(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)
It is, by almost any measure, impossible to quantify just how much of an impact "Star Wars" had on popular culture when George Lucas introduced his galaxy to the masses in 1977. I myself have a mother who saw the original 17 times in a theater that summer. It was the biggest movie of all time and took people by absolute surprise. Sequels were no guarantee back then but, in this case, Lucas had the chance to finish what he started, releasing "The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980, which left audiences with a pretty massive cliffhanger. All would be resolved in the summer of '83 when "Return of the Jedi" brought the original trilogy to a close.
"Episode VI" had a lot to accomplish, resolving...
It is, by almost any measure, impossible to quantify just how much of an impact "Star Wars" had on popular culture when George Lucas introduced his galaxy to the masses in 1977. I myself have a mother who saw the original 17 times in a theater that summer. It was the biggest movie of all time and took people by absolute surprise. Sequels were no guarantee back then but, in this case, Lucas had the chance to finish what he started, releasing "The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980, which left audiences with a pretty massive cliffhanger. All would be resolved in the summer of '83 when "Return of the Jedi" brought the original trilogy to a close.
"Episode VI" had a lot to accomplish, resolving...
- 5/27/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
With the release of "Star Wars" in 1977, it quickly became clear that filmmaker George Lucas was changing the way Hollywood worked on numerous levels, from the types of films being developed to the proliferation of new special effects techniques to the way movies were marketed and merchandised to what series meant for kids could do.
Yet Lucas' influence didn't stop with merely one film — he continued to innovate and push the envelope throughout his career, from shepherding the creation of the Thx sound system to helping develop what would become Pixar to pioneering the usage of non-linear editing, all of which are staples of the film industry in 2023.
The changes to filmmaking that Lucas helped usher in aren't all as seismic as those examples, however. Around the release of "The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980, Lucas publicly left the Director's Guild of America over a dispute regarding the film's on-screen credit structure and usage.
Yet Lucas' influence didn't stop with merely one film — he continued to innovate and push the envelope throughout his career, from shepherding the creation of the Thx sound system to helping develop what would become Pixar to pioneering the usage of non-linear editing, all of which are staples of the film industry in 2023.
The changes to filmmaking that Lucas helped usher in aren't all as seismic as those examples, however. Around the release of "The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980, Lucas publicly left the Director's Guild of America over a dispute regarding the film's on-screen credit structure and usage.
- 5/7/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Across its seven seasons, "Star Trek: Voyager" followed the crew of the titular Starfleet vessel as it traversed the faraway Delta Quadrant to return home to Federation space. Led by Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway, "Star Trek: Voyager" featured a memorable ensemble cast as the starship braved dangerous territory throughout its long journey. However, as beloved as the principal cast is, there are plenty of one-off guest stars on"Voyager" that helped elevate the show to new heights.
From formidable adversaries and villains to supporting characters that brought new dimensions to "Star Trek: Voyager," there is no shortage of excellent guest roles. Featuring a mix of prolific character actors and big-name stars, these characters not only enhanced their respective episodes but brought out the best in the main cast. With all that in mind, we've narrowed it down to the 12 best one-off characters from "Star Trek: Voyager's" 172-episode run,...
From formidable adversaries and villains to supporting characters that brought new dimensions to "Star Trek: Voyager," there is no shortage of excellent guest roles. Featuring a mix of prolific character actors and big-name stars, these characters not only enhanced their respective episodes but brought out the best in the main cast. With all that in mind, we've narrowed it down to the 12 best one-off characters from "Star Trek: Voyager's" 172-episode run,...
- 2/21/2023
- by Samuel Stone
- Slash Film
As the Hollywood blockbuster machine continues to dust itself off and release some early winter hits, Hulu is going in a bit of a different direction with its list of new releases for November 2021.
There are no big Hulu original films of note this month. Instead there’s a whole host of original series. The TV parade starts on Nov. 5 with the release of Animaniacs season 2. Also getting a second season this month is monarchal comedy The Great on Nov. 19. The most intriguing series, however, is animated Marvel comedy Marvel’s Hit Monkey. As its name so graciously implies, this is a show about a hit monkey…as in monkey assassin. Naturally the hit monkey is haunted by the ghost of Jason Sudeikis because it’s important that everything make sense.
Though Hulu doesn’t have any original movies in November, its list of library movie titles is quite vast.
There are no big Hulu original films of note this month. Instead there’s a whole host of original series. The TV parade starts on Nov. 5 with the release of Animaniacs season 2. Also getting a second season this month is monarchal comedy The Great on Nov. 19. The most intriguing series, however, is animated Marvel comedy Marvel’s Hit Monkey. As its name so graciously implies, this is a show about a hit monkey…as in monkey assassin. Naturally the hit monkey is haunted by the ghost of Jason Sudeikis because it’s important that everything make sense.
Though Hulu doesn’t have any original movies in November, its list of library movie titles is quite vast.
- 11/1/2021
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Juliette Harrisson Nov 30, 2016
Remember when Sarah Silverman was in Star Trek: Voyager? We salute that and 9 other ace guest turns in the show...
Star Trek: Voyager does not share the good reputation of its predecessors The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, with some fans disappointed that the inherent conflict between Starfleet and Maquis characters was not explored further, others perhaps put off by the really rather dull and occasionally ridiculous second season. However, Voyager was as capable as any other Star Trek series of producing memorable stories and excellent performances, and for those of us for whom it is our favourite branch of the Star Trek franchise (yes, we do exist) it is worth celebrating some of the things it did really well – in this case, the actors and actresses who came to join the show for guest performances.
See related Close To The Enemy episode 3 review Close To The Enemy...
Remember when Sarah Silverman was in Star Trek: Voyager? We salute that and 9 other ace guest turns in the show...
Star Trek: Voyager does not share the good reputation of its predecessors The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, with some fans disappointed that the inherent conflict between Starfleet and Maquis characters was not explored further, others perhaps put off by the really rather dull and occasionally ridiculous second season. However, Voyager was as capable as any other Star Trek series of producing memorable stories and excellent performances, and for those of us for whom it is our favourite branch of the Star Trek franchise (yes, we do exist) it is worth celebrating some of the things it did really well – in this case, the actors and actresses who came to join the show for guest performances.
See related Close To The Enemy episode 3 review Close To The Enemy...
- 11/29/2016
- Den of Geek
The chase is on: a mix of icy ruthlessness and warm romanticism enliven Ken Follett's novel of pre-invasion esponage intrigue. Kate Nelligan heats up the screen with Donald Sutherland, the 'seventies most unlikely sex star. Plus a lush and wondrous music score by Miklos Rozsa. Eye of the Needle Blu-ray Twilight Time 1981 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 112 min. / Street Date September 13, 2016 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store29.95 Starring Donald Sutherland, Kate Nelligan, Christopher Cazenove, Ian Bannen, Philip Martin Brown, Bill Nighy, Stephen MacKenna, Sam Kydd. Cinematography Alan Hume Original Music Miklos Rozsa Written by Stanley Mann based on the novel by Ken Follett Produced by Stephen Friedman Directed by Richard Marquand
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
We're all familiar with this kind of thriller -- over shots of fresh-faced troops moving off to war, a portentous scrolling text tells us about the desperate situation of London -- and the Free World -- as Hitler's Luftwaffe threatens.
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
We're all familiar with this kind of thriller -- over shots of fresh-faced troops moving off to war, a portentous scrolling text tells us about the desperate situation of London -- and the Free World -- as Hitler's Luftwaffe threatens.
- 10/25/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
It’s day four of Star Trek Week! I see Graham and Ryan checking the clock and looking annoyed. Don’t worry guys, it’s almost over!
Star Trek: Voyager (Voy) came around during a period of maximum Star Trek saturation. Voyager premiered only a year after Tng ended and only two years after DS9 premiered. This is most likely the point in which “Star Trek fatigue” took root, but more on that tomorrow. Star Trek: Voyager debuted on January 16, 1995 with the episode “Caretaker” and, like its sister shows, would last seven seasons for a total of 172 episodes before closing with “Endgame” on May 23, 2001.
Hit the jump for my favourite episodes!
1. Eye of the Needle
“A micro-wormhole is discovered that leads to the Alpha Quadrant, and the crew make contact with a Romulan ship on the other side. “
The only flaw of this episode is that you that never really...
Star Trek: Voyager (Voy) came around during a period of maximum Star Trek saturation. Voyager premiered only a year after Tng ended and only two years after DS9 premiered. This is most likely the point in which “Star Trek fatigue” took root, but more on that tomorrow. Star Trek: Voyager debuted on January 16, 1995 with the episode “Caretaker” and, like its sister shows, would last seven seasons for a total of 172 episodes before closing with “Endgame” on May 23, 2001.
Hit the jump for my favourite episodes!
1. Eye of the Needle
“A micro-wormhole is discovered that leads to the Alpha Quadrant, and the crew make contact with a Romulan ship on the other side. “
The only flaw of this episode is that you that never really...
- 10/13/2016
- by City of Films
- City of Films
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Our guide to jumping into Star Trek Voyager, if you want to get going quickly...
Maps To TV Shows: Is there a popular show you’d really like to watch but you just don’t have time to wade through years of it all at once? Do you just want to know why that one character keeps turning up on Tumblr? Do the fans all tell you ‘season one is a bit iffy but stick with it, it gets great!’, leaving you with absolutely zero desire ever to watch the boring/silly/just plain weird season one? Then Maps To TV Shows is for you!
In these articles, we’ll outline routes through popular TV shows focusing on particular characters, story arcs or episode types. Are you really into the Klingon episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation? Do you want to get the overall gist of...
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Our guide to jumping into Star Trek Voyager, if you want to get going quickly...
Maps To TV Shows: Is there a popular show you’d really like to watch but you just don’t have time to wade through years of it all at once? Do you just want to know why that one character keeps turning up on Tumblr? Do the fans all tell you ‘season one is a bit iffy but stick with it, it gets great!’, leaving you with absolutely zero desire ever to watch the boring/silly/just plain weird season one? Then Maps To TV Shows is for you!
In these articles, we’ll outline routes through popular TV shows focusing on particular characters, story arcs or episode types. Are you really into the Klingon episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation? Do you want to get the overall gist of...
- 12/1/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
You may not directly recall the name of director Richard Marquand, though in many ways he’s a notable director from the 1980s thanks to items like the pulpy Glenn Close courtroom drama Jagged Edge (1985), and a Ken Follett adaptation Eye of the Needle (1981). Oh, and he happened to helm Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi in 1983. The British director died of a stroke at the age of forty nine, which explains the abrupt end of a flourishing filmography. He made the jump from documentary and television series to feature with the forgotten 1978 British horror film The Legacy, which starred notable American stars (and real life couple) Katharine Ross and Sam Elliott. Based on a story by Jimmy Sangster, a writer of many Hammer Studio films, the screenplay was also co-written by Patrick Tilley (his last credit) and Paul Wheeler (who would exclusively work in television afterwards). The...
- 9/29/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
If Sia's "Chandelier" made you feel adventurous, "Big Girls Cry" may bring you down from the ceiling. The chart-busting songwriter has released another new track from her solo album "1000 Forms of Fear," and it's a little more tame, a little more mid-tempo and a little more heartbroken. I'm gonna let this one sit for a little longer, but it does empower me feel Ok about crying during particularly poignant Christmas commercials. "1000 Forms of Fear" is out on July 8 and was produced by Greg Kurstin, who was behind one of the few songs with any life to it on Lana Del Rey's No. 1 album "Ultraviolence." Listen to another Sia song, "Eye of the Needle" here. And, no, Sia's still not showing her face in any of her promos. Lena Dunham does some of that for her. What do you think of the track? Here is the tracklist for "1000 Forms of...
- 6/26/2014
- Hitfix
The veteran actor who plays tyrannical president Coriolanus Snow in the blockbuster series talks about films as political activism – plus cinema villains and happy marriages
Donald Sutherland wants to stir revolt. A real revolt. A youth-led uprising against injustice that will overturn the Us as we know it and usher in a kinder, better way. "I hope that they will take action because it's getting drastic in this country." Drone strikes. Corporate tax dodging. Racism. The Keystone oil pipeline. Denying food stamps to "starving Americans". It's all going to pot. "It's not right. It's not right."
Millennials need awakening from slumber. "You know the young people of this society have not moved in the last 30 years." With the exception of Occupy, a minority movement, passivity reigns. "They have been consumed with telephones." The voice hardens. "Tweeting."
We are high up in a Four Seasons hotel overlooking Beverly Hills, sunlight glinting off mansions and boutiques below,...
Donald Sutherland wants to stir revolt. A real revolt. A youth-led uprising against injustice that will overturn the Us as we know it and usher in a kinder, better way. "I hope that they will take action because it's getting drastic in this country." Drone strikes. Corporate tax dodging. Racism. The Keystone oil pipeline. Denying food stamps to "starving Americans". It's all going to pot. "It's not right. It's not right."
Millennials need awakening from slumber. "You know the young people of this society have not moved in the last 30 years." With the exception of Occupy, a minority movement, passivity reigns. "They have been consumed with telephones." The voice hardens. "Tweeting."
We are high up in a Four Seasons hotel overlooking Beverly Hills, sunlight glinting off mansions and boutiques below,...
- 11/19/2013
- by Rory Carroll
- The Guardian - Film News
When the first teaser trailer for The Empire Strikes Back arrived in 1980, there was only Ralph McQuarrie's concept art and some publicity still shots of stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher to accompany them. But with the first teaser for next summer's release of Revenge of the Jedi, we get some real footage. Fox is still using the "epic battle of heroes and villains" line that they used from the beginning of the saga, and Darth Vader gets a grand entrance with a lot of dramatic head turns. Plus, it's good to see Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) back, and it seems like Han Solo gets rescued from carbonite at some point. But who's that lobster man saying, "It's a trap!" That's a bit of a cliche, right? Watch it below! Here's the first teaser for Richard Marquand's Revenge of the Jedi, originally from StarWars.com:...
- 10/24/2013
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Feature Jules-Pierre Malartre 25 Jun 2013 - 06:31
A previously-unpublished interview with Return Of The Jedi director Richard Marquand...
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Return Of The Jedi. A book on the making of the film is to be released this autumn, and I’m looking forward to delving through the previously little known facts, pictures and artefacts about the movie that author J W Rinzler has discovered while writing the book. I recently unearthed some forgotten Return Of The Jedi lore myself when I packed my things for my upcoming move. Imagine my surprise when, going through some old papers, I came across an interview of Richard Marquand I did back in 1984, barely a year after the release of Return Of The Jedi.
Marquand, fresh from his Return Of The Jedi directorial experience, was in Montreal to promote his latest movie, Until September, a romantic comedy...
A previously-unpublished interview with Return Of The Jedi director Richard Marquand...
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Return Of The Jedi. A book on the making of the film is to be released this autumn, and I’m looking forward to delving through the previously little known facts, pictures and artefacts about the movie that author J W Rinzler has discovered while writing the book. I recently unearthed some forgotten Return Of The Jedi lore myself when I packed my things for my upcoming move. Imagine my surprise when, going through some old papers, I came across an interview of Richard Marquand I did back in 1984, barely a year after the release of Return Of The Jedi.
Marquand, fresh from his Return Of The Jedi directorial experience, was in Montreal to promote his latest movie, Until September, a romantic comedy...
- 6/24/2013
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
It’s day four of Star Trek Week! I see Graham and Ryan checking the clock and looking annoyed. Don’t worry guys, it’s almost over!
Star Trek: Voyager (Voy) came around during a period of maximum Star Trek saturation. Voyager premiered only a year after Tng ended and only two years after DS9 premiered. This is most likely the point in which “Star Trek fatigue” took root, but more on that tomorrow. Star Trek: Voyager debuted on January 16, 1995 with the episode “Caretaker” and, like its sister shows, would last seven seasons for a total of 172 episodes before closing with “Endgame” on May 23, 2001.
Hit the jump for my favourite episodes!
1. Eye of the Needle
“A micro-wormhole is discovered that leads to the Alpha Quadrant, and the crew make contact with a Romulan ship on the other side. “
The only flaw of this episode is that you that never really...
Star Trek: Voyager (Voy) came around during a period of maximum Star Trek saturation. Voyager premiered only a year after Tng ended and only two years after DS9 premiered. This is most likely the point in which “Star Trek fatigue” took root, but more on that tomorrow. Star Trek: Voyager debuted on January 16, 1995 with the episode “Caretaker” and, like its sister shows, would last seven seasons for a total of 172 episodes before closing with “Endgame” on May 23, 2001.
Hit the jump for my favourite episodes!
1. Eye of the Needle
“A micro-wormhole is discovered that leads to the Alpha Quadrant, and the crew make contact with a Romulan ship on the other side. “
The only flaw of this episode is that you that never really...
- 5/16/2013
- by Kevin Fraser
- City of Films
Leonardo DiCaprio, Titanic The Hunger Games will easily top the North American box office once again this weekend — its third time as no. 1 — according to Deadline.com's "sources." As per Deadline's early, rough estimates, The Hunger Games is expected to collect $12-$14 million on Friday, and could reach $40 million over the Easter weekend. If so, Gary Ross' movie would be down close to 30% compared to last weekend — or less than half its drop-off rate last (non-holiday) weekend. It seems that Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg's American Reunion will be the no. 2 movie on Friday, with somewhere between $8-$10 million at 3,192 locations, and an estimated $25 million by Sunday evening. That includes $660,000 earned at Thursday midnight screenings in North America. If those estimates are correct, Universal will claim that American Reunion far surpassed the $18.7 million earned by the original American Pie at 2,508 sites in 1999. There is, however, a pesky little thing known as inflation,...
- 4/7/2012
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Gary Ross, The Hunger Games Gary Ross won't be directing The Hunger Games' sequel Catching Fire, according to various online reports. The Pleasantville and Seabiscuit director wanted more money than Lionsgate was offering him, though some sources claim that Ross wasn't too keen on revisiting Katniss Everdeen and pals. Now, would a more generous offer have sparked his interest in spending extra time with Katniss? And was the "low" offer a means for Lionsgate to get rid of Ross? Either way, some have already begun suggesting various — quite disparate — names to replace Ross. Among those are Alfonso Cuarón, who directed Harry Potter and the Prince of Azkaban in 2004, and Debra Granik, who directed The Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence in the Oscar-nominated Winter's Bone. Considering that the Hunger Games movies focus on Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss, surely Granik won't be the only woman mentioned as a welcome Ross replacement.
- 4/6/2012
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Four movies have reached $250 million (not adjusted for inflation) at the domestic box office in ten days or less. The Hunger Games isn't one of them. Although The Hunger Games easily topped the North American box office this weekend, Gary Ross' futuristic adventure tale grossed $58.55 million — or about $2.5 million less than studio estimates published yesterday. (This is the second weekend in a row that studio estimates for The Hunger Games are considerably inflated.) As a result of its "underperformance," The Hunger Games failed to reach the $250 million milestone. That should happen some time today, however, on the film's eleventh day out. For the record, the four movies that have reached the $250 million milestone (once again, ignoring inflation) are The Dark Knight, Deathly Hallows 2, Revenge of the Fallen, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. At the international box office, The Hunger Games is lagging way behind its North American popularity.
- 4/2/2012
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Medieval drama brought to the screen by Ridley and Tony Scott set to feed TV viewers' hunger for historical epics
When the Emmy-award-winning television series Rome went out on BBC2, the public appetite for togas, sandals and bloody sword fights staged on the small screen became clear. High-production values combined with historical detail and romantic intrigue proved winning ingredients. Can Ridley Scott now perform the same trick with Ken Follett's bestselling novel The Pillars of the Earth, about the Middle Ages?
An eight-part mini-series to be broadcast on Channel 4 next week is to attempt to convert the success of Follett's 1989 hit, set in 12th-century England, into television gold. The TV saga, made for £25m by Scott and his brother Tony in collaboration with a German production company, stars a crowd of British actors, bedecked in sackcloth and gold belts. Rufus Sewell, Matthew Macfadyen, Ian McShane, Sarah Parish and...
When the Emmy-award-winning television series Rome went out on BBC2, the public appetite for togas, sandals and bloody sword fights staged on the small screen became clear. High-production values combined with historical detail and romantic intrigue proved winning ingredients. Can Ridley Scott now perform the same trick with Ken Follett's bestselling novel The Pillars of the Earth, about the Middle Ages?
An eight-part mini-series to be broadcast on Channel 4 next week is to attempt to convert the success of Follett's 1989 hit, set in 12th-century England, into television gold. The TV saga, made for £25m by Scott and his brother Tony in collaboration with a German production company, stars a crowd of British actors, bedecked in sackcloth and gold belts. Rufus Sewell, Matthew Macfadyen, Ian McShane, Sarah Parish and...
- 10/9/2010
- by Vanessa Thorpe
- The Guardian - Film News
Just a few days after the death of John Forsythe, Dynasty actor Christopher Cazenove has died at the age of 64. The man who played Blake Carrington's evil brother for two seasons succumbed to septicaemia (blood poisoning). He had been battling cancer for the past year.
Cazenove was a veteran actor and appeared in dozens of films over the past 40 years, most notably, 3 Men and a Little Lady, A Knight's Tale, Zulu Dawn, and Eye of the Needle.
On television, he appeared in series like Judge John Deed, Charmed, Nash Bridges, and Tales from the Crypt.
According to the Daily Mail, Cazenove's agent, Lesley Duff, said on behalf of his family and girlfriend Isabel Davies: "Christopher died peacefully surrounded by his loved ones having contracted septicaemia at the end of February. Despite a valiant fight and the untiring...
Cazenove was a veteran actor and appeared in dozens of films over the past 40 years, most notably, 3 Men and a Little Lady, A Knight's Tale, Zulu Dawn, and Eye of the Needle.
On television, he appeared in series like Judge John Deed, Charmed, Nash Bridges, and Tales from the Crypt.
According to the Daily Mail, Cazenove's agent, Lesley Duff, said on behalf of his family and girlfriend Isabel Davies: "Christopher died peacefully surrounded by his loved ones having contracted septicaemia at the end of February. Despite a valiant fight and the untiring...
- 4/8/2010
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
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