Even Dolly Parton gets jitters ahead of shows. As she prepared to play a concert in England, she felt increasingly concerned that she wouldn’t go over well with the crowd. Parton worried the crowd would turn their nose at her appearance and performance.
Dolly Parton wasn’t sure a show in England would go well
In 1983, Parton put on a special for HBO at the Old Dominion Theater in London. She was incredibly nervous ahead of the performance.
“At first it looked as if the entire event would turn out to be a disaster. I knew that the British people had heard my songs on the radio and on records but didn’t really know what I looked like,” she wrote in her book Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business, adding, “I always thought of England as very proper and conservative. I didn’t know how they would react to the big,...
Dolly Parton wasn’t sure a show in England would go well
In 1983, Parton put on a special for HBO at the Old Dominion Theater in London. She was incredibly nervous ahead of the performance.
“At first it looked as if the entire event would turn out to be a disaster. I knew that the British people had heard my songs on the radio and on records but didn’t really know what I looked like,” she wrote in her book Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business, adding, “I always thought of England as very proper and conservative. I didn’t know how they would react to the big,...
- 4/20/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The late actor Kevin Conroy earned worldwide recognition after he voiced the character of DC Comics superhero Batman in various animated series, starting with Batman: The Animated Series, which premiered in 1992. He continued to voice the character in animated series including The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited.
Without showcasing his face on-screen, the late actor managed to impress the audience with his deep and raspy voice, which helped define the character for the audience for almost three decades. The actor passed away at the age of 66 on November 10, 2022, following a private battle with intestinal cancer. Before his passing, Kevin Conroy had shared a technique he used to nail Batman’s voice.
Kevin Conroy voiced Batman in Bruce Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series (Credits: Warner Bros. Youtube) Kevin Conroy talks about the secret behind Batman’s voice
Actor Kevin Conroy’s voice for Batman:...
Without showcasing his face on-screen, the late actor managed to impress the audience with his deep and raspy voice, which helped define the character for the audience for almost three decades. The actor passed away at the age of 66 on November 10, 2022, following a private battle with intestinal cancer. Before his passing, Kevin Conroy had shared a technique he used to nail Batman’s voice.
Kevin Conroy voiced Batman in Bruce Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series (Credits: Warner Bros. Youtube) Kevin Conroy talks about the secret behind Batman’s voice
Actor Kevin Conroy’s voice for Batman:...
- 4/6/2024
- by Avneet Ahluwalia
- FandomWire
It is a testament to his acting ability that it was years before I realized that Gary Oldman is British. With an ability to nail accents, the dedication to drastically change his appearance and the talent to convey the full spectrum of emotions, Oldman is one of the most eclectic and underrated actors of our time.
Born March 21, 1958, in London, Oldman began his acting career on the British stage in 1979, and made his film debut in “Remembrance” in 1982. In 1984, he reluctantly accepted the role of punk rocker Sid Vicious in “Sid and Nancy,” a performance which garnered him critical acclaim and launched a diverse and successful career that has spanned almost four decades, and includes everything from small indie films to blockbuster franchises.
Oldman is well-known for his portrayal of some of the most memorable villains in the history of the cinema, from the campy Zorg in “The Fifth Element...
Born March 21, 1958, in London, Oldman began his acting career on the British stage in 1979, and made his film debut in “Remembrance” in 1982. In 1984, he reluctantly accepted the role of punk rocker Sid Vicious in “Sid and Nancy,” a performance which garnered him critical acclaim and launched a diverse and successful career that has spanned almost four decades, and includes everything from small indie films to blockbuster franchises.
Oldman is well-known for his portrayal of some of the most memorable villains in the history of the cinema, from the campy Zorg in “The Fifth Element...
- 3/15/2024
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
In 1979, at the tail end of the punk era, Franc Roddam’s Quadrophenia helped convince a certain crew of UK kids to favor sharp suits over bondage gear.Host Rico Gagliano tells the twisty story of the movie, the ‘60s mod subculture it celebrates, and the mod revival it fueled. Guests include Roddam himself, superstar fashion designer Anna Sui, mod historians Paolo Hewitt and Eddie Piller…and a cameo from Sid Vicious’s shirt.Season 5, titled "Tailor Made," dives deep into the worlds of film and fashion. Each episode tackles a landmark movie that captured a major fashion look of an era, and then decodes what that look meant—to the culture that spawned it, the people who wore it, and the audiences who watched it on screen.Listen to episode 2 below or wherever you get your podcasts:Apple PodcastsStitcherSpotifyGoogle PodcastsMore...
- 2/1/2024
- MUBI
One of the most beloved characters on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is Spike, a punk rock vampire who falls in love with the Slayer he set out to kill. Spike was a hugely charismatic force and, despite series creator Joss Whedon's best efforts, he quickly became a romantic character. The British bad-boy was supposed to be killed off immediately, but he became such a fan favorite that the writers had to figure out what to do with him for the rest of the series. The audience loved Spike because he wasn't just a misfit among misfits — he owned it. From his slick-back blond hair to his leather trench coat, Spike was everyone's favorite outcast.
James Marsters was originally only supposed to play Spike for 5 episodes, the actor explained in a 2012 interview. Keeping the punk rock vamp in the series challenged the central message of the show, so the series...
James Marsters was originally only supposed to play Spike for 5 episodes, the actor explained in a 2012 interview. Keeping the punk rock vamp in the series challenged the central message of the show, so the series...
- 1/28/2024
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
Poll any 25 movie fans on what their favorite Gary Oldman performance is and you’ll get nearly as many answers (I’ll take Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy). But one that surely connected with a core audience was Sirius Black in the Harry Potter series. And it was those movies – and by taking on James Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies – that helped him find a balance between work and home life.
Speaking on The Drew Barrymore Show (via Variety), Gary Oldman said the turmoil following his divorce from third wife Donya Fiorentino put him in a tough situation when it came time to manage his career and bond with his sons. Fortunately, some high-profile projects were on the horizon, with both Prisoner of Azkaban and Batman Begins being released within just about one year of each other. As he told the host, “Thank God for Harry Potter…...
Speaking on The Drew Barrymore Show (via Variety), Gary Oldman said the turmoil following his divorce from third wife Donya Fiorentino put him in a tough situation when it came time to manage his career and bond with his sons. Fortunately, some high-profile projects were on the horizon, with both Prisoner of Azkaban and Batman Begins being released within just about one year of each other. As he told the host, “Thank God for Harry Potter…...
- 12/16/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Olivia Rodrigo‘s boyfriend Louis Partridge has been supporting her all weekend long!
After being spotted in the crowd for Olivia‘s Jingle Ball performance on Friday night, he was seen attending the after party for Saturday Night Live with her on Saturday (December 9) in New York City.
Olivia was the musical guest on SNL this weekend and performed two of her hit songs from Guts on the show.
Following the after party, Olivia and Louis were seen leaving together in the same car.
Louis and Olivia first sparked dating rumors in October when they were seen spending time together in London.
For those who don’t know, Louis is best known for his role as Lord Tewkesbury in the Netflix film series Enola Holmes. He also appeared as Sid Vicious in the 2022 limited series Pistol.
After being spotted in the crowd for Olivia‘s Jingle Ball performance on Friday night, he was seen attending the after party for Saturday Night Live with her on Saturday (December 9) in New York City.
Olivia was the musical guest on SNL this weekend and performed two of her hit songs from Guts on the show.
Following the after party, Olivia and Louis were seen leaving together in the same car.
Louis and Olivia first sparked dating rumors in October when they were seen spending time together in London.
For those who don’t know, Louis is best known for his role as Lord Tewkesbury in the Netflix film series Enola Holmes. He also appeared as Sid Vicious in the 2022 limited series Pistol.
- 12/10/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Ryuhei Matsuda was born on the 9th of May, 1983, in Tokyo, to actress and producer Miyuki Matsuda and actor Yûsaku Matsuda, and only six years later he loses his father to cancer at the premature age of 40. At only 15, Ryuhei is approached by Nagisa Oshima with the life changing offer of a prominent role in his film Gohatto. Since then, Matsuda's magnetic charisma and remarkable versatility have allowed him to portray a wide range of characters, from brooding antiheroes to quirky and endearing figures, captivating audiences both in Japan and internationally.
With a unique ability to immerse himself in diverse roles, he has left an indelible mark on Japanese cinema and continues to be a beloved and influential figure in the world of acting. However, Matsuda's congenital air of disdain for the whole world, his glacial aloofness mixed with his innate handsomeness make him the prototype of effortless coolness,...
With a unique ability to immerse himself in diverse roles, he has left an indelible mark on Japanese cinema and continues to be a beloved and influential figure in the world of acting. However, Matsuda's congenital air of disdain for the whole world, his glacial aloofness mixed with his innate handsomeness make him the prototype of effortless coolness,...
- 11/9/2023
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Priscilla is a biographical drama film produced, written, and directed by Sofia Coppola. Based on the 1985 memoir titled Elvis and Me by Priscilla Presley and Sandra Harmon, the romantic drama film revolves around the life of Priscilla Presley and her relationship with Elvis Presley. Priscilla stars Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi in the lead roles with Ari Cohen, Dagmara Dominczyk, and Tim Post in supporting roles. So, if you loved Priscilla, here are some similar movies you could watch next.
Walk the Line (Max & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – 20th Century Studios
Synopsis: Singer. Rebel. Outlaw. Hero. With his driving freight-train chords, steel-eyed intensity and a voice as dark as the night, the legendary “Man in Black” revolutionized music – and forged his legacy as a genuine American icon. Golden Globe winners Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon star (and sing) as Johnny Cash and June Carter in this inspiring true story of...
Walk the Line (Max & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – 20th Century Studios
Synopsis: Singer. Rebel. Outlaw. Hero. With his driving freight-train chords, steel-eyed intensity and a voice as dark as the night, the legendary “Man in Black” revolutionized music – and forged his legacy as a genuine American icon. Golden Globe winners Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon star (and sing) as Johnny Cash and June Carter in this inspiring true story of...
- 11/4/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Celebration of the legendary New York hotel and haven for actors, artists and musicians that spills secrets of squalor, celebrity and death
Earlier this year saw the release of Dreaming Walls, an interesting if meanderingly vague film about New York’s legendary Hotel Chelsea; the place which is actually an apartment building and artist colony, famous for residents and habitués including Andy Warhol, Sid Vicious, Isadora Duncan, Dylan Thomas and Arthur Miller. That rather downbeat film emphasised the efforts of longterm residents to stay in the building after it was bought by new owners who allegedly wanted to sanitise and gentrify it. Here is a second documentary which is far more celebratory, with far more interviewees, far more sexy name-dropping and more uproarious anecdotes, especially about the friendly ghosts who allegedly roam its corridors.
Again, this film pays tribute to the building’s manager Stanley Bard, who cultivated its reputation...
Earlier this year saw the release of Dreaming Walls, an interesting if meanderingly vague film about New York’s legendary Hotel Chelsea; the place which is actually an apartment building and artist colony, famous for residents and habitués including Andy Warhol, Sid Vicious, Isadora Duncan, Dylan Thomas and Arthur Miller. That rather downbeat film emphasised the efforts of longterm residents to stay in the building after it was bought by new owners who allegedly wanted to sanitise and gentrify it. Here is a second documentary which is far more celebratory, with far more interviewees, far more sexy name-dropping and more uproarious anecdotes, especially about the friendly ghosts who allegedly roam its corridors.
Again, this film pays tribute to the building’s manager Stanley Bard, who cultivated its reputation...
- 10/5/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" is one of cinema's most treasured performances. Ledger completely transforms his voice and body to inhabit the role of a homicidal maniac. From his crooked, erratic stride to the constant licking of his lips, his character constantly buzzes with frantic energy — eager to cause disruption and destruction with his vicious schemes. As he explains, he's like "a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it!" In the bizarre way he carries himself, we can easily see Heath Ledger's inspirations for the role, as Christopher Nolan discusses in Gothamist and The Hollywood Reporter.
One of his biggest influences for the Joker was Alex DeLarge from "A Clockwork Orange," another outcast who enjoys disturbing the social order with violence and mayhem. Both characters have an unsettling charm in their physicality — especially their sly smiles and transfixing,...
One of his biggest influences for the Joker was Alex DeLarge from "A Clockwork Orange," another outcast who enjoys disturbing the social order with violence and mayhem. Both characters have an unsettling charm in their physicality — especially their sly smiles and transfixing,...
- 8/18/2023
- by Caroline Madden
- Slash Film
Have you Od’d on all the media attention for WB’s July 21 launch of “Barbie”? It’s understandable, but you have to cut her some slack: Mattel and Barbie have been waiting decades for this moment.
Years ago, Universal homevideo exec Glenn Ross told Variety that U and Mattel had been thinking about films as far back as 2001: “We knew we should make Barbie a movie star. It has to be the same way you would feel when seeing a Meryl Streep movie.”
He was speaking in 2007 about the animated films. The direct-to-dvd films debuted in 2001 and six years later, they had completed nine titles, with each selling more than a million copies.
Mattel exec producer Rob Hudnut added at the time, “We are great believers in the power of little girls.”
As well they should. Barbie has been a money machine for Mattel since her debut in...
Years ago, Universal homevideo exec Glenn Ross told Variety that U and Mattel had been thinking about films as far back as 2001: “We knew we should make Barbie a movie star. It has to be the same way you would feel when seeing a Meryl Streep movie.”
He was speaking in 2007 about the animated films. The direct-to-dvd films debuted in 2001 and six years later, they had completed nine titles, with each selling more than a million copies.
Mattel exec producer Rob Hudnut added at the time, “We are great believers in the power of little girls.”
As well they should. Barbie has been a money machine for Mattel since her debut in...
- 7/22/2023
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
To celebrate the release of Wish Upon A Unicorn – available on Blu-ray & DVD from 3rd July, we have Blu-Rays to give away to 2 lucky winners!
Two sisters and their father (Jonathan Lajoie) move from the city to the country to live with their grandmother. On her farm, they miraculously discover and befriend a baby unicorn named Rocco. Rocco has magical powers and gives the girls a little bit of luck, hijinks and a lot of laughter, which makes the adjustment to their new home and school easier. But when the local good-for-nothing cowboys learn about the magical unicorn, the gang steals Rocco to use his powers for themselves.
Actor Jonathan Lajoie who plays the father Louis Dindal is also a comedian, singer/songwriter who wrote five songs for The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, including “Catchy Song” and “Not Evil”.
Grandma Rose is played by Chloe Webb, whose film...
Two sisters and their father (Jonathan Lajoie) move from the city to the country to live with their grandmother. On her farm, they miraculously discover and befriend a baby unicorn named Rocco. Rocco has magical powers and gives the girls a little bit of luck, hijinks and a lot of laughter, which makes the adjustment to their new home and school easier. But when the local good-for-nothing cowboys learn about the magical unicorn, the gang steals Rocco to use his powers for themselves.
Actor Jonathan Lajoie who plays the father Louis Dindal is also a comedian, singer/songwriter who wrote five songs for The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, including “Catchy Song” and “Not Evil”.
Grandma Rose is played by Chloe Webb, whose film...
- 6/29/2023
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The renowned annual talent showcase spotlights the hottest up-and-coming actors and filmmakers in the UK and Ireland.
Screen International has unveiled the 2023 edition of Stars of Tomorrow, spotlighting the hottest up-and-coming actors and filmmakers in the UK and Ireland.
This year marks a special milestone for Stars of Tomorrow – its 20th edition, and the annual talent showcase has demonstrated an unparalleled track record for spotting emerging UK and Irish talent, both in front of and behind the camera, since its launch in 2004.
Those selected this time include Heartstopper star Kit Connor, Mia McKenna-Bruce, who played the lead role in Cannes breakout How To Have Sex,...
Screen International has unveiled the 2023 edition of Stars of Tomorrow, spotlighting the hottest up-and-coming actors and filmmakers in the UK and Ireland.
This year marks a special milestone for Stars of Tomorrow – its 20th edition, and the annual talent showcase has demonstrated an unparalleled track record for spotting emerging UK and Irish talent, both in front of and behind the camera, since its launch in 2004.
Those selected this time include Heartstopper star Kit Connor, Mia McKenna-Bruce, who played the lead role in Cannes breakout How To Have Sex,...
- 6/28/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
A version of this story about Gary Oldman and “Slow Horses” first ran in the drama issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Here is how the world was introduced to Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb, distinguished British spy: He is asleep on the couch in his office, a wreck of a room littered with half-drunk bottles of booze, overflowing ashtrays and the remains of several fast-food take-out meals. The camera pulls in, rests a beat on his holey-socked feet, and then: He rips a fart so uproarious, it jolts him upright, yanking him out of his slumber.
This is not the suave world of British spies epitomized by James Bond and John le Carré’s George Smiley (who Oldman played in 2011’s “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”). This is “Slow Horses,” Apple TV+’s viciously funny espionage thriller about MI5 agents sent to a purgatorial outpost called Slough House, where they...
Here is how the world was introduced to Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb, distinguished British spy: He is asleep on the couch in his office, a wreck of a room littered with half-drunk bottles of booze, overflowing ashtrays and the remains of several fast-food take-out meals. The camera pulls in, rests a beat on his holey-socked feet, and then: He rips a fart so uproarious, it jolts him upright, yanking him out of his slumber.
This is not the suave world of British spies epitomized by James Bond and John le Carré’s George Smiley (who Oldman played in 2011’s “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”). This is “Slow Horses,” Apple TV+’s viciously funny espionage thriller about MI5 agents sent to a purgatorial outpost called Slough House, where they...
- 6/16/2023
- by Missy Schwartz
- The Wrap
When you see a documentary about a game-changing pop star, you assume you’re going to get the story of the music, and also a good look at the life, and that there’ll be enough (on both counts) to go around. I was eager to see “Let the Canary Sing,” a documentary portrait of Cyndi Lauper, because it’s directed by Alison Ellwood, who made “The Go-Go’s” a few years back, and that movie had everything: the drama, the trauma, the saga of a total pop-music reset, as we watched the Go-Go’s bust down doors that had been too tightly shut for too long. Cyndi Lauper was no less revolutionary a figure, arriving in the early ’80s, along with Madonna, to announce that we were in the midst of a seismic new definition of what it meant to be a female pop star. The definition was: a star...
- 6/16/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” is one of the most moving ballads in the history of pop music. Notably, the tune was penned by songwriter extraordinaire Paul Anka. Subsequently, Anka explained why he gave the tune to Ol’ Blue Eyes.
Frank Sinatra | Joan Adlen Photography / Contributor Paul Anka based Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’ on a French song about a boring relationship
“My Way” is based on a French song called “Comme d’habitude,” which means “As Usual.” “Comme d’habitude” is about a couple falling out of love because their relationship become mundane. In his 2013 book My Way: An Autobiography, Anka said the song was average and stereotypically French, but he was intrigued by its melody. He negotiated the rights to the song and wrote new lyrics for it. He gave the track to Sinatra instead of keeping it for himself.
Anka explained this decision. “Hanging out with Sinatra...
Frank Sinatra | Joan Adlen Photography / Contributor Paul Anka based Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’ on a French song about a boring relationship
“My Way” is based on a French song called “Comme d’habitude,” which means “As Usual.” “Comme d’habitude” is about a couple falling out of love because their relationship become mundane. In his 2013 book My Way: An Autobiography, Anka said the song was average and stereotypically French, but he was intrigued by its melody. He negotiated the rights to the song and wrote new lyrics for it. He gave the track to Sinatra instead of keeping it for himself.
Anka explained this decision. “Hanging out with Sinatra...
- 6/7/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
It’s the age of the biopic, and many filmmakers are turning to classic rock artists as their subjects. It makes sense — their music has moved people for decades, and their lives are usually full of enough intrigue to fill at least one film. As news of the new Bob Dylan biopic continues to trickle out and we not-so-patiently await a Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac movie, here are six classic rock biopics to watch.
The Beatles | Central Press/Getty Images ‘Love & Mercy’
The 2014 film Love & Mercy stars Paul Dano and John Cusack as The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson. The film alternates between the 1960s, as Wilson works on the seminal Pet Sounds, and the 1980s, as he grapples with his mental health and begins a new relationship. Wilson himself said that upon watching the film, he was astonished by both portrayals of him, particularly Dano’s.
“Well, he looked...
The Beatles | Central Press/Getty Images ‘Love & Mercy’
The 2014 film Love & Mercy stars Paul Dano and John Cusack as The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson. The film alternates between the 1960s, as Wilson works on the seminal Pet Sounds, and the 1980s, as he grapples with his mental health and begins a new relationship. Wilson himself said that upon watching the film, he was astonished by both portrayals of him, particularly Dano’s.
“Well, he looked...
- 4/13/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Chaeyoung from the the K-pop band Twice has apologised after wearing a t-shirt with a swastika symbol.
The sign, which is associated with fascism after Hitler used the symbol for the Nazi party, is considered deeply offensive.
The 23-year-old came under fired after posting an image on Instagram, which showed her wearing a t-shirt, featuring Sid Vicious of Sex Pistols, that had the symbol on it.
On Tuesday evening (21 March), the singer posted to her 8.6 million followers on Instagram in English and Korean to apologise for wearing the shirt.
“I sincerely apologise regarding the Instagram post. I didn’t correctly recognise the meaning of the tilted swastika in the t-shirt I wore,” Chaeyoung wrote.
“I deeply apologise for not thoroughly reviewing it, causing concern. I will pay absolute attention in the future to prevent any situation similar from happening again. Sincerely apologise again,” she added.
Twice are a k-pop group consisting of nine members.
The sign, which is associated with fascism after Hitler used the symbol for the Nazi party, is considered deeply offensive.
The 23-year-old came under fired after posting an image on Instagram, which showed her wearing a t-shirt, featuring Sid Vicious of Sex Pistols, that had the symbol on it.
On Tuesday evening (21 March), the singer posted to her 8.6 million followers on Instagram in English and Korean to apologise for wearing the shirt.
“I sincerely apologise regarding the Instagram post. I didn’t correctly recognise the meaning of the tilted swastika in the t-shirt I wore,” Chaeyoung wrote.
“I deeply apologise for not thoroughly reviewing it, causing concern. I will pay absolute attention in the future to prevent any situation similar from happening again. Sincerely apologise again,” she added.
Twice are a k-pop group consisting of nine members.
- 3/22/2023
- by Megan Graye
- The Independent - Music
These days he's known as one of the finest actors in the industry for his almost unmatched versatility and range. Gary Oldman is frequently unrecognizable from role to role. Not only has he built a respected career as a result, but back in the mid-80s — before his appearances in the Harry Potter franchise or Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy — Oldman was coming off an acclaimed run in the theater and was yet to make his name in the film industry.
Having starred in 1982's "Remembrance," the actor wouldn't appear in another film until 1986 when he had to be talked into playing Sid Vicious. By his own admission, Oldman had little to no interest in the Sex Pistols bassist (or punk in general), but was convinced by director Alex Cox to take on the lead role in his retelling of Vicious' dysfunctional relationship with Nancy Spungen. Almost 30 years later,...
Having starred in 1982's "Remembrance," the actor wouldn't appear in another film until 1986 when he had to be talked into playing Sid Vicious. By his own admission, Oldman had little to no interest in the Sex Pistols bassist (or punk in general), but was convinced by director Alex Cox to take on the lead role in his retelling of Vicious' dysfunctional relationship with Nancy Spungen. Almost 30 years later,...
- 3/4/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Gary Oldman is one of the greatest film actors of all time. His versatility is so established now that there are internet memes about his uncanny ability to just simply vanish into a role. No other actor could convincingly play real-life figures as diverse as Lee Harvey Oswald and Winston Churchill, let alone such contrasting literary characters as Dracula and George Smiley. It's this versatility that has led to his success and longevity as an actor; he can play the hero, the villain, a supporting role, or a mere cameo, and never gives a part anything less than his all, whether he's playing Beethoven or a CGI peacock.
It's true that he displayed a propensity for playing villains in outlandish science fiction romps like "The Fifth Element," popcorn actioners like "Air Force One," or serial killer thrillers like "Hannibal." However, more recently he has received long overdue recognition for his...
It's true that he displayed a propensity for playing villains in outlandish science fiction romps like "The Fifth Element," popcorn actioners like "Air Force One," or serial killer thrillers like "Hannibal." However, more recently he has received long overdue recognition for his...
- 2/12/2023
- by Nick Bartlett
- Slash Film
Mod Sun’s coming-of-age experience has been a prolonged one, mainly because growing up never appealed to him much. Many of the artists he idolized as a kid, like Kurt Cobain and Sid Vicious, didn’t make it past 27 years old. To the musician born Derek Smith, they were his teachers, both musically and philosophically. Their music showed what it means to be a tortured artist, but lacked guidance on what comes after the phase of high-speed self-destruction.
“That bled into my mind that you have to be addicted to...
“That bled into my mind that you have to be addicted to...
- 2/2/2023
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
Engaging study of artists and radicals hanging on at the legendary New York building in the face of hungry developers is charming but vague
New York’s Chelsea Hotel is the almost mythic building renowned for the radical bohemianism and life-on-the-edge danger of its famous residents, who have included Dylan Thomas, Patti Smith, Sid Vicious, Bob Dylan, Madonna and Iggy Pop. But unlike CBGBs or checker cabs, the Chelsea is a New York institution that does in fact still exist, and is the subject of this interesting, if meanderingly vague documentary from Maya Duverdier and Amélie van Elmbt.
It is all about the now ageing artists and radicals still living there, such as dancer and choreographer Merle Lister, who once staged performances in the Chelsea’s beautiful stairwell with its wrought-iron balustrades. They are the ageing holdout generation with legally protected tenancy – and they resent the forces of gentrification for...
New York’s Chelsea Hotel is the almost mythic building renowned for the radical bohemianism and life-on-the-edge danger of its famous residents, who have included Dylan Thomas, Patti Smith, Sid Vicious, Bob Dylan, Madonna and Iggy Pop. But unlike CBGBs or checker cabs, the Chelsea is a New York institution that does in fact still exist, and is the subject of this interesting, if meanderingly vague documentary from Maya Duverdier and Amélie van Elmbt.
It is all about the now ageing artists and radicals still living there, such as dancer and choreographer Merle Lister, who once staged performances in the Chelsea’s beautiful stairwell with its wrought-iron balustrades. They are the ageing holdout generation with legally protected tenancy – and they resent the forces of gentrification for...
- 1/18/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Tributes have been paid to Keith Levene, a founding member of punk bands The Clash and Public Image Ltd, who has died aged 65.
Hailed as an innovative guitarist who helped shape the sound of punk, Levene cowrote the song “What’s My Name” from The Clash’s 1977 debut album.
Singer-songwriter Lloyd Cole described Levene as a “bona fide guitar genius”.
Levene, who had liver cancer, died at his home in Norfolk, The Guardian reported.
He left The Clash before they released their first record, then co-founded the Flowers of Romance with Sid Vicious.
After the the Sex Pistols disintegrated in 1978, Levene teamed up with their vocalist John Lydon, as well as drummer Jim Walker and bassist Jah Wobble to form Public Image Ltd (PiL).
Author Adam Hammond, with whom Levene was reportedly writing a book about PiL, wrote on Twitter: “There is no doubt that Keith was one of the most innovative,...
Hailed as an innovative guitarist who helped shape the sound of punk, Levene cowrote the song “What’s My Name” from The Clash’s 1977 debut album.
Singer-songwriter Lloyd Cole described Levene as a “bona fide guitar genius”.
Levene, who had liver cancer, died at his home in Norfolk, The Guardian reported.
He left The Clash before they released their first record, then co-founded the Flowers of Romance with Sid Vicious.
After the the Sex Pistols disintegrated in 1978, Levene teamed up with their vocalist John Lydon, as well as drummer Jim Walker and bassist Jah Wobble to form Public Image Ltd (PiL).
Author Adam Hammond, with whom Levene was reportedly writing a book about PiL, wrote on Twitter: “There is no doubt that Keith was one of the most innovative,...
- 11/12/2022
- by Jane Dalton
- The Independent - Music
Keith Levene, a founding member of the Clash and Public Image Ltd, died on Friday, Nov. 11. He was 65. His former bandmates Jah Wobble and Martin Atkins confirmed the news via social media. Levene, who had liver cancer, died at his home in Norfolk, England, per The Guardian.
“Rip Keith Levene – a guitar tone like ground up diamonds fired at you through a high pressure hose,” Andy Bell of Ride tweeted.
While Levene’s influential fretwork shaped the sound of punk and post-punk to come, one of his first gigs was...
“Rip Keith Levene – a guitar tone like ground up diamonds fired at you through a high pressure hose,” Andy Bell of Ride tweeted.
While Levene’s influential fretwork shaped the sound of punk and post-punk to come, one of his first gigs was...
- 11/12/2022
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
"JFK" is one of the most controversial films ever made, because of the alternate view of a major historical event provided by its director Oliver Stone, a filmmaker long known for his unapologetic brashness and penchant for highly subjective narratives. Stone is an outspoken critic of The Warren Commission, which concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone to assassinate the president, and he saw "JFK" as his opportunity to offer a "counter myth to the official one."
Stone's version hypothesizes that Kennedy's peaceful policies made him an enemy of warmongering intelligence agencies, and that the CIA, FBI, and Secret Service conspired to get rid of him so they could wage war in Vietnam. He used a masterful blend of reenactments and archival footage in order to showcase his own theories, which led The Chicago Tribune to accuse him of "rewrit[ing] history." It's an accusation that Stone rejects. He told Speaking...
Stone's version hypothesizes that Kennedy's peaceful policies made him an enemy of warmongering intelligence agencies, and that the CIA, FBI, and Secret Service conspired to get rid of him so they could wage war in Vietnam. He used a masterful blend of reenactments and archival footage in order to showcase his own theories, which led The Chicago Tribune to accuse him of "rewrit[ing] history." It's an accusation that Stone rejects. He told Speaking...
- 11/7/2022
- by Christian Gainey
- Slash Film
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Kourtney Kardashian Barker (@kourtneykardash)
Kourtney Kardashian Barker is getting into the Halloween spirit. On Tuesday, the 43-year-old Lemme founder shared a series of photos on her Instagram featuring her over-the-top Halloween decorations, bat-shaped pancakes, and her and husband Travis Barker cuddled up in bed wearing skeleton pajamas.
The photos come just a day after Kardashian Barker and Barker celebrated the one-year anniversary of their engagement on Oct. 17. To mark the special occasion, the couple returned to the Rosewood Miramar Beach hotel in Montecito, CA, and naturally, Kardashian Barker documented the whole thing on Instagram. "last night...
A post shared by Kourtney Kardashian Barker (@kourtneykardash)
Kourtney Kardashian Barker is getting into the Halloween spirit. On Tuesday, the 43-year-old Lemme founder shared a series of photos on her Instagram featuring her over-the-top Halloween decorations, bat-shaped pancakes, and her and husband Travis Barker cuddled up in bed wearing skeleton pajamas.
The photos come just a day after Kardashian Barker and Barker celebrated the one-year anniversary of their engagement on Oct. 17. To mark the special occasion, the couple returned to the Rosewood Miramar Beach hotel in Montecito, CA, and naturally, Kardashian Barker documented the whole thing on Instagram. "last night...
- 10/19/2022
- by Monica Sisavat
- Popsugar.com
Bono’s memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story doesn’t come out until November 1, but you can check out an animated audio excerpt right here where the singer vividly describes U2’s first practice session at drummer Larry Mullen Jr’s house.
The story begins in 1976 when Bono notices a flyer pinned to his high school bulletin board: “Drummer seeks musicians for band.” “Funny how casually our destiny arrives,” Bono writes. “We’re all packed in the oven that is Larry’s kitchen. How do we fit all the drums, amps,...
The story begins in 1976 when Bono notices a flyer pinned to his high school bulletin board: “Drummer seeks musicians for band.” “Funny how casually our destiny arrives,” Bono writes. “We’re all packed in the oven that is Larry’s kitchen. How do we fit all the drums, amps,...
- 10/11/2022
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
"Weird: The Al Yankovic Story" is, for the nerds keeping track, the third partially accurate satirical biopic of the life of "Weird Al" Yankovic. The first came in 1985 with the release of the VHS special "The Compleat Al," which was released to coincide with his third studio album "Dare to be Stupid." In the early 1980s, Yankovic had become a massive comedy star on the then-nascent MTV, and several of the Al TV segments were included in that biopic alongside real-life home movie footage of Yankovic as a child. Nick and Mary Yankovic, Al's actual parents, appear throughout. The re-enactments of, say, Al auditioning his band or testing out Al merchandise, are comedically false.
The second satirical biopic was a famous 2010 Funny or Die short film in the form of a fake movie trailer, which presented the life of Yankovic as if it were a more conventional Hollywood rock star biopic.
The second satirical biopic was a famous 2010 Funny or Die short film in the form of a fake movie trailer, which presented the life of Yankovic as if it were a more conventional Hollywood rock star biopic.
- 9/16/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Any day now the renovated Chelsea Hotel will fully reopen, capping a drawn out process that has seen the grand edifice on the west side of Manhattan shrouded in netting and defaced by scaffolding for over a decade.
Repeated construction delays, legal wrangling between residents and the building owners, as well as a dispute with the city agency devoted to historic properties all contributed to the endless postponements. But the magic of a place that has been home to the artistic and idiosyncratic for over a century seemingly cannot be obscured by clouds of construction dust.
The new documentary Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel invites viewers inside the red brick palace to spend time with long-term residents who contribute to, and perhaps are, the essence of the Chelsea’s charm.
“It’s a film of encounters and the people we met, we love them,” explains Maya Duverdier, who co-directed...
Repeated construction delays, legal wrangling between residents and the building owners, as well as a dispute with the city agency devoted to historic properties all contributed to the endless postponements. But the magic of a place that has been home to the artistic and idiosyncratic for over a century seemingly cannot be obscured by clouds of construction dust.
The new documentary Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel invites viewers inside the red brick palace to spend time with long-term residents who contribute to, and perhaps are, the essence of the Chelsea’s charm.
“It’s a film of encounters and the people we met, we love them,” explains Maya Duverdier, who co-directed...
- 8/5/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Punk-rock nostalgia has an oxymoronic quality. Ah, the toasty, cozy good old days…of shooting up in the bathroom at Cbgb as the Dead Boys lay waste to Western Civilization onstage! Sid Vicious, we hardly knew ye! Yet the nostalgia for punk, as much of a contradiction as it can seem, has only grown with the decades. That’s partly because punk, with its assaultive immediacy and defiant not-niceness, now seems like the quintessence of the pre-digital world. In these pandemic and social-media times, direct human contact is something many of us are starved for, and punk was a bumper-car ride of human contact. The bands were in your face, you were in their face, and everyone was in the face of the beer-guzzling stooge next to them. It’s no surprise that this is what some people now crave.
If you’re a person who gets misty-eyed when you...
If you’re a person who gets misty-eyed when you...
- 7/24/2022
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
There are many layers to the mystique of the Chelsea Hotel. Long before it became a hipster hangout, the 12-story, 250-room fortress, built in the 1880s, was home to Mark Twain. In the ’50s, the Chelsea played host to assorted literary figures, the first of whom to lend it a dissolute aura was Dylan Thomas, who was living the lush life in room 205 when he became ill and died in 1953. The beats moved in, and so did Arthur Miller after he divorced Marilyn Monroe and Arthur C. Clarke while he was writing “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
But it was Andy Warhol who put the stamp of underground cachet on the Chelsea when he shot his three-and-a-half-hour multi-screen ramble “The Chelsea Girls” there in 1966. By the time that Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe took up residence in 1969, they already saw themselves as the next generation in the Chelsea tradition of bohemian squalor.
But it was Andy Warhol who put the stamp of underground cachet on the Chelsea when he shot his three-and-a-half-hour multi-screen ramble “The Chelsea Girls” there in 1966. By the time that Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe took up residence in 1969, they already saw themselves as the next generation in the Chelsea tradition of bohemian squalor.
- 7/10/2022
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
“Nightclubbing,” the first-ever documentary about the legendary New York City nightclub Max’s Kansas City, which from 1965 through 1981 was a hotbed for the city’s rock, glam, punk and new wave scenes, has announced a series of screenings across the globe in July and August.
The film — the full title of which is “Nightclubbing: The Birth of Punk Rock in NYC” — will screen along with another doc from Chip Baker Films, “Sid: The Final Curtain,” which is a brief documentary about the late Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious’ final concert, which took place at Max’s.
“Nightclubbing” is the sixth music documentary from Spanish filmmaker Danny Garcia (others include “The Rise and Fall of The Clash” and “Rolling Stone: The Life and Death of Brian Jones” about the group’s founder and original leader). It premiered at the Dock of the Bay Film Festival in San Sebastián, Spain last month...
The film — the full title of which is “Nightclubbing: The Birth of Punk Rock in NYC” — will screen along with another doc from Chip Baker Films, “Sid: The Final Curtain,” which is a brief documentary about the late Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious’ final concert, which took place at Max’s.
“Nightclubbing” is the sixth music documentary from Spanish filmmaker Danny Garcia (others include “The Rise and Fall of The Clash” and “Rolling Stone: The Life and Death of Brian Jones” about the group’s founder and original leader). It premiered at the Dock of the Bay Film Festival in San Sebastián, Spain last month...
- 6/22/2022
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones hasn’t spoken to singer John Lydon, a.k.a. Johnny Rotten, since they clashed on a 2008 reunion tour, and he just helped fight off Lydon’s unsuccessful lawsuit to prevent the use of the band’s music in Pistol, the new Hulu series about the band. But even so, Jones won’t rule out one more reunion tour for the Sex Pistols, especially with all four founding members alive. (Sid Vicious, who replaced original bassist Glen Matlock, died of a heroin overdose in 1979.)
“You never know,...
“You never know,...
- 6/9/2022
- by Brian Hiatt
- Rollingstone.com
“I was actually a punk myself at the time, so I could really relate totally to the whole period,” reveals production designer Kave Quinn about designing with authenticity on the FX limited series “Pistol.” For our recent Q&A, Quinn adds “the whole look of it is based on that kind of very decayed look that London had at that time.” We talked with Quinn as part of Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2022 Emmy Awards contenders. Watch our exclusive video interview above.
See over 350 interviews with 2022 Emmy contenders
FX’s limited series “Pistol” is written by Craig Pearce (“Moulin Rouge!”), inspired by front-man Steve Jones‘ 2016 memoir “Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol.” Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire”) directed all six episodes of the series, telling the fascinating origin story of The Sex Pistols, the influential 1970s punk rock band credited as one...
See over 350 interviews with 2022 Emmy contenders
FX’s limited series “Pistol” is written by Craig Pearce (“Moulin Rouge!”), inspired by front-man Steve Jones‘ 2016 memoir “Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol.” Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire”) directed all six episodes of the series, telling the fascinating origin story of The Sex Pistols, the influential 1970s punk rock band credited as one...
- 6/7/2022
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
The first attempt to dramatize the Sex Pistols saga came with the release of the Julien Temple’s movie The Great Rock and Roll Swindle in 1980, just two years after the band imploded. The farcical film tells the story from the perspective of manager Malcolm McLaren and is so cartoonish that parts of it are actually animated.
It was the start of a mini-industry of Sex Pistols retrospectives that told their story from every conceivable angle, including the Gary Oldman/Chloe Webb movie Sid and Nancy, the Julien Temple documentary...
It was the start of a mini-industry of Sex Pistols retrospectives that told their story from every conceivable angle, including the Gary Oldman/Chloe Webb movie Sid and Nancy, the Julien Temple documentary...
- 6/5/2022
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
"We like noise." FX has launched one final red band trailer for Pistol, the series about the iconic punk rock band known as the Sex Pistols. Director Danny Boyle is behind all six episodes of this gritty, grainy 70s throwback. "One word: Destroy." Based on the memoir of Steve Jones, the legendary Sex Pistols guitarist who helped usher in a punk revolution in Britain. The series stars Anson Boon as Johnny Rotten, Toby Wallace (from Babyteeth) as Steve Jones, Christian Lees as Glen Matlock, Jacob Slater as Paul Cook, Louis Partridge as Sid Vicious, Maisie Williams as Jordan, with Emma Appleton, Dylan Llewellyn, Jay Simpson, Razan Nassar, Sydney Chandler, and Iris Law. Plus Zachary Goldman as Billy Idol. This trailer is only red band because it's packed with profanity, which is just an accurate part of telling the Sex Pistols' story. "We don't give a shit about no one else,...
- 6/1/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Based on Steve Jones’ 2017 memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol, FX’s miniseries Pistol thrashes through London’s early punk scene as seen through the bleary eyes of the Sex Pistols: guitarist Jones (Toby Wallace), drummer Paul Cook (Jacob Slater), singer John “Johnny Rotten” Lydon (Anson Boon), and bassist Glen Matlock (Christian Lees), who is unceremoniously dumped and replaced by John Beverley, who rechristened himself Sid Vicious (Louis Partridge). Emma Appleton plays the tragically flawed heroine Nancy Spungen.
The entire career of the Sex Pistols was a premeditated swindle malignantly perpetuated by their manager Malcolm McLaren (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), who similarly plotted the downfall of the rising proto-punk outfit The New York Dolls. He schemed the chaotic caper at 430 King’s Road, the boutique Sex, co-owned by the truly revolutionary Vivienne Westwood (Talulah Riley), after the artful dodging Jones tried to make off with the wrong pants. In the series,...
The entire career of the Sex Pistols was a premeditated swindle malignantly perpetuated by their manager Malcolm McLaren (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), who similarly plotted the downfall of the rising proto-punk outfit The New York Dolls. He schemed the chaotic caper at 430 King’s Road, the boutique Sex, co-owned by the truly revolutionary Vivienne Westwood (Talulah Riley), after the artful dodging Jones tried to make off with the wrong pants. In the series,...
- 6/1/2022
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Johnny Rotten was right to sue to stop FX’s Pistol from going forward.
The Sex Pistols and PiL frontman ultimately was unsuccessful in his legal efforts last year to prevent the seminal band’s music being used in the Danny Boyle-directed miniseries. However, Pistol, which dropped in its entirety today on Disney-owned Hulu, is an overly sentimental love letter that never should have been sent. You’d find more depth and authenticity on how England has been really dreamin’ over the decades in this week’s pomp-packed Platinum Jubilee for the disastrous reign of Elizabeth II.
Simply put, Pistol is more junk than punk.
Even with searing classics like “God Save the Queen” in the well-crafted soundtrack mix, the six-episode series based in part on guitarist Steve Jones’ 2017 memoir limps along when it should roar. Hobbled with a surprisingly sub-standard coming-of-age story held together figuratively and literally by amphetamines,...
The Sex Pistols and PiL frontman ultimately was unsuccessful in his legal efforts last year to prevent the seminal band’s music being used in the Danny Boyle-directed miniseries. However, Pistol, which dropped in its entirety today on Disney-owned Hulu, is an overly sentimental love letter that never should have been sent. You’d find more depth and authenticity on how England has been really dreamin’ over the decades in this week’s pomp-packed Platinum Jubilee for the disastrous reign of Elizabeth II.
Simply put, Pistol is more junk than punk.
Even with searing classics like “God Save the Queen” in the well-crafted soundtrack mix, the six-episode series based in part on guitarist Steve Jones’ 2017 memoir limps along when it should roar. Hobbled with a surprisingly sub-standard coming-of-age story held together figuratively and literally by amphetamines,...
- 6/1/2022
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
The short and sweet and sour history of the 1970s British punk band the Sex Pistols is told in a six-part limited series—the FX on Hulu show is appropriately titled Pistol—based on lead guitarist Steve Jones’ book, Lonely Boy. (Jones is played by Toby Wallace.) The working-class kids with rebellious lyrics, ripped clothes and permanent sneers rocked the establishment and gave aimless youth new role models for questioning authority. But their personal lives were in turmoil—as the cast told TV Insider. Take Pistols guitarist Sid Vicious (Louis Partridge) and his American girlfriend Nancy Spungen (Emma Appleton), whose doomed romance was covered in the 1986 film Sid and Nancy. Here, it’s woven into the bigger story of the band. “She had that same hell for leather, all-or-nothing attitude, so they egged each other on,” Partridge says. The Pistols hung out at a King’s Road London boutique called Sex,...
- 5/31/2022
- TV Insider
Some of the most exciting filmmaking in “Pistol,” FX’s new Danny Boyle-directed limited series, happens onstage. In concert scenes featuring the Sex Pistols — the real-life punk pathbreakers at the center of this story — the camera toggles between performer and spectator, moving so rapidly that it seems to eliminate the distance between the two. Director of photography Anthony Dod Mantle captures both staging in the foreground and expressive moshing in the background. The writhing performance seems less to spark violence in the audience than to run parallel to it, another expression of the free-floating anger in the air.
It’s a canny way of depicting the Pistols’ appeal: The show argues that the band had an intuitive ability to tap into the rage of youth culture in pre-Thatcherite England. It makes that argument eloquently by showing the group converting even small audiences, early on, into wild and emotional demonstrations.
It’s a canny way of depicting the Pistols’ appeal: The show argues that the band had an intuitive ability to tap into the rage of youth culture in pre-Thatcherite England. It makes that argument eloquently by showing the group converting even small audiences, early on, into wild and emotional demonstrations.
- 5/31/2022
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
Early in Pistol, the FX-produced six-part miniseries about the thrilling rise and ugly fall of seminal English punk act the Sex Pistols, the band and their friends gather in their makeshift rehearsal space for a raucous party. Grandiose manager Malcolm McLaren (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) proclaims to guitar player Steve Jones (Toby Wallace) that they are witnessing the birth of a new movement. A skeptical Jones, noting that the revelers are belting out the innocuous pop hit “Shang-a-Lang,” wonders if a rebellion can be accompanied by a Bay City Rollers soundtrack.
- 5/31/2022
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
It’s hard to imagine a richer subject for a music biopic than the raucous, rebellious 1975–78 ride of the Sex Pistols. Craig Pearce, who created Pistol, a six-episode FX on Hulu saga of British punk’s Godfathers, knew he’d need to capture the tale of Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, Steve Jones, and Paul Cook after listening to Pistols guitarist Jones reading his 2016 autobiography, Lonely Boy. “One phrase from the book that stuck with me was ‘The music always saved me; I’d be dead now without music,’” Pearce recalls. The series also captures the destitute conditions in England that birthed the band. “Young people felt they had no future,” Pearce says. Music gave the band—and their fans—a purpose: “It was a fertile time for something to explode.” Pistol also stars Christian Lees, Sydney Chandler, Talulah Riley, Maisie Williams, Emma Appleton, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster. It’s ...
- 5/30/2022
- TV Insider
Coming from the brilliant mind of Danny Boyle, Pistol is a new series chronicling the creation and subsequent rise of punk, through the eyes of The Sex Pistols. To mark the launch of the series, which comes to Disney+ on May 31st, we had the pleasure of of speaking to Anson Boon (Johnny Rotten), alongside with Jacob Slater (Paul Cook) and Louis Partridge (Sid Vicious).
But it wasn’t just the men who illuminated the punk scene, as we spoke to the actresses playing the women of that world, chatting to Emma Appleton (Nancy Spungen), Sydney Chandler (Chrissie Hynde) and Talulah Riley (Vivienne Westwood). Be sure to watch both interviews in their entirety, below.
Jacob Slater, Anson Boon, Louis Partridge
Emma Appleton, Sydney Chandler & Talulah Riley
Synopsis
Based on Jones’ memoir “Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol”, the limited series “Pistol” is the story of a band of spotty,...
But it wasn’t just the men who illuminated the punk scene, as we spoke to the actresses playing the women of that world, chatting to Emma Appleton (Nancy Spungen), Sydney Chandler (Chrissie Hynde) and Talulah Riley (Vivienne Westwood). Be sure to watch both interviews in their entirety, below.
Jacob Slater, Anson Boon, Louis Partridge
Emma Appleton, Sydney Chandler & Talulah Riley
Synopsis
Based on Jones’ memoir “Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol”, the limited series “Pistol” is the story of a band of spotty,...
- 5/30/2022
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The Sex Pistols were a mythical band. Steve Jones couldn’t play guitar. Johnny Rotten couldn’t sing. Sid Vicious couldn’t always stand upright, much less keep his spiky hair on end. Malcom McLaren couldn’t manage. With Glen Matlock and Paul Cook rounding out the band, the personnel are just the stencils for McLaren’s silk screen. Danny Boyle’s Pistol, coming to FX on Hulu, perpetuates the mythology. This is probably part of the reason John Lydon didn’t sign off on the project. He likes to keep his public image limited. It also might be a little melodramatic for the former Sex Pistols frontman. That works for TV more than it does for punks.
Based on Jones’ memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol, the six-episode miniseries tells the story of the forgotten generation of London’s punk culture through the eyes of their most fabricated spokespeople: The Sex Pistols,...
Based on Jones’ memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol, the six-episode miniseries tells the story of the forgotten generation of London’s punk culture through the eyes of their most fabricated spokespeople: The Sex Pistols,...
- 5/30/2022
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
“Very simply, somebody very famous once said ‘without music, life is a mistake,’ and I’ve always believed that,” declares Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire”) about how personal it was for him to direct his FX limited series “Pistol.” “I mean, it just has to be a part,” he pauses during our recent Q&a, adding that “it is such a huge part for me in my life.” We talked with Boyle as part of Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2022 Emmy Awards contenders. Watch our exclusive video interview above.
See over 250 interviews with 2022 Emmy contenders
FX’s limited series “Pistol” is written by Craig Pearce (“Moulin Rouge!”), inspired by front-man Steve Jones‘ 2016 memoir “Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol.” Boyle directed all six episodes of the series, telling the fascinating origin story of The Sex Pistols, the influential 1970s punk rock band credited...
See over 250 interviews with 2022 Emmy contenders
FX’s limited series “Pistol” is written by Craig Pearce (“Moulin Rouge!”), inspired by front-man Steve Jones‘ 2016 memoir “Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol.” Boyle directed all six episodes of the series, telling the fascinating origin story of The Sex Pistols, the influential 1970s punk rock band credited...
- 5/29/2022
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
There are few things that rock biopics love more than characters who act as if they know they’re in a rock biopic. There’s some unspoken need for conversations drenched with the importance of the music and changing the world and making something real, delivered with the absolute certainty that these ragtag group of upstarts are on a road to generation-altering fame.
The best you can say for “Pistol,” the new six-part limited series about the rise of the Sex Pistols against the backdrop of the burgeoning English punk scene, is that creator Craig Pearce and director Danny Boyle have a clear and deep love for the band they’re bringing to life. But as is the case for watching characters gush over shared love of David Bowie or prophesy about the effect their art will have on a culture yet to come, so much of “Pistol” feels like...
The best you can say for “Pistol,” the new six-part limited series about the rise of the Sex Pistols against the backdrop of the burgeoning English punk scene, is that creator Craig Pearce and director Danny Boyle have a clear and deep love for the band they’re bringing to life. But as is the case for watching characters gush over shared love of David Bowie or prophesy about the effect their art will have on a culture yet to come, so much of “Pistol” feels like...
- 5/29/2022
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Punk style never died. Sure, people might not still be wearing condom earrings or hypodermic-needle necklaces like they did on the streets of London in 1977, but the ungovernable spirit of the fashion-forward trend never truly went away. Since Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood started creating (and co-opting) the style in their London boutique Sex, T-shirts, leather jackets, and bondage pants have become staples of alternative style.
“Just seeing the leather jacket move from subculture to subculture, for both functional and fashionable use, I would say that that...
“Just seeing the leather jacket move from subculture to subculture, for both functional and fashionable use, I would say that that...
- 5/24/2022
- by Elisabeth Garber-Paul and Kyle Rice
- Rollingstone.com
FX's newest show, "Pistol" - which premieres on May 31 on Hulu - tells the true story of the rise and fall of the Sex Pistols in the 1970s. The miniseries is told from the perspective of the band's guitarist, Steve Jones, played by Toby Wallace. In addition to showcasing the lives of the Sex Pistols members like Sid Vicious (Louis Partridge) and Johnny Rotten (Anson Boon), the show also portrays some of the famous people they were associated with, like Vivienne Westwood (Talulah Riley) and Pamela Rooke (Maisie Williams).
The show uses hairstyling, makeup, and costumes to try to accurately depict the time period and the people who became very famous very quickly, launching punk into the mainstream. But the actual people depicted on the show have had mixed reactions about its existence. Rotten (whose real name is John Lydon) told the Sunday Times the show is "the most...
The show uses hairstyling, makeup, and costumes to try to accurately depict the time period and the people who became very famous very quickly, launching punk into the mainstream. But the actual people depicted on the show have had mixed reactions about its existence. Rotten (whose real name is John Lydon) told the Sunday Times the show is "the most...
- 5/23/2022
- by Victoria Edel
- Popsugar.com
Maisie Williams has the Sex Pistols to thank for her new best friends. The Game of Thrones star recently shared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that she bonded with newlyweds Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker at the 2022 Met Gala over Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen. However, the connection didn't come easy for Maisie at first. "I need to have an in to the conversation have something to say," she recalled, "something interesting for them to know." After stunning fans in a dark, futuristic look designed by her boyfriend Reuben Selby, Maisie went inside the gala to sit at the same table with Kourtney and Travis. Inside, she said she...
- 5/19/2022
- E! Online
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