Fight Club, Zodiac, The Social Network, Gone Girl. There's hardly anyone who hasn't seen, let alone heard, all of these movies and the name of the man behind them, David Fincher. From Alien 3 to The Killer with Michael Fassbender, from House of Cards to Love, Death & Robots, Fincher's career is now in its fourth decade and his films have collectively grossed over $2.1 billion. But of course, no matter how original his work, even a director as innovative as Fincher is inspired by the achievements of filmmakers who came before him. Here is a list of 26 films that David Fincher has cited as his favorites.
26 Must-See Movies David Fincher Loves
26. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
25. Chinatown
24. Dr. Strangelove
23. The Godfather Part II
22. Taxi Driver
21. Being There
20. Alien
19. Rear Window
18. Jaws
17. Lawrence of Arabia
16. Zelig
15. Cabaret
14. All That Jazz
13. Paper Moon
12. All the President's Men
11. Citizen Kane
10. 8½
9. The Graduate...
26 Must-See Movies David Fincher Loves
26. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
25. Chinatown
24. Dr. Strangelove
23. The Godfather Part II
22. Taxi Driver
21. Being There
20. Alien
19. Rear Window
18. Jaws
17. Lawrence of Arabia
16. Zelig
15. Cabaret
14. All That Jazz
13. Paper Moon
12. All the President's Men
11. Citizen Kane
10. 8½
9. The Graduate...
- 5/16/2024
- by louise.everitt@startefacts.com (Louise Everitt)
- STartefacts.com
10. Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
Tired of the repetitive teen rom-coms of the 1990s, director Joel Gallen decided to make his own — and arguably, one of the best by far. In perhaps the most classic teen movie tale, a popular high-school jock gets challenged by his friends to turn a shy and bullied girl into a prom queen… And hopelessly falls in love with her.
You can watch Not Another Teen Movie on Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video.
9. Scary Movie (2000)
A very similar thought occurred to Keenen Ivory Wayans, the director of Scary Movie who pumped his flick full with the most popular horror cliches of the 1990s — and still produced a greatly entertaining film. A group of teenagers who accidentally killed a man is haunted by a mysterious mumbling killer who picks them off one by one.
You can watch Scary Movie on Max, Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video.
8. This Is Spinal Tap...
Tired of the repetitive teen rom-coms of the 1990s, director Joel Gallen decided to make his own — and arguably, one of the best by far. In perhaps the most classic teen movie tale, a popular high-school jock gets challenged by his friends to turn a shy and bullied girl into a prom queen… And hopelessly falls in love with her.
You can watch Not Another Teen Movie on Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video.
9. Scary Movie (2000)
A very similar thought occurred to Keenen Ivory Wayans, the director of Scary Movie who pumped his flick full with the most popular horror cliches of the 1990s — and still produced a greatly entertaining film. A group of teenagers who accidentally killed a man is haunted by a mysterious mumbling killer who picks them off one by one.
You can watch Scary Movie on Max, Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video.
8. This Is Spinal Tap...
- 4/27/2024
- by dean-black@startefacts.com (Dean Black)
- STartefacts.com
Stars: Diane Foster, D’Andre Noiré, Kelly Grant, Zach Kanner, Allison Lobel, Adam Slemon, Zuri Starks, Jamie B. Cline | Written by Allison Lobel | Directed by Diane Foster
Look what’s come hopping down the bunny trail just in time for the holiday weekend, Easter Bloody Easter, the latest in the never-ending line of holiday horrors. We’ve already had our share of Easter-themed films from Faster Eater Bunny, Kill! Kill! and Easter Holocaust to Resurrection. But when it comes to low-budget horror, there’s no such thing as too many films on a subject, so what’s one more?
This one opens with a couple going at it in a church storeroom, “I want you to fuck me like some muffin top Jesus!”, being killed by a glowing-eyed rabbit that transforms into a glowing-eyed monster complete with Easter basket.
A week later Jeanie wakes up in her yard and tries to...
Look what’s come hopping down the bunny trail just in time for the holiday weekend, Easter Bloody Easter, the latest in the never-ending line of holiday horrors. We’ve already had our share of Easter-themed films from Faster Eater Bunny, Kill! Kill! and Easter Holocaust to Resurrection. But when it comes to low-budget horror, there’s no such thing as too many films on a subject, so what’s one more?
This one opens with a couple going at it in a church storeroom, “I want you to fuck me like some muffin top Jesus!”, being killed by a glowing-eyed rabbit that transforms into a glowing-eyed monster complete with Easter basket.
A week later Jeanie wakes up in her yard and tries to...
- 3/27/2024
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
On August 12, 2012, 750 million sets of eyes were entranced by the closing ceremony of the London Olympics, a spectacle celebrating the host city and nation. From under the stage emerged Eric Idle, surrounded by nuns on roller skates and Roman soldiers. Idle led the audience in a rendition of his hit comedy anthem “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”. The live crowd joined in on every word, even thirty years after the song’s initial release.
Since the 1960s, Eric Idle has reminded us to “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”. More than that, he has made doing so a lot easier with his unique brand of comedy and creativity. Idle rose to prominence with his fellow Pythons in the late 1960s and was a staple of screens big and small in the decades to follow. He has largely stepped away from the spotlight in recent years,...
Since the 1960s, Eric Idle has reminded us to “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”. More than that, he has made doing so a lot easier with his unique brand of comedy and creativity. Idle rose to prominence with his fellow Pythons in the late 1960s and was a staple of screens big and small in the decades to follow. He has largely stepped away from the spotlight in recent years,...
- 3/8/2024
- by Derek Mitchell
- JoBlo.com
Paramount’s “Bob Marley: One Love” debuted atop the U.K. and Ireland box office with £6.9 million ($8.7 million), according to numbers from Comscore.
Universal’s animation “Migration” dropped a spot to second place with £2.7 million in its third weekend and now has a total of £13.5 million. Sony’s “Madame Web” debuted in third position with £2.2 million.
In fourth place, in its third weekend, Universal’s “Argylle” earned £544,846 for a total of £5 million. Rounding off the top five was Warner Bros.’ “Wonka” that collected £424,825 in its 11th weekend for a total of £62.1 million.
There were no other debuts in the top 10.
The midweek release coming up is the 48th & 1/2 anniversary, as the makers style it, re-release of Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones’ cult 1975 comedy “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” starring John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Gilliam and Jones, from Graft Entertainment. It opens Wednesday, Feb. 21.
“All of Us Strangers...
Universal’s animation “Migration” dropped a spot to second place with £2.7 million in its third weekend and now has a total of £13.5 million. Sony’s “Madame Web” debuted in third position with £2.2 million.
In fourth place, in its third weekend, Universal’s “Argylle” earned £544,846 for a total of £5 million. Rounding off the top five was Warner Bros.’ “Wonka” that collected £424,825 in its 11th weekend for a total of £62.1 million.
There were no other debuts in the top 10.
The midweek release coming up is the 48th & 1/2 anniversary, as the makers style it, re-release of Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones’ cult 1975 comedy “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” starring John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Gilliam and Jones, from Graft Entertainment. It opens Wednesday, Feb. 21.
“All of Us Strangers...
- 2/20/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
“Monty Python” alum Eric Idle addressed an apparent fan misconception on Friday: that he and the rest of the legendary British comedy troupe’s members aren’t swimming in cash from their productions. As he put it, “I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster. Spamalot made money 20 years ago. I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age.” Idle is 80 years old.
I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster. Spamalot made money 20 years ago. I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age. https://t.co/nFDbV9BOfC
— Eric Idle (@EricIdle) February 9, 2024
Hours later, Idle added, “We own everything we ever made in Python and I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously. But I guess if you put a Gilliam...
I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster. Spamalot made money 20 years ago. I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age. https://t.co/nFDbV9BOfC
— Eric Idle (@EricIdle) February 9, 2024
Hours later, Idle added, “We own everything we ever made in Python and I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously. But I guess if you put a Gilliam...
- 2/11/2024
- by Stephanie Kaloi
- The Wrap
Celebrating its 48th-and-a-bit anniversary, Monty Python And The Holy Grail is coming back to cinemas for a limited time only.
Forget your usual sing-along screenings of your favourite musical. You can go to a quote-along screening of Monty Python And The Holy Grail this February.
It’s been 48 (and a half) years since the iconic comedy premiered in cinemas. Starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, Monthly Python And The Holy Grail marked the directorial debuts of Gilliam and Jones.
To mark the anniversary, the film is making a comeback in cinemas, but there will also be special quote-along screenings. They will give you an opportunity to shout out lines like “She’s a witch!” and “I fart in your general direction” at the screen.
Tickets for these are already on sale and you can purchase them here.
Monty Python’s Life Of Brian...
Forget your usual sing-along screenings of your favourite musical. You can go to a quote-along screening of Monty Python And The Holy Grail this February.
It’s been 48 (and a half) years since the iconic comedy premiered in cinemas. Starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, Monthly Python And The Holy Grail marked the directorial debuts of Gilliam and Jones.
To mark the anniversary, the film is making a comeback in cinemas, but there will also be special quote-along screenings. They will give you an opportunity to shout out lines like “She’s a witch!” and “I fart in your general direction” at the screen.
Tickets for these are already on sale and you can purchase them here.
Monty Python’s Life Of Brian...
- 1/31/2024
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
The Monty Python legend and director of 12 Monkeys and Brazil will be receiving his first Aardman Slapstick award for visual comedy next month. Ask him anything here
Terry Gilliam has directed 13 feature films including 1981 fantasy adventure Time Bandits with Sean Connery and John Cleese, 1995’s sci-fi thriller 12 Monkeys with Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt and 2005 fantasy adventure The Brothers Grimm with Matt Damon and Heath Ledger. It all started, of course, with 1975’s Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the first Monty Python film, which Gilliam co-wrote and starred in along with his fellow Pythons, as well as directing.
Although American-born, Gilliam renounced his American citizenship in 2006. He was nominated for an Oscar for best original screenplay for 1985 sci-fi dystopian dark comedy Brazil and a Golden Globe for best director for 1991 fantasy comedy-drama The Fisher King. In 1998, he won a Bafta for outstanding contribution to cinema and, in...
Terry Gilliam has directed 13 feature films including 1981 fantasy adventure Time Bandits with Sean Connery and John Cleese, 1995’s sci-fi thriller 12 Monkeys with Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt and 2005 fantasy adventure The Brothers Grimm with Matt Damon and Heath Ledger. It all started, of course, with 1975’s Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the first Monty Python film, which Gilliam co-wrote and starred in along with his fellow Pythons, as well as directing.
Although American-born, Gilliam renounced his American citizenship in 2006. He was nominated for an Oscar for best original screenplay for 1985 sci-fi dystopian dark comedy Brazil and a Golden Globe for best director for 1991 fantasy comedy-drama The Fisher King. In 1998, he won a Bafta for outstanding contribution to cinema and, in...
- 1/22/2024
- by Rich Pelley
- The Guardian - Film News
Jonathan Bennett has announced a major new role!
The 42-year-old Hallmark Channel star is headed to Broadway to star in the revival of Spamalot, replacing one of the show’s original actors just two months after it’s opening.
Keep reading to find out more…
“It’s my dream come true. I’m so pumped,” he told People of his new role.
The musical, featuring a book and lyrics by Eric Idle, is “lovingly ripped off” from the classic movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. “Everything that makes a great knight in the theatre is here, from flying cows to killer rabbits, British royalty to French taunters, dancing girls, rubbery shrubbery, and of course, the Lady of the Lake,” the synopsis reads.
Jonathan will be taking over the role of Sir Robin. Michael Urie is currently performing in the role, with his final performance set for Sunday, January 21st.
The 42-year-old Hallmark Channel star is headed to Broadway to star in the revival of Spamalot, replacing one of the show’s original actors just two months after it’s opening.
Keep reading to find out more…
“It’s my dream come true. I’m so pumped,” he told People of his new role.
The musical, featuring a book and lyrics by Eric Idle, is “lovingly ripped off” from the classic movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. “Everything that makes a great knight in the theatre is here, from flying cows to killer rabbits, British royalty to French taunters, dancing girls, rubbery shrubbery, and of course, the Lady of the Lake,” the synopsis reads.
Jonathan will be taking over the role of Sir Robin. Michael Urie is currently performing in the role, with his final performance set for Sunday, January 21st.
- 1/3/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Holiday shoppers were in a Broadway spirit last week, with total box office for the 26 shows up a couple percentage points from the previous week to $31,465,465, attendance holding steady at 225,585 and the average ticket price a strong $139.48.
Still, while shows such as Merrily We Roll Along, Sweeney Todd, The Lion King, Wicked, I Need That and newcomer Appropriate filled seats during the week ending Dec. 17, Broadway’s holiday season isn’t quite as joyous as last year, with total box office receipts down about 16% year over year. Attendance was off by 18% compared to last year at this time, in no small part due to fewer productions on the boards – 26 compared to 34 last December.
Though fewer in number than last year, Broadway shows individually were, overall, reporting decent figures. Seventeen of the 26 productions filled more than 90% of their seats, with Hamilton, Merrily We Roll Along, Moulin Rouge!, I Need That and...
Still, while shows such as Merrily We Roll Along, Sweeney Todd, The Lion King, Wicked, I Need That and newcomer Appropriate filled seats during the week ending Dec. 17, Broadway’s holiday season isn’t quite as joyous as last year, with total box office receipts down about 16% year over year. Attendance was off by 18% compared to last year at this time, in no small part due to fewer productions on the boards – 26 compared to 34 last December.
Though fewer in number than last year, Broadway shows individually were, overall, reporting decent figures. Seventeen of the 26 productions filled more than 90% of their seats, with Hamilton, Merrily We Roll Along, Moulin Rouge!, I Need That and...
- 12/19/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
If you want a risk-taking Broadway musical that weaponizes disco-glamour to tell a story of crumbling democracy, I hope you already invested in a ticket to the immersion of "Here Lies Love" in its dying breath. If you want a work of artistic and personal self-reflection, see the "Merrily We Roll Along" revival. But if you hunger for Broadway-based belly laughs, you have two musical options: "Gutenberg! The Musical!" or the "Monty Python's Spamalot" revival.
"Lovingly ripped off" from the 1975 "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" as well as other "Monty Python" media, "Spamalot" reigned for 1,575 performances from its 2005 Broadway premiere. Transported from the Kennedy Center run in May 2023, this Broadway revival at the St. James Theatre serves up the oldies with adequate variance to its secondhand Pythonesque humor.
From the moment the Arthurian tale opens with an irrelevant Finland number, anyone who has not seen anything "Monty Python" is in for hijinks.
"Lovingly ripped off" from the 1975 "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" as well as other "Monty Python" media, "Spamalot" reigned for 1,575 performances from its 2005 Broadway premiere. Transported from the Kennedy Center run in May 2023, this Broadway revival at the St. James Theatre serves up the oldies with adequate variance to its secondhand Pythonesque humor.
From the moment the Arthurian tale opens with an irrelevant Finland number, anyone who has not seen anything "Monty Python" is in for hijinks.
- 11/29/2023
- by Caroline Cao
- Slash Film
A revival of Monty Python’s classic musical Spamalot officially opened on November 16 at Broadway’s St. James Theatre.
The musical began performances on October 31 and stars Tony award-winning actor James Monroe Iglehart, known for his roles in Aladdin and Hamilton, who portrays the character of King Arthur. He is joined by Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer from Beetlejuice as The Lady of the Lake, Tony nominee Christopher Fitzgerald from Waitress as Patsy, Tony nominee Ethan Slater from SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical as The Historian/Prince Herbert, Taran Killam from Hamilton and Saturday Night Live as Lancelot, Jimmy Smagula from Billy Elliot as Sir Bedevere, Drama Desk Award winner Michael Urie from Shrinking and Torch Song as Sir Robin, and Nik Walker from Hamilton as Sir Galahad.
The musical is based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail and follows King Arther and the Knights of the Round Table...
The musical began performances on October 31 and stars Tony award-winning actor James Monroe Iglehart, known for his roles in Aladdin and Hamilton, who portrays the character of King Arthur. He is joined by Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer from Beetlejuice as The Lady of the Lake, Tony nominee Christopher Fitzgerald from Waitress as Patsy, Tony nominee Ethan Slater from SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical as The Historian/Prince Herbert, Taran Killam from Hamilton and Saturday Night Live as Lancelot, Jimmy Smagula from Billy Elliot as Sir Bedevere, Drama Desk Award winner Michael Urie from Shrinking and Torch Song as Sir Robin, and Nik Walker from Hamilton as Sir Galahad.
The musical is based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail and follows King Arther and the Knights of the Round Table...
- 11/20/2023
- by Baila Eve Zisman
- Uinterview
“Just think,” Sir Lancelot (Taran Killam) muses as he celebrates his gay wedding at the end of Monty Python’s Spamalot. “In a thousand-and-eighteen years time, this will still be controversial.” Killam puts special emphasis on the “eighteen,” an addition to the script that nods to the supposed ways in which Spamalot remains relevant nearly two decades after the Tony-winning musical adaptation of Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam’s 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail tore up the 2004-2005 Broadway season.
The construction of the joke suggests that not much has changed—either for good or ill—in the past decades. That’s hardly true, because when Hank Azaria delivered the punchline in 2005, gay marriage wouldn’t be legalized in New York State for another six years. It’s surprising how much of Spamalot’s humor, especially the gay jokes, now feels rooted in an earlier time. Even peppered...
The construction of the joke suggests that not much has changed—either for good or ill—in the past decades. That’s hardly true, because when Hank Azaria delivered the punchline in 2005, gay marriage wouldn’t be legalized in New York State for another six years. It’s surprising how much of Spamalot’s humor, especially the gay jokes, now feels rooted in an earlier time. Even peppered...
- 11/17/2023
- by Dan Rubins
- Slant Magazine
“In Barbieland, nothing is alive. It’s an interior world, so there’s no wind, no water. Even the trees, they don’t have real leaves to create this sound,” explains Ai-Ling Lee of “Barbie.” The Oscar nominee served as sound designer for the hit Warner Bros. film, which takes viewers into the delightful plastic world of the famous Mattel doll. Given the artifice of Barbie’s pink paradise, Lee had to bring a child-like playfulness to every sound effect. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
“We tried to use non-literal sounds for the world as much as we can in Barbieland,” notes Lee. This approach tied into the desire from writer and director Greta Gerwig to make the artificial dreamland sound “pleasant and inviting.” So even though there’s no water while Margot Robbie’s titular character showers, Lee added a rain-stick effect to convey the element in an artificial way.
“We tried to use non-literal sounds for the world as much as we can in Barbieland,” notes Lee. This approach tied into the desire from writer and director Greta Gerwig to make the artificial dreamland sound “pleasant and inviting.” So even though there’s no water while Margot Robbie’s titular character showers, Lee added a rain-stick effect to convey the element in an artificial way.
- 11/14/2023
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
John Cleese is best known as a member of the British comedy troupe Monty Python. Let’s look back at the Oscar-nominated funnyman and his 12 greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1939 in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, England, Cleese rose to prominence thanks to the British sketch series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” which ran for four seasons on the BBC from 1969-1974. The troupe — which also included Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin — revolutionized comedy with their surreal, experimental sketches, the best of which were assembled into the film “And Now for Something Completely Different” (1971). This led to other cinematic outings, including “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975), “Life of Brian” (1979) and “The Meaning of Life” (1983).
Cleese achieved big screen success of his own with “A Fish Called Wanda” (1988), which he wrote and starred in as an uptight English barrister who becomes entangled in an elaborate...
Born in 1939 in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, England, Cleese rose to prominence thanks to the British sketch series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” which ran for four seasons on the BBC from 1969-1974. The troupe — which also included Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin — revolutionized comedy with their surreal, experimental sketches, the best of which were assembled into the film “And Now for Something Completely Different” (1971). This led to other cinematic outings, including “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975), “Life of Brian” (1979) and “The Meaning of Life” (1983).
Cleese achieved big screen success of his own with “A Fish Called Wanda” (1988), which he wrote and starred in as an uptight English barrister who becomes entangled in an elaborate...
- 10/21/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
U.S. writer-director Terry Gilliam had the crowd in stitches throughout his masterclass at the Lumière Film Festival, where he presented the restored version of his 1995 cult movie “12 Monkeys.”
The former Monty Python member, whose career as a director started with the 1975 satirical comedy “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” said that while he was keen to approach difficult subjects, he had learnt from Mary Poppins the secret of success.
“She taught me that the sugar helps the medicine go down,” he quipped, to the audience’s delight.
On a more serious note, Gilliam said that his main goal as a filmmaker was “to make films that make you think about the world in a different way.”
Rejecting the way reality is presented by the media, which he described as “too limited,” Gilliam said it could be “more fascinating, bizarre and surprising.”
“I don’t make fantasy films, though,...
The former Monty Python member, whose career as a director started with the 1975 satirical comedy “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” said that while he was keen to approach difficult subjects, he had learnt from Mary Poppins the secret of success.
“She taught me that the sugar helps the medicine go down,” he quipped, to the audience’s delight.
On a more serious note, Gilliam said that his main goal as a filmmaker was “to make films that make you think about the world in a different way.”
Rejecting the way reality is presented by the media, which he described as “too limited,” Gilliam said it could be “more fascinating, bizarre and surprising.”
“I don’t make fantasy films, though,...
- 10/18/2023
- by Lise Pedersen
- Variety Film + TV
There’s no more appropriate reason to put Monty Python and the Holy Grail back in theaters than the celebration of a comically off-year anniversary. That is exactly what’ll happen this December, when the 1975 comedy classic returns to the big screen to celebrate its 48th-and-a-half anniversary.
The film will screen in select theaters across the country on Dec. 3, with additional showings scheduled for Dec. 6. For those who simply cannot help themselves, select theaters will be showing a special “Quote-a-Long” version of the film, while offering a safe space for...
The film will screen in select theaters across the country on Dec. 3, with additional showings scheduled for Dec. 6. For those who simply cannot help themselves, select theaters will be showing a special “Quote-a-Long” version of the film, while offering a safe space for...
- 10/17/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
It’s been 48 and a half years since Monty Python’s landmark film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, first hit theaters, which means that it’s the perfect time to celebrate the film’s legacy, according to Monty Python at least. On Tuesday, it was announced that the film will return to theaters this December via Iconic Events Releasing and Mercury Studios.
Over 500 movie theaters across the United States will participate in the screenings, which will begin on Sunday, December 3rd, with “encore screenings” beginning on Wednesday, December 6th. Additionally, two versions of the film will be shown: the standard cut, and a brand-new “Quote-a-long” rendition, which will display the lines on the screen so that fans can “quote, laugh, and sing-a-long like never before.” Tickets for the event are on-sale now, and can be purchased here.
The announcement arrives with a new trailer for the film, advertising that...
Over 500 movie theaters across the United States will participate in the screenings, which will begin on Sunday, December 3rd, with “encore screenings” beginning on Wednesday, December 6th. Additionally, two versions of the film will be shown: the standard cut, and a brand-new “Quote-a-long” rendition, which will display the lines on the screen so that fans can “quote, laugh, and sing-a-long like never before.” Tickets for the event are on-sale now, and can be purchased here.
The announcement arrives with a new trailer for the film, advertising that...
- 10/17/2023
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Film News
The beloved musical Spamalot is returning to Broadway this season and the first photos of the cast have been released!
James Monroe Iglehart, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Christopher Fitzgerald, and Ethan Slater are leading the cast of the Monty Python musical.
Also starring are Taran Killam, Jimmy Smagula, Michael Urie, and Nik Walker.
The musical, featuring a book and lyrics by Eric Idle, is “lovingly ripped off” from the classic movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. “Everything that makes a great knight in the theatre is here, from flying cows to killer rabbits, British royalty to French taunters, dancing girls, rubbery shrubbery, and of course, the Lady of the Lake,” the synopsis reads.
Performances begin at the St. James Theatre on October 31 ahead of opening night on November 16.
Ethan, best known for playing the title role in the SpongeBob SquarePants musical, will be seen in the upcoming movie musical Wicked...
James Monroe Iglehart, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Christopher Fitzgerald, and Ethan Slater are leading the cast of the Monty Python musical.
Also starring are Taran Killam, Jimmy Smagula, Michael Urie, and Nik Walker.
The musical, featuring a book and lyrics by Eric Idle, is “lovingly ripped off” from the classic movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. “Everything that makes a great knight in the theatre is here, from flying cows to killer rabbits, British royalty to French taunters, dancing girls, rubbery shrubbery, and of course, the Lady of the Lake,” the synopsis reads.
Performances begin at the St. James Theatre on October 31 ahead of opening night on November 16.
Ethan, best known for playing the title role in the SpongeBob SquarePants musical, will be seen in the upcoming movie musical Wicked...
- 10/13/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Hey, fellow movie lovers and fans of a good belly laugh. Get ready for a seriously entertaining ride as we dive into the world of the funniest films ever made.
As someone who believes that a day without laughter is wasted, I’m beyond excited to take you through a countdown of the top 10 funniest movies that have graced the silver screen.
Related: 10 Best Comedies of All Time, Ranked by Viewers
From classic comedies that set the foundation to modern gems that have us in stitches, we’re about to explore a world where humor reigns supreme.
So, grab your popcorn, get comfy, and dive into a world of cinematic hilarity that will have you giggling for days.
1 ‘Some Like It Hot’ (1959)
Classic Comedy Brilliance
Let us kick off our list with the iconic “Some Like It Hot,” a true gem of classic comedy. Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon...
As someone who believes that a day without laughter is wasted, I’m beyond excited to take you through a countdown of the top 10 funniest movies that have graced the silver screen.
Related: 10 Best Comedies of All Time, Ranked by Viewers
From classic comedies that set the foundation to modern gems that have us in stitches, we’re about to explore a world where humor reigns supreme.
So, grab your popcorn, get comfy, and dive into a world of cinematic hilarity that will have you giggling for days.
1 ‘Some Like It Hot’ (1959)
Classic Comedy Brilliance
Let us kick off our list with the iconic “Some Like It Hot,” a true gem of classic comedy. Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon...
- 10/11/2023
- by Pia Vermaak
- buddytv.com
Witscript and Hyperrate.io took home the prizes at San Sebastian’s 5th Zinemaldia Startup Challenge on Thursday afternoon. Each received €10,000 and access to incubation to nurture their fledgling companies, with the potential to vie for €500,000 in funding.
Speaking with Variety following her win, Hendrikje Wagner CEO of Hyperate.io was delighted with the validation: “Other people think it’s a really good idea and it enables us to move discussions forward.” The startup integrates heart rate data into live streams, events, and games. Its goal is fewfold: One is to help streamers automate the creation of short highlight videos from their streams using heart rate as a guide. It meets a need from streamers who attract users across social channels via manually edited short form video.
A second was to enhance visibility of emotional impact further to facilitate hyper personalisation across a wide breadth of media.
The taking of...
Speaking with Variety following her win, Hendrikje Wagner CEO of Hyperate.io was delighted with the validation: “Other people think it’s a really good idea and it enables us to move discussions forward.” The startup integrates heart rate data into live streams, events, and games. Its goal is fewfold: One is to help streamers automate the creation of short highlight videos from their streams using heart rate as a guide. It meets a need from streamers who attract users across social channels via manually edited short form video.
A second was to enhance visibility of emotional impact further to facilitate hyper personalisation across a wide breadth of media.
The taking of...
- 9/29/2023
- by Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
Major film and TV productions are currently on hold due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but the New York theater scene is still as active as ever. A new Broadway season is upon us, and there are five musicals set to open this fall. Will they contend at next year’s Tony Awards? Below, we give you a preview of the plot of each musical as well as the awards history of its author, cast and creative teams, plus the opening and (where applicable) closing dates.
“Merrily We Roll Along”
The first Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s 1981 musical adaptation of George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart‘s 1934 play spans three decades in the entertainment industry and charts the relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two friends — writer Mary and lyricist and playwright Charley. The original production directed by Hal Prince only ran for 16 performances,...
“Merrily We Roll Along”
The first Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s 1981 musical adaptation of George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart‘s 1934 play spans three decades in the entertainment industry and charts the relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two friends — writer Mary and lyricist and playwright Charley. The original production directed by Hal Prince only ran for 16 performances,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
Michael McGrath, the veteran stage actor who received a Tony Award for his performance in the musical Nice Work If You Can Get It, has died. He was 65.
McGrath died unexpectedly in his sleep Thursday at his home in Bloomfield, New Jersey, his publicist told The Hollywood Reporter. No cause of death has been determined.
A regular in Broadway and off-Broadway musicals and musical comedy productions, McGrath had starring turns in Plaza Suite, Tootsie, Memphis, Born Yesterday and Wonderful Town. He was also the first actor to play Patsy, King Arthur’s long-suffering sidekick, in Spamalot, which earned him his first Tony nomination.
“Very saddened to hear that Michael McGrath, our first and most beloved Patsy in Spamalot, has passed away,” Idle wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Warm hugs to all the Spamalot family and very happy memories of a lovely man.”
McGrath was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Sept.
McGrath died unexpectedly in his sleep Thursday at his home in Bloomfield, New Jersey, his publicist told The Hollywood Reporter. No cause of death has been determined.
A regular in Broadway and off-Broadway musicals and musical comedy productions, McGrath had starring turns in Plaza Suite, Tootsie, Memphis, Born Yesterday and Wonderful Town. He was also the first actor to play Patsy, King Arthur’s long-suffering sidekick, in Spamalot, which earned him his first Tony nomination.
“Very saddened to hear that Michael McGrath, our first and most beloved Patsy in Spamalot, has passed away,” Idle wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Warm hugs to all the Spamalot family and very happy memories of a lovely man.”
McGrath was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Sept.
- 9/15/2023
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The second episode of the fourth season of "Star Trek: Lower Decks" is called "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee," which is a fun reference to Harlan Ellison's 1967 post-apocalyptic short story "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream." The plot sees Lieutenant Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Commander Ransom (Jarry O'Connell), and a traditional "Star Trek" Redshirt trekking to a distant alien zoo where a pair of humans have accidentally been put on display. Mariner notes that this sort of thing happens all the time and that rescuing humans from alien zoos is a regular occurrence in Starfleet.
The alien zoo in question is overseen by a sentient humanoid root vegetable named Narj. Narj, a mild-mannered figure, explains that imprisoning humans was a mere accident and that the animals in his menagerie are all happy in their respective artificial biomes. This is a peaceful place, and Narj even...
The alien zoo in question is overseen by a sentient humanoid root vegetable named Narj. Narj, a mild-mannered figure, explains that imprisoning humans was a mere accident and that the animals in his menagerie are all happy in their respective artificial biomes. This is a peaceful place, and Narj even...
- 9/9/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
It should go without saying that any variety series with an episode entitled “Peek-a-Boob Your Titty’s Out” is not here to play. But HBO’s “A Black Lady Sketch Show” has been riotously rooting in irreverence for four seasons, and production designers Cindy Chao and Michele Yu have been there for the whole wild ride.
Cindy Chao and Michele Yu (Photo courtesy of Lumos PR)
“The way Michele and I work is very organic,” said Chao, who is enjoying her second consecutive Emmy nomination along with her work partner. “Sometimes with a time crunch we will have to separate, but overall, we are designing together, scouting together, and coming up with great brainstorming ideas and concepts together.”
And this season alone involves designing dozens of scenes and backdrops for a six-episode go-round, including a large array of builds and location finds, something showrunner and star Robin Thede wanted from the start.
Cindy Chao and Michele Yu (Photo courtesy of Lumos PR)
“The way Michele and I work is very organic,” said Chao, who is enjoying her second consecutive Emmy nomination along with her work partner. “Sometimes with a time crunch we will have to separate, but overall, we are designing together, scouting together, and coming up with great brainstorming ideas and concepts together.”
And this season alone involves designing dozens of scenes and backdrops for a six-episode go-round, including a large array of builds and location finds, something showrunner and star Robin Thede wanted from the start.
- 8/21/2023
- by Jason Clark
- The Wrap
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We all know "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" to be one of the funniest films of all time. What the film gets less credit for is being remarkably ingenuous in its use of limited resources. They may be regarded as a legendary comedy troupe now, but when they were creating their take on the King Arthur legend, they only a few hundred thousand pounds to work with. Adjusted for inflation, it still wouldn't even be £3 million five decades later. "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" is a rather expansive film, as each knight of the Round Table has their own storyline that sends them to various places.
So, how were they able to have such a large scope with so little money? Clever framing, specific set decoration, and the beauty of a historical location. The vast majority of "Holy...
We all know "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" to be one of the funniest films of all time. What the film gets less credit for is being remarkably ingenuous in its use of limited resources. They may be regarded as a legendary comedy troupe now, but when they were creating their take on the King Arthur legend, they only a few hundred thousand pounds to work with. Adjusted for inflation, it still wouldn't even be £3 million five decades later. "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" is a rather expansive film, as each knight of the Round Table has their own storyline that sends them to various places.
So, how were they able to have such a large scope with so little money? Clever framing, specific set decoration, and the beauty of a historical location. The vast majority of "Holy...
- 8/19/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
Ariana Grande’s new beau Ethan Slater is working on a new project.
It was announced on Wednesday that Slater — who stars in the movie adaptation of “Wicked” as Boq alongside Grande’s Glinda — is heading to Broadway for the upcoming Spamalot revival.
Slater is taking on the dual role of The Historian/Prince Herbert.
The show also revealed Christopher Fitzgerald will star as Patsy, James Monroe Iglehart as King Arthur, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as the Lady of the Lake, Jimmy Smagula as Sir Bedevere, Michael Urie as Sir Robin and Nik Walker as Sir Galahad.
The role of Sir Lancelot will be revealed at a later date.
Read More: Ariana Grande Reportedly Giving Ethan Slater ‘Space To Work Things Out’ With Estranged Wife Lilly Jay
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Monty Python’s Spamalot (@spamalotbway)
Slater previously made his Broadway debut as SpongeBob in SpongeBob...
It was announced on Wednesday that Slater — who stars in the movie adaptation of “Wicked” as Boq alongside Grande’s Glinda — is heading to Broadway for the upcoming Spamalot revival.
Slater is taking on the dual role of The Historian/Prince Herbert.
The show also revealed Christopher Fitzgerald will star as Patsy, James Monroe Iglehart as King Arthur, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as the Lady of the Lake, Jimmy Smagula as Sir Bedevere, Michael Urie as Sir Robin and Nik Walker as Sir Galahad.
The role of Sir Lancelot will be revealed at a later date.
Read More: Ariana Grande Reportedly Giving Ethan Slater ‘Space To Work Things Out’ With Estranged Wife Lilly Jay
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Monty Python’s Spamalot (@spamalotbway)
Slater previously made his Broadway debut as SpongeBob in SpongeBob...
- 8/9/2023
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
Michael Urie and Ethan Slater are among those set to star in the upcoming Broadway revival of Spamalot.
The newly announced cast includes Christopher Fitzgerald as Patsy, James Monroe Iglehart as King Arthur, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as The Lady of the Lake, Jimmy Smagula as Sir Bedevere and Nik Walker as Sir Galahad. Urie is set to portray Sir Robin, with Slater cast as The Historian/Prince Herbert.
Iglehart, Kritzer, Smagula, Urie and Walker have all reprised their roles from the show’s May run in D.C. at the Kennedy Center. Casting for Sir Lancelot will be announced at a later date. (Beetlejuice star Alex Brightman portrayed Sir Lancelot before it transferred to Broadway.)
Adapted from the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which was written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, the musical will open at the St. James Theatre on Nov.
The newly announced cast includes Christopher Fitzgerald as Patsy, James Monroe Iglehart as King Arthur, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as The Lady of the Lake, Jimmy Smagula as Sir Bedevere and Nik Walker as Sir Galahad. Urie is set to portray Sir Robin, with Slater cast as The Historian/Prince Herbert.
Iglehart, Kritzer, Smagula, Urie and Walker have all reprised their roles from the show’s May run in D.C. at the Kennedy Center. Casting for Sir Lancelot will be announced at a later date. (Beetlejuice star Alex Brightman portrayed Sir Lancelot before it transferred to Broadway.)
Adapted from the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which was written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, the musical will open at the St. James Theatre on Nov.
- 8/9/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Casting for Broadway’s upcoming Spamalot revival is well underway, with James Monroe Iglehart, Michael Urie, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Jimmy Smagula and Nik Walker set to reprise their roles from the popular Kennedy Center production and Ethan Slater and Christopher Fitzgerald joining as newcomers.
Performances of the Monty Python musical comedy begin Tuesday, October 31, at the St. James Theatre ahead of an official opening night of Thursday, November 16.
Also returning from the Washington D.C. production is Josh Rhodes as director and choreographer.
With a book & lyrics by Python’s Eric Idle and music by John Du Prez and Idle, the original 2005 Broadway production was nominated for 14 Tony Awards and won three including Best Musical.
The creative team for the revival, also announced today in addition to the casting, includes scenic and projection design by Paul Tate dePoo III, costume design by Jen Caprio, lighting design by Cory Pattak,...
Performances of the Monty Python musical comedy begin Tuesday, October 31, at the St. James Theatre ahead of an official opening night of Thursday, November 16.
Also returning from the Washington D.C. production is Josh Rhodes as director and choreographer.
With a book & lyrics by Python’s Eric Idle and music by John Du Prez and Idle, the original 2005 Broadway production was nominated for 14 Tony Awards and won three including Best Musical.
The creative team for the revival, also announced today in addition to the casting, includes scenic and projection design by Paul Tate dePoo III, costume design by Jen Caprio, lighting design by Cory Pattak,...
- 8/9/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Monty Python’s Spamalot is heading back to Broadway this fall. The revival, which follows a sold-out run at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., begins previews Tuesday, October 31, at the St. James Theatre, with an official opening night of November 16.
“I’m thrilled to see Spamalot back on Broadway,” said Eric Idle, who wrote the show’s book and lyrics and co-wrote the music with John Du Prez, in a statement. “More than ever, it seems we need a good laugh and it’s inspiring to see audiences still embracing this, the most happy of shows I have ever worked on. So put the News Cycle on Rinse Cycle and take a couple of hours to relax with the Lady of the Lake, King Arthur and the Knights Who Say Ni because we’re not dead yet!”
The show will mark the first production from the Kennedy Center...
“I’m thrilled to see Spamalot back on Broadway,” said Eric Idle, who wrote the show’s book and lyrics and co-wrote the music with John Du Prez, in a statement. “More than ever, it seems we need a good laugh and it’s inspiring to see audiences still embracing this, the most happy of shows I have ever worked on. So put the News Cycle on Rinse Cycle and take a couple of hours to relax with the Lady of the Lake, King Arthur and the Knights Who Say Ni because we’re not dead yet!”
The show will mark the first production from the Kennedy Center...
- 8/2/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Spamalot is returning to Broadway this fall in the first revival of the Tony-Award winning musical.
The production, which is transferring to Broadway after a May run at the Kennedy Center, will play the St. James Theatre starting Oct. 31, with an opening night scheduled for Nov. 16. The show originally ran on Broadway from 2005 to 2009, and won three Tony Awards, including best musical.
The musical, which is adapted from the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, features a book and lyrics by Eric Idle, a member of the Monty Python comedy group, and music by John Du Prez and Idle. The original Broadway production was directed by Mike Nichols and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw. Josh Rhodes, who led the production at the Kennedy Center, direct and choreograph on Broadway.
Casting has not yet been announced. The Kennedy Center run featured Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice) as Sir Lancelot, James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin) as King Arthur,...
The production, which is transferring to Broadway after a May run at the Kennedy Center, will play the St. James Theatre starting Oct. 31, with an opening night scheduled for Nov. 16. The show originally ran on Broadway from 2005 to 2009, and won three Tony Awards, including best musical.
The musical, which is adapted from the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, features a book and lyrics by Eric Idle, a member of the Monty Python comedy group, and music by John Du Prez and Idle. The original Broadway production was directed by Mike Nichols and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw. Josh Rhodes, who led the production at the Kennedy Center, direct and choreograph on Broadway.
Casting has not yet been announced. The Kennedy Center run featured Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice) as Sir Lancelot, James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin) as King Arthur,...
- 8/2/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
George Harrison and Eric Idle were close friends, and Idle said he learned a lot from the former Beatle. Harrison’s devoted interest in spirituality caused him to think a lot about purpose, death, and the afterlife, which Idle said gave him a unique perspective on fame. It also added a bit of morbidity to the conversations he had with others. According to Idle, Harrison was constantly talking about how everyone was going to die.
George Harrison | Sonia Moskowitz/Images/Getty Images Eric Idle and George Harrison met at a movie premiere
Harrison and Idle met at the premiere of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Harrison specifically sought out Idle, which was a bit stressful for the actor.
George with Olivia, @EricIdle and @TerryGilliam at the US premiere of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", 1975
?: Jim Selby pic.twitter.com/bvfr5N1Q6K
— George Harrison (@GeorgeHarrison) October...
George Harrison | Sonia Moskowitz/Images/Getty Images Eric Idle and George Harrison met at a movie premiere
Harrison and Idle met at the premiere of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Harrison specifically sought out Idle, which was a bit stressful for the actor.
George with Olivia, @EricIdle and @TerryGilliam at the US premiere of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", 1975
?: Jim Selby pic.twitter.com/bvfr5N1Q6K
— George Harrison (@GeorgeHarrison) October...
- 4/23/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Broken Lizard, the five-man comedy troupe which formed in 1990 at a fraternity on the upstate New York campus of preppy Colgate University, have been stoner icons since the very first scene of their 2001 breakout hit “Super Troopers.” That’s when Jay Chandrasekhar’s mustachioed Vermont cop Lieutenant Arcot “Thorny” Ramathorn pulls over a car full of potheads and proceeds to terrorize and freak them out.
Like they did in 2018 with “Super Troopers 2,” their newest film, “Quasi,” a reimagining of Victor Hugo’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” is a no-holds-barred, scatological combination of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” crossed with Mel Brooks’ “Robin Hood: Men in Tights.” It premieres today — April 20 — as a Hulu Original through Fox Searchlight.
Boasting their own cannabis brand, Smokin’ Lizard, Chandrasekhar notes, “When we get high with friends like Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg, they take it seriously enough to try to smoke us...
Like they did in 2018 with “Super Troopers 2,” their newest film, “Quasi,” a reimagining of Victor Hugo’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” is a no-holds-barred, scatological combination of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” crossed with Mel Brooks’ “Robin Hood: Men in Tights.” It premieres today — April 20 — as a Hulu Original through Fox Searchlight.
Boasting their own cannabis brand, Smokin’ Lizard, Chandrasekhar notes, “When we get high with friends like Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg, they take it seriously enough to try to smoke us...
- 4/20/2023
- by Roy Trakin
- Variety Film + TV
For centuries, actors have endured a unique position in society. After dazzling audiences with their talent on the silver screen or stage, many talented individuals move behind the camera to become directors. With this transition comes great respect from those who recognize their performances as an actor and their skills in directing films that capture hearts and minds worldwide in spectacular fashion.
Related: Top 10 Richest Actors in the World [2022]
We wanted to know which actors make up some of our favorite director-actor combinations. So we dove into IMDb’s extensive collection of movie ratings, searching for insight into history’s best actor-directors based on viewer opinion alone. What follows is ten beloved actor-directors who saw success on either side (or both!) throughout various stages throughout showbiz’ past decade: Charlie Day, Zoë Kravitz, and Chris Pine, among others, all turn out award-winning feature productions utilizing decades worth of experience knowing precisely...
Related: Top 10 Richest Actors in the World [2022]
We wanted to know which actors make up some of our favorite director-actor combinations. So we dove into IMDb’s extensive collection of movie ratings, searching for insight into history’s best actor-directors based on viewer opinion alone. What follows is ten beloved actor-directors who saw success on either side (or both!) throughout various stages throughout showbiz’ past decade: Charlie Day, Zoë Kravitz, and Chris Pine, among others, all turn out award-winning feature productions utilizing decades worth of experience knowing precisely...
- 4/11/2023
- by Buddy TV
- buddytv.com
Creating timeless comedies is a truly remarkable accomplishment for filmmakers. It’s no secret that all movie genres have the potential to age poorly, but comedy, especially, has an expiration date due to its contextual and individualistic nature. What’s funny today might not make sense in the future, and what tickles some people may leave others cold.
When it comes to picking the best comedy movies of all time, durability must be taken into account. How well does this film hold up now? Will it still be hilarious years from now?
After intense research, we’ve found the ten highest-rated comedy films that represent laugh-out-loud hilarity and will stand the test of time. We can’t guarantee these will elicit uproarious laughter from everyone – then again, if they don’t…maybe you should take a step back and reassess your comedic sensibilities – or at least vote for your favorite comedy on IMDb.
When it comes to picking the best comedy movies of all time, durability must be taken into account. How well does this film hold up now? Will it still be hilarious years from now?
After intense research, we’ve found the ten highest-rated comedy films that represent laugh-out-loud hilarity and will stand the test of time. We can’t guarantee these will elicit uproarious laughter from everyone – then again, if they don’t…maybe you should take a step back and reassess your comedic sensibilities – or at least vote for your favorite comedy on IMDb.
- 3/30/2023
- by Buddy TV
- buddytv.com
Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon was announced in 1973 at a press conference held at the London Planetarium, a spectral site which mirrored the album cover’s beam of light refracted through a triangle into a rainbow. Perhaps the iconic prismatic image provided the initial idea for fans to sync the classic film The Wizard of Oz (1939) to the album’s rock soundscape.
The band’s history with movies is vast and varied. They scored films in the aftermath of the demise and departure of the band’s founder, Syd Barrett. The success of Dark Side of the Moon also helped the group become motion picture producers, investing in the 1975 comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The Wall, directed by Alan Parker and starring Bob Geldof, pushed boundaries and redefined a rock opera on film. And while the bassist/vocalist/songwriter Roger Waters didn’t let Stanley Kubrick...
The band’s history with movies is vast and varied. They scored films in the aftermath of the demise and departure of the band’s founder, Syd Barrett. The success of Dark Side of the Moon also helped the group become motion picture producers, investing in the 1975 comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The Wall, directed by Alan Parker and starring Bob Geldof, pushed boundaries and redefined a rock opera on film. And while the bassist/vocalist/songwriter Roger Waters didn’t let Stanley Kubrick...
- 3/13/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
(Welcome to The Weekly Watchlist, a feature where we program everything you need to stream this week. In this edition: "History of the World, Part II" takes center stage, but we also offer up some silly comedies and less-silly historical epics to stream.)
The Series: "History of the World, Part II"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: Over four decades after the original sketch comedy movie "History of the World, Part I," legendary funnyman Mel Brooks is back to pay off on the tongue-in-cheek promise of that dangling subtitle. Nobody ever really thought we'd receive a follow-up to the 1981 film -- let alone one that's a whopping 40 years later, debuting as a series on a streaming service, and spearheaded by the same director who is now a sprightly 96 years young. But if we have no choice but to muddle our way through life in the year of our lord 2023, well,...
The Series: "History of the World, Part II"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: Over four decades after the original sketch comedy movie "History of the World, Part I," legendary funnyman Mel Brooks is back to pay off on the tongue-in-cheek promise of that dangling subtitle. Nobody ever really thought we'd receive a follow-up to the 1981 film -- let alone one that's a whopping 40 years later, debuting as a series on a streaming service, and spearheaded by the same director who is now a sprightly 96 years young. But if we have no choice but to muddle our way through life in the year of our lord 2023, well,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is bringing a little fantasy to the Super Bowl. Paramount and eOne have unveiled the Super Bowl spot for the film, inspired by the popular roll-playing game.
Chris Pine, Regé-Jean Page, Michelle Rodriguez and Sophia Lillis star in the feature, which is from writer-directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. The duo are known for their comedic chops as the directors of Game Night, and they bring that sensibility to the fantasy realm in the movie. Hugh Grant, who also stars in the film, has compared the comedy to that of the classic film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The film is a big swing, as fantasy has not generally been successful at the box office over the past decade.
Dungeons & Dragons is due out in theaters March 31, and will have its debut next month at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.
Chris Pine, Regé-Jean Page, Michelle Rodriguez and Sophia Lillis star in the feature, which is from writer-directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. The duo are known for their comedic chops as the directors of Game Night, and they bring that sensibility to the fantasy realm in the movie. Hugh Grant, who also stars in the film, has compared the comedy to that of the classic film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The film is a big swing, as fantasy has not generally been successful at the box office over the past decade.
Dungeons & Dragons is due out in theaters March 31, and will have its debut next month at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.
- 2/10/2023
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Classic British sitcom “Fawlty Towers” is being revived at Castle Rock Entertainment with original series writer and star John Cleese and his daughter Camilla Cleese set to write and star.
Matthew George, Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner and Derrick Rossi are executive producing the series for Castle Rock Television, which is developing the project.
“Fawlty Towers,” written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, originally ran in two seasons of six episodes each that were broadcast on the BBC in 1975 and 1979. The series followed the unfortunate exploits of Basil Fawlty (John Cleese) as he struggled to keep his hotel and marriage afloat. The series currently airs on BBC2 and is also available to stream on BritBox.
The show was ranked first by the British Film Institute in their 100 Greatest British Television Programs list in 2000, and in 2019, Radio Times named it the greatest ever British TV sitcom based on a panel of comedy experts.
Matthew George, Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner and Derrick Rossi are executive producing the series for Castle Rock Television, which is developing the project.
“Fawlty Towers,” written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, originally ran in two seasons of six episodes each that were broadcast on the BBC in 1975 and 1979. The series followed the unfortunate exploits of Basil Fawlty (John Cleese) as he struggled to keep his hotel and marriage afloat. The series currently airs on BBC2 and is also available to stream on BritBox.
The show was ranked first by the British Film Institute in their 100 Greatest British Television Programs list in 2000, and in 2019, Radio Times named it the greatest ever British TV sitcom based on a panel of comedy experts.
- 2/7/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
George Harrison and Terry Gilliam met before Harrison founded HandMade Films, but they soon worked together on a movie for the production company. They did not have a smooth working experience, due mostly to the fact that they had different ideas for the direction of the film. While Harrison tried to be understanding of Gilliam’s creative vision, he eventually reached a breaking point. He lightly insulted Gilliam, and Gilliam said it made him proud.
George Harrison | William Lovelace/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images The former Beatle befriended members of Monty Python
Harrison founded HandMade Films as a way to finance Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Before this, though, he had befriended members of the comedy group. He first met Eric Idle at a screening of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
“I had heard that George wanted to meet me, but I was somewhat shy of meeting him,...
George Harrison | William Lovelace/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images The former Beatle befriended members of Monty Python
Harrison founded HandMade Films as a way to finance Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Before this, though, he had befriended members of the comedy group. He first met Eric Idle at a screening of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
“I had heard that George wanted to meet me, but I was somewhat shy of meeting him,...
- 2/2/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
2002's "Treasure Planet" may've been one of the biggest flops in the history of Disney's animation department, but the swashbuckling sci-fi adventure starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt still has its fair share of fans. The immersive and often beautiful world of space pirates created for the film separates the project from other, more recognizable Disney animated offerings. "Treasure Planet" itself was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, a filmmaking duo that had previously delivered multiple slam-dunks for Disney, including "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin," and "Hercules." Their successful track record allowed the directors to venture into a new reality, one inspired by another filmmaker's mind-bending work.
As we remember it, "Treasure Planet" more than earned its title with a space adventure story for the ages. A sci-fi twist on Robert Louis Stevenson's novel "Treasure Island," the film followed Jim Hawkins (Gordon-Levitt), a teenager who comes across a map that leads to the ultimate pirate treasure.
As we remember it, "Treasure Planet" more than earned its title with a space adventure story for the ages. A sci-fi twist on Robert Louis Stevenson's novel "Treasure Island," the film followed Jim Hawkins (Gordon-Levitt), a teenager who comes across a map that leads to the ultimate pirate treasure.
- 1/28/2023
- by Marcos Melendez
- Slash Film
"Good evening. I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not." The weekly introduction from one of the human lightning rods of "Saturday Night Live" made it plain: no one does it like Chase. In the chronicle "Wild and Crazy Guys," telling the story of the comedy mavericks of '80s Hollywood, Nick de Semlyen designates Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase as the first "SNL" cast member to really hit the big time. The braggadocious funnyman's first and only season on the late-night variety series was a wild success — earning Emmys, a Golden Globe for writing, and New York Magazine's designation as "The funniest man in America" in 1975 — before moving onto the big screen with movies like "Tunnel Vision," "Foul Play" opposite Goldie Hawn, and eventually comedy juggernaut "Caddyshack."
The following decade would further boost Chase's ascension. The "National Lampoon's Vacation" movies yielded more of the physical comedy and straight-faced delivery that he was celebrated for,...
The following decade would further boost Chase's ascension. The "National Lampoon's Vacation" movies yielded more of the physical comedy and straight-faced delivery that he was celebrated for,...
- 1/14/2023
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
Wales has long been regarded as a place of myth and magic – its national emblem is the dragon, after all, and it has strong links with the legend of King Arthur. So, it is fitting that Lucasfilm should have chosen it as the location for the Disney+ fantasy series “Willow.” The production was based at Dragon Studios in Bridgend, South Wales, and filmed at 32 locations across the country.
The Celtic nation has provided the locations for many iconic movie scenes over the decades, including the Bat Cave in “The Dark Knight Rises,” The Slaughtered Lamb pub in “American Werewolf in London,” and the castle in the opening scene of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”
Wales also hosted part of the shoot for Ron Howard’s original 1988 “Willow” movie, based on a story by George Lucas, and starring Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley and Warwick Davis. The latter two actors reprise...
The Celtic nation has provided the locations for many iconic movie scenes over the decades, including the Bat Cave in “The Dark Knight Rises,” The Slaughtered Lamb pub in “American Werewolf in London,” and the castle in the opening scene of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”
Wales also hosted part of the shoot for Ron Howard’s original 1988 “Willow” movie, based on a story by George Lucas, and starring Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley and Warwick Davis. The latter two actors reprise...
- 1/2/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Of all genres, comedy runs the risk of aging the fastest. In some cases, this can be due to the use of offensive jokes in old works that fly in the face of modern audiences' sensibilities. In others, it's simply because joke structures that were innovative and surprising to audiences at one point have become trite and overused. Because of comedy's inherently short shelf life, it's one of the most difficult genres to create a timeless classic within. That's why the few movies that have seemingly accomplished this, movies like "Airplane!" and "Blazing Saddles," are such impressive works of art, as they manage to hold up even against the ravages of time.
In some cases, even the creators of these movies are surprised by how much staying power they have. This is the case for John Cleese, one of the co-founders of the legendary Monty Python sketch group. While Monty...
In some cases, even the creators of these movies are surprised by how much staying power they have. This is the case for John Cleese, one of the co-founders of the legendary Monty Python sketch group. While Monty...
- 12/5/2022
- by Matt Rainis
- Slash Film
Making its debut on History back in 2013, "Vikings" delivered a visceral, bone-crunching journey to the eighth-century Scandinavia and the age of the Vikings. The gritty, violent saga told the story of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), a farmer who became a warrior and, ultimately, a king. Another part of the series' ongoing storylines involved his first wife, the shieldmaiden Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), their son Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig), and various other characters who were introduced over the course of the show's six seasons.
As "Vikings" creator Michael Hirst explained to Looper, the writer enlisted a Viking historian to explore some of the most notable figures from that era. He wound up honing in on Ragnar because he was "the first great Viking leader to emerge from the myth and legend, and that was perfect in many ways because it was the beginning of the Viking age." While the series concluded in 2021, fans...
As "Vikings" creator Michael Hirst explained to Looper, the writer enlisted a Viking historian to explore some of the most notable figures from that era. He wound up honing in on Ragnar because he was "the first great Viking leader to emerge from the myth and legend, and that was perfect in many ways because it was the beginning of the Viking age." While the series concluded in 2021, fans...
- 11/19/2022
- by Brent Furdyk
- Slash Film
Five Oxbridge "superior beings" and one American "barbarian at the gates," to use Terry Gilliam's own words; that was the lineup for "Monty Python's Flying Circus," the comedy troupe that took irreverent aim at the social and class boundaries of stuffy British society and, in their anarchic way, the very format of comedy itself.
For his part, Gilliam was the often-overlooked member of the gang, not only an outsider by nationality and class but also due to his role within the Pythons. As the animator, he worked alone and made far fewer appearances in their sketches, often taking on gurning grotesques that the others didn't really want to play. As a result, he never really had a defining screen persona. While we remember John Cleese and Michael Palin from the Dead Parrot sketch or the Ministry of Silly Walks, and Eric Idle as the insinuating spiv in the Nudge-Nudge routine,...
For his part, Gilliam was the often-overlooked member of the gang, not only an outsider by nationality and class but also due to his role within the Pythons. As the animator, he worked alone and made far fewer appearances in their sketches, often taking on gurning grotesques that the others didn't really want to play. As a result, he never really had a defining screen persona. While we remember John Cleese and Michael Palin from the Dead Parrot sketch or the Ministry of Silly Walks, and Eric Idle as the insinuating spiv in the Nudge-Nudge routine,...
- 11/14/2022
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Peter Jackson's 1992 film "Braindead," released in North America as "Dead Alive," while certainly an object of intimidation for gore-averse cineastes, remains, at its heart, a comedy film. Jackson has spoken in the past about how "Dead Alive" was not inspired so much by raw, hard-edged gore films like "Cannibal Holocaust," and more by the whimsical violence of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." A notable scene in the 1974 comedy classic features a bridge sentry, the Black Knight (John Cleese), getting into a swordfight with King Arthur (Graham Chapman). Over the course of the fight, his extremities are sliced off one by one, only to return to battle unfazed. While blood spurts copiously from each severed limb, the Black Knight doesn't seem to feel any pain.
When he is reduced to a mere head and torso, only then will he admit that his swordfight will now have to be declared a draw.
When he is reduced to a mere head and torso, only then will he admit that his swordfight will now have to be declared a draw.
- 10/29/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Long before his involvement in a series of elf-populated, jewelry-based hiking movies, New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson won hearts as the director of gloppy, vomitous, utterly repellant midnight grindhouse fare like "Bad Taste," "Meet the Feebles," and "Braindead" (known as "Dead Alive" in North America). Jackson's early films have an excited, adolescent joie de vivre that his later digital-forward technical exercises lack, and are perfect for naughty teenagers who think that films like "Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn" don't go far enough.
"Dead Alive," easily one of the goriest films ever made, is constructed like a comedy film and has a premise that wouldn't feel out of place in a Saturday morning cartoon. Lionel (Timothy Balme) lives with his controlling and guilt-trip-dispensing mother Vera (Elizabeth Moody) in 1950s Wellington. Lionel is beloved by a local shop owner named Paquita (Diana Peñalver) who believes, courtesy of tarot cards, that they...
"Dead Alive," easily one of the goriest films ever made, is constructed like a comedy film and has a premise that wouldn't feel out of place in a Saturday morning cartoon. Lionel (Timothy Balme) lives with his controlling and guilt-trip-dispensing mother Vera (Elizabeth Moody) in 1950s Wellington. Lionel is beloved by a local shop owner named Paquita (Diana Peñalver) who believes, courtesy of tarot cards, that they...
- 10/14/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
God’s thumbs! Leave it to “Girls” creator Lena Dunham to deliver what’s been missing from the field of princess movies all these years: namely, permission for young women to be themselves, regardless of what their parents or the patriarchy might think. In many ways, movies — and YA movies in particular — double as a kind of socializing tool, encouraging audiences to be independent thinkers (on their surface) while in fact giving them the keys for conformity: Follow the rules, respect your elders, marry the right guy, and you’ll be rewarded with your happily ever after, they say. But that’s not independence; that’s indoctrination.
Adapted from Katherine Cushman’s 1994 novel, “Catherine Called Birdy” is a genially impertinent feature-length celebration of not always doing what you’re told. Set in 1290, at a time of infrequent baths and early-40s life expectancy, Dunham’s comedic take follows the creative...
Adapted from Katherine Cushman’s 1994 novel, “Catherine Called Birdy” is a genially impertinent feature-length celebration of not always doing what you’re told. Set in 1290, at a time of infrequent baths and early-40s life expectancy, Dunham’s comedic take follows the creative...
- 9/11/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
When the seminal British TV program "Monty Python's Flying Circus" was still on the air (1969 - 1974), it wasn't yet reaching a massive international audience. To facilitate the show's spread, a feature film consisting of re-staged sketches from the show's first two seasons -- called "And Now for Something Completely Different" -- was released in England in 1971. That film is certainly funny, although it lacks the comedic magic of the TV show.
"Monty Python and the Holy Grail" was put into production after "Flying Circus" went off the air. The special features for the film's 2001 DVD release featured vintage footage of late cast member Graham Chapman explaining that the troupe had been working on a script -- pointedly absurd, natch -- that was set partially in the Middle Ages and partially in the present day. After some discussion, the Pythons came up with the King Arthur/Holy Grail angle, knowing that...
"Monty Python and the Holy Grail" was put into production after "Flying Circus" went off the air. The special features for the film's 2001 DVD release featured vintage footage of late cast member Graham Chapman explaining that the troupe had been working on a script -- pointedly absurd, natch -- that was set partially in the Middle Ages and partially in the present day. After some discussion, the Pythons came up with the King Arthur/Holy Grail angle, knowing that...
- 8/21/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
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