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Green Day headlined this year’s Coachella and performed a set that was all punk and extremely rock. The band may not have performed its best set at this year’s legendary music festival, but its political messaging seems to take precedence over the quality of the performance. Frontman Billy Joe Armstrong did not shy away from getting topical and picking sides.

While performing their hit rock song American Idiot, Green Day changed the lyrics to reflect the current political climate of the world and the USA. Apart from talking about the war in Gaza and the affected Palestinians, Armstrong also changed a key lyric to also reflect his opinion on the current President Donald Trump and his policies.

Green Day calls out Donald Trump, Maga, and the conflict in Palestine in their Coachella set Green Day in the music video for American Idiot | Credits: YouTube/Green Day

The punk...

Nicky Katt, the actor best known for his performances in Dazed and Confused and Boiler Room, died by suicide, according to his family.

Katt’s sister, Elise Ravenscroft, confirmed the cause of her brother’s death in a statement shared with Deadline. “Today, with the heaviest of hearts, I share the devastating news of my brother’s passing. He died by suicide after battling with depression — one that he fought bravely but quietly.”

She also expressed dismay that details about Katt’s death were “made public without my consent at...

Updated with Medical Examiner confirmation, 12:41 Pm: Nicky Katt took his own life, the actor’s family says.

“Today, with the heaviest of hearts, I share the devastating news of my brother’s passing,” Katt’s sister Elise Ravenscroft told Deadline Monday. “He died by suicide after battling with depression—one that he fought bravely but quietly.”

“This is a pain no family should endure, yet far too many do,” Ravenscroft added. “Mental illness is real, it is powerful, and it is often invisible. We hope that by sharing this, we can help break the silence and stigma that so often surrounds mental health struggles.” Read the full statement from Katt’s family below.

The Dazed and Confused actor was found dead in his Burbank apartment on April 8. The 54-year-old Katt died by hanging, law enforcement sources tell us.

Known as an actor’s actor, as our colleague Mike Fleming Jr....

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We have tragic news out of Hollywood today, as beloved actor Nicky Katt has passed away unexpectedly.

Over the course of his lengthy career, Katt worked with some of the industry’s most acclaimed directors, including Richard Linklater, Steven Soderbergh, Christopher Nolan, Robert Rodriguez, and David Gordon Green.

He is perhaps best known for the role of Clint Bruno, the violent partygoer who pummels Adam Goldberg’s character in the 1993 cult classic Dazed and Confused.

Nicky Katt at the premiere of ‘The Way of the Gun’ at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, Ca. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images) A brilliant career cut short

Born in South Dakota in 1970, Katt made his way to Hollywood at a very young age.

After beginning his career as a child star with roles on TV shows like Fantasy Island and Chips, Katt transitioned into more mature projects.

His impressive list of...

Nicky Katt, the actor who appeared in films like Dazed and Confused, Boiler Room, and subUrbia, has died at the age of 54.

Katt’s attorney John Sloss confirmed the actor’s death to the Hollywood Reporter; no cause of death was provided.

The South Dakota-born Katt appeared frequently on the big screen in the Nineties and early 2000s, ofter playing tough guy or antagonistic roles. As a child actor, Katt appeared in Gremlins and The ‘Burbs before his breakout role as high school bully Clint Bruno in director Richard Linklater...

Nicky Katt, an actor recognized for his work in film and television across several decades, died on April 8 in Burbank. He was 54. His death was confirmed by friends and attorney John Sloss. Official confirmation and cause of death have not been publicly disclosed.

Katt began performing as a child, with early appearances on television and small roles in Gremlins and The ’Burbs. He went on to become a regular presence in films that favored intense, edgy characters. He was known for portraying antagonists, loners, and unpredictable figures, often grounding those performances in realism and sharp timing.

One of his most widely recognized roles came on Boston Public, where he played Harry Senate, a geology teacher assigned to a group of troubled students in a basement classroom referred to as “the dungeon.” The series, created by David E. Kelley, aired in the early 2000s. After three seasons, the character was written...

Still working to get official confirmation and cause of death, but I can report from sources that veteran actor Nicky Katt has passed away, at age 54. Katt will quickly to mind for his memorable turn as the high school Texan tough Clint Bruno, who picks a fight with Adam Goldberg’s Mike Newhouse, gets a beer poured over his head, and pummels the existentially tortured teen in Rick Linklater’s 1993 gem Dazed and Confused.

Matthew McConaughey and Nicky Katt in ‘Dazed and Confused’

He was a go-to guy for Linklater and a coterie of filmmakers that includes Steven Soderbergh, Christopher Nolan, Robert Rodriguez and David Gordon Green. Each cast Katt on multiple occasions. He is also remembered for his role as Harry Senate in several seasons of Boston Public. His specialty seemed to be edgy tough guys, roles he played in films including A Time to Kill and Boiler Room.

The 1970s were an era of cinematic experimentation, cultural upheaval, and creative risks that paid off in ways that still resonate today. Fifty years later, the films of 1975 remain some of the most influential, shocking, and genre-defining works ever put on screen. From chilling thrillers to absurd comedies and thought-provoking dramas, these ten movies aren’t just relics of a bygone era; they’re timeless classics that continue to captivate new generations of viewers.

With 2025 marking their golden anniversaries, these films deserve a fresh look at how they’ve shaped cinema and pop culture. Whether introducing unforgettable characters, pioneering visual storytelling techniques, or influencing entire genres, each of these movies has left a lasting mark. Some may feel eerily relevant to today’s world, while others offer a glorious escape into bizarre, unsettling, or laugh-out-loud cinematic brilliance. Either way, their legacy is undeniable.

Picnic at Hanging Rock Got Audiences Lost...

Green Day launched their North American “Saviors Tour” at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on Monday night (July 29th), with 41,000 fans in attendance. The stacked tour bill features support from The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, and The Linda Lindas.

The outing finds Green Day celebrating the 30th and 20th anniversaries of their classic albums Dookie and American Idiot, respectively. The punk veterans are playing both albums in full, plus other favorites and selections from their latest LP, Saviors. All in all, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and company performed a 37-song set.

Get Green Day Tickets Here

The show kicked off with the Saviors single “The American Dream Is Killing Me,” and was followed by a front-to-back performance of Dookie. More Saviors songs and other hits made up the middle portion, with a full performance of American Idiot next. The concert wrapped up with the new song “Bobby Sox” and the...

On July 17, 1926, a theater opened in Portland, Oregon. Talkies were still a year away and the Great Depression hadn’t yet struck vaudeville, so it played host to variety acts, as well as silent films paired with an 8-piece orchestra and organist. It was called the Hollywood Theatre and its popularity grew so rapidly that soon, the entire district around the theater became known as the Hollywood of Portland. Today it remains the last theater of its era still standing in the City of Roses and showcases both first-run films and a wide range of repertory cinema.

Put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, the theater has three auditoriums, one of which features a 50-foot screen and 384 seats. In 1997, the theater was made a non-profit, with major renovations taking place between 2011 and 2015 that revitalized the marquee and brought back 70mm screening capabilities. Extending its reach beyond its doors,...

‘80s nostalgia is heading back to Netflix’s theaters with Milestone Movies: The Anniversary Collection – 1984.

The Milestone Movies collection will screen across three theaters: New York’s Paris Theater, The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and The Bay Theater in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Selected films turning 40 this year will play in Netflix’s theaters and the 1984 collection is also available to stream.

The Paris Theater in New York City will show blockbusters “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Footloose,” “Gremlins,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Muppets Take Manhattan,” “Natural,” “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Romancing the Stone,” “Amadeus” and “Splash,” from April 12 to 18.

Indie and auteur titles “The Ballad of Narayama,” “Birdy,” “Body Double,” “Brother from Another Planet,” “Last Night at the Alamo,” “Love Streams,” “Moscow on the Hudson,” “Places in the Heart,” “Suburbia” and “Times of Harvey Milk” will be available from April 19 to 25.

In the Fantastic Journeys collection, “Dune,” “Fanny and Alexander,...

Suburbia, often painted as the epitome of safety and tranquility, gets a dark makeover in John Carpenter’s latest cinematic venture, Suburban Screams. This six-episode unscripted anthology promises to unearth the dark secrets of seemingly safe neighborhoods, but does it truly deliver the chills?

The mini-series dives deep into the horrors of suburbia, blending documentary techniques with cinematic reenactments. Real-life tales of terror, as told by those who lived through them, form the backbone of this anthology. From the ghostly aftermath of a Ouija party gone wrong in ‘Kelly’ to the relentless stalking in ‘Phone Stalker‘, the variety of stories is commendable. There’s a mix of urban legends, supernatural tales, and very real crimes that keep the viewer on their toes.

The strongest episode of the bunch is undoubtedly ‘The Bunny Man’. Set in Fairfax, Virginia, it recounts the legend of a man in a rudimentary bunny costume who,...

After visiting the Y2K pop sound with her Krazy Frog-sampling “2 Die 4” on Dirt Femme last year, Tove Lo returns to the era with her earworm single, “‘I like u.”

“I wanted to make another dance song that sonically felt like a nod to 90’s and Y2K dance music,” she said in a press release. “It’s not the usual pop structure but it’s perfect for this song, I think.”

“Lyrically I’m telling the story of my thoughts the first time I saw the love of my life,...

Tove Lo washed away the pop production on four songs that originally appeared on her latest album Dirt Femme to create an intimate collection titled Dirt Femme (Stripped). The EP features new renditions of “No One Dies From Love,” “Suburbia, “Grapefruit,” and “Pineapple Slice.”

“You’ve asked me for an acoustic album so I thought… why shouldn’t I give you what you want?” Tove Lo wrote in a press release. To sweeten the deal, the singer added an acoustic version of her latest release “Borderline,” which arrived a few months after Dirt Femme.

True crime adaptations have the tricky task of maintaining tension and drama while knowing that at least some of the viewers already know how it all shakes out. The facts and details have to be presented in a way that appeals to true crime fanatics while also keeping your average viewer hooked. It's not easy, and while "The Act" mostly managed to keep the tension at a fever pitch throughout, "Candy" struggles a bit with pacing and doling out those details. One thing is for certain: "Candy" is some next-level feel-bad television.

The story of Candy Montgomery, a suburban housewife in Wiley, Texas in...

The post Candy Review: A Salacious Story of Sex and Murder in 1980s Suburbia appeared first on /Film.

Icelandic smash hit drama series “Blackport” won on Wednesday the 2022 Nordisk Film & TV Prize, Scandinavia’s top plaudit for drama series writing.

The award was announced on site at the end of an intense first day of conference panels at the Göteborg Festival’s TV Drama Vision, with two of the series’ three writers, Gísli Örn Garðarsson and Mikael Torfason on stage to collect the Nordic TV Drama Screenplay Award, carrying a €20,000 cash prize. They were accompanied by producer Nina Dögg Filippusdóttir. The prize also went to fellow screenwriter Björn Hlynur Haraldsson.

Clinching the Nftf Prize, “Blackport” has scored a remarkable triple, winning the Series Mania Award at the Berlinale Series Market’s 2018 Co-Pro Series competition after an inspired on-stage pitch by Garðarsson and going on to take the top prize at Series Mania last September.

“Blackport” fought off stiff competition from Oscar-nominated Danish director Lone Sherfig’s “The Shift,...

Premiering on Feb. 14, 1992, Wayne’s World was a Valentine’s Day gift to heavy metal music. Starring Mike Myers as lo-fi cable host Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as his best friend/chimp/“with you as always” Garth Algar, the film followed in the tradition of The Blues Brothers, a Saturday Night Live skit that became a big screen buddy movie which had that box office “schwing.” Both films highlighted a particular music genre, and each brought on experts in the sonic reality.

Penelope Spheeris directed the cult punk rock/heavy metal masterpiece documentary film series The Decline of Western Civilization, and turned down the heavy metal satire This Is Spinal Tap because it wasn’t headbanging enough. She’d also caught the dark side of punk squatter slacking in the 1984 coming of age drama Suburbia. In directing Wayne’s World, Spheeris captures the subtle tension between a metal-head’s manic persona...

“Fitness advice, gig economy, binge watching Danish crime series, sustainability, sex when the kids watch cartoons, mobile bank ID, personal development 5:2 diet, anti-aging cream, Adobe updates, climate friendly travel, body activism,” Anders rants quietly to the camera, as he walks from his car to home in the equivalent of white picket fence Sweden at the beginning of Swedish Discovery Plus Original “Gotebia,” a half-hour dramedic psychological thriller.

“Exterior renovations, Roblox, mini Rodini hats, dinners from Fedora. Shared family calendar. Find us-time, life with kids, drainage pipes, hot yoga, performance review, changing the plumbing, pub crawls, doggy day care,” he goes on.

43, Anders is out of his depth at work where his company’s motivational speakers are no longer found in the newspaper or on TV but on YouTube, TikTok, Snap and Instagram. And suffering to keep up with the Joneses – in this case tennis player and neighbor Martin’s...

The Göteborg Film Festival’s annual TV industry event, TV Drama Vision, has unveiled its program, which focuses on sustainability and healthy working conditions at a time of hyper-competition in the drama space.

TV Drama Vision is set to unspool both in-person and online over Feb. 2-3.

As opening keynote, Johanna Koljonen, author of the anticipated Nostradamus Report, will kickstart the event’s conference strand, which is also due to new paths for creative producers, public funding at a crossroads, green filmmaking, diversity, changing business models and storytelling.

“The program, designed as always in close collaboration with the industry, will reveal how the streaming disruption, accelerated by the pandemic, is affecting us all. It’s important for all partners to find common grounds and reflect on long-term plans to create a sustainable industry,” says Göteborg head of industry Cia Edström, who will be hosting the event with moderators Johanna Nunnu Karppinen,...

Welcome back, dear readers, for the next installment of Daily Dead’s 2021 Holiday Gift Guide! Today, we’re turning our attention toward all the amazingly brilliant indie artists and creators who celebrate horror and sci-fi with the work they do. For today’s gift guide, we’ve organized everything into specialized sections, including artwork, apparel and accessories, jewelry and enamel pins, and a miscellaneous category where you’ll find a fun assortment of items and gift ideas for this holiday season.

A quick note: I think most of us are aware that mail and shipping has been slow as molasses this year, so I encourage you to do your shopping early on, as some of these sites have a cut-off date coming up in the next week, and you wouldn’t want your gifts to arrive after the holidays. So, if you’re looking to do some shopping and support...

Today is International Dog Day, and Disney is celebrating by releasing a new teaser trailer for its upcoming series, Dug Days. The new series premiering on Disney+ will serve as a spin-off to the Pixar Animation Studios film, Up. The original 2009 Oscar winning film featured the lovable dog, Dug, whose high-tech collar was able to translate his thoughts into verbal speech. Check out the new teaser trailer that was just revealed earlier today!

The official synopsis for the upcoming Disney+ series reads as, "Pixar Animation Studios' Dug Days is a new collection of shorts that follows the humorous misadventures of Dug, the lovable dog from Disney and Pixar's Up."

Each short features everyday events that occur in and around Dug's backyard, all through the exciting (and delightfully distorted) eyes of our favorite talking dog. Bob Peterson, who played as the voice actor for Dug in the 2009 film, will be returning in the new series.

For much of the 1990s and 2000s, Steve Zahn all but cornered the market on playing affable, goofy stoners. “Reality Bites,” “SubUrbia,” “Out of Sight” — if the character toked, chances are Zahn got the part. But this summer, on HBO’s water-cooler hit “White Lotus,” the 53-year-old actor and part-time farmer (he lives most of the year in Kentucky) finally landed a roll with some party-sized cojones.

Zahn plays Mark Mossbacher, a hangdog dad who, after a false-alarm brush with testicular cancer, sinks into a mid-life meltdown while vacationing at an exclusive Hawaiian resort with his super-successful tech CFO wife and his snotty teenage kids, along with a coterie of other mostly despicable wealthy guests.

The role wasn’t a sure thing — Zahn had to audition for it with the series’ creator Mike White — but over the course of the last six weeks, until the show’s season finale on...

Trailblazing director Penelope Spheeris has very few fucks left to give.

Spheeris first came on the scene with her Los Angeles punk rock documentary “Decline of Western Civilization,” followed by the disturbing punk drama “Suburbia” starring Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea. But after directing several more independent films, huge success with “Wayne’s World,” and then some lightweight studio comedies, she basically lost faith in Hollywood. A run-in with the Weinsteins was one of the main catalysts, coupled with the industry’s general lack of interest in women filmmakers at the time.

For now, filmmaking is on the back burner while she finishes working on building two houses in L.A. and taking care of her foster kids. While making “Decline Part III,” she developed a deep connection with the runaway teens portrayed in the documentary, and started fostering children. She’s also writing a book about her wild ride in the business,...

General Hospital alum Chad Brannon, who played Zander Smith from August 2000 to March 2004, is returning to the ABC sudser in an undisclosed role/manner (given that Zander is, well, long dead).

Brannon will start taping his scenes as whomever/whatever (planet Lumina resident?) in mid-February, EW.com reports.

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Zander, for the uninitiated, is Cameron Webber’s biological father by way of Elizabeth Webber (played...

It was late 1987 when I first rented Summer Camp Nightmare from the local video store. This film, with it's cover that featured a screaming girl and one of the film's stars Charlie Stratton, seemed like the perfect scary movie for me to watch with the other video cassettes I was renting.

When I put this film into the Vcr, I figured I was getting a Friday the 13th knockoff. What I got instead was a Lord of the Flies-like tale about a camp being taken over by Franklin Reilly (Stratton), who uses the different personalities in the camp to lead a coup against Mr. Warren (Chuck Connors). Watching Summer Camp Nightmare with a 2020 lens, it quickly became clear to me that, in many ways, this films captures the angst and unrest we are seeing in the United States due to Covid-19 and the killing of George Floyd.

Released on...

Whilst the idea of building towns and villages feels as if it should be a very common occurrence among board game themes, I find myself struggling to recall many classic city building games, outside of the obvious ones like Suburbia and Quadropolis. Some city building games layer in a lot of complexity, especially when multiple resources are situations are concerned in games like Founders of Gloomhaven and Neom.

Little Town offers a simpler, more immediate level of access and it plays in a much shorter timescale, but in many ways the result is a similarly satisfying outcome. Little Town is a worker placement and resource management game in which the players collectively build their town on a shared plot of land whilst attempting to achieve the most victory points for their contribution. Aside from the points gained for constructing buildings and monuments, each player has a hand of secret personal...

Shout! Factory TV has announced its first original series! Created by Ashley and Robert Sidaway, the 13-part docuseries Cult-Tastic: Tales from the Trenches with Roger and Julie Corman will premiere on November 15th. Also in today's Horror Highlights: Big Top Evil teaser trailers and release details, Fearhouse360 release details, and a look at the Little VVomen sketch.

Shout! Factory's Cult-Tastic: Tales from the Trenches with Roger and Julie Corman Release Details: "Shout! Factory TV, the digital entertainment streaming service, is set to launch its first original digital docuseries Cult-tastic: Tales From The Trenches With Roger And Julie Corman. Created, written and co-produced by Ashley Sidaway and Robert Sidaway, the 13-part series about the life and work of Roger and Julie Corman, provides viewers an extraordinary look inside the Cormans’ cinematic universe and features extensive in-depth interviews. The series will premiere November 15th on Shout! Factory TV’s Amazon Prime Video...

Exclusive: Shout! Factory TV will launch a 13-part digital docuseries called Cult-Tastic: Tales from the Trenches with Roger and Julie Corman that premieres Nov. 15 on Shout Factory TV’s Amazon Prime Video Channel and via Roku Channel’s Premium Subscription.

Created, written and co-produced by Ashley Sidaway and Robert Sidaway, Cult-Tastic features new, extensive, and in-depth interviews and represents the first docuseries from Shout! Factory TV. The subject matter is a rich and vivid one: Roger and Julie Corman and their seven decades as trailblazing indie filmmakers.

One of the most prolific producers in cinema history, Roger Corman is known as the Pope of Pop Culture and the King of the Cult Film after producing more than 350 films and directing 60 more, among them Machine Gun Kelly, A Bucket of Blood, X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes, Bloody Mama and Frankenstein Unbound. Roger Corman was honored with the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2009.

Julie Corman,...

With “Last Flag Flying” arriving in theaters, we’re taking on the not-so-simple task of ranking the movies of genre-hopping director Richard Linklater. The top titles on this list could rightfully be called modern classics, but every one of his films somehow evokes the heartfelt philosophy of his hypnotic “Waking Life”: human interaction is the highest form of spiritual communion.

20. “Bad News Bears” (2005)

The 1976 original was a true product of its time, with an all-star lineup led by Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal, but this unnecessary remake just felt like it was trying too hard. By 2005, the sight of an aggressively un-pc Little League coach (Billy Bob Thornton) encouraging outrageous behavior in his young team seemed less subversive than sad.

19. “Fast Food Nation” (2006)

When truth is stranger than fiction, why turn it into fiction? Linklater admirably attempted to create a multi-course meal out of Eric Schlosser’s bestselling book,...

Since any New York City cinephile has a nearly suffocating wealth of theatrical options, we figured it’d be best to compile some of the more worthwhile repertory showings into one handy list. Displayed below are a few of the city’s most reliable theaters and links to screenings of their weekend offerings — films you’re not likely to see in a theater again anytime soon, and many of which are, also, on 35mm. If you have a chance to attend any of these, we’re of the mind that it’s time extremely well-spent.

Metrograph

Marguerite Duras’s India Song and Jean-Luc Godard’s Hélas Pour Moi play on Saturday and Sunday.

The Pasolini retrospective continues.

Les Blank’s Chulas Fronteras and Del Mero Corazón have been restored and are screening.

The restoration of A Bigger Splash continues its run, while Audition is now screening.

The J. Hoberman...

Director Mark L. Lester is known for many things. Roller Boogie, Pterodactyl and Showdown in Little Tokyo are one side of this iconoclastic coin. The other side includes movies like Firestarter, Armed and Dangerous and the legendary Commando. Yes, for all that Mr. Lester has given the world of cinema, he helmed this Arnold Schwarzenegger kill-fest, which saw that iconic actor head to Latin America on a death mission after some bad guys kidnap his daughter. The action is tight, on point, and this film works in just about any era because it is so visceral. In fact, Lester acquits himself so well here that one wonders why he didn't make Predator or Total Recall?

However, somewhere amidst the big budget Hollywood films and the cult classics, Mark L. Lester managed to helm a film called Class of 1984. This gem from 1982 is neither big budget nor as fun as...

The American Genre Film Archive, the largest non-profit genre film archive and distributor in the world, has teamed up with Shout! Factory for a wide-ranging new theatrical partnership that will see a slew of cult classics heading back into theaters. Agfa will distribute 50 film classics from Shout! Factory’s movie library to theaters this year, following similar collaborations with home video labels like Arrow Films, Severin Films, and Vinegar Syndrome.

The Austin-based Afga has selected a number of shlock-tastic titles like “Black Christmas,” “Chopping Mall,” “Caged Heat,” and both “Slumber Party Massacre” and its sequel to release back into theaters. The deal also includes a number of bonafide classics as well, including John Ford’s “Stagecoach,” John Cassavetes’ “A Woman Under the Influence,” and Alfred Hitchcock’s “Foreign Correspondent.”

“We could not be more thrilled about this partnership,” said Agfa Head of Business Affairs Alicia Coombs in an official statement.

Amazon Prime Video has confirmed that several original shows will be debuting new episodes on the streaming service in April, including the fifth season of the crime drama “Bosch,” the sophomore season of the comedy “The Tick” and the first edition of the children’s animated show “Bug Diaries.”

Likewise, there will be plenty of movies making their first appearances on Amazon Prime Video in April including the Oscar-nominated horror film “A Quiet Place,” a slew of films in the Bond franchise and all three entries in the “Blade” trilogy.

Below is the full schedule of everything that is coming to Amazon Prime Video in April 2019. Unlike Netflix, Amazon does not disclose the shows and movies leaving the service in any given month. We’ve done some digging and unearthed a few titles that will be exiting Amazon Prime Video in the first week of April.

See Netflix schedule: Here...

If you’re a film fan that’s under the age of 30, there’s a large chance you’re not familiar with the work of filmmaker Penelope Spheeris. And frankly, that’s a damn shame. While many know her for her work on films like “Wayne’s World,” “Little Rascals,” and “Black Sheep,” the director revolutionized how punk rock was portrayed in cinema thanks to her films “The Decline of Western Civilization” (which would go on to have two respected sequels) and “Suburbia” (a cult film that was recently restored and deserves wider recognition).

Continue reading ‘Wayne’s World’ Filmmaker Penelope Spheeris Says Working With The Weinsteins Led To Her Decision To Leave Hollywood at The Playlist.

Exclusive: Actor-writer Eric Bogosian is finalizing a deal to join Adam Sandler in the Safdie brothers’ Good Time follow-up Uncut Gems for A24. The Law & Order alum will have a key role opposite Sandler, I understand.

Pic’s script comes from the Safdies — Josh and Ben — and Ronald Bronstein. Producers are Scott Rudin and Eli Bush through Scott Rudin Produtions and Elara Pictures’ Sebastian Bear-McClard and Oscar Boyson. Rudin and Bush team frequently with A24 — most recently on Lady Bird — and the Safdies recently worked with the distributor on Robert Pattinson-starrer Good Time. Martin Scorsese & Emma Tillinger Koskoff are executive producers.

I gather the movie will be set in the diamond district of New York and Sandler will play a jewelry store owner and dealer to the rich and famous whose life becomes complicated when some of his merchandise is stolen.

Bogosian has most recently been seen in HBO...

If you happen to be in Aurora, Illinois any time over the next six months, be sure to stop by the pop-up replica of Stan Mikita's Donuts. Feel free to take a selfie in a Wayne or Garth wig at the public library, or check out a replica of the Campbell family basement at the community college. Or maybe just enjoy any of the dozens of contests, events and celebrations the town is hosting in honor of the 25th anniversary of the movie Wayne's World.

For a comedy that...

Paris Is Burning is serving some historical landmark realness this morning, as the Library of Congress has announced that the iconic drag documentary is one of 25 films chosen for induction into its National Film Registry for 2016. The Registry’s mission is is to preserve films that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant, which this year means multiple generations of youth in revolt as well as the usual Old Hollywood masterworks and essential historical documents of early silent filmmaking.

One of the more unexpected entries this year is also a documentary: future Wayne’s World and Suburbia director Penelope Spheeris’ 1981 film The Decline Of Western Civilization, a vital documentary on the punk scene in Los Angeles in the early ‘80s. Long condemned to bootleg obscurity thanks to the ever-complex problem of music rights, the film received its first official DVD and Blu-ray release just last year. In the ...

Directors’ trademarks is a series of articles that examines the “signatures” that filmmakers leave behind in their work. This month, we’re examining the trademark style and calling signs of John Huges as director.

John Hughes’ is one of the most influential filmmakers of the past few decades. His contributions as writer, director, and producer have created many well-loved and contemporary classic films. While his impact as a filmmaker in general overshadows his contributions just as a director, there are many commonalities between the films he directed versus the films he only contributed a script. As such, the trademarks considered below are meant to represent the films directed by John Hughes, but they can easily also apply to the films he contributed to, but did not direct.

Hughes’ career began as a writer for several advertising campaigns. He went on to join National Lampoon where he wrote several films including 1984’s Vacation,...

The 52nd annual Ann Arbor Film Festival will be a jam-packed experimental feature and short film screening event running for six days and nights, this time on March 25-30.

Opening Night will feature a reception and an after-party, and stuffed between those will be a block of nine short films, including new ones by Bryan Boyce, Michael Robinson, Jennifer Reeder and Martha Colburn, as well as a never-before-released work by the legendary Bruce Baillie called Little Girl in which Baillie captured scenes of natural beauty.

Special Events scattered throughout the festival include a retrospective of indie filmmaker Penelope Spheeris that will feature her rock ‘n’ roll-based work, including the original The Decline of Western Civilization, plus The Decline of Western Civilization Part III, her influential punk film Suburbia (screening twice) and a collection of short films.

There will also be several films and presentations by filmmaking scholar Thom Andersen, such...

News.

Just in time for Kenya's national election this weekend, Mubi will be specially showing a new film, Something Necessary (Judy Kibinge, 2013), produced by Tom Tykwer, about the country's last elections, in 2007. Something Necessary premiered in January at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and will be free to watch globally on Mubi for 24 hours starting Sunday, March 3. Russian filmmaker Aleksei German has passed away at the age of 74. We've shared one of our favorite scenes of his and would like to point to a piece we published by Maxim Pozdorovkin last March, occasioned by the traveling retrospective of German's work.

We are terrifically happy for and proud of David Cairns—Notebook columnist of The Forgotten and author of the Shadowplay blog—who has just seen the premiere of his new film co-directed with Paul Duane, Natan, at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival. The documentary is on Bernand Natan, a...

The Portland Oregon Women’s Film Festival (a.k.a. POWFest) announces highlights from its upcoming event, running March 7-10. The festival is celebrating its 6th year, and received a record number of submissions from women filmmakers across the world to compile almost 100 films (shorts, docs and features) that will play in themed programs -- Relationships, Mature Themes, Animation & Experimental, Mothers & Fathers, and Youth Created. This year's "female pioneer" and Guest of Honor is director Penelope Spheeris, whose films "Dudes," "Suburbia" and "Decline of Western Civilization III" will screen on March 9. The festival will open with Jackie Weissman's "Rock N Roll Mamas," while International Women's Day (March 8) will feature Pow's the traveling shorts showcase Lunafest, as well as "From Zimbabwe to Sante Fe" and "Gabby's Wish." Other highlights from the weekend include...

Roger Corman is one of those distinct Hollywood personalities that everyone has been exposed to in some manner. Whether you are aware of the man’s name or not, odds are you have seen a film he has produced, written or directed.

He has given many big names, from Jack Nicholson to Francis Ford Coppola, their start as part of the “Corman Film School”. His influence is immense in the film industry, and this is the focus of Alex Stapleton’s documentary, Corman’s World.

The film opens with Corman on the set of Dinoshark, doing what the man does best: making a movie! Well into his eighties, Corman is just as hands on as ever on the set of this sci-fi cheapie that was shot in Mexico. Over the next hour and a half (I beg that the film could have easily been twice as long and not suffered for it) Roger Corman,...

By Elliot V. Kotek

(from the 2011 Newport Beach Film Festival)

The Newport Beach Film Festival has sprung to life with a dynamic opening weekend, kicking off with the world premiere of Michael Knowles’ “East Fifth Bliss,” starring two-time Oscar nominee Peter Fonda and “Dexter” Golden Globe winner Michael C. Hall, both of whom were in attendance to present the film to a jam-packed thousand-plus-person theater.

“Saving Private Ryan’s” Tom Sizemore, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day’s” Robert Patrick, “American Graffiti’s” Mackenzie Phillips, “Happy Gilmore’s” Christopher McDonald and a host of others were also in attendance on opening night, the festival’s proximity to Los Angeles making it easy for casts and crews to be present at, and to promote, screenings of their films.

“Conception” drew down some of its cast, including real-life couple Jennifer Finnigan and “Weekend at Bernie’s” Jonathan Silverman, who are also in town for...

By Elliot V. Kotek

(from the 2011 Newport Beach Film Festival)

The Newport Beach Film Festival has sprung to life with a dynamic opening weekend, kicking off with the world premiere of Michael Knowles’ “East Fifth Bliss,” starring two-time Oscar nominee Peter Fonda and “Dexter” Golden Globe winner Michael C. Hall, both of whom were in attendance to present the film to a jam-packed thousand-plus-person theater.

“Saving Private Ryan’s” Tom Sizemore, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day’s” Robert Patrick, “American Graffiti’s” Mackenzie Phillips, “Happy Gilmore’s” Christopher McDonald and a host of others were also in attendance on opening night, the festival’s proximity to Los Angeles making it easy for casts and crews to be present at, and to promote, screenings of their films.

“Conception” drew down some of its cast, including real-life couple Jennifer Finnigan and “Weekend at Bernie’s” Jonathan Silverman, who are also in town for...

Here at the ole’ HQ, we figure that since you come to us for news and advice about movies new and old, we might as well take the opportunity presented to us by the holidays to impart upon you some wisdom related to gadget, gizmos, collectibles and other methods of entertaining yourselves when you aren’t being angry on the internet. It brings us to this year’s Geek Gift Countdown, in which we will count down all of those geeky, nerdy and decidedly cool items we covet. You can expect at least one entry per day between now and the day Santa delivers his goodies, so stay tuned. Today we begin with two delicious books that celebrate the cult sector… Destroy All Movies Co-written by Alamo Drafthouse wunderkind and Terror Tuesday orchestrator Zack Carlson, this “Complete Guide to Punks in Movies” is as complete as its subtitle touts. Covering over 1100 films of great and not-so-great variety...

“I think people, once you put a camera on them, they just can’t help but say some stupid shit.” -Ian MacKay A movie guide should make you want to watch movies, and none has ever made me want to watch as many as “Destroy All Movies!!! The Complete Guide to Punks on Film”. Spawned by a late night viewing of Penelope Spheeris’ classic “Suburbia”, and edited by Austin (by way of the Pacific Northwest) film heads Zach Carlson and Bryan Connolly, “Dam” is an exhaustive compilation of almost every punk rock film ever made. Hollywood’s interpretation of punk and punks usually involves some sort of marauding gang of wayward youth wreaking havoc on the good, normal folks of society at large, like in “Class of 1984”. In these trashy, exploitation scenarios punks are a force of evil that must be destroyed in order to preserve all that is...

The burgeoning Los Angeles punk scene in the early ‘80s found a natural ally in Roger Corman, a fellow fringe-dweller whose quick-and-dirty productions were naturally suited to the movement’s Diy aesthetic. All Corman appeared to require of Penelope Spheeris’ Suburbia were a few gratuitous nude scenes and a little violence; beyond that, he seemed perfectly happy to let her do what she wanted. Three years after her groundbreaking 1981 documentary The Decline Of Western Civilization, Spheeris grafted an anecdotal, occasionally contrived, ripped-from-the-headlines melodrama to another tough yet compassionate snapshot of the city’s wayward punkers. At its best, Suburbia ...

Shout! Factory is about to unleash around 50 classic exploitation films from legendary producer Roger Corman on DVD and Blu-ray (titles like Piranha, The Evil, Death Race 2000). If you're anything like me you've already started to scrape together your pocket change for these releases which boast brand new bonus features and transfers. Hit the jump to check out an outrageous promo reel that Shout! Factory just released. Which titles are you looking forward to picking up? More at http://www.rogercormanscultclassics.com Shout! Factory is rolling out Roger Corman's Cult Classics, a line of cult-favorite DVDs and Blu-ray including Rock N Roll High School, Suburbia, Piranha, The Evil, Death Race 2000,...

DVD company Shout! Factory has been kicking a mucho amount of ass lately, and they're showing zero signs of slowing down. Their latest crowning jewel is without question their slate of upcoming DVD and Blu-ray releases of some true Roger Corman most beloved classics!

For those not playing along ...

Shout! Factory and New Horizons Picture Corporation have entered into an extensive multi-year alliance to release a vast library of classic and new films from legendary producer-director Roger Corman to the home entertainment marketplace.

The companies are working in tandem to remaster a number of great Corman titles that have been long out of print, some never-before-available on DVD and Blu-ray. Moreover, Shout! Factory is currently producing a wide range of bonus content for special editions and double features for the launch of Shout! Factory’s Roger Corman’s Cult Classics home entertainment series.

The first titles to be made available...

It should come as no surprise to learn that there will be a new DVD of the original Piranha to go along with this summer's 3-D remake; that sort of release is nothing new, especially if you're a horror fan. But what is particularly exciting, provided you're a fan of horror, schlock, and/or Roger Corman in general, is this: In just a few months the fine folks at Shout! Factory will be unleashing all sorts of Cormanized craziness.

In April we'll get a long-awaited re-issue of Joe Dante's Piranha, which is arguably one of Corman's finest productions -- even if it is a thinly-veiled Jaws wannabe. Your choice of standard special edition or blu-ray. Yes, that's right: Piranha on blu-ray. Pinch me. But don't pinch yet. It gets better: In the following weeks Shout! Factory will also dole out Humanoids from the Deep (yes!), the beloved Death Race 2000 and its follow-up Deathsport,...