First cinematographer Owen Roizman passed away at 86 in January, and now director William Friedkin has left us at 87 on August 7. But their legacy as New Hollywood mavericks of the ’70s will continue to influence and inspire generations of filmmakers. That’s because their legendary back-to-back partnership on the Oscar-winning New York crime thriller “The French Connection” (1971) and the blockbuster horror film “The Exorcist” (1973) helped define that decade’s uneasy look of docu-realism.
The duo creatively connected instantly on “The French Connection,” which starred Gene Hackman as rogue cop Popeye Doyle, trying to stop a heroin smuggling deal while fighting a corrupt police force. Friedkin was able to leverage his documentary experience for the first time in his fledgling directing career, while Roizman broke free from his glossy TV commercial roots.
“The French Connection” elevated the cop genre with its art-house style (inspired by “Z”) and relentless pace. It also featured...
The duo creatively connected instantly on “The French Connection,” which starred Gene Hackman as rogue cop Popeye Doyle, trying to stop a heroin smuggling deal while fighting a corrupt police force. Friedkin was able to leverage his documentary experience for the first time in his fledgling directing career, while Roizman broke free from his glossy TV commercial roots.
“The French Connection” elevated the cop genre with its art-house style (inspired by “Z”) and relentless pace. It also featured...
- 8/8/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The saga of American movies in the 1970s is now a mythology. In the first half of the decade, the movies that emerged from the New Hollywood were unprecedented in their realism, their immersion in the gritty side pockets of everyday life, their perception of the darkness hidden in the American Dream. Then, of course, came Lucas and Spielberg, who kicked off the blockbuster revolution — the transformation of movies from reality into fantasy. This myth has been repeated so often that we tend to take it as gospel. But, in fact, it isn’t quite accurate. Because the yin-and-yang of ’70s movies, the whole gargantuan whipsaw from reality to fantasy, had already expressed itself, quite spectacularly, in the staggering cinematic one-two punch that would forever define the director William Friedkin, who died August 7 at 87.
The first punch, of course, was “The French Connection.” Released in 1971, it was a drama about a grungy,...
The first punch, of course, was “The French Connection.” Released in 1971, it was a drama about a grungy,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
William Friedkin, one of the great directors of the New Hollywood era who helmed classics like The Exorcist and Oscar-winner The French Connection, died Monday, The New York Times reports. He was 87.
Sherry Lansing, a former head of Paramount Pictures, and Friedkin’s wife, confirmed his death. She said the cause was heart failure and pneumonia.
Rising to prominence in the Seventies, Friedkin came to specialize in gritty, white-knuckle thrillers, often shot through with a healthy dose of practically documentary-style realism. The French Connection, his breakthrough film, won five Academy Awards,...
Sherry Lansing, a former head of Paramount Pictures, and Friedkin’s wife, confirmed his death. She said the cause was heart failure and pneumonia.
Rising to prominence in the Seventies, Friedkin came to specialize in gritty, white-knuckle thrillers, often shot through with a healthy dose of practically documentary-style realism. The French Connection, his breakthrough film, won five Academy Awards,...
- 8/7/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie”(starring Margot Robbie as the titular doll) is, justifiably, capturing the cultural zeitgeist.
The movie itself is wonderful – a subversive, silly and surprisingly moving. Whatever you thought a “Barbie” movie would be, this isn’t it. There is no egregious product placements (despite almost every product imaginable in our world having a “Barbie” tie-ins) or feelings of gross consumerism. Instead, it’s a lovely tale about feminism and the differences between an idealized world created, in part, by the dreams of young women, and the cruel reality of the world we actually inhabit.
“Barbie” gives you such a buzz, in fact, that you’re probably looking for more things like it. We’ve compiled five movies that are, at the very least, “Barbie”-ish, and ones that we think you’ll probably enjoy.
Note: These are all movies that were not a part of Greta Gerwig...
The movie itself is wonderful – a subversive, silly and surprisingly moving. Whatever you thought a “Barbie” movie would be, this isn’t it. There is no egregious product placements (despite almost every product imaginable in our world having a “Barbie” tie-ins) or feelings of gross consumerism. Instead, it’s a lovely tale about feminism and the differences between an idealized world created, in part, by the dreams of young women, and the cruel reality of the world we actually inhabit.
“Barbie” gives you such a buzz, in fact, that you’re probably looking for more things like it. We’ve compiled five movies that are, at the very least, “Barbie”-ish, and ones that we think you’ll probably enjoy.
Note: These are all movies that were not a part of Greta Gerwig...
- 7/30/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
When you think of 1980s action movies, visions of steroidal juggernauts like Schwarzenegger and Stallone are likely to spring to mind, but there was always another, if less numerous, stream running through their midst: gritty, downbeat, and cynical films typically helmed by New Hollywood stalwarts whose careers were in various stages of diminution. Among them were Hal Ashby’s strident, coke-fueled 8 Million Ways to Die, John Frankenheimer’s seamy extortion saga 52 Pickup, and William Friedkin’s To Live and Die in L.A., a neon-hued noir reworking of the morally ambiguous cops-versus-criminals terrain he had staked out a decade earlier in The French Connection.
Like Friedkin’s earlier film, To Live and Die in L.A. cannily blends quasi-documentary procedural realism with an unpredictable modernist sensibility. The story is succinct in its pulpy purity: loose-cannon Secret Service agent Chance (William Petersen) vows to take down elusive counterfeiter Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe), no matter the cost,...
Like Friedkin’s earlier film, To Live and Die in L.A. cannily blends quasi-documentary procedural realism with an unpredictable modernist sensibility. The story is succinct in its pulpy purity: loose-cannon Secret Service agent Chance (William Petersen) vows to take down elusive counterfeiter Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe), no matter the cost,...
- 7/24/2023
- by Ed Gonzalez
- Slant Magazine
Dolly Parton has an affection toward animals, especially dogs. Since she and her husband, Carl Dean, never had kids, she thinks of her dogs as her children. It’s hard to understand people’s love for their pets, and Parton expressed her love for one of her dogs by writing a song about them.
Dolly Parton wrote ‘Cracker Jack’ about her childhood dog
“Cracker Jack” was recorded in 1973 by Parton, but she never released it until a 2007 re-release of Jolene. The track is titled after a stray dog she befriended as a kid, but it’s dedicated to her family members who have all lost beloved pets. In the book Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, Parton explained why she loves dogs so much, and why Cracker Jack was the “best friend” she ever had.
“Your dog always lives in memory. Even though they don’t live as long as people,...
Dolly Parton wrote ‘Cracker Jack’ about her childhood dog
“Cracker Jack” was recorded in 1973 by Parton, but she never released it until a 2007 re-release of Jolene. The track is titled after a stray dog she befriended as a kid, but it’s dedicated to her family members who have all lost beloved pets. In the book Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, Parton explained why she loves dogs so much, and why Cracker Jack was the “best friend” she ever had.
“Your dog always lives in memory. Even though they don’t live as long as people,...
- 7/14/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
How many ways can a man kill himself before the devil finally says, “Well done?” For Rooster, the answer is unknowable: His seven serious bids didn’t take. There was the time he hanged himself from a tree by the river and swung there, counting heartbeats, till he died. (An old man hunting arrowheads cut his cold corpse down and pounded on his chest to bring him back.) There was the time he downed a bottle of Percocet in the bathroom of a trap house. He’d been blue for...
- 7/1/2023
- by Paul Solotaroff
- Rollingstone.com
Street Fighter 6 is officially here and it’s very good. Fans agree with the game seeing record-breaking player numbers on day one.
Related 'Street Fighter 6' Is a Knockout for Gamers of All Levels All the 'Street Fighter' Games, Ranked Watch: Hands-On With 'Street Fighter 6'
In a time when most non-Smash Bros. fighting games have waned in popularity behind larger live service and battle royale games, the latest entry in the storied franchise is looking to take back the belt and reinvigorate the genre, paving the way...
Related 'Street Fighter 6' Is a Knockout for Gamers of All Levels All the 'Street Fighter' Games, Ranked Watch: Hands-On With 'Street Fighter 6'
In a time when most non-Smash Bros. fighting games have waned in popularity behind larger live service and battle royale games, the latest entry in the storied franchise is looking to take back the belt and reinvigorate the genre, paving the way...
- 6/3/2023
- by Christopher Cruz
- Rollingstone.com
To celebrate "April Fools 2023", Sneak Peek the 1955 classic cartoon "Popeye: Cookin' With Gags", one of the most annoying 'Popeye' cartoons ever, written by John Reeves, featuring numerous April Fools pranks :
"...'Popeye' and 'Bluto' take 'Olive' on a picnic. It's April 1, and Bluto plays a series of gags on 'Popeye', including pouring gasoline on the fire he asks 'Popeye' to light and swapping a beehive for the lemonade. Bluto then launches a cruel joke against Olive, frames Popeye, replaces Popeye's spinach with a joke can and runs off with Olive..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...'Popeye' and 'Bluto' take 'Olive' on a picnic. It's April 1, and Bluto plays a series of gags on 'Popeye', including pouring gasoline on the fire he asks 'Popeye' to light and swapping a beehive for the lemonade. Bluto then launches a cruel joke against Olive, frames Popeye, replaces Popeye's spinach with a joke can and runs off with Olive..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 4/1/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Paramount+ is not just the home of the Taylor Sheridan universe, it has also quietly assembled one of the best film libraries of any of the streaming services. Look no further than the list of what’s new on Paramount+ in March, which includes prestige dramas like “12 Years a Slave” and “Last of the Mohicans,” iconic thrillers like “The Sixth Sense,” “The Rock” and “Crimson Tide,” delightful rom-coms like “Kate & Leopold” and “Bridget Jones’ Diary” and other classics like “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Sunset Boulevard” and “Galaxy Quest.”
And that’s not to mention the new originals premiering in March: Kiefer Sutherland plays a corporate espionage operative framed for murder in “Rabbit Hole,” while “School Spirits” follows a high school teen who suddenly discovers she’s dead and still haunting her school.
Check out the full list of what’s new on Paramount+ in March 2023 below.
Also Read:...
And that’s not to mention the new originals premiering in March: Kiefer Sutherland plays a corporate espionage operative framed for murder in “Rabbit Hole,” while “School Spirits” follows a high school teen who suddenly discovers she’s dead and still haunting her school.
Check out the full list of what’s new on Paramount+ in March 2023 below.
Also Read:...
- 3/4/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Cocaine Bear’s appeal starts – and, for many, ends – with its title. The movie promises one thing – a bear high on cocaine – and the only question is which approach director Elizabeth Banks will take: the one that treats it seriously and says “this is the scariest thing ever,” or the one that says “we’re making a movie called Cocaine Bear. Isn’t that crazy?”
Banks – supported by producers Christopher Lord and Phil Miller, who never met a crazy premise they could ignore – wisely takes the second route, leaning into the humor and carnage that collide under its absurd premise. And whether you like it or loathe it, you will probably walk away going: “yep; that’s exactly what I thought a movie called Cocaine Bear would be.”
Very loosely based on a true story from the 1980s, the film rockets to a start with an unhinged opening, as a...
Banks – supported by producers Christopher Lord and Phil Miller, who never met a crazy premise they could ignore – wisely takes the second route, leaning into the humor and carnage that collide under its absurd premise. And whether you like it or loathe it, you will probably walk away going: “yep; that’s exactly what I thought a movie called Cocaine Bear would be.”
Very loosely based on a true story from the 1980s, the film rockets to a start with an unhinged opening, as a...
- 3/3/2023
- by Chris Williams
- CinemaNerdz
The light touch that made Rebecca Miller’s last film, Maggie’s Plan, so enjoyable is nowhere to be found in She Came to Me, a clunky multistrand romance with such a terminal case of whimsy that almost none of its characters or their relationships ring true. Get this: Peter Dinklage plays a creatively stalled avant-garde opera composer; Anne Hathaway is a controlling therapist who randomly ditches her chic wardrobe for a nun’s habit; Marisa Tomei is a tugboat captain prone to romantic obsessions; and Brian d’Arcy James is a court stenographer heavily into Civil War reenactments.
If you’re wondering how much quirk one movie can take, you’re not alone, raising the question of how it ever got cast, let alone made. Yet somehow, it did, even landing a tinkly score by Bryce Dessner of The National and an original Bruce Springsteen song for the end credits, appropriately titled “Addicted to Romance.
If you’re wondering how much quirk one movie can take, you’re not alone, raising the question of how it ever got cast, let alone made. Yet somehow, it did, even landing a tinkly score by Bryce Dessner of The National and an original Bruce Springsteen song for the end credits, appropriately titled “Addicted to Romance.
- 2/16/2023
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Love Island fever is here once again, thanks to a new winter series that will be hosted by Maya Jama.
The contestants entering the South African villa this year include a former body double for Emma Watson and an extra from the sitcom Benidorm.
Joining them is 25-year-old financial advisor Ron Hall.
Ron will be the show’s first ever partially sighted contestant.
Find out more about Love Island contestant Ron Hall below.
Why has Ron joined Love Island and what will he bring to the villa?
Ron, who is from Essex, said that he wants to bring “fun and charisma” to the series, adding that he hopes to “have good times and make memories”.
He described himself as “genuine, caring and a nice person”, which he said “you don’t find these days”.
Ron also revealed that he is partially sighted, telling ITV: “It’s added to my character.
The contestants entering the South African villa this year include a former body double for Emma Watson and an extra from the sitcom Benidorm.
Joining them is 25-year-old financial advisor Ron Hall.
Ron will be the show’s first ever partially sighted contestant.
Find out more about Love Island contestant Ron Hall below.
Why has Ron joined Love Island and what will he bring to the villa?
Ron, who is from Essex, said that he wants to bring “fun and charisma” to the series, adding that he hopes to “have good times and make memories”.
He described himself as “genuine, caring and a nice person”, which he said “you don’t find these days”.
Ron also revealed that he is partially sighted, telling ITV: “It’s added to my character.
- 1/16/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - TV
Love Island fever is here once again, thanks to a new winter series that will be hosted by Maya Jama.
The contestants entering the South African villa this year include a former body double for Emma Watson and an extra from the sitcom Benidorm.
Joining them is 25-year-old financial advisor Ron Hall.
Ron will be the show’s first ever partially sighted contestant.
Find out more about Love Island contestant Ron Hall below.
Why has Ron joined Love Island and what will he bring to the villa?
Ron, who is from Essex, said that he wants to bring “fun and charisma” to the series, adding that he hopes to “have good times and make memories”.
He described himself as “genuine, caring and a nice person”, which he said “you don’t find these days”.
Ron also revealed that he is partially sighted, telling ITV: “It’s added to my character.
The contestants entering the South African villa this year include a former body double for Emma Watson and an extra from the sitcom Benidorm.
Joining them is 25-year-old financial advisor Ron Hall.
Ron will be the show’s first ever partially sighted contestant.
Find out more about Love Island contestant Ron Hall below.
Why has Ron joined Love Island and what will he bring to the villa?
Ron, who is from Essex, said that he wants to bring “fun and charisma” to the series, adding that he hopes to “have good times and make memories”.
He described himself as “genuine, caring and a nice person”, which he said “you don’t find these days”.
Ron also revealed that he is partially sighted, telling ITV: “It’s added to my character.
- 1/14/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - TV
Stephen Graham is showing off his newly bulging biceps. “He’s like Popeye,” says his wife, Hannah Walters, on her way to the fridge. “Just give him a can and he pops it and crushes it.” It’s breakfast time in the couple’s home in a former mining town in Leicestershire, and the This Is England star is being teased by the love of his life, as he chats to me from the kitchen counter.
He does have impressive (tattooed) muscles to show off, though, as a result of intensive training for the role of a hardened pugilist in the forthcoming A Thousand Blows, written by Steven “Peaky Blinders” Knight, which the couple are producing together. They chat and spar as we talk, with Graham paying tribute to Walters for getting Knight involved: “I thought, ‘No chance!’ It was all down to that wonderful woman who’s eating cereal there.
He does have impressive (tattooed) muscles to show off, though, as a result of intensive training for the role of a hardened pugilist in the forthcoming A Thousand Blows, written by Steven “Peaky Blinders” Knight, which the couple are producing together. They chat and spar as we talk, with Graham paying tribute to Walters for getting Knight involved: “I thought, ‘No chance!’ It was all down to that wonderful woman who’s eating cereal there.
- 11/19/2022
- by Chris Harvey
- The Independent - Film
Stephen Graham is showing off his newly bulging biceps. “He’s like Popeye,” says his wife, Hannah Walters, on her way to the fridge. “Just give him a can and he pops it and crushes it.” It’s breakfast time in the couple’s home in a former mining town in Leicestershire, and the This Is England star is being teased by the love of his life, as he chats to me from the kitchen counter.
He does have impressive (tattooed) muscles to show off, though, as a result of intensive training for the role of a hardened pugilist in the forthcoming A Thousand Blows, written by Steven “Peaky Blinders” Knight, which the couple are producing together. They chat and spar as we talk, with Graham paying tribute to Walters for getting Knight involved: “I thought, ‘No chance!’ It was all down to that wonderful woman who’s eating cereal there.
He does have impressive (tattooed) muscles to show off, though, as a result of intensive training for the role of a hardened pugilist in the forthcoming A Thousand Blows, written by Steven “Peaky Blinders” Knight, which the couple are producing together. They chat and spar as we talk, with Graham paying tribute to Walters for getting Knight involved: “I thought, ‘No chance!’ It was all down to that wonderful woman who’s eating cereal there.
- 11/18/2022
- by Chris Harvey
- The Independent - Film
From 1968 to 2006, celebrated director Robert Altman directed 34 feature films. He made Westerns, murder mysteries, musicals, psychodramas, broad comedies, terse satires, political commentaries, and whatever in Tartarus "Popeye" was. And yet, throughout most of it, Altman has developed -- and retained -- a very particular style that has remained a hallmark of his oeuvre at large. Altman is perhaps best known for his "natural" filmmaking style. In many of his films, Altman allows his camera to drift into crowded rooms where several conversations may be happening at once, and allows his actors to speak over one another. His mastery comes at wrangling all the business into something coherent and listenable. Although often busy, none of Altman's films are traffic jams. His work is stirringly humane. Through his naturalness, Altman achieves complex, recognizable emotional states efficiently and intensely.
Throughout his career, critics regularly frothed over Altman's work, and most of his films...
Throughout his career, critics regularly frothed over Altman's work, and most of his films...
- 11/14/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
[Editor’s Note: The following review contains spoilers for “Atlanta” Season 4, Episode 10, “It Was All a Dream” — the series finale.]
Every season* of “Atlanta” starts, in one way or another, with Earn waking up. The premiere, following a flash-forward, sees Donald Glover’s lead recalling a dream next to a groggy Van (Zazie Beetz). In Season 2, subtitled “Robbin’ Season,” Earn is rudely roused by his storage unit’s owner, who evicts him from his makeshift home (while stealing some of his stuff). Even Season 3’s first entry, which dedicates 99 percent of its runtime to a story inspired by the Hart family murders, ends on a close-up of Earn’s rattled face, as he looks around his hotel room in that initial waking state of anxious confusion.
*Every season, that is, except Season 4.
The fourth and final season of “Atlanta” notably begins with Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) returning an air fryer to Target amid absolute chaos. The store is being looted.
Every season* of “Atlanta” starts, in one way or another, with Earn waking up. The premiere, following a flash-forward, sees Donald Glover’s lead recalling a dream next to a groggy Van (Zazie Beetz). In Season 2, subtitled “Robbin’ Season,” Earn is rudely roused by his storage unit’s owner, who evicts him from his makeshift home (while stealing some of his stuff). Even Season 3’s first entry, which dedicates 99 percent of its runtime to a story inspired by the Hart family murders, ends on a close-up of Earn’s rattled face, as he looks around his hotel room in that initial waking state of anxious confusion.
*Every season, that is, except Season 4.
The fourth and final season of “Atlanta” notably begins with Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) returning an air fryer to Target amid absolute chaos. The store is being looted.
- 11/11/2022
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Spoiler Alert: The story below reveals plot points from FX’s Atlanta series finale.
FX’s Atlanta came to a close Thursday night and, forgoing typical fanfare of a series finale, the episode once again does what Atlanta does best by subverting the idea of what, exactly, a series finale should even be.
Aptly titled “It Was All A Dream,” the episode sees Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) grapple with reality while in a sensory deprivation tank, which eventually calls into question the events of the entire episode. After several outlandish encounters that turn out to be dreams, Darius manages to help Earn (Donald Glover), Al (Brian Tyree Henry), and Van (Zazie Beetz) escape a Black-owned sushi restaurant after the owner tries to hold them hostage.
As the episode wraps, the core characters all share the screen together for the last time, discussing their days — but viewers are left to wonder whether...
FX’s Atlanta came to a close Thursday night and, forgoing typical fanfare of a series finale, the episode once again does what Atlanta does best by subverting the idea of what, exactly, a series finale should even be.
Aptly titled “It Was All A Dream,” the episode sees Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) grapple with reality while in a sensory deprivation tank, which eventually calls into question the events of the entire episode. After several outlandish encounters that turn out to be dreams, Darius manages to help Earn (Donald Glover), Al (Brian Tyree Henry), and Van (Zazie Beetz) escape a Black-owned sushi restaurant after the owner tries to hold them hostage.
As the episode wraps, the core characters all share the screen together for the last time, discussing their days — but viewers are left to wonder whether...
- 11/11/2022
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
We recently told you about director Scott Goldberg‘s upcoming werewolf movie The Forest Hills, set to star Edward Furlong (Terminator 2) and Dee Wallace (The Howling). Deadline brings us a surprising update this afternoon, reporting that Shelley Duvall (The Shining) will also be appearing in The Forest Hills – Duvall’s first movie appearance in two decades.
The Forest Hills follows Rico (Chiko Mendez), a man who is tormented by nightmarish visions after enduring head trauma while hiking in the Catskills.
Deadline notes, “Duvall will play the mother of the mentally and emotionally disturbed Rico, who serves as his inner voice.”
Shelley Duvall retired from acting in the wake of Manna from Heaven back in 2002, the actress of course also known for Popeye, Time Bandits, and Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie.
“We are huge fans of The Shining and it’s honestly one of my favorite horror movies of all time,...
The Forest Hills follows Rico (Chiko Mendez), a man who is tormented by nightmarish visions after enduring head trauma while hiking in the Catskills.
Deadline notes, “Duvall will play the mother of the mentally and emotionally disturbed Rico, who serves as his inner voice.”
Shelley Duvall retired from acting in the wake of Manna from Heaven back in 2002, the actress of course also known for Popeye, Time Bandits, and Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie.
“We are huge fans of The Shining and it’s honestly one of my favorite horror movies of all time,...
- 10/28/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
‘Vikram’ Review: A Tamil Action Legend Returns to Take Down a Drug Dealer in Thrilling Kollywood Hit
If Hollywood can justify making sequels to “Rambo” and “Top Gun” more than three decades on, why can’t Kollywood do the same? In tons-of-fun “Vikram,” a secret agent first introduced in 1986 emerges from deep undercover to thwart the biggest drug deal in Indian history. He’s a grandfather now, but that doesn’t stop the title character (Kamal Haasan) from tossing people across the room in this turbo-charged, three-hour action bonanza, which pairs Vikram with a younger operative named Amar (Fahadh Faasil). The two have at least one thing in common: Rules and regulations don’t matter, which means they’re free to fight crime as creatively as they (and director Lokesh Kanagaraj) see fit.
Taking a page from James Cameron’s “True Lies,” with its go-big-or-go-home approach to set-pieces, Kanagaraj has pulled off a memorably over-the-top blockbuster and the year’s top-grossing Tamil-language hit (at 53.7 million and counting...
Taking a page from James Cameron’s “True Lies,” with its go-big-or-go-home approach to set-pieces, Kanagaraj has pulled off a memorably over-the-top blockbuster and the year’s top-grossing Tamil-language hit (at 53.7 million and counting...
- 10/10/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Popeye is one of the most iconic comic strip characters ever created, and to celebrate the spinach-loving sailor, Clover Press and Yoe! Books have partnered for the publication of Popeye Variations: Not Yer Pappy's Comics an' Art Book. A hardcover art book featuring more than 100 illustrations from 75 artists, Popeye Variations is now on Kickstarter, and we have an exclusive look at some of the horror-themed artwork from the book!
Below, you can check out our exclusive look at some of the artwork featured in Popeye Variations, and here's what artist Dave Calver had to say about his zombie-themed Popeye piece:
"I’m not generally drawn to zombies, vampires, etc. Seems like they’ve been done to…well,…death. But good ole Popeye kicking some zombie Bluto butt??? Seemed like a no-brainer!"
We have the official press release with additional details, and to learn more and support Popeye Variations, visit its official Kickstarter page!
Below, you can check out our exclusive look at some of the artwork featured in Popeye Variations, and here's what artist Dave Calver had to say about his zombie-themed Popeye piece:
"I’m not generally drawn to zombies, vampires, etc. Seems like they’ve been done to…well,…death. But good ole Popeye kicking some zombie Bluto butt??? Seemed like a no-brainer!"
We have the official press release with additional details, and to learn more and support Popeye Variations, visit its official Kickstarter page!
- 10/5/2022
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
There was every reason to expect "Club Paradise" would be the comedy smash of Summer 1986. Harold Ramis was two-for-two as a director thanks to "Caddyshack" and "National Lampon's Vacation," and scorching hot off the blockbuster success of "Ghostbusters." Ramis had reunited with his "National Lampoon's Animal House" collaborator Chris Miller to hammer out the story, and hooked up once again with his "Caddyshack" co-writer Brian Doyle-Murray for the screenplay. And then there was the cast: Robin Williams, Peter O'Toole, Rick Moranis, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Joe Flaherty, Robin Duke, and Mary Gross. How could a film stuffed with this much comedic talent possibly miss?
Aside from Ramis and Levy playing a couple of hapless, horn-dog tourists who inadvertently score a trash bag full of marijuana, just about nothing works in "Club Paradise." The notion of a retired Chicago firefighter (Williams) starting up a ramshackle Caribbean resort with his disability money sounds promising,...
Aside from Ramis and Levy playing a couple of hapless, horn-dog tourists who inadvertently score a trash bag full of marijuana, just about nothing works in "Club Paradise." The notion of a retired Chicago firefighter (Williams) starting up a ramshackle Caribbean resort with his disability money sounds promising,...
- 9/16/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
If you cast your mind back to the 1980s, you may recall a time when movies based on characters from comic books and comic strips weren't as popular as they are now. There were notable exceptions like "Superman," but for the most part, the genre was still a bit on the sidelines. When "Popeye" came out in 1980, the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was almost three decades away, and Tim Burton's "Batman" was still nine years out.
"Popeye" starred the late Robin Williams as the titular character based on the comic strip and cartoon character created by E.C. Segar. It was directed by five-time Academy Award-nominee Robert Altman, who was responsible for films like "M*A*S*H" and "The Long Goodbye." For a young actor like Williams, that was a big deal. His work on the TV series "Mork and Mindy" was getting him noticed, but he'd only done a...
"Popeye" starred the late Robin Williams as the titular character based on the comic strip and cartoon character created by E.C. Segar. It was directed by five-time Academy Award-nominee Robert Altman, who was responsible for films like "M*A*S*H" and "The Long Goodbye." For a young actor like Williams, that was a big deal. His work on the TV series "Mork and Mindy" was getting him noticed, but he'd only done a...
- 9/14/2022
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
HBO Max and Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav can't seem to keep their names out of the headlines recently, tied exclusively to baffling business decisions like canning the highly-anticipated release of "Batgirl" or absolutely obliterating the streaming platform's animated offerings. Zaslav made it known during the Q2 earnings call that he had hoped to cut 3 billion from HBO Max's operating budget before the inevitable streaming merger with discovery+, which apparently meant annihilating the relationships HBO Max had with Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network.
Learning that your life's work is being wiped out with complete disregard for the artistry or the lives of those that crafted it is difficult enough, but as "Infinity Train" creator Owen Dennis shared, Zaslav and the Discovery team couldn't even have the common courtesy to inform the creators of their decision to throw away their years of work like expired takeout. As Twitter user @sapphyreblayze rightfully pointed out,...
Learning that your life's work is being wiped out with complete disregard for the artistry or the lives of those that crafted it is difficult enough, but as "Infinity Train" creator Owen Dennis shared, Zaslav and the Discovery team couldn't even have the common courtesy to inform the creators of their decision to throw away their years of work like expired takeout. As Twitter user @sapphyreblayze rightfully pointed out,...
- 8/23/2022
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Power Trip
By Jason Young
160 pages/25/Oldtimes Blue Ribbon Digest
Growing up in the 1970s, comic book readers didn’t have a lot in the way of extensions of their favorite characters. There was the occasional novel and ABC’s Super Friends, but really, little else. As a result, getting new stories or new versions of stories on an album featuring your favorite heroes seemed like manna from Heaven.
Power Records or Peter Pan Records filled that gap, beginning in the early 1970s and petering out in the early 1980s. They may be best remembered for the wonderful art produced for the album covers by Continuity Studios, the outfit run by Neal Adams and (briefly) Dick Giordano. They featured familiar vocal talent and the stories weren’t half bad. They were successful enough that their thirty or so releases were repackaged time and again, eventually eschewing vinyl for cassette tapes to retain the audience.
By Jason Young
160 pages/25/Oldtimes Blue Ribbon Digest
Growing up in the 1970s, comic book readers didn’t have a lot in the way of extensions of their favorite characters. There was the occasional novel and ABC’s Super Friends, but really, little else. As a result, getting new stories or new versions of stories on an album featuring your favorite heroes seemed like manna from Heaven.
Power Records or Peter Pan Records filled that gap, beginning in the early 1970s and petering out in the early 1980s. They may be best remembered for the wonderful art produced for the album covers by Continuity Studios, the outfit run by Neal Adams and (briefly) Dick Giordano. They featured familiar vocal talent and the stories weren’t half bad. They were successful enough that their thirty or so releases were repackaged time and again, eventually eschewing vinyl for cassette tapes to retain the audience.
- 8/15/2022
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
"Samurai Jack" gave me something I didn't know I wanted as a kid, which was violence. At the climax of the show's "Premiere Movie," Jack defends a pack of hapless dogs from an army of mechanical beetles commanded by the demon Aku. The beetles are impaled, decapitated, blasted by rocket fire. As Jack slices them in half, oil spurts from their severed pipes. Jack is bathed in this black filth. As a child I could not process what I was seeing. The sea of beetles swallowing the red hills, the repeated swing of Jack's sword, and the rictus of his face was like a nightmare. But that is why "Samurai Jack" succeeds, beyond its remarkable style. It delivers everything a kid could want — samurai, monsters, robots — at a level of intensity just outside of their comfort zone.
Jack's story was no nightmare for Genndy Tartakovsky, the creator of "Samurai Jack.
Jack's story was no nightmare for Genndy Tartakovsky, the creator of "Samurai Jack.
- 8/13/2022
- by Adam Wescott
- Slash Film
1929 was the year America and Canada agreed to put in concerted efforts to preserve Niagara Falls, the year Mother Teresa arrived in Calcutta, India, to forever change the way the poor of the city were taken care of, the year Popeye first made an appearance in a comic strip, the year the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre was carried out in Chicago, and the year the United States welcomed its 31st President in the form of President Herbert Hoover. Of course, while all this made headlines in newspapers across the world, what made headlines in the entertainment industry throughout
What A Night Out At The Movies In 1929 Would Have in Store For You...
What A Night Out At The Movies In 1929 Would Have in Store For You...
- 4/30/2022
- by Stanley Anto
- TVovermind.com
It’s coming up on close to a century since the squinty-eyed, spinach-eating sailor that so many of us remember from our youth will be turning a century old, and while Popeye isn’t exactly the media icon he used to be, he’s still remembered fondly by many people. There are a few things about him though that a lot of people might not remember or know and some of them are pretty interesting. To start with, he wasn’t even a major character in the first newspaper cartoon he was placed in since Olive Oyl, her brother Castor and her boyfriend Ham
Some Weird Stuff You Likely Never Knew about Popeye...
Some Weird Stuff You Likely Never Knew about Popeye...
- 6/23/2021
- by Tom
- TVovermind.com
Kintaro Yajima (Katsunori Takahashi) once was the leader of an infamous biker gang, but as he became a father, he exchanged his bike for a business suit and began working for Yamato Construction. Behind the scenes, a politician along with a rival company schemes to destroy Kinatro’s employer by taking away or canceling all government contracts the firm has or competes with alongside other companies. During this time, Kintaro’s boss sends his employee to work with Igo (Tsutomu Yamazaki), a former friend of Yamato and manager of the company, who over the years has been more fond of gambling and/or drinking than taking care of business affairs.
While Kintaro has trouble getting through to Igo, Yamato loses more contracts, which jeopardizes the company as a whole along with the livelihood of its employees. Brave and confident in his abilities, Kintaro tries to fight what he sees as...
While Kintaro has trouble getting through to Igo, Yamato loses more contracts, which jeopardizes the company as a whole along with the livelihood of its employees. Brave and confident in his abilities, Kintaro tries to fight what he sees as...
- 8/8/2019
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Sneak Peek "Wotta Nitemare", the 71st "Popeye" animated cartoon from Fleischer Studios, released in 1939, featuring the voices of Pinto Colvig, Margie Hines and Jack Mercer as 'Popeye', directed by Dave Fleischer and Willard Bowsky:
"...'Popeye' tosses and turns in his sleep. He dreams of himself up in the clouds sitting with an angelic 'Olive Oyl'.
"Soon, however, 'Bluto' materializes and leads the angel away to have a picnic.
"Popeye is left behind bars - in fact, the bars from his bed..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Popeye: Wotta Nitemare"....
"...'Popeye' tosses and turns in his sleep. He dreams of himself up in the clouds sitting with an angelic 'Olive Oyl'.
"Soon, however, 'Bluto' materializes and leads the angel away to have a picnic.
"Popeye is left behind bars - in fact, the bars from his bed..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Popeye: Wotta Nitemare"....
- 7/10/2019
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Have you heard of Cuphead? It’s an indie video game series from Studio Mdhr with a visual style that calls back to classic 1930s cartoons from the likes of Max Fleischer, creator of Betty Boop, Popeye, and more. As for the gameplay, it has a classic run-and-gun feel like old school videos games such as Contra […]
The post Video Game Sensation ‘Cuphead’ is Getting an Animated Series on Netflix appeared first on /Film.
The post Video Game Sensation ‘Cuphead’ is Getting an Animated Series on Netflix appeared first on /Film.
- 7/9/2019
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Popeye is coming back. Variety reports a new TV show based on the character is coming to YouTube.The animated series comes from WildBrain and will draw stories from "shows including 'Popeye,' 'Popeye and Son,' and 'The Continuing Adventures of Popeye.'" This will be the first Popeye series in nearly 15 years. In 2004, a TV special titled Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy, aired on Fox.Read More…...
- 5/29/2018
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Even though Dolly Parton's beloved Smoky Mountains were devastated by deadly wildfires in 2016, she knew the "mountain strong" people affected by the natural disaster would rise again. "Everybody's got that spiritual background," she said of the locals who live in the same area where she spent her humble early years. "I think that good neighbors and faith and trust in God — and in one another — helps everyone pull together as a team. You got to pull as a community; as a family. That's the only way you can keep going." Her strong faith is what has helped the country legend, 72, pull herself through some of the toughest struggles in her own life. Dolly and her husband, Carl. (Photo Credit: R/R) "I hurt like everybody else. I'm not always happy," Dolly has admitted, and she's faced several hurdles and heartaches through the years, including a family tragedy when she...
- 5/16/2018
- by Closer Staff
- Closer Weekly
The actual reason why Popeye muttered under his breath is pretty simple. The voice acting and the animation were not on par with one another. The animation was done before the voice-acting was brought in, so this is why it seems like the old salty sailor is speaking and yet his lips aren’t moving, giving the impression that he might be talking under his breath. Somehow I don’t think today’s cartoons would get away with this largely because the fans might see it as lazy and the effect would be lost on those that have grown up with CGI being
The Actual Reason That Popeye Used to Mutter Under his Breath...
The Actual Reason That Popeye Used to Mutter Under his Breath...
- 1/10/2018
- by Wake
- TVovermind.com
We examine the real story behind The French Connection, and look at how police procedural flicks were never the same afterward.
facebook
twitter
tumblr
The French Connection is a seminal work in cop movies. It was that first sniff that hooked the moviegoing public on Hollywood’s war on drugs. It changed the look and the dynamic of law enforcement on film by focusing on the worn heels and tires of street-level surveillance. The movie should be boring with all that waiting around and stealthy shadowing, but the pacing and the performances keep it moving at a breakneck pace comparable to chasing a subway. The French Connection is probably the closest Hollywood has come to a true on-the-street crime procedural in a blockbuster. Things that are cliché in cop movies now were invented here.
The French Connection screeched into theaters in 1971. It was directed by William Friedkin, produced by Philip D'Antoni,...
tumblr
The French Connection is a seminal work in cop movies. It was that first sniff that hooked the moviegoing public on Hollywood’s war on drugs. It changed the look and the dynamic of law enforcement on film by focusing on the worn heels and tires of street-level surveillance. The movie should be boring with all that waiting around and stealthy shadowing, but the pacing and the performances keep it moving at a breakneck pace comparable to chasing a subway. The French Connection is probably the closest Hollywood has come to a true on-the-street crime procedural in a blockbuster. Things that are cliché in cop movies now were invented here.
The French Connection screeched into theaters in 1971. It was directed by William Friedkin, produced by Philip D'Antoni,...
- 2/15/2015
- Den of Geek
It’s a common assignment in psychology classes to analyze and diagnose fictional characters for mental illnesses. In doing so, students can recognize signifiers of neuroses without fear of misdiagnosis, and teachers can judge the diagnoses by varying criteria. Naturally, fictional psychoanalysis requires especially strong fictional characters; Popeye could clearly be viewed as a substance abuser, Pac Man as a compulsive overeater, and Count Von Count could have obsessive compulsive disorder.
Barney Stinson is an especially strong fictional character. With his constant womanizing, his inflated self-image, and his tireless need to earn the respect of others, he’s a doctoral thesis waiting to happen. If he were real, volumes of academic tomes could be written with him as the subject. One could only wonder what sort of childhood conditions would lead to such a personality developing.
In this week’s episode of How I Met Your Mother, we get an...
Barney Stinson is an especially strong fictional character. With his constant womanizing, his inflated self-image, and his tireless need to earn the respect of others, he’s a doctoral thesis waiting to happen. If he were real, volumes of academic tomes could be written with him as the subject. One could only wonder what sort of childhood conditions would lead to such a personality developing.
In this week’s episode of How I Met Your Mother, we get an...
- 9/28/2010
- by Jaspers
- Atomic Popcorn
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.