, John Lordan, Russ Reed, Harry Dean Stanton.
The Straight Story
Region Free Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 61
1999 / Color / 2:39 widescreen / 112 min. / Street Date August 25, 2021 / Available from / 39.95au
Starring: Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, Dan Flannery, Everett McGill, Barbara Robertson, James Cada, Sally Wingert, Kevin P. Farley, John Farley, John Lordan, Russ Reed, Harry Dean Stanton.
- 9/21/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Let’s toast Sir Anthony Hopkins for making history as the oldest nominee ever to compete for a Best Actor trophy and also now is the oldest champion. The 83-year-old Welshman won for his role as an elderly patriarch in the throes of increasingly debilitating dementia in “The Father.” He beat the nomination record held for 21 years by Richard Farnsworth, who was 79 when he was recognized for his lead performance in 1999’s “The Straight Story.” He also took over the Best Actor record of oldest winner from Henry Fonda (“On Golden Pond”).
Hopkins previously won the Best Actor prize for his portrait of the diabolical Hannibal Lecter in 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs” and would go to be nominated as a male lead as a reticent butler in 1993’s “The Remains of the Day” and as the disgraced 37th U.S. president in 1995’s “Nixon.” Hopkins also competed in the supporting category twice,...
Hopkins previously won the Best Actor prize for his portrait of the diabolical Hannibal Lecter in 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs” and would go to be nominated as a male lead as a reticent butler in 1993’s “The Remains of the Day” and as the disgraced 37th U.S. president in 1995’s “Nixon.” Hopkins also competed in the supporting category twice,...
- 4/26/2021
- by Susan Wloszczyna, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
The 2021 Oscar nominees for Best Actor are Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”), Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”), Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”), Gary Oldman (“Mank”), and Steven Yeun (“Minari”). Boseman (31/10) is favored to win by our odds, followed in order by Hopkins (39/10), Ahmed (4/1), Yeun (9/2), and Oldman (9/2).
For the fifth time in 10 years, the Best Actor lineup includes more newcomers than veterans. Ahmed, Boseman, and Yeun not only share the commonality of being first-timers, but also represent the most diverse group in the history of this category. Boseman follows Denzel Washington, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Daniel Kaluuya as the fourth Black man to vie for this award over the last decade. After Ben Kingsley, Ahmed is only the second actor of South Asian descent ever recognized here, while Yeun is the very first East Asian nominee.
The late Boseman has also made history as the fifth actor to posthumously compete for this prize.
For the fifth time in 10 years, the Best Actor lineup includes more newcomers than veterans. Ahmed, Boseman, and Yeun not only share the commonality of being first-timers, but also represent the most diverse group in the history of this category. Boseman follows Denzel Washington, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Daniel Kaluuya as the fourth Black man to vie for this award over the last decade. After Ben Kingsley, Ahmed is only the second actor of South Asian descent ever recognized here, while Yeun is the very first East Asian nominee.
The late Boseman has also made history as the fifth actor to posthumously compete for this prize.
- 4/19/2021
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
In 1968, 80-year-old Edith Evans broke new ground as the first octogenarian actor to compete for an Oscar. Since then, the academy has nominated 17 other performances given by thespians in their 80s, but prior to this year, none had been recognized in the Best Actor category. With his bid for “The Father,” Anthony Hopkins (83) has finally broken the lead male record set by 79-year-old Richard Farnsworth (“The Straight Story”) in 2000. He is the seventh-oldest acting nominee in Oscar history.
At the upcoming Academy Awards, Hopkins faces off against Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”), Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”), Gary Oldman (“Mank”), and Steven Yeun (“Minari”) in the race for Best Actor. Hopkins previously won the award for “The Silence of the Lambs” in 1992. Oldman is also a past winner in the category for “Darkest Hour” (2018), while the remaining three are all first-time contenders at the Oscars.
“The Father,” which originated...
At the upcoming Academy Awards, Hopkins faces off against Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”), Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”), Gary Oldman (“Mank”), and Steven Yeun (“Minari”) in the race for Best Actor. Hopkins previously won the award for “The Silence of the Lambs” in 1992. Oldman is also a past winner in the category for “Darkest Hour” (2018), while the remaining three are all first-time contenders at the Oscars.
“The Father,” which originated...
- 4/5/2021
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Let’s toast Sir Anthony Hopkins for making history as the oldest nominee ever to compete for a Best Actor trophy. The 83-year-old Welshman is currently up for his role as an elderly patriarch in the throes of increasingly debilitating dementia in “The Father.” He beat the record held for 21 years by Richard Farnsworth, who was 79 when he was recognized for his lead performance in 1999’s “The Straight Story.”
SEE17 best Anthony Hopkins movies, ranked
Hopkins previously won the Best Actor prize for his portrait of the diabolical Hannibal Lecter in 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs” and would go to be nominated as a male lead as a reticent butler in 1993’s “The Remains of the Day” and as the disgraced 37th U.S. president in 1995’s “Nixon.” Hopkins also competed in the supporting category twice, as the sixth U.S. president John Quincy Adams in 1997’s “Amistad” and...
SEE17 best Anthony Hopkins movies, ranked
Hopkins previously won the Best Actor prize for his portrait of the diabolical Hannibal Lecter in 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs” and would go to be nominated as a male lead as a reticent butler in 1993’s “The Remains of the Day” and as the disgraced 37th U.S. president in 1995’s “Nixon.” Hopkins also competed in the supporting category twice, as the sixth U.S. president John Quincy Adams in 1997’s “Amistad” and...
- 3/25/2021
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Refresh your screen for updates as this post is in progress. It's always fun to look at new records or trivia after nominations. So let's go!
Acting
• Anthony Hopkins is now the Oldest Best Actor nominee ever at 83 years of age and the first octogenarian ever nominated in leading actor. Previously the oldest nominee record in the category was held by Richard Farnsworth in The Straight Story (1999) who was 78.
• Chadwick Boseman becomes the first black actor to be nominated posthumously.
• Maria Bakalova is the first Bulgarian actor ever nominated.
• Riz Ahmed is the first actor of Pakistani descent to ever be nominated as well as the first Muslim actor nominated in the lead category...
Acting
• Anthony Hopkins is now the Oldest Best Actor nominee ever at 83 years of age and the first octogenarian ever nominated in leading actor. Previously the oldest nominee record in the category was held by Richard Farnsworth in The Straight Story (1999) who was 78.
• Chadwick Boseman becomes the first black actor to be nominated posthumously.
• Maria Bakalova is the first Bulgarian actor ever nominated.
• Riz Ahmed is the first actor of Pakistani descent to ever be nominated as well as the first Muslim actor nominated in the lead category...
- 3/15/2021
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Anthony Hopkins made history on Monday with his Oscar nomination for “The Father” in the Best Actor category — he became the oldest Best Actor nominee ever at 83.
The previous record-holder, Richard Farnsworth, was 79 when he was nominated for “The Straight Story.”
Hopkins was nominated in the category alongside Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”), Gary Oldman (“Mank”), Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) and Steven Yeun (“Minari”).
“The Father” was directed by Florian Zeller and follows a man (Hopkins) who refuses assistance from his daughter as he ages, but soon begins to doubt his loved ones and even his own reality. The film also stars Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss and Olivia Williams.
Anthony Hopkins previously won Best Actor in 1992 for his role in “The Silence of the Lambs.” He has been nominated four other times — in 1994 for “The Remains of the Day” in the Best Actor category, in 1996 for “Nixon” in the Best Actor category,...
The previous record-holder, Richard Farnsworth, was 79 when he was nominated for “The Straight Story.”
Hopkins was nominated in the category alongside Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”), Gary Oldman (“Mank”), Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) and Steven Yeun (“Minari”).
“The Father” was directed by Florian Zeller and follows a man (Hopkins) who refuses assistance from his daughter as he ages, but soon begins to doubt his loved ones and even his own reality. The film also stars Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss and Olivia Williams.
Anthony Hopkins previously won Best Actor in 1992 for his role in “The Silence of the Lambs.” He has been nominated four other times — in 1994 for “The Remains of the Day” in the Best Actor category, in 1996 for “Nixon” in the Best Actor category,...
- 3/15/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
In this delayed and elongated awards season, the Oscar nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards are finally here. Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Jonas announced the full list of nominees in all 23 categories on Monday morning.
Eight films this year were nominated for Best Picture, those being “The Father,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Mank,” “Minari,” “Nomadland,” “Promising Young Woman,” “Sound of Metal” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” David Fincher’s “Mank” led all films with 10 nominations, including for Best Actor Gary Oldman, Best Supporting Actress Amanda Seyfried and Fincher for Best Director.
This year, the Academy also nominated a record nine nonwhite actors, including stars like Viola Davis, Andra Day, Chadwick Boseman, Riz Ahmed and Steven Yeun. And finally Anthony Hopkins, now 83 years young, has become the oldest ever nominee in the Best Actor category, beating out Richard Farnsworth’s previous record of scoring a nomination at...
Eight films this year were nominated for Best Picture, those being “The Father,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Mank,” “Minari,” “Nomadland,” “Promising Young Woman,” “Sound of Metal” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” David Fincher’s “Mank” led all films with 10 nominations, including for Best Actor Gary Oldman, Best Supporting Actress Amanda Seyfried and Fincher for Best Director.
This year, the Academy also nominated a record nine nonwhite actors, including stars like Viola Davis, Andra Day, Chadwick Boseman, Riz Ahmed and Steven Yeun. And finally Anthony Hopkins, now 83 years young, has become the oldest ever nominee in the Best Actor category, beating out Richard Farnsworth’s previous record of scoring a nomination at...
- 3/15/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
The best actress race is full of veterans this year, with the likes of Meryl Streep, Michelle Pfeiffer and Ellen Burstyn all vying for Oscar attention. Joining the list is Sophia Loren, one of the most prolific actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age, in Edoardo Ponti’s “The Life Ahead.”
The Oscar-winning Italian actor landed her gold statuette for “Two Women” (“La ciociara”) in 1962, which made her the first actor to win an Academy Award for a foreign-language film. She put up one more nomination in 1965 for “Marriage Italian Style” (“Matrimonio all’italiana”) and if she manages a nomination for “The Life Ahead,” a new record could emerge. In 2021, it will mark 56 years since her last nomination, and if nominated, she will break the record currently held by Henry Fonda as the longest gap between acting nominations. Fonda was nominated in 1941 for “The Grapes of Wrath” and he won the Oscar in 1982 for “On Golden Pond,...
The Oscar-winning Italian actor landed her gold statuette for “Two Women” (“La ciociara”) in 1962, which made her the first actor to win an Academy Award for a foreign-language film. She put up one more nomination in 1965 for “Marriage Italian Style” (“Matrimonio all’italiana”) and if she manages a nomination for “The Life Ahead,” a new record could emerge. In 2021, it will mark 56 years since her last nomination, and if nominated, she will break the record currently held by Henry Fonda as the longest gap between acting nominations. Fonda was nominated in 1941 for “The Grapes of Wrath” and he won the Oscar in 1982 for “On Golden Pond,...
- 10/30/2020
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The year continues to provide plenty more surprises — and flies on the heads of politicians — and over the last week we saw “Dune” from Warner Bros. exit the calendar year, something that was very much expected around these parts. While many on the internet want to decry “the end of cinema” and that the film year is “canceled,” it’s time to start expanding your cinematic palates.
In terms of what it means to awards, an interesting observation is how young and “novice” the best director field seems this year. Traditional Oscar years have always had a good amount of the “Og masters” of cinema in the mix like Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg, which brought the average age of the nomination pool up considerably. In the current contenders for best director, Aaron Sorkin would be the oldest of the top five predicted lineup, at 59, for “The Trial of the Chicago 7.
In terms of what it means to awards, an interesting observation is how young and “novice” the best director field seems this year. Traditional Oscar years have always had a good amount of the “Og masters” of cinema in the mix like Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg, which brought the average age of the nomination pool up considerably. In the current contenders for best director, Aaron Sorkin would be the oldest of the top five predicted lineup, at 59, for “The Trial of the Chicago 7.
- 10/8/2020
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
"The Furniture," by Daniel Walber, is our weekly series on Production Design. You can click on the images to see them in magnified detail.
Yesterday would have been the 100th birthday of Richard Farnsworth. You might have seen some tributes on Twitter, most of them recalling Farnsworth’s Oscar-nominated performance in David Lynch’s The Straight Story - the actor’s last film. Today I’d like to turn to something earlier, a gorgeous Canadian Western called The Grey Fox.
It’s the kind of movie that feels undiscovered even as you’re watching it - even now that it’s been beautifully restored and rereleased by Kino Lorber. It’s not that it was ignored upon release, really; Farnsworth got a Best Actor - Drama nomination at the Golden Globes and it swept the Genie Awards. But its quiet, slow, rainy charm lends it an air of the forgotten,...
Yesterday would have been the 100th birthday of Richard Farnsworth. You might have seen some tributes on Twitter, most of them recalling Farnsworth’s Oscar-nominated performance in David Lynch’s The Straight Story - the actor’s last film. Today I’d like to turn to something earlier, a gorgeous Canadian Western called The Grey Fox.
It’s the kind of movie that feels undiscovered even as you’re watching it - even now that it’s been beautifully restored and rereleased by Kino Lorber. It’s not that it was ignored upon release, really; Farnsworth got a Best Actor - Drama nomination at the Golden Globes and it swept the Genie Awards. But its quiet, slow, rainy charm lends it an air of the forgotten,...
- 9/2/2020
- by Daniel Walber
- FilmExperience
Chicago – Both the Music Box Theatre and the Gene Siskel Film Center have continued their at-home screenings, due to the physical theaters staying closed for now. Below are the updates to their current offerings.
Music Box Theatre Presents Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, I Am Not Your Negro, Whose Streets?, The Grey Fox, Mysteries Of Lisbon, Mystery Of Chess Boxing, Mr. Topaze and Sometimes Always Never
One Night Only: June 12th, 2020
Photo credit: MusicBoxTheatre.com
The Music Box Theatre will get a percentage of the proceeds from any screening. Click site link below for details.
Scheduled: Now until the theater re-opens.
Description: Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, I Am Not Your Negro, Whose Streets? is three Magnolia Studios documentaries that are biographical (Morrison & James Baldwin in I Am Not) and activist. One price can get all three and a portion of the box office will go towards a Small Business Relief Fund.
Music Box Theatre Presents Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, I Am Not Your Negro, Whose Streets?, The Grey Fox, Mysteries Of Lisbon, Mystery Of Chess Boxing, Mr. Topaze and Sometimes Always Never
One Night Only: June 12th, 2020
Photo credit: MusicBoxTheatre.com
The Music Box Theatre will get a percentage of the proceeds from any screening. Click site link below for details.
Scheduled: Now until the theater re-opens.
Description: Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, I Am Not Your Negro, Whose Streets? is three Magnolia Studios documentaries that are biographical (Morrison & James Baldwin in I Am Not) and activist. One price can get all three and a portion of the box office will go towards a Small Business Relief Fund.
- 6/9/2020
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Disney+ is an oddity in the streaming landscape. While it took over pop culture last fall with Baby Yoda and “The Mandalorian,” that blockbuster series was very much the exception for its content model thus far: this is a platform that relies almost entirely on its studio’s back catalogue of classic films. There won’t be another original live-action series of the stature of “The Mandalorian” until, well, “The Mandalorian” Season 2 later this year (assuming its post-production still continues as planned).
As for its classic film titles, Disney+ maintains a family-friendly focus, so many of the company’s more mature titles produced under its Touchstone banner, let alone its 20th Century Fox archive, don’t appear on the service. Even still, Disney+ touted the depth of its content offerings in the leadup to its November 12 launch with an epic Twitter thread of hundreds of beloved (or at least on-brand...
As for its classic film titles, Disney+ maintains a family-friendly focus, so many of the company’s more mature titles produced under its Touchstone banner, let alone its 20th Century Fox archive, don’t appear on the service. Even still, Disney+ touted the depth of its content offerings in the leadup to its November 12 launch with an epic Twitter thread of hundreds of beloved (or at least on-brand...
- 4/4/2020
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Any parent hoping to watch a David Lynch movie with the whole family is in luck starting in April. Disney+ has announced Lynch’s 1999 Disney movie “The Straight Story” will be available to stream next month, which is exciting news as the movie has been hard to come by in recent years on streaming. “The Straight Story” is available to purchase on YouTube and Amazon, but Disney+ subscribers will be able to stream the biographical drama as part of their membership staring April 3.
“The Straight Story” is an outlier in Lynch’s challenging and experimental filmography, with the majority of his movies only be suitable for adult viewers. Co-written by John Roach and Mary Sweeney, “The Straight Story” tells the true story of Alvin Straight, who made headlines in 1994 for journeying across Iowa and Wisconsin on a lawn mower. The cast includes Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, and regular Lynch collaborator Harry Dean Stanton.
“The Straight Story” is an outlier in Lynch’s challenging and experimental filmography, with the majority of his movies only be suitable for adult viewers. Co-written by John Roach and Mary Sweeney, “The Straight Story” tells the true story of Alvin Straight, who made headlines in 1994 for journeying across Iowa and Wisconsin on a lawn mower. The cast includes Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, and regular Lynch collaborator Harry Dean Stanton.
- 3/18/2020
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Jane Galloway Heitz, a veteran actress in film and television, has died. She was 78 and the cause of death was not disclosed.
Heitz had a variety of roles during her career. Many cited her work as the character Lillian Adler in the Fox musical dramedy Glee, though she only appeared twice — in the pilot and as an image in a trophy case. She was a former head of the glee club at McKinley High, according to her backstory.
Among her other television credits were appearances on The Big Bang Theory, Shameless, Grey’s Anatomy, ER, Monk, Prison Break, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Without a Trace and Early Edition.
In film, Galloway Heitz starred with Richard Farnsworth and Sissy Spacek in David Lynch’s 1999 The Straight Story and played a nurse opposite Lindsey Lohan in the 2007 thriller I Know Who Killed Me. Her other credits included the film Just Visiting with Jean Reno and Christina Applegate,...
Heitz had a variety of roles during her career. Many cited her work as the character Lillian Adler in the Fox musical dramedy Glee, though she only appeared twice — in the pilot and as an image in a trophy case. She was a former head of the glee club at McKinley High, according to her backstory.
Among her other television credits were appearances on The Big Bang Theory, Shameless, Grey’s Anatomy, ER, Monk, Prison Break, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Without a Trace and Early Edition.
In film, Galloway Heitz starred with Richard Farnsworth and Sissy Spacek in David Lynch’s 1999 The Straight Story and played a nurse opposite Lindsey Lohan in the 2007 thriller I Know Who Killed Me. Her other credits included the film Just Visiting with Jean Reno and Christina Applegate,...
- 11/21/2019
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Jane Galloway Heitz, known for playing the character of Lillian Adler on “Glee,” has died, according to an obituary posted in the Chicago Tribune. She was 78.
The actress only appeared in person twice on the Fox show, once in the pilot and on another occasion in 2015, as her character’s image appeared in a trophy case commemorating her life. A quote from Lillian, “By its very definition, Glee is about opening yourself up to joy,” was visible on a plaque and helped inspire Will, played by Matthew Morrison, to pursue his dream of becoming the glee club director. Galloway Heitz’s character was herself a former head of glee club at McKinley High.
Galloway Heitz also played the character of Mildred in a 2009 episode of “The Big Bang Theory” on CBS, and Claire in a 2012 episode of “Shameless.” Her other TV credits include “Grey’s Anatomy,” “ER,” “Monk,” “Prison Break,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,...
The actress only appeared in person twice on the Fox show, once in the pilot and on another occasion in 2015, as her character’s image appeared in a trophy case commemorating her life. A quote from Lillian, “By its very definition, Glee is about opening yourself up to joy,” was visible on a plaque and helped inspire Will, played by Matthew Morrison, to pursue his dream of becoming the glee club director. Galloway Heitz’s character was herself a former head of glee club at McKinley High.
Galloway Heitz also played the character of Mildred in a 2009 episode of “The Big Bang Theory” on CBS, and Claire in a 2012 episode of “Shameless.” Her other TV credits include “Grey’s Anatomy,” “ER,” “Monk,” “Prison Break,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,...
- 11/21/2019
- by Will Thorne
- Variety Film + TV
Author’s Note: Some spoilers populate this review, because it’s impossible to thoroughly appraise Misery without unpacking some of the film’s more macabre elements. The uninitiated are advised to watch the film Asap, then return to this space.
The most famous non-fiction line coined by the recently departed screenwriting genius William Goldman is undoubtedly “Nobody knows anything,” a great dig at the expense of Hollywood tastemakers. That statement, coined in one of Goldman’s terrific behind-the-scenes screenwriting memoirs, Adventures In The Screen Trade (1983), was designed to reflect the fact that, essentially, churning out cinematic hits amounted to educated guesswork from everyone involved. When applied to William Goldman’s expert writing — captured across 24 produced screenplays (along with several official consultant jobs and probably dozens of unofficial script doctoring gigs), 16 novels, seven memoirs, an abundance of non-fiction magazine articles, a handful of theatrical plays and teleplays, and a children’s...
The most famous non-fiction line coined by the recently departed screenwriting genius William Goldman is undoubtedly “Nobody knows anything,” a great dig at the expense of Hollywood tastemakers. That statement, coined in one of Goldman’s terrific behind-the-scenes screenwriting memoirs, Adventures In The Screen Trade (1983), was designed to reflect the fact that, essentially, churning out cinematic hits amounted to educated guesswork from everyone involved. When applied to William Goldman’s expert writing — captured across 24 produced screenplays (along with several official consultant jobs and probably dozens of unofficial script doctoring gigs), 16 novels, seven memoirs, an abundance of non-fiction magazine articles, a handful of theatrical plays and teleplays, and a children’s...
- 12/14/2018
- by Alex Kirschenbaum
- Trailers from Hell
Robert Redford has recently announced that his appearance in the upcoming film “The Old Man and the Gun” will mark his retirement from acting. Since then, this Hollywood icon has been rising up the ranks on our Oscars prediction chart for Best Actor. Should he take home the Academy Award next February, Redford would, at age 82, become the oldest-ever winner of that race.
His new movie is based on the true story of an elderly ex-con who robs a number of banks and becomes a folk hero. The role makes a fitting bookend to a career that was launched into the stratosphere by “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” fifty years ago. This new film by David Lowery boasts an exceptional supporting cast including Oscar winners Sissy Spacek, Casey Affleck and Keith Carradine as well as Emmy champ Elisabeth Moss and screen veteran Danny Glover.
Redford lost his only bid...
His new movie is based on the true story of an elderly ex-con who robs a number of banks and becomes a folk hero. The role makes a fitting bookend to a career that was launched into the stratosphere by “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” fifty years ago. This new film by David Lowery boasts an exceptional supporting cast including Oscar winners Sissy Spacek, Casey Affleck and Keith Carradine as well as Emmy champ Elisabeth Moss and screen veteran Danny Glover.
Redford lost his only bid...
- 9/18/2018
- by Robert Pius
- Gold Derby
Lauren Bacall would’ve celebrated her 94th birthday on September 16. The Hollywood icon showed no signs of slowing down, continuing to work until her death in 2014 at the age of 89. In honor of her birthday, let’s take a look back at 15 of her greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Bacall made her feature debut with Howard Hawks‘ adventure yarn “To Have and Have Not” (1945). The film was a landmark for the actress in both her career and her life, since it was how she met her future husband Humphrey Bogart. The two would become a legendary couple off-screen and on, making three subsequent features together: “The Big Sleep” (1946), “Dark Passage” (1947), and “Key Largo” (1948).
Despite her hefty filmography, Bacall received just one Oscar nomination in her career: Best Supporting Actress for “The Mirror Has Two Faces” (1996), in which she played Barbra Streisand‘s domineering mother. After victories at the Golden Globes and SAG,...
Bacall made her feature debut with Howard Hawks‘ adventure yarn “To Have and Have Not” (1945). The film was a landmark for the actress in both her career and her life, since it was how she met her future husband Humphrey Bogart. The two would become a legendary couple off-screen and on, making three subsequent features together: “The Big Sleep” (1946), “Dark Passage” (1947), and “Key Largo” (1948).
Despite her hefty filmography, Bacall received just one Oscar nomination in her career: Best Supporting Actress for “The Mirror Has Two Faces” (1996), in which she played Barbra Streisand‘s domineering mother. After victories at the Golden Globes and SAG,...
- 9/16/2018
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Sissy Spacek has been one of America’s top actresses for nearly 45 years. Throughout her career she has received six Oscar nominations for Best Actress, seven Golden Globe bids and three Emmy nominations. The New York Film Critics Circle has been so enamored of her work that they have recognized her four times, placing her second behind only Meryl Streep as the organization’s most acclaimed actresses. Early bird Oscar pundits are already speculating that Spacek could be back at the Oscars as a possible Best Supporting Actress nominee next year for her work in “The Old Man and the Gun,” which is being touted as Robert Redford’s final acting performance.
In addition to that, Spacek just returned to her Stephen King roots appearing in Hulu’s new drama series “Castle Rock.” It was in the film version of King’s first novel, “Carrie,” which first brought Spacek international...
In addition to that, Spacek just returned to her Stephen King roots appearing in Hulu’s new drama series “Castle Rock.” It was in the film version of King’s first novel, “Carrie,” which first brought Spacek international...
- 7/31/2018
- by Robert Pius and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Blu-ray fans are now well aware that many great movies unavailable in the U.S., can be easily found in Europe. One of the best westerns of the ’70s is this jarringly realistic cavalry vs. Apaches drama from Robert Aldrich and Burt Lancaster, which used the ‘R’ rating to show savage details that Hollywood had once avoided. In this case it works — the genuinely scary movie is also a serious meditation on violent America.
Ulzana’s Raid
(Keine Gnade für Ulzana)
All-region Blu-ray + Pal DVD
Explosive Media
1972 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 103 min. / Street Date November 9, 2017 / available through the Amazon Germany website / Eur 17,99
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Richard Jaeckel, Bruce Davison, Jorge Luke, Joaquín Martínez, Lloyd Bochner, Karl Swenson, Douglass Watson, Dran Hamilton, Gladys Holland, Aimee Eccles, Tony Epper, Nick Cravat, Richard Farnsworth, Dean Smith.
Cinematography: Joseph Biroc
Film Editor: Michael Luciano
Original Music: Frank De Vol
Written by Alan Sharp
Produced by...
Ulzana’s Raid
(Keine Gnade für Ulzana)
All-region Blu-ray + Pal DVD
Explosive Media
1972 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 103 min. / Street Date November 9, 2017 / available through the Amazon Germany website / Eur 17,99
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Richard Jaeckel, Bruce Davison, Jorge Luke, Joaquín Martínez, Lloyd Bochner, Karl Swenson, Douglass Watson, Dran Hamilton, Gladys Holland, Aimee Eccles, Tony Epper, Nick Cravat, Richard Farnsworth, Dean Smith.
Cinematography: Joseph Biroc
Film Editor: Michael Luciano
Original Music: Frank De Vol
Written by Alan Sharp
Produced by...
- 11/18/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
As sunny as Eraserhead was dark, David Lynch’s The Straight Story tells the tale of Alvin Straight’s (Richard Farnsworth) journey to visit his estranged brother. This being a Lynch film, Alvin makes the cross-country trip on top of a John Deere lawnmower, clocking in at a steady five miles an hour. It’s also a true story (as Mark Twain said, “It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.”) Co-starring Sissy Spacek and Harry Dean Stanton and photographed by Freddie Francis.
- 5/22/2017
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Kirk Douglas grits his teeth and goes full macho, wrasslin’ with that beautiful Sioux up in the high country — the Sioux miss in question being the Italian model Elsa Martinelli in her screen debut. Kirk can’t decide if he wants to stay with Elsa, or lead what must be the most shameful bunch of pioneer bigots ever to cross the plains. Walter Matthau and Diana Douglas are standouts in this vigorous action western directed by André de Toth.
The Indian Fighter
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1955 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 88 min. / Street Date May 9, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Elsa Martinelli, Walter Matthau, Diana Douglas, Walter Abel, Lon Chaney Jr., Eduard Franz, Alan Hale Jr., Elisha Cook Jr., Ray Teal, Frank Cady, Michael Winkelman, William Phipps.
Cinematography: Wilfrid M. Cline
Art Direction: Wiard Ihnen
Film Editor: Richard Cahoon
Original Music: Irving Gordon, Franz Waxman
Written by Robert L. Richards,...
The Indian Fighter
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1955 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 88 min. / Street Date May 9, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Elsa Martinelli, Walter Matthau, Diana Douglas, Walter Abel, Lon Chaney Jr., Eduard Franz, Alan Hale Jr., Elisha Cook Jr., Ray Teal, Frank Cady, Michael Winkelman, William Phipps.
Cinematography: Wilfrid M. Cline
Art Direction: Wiard Ihnen
Film Editor: Richard Cahoon
Original Music: Irving Gordon, Franz Waxman
Written by Robert L. Richards,...
- 5/5/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Author: Andy Furlong
The Hatton Garden Job,which is released in cinemas this week,is a film based on a real life robbery that has been called the “largest burglary in English legal history”. A daring heist from an underground safe deposit facility in London that captured the public’s imagination as much due the advanced age of the criminals involved as the brazenness of the crime itself.
With that in mind we take a look at some other films in which the characterisation of the elderly is defined beyond the usual physical limitations and vulnerability associated with senior citizens.
Gran Torino
In many ways Clint Eastwood has been channelling the spirit of a grumpy old man as early as his 40s when he played Harry Callahan in the Dirty Harry series. Eastwood, perhaps more than anybody else, has cultivated the persona of the ageing hero for sometime now in films like Unforgiven,...
The Hatton Garden Job,which is released in cinemas this week,is a film based on a real life robbery that has been called the “largest burglary in English legal history”. A daring heist from an underground safe deposit facility in London that captured the public’s imagination as much due the advanced age of the criminals involved as the brazenness of the crime itself.
With that in mind we take a look at some other films in which the characterisation of the elderly is defined beyond the usual physical limitations and vulnerability associated with senior citizens.
Gran Torino
In many ways Clint Eastwood has been channelling the spirit of a grumpy old man as early as his 40s when he played Harry Callahan in the Dirty Harry series. Eastwood, perhaps more than anybody else, has cultivated the persona of the ageing hero for sometime now in films like Unforgiven,...
- 4/14/2017
- by Andy Furlong
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
‘Florence Foster Jenkins’ (Courtesy: Paramount Pictures)
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
Not only is the best actress race extremely competitive this year, but it could also shape up to be one of the oldest collection of talents in Oscar history. Should the stars align correctly, this could be just the second time there have been three or more actresses in the category who were aged 50 or older. Let’s take a look at the one time before and see how it might be happening again.
According to The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg, the current standing of the best actress category has Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) and Isabelle Huppert (Elle) as frontrunners while Annette Bening (20th Century Women) isn’t too far behind as a major threat. The ages of these women — as of the upcoming Oscar ceremony on February 26 — is as follows: Streep will be 67 years, eight months,...
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
Not only is the best actress race extremely competitive this year, but it could also shape up to be one of the oldest collection of talents in Oscar history. Should the stars align correctly, this could be just the second time there have been three or more actresses in the category who were aged 50 or older. Let’s take a look at the one time before and see how it might be happening again.
According to The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg, the current standing of the best actress category has Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) and Isabelle Huppert (Elle) as frontrunners while Annette Bening (20th Century Women) isn’t too far behind as a major threat. The ages of these women — as of the upcoming Oscar ceremony on February 26 — is as follows: Streep will be 67 years, eight months,...
- 1/20/2017
- by Carson Blackwelder
- Scott Feinberg
Ten years ago I attended the Lone Pine Film Festival for the first time. It was the 17th annual celebration in 2006 of a festival dedicated to the heritage of movies (mostly westerns, but plenty of other genres as well) shot in or near the town of Lone Pine, California, located on the outer edges of the Mojave Desert and nestled up against the Eastern Sierra Mountains in the shadow of the magnificent Mt. Whitney. The multitude of films that could and have been celebrated there were most often shot at least partially in the Alabama Hills just outside of town, a spectacular array of geological beauty that springs out of the landscape like some sort of extra-planetary exhibit, a visitation of natural and very unusual formations that have lent themselves to the imaginations of filmmakers here ever since near the dawn of the Hollywood filmmaking industry.
In writing about the...
In writing about the...
- 10/23/2016
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
February’s home entertainment releases are kicking off in a big way, as horror and sci-fi fans have an extraordinary number of brand spanking new titles to choose from this Tuesday. From indie horror to cult classics to cult classics in the making, February 2nd’s Blu-ray and DVD releases truly do offer up something for everyone.
Scream Factory is offering up two modern genre films this week, Hellions and Zombie Fight Club and Cinedigm is keeping busy too on Tuesday with their releases of Extraordinary Tales and The World of Kanako. Vin Diesel’s latest, The Last Witch Hunter, arrives on both Blu and DVD and if you call yourself a Henry Rollins fan, you will definitely want to pick up He Never Died this week as well.
Other notable titles being released on February 2nd include From Dusk Till Dawn: Season Two, Falling Skies: The Complete Fifth Season,...
Scream Factory is offering up two modern genre films this week, Hellions and Zombie Fight Club and Cinedigm is keeping busy too on Tuesday with their releases of Extraordinary Tales and The World of Kanako. Vin Diesel’s latest, The Last Witch Hunter, arrives on both Blu and DVD and if you call yourself a Henry Rollins fan, you will definitely want to pick up He Never Died this week as well.
Other notable titles being released on February 2nd include From Dusk Till Dawn: Season Two, Falling Skies: The Complete Fifth Season,...
- 2/2/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
By Patrick Shanley
Managing Editor
Sir Ian McKellen, who has received two Oscar nominations in his career spanning over four decades, may seem like a darkhorse for a nomination this year for his performance as Sherlock Holmes in director Bill Condon’s Mr. Holmes. However, the 76-year-old star is arguably more hip with audiences now than he ever has been in his career.
With several high-profile franchises under his belt since the turn of the millennium (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, X-Men films, and Hobbit trilogy) and a recent successful stint on Broadway alongside longtime friend Patrick Stewart in No Man’s Land, the British actor is as relevant now as ever before.
Were McKellen to receive a best actor nomination this year he would become the third oldest actor in history to achieve that feat, at the age of 76 years and 278 days, just behind Bruce Dern who was...
Managing Editor
Sir Ian McKellen, who has received two Oscar nominations in his career spanning over four decades, may seem like a darkhorse for a nomination this year for his performance as Sherlock Holmes in director Bill Condon’s Mr. Holmes. However, the 76-year-old star is arguably more hip with audiences now than he ever has been in his career.
With several high-profile franchises under his belt since the turn of the millennium (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, X-Men films, and Hobbit trilogy) and a recent successful stint on Broadway alongside longtime friend Patrick Stewart in No Man’s Land, the British actor is as relevant now as ever before.
Were McKellen to receive a best actor nomination this year he would become the third oldest actor in history to achieve that feat, at the age of 76 years and 278 days, just behind Bruce Dern who was...
- 11/27/2015
- by Patrick Shanley
- Scott Feinberg
Most of us love the Trumbo-Douglas-Kubrick thinking man's leftist gladiator epic, and after several iffy disc presentations this exacting digital restoration follows through on the photochemical reconstruction done 25 years ago. It looks incredibly good, almost too good to be a Blu-ray. Kirk contributes a new featurette interview, telling us that this is the show he'll be remembered for. Spartacus Blu-ray + Digital HD Universal Studios Home Entertainment 1960 / Color / 2:20 widescreen / 197 min. / Street Date October 6, 2015 / 19.98 Starring Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Charles Laughton, Jean Simmons, Peter Ustinov, Tony Curtis, Woody Strode, John Gavin, Nina Foch, Herbert Lom, Charles McGraw, John Ireland, Nick Dennis, John Dall, Herbert Lom, Joanna Barnes, Harold J. Stone, Peter Brocco, John Hoyt, Richard Farnsworth, George Kennedy. Cinematography by Russell Metty Music by Alex North Edited by Robert Lawrence Produced by Kirk Douglas and Edward Lewis Screenplay by Dalton Trumbo Based on the novel by Howard Fast Produced by...
- 10/20/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Dismaland Castle and Big Little Mermaid suffering from split-personality disorder. Dismaland: Banksy and more than 50 other artists create bemusement theme park Who gives a damn about the cheap thrills to be offered by the Star Wars-themed expansion of Disneyland when you can relish the thought-provoking wonders of Dismaland? The artist Banksy, whose 2010 documentary feature Exit Through the Gift Shop was nominated for an Academy Award, has come up with his latest revolutionary artwork: a theme park for the bemusement of the whole family! Or perhaps not quite the whole family. Banksy calls his 2.5-acre art show a “family theme park unsuitable for small children.” Another Dismaland plus. Its construction shrouded in secrecy, Dismaland opened today, Aug. 20, '15, on the sea front at Weston-super-Mare, in Somerset, southwest England. While the theme park was being built, locals believed that the work going on at the derelict Tropicana “lido” – shut down in...
- 8/20/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Vivien Leigh ca. late 1940s. Vivien Leigh movies: now controversial 'Gone with the Wind,' little-seen '21 Days Together' on TCM Vivien Leigh is Turner Classic Movies' star today, Aug. 18, '15, as TCM's “Summer Under the Stars” series continues. Mostly a stage actress, Leigh was seen in only 19 films – in about 15 of which as a leading lady or star – in a movie career spanning three decades. Good for the relatively few who saw her on stage; bad for all those who have access to only a few performances of one of the most remarkable acting talents of the 20th century. This evening, TCM is showing three Vivien Leigh movies: Gone with the Wind (1939), 21 Days Together (1940), and A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). Leigh won Best Actress Academy Awards for the first and the third title. The little-remembered film in-between is a TCM premiere. 'Gone with the Wind' Seemingly all...
- 8/19/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. ca. 1935. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was never as popular as his father, silent film superstar Douglas Fairbanks, who starred in one action-adventure blockbuster after another in the 1920s (The Mark of Zorro, Robin Hood, The Thief of Bagdad) and whose stardom dates back to the mid-1910s, when Fairbanks toplined a series of light, modern-day comedies in which he was cast as the embodiment of the enterprising, 20th century “all-American.” What this particular go-getter got was screen queen Mary Pickford as his wife and United Artists as his studio, which he co-founded with Pickford, D.W. Griffith, and Charles Chaplin. Now, although Jr. never had the following of Sr., he did enjoy a solid two-decade-plus movie career. In fact, he was one of the few children of major film stars – e.g., Jane Fonda, Liza Minnelli, Angelina Jolie, Michael Douglas, Jamie Lee Curtis – who had successful film careers of their own.
- 8/16/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The Conversation is a feature at Sound on Sight bringing together Drew Morton and Landon Palmer in a passionate debate about cinema new and old. For their fourth piece, they will discuss David Lynch’s film The Straight Story (1999).
Drew’s Take
I am in the midst of my 1999 class and I assigned two films I had yet to see from the acclaimed year – the year that Entertainment Weekly claimed to “change movies” – Kimberly Pierce’s Boys Don’t Cry and David Lynch’s The Straight Story. I like doing this as a Professor, because it varies the class and keeps me from getting too settled into a comfort zone. It challenges me to be more spontaneous and in the moment, a zone I typically find stimulating and energizing. Needless to say, the sixteen year old legacy of Lynch’s The Straight Story created a certain predisposition. Having seen all of Lynch’s other films,...
Drew’s Take
I am in the midst of my 1999 class and I assigned two films I had yet to see from the acclaimed year – the year that Entertainment Weekly claimed to “change movies” – Kimberly Pierce’s Boys Don’t Cry and David Lynch’s The Straight Story. I like doing this as a Professor, because it varies the class and keeps me from getting too settled into a comfort zone. It challenges me to be more spontaneous and in the moment, a zone I typically find stimulating and energizing. Needless to say, the sixteen year old legacy of Lynch’s The Straight Story created a certain predisposition. Having seen all of Lynch’s other films,...
- 4/11/2015
- by Landon Palmer
- SoundOnSight
By Joe Elliott
Long-time Grass Valley, California resident (Norman Eugene) Clint Walker starred in the iconic television western Cheyenne from 1955-1963. This was the golden era of TV westerns, with dozens of similar shows airing around the same time.
Like their big screen counterparts, TV cowboys were usually handsome, brave, resourceful and of course good with a gun. However, there was something a bit different about the Cheyenne Bodie character as Walker portrayed him. He fit the genre all right. A big, handsome man built like an oak tree (6’6”, 48-inch chest, 32-inch waist), he rode easy in the saddle and looked better than almost anybody in a Stetson and boots. Men who doubted his resolve always ended up regretting it. Ladies looked his way. Still, despite never violating the conventions of the formula, Walker somehow managed to make the sum of his character add up to more than its parts.
Long-time Grass Valley, California resident (Norman Eugene) Clint Walker starred in the iconic television western Cheyenne from 1955-1963. This was the golden era of TV westerns, with dozens of similar shows airing around the same time.
Like their big screen counterparts, TV cowboys were usually handsome, brave, resourceful and of course good with a gun. However, there was something a bit different about the Cheyenne Bodie character as Walker portrayed him. He fit the genre all right. A big, handsome man built like an oak tree (6’6”, 48-inch chest, 32-inch waist), he rode easy in the saddle and looked better than almost anybody in a Stetson and boots. Men who doubted his resolve always ended up regretting it. Ladies looked his way. Still, despite never violating the conventions of the formula, Walker somehow managed to make the sum of his character add up to more than its parts.
- 1/18/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Cary Grant films on TCM: Gender-bending 'I Was a Male War Bride' (photo: Cary Grant not gay at all in 'I Was a Male War Bride') More Cary Grant films will be shown tonight, as Turner Classic Movies continues with its Star of the Month presentations. On TCM right now is the World War II action-drama Destination Tokyo (1943), in which Grant finds himself aboard a U.S. submarine, alongside John Garfield, Dane Clark, Robert Hutton, and Tom Tully, among others. The directorial debut of screenwriter Delmer Daves (The Petrified Forest, Love Affair) -- who, in the following decade, would direct a series of classy Westerns, e.g., 3:10 to Yuma, The Hanging Tree -- Destination Tokyo is pure flag-waving propaganda, plodding its way through the dangerous waters of Hollywood war-movie stereotypes and speechifying banalities. The film's key point of interest, in fact, is Grant himself -- not because he's any good,...
- 12/16/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The poster for Voyage of the Damned makes a bold claim, and maybe those who saw Stuart Rosenberg’s star-studded blockbuster in 1976 have remembered it ever since. Until a couple of weeks ago, however, when I saw it in a list of past Oscar nominees, I had never heard of it, and I don’t think it would be unfair to say that it is a film that has not stood the test of time.
Voyage of the Damned, which chronicles the tragic failed escape of 937 Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, was nominated for three Oscars (for Best Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, and for Lee Grant for Best Supporting Actress, the lone acting nominee among a boatload of international heavyweights).
Oscar nominations, especially for acting, tend to confer a certain amount of immortality on their recipients (you are forever “Academy Award nominee Lee Grant”) and there are many films and...
Voyage of the Damned, which chronicles the tragic failed escape of 937 Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, was nominated for three Oscars (for Best Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, and for Lee Grant for Best Supporting Actress, the lone acting nominee among a boatload of international heavyweights).
Oscar nominations, especially for acting, tend to confer a certain amount of immortality on their recipients (you are forever “Academy Award nominee Lee Grant”) and there are many films and...
- 3/1/2014
- by Adrian Curry
- MUBI
There are whispers of a new western called Another Man’s Gun. The men behind this project are director Jon Gries and screenwriter Derek Walker. Jon best known to us for his roles in Lost, Napoleon Dynamite and both entries into the Taken franchise, is following up his 2010 feature debut comedy Pickin’ and Grinnin’, with a journey into America’s past – Nebraska 1840 to be precise.
To help fund pre-production aspects of the film, Jon set-up a Kickstarter campaign that is going on through to January 31st. Just as HeyUGuys’ mascot Chunk in The Goonies liked to make a little noise, we thought the least we could do was speak with Jon and make a little noise of our own.
Another Man’s Gun sees Jon following in his father’s footsteps. In 1968 Tom Gries wrote and directed Charlton Heston in the western Will Penny. There are similarities and contrasts alike...
To help fund pre-production aspects of the film, Jon set-up a Kickstarter campaign that is going on through to January 31st. Just as HeyUGuys’ mascot Chunk in The Goonies liked to make a little noise, we thought the least we could do was speak with Jon and make a little noise of our own.
Another Man’s Gun sees Jon following in his father’s footsteps. In 1968 Tom Gries wrote and directed Charlton Heston in the western Will Penny. There are similarities and contrasts alike...
- 1/29/2014
- by Paul Risker
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Oscar Predictions 2014: Best Actor (Robert Redford in ‘All Is Lost’) (See also: "Oscar Predictions 2014: Best Picture, Best Director.") The 2014 Academy Awards’ Best Actor field is overflowing with well-received performances by film veterans and super-veterans. No less than ten actors are found on our lists of nominees and immediate runners-up; that means our list of Best Actor "long shots" is all but meaningless, as, barring a miracle, there’s no chance for any of those actors to be shortlisted for an Oscar this year. (See also: “Best Actress 2014 Oscar Predictions: Meryl Streep to Break Another Record?”) Note: Our list of likely Best Actor nominees matches four of the 2014 SAG Awards’ five nominees in that category. Now, it’s good to remember three things regarding the SAG Awards vs. the Academy Awards: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Actors Branch, about 1,100 members, tends to be more "elitist" (or...
- 1/5/2014
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
I'm sure you've seen the melancholy yet uplifting new spot for Nebraska that points out the ages of its principal cast and how long they've been acting. It's inspiring, for sure, as longevity often is. Hollywood and the Oscars often favor the sprinters (note all the stars, particularly actresses, who won too soon and all the films that opened in the rush of awards season that were only hot for two months) but life is a marathon.
Assuming Bruce Dern and June Squibb are both nominated on January 16th (and smart money says they will be) they'll both be among the top three oldest performers ever nominated in their categories. It will break down like so...
Oldest Best Actor Nominees
01 Richard Farnsworth, The Straight Story (1999) who was 79
02 Bruce Dern, Nebraska (20) who is 77*
03 Henry Fonda, On Golden Pond (1981) who was 76
04 Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby (2004) who was 74
05 Peter O'Toole, Venus (2006) who was also 74
06 Morgan Freeman,...
Assuming Bruce Dern and June Squibb are both nominated on January 16th (and smart money says they will be) they'll both be among the top three oldest performers ever nominated in their categories. It will break down like so...
Oldest Best Actor Nominees
01 Richard Farnsworth, The Straight Story (1999) who was 79
02 Bruce Dern, Nebraska (20) who is 77*
03 Henry Fonda, On Golden Pond (1981) who was 76
04 Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby (2004) who was 74
05 Peter O'Toole, Venus (2006) who was also 74
06 Morgan Freeman,...
- 1/3/2014
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Entertainment Geekly is a weekly column that examines contemporary pop culture through a geek lens and simultaneously examines contemporary geek culture through a pop lens. So many lenses! Click here for past columns.
Last week I wrote a long and rant-y column about the Disney Myth, as constructed in Saving Mr. Banks and deconstructed in Escape From Tomorrow. In an effort to prove I’m not the world’s biggest grouch — and because I spent the past week in the metaphorical Disneyland known as “being back home with my family for the holidays” — I decided to try an experiment that...
Last week I wrote a long and rant-y column about the Disney Myth, as constructed in Saving Mr. Banks and deconstructed in Escape From Tomorrow. In an effort to prove I’m not the world’s biggest grouch — and because I spent the past week in the metaphorical Disneyland known as “being back home with my family for the holidays” — I decided to try an experiment that...
- 12/26/2013
- by Darren Franich
- EW.com - PopWatch
Hot Jennifer Lawrence, Wet Robert Redford: New York Film Critics Awards 2013 winners (photo: Jennifer Lawrence in ‘American Hustle’) A crime drama featuring con men, mafiosi, and FBI agents, the David O. Russell-directed, real-life inspired American Hustle won three New York Film Critics Circle Awards earlier today, December 3, 2013: Best Picture; Best Screenplay for Russell and Eric Singer; and Best Supporting Actress for Jennifer Lawrence for her performance as con man and FBI mole Christian Bale’s steamy, big-mouthed wife. (Full list of Nyfcc 2013 award winners.) Last year, Jennifer Lawrence was the New York Film Critics’ runner-up in the Best Actress category for both The Hunger Games and Silver Linings Playbook. The latter film, also directed by David O. Russell, earned her the Best Actress Academy Award earlier this year. Besides Jennifer Lawrence, whose The Hunger Games: Catching Fire may turn out to be the biggest 2013 blockbuster in North America,...
- 12/3/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Odd List Ryan Lambie Simon Brew 21 Nov 2013 - 05:51
The underappreciated films of 1999 are the focus in our last list of 90s overlooked greats...
The year 1999 was a significant year for film in many ways. Apart from being the year that George Lucas began his Star Wars prequels with The Phantom Menace, it also saw the release of The Blair Witch Project, a horror film which became one of the first to use the internet as a marketing tool, resulting in a massive hit. The Matrix ushered in a new age of special effects filmmaking, arguably paving the way for the superhero blockbusters crowding into multiplexes today.
Mainly, though, 1999 was simply a brilliant year for film. Justly lauded movies like Fight Club, The Green Mile and Eyes Wide Shut aside, there were a huge number of films that didn't get the critical or financial success they deserved - so many,...
The underappreciated films of 1999 are the focus in our last list of 90s overlooked greats...
The year 1999 was a significant year for film in many ways. Apart from being the year that George Lucas began his Star Wars prequels with The Phantom Menace, it also saw the release of The Blair Witch Project, a horror film which became one of the first to use the internet as a marketing tool, resulting in a massive hit. The Matrix ushered in a new age of special effects filmmaking, arguably paving the way for the superhero blockbusters crowding into multiplexes today.
Mainly, though, 1999 was simply a brilliant year for film. Justly lauded movies like Fight Club, The Green Mile and Eyes Wide Shut aside, there were a huge number of films that didn't get the critical or financial success they deserved - so many,...
- 11/20/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
In this extract from his forthcoming book, the Observer's new film critic, Mark Kermode, examines how the internet has changed the role of the professional reviewer. When everyone has an opinion, what value does the critic retain?
"Forrest Gump on a tractor." Those five words are probably my favourite film review ever. More importantly, they constitute the most damaging hatchet job I ever encountered, managing to do something I had often argued was impossible – to kill a movie stone dead. I didn't read them in a newspaper or on a blog, I didn't hear them on the radio or television; rather, they were whispered in my ear by a trusted friend and colleague, David Cox, as the house lights went down on a screening of David Lynch's The Straight Story.
I'd been really looking forward to that movie. I've been a huge Lynch fan ever since being blindsided by...
"Forrest Gump on a tractor." Those five words are probably my favourite film review ever. More importantly, they constitute the most damaging hatchet job I ever encountered, managing to do something I had often argued was impossible – to kill a movie stone dead. I didn't read them in a newspaper or on a blog, I didn't hear them on the radio or television; rather, they were whispered in my ear by a trusted friend and colleague, David Cox, as the house lights went down on a screening of David Lynch's The Straight Story.
I'd been really looking forward to that movie. I've been a huge Lynch fan ever since being blindsided by...
- 9/30/2013
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
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