I think of director Barry Sonnenfeld's "The Addams Family" and "Addams Family Values" the same way I think of director Tim Burton's "Batman" and "Batman Returns." In each case, the first movie operates as more of a test run for what the filmmakers can do with the property they're adapting, whereas the sequels allow them to really let their darkly off-kilter creative sensibilities run wild.
To be sure, 1993's "Addams Family Values" is the zanier of Sonnenfeld's takes on the "Addams Family" franchise, which originated with Charles Addams' original comic panels for The New Yorker dating back to the '30s. While its predecessor has a fairly basic plot, "Values" pits the eponymous clan against a dastardly black widow -- played to camp perfection by Joan Cusack -- who's out to marry and then murder wealthy Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd). It's also the film that fully embraces the...
To be sure, 1993's "Addams Family Values" is the zanier of Sonnenfeld's takes on the "Addams Family" franchise, which originated with Charles Addams' original comic panels for The New Yorker dating back to the '30s. While its predecessor has a fairly basic plot, "Values" pits the eponymous clan against a dastardly black widow -- played to camp perfection by Joan Cusack -- who's out to marry and then murder wealthy Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd). It's also the film that fully embraces the...
- 5/6/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Barry Sonnenfeld's 1991 film adaptation of "The Addams Family" came out right when pop Goth fashion was hitting the mainstream. Goth culture, of course, first evolved in England during the rise of bands like Siouxsie & the Banshees, Bauhaus, and The Cure, and Goth characters started appearing in American horror movies in the mid-1980s. One of the first mainstream Gothic film icons of the time was probably Lydia Deetz, the character played by Winona Ryder in Tim Burton's 1988 film "Beetlejuice." After that, '90s teens began to affect a whimsical adoration of the macabre, and Tim Burton's films exploded in popularity. In fact, his 1989 rendition of "Batman" owes more to Goth culture than to comic books.
"The Addams Family," based on the 1960s sitcom and the comic strips by Charles Addams, was eaten up by a Goth-loving public. Audiences were ready to reject old-world, Reagan-era squareness and...
"The Addams Family," based on the 1960s sitcom and the comic strips by Charles Addams, was eaten up by a Goth-loving public. Audiences were ready to reject old-world, Reagan-era squareness and...
- 4/19/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Disgraced ex-congressman George Santos may have been expelled from the House of Representatives on Dec. 1 by a vote of 311-114 — but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the story for the alleged serial grifter and sometimes drag queen from New York. HBO Films has already optioned The Fabulist, a book about Santos’ rise and fall, for adaptation, with Frank Rich and Mike Makowsky (HBO’s Bad Education) attached to executive produce and Makowsky set to write. As for Santos, public opinion seems to think he’ll find a future on Dancing with the Stars — so much so that the show trended on X alongside news of his historic expulsion.
Asked if he would consider competing on the show that has featured the likes of Sean Spicer and House majority leader Tom DeLay (indicted on charges of conspiring to violate political fundraising law), Santos told reporters, “Today, I...
Asked if he would consider competing on the show that has featured the likes of Sean Spicer and House majority leader Tom DeLay (indicted on charges of conspiring to violate political fundraising law), Santos told reporters, “Today, I...
- 12/6/2023
- by Seth Abramovitch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ask any Trekkie, and they'll happily describe the arc of the three "Star Trek" shows that came to ascend in the 1990s. In the cases of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Voyager," the shows started on their rockiest, least interesting seasons as they found their footing. All three shows showed growth during their second seasons but were still staggering to their feet. For the third, fourth, and fifth seasons, the shows had hit their stride, turning out the most interesting stories and exploring exciting new arcs. The sixth and seventh seasons, meanwhile, showed signs of fatigue, and the final episodes of each show proved to be a little rocky.
As of this writing, no "Star Trek" show has lasted as long as those three. "Star Trek: Discovery" will end after its fifth season next year, and no one was more sharply aware...
As of this writing, no "Star Trek" show has lasted as long as those three. "Star Trek: Discovery" will end after its fifth season next year, and no one was more sharply aware...
- 10/23/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Broadway Podcast Network’s Finding Fire Island, a new docuseries about the “queer mecca” that inspired Hulu and Searchlight’s Fire Island, will feature the film’s writer-star Joel Kim Booster, and co-stars Margaret Cho and Matt Rogers.
Created, executive produced and narrated by Hot Takes & Deep Dives host Jess Rothschild, the new podcast will debut on July 6 and will also feature Sister Act and The First Wives Club scribe Paul Rudnick, Tony-winning A Strange Loop producer and former Advocate editor-in-chief Zach Stafford, 10-year resident Fire Island DJ Lina Bradford and more filmmakers, authors, directors, performers and icons from the LGBTQ community.
“It’s important to create art about Fire Island which really memorializes the history and the important figures,” actress and comedian Cho said in a statement. “There are so many stories to tell from the island as this legendary queer mecca.”
“The thing about Fire Island is, it itself is such a story,...
Created, executive produced and narrated by Hot Takes & Deep Dives host Jess Rothschild, the new podcast will debut on July 6 and will also feature Sister Act and The First Wives Club scribe Paul Rudnick, Tony-winning A Strange Loop producer and former Advocate editor-in-chief Zach Stafford, 10-year resident Fire Island DJ Lina Bradford and more filmmakers, authors, directors, performers and icons from the LGBTQ community.
“It’s important to create art about Fire Island which really memorializes the history and the important figures,” actress and comedian Cho said in a statement. “There are so many stories to tell from the island as this legendary queer mecca.”
“The thing about Fire Island is, it itself is such a story,...
- 6/13/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
James Ijames Pulitzer Prize-winning “Fat Ham,” which opened to strong reviews on Broadway April 12 after a Sro engagement at the Public Theater, is the latest reinvention of a Shakespeare play. A strong contender for multiple Tony nominations is set at a Southern cookout where a queer black college student named Juicy (Marcel Spears) is dealing with a lot of issues including identity, the ghost of his dead father and the fact that his mother recently married his uncle.
“I have this need to disrupt the canon as much as I can, and disrupt people’s deification and lionization of classical texts…as if they’re frozen in amber and all we can do is put a treatment on top of that like wallpaper, by setting it in the ‘20s,” Ijames told Playbill. “There’s this real desire in me to take the parts of the classics and bring them closer...
“I have this need to disrupt the canon as much as I can, and disrupt people’s deification and lionization of classical texts…as if they’re frozen in amber and all we can do is put a treatment on top of that like wallpaper, by setting it in the ‘20s,” Ijames told Playbill. “There’s this real desire in me to take the parts of the classics and bring them closer...
- 4/17/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
As a royal couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton are often the subjects of public scrutiny. From their fashion choices to their public appearances, every aspect of their lives is carefully observed and analyzed.
However, one thing that often goes unnoticed is the playful banter between the two. And as it was recently revealed, the couple has funny nicknames for each other. And on some occasions, Kate even calls her husband ‘baldy.’
Prince William and Kate Middleton | Ian Vogler/Getty Images Kate Middleton uses the nickname ‘Baldy’ and ‘Babe’ for Prince William
Kate and William have been together for over 20 years. The two met as teens while attending the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and started dating in 2002. The high-profile couple dated on and off for eight years.
In 2010, they made things official with their engagement announcement. The Prince and Princess of Wales were married in 2011. They have since welcomed three children — George,...
However, one thing that often goes unnoticed is the playful banter between the two. And as it was recently revealed, the couple has funny nicknames for each other. And on some occasions, Kate even calls her husband ‘baldy.’
Prince William and Kate Middleton | Ian Vogler/Getty Images Kate Middleton uses the nickname ‘Baldy’ and ‘Babe’ for Prince William
Kate and William have been together for over 20 years. The two met as teens while attending the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and started dating in 2002. The high-profile couple dated on and off for eight years.
In 2010, they made things official with their engagement announcement. The Prince and Princess of Wales were married in 2011. They have since welcomed three children — George,...
- 4/7/2023
- by Mishal Ali Zafar
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Bette Midler has shared the “off the wall” reason she turned down the part of Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act.
The 1992 comedy, about a singer who is forced into a witness protection programme in a convent, was originally written by screenwriter Paul Rudnick with Midler in mind for the role.
However, the actor turned down the part, which went on to become one of Whoopi Goldberg’s most notable roles ever.
In a new interview, Midler, 77, was asked if there were any parts she considered to be the “role that got away”.
“They got away or I turned them down!” she told Variety. “They came to me with Sister Act and I said, ‘My fans don’t want to see me in a wimple.’ Can you believe that? How off the wall is that? How crazy is that?
“[Walt Disney Studios boss] Jeffrey Katzenberg called me every day, ‘Please,...
The 1992 comedy, about a singer who is forced into a witness protection programme in a convent, was originally written by screenwriter Paul Rudnick with Midler in mind for the role.
However, the actor turned down the part, which went on to become one of Whoopi Goldberg’s most notable roles ever.
In a new interview, Midler, 77, was asked if there were any parts she considered to be the “role that got away”.
“They got away or I turned them down!” she told Variety. “They came to me with Sister Act and I said, ‘My fans don’t want to see me in a wimple.’ Can you believe that? How off the wall is that? How crazy is that?
“[Walt Disney Studios boss] Jeffrey Katzenberg called me every day, ‘Please,...
- 2/22/2023
- by Isobel Lewis
- The Independent - Film
Jenna Ortega has a lot in common with Wednesday Addams. The actor might not have a disembodied hand as a sidekick, but she shares her character's love for the macabre, an aversion to color, and a dry sense of humor to match. With so many similarities, it's no wonder that Ortega constantly steals the show in "Wednesday." Of course, the Addams daughter is always a force to be reckoned with; pair her with the right actor and electricity is all but guaranteed.
Considering how well-loved past iterations of the Addams family have been, new actors are always faced with a big challenge: getting to the heart of their character without coming across as a knock-off. It's a careful balancing act. No one wants to look like they're ripping off Barry Sonnenfeld's '90s movies, which up until the release of Netflix's "Wednesday" were perhaps the most well-known version of the family.
Considering how well-loved past iterations of the Addams family have been, new actors are always faced with a big challenge: getting to the heart of their character without coming across as a knock-off. It's a careful balancing act. No one wants to look like they're ripping off Barry Sonnenfeld's '90s movies, which up until the release of Netflix's "Wednesday" were perhaps the most well-known version of the family.
- 12/30/2022
- by Demetra Nikolakakis
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
The mood out of Hollywood has been celebratory following Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock’s win over Republican challenger Herschel Walker in Tuesday’s Georgia runoff election, the last high-profile outstanding race from the 2022 midterm elections.
Actors from Mark Ruffalo to Rosario Dawson and Kerry Washington cheered the victory, which gives Democrats an outright majority in the Senate for the remainder of President Joe Biden’s first term. Ruffalo also praised Warnock, who made history in 2021 when he became Georgia’s first Black senator, for now being the first Black Senator elected to a six-year term in the state’s history.
Democrats’ Georgia victory gives the party a 51-49 Senate majority, amid Republicans flipping House control in the midterm elections.
Per the Associated Press, about 1.9 million runoff votes were cast by mail and during early voting, with Georgia officials estimating an additional 1.4 million votes were cast on Election Day,...
The mood out of Hollywood has been celebratory following Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock’s win over Republican challenger Herschel Walker in Tuesday’s Georgia runoff election, the last high-profile outstanding race from the 2022 midterm elections.
Actors from Mark Ruffalo to Rosario Dawson and Kerry Washington cheered the victory, which gives Democrats an outright majority in the Senate for the remainder of President Joe Biden’s first term. Ruffalo also praised Warnock, who made history in 2021 when he became Georgia’s first Black senator, for now being the first Black Senator elected to a six-year term in the state’s history.
Democrats’ Georgia victory gives the party a 51-49 Senate majority, amid Republicans flipping House control in the midterm elections.
Per the Associated Press, about 1.9 million runoff votes were cast by mail and during early voting, with Georgia officials estimating an additional 1.4 million votes were cast on Election Day,...
- 12/7/2022
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Welcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.”
After the success of “Uncut Gems,” filmmaker brothers Josh and Benny Safdie and their star Adam Sandler have a lot to live up to with their next collaboration. The trio announced in October they were reuniting for an untitled film for Netflix.
While details about the project are under wraps, Sandler did tell me Monday at the Gotham Awards that he’s going to have a much “different look” than he’s ever had. “I can’t say that I’m gonna look that handsome in it,” Sandler said. “It’s not a handsome moment…It’s gonna be tough.”
As for the storyline, Sandler would only say, “They’re working hard. Every time I talk to them they say they are working hand.”
Sandler starred in “Uncut Gems” as a Howard Ratner, a shady New York City jeweler with a gambling addiction.
After the success of “Uncut Gems,” filmmaker brothers Josh and Benny Safdie and their star Adam Sandler have a lot to live up to with their next collaboration. The trio announced in October they were reuniting for an untitled film for Netflix.
While details about the project are under wraps, Sandler did tell me Monday at the Gotham Awards that he’s going to have a much “different look” than he’s ever had. “I can’t say that I’m gonna look that handsome in it,” Sandler said. “It’s not a handsome moment…It’s gonna be tough.”
As for the storyline, Sandler would only say, “They’re working hard. Every time I talk to them they say they are working hand.”
Sandler starred in “Uncut Gems” as a Howard Ratner, a shady New York City jeweler with a gambling addiction.
- 11/29/2022
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Well ladies and gentlemen, we’re basically two-thirds of the way through October, and you know what that means. It means the Season of the Witch is upon us. All Hallows’ Eve. The time when death and dismemberment and ghosts and goblins and monsters of all types go mainstream, and every product suddenly grows pumpkin spice crazy. I swear I saw a can of pumpkin spice insect repellant in the supermarket the other day. Or maybe that was just a hallucination.
Another thing we have come to count on during Halloween season is horror movies, of course – but not just the “Halloween” or “Friday the 13th” or “A Nightmare on Elm Street” variety. I’m talking about the films that blend scares and laughs in almost equal measure, that simultaneously test our nerves and tickle our funny bone. Fright and mirth can coexist just fine, we’ve come to learn.
Another thing we have come to count on during Halloween season is horror movies, of course – but not just the “Halloween” or “Friday the 13th” or “A Nightmare on Elm Street” variety. I’m talking about the films that blend scares and laughs in almost equal measure, that simultaneously test our nerves and tickle our funny bone. Fright and mirth can coexist just fine, we’ve come to learn.
- 10/20/2022
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Primetime Emmy and SAG winning actress Debra Messing is in advance talks to join Warner Bros mob drama Wise Guys in the role of Bobbie, the faithful wife of Robert De Niro kingpin Frank Costello, Deadline has learned.
Messing recently starred as herself in Billy Eichner’s critically acclaimed LGBTQ romantic comedy Bros which received an A CinemaScore.
Wise Guys is a period piece that follows the story of Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, a pair of Italian Americans running two separate crime families during the mid-20th century. Genovese tried and failed to assassinate Costello in 1957, though the latter wound up taking his leave from the mob after being injured during the attempt on his life. De Niro is reportedly playing both roles.
Messing played Grace Adler for 246 episodes on NBC’s Emmy Award-winning comedy series Will & Grace, which returned to the network in 2017 with the entire original...
Messing recently starred as herself in Billy Eichner’s critically acclaimed LGBTQ romantic comedy Bros which received an A CinemaScore.
Wise Guys is a period piece that follows the story of Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, a pair of Italian Americans running two separate crime families during the mid-20th century. Genovese tried and failed to assassinate Costello in 1957, though the latter wound up taking his leave from the mob after being injured during the attempt on his life. De Niro is reportedly playing both roles.
Messing played Grace Adler for 246 episodes on NBC’s Emmy Award-winning comedy series Will & Grace, which returned to the network in 2017 with the entire original...
- 10/12/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
When news of Angela Lansbury’s death broke on Tuesday, less than a week before her 97th birthday, a major link to the entertainment world of the past was severed. A legend of the stage, television, and cinema, the London-born Lansbury’s career began in 1944 with the George Cukor-directed thriller “Gaslight” starring Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, and Joseph Cotton. Revolutionary theater work followed, including the first Broadway production of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” and then, of course, the 264 episodes of “Murder, She Wrote.”
Over the years she had three Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress and was presented with an Honorary Oscar in 2013. She won five competitive Tony Awards and received a Lifetime Achievement award in 2020. She was nominated for 18 Primetime Emmys, but never nabbed the statue, and also was nominated for one Grammy, for the “Beauty and the Beast” soundtrack.
Many notables were...
Over the years she had three Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress and was presented with an Honorary Oscar in 2013. She won five competitive Tony Awards and received a Lifetime Achievement award in 2020. She was nominated for 18 Primetime Emmys, but never nabbed the statue, and also was nominated for one Grammy, for the “Beauty and the Beast” soundtrack.
Many notables were...
- 10/12/2022
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
The world is mourning the death of Angela Lansbury, who died at age 96 after making her mark on stage, film and television during a career spanning eight decades.
As fans mourn her passing, numerous celebrities have been taking to social media to share tributes to the “Murder, She Wrote” star.
Read More: Angela Lansbury, Star Of ‘Murder, She Wrote’, Dies At 96
Among the many to honour the late actress have been “Seinfeld” alum Jason Alexander, Broadway star Harvey Fierstein and “Star Trek” icon George Takei.
Check out a sampling of celebs’ tweets celebrating Lansbury’s extraordinary life and legendary career.
The great Angela Lansbury – one of the most versatile, talented, graceful, kind, witty, wise, classy ladies I’ve ever met has left us. Her huge contribution to the arts and the world remains always. #ripAngelaLansbury
— jason alexander (@IJasonAlexander) October 11, 2022
Angela Lansbury – She, my darlings, was Everything! pic.twitter.com/MLKlRNjxhA...
As fans mourn her passing, numerous celebrities have been taking to social media to share tributes to the “Murder, She Wrote” star.
Read More: Angela Lansbury, Star Of ‘Murder, She Wrote’, Dies At 96
Among the many to honour the late actress have been “Seinfeld” alum Jason Alexander, Broadway star Harvey Fierstein and “Star Trek” icon George Takei.
Check out a sampling of celebs’ tweets celebrating Lansbury’s extraordinary life and legendary career.
The great Angela Lansbury – one of the most versatile, talented, graceful, kind, witty, wise, classy ladies I’ve ever met has left us. Her huge contribution to the arts and the world remains always. #ripAngelaLansbury
— jason alexander (@IJasonAlexander) October 11, 2022
Angela Lansbury – She, my darlings, was Everything! pic.twitter.com/MLKlRNjxhA...
- 10/11/2022
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Hollywood is mourning the loss of famed actress Angela Lansbury with stars like Josh Gad, George Takei and Jeremy O. Harris all penning touching tributes to the late actor and singer on social media. Lansbury died at her Los Angeles home on Tuesday. She was just five days shy of her 97th birthday.
While known for her extensive list of credits accrued from her 75 years in the industry, Lansbury was largely recognized for her turn as Jessica Fletcher on CBS’ “Murder, She Wrote.” The role would go on to help her secure the record for most Emmy acting nods.
“Angela Lansbury, who graced the stage for decades winning five Tony awards and brought the sleuthing Jessica Fletcher into our living rooms for a dozen years, has passed. A tale old as time, our beloved Mrs. Potts will sing lullabies to us now from the stars. Rest, great soul,” said “Star Trek” alum George Takei.
While known for her extensive list of credits accrued from her 75 years in the industry, Lansbury was largely recognized for her turn as Jessica Fletcher on CBS’ “Murder, She Wrote.” The role would go on to help her secure the record for most Emmy acting nods.
“Angela Lansbury, who graced the stage for decades winning five Tony awards and brought the sleuthing Jessica Fletcher into our living rooms for a dozen years, has passed. A tale old as time, our beloved Mrs. Potts will sing lullabies to us now from the stars. Rest, great soul,” said “Star Trek” alum George Takei.
- 10/11/2022
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
Stars from the world of Hollywood and Broadway on Tuesday poured out their affection for the legend Angela Lansbury, the star of film, TV and theater who died at age 96.
The London-born actress had an 80-year career in film, television and theater, with famous roles like those in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Mame” and “Sweeney Todd.”
“Rest In Peace Great Dame Angela Lansbury,” wrote comedian, actor and thespian Mario Cantone. “She was a glorious one.”
Also Read:
Angela Lansbury’s 10 Best Film and TV Roles, From ‘Gaslight’ to ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (Photos)
Comedian Kathy Griffin spoke for the larger community of fans of Lansbury: “I cannot tell you how many ladies and gays are crushed, moved and feeling nostalgic about something in the past with the news of the passing of the fabulous Dame Angela Lansbury.”
Tony-Award winning playwright Harvey Fierstein tweeted, “Angela Lansbury – She, my darlings,...
The London-born actress had an 80-year career in film, television and theater, with famous roles like those in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Mame” and “Sweeney Todd.”
“Rest In Peace Great Dame Angela Lansbury,” wrote comedian, actor and thespian Mario Cantone. “She was a glorious one.”
Also Read:
Angela Lansbury’s 10 Best Film and TV Roles, From ‘Gaslight’ to ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (Photos)
Comedian Kathy Griffin spoke for the larger community of fans of Lansbury: “I cannot tell you how many ladies and gays are crushed, moved and feeling nostalgic about something in the past with the news of the passing of the fabulous Dame Angela Lansbury.”
Tony-Award winning playwright Harvey Fierstein tweeted, “Angela Lansbury – She, my darlings,...
- 10/11/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Patrick Herold, who served as Partner and Head of Theater at ICM Partners for nearly two decades, has moved to UTA as an agent in the Theatre division. He will be based in New York and report to Partner & Head of Theatre, Mark Subias. Herold is the latest ICM agent to leave following the agency’s acquisition by CAA.
Herold brings with him a stellar roster of long-term clients including the estates of Arthur Miller, Eugene O’Neill and Sam Shepard; writers Lisa Kron and Doug Wright; composers Cyndi Lauper and Stephen Trask; and directors Christopher Ashley, Michael Greif and Julie Taymor.
Additionally, his clients, all of whom are expected to join him at UTA, include the estates of Horton Foote, Moss Hart and Wendy Wasserstein; theater luminaries Athol Fugard and John Guare; playwrights Richard Nelson and Paul Rudnick; composers and lyricists Rosanne Cash, Scott Frankel and Michael Korie; directors Walter Bobbie,...
Herold brings with him a stellar roster of long-term clients including the estates of Arthur Miller, Eugene O’Neill and Sam Shepard; writers Lisa Kron and Doug Wright; composers Cyndi Lauper and Stephen Trask; and directors Christopher Ashley, Michael Greif and Julie Taymor.
Additionally, his clients, all of whom are expected to join him at UTA, include the estates of Horton Foote, Moss Hart and Wendy Wasserstein; theater luminaries Athol Fugard and John Guare; playwrights Richard Nelson and Paul Rudnick; composers and lyricists Rosanne Cash, Scott Frankel and Michael Korie; directors Walter Bobbie,...
- 8/15/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
by Nathaniel R
We'll be releasing as short "outtakes" podcast from the latest Smackdown featuring the films and supporting actresses of 1997. But before we do, listen to the "official" podcast, won'cha? It's one of our best episodes, so we sincerely hope you enjoy.
1 hour and 24 minutes
00:00 Panel Intros and Titanic's four-quadrant success
08:00 In & Out. Paul Rudnick's jokes, the physical comedy, the Joan Cusack
23:30 L.A. Confidential and Kim Basinger as both actress and celebrity
37:30 Good Will Hunting 'Ben & Matt' mania, and Minnie Driver's focus-pulling charisma
46:50 The brilliance of Boogie Nights and Julianne Moore's career-making genius
1:01:35 Gloria Stuart's 'old Rose' and the winning corniness of Titanic
1:16:00 Awards for everyone plus our re-casting game.
1:19:00 Goodbyes and final movie/performance recommendations for '97 ...
We'll be releasing as short "outtakes" podcast from the latest Smackdown featuring the films and supporting actresses of 1997. But before we do, listen to the "official" podcast, won'cha? It's one of our best episodes, so we sincerely hope you enjoy.
1 hour and 24 minutes
00:00 Panel Intros and Titanic's four-quadrant success
08:00 In & Out. Paul Rudnick's jokes, the physical comedy, the Joan Cusack
23:30 L.A. Confidential and Kim Basinger as both actress and celebrity
37:30 Good Will Hunting 'Ben & Matt' mania, and Minnie Driver's focus-pulling charisma
46:50 The brilliance of Boogie Nights and Julianne Moore's career-making genius
1:01:35 Gloria Stuart's 'old Rose' and the winning corniness of Titanic
1:16:00 Awards for everyone plus our re-casting game.
1:19:00 Goodbyes and final movie/performance recommendations for '97 ...
- 8/4/2022
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Tony and Emmy winner Robert Morse died April 20 at the age of 90.
Morse’s son Charlie confirmed his passing to Los Angeles’ ABC affiliate via Deadline, and Morse’s death was announced on Twitter by writer/producer Larry Karaszewski, a vice president on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
“My good pal Bobby Morse has passed away at age 90,” Karaszewski tweeted. “A huge talent and a beautiful spirit. Sending love to his son Charlie & daughter Allyn. Had so much fun hanging with Bobby over the years – filming ‘People v Oj’ and hosting so many screenings.”
Morse starred in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” on Broadway in 1961, winning a Tony Award. He reprised his role of ambitious window washer J. Pierrepont Finch for the 1967 film adaptation of the musical.
Morse later starred in the 1989 Truman Capote one-man stage show “Tru,” for...
Morse’s son Charlie confirmed his passing to Los Angeles’ ABC affiliate via Deadline, and Morse’s death was announced on Twitter by writer/producer Larry Karaszewski, a vice president on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
“My good pal Bobby Morse has passed away at age 90,” Karaszewski tweeted. “A huge talent and a beautiful spirit. Sending love to his son Charlie & daughter Allyn. Had so much fun hanging with Bobby over the years – filming ‘People v Oj’ and hosting so many screenings.”
Morse starred in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” on Broadway in 1961, winning a Tony Award. He reprised his role of ambitious window washer J. Pierrepont Finch for the 1967 film adaptation of the musical.
Morse later starred in the 1989 Truman Capote one-man stage show “Tru,” for...
- 4/21/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
With winter storms still sweeping through the land, it might be nice to stay in and watch some movies on your streamer of choice. While Netflix is increasingly interested in its own original films, they are still committed to bringing you plenty of classic catalogue titles, including a whole bunch in February. It was hard to pick our favorites, but we tried anyway.
Below are the best new movies on Netflix in February 2022.
The Addams Family Paramount Pictures
There’s been so much “Addams Family”-related stuff since the two original theatrical films in the 1990s that it’s easy to forget just how good they both were. The first film, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and co-written by Burton collaborators Larry Wilson and Caroline Thompson (and later re-written by Paul Rudnick), doesn’t have quite the same edge as the sequel but it did establish the world beautifully. This is...
Below are the best new movies on Netflix in February 2022.
The Addams Family Paramount Pictures
There’s been so much “Addams Family”-related stuff since the two original theatrical films in the 1990s that it’s easy to forget just how good they both were. The first film, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and co-written by Burton collaborators Larry Wilson and Caroline Thompson (and later re-written by Paul Rudnick), doesn’t have quite the same edge as the sequel but it did establish the world beautifully. This is...
- 2/6/2022
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Betty White, the beloved TV star of hits including “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “The Golden Girls,” died December 31 at age 99, just weeks away from her centennial. Now, her famous friends and fans are sharing tributes to her online.
“Rip Betty White, the only SNL host I ever saw get a standing ovation at the after party. A party at which she ordered a vodka and a hotdog and stayed til the bitter end,” Seth Meyers posted on Twitter.
And Ryan Reynolds, with whom White had a long-standing, joking flirtation with online and in the press, wrote, “The world looks different now. She was great at defying expectation. She managed to grow very old and somehow, not old enough. We’ll miss you, Betty. Now you know the secret.”
White was the last remaining star of “The Golden Girls,” the NBC hit that ran from 1985 to 1992 and co-starred Bea Arthur,...
“Rip Betty White, the only SNL host I ever saw get a standing ovation at the after party. A party at which she ordered a vodka and a hotdog and stayed til the bitter end,” Seth Meyers posted on Twitter.
And Ryan Reynolds, with whom White had a long-standing, joking flirtation with online and in the press, wrote, “The world looks different now. She was great at defying expectation. She managed to grow very old and somehow, not old enough. We’ll miss you, Betty. Now you know the secret.”
White was the last remaining star of “The Golden Girls,” the NBC hit that ran from 1985 to 1992 and co-starred Bea Arthur,...
- 12/31/2021
- by Mark Peikert
- Indiewire
The unexpected death today of songwriter Stephen Sondheim at his Connecticut home will no doubt catch many by surprise, given his relatively robust persona, even at age 91.
But while his passing may shock, there is no doubt about the huge contributions he made to the American songbook during his groundbreaking 70-year career as a songwriter, lyricist and general force on worldwide culture.
Steven Spielberg, whose “West Side Story” features Sondheim lyrics, saluted him in a statement.
“Stephen Sondheim was a giganic figure in American culture – one of our country’s greatet songwriters, a lyricist and composer of real genius, and a creator of some of the most glorious musical dramas ever written. Steve and I became friends only recently, but we became good friends, and I was surprised to discover he knew more about movies than almost anyone I’d ever met. When we spoke, I couldn’t wait to listen,...
But while his passing may shock, there is no doubt about the huge contributions he made to the American songbook during his groundbreaking 70-year career as a songwriter, lyricist and general force on worldwide culture.
Steven Spielberg, whose “West Side Story” features Sondheim lyrics, saluted him in a statement.
“Stephen Sondheim was a giganic figure in American culture – one of our country’s greatet songwriters, a lyricist and composer of real genius, and a creator of some of the most glorious musical dramas ever written. Steve and I became friends only recently, but we became good friends, and I was surprised to discover he knew more about movies than almost anyone I’d ever met. When we spoke, I couldn’t wait to listen,...
- 11/26/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Hulu’s star-studded new comedy Only Murders in the Building is a pleasant, fizzy trifle with dashes of semi-compatible substance.
The series feels a bit like if you asked Paul Rudnick to adapt one of Paul Auster’s novels of mysterious existential alienation, replacing some, but not all, of its richer undercurrents with pop-culture-savvy quips. Maybe the pieces don’t completely mesh, but with a cast this special and an effective enough whodunit to keep viewers charging ahead from one episode to the next, it’s a quibble, not a condemnation, to lament the prioritizing of flailing comedy over opportunities for depth....
The series feels a bit like if you asked Paul Rudnick to adapt one of Paul Auster’s novels of mysterious existential alienation, replacing some, but not all, of its richer undercurrents with pop-culture-savvy quips. Maybe the pieces don’t completely mesh, but with a cast this special and an effective enough whodunit to keep viewers charging ahead from one episode to the next, it’s a quibble, not a condemnation, to lament the prioritizing of flailing comedy over opportunities for depth....
- 8/24/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hulu’s star-studded new comedy Only Murders in the Building is a pleasant, fizzy trifle with dashes of semi-compatible substance.
The series feels a bit like if you asked Paul Rudnick to adapt one of Paul Auster’s novels of mysterious existential alienation, replacing some, but not all, of its richer undercurrents with pop-culture-savvy quips. Maybe the pieces don’t completely mesh, but with a cast this special and an effective enough whodunit to keep viewers charging ahead from one episode to the next, it’s a quibble, not a condemnation, to lament the prioritizing of flailing comedy over opportunities for depth....
The series feels a bit like if you asked Paul Rudnick to adapt one of Paul Auster’s novels of mysterious existential alienation, replacing some, but not all, of its richer undercurrents with pop-culture-savvy quips. Maybe the pieces don’t completely mesh, but with a cast this special and an effective enough whodunit to keep viewers charging ahead from one episode to the next, it’s a quibble, not a condemnation, to lament the prioritizing of flailing comedy over opportunities for depth....
- 8/24/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Exclusive: Following a highly competitive bidding war, Amazon Studios has landed the package Ex-Husbands and will develop the new comedy, an original story by Billy Eichner and Paul Rudnick. Eichner is also attached to star, with the screenplay by Rudnick. The film will be produced by Eichner and Berlanti/Schechter Films.
“The concept of a big, gay divorce comedy has been kicking around in my head for years and I cannot think of better collaborators than groundbreaking producers Greg and Sarah, and a true icon whose work I have craved and admired since I was a young gay boy lusting after show business, the brilliant Paul Rudnick who really paved the way for me and many others. And we now have the perfect partners in Amazon, who have already shown enormous passion for this project. This is a dream team. Now, Let’S Get Divorced!!!” Eichner said.
The film tells...
“The concept of a big, gay divorce comedy has been kicking around in my head for years and I cannot think of better collaborators than groundbreaking producers Greg and Sarah, and a true icon whose work I have craved and admired since I was a young gay boy lusting after show business, the brilliant Paul Rudnick who really paved the way for me and many others. And we now have the perfect partners in Amazon, who have already shown enormous passion for this project. This is a dream team. Now, Let’S Get Divorced!!!” Eichner said.
The film tells...
- 8/3/2021
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Paul Huntley, the celebrated wigmaker for film, stage and television who provided Dustin Hoffman with the coif that transformed the actor into Tootsie and did the same decades later for when Santino Fontana originated the role in a Broadway musical, died this morning at his London home following a short illness. He was 89.
His death was announced in a post today on his Instagram page.
During his more than five-decade career, he helped give the felines of Cats their sheen, topped Patti LuPone’s Evita with the now famous blonde bun and styled the signature black and white job Glenn Close wore as Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmations.
Huntley, who moved back to his native London recently from his longtime Manhattan home, retired earlier this year when Broadway’s Covid pandemic shutdown halted his professional opportunities, and after becoming bedridden following a fall at his Upper West Side home. His...
His death was announced in a post today on his Instagram page.
During his more than five-decade career, he helped give the felines of Cats their sheen, topped Patti LuPone’s Evita with the now famous blonde bun and styled the signature black and white job Glenn Close wore as Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmations.
Huntley, who moved back to his native London recently from his longtime Manhattan home, retired earlier this year when Broadway’s Covid pandemic shutdown halted his professional opportunities, and after becoming bedridden following a fall at his Upper West Side home. His...
- 7/9/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Lisa Banes, known for her roles in the films Gone Girl and Cocktail, as well as numerous Broadway productions, died yesterday, 10 days after being struck by a scooter or a similar vehicle in a hit-and-run incident in New York City. She was 65.
“We are heartsick over Lisa’s tragic and senseless passing,” said manager David Williams. “She was a woman of great spirit, kindness and generosity and dedicated to her work, whether on stage or in front of a camera and even more so to her wife, family and friends. We were blessed to have had her in our lives.”
Banes, a Los Angeles resident visiting New York for a role in the Manhattan Theater Club’s streaming production of The Niceties, was on her way to meet her wife, journalist Kathryn Kranhold, for a dinner party near Lincoln Center earlier this month when she was struck in the crosswalk...
“We are heartsick over Lisa’s tragic and senseless passing,” said manager David Williams. “She was a woman of great spirit, kindness and generosity and dedicated to her work, whether on stage or in front of a camera and even more so to her wife, family and friends. We were blessed to have had her in our lives.”
Banes, a Los Angeles resident visiting New York for a role in the Manhattan Theater Club’s streaming production of The Niceties, was on her way to meet her wife, journalist Kathryn Kranhold, for a dinner party near Lincoln Center earlier this month when she was struck in the crosswalk...
- 6/15/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
As the entertainment industry was in the thick of figuring out how to make content during a pandemic, the creators behind three disparate television projects — HBO’s Coastal Elites, Netflix’s Social Distance and Freeform’s Love in the Time of Corona — took the challenge further: They figured out how to craft content about the pandemic, even as the world seemed to be in a constant state of change.
Covid-19 had set back plans to shoot a stage version of Coastal Elites, screenwriter Paul Rudnick’s collection of scathingly funny and poignant sociopolitical monologues. But HBO devised a plan to safely film ...
Covid-19 had set back plans to shoot a stage version of Coastal Elites, screenwriter Paul Rudnick’s collection of scathingly funny and poignant sociopolitical monologues. But HBO devised a plan to safely film ...
- 6/12/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
As the entertainment industry was in the thick of figuring out how to make content during a pandemic, the creators behind three disparate television projects — HBO’s Coastal Elites, Netflix’s Social Distance and Freeform’s Love in the Time of Corona — took the challenge further: They figured out how to craft content about the pandemic, even as the world seemed to be in a constant state of change.
Covid-19 had set back plans to shoot a stage version of Coastal Elites, screenwriter Paul Rudnick’s collection of scathingly funny and poignant sociopolitical monologues. But HBO devised a plan to safely film ...
Covid-19 had set back plans to shoot a stage version of Coastal Elites, screenwriter Paul Rudnick’s collection of scathingly funny and poignant sociopolitical monologues. But HBO devised a plan to safely film ...
- 6/12/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s no secret that television and film production faced wildly unprecedented challenges over the past year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with shows and movies delayed or halted in the middle of shooting, some never to resume again. But what is interesting to see when the creative teams behind these projects get together is how this communal, challenging experience was tackled by them in very different ways — and yet they all can empathize with each other’s plights.
“We were kind of fractured in the way of shooting it out of order like that, and then further fractured by the fact that the pandemic happened and then all of a sudden, everyone had like months away from the project where they weren’t kind of engaged in it,” HBO’s “Mare of Easttown” director Craig Zobel said during TheWrap’s Emmy Contenders Showcase panel with directors of fellow HBO and HBO Max titles.
“We were kind of fractured in the way of shooting it out of order like that, and then further fractured by the fact that the pandemic happened and then all of a sudden, everyone had like months away from the project where they weren’t kind of engaged in it,” HBO’s “Mare of Easttown” director Craig Zobel said during TheWrap’s Emmy Contenders Showcase panel with directors of fellow HBO and HBO Max titles.
- 6/12/2021
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
Paul Rudnick‘s “Playing The Palace” has been years in the making. The novel follows a New York City event planner named Carter Ogden who unexpectedly sparks a love affair with Edgar, the openly gay Crown Prince of England.
After working on the first draft for almost a year, Rudnick revealed that he spent many months revising the romantic comedy with editor Cindy Wong during the pandemic. The novel seems to have been released at the right time as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are currently making the royal family more accessible than ever before. The author joked that the Duke of Sussex himself would be a perfect casting to play Edgar.
“I am convinced that this just happened in reality,” Rudnick cracked Tuesday during a Strand Book Store virtual conversation with Variety‘s senior culture and event editor Marc Malkin. “I think that is certainly Harry’s next step and I would welcome it.
After working on the first draft for almost a year, Rudnick revealed that he spent many months revising the romantic comedy with editor Cindy Wong during the pandemic. The novel seems to have been released at the right time as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are currently making the royal family more accessible than ever before. The author joked that the Duke of Sussex himself would be a perfect casting to play Edgar.
“I am convinced that this just happened in reality,” Rudnick cracked Tuesday during a Strand Book Store virtual conversation with Variety‘s senior culture and event editor Marc Malkin. “I think that is certainly Harry’s next step and I would welcome it.
- 5/27/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
a series by Christopher James looking at the 'Gay Best Friend' trope
The gay comedy "Jeffrey" features a refreshingly fun and unbridled sendup of the "gay best friend" character.Of the few gay-centric movies made in the 90s, a large number of them were dramas centered around the AIDS crisis. Movies like Philadelphia were very important in making straight America identify and care about those suffering with the disease. However, they were just that. They were made for straight America with the goal of educating them and generating empathy. Sure, that is a worthy cause and many of those movies were incredibly successful in that regard. However, these weren’t movies specifically made For members of the gay community. That’s where a movie like Jeffrey comes in.
Director Christopher Ashley and screenwriter Paul Rudnick created an ambitious, irreverent AIDS-themed comedy that never turns any of its bitchy queens into sympathetic martyrs.
The gay comedy "Jeffrey" features a refreshingly fun and unbridled sendup of the "gay best friend" character.Of the few gay-centric movies made in the 90s, a large number of them were dramas centered around the AIDS crisis. Movies like Philadelphia were very important in making straight America identify and care about those suffering with the disease. However, they were just that. They were made for straight America with the goal of educating them and generating empathy. Sure, that is a worthy cause and many of those movies were incredibly successful in that regard. However, these weren’t movies specifically made For members of the gay community. That’s where a movie like Jeffrey comes in.
Director Christopher Ashley and screenwriter Paul Rudnick created an ambitious, irreverent AIDS-themed comedy that never turns any of its bitchy queens into sympathetic martyrs.
- 5/5/2021
- by Christopher James
- FilmExperience
Olympia Dukakis, the Oscar-winning actress best known for her roles in Moonstruck and Steel Magnolias, has died at the age of 89.
50 Greatest Romantic Comedies of All Time
The actress’ brother Apollo Dukakis announced his sister’s death on Facebook Saturday. No cause of death was revealed.
“My beloved sister, Olympia Dukakis, passed away this morning in New York City,” he wrote. “After many months of failing health she is finally at peace and with her Louis [Zorich, Dukakis’ husband of 55 years who died in January 2018].”
Olympia Dukakis brought warmth, humor and wit to the stage and screen for almost 60 years,...
50 Greatest Romantic Comedies of All Time
The actress’ brother Apollo Dukakis announced his sister’s death on Facebook Saturday. No cause of death was revealed.
“My beloved sister, Olympia Dukakis, passed away this morning in New York City,” he wrote. “After many months of failing health she is finally at peace and with her Louis [Zorich, Dukakis’ husband of 55 years who died in January 2018].”
Olympia Dukakis brought warmth, humor and wit to the stage and screen for almost 60 years,...
- 5/1/2021
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
James C. Nicola, whose tenure as artistic director of Off Broadway’s New York Theatre Workshop included the development of such prominent stage works as Rent, Once, Hadestown, What the Constitution Means to Me, Slave Play and David Bowie’s Lazarus, will leave the post next year, the company announced today.
“In July of 2022, I will reach the age of 72,” Nicola said in a statement. “In my mind, that has always been the moment to interrupt whatever patterns there might be in my life, and to leap off a cliff into reinvention. So that is my plan.”
Nicola will depart Nytw on June 30, 2022. He has been the artistic director since 1988.
Under his stewardship, Nytw has cemented a reputation as an important force in the production and development of new theater work, many of which have gone on to Broadway runs. A partial list of important works developed at the Nytw includes Jonathan Larson’s Rent,...
“In July of 2022, I will reach the age of 72,” Nicola said in a statement. “In my mind, that has always been the moment to interrupt whatever patterns there might be in my life, and to leap off a cliff into reinvention. So that is my plan.”
Nicola will depart Nytw on June 30, 2022. He has been the artistic director since 1988.
Under his stewardship, Nytw has cemented a reputation as an important force in the production and development of new theater work, many of which have gone on to Broadway runs. A partial list of important works developed at the Nytw includes Jonathan Larson’s Rent,...
- 4/16/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Dolly Parton just got her Covid vaccine and in a fun full circle moment, it’s also a dose of her own medicine — literally, as the country music icon helped fund the research for the Moderna vaccine with a $1 million donation last year.
Dolly’s shot was administrated at Vanderbilt Health by her friend Dr. Abumrad, and during the process she taped an encouraging PSA she clearly hopes will appeal to people who might be wary of getting their own shots. “I’m old enough to get it and I’m smart enough to get it,” Parton said.
Of course, the highlight of the clip was when Dolly pitched vaccination to her fans by singing her classic song “Jolene” with the word for “vaccine” substituted in for a fun, and societally good pun. It’s as adorable as it is awesome and you can see for yourself below.
Dolly gets...
Dolly’s shot was administrated at Vanderbilt Health by her friend Dr. Abumrad, and during the process she taped an encouraging PSA she clearly hopes will appeal to people who might be wary of getting their own shots. “I’m old enough to get it and I’m smart enough to get it,” Parton said.
Of course, the highlight of the clip was when Dolly pitched vaccination to her fans by singing her classic song “Jolene” with the word for “vaccine” substituted in for a fun, and societally good pun. It’s as adorable as it is awesome and you can see for yourself below.
Dolly gets...
- 3/3/2021
- by Andrea Towers
- The Wrap
Famed screenwriter, novelist and playwright Paul Rudnick is ready to present a royal love story.
In his new book, Playing the Palace (Berkley), Rudnick tells the story of American event planner, Carter Ogden, who is not only surprised to learn that he has met Edgar, the Prince of Wales, but also finds himself falling in love with him. Though what could appear as a magical fairy tale proves to be anything but. Prince Edgar and Carter may be opposites attracted to each other, but they are soon forced to question whether love could really conquer all — including the queen of ...
In his new book, Playing the Palace (Berkley), Rudnick tells the story of American event planner, Carter Ogden, who is not only surprised to learn that he has met Edgar, the Prince of Wales, but also finds himself falling in love with him. Though what could appear as a magical fairy tale proves to be anything but. Prince Edgar and Carter may be opposites attracted to each other, but they are soon forced to question whether love could really conquer all — including the queen of ...
- 12/9/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Famed screenwriter, novelist and playwright Paul Rudnick is ready to present a royal love story.
In his new book, Playing the Palace (Berkley), Rudnick tells the story of American event planner, Carter Ogden, who is not only surprised to learn that he has met Edgar, the Prince of Wales, but also finds himself falling in love with him. Though what could appear as a magical fairy tale proves to be anything but. Prince Edgar and Carter may be opposites attracted to each other, but they are soon forced to question whether love could really conquer all — including the queen of ...
In his new book, Playing the Palace (Berkley), Rudnick tells the story of American event planner, Carter Ogden, who is not only surprised to learn that he has met Edgar, the Prince of Wales, but also finds himself falling in love with him. Though what could appear as a magical fairy tale proves to be anything but. Prince Edgar and Carter may be opposites attracted to each other, but they are soon forced to question whether love could really conquer all — including the queen of ...
- 12/9/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Happiest Season” recently premiered on Hulu, marking the first time a major holiday movie has predominantly billed itself as an LGBT-centric rom-com. It was a film that was long overdue in 2020 and one that received generally positive reviews, though not everyone was a fan. Which is understandable. After all, not every movie is going to be for everyone.
But Ben Shapiro definitely was not a fan.
On the November 30th episode of the “Ben Shapiro Show,” Shapiro spent some time — Ok, a lot of time — talking about his feelings on the film which, unsurprisingly, he did not enjoy. He admitted he did not even watch it, so basically we can infer that he didn’t enjoy it because of the lesbian rom-com angle.
In his comments, he first pointed out how holiday fare is usually innocent and tame and “not woke,” which is not the case when it comes to “Happiest Season.
But Ben Shapiro definitely was not a fan.
On the November 30th episode of the “Ben Shapiro Show,” Shapiro spent some time — Ok, a lot of time — talking about his feelings on the film which, unsurprisingly, he did not enjoy. He admitted he did not even watch it, so basically we can infer that he didn’t enjoy it because of the lesbian rom-com angle.
In his comments, he first pointed out how holiday fare is usually innocent and tame and “not woke,” which is not the case when it comes to “Happiest Season.
- 12/1/2020
- by Andrea Towers
- The Wrap
“Social Distance,” a new Netflix anthology series comprised of short vignettes of life in the early days of the Covid-19 crisis in the U.S., presents critics as well as viewers with a conundrum. On the one hand, it is, in the main, unimpeachably made: Using isolation-appropriate technology like Zoom and Nest cameras to tell what are generally sweet and thoughtful little tales of human connection, or disconnection, at a time of crisis, the show is a worthy use of Netflix resources. But is it worth watching? Only for those eager to relive what were for most of us months of dislocation and pain. This is simultaneously a creative response to the trauma of the past year and not quite transformative enough to possibly be recommended on grounds other than masochistic completism, a curiosity about how TV is addressing its moment that leaves the viewer’s comfort aside.
To wit:...
To wit:...
- 10/13/2020
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
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[Warning: The following contains spoilers for HBO's Coastal Elites! Read at your own risk]
While each of the characters in HBO's Coastal Elites, a special written by Paul Rudnick and directed by Jay Roach, have poignant moments in their singular monologues, it's Kaitlyn Dever's nurse Sharynn who
...
Read More >
Other Links From TVGuide.com Coastal ElitesDan LevyKaitlyn DeverBette MidlerIssa RaeSarah Paulson...
[Warning: The following contains spoilers for HBO's Coastal Elites! Read at your own risk]
While each of the characters in HBO's Coastal Elites, a special written by Paul Rudnick and directed by Jay Roach, have poignant moments in their singular monologues, it's Kaitlyn Dever's nurse Sharynn who
...
Read More >
Other Links From TVGuide.com Coastal ElitesDan LevyKaitlyn DeverBette MidlerIssa RaeSarah Paulson...
- 9/13/2020
- by Megan Vick
- TVGuide - Breaking News
<\/iframe>","provider_name":"YouTube","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/","thumbnail_height":360,"thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/nE2lCR9bRiw\/hqdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":480,"title":"Coastal Elites: Official Trailer | HBO","type":"video","version":"1.0","width":480}" data-url="https://youtu.be/nE2lCR9bRiw" data-autoplay="false" data-loop="false" data-start="0" data-fs="true" data-rel="true">
The characters in Coastal Elites, the HBO special written by Paul Rudnick and directed by Jay Roach, are fictional people, each affected by the political atmosphere of 2020 and Covid-19 pandemic in different ways. Bette Midler, Dan Levy, Issa Rae, Sarah Paulson, and Kaitlyn Dever all deliver
...
Read More >
Other Links From TVGuide.com Coastal ElitesDan LevyKaitlyn DeverBette MidlerIssa RaeSarah Paulson...
The characters in Coastal Elites, the HBO special written by Paul Rudnick and directed by Jay Roach, are fictional people, each affected by the political atmosphere of 2020 and Covid-19 pandemic in different ways. Bette Midler, Dan Levy, Issa Rae, Sarah Paulson, and Kaitlyn Dever all deliver
...
Read More >
Other Links From TVGuide.com Coastal ElitesDan LevyKaitlyn DeverBette MidlerIssa RaeSarah Paulson...
- 9/13/2020
- by Megan Vick
- TVGuide - Breaking News
Let's face it. You all have lost your loving feeling for episodic television that goes week to week. At least, given the dismal numbers that we're seeing on the few shows that Are airing weekly.
So, you should be pleased with many things this week, even as some networks still desperately try to get your attention for weekly viewing.
There are binge-watches dropping across multiple platforms and some great new weekly series. There are movies and horror-adjacent and teen dramas galore, with a timely docuseries dropped into the mix, too. Check it out!
Saturday, September 12
8/7c Coastal Elites (HBO)
If you're of a liberal mind and a Trump hater, you should find something to love in HBO's adaptation of Paul Rudnick's play, which was expected to go into production this year, but, well, Covid.
If Bette Midler has the appearance of a screaming shrew on Twitter, she's the perfect...
So, you should be pleased with many things this week, even as some networks still desperately try to get your attention for weekly viewing.
There are binge-watches dropping across multiple platforms and some great new weekly series. There are movies and horror-adjacent and teen dramas galore, with a timely docuseries dropped into the mix, too. Check it out!
Saturday, September 12
8/7c Coastal Elites (HBO)
If you're of a liberal mind and a Trump hater, you should find something to love in HBO's adaptation of Paul Rudnick's play, which was expected to go into production this year, but, well, Covid.
If Bette Midler has the appearance of a screaming shrew on Twitter, she's the perfect...
- 9/12/2020
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
“This morning, I saw his face above the fold. ‘Him.’ I can’t even stand to say his name. Because I’m a New Yorker, and we always hated him. And it wasn’t just the lying, the hair, and the ugly buildings. Oh my god, no. He has no style; he has no sense of humor! He tore down Bonwit Teller in the middle of the night! He wouldn’t rent to black people! Move to the Kremlin, you son of a bitch!” That’s just the beginning of...
- 9/11/2020
- by Jerry Portwood
- Rollingstone.com
When author, playwright and screenwriter Paul Rudnick first began writing “Coastal Elites,” the world was a very different place than the one in which it is premiering.
“I started working on ‘Coastal Elites’ over a year ago because everyone I knew on every side of the political divide had spent the last almost four years now enraged and passionate and heartbroken and so concerned about where the country was headed,” he tells Variety. “And people have become so addicted to information from every social media platform, from every newspaper, every television network, and it was fascinating because I had never seen that level of engagement [before]. That demanded to be written about.”
Rudnick’s original idea, he continues, was to create a stage production with actors delivering monologues on the larger political themes in the world. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in early 2020, forcing stay-at-home orders and putting the kibosh on live events and productions,...
“I started working on ‘Coastal Elites’ over a year ago because everyone I knew on every side of the political divide had spent the last almost four years now enraged and passionate and heartbroken and so concerned about where the country was headed,” he tells Variety. “And people have become so addicted to information from every social media platform, from every newspaper, every television network, and it was fascinating because I had never seen that level of engagement [before]. That demanded to be written about.”
Rudnick’s original idea, he continues, was to create a stage production with actors delivering monologues on the larger political themes in the world. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in early 2020, forcing stay-at-home orders and putting the kibosh on live events and productions,...
- 9/11/2020
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
As America still struggles with social distancing in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, now there’s an HBO special about life during Covid, a comedy from writer Paul Rudnick and director Jay Roach called Coastal Elites. Bette Midler toplines a cast that never actually saw each other in person during the shooting of the story [...]
The post Bette Midler’s Socially Distance ‘Elites’ Shoot Seemed Awfully Odd To Her appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
The post Bette Midler’s Socially Distance ‘Elites’ Shoot Seemed Awfully Odd To Her appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 9/11/2020
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
HBO’s quarantine satire “Coastal Elites” didn’t start out as a quarantine satire at all, given the fact that writer Paul Rudnick began working on it a year before the pandemic hit the United States.
So the title of the project, which was initially going to be staged at the Public Theater in New York and taped by direct Jay Roach for a special that would air on HBO, was in place well before re-writes were done to incorporate new plot points like the coronavirus, the resurgence of Black Lives Matter protests and the 2020 presidential election.
Meaning the “Coastal Elites” moniker has less to do with the subject matter and more to do with its subjects, played by Bette Midler, Issa Rae, Dan Levy, Sarah Paulson and Katilyn Dever.
And if you don’t know “Coastal Elites” means, well that’s kind of the point.
“Coastal elites is a...
So the title of the project, which was initially going to be staged at the Public Theater in New York and taped by direct Jay Roach for a special that would air on HBO, was in place well before re-writes were done to incorporate new plot points like the coronavirus, the resurgence of Black Lives Matter protests and the 2020 presidential election.
Meaning the “Coastal Elites” moniker has less to do with the subject matter and more to do with its subjects, played by Bette Midler, Issa Rae, Dan Levy, Sarah Paulson and Katilyn Dever.
And if you don’t know “Coastal Elites” means, well that’s kind of the point.
“Coastal elites is a...
- 9/11/2020
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
Paul Rudnick and Jay Roach, creators of HBO’s “special presentation” Coastal Elites, weren’t really sure how to describe their project. It’s not a movie, but not really a show either. What it is, really, is a series of monologues reflecting on the current political and social climate (pandemic included), performed by some of TV’s top talent.
Originally scheduled to be performed onstage at the Public Theater in New York, the production’s novel coronavirus-related delay allowed writer Rudnick and director Roach to rethink how they could present entertainment in a post-shutdown world. The two began working in ...
Originally scheduled to be performed onstage at the Public Theater in New York, the production’s novel coronavirus-related delay allowed writer Rudnick and director Roach to rethink how they could present entertainment in a post-shutdown world. The two began working in ...
- 9/11/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Paul Rudnick and Jay Roach, creators of HBO’s “special presentation” Coastal Elites, weren’t really sure how to describe their project. It’s not a movie, but not really a show either. What it is, really, is a series of monologues reflecting on the current political and social climate (pandemic included), performed by some of TV’s top talent.
Originally scheduled to be performed on stage at the Public Theater in New York, the production’s coronavirus-related delay allowed writer Rudnick and director Roach to rethink how they could present entertainment in a post-shutdown world. The two began working in ...
Originally scheduled to be performed on stage at the Public Theater in New York, the production’s coronavirus-related delay allowed writer Rudnick and director Roach to rethink how they could present entertainment in a post-shutdown world. The two began working in ...
- 9/11/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A range of stars, including Bette Midler and Issa Rae, act out clunky monologues in a tone-deaf attempt to speak to a divided America
The questions of who a work of art is for and what it’s meant to accomplish usually prove germane in the process of criticism, and particularly so in the case of HBO’s new small-screen movie Coastal Elites. At least director Jay Roach and writer Paul Rudnick make that first part answered easily enough; this collection of monologues filmed in quarantine was originally supposed to go up as a play at New York’s Public Theater, and from the winking eponymous epithet on down, the writing plays to the sort of person one thinks of when picturing the typical patron of Broadway’s latest sensation du jour.
Related: Love in the Time of Corona: the pandemic TV drama none of us wanted
Continue reading.
The questions of who a work of art is for and what it’s meant to accomplish usually prove germane in the process of criticism, and particularly so in the case of HBO’s new small-screen movie Coastal Elites. At least director Jay Roach and writer Paul Rudnick make that first part answered easily enough; this collection of monologues filmed in quarantine was originally supposed to go up as a play at New York’s Public Theater, and from the winking eponymous epithet on down, the writing plays to the sort of person one thinks of when picturing the typical patron of Broadway’s latest sensation du jour.
Related: Love in the Time of Corona: the pandemic TV drama none of us wanted
Continue reading.
- 9/8/2020
- by Charles Bramesco
- The Guardian - Film News
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