"The Beverly Hillbillies" is the platonic ideal of a high-concept sitcom hook. At its essence, it's simply "Poor folks get stinking rich and move to Beverly Hills." That's probably all CBS needed to hear from creator Paul Henning, who, between 1962 and 1971, exploited this simple premise to the tune of nine seasons and 274 episodes. During this span, "The Beverly Hillbillies" was one of the top-rated shows on TV.
How could such a simple premise, which was never really tweaked, sustain a series for nearly a decade? This question perpetually flummoxed the nation's TV critics, who generally loathed the show, but anyone who gorged on "The Beverly Hillbillies" throughout their formative couch potato years (during its initial run or via syndication) knows the answer is obvious: it's the cast, stupid.
Buddy Ebsen was perfect casting as Jed Clampett, a gentleman of the Ozarks who accidentally discovers oil on his Missouri mountain land...
How could such a simple premise, which was never really tweaked, sustain a series for nearly a decade? This question perpetually flummoxed the nation's TV critics, who generally loathed the show, but anyone who gorged on "The Beverly Hillbillies" throughout their formative couch potato years (during its initial run or via syndication) knows the answer is obvious: it's the cast, stupid.
Buddy Ebsen was perfect casting as Jed Clampett, a gentleman of the Ozarks who accidentally discovers oil on his Missouri mountain land...
- 3/3/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Paul Giamatti turned in one of the best performances of 2004 in Alexander Payne‘s “Sideways.” He played Miles, a depressed writer who takes a trip to Santa Barbara County to celebrate his friend’s (Thomas Haden Church) engagement. He reap bids at the Critics Choice, SAG and Golden Globes awards. It was shock when he was snubbed at the Oscars in favor of eventual winner Jamie Foxx (“Ray”) plus Don Cheadle (“Hotel Rwanda”), Johnny Depp (“Finding Neverland”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Aviator”), and Clint Eastwood (“Million Dollar Baby”).
The academy can finally rectify that oversight as Giamatti and Payne have reunited for “The Holdovers,” which Focus Features is releasing on Oct. 27. Giamatti is a curmudgeon of a teacher forced to stay behind and look after students staying at his school throughout the holiday period. Dominic Sessa and Da’Vine Joy Randolph are great in supporting roles but it’s Giamatti who is the star of the picture.
The academy can finally rectify that oversight as Giamatti and Payne have reunited for “The Holdovers,” which Focus Features is releasing on Oct. 27. Giamatti is a curmudgeon of a teacher forced to stay behind and look after students staying at his school throughout the holiday period. Dominic Sessa and Da’Vine Joy Randolph are great in supporting roles but it’s Giamatti who is the star of the picture.
- 10/18/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Russell Crowe will receive the Crystal Globe for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema at the 57th Karlovy Vary Film Festival (June 30-July 8). The Oscar winning actor will also deploy his musical talent with his band Indoor Garden Party, which will perform at the festival’s opening night concert. The festival also revealed Friday that Johnny Depp would appear in its trailer, which will have its premiere at the opening ceremony.
Crowe, who was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia at an early age, began his acting career at the age of 6, working in TV and theater. In 1989, he started working in Australian films, with “The Crossing”, “Proof”, and “Romper Stomper”. He won two Australian Academy Awards: supporting actor for “Proof” and best actor for “Romper Stomper.”
His first appearance in a U.S. film was alongside Gene Hackman, Sharon Stone and Leonardo DiCaprio in Sam Raimi’s...
Crowe, who was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia at an early age, began his acting career at the age of 6, working in TV and theater. In 1989, he started working in Australian films, with “The Crossing”, “Proof”, and “Romper Stomper”. He won two Australian Academy Awards: supporting actor for “Proof” and best actor for “Romper Stomper.”
His first appearance in a U.S. film was alongside Gene Hackman, Sharon Stone and Leonardo DiCaprio in Sam Raimi’s...
- 5/5/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Author: Zehra Phelan
The Selma and A United Kingdom actor David Oyelowo has signed up to movie adaptation Arc of Justice which tells the groundbreaking story of the Clarence Darrow-Ossian Sweet civil rights cases which also has The Nice Guys actor, Russell Crowe rumoured to be in talks to join on the project.
Based on Kevin Boyle’s book “Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age,” the true story centres on a racial incident in 1925 Detroit that put African-American doctor Ossian Sweet (Oyelowo) on the stand for murder. His defence was funded by the nascent National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People and led by Darrow (Crowe).
Jose Padilha, who directed and produced the successful dual language Netflix series Narcos, will take the director’s chair with Max Borenstein and Rodney Barnes having already written the script. Gordon, Borenstein, Hawk Koch,...
The Selma and A United Kingdom actor David Oyelowo has signed up to movie adaptation Arc of Justice which tells the groundbreaking story of the Clarence Darrow-Ossian Sweet civil rights cases which also has The Nice Guys actor, Russell Crowe rumoured to be in talks to join on the project.
Based on Kevin Boyle’s book “Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age,” the true story centres on a racial incident in 1925 Detroit that put African-American doctor Ossian Sweet (Oyelowo) on the stand for murder. His defence was funded by the nascent National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People and led by Darrow (Crowe).
Jose Padilha, who directed and produced the successful dual language Netflix series Narcos, will take the director’s chair with Max Borenstein and Rodney Barnes having already written the script. Gordon, Borenstein, Hawk Koch,...
- 5/9/2017
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Most boxing narratives follow a comfortable, predictable formula. There’s an underdog (maybe his name is Rocky or Mike Tyson or Jimmy Braddock), and over the course of the story we watch him battle against all odds in order to ultimately become the champion they were destined to be. And when the story is over, we’re meant feel inspired, determined, perhaps even in awe of the simplistic in the beauty of the “American Dream.” It’s a formula in the genre that may be familiar but that’s worked well, both in narrative features and documentaries - most recently in the documentary “Champs,” which chronicled the careers of Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, and Bernard Hopkins. The story there was...
- 3/15/2015
- by Zeba Blay
- ShadowAndAct
Angelina Jolie took Knox and Pax to Michaels in Santa Barbara, CA, on Saturday. On Sunday, Brad Pitt was in charge of the kids as they went off-roading in the sand. Brad drove a four-wheeler with Knox on his lap, while Pax manned his own bike. The whole family is back together on the West Coast after Angelina returned from a trip overseas last week. Angelina traveled to Africa with Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague to raise awareness of sexual violence in war zones. She made headlines for more than just her philanthropic work, though, since she debuted a thin gold band on her ring finger. Angelina denied rumors that the new accessory was a wedding band upon arriving back at Lax last week. Angelina had more than one reason to celebrate this weekend, since she recently won a lawsuit regarding her directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey.
- 4/2/2013
- by Lauren Turner
- Popsugar.com
Angela Jolie denied ripping off a Croatian journalist's book about the 1990s war in Bosnia in her 2011 film "In the Land of Milk and Honey." James J. Braddock, a journalist and writer based in Zagreb, sued Jolie, Gk Films and distributor Film District for copyright infringement last December, claiming the movie she wrote and directed lifts much of its plot line from his book, "The Soul Shattering." In a 13-page response to the suit obtained by TheWrap, Jolie and her co-defendants denied "that the protectible elements of the Motion Picture and...
- 9/6/2012
- by Alexander C. Kaufman
- The Wrap
Filmmaker Angelina Jolie, producer GK Films and distributor FilmDistrict have fired back at a lawsuit accusing them of infringing copyrights by releasing In the Land of Blood and Honey, the actress' 2011 directorial debut about the Bosnian War.
Author James J. Braddock sued weeks before the film was released, claiming Jolie had ripped off his 2007 book The Soul Shattering to create the story (she wrote the script in addition to directing). Braddock also claimed he had met with producer Eric Sarkic about possibly turning his book into a movie and Braddock also claimed he had met with producer Eric Sarkic about possibly turning his book into a movie and was shocked when Sarkic ended up producing Blood and Honey.
Jolie claimed she came up with the ideas in the movie from working as a UN ambassador.
Author James J. Braddock sued weeks before the film was released, claiming Jolie had ripped off his 2007 book The Soul Shattering to create the story (she wrote the script in addition to directing). Braddock also claimed he had met with producer Eric Sarkic about possibly turning his book into a movie and Braddock also claimed he had met with producer Eric Sarkic about possibly turning his book into a movie and was shocked when Sarkic ended up producing Blood and Honey.
Jolie claimed she came up with the ideas in the movie from working as a UN ambassador.
- 9/6/2012
- by Matthew Belloni
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Russell Crowe's assault on a hotel worker has damaged his new film's chances at the box office, according to movie experts. Cinderella Man - in which Crowe plays Depression Era boxing hero Jim Braddock - opened with $18.3 million in its first weekend at the American box office. But cinema-goers have stayed away since the actor attacked Nestor Estrada with a telephone last Monday, and the film struggled at the weekend with just $9.5 million, placing it sixth in the box office chart. And critics are convinced Crowe's actions are responsible for the film's nose-dive. Goldderby.Com writer Tom O'Neill says, "Russell Crowe plays a hero, but he's revealed himself as a bully. We've heard about Russell Crowe's brawls with paparazzi. But this time he went after an innocent victim. Russell Crowe has ended up in the lonely ring, taking on himself - and it could be a knockout." Columnist Jeffrey Wells adds, "Crowe has single-handedly turned Cinderella Man into a financial disappointment. His ability to demand the big bucks may be in great peril (if) audiences are going to look at his films...and say, 'Screw it, I don't want to pay to see that thug.'"...
- 6/15/2005
- WENN
Russell Crowe almost missed out appearing in his forthcoming movie Cinderella Man - after falling out with movie boss Harvey Weinstein. The Miramax founder made the fateful error of calling the temperamental Oscar-winning actor too early in the day to arrange a meeting to discuss him playing depression-era fighter Jim Braddock in the drama. Crowe tells American magazine GQ Weinstein told him to "get f**ked" after the actor responded moodily to his wake-up call. "I rang my agent and said, 'Hey, Harvey just told me to get f**ked before 9am." Weinstein, who is actually friends with his leading man, comments, "Good trash talking is at the core of this strong friendship I share with Russell. Yes, I did chase him down and as you will see from Cinderella Man, it was worth it."...
- 2/16/2005
- WENN
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