Raquel Welch, the movie star and model Playboy declared "the most desirable woman of the 1970s," has died at the age of 82. According to her manager, Steve Sauer, (via CNN) Welch passed away after a "brief illness."
Welch was a much-buzzed-about Hollywood ingenue throughout the early 1960s before attaining international stardom in 1966's sci-fi classic "Fantastic Voyage" and the prehistoric Hammer flick "One Million Years B.C." While the latter movie did little to enhance her reputation as an actor, the sight of Welch in a two-piece deerskin bikini made her the pin-up heir to Marilyn Monroe.
Welch's physical beauty was undeniable, and she embraced her sex symbol status. But the Latina performer, who adopted her first husband's last name to avoid the kind of typecasting that drove Rita Moreno from Hollywood at the height of her popularity, knew she was more than just a pretty face, and proved it time and again throughout her career.
Welch was a much-buzzed-about Hollywood ingenue throughout the early 1960s before attaining international stardom in 1966's sci-fi classic "Fantastic Voyage" and the prehistoric Hammer flick "One Million Years B.C." While the latter movie did little to enhance her reputation as an actor, the sight of Welch in a two-piece deerskin bikini made her the pin-up heir to Marilyn Monroe.
Welch's physical beauty was undeniable, and she embraced her sex symbol status. But the Latina performer, who adopted her first husband's last name to avoid the kind of typecasting that drove Rita Moreno from Hollywood at the height of her popularity, knew she was more than just a pretty face, and proved it time and again throughout her career.
- 2/15/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The White Lotus really went there.
The hit HBO drama series killed off Jennifer Coolidge's Tanya on the shocking season finale.
Viewers questioned who was found floating in the ocean all season long, and The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 7 revealed that Tanya died trying to escape from a yacht.
Throughout The White Lotus Season 2, viewers questioned whether Quentin (Tom Hollander) had been working in cahoots with Tanya's husband, Greg (Tom Gries), to steal her fortune.
It turned out that was the case, as Greg would be the beneficiary of her fortune if Tanya died.
The big episode found Tanya shooting several members of Quentin's team dead as they prepared for her to be killed by Niccolo.
Just when it seemed Tanya was safe, she died trying to jump from the yacht onto a dingy below.
In a new interview with Deadline, Coolidge revealed that creator Mike White told her...
The hit HBO drama series killed off Jennifer Coolidge's Tanya on the shocking season finale.
Viewers questioned who was found floating in the ocean all season long, and The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 7 revealed that Tanya died trying to escape from a yacht.
Throughout The White Lotus Season 2, viewers questioned whether Quentin (Tom Hollander) had been working in cahoots with Tanya's husband, Greg (Tom Gries), to steal her fortune.
It turned out that was the case, as Greg would be the beneficiary of her fortune if Tanya died.
The big episode found Tanya shooting several members of Quentin's team dead as they prepared for her to be killed by Niccolo.
Just when it seemed Tanya was safe, she died trying to jump from the yacht onto a dingy below.
In a new interview with Deadline, Coolidge revealed that creator Mike White told her...
- 12/13/2022
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Subscribe To The New Arrow In The Head Show Youtube Channel Here!
As announced earlier this month, The Arrow in the Head Show – which used to be released through the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – has migrated over to its own YouTube channel. Today, a new episode of the show was released, and in those one hosts John “The Arrow” Fallon and Lance Vlcek are looking back at the ten dismissed 1988 sequel Fright Night: Part 2, which crashed and burned at the box office with a measly 2.9 million box office haul.
Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, who takes over from the first film’s Tom Holland, Fright Night: Part 2 features young Charley Brewer, fresh out of psychiatric hospital, and the vampire hunting former TV show host Peter Vincent facing more thirsty vampires.
The film stars William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowell, reprising the roles they made famous in the first film, alongside Traci Lind,...
As announced earlier this month, The Arrow in the Head Show – which used to be released through the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – has migrated over to its own YouTube channel. Today, a new episode of the show was released, and in those one hosts John “The Arrow” Fallon and Lance Vlcek are looking back at the ten dismissed 1988 sequel Fright Night: Part 2, which crashed and burned at the box office with a measly 2.9 million box office haul.
Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, who takes over from the first film’s Tom Holland, Fright Night: Part 2 features young Charley Brewer, fresh out of psychiatric hospital, and the vampire hunting former TV show host Peter Vincent facing more thirsty vampires.
The film stars William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowell, reprising the roles they made famous in the first film, alongside Traci Lind,...
- 10/8/2022
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Black Americans saw very little representation of their lives and culture on TV during the 1950s. The only mainstay was Eddie Anderson, who played Jack Benny’s sardonic valet Rochester on CBS’ “The Jack Benny Program.” In 1937, he’d became the first Black performer to be a regular on the radio version of the beloved comedy series and played Rochester on television from 1950-65. Terry Carter played Pvt. Sugie Sugerman for 98 episodes of CBS’ Emmy Award-winning “The Phil Silvers Show.’ And Black singers and performers would occasionally appear on various musical-variety series.
Pianist Hazel Scott was given her own summer series “The Hazel Scott Show” on DuMont in 1950. But she was soon named as a Communist by “Red Channels”. Though she denied the charges, the series couldn’t attract a sponsor and was history after four episodes. Likewise, NBC’s 1957-58 “The Nat King Cole Show” couldn’t find a...
Pianist Hazel Scott was given her own summer series “The Hazel Scott Show” on DuMont in 1950. But she was soon named as a Communist by “Red Channels”. Though she denied the charges, the series couldn’t attract a sponsor and was history after four episodes. Likewise, NBC’s 1957-58 “The Nat King Cole Show” couldn’t find a...
- 6/25/2020
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Fifty years ago this month, Steve Railsback was a 23-year-old actor in New York when he caught a newspaper headline that Sharon Tate and four others had been brutally massacred in a house in L.A. “I remember thinking, ‘God, what’s happening in this fucking world?’” Railsback recalls.
Seven years later, in 1976, Railsback would be part of one of the first attempts to depict what transpired that horrific night. In the two-part TV movie Helter Skelter, based on the Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry best-seller about Charles Manson, his Family,...
Seven years later, in 1976, Railsback would be part of one of the first attempts to depict what transpired that horrific night. In the two-part TV movie Helter Skelter, based on the Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry best-seller about Charles Manson, his Family,...
- 8/19/2019
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
He’s back — looking meaner and uglier than ever! Bert I. Gordon’s early sci-fi effort shapes up as a surprisingly entertaining monster thriller with an elemental appeal. And lots of groaning and howling, too. Led by Lon Chaney Jr., the all-name cast keeps things lively. The pop-eyed monster is the ultimate bogeyman for the kiddies. Any movie that inspired as many nightmares as this one did, can’t be bad.
The Cyclops
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1957 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 66 min. / Street Date September 25, 2010 / available through the Warner Archive Collection / 19.95
Starring James Craig, Gloria Talbott, Lon Chaney Jr., Tom Drake, Duncan Parkin, Vincent Padula.
Cinematography Ira Morgan
Film Editor Carlo Lodato
Technical Effects Bert I. Gordon, Flora Gordon
Vocal Effects Paul Frees
Makeup Jack H. Young
Original Music Albert Glasser
Written, Produced and Directed by Bert I. Gordon
The pleasant surprises keep coming, and this time out the Wac...
The Cyclops
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1957 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 66 min. / Street Date September 25, 2010 / available through the Warner Archive Collection / 19.95
Starring James Craig, Gloria Talbott, Lon Chaney Jr., Tom Drake, Duncan Parkin, Vincent Padula.
Cinematography Ira Morgan
Film Editor Carlo Lodato
Technical Effects Bert I. Gordon, Flora Gordon
Vocal Effects Paul Frees
Makeup Jack H. Young
Original Music Albert Glasser
Written, Produced and Directed by Bert I. Gordon
The pleasant surprises keep coming, and this time out the Wac...
- 9/25/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Charlie Bronson cashed in big with this lightweight action thriller co-starring Jill Ireland and Robert Duvall. Did Duvall get involved because the original concept was a serious look at political scandals between big business, the CIA and Chile? The clues from the real source story are still there.
Breakout
Region B + A Blu-ray
Koch Media / Explosive Media (De)
1975 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 96 min. / Street Date January 17, 2017 / Der Mann ohne Nerven / Available from Amazon.de Eur 15,99
Starring: Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Sheree North, John Huston, Jorge Moreno, Paul Mantee, Emilio Fernandez, Alan Vint, Roy Jenson, John Huston.
Cinematography: Lucien Ballard
Editor: Bud Isaacs
Original Music: Jerry Goldsmith
Written by: Howard B. Kreitsek, Marc Norman, Elliott Baker suggested by the book Ten Second Jailbreak by Warren Hinckle, William Turner, Eliot Asinof.
Produced by: Robert Chartoff, Irwin Winkler
Directed by: Tom Gries
Charles Bronson seems to have been an unhappy...
Breakout
Region B + A Blu-ray
Koch Media / Explosive Media (De)
1975 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 96 min. / Street Date January 17, 2017 / Der Mann ohne Nerven / Available from Amazon.de Eur 15,99
Starring: Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Sheree North, John Huston, Jorge Moreno, Paul Mantee, Emilio Fernandez, Alan Vint, Roy Jenson, John Huston.
Cinematography: Lucien Ballard
Editor: Bud Isaacs
Original Music: Jerry Goldsmith
Written by: Howard B. Kreitsek, Marc Norman, Elliott Baker suggested by the book Ten Second Jailbreak by Warren Hinckle, William Turner, Eliot Asinof.
Produced by: Robert Chartoff, Irwin Winkler
Directed by: Tom Gries
Charles Bronson seems to have been an unhappy...
- 2/18/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
A big, loud, lusty western battle movie with sexy stars and zero brains, this was a big hit back in ’69, just before The Wild Bunch rebooted the entire genre. Jim Brown, Raquel Welch and Burt Reynolds burn up the screen with action, even though the actual acting is on the weak side.
100 Rifles
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1969 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 110 min. / Street Date November 29, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring Jim Brown, Raquel Welch, Burt Reynolds, Fernando Lamas, Dan O’Herlihy, Eric Braeden, Michael Forest, Aldo Sambrell, Soledad Miranda.
Cinematography Cecilio Paniagua
Film Editor Robert Simpson
Original Music Jerry Goldsmith
Second Unit Director Chuck Roberson
Written by Clair Huffaker, Tom Gries from a novel by Robert MacLeod
Produced by Marvin Schwartz
Directed by Tom Gries
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
The Italian western phenomenon hit Europe in 1964 with Sergio Leone’s first blockbuster, but the wave didn’t strike America for several years,...
100 Rifles
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1969 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 110 min. / Street Date November 29, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring Jim Brown, Raquel Welch, Burt Reynolds, Fernando Lamas, Dan O’Herlihy, Eric Braeden, Michael Forest, Aldo Sambrell, Soledad Miranda.
Cinematography Cecilio Paniagua
Film Editor Robert Simpson
Original Music Jerry Goldsmith
Second Unit Director Chuck Roberson
Written by Clair Huffaker, Tom Gries from a novel by Robert MacLeod
Produced by Marvin Schwartz
Directed by Tom Gries
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
The Italian western phenomenon hit Europe in 1964 with Sergio Leone’s first blockbuster, but the wave didn’t strike America for several years,...
- 12/13/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Above: French grande for El Topo (Alejandro Jodorowsky, Mexico, 1970). Artist: “Moebius,” aka Jean Giraud, aka “Gir” (1938-2012).You might expect something wilder from the fecund paired imaginations of Alejandro Jodorowsky and the artist known as Moebius. But this striking yet unusually restrained poster for El Topo (courtesy of Film/Art Gallery who provided a second, that’s-more-like-it Italian poster for the film that also made the top 20) was the most popular poster on Movie Poster of the Day over the last three months by a long stretch of desert.Collecting the posters with the most likes and reblogs yields a particularly attractive and typically diverse collection of art. There are Danish posters for French films, Polish posters for Italian films, Italian posters for Russian films and Russian posters for American films. Plenty of great artists are represented: from the Sternberg Brothers to John Alvin, from Andrzej Onegin-Dabrowski to Georges Kerfyser,...
- 9/2/2016
- MUBI
By Lee Pfeiffer
Charlton Heston fans will appreciate the fact that one of his few major films not to be released on home video has finally made it to DVD through MGM. "Number One" (released in certain countries under the title "Pro") is an off-beat vehicle for the superstar, who was then at his peak of popularity. The fact that the movie under-performed at the box-office and failed to score with critics didn't diminish Heston's status as a leading man. He would go on to star in such hits as "The Omega Man", "Skyjacked", "Soylent Green" "Earthquake", "Midway"and "Airport '75"- with cameos in the popular "The Three Musketeers" and "The Four Musketeers". The poor response to "Number One" doesn't diminish its many merits - and the fact that Heston was willing to play against type in a largely unsympathetic role. For the film, he reunited with director Tom Gries,...
Charlton Heston fans will appreciate the fact that one of his few major films not to be released on home video has finally made it to DVD through MGM. "Number One" (released in certain countries under the title "Pro") is an off-beat vehicle for the superstar, who was then at his peak of popularity. The fact that the movie under-performed at the box-office and failed to score with critics didn't diminish Heston's status as a leading man. He would go on to star in such hits as "The Omega Man", "Skyjacked", "Soylent Green" "Earthquake", "Midway"and "Airport '75"- with cameos in the popular "The Three Musketeers" and "The Four Musketeers". The poor response to "Number One" doesn't diminish its many merits - and the fact that Heston was willing to play against type in a largely unsympathetic role. For the film, he reunited with director Tom Gries,...
- 5/21/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Blinded by science! And no, it's not a sequel to Donovan's Reef. Lew Ayres yanks the living brain out of a dying millionaire, plugs it into his mad lab gizmos, and is soon obeying the know-it-all noggin's telepathic commands to scheme and murder. Gene Evans and Nancy Reagan assist in Curt Siodmak's creative, compelling tale of possession by mental remote control. Donovan's Brain Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1953 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 83 min. / Street Date March 22, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Lew Ayres, Gene Evans, Nancy Reagan, Steve Brodie, Tom Powers, Lisa K. Howard, James Anderson, Victor Sutherland, Harlan Warde, John Hamilton. Cinematography Joseph H. Biroc Film Editor Herbert L. Strock Production Design Boris Leven Original Music Eddie Dunstedter Written by Felix Feist, Hugh Brooke from the novel by Curt Siodmak Produced by Allan Dowling, Tom Gries Directed by Felix E. Feist
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Sci-fi and horror...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Sci-fi and horror...
- 3/1/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The sequel to the epic Julie Andrews road show picture wasn't a hit, but it tells a good story of its own. Charlton Heston is okay but the central character is a Chinese immigrant played by Tina Chen. Against all odds, the peasant matriarch survives plagues and leprosy to found a family dynasty for the new Hawaii. The Hawaiians Blu-ray Twilight Time Limited Edition 1970 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 134 min. / Ship Date February 9, 2016 / available through Twilight Time Movies / 29.95 Starring Charlton Heston, Tina Chen, Geraldine Chaplin, Mako, John Phillip Law, Alec McCowen, Miko Mayama, Virginia Ann Lee, Chris Robinson, Naomi Stevens, Keye Luke, Khigh Dhiegh, Mary Munday, Harry Townes, Lyle Bettger, James Hong, James Gregory, Harry Holcombe, Victor Sen Yung Cinematography Lucien Ballard, Philip Lathrop Film Editor Byron Brandt, Ralph Winters Original Music Henry Mancini Written by James R. Webb from the novel by James A. Michener Produced by Walter Mirisch Directed by...
- 3/1/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Even as we gather remembrances of Andrzej Zulawski, who passed away last night at the age of 75, this year's edition of Film Comment Selects opens today with a Spotlight on the Polish director and novelist. Cosmos screens on Friday and new restorations of The Third Part of the Night, The Devil and On the Silver Globe follow. There'll also be a Spotlight on Charles Bronson, with screenings of Tom Gries's Breakout and René Clément's Rider on the Rain on Sunday. We're gathering film scholar Daniel Bird's thoughts on working with him plus reviews of other films in the series: Aleksei German Jr.'s Under Electric Clouds, Marco Bellocchio's Blood of My Blood, Damien Odoul’s The Fear and Kianoush Ayyari's The Paternal House. » - David Hudson...
- 2/17/2016
- Keyframe
Even as we gather remembrances of Andrzej Zulawski, who passed away last night at the age of 75, this year's edition of Film Comment Selects opens today with a Spotlight on the Polish director and novelist. Cosmos screens on Friday and new restorations of The Third Part of the Night, The Devil and On the Silver Globe follow. There'll also be a Spotlight on Charles Bronson, with screenings of Tom Gries's Breakout and René Clément's Rider on the Rain on Sunday. We're gathering film scholar Daniel Bird's thoughts on working with him plus reviews of other films in the series: Aleksei German Jr.'s Under Electric Clouds, Marco Bellocchio's Blood of My Blood, Damien Odoul’s The Fear and Kianoush Ayyari's The Paternal House. » - David Hudson...
- 2/17/2016
- Fandor: Keyframe
By John M. Whalen
When the “hardware widow” (Allyn Ann McClerie) asks Monte Walsh (Lee Marvin) if he’d gotten used to the idea of his long-time partner Chet Rollins (Jack Palance) and her being married, Monte says: “I never had so many things to get used to in my whole life, as now.” That line of dialogue in the middle of William Fraker’s “Monte Walsh” (1970) pretty much sums up this first and best film adaptation of Jack Schaeffer’s novel about the end of the Old West in general and the cowboy life in particular. It’s a true classic and even though it features two of the toughest tough guy actors of the sixties and seventies, it’s not a melodramatic shoot-em-up, full of violence, sound and fury. Rather it’s an elegiac portrait of the way it must have really happened, presented in a style as...
When the “hardware widow” (Allyn Ann McClerie) asks Monte Walsh (Lee Marvin) if he’d gotten used to the idea of his long-time partner Chet Rollins (Jack Palance) and her being married, Monte says: “I never had so many things to get used to in my whole life, as now.” That line of dialogue in the middle of William Fraker’s “Monte Walsh” (1970) pretty much sums up this first and best film adaptation of Jack Schaeffer’s novel about the end of the Old West in general and the cowboy life in particular. It’s a true classic and even though it features two of the toughest tough guy actors of the sixties and seventies, it’s not a melodramatic shoot-em-up, full of violence, sound and fury. Rather it’s an elegiac portrait of the way it must have really happened, presented in a style as...
- 9/13/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ actress Marilyn Burns dead at 64 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre actress Marilyn Burns, the one cast member who manages to survive Leatherface in Tobe Hooper’s low-budget 1974 horror cult classic, was found dead on Tuesday, August 4, 2014, at her home in the Houston area. According to her manager, "she was found unresponsive by a family member." The cause of death remains unclear. Burns (born on July 5, 1950, in Erie, Pennsylvania) was 64. The Houston-raised Marilyn Burns began appearing in films in the early ’70s. She had a bit part in Robert Altman’s Houston-filmed Brewster McCloud (1970), starring Bud Cort, Sally Kellerman, and Shelley Duvall, and was later cast in a supporting role in Sidney Lumet’s Austin-shot 1974 drama Lovin’ Molly; however, Burns was ultimately replaced by Susan Sarandon, reportedly remaining in the production as a stand-in for both Sarandon and Blythe Danner. Also in 1974, Marilyn Burns landed the...
- 8/8/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
There are whispers of a new western called Another Man’s Gun. The men behind this project are director Jon Gries and screenwriter Derek Walker. Jon best known to us for his roles in Lost, Napoleon Dynamite and both entries into the Taken franchise, is following up his 2010 feature debut comedy Pickin’ and Grinnin’, with a journey into America’s past – Nebraska 1840 to be precise.
To help fund pre-production aspects of the film, Jon set-up a Kickstarter campaign that is going on through to January 31st. Just as HeyUGuys’ mascot Chunk in The Goonies liked to make a little noise, we thought the least we could do was speak with Jon and make a little noise of our own.
Another Man’s Gun sees Jon following in his father’s footsteps. In 1968 Tom Gries wrote and directed Charlton Heston in the western Will Penny. There are similarities and contrasts alike...
To help fund pre-production aspects of the film, Jon set-up a Kickstarter campaign that is going on through to January 31st. Just as HeyUGuys’ mascot Chunk in The Goonies liked to make a little noise, we thought the least we could do was speak with Jon and make a little noise of our own.
Another Man’s Gun sees Jon following in his father’s footsteps. In 1968 Tom Gries wrote and directed Charlton Heston in the western Will Penny. There are similarities and contrasts alike...
- 1/29/2014
- by Paul Risker
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Veteran character actor Jon Gries is best known for his gut-busting portrayal of Uncle Rico, he of the orange van and dashed dreams of high school football glory, in the 2004 cult gem Napoleon Dynamite. Jon Gries is also recognizable as Roger Linus on Lost, but the actor has been kicking around in Hollywood for decades, ever since he appeared in 1969 at age 11 opposite Charlton Heston in Will Penny, a western directed by his father Tom Gries. Some of Jon’s other films include Monster Squad (1978), Get Shorty (1995), and Taken (2008). Jon is also an accomplished musician, having composed songs for the films Twin Falls Idaho (1999) and The Big Empty (2003). In 2010, after directing several music videos, Jon tried his hand at directing a feature and the result was the acclaimed redneck road comedy Pickin’ & Grinning’.
(http://pickinandgrinninmovie.com/ )
Now Jon has teamed up with writer Derek Walker for Another Man’S Gun,...
(http://pickinandgrinninmovie.com/ )
Now Jon has teamed up with writer Derek Walker for Another Man’S Gun,...
- 12/12/2013
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Bruce Dern in ‘Nebraska’: AFI Fest 2013 highlight The Los Angeles-based AFI Fest, which kicked off last Thursday, November 7, 2013, continues until next Thursday. On Monday, November 11, the highlight of AFI Fest 2013 is Alexander Payne’s Nebraska (7:00 p.m. at Tcl Chinese Theatre), likely to earn a Best Actor Academy Award nomination for veteran Bruce Dern, who earlier this year took home the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival. (Photo: Bruce Dern, Will Forte in Nebraska.) Set in Kentucky (kidding), Nebraska accompanies an elderly man (Dern) and his son (Will Forte) as they travel from Billings, Montana, to Lincoln, Nebraska, so he can collect sweepstakes prize money he believes he has won. In sum, Nebraska is what’s called a Road Movie, in which the Road is a metaphor for Life. Shades of brothers Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise getting to know one another in Barry Levinson’s Rain Man,...
- 11/11/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The Wasteland:
Television is a gold goose that lays scrambled eggs;
and it is futile and probably fatal to beat it for not laying caviar.
Lee Loevinger
When people argue over the quality of television programming, both sides — it’s addictive crap v. underappreciated populist art — seem to forget one of the essentials about commercial TV. By definition, it is not a public service. It is not commercial TV’s job to enlighten, inform, educate, elevate, inspire, or offer insight. Frankly, it’s not even commercial TV’s job to entertain. Bottom line: its purpose is simply to deliver as many sets of eyes to advertisers as possible. As it happens, it tends to do this by offering various forms of entertainment, and occasionally by offering content that does enlighten, inform, etc., but a cynic would make the point that if TV could do the same job televising fish aimlessly swimming around an aquarium,...
Television is a gold goose that lays scrambled eggs;
and it is futile and probably fatal to beat it for not laying caviar.
Lee Loevinger
When people argue over the quality of television programming, both sides — it’s addictive crap v. underappreciated populist art — seem to forget one of the essentials about commercial TV. By definition, it is not a public service. It is not commercial TV’s job to enlighten, inform, educate, elevate, inspire, or offer insight. Frankly, it’s not even commercial TV’s job to entertain. Bottom line: its purpose is simply to deliver as many sets of eyes to advertisers as possible. As it happens, it tends to do this by offering various forms of entertainment, and occasionally by offering content that does enlighten, inform, etc., but a cynic would make the point that if TV could do the same job televising fish aimlessly swimming around an aquarium,...
- 7/22/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Muhammad Ali: The Greatest (2001) Direction and narration: Carlos Larkin Muhammad Ali Growing up in the 1970s, the specter of heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali — whom I could never stand — was everywhere. Contrary to opinions voiced about him post-Parkinson's Disease, Ali was the most despised athlete of that era. The most beloved was actually soccer superstar Pelé. Nonetheless, from that time on a raft of mediocre documentaries-cum-hagiographies have been made of the man. Not surprisingly, none has gotten to that rotten core. Here are three that I've recently watched in consecutive order: Muhammad Ali: The Greatest, Muhammad Ali: Made in Miami, and Muhammad Ali a.k.a. Cassius Clay. The first documentary I streamed was Carlos Larkin's Muhammad Ali: The Greatest (2001) — not to be confused with William Klein's 1969 Ali documentary of the same title. Of the aforementioned trio, The Greatest is undoubtedly the most hagiographical, as the...
- 9/15/2011
- by Dan Schneider
- Alt Film Guide
Shrewd film publicist who later achieved success as a producer
A masochistic Hollywood decree insists that press agents must be depicted on screen as loathsome toadying creatures, and movie moguls as vulgar, mercenary despots. Walter Seltzer, who has died aged 96, was both a press agent and a producer, but he failed to conform to either of the self-perpetuating stereotypes. As a press agent he was persuasive rather than pushy; as a producer, he believed in consensus decision-making.
Undoubtedly his greatest achievement as a press agent was in his promotion of Marty (1955), a gentle, small-scale study of the mundane with no star names. Seltzer believed so much in the Harold Hecht/Burt Lancaster production that the promotional campaign for the film was more expensive than the film itself: $400,000 compared to $343,000. Among Seltzer's tactics was his sending prints of the film to members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,...
A masochistic Hollywood decree insists that press agents must be depicted on screen as loathsome toadying creatures, and movie moguls as vulgar, mercenary despots. Walter Seltzer, who has died aged 96, was both a press agent and a producer, but he failed to conform to either of the self-perpetuating stereotypes. As a press agent he was persuasive rather than pushy; as a producer, he believed in consensus decision-making.
Undoubtedly his greatest achievement as a press agent was in his promotion of Marty (1955), a gentle, small-scale study of the mundane with no star names. Seltzer believed so much in the Harold Hecht/Burt Lancaster production that the promotional campaign for the film was more expensive than the film itself: $400,000 compared to $343,000. Among Seltzer's tactics was his sending prints of the film to members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,...
- 4/5/2011
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
On January 8, 2011, this writer took a trip up La Tuna Canyon just outside Sun Valley, CA, for a visit to Frank Ippolito’s then-shooting short film "Night of the Little Dead" (set visit and photos coming soon) and while there chatted with one of that film’s stars, genre vet Bill Moseley, who talked up a few of his other horror projects, including Susanna Lo’s upcoming feature Manson Girls.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” said the actor, who is familiar to horror fans for his turn as ‘Choptop’ in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as well as for his portrayal of ‘Otis’ in the Rob Zombie films House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects, of his role in Manson Girls. “It is kind of funny to have these brushes with Charles Manson over the years. I did a stage play many years ago called ‘Timothy...
“I’m really looking forward to it,” said the actor, who is familiar to horror fans for his turn as ‘Choptop’ in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as well as for his portrayal of ‘Otis’ in the Rob Zombie films House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects, of his role in Manson Girls. “It is kind of funny to have these brushes with Charles Manson over the years. I did a stage play many years ago called ‘Timothy...
- 1/19/2011
- by SeanD.
- DreadCentral.com
A look at what's new on DVD today:
"Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy"
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Released by Universal Home Entertainment
Yes, we're finally getting the footage of the original Marty McFly, Eric Stoltz, for the first time, but for many simply having the hi-def version of Robert Zemeckis' time-travel franchise will be good enough. Commentaries, deleted scenes, a full-length documentary and much, much more come on this new set of the trilogy.
"Alien Anthology"
Directed by Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Released by Fox Home Entertainment
While not as much of an upgrade over its previous DVD release as "Back to the Future," the Blu-ray update of the four "Alien" films worth owning now boasts isolated scores for each film, all of Ridley Scott's sketches for the first "Alien," the uncut documentary of David Fincher's ill-fated "Alien 3" as...
"Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy"
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Released by Universal Home Entertainment
Yes, we're finally getting the footage of the original Marty McFly, Eric Stoltz, for the first time, but for many simply having the hi-def version of Robert Zemeckis' time-travel franchise will be good enough. Commentaries, deleted scenes, a full-length documentary and much, much more come on this new set of the trilogy.
"Alien Anthology"
Directed by Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Released by Fox Home Entertainment
While not as much of an upgrade over its previous DVD release as "Back to the Future," the Blu-ray update of the four "Alien" films worth owning now boasts isolated scores for each film, all of Ridley Scott's sketches for the first "Alien," the uncut documentary of David Fincher's ill-fated "Alien 3" as...
- 10/26/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
“I’ve liked every script I’ve ever written,” Bill Gunn told an interviewer in 1971, “I’ve hated every movie made from them.” It’s a prickly statement for a screenwriter, especially one with such a precarious reputation: fresh off two box-office failures, Gunn had already scandalized Warner Brothers with the wildly pan-sexual “Stop,” which the studio funded but then refused to release. Two years later Gunn would write and direct the gonzo vampire freak-out “Ganja and Hess,” making his greatest cinematic contribution while functionally ending his film career.
The quotation feels especially prescient now, more than 20 years after Gunn’s death, from encephalitis at age 54. His résumé is dismally short, filled with broken projects that range from the entirely ruined (prior to release, “Ganja and Hess” was carved up by the studio, reduced to a cheesy Blaxpoitation flick called “Blood Couple”) to the slightly mussed (Hal Ashby’s “The Landlord”). “Ganja,...
The quotation feels especially prescient now, more than 20 years after Gunn’s death, from encephalitis at age 54. His résumé is dismally short, filled with broken projects that range from the entirely ruined (prior to release, “Ganja and Hess” was carved up by the studio, reduced to a cheesy Blaxpoitation flick called “Blood Couple”) to the slightly mussed (Hal Ashby’s “The Landlord”). “Ganja,...
- 6/16/2010
- by Jesse Cataldo
- The Moving Arts Journal
One of Charlton Heston's best performances was presented in one of his least-seen films of the 1960s. The 1968 Western Will Penny, ably directed by Tom Gries, finds Heston as an aging cowhand who is facing the prospect of getting too old for his chosen profession. His life takes an unusual turn when he ends up aiding a desperate woman who is trying to raise her young son against the dangers of prairie life. Complicating matters are a family of cutthroats led by Donald Pleasence and his murderous sons - among them: Bruce Dern. . For Will Penny trailer click here
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- 6/15/2010
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Google turns up nothing. The Wikipedia page has been deleted. The "IMDb" page included in the mail out is actually a very clever knock off. And the chances of Richard Matheson, Rod Serling and Kurt Vonnegut ever having worked on a script together are pretty much nil. Looks and smells like a hoax to me, but damn, it's a good one, the sort that appears to have professional backing, so clearly there's something else going on here. Check the press release below and chime in on your thoughts on what this could really be ...
Get Your Dirty Hands Off Me is a 1975 epic Thriller science fiction film directed by Tom Gries loosely based on the Story 'Dark Races' (Weird Tales, Dec 1932) by Robert E. Howard . The film stars Perry King and features Karen Black, Frank Langella, John Saxon,... The script was originally written by Richard Matheson and Charles Williams about...
Get Your Dirty Hands Off Me is a 1975 epic Thriller science fiction film directed by Tom Gries loosely based on the Story 'Dark Races' (Weird Tales, Dec 1932) by Robert E. Howard . The film stars Perry King and features Karen Black, Frank Langella, John Saxon,... The script was originally written by Richard Matheson and Charles Williams about...
- 4/27/2010
- Screen Anarchy
(Actor Richard Erdman, left)
by Jon Zelazny
The craft of acting in the 20th century breaks neatly into two distinct phases: before Marlon Brando and after Marlon Brando. He first conquered Broadway in A Streetcar Named Desire in 1947. Three years later—and sixty years ago—he made his first movie.
The Men (1950) is a grim drama set in a Va paraplegic ward. Brando is the bitter new arrival; Jack Webb and Richard Erdman play the patients who become his best buddies.
A native of Enid, Oklahoma, Erdman spent his teenage years in vaudeville, and began his Hollywood career in 1944. He most recently appeared on the NBC series "Community."
Richard Erdman: Brando and I went out to Birmingham General Hospital in Van Nuys, where all the war paraplegics were still being treated, and we stayed there a few days, learning how to use wheelchairs, and how to get in and...
by Jon Zelazny
The craft of acting in the 20th century breaks neatly into two distinct phases: before Marlon Brando and after Marlon Brando. He first conquered Broadway in A Streetcar Named Desire in 1947. Three years later—and sixty years ago—he made his first movie.
The Men (1950) is a grim drama set in a Va paraplegic ward. Brando is the bitter new arrival; Jack Webb and Richard Erdman play the patients who become his best buddies.
A native of Enid, Oklahoma, Erdman spent his teenage years in vaudeville, and began his Hollywood career in 1944. He most recently appeared on the NBC series "Community."
Richard Erdman: Brando and I went out to Birmingham General Hospital in Van Nuys, where all the war paraplegics were still being treated, and we stayed there a few days, learning how to use wheelchairs, and how to get in and...
- 3/23/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
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