Terry Gilliam has been to Cannes with three of his own films since 1983, but one of his favorite memories of the festival takes him back to that very first time, at the 36th edition, as the co-writer and co-star of Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. Along with Graham Chapman and the film’s director Terry Jones, he’d emerged from the Carlton hotel’s iconic entrance, then bedecked with promotion for the upcoming Bond movie Octopussy, to encounter a camera crew. Jones started grabbing people at random, shouting, “Who Ees Monty Python???” in a ridiculous foreign accent, and got so carried away that, when they reached the hotel’s famous terrace, he accidentally did it to Gilliam too.
The crowd loved it, and the day only grew stranger. Out on the Carlton’s jetty, they gave an interview to British news channel ITN, with Jones hiding behind Graham...
The crowd loved it, and the day only grew stranger. Out on the Carlton’s jetty, they gave an interview to British news channel ITN, with Jones hiding behind Graham...
- 5/20/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel starring Henry Cavill as Superman gave insight into the origin story of the titular DC hero. Despite the Kryptonian villain General Zod and the gravity of the narrative, the movie failed to have an astonishing mark among critics as the ambitious Snyderverse movie was able to claim only a 56% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/ Superman in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel
One of the reasons behind the criticism was, of course, the inherent dark tone of the narrative but this also raises a series of questions for other DC projects including Batman. If the movie was targeted for the dark tone, Russell Crowe who played Superman’s biological father, Jor-el, believes that the criticism of the movie based on the darker tone does not fit anywhere.
Russell Crowe Addressed Man of Steel Criticism Russell Crowe as Jor-el in Man of Steel...
Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/ Superman in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel
One of the reasons behind the criticism was, of course, the inherent dark tone of the narrative but this also raises a series of questions for other DC projects including Batman. If the movie was targeted for the dark tone, Russell Crowe who played Superman’s biological father, Jor-el, believes that the criticism of the movie based on the darker tone does not fit anywhere.
Russell Crowe Addressed Man of Steel Criticism Russell Crowe as Jor-el in Man of Steel...
- 5/11/2024
- by Lachit Roy
- FandomWire
Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer are heading to Sherwood Forest for one last hurrah.
The “Wolverine” star and the “Killing Eve” actress are attached to star in “The Death of Robin Hood,” a cheery-sounding new film from Michael Sarnoski, the director of the critically-acclaimed “Pig” and this summer’s “A Quiet Place: Day One.”
According to the official logline, the film will find Robin Hood “grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder.” Instead of the merry outlaw seen in certain previous versions of the story like the one portrayed by Errol Flynn, this Robin Hood is “a battleworn loner [who] finds himself gravely injured and in the hands of a mysterious woman, who offers him a chance at salvation.” It sounds reminiscent of Richard Lester’s elegiac take on the popular story, “Robin and Marian,” a 1976 film starring Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn as a middled-aged Robin Hood and Maid Marian.
The “Wolverine” star and the “Killing Eve” actress are attached to star in “The Death of Robin Hood,” a cheery-sounding new film from Michael Sarnoski, the director of the critically-acclaimed “Pig” and this summer’s “A Quiet Place: Day One.”
According to the official logline, the film will find Robin Hood “grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder.” Instead of the merry outlaw seen in certain previous versions of the story like the one portrayed by Errol Flynn, this Robin Hood is “a battleworn loner [who] finds himself gravely injured and in the hands of a mysterious woman, who offers him a chance at salvation.” It sounds reminiscent of Richard Lester’s elegiac take on the popular story, “Robin and Marian,” a 1976 film starring Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn as a middled-aged Robin Hood and Maid Marian.
- 5/3/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
For readers of Alexandre Dumas’ novel, extravagant French adaptation “The Three Musketeers – Part II: Milady” packs its share of surprises: killing off important characters, sparing others and reimagining allegiances that have stood for nearly two centuries. For viewers of “Part I: D’Artagnan,” however, this swashbuckling sequel feels totally in keeping with what came before. Even the twists track, paying off what amounts to a nearly four-hour investment (not counting however many months audiences may have waited to see how the story ends).
Loyalty — to the crown, to one another, but not necessarily to the source material — remains the driving theme of director Martin Bourboulon’s blockbuster treatment, which tapped French megastars Vincent Cassel, Pio Marmaï and Romain Duris as titular trio Athos, Porthos and Aramis. The second film opens with fourth musketeer D’Artagnan (François Civil) in a coffin, though he’s not dead, merely captured by traitors who...
Loyalty — to the crown, to one another, but not necessarily to the source material — remains the driving theme of director Martin Bourboulon’s blockbuster treatment, which tapped French megastars Vincent Cassel, Pio Marmaï and Romain Duris as titular trio Athos, Porthos and Aramis. The second film opens with fourth musketeer D’Artagnan (François Civil) in a coffin, though he’s not dead, merely captured by traitors who...
- 4/19/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Superman’s future looks considerably brighter as James Gunn prepares the new version of the DC Universe. Further, even Jack Quaid’s 2023 animated TV series My Adventures With Superman, featured the superhero as a heartfelt and charming one. To be specific, ever since the end of Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel era, the fan-favorite character has witnessed bright and positive days.
Jack Quaid as Hughie Campbell in The Boys
The grim and gritty Superman is now considered a thing of the past. With James Gunn promising to bring a more hopeful Kryptonian, Henry Cavill’s gritty version is now history. However, despite starring as the Last Son of Krypton in the PG-rated 2023 animated TV series, Jack Quaid offered his rare support to Cavill’s grim version of Kal-El. Although he preferred starring as the positive and proactive version, he has nothing against the darker versions of Superman.
Jack...
Jack Quaid as Hughie Campbell in The Boys
The grim and gritty Superman is now considered a thing of the past. With James Gunn promising to bring a more hopeful Kryptonian, Henry Cavill’s gritty version is now history. However, despite starring as the Last Son of Krypton in the PG-rated 2023 animated TV series, Jack Quaid offered his rare support to Cavill’s grim version of Kal-El. Although he preferred starring as the positive and proactive version, he has nothing against the darker versions of Superman.
Jack...
- 3/8/2024
- by Krittika Mukherjee
- FandomWire
As a musical unit, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr enjoyed the most unique experience in popular entertainment. While Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra similarly spent the most exciting periods of their careers circumnavigating hordes of rabid fans, persistent, compulsory photo-ops, and suitcases of ticket sales cash, they still broke through as solo song interpreters. The Beatles, by contrast, became a global phenomenon as a group, and a very busy one, in and out of the studio, mostly writing their own music. In keeping with the musical unit’s consistent commitment to innovation, Apple Corps. and Sony Pictures announced a truly revolutionary take on their cinematic biographies. Director Sam Mendes will helm four separate films on the Beatles’ story, each told from the perspective of the individual players.
All four features will roll out theatrically in 2027. This may appear excessive, but it is the only way to cover the narrative properly.
All four features will roll out theatrically in 2027. This may appear excessive, but it is the only way to cover the narrative properly.
- 2/24/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Feud: Capote vs. The Swans has honored the late Treat Williams with a touching tribute.
The card, which read “In Memory of Treat Williams 1951-2023”, appeared at the end of last night’s episode of Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology series. You can see it below.
Williams portrayed former CBS head and media tycoon Bill Paley in the series, an adaptation of Laurence Leamer’s bestselling book Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era. The series chronicles the literary scandal that sparked a fallout between writer Truman Capote and a high-society group of women, known as his “Swans.”
Feud was Williams’ final role. The veteran actor had wrapped production shortly before he died in a tragic motorcycle accident on June 12, 2023 in Dorset, Vt. He was 71.
Williams was best known for playing Dr. Andy Brown on Greg Berlanti’s Everwood during his nearly half-century career,...
The card, which read “In Memory of Treat Williams 1951-2023”, appeared at the end of last night’s episode of Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology series. You can see it below.
Williams portrayed former CBS head and media tycoon Bill Paley in the series, an adaptation of Laurence Leamer’s bestselling book Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era. The series chronicles the literary scandal that sparked a fallout between writer Truman Capote and a high-society group of women, known as his “Swans.”
Feud was Williams’ final role. The veteran actor had wrapped production shortly before he died in a tragic motorcycle accident on June 12, 2023 in Dorset, Vt. He was 71.
Williams was best known for playing Dr. Andy Brown on Greg Berlanti’s Everwood during his nearly half-century career,...
- 2/15/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
The Story: On Io, Jupiter’s moon, miners have begun randomly committing suicide in gruesome ways. This is chalked out to their grueling working conditions, but the outpost’s new marshal, William O’Niel (Sean Connery) becomes convinced something else is afoot. Soon, he discovers the deadly truth, that the miners are being given stimulants with the nasty side effect that they cause psychosis. His pursuit of the truth lands him on the hit list of the outpost’s general director, Sheppard (Peter Boyle), who hires professional hit men to deal with the pesky marshal. Knowing that skilled gunmen are on the way, and without anyone to turn to, O’Niel waits to face the men alone.
The Players: Starring: Sean Connery, Peter Boyle, and Frances Sternhagen. Music by Jerry Goldsmith. Directed by Peter Hyams.
I wanted to do a Western. Everybody said, ‘You can’t do a Western; Westerns are...
The Players: Starring: Sean Connery, Peter Boyle, and Frances Sternhagen. Music by Jerry Goldsmith. Directed by Peter Hyams.
I wanted to do a Western. Everybody said, ‘You can’t do a Western; Westerns are...
- 1/31/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
The Beatles‘ “Strawberry Fields Forever” is John Lennon’s masterpiece. The Beatle had a hard time remembering the sequence of events that led him to write it. Fascinatingly, Paul McCartney said the tune came out of his rivalry with John — and that it had a special connection to “Penny Lane.”
John Lennon wrote The Beatles’ ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ while working on a film in Spain
The book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono features an interview from 1980. In it, John said he wrote The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” while he was filming the comedy film How I Won the War. The film was directed by Richard Lester, who also helmed A Hard Day’s Night and Help!, as well as Superman II and Superman III starring Christopher Reeve. Despite John and Lester’s involvement, How I Won the War is not one of The Beatles’ films.
John Lennon wrote The Beatles’ ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ while working on a film in Spain
The book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono features an interview from 1980. In it, John said he wrote The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” while he was filming the comedy film How I Won the War. The film was directed by Richard Lester, who also helmed A Hard Day’s Night and Help!, as well as Superman II and Superman III starring Christopher Reeve. Despite John and Lester’s involvement, How I Won the War is not one of The Beatles’ films.
- 1/27/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles‘ “Strawberry Fields Forever” is John Lennon’s masterpiece. The Beatle had a hard time remembering the sequence of events that led him to write it. Fascinatingly, Paul McCartney said the tune came out of his rivalry with John — and that it had a special connection to “Penny Lane.”
John Lennon wrote The Beatles’ ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ while working on a film in Spain
The book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono features an interview from 1980. In it, John said he wrote The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” while he was filming the comedy film How I Won the War. The film was directed by Richard Lester, who also helmed A Hard Day’s Night and Help!, as well as Superman II and Superman III starring Christopher Reeve. Despite John and Lester’s involvement, How I Won the War is not one of The Beatles’ films.
John Lennon wrote The Beatles’ ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ while working on a film in Spain
The book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono features an interview from 1980. In it, John said he wrote The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” while he was filming the comedy film How I Won the War. The film was directed by Richard Lester, who also helmed A Hard Day’s Night and Help!, as well as Superman II and Superman III starring Christopher Reeve. Despite John and Lester’s involvement, How I Won the War is not one of The Beatles’ films.
- 1/27/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story recounts and examines the incredibly compelling, tragic, redemptive story of actor and activist Christopher Reeve. He was made famous playing the superhero Superman in Richard Donner/Richard Lester/Sidney J. Furie’s quartet of films in the ’70s and ’80s. In 1995, Reeve was paralyzed from the neck down after being thrown from a horse during a competition. That terrible accident eventually sparked the creation of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, a non-profit whose goal is to cure spinal-cord injury and improve the quality of life for those with paralysis.
It’s hard to write criticism of films like these. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is an important movie about an important subject, supported by those closest to him––in this case, Reeve’s grown-up children Matthew, Alexandra, and Will. Bonhôte and Ettedgui are accomplished documentarians (see their...
It’s hard to write criticism of films like these. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is an important movie about an important subject, supported by those closest to him––in this case, Reeve’s grown-up children Matthew, Alexandra, and Will. Bonhôte and Ettedgui are accomplished documentarians (see their...
- 1/26/2024
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Quinn Donoghue, whose long career as a Hollywood publicist included beating the drum for Superman, Pink Panther and Three Musketeers films, Steven Soderbergh’s The Limey and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s 21 Grams, has died. He was 86.
Donoghue died Dec. 28 in Los Angeles, his son Alex Donoghue announced.
Donoghue also served as a unit publicist on Norman Jewison’s Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Quest for Fire (1981), Roman Polanski’s Frantic (1988) and Bitter Moon (1992), Michael Caton-Jones’ Rob Roy (1995), Robert Altman’s Kansas City (1996) and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005).
He did publicity for Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther (1963), The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) and The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) and Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers (1973), The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge (1974) and The Return of the Musketeers (1989), Superman II (1980) and Superman III (1983) and Cuba (1979).
Plus, he produced several films,...
Donoghue died Dec. 28 in Los Angeles, his son Alex Donoghue announced.
Donoghue also served as a unit publicist on Norman Jewison’s Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Quest for Fire (1981), Roman Polanski’s Frantic (1988) and Bitter Moon (1992), Michael Caton-Jones’ Rob Roy (1995), Robert Altman’s Kansas City (1996) and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005).
He did publicity for Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther (1963), The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) and The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) and Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers (1973), The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge (1974) and The Return of the Musketeers (1989), Superman II (1980) and Superman III (1983) and Cuba (1979).
Plus, he produced several films,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Clockwise from left: Foe (Amazon Studios), Mad Max (American International Pictures), The Passenger (Paramount Home Entertainment)Image: The A.V. Club
Amazon’s Prime Video revs up the new year with new originals and several movies focused on automobiles and other modes of transportation. A few short months before Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga...
Amazon’s Prime Video revs up the new year with new originals and several movies focused on automobiles and other modes of transportation. A few short months before Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga...
- 12/31/2023
- by Robert DeSalvo
- avclub.com
For my money, the Monkees are way, way more interesting than the Beatles.
According to Andrew Sandoval's thorough and invaluable book "The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story of the '60s TV Pop Sensation," an ad was put in Variety and the Hollywood Reporter on September 8, 1965, looking for "four insane boys" to be the members of a new pre-fabricated pop band. The band would also star in a TV series -- deliberately meant to evoke Richard Lester's 1964 Beatles film "A Hard Day's Night" -- that would use their real names, but present their lives as a fictional merry-go-round of kooky shenanigans.
The producers zeroed in on former child actor Micky Dolenz, a friend of musician Stephen Stills named Peter Tork, a British, boyish heartthrob named Davy Jones, and heir to the Liquid Paper fortune, Mike Nesmith. Their TV series debuted on September 12, 1966, the week after "Star Trek" debuted, and...
According to Andrew Sandoval's thorough and invaluable book "The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story of the '60s TV Pop Sensation," an ad was put in Variety and the Hollywood Reporter on September 8, 1965, looking for "four insane boys" to be the members of a new pre-fabricated pop band. The band would also star in a TV series -- deliberately meant to evoke Richard Lester's 1964 Beatles film "A Hard Day's Night" -- that would use their real names, but present their lives as a fictional merry-go-round of kooky shenanigans.
The producers zeroed in on former child actor Micky Dolenz, a friend of musician Stephen Stills named Peter Tork, a British, boyish heartthrob named Davy Jones, and heir to the Liquid Paper fortune, Mike Nesmith. Their TV series debuted on September 12, 1966, the week after "Star Trek" debuted, and...
- 12/26/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Catering directly to my interests, the Criterion Channel’s January lineup boasts two of my favorite things: James Gray and cats. In the former case it’s his first five features (itself a terrible reminder he only released five movies in 20 years); the latter shows felines the respect they deserve, from Kuroneko to The Long Goodbye, Tourneur’s Cat People and Mick Garris’ Sleepwalkers. Meanwhile, Ava Gardner, Bertrand Tavernier, Isabel Sandoval, Ken Russell, Juleen Compton, George Harrison’s HandMade Films, and the Sundance Film Festival get retrospectives.
Restorations of Soviet sci-fi trip Ikarie Xb 1, The Unknown, and The Music of Regret stream, as does the recent Plan 75. January’s Criterion Editions are Inside Llewyn Davis, Farewell Amor, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and (most intriguingly) the long-out-of-print The Man Who Fell to Earth, Blu-rays of which go for hundreds of dollars.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
Back By Popular Demand
The Graduate,...
Restorations of Soviet sci-fi trip Ikarie Xb 1, The Unknown, and The Music of Regret stream, as does the recent Plan 75. January’s Criterion Editions are Inside Llewyn Davis, Farewell Amor, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and (most intriguingly) the long-out-of-print The Man Who Fell to Earth, Blu-rays of which go for hundreds of dollars.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
Back By Popular Demand
The Graduate,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Warner Bros' DC Comics franchise is in dire need of an industrial-grade fumigation. When Christopher Nolan peaced out with the wildly uneven "The Dark Knight Rises" in 2012, the studio asked Zack Snyder to quarterback its DC Extended Universe answer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's "Avengers" initiative. Unfortunately, Snyder's "Man of Steel" not only fell short of commercial expectations, it cheesed off a sizable portion of the hero's fanbase (who were furious over Superman's out-of-character killing of General Zod). Rather than play the long game and focus on nailing the other main characters, DC panicked and greenlit "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," a cart-before-the-horse debacle that dampened reasonable people's expectations for a stirringly epic superhero saga.
Despite solo successes with 2017's "Wonder Woman" and 2018's "Aquaman," the stink clung to Snyder's "Justice League." A family tragedy forced him to leave the calling-all-superheroes production, and his replacement, Joss Whedon, could not...
Despite solo successes with 2017's "Wonder Woman" and 2018's "Aquaman," the stink clung to Snyder's "Justice League." A family tragedy forced him to leave the calling-all-superheroes production, and his replacement, Joss Whedon, could not...
- 10/4/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
In the 1960s, there were few cameramen who shared Nicolas Roeg’s ability to render sirenic, jittery sensuality at 24 frames per second—and this was an era whose dominant culture arguably cracked open and redefined the sensual palate. Even more impressively, Roeg’s gift often manifested itself most lucidly while serving the orgiastic gimmicks of Roger Corman’s The Masque of the Red Mask and the bucolic splendor of John Schlesinger’s Far from the Madding Crowd with the guarded glee of a merry prankster spiking a corporate water cooler with LSD.
But it’s not just that Roeg successfully snuck timely art into the mise-en-scène of those and other studio-centric films, it’s that he seemed incapable of recording anything but subtle art within whatever limitations his aspect ratio enforced. And so while Walkabout may have been his proper directorial debut, it’s far more significantly his final cinematographic statement.
But it’s not just that Roeg successfully snuck timely art into the mise-en-scène of those and other studio-centric films, it’s that he seemed incapable of recording anything but subtle art within whatever limitations his aspect ratio enforced. And so while Walkabout may have been his proper directorial debut, it’s far more significantly his final cinematographic statement.
- 9/20/2023
- by Joseph Jon Lanthier
- Slant Magazine
Shakira has become the first South American artist to receive MTV’s Video Vanguard Award.
Wyclef Jean presented the four-time VMAs winner with the honor Tuesday night, calling her a “musical genius.”
As she took the stage, she first thanked MTV “for being such a big part of my career since I was only 18 years old.”
She continued, “I want to thank people who have played a key role in my visual history. Friends, very dear friends, and creative partners, who I simply can’t live without.” She also showed appreciation for her label “for always supporting my vision,” and the “amazing women who work with me,” who “always help me to push through all my challenges while wearing so many hats.”
Shakira went on to share the love for her parents and children for “cheering me up and for making me feel that mama can do it all.” She...
Wyclef Jean presented the four-time VMAs winner with the honor Tuesday night, calling her a “musical genius.”
As she took the stage, she first thanked MTV “for being such a big part of my career since I was only 18 years old.”
She continued, “I want to thank people who have played a key role in my visual history. Friends, very dear friends, and creative partners, who I simply can’t live without.” She also showed appreciation for her label “for always supporting my vision,” and the “amazing women who work with me,” who “always help me to push through all my challenges while wearing so many hats.”
Shakira went on to share the love for her parents and children for “cheering me up and for making me feel that mama can do it all.” She...
- 9/13/2023
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In 1964, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr starred in the Beatles’ movie A Hard Day’s Night. They enjoyed the experience, and their fans loved the film. The people who knew The Beatles also enjoyed their viewing experiences. Audio engineer Geoff Emerick, who worked extensively with the band, said it showed him a different side of the musicians. In particular, he appreciated the fact that the typically reserved Starr came across well.
Geoff Emerick found it surprising that Ringo Starr came across well in a Beatles movie
When Emerick saw A Hard Day’s Night, he had some issues with the music but no complaints about The Beatles’ performances. He also appreciated the fact that he had the insider knowledge to recognize that their onscreen personas did not match their real personalities.
“The Beatles themselves were portrayed as four stereotypes in the movie, and I remember sitting there thinking to myself,...
Geoff Emerick found it surprising that Ringo Starr came across well in a Beatles movie
When Emerick saw A Hard Day’s Night, he had some issues with the music but no complaints about The Beatles’ performances. He also appreciated the fact that he had the insider knowledge to recognize that their onscreen personas did not match their real personalities.
“The Beatles themselves were portrayed as four stereotypes in the movie, and I remember sitting there thinking to myself,...
- 9/8/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
“She-Wolf” singer Shakira will become the first South American artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award live at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.
The Grammy winner will accept the award and perform for the first time at the VMAs since 2005 during the 2023 ceremony, set to air live from Newark’s Prudential Center on Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. Et/5 p.m. Pt.
“Shakira is a true global force who continues to inspire & influence the masses with her unique, musical prowess. She’s a trailblazer for women around the world & one of the first artists to lead the globalization of Latin music,” said Bruce Gillmer, President of Music, Music Talent, Programming & Events, Paramount and Chief Content Officer, Music, Paramount+. “Her massive impact across the musical landscape will be long-lasting as she continues to create and entertain at the highest level.”
The four-time VMA winner, who took home her first Moon Person in...
The Grammy winner will accept the award and perform for the first time at the VMAs since 2005 during the 2023 ceremony, set to air live from Newark’s Prudential Center on Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. Et/5 p.m. Pt.
“Shakira is a true global force who continues to inspire & influence the masses with her unique, musical prowess. She’s a trailblazer for women around the world & one of the first artists to lead the globalization of Latin music,” said Bruce Gillmer, President of Music, Music Talent, Programming & Events, Paramount and Chief Content Officer, Music, Paramount+. “Her massive impact across the musical landscape will be long-lasting as she continues to create and entertain at the highest level.”
The four-time VMA winner, who took home her first Moon Person in...
- 8/28/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Director William Friedkin, best known for his Oscar-winning “The French Connection” and blockbuster “The Exorcist,” died Monday in Los Angeles. He was 87.
His death was confirmed by Chapman University dean Stephen Galloway, a friend of Friedkin’s wife Sherry Lansing.
His final film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” starring Kiefer Sutherland, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Along with Peter Bogdanovich, Francis Ford Coppola and Hal Ashby, Friedkin rose to A-list status in the 1970s, part of a new generation of vibrant, risk-taking filmmakers. Combining his experience in television, particularly in documentary film, with a cutting-edge style of editing, Friedkin brought a great deal of energy to the horror and police thriller genres in which he specialized.
“The French Connection” was an incredibly fast-paced and morally ambiguous tale, shot in documentary style and containing one of cinema’s most justifiably famous car chase sequences. “Connection” won several Oscars including best picture,...
His death was confirmed by Chapman University dean Stephen Galloway, a friend of Friedkin’s wife Sherry Lansing.
His final film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” starring Kiefer Sutherland, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Along with Peter Bogdanovich, Francis Ford Coppola and Hal Ashby, Friedkin rose to A-list status in the 1970s, part of a new generation of vibrant, risk-taking filmmakers. Combining his experience in television, particularly in documentary film, with a cutting-edge style of editing, Friedkin brought a great deal of energy to the horror and police thriller genres in which he specialized.
“The French Connection” was an incredibly fast-paced and morally ambiguous tale, shot in documentary style and containing one of cinema’s most justifiably famous car chase sequences. “Connection” won several Oscars including best picture,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
DC Extended Universe had its ups and downs during the ten years of its existence, and some of the biggest downs were 2016’s ‘Suicide Squad’ and 2017’s ‘Justice League.’ Both of these movies had troublesome productions, and ultimately, they were released with many changes and cuts that were orchestrated by the studio. Even though ‘Suicide Squad’ was undoubtedly a commercial success, the critical response from both critics and audiences was largely negative, even though Margot Robbie’s performance as Harley Quinn was praised, and the movie won the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling.
Following the theatrical release of 2017’s ‘Justice League,’ many fans started an online campaign, #ReleaseTheSnyderCut, calling the studio to release Zack Snyder’s Director’s Cut, and that gigantic four-hour movie was ultimately released on HBOMax in 2021. The fans and critics agreed that the Director’s Cut is much better than the theatrical movie,...
Following the theatrical release of 2017’s ‘Justice League,’ many fans started an online campaign, #ReleaseTheSnyderCut, calling the studio to release Zack Snyder’s Director’s Cut, and that gigantic four-hour movie was ultimately released on HBOMax in 2021. The fans and critics agreed that the Director’s Cut is much better than the theatrical movie,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Lukas Abramovich
- Comic Basics
Treat Williams, the versatile actor who starred as a New York City neurosurgeon who moves his family to Colorado on the WB series Everwood and in such films as Sidney Lumet’s Prince of the City and Milos Forman‘s Hair, died Monday in a motorcycle accident in Vermont. He was 71.
His agent, Barry McPherson of APA, confirmed Williams’ death in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
Williams, of Manchester Center, Vermont, was aboard a motorcycle and wearing a helmet when he collided with a car on Route 30 near Dorset, the Vermont State Police said in a statement.
An initial investigation indicated that the driver of the car “stopped, signaled a left turn and then turned into the path of a northbound 1986 Honda VT700c motorcycle operated by Williams. Williams was unable to avoid a collision and was thrown from his motorcycle. He suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to Albany Medical Center in Albany,...
His agent, Barry McPherson of APA, confirmed Williams’ death in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
Williams, of Manchester Center, Vermont, was aboard a motorcycle and wearing a helmet when he collided with a car on Route 30 near Dorset, the Vermont State Police said in a statement.
An initial investigation indicated that the driver of the car “stopped, signaled a left turn and then turned into the path of a northbound 1986 Honda VT700c motorcycle operated by Williams. Williams was unable to avoid a collision and was thrown from his motorcycle. He suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to Albany Medical Center in Albany,...
- 6/13/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Eldar Shengelaia’s goofy flying-machine comedy from the Soviet era has an ending that can’t fail to make you laugh
Georgian director Eldar Shengelaia’s film Blue Mountains from 1983 has already been showcased on the Klassiki streaming service: a clever satire of Soviet bureaucracy. Now one of his earlier films, from 1973, has been revived; aptly entitled The Eccentrics, it is a very different proposition. You’d be hard put to divine a political or satirical meaning here exactly, although you can find one if you really want. This is more a daft, knockabout comedy, a festival of silliness which looks like something the Georgian cousin of Richard Lester or Terry Gilliam might have made. It is a wacky, goofy fantasy that comes into its own in the final 15 minutes and lets you forgive it for all the broad indulgence that has gone before.
Demno Jgenti plays Ertaozi, a hapless young man from the country,...
Georgian director Eldar Shengelaia’s film Blue Mountains from 1983 has already been showcased on the Klassiki streaming service: a clever satire of Soviet bureaucracy. Now one of his earlier films, from 1973, has been revived; aptly entitled The Eccentrics, it is a very different proposition. You’d be hard put to divine a political or satirical meaning here exactly, although you can find one if you really want. This is more a daft, knockabout comedy, a festival of silliness which looks like something the Georgian cousin of Richard Lester or Terry Gilliam might have made. It is a wacky, goofy fantasy that comes into its own in the final 15 minutes and lets you forgive it for all the broad indulgence that has gone before.
Demno Jgenti plays Ertaozi, a hapless young man from the country,...
- 6/12/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Ringo Starr is known, first and foremost, as a drummer, but he appeared in multiple movies over the course of his career. All of The Beatles picked up some acting experience, but Starr took steps to build a career as an actor. Not all of his movies performed well – even the drummer’s biggest fans should avoid a few of them — but some are worth a watch. Here are four of Starr’s movies worth putting on your to-watch list.
Ringo Starr | Michael Putland/Getty Images ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ is 1 of the movies Starr filmed with The Beatles
Starr’s first movie is also one of his best. In 1964, The Beatles released A Hard Day’s Night, a musical comedy film in which the band played themselves. The film gave Starr a good deal of screen time — he chaperones Paul McCartney’s grandfather and gets arrested.
While director Richard Lester...
Ringo Starr | Michael Putland/Getty Images ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ is 1 of the movies Starr filmed with The Beatles
Starr’s first movie is also one of his best. In 1964, The Beatles released A Hard Day’s Night, a musical comedy film in which the band played themselves. The film gave Starr a good deal of screen time — he chaperones Paul McCartney’s grandfather and gets arrested.
While director Richard Lester...
- 5/14/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
To celebrate the 4k restoration of The Three Musketeers & The Four Musketeers both available from 8th May, we are giving away two pairs of the films on Blu-Ray.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1970s swashbuckling classic, Studiocanal are delighted to announce a brand-new 4K restoration of the star-studded The Three Musketeers. Directed by Richard Lester,the film will be available to own on 4K Uhd for the very first time, on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital from May 8. To accompany the release, the equally thrilling sequel, The Four Musketeers, has also enjoyed the same 4k treatmentand will be available to own on the same day.
Starring Oliver Reed (Women in Love), Richard Chamberlain (The Towering Inferno) and Frank Finlay (Othello) as the titular Musketeers with Michael York (Logan’s Run) as D’Artagnan, The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers boast exceptional supporting casts featuring many of the most lauded stars...
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1970s swashbuckling classic, Studiocanal are delighted to announce a brand-new 4K restoration of the star-studded The Three Musketeers. Directed by Richard Lester,the film will be available to own on 4K Uhd for the very first time, on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital from May 8. To accompany the release, the equally thrilling sequel, The Four Musketeers, has also enjoyed the same 4k treatmentand will be available to own on the same day.
Starring Oliver Reed (Women in Love), Richard Chamberlain (The Towering Inferno) and Frank Finlay (Othello) as the titular Musketeers with Michael York (Logan’s Run) as D’Artagnan, The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers boast exceptional supporting casts featuring many of the most lauded stars...
- 5/7/2023
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
While The Beatles are best known for their music, they did attempt to do some acting in A Hard Day’s Night and Help!. Both movies were musical comedies that performed well at the box office as many wanted to listen to the catchy tracks and see the fab four on the silver screen. George Harrison liked both of The Beatles’ scripted movies but couldn’t watch the Let it Be documentary, and his reasoning is understandable.
The Beatles starred in three movies in their tenure The Beatles, Harrison shared his thoughts on The Beatles’ first two movies: A Hard Day’s Night and Help!.
The “Here Comes the Sun” singer acknowledged that the films aren’t amazing, but they’re “adequate,” and he said director Richard Lester did his best to save them from The Beatles’ terrible acting.
“But it was adequate and considering we were all pretty useless in acting.
The Beatles starred in three movies in their tenure The Beatles, Harrison shared his thoughts on The Beatles’ first two movies: A Hard Day’s Night and Help!.
The “Here Comes the Sun” singer acknowledged that the films aren’t amazing, but they’re “adequate,” and he said director Richard Lester did his best to save them from The Beatles’ terrible acting.
“But it was adequate and considering we were all pretty useless in acting.
- 5/6/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
After a bromantic meet-cute with three grizzled veteran musketeers, the young fighter and his new gang journey entertainingly through palace intrigue with some excellent stunts
There’s not a lot of roistering going on in the cinema right now, but here’s a film which amusingly roisters its heart out. Despite some updated touches – including an LGBT character-shift and a modern-style assassination attempt – this new version in two parts of Alexandre Dumas’s 1844 classic The Three Musketeers is a distinctly old-fashioned entertainment, and entertainment is never easy. A high-gloss French costume movie, it will have devotees of the Netflix talent-agency sitcom Call My Agent! wondering which of that show’s characters are representing which star; it appears to split its two feature-episodes in roughly the place that Richard Lester and screenwriter George Macdonald Fraser divided their Three and Four Musketeers in the 1970s.
Here is part one, and François Civil stars as D’Artagnan,...
There’s not a lot of roistering going on in the cinema right now, but here’s a film which amusingly roisters its heart out. Despite some updated touches – including an LGBT character-shift and a modern-style assassination attempt – this new version in two parts of Alexandre Dumas’s 1844 classic The Three Musketeers is a distinctly old-fashioned entertainment, and entertainment is never easy. A high-gloss French costume movie, it will have devotees of the Netflix talent-agency sitcom Call My Agent! wondering which of that show’s characters are representing which star; it appears to split its two feature-episodes in roughly the place that Richard Lester and screenwriter George Macdonald Fraser divided their Three and Four Musketeers in the 1970s.
Here is part one, and François Civil stars as D’Artagnan,...
- 4/20/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is nearly perfect, and it’s impossible to imagine anyone doing it better. However, The Beatles were fans of J. R. R. Tolkien’s work and wanted to star in a film adaptation. The plans ultimately fell through when director Stanley Kubrick turned it down, and Tolkien refused to allow The Beatles to make it.
The Beatles wanted to play Hobbits in a ‘Lord of the Rings’ adaptation The Beatles | Keystone/Getty Images
The Beatles succeeded on the big screen with A Hard Day’s Night and Help!. However, Lord of the Rings would have been a completely different task that required skilled acting and hardcore determination. The Beatles read the novels in the late 1960s and became entranced by Middle Earth.
In Ian Nathan’s book Anything You Can Imagine: Peter Jackson and the Making of Middle-earth, the author shares that...
The Beatles wanted to play Hobbits in a ‘Lord of the Rings’ adaptation The Beatles | Keystone/Getty Images
The Beatles succeeded on the big screen with A Hard Day’s Night and Help!. However, Lord of the Rings would have been a completely different task that required skilled acting and hardcore determination. The Beatles read the novels in the late 1960s and became entranced by Middle Earth.
In Ian Nathan’s book Anything You Can Imagine: Peter Jackson and the Making of Middle-earth, the author shares that...
- 4/18/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles exist in a stratosphere all their own decades after they broke up. The music still resonates, and the band members — living and dead — are still celebrated. So are the group’s other projects, such as The Beatles’ first movie A Hard Day’s Night. It cost $500,000 to make, which was well worth it beyond the box office receipts. Paul McCartney said filming the movie was nerve-wracking, but it came with a huge payoff.
(l-r) George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon | Underwood Archives/Getty Images ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ more than recouped its $500,000 budget
A Hard Day’s Night (1964) was like many other movies. A screenwriter (Alun Owen) penned the script. A director (Richard Lester) helmed the shoot. And actors (many of them anonymous in the U.S. aside from The Beatles) performed in it.
Yet it comes off as a quasi-documentary with Paul, John Lennon, George Harrison,...
(l-r) George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon | Underwood Archives/Getty Images ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ more than recouped its $500,000 budget
A Hard Day’s Night (1964) was like many other movies. A screenwriter (Alun Owen) penned the script. A director (Richard Lester) helmed the shoot. And actors (many of them anonymous in the U.S. aside from The Beatles) performed in it.
Yet it comes off as a quasi-documentary with Paul, John Lennon, George Harrison,...
- 4/13/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
While The Beatles are best known for their music, the band also appeared in two movies: A Hard Day’s Night and Help!. Both films are musical comedies that feature the fab four on an adventure bolstered by an excellent soundtrack. Both movies were directed by Richard Lester, who enjoyed a successful film career after directing The Beatles.
Richard Lester directed the first two Beatles movies Richard Lester | Mario Carlini – Iguana Press/Getty Images
The Beatles starred in their first movie, A Hard Day’s Night, in 1964. The Beatles play themselves in the film, and it centers around the band trying to maneuver around a bunch of hijinks before an important TV performance. The entire film had to be produced in around 16 weeks, with a low budget of £200,000. Fortunately, the film succeeded with critics and audiences, grossing $11 million at the box office.
Shortly after the first success, Lester and The Beatles began filming their second movie,...
Richard Lester directed the first two Beatles movies Richard Lester | Mario Carlini – Iguana Press/Getty Images
The Beatles starred in their first movie, A Hard Day’s Night, in 1964. The Beatles play themselves in the film, and it centers around the band trying to maneuver around a bunch of hijinks before an important TV performance. The entire film had to be produced in around 16 weeks, with a low budget of £200,000. Fortunately, the film succeeded with critics and audiences, grossing $11 million at the box office.
Shortly after the first success, Lester and The Beatles began filming their second movie,...
- 3/30/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
It took a lot to bring "Superman" and "Superman II" to the big screen. Director Richard Donner and producer Alexander Salkind didn't get off to the best start, with Donner having to salvage a truly disastrous script that Salkind evidently felt was "perfect." But once "Superman" debuted in 1978, things started looking up. Or so it seemed.
With "Superman," Donner helped invent the modern blockbuster, setting a blueprint for every superhero movie that would follow and breaking box office records in the process. What made "Superman" an even more impressive feat was that during production, Donner had simultaneously shot most of the sequel. "Superman" and "Superman II" were filmed simultaneously, which meant the crew worked from a hefty script that required Donner to film scenes for both movies alongside one another.
Unfortunately, in order to make the "Superman" release date, Donner and co. had to stop filming "Superman II" before it was finished.
With "Superman," Donner helped invent the modern blockbuster, setting a blueprint for every superhero movie that would follow and breaking box office records in the process. What made "Superman" an even more impressive feat was that during production, Donner had simultaneously shot most of the sequel. "Superman" and "Superman II" were filmed simultaneously, which meant the crew worked from a hefty script that required Donner to film scenes for both movies alongside one another.
Unfortunately, in order to make the "Superman" release date, Donner and co. had to stop filming "Superman II" before it was finished.
- 3/25/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
“They’re gonna put me in the movies,” Ringo Starr sang on The Ed Sullivan Show as the Beatles covered Buck Owens’ hit “Act Naturally.” The 1965 appearance featured songs from the group’s new film, Help!, director Richard Lester’s send-up of James Bond movies and other elements of spymania, as well as a follow-up to the greatest jukebox movie ever made, A Hard Day’s Night (1964). Both films put the rhythm up front. It was natural.
Prior to the nationally broadcast live performance, Starr prepared the audience by introducing himself as “all nervous and out of tune,” and smiled embarrassedly without missing or slowing a beat through his propulsive country swing. Starr was a natural performer, a locally famous beat-keeper in Liverpool before joining the Beatles, whose rhythm patterns had a character which set him apart from other drummers. His beats had personality. As the song says, he played the...
Prior to the nationally broadcast live performance, Starr prepared the audience by introducing himself as “all nervous and out of tune,” and smiled embarrassedly without missing or slowing a beat through his propulsive country swing. Starr was a natural performer, a locally famous beat-keeper in Liverpool before joining the Beatles, whose rhythm patterns had a character which set him apart from other drummers. His beats had personality. As the song says, he played the...
- 3/25/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Many actors have a hard time watching their movies, and The Beatles were no different regarding their first movie, A Hard Day’s Night. While attending a screening of A Hard Day’s Night, every member failed to sit through the screening, except George Harrison. Harrison sat through the whole thing, which could be because he was the only one who could stand his acting.
Paul McCartney admitted The Beatles weren’t good actors Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison | Photo by Rb/Redferns
The Beatles acted in movies such as A Hard Day’s Night, Help!, and Magical Mystery Tour. Each film was a musical comedy that featured excellent soundtracks promoting The Beatles’ music. None of the fab four were trained actors, so this was a new experience for them.
In the book George Harrison on George Harrison, Paul McCartney admitted they weren’t the best actors. Part of it...
Paul McCartney admitted The Beatles weren’t good actors Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison | Photo by Rb/Redferns
The Beatles acted in movies such as A Hard Day’s Night, Help!, and Magical Mystery Tour. Each film was a musical comedy that featured excellent soundtracks promoting The Beatles’ music. None of the fab four were trained actors, so this was a new experience for them.
In the book George Harrison on George Harrison, Paul McCartney admitted they weren’t the best actors. Part of it...
- 3/4/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
On March 2, 1964, nearly 60 years ago today, The Beatles began filming A Hard Day’s Night. This was The Beatles’ first film, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The band, having enjoyed success in the United Kingdom throughout 1963, were now international stars. On this day, George Harrison also met his future wife, Pattie Boyd.
The Beatles with actors from ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ | Max Scheler – K & K/Redferns ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ was a way for The Beatles to capitalize on their success
When The Beatles traveled to America in early 1964, Beatlemania followed them across the Atlantic. They were at the height of their fame, and those around them decided to capitalize on that by putting the band in a movie. They wanted to do something different than typical music movies, too.
“We’d made it clear to Brian [Epstein] that we weren’t interested in being in...
The Beatles with actors from ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ | Max Scheler – K & K/Redferns ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ was a way for The Beatles to capitalize on their success
When The Beatles traveled to America in early 1964, Beatlemania followed them across the Atlantic. They were at the height of their fame, and those around them decided to capitalize on that by putting the band in a movie. They wanted to do something different than typical music movies, too.
“We’d made it clear to Brian [Epstein] that we weren’t interested in being in...
- 3/2/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In his bold 1990 interpretation of Luigi Pirandello’s “Henry IV,” the late and legendary Irish stage, screen and music star Richard Harris utters the immortal lines, “Woe to him who doesn’t know how to wear his mask.”
Even before his breathtaking big-screen triumph 60 years ago as the rugby ruffian Frank Machin in Lindsay Anderson’s film directing debut, “This Sporting Life,” Harris proved adept at juggling personal and professional personas. He swaggered with macho gusto and great thesping chops through the London stage scene and quickly found key roles in action epics such as “Guns of Navarone” and “Mutiny on the Bounty.”
Then his stunning 1963 breakthrough in “Life” made the showbiz side of the equation easy.
A Cannes lead actor award, an Oscar nomination and reams of reviews such as Variety’s quickly put Harris at the top tier of international leading men. Variety’s London critic at the...
Even before his breathtaking big-screen triumph 60 years ago as the rugby ruffian Frank Machin in Lindsay Anderson’s film directing debut, “This Sporting Life,” Harris proved adept at juggling personal and professional personas. He swaggered with macho gusto and great thesping chops through the London stage scene and quickly found key roles in action epics such as “Guns of Navarone” and “Mutiny on the Bounty.”
Then his stunning 1963 breakthrough in “Life” made the showbiz side of the equation easy.
A Cannes lead actor award, an Oscar nomination and reams of reviews such as Variety’s quickly put Harris at the top tier of international leading men. Variety’s London critic at the...
- 2/27/2023
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
While The Beatles were best known for their music, the fab four appeared in a few movies, including Help!. After the script and the music were written, filming began exactly 58 years ago today, down in the Bahamas.
‘Help!’ is the second film starring The Beatles Paul McCartney and John Lennon | William Lovelace/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
The Beatles were involved in a few films during the 1960s, including A Hard Day’s Night (1964), Magical Mystery Tour (1967), and Yellow Submarine (1968). Following the commercial success of A Hard Day’s Night, production quickly started on their second film, Help!.
Help! is a musical comedy-adventure film directed by Richard Lester, featuring the fab four running around the world from a dangerous cult. The cult wants to perform a human sacrifice but requires a ring that was sent to Ringo Starr. So, The Beatles travel around the world trying to flee the cult, and...
‘Help!’ is the second film starring The Beatles Paul McCartney and John Lennon | William Lovelace/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
The Beatles were involved in a few films during the 1960s, including A Hard Day’s Night (1964), Magical Mystery Tour (1967), and Yellow Submarine (1968). Following the commercial success of A Hard Day’s Night, production quickly started on their second film, Help!.
Help! is a musical comedy-adventure film directed by Richard Lester, featuring the fab four running around the world from a dangerous cult. The cult wants to perform a human sacrifice but requires a ring that was sent to Ringo Starr. So, The Beatles travel around the world trying to flee the cult, and...
- 2/24/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In many successful film franchises, there may be said to be an unspoken "rule of threequels." This rule dictates that the third film in a series is where things begin to unravel. The thinking goes as follows: A film is a hit, establishing a new character or world into cinema. The sequel, banking on the success of the first, will be larger, more exciting, and is often more ambitious. By the third film, however, the filmmakers -- in an effort to outdo film #2 -- either have to ratchet the action up to a near-intolerable levels, or take the action in a "new direction," often with disastrous results. One can see this dynamic at play in "Alien³," "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," "Return of the Jedi," "Death Wish 3," "X-Men: The Last Stand," "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," "Spider-Man 3," "RoboCop 3," and "Halloween III: Season of the Witch.
- 2/22/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
1978's "Superman" has always been revered, but over successive sequels, the franchise slowly made a joke out of its source material. And even though star Christopher Reeve wasn't too happy with the way the saga developed, his one and only "Saturday Night Live" appearance in 1985 proved he not only had a sense of humor but that he remained a star even as his career-making franchise deteriorated.
Richard Donner's original Superman film feels just as relevant today as it did back in the late '70s. James Gunn is currently working on his upcoming Superman movie, which, in the post-Snyderverse era, will hopefully re-establish the character as an upstanding paragon of morality, just as Donner's movie did back in the '70s. Back when the director was first contacted by producer Alexander Salkind, he would have to salvage a truly disastrous first script before coming on board. Forty-five years later,...
Richard Donner's original Superman film feels just as relevant today as it did back in the late '70s. James Gunn is currently working on his upcoming Superman movie, which, in the post-Snyderverse era, will hopefully re-establish the character as an upstanding paragon of morality, just as Donner's movie did back in the '70s. Back when the director was first contacted by producer Alexander Salkind, he would have to salvage a truly disastrous first script before coming on board. Forty-five years later,...
- 2/22/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Beatles memorabilia has always generated interest among collectors. There will always be those who can afford to pay top dollar for genuine merchandise and for those whose fandom goes way beyond the group’s music. However, on this day in 2016, a fifty-year-old piece of John Lennon’s hair from the set of How I Won the War sold for 35K. Beatles collectors paid big bucks for the personal item and two other mementos.
John Lennon on the set of ‘How I Won the War’ | Peter Timmullstein/Getty Images John Lennon starred in the 1967 dark comedy ‘How I Won the War’
In the latter part of his Beatles career, John Lennon starred in the 1967 dark comedy, How I Won the War. The film was directed by Richard Lester, who also directed A Hard Day’s Night and Help!
How I Won the War tells the tale of the fictional 3rd Troop...
John Lennon on the set of ‘How I Won the War’ | Peter Timmullstein/Getty Images John Lennon starred in the 1967 dark comedy ‘How I Won the War’
In the latter part of his Beatles career, John Lennon starred in the 1967 dark comedy, How I Won the War. The film was directed by Richard Lester, who also directed A Hard Day’s Night and Help!
How I Won the War tells the tale of the fictional 3rd Troop...
- 2/20/2023
- by Lucille Barilla
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Later in life, Raquel Welch would occasionally acknowledge that Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974) provided her with the best reviews of her career. And it’s hard to argue. Prior to those successful, and slyly subversive, reworkings of Alexandre Dumas’ most famous novel, Welch was known as the sex symbol of the ’60s. She was the redhead in the fur bikini of One Million Years B.C. (1966); the poster image that was so iconic her figure became the primary sales pitch for a movie about dinosaurs!
The bombshell persona opened the doors of Hollywood, but for a woman who was already a mother of two at the time and had to change her name to hide her Bolivian heritage, it was a mirage. She ran with it throughout the ‘60s, leaving a legacy that lingered on in movies which ranged from The Shawshank Redemption (1994) to Belfast...
The bombshell persona opened the doors of Hollywood, but for a woman who was already a mother of two at the time and had to change her name to hide her Bolivian heritage, it was a mirage. She ran with it throughout the ‘60s, leaving a legacy that lingered on in movies which ranged from The Shawshank Redemption (1994) to Belfast...
- 2/18/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Los Angeles – Raquel Welch never let anyone define who she was, despite being touted as a sex symbol in her early career. She defined sexy in films such as “One Million Years B.C.,” “Fantastic Voyage” and the 1970s Three Musketeers series. The movie star and entrepreneur died at age 82 at her home in Los Angeles.
She was born in Chicago as Jo Raquel Tejada (her father was Bolivian). Her family moved to California and she desired a theatrical and dance career, attending San Diego State College on a theater arts scholarship. After marrying her high school sweetheart James Welch – they separated after having two children together – she began her early career in film as Raquel Welch … her agent advised her against a Latina last name. Her first credited film role was in “A Swingin’ Summer” (1964).
Raquel Welch in Chicago circa 2010
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com...
She was born in Chicago as Jo Raquel Tejada (her father was Bolivian). Her family moved to California and she desired a theatrical and dance career, attending San Diego State College on a theater arts scholarship. After marrying her high school sweetheart James Welch – they separated after having two children together – she began her early career in film as Raquel Welch … her agent advised her against a Latina last name. Her first credited film role was in “A Swingin’ Summer” (1964).
Raquel Welch in Chicago circa 2010
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com...
- 2/16/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The late Raquel Welch was always very pragmatic about her acting career. She understood that she was largely approached for very specific kinds of roles merely for her model good looks and dazzling on-screen sparkle. It's telling that one of her most famous roles, that of Loana in Don Chaffey's 1966 film "One Million Years B.C.," featured Welch in a revealing fur bikini. That Welch was also a hilarious actor was a marvelous bonus for audiences everywhere. She was always very game, and can be seen in any number of energetic and bawdy comedies. Of course she was in Richard Lester's celibate "Three Musketeers" movies in the 1970s. She was, however, always aware of what audiences were looking at. Case in point: Welch's 2010 autobiography is called "Beyond the Cleavage."
In that book, Welch revealed that she was once approached to play the central love interest in the early James Bond film "Thunderball.
In that book, Welch revealed that she was once approached to play the central love interest in the early James Bond film "Thunderball.
- 2/16/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Raquel Welch, the actor who became an icon and sex symbol thanks to films such as ‘One Million Years B.C.’ and ‘Three Musketeers’, died on Wednesday in Los Angeles after a brief illness, her manager confirmed to ‘Variety’. She was 82 and is survived by son Damon and daughter Tahnee.
She came onto the movie scene in 1966 with the sci-fi film ‘Fantastic Voyage’ and the prehistoric adventure ‘One Million Years B.C.’, the latter of which established Welch as a sex symbol.
The actor, notes ‘Variety’, went on to appear in the controversial adaptation of Gore Vidal’s ‘Myra Beckrinridge’, ‘Kansas City Bomber’ and Richard Lester’s delightful romps ‘The Three Musketeers’ (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe, and ‘The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge’ (1974).
She was one of the first women to play the lead role – not the romantic interest – in a Western, 1971 revenge tale ‘Hannie Caulder’ – an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino...
She came onto the movie scene in 1966 with the sci-fi film ‘Fantastic Voyage’ and the prehistoric adventure ‘One Million Years B.C.’, the latter of which established Welch as a sex symbol.
The actor, notes ‘Variety’, went on to appear in the controversial adaptation of Gore Vidal’s ‘Myra Beckrinridge’, ‘Kansas City Bomber’ and Richard Lester’s delightful romps ‘The Three Musketeers’ (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe, and ‘The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge’ (1974).
She was one of the first women to play the lead role – not the romantic interest – in a Western, 1971 revenge tale ‘Hannie Caulder’ – an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino...
- 2/16/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Raquel Welch, the movie star and model Playboy declared "the most desirable woman of the 1970s," has died at the age of 82. According to her manager, Steve Sauer, (via CNN) Welch passed away after a "brief illness."
Welch was a much-buzzed-about Hollywood ingenue throughout the early 1960s before attaining international stardom in 1966's sci-fi classic "Fantastic Voyage" and the prehistoric Hammer flick "One Million Years B.C." While the latter movie did little to enhance her reputation as an actor, the sight of Welch in a two-piece deerskin bikini made her the pin-up heir to Marilyn Monroe.
Welch's physical beauty was undeniable, and she embraced her sex symbol status. But the Latina performer, who adopted her first husband's last name to avoid the kind of typecasting that drove Rita Moreno from Hollywood at the height of her popularity, knew she was more than just a pretty face, and proved it time and again throughout her career.
Welch was a much-buzzed-about Hollywood ingenue throughout the early 1960s before attaining international stardom in 1966's sci-fi classic "Fantastic Voyage" and the prehistoric Hammer flick "One Million Years B.C." While the latter movie did little to enhance her reputation as an actor, the sight of Welch in a two-piece deerskin bikini made her the pin-up heir to Marilyn Monroe.
Welch's physical beauty was undeniable, and she embraced her sex symbol status. But the Latina performer, who adopted her first husband's last name to avoid the kind of typecasting that drove Rita Moreno from Hollywood at the height of her popularity, knew she was more than just a pretty face, and proved it time and again throughout her career.
- 2/15/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Raquel Welch, the award-winning actress and reluctant sex symbol, has died at the age of 82. Her manager confirmed the news to Variety.
Related Raquel Welch: 10 Sexiest, Funniest, Most Iconic Roles Huey ‘Piano’ Smith, New Orleans R&b Great and Rock Pioneer, Dead at 89 De La Soul’s Trugoy the Dove Dead At 54
In a statement to People Magazine, her manager added that Welch “passed away peacefully early this morning after a brief illness.”
“Her career spanned over 50 years starring in over 30 films and 50 television series and appearances,” the statement continued.
Related Raquel Welch: 10 Sexiest, Funniest, Most Iconic Roles Huey ‘Piano’ Smith, New Orleans R&b Great and Rock Pioneer, Dead at 89 De La Soul’s Trugoy the Dove Dead At 54
In a statement to People Magazine, her manager added that Welch “passed away peacefully early this morning after a brief illness.”
“Her career spanned over 50 years starring in over 30 films and 50 television series and appearances,” the statement continued.
- 2/15/2023
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Raquel Welch, the actor who became an icon and sex symbol thanks to films like “One Million Years B.C.” and “Three Musketeers,” died Wednesday in Los Angeles after a brief illness, her manager confirmed to Variety. She was 82.
She came onto the movie scene in 1966 with the sci-fi film “Fantastic Voyage” and the prehistoric adventure “One Million Years B.C.,” the latter of which established Welch as a sex symbol. The actor went on to appear in the controversial adaptation of Gore Vidal’s “Myra Beckrinridge,” “Kansas City Bomber” and Richard Lester’s delightful romps “The Three Musketeers” (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe, and “The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge” (1974). She was one of the first women to play the lead role — not the romantic interest — in a Western, 1971 revenge tale “Hannie Caulder” — an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” (2003), according to the director.
(Earlier, Marlene Dietrich and Joan Crawford...
She came onto the movie scene in 1966 with the sci-fi film “Fantastic Voyage” and the prehistoric adventure “One Million Years B.C.,” the latter of which established Welch as a sex symbol. The actor went on to appear in the controversial adaptation of Gore Vidal’s “Myra Beckrinridge,” “Kansas City Bomber” and Richard Lester’s delightful romps “The Three Musketeers” (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe, and “The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge” (1974). She was one of the first women to play the lead role — not the romantic interest — in a Western, 1971 revenge tale “Hannie Caulder” — an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” (2003), according to the director.
(Earlier, Marlene Dietrich and Joan Crawford...
- 2/15/2023
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
The Beatles were professional songwriters and, sometimes, amateur actors. In 1964, the Fab Four starred in the music film A Hard Day’s Night, creating the movie in England instead of Hollywood. Here’s what Paul McCartney said about their choice to stay in the UK for this project.
The Beatles released their music film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ Rock band The Beatles in ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ released in 1964 | Lmpc via Getty Images
The Beatles are the chart-topping artists behind A Hard Day’s Night — the 1964 full-length album featuring “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “And I Love Her,” and “If I Fell.” McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr also acted in a movie of the same title.
The 1964 music film, according to its IMDb description, followed the Beatles over two ‘typical’ days. The performers acted as themselves, with McCartney’s grandfather causing trouble with their upcoming live performance.
The Beach Boys...
The Beatles released their music film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ Rock band The Beatles in ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ released in 1964 | Lmpc via Getty Images
The Beatles are the chart-topping artists behind A Hard Day’s Night — the 1964 full-length album featuring “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “And I Love Her,” and “If I Fell.” McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr also acted in a movie of the same title.
The 1964 music film, according to its IMDb description, followed the Beatles over two ‘typical’ days. The performers acted as themselves, with McCartney’s grandfather causing trouble with their upcoming live performance.
The Beach Boys...
- 2/6/2023
- by Julia Dzurillay
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
After John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr found global success with their music, they decided to expand into film with A Hard Day’s Night. The film was The Beatles’ first time acting on camera, and they did it with varying degrees of success. While they had fun shooting the film, watching it was a different story. The band’s press officer, Derek Taylor, said all but Harrison left during the band’s viewing of the film.
The Beatles in ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ | Gab Archive/Redferns The Beatles released their first film in 1964
In 1964, The Beatles decided to further capitalize on Beatlemania by releasing a movie. In it, the band played themselves. McCartney explained that they had fun doing it, but he didn’t think they were particularly good actors.
“The first film we ever made, and we’re having a good time,” said McCartney, per the...
The Beatles in ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ | Gab Archive/Redferns The Beatles released their first film in 1964
In 1964, The Beatles decided to further capitalize on Beatlemania by releasing a movie. In it, the band played themselves. McCartney explained that they had fun doing it, but he didn’t think they were particularly good actors.
“The first film we ever made, and we’re having a good time,” said McCartney, per the...
- 2/1/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles were professional musicians, and, according to one interview, mediocre actors. These artists starred in Help, with John Lennon even saying the Fab Four were “no good” acting in this comedy film. Still, Paul McCartney had one “big ambition” on his mind — playing Catherine in Wuthering Heights.
The Beatles released their music film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ The Beatles Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison in a scene from their second movie ‘Help!’ | Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images
They’re the artists behind “Let It Be,” “Hey Jude,” and “Strawberry Fields Forever.” In addition to creating music, the Beatles released the movie A Hard Day’s Night, which shares the same title as one original song.
This was a groundbreaking project for the band, shifting the music industry and making the band even more marketable, according to the Beach Boys’ Mike Love.
In 1965, the Beatles released the music film/comedy production,...
The Beatles released their music film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ The Beatles Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison in a scene from their second movie ‘Help!’ | Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images
They’re the artists behind “Let It Be,” “Hey Jude,” and “Strawberry Fields Forever.” In addition to creating music, the Beatles released the movie A Hard Day’s Night, which shares the same title as one original song.
This was a groundbreaking project for the band, shifting the music industry and making the band even more marketable, according to the Beach Boys’ Mike Love.
In 1965, the Beatles released the music film/comedy production,...
- 1/28/2023
- by Julia Dzurillay
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
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