One may resist celebrity culture, but most people have at least a few actors from pop culture history that mean something to them, whether they're from the silver screen or the flickering box.
Actors know how to spark our emotions and suspend our disbelief. They embody our favorite stories and the visions of our favorite filmmakers. The stars of film and television have the privilege of immortalizing themselves in certain times and places. But it is not just themselves that they immortalize. In their best projects, they capture many complexities of emotion and culture that are relevant to millions. Steve McQueen and his Mustang in "Bullet," Warren Beatty and his freewheeling libido in "Shampoo," Anthony Hopkins and his empathetic presidential turn in "Nixon" -- for better or worse, actors color our memories of the past in both trivial and important ways.
It can be wistful, therefore, when an old favorite passes,...
Actors know how to spark our emotions and suspend our disbelief. They embody our favorite stories and the visions of our favorite filmmakers. The stars of film and television have the privilege of immortalizing themselves in certain times and places. But it is not just themselves that they immortalize. In their best projects, they capture many complexities of emotion and culture that are relevant to millions. Steve McQueen and his Mustang in "Bullet," Warren Beatty and his freewheeling libido in "Shampoo," Anthony Hopkins and his empathetic presidential turn in "Nixon" -- for better or worse, actors color our memories of the past in both trivial and important ways.
It can be wistful, therefore, when an old favorite passes,...
- 2/11/2024
- by Jack Hawkins
- Slash Film
Hollywood star Carl Weathers, who starred as Apollo Creed in the first four ‘Rocky’ films opposite Sylvester Stallone, died on Thursday. He was 76.
Weathers manager Matt Luber confirmed to Variety.
Weathers also starred in 1987’s ‘Predator’ and had a memorable role in Adam Sandler’s ‘Happy Gilmore’. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his work in the ‘Star Wars’ series ‘The Mandalorian’.
He voiced Combat Carl in ‘Toy Story 4’ and played a fictionalised version of himself in a recurring role on ‘Arrested Development’.
His other credits include the TV series ‘Street Justice’, ‘Colony’, ‘The Shield’, ‘Chicago Justice’ and ‘Brothers’, and the films ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’, ‘Death Hunt’ and ‘The Comebacks’.
After working with Sandler on the 1996 golf comedy ‘Happy Gilmore’, Weathers briefly reprised his role in ‘Little Nicky’ and voiced a character in Sandler’s...
Weathers manager Matt Luber confirmed to Variety.
Weathers also starred in 1987’s ‘Predator’ and had a memorable role in Adam Sandler’s ‘Happy Gilmore’. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his work in the ‘Star Wars’ series ‘The Mandalorian’.
He voiced Combat Carl in ‘Toy Story 4’ and played a fictionalised version of himself in a recurring role on ‘Arrested Development’.
His other credits include the TV series ‘Street Justice’, ‘Colony’, ‘The Shield’, ‘Chicago Justice’ and ‘Brothers’, and the films ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’, ‘Death Hunt’ and ‘The Comebacks’.
After working with Sandler on the 1996 golf comedy ‘Happy Gilmore’, Weathers briefly reprised his role in ‘Little Nicky’ and voiced a character in Sandler’s...
- 2/3/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Sylvester Stallone is paying tribute to his longtime friend and “Rocky” co-star Carl Weathers, who died Thursday at age 76.
Speaking through a video posted to his Instagram Friday evening, Stallone recalled his longtime partnership with Weathers, through the “Rocky” series and their decades-long friendship. The star gave the message while standing in front of a painting depicting their characters, Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed, squaring off in the ring.
“Today is an incredibly sad day for me. I’m so torn up, I can’t even tell you. I’m just trying to hold it in because Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life, my success — everything about it, I give him incredible credit and kudos. Because when he walked into that room and I saw him for the first time, I saw greatness. But I didn’t realize how great,” Stallone said. “I never could’ve...
Speaking through a video posted to his Instagram Friday evening, Stallone recalled his longtime partnership with Weathers, through the “Rocky” series and their decades-long friendship. The star gave the message while standing in front of a painting depicting their characters, Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed, squaring off in the ring.
“Today is an incredibly sad day for me. I’m so torn up, I can’t even tell you. I’m just trying to hold it in because Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life, my success — everything about it, I give him incredible credit and kudos. Because when he walked into that room and I saw him for the first time, I saw greatness. But I didn’t realize how great,” Stallone said. “I never could’ve...
- 2/3/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Carl Weathers, the former NFL player who made his mark in Hollywood as the boxer Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films and with appearances in such other projects as Predator, Happy Gilmore and The Mandalorian, has died. He was 76.
Weathers died Thursday in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles, his manager, Matt Luber, announced in a statement.
“Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life,” he said. “Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner and friend.”
The charismatic Weathers portrayed Detective Beaudreaux on the 1991-93 syndicated cop show Street Justice; the chief of police Hampton Forbes on the final two seasons of CBS’ In the Heat of the Night in 1992-94; a caricature of himself on episodes of Fox...
Weathers died Thursday in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles, his manager, Matt Luber, announced in a statement.
“Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life,” he said. “Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner and friend.”
The charismatic Weathers portrayed Detective Beaudreaux on the 1991-93 syndicated cop show Street Justice; the chief of police Hampton Forbes on the final two seasons of CBS’ In the Heat of the Night in 1992-94; a caricature of himself on episodes of Fox...
- 2/2/2024
- by Mike Barnes and Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
We come today bearing tragic news as Carl Weathers, the man who gave us memorable characters like Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" franchise, Chubbs Peterson in "Happy Gilmore," the titular "Action Jackson," and Greef Karga in "The Mandalorian" has left us at the age of 76. His family announced that he passed away yesterday, but the news broke today courtesy of Deadline.
"We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers," said his family in a statement obtained by Deadline. "He died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, February 1st, 2024. Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life. Through his contributions to film, television, the arts, and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner, and friend."
A natural athlete, Weathers got his start as a college football player at San Diego State University...
"We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers," said his family in a statement obtained by Deadline. "He died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, February 1st, 2024. Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life. Through his contributions to film, television, the arts, and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner, and friend."
A natural athlete, Weathers got his start as a college football player at San Diego State University...
- 2/2/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Carl Weathers, who starred as Apollo Creed in the first four “Rocky” films opposite Sylvester Stallone, died Thursday, his manager Matt Luber confirmed to Variety. He was 76.
Weathers also starred in 1987’s “Predator” and had a memorable role in Adam Sandler’s “Happy Gilmore.” He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his work in the “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian.”
He voiced Combat Carl in “Toy Story 4” and played a fictionalized version of himself in a recurring role on “Arrested Development.” His other credits include the TV series “Street Justice,” “Colony,” “The Shield,” “Chicago Justice” and “Brothers,” and the films “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Death Hunt” and “The Comebacks.”
After working with Sandler on the 1996 golf comedy “Happy Gilmore,” Weathers briefly reprised his role in “Little Nicky” and voiced a character in Sandler’s animated Hanukkah comedy “Eight Crazy Nights.
Weathers also starred in 1987’s “Predator” and had a memorable role in Adam Sandler’s “Happy Gilmore.” He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his work in the “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian.”
He voiced Combat Carl in “Toy Story 4” and played a fictionalized version of himself in a recurring role on “Arrested Development.” His other credits include the TV series “Street Justice,” “Colony,” “The Shield,” “Chicago Justice” and “Brothers,” and the films “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Death Hunt” and “The Comebacks.”
After working with Sandler on the 1996 golf comedy “Happy Gilmore,” Weathers briefly reprised his role in “Little Nicky” and voiced a character in Sandler’s animated Hanukkah comedy “Eight Crazy Nights.
- 2/2/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Pam Grier, the pioneering action hero who starred in such Blaxploitation classics as Roger Corman’s The Big Doll House, The Big Bird Cage and Friday Foster, is set to receive a career achievement award at the upcoming Toronto Black Film Festival.
Grier, who went on to star for Quentin Tarantino as the title character in Jackie Brown in 1994, will be feted at the Tbff’s upcoming 12th edition on Feb. 15 in Toronto. In the 1970s, she starred in films such as Coffy and Foxy Brown, portraying a female vigilante looking for revenge in a world of vice and crime.
Her notable roles paved a path for Black actresses over the decades to follow her lead and boost representation on screen as Grier became known as a pioneering female action hero. “The award recognizes Grier’s enduring contributions, not only as a captivating actor but also as a trailblazer who...
Grier, who went on to star for Quentin Tarantino as the title character in Jackie Brown in 1994, will be feted at the Tbff’s upcoming 12th edition on Feb. 15 in Toronto. In the 1970s, she starred in films such as Coffy and Foxy Brown, portraying a female vigilante looking for revenge in a world of vice and crime.
Her notable roles paved a path for Black actresses over the decades to follow her lead and boost representation on screen as Grier became known as a pioneering female action hero. “The award recognizes Grier’s enduring contributions, not only as a captivating actor but also as a trailblazer who...
- 1/17/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Pam Grier has lived an incredible life. Her autobiography, "Foxy: A Life in Three Acts" is hopefully going to be turned into a biopic that can finally celebrate her trailblazing career. An entire generation of fans know her as the titular character in "Jackie Brown," Tarantino's follow-up to "Pulp Fiction," based on the crime novel "Rum Punch" by Elmore Leonard. Decades before that, Grier became widely known as the first female action star playing street-savvy, no-nonsense characters in "Coffy" (She'll cream you!), "Foxy Brown", and the more comedic mystery "Friday Foster."
An undeniable acting force and sought-after sex symbol, it was only a matter of time before more challenging, high-profile roles started to come Grier's way. After essentially owning the 1970s, Grier started off the '80s taking on more character-driven parts, like in the boxing drama "Tough Enough" starring Dennis Quaid, and the classic police procedural "Fort Apache the Bronx" starring Paul Newman.
An undeniable acting force and sought-after sex symbol, it was only a matter of time before more challenging, high-profile roles started to come Grier's way. After essentially owning the 1970s, Grier started off the '80s taking on more character-driven parts, like in the boxing drama "Tough Enough" starring Dennis Quaid, and the classic police procedural "Fort Apache the Bronx" starring Paul Newman.
- 2/9/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
“Jackie Brown” star Pam Grier, “30 Rock” actor Chris Parnell and “Project X” star Oliver Cooper are set to headline “As We Know It,” an independent film that unfolds amid a nuclear zombie apocalypse.
Set in Los Angeles in the late 1990s, the comedy-horror-romance movie follows a struggling writer named James Bishop, who is dealing with a messy breakup with the help of his best friend while trying to finish his latest book before the impending apocalypse.
The cast will also include Mike Castle (“Brews Brothers”), Taylor Blackwell (“Designated Survivor”) and TikToker Danny Mondello, who is making his film debut.
Josh Monkarsh is directing the film, which started production in Los Angeles at the end of July and is expected to wrap in early August. Monkarsh co-wrote the screenplay with Christopher Francis and Brandon DePaolo.
Monkarsh, Daniel Cummings (“Slayers”) and Josh Fruehling (“Mandela Effect”) will serve as producers on “As We Know It,...
Set in Los Angeles in the late 1990s, the comedy-horror-romance movie follows a struggling writer named James Bishop, who is dealing with a messy breakup with the help of his best friend while trying to finish his latest book before the impending apocalypse.
The cast will also include Mike Castle (“Brews Brothers”), Taylor Blackwell (“Designated Survivor”) and TikToker Danny Mondello, who is making his film debut.
Josh Monkarsh is directing the film, which started production in Los Angeles at the end of July and is expected to wrap in early August. Monkarsh co-wrote the screenplay with Christopher Francis and Brandon DePaolo.
Monkarsh, Daniel Cummings (“Slayers”) and Josh Fruehling (“Mandela Effect”) will serve as producers on “As We Know It,...
- 8/1/2022
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
No two ways about it: April’s a great month for the Criterion Channel, which (among other things; more in a second) adds two recent favorites. We’re thrilled at the SVOD premiere of Hamaguchi’s entrancing Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, our #3 of 2021, and Bruno Dumont’s lacerating France, featuring Léa Seydoux’s finest performance yet.
Ethan Hawke’s Adventures in Moviegoing runs the gamut from Eagle Pennell’s Last Night at the Alamo to 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, while a 14-film John Ford retro (mostly) skips westerns altogether. And no notes on the Delphine Seyrig retro—multiple by Akerman, Ulrike Ottinger, Duras, a smattering of Buñuel, and Seyrig’s own film Be Pretty and Shut Up! That of all things might be the crown jewl.
See the full list of April titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
—
3 Bad Men, John Ford, 1926
Aar paar, Guru Dutt,...
Ethan Hawke’s Adventures in Moviegoing runs the gamut from Eagle Pennell’s Last Night at the Alamo to 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, while a 14-film John Ford retro (mostly) skips westerns altogether. And no notes on the Delphine Seyrig retro—multiple by Akerman, Ulrike Ottinger, Duras, a smattering of Buñuel, and Seyrig’s own film Be Pretty and Shut Up! That of all things might be the crown jewl.
See the full list of April titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
—
3 Bad Men, John Ford, 1926
Aar paar, Guru Dutt,...
- 3/25/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
The comedian and former The Daily Show correspondent talks about his favorite Blaxploitation movies with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Casablanca (1942) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
The Castle (1997)
The Spook Who Sat By The Door (1973) – Bill Duke’s trailer commentary
Pressure (1976)
Robinson Crusoe On Mars (1964) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
Boss (1975)
Django Unchained (2012) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
The Thing With Two Heads (1972) – Stuart Gordon’s trailer commentary
The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant (1971)
The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970)
Last of the Mobile Hot Shots (1970)
Black Samurai (1977)
Truck Turner (1974)
Schindler’s List (1993)
Black Caesar (1973) – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary
Hell Up In Harlem (1973) – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary
Judas And The Black Messiah (2021)
Friday Foster (1975)
That Man Bolt (1973)
Blacula (1972)
Foxy Brown (1974) – Jack Hill’s trailer commentary
Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde (1976)
Willie Dynamite (1973) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Billy Jack (1971)
John Wick (2014)
The Matrix (1999)
Cleopatra Jones...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Casablanca (1942) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
The Castle (1997)
The Spook Who Sat By The Door (1973) – Bill Duke’s trailer commentary
Pressure (1976)
Robinson Crusoe On Mars (1964) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
Boss (1975)
Django Unchained (2012) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
The Thing With Two Heads (1972) – Stuart Gordon’s trailer commentary
The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant (1971)
The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970)
Last of the Mobile Hot Shots (1970)
Black Samurai (1977)
Truck Turner (1974)
Schindler’s List (1993)
Black Caesar (1973) – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary
Hell Up In Harlem (1973) – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary
Judas And The Black Messiah (2021)
Friday Foster (1975)
That Man Bolt (1973)
Blacula (1972)
Foxy Brown (1974) – Jack Hill’s trailer commentary
Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde (1976)
Willie Dynamite (1973) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Billy Jack (1971)
John Wick (2014)
The Matrix (1999)
Cleopatra Jones...
- 8/17/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
The prequel to Paramount’s 2019 horror film “Pet Sematary” has added “Jackie Brown” star Pam Grier to its call sheet.
Grier joins a cast that includes Jackson White (“Mrs. Fletcher”), Forrest Goodluck (” The Revenant”), Jack Mulhern (“Mare of Easttown”), Natalie Alyn Lind (” The Goldbergs”) and Isabella Star LeBlanc. The upcoming “Pet Sematary” will serve as an origin story to the Stephen King novel about a family that discovers a rather disturbing graveyard in the woods behind their home.
The movie, which still doesn’t have a title, begins shooting in August and will debut exclusively on Paramount Plus, the recently rebranded streaming service from ViacomCBS, on an undetermined date. It is set up at Paramount Players, a division of Paramount that specializes in genre fare.
The film marks the feature directorial debut of Lindsey Beer, who previously wrote the screenplay to Netflix’s coming-of-age movie “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser...
Grier joins a cast that includes Jackson White (“Mrs. Fletcher”), Forrest Goodluck (” The Revenant”), Jack Mulhern (“Mare of Easttown”), Natalie Alyn Lind (” The Goldbergs”) and Isabella Star LeBlanc. The upcoming “Pet Sematary” will serve as an origin story to the Stephen King novel about a family that discovers a rather disturbing graveyard in the woods behind their home.
The movie, which still doesn’t have a title, begins shooting in August and will debut exclusively on Paramount Plus, the recently rebranded streaming service from ViacomCBS, on an undetermined date. It is set up at Paramount Players, a division of Paramount that specializes in genre fare.
The film marks the feature directorial debut of Lindsey Beer, who previously wrote the screenplay to Netflix’s coming-of-age movie “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser...
- 7/23/2021
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
By Lee Pfeiffer
Yaphet Kotto, the distinctive and distinguished actor, has passed away at age 81. Kotto was born in Harlem and began to study acting at age 16. He made his big screen debut in 1964 in the acclaimed race-themed drama "Nothing But a Man" opposite Ivan Dixon, a fellow African-American whose star would rise on the basis of the film. Kotto also appeared in "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1968) and was a regular presence in guest star roles on top TV series such as "Gunsmoke", "Daniel Boone", "Night Gallery", "The Big Valley", "Hawaii Five-0", "Mannix" and "The High Chapparal". He was nominated for an Emmy award for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 1976 TV production of "Raid on Entebbe". Kotto simultaneously kept landing good parts in major movies such as "5 Card Stud", "The Liberation of L.B. Jones" and "Across 110th Street". In 1973, he appeared in what is perhaps his most memorable role,...
Yaphet Kotto, the distinctive and distinguished actor, has passed away at age 81. Kotto was born in Harlem and began to study acting at age 16. He made his big screen debut in 1964 in the acclaimed race-themed drama "Nothing But a Man" opposite Ivan Dixon, a fellow African-American whose star would rise on the basis of the film. Kotto also appeared in "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1968) and was a regular presence in guest star roles on top TV series such as "Gunsmoke", "Daniel Boone", "Night Gallery", "The Big Valley", "Hawaii Five-0", "Mannix" and "The High Chapparal". He was nominated for an Emmy award for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 1976 TV production of "Raid on Entebbe". Kotto simultaneously kept landing good parts in major movies such as "5 Card Stud", "The Liberation of L.B. Jones" and "Across 110th Street". In 1973, he appeared in what is perhaps his most memorable role,...
- 3/16/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Arthur Marks, a writer, producer and director best known for his work on CBS series Perry Mason and for directing blaxploitation films, has died at age 92, his family confirmed to Deadline.
Marks was born August 2, 1927 in Los Angeles. His grandparents acted in silent pictures and his father Dave Marks was an assistant director and production manager at MGM.
Arthur Marks began his film career as a background actor and in bit parts on such films in the 1930s and ‘40s as Boys Town, The Good Earth and the Andy Hardy series.
Marks left Hollywood to join the United States Merchant Marines during World War II and served in the Navy during the Korean War.
He briefly attended Santa Monica College and the University of Southern California, before landing a job in the production department at MGM Studios. His career took off in the 1950s as an assistant director at Columbia.
Marks was born August 2, 1927 in Los Angeles. His grandparents acted in silent pictures and his father Dave Marks was an assistant director and production manager at MGM.
Arthur Marks began his film career as a background actor and in bit parts on such films in the 1930s and ‘40s as Boys Town, The Good Earth and the Andy Hardy series.
Marks left Hollywood to join the United States Merchant Marines during World War II and served in the Navy during the Korean War.
He briefly attended Santa Monica College and the University of Southern California, before landing a job in the production department at MGM Studios. His career took off in the 1950s as an assistant director at Columbia.
- 11/23/2019
- by Anita Bennett
- Deadline Film + TV
Prolific producer and director Arthur Marks, who worked on “Perry Mason” and blaxploitation movies including “Detroit 9000” and “Friday Foster,” has died. He was 92.
Marks died Nov. 13 at his home in Woodland Hills, Calif. His son, “Narcos” producer Paul Marks, confirmed his passing to Variety.
Marks was a native of Los Angeles who was born in 1927 into a show business family. His grandparents were actors in silent pictures and his father, Dave Marks, worked as an MGM assistant director and production manager who worked on “The Wizard of Oz” and “Easter Parade.” Arthur Marks worked as a child actor, getting work as an extra and bit player on “The Good Earth” (1937), “Boys Town” (1938) and Mickey Rooney’s Andy Hardy series.
Marks joined the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy during World War II and served with the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He began working in the production department at MGM,...
Marks died Nov. 13 at his home in Woodland Hills, Calif. His son, “Narcos” producer Paul Marks, confirmed his passing to Variety.
Marks was a native of Los Angeles who was born in 1927 into a show business family. His grandparents were actors in silent pictures and his father, Dave Marks, worked as an MGM assistant director and production manager who worked on “The Wizard of Oz” and “Easter Parade.” Arthur Marks worked as a child actor, getting work as an extra and bit player on “The Good Earth” (1937), “Boys Town” (1938) and Mickey Rooney’s Andy Hardy series.
Marks joined the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy during World War II and served with the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He began working in the production department at MGM,...
- 11/23/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Paul Benjamin, who played one of the men on the corner in Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing,” died June 28, Lee announced on Instagram.
“I’m sad to write that the great actor Paul Benjamin, who played Ml, far left, passed this past Friday, two days before the 30th anniversary of ‘Do the Right Thing.’ Rest in Paradise,” the director wrote.
View this post on Instagram
I’m Sad To Write That The Great Actor Paul Benjamin on Jul 2, 2019 at 10:15am Pdt
Born in South Carolina, Benjamin started out doing Shakespeare on stage in New York, and made his film debut with a small role as a bartender in “Midnight Cowboy.” He had a featured role in “Across 110th Street” in 1972, and appeared in Blaxploitation films like “The Education of Sonny Carson” and “Friday Foster” with Pam Grier.
Among his other appearances were in Richard Pryor comedy “Some Kind of Hero,...
“I’m sad to write that the great actor Paul Benjamin, who played Ml, far left, passed this past Friday, two days before the 30th anniversary of ‘Do the Right Thing.’ Rest in Paradise,” the director wrote.
View this post on Instagram
I’m Sad To Write That The Great Actor Paul Benjamin on Jul 2, 2019 at 10:15am Pdt
Born in South Carolina, Benjamin started out doing Shakespeare on stage in New York, and made his film debut with a small role as a bartender in “Midnight Cowboy.” He had a featured role in “Across 110th Street” in 1972, and appeared in Blaxploitation films like “The Education of Sonny Carson” and “Friday Foster” with Pam Grier.
Among his other appearances were in Richard Pryor comedy “Some Kind of Hero,...
- 7/5/2019
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
J.D.’s Revenge will be available on Blu-ray November 14th from Arrow Video
It wasn’t long before the Blaxploitation boom moved into the horror market, bringing the world Blacula, Blackenstein, Abby (Blaxploitation’s The Exorcist) and cult favorite J.D.’s Revenge.
Law student Ike is enjoying a night on the town with his friends when his life changes dramatically. Taking part in a nightclub hypnosis act, he becomes possessed with the spirit of a violent gangster murdered in the 1940s. Believing himself to be the reincarnation of murderous J.D., Ike launches a revenge campaign against those who had done ‘him’ wrong all those years ago…
Directed by Arthur Marks (Bucktown, Friday Foster) and starring Glynn Turman (Cooley High) and Academy Award-winner Louis Gossett Jr (An Officer and a Gentleman), J.D.’s Revenge is a alternately tough and terrifying – a Blaxploitation gem waiting to be rediscovered!
It wasn’t long before the Blaxploitation boom moved into the horror market, bringing the world Blacula, Blackenstein, Abby (Blaxploitation’s The Exorcist) and cult favorite J.D.’s Revenge.
Law student Ike is enjoying a night on the town with his friends when his life changes dramatically. Taking part in a nightclub hypnosis act, he becomes possessed with the spirit of a violent gangster murdered in the 1940s. Believing himself to be the reincarnation of murderous J.D., Ike launches a revenge campaign against those who had done ‘him’ wrong all those years ago…
Directed by Arthur Marks (Bucktown, Friday Foster) and starring Glynn Turman (Cooley High) and Academy Award-winner Louis Gossett Jr (An Officer and a Gentleman), J.D.’s Revenge is a alternately tough and terrifying – a Blaxploitation gem waiting to be rediscovered!
- 11/7/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
This November, Arrow Video is giving horror fans a lot to be thankful for with several Blu-ray releases that are highly anticipated, including the George A. Romero Between Night and Dawn collection and the Hellraiser 30th anniversary SteelBook, and we have full release details on both holiday wish list items:
Press Release: Winter chills just mean that it's November, and Arrow Video are set to heat things up with a George Romero box set, a blaxploitation chiller, classic horror in steelbook form, a modern-day Russian black comedy, and a cult thriller directed by Steve Buscemi! With plenty of lavish packaging and limited edition items, Christmas has come early for film collectors!
Legendary horror cinema innovator, George A Romero, is responsible for arguably the most influential zombie films of all time. But he doesn't just make undead epics, and the three films collected here in the box set George Romero...
Press Release: Winter chills just mean that it's November, and Arrow Video are set to heat things up with a George Romero box set, a blaxploitation chiller, classic horror in steelbook form, a modern-day Russian black comedy, and a cult thriller directed by Steve Buscemi! With plenty of lavish packaging and limited edition items, Christmas has come early for film collectors!
Legendary horror cinema innovator, George A Romero, is responsible for arguably the most influential zombie films of all time. But he doesn't just make undead epics, and the three films collected here in the box set George Romero...
- 11/2/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Strangely enough, Pam Grier’s last Blaxploitation feature, 1975’s Sheba, Baby, would be the title to introduce her to a much wider audience thanks to its PG rating. Though undoubtedly adult in theme, it’s a kittenish exercise compared to the violence, gratuitous sex, and shameless taken-for-granted racist and misogynistic antics of earlier efforts. Its classification as the final chapter of Grier’s Blaxploitation days is also sort of a misnomer, since this refers to the last time she’d don her famous persona as an action star in pursuit of a more serious career, heading into Drum (a sequel to the infamous Mandingo), starring opposite Richard Pryor in Greased Lightning, and even a Ray Bradbury adaptation in Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983). But 1975 was one of several sterling years for Grier, headlining three films, though none of them would eventually reach the same iconicity as the prior year’s...
- 3/1/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Of the many faces that defined the Blaxploitation wave in American cinema during the 1970s, Pam Grier is one of the most important. She anchored pictures like "Foxy Brown" and "Coffy" while starring in numerous other pictures that became cult favorites and alternatives to the fare Hollywood was churning out. And in 1975, she was busier than ever, with three films hitting cinemas, including "Bucktown," "Friday Foster," and "Sheba, Baby." And today, we have an exclusive clip from the latter, which has just landed in a fresh edition on Blu-ray. Read More: Before Katniss: 25 Of The Most Kick-Ass Movie Heroines Ever Directed by William Girdler, the story follows Sheba Shayne, a private eye based in Chicago who is called to her hometown to stop the local mob boss from moving in on her father's loan business. Aided by her father's partner, Brick Williams, Sheba finds out that the violent thugs aren't...
- 2/9/2016
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Olive has given us a ready-made Blaxploitation marathon, all in glorious HD. The boutique label has been killing it lately, releasing a ton of coveted titles to the Blu-ray format. This time around, they release the exploitation classics Coffy, Foxy Brown, Friday Foster, and Hammer.
The Movies:
Of the four films being released, Foxy Brown is easily my favorite. It’s the classic revenge tale, with a Blaxpoitation twist, starring Pam Grier, and written and directed by Jack Hill. In Foxy Brown, Grier’s boyfriend is murdered by a government agency, so she poses as a sexy afro-sporting prostitute to carve her way up the ladder in order to get her ultimate revenge. This was the first movie that exposed me(in more ways than one) to Pam Grier, and it’s pretty clear that it was one of Tarantino’s favorites as well.
Another childhood favorite of mine is Hammer,...
The Movies:
Of the four films being released, Foxy Brown is easily my favorite. It’s the classic revenge tale, with a Blaxpoitation twist, starring Pam Grier, and written and directed by Jack Hill. In Foxy Brown, Grier’s boyfriend is murdered by a government agency, so she poses as a sexy afro-sporting prostitute to carve her way up the ladder in order to get her ultimate revenge. This was the first movie that exposed me(in more ways than one) to Pam Grier, and it’s pretty clear that it was one of Tarantino’s favorites as well.
Another childhood favorite of mine is Hammer,...
- 6/25/2015
- by Shawn Savage
- The Liberal Dead
Coffy/Foxy Brown/Friday Foster
Coffy and Foxy Brown written and directed by Jack Hill
Friday Foster written by Orville H. Hampton, directed by Arthur Marks
USA, 1973/1974/1975
Olive Films recently released several Blaxploitation titles on Blu-ray for the first time, all on the same day. This included the Fred Williamson-starring Hammer, from 1972, as well as three Pam Grier films: Coffy (1973), Foxy Brown (1974), and Friday Foster (1975). Hammer isn’t a particular favorite, but these latter three were most welcome, especially Coffy, which is quite possibly the greatest of all Blaxploitation features, even better than the more popular Shaft (1971) and Super Fly (1972). As much as anything, these three releases are notable for showcasing Grier at her finest during a period of immensely enjoyable work and exceptional productivity—15 films from her minor debut in Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) to Friday Foster. Around these films, she also starred in several other...
Coffy and Foxy Brown written and directed by Jack Hill
Friday Foster written by Orville H. Hampton, directed by Arthur Marks
USA, 1973/1974/1975
Olive Films recently released several Blaxploitation titles on Blu-ray for the first time, all on the same day. This included the Fred Williamson-starring Hammer, from 1972, as well as three Pam Grier films: Coffy (1973), Foxy Brown (1974), and Friday Foster (1975). Hammer isn’t a particular favorite, but these latter three were most welcome, especially Coffy, which is quite possibly the greatest of all Blaxploitation features, even better than the more popular Shaft (1971) and Super Fly (1972). As much as anything, these three releases are notable for showcasing Grier at her finest during a period of immensely enjoyable work and exceptional productivity—15 films from her minor debut in Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) to Friday Foster. Around these films, she also starred in several other...
- 6/21/2015
- by Jeremy Carr
- SoundOnSight
This week on Off The Shelf, Ryan is joined by Brian Saur to take a look at the new DVD and Blu-ray releases for the week of June 9th, 2015, and chat about some follow-up and home video news.
Subscribe in iTunes or RSS.
Episode Links & Notes
Follow-up
Brian finally sees Mad Max: Fury Road
News
What We Do In The Shadows Blu-ray announced for July 21st Kino Lorber / Studio Classics Announcements Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stalney’s Island of Dr. Moreau Documentary on Blu-ray Twilight Time September / October Line-up Scream Factory / Larry Fessenden Box Set Announcement
New Releases
Back to the Jurassic Coffy Dark Victory Foxy Brown Friday Foster Golden Years Collection Hammer Hunchback of Notre Dame The Last Unicorn Ninotchka Red Army The Sadistic Baron Von Klaus She-Devil Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers Society Spider Baby Strain The Duff Thunderbirds: The Complete Series
Episode Credits
Ryan Gallagher...
Subscribe in iTunes or RSS.
Episode Links & Notes
Follow-up
Brian finally sees Mad Max: Fury Road
News
What We Do In The Shadows Blu-ray announced for July 21st Kino Lorber / Studio Classics Announcements Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stalney’s Island of Dr. Moreau Documentary on Blu-ray Twilight Time September / October Line-up Scream Factory / Larry Fessenden Box Set Announcement
New Releases
Back to the Jurassic Coffy Dark Victory Foxy Brown Friday Foster Golden Years Collection Hammer Hunchback of Notre Dame The Last Unicorn Ninotchka Red Army The Sadistic Baron Von Klaus She-Devil Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers Society Spider Baby Strain The Duff Thunderbirds: The Complete Series
Episode Credits
Ryan Gallagher...
- 6/10/2015
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
Towering aggressively over the legacy of the problematic film movement of 1970s Blaxploitation is the iconic figure of actress Pam Grier, emblazoned in our memories as the self-reliant beauty holding her own (well, mostly) with her male co-stars prior to her white female counterparts, like Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hamilton. She’s an important cinematic figure, and much like the symbolic essence of Marilyn Monroe, her reputation outweighs familiarity with many of the films that brought her iconicity. Arriving in the middle of her gamut of classic titles was 1975’s Friday Foster, of which Grier is the eponymous star. Campy, cringe worthy, and so remarkably asinine it may just as well be classified as sci-fi, production values and an impressive supporting cast surely solidifies the title as requisite viewing for Grier’s fan base. Unfortunately, for all involved, their talents (a common complaint of the genre) are worthy of less slipshod silliness.
- 6/9/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
From Katniss Everdeen to Lisbeth Salander, today's film heroines kick butt. But are violent on-screen women empowering or oppressive?
Katniss Everdeen's triumphs extend beyond the Quarter Quell and the global box office: she has guaranteed the future of the female action hero. Not that this was in much doubt, even before The Hunger Games: Catching Fire swept all before it. On the big screen, women have been successfully kicking butt for some time now.
As our current millennium dawned, the testosterone-fuelled derring-do of Stallone, Willis, Schwarzenegger and their ilk had lost its edge. The protagonists of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Kill Bill brought welcome spin to their genre.
Since then, a new clutch of male heroes has fallen prey to self-doubt. This has left the likes of dragon-tattooed Lisbeth Salander, teen assassin Hanna and Kick-Ass's Hit-Girl to steal much of their thunder. Female toughies...
Katniss Everdeen's triumphs extend beyond the Quarter Quell and the global box office: she has guaranteed the future of the female action hero. Not that this was in much doubt, even before The Hunger Games: Catching Fire swept all before it. On the big screen, women have been successfully kicking butt for some time now.
As our current millennium dawned, the testosterone-fuelled derring-do of Stallone, Willis, Schwarzenegger and their ilk had lost its edge. The protagonists of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Kill Bill brought welcome spin to their genre.
Since then, a new clutch of male heroes has fallen prey to self-doubt. This has left the likes of dragon-tattooed Lisbeth Salander, teen assassin Hanna and Kick-Ass's Hit-Girl to steal much of their thunder. Female toughies...
- 12/13/2013
- by David Cox
- The Guardian - Film News
Chicago – One of the most unique happenings in Chicago every year is “The Hollywood Show.” This annual event presents celebrities from TV and film, both from the nostalgic past and the current scene. In September of 2012, the show included Loni Anderson (“Wkrp in Cincinnati”), Oscar Winner Martin Landau and the reunited cast of “Lost in Space,” all meeting fans and signing autographs.
HollywoodChicago.com covered the event, and photographer Joe Arce put the show’s participants in front of the lens. “The Hollywood Show” will be back in Chicago in September, 2013. Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All images © Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com.
HOLSHOW1: Loni Anderson of ‘Wkrp in Cincinnati.’ HOLSHOW2: Another view of Loni Anderson. HOLSHOW3: Oscar winner Martin Landau of ‘Ed Wood’ and ‘The Majestic.’ HOLSHOW4:...
HollywoodChicago.com covered the event, and photographer Joe Arce put the show’s participants in front of the lens. “The Hollywood Show” will be back in Chicago in September, 2013. Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All images © Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com.
HOLSHOW1: Loni Anderson of ‘Wkrp in Cincinnati.’ HOLSHOW2: Another view of Loni Anderson. HOLSHOW3: Oscar winner Martin Landau of ‘Ed Wood’ and ‘The Majestic.’ HOLSHOW4:...
- 1/19/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Never Fear, Pam Grier Is Here! Pam Grier started her career in a number of women-in-prison films which lead to a fruitful stint of starring roles in Blaxploitation cinema. Grier created an intelligent, sensual, and tough on-screen persona with her starring roles, the likes to which few actresses are comparable. She has since gone from Blaxploitation to a forty-year career spanning film and television. She has worked with such great filmmakers as John Carpenter, Tim Burton, Jack Hill, and Quentin Tarantino – whose own film Jackie Brown is a love letter to both Grier and Blaxploitation cinema. Here is a look at the top five films of Grier’s early seventies work:
# 5 Black Mama, White Mama 1973
Written by H.R. Christian, Joe Viola, and Jonathan Demme
Directed by Eddie Romero
“A terrorist and a hooker…you two should have a lot to talk about.”
This is a women-in-prison film (Wip) aimed at a racially diverse audience.
# 5 Black Mama, White Mama 1973
Written by H.R. Christian, Joe Viola, and Jonathan Demme
Directed by Eddie Romero
“A terrorist and a hooker…you two should have a lot to talk about.”
This is a women-in-prison film (Wip) aimed at a racially diverse audience.
- 11/27/2012
- by Gregory Day
- SoundOnSight
Adi Shankar (producer of The Grey) will produce a new all-female action-style film, to be written by Dutch Southern, kinda like The Expendables.
Now, we wrote about how this was a fucking good idea a long-ass time ago. Not only have we been excited about it in our forums, but we actually made a list a while back. The impetus for that list was a statement Sigourney Weaver made about how it sucks that she's too old to play Ripley in another action Aliens film. We were pissed that Old Dudes get to keep making action films, but Weaver didn't think she could just because she's a chick.
Let's update our wish list. Because all the dudes in The Expendables films are Old Mother Fuckers, I demand that the female cast be Old Bitches. None of this "Zoe Saldana" or "Milla Jovovich" bullshit other sites keep talking about. Seriously. Can...
Now, we wrote about how this was a fucking good idea a long-ass time ago. Not only have we been excited about it in our forums, but we actually made a list a while back. The impetus for that list was a statement Sigourney Weaver made about how it sucks that she's too old to play Ripley in another action Aliens film. We were pissed that Old Dudes get to keep making action films, but Weaver didn't think she could just because she's a chick.
Let's update our wish list. Because all the dudes in The Expendables films are Old Mother Fuckers, I demand that the female cast be Old Bitches. None of this "Zoe Saldana" or "Milla Jovovich" bullshit other sites keep talking about. Seriously. Can...
- 8/20/2012
- by Superheidi
- Planet Fury
Less financially succcessful than the wildly popular Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown is nevertheless one of Quentin Tarantino’s finest films. Glen takes a look back...
It’s funny how time can alter your perception of a film. When I first saw Jackie Brown I wasn’t prepared for it. Part of me was expecting more of what I saw in Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, but what I got was something completely different. Jackie Brown is Quentin Tarantino’s most mature and sophisticated film by some distance, and remains so even to this day. In fact, it took a few viewings to fully appreciate just how good it actually is.
I don’t think that I’m alone in this, either. Only Death Proof has a lower rating on IMDb out of Tarantino’s films, so to some extent it still lacks the respect that many of his other films receive.
It’s funny how time can alter your perception of a film. When I first saw Jackie Brown I wasn’t prepared for it. Part of me was expecting more of what I saw in Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, but what I got was something completely different. Jackie Brown is Quentin Tarantino’s most mature and sophisticated film by some distance, and remains so even to this day. In fact, it took a few viewings to fully appreciate just how good it actually is.
I don’t think that I’m alone in this, either. Only Death Proof has a lower rating on IMDb out of Tarantino’s films, so to some extent it still lacks the respect that many of his other films receive.
- 11/14/2011
- Den of Geek
Quentin Tarantino has said that Pam Grier may have been cinema's first female action star, and for much of the '70s she kicked butt as iconic characters in "Coffy," "Foxy Brown," "Sheba Baby," "Friday Foster" and many other genre classics.
It was only natural that Tarantino rewrote the lead character in Elmore Leonard's "Rum Punch" for Grier in the 1997 adaptation "Jackie Brown." In Tarantino's homage to '70s blaxploitation cinema, Grier plays an airline stewardess conflicted by the demands of the law, her gun-running boss and her new love. The role fit Grier like Jackie's fine suit and introduced the actress to a whole new generation of fans.
To mark the release of "Jackie Brown" on Blu-ray, we sat down with the hard-working film goddess as she reflected on the legacy of "Jackie Brown," why she thinks blaxploitation equals empowerment, and her own survival instinct.
Quentin Tarantino was...
It was only natural that Tarantino rewrote the lead character in Elmore Leonard's "Rum Punch" for Grier in the 1997 adaptation "Jackie Brown." In Tarantino's homage to '70s blaxploitation cinema, Grier plays an airline stewardess conflicted by the demands of the law, her gun-running boss and her new love. The role fit Grier like Jackie's fine suit and introduced the actress to a whole new generation of fans.
To mark the release of "Jackie Brown" on Blu-ray, we sat down with the hard-working film goddess as she reflected on the legacy of "Jackie Brown," why she thinks blaxploitation equals empowerment, and her own survival instinct.
Quentin Tarantino was...
- 10/4/2011
- by Robert DeSalvo
- NextMovie
Since the earliest days of American cinema there has been a shadowy counterpart to the commercial mainstream: exploitation movies — pictures whose appeal lies in their sensational treatment and leering promotion of often lurid and prurient material. Pre-1960, when mainstream Hollywood worked within severe restrictions on content, exploitation movies offered audiences titillating glimpses of the deliciously taboo, usually under the guise of being some sort of instructional cautionary against the very subject matter being exploited i.e. sex in “hygiene” movies like The Road to Ruin (1934), drugs in anti-drug movies like Tell Your Children (1936, re-released in the 1960s/70s as camp classic Reefer Madness), and gambling in the anti-vice Gambling with Souls (1936).
By the 1950s, as the studios entered their long post-war decline, downscale producers launched a new vein of exploitation moviemaking, churning out low-budget thrillers (mostly sci fi and horror) aimed squarely at the burgeoning youth audience. Again, the movies were cheap,...
By the 1950s, as the studios entered their long post-war decline, downscale producers launched a new vein of exploitation moviemaking, churning out low-budget thrillers (mostly sci fi and horror) aimed squarely at the burgeoning youth audience. Again, the movies were cheap,...
- 1/24/2011
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
Congratulations to the Missouri Black Expo for securing such an amazing line-up of movie celebrities for this year’s convention. Missouri Black Expo is an organization whose mission is to provide attendees with exposure to outstanding resources to promote youth development, health education and awareness and community development. This year is their 19th annual expo and will take place at the America’s Center in downtown St. Louis this weekend, August 26 – 29. The Missouri Black Expo always brings an impressive line-up of guests from the worlds of sports, literature, politics, and entertainment. This year they’re bringing in a trio of film legends that would make any movie geek drool.
First up is acting legend Lou Gossett Jr. who was the first African-American to win the Oscar for actor in a supporting role when he did so for his unforgettable part as the tough-as-nails Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 classic An Officer And A Gentleman.
First up is acting legend Lou Gossett Jr. who was the first African-American to win the Oscar for actor in a supporting role when he did so for his unforgettable part as the tough-as-nails Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 classic An Officer And A Gentleman.
- 8/23/2010
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Make-up artist Bob Westmoreland was best known for his work on Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He worked on make-up for the 1977 sci-fi classic, and appeared onscreen in a small role as a load dispatcher.
Westmoreland began working in films and television in the early 1970s, and provided make-up for such films as Hammer (1972), Love Me Deadly (1973), Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off (1973), the tele-film Satan’s Triangle (1975), Friday Foster (1975), the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Ravagers (1979), Spielberg’s 1941 (1979), The Island (1980) again appearing on screen in a small role, and Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983).
Westmoreland died of cardiac arrest in Kauai, Hawaii, on October 6, 2009, at age 74.
Written by Harris Lentz III...
Westmoreland began working in films and television in the early 1970s, and provided make-up for such films as Hammer (1972), Love Me Deadly (1973), Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off (1973), the tele-film Satan’s Triangle (1975), Friday Foster (1975), the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Ravagers (1979), Spielberg’s 1941 (1979), The Island (1980) again appearing on screen in a small role, and Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983).
Westmoreland died of cardiac arrest in Kauai, Hawaii, on October 6, 2009, at age 74.
Written by Harris Lentz III...
- 11/6/2009
- by Harris Lentz
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
“We were groping towards each other like two adding machines.”
Perhaps that line from James Goldstone’s 1968 involuntary acid trip Jigsaw hit so hilarious because—by that point—I had already had two vodka “vortinis” in the admittedly addictive Vortex Room. Offering double-billed programs alchemically fueled from the 16mm library of Cosmic Hex, the Vortex Room’s plush leather seats, atmospheric lighting, ubiquitous Charles Bronson homage (yes, that’s him on black velvet), classic vinyl on turntables, and slightly sinful speakeasy vibe has become one of my favorite alternate screening spaces in San Francisco. Offering a Thursday evening film cult series of hardboiled cinema, I can’t recommend The Vortex Room highly enough. Every bad San Franciscan deserves this comeuppance. Are you bad enough? Upcoming entries include Pam Grier in Friday Foster (1975), the 1948 and 1989 versions of Road House, Coleman Francis’s The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961) and the “thrill pills...
Perhaps that line from James Goldstone’s 1968 involuntary acid trip Jigsaw hit so hilarious because—by that point—I had already had two vodka “vortinis” in the admittedly addictive Vortex Room. Offering double-billed programs alchemically fueled from the 16mm library of Cosmic Hex, the Vortex Room’s plush leather seats, atmospheric lighting, ubiquitous Charles Bronson homage (yes, that’s him on black velvet), classic vinyl on turntables, and slightly sinful speakeasy vibe has become one of my favorite alternate screening spaces in San Francisco. Offering a Thursday evening film cult series of hardboiled cinema, I can’t recommend The Vortex Room highly enough. Every bad San Franciscan deserves this comeuppance. Are you bad enough? Upcoming entries include Pam Grier in Friday Foster (1975), the 1948 and 1989 versions of Road House, Coleman Francis’s The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961) and the “thrill pills...
- 4/22/2009
- by Michael Guillen
- Screen Anarchy
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