Eddie Murphy was the surest of bets in the 1980s. At the age of 19, he single-handedly yanked "Saturday Night Live" back from the brink of cancellation after the departure of the original cast, and was all of 21 when he shot to big-screen stardom opposite Nick Nolte in Walter Hill's action-comedy classic, "48 Hrs." His second feature, "Trading Places," was also a critical and commercial hit, while his stand-up LP "Eddie Murphy: Comedian" went platinum. By 1984, Murphy was so hot, Paramount inserted him into the finished Dudley Moore comedy "Best Defense" in the hopes that he could enliven the deathly unfunny film with his ad-libbed brilliance. It didn't work, but no one held it against Murphy. The movie was just that bad.
There was no question that Murphy had turned into one of Hollywood's biggest stars overnight, but his first two hits had been two-handers. He had yet to carry a film on his own.
There was no question that Murphy had turned into one of Hollywood's biggest stars overnight, but his first two hits had been two-handers. He had yet to carry a film on his own.
- 9/11/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Chicago – With the passing of actor Sidney Poitier at the age of 94 on January 6th, 2022, another lion of the cinema – who represented succinctly an era of the movies – has left the mortal coil. HollywoodChicago.com presents the following appreciation through three film essays in retrospect by Patrick McDonald, Spike Walters and Jon Lennon Espino.
Although Poitier represented American blacks in his early career, often cast as the dignified presence among the bigotry floating around him, his early life was in the Bahamas. He moved to Miami at age 15 (he was born in Miami while his Bahamian parents sold produce there) and after serving in the Army during World War II, he joined the American Negro Theater in New York City.
Poster Art: ‘Lilies of the Field’ (1963), Featuring Oscar Best Actor Sidney Poitier
Photo credit: HBO Max (VOD)
After working in theater, he made his major film debut in 1950 with the incendiary “No Way Out.
Although Poitier represented American blacks in his early career, often cast as the dignified presence among the bigotry floating around him, his early life was in the Bahamas. He moved to Miami at age 15 (he was born in Miami while his Bahamian parents sold produce there) and after serving in the Army during World War II, he joined the American Negro Theater in New York City.
Poster Art: ‘Lilies of the Field’ (1963), Featuring Oscar Best Actor Sidney Poitier
Photo credit: HBO Max (VOD)
After working in theater, he made his major film debut in 1950 with the incendiary “No Way Out.
- 1/10/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
‘The Midnight Sky’: How Alexandre Desplat Composed One of His Longest Film Scores for George Clooney
When composer Alexandre Desplat first proposed an electronic score for “The Midnight Sky,” actor-director George Clooney immediately rejected the idea as too emotionally chaotic. His existential sci-fi journey about the end of the world required a different musical approach. That led the two-time Oscar winner down a hybrid path of combining orchestral sounds with electronics, inspired by a recording session he attended for “Ghost Dad” (1990), the Bill Cosby fantasy-comedy, scored by the great Henry Mancini.
“So I used a large string orchestra for the core of the sounds — piano, the woodwinds, the brass — around a ring of electronics,” Desplat said. That formed the basis of his musical approach to exploring parallel stories linking Clooney’s lonely astronomer in the Arctic with the crew of a spacecraft on its way back to a dying Earth. “Augustine [Clooney] is the center planet, and I could use various instruments around that,” Desplat said, “so...
“So I used a large string orchestra for the core of the sounds — piano, the woodwinds, the brass — around a ring of electronics,” Desplat said. That formed the basis of his musical approach to exploring parallel stories linking Clooney’s lonely astronomer in the Arctic with the crew of a spacecraft on its way back to a dying Earth. “Augustine [Clooney] is the center planet, and I could use various instruments around that,” Desplat said, “so...
- 3/9/2021
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The star, Alexandra Daddario, the writer, Alan Trezza, and the director, Marc Meyers, of the terrific new film We Summon The Darkness walk us through some of their favorite movies.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
We Summon The Darkness (2020)
Burying The Ex (2015)
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
American Beauty (1999)
Strictly Ballroom (1992)
Ghostbusters (1984)
The Sound of Music (1965)
L.A. Story (1991)
Ghost Dad (1990)
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003)
Roxanne (1987)
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather Part II (1974)
The Godfather Part III (1990)
Fargo (1996)
The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs (2018)
Psycho (1960)
Psycho (1998)
Defending Your Life (1991)
Modern Romance (1981)
The Jerk (1979)
Jaws (1975)
Notting Hill (1999)
Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994)
When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
Love Actually (2003)
Marley & Me (2008)
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
World’s Greatest Dad (2009)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Raging Bull (1980)
Mandy (2018)
Heathers (1988)
Ed Wood (1994)
Hellzapoppin’ (1941)
Fletch (1985)
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Batman Returns (1992)
Warlock (1989)
Beetlejuice (1988)
Star Wars (1977)
Sixteen Candles (1984)
The Swimmer (1968)
Sherman’s March (1985)
Amadeus (1984)
Amarcord (1974)
Hugo Pool (1997)
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
We Summon The Darkness (2020)
Burying The Ex (2015)
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
American Beauty (1999)
Strictly Ballroom (1992)
Ghostbusters (1984)
The Sound of Music (1965)
L.A. Story (1991)
Ghost Dad (1990)
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003)
Roxanne (1987)
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather Part II (1974)
The Godfather Part III (1990)
Fargo (1996)
The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs (2018)
Psycho (1960)
Psycho (1998)
Defending Your Life (1991)
Modern Romance (1981)
The Jerk (1979)
Jaws (1975)
Notting Hill (1999)
Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994)
When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
Love Actually (2003)
Marley & Me (2008)
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
World’s Greatest Dad (2009)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Raging Bull (1980)
Mandy (2018)
Heathers (1988)
Ed Wood (1994)
Hellzapoppin’ (1941)
Fletch (1985)
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Batman Returns (1992)
Warlock (1989)
Beetlejuice (1988)
Star Wars (1977)
Sixteen Candles (1984)
The Swimmer (1968)
Sherman’s March (1985)
Amadeus (1984)
Amarcord (1974)
Hugo Pool (1997)
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills...
- 4/14/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Roman Polanski felt “blindsided” by the decision of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to expel him, and plans to appeal.
“We plan to ask the Academy to follow its own rules which is to give Roman 10 days notice to present his side,” Polanski’s attorney Harland Braun said in a statement to TheWrap. “We were prepared but were blindsided by their violation of their own standards. What did the 56 members review??”
On Tuesday, the Academy voted to expel Bill Cosby and Polanski in accordance with the organization’s Standard of Conduct.
Also Read: Film Academy Expels Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby
“The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors met on Tuesday night (May 1) and has voted to expel actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski from its membership in accordance with the organization’s Standards of Conduct,” read the statement. “The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity.”
Polanski was expelled 15 years after his film “The Pianist” took home Oscars for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor at the 75th Academy Awards. The film was nominated for Best Picture, but lost to “Chicago.”
Polanski was arrested and charged with raping 13-year-old Samantha Geimer in 1977. He pled guilty and was imprisoned for 42 days, after which he was released and put on probation as part of a plea bargain. When Polanski learned that a judge was planning to revoke the plea deal, the director fled Paris before the sentencing.
Also Read: That Time Quentin Tarantino Said Roman Polanski Didn't Rape 13-Year-Old: 'She Wanted to Have It'
Cosby has never won an Oscar but he was an Academy member. His film credits include “Hickey & Boggs,” “Uptown Saturday Night,” “Ghost Dad,” “The Meteor Man” and “Jack.”
On Wednesday, Cosby’s name was removed from the website of the Television Academy. The comedian was recently found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault in his retrial over accusations made by former Temple University employee Andrea Constand.
Cosby had maintained that his interaction with Constand was consensual and that he had given her Benadryl in an effort to help her relax.
A spokesperson for Cosby has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment on whether Cosby plans to appeal as well. The Academy has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Read original story Roman Polanski ‘Blindsided’ by Expulsion From Movie Academy, Plans to Appeal At TheWrap...
“We plan to ask the Academy to follow its own rules which is to give Roman 10 days notice to present his side,” Polanski’s attorney Harland Braun said in a statement to TheWrap. “We were prepared but were blindsided by their violation of their own standards. What did the 56 members review??”
On Tuesday, the Academy voted to expel Bill Cosby and Polanski in accordance with the organization’s Standard of Conduct.
Also Read: Film Academy Expels Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby
“The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors met on Tuesday night (May 1) and has voted to expel actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski from its membership in accordance with the organization’s Standards of Conduct,” read the statement. “The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity.”
Polanski was expelled 15 years after his film “The Pianist” took home Oscars for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor at the 75th Academy Awards. The film was nominated for Best Picture, but lost to “Chicago.”
Polanski was arrested and charged with raping 13-year-old Samantha Geimer in 1977. He pled guilty and was imprisoned for 42 days, after which he was released and put on probation as part of a plea bargain. When Polanski learned that a judge was planning to revoke the plea deal, the director fled Paris before the sentencing.
Also Read: That Time Quentin Tarantino Said Roman Polanski Didn't Rape 13-Year-Old: 'She Wanted to Have It'
Cosby has never won an Oscar but he was an Academy member. His film credits include “Hickey & Boggs,” “Uptown Saturday Night,” “Ghost Dad,” “The Meteor Man” and “Jack.”
On Wednesday, Cosby’s name was removed from the website of the Television Academy. The comedian was recently found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault in his retrial over accusations made by former Temple University employee Andrea Constand.
Cosby had maintained that his interaction with Constand was consensual and that he had given her Benadryl in an effort to help her relax.
A spokesperson for Cosby has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment on whether Cosby plans to appeal as well. The Academy has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Read original story Roman Polanski ‘Blindsided’ by Expulsion From Movie Academy, Plans to Appeal At TheWrap...
- 5/4/2018
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors voted to expel Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski in accordance with the organization’s Standard of Conduct, the Academy announced Thursday.
“The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors met on Tuesday night (May 1) and has voted to expel actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski from its membership in accordance with the organization’s Standards of Conduct,” read the statement. “The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity.”
Polanski is out 15 years after his film “The Pianist” took home Oscars for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor at the 75th Academy Awards. The film was nominated for Best Picture but lost to “Chicago.”
Also Read: Bill Cosby Removed From Television Academy Website
Polanski was arrested and charged with raping 13-year-old Samantha Geimer in 1977. He pled guilty and was imprisoned for 42 days, after which he was released and put on probation as part of a plea bargain. When Polanski learned that a judge was planning to revoke the plea deal, the director fled Paris before sentencing.
Cosby has never won an Oscar but he was an Academy member. His film credits include “Hickey & Boggs,” “Uptown Saturday Night,” “Ghost Dad,” “The Meteor Man” and “Jack.”
On Wednesday, Cosby’s name was removed from the website of the Television Academy. The comedian was recently found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault in his retrial over accusations made by former Temple University employee Andrea Constand.
Also Read: Bill Cosby Found Guilty: Here's Where His Civil Cases Stand
Cosby had maintained that his interaction with Constand was consensual, and that he had given her Benadryl in an effort to help her relax.
Read original story Film Academy Expels Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby At TheWrap...
“The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors met on Tuesday night (May 1) and has voted to expel actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski from its membership in accordance with the organization’s Standards of Conduct,” read the statement. “The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity.”
Polanski is out 15 years after his film “The Pianist” took home Oscars for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor at the 75th Academy Awards. The film was nominated for Best Picture but lost to “Chicago.”
Also Read: Bill Cosby Removed From Television Academy Website
Polanski was arrested and charged with raping 13-year-old Samantha Geimer in 1977. He pled guilty and was imprisoned for 42 days, after which he was released and put on probation as part of a plea bargain. When Polanski learned that a judge was planning to revoke the plea deal, the director fled Paris before sentencing.
Cosby has never won an Oscar but he was an Academy member. His film credits include “Hickey & Boggs,” “Uptown Saturday Night,” “Ghost Dad,” “The Meteor Man” and “Jack.”
On Wednesday, Cosby’s name was removed from the website of the Television Academy. The comedian was recently found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault in his retrial over accusations made by former Temple University employee Andrea Constand.
Also Read: Bill Cosby Found Guilty: Here's Where His Civil Cases Stand
Cosby had maintained that his interaction with Constand was consensual, and that he had given her Benadryl in an effort to help her relax.
Read original story Film Academy Expels Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby At TheWrap...
- 5/3/2018
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
I don’t know if you’re anything like me, but I can often spend hours upon hours trawling through iTunes looking for new movies to buy… Usually I’ll randomly come across a title I haven’t seen in years and use the “Cast & Crew” links to make my way down the rabbit hole to the more obscure side of Apple’s digital movie service.
Now whilst many will decry that iTunes is a terrible VOD service due to Apple’s desire to lock its audience to their platforms, if you have an Apple TV or iPad be aware – there are some truly obscure films hidden away in the depths of the vast collection of movies. Some of which have been made available in the UK for the first time since VHS and a Lot that have been added to the service in their original uncut form!
So, with...
Now whilst many will decry that iTunes is a terrible VOD service due to Apple’s desire to lock its audience to their platforms, if you have an Apple TV or iPad be aware – there are some truly obscure films hidden away in the depths of the vast collection of movies. Some of which have been made available in the UK for the first time since VHS and a Lot that have been added to the service in their original uncut form!
So, with...
- 3/24/2017
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
This week on ABC’s Once Upon a Time, not a whole lot of current storyline got moved forward, though we did get fresh insight into David’s father and the difficult decisions he made back in the day. Regina, meanwhile, invited the Wish Realm’s Robin to steal her heart, with meh results.
RelatedOnce Upon a Time Shake-Up: 4 Vets in Talks to Return for Possible Season 7
After a small celebration of Emma’s win over Gideon and in which he toasted to “family,” David finds himself in the dumps, desperately missing quality time with the missus — at which point,...
RelatedOnce Upon a Time Shake-Up: 4 Vets in Talks to Return for Possible Season 7
After a small celebration of Emma’s win over Gideon and in which he toasted to “family,” David finds himself in the dumps, desperately missing quality time with the missus — at which point,...
- 3/13/2017
- TVLine.com
A review of tonight's Pitch coming up just as soon as I'm disappointed the episode didn't do a full-on Just One of the Guys homage at some point... Second episodes are hard. They're made under the assumption that not everyone watching will have seen the pilot, and that even those who did might need some reinforcement on the character relationships and themes. So there's a tendency for them to feel like a repetition of what happened the week before, only less effective because it's being done twice, and without the time and budget that can go into a pilot. But "The Interim" was ultimately a more satisfying episode than the pilot, which I already liked a lot. No, the scope wasn't quite as big (what little game action we see is presented as a TV highlight after the fact), but there was no Ghost Dad(*), or any other kind of...
- 9/30/2016
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
Well that was...not what we were expecting. After the series premiere of Pitch introduced us to Ginny Baker (Kylie Bunbury), Major League Baseball's first female player and burgeoning feminist icon, and her domineering daddy Bill (Michael Beach), only to pull the rug out from under us at the very end and reveal that dad's been dead all along, we were left wondering exactly what this show would look like moving forward? Would the series take a page from Empire and have Ghost Dad show up week after week to give Ginny the push she needs just when she needs it? As it turns out, not quite. Despite making the revelation of Bill's mortality such a linchpin to premiere, he didn't make a single...
- 9/30/2016
- E! Online
I expressed most of my opinions about Fox's Pitch in this morning's piece, but there is one specific part of the pilot I didn't want to get into until after you had seen it, so spoilers (for this and for the pilot of This Is Us, which we discussed on Tuesday night) coming up just as soon as I keep the $700 million receipt... As I alluded to this morning, Dan Fogelman clearly had absent fathers on his mind this pilot season. The This Is Us pilot not only involves one of the characters tracking down the biological father who abandoned him as a baby, but reveals at the end that one of its story arcs takes place 36 years in the past, and that Milo Ventimiglia is father (presumably dead in 2016, based on the interactions of two of the siblings) to the main characters living in the present. Pitch, meanwhile, does its own head fake,...
- 9/23/2016
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
As Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters reboot hits cinemas this week, how familiar are you with other movie ghouls?
Ghost Town
The Sixth Sense
The Haunting
Over Her Dead Body
Shutter
Dark Water
The Eye
The Grudge
Lady in White
Poltergeist
Beetlejuice
Hellraiser
Thirteen Ghosts
House on Haunted Hill
Ghosts of Mars
What Lies Beneath
The Haunting
The Innocents
Carnival of Souls
The Terror
Stir of Echoes
Mama
The Conjuring
Insidious
The Haunted Mansion
A Haunted House
Heart and Souls
The Frighteners
High Spirits
Haunted
House
Scrooged
Safe Haven
The Pact
Just Like Heaven
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Casper
Campfire Tales
Ghostbusters II
Ghost Dad
7 and above.
You showed real spirit
0 and above.
You never stood a ghost of a chance
4 and above.
That was a bust
Continue reading...
Ghost Town
The Sixth Sense
The Haunting
Over Her Dead Body
Shutter
Dark Water
The Eye
The Grudge
Lady in White
Poltergeist
Beetlejuice
Hellraiser
Thirteen Ghosts
House on Haunted Hill
Ghosts of Mars
What Lies Beneath
The Haunting
The Innocents
Carnival of Souls
The Terror
Stir of Echoes
Mama
The Conjuring
Insidious
The Haunted Mansion
A Haunted House
Heart and Souls
The Frighteners
High Spirits
Haunted
House
Scrooged
Safe Haven
The Pact
Just Like Heaven
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Casper
Campfire Tales
Ghostbusters II
Ghost Dad
7 and above.
You showed real spirit
0 and above.
You never stood a ghost of a chance
4 and above.
That was a bust
Continue reading...
- 7/12/2016
- by Benjamin Lee
- The Guardian - Film News
The Bahamas International Film Festival (Biff) has announced that Academy Award® winner and renowned global icon Sir Sidney Poitier has agreed to the naming of the prestigious Career Achievement Award at the Bahamas International Film Festival the “Sir Sidney Poitier Tribute Award.” Biff founder and executive director Leslie Vanderpool made the announcement.
“There is no person on Earth who is better suited to have the Career Achievement Award be named after him,” Vanderpool said. “Poitier is one of the finest actors for generations and is, simply put, an icon and a legend.” The American Film Institute named him among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time.
Poitier stretched his reach within the industry on film and on stage acting in productions such as "A Raisin in the Sun" (1959) and "Lysistrata." For his film role in "The Defiant Ones," Poitier was the first male actor of African descent to be nominated for a competitive Academy Award in 1958. A few years later in 1964, Poitier was the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor in a riveting and memorable performance as Homer Smith in Ralph Nelson’s "Lilies of The Field."
Thirty-eight years after receiving the Best Actor award, Poitier received an honorary tribute from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in recognition of his remarkable accomplishments as an artist and as a human being. In 2009, Poitier was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States of America’s highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama.
A global legend, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1968 and highly respected author, director and “actor’s actor,” with more than fifty films and television shows to his credit, Poitier has starred in some of Hollywood’s most important and biggest films and earned critics’ praise for several commanding performances. Poitier’s reputation solidified with leading roles in mainstream films: "No Way Out" (1950), "Blackboard Jungle" (1955), "The Bedford Incident" and "A Patch Of Blue" (1965). The most successful films that catapulted Poitier’s career in 1967 where, "To Sir with Love," "Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner" and "In the Heat of the Night."
Directing was not far away from his achievements having a directorial debut with the western "Buck and the Preacher" soon followed by "Uptown Saturday Night," "Let’s Do It Again," "A Piece Of The Action," "Stir Crazy," "Hanky Panky," "Fast Forward’ and ‘Ghost Dad."
From 1995 to 2003, Poitier served as a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company. Proud to represent The Bahamas, Sir Sidney was the Bahamian Ambassador to Japan, a position held from 2002 to 2007, while being the Ambassador of The Bahamas to Unesco.
What makes this addition so momentous is that he is a Bahamian who believes in building future generations of filmmakers while honoring the actors and actresses who broke ground, furthermore, upholding their careers with poise. Sir Sidney possesses a true love and appreciation for the people of The Bahamas.
One of the Bahamas International Film Festival’s missions is to ensure youth in The Bahamas have the opportunity to remember Sir Sidney while celebrating the achievements of others within the film industry.
“Leslie Vanderpool’s efforts have been extraordinary in making it possible for The Bahamas to have not only a film festival, but to also attract some of the great film artists and filmmakers from around the world. People like Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Glover, Alan Arkin, Sir Sean Connery, Sophie Okonedo, Lee Daniels, Lenny Kravitz and my own daughter Sydney Tamiia Poitier, who have found, to their great surprise, that the Bahamas is moving swiftly toward a bona fide motion picture community--all of which have been structured by the imaginative young Bahamians who have committed themselves to The Bahamas having a film community of its own,” Poitier said.
Adding to his many achievements, Poitier has published four best sellers "This Life," "The Measure of A Man," "Life Beyond Measure: Letters to my Great-Grand Daughter" and "Montaro Caine." Additionally, he has many talents having recorded an album with the composer Fred Katz called ‘Poitier Meets Plato’ reciting passages from Plato’s writings.
Family is most important for Sir Sidney, He and his wife Joanna Shimkus, a Canadian-born former actress of Lithuanian and Irish descent have two daughters Anika and Sydney Tamiia Poitier. Poitier has four daughters Beverly, Pamela, Sherri and Gina from a previous marriage. In addition to his six daughters, Poitier has eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Leslie Vanderpool and Sydney T. Poitier will be instrumental in overseeing the granting of the Sir Sidney Poitier Tribute Awards.
“There is no person on Earth who is better suited to have the Career Achievement Award be named after him,” Vanderpool said. “Poitier is one of the finest actors for generations and is, simply put, an icon and a legend.” The American Film Institute named him among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time.
Poitier stretched his reach within the industry on film and on stage acting in productions such as "A Raisin in the Sun" (1959) and "Lysistrata." For his film role in "The Defiant Ones," Poitier was the first male actor of African descent to be nominated for a competitive Academy Award in 1958. A few years later in 1964, Poitier was the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor in a riveting and memorable performance as Homer Smith in Ralph Nelson’s "Lilies of The Field."
Thirty-eight years after receiving the Best Actor award, Poitier received an honorary tribute from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in recognition of his remarkable accomplishments as an artist and as a human being. In 2009, Poitier was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States of America’s highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama.
A global legend, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1968 and highly respected author, director and “actor’s actor,” with more than fifty films and television shows to his credit, Poitier has starred in some of Hollywood’s most important and biggest films and earned critics’ praise for several commanding performances. Poitier’s reputation solidified with leading roles in mainstream films: "No Way Out" (1950), "Blackboard Jungle" (1955), "The Bedford Incident" and "A Patch Of Blue" (1965). The most successful films that catapulted Poitier’s career in 1967 where, "To Sir with Love," "Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner" and "In the Heat of the Night."
Directing was not far away from his achievements having a directorial debut with the western "Buck and the Preacher" soon followed by "Uptown Saturday Night," "Let’s Do It Again," "A Piece Of The Action," "Stir Crazy," "Hanky Panky," "Fast Forward’ and ‘Ghost Dad."
From 1995 to 2003, Poitier served as a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company. Proud to represent The Bahamas, Sir Sidney was the Bahamian Ambassador to Japan, a position held from 2002 to 2007, while being the Ambassador of The Bahamas to Unesco.
What makes this addition so momentous is that he is a Bahamian who believes in building future generations of filmmakers while honoring the actors and actresses who broke ground, furthermore, upholding their careers with poise. Sir Sidney possesses a true love and appreciation for the people of The Bahamas.
One of the Bahamas International Film Festival’s missions is to ensure youth in The Bahamas have the opportunity to remember Sir Sidney while celebrating the achievements of others within the film industry.
“Leslie Vanderpool’s efforts have been extraordinary in making it possible for The Bahamas to have not only a film festival, but to also attract some of the great film artists and filmmakers from around the world. People like Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Glover, Alan Arkin, Sir Sean Connery, Sophie Okonedo, Lee Daniels, Lenny Kravitz and my own daughter Sydney Tamiia Poitier, who have found, to their great surprise, that the Bahamas is moving swiftly toward a bona fide motion picture community--all of which have been structured by the imaginative young Bahamians who have committed themselves to The Bahamas having a film community of its own,” Poitier said.
Adding to his many achievements, Poitier has published four best sellers "This Life," "The Measure of A Man," "Life Beyond Measure: Letters to my Great-Grand Daughter" and "Montaro Caine." Additionally, he has many talents having recorded an album with the composer Fred Katz called ‘Poitier Meets Plato’ reciting passages from Plato’s writings.
Family is most important for Sir Sidney, He and his wife Joanna Shimkus, a Canadian-born former actress of Lithuanian and Irish descent have two daughters Anika and Sydney Tamiia Poitier. Poitier has four daughters Beverly, Pamela, Sherri and Gina from a previous marriage. In addition to his six daughters, Poitier has eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Leslie Vanderpool and Sydney T. Poitier will be instrumental in overseeing the granting of the Sir Sidney Poitier Tribute Awards.
- 7/12/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Bill Cosby is tweeting out his thanks to those who've had his back amid multiple sexual assault allegations.
Singer Jill Scott and The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg have stood up for Cosby as women continue to come forward claiming the comedian drugged and raped them.
News: Bill Cosby's Accusers: A Timeline of Alleged Sexual Assault Claims (Updated)
On Wednesday morning, The Cosby Show star tweeted: "Thank you @MissJillScott, from the Cosby Family."
Thank you @MissJillScott, from the Cosby Family.
— Bill Cosby (@BillCosby) December 3, 2014
He also extended a shout out to Goldberg, tweeting: "Thank you @WhoopiGoldberg."
Thank you @WhoopiGoldberg.
— Bill Cosby (@BillCosby) December 3, 2014
Video: 20th Bill Cosby Accuser Comes Forward
Earlier this year, Scott, 42, received an honorary degree from Cosby at Temple University, the comedian's alma mater in Philadelphia -- of which he recently resigned from their board. The singer defended Cosby on Sunday when responding to a tweet, writing: "U know Bill Cosby? I do child...
Singer Jill Scott and The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg have stood up for Cosby as women continue to come forward claiming the comedian drugged and raped them.
News: Bill Cosby's Accusers: A Timeline of Alleged Sexual Assault Claims (Updated)
On Wednesday morning, The Cosby Show star tweeted: "Thank you @MissJillScott, from the Cosby Family."
Thank you @MissJillScott, from the Cosby Family.
— Bill Cosby (@BillCosby) December 3, 2014
He also extended a shout out to Goldberg, tweeting: "Thank you @WhoopiGoldberg."
Thank you @WhoopiGoldberg.
— Bill Cosby (@BillCosby) December 3, 2014
Video: 20th Bill Cosby Accuser Comes Forward
Earlier this year, Scott, 42, received an honorary degree from Cosby at Temple University, the comedian's alma mater in Philadelphia -- of which he recently resigned from their board. The singer defended Cosby on Sunday when responding to a tweet, writing: "U know Bill Cosby? I do child...
- 12/3/2014
- Entertainment Tonight
As new accusations of sexual assaults continue to surface, one of Bill Cosby's former co-stars is coming to his defense. Kimberly Russell, who played Cosby's daughter in the 1990 film Ghost Dad, on Monday told Et's Brooke Anderson Cosby always treated her professionally.
News: Accuser to Bill Cosby: Take Up For Women, Try to Do Something Heroic
"I was alone with him," Russell told Et. "There were times when I would have to rehearse a scene in his trailer or he would come to my trailer and he was 100 percent respectful and never inappropriate."
Russell, who was in her 20s when she worked with the embattled comedian, said that she never felt uncomfortable around Cosby and considers the allegations against him to be "totally out of character" of the Cosby that she knows and respects.
News: Former NBC Employee Says He 'Felt Like a Pimp' Working with Cosby
"Personally I find [the allegations] shocking," said Russell...
News: Accuser to Bill Cosby: Take Up For Women, Try to Do Something Heroic
"I was alone with him," Russell told Et. "There were times when I would have to rehearse a scene in his trailer or he would come to my trailer and he was 100 percent respectful and never inappropriate."
Russell, who was in her 20s when she worked with the embattled comedian, said that she never felt uncomfortable around Cosby and considers the allegations against him to be "totally out of character" of the Cosby that she knows and respects.
News: Former NBC Employee Says He 'Felt Like a Pimp' Working with Cosby
"Personally I find [the allegations] shocking," said Russell...
- 11/25/2014
- Entertainment Tonight
Oh, boy.
As if all of the murmurs coming out of Sony's Spider-Man department haven't been disconcerting enough, now we can add a new one to the mix: Word on the street is that the folks behind the Amazing Spider-Man films are looking for a way to bring back Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy. Why? Well, probably because her scenes with Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker have been the best parts of both movies so far.
You likely all ready know that Spidey is in a bit of a jam over at Sony Pictures. They had all these lofty plans for old webhead, which involved using his entire cast of characters to create a whole mini cinematic universe for the makers of Playstation. Prior to the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony announced a slate of flicks that included direct sequels and spinoffs. Then the film came out, frustrated fans and critics alike,...
As if all of the murmurs coming out of Sony's Spider-Man department haven't been disconcerting enough, now we can add a new one to the mix: Word on the street is that the folks behind the Amazing Spider-Man films are looking for a way to bring back Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy. Why? Well, probably because her scenes with Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker have been the best parts of both movies so far.
You likely all ready know that Spidey is in a bit of a jam over at Sony Pictures. They had all these lofty plans for old webhead, which involved using his entire cast of characters to create a whole mini cinematic universe for the makers of Playstation. Prior to the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony announced a slate of flicks that included direct sequels and spinoffs. Then the film came out, frustrated fans and critics alike,...
- 11/4/2014
- by Mario-Francisco Robles
- LRMonline.com
My hometown Mom-and-Pop video store used to have a magical “freebie” bin. This bin was the resting place for any excess promotional materials the store procured. The freebie bin rarely held any blockbuster movie posters, but it was always stocked with horror titles, and being a diehard horror fan, I outfitted my room with materials I collected from the freebie bin. (Plus, I once found a Ghost Dad shirt lurking in the bottom!) One of my favorite finds was a giant poster from Cast a Deadly Spell. This means that while many girls my age had New Kids on the Block or a fresh from T2 Edward Furlong pasted on their walls, my room was adorned with a scruffy Fred Ward. And thus, I was set on the horror path I am still ambling down today.
The post The Unseen: Reflecting on Martin Campbell & HBO’s ‘Cast a Deadly Spell...
The post The Unseen: Reflecting on Martin Campbell & HBO’s ‘Cast a Deadly Spell...
- 7/2/2014
- by Ryan Turek
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Housed in a small office space in Harlem's Adam Clayton Powell Jr. state office building, the Museum of African American Cinema (MoAAC) contains over 4,000 collectible items, from vintage film prints to original costumes from films like Malcolm X and Ghost Dad. Gregory Javan Mills, Ernest N. Steele and 20 other founding members established MoAAC as a non-profit back in 2001, after seeing the need for black representation among other collections of American cinema. "I used to cringe when I'd see a montage of great American films, and not one black film," says Mills. "So that's why we're here, to tell our story." Mills is currently seeking funds to display...
- 3/10/2014
- by Jai Tiggett
- ShadowAndAct
It feels like, with every passing week, there is a strong chance we will receive more news on the as-yet-untitled and apparently made-on-the-fly Man of Steel sequel. What started as a simple follow-up has quickly mutated into the makings of a Justice League franchise, with Supes now joined in the ring by Ben Affleck’s Batman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. As if that wasn’t enough, we’ll get Jesse Eisenberg portraying iconic Superman villain Lex Luthor. However it is ironed out, it will be a packed installment in a presumably long-term series. This choice of direction clearly signifies DC and Warner Bros. seeing the need to at least match the lighting in a bottle that was Marvel’s The Avengers, but also suggests another underlying qualm; a lack of faith in Superman as a lead.
The Avengers is significant on this point for a number of reasons,...
The Avengers is significant on this point for a number of reasons,...
- 2/16/2014
- by Scott Patterson
- SoundOnSight
Of the great actor/directors in cinema, Sidney Poitier.s name comes up less often than most - and that.s largely because 1990.s Ghost Dad would have killed anyone.s career, dreams, livelihood, etc. As disastrous as that movie was, however, he and Bill Cosby also gave us the great 1974 crime comedy Uptown Saturday Night, which really should be a cult classic at this point. (Richard Pryor and Flip Wilson!) Will Smith and Denzel Washington have been attached to star in a remake for years, the project most recently attracting Anchorman director Adam McKay, and now The Muppets co-writer Nicholas Stoller has stepped in to take over script rewriting duties. There's an interesting ticking click involved with this development, however. After years of kicking around both Smith and Washington.s schedules, the goal is now to get this film into production by next summer. If Stoller is unable to...
- 11/26/2013
- cinemablend.com
by Matt Hawkins
All week long, YouTube has been showcasing videos that are designed to appeal to geeks of all kind. From movie nerds to comic book dweebs. And yes, video game dorks are also included in the mix.
At at the very top of the must watch list is the Schoolhouse Rock parody, that will resonate most strongly with those of us who were actually around when it originally aired on Saturday mornings.
But all gamers, especially the young ones, would do themselves well by taking a look and listening to its advice.
The following, by Brent Black, who is mostly known by the name brentalfloss, tells us all that console launches are not what they used to be, and are best left avoided:
The message is clear; wait till Above & Beyond: Ghost Dad is finally out before picking up a system.
Real quick, here's another YouTube Geek Week selection,...
All week long, YouTube has been showcasing videos that are designed to appeal to geeks of all kind. From movie nerds to comic book dweebs. And yes, video game dorks are also included in the mix.
At at the very top of the must watch list is the Schoolhouse Rock parody, that will resonate most strongly with those of us who were actually around when it originally aired on Saturday mornings.
But all gamers, especially the young ones, would do themselves well by taking a look and listening to its advice.
The following, by Brent Black, who is mostly known by the name brentalfloss, tells us all that console launches are not what they used to be, and are best left avoided:
The message is clear; wait till Above & Beyond: Ghost Dad is finally out before picking up a system.
Real quick, here's another YouTube Geek Week selection,...
- 8/8/2013
- by MTV Video Games
- MTV Multiplayer
Shamone! The Times is reporting that one of the passages in Charles Norton's new book, Now On The Big Screen: The Unofficial And Unauthorised Guide To Doctor Who At The Cinema reveals that Michael Jackson ("Men in Black II") was considered for the starring role in Paramount's never-made Doctor Who film. In one chapter, its author Charles Norton claims that Jackson was the preferred choice for a lead role in a big screen version of the BBC TV show by Paramount bosses in 1988, off the back of his film Moonwalker. Apparently, Bill Cosby ("Ghost Dad") was also in mind for the role had Jackson declined the offer.
- 7/5/2013
- ComicBookMovie.com
This week’s episode of Merlin opens like so many have this season: with Merlin and Arthur alone, squabbling like an old married couple. Okay, now I get it. This is the HoYay, right? This is the “homoeroticism” everyone keeps talking about. No touching, no kissing, no nuzzling, no brief nudity or adult situations, just…bickering. If I wanted to watch a couple spend all its time quarreling, I’d just visit my parents.
Anyway, our intrepid couple is walking through the woods when they hear a scream. They rush to a village where the villagers are having their version of a Fried Green Tomatoes barbecue (“Secret’s in the sauce!”) by tying a very creaky old lady to a wooden stake and planning to set her on fire. Seriously, this lady is so old and so desiccated that she’d probably spontaneously combust if you just rubbed her forearms together.
Anyway, our intrepid couple is walking through the woods when they hear a scream. They rush to a village where the villagers are having their version of a Fried Green Tomatoes barbecue (“Secret’s in the sauce!”) by tying a very creaky old lady to a wooden stake and planning to set her on fire. Seriously, this lady is so old and so desiccated that she’d probably spontaneously combust if you just rubbed her forearms together.
- 1/19/2013
- by mgmc
- The Backlot
It’s been ten years since Will Smith bought the rights to the trilogy of comedy films Sir Sidney Poitier directed and starred in with Bill Cosby back in the ’70s, and now, only a decade later, has there been any progress.
The first installment, a remake of 1974′s Uptown Saturday Night, has attached well-known comedy director Adam McKay to the project, with talks of Will Smith and Denzel Washington in the Cosby and Poitier roles, respectively. It is assumed if this remake goes well, there will follow remakes of the original’s official/unofficial sequels, Let’s Do It Again and A Piece of the Action. No word as to whether a Ghost Dad remake is in the works.
The original film was about two friends, Steve and Wardell, who decide to go to the ritzy and raunchy Madame Zenobia’s nightclub in Harlem, in order to kick Steve’s two-week vacation off right.
The first installment, a remake of 1974′s Uptown Saturday Night, has attached well-known comedy director Adam McKay to the project, with talks of Will Smith and Denzel Washington in the Cosby and Poitier roles, respectively. It is assumed if this remake goes well, there will follow remakes of the original’s official/unofficial sequels, Let’s Do It Again and A Piece of the Action. No word as to whether a Ghost Dad remake is in the works.
The original film was about two friends, Steve and Wardell, who decide to go to the ritzy and raunchy Madame Zenobia’s nightclub in Harlem, in order to kick Steve’s two-week vacation off right.
- 4/27/2012
- by Jimmy Callaway
- Boomtron
Well hello there! Welcome to this week's installment of The Ae Movie Club, the most thrilling celebration of Hollywood since the last scene of Day of the Locust. (Look it up, watch it, and wonder how you ever got along without it.)
It may be the dead of winter (though you'd never know it from the weather in New York), but things are thankfully starting to warm up on the movie front after the traditionally dull month of January (aka Major Studio Dumping Month). So that means you only have a few more weeks to catch up on all the Oscar contenders and last season of Downton Abbey before the cineplexes are once again in full swing. So - as a gay farmer might say, "Make heyyyyyyyy while the sun shines."
In today's combo pack I've tucked a few Reviewlets of new movies opening this weekend (Big Miracle and W.
It may be the dead of winter (though you'd never know it from the weather in New York), but things are thankfully starting to warm up on the movie front after the traditionally dull month of January (aka Major Studio Dumping Month). So that means you only have a few more weeks to catch up on all the Oscar contenders and last season of Downton Abbey before the cineplexes are once again in full swing. So - as a gay farmer might say, "Make heyyyyyyyy while the sun shines."
In today's combo pack I've tucked a few Reviewlets of new movies opening this weekend (Big Miracle and W.
- 2/3/2012
- by brian
- The Backlot
Jack Rowand/The CW ©2011 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Tom Welling as Clark Kent and Erica Durance as Lois Lane in “Smallville.”
The last ten minutes of the series finale to Smallville moved at Saturday morning cartoon speed. We are in the newsroom of the Daily Planet—and we see Jimmy Olson. Editor Perry White is shouting “Great Caesar’s Ghost!” Bumbling Clark Kent bumps into Lois Lane on the stairs, and he apologizes. (But privately she asks...
The last ten minutes of the series finale to Smallville moved at Saturday morning cartoon speed. We are in the newsroom of the Daily Planet—and we see Jimmy Olson. Editor Perry White is shouting “Great Caesar’s Ghost!” Bumbling Clark Kent bumps into Lois Lane on the stairs, and he apologizes. (But privately she asks...
- 5/14/2011
- by Gwen Orel
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Celebrated TV and film actor Bill Cosby (loved him in Ghost Dad) once had a program called The Cosby Show with seriously fabulous opening credits. Those credits have been remixed to an electronic dance beat, and I'm telling you Sabrina La Beauf has never been funkier. Mysteriously, Lisa Bonet is the worst. Anyway: Have a glorious weekend and let Phylicia Rashad's sashaying lead the way! [YouTube]...
- 3/26/2011
- Movieline
Many film connoisseurs are well aware of the prestigious Criterion Collection, an assortment of cinema's finest and most influential films from prominent filmmakers around the world. While there's always some dissension amongst fans regarding what films deserve the honor being included in the collection (especially Michael Bay's Armageddon, a film that is actually in the collection), there are plenty that will almost never, ever be considered for the prestigious series. Well, a Tumblr called Fake Criterions takes "classic" films like Ghost Dad and Ernest Goes to Jail and imagines what the Criterion DVD cover art might look like. These are just a few of our favorites, and there's more great work featuring The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift and It's Pat: The Movie over at Fake Criterions Tumblr page as well. This venture looks to be a fairly recent creation that only goes back as far as November...
- 12/3/2010
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
The Criterion Collection does an amazing job releasing important foreign and art house films on DVD, from the plethora of bonus features they include to the immediately recognizable and very classy art that graces the covers. The only problem? As prolific as they are, there are still always a number of movies still waiting to get the Criterion treatment. But a new blog is here to rectify that. "Fake Criterions" boasts a growing collection of fan-made Criterion cover art for classics that the company has yet to release. You know, classics like Ghost Dad, Soul Man and Ernest Goes to Jail...
- 12/3/2010
- Movieline
What does it take to be the greatest film of all time? A 9.2 out of 10 rating from half a million voters, obviously. IMDb is a more populist arbiter than the Academy or the secret cult of robe-wearing Illuminati who make up AFI, and The Shawshank Redemption has all the right elements of a populist film. Emotion. Friendship. Triumph. Morgan Freeman. But does that make it the best movie ever, or merely the least-offensive movie ever? With Edward Norton up for parole in Stone this week, we thought it was time for the PopWatch Parole Board to rewatch Shawshank (for the...
- 10/8/2010
- by Darren Franich and Keith Staskiewicz
- EW.com - PopWatch
With this week's release of "The Expendables," a dream of action fans has been realized, even if two of the film's biggest names (Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger) appear for less time than it'll take for star/director Sylvester Stallone to unload a Beretta on a cadre of Brazilian baddies. Yet while it is the first meeting of two decades' worth of action elite on screen, it is certainly not the only time when a film builds around nostalgia value as its foundation without being a sequel.
In fact, nearly every genre has called in its all-stars for one big blowout, despite the fact that in the era since über-producers like Stanley Kramer and Irwin Allen routinely collected "more stars than there are in heaven" (to borrow MGM's phrase), such event pictures based on casts rather than spectacle have become rarer, thanks to bigger star salaries and lesser dependence on...
In fact, nearly every genre has called in its all-stars for one big blowout, despite the fact that in the era since über-producers like Stanley Kramer and Irwin Allen routinely collected "more stars than there are in heaven" (to borrow MGM's phrase), such event pictures based on casts rather than spectacle have become rarer, thanks to bigger star salaries and lesser dependence on...
- 8/11/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Here's a look back at past weekends comparable to June 25-27, 2010: 5 Years Ago - 2005 Topping the weekend, Batman Begins held solidly by summer blockbuster standards in its second outing, dropping 43 percent to $27.6 million. The three new nationwide releases were sourced from 1960s, and none faired particularly well. Bewitched wasn't as enchanting as its makers had hoped, grabbing $20.1 million at 3,174 sites. The picture strayed from its television predecessor with an unrelatable Hollywood send-up, and co-star Will Ferrell was unconvincing as a romantic lead opposite Nicole Kidman. Herbie: Fully Loaded aimed to be an all-encompassing family hit but, in the process, wound up with limited appeal, making $12.7 million at 3,521 sites. Relying mostly on its brand name in the wake of the Dawn of the Dead remake, George A. Romero's Land of the Dead grabbed $10.2 million at 2,249 sites. * Weekend Report: 'Batman' Sweeps 'Bewitched,' Swats Bug 10 Years Ago - 2000 Me,...
- 6/27/2010
- by Brandon Gray <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
- Box Office Mojo
Despite its fast pace and boatload of action (literally!), this week's episode of Lost didn't deliver significant answers or raise any major questions.
As a result, we only gave it three out of five stars, our lowest grade for any season six installment.
But that doesn't mean there wasn't a lot to break down from "The Last Recruit." A trio of TV Fanatic staff members has done just that in this week's edition of the Lost Round Table...
So... the Man in Black admitted he's been Christian each time Jack's father appeared on the island. Were you satisfied with this resolution?
M.L. House: Yes. But I was disappointed in Jack's follow-up, or lackthereof. I know Lost must drag out the suspense and can't just answer every question in one conversation. But the monumental moment of FakeLocke sitting down with Jack, and revealing such a vital piece of information, fell...
As a result, we only gave it three out of five stars, our lowest grade for any season six installment.
But that doesn't mean there wasn't a lot to break down from "The Last Recruit." A trio of TV Fanatic staff members has done just that in this week's edition of the Lost Round Table...
So... the Man in Black admitted he's been Christian each time Jack's father appeared on the island. Were you satisfied with this resolution?
M.L. House: Yes. But I was disappointed in Jack's follow-up, or lackthereof. I know Lost must drag out the suspense and can't just answer every question in one conversation. But the monumental moment of FakeLocke sitting down with Jack, and revealing such a vital piece of information, fell...
- 4/21/2010
- by matt@iscribelimited.com (M.L. House)
- TVfanatic
Arnold Stang was a character actor best known for his roles as nerdish comic foils on radio, television, and films. His distinctive nasal voice was also used to great effect for animated productions, notably as the voice of Top Cat, known as Tc by his friends, for the popular Hanna-Barbera animated television series Top Cat from 1960 to 1961. He was also the voice of Lulipopo in the animated feature Alakazam the Great in 1960, and Nurtle the Turtle in Pinocchio in Outer Space in 1965. He was Rumpelstiltskin in George Pal’s fantasy classic The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm in 1962.
Stang was born in Manhattan, New York, on September 28, 1918. He began his career on radio in children’s programs while in his teens. He worked with numerous comedy legends on radio and followed Milton Berle to television in the 1959s. He was Herman the mouse, opposite Sid Raymond’s Katnip the cat,...
Stang was born in Manhattan, New York, on September 28, 1918. He began his career on radio in children’s programs while in his teens. He worked with numerous comedy legends on radio and followed Milton Berle to television in the 1959s. He was Herman the mouse, opposite Sid Raymond’s Katnip the cat,...
- 12/31/2009
- by Harris Lentz
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Does anybody remember movie novelizations? They've made a bit of a comeback in recent history, but whoo boy was I a fan of them back in the '80s. Of course, as an adult that love has turned into nostalgia, and to this day, my Lost Boys novelization holds a prominent location on my bookshelf. But I'm not the only one with a soft spot for those books, because over at Spacesick they have won my heart by creating the "I Read Movies" series. Granted, these books don't exist (and how I wish they did), but you have to love these retro covers they've created for everything from Shaun of The Dead to Ghost Dad.
We do plenty of poster launches around here, but sometimes it seems like we just don't see the same effort being put into our movie one-sheets like we used to. You know you're in trouble...
We do plenty of poster launches around here, but sometimes it seems like we just don't see the same effort being put into our movie one-sheets like we used to. You know you're in trouble...
- 10/14/2009
- by Jessica Barnes
- Cinematical
One of the great features over at the Internet Movie Database is the Bottom 100. Based on ratings viewers of the site give to various films, the worst of the worst films get put on this list. Some of them are on and off in a matter of days. Others stick around for the long haul, showing just how much suckage they truly emit.
It’s time to look at these movies and determine where they stand. Do they deserve to be on the Bottom 100 list? Are they not as bad as everyone says? Will they be off the list any time soon?
Here’s the breakdown for this week’s film:
Title: ‘Leonard Part 6′
Release Date: December 18, 1987
Ranking on Bottom 100 (as of 7/22/2009): #95 (based on 4515 votes)
Why it’s Here: Melted butter!
Starting in the 1960s, Bill Cosby was one of the premiere comedians on the scene. Releasing dozens...
It’s time to look at these movies and determine where they stand. Do they deserve to be on the Bottom 100 list? Are they not as bad as everyone says? Will they be off the list any time soon?
Here’s the breakdown for this week’s film:
Title: ‘Leonard Part 6′
Release Date: December 18, 1987
Ranking on Bottom 100 (as of 7/22/2009): #95 (based on 4515 votes)
Why it’s Here: Melted butter!
Starting in the 1960s, Bill Cosby was one of the premiere comedians on the scene. Releasing dozens...
- 7/22/2009
- by Kirk
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Someone stop the madness! Yet another '80s property is being prepped for the big screen: the William Shatner-fronted cop show T.J. Hooker! According to Variety [1], Chuck Russell (The Blob, Eraser, The Scorpion King) is in talks to direct, with the screenplay being penned by Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson (Tremors, Short Circuit, Ghost Dad). Hey wait a minute... maybe I'm interested in this after all. I must admit, I don't remember much about the TV show, which may have been just slightly ahead of my time (it ran from 1982 to 1986). It was produced by Aaron Spelling and in addition to the Shatman it also starred Heather Locklear, Adrian Zmed, James Darren and Richard Herd. Shatner played Thomas "T.J." Hooker, a detective who returned his former position as a beat cop after his partner was killed. The movie will maintain the blend of action and comedy that the series was known for,...
- 7/6/2009
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
Stay with this story for the frightening clue that the Tj Hooker movie is actually going to star William Shatner. It's worth it for the shudder factor. Variety have named Chuck Russell as the director out in the lead for the Tj Hooker gig. The screenplay is being written by Brent Maddock and SS Wilson, who previously took up pens for Tremors, Short Circuit and Ghost Dad. While the 80s TV series was a straight up cop action drama, his movie is being pegged as a comedy, perhaps inevitably. The plot details available from Variety are vague but perhaps very telling, revealing that the story "focuses on the relationship between the title character and his father". There was no father in the original set-up, so I think I can sniff out the gimmick here. This new Tj Hooker will be, I guess, 'the next generation'. My hunch is that Shatner...
- 7/6/2009
- by Brendon Connelly
- Slash Film
T.J. Hooker, the 80s cop series that starred William Shatner and Heather Locklear, is headed to the big screen with Chuck Russell (The Mask, Eraser) in talks to direct the adaptation. Original series creator Rick Husky is on board as a producer. The TV series, produced by Aaron Spelling, debuted in 1982 on ABC and ran for five seasons, the last on CBS. Shatner starred as a of tough-as-nails veteran police officer who rode the beat with his rookie partner. Adrian Zmed, Richard Herd and James Darren also starred. According to the trades, the writing team of Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson will pen the screenplay, with the update focusing on the relationship between the title character and his father. Maddock and Wilson’s previous credits include Short Circuit, Ghost Dad, Wild Wild West and the Tremors franchise. They’re also currently developing a remake of Short Circuit. No actors have...
- 7/6/2009
- by James Cook
- TheMovingPicture.net
Adam of Club Silencio here. In full anticipation for Broken Embraces (and full disgust with a Us dramedy of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), let's play Six Degrees of Pedro Almodóvar! One rule: you can only use Pedro Almodóvar movies...
Upon re-watching his brilliant film-noir tribute Bad Education, I couldn't help but notice how many times Pedro actually pays tribute to himself and even gives advanced previews to his own films. Simple enough I suppose when one of the lead characters is based on Pedro himself (in)directly: a queer filmmaker drawn to offbeat character pieces and an explosive exposé on Catholic priests exposing themselves.
Decked out in alter-ego Pedro's production office are posters accentuating these close ties. The two worth special notice are for a film titled La Abuela Fantasma, which translates roughly to "Ghost Grandma." I can only assume this means Almodóvar was tinkering with...
Upon re-watching his brilliant film-noir tribute Bad Education, I couldn't help but notice how many times Pedro actually pays tribute to himself and even gives advanced previews to his own films. Simple enough I suppose when one of the lead characters is based on Pedro himself (in)directly: a queer filmmaker drawn to offbeat character pieces and an explosive exposé on Catholic priests exposing themselves.
Decked out in alter-ego Pedro's production office are posters accentuating these close ties. The two worth special notice are for a film titled La Abuela Fantasma, which translates roughly to "Ghost Grandma." I can only assume this means Almodóvar was tinkering with...
- 4/29/2009
- by Adam
- FilmExperience
By Neil Pedley
Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen put their signature on an oater, but they're not the only ones to head west this week . an all-star cast led by Charlize Theron charge into Seattle, Wayne Wang follows the travels of a Chinese scientist visiting his daughter in Spokane, Neil Labute tries vilifying the L.A.P.D. and Ricky Gervais heads across the pond to bring his schtick to an American comedy.
"All of Us"
In this documentary, filmmaker Emily Abt follows Dr. Mehret Mandefro, a young, Ethiopian-born, Harvard-educated physician working in the South Bronx, and her efforts to both treat and bring awareness to the plight of African-American women affected by the HIV virus. Through her research with two of her patients and their own candid stories and circumstances, Dr. Mandefro highlights some of the key factors that have led to a steep increase in the number of...
Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen put their signature on an oater, but they're not the only ones to head west this week . an all-star cast led by Charlize Theron charge into Seattle, Wayne Wang follows the travels of a Chinese scientist visiting his daughter in Spokane, Neil Labute tries vilifying the L.A.P.D. and Ricky Gervais heads across the pond to bring his schtick to an American comedy.
"All of Us"
In this documentary, filmmaker Emily Abt follows Dr. Mehret Mandefro, a young, Ethiopian-born, Harvard-educated physician working in the South Bronx, and her efforts to both treat and bring awareness to the plight of African-American women affected by the HIV virus. Through her research with two of her patients and their own candid stories and circumstances, Dr. Mandefro highlights some of the key factors that have led to a steep increase in the number of...
- 9/15/2008
- by Neil Pedley
- ifc.com
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