Paul Walter Hauser will play comedian Chris Farley in a so-far untitled biopic. Here’s what we know at present:
A biopic based on the biography The Chris Farley Show: A Biography In Three Acts by the late comedian’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colb is in the works.
With full endorsement from Farley’s family, Richard Jewell star Paul Walter Hauser will play him in the film. It will be the directorial debut of Frozen star Josh Gad, with Scott Neustadter and Michael H Weber writing the screenplay according to Deadline. They previously adapted the surreal true story of Tommy Wiseau’s experience making cult film The Room into 2017 film The Disaster Artist.
A feature film examining the origins of Saturday Night Live is also in production. Jason Reitman is directIng SNL 1975 from a script he wrote with Gil Keenan. It will star Gabriel Labelle as series creator Lorne Michaels,...
A biopic based on the biography The Chris Farley Show: A Biography In Three Acts by the late comedian’s brother Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colb is in the works.
With full endorsement from Farley’s family, Richard Jewell star Paul Walter Hauser will play him in the film. It will be the directorial debut of Frozen star Josh Gad, with Scott Neustadter and Michael H Weber writing the screenplay according to Deadline. They previously adapted the surreal true story of Tommy Wiseau’s experience making cult film The Room into 2017 film The Disaster Artist.
A feature film examining the origins of Saturday Night Live is also in production. Jason Reitman is directIng SNL 1975 from a script he wrote with Gil Keenan. It will star Gabriel Labelle as series creator Lorne Michaels,...
- 4/15/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
J.K. Simmons has joined the cast of Jason Reitman’s SNL 1975, and not only will the Oscar winner be playing Hollywood legend Milton Berle, but he’ll have the notable distinction of becoming the first actual SNL host to join the cast of the Sony movie.
Simmons hosted the Jan. 31, 2015 episode of Saturday Night Live, which featured D’Angelo as the musical guest. At the time, Simmons was riding high off an Oscar nomination for Whiplash, and he would go on to win the Academy Award following his SNL hosting stint.
Meanwhile, Berle hosted SNL on April 14, 1979, and Ornette Coleman was his musical guest. It’s unclear where Berle fits into Reitman’s movie at this moment in time.
SNL 1975 is a behind-the-scenes account of the very first episode of Saturday Night Live. The film will reportedly unfold in real-time.
On the heels of playing Steven Spielberg in The Fabelmans,...
Simmons hosted the Jan. 31, 2015 episode of Saturday Night Live, which featured D’Angelo as the musical guest. At the time, Simmons was riding high off an Oscar nomination for Whiplash, and he would go on to win the Academy Award following his SNL hosting stint.
Meanwhile, Berle hosted SNL on April 14, 1979, and Ornette Coleman was his musical guest. It’s unclear where Berle fits into Reitman’s movie at this moment in time.
SNL 1975 is a behind-the-scenes account of the very first episode of Saturday Night Live. The film will reportedly unfold in real-time.
On the heels of playing Steven Spielberg in The Fabelmans,...
- 3/26/2024
- by Jeff Sneider
- LateNighter
Welcome to SNL Stories, the Saturday Night Network’s interview podcast series where we catch up with SNL alumni from all eras of the show.
Our guest today is Christine Ebersole, who was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1981-1982 (S7). In this podcast, Christine joins us to discuss how she got cast on the show, her relationship with head writer Michael O’Donoghue, and her most memorable sketches.
To watch the episode, click the YouTube embed above. The audio version of this episode is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other fine podcast platforms.
Meet your hosts:
Jon Schneider is the main host of the Saturday Night Network. Jon has seen every episode of Saturday Night Live going back to 1975 and loves discussing how new episodes affect the legacy of the show. His favorite SNL cast member of all time is Will Forte.
Continue reading SNL Stories – Christine Ebersole Interview at LateNighter.
Our guest today is Christine Ebersole, who was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1981-1982 (S7). In this podcast, Christine joins us to discuss how she got cast on the show, her relationship with head writer Michael O’Donoghue, and her most memorable sketches.
To watch the episode, click the YouTube embed above. The audio version of this episode is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other fine podcast platforms.
Meet your hosts:
Jon Schneider is the main host of the Saturday Night Network. Jon has seen every episode of Saturday Night Live going back to 1975 and loves discussing how new episodes affect the legacy of the show. His favorite SNL cast member of all time is Will Forte.
Continue reading SNL Stories – Christine Ebersole Interview at LateNighter.
- 3/21/2024
- by Saturday Night Network
- LateNighter
The cast of the upcoming SNL 1975 movie has just added three young stars to it’s ensemble!
It was announced on Tuesday (March 12) that Finn Wolfhard, Kaia Gerber and Andrew Barth Feldman have been cast in Saturday Night Live origin film, Deadline reports.
Find out who they’re playing inside…
Finn is set to portray an NBC page, Kaia will portray actress Jacqueline Carlin and Andrew will portray production assistant Neil Levy.
For those that don’t know, Jacqueline was married to original cast member Chevy Chase from 1976-1980. Find out who will play Chevy here!
SNL 1975 (working title) tells “the true story of what happened behind the scenes that night in the moments leading up to the first broadcast of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. It depicts the chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, counting down the minutes in real time to the infamous words,...
It was announced on Tuesday (March 12) that Finn Wolfhard, Kaia Gerber and Andrew Barth Feldman have been cast in Saturday Night Live origin film, Deadline reports.
Find out who they’re playing inside…
Finn is set to portray an NBC page, Kaia will portray actress Jacqueline Carlin and Andrew will portray production assistant Neil Levy.
For those that don’t know, Jacqueline was married to original cast member Chevy Chase from 1976-1980. Find out who will play Chevy here!
SNL 1975 (working title) tells “the true story of what happened behind the scenes that night in the moments leading up to the first broadcast of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. It depicts the chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, counting down the minutes in real time to the infamous words,...
- 3/12/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
The 2007 John C. Reilly comedy Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story has become a cult hit in recent years, largely as a result of the skill with which it dissects and eviscerates the genre it satirizes.
The film so deftly laid bare the tropes and cliches of the rock star biopic that many predicted it would forever change the way filmmakers approached stories about dead celebs.
And for a while, it seemed like the trick had worked.
Leaving aside for a moment any discussion about the quality of these films, there's no denying that Elvis, Blonde, Maestro, Jackie, Priscilla, and Oppenheimer all offered new takes on a very familiar subgenre.
(That last one, admittedly, is a bit of an outlier, as we're not sure if a theoretical physicist -- even one who altered the course of world history -- can properly be called a celebrity.)
But in recent years, the...
The film so deftly laid bare the tropes and cliches of the rock star biopic that many predicted it would forever change the way filmmakers approached stories about dead celebs.
And for a while, it seemed like the trick had worked.
Leaving aside for a moment any discussion about the quality of these films, there's no denying that Elvis, Blonde, Maestro, Jackie, Priscilla, and Oppenheimer all offered new takes on a very familiar subgenre.
(That last one, admittedly, is a bit of an outlier, as we're not sure if a theoretical physicist -- even one who altered the course of world history -- can properly be called a celebrity.)
But in recent years, the...
- 3/7/2024
- by Tyler Johnson
- TVfanatic
Nicholas Braun has been cast as Jim Henson in SNL 1975, the Sony Pictures project set to tell the story of the earliest days of Saturday Night Live.
Henson’s Muppets were a regular part of SNL’s first season, appearing in a total of 13 episodes.
Braun joins a cast that includes Gabriel Labelle, who is portraying SNL creator Lorne Michaels, as well as Rachel Sennott (as Rosie Shuster), Dylan O’Brien (as Dan Aykroyd), Cooper Hoffman (as Dick Ebersol), Ella Hunt (as Gilda Radner), Kim Matula (as Jane Curtin), Cory Michael Smith (as Chevy Chase), and Matt Wood (as John Belushi).
Deadline has also confirmed that stage actor Nicholas Podany is set to portray Billy Crystal, while head writer Michael O’Donoghue will be played by Tommy Dewey.
SNL 1975 will be directed by Jason Reitman, who co-wrote the project with Gil Kenan and reportedly interviewed all living cast members and...
Henson’s Muppets were a regular part of SNL’s first season, appearing in a total of 13 episodes.
Braun joins a cast that includes Gabriel Labelle, who is portraying SNL creator Lorne Michaels, as well as Rachel Sennott (as Rosie Shuster), Dylan O’Brien (as Dan Aykroyd), Cooper Hoffman (as Dick Ebersol), Ella Hunt (as Gilda Radner), Kim Matula (as Jane Curtin), Cory Michael Smith (as Chevy Chase), and Matt Wood (as John Belushi).
Deadline has also confirmed that stage actor Nicholas Podany is set to portray Billy Crystal, while head writer Michael O’Donoghue will be played by Tommy Dewey.
SNL 1975 will be directed by Jason Reitman, who co-wrote the project with Gil Kenan and reportedly interviewed all living cast members and...
- 3/7/2024
- by Mary Siroky
- Consequence - Film News
Exclusive: Nicholas Braun, Tommy Dewey and Nicholas Podany have joined the cast of Sony Pictures’ SNL 1975, which will be directed by Jason Reitman and based on the real-life behind-the-scenes accounts of the opening episode of Saturday Night Live.
Braun will play Jim Henson, Dewey will play Michael O’Donoghue, and Podany will play Billy Crystal. The original screenplay is by Reitman and Gil Kenan.
On October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. SNL 1975 is the true story of what happened behind the scenes that night in the moments leading up to the first broadcast of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. It depicts the chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, counting down the minutes in real time to the infamous words, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
The screenplay is based on an extensive series of interviews conducted by...
Braun will play Jim Henson, Dewey will play Michael O’Donoghue, and Podany will play Billy Crystal. The original screenplay is by Reitman and Gil Kenan.
On October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. SNL 1975 is the true story of what happened behind the scenes that night in the moments leading up to the first broadcast of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. It depicts the chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, counting down the minutes in real time to the infamous words, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
The screenplay is based on an extensive series of interviews conducted by...
- 3/7/2024
- by Justin Kroll and Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Jason Reitman is staying mighty busy these days. Less than 24 hours after the release of the latest trailer for "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," four major casting announcements were made for his next project, "SNL 1975." The film will attempt to tell the true story of what went on behind the scenes before the broadcast premiere of "Saturday Night Live" on NBC, highlighting the real-time bedlam with some of the most legendary names in American comedy. Reitman co-wrote the script with his "Ghostbusters" collaborator Gil Kenan and is basing the story on the firsthand accounts of those who were there. Lest we forget, Reitman's father is the legendary Ivan Reitman, so these comedy titans were the friends and colleagues of the family. If anyone can get serious insight, it's Reitman.
The first wave of cast announcements included some serious heavy hitters, with "The Fabelmans" star Gabriel Labelle landing the role of Lorne Michaels,...
The first wave of cast announcements included some serious heavy hitters, with "The Fabelmans" star Gabriel Labelle landing the role of Lorne Michaels,...
- 1/30/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Schitt’s Creek actress Catherine O’Hara said she had to be loyal to the people that jump-started her career. Even though it meant she had to leave Saturday Night Live after just a week as a cast member.
O’Hara told People that she was cast the sixth season of SNL in the early 1980s, but quit after a week. “There’s been Bs stories about I was supposedly scared by somebody,” said O’Hara, 69. The rumors suggested head writer Michael O’Donoghue was the culprit.
O’Hara claims that’s not true. Instead, she said she was loyal to the Canadian comedy sketch show Sctv, and that prompted her SNL exit.
“Our producer would get a deal with a network, and we’d have a show for a season or two, and then that deal would go away. There’d be a break, then we’d do the show again,” she said.
O’Hara told People that she was cast the sixth season of SNL in the early 1980s, but quit after a week. “There’s been Bs stories about I was supposedly scared by somebody,” said O’Hara, 69. The rumors suggested head writer Michael O’Donoghue was the culprit.
O’Hara claims that’s not true. Instead, she said she was loyal to the Canadian comedy sketch show Sctv, and that prompted her SNL exit.
“Our producer would get a deal with a network, and we’d have a show for a season or two, and then that deal would go away. There’d be a break, then we’d do the show again,” she said.
- 1/27/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Brian McConnachie, the Emmy-winning writer with the offbeat sense of humor who worked on Sctv Network and Saturday Night Live and appeared in Caddyshack and several films for Woody Allen, has died. He was 81.
McConnachie died Friday of complications from Parkinson’s disease in Venice, Florida, Michael Gerber, editor and publisher of The American Bystander, told The Hollywood Reporter. The duo relaunched the humor magazine in 2015 after McConnachie — an original staff member at National Lampoon — originally got it going in 1981.
“Every day, on every page, he has been our North Star,” Gerber said in a statement. “From his days at National Lampoon, Brian was ‘every comedy writer’s favorite comedy writer,’ crafting an unmistakable one-of-a-kind laid-back eccentricity that inspired generations.
“He is the only person I know who wrote for the Holy Trinity of Seventies Comedy — National Lampoon, SNL and Sctv. This speaks to not only his writing talent, but...
McConnachie died Friday of complications from Parkinson’s disease in Venice, Florida, Michael Gerber, editor and publisher of The American Bystander, told The Hollywood Reporter. The duo relaunched the humor magazine in 2015 after McConnachie — an original staff member at National Lampoon — originally got it going in 1981.
“Every day, on every page, he has been our North Star,” Gerber said in a statement. “From his days at National Lampoon, Brian was ‘every comedy writer’s favorite comedy writer,’ crafting an unmistakable one-of-a-kind laid-back eccentricity that inspired generations.
“He is the only person I know who wrote for the Holy Trinity of Seventies Comedy — National Lampoon, SNL and Sctv. This speaks to not only his writing talent, but...
- 1/9/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In 1843, London publishers Chapman & Hall released A Christmas Carol. Written by Charles Dickens and illustrated by John Leech, it was inspired in part by Dickens’s anger at inequality in his country, especially as it affected children. Despite its aversion to the upper classes, A Christmas Carol was an immediate hit among readers and critics. Given the book’s popularity, it’s no surprise that movie makers have picked up on the story many times. Between its clear redemption arc and ghostly premise, the story has everything that a good movie needs.
Still, not every adaptation of A Christmas Carol is created equal. So if you’re looking for the best of the worst man in film and literature, check out these ten great movies. And if you don’t like my picks, well, bah humbug I say.
10. Scrooged (1988)
On paper, Scrooged sounds like a home run. Bill Murray, in his ’80s glory,...
Still, not every adaptation of A Christmas Carol is created equal. So if you’re looking for the best of the worst man in film and literature, check out these ten great movies. And if you don’t like my picks, well, bah humbug I say.
10. Scrooged (1988)
On paper, Scrooged sounds like a home run. Bill Murray, in his ’80s glory,...
- 12/19/2023
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection: Volume 3 4K Uhd Box Set from Universal
Five more Alfred Hitchcock movies are coming to 4K Ultra HD: Rope, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Torn Curtain, Topaz, and Frenzy. They’ll be available both individually ($19.99) and together in the third volume of The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection box set ($69.98) on October 31 via Universal.
1948’s Rope stars James Stewart, John Dall, and Farley Granger. 1956’s The Man Who Knew Too Much stars James Stewart and Doris Day. 1966’s Torn Curtain stars Paul Newman and Julie Andrews. 1969’s Topaz stars Frederick Stafford, Dany Robin, and John Forsythe. 1972’s Frenzy stars Jon Finch, Alec McCowen, and Barry Foster.
All five thrillers have...
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection: Volume 3 4K Uhd Box Set from Universal
Five more Alfred Hitchcock movies are coming to 4K Ultra HD: Rope, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Torn Curtain, Topaz, and Frenzy. They’ll be available both individually ($19.99) and together in the third volume of The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection box set ($69.98) on October 31 via Universal.
1948’s Rope stars James Stewart, John Dall, and Farley Granger. 1956’s The Man Who Knew Too Much stars James Stewart and Doris Day. 1966’s Torn Curtain stars Paul Newman and Julie Andrews. 1969’s Topaz stars Frederick Stafford, Dany Robin, and John Forsythe. 1972’s Frenzy stars Jon Finch, Alec McCowen, and Barry Foster.
All five thrillers have...
- 9/22/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Toronto’s favorite son turns his eye toward New York, and back to 1975 for his next project. Jason Reitman is currently producing the next “Ghostbusters” picture with director and co-writer Gil Kenan and leads Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon, but he’s got his next project lined up at Sony Pictures.
As per Deadline, the “Juno” and “Up in the Air” director will be back behind the camera for an untitled “Saturday Night Live” opening night project. Kenan will co-write the script.
Casting has not been announced, but somebody out there is (probably) going to be playing producer Lorne Michaels and first-episode cast members like Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, and Garrett Morris. Also, potentially, writers like Michael O’Donoghue, Al Franken, Anne Beatts, Alan Zweibel, and others. The first guest on “SNL” was George Carlin so maybe someone will be doing an impression of the comedian during his “Toledo Window Box” era,...
As per Deadline, the “Juno” and “Up in the Air” director will be back behind the camera for an untitled “Saturday Night Live” opening night project. Kenan will co-write the script.
Casting has not been announced, but somebody out there is (probably) going to be playing producer Lorne Michaels and first-episode cast members like Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, and Garrett Morris. Also, potentially, writers like Michael O’Donoghue, Al Franken, Anne Beatts, Alan Zweibel, and others. The first guest on “SNL” was George Carlin so maybe someone will be doing an impression of the comedian during his “Toledo Window Box” era,...
- 5/2/2023
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
"Live from New York, it's Saturday night!" That's the catchphrase that concludes the cold open sketch of every single episode of the iconic late-night sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live." Soon you'll learn about all the chaos and panic that went into the debut of "SNL," launching a pop culture powerhouse that has lasted nearly 50 years.
Deadline reports that "Up in the Air" and "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" director Jason Reitman will be at the helm of a movie telling the behind-the-scenes story about how the premiere of "SNL" actually came together. The report touts the movie as "the true story of what happened that night behind the scenes in the moments leading up to the first 'SNL' broadcast, retelling chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn't, counting down the minutes in real time to the infamous words, 'Live From New York, it's Saturday Night.'"
Before all the fame and laughs,...
Deadline reports that "Up in the Air" and "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" director Jason Reitman will be at the helm of a movie telling the behind-the-scenes story about how the premiere of "SNL" actually came together. The report touts the movie as "the true story of what happened that night behind the scenes in the moments leading up to the first 'SNL' broadcast, retelling chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn't, counting down the minutes in real time to the infamous words, 'Live From New York, it's Saturday Night.'"
Before all the fame and laughs,...
- 5/2/2023
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Jason Reitman has set another feature at Sony Pictures, with the studio ordering a film based on the first broadcast of “Saturday Night Live” in October 1975.
Reitman and his “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” co-writer Gil Kenan penned the original screenplay for the project, drawing from the pair’s series of interviews with living cast, writers and crew members from the original production.
The untitled “SNL” feature continues Reitman and Kenan’s partnership with Sony Pictures, where they are currently in production on a sequel to “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” due to release in theaters this December. Kenan is directing the follow-up to Reitman’s 2021 entry of the sci-fi comedy series. The two collaborators signed an overall producing deal with Sony after the release of “Afterlife,” which grossed $204 million at the global box office against a $75 million production budget.
Reitman and Kenan will also produce the “SNL” feature, alongside regular partners Jason Blumenfeld and Erica Mills.
Reitman and his “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” co-writer Gil Kenan penned the original screenplay for the project, drawing from the pair’s series of interviews with living cast, writers and crew members from the original production.
The untitled “SNL” feature continues Reitman and Kenan’s partnership with Sony Pictures, where they are currently in production on a sequel to “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” due to release in theaters this December. Kenan is directing the follow-up to Reitman’s 2021 entry of the sci-fi comedy series. The two collaborators signed an overall producing deal with Sony after the release of “Afterlife,” which grossed $204 million at the global box office against a $75 million production budget.
Reitman and Kenan will also produce the “SNL” feature, alongside regular partners Jason Blumenfeld and Erica Mills.
- 5/1/2023
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
When "Saturday Night Live" hit NBC's airwaves on October 11, 1975, expectations were tempered. With its 11:30 Pm time slot and cast of fringe comedy talents, the show was a hedged bet. If the Nielsen ratings were poor, it'd be exceedingly easy for the network to pull the plug after a few episodes.
Everyone from creator Lorne Michaels on down were confident that they'd pulled together something special, if not revolutionary, but they were also concerned that their target audience might not show up. There was also the matter of executing a live television show with a bunch of boob-tube neophytes. There were so many moving pieces that had to click into place, and zero leeway for mistakes. One slip-up could set off a domino effect of snafus, resulting in a live TV debacle for the ages.
As the premiere approached, the cast members mulled their uncertain future. They believed in their work,...
Everyone from creator Lorne Michaels on down were confident that they'd pulled together something special, if not revolutionary, but they were also concerned that their target audience might not show up. There was also the matter of executing a live television show with a bunch of boob-tube neophytes. There were so many moving pieces that had to click into place, and zero leeway for mistakes. One slip-up could set off a domino effect of snafus, resulting in a live TV debacle for the ages.
As the premiere approached, the cast members mulled their uncertain future. They believed in their work,...
- 3/17/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
John Belushi remains the poster child for the entertainer who burned bright but had their light extinguished far too soon. The comedian came up through the ranks of Chicago's fabled Second City comedy group and was a member of the inaugural season of "Saturday Night Live." Belushi honed his disruptive, physical style of comedy in the early seasons of "SNL" with characters such as Samurai Futaba and one of the Killer Bees alongside Dan Aykroyd.
In 1977, Belushi would add movie star to his resume with the role of Bluto Blutarsky in the film "National Lampoon's Animal House." Plus, ffter three appearances on "Saturday Night Live," the characters Joliet Jake (Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Aykroyd) were developed into their own 1980 hit movie "The Blues Brothers."
Belushi was integral to "Saturday Night Live's" early success and stayed with the show through 1980 before transitioning completely to movies. But it's also fair to...
In 1977, Belushi would add movie star to his resume with the role of Bluto Blutarsky in the film "National Lampoon's Animal House." Plus, ffter three appearances on "Saturday Night Live," the characters Joliet Jake (Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Aykroyd) were developed into their own 1980 hit movie "The Blues Brothers."
Belushi was integral to "Saturday Night Live's" early success and stayed with the show through 1980 before transitioning completely to movies. But it's also fair to...
- 3/16/2023
- by Travis Yates
- Slash Film
If you weren't alive during the 1970s or don't have a particularly strong connection to the era, you may not recognize the name Louise Lasser. For a few years in the mid-'70s, Lasser was as popular and ubiquitous a TV star as Mary Tyler Moore or Carol Burnett. But unlike those comediennes, Lasser's unique blend of comic wit, ingenue charm, and unfathomably deep, ponderous melancholy hasn't had as much lasting power in the cultural psyche.
That may have less to do with her impact as the star of the boundary-breaking, ahead-of-its-time soap opera satire "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," and more to do with what the stress of producing five episodes a week per season did to her. "Mary Hartman" centered on an insecure, terminally cheerful yet chronically depressed Midwestern housewife who's never even encountered the concept of depression. The show was developed by Norman Lear as a kind of canny,...
That may have less to do with her impact as the star of the boundary-breaking, ahead-of-its-time soap opera satire "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," and more to do with what the stress of producing five episodes a week per season did to her. "Mary Hartman" centered on an insecure, terminally cheerful yet chronically depressed Midwestern housewife who's never even encountered the concept of depression. The show was developed by Norman Lear as a kind of canny,...
- 3/9/2023
- by Ryan Coleman
- Slash Film
John Belushi was a force of comedic nature. He made a name for himself in the early 1970s via his raucously hilarious bits in "National Lampoon's Lemmings," an Off-Broadway showcase for up-and-coming talents like Christopher Guest, Chevy Chase, and Tony Hendra. He also joined as a cast member of the "National Lampoon Radio Hour" alongside Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, and Harold Ramis. He slayed in the former when he broke out his hilariously spot-on parody of Joe Cocker, and seemed on the cusp of New York City theater stardom at the same time Lorne Michaels began assembling the cast for a wild swing of a variety show called "NBC's Saturday Night."
Michaels' vision appeared doomed at the outset. How was a show pitched at hip young folks going to find an audience in an 11:30 Pm time slot, i.e. the exact hour most of these people were carousing at bars and parties?...
Michaels' vision appeared doomed at the outset. How was a show pitched at hip young folks going to find an audience in an 11:30 Pm time slot, i.e. the exact hour most of these people were carousing at bars and parties?...
- 3/8/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Richard Donner’s Scrooged is an unassailable holiday classic. If you’re channel surfing on Christmas Eve, you’re all but guaranteed to run into this film at some point. While versions of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol are a dime a dozen at Christmas time, Scrooged is different. A spoof of the classic tale that swaps Victorian-era London for a 1980s Yuppie-filled NYC, Bill Murray stars as Frank Cross, the meanest TV exec in the business. When not producing fare like “The Night the Reindeer Died” (with Lee Majors – the Six Million Dollar Man!), he torments his employees, including Alfie Woodard as his Bob Cratchit stand-in, Grace Cooley and Bobcat Goldthwait’s Elliot Loudermilk. But, of course, Cross wasn’t always a miser, with Karen Allen’s Claire Philips reminding him of the gentle guy he used to be.
As per the original tale, on Christmas Eve’s...
As per the original tale, on Christmas Eve’s...
- 12/15/2022
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Ad-libbing is an art relished by many of the great comedy actors of our time, like Steve Martin, the late John Candy, and Robin Williams, just to name a few. It helps actors add their own unique flavor to their respective roles, which makes for more authentic and natural performances. The downside is that capturing actors' off-the-cuff quips can cause complications on set, as was the case with Martin and Candy on the holiday classic "Planes, Trains and Automobiles." Another example can be found in yet another holiday classic: 1988's "Scrooged."
In the movie, which is a modern update to Charles Dickens' 1983 novella "A Christmas Carol," Bill Murray plays Frank Cross, a young Ebenezer Scrooge-like TV executive who is ironically the showrunner of an upcoming live production of "A Christmas Carol." Before the show, he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. They respectively show him his evil origin story,...
In the movie, which is a modern update to Charles Dickens' 1983 novella "A Christmas Carol," Bill Murray plays Frank Cross, a young Ebenezer Scrooge-like TV executive who is ironically the showrunner of an upcoming live production of "A Christmas Carol." Before the show, he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. They respectively show him his evil origin story,...
- 11/28/2022
- by J. Gabriel Ware
- Slash Film
The 1988 Christmas fantasy film "Scrooged" takes us on a wild and dark ride with Frank Cross, a mean-spirited, anti-Christmas TV executive who oversees a live production of -- guess what? -- "A Christmas Carol," the classic Charles Dickens novella that the movie itself is based on. "Scrooged" itself is, in some ways, one of those overlooked holiday movies. If one were to ask its star, Bill Murray, why that is, he might single out the way the movie was shot as the reason it hasn't caught on with a larger audience.
A real-life Scrooge, Frank (Murray) loudly berates his subordinates -- and when I say loudly, I mean loudly. He forces a single mother (who has to run her mute son to the doctor) to work overtime, fires a guy who dares to critique his random and absurdly violent commercial that has absolutely nothing to do with "A Christmas Carol,...
A real-life Scrooge, Frank (Murray) loudly berates his subordinates -- and when I say loudly, I mean loudly. He forces a single mother (who has to run her mute son to the doctor) to work overtime, fires a guy who dares to critique his random and absurdly violent commercial that has absolutely nothing to do with "A Christmas Carol,...
- 11/27/2022
- by J. Gabriel Ware
- Slash Film
Sometimes, you remember just where you were when you connected with a piece of music so powerful it erupted in your head. In the summer of 2000, I rushed in late to a packed all-media screening of “Gone in 60 Seconds.” I’d had a vexing day at the office, and was hoping the film would revive me. It did, more quickly than I imagined. After a flurry of titles, the soundtrack was filled with slow rhythmic claps, and over that came American voices, ancient yet present, not so much singing as chanting: “Green Sally up, and green Sally down. Lift and squat, gotta tear the ground.” The piano chords came in, simple but seductively syncopated, and then, beneath it all, a beat that was bigger than big. It echoed, it boomed, it made John Bonham’s thuds in “When the Levee Breaks” sound like someone banging on a tin can.
- 5/26/2021
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Update, with reactions Anne Beatts, an original Saturday Night Live writer who created some of the show’s earliest breakthrough characters, among them the nerdy high schoolers Todd DILAMuca and Lisa Loopner, died yesterday. She was 74.
Her death was announced in a tweet by SNL original cast member Laraine Newman. A cause of death has not been disclosed.
“Struggling to find adequate and appropriate descriptive words to describe her singular self,” tweeted Sarah Jessica Parker, who starred in the Beatts-created 1982 CBS sitcom Square Pegs. “I need time. Cause I’m coming up short. Gosh, she was really something. Rip Anne. Thank you. For memories very few 17/18 yr olds get to make. X, Sj”
Beatts began her career in comedy writing with a stint at National Lampoon magazine, becoming the Harvard Lampoon spin-off’s first female editor. She wrote one of the magazine’s most notorious spoofs – an ad for the...
Her death was announced in a tweet by SNL original cast member Laraine Newman. A cause of death has not been disclosed.
“Struggling to find adequate and appropriate descriptive words to describe her singular self,” tweeted Sarah Jessica Parker, who starred in the Beatts-created 1982 CBS sitcom Square Pegs. “I need time. Cause I’m coming up short. Gosh, she was really something. Rip Anne. Thank you. For memories very few 17/18 yr olds get to make. X, Sj”
Beatts began her career in comedy writing with a stint at National Lampoon magazine, becoming the Harvard Lampoon spin-off’s first female editor. She wrote one of the magazine’s most notorious spoofs – an ad for the...
- 4/8/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Anne Beatts, a pioneering comedy writer who helped launch “Saturday Night Live” and created the 1980s cult-favorite sitcom “Square Pegs,” died Wednesday at her home in West Hollywood. She was 74.
Beatts’ death was confirmed by her longtime friend Rona Edwards.
Beatts was a revered figure in comedy circles given her long resume. She and then-writing partner Rosie Shuster were among the very few women to work on “SNL” at the time of its debut in 1975 on NBC. Beatts was also the first female contributing editor to National Lampoon.
In the early 1980s, Beatts created the CBS comedy “Square Pegs,” which was a launching pad for Sarah Jessica Parker. The series that revolved around a group of awkward high school students was embraced by critics as a breath of fresh air for TV at the time, reflecting the burgeoning youth culture of the 1980s. But the show was canceled due to...
Beatts’ death was confirmed by her longtime friend Rona Edwards.
Beatts was a revered figure in comedy circles given her long resume. She and then-writing partner Rosie Shuster were among the very few women to work on “SNL” at the time of its debut in 1975 on NBC. Beatts was also the first female contributing editor to National Lampoon.
In the early 1980s, Beatts created the CBS comedy “Square Pegs,” which was a launching pad for Sarah Jessica Parker. The series that revolved around a group of awkward high school students was embraced by critics as a breath of fresh air for TV at the time, reflecting the burgeoning youth culture of the 1980s. But the show was canceled due to...
- 4/8/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Devo’s Gerald Casale joins us for a discussion of the movies that made Devo!
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Truth About De-Evolution (1976)
Island Of Lost Souls (1932)
Akran (1969)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Fail Safe (1964)
Valley Of The Dolls (1967)
Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970)
The President’s Analyst (1967)
The Atomic Cafe (1982)
The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
Village Of The Damned (1960)
Children Of The Damned (1964)
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)
Planet Of The Apes (1968)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The Parallax View (1974)
Soylent Green (1973)
Sweet Smell Of Success (1957)
Rocky (1976)
A Face In The Crowd (1957)
Whisky Galore! (1949)
No Time For Sergeants (1958)
Network (1976)
JFK (1991)
Natural Born Killers (1994)
Lost Highway (1997)
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Expresso Bongo (1959)
Gremlins (1984)
I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957)
Other Notable Items
Paul McCartney
Slash
Willie Nelson
Devo
Elliot Roberts
Lorne Michaels
Saturday Night Live TV series (1975- )
Michael O’Donoghue
The Muppets
Neil Young
Walter Williams
Mr. Bill
Richard Myers
George Kuchar
Mike Kuchar
John F.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Truth About De-Evolution (1976)
Island Of Lost Souls (1932)
Akran (1969)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Fail Safe (1964)
Valley Of The Dolls (1967)
Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970)
The President’s Analyst (1967)
The Atomic Cafe (1982)
The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)
Village Of The Damned (1960)
Children Of The Damned (1964)
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)
Planet Of The Apes (1968)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The Parallax View (1974)
Soylent Green (1973)
Sweet Smell Of Success (1957)
Rocky (1976)
A Face In The Crowd (1957)
Whisky Galore! (1949)
No Time For Sergeants (1958)
Network (1976)
JFK (1991)
Natural Born Killers (1994)
Lost Highway (1997)
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Expresso Bongo (1959)
Gremlins (1984)
I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957)
Other Notable Items
Paul McCartney
Slash
Willie Nelson
Devo
Elliot Roberts
Lorne Michaels
Saturday Night Live TV series (1975- )
Michael O’Donoghue
The Muppets
Neil Young
Walter Williams
Mr. Bill
Richard Myers
George Kuchar
Mike Kuchar
John F.
- 12/22/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
You’ve probably seen John Belushi’s screen test for Saturday Night Live. It’s been floating around the internet for a while, and shows up on the occasional SNL original-cast docs. Part of the four-minute clip opens R.J. Cutler’s Belushi, his portrait of the comedian premiering on Showtime (starting November 22nd). By the time he got to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the Chicago-born, Albanian-American 26-year-old had already become the Tasmanian devil of Second City’s stage shows, the standout’s of National Lampoon’s off-off-Broadway satire Lemmings and Michael O’Donoghue...
- 11/20/2020
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Mitch Glazer and Michael O’Donoghue are not necessarily names that will be remembered by many film fans today. However, in the ‘80s, the duo was one of the more interesting writing pairs working in Hollywood, eventually penning the script for the 1988 comedy classic, “Scrooged.” But that Bill Murray film isn’t the most interesting project the two men worked on. Hell, “Scrooged” isn’t even the most interesting Bill Murray project they developed.
Continue reading ‘Arrive Alive’: The Script For The Unfinished Comedy Film Written For Bill Murray Is Now Available To The Public at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Arrive Alive’: The Script For The Unfinished Comedy Film Written For Bill Murray Is Now Available To The Public at The Playlist.
- 5/5/2020
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Matty Simmons, a founder of the Diners Club credit card and Weight Watchers magazine who found his highest profile success after co-founding National Lampoon magazine and producing film offshoots including Animal House and the Vacation franchise, died Wednesday in Los Angeles following a brief, non-coronavirus-related illness. He was 93.
Simmons death was announced by his daughter Kate Simmons.
More from DeadlineJun Maeda Dies Of Covid-19: Obie Award-Winning Theater Set Designer Was 79Veteran Casting Director Cis Corman Remembered By "Best Friend" Barbra StreisandPeter H. Hunt Dies: Tony Award-Winning '1776' Director, Uncle Of Actress Helen Hunt Was 81
“Yesterday I lost my hero,” Kate Simmons wrote on Instagram. “My dad had gone from the sharpest, healthiest 93 year old most people have encountered to abruptly having every imaginable issue except corona.”
An author of nine books including the 2012 memoir Fat, Drunk, and Stupid: The Making of Animal House (St. Martins Press), Simmons made...
Simmons death was announced by his daughter Kate Simmons.
More from DeadlineJun Maeda Dies Of Covid-19: Obie Award-Winning Theater Set Designer Was 79Veteran Casting Director Cis Corman Remembered By "Best Friend" Barbra StreisandPeter H. Hunt Dies: Tony Award-Winning '1776' Director, Uncle Of Actress Helen Hunt Was 81
“Yesterday I lost my hero,” Kate Simmons wrote on Instagram. “My dad had gone from the sharpest, healthiest 93 year old most people have encountered to abruptly having every imaginable issue except corona.”
An author of nine books including the 2012 memoir Fat, Drunk, and Stupid: The Making of Animal House (St. Martins Press), Simmons made...
- 5/1/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Our 75th guest! The legendary filmmaker John Sayles joins Josh and Joe to explore some of his favorite movies.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Ulzana’s Raid (1972)
Django (1966)
The Birth Of A Nation (1915)
City Of Hope (1991)
Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980)
The Challenge (1982)
Avalanche (1978)
Eight Men Out (1988)
Piranha (1978)
The Howling (1981)
The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
The Killers (1964)
The King And I (1956)
Time Without Pity (1957)
The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964)
Ben-Hur (1957)
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Two Women (1960)
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Spartacus (1960)
Fixed Bayonets! (1951)
The Steel Helmet (1951)
Merrill’s Marauders (1962)
Targets (1968)
Touch Of Evil (1958)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Woodstock (1970)
Crime In The Streets (1956)
The Bad Seed (1956)
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
Fedora (1978)
Dune (1984)
The Cotton Club (1984)
Choose Me (1984)
Raising Arizona (1987)
El Norte (1983)
Yellow Sky (1948)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
The Irishman (2019)
A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood (2019)
The Thing (1982)
Chinatown (1974)
Manhattan (1979)
Duck Amuck (1953)
Goodfellas (1990)
Humanoids Of The Deep (1980)
Cockfighter (1974)
Dynamite Women a.k.a. The Great Texas Dynamite Chase...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Ulzana’s Raid (1972)
Django (1966)
The Birth Of A Nation (1915)
City Of Hope (1991)
Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980)
The Challenge (1982)
Avalanche (1978)
Eight Men Out (1988)
Piranha (1978)
The Howling (1981)
The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
The Killers (1964)
The King And I (1956)
Time Without Pity (1957)
The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964)
Ben-Hur (1957)
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Two Women (1960)
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Spartacus (1960)
Fixed Bayonets! (1951)
The Steel Helmet (1951)
Merrill’s Marauders (1962)
Targets (1968)
Touch Of Evil (1958)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Woodstock (1970)
Crime In The Streets (1956)
The Bad Seed (1956)
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
Fedora (1978)
Dune (1984)
The Cotton Club (1984)
Choose Me (1984)
Raising Arizona (1987)
El Norte (1983)
Yellow Sky (1948)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
The Irishman (2019)
A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood (2019)
The Thing (1982)
Chinatown (1974)
Manhattan (1979)
Duck Amuck (1953)
Goodfellas (1990)
Humanoids Of The Deep (1980)
Cockfighter (1974)
Dynamite Women a.k.a. The Great Texas Dynamite Chase...
- 4/7/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Tony Sokol Dec 18, 2019
Shot entirely on VHS tape, VHYes trailer promises stranger things from the 80s.
Before the internet, strangely personal celluloid was created on video tapes. Videodrome from 1983 is a frighteningly prescient film if you replace the VHS aspect with the dark web. By the 90s whole films were being shot on Betamax and VHS camcorders. Directed by Jack Henry Robbins, VHYes is a retro comedy of this period which was shot entirely on VHS.
VHYes is a genre-spanning, anthology comedy like Groove Tube, Kentucky Fried Movie and Tunnel Vision. The largely ignored 1979 film Mr. Mike's Mondo Video, from National Lampoon Radio Hour and Saturday Night Live alumnus Michael O'Donoghue, opened with a warning that the film the audience was about to see was shocking and repugnant beyond belief. They advised older people with heart conditions be moved closer to the screen. The director also said children of an...
Shot entirely on VHS tape, VHYes trailer promises stranger things from the 80s.
Before the internet, strangely personal celluloid was created on video tapes. Videodrome from 1983 is a frighteningly prescient film if you replace the VHS aspect with the dark web. By the 90s whole films were being shot on Betamax and VHS camcorders. Directed by Jack Henry Robbins, VHYes is a retro comedy of this period which was shot entirely on VHS.
VHYes is a genre-spanning, anthology comedy like Groove Tube, Kentucky Fried Movie and Tunnel Vision. The largely ignored 1979 film Mr. Mike's Mondo Video, from National Lampoon Radio Hour and Saturday Night Live alumnus Michael O'Donoghue, opened with a warning that the film the audience was about to see was shocking and repugnant beyond belief. They advised older people with heart conditions be moved closer to the screen. The director also said children of an...
- 12/18/2019
- Den of Geek
The relaunch of National Lampoon as a comedy production house begins in earnest this week with the Dec. 19 debut of “National Lampoon Radio Hour,” a sketch comedy podcast written and performed by Cole Escola, Jo Firestone and clutch of rising-star comedians.
On the latest episode of Variety‘s Strictly Business podcast, National Lampoon president Evan Shapiro discusses the guiding principles behind the effort to revitalize the comedy brand that was a primal force in the careers of Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Bill Murray, John Hughes, Christopher Guest, Harold Ramis, Michael O’Donoghue and other heavyweights.
The company founded in 1970 as a humor magazine by Harvard Lampoon alumni expanded into a radio sketch comedy series, albums and live stage shows. As industry legend goes, the founders of National Lampoon turned down the offer from Lorne Michaels to develop the original “Radio Hour” into a TV series. That prompted Michaels to hire away...
On the latest episode of Variety‘s Strictly Business podcast, National Lampoon president Evan Shapiro discusses the guiding principles behind the effort to revitalize the comedy brand that was a primal force in the careers of Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Bill Murray, John Hughes, Christopher Guest, Harold Ramis, Michael O’Donoghue and other heavyweights.
The company founded in 1970 as a humor magazine by Harvard Lampoon alumni expanded into a radio sketch comedy series, albums and live stage shows. As industry legend goes, the founders of National Lampoon turned down the offer from Lorne Michaels to develop the original “Radio Hour” into a TV series. That prompted Michaels to hire away...
- 12/18/2019
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Donald Trump has desecrated pretty much every American institution he's been able to get his greasy toddler paws on. (We will never be investigated by the FBI the same way again). But Saturday Night Live, an institution that had suffered from a few shaky years in recent times, came out of its first Season of the Beast looking better than ever. Since coming back on the air last October, the sketch show had its highest ratings in over 20 years and more sweet sweet, sweet cultural relevance than it's had since...
- 5/22/2017
- Rollingstone.com
"He adored New York City... He romanticized it all out of proportion." Park Circus and MGM have unveiled a brand new trailer for the 4K digital re-release this year of Woody Allen's seminal romantic comedy classic Manhattan, which first opened in 1979. It didn't win any Oscars, but it did win Best Film at the BAFTAs. Woody Allen also stars in this, along with Diane Keaton, Michael Murphy, Mariel Hemingway, Meryl Streep, Anne Byrne, Karen Ludwig and Michael O'Donoghue. The 96-minute film has been carefully restored to 4K, and will be released in NYC first, which is fitting considering it's all about a love for NYC. Ebert wrote in a review from 2001 that "it's more subtle, more complex, and not about love, but loss." Here's the new re-release trailer for Woody Allen's Manhattan, direct from YouTube (via Indiewire): In Manhattan, Isaac Davis is a divorced writer of TV shows unhappy with his job.
- 2/24/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
Sunset Song is renowned English director Terence Davies’ adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s Scottish novel, a drama set in rural Scotland in the years just before and during World War I. Centered on a bright Scottish young woman named Chris, the film is a powerfully moving drama that is at once visually beautiful, in its depiction of the Scottish rural landscape, and realistic in its unblinking portrait of the harshness of working-class farm life and the devastating impact of war.
Agyness Deyn brilliantly plays the lead character, Chris Guthrie, whom we follow from her days as the brightest student in her rural school to her years as a young woman confronting the devastating horror of war from the home front. Chris is a girl who dreams of poetry and of becoming a teacher, and her kind-hearted mother Jean (Daniela Nardini) dotes on her gifted daughter,...
Sunset Song is renowned English director Terence Davies’ adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s Scottish novel, a drama set in rural Scotland in the years just before and during World War I. Centered on a bright Scottish young woman named Chris, the film is a powerfully moving drama that is at once visually beautiful, in its depiction of the Scottish rural landscape, and realistic in its unblinking portrait of the harshness of working-class farm life and the devastating impact of war.
Agyness Deyn brilliantly plays the lead character, Chris Guthrie, whom we follow from her days as the brightest student in her rural school to her years as a young woman confronting the devastating horror of war from the home front. Chris is a girl who dreams of poetry and of becoming a teacher, and her kind-hearted mother Jean (Daniela Nardini) dotes on her gifted daughter,...
- 6/3/2016
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Downton Abbey has come to an end - both across the pond and here at home - but the period piece binge is just beginning. While Downton writer and creator Julian Fellowes has two projects in the pipeline - a miniseries, Dr. Thorne, and a show for NBC, The Gilded Age, fans still have a bit to wait until those will hit their screens (Gilded Age has been said to be aiming for a 2017 release, while Dr. Thorne may be coming at the end of the year.) In the meantime, here are 11 movies, TV shows and miniseries that will quench your period piece thirst.
- 3/7/2016
- by Diana Pearl and Tom Gliatto
- PEOPLE.com
Downton Abbey has come to an end - both across the pond and here at home - but the period piece binge is just beginning. While Downton writer and creator Julian Fellowes has two projects in the pipeline - a miniseries, Dr. Thorne, and a show for NBC, The Gilded Age, fans still have a bit to wait until those will hit their screens (Gilded Age has been said to be aiming for a 2017 release, while Dr. Thorne may be coming at the end of the year.) In the meantime, here are 11 movies, TV shows and miniseries that will quench your period piece thirst.
- 3/7/2016
- by Diana Pearl and Tom Gliatto
- PEOPLE.com
Unfortunately, Guillermo Del Toro’s original Gothic romance Crimson Peak didn’t translate to box office gold, netting thirty one million at the domestic box office (it was budgeted at fifty-five million) and receiving criticism for a basic narrative failing to live up to the promise of inventive visuals. Still, one can appreciate Universal’s gambling on Del Toro’s vision and hope the property is considered lucrative enough to continue supporting unique visions from auteurs. Featuring a talented cast (despite the questionable casting of Jessica Chastain), Del Toro’s period suspense thriller collapses under close inspection, but is worth a glance as a piece of glossy strangeness.
Borrowing mercilessly from yellowed clichés of romantically inclined gothic literature, screenwriters Del Toro and Matthew Robins (whose last collaboration was the 1997 mutant insect thriller Mimic) plunder Edgar Allan Poe templates infused with the emotional melodrama oozing eternally from the pages of the...
Borrowing mercilessly from yellowed clichés of romantically inclined gothic literature, screenwriters Del Toro and Matthew Robins (whose last collaboration was the 1997 mutant insect thriller Mimic) plunder Edgar Allan Poe templates infused with the emotional melodrama oozing eternally from the pages of the...
- 2/9/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
The Fall of the House of Cushing: Del Toro’s Haunted House Thriller Strangled by Frills
There’s much to admire within the crumbling facades of Guillermo Del Toro’s latest tantalizing film, Crimson Peak. But unlike its haunted familial mansion sinking slowly into the mire of wet red earth, the nonsensical and disappointingly basic narrative is consistent only in its utter transparency. Borrowing mercilessly from yellowed clichés of romantically inclined gothic literature, screenwriters Del Toro and Matthew Robins (whose last collaboration was the 1997 mutant insect thriller Mimic) plunder Edgar Allan Poe templates infused with the emotional melodrama oozing eternally from the pages of the Bronte sisters (while diegetic references to Jane Austen and Mary Shelley aren’t quite as effective in a film brimming with pointed symbolism). An overextended first half teases delectable weirdness to come, but beyond its brooding cinematography and expertly crafted ghostly visuals, Del Toro delivers...
There’s much to admire within the crumbling facades of Guillermo Del Toro’s latest tantalizing film, Crimson Peak. But unlike its haunted familial mansion sinking slowly into the mire of wet red earth, the nonsensical and disappointingly basic narrative is consistent only in its utter transparency. Borrowing mercilessly from yellowed clichés of romantically inclined gothic literature, screenwriters Del Toro and Matthew Robins (whose last collaboration was the 1997 mutant insect thriller Mimic) plunder Edgar Allan Poe templates infused with the emotional melodrama oozing eternally from the pages of the Bronte sisters (while diegetic references to Jane Austen and Mary Shelley aren’t quite as effective in a film brimming with pointed symbolism). An overextended first half teases delectable weirdness to come, but beyond its brooding cinematography and expertly crafted ghostly visuals, Del Toro delivers...
- 10/15/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
A moldering manor house, a young virgin with a predilection for ornate nightgowns and dark passages, and an aristocratic family hiding some truly terrible secrets are just some of the ingredients of Guillermo del Toro‘s “Crimson Peak.” The insanely lush Gothic romance and ghost story plays like a hitherto unrecorded collaboration between Edgar Allan Poe, Edith Wharton, the designers of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion and whoever directed all those Bonnie Tyler music videos in the 1980s. And while the film boasts a talented ensemble, let’s give credit to the film’s real star: costume designer Kate Hawley (“Edge of Tomorrow”), who drapes the.
- 10/13/2015
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Novelist E. L. Doctorow, best known for the 1975 historical “Ragtime,” died Tuesday at the age of 84. The New York-born writer won numerous awards for his novels, including a National Book Award, three National Book Critics Circle Awards, two Pen Faulkner Awards, an Edith Wharton Citation for Fiction and the National Humanities Medal. The cause of death was complications from lung cancer and the author died in Manhattan, his son Richard told The New York Times. Also Read: 15 Books That Scored Better Big Screen Titles -- 'Cruel Intentions,' 'Die Hard,' 'Goodfellas' (Photos) His most famous work, the 1975 historical novel “Ragtime,...
- 7/22/2015
- by Linda Ge
- The Wrap
Yesterday, I wrote about my first year in Los Angeles, which was all just a matter of settling in. Remember, when I moved to La, I knew a grand total of zero people who lived or worked here. I was not laden with contacts and strolling into a situation where everything was guaranteed to work out. Scott Swan and I took a huge chance when we packed up and moved out, and I am so horrified by how little money we had saved that I'm almost embarrassed to say the number. I was insanely naive when I arrived in town. I am still haunted by a choice we made in those early days, when we answered an ad in one of the trades that was looking for writers willing to work on a "per sketch" basis. I forget how much the rate was… $100 or so, but definitely not more than that…...
- 6/9/2015
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
This story first appeared in the June 12 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Now that Abbe Raven has retired from A&E as its chairman, it looks like her husband, Martin Tackel, is entering showbiz. Attorney Tackel teamed with Barbara Bosch to co-create Traveling Papers, playing this June at the Lion Theatre on New York’s Theatre Row. The travel-themed show includes works by Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, Anthony Bourdain and Paul Theroux. "As I said to my wife," Tackel tells THR of Raven, who is not involved in the
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- 6/6/2015
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
These seven words comprise one of the most, if not The most, memorable lines in television history. The moment you hear them, you know you’re in for a lot of laughs, happiness, and possibly a little bit of surprise for the next hour and a half of your life.
Saturday Night Live is a dynasty on American television and has continued to stay relevant throughout its 40 years on air.
Watch: Will Ferrell Better Be Bringing More Cowbell to the ‘SNL’ 40th Anniversary Celebration
The visionary behind its legacy is creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels. He knows what works, what doesn’t, and he’s seen his vision through from the very start.
"I felt that if I could do the kind of show that I wanted to do in late night, that it would be a success," Michaels told Et back in 1989, 14 years after the show premiered on NBC. By that time...
Saturday Night Live is a dynasty on American television and has continued to stay relevant throughout its 40 years on air.
Watch: Will Ferrell Better Be Bringing More Cowbell to the ‘SNL’ 40th Anniversary Celebration
The visionary behind its legacy is creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels. He knows what works, what doesn’t, and he’s seen his vision through from the very start.
"I felt that if I could do the kind of show that I wanted to do in late night, that it would be a success," Michaels told Et back in 1989, 14 years after the show premiered on NBC. By that time...
- 2/13/2015
- Entertainment Tonight
On the eve of its 40th anniversary special (though the anniversary itself isn't until October), what is left to say about "Saturday Night Live"? There have been multiple books written about the show, several documentaries, countless essays — riding the never-ending roller-coaster between "Saturday Night Dead" and "Saturday Night Lives Again!" — best-ofs, worst-ofs, and every other kind of list you can think of. I don't know that anything I write over the next few pages will provide new insight into one of the most influential comedy shows ever made, but I wondered if you could tell the story of the show — through good times and bad, through revolutions and evolutions and retrenchments — by looking at its sketches. I wound up picking 21 in all: some among the show's most famous, some obscure but important. These aren't meant as a definitive breakdown of the best "SNL" ever had to offer, but as a...
- 2/12/2015
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
Toshi feels emboldened these days, and he's getting a bit ahead of himself. After he saw "The Terminator," he spent an afternoon going through my Blu-ray shelves and moving things around. It always makes me laugh when he leaves because I can see exactly what he's been thinking about. He's got a bunch of R-rated movies on his mind, and for the vast majority of them, he's out of his mind. No way. Not for years still. But there are some films that are going to sneak into the rotation, and this year, I was given a very clear mandate for one of the weekends the boys spent here: Christmas movies only. The boys were in a particularly rowdy mood when we got together, and at the end of the day, I told the boys they were going to get a double-feature if they got totally ready for bed before the movies.
- 12/30/2014
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
New York Times reporter Stephanie Clifford, who covers the state and federal courts in Brooklyn, sold the book and film rights to the debut novel she’s been “quietly writing for years.” St. Martin’s Press picked up publishing rights to Everybody Rise, described by St. Martin’s editor Charles Spicer as “Edith Wharton meets Bonfire of the Vanities.” Publication is set for 2016. Terms of the deal were not revealed, but Publisher’s Weekly put her book advance at over $1 million. The book is about “a new generation of heirs and strivers [who] are jockeying for social power and discovering
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- 11/5/2014
- by Andy Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Scarlett Johansson, who was sporting workout gear, got sweet with her fiancé, Romain Dauriac, in NYC on Wednesday. The couple kissed and hugged on the sidewalk before parting ways. It's the first time we've seen the actress out and about since she and Romain welcomed their daughter, Rose, on Aug. 19. A publicist for the couple released a statement weeks later, saying, "Mother and daughter are doing well." In addition to being a new mom, Scarlett is also making moves in her career. It was recently announced that she'll be making her small-screen debut by producing and starring in an eight-episode adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel The Custom of the Country. Keep reading to see the cute snaps of Scarlett and Romain smooching in the city.
- 10/9/2014
- by Brittney-Stephens
- Popsugar.com
Motherhood looks good on Scarlett Johansson!The actress was photographed in New York City on Wednesday for the first time since she gave birth to daughter Rose Dorothy last month. The 29-year-old beauty looked fit in yoga pants, a black Nike windbreaker and an "Avengers" hat as she stepped out with fiance Romain Dauriac.The new mom is set to make the move to TV, starring in a new series called "Custom of the Country," according to Deadline. ScarJo is the executive producer of Sony Picture's latest miniseries, which is based on Edith Wharton's 1913 novel of the same title. The period drama will follow Udine Spragg (Johansson) and her journey to rise to the top of New York's high society. The "Avengers" actress isn't the only big screen star to make the move to television -- celebs like Matthew Mcconaughey, Halle Berry, Billy Bob Thornton, Jessica Lange and Kevin Spacey...
- 10/9/2014
- by tooFab Staff
- TooFab
Though she’s best known for her major roles in Hollywood feature films, Scarlett Johansson has decided to give it a go on television.
According to a Deadline report, the “We Bought a Zoo” babe will star in an eight-episode period series based on “The Custom of the Country,” a 1913 novel by Edith Wharton.
In the project, Scarlett will play a young Midwestern woman who moves to New York City and tries to climb the snarky social ladder.
In related news, Johansson and her fiancé Romain Dauriac recently welcomed a baby girl named Rose and they’re currently planning their wedding.
Scarlett previously told press, "It seems so stressful to not be able to spend time with your family because you're constantly chasing the tail of your own success. There must exist a world in which I can balance those things, be able to raise a family and still make a film a year,...
According to a Deadline report, the “We Bought a Zoo” babe will star in an eight-episode period series based on “The Custom of the Country,” a 1913 novel by Edith Wharton.
In the project, Scarlett will play a young Midwestern woman who moves to New York City and tries to climb the snarky social ladder.
In related news, Johansson and her fiancé Romain Dauriac recently welcomed a baby girl named Rose and they’re currently planning their wedding.
Scarlett previously told press, "It seems so stressful to not be able to spend time with your family because you're constantly chasing the tail of your own success. There must exist a world in which I can balance those things, be able to raise a family and still make a film a year,...
- 10/8/2014
- GossipCenter
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