A team of top film, television and stage songwriters have joined forces to create a musical satire inspired by the recent, ill-fated Willy Wonka knockoff fiasco in Glasgow, Scotland that became a social media phenomenon.
Produced by Kraft-Engel Productions, WillyFest – A Musical Parody is to premiere in late 2024.
The creative team behind the parody musical is comprised of Emmy-nominated Riki Lindhome Emmy winners Tova Litvin and Doug Rockwell Broadway songwriters Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner First Date, ABC’s Once Upon a Time) and TikTok songwriter Daniel Mertzlufft.
“From Broadway to street corner pop-ups, audiences have become obsessed with immersive experiences that enable them to be a part of the story,” said a statement from songwriters Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner. “But it takes a special...
Produced by Kraft-Engel Productions, WillyFest – A Musical Parody is to premiere in late 2024.
The creative team behind the parody musical is comprised of Emmy-nominated Riki Lindhome Emmy winners Tova Litvin and Doug Rockwell Broadway songwriters Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner First Date, ABC’s Once Upon a Time) and TikTok songwriter Daniel Mertzlufft.
“From Broadway to street corner pop-ups, audiences have become obsessed with immersive experiences that enable them to be a part of the story,” said a statement from songwriters Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner. “But it takes a special...
- 3/14/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
A new musical is hoping to turn a disastrous Willy Wonka experience into a golden ticket.
Willy Fest: A Musical Parody will take inspiration from a Scottish event that went viral last month for all the wrong reasons. The event was billed as an “immersive experience” that would put Willy Wonka fans into a “magical realm.” Its organizers used lush AI-generated photos to attract customers, who upon arriving, found themselves in a drab wearhouse customers compared to a meth lab.
Willy Fest is planned as a live event for late 2024, and hails from producer Richard Kraft, known for ABC’s The Little Mermaid Live, who will produce via his Kraft-Engel Productions. He has assembled a team of writers and musicians to bring the project to fruition.
“While it is quite common for there to be writers’ rooms in television, taking that approach with theatrical songwriters is fairly unique and likely...
Willy Fest: A Musical Parody will take inspiration from a Scottish event that went viral last month for all the wrong reasons. The event was billed as an “immersive experience” that would put Willy Wonka fans into a “magical realm.” Its organizers used lush AI-generated photos to attract customers, who upon arriving, found themselves in a drab wearhouse customers compared to a meth lab.
Willy Fest is planned as a live event for late 2024, and hails from producer Richard Kraft, known for ABC’s The Little Mermaid Live, who will produce via his Kraft-Engel Productions. He has assembled a team of writers and musicians to bring the project to fruition.
“While it is quite common for there to be writers’ rooms in television, taking that approach with theatrical songwriters is fairly unique and likely...
- 3/14/2024
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The films up for the 2024 Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar are “Golda,” “Maestro,” “Oppenheimer,” “Poor Things,” and “Society of the Snow.” Our current odds show that “Maestro” (10/3) is favored to win, followed in order by “Poor Things” (71/20), “Oppenheimer” (9/2), “Society of the Snow” (9/2), and “Golda” (9/2).
This lineup is the category’s second in a row to include a 54% first-timer majority, thus constituting a new trend after 70% remained the norm for the preceding half decade. The present rookie subset consists of “Golda” trio Suzi Battersby, Karen Hartley Thomas, and Ashra Kelly-Blue as well as one artist from each other film: Luisa Abel (“Oppenheimer”), Ana López-Puigcerver (“Society of the Snow”), Lori McCoy-Bell (“Maestro”), and Josh Weston (“Poor Things”).
McCoy-Bell and Weston share their respective nominations with Kazu Hiro and Mark Coulier, each of whom succeeded on two of his previous four outings. While Coulier won for “The Iron Lady” (2012) and “The Grand Budapest Hotel...
This lineup is the category’s second in a row to include a 54% first-timer majority, thus constituting a new trend after 70% remained the norm for the preceding half decade. The present rookie subset consists of “Golda” trio Suzi Battersby, Karen Hartley Thomas, and Ashra Kelly-Blue as well as one artist from each other film: Luisa Abel (“Oppenheimer”), Ana López-Puigcerver (“Society of the Snow”), Lori McCoy-Bell (“Maestro”), and Josh Weston (“Poor Things”).
McCoy-Bell and Weston share their respective nominations with Kazu Hiro and Mark Coulier, each of whom succeeded on two of his previous four outings. While Coulier won for “The Iron Lady” (2012) and “The Grand Budapest Hotel...
- 3/6/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Calls are growing for the 1994 film to be freed from YouTube hell – but is it there because evil Hollywood execs tried to kill it, or is it just a really bad film?
Why exactly are we so fascinated with bad movies? Perhaps it is simple schadenfreude, the delicious mental backwards engineering required to work out just exactly how somebody somewhere decided that the John Travolta-led, Scientology-infused Battlefield Earth, or Ed Wood’s frightful Glen or Glenda were anything approaching a good idea. It cannot be that we actually want to watch these things, for where is the thrill in experiencing completely inept film-making unless it really is about taking pleasure in other people’s creative failure?
The situation becomes even more preposterous when we consider those movies that have always been so terrible that nobody should ever be able to witness them on the big or small screen. Jerry Lewis...
Why exactly are we so fascinated with bad movies? Perhaps it is simple schadenfreude, the delicious mental backwards engineering required to work out just exactly how somebody somewhere decided that the John Travolta-led, Scientology-infused Battlefield Earth, or Ed Wood’s frightful Glen or Glenda were anything approaching a good idea. It cannot be that we actually want to watch these things, for where is the thrill in experiencing completely inept film-making unless it really is about taking pleasure in other people’s creative failure?
The situation becomes even more preposterous when we consider those movies that have always been so terrible that nobody should ever be able to witness them on the big or small screen. Jerry Lewis...
- 3/1/2024
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Elvis Presley‘s “Rock-a-Hula Baby” was released alongside one of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll‘s most famous songs. “Rock-a-Hula Baby” suffers by comparison, but it also fails on its own. It’s a strange fusion that never quite comes together. Here’s a look at why it a B-movie actor wrote the track.
Elvis Presley’s ‘Rock-a-Hula Baby’ was part of a forgotten trend
Elvis’ Blue Hawaii typified a specific point in American history. Hawaii became a state in 1959. Around that time, the rest of the United States showed a strong interest in Hawaii. The late 1950s and 1960s gave us Gidget Goes Hawaiian, the Christmas song “Mele Kalikimaka,” and a lot of tacky tiki bars. Elvis jumped on the bandwagon with a trio of movies: Blue Hawaii, Girls! Girls! Girls!, and Paradise, Hawaiian Style.
According to Elvis Australia, songwriter Ben Weisman revealed the origin of “Rock-a-Hula Baby.
Elvis Presley’s ‘Rock-a-Hula Baby’ was part of a forgotten trend
Elvis’ Blue Hawaii typified a specific point in American history. Hawaii became a state in 1959. Around that time, the rest of the United States showed a strong interest in Hawaii. The late 1950s and 1960s gave us Gidget Goes Hawaiian, the Christmas song “Mele Kalikimaka,” and a lot of tacky tiki bars. Elvis jumped on the bandwagon with a trio of movies: Blue Hawaii, Girls! Girls! Girls!, and Paradise, Hawaiian Style.
According to Elvis Australia, songwriter Ben Weisman revealed the origin of “Rock-a-Hula Baby.
- 2/26/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Noted Hollywood publicist Mickey Cottrell passed away on January 1, 2024, at the age of 79. He was known throughout the 1990s for his advocacy of independent film, his knowledge of queer history, and his wild blowout parties. He promoted films like Jonatha Couette's "Tarnation," Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire," and Philip Noyce's "Dead Calm," as well as "Weekend," "Querelle," and "Earth Girls Are Easy."
Cottrell was so well-liked in the industry, and such an outsize character, that he would occasionally appear in films. In fact, he has several dozen acting credits to his name, many of them in indie queer films. He played a corpse in John Cameron Mitchell's "Shortbus," a barfly in "The Fluffer," and a mincing French aristocrat in league with demons in "Hellraiser: Bloodline." He was also the one who got to say "Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!" in Tim Burton's "Ed Wood." His first acting...
Cottrell was so well-liked in the industry, and such an outsize character, that he would occasionally appear in films. In fact, he has several dozen acting credits to his name, many of them in indie queer films. He played a corpse in John Cameron Mitchell's "Shortbus," a barfly in "The Fluffer," and a mincing French aristocrat in league with demons in "Hellraiser: Bloodline." He was also the one who got to say "Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!" in Tim Burton's "Ed Wood." His first acting...
- 2/7/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Attack Of The Fifty Foot Woman Remake Coming From Tim Burton And ... Gone Girl Author Gillian Flynn?
If you've been missing the acidic wit of "Gone Girl" and "Sharp Objects" author Gillian Flynn lately, don't worry: she's reportedly back in the screenwriting game, this time with a script that's set to become a Tim Burton movie, per Variety.
According to the outlet, Burton is set to direct a new version of "Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman" penned by Flynn, with Andrew Mittman and Tommy Harper producing and Kai Dolbashian on board as an EP. Mittman and Harper worked with Burton on Netflix's smash hit "Wednesday," and hopefully the unlikely director-screenwriter duo will bring new life to the story (which comes from the 1958 B-movie of the same name).
Apparently, it's unclear as of yet how much Burton and Flynn's "Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman" will follow its predecessor, but it's worth noting that the Nathan Hertz-directed original featured a literal 50-foot woman who was...
According to the outlet, Burton is set to direct a new version of "Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman" penned by Flynn, with Andrew Mittman and Tommy Harper producing and Kai Dolbashian on board as an EP. Mittman and Harper worked with Burton on Netflix's smash hit "Wednesday," and hopefully the unlikely director-screenwriter duo will bring new life to the story (which comes from the 1958 B-movie of the same name).
Apparently, it's unclear as of yet how much Burton and Flynn's "Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman" will follow its predecessor, but it's worth noting that the Nathan Hertz-directed original featured a literal 50-foot woman who was...
- 2/1/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Samuel L. Jackson knows what it’s like to be nominated for an Oscar. It was once often said that winning an Academy Award could offer an actor a significant career boost. But Jackson wasn’t sure about that myth.
Samuel L. Jackson wanted to be paid more more than his Oscar-winning co-star to prove a point Samuel L. Jackson | Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Jackson has been very candid about his feelings towards both the Oscars and Oscar-bait films. At one point, he himself was excited by the opportunity of securing an award for Pulp Fiction. He admitted to being disappointed by the loss, but years later he wasn’t too concerned about it.
“As jaded as I wanted to be about it, you know thinking, ‘Well, I should have won an Oscar for this or should have won for that and it didn’t happen,’ once I got over it many years ago,...
Samuel L. Jackson wanted to be paid more more than his Oscar-winning co-star to prove a point Samuel L. Jackson | Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Jackson has been very candid about his feelings towards both the Oscars and Oscar-bait films. At one point, he himself was excited by the opportunity of securing an award for Pulp Fiction. He admitted to being disappointed by the loss, but years later he wasn’t too concerned about it.
“As jaded as I wanted to be about it, you know thinking, ‘Well, I should have won an Oscar for this or should have won for that and it didn’t happen,’ once I got over it many years ago,...
- 1/24/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Mickey Cottrell, the beloved indie film publicist and producer who long championed independent cinema dating back to the early days of Sundance, has died at 79. He passed away Monday, January 1, 2024 at Motion Picture Hospital in Woodland Hills, Calif. The news was confirmed by his sister, Suzy Cottrell-Smith, who shared on Facebook, “My adorable, fun, critical, foodie, particular, brilliant, loving brother passed on to the next life early on New Year’s Day. He was smiling when he died. Mickey Cottrell will be missed by many.”
Many of Cottrell’s friends and colleagues shared memories of the veteran PR whiz — who also had many credits as an actor — on Facebook. Cottrell suffered a stroke in 2016, with friends and loved ones raising more than $57,000 to help with medical bills on GoFundMe. He relocated back to Los Angeles in 2019 after recovering from the stroke with his sister in Arkansas.
Cottrell was never afraid to pick up the phone,...
Many of Cottrell’s friends and colleagues shared memories of the veteran PR whiz — who also had many credits as an actor — on Facebook. Cottrell suffered a stroke in 2016, with friends and loved ones raising more than $57,000 to help with medical bills on GoFundMe. He relocated back to Los Angeles in 2019 after recovering from the stroke with his sister in Arkansas.
Cottrell was never afraid to pick up the phone,...
- 1/3/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Mickey Cottrell, the PR executive who specialized in the indie film business and worked both as an actor and a producer, died on New Year’s Day at the Motion Picture & Television Fund in Woodland Hills. He was 79.
His death was confirmed by his sister, Suzie Cottrell-Smith, who told Deadline he suffered from Parkinson’s disease. Cottrell experienced a stroke in 2016 and had gone to live with his sister in Arkansas before returning to Los Angeles in 2019.
Cottrell was born September 4, 1944, in Springfield, Il, and spent part of his childhood in Monroe, LA. At age 8, he moved with his family to Little Rock, Ar, where he grew up. He attended the University of Arkansas and spent more than 30 years in the film and PR industries, co-owning multiple firms including most recently Inclusive PR, repping pics including Bill Cunningham: New York, Stones in Exile, Ballets Russes, Down to the Bone,...
His death was confirmed by his sister, Suzie Cottrell-Smith, who told Deadline he suffered from Parkinson’s disease. Cottrell experienced a stroke in 2016 and had gone to live with his sister in Arkansas before returning to Los Angeles in 2019.
Cottrell was born September 4, 1944, in Springfield, Il, and spent part of his childhood in Monroe, LA. At age 8, he moved with his family to Little Rock, Ar, where he grew up. He attended the University of Arkansas and spent more than 30 years in the film and PR industries, co-owning multiple firms including most recently Inclusive PR, repping pics including Bill Cunningham: New York, Stones in Exile, Ballets Russes, Down to the Bone,...
- 1/3/2024
- by Patrick Hipes and Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Disagreements over the script for a Michelle Pfeiffer-headlined Catwoman movie from Tim Burton have been revealed: more here.
By the time he came to the end of shooting 1992’s Batman Returns, director Tim Burton pretty much knew that his time in Gotham City was at an end. His decision to not return for what became Batman Forever suited both him and Warner Bros (not least because of the backlash). But still, there was the olive branch of a Catwoman spin-off movie, that would have starred Michelle Pfeiffer.
This was actually rumoured for some time, and some work was done on the feature.
Daniel Waters, who penned Batman Returns, was hired to take a pass at a Catwoman feature, and as he described just before Christmas (courtesy of IndieWire), he pitched a film where Selina Kyle/Catwoman would have moved to “a Los Angeles version of Gotham City”.
Waters would...
By the time he came to the end of shooting 1992’s Batman Returns, director Tim Burton pretty much knew that his time in Gotham City was at an end. His decision to not return for what became Batman Forever suited both him and Warner Bros (not least because of the backlash). But still, there was the olive branch of a Catwoman spin-off movie, that would have starred Michelle Pfeiffer.
This was actually rumoured for some time, and some work was done on the feature.
Daniel Waters, who penned Batman Returns, was hired to take a pass at a Catwoman feature, and as he described just before Christmas (courtesy of IndieWire), he pitched a film where Selina Kyle/Catwoman would have moved to “a Los Angeles version of Gotham City”.
Waters would...
- 1/2/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
Tim Burton in episode 102 of Wednesday. Cr. Vlad Cioplea/Netflix © 2022 Tim Burton has been one of the most prolific directors for decades. Starting with his breakout hit in 1984 with the beloved Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, his other big hits include Batman, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and Ed Wood. As many know, he has always had a love for animation, having produced admired animation films like The Nightmare Before Christmas and along with co-directing Corpse Bride. Even before hitting it big, Burton made animated shorts. What may surprise some is that before becoming a movie director, Burton worked as an animator at The Walt Disney Studios. In past interviews with us, Burton has revealed that, contrary to expectations, he did not enjoy working in animation at Walt Disney. (Click on the media bar below to hear Tim Burton) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Tim_Burton_Animation_.mp3
The post Tim Burton...
The post Tim Burton...
- 1/1/2024
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Exclusive: Tracey Jacobs will end a 25-year run at UTA next year.
One of the most accomplished Hollywood talent agents of her era, Jacobs will stay on for the next several months to help with the transition of her clients and serve as an adviser to the company. She hasn’t set her next move yet, and her exit is an amicable one.
Jacobs left ICM to join United Talent Agency as a partner in 1998. She has blazed a trail for agents in Hollywood and in particular female agents, who had little voice in the hierarchy of a male-dominated industry when she came to UTA. She became the first woman to serve on an agency board when she took that post 15 years ago, and she served as the longtime head of UTA’s talent department.
Her clients – past and current – have included Johnny Depp, Jennifer Lopez, Jay Roach, Mike White,...
One of the most accomplished Hollywood talent agents of her era, Jacobs will stay on for the next several months to help with the transition of her clients and serve as an adviser to the company. She hasn’t set her next move yet, and her exit is an amicable one.
Jacobs left ICM to join United Talent Agency as a partner in 1998. She has blazed a trail for agents in Hollywood and in particular female agents, who had little voice in the hierarchy of a male-dominated industry when she came to UTA. She became the first woman to serve on an agency board when she took that post 15 years ago, and she served as the longtime head of UTA’s talent department.
Her clients – past and current – have included Johnny Depp, Jennifer Lopez, Jay Roach, Mike White,...
- 11/30/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
A B-movie actor wrote an infamous song for Elvis Presley’s Blue Hawaii. She tried to write a title song for the film, but that never happened. Regardless, she gained some celebrity as her films became infamous.
Elvis Presley’s ‘Blue Hawaii’ includes a song by director Ed Wood’s girlfriend
Dolores Fuller was an actor who had a relationship with Ed Wood, the director of Plan 9 from Outer Space. That film is widely considered one of the worst movies ever made, though it has a strong cult following among people who like camp classics. Fuller appeared in secondary roles in some of Wood’s films, such as Glen or Glenda and Bride of the Monster.
During an interview with Elvis Australia, Fuller discussed her songwriting career. “Well I have to attribute my break in getting into songwriting for [movie producer] Hal Wallis,” she said. “He was an old friend of mine,...
Elvis Presley’s ‘Blue Hawaii’ includes a song by director Ed Wood’s girlfriend
Dolores Fuller was an actor who had a relationship with Ed Wood, the director of Plan 9 from Outer Space. That film is widely considered one of the worst movies ever made, though it has a strong cult following among people who like camp classics. Fuller appeared in secondary roles in some of Wood’s films, such as Glen or Glenda and Bride of the Monster.
During an interview with Elvis Australia, Fuller discussed her songwriting career. “Well I have to attribute my break in getting into songwriting for [movie producer] Hal Wallis,” she said. “He was an old friend of mine,...
- 11/20/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Chances are, if you’re familiar with the name Edward D. Wood, Jr., it’s thanks to Tim Burton’s delightful biopic, Ed Wood. Certainly, people were aware of the eccentric writer-director prior to the 1994 film, but Burton cast Wood in a whole new light, turning the quote-unquote “worst director of all time” into a lovable dreamer who wouldn’t let puny budgets, bad actors, or obnoxious producers impede his goals. Ed Wood gave us a reason to appreciate a man for whom making movies was the ultimate gratification, quality be damned. Settle into your favorite angora sweater, because we’re going to find out What Really Happened to Ed Wood.
To start off with the obvious, Wood’s real life wasn’t quite as peachy keen as the movie portrays. Tim Burton didn’t want to make a traditional biopic about the man, nor did the screenwriters, who based...
To start off with the obvious, Wood’s real life wasn’t quite as peachy keen as the movie portrays. Tim Burton didn’t want to make a traditional biopic about the man, nor did the screenwriters, who based...
- 10/19/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Johnny Depp teamed up with Emmy winner Patricia Arquette for the 1994 feature Ed Wood. There came a point during filming where Depp’s co-star was being targeted by someone on set. So, Depp decided to step in.
Johnny Depp helped Patricia Arquette with a volatile co-worker in ‘Ed Wood’ Patricia Arquette | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Arquette played Depp’s husband in the 1994 movie Ed Wood. The feature was Tim Burton’s biographical film about an eccentric director’s relationship with Hollywood. Although it may have been the first time Arquette and Depp worked together, it wasn’t the first time they met. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Arquette revealed she’d known Depp since they were kids. However, nothing romantic ever sparked between them.
“We were never romantically involved, and I’d known Johnny since I was 17—auditioning for parts, and trying to come up together. The first time...
Johnny Depp helped Patricia Arquette with a volatile co-worker in ‘Ed Wood’ Patricia Arquette | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Arquette played Depp’s husband in the 1994 movie Ed Wood. The feature was Tim Burton’s biographical film about an eccentric director’s relationship with Hollywood. Although it may have been the first time Arquette and Depp worked together, it wasn’t the first time they met. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Arquette revealed she’d known Depp since they were kids. However, nothing romantic ever sparked between them.
“We were never romantically involved, and I’d known Johnny since I was 17—auditioning for parts, and trying to come up together. The first time...
- 10/4/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Johnny Depp is an American actor widely known for his collaboration with Tim Burton which includes Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, and Sleepy Hollow. He is also known for playing Captain Jack Sparrow in The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Over the years, Depp has starred in several box office juggernauts, becoming one of the highest-paid actors. However, it isn’t only Depp’s iconic roles that have intrigued fans and admirers. Since his first public relationship in the early 80s, Depp has been involved in over five high-profile relationships. While his marriage to actress Amber Heard may have been his most popular, here is a closer look at Johnny...
- 9/21/2023
- by Onyinye Izundu
- TVovermind.com
Arquette’s directorial debut Gonzo Girl premieres at fst on September 7.
Patricia Arquette will receive TIFF Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award at the festival’s 48th edition and is the final honouree announced ahead of the TIFF Tribute Awards fundraiser gala on September 10.
The award, presented by Bulgari, recognises “a woman who is a leader in the film industry and has made a positive impact on women throughout their career”. It is inspired by TIFF’s Share Her Journey initiative addressing gender parity in the film industry. Michelle Yeoh was honoured at last year’s Awards.
“Being one of Hollywood’s most audacious talents,...
Patricia Arquette will receive TIFF Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award at the festival’s 48th edition and is the final honouree announced ahead of the TIFF Tribute Awards fundraiser gala on September 10.
The award, presented by Bulgari, recognises “a woman who is a leader in the film industry and has made a positive impact on women throughout their career”. It is inspired by TIFF’s Share Her Journey initiative addressing gender parity in the film industry. Michelle Yeoh was honoured at last year’s Awards.
“Being one of Hollywood’s most audacious talents,...
- 9/6/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Cliff Twemlow is an obscure figure even by British B-movie standards, a handsome, no-nonsense former Manchester nightclub doorman who attempted to create a Hollywood of the north in the early ’80s and ’90s. Born in 1937, a fact he tried to cloud for many years, he was something of a renaissance man: He acted in soaps, he composed lucrative library music, he wrote a novel about a killer pike, and, after a wounding experience with a botched adaptation of his autobiographical novel Tuxedo Warrior, he decided to become a filmmaker himself.
His first production, G.B.H. (1982), was shot on video — the grainy, ugly, analog kind — and it rode on the coattails of the recent hit The Long Good Friday. Twemlow starred as a handsome, no-nonsense Manchester nightclub doorman, hired to protect a local nightclub from a protection racket after returning from a stretch in prison.
His first production, G.B.H. (1982), was shot on video — the grainy, ugly, analog kind — and it rode on the coattails of the recent hit The Long Good Friday. Twemlow starred as a handsome, no-nonsense Manchester nightclub doorman, hired to protect a local nightclub from a protection racket after returning from a stretch in prison.
- 8/28/2023
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Yo ho, ho! But where is the rum? And come to think of it, where is Johnny Depp? Despite some serious calls for Johnny Depp to reprise the beloved – and often sloshed – Captain Jack Sparrow for another Pirates of the Caribbean movie, some are casting their doubts on that ever happening.
Vince Lozano, who played Jacoby in 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl – and got an ax to the back courtesy of Orlando Bloom’s Will Turner – told MovieWeb that he supports the idea of bringing back Johnny Depp for one more big screen and high seas Pirates outing but isn’t so sure it will ever actually come to fruition. “I think he deserves another shot as Jack, but I don’t think it’s going to happen, I’m hearing a lot of stories out there. The audience is there though. I do a...
Vince Lozano, who played Jacoby in 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl – and got an ax to the back courtesy of Orlando Bloom’s Will Turner – told MovieWeb that he supports the idea of bringing back Johnny Depp for one more big screen and high seas Pirates outing but isn’t so sure it will ever actually come to fruition. “I think he deserves another shot as Jack, but I don’t think it’s going to happen, I’m hearing a lot of stories out there. The audience is there though. I do a...
- 8/22/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Samuel L. Jackson has had it with not getting motherf*ckin’ recognition from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and motherf*ckin’ Sciences, saying the organization has denied him Oscar nominations — and even wins — on multiple occasions.
Notably, Samuel L. Jackson did receive an Honorary Oscar last year, as his “dynamic performances resonate across genres and generations of audiences worldwide”, which he considers a genuine victory and not a consolation prize. Still, he knows the Academy made a few errors. “Didn’t feel honorary, just felt like I was getting an Oscar. I earned it. I worked for it. I can possibly name four other instances where I could have won or should have won or should have been nominated, but I’m fine with it. It’s mine. I got it. My name’s on it.”
As for which movies Samuel L. Jackson feels he should have been Oscar-nominated for,...
Notably, Samuel L. Jackson did receive an Honorary Oscar last year, as his “dynamic performances resonate across genres and generations of audiences worldwide”, which he considers a genuine victory and not a consolation prize. Still, he knows the Academy made a few errors. “Didn’t feel honorary, just felt like I was getting an Oscar. I earned it. I worked for it. I can possibly name four other instances where I could have won or should have won or should have been nominated, but I’m fine with it. It’s mine. I got it. My name’s on it.”
As for which movies Samuel L. Jackson feels he should have been Oscar-nominated for,...
- 7/21/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Samuel L. Jackson is speaking out about another missed opportunity he had at winning an Oscar for one of his early films.
Last year, the 74-year-old actor told The Times that he thinks he should have won the 1995 Academy Award for best supporting actor for “Pulp Fiction” instead of Martin Landau (“Ed Wood”).
Jackson believes he was robbed of a second chance at taking home a golden statuette just a few years later for his role in Joel Schumacher’s 1996 legal drama “A Time to Kill”, which also starred Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock. In the Joel Schumacher-directed film, adapted from John Grisham’s novel of the same name, Jackson portrayed a man on trial for killing the two men who raped his daughter.
Read More: Samuel L. Jackson Defends Brie Larson From Sexist Marvel Fans: ‘She’s Not Going To Let Any Of That Stuff Destroy Her’
In a new interview with Vulture,...
Last year, the 74-year-old actor told The Times that he thinks he should have won the 1995 Academy Award for best supporting actor for “Pulp Fiction” instead of Martin Landau (“Ed Wood”).
Jackson believes he was robbed of a second chance at taking home a golden statuette just a few years later for his role in Joel Schumacher’s 1996 legal drama “A Time to Kill”, which also starred Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock. In the Joel Schumacher-directed film, adapted from John Grisham’s novel of the same name, Jackson portrayed a man on trial for killing the two men who raped his daughter.
Read More: Samuel L. Jackson Defends Brie Larson From Sexist Marvel Fans: ‘She’s Not Going To Let Any Of That Stuff Destroy Her’
In a new interview with Vulture,...
- 7/21/2023
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
Samuel L. Jackson told The Times last year that he deserved to win the Oscar for best supporting actor over Martin Landau (“Ed Wood”) at the 1995 Academy Awards. In a new interview with Vulture, the actor said he was robbed of a second chance to win an Oscar just a couple years later with Joel Schumacher’s 1996 legal drama “A Time to Kill,” co-starring Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock. The John Grisham adaptation starred Jackson as a man on trial in Mississippi for killing the two men who raped his daughter.
“In ‘A Time to Kill,’ when I kill those guys, I kill them because my daughter needs to know that those guys are not on the planet anymore and they will never hurt her again — that I will do anything to protect her,” Jackson said. “That’s how I played that character throughout. And there were specific things we shot,...
“In ‘A Time to Kill,’ when I kill those guys, I kill them because my daughter needs to know that those guys are not on the planet anymore and they will never hurt her again — that I will do anything to protect her,” Jackson said. “That’s how I played that character throughout. And there were specific things we shot,...
- 7/20/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Sissy Spacek in Coal Miner’s Daughter, Robert De Niro in Raging Bull, Ben Kingsley in Gandhi, Liam Neeson in Schindler’s ListImage: Universal Pictures, MGM, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures
As we prepare to learn about the story of the man who created the atomic bomb in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming biopic Oppenheimer,...
As we prepare to learn about the story of the man who created the atomic bomb in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming biopic Oppenheimer,...
- 7/20/2023
- by Cindy White and Mark Keizer
- avclub.com
Love him or hate him, what Quentin Tarantino has achieved over his more than 30 years of filmmaking is inarguably impressive. Not only is the “Reservoir Dogs” writer/director a renowned auteur — nominated three times for the Best Director Oscar with two Best Original Screenplay wins for “Pulp Fiction” and “Django Unchained” — Tarantino is also a well-versed film critic whose encyclopedic knowledge of other artists’ filmographies precedes him.
Living in Los Angeles, the “Pulp Fiction” director famously began his journey to cinematic rock star status as an employee at the Video Archives rental store in Manhattan Beach: since closed, rebuilt in Tarantino’s basement, and turned into a podcast he hosts with longtime friend and collaborator Roger Avary. It was in the bygone era of rewindable tapes that Tarantino cut his critical teeth: combing through the store’s collection, full of everything from black-and-white classics to straight-to-tv sci-fi specials.
A famed borrower,...
Living in Los Angeles, the “Pulp Fiction” director famously began his journey to cinematic rock star status as an employee at the Video Archives rental store in Manhattan Beach: since closed, rebuilt in Tarantino’s basement, and turned into a podcast he hosts with longtime friend and collaborator Roger Avary. It was in the bygone era of rewindable tapes that Tarantino cut his critical teeth: combing through the store’s collection, full of everything from black-and-white classics to straight-to-tv sci-fi specials.
A famed borrower,...
- 7/6/2023
- by Alison Foreman and Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Welcome to Camp Nightmare, where we're about to embark on a wild adventure through the wacky world of campy horror movies. The moon casts an eerie glow on the haunted cabins, and the rustling leaves whisper tales of horror. Gather 'round the campfire, fellow thrill-seekers, as we invite you into the twisted world of camp. Not summer camp, but camp camp. These delectably cheesy flicks have achieved legendary status, eliciting uproarious laughter and spine-tingling cringes in equal measure.
Before we delve into the world of campy horror movies though, we should probably answer the question: What is camp? It's the B-movie that's loud and proud. The intentionally over-the-top horror movie that winks at the audience, saying, “Sure, we might be cheesy and predictable, but isn't that part of the bloody charm?” Camp is a whirlwind of blood-splattered delight, where rubber monsters and questionable dialogue collide in a gleeful explosion of entertainment.
Before we delve into the world of campy horror movies though, we should probably answer the question: What is camp? It's the B-movie that's loud and proud. The intentionally over-the-top horror movie that winks at the audience, saying, “Sure, we might be cheesy and predictable, but isn't that part of the bloody charm?” Camp is a whirlwind of blood-splattered delight, where rubber monsters and questionable dialogue collide in a gleeful explosion of entertainment.
- 6/13/2023
- by Kimberley Elizabeth
One of the most enigmatic actors out there, Johnny Depp had a somewhat modest start as a regular on the TV series “21 Jump Street,” Depp has put together a remarkably diverse collection of film roles, most of which have one thing in common — he is drawn to playing outcasts or people who are on the edges of society who go their own way — and going his own way is certainly something that’s been a hallmark of this much-awarded actor’s career.
In Depp’s almost four-decade (beginning with 1984’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street”), he has earned a remarkable 10 Golden Globe Award nominations, winning the Best Actor prize for the 2007 musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” That film also garnered Depp his third Academy Award nomination (along with 2003’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” and 2004’s “Finding Neverland”). Depp has...
In Depp’s almost four-decade (beginning with 1984’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street”), he has earned a remarkable 10 Golden Globe Award nominations, winning the Best Actor prize for the 2007 musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” That film also garnered Depp his third Academy Award nomination (along with 2003’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” and 2004’s “Finding Neverland”). Depp has...
- 6/3/2023
- by Tom O'Brien, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Tim Burton‘s incredible career will be celebrated in an upcoming four-part documentary series, and Deadline reports this morning that the project is headed to the Cannes market.
Directed by Tara Wood, the documentary is currently untitled, and Deadline reports that Wood Entertainment is handling sales at the aforementioned Cannes market.
Interview subjects for the doc include Burton collaborators Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, composer Danny Elfman, Christopher Walken, Danny DeVito, Mia Wasikowska, and Christoph Waltz.
The docuseries is said to feature new interviews and never-before-seen footage.
Deadline details, “The series promises ‘an otherworldly, dream journey into the mind’ of the man behind Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Batman Returns, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Wednesday, and many other indelible projects.”
“Tim continues to build his aesthetic, the Burton-esque style, derived from a wealth of art, cinematic and literary genres,” a press release notes.
Directed by Tara Wood, the documentary is currently untitled, and Deadline reports that Wood Entertainment is handling sales at the aforementioned Cannes market.
Interview subjects for the doc include Burton collaborators Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, composer Danny Elfman, Christopher Walken, Danny DeVito, Mia Wasikowska, and Christoph Waltz.
The docuseries is said to feature new interviews and never-before-seen footage.
Deadline details, “The series promises ‘an otherworldly, dream journey into the mind’ of the man behind Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Batman Returns, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Wednesday, and many other indelible projects.”
“Tim continues to build his aesthetic, the Burton-esque style, derived from a wealth of art, cinematic and literary genres,” a press release notes.
- 5/16/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
One of the things I really enjoy about researching articles for /Film is finding out about all the different actors who were up for famous parts. Superhero movies are usually pretty good value in that respect and some of my favorite alternative casting choices come from the "Batman" franchise.
In the '80s, Jack Nicholson was always the studio's first choice to play the Joker in Tim Burton's blockbusting "Batman," but there were also some other great names in the frame at one point or another. As much as I enjoy Nicholson's performance, I would have loved to see John Lithgow in the part. I think he would have made the character far more grotesque but, unfortunately, he talked Burton out of casting him during an audition. Tim Curry and Ray Liotta would have also brought a totally different energy to the role.
For "Batman Returns," the list of...
In the '80s, Jack Nicholson was always the studio's first choice to play the Joker in Tim Burton's blockbusting "Batman," but there were also some other great names in the frame at one point or another. As much as I enjoy Nicholson's performance, I would have loved to see John Lithgow in the part. I think he would have made the character far more grotesque but, unfortunately, he talked Burton out of casting him during an audition. Tim Curry and Ray Liotta would have also brought a totally different energy to the role.
For "Batman Returns," the list of...
- 5/14/2023
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Few Hollywood directors have managed to combine a distinctive artistic vision with tremendous commercial clout as successfully as Tim Burton. You can say what you want about his more recent output (I checked out after the heinous "Alice in Wonderland"), but there is no denying that the guy knows how to make a hit movie. In a career spanning almost 40 years and 19 films as a director, few of his movies have lost money, save for the likes of "Ed Wood." And even then, "Ed Wood" flopping felt like an appropriate tribute to its subject matter, the so-called worst director of all time who never found fame or made any money during his life.
Before the failure of his affectionate biopic of the man behind "Plan 9 From Outer Space," Burton had hit the ground running with a string of hits that showcased his left-field sensibilities while drawing in the crowds.
Before the failure of his affectionate biopic of the man behind "Plan 9 From Outer Space," Burton had hit the ground running with a string of hits that showcased his left-field sensibilities while drawing in the crowds.
- 5/13/2023
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
When Sarah Jessica Parker joined Sex and the City, it came with some risks. At the time, television — even on the increasingly prestigious HBO — was risky for actors with films already on their resumes. Joining up for the odd television movie wasn’t always a problem, but taking on a role as a series regular could pigeonhole actors as TV-only material.
Parker, an actor above all things, saw the opportunity to lead an ensemble of great actors on a premium cable project as a positive. Eventually, she became so enmeshed in the project that she became a producer on the show. And the reason for that move was an unexpected one.
Sarah Jessica Parker didn’t settle for just acting on ‘Sex and the City’
There’s no questioning the massive success that Sex and the City would become. But in 1997, that wasn’t obvious, as Parker alluded to on...
Parker, an actor above all things, saw the opportunity to lead an ensemble of great actors on a premium cable project as a positive. Eventually, she became so enmeshed in the project that she became a producer on the show. And the reason for that move was an unexpected one.
Sarah Jessica Parker didn’t settle for just acting on ‘Sex and the City’
There’s no questioning the massive success that Sex and the City would become. But in 1997, that wasn’t obvious, as Parker alluded to on...
- 4/28/2023
- by Agustin Mojica
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
This episode of The Black Sheep was Written and Narrated by Andrew Hatfield, Edited by Brandon Nally, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
The creature feature just isn’t explored enough anymore. Jaws was a monster of a success story and ended up having three sequels on its own and had a slew of imitators. 1980 would give us, in my humble opinion, one of the better ones with Alligator starring Robert Forster. It was successful too, making 6 and a half million on a 1.5-million-dollar budget. I know that’s not crazy money, but it was a hit and had a fun pedigree with it that remains very popular today. Its one of the movies that keeps selling well with new and old fans and so it recently got put on 4K. There weren’t as many creature flicks through the rest of the...
The creature feature just isn’t explored enough anymore. Jaws was a monster of a success story and ended up having three sequels on its own and had a slew of imitators. 1980 would give us, in my humble opinion, one of the better ones with Alligator starring Robert Forster. It was successful too, making 6 and a half million on a 1.5-million-dollar budget. I know that’s not crazy money, but it was a hit and had a fun pedigree with it that remains very popular today. Its one of the movies that keeps selling well with new and old fans and so it recently got put on 4K. There weren’t as many creature flicks through the rest of the...
- 4/18/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Carl Nargle (Owen Wilson), the amusingly ironic hero of “Paint”, hosts a one-man instructional painting show that gets broadcast live out of the PBS station in Burlington, Vermont. Each afternoon, Carl appears on camera for one hour, puffing on his pipe, holding his brushes and palette as he dashes off an oil painting of a local wilderness setting, explaining all the while, in the unruffled monotone of a stoned hypnotist, how you too can get to a “special place” just by painting what’s in your heart.
Carl himself seems nearly as much of an art object as his canvases of Mt. Mansfield, the Vermont peak he has begun to paint with Ocd frequency. He wears the same denim Western shirts, fuzzy beard and ash-blond Afro that he’s been sporting since 1979. He’s a relic: the landscape painter as Fred Rogers for adults, a kind of soft-rock guru from...
Carl himself seems nearly as much of an art object as his canvases of Mt. Mansfield, the Vermont peak he has begun to paint with Ocd frequency. He wears the same denim Western shirts, fuzzy beard and ash-blond Afro that he’s been sporting since 1979. He’s a relic: the landscape painter as Fred Rogers for adults, a kind of soft-rock guru from...
- 4/4/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Kino Lorber releases the film in theaters on Friday, July 14.
In these turbulent years for cinema, when film festivals can often seem like memorial services for the movies themselves, it doesn’t feel entirely accidental that the most prestigious of them all has developed a recent tendency for opening with movies about the deceased or undead. That none of those movies have been particularly full of life is much harder to explain. The trend began when Cannes 2017 kicked off with Arnaud Desplechin’s evocative but exasperating “Ismael’s Ghosts,” and it continued two years later with the world premiere of Jim Jarmusch’s deader-than-deadpan zombie comedy “The Dead Don’t Die.”
Now, at a moment when cinema seems poised to crawl out of the crypt where it’s been laid to rest in the public imagination — a moment when,...
In these turbulent years for cinema, when film festivals can often seem like memorial services for the movies themselves, it doesn’t feel entirely accidental that the most prestigious of them all has developed a recent tendency for opening with movies about the deceased or undead. That none of those movies have been particularly full of life is much harder to explain. The trend began when Cannes 2017 kicked off with Arnaud Desplechin’s evocative but exasperating “Ismael’s Ghosts,” and it continued two years later with the world premiere of Jim Jarmusch’s deader-than-deadpan zombie comedy “The Dead Don’t Die.”
Now, at a moment when cinema seems poised to crawl out of the crypt where it’s been laid to rest in the public imagination — a moment when,...
- 5/17/2022
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
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