Ben Masters, the actor best known for his role as Julian Crane on the old NBC soap Passions, died January 11 at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Palm Springs. He was 75.
Masters battled dementia for several years and succumbed to Covid.
His biggest role was also his last — portraying the rich and powerful Julian from 1999 to 2008 on the NBC sudser.
Born on May 6, 1947, in Corvallis, Or, Masters graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.A. degree in theater in 1969. He moved to New York City, where he starred in on and off-Broadway productions such as Captain Brassbound’s Conversion with Ingrid Bergman, The Cherry Orchard with Meryl Streep, and Boys in the Band.
From left: Ben Masters, Pierce Brosnan and Deborah Raffin, 1988, (c)De Laurentiis Entertainment Group/courtesy
Masters segued into film, starring in Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz with Roy Schneider, Key Exchange with Brooke Adams and Danny Aiello,...
Masters battled dementia for several years and succumbed to Covid.
His biggest role was also his last — portraying the rich and powerful Julian from 1999 to 2008 on the NBC sudser.
Born on May 6, 1947, in Corvallis, Or, Masters graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.A. degree in theater in 1969. He moved to New York City, where he starred in on and off-Broadway productions such as Captain Brassbound’s Conversion with Ingrid Bergman, The Cherry Orchard with Meryl Streep, and Boys in the Band.
From left: Ben Masters, Pierce Brosnan and Deborah Raffin, 1988, (c)De Laurentiis Entertainment Group/courtesy
Masters segued into film, starring in Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz with Roy Schneider, Key Exchange with Brooke Adams and Danny Aiello,...
- 1/11/2023
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Famous pornographic actor Harry Reems nearly starred in Grease, alongside John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
The late porn star – real name Herbert Streicher and best known for his role in the 1972 adult film Deep Throat – was initially hired for the role of Coach Calhoun, who aids Travolta’s Danny Zuko in his quest to join a sports team to impress Sandy (Newton-John).
“Allan [Carr, the producer] wanted to have the porn star Harry Reems play that part,” director Randal Kleiser revealed on a recent episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s It Happened in Hollywood podcast.
“He actually hired him, and then the studio said, ‘No, no, no. You can’t do that.’ And so they had to fire him,” he added.
After pressure from the studio forced them to drop Reems, comedian Sid Caesar ended up assuming the role as the fan-favourite Rydell High faculty member.
Kleiser further explained that Reems was “devastated...
The late porn star – real name Herbert Streicher and best known for his role in the 1972 adult film Deep Throat – was initially hired for the role of Coach Calhoun, who aids Travolta’s Danny Zuko in his quest to join a sports team to impress Sandy (Newton-John).
“Allan [Carr, the producer] wanted to have the porn star Harry Reems play that part,” director Randal Kleiser revealed on a recent episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s It Happened in Hollywood podcast.
“He actually hired him, and then the studio said, ‘No, no, no. You can’t do that.’ And so they had to fire him,” he added.
After pressure from the studio forced them to drop Reems, comedian Sid Caesar ended up assuming the role as the fan-favourite Rydell High faculty member.
Kleiser further explained that Reems was “devastated...
- 10/25/2022
- by Inga Parkel
- The Independent - Film
Click here to read the full article.
Olivia Newton-John, the angelic Australian singer who forged a hopelessly devoted following with her chart-topping hits “Physical,” “Have You Never Been Mellow” and “You’re the One That I Want,” her Grease duet with John Travolta, has died. She was 73.
Newton-John died Monday morning at her ranch in Southern California, her husband, John Easterling, announced on Facebook.
“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer,” he wrote. “Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer.”
Born in England and raised in Melbourne, Newton-John was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, and she announced in May 2017 that after 25 years in remission the disease had spread to her lower back. The singer in August 2018 canceled a two-date tour just three...
Olivia Newton-John, the angelic Australian singer who forged a hopelessly devoted following with her chart-topping hits “Physical,” “Have You Never Been Mellow” and “You’re the One That I Want,” her Grease duet with John Travolta, has died. She was 73.
Newton-John died Monday morning at her ranch in Southern California, her husband, John Easterling, announced on Facebook.
“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer,” he wrote. “Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer.”
Born in England and raised in Melbourne, Newton-John was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, and she announced in May 2017 that after 25 years in remission the disease had spread to her lower back. The singer in August 2018 canceled a two-date tour just three...
- 8/8/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: As it approaches the launch of its free, ad-supported streaming service, Chicken Soup for the Soul has set content deals with Kin and Reel One Entertainment and lined up a slate of originals.
The service is joining the portfolio of its namesake parent, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, which also runs Crackle, Popcornflix and other services. Chicken Soup for the Soul is already available as a free, ad-supported television channel on Plex, FreeCast, Redbox, LG Channels, Stirr, Xumo and Vizio. The full AVOD version, with thousands of on-demand hours of programming, will go live during this quarter.
Kin makes lifetyle shows with talent including Tia Mowry, Adrienne Bailon Houghton, Jeannie Mai, Malika and Khadijah Haqq and Angela Simmons. In addition to circulating on social platforms, they are syndicated to linear broadcast and streaming. One example is cooking show Comfort Kitchen, hosted by Mowry.
Reel One Entertainment specializes in scripted dramas and will also be providing original movies for Chicken Soup. Plans call for one Reel One original to be released each month. Titles in the works include For the Love of Chocolate, Love Afloat, A Priceless Love, A Slice of Chicago Romance, Love for Starters, A Bouquet of Love, Love Map, A Snapshot of Forever, Love Amongst the Stars, The Beauty of Love, Love at the Ranch, and Love in Full Swing. Tom Berry, CEO of Reel One Entertainment, said Chicken Soup’s “vibrantly loyal audience is a perfect fit for the fun and romantic themes our titles will represent.”
Also premiering on Chicken Soup for the Soul will be its latest original, Smart Home Nation. The show is produced by Efran Films in association with Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and Parkside Entertainment, and hosted by Tanya Memme. Other originals planned for the new AVOD service’s slate include Hidden Heroes, Animal Tales, The New Americans, Project Dad, and Going From Broke. Ashton Kutcher is an executive producer of Going from Broke, which has previously been a big draw on Crackle, according to the company.
“When planning the launch of the Chicken Soup for the Soul AVOD streaming service, we set the bar very high,” said Jeff Meier, head of programming for Crackle Plus, ‘We’ve exceeded our own expectations and are excited to be launching with a robust slate that features lifestyle TV staples, fan-favorite personalities, and engaging movies and originals our target audience will be sure to love.”
The service will also offer classic series and movies from the Sonar library. Titles in that vault include Mothers and Daughters, with Susan Sarandon, Sharon Stone, Courteney Cox, Christina Ricci, Selma Blair and Mira Sorvino; Morning Glory, with Christopher Reeve and Deborah Raffin; and My Boyfriend’s Back, with Sandy Duncan, Jill Eikenberry and Judith Light. The Sonar library came to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment via the acquisition of Sonar Entertainment last year. In all, Sonar has 1,400 hours of programming, across 600 titles with 268 Emmy and 16 Golden Globe wins among them.
Philippe Guelton, president of Crackle Plus, said last November’s launch of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Fast channel started a number of integration efforts. “We’re launching a branded Chicken Soup ‘tray’ on Crackle, to give fans easy access to the content as it rolls out wide with additional partners over the next few months,” he said.
The service is joining the portfolio of its namesake parent, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, which also runs Crackle, Popcornflix and other services. Chicken Soup for the Soul is already available as a free, ad-supported television channel on Plex, FreeCast, Redbox, LG Channels, Stirr, Xumo and Vizio. The full AVOD version, with thousands of on-demand hours of programming, will go live during this quarter.
Kin makes lifetyle shows with talent including Tia Mowry, Adrienne Bailon Houghton, Jeannie Mai, Malika and Khadijah Haqq and Angela Simmons. In addition to circulating on social platforms, they are syndicated to linear broadcast and streaming. One example is cooking show Comfort Kitchen, hosted by Mowry.
Reel One Entertainment specializes in scripted dramas and will also be providing original movies for Chicken Soup. Plans call for one Reel One original to be released each month. Titles in the works include For the Love of Chocolate, Love Afloat, A Priceless Love, A Slice of Chicago Romance, Love for Starters, A Bouquet of Love, Love Map, A Snapshot of Forever, Love Amongst the Stars, The Beauty of Love, Love at the Ranch, and Love in Full Swing. Tom Berry, CEO of Reel One Entertainment, said Chicken Soup’s “vibrantly loyal audience is a perfect fit for the fun and romantic themes our titles will represent.”
Also premiering on Chicken Soup for the Soul will be its latest original, Smart Home Nation. The show is produced by Efran Films in association with Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and Parkside Entertainment, and hosted by Tanya Memme. Other originals planned for the new AVOD service’s slate include Hidden Heroes, Animal Tales, The New Americans, Project Dad, and Going From Broke. Ashton Kutcher is an executive producer of Going from Broke, which has previously been a big draw on Crackle, according to the company.
“When planning the launch of the Chicken Soup for the Soul AVOD streaming service, we set the bar very high,” said Jeff Meier, head of programming for Crackle Plus, ‘We’ve exceeded our own expectations and are excited to be launching with a robust slate that features lifestyle TV staples, fan-favorite personalities, and engaging movies and originals our target audience will be sure to love.”
The service will also offer classic series and movies from the Sonar library. Titles in that vault include Mothers and Daughters, with Susan Sarandon, Sharon Stone, Courteney Cox, Christina Ricci, Selma Blair and Mira Sorvino; Morning Glory, with Christopher Reeve and Deborah Raffin; and My Boyfriend’s Back, with Sandy Duncan, Jill Eikenberry and Judith Light. The Sonar library came to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment via the acquisition of Sonar Entertainment last year. In all, Sonar has 1,400 hours of programming, across 600 titles with 268 Emmy and 16 Golden Globe wins among them.
Philippe Guelton, president of Crackle Plus, said last November’s launch of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Fast channel started a number of integration efforts. “We’re launching a branded Chicken Soup ‘tray’ on Crackle, to give fans easy access to the content as it rolls out wide with additional partners over the next few months,” he said.
- 2/15/2022
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
After the phenomenal success of “Jaws” in 1975, there was a cash-in surge for further “nature strikes back” creature features, as mankind was successively imperiled by dogs, cats, whales, buffalo, piranha and so on. One of the most blatant of these knockoffs was William Girdler’s 1976 “Grizzly,” an undistinguished tale of hairy menace running amok in a national park. It was, nonetheless, a hit — in fact the biggest indie success story of its year, purportedly grossing about fifty times its modest $750,000 budget. As quickly as it had been rushed out to ride “Jaws’” coattails, however, a sequel was slow in coming.
Well, there’s ordinary “slow,” and then there’s the Rip Van Winkle-grade variety. After decades spent as a famously abandoned project, “Grizzly II” finally hits theaters and VOD in 2021. For reasons that remain murky, the Hungary-shot horror thriller originally titled “Grizzly II: The Concert” went unfinished after principal photography...
Well, there’s ordinary “slow,” and then there’s the Rip Van Winkle-grade variety. After decades spent as a famously abandoned project, “Grizzly II” finally hits theaters and VOD in 2021. For reasons that remain murky, the Hungary-shot horror thriller originally titled “Grizzly II: The Concert” went unfinished after principal photography...
- 1/9/2021
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
"I don't want a cloud of fear on this concert! Now you get that grizzly, and get it now!" Gbgb Intl. has unveiled an official trailer for a long lost horror film titled Grizzly II Revenge, which is somehow getting a release nearly 37 years after the project originally fell apart. So... the story goes that in 1983, a production team hired a Hungarian filmmaker to direct a sequel to Grizzly, a 1976 cult classic horror film about an 18-foot-tall grizzly bear that terrorizes a state park. This sequel picks up where that one left off, with a momma bear seeking revenge for her cub's murder. The film takes place at a concert at Yellowstone National Park, where thousnds gather to see a show. But then the production all fell apart. Somehow, it's finally finished and ready to be released. The original cast (from '83!) features George Clooney, Laura Dern, Charlie Sheen, Louise Fletcher,...
- 4/9/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Actress Jeanna Michaels passed away on May 23 after a brief battle with lymphoma. She was 62.
"My passion for make-believe, my crude theatrical talent, and my friends (imaginary and otherwise) were what started me in productions from Coast to Coast," Michael wrote in her bio on the Compass Players website. She was the founder and Producing Artistic Director. "My father moved us from Manchester, Ct to the San Fernando Valley in California, and my living room productions led to award-winning high school and college productions." I was fortunate to be accepted as a Theater Arts major at UCLA. There, under the tutelage of Michael Gordon, I learned the craft and the business of theater. I was further blessed with other mentors like Stella Adler, Michael Shurtleff, and Ken McMillan. They transitioned me from a shy, gawky teenager to one of the million or so would-be-actors looking for a job—All of whom are talented,...
"My passion for make-believe, my crude theatrical talent, and my friends (imaginary and otherwise) were what started me in productions from Coast to Coast," Michael wrote in her bio on the Compass Players website. She was the founder and Producing Artistic Director. "My father moved us from Manchester, Ct to the San Fernando Valley in California, and my living room productions led to award-winning high school and college productions." I was fortunate to be accepted as a Theater Arts major at UCLA. There, under the tutelage of Michael Gordon, I learned the craft and the business of theater. I was further blessed with other mentors like Stella Adler, Michael Shurtleff, and Ken McMillan. They transitioned me from a shy, gawky teenager to one of the million or so would-be-actors looking for a job—All of whom are talented,...
- 6/26/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
Many actresses tried out for the iconic role of Lois Lane in 1978’s Superman, but of course, only one got the part: Margot Kidder.
In memory of her death earlier this week, The Telegraph took a look back at how the memorable character came to life in Richard Donner’s version of the superhero story. Ann Archer, Stockyard Channing, Deborah Raffin and Lesley Ann Warren all went up for the part, but director Donner liked Kidder’s chemistry with Christopher Reeve, who played Superman, best.
Kidder died Sunday at her Montana home at age 69. Her cause of death remains unknown.
In memory of her death earlier this week, The Telegraph took a look back at how the memorable character came to life in Richard Donner’s version of the superhero story. Ann Archer, Stockyard Channing, Deborah Raffin and Lesley Ann Warren all went up for the part, but director Donner liked Kidder’s chemistry with Christopher Reeve, who played Superman, best.
Kidder died Sunday at her Montana home at age 69. Her cause of death remains unknown.
- 5/15/2018
- by Dana Rose Falcone
- PEOPLE.com
The Eyes of Laura Mars (1978) was an unpopular thriller with a clever premise. Laura would have visions whenever a killer attacked someone, and she witnessed the murders through his eyes. Naturally, TV had to take a crack at the premise, which brought us Mind Over Murder (1979), a thriller that adds a few wrinkles to the basic premise and ends up being the more enjoyable of the two.
Originally airing on October 23rd as part of The CBS Tuesday Night Movies, Mind Over Murder bore down against NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies and ABC’s Three’s Company/Taxi/Hart to Hart lineup. Not hard to tell where the majority of viewers planted their eyeballs this night, but those who stayed with “the eye” were treated to a mostly effective thriller with some genuinely unsettling moments. You shouldn’t have too much Tripper in your diet, after all.
Let’s...
Originally airing on October 23rd as part of The CBS Tuesday Night Movies, Mind Over Murder bore down against NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies and ABC’s Three’s Company/Taxi/Hart to Hart lineup. Not hard to tell where the majority of viewers planted their eyeballs this night, but those who stayed with “the eye” were treated to a mostly effective thriller with some genuinely unsettling moments. You shouldn’t have too much Tripper in your diet, after all.
Let’s...
- 11/12/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Michael Winner is the bad-taste choice to give The Exorcist a run for its money in the faux-religious horror shocker sweepstakes, and the brave actress Cristina Raines leads an impressive supporting cast as the unfortunate suicide attemptee chosen to be the new Gatekeeper for the portal to Hell. Don't expect to see a Keymaster, but instead some of the most indigestible exploitation of the mainstream decade -- mainly real sideshow oddities to represent 'evil' people. Easily the hands-down insensitivity champ of the '70s. The Sentinel Blu-ray Shout! Factory / Scream Factory 1977 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 92 min. / Street Date September 22, 2015 / 27.99 Starring Cristina Raines, Chris Sarandon, Burgess Meredith, Arthur Kennedy, Deborah Raffin, Ava Gardner, John Carradine, Beverly D'Angelo, Eli Wallach, Sylvia Miles, Martin Balsam, José Ferrer, Christopher Walken, Jerry Orbach, William Hickey, Jeff Goldblum, Anthony Holland, Tom Berenger. Cinematography Dick Kratina Special Effects Albert Whitlock Special Makeup Effects Dick Smith Original Music Gil Melle...
- 10/13/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Standing watch at the gateway, Scream Factory has revealed the cover art and bonus features (including a new audio commentary track with actress Cristina Raines) for their highly anticipated Blu-ray release of The Sentinel, due out on September 22nd.
Press Release: "Los Angeles, CA – Scream Factory has announced the September 22 release of the 1977 horror classic The Sentinel on Blu-ray with a slate of new bonus features.
When a beautiful model, Alison Parker (Cristina Raines, Nashville, The Duellists), rents an apartment in a gloomy New York brownstone, little does she realize that an unspeakable horror awaits her behind its doors… a mysterious gateway to hell. Alison likes her eccentric new neighbors, so it comes as a shock when she's told that, except for a strange old priest, she's the only tenant.
Based on Jeffrey Konvitz's best-selling novel, this contemporary gothic chiller features amazing special makeup effects by the legendary Dick Smith (The Exorcist,...
Press Release: "Los Angeles, CA – Scream Factory has announced the September 22 release of the 1977 horror classic The Sentinel on Blu-ray with a slate of new bonus features.
When a beautiful model, Alison Parker (Cristina Raines, Nashville, The Duellists), rents an apartment in a gloomy New York brownstone, little does she realize that an unspeakable horror awaits her behind its doors… a mysterious gateway to hell. Alison likes her eccentric new neighbors, so it comes as a shock when she's told that, except for a strange old priest, she's the only tenant.
Based on Jeffrey Konvitz's best-selling novel, this contemporary gothic chiller features amazing special makeup effects by the legendary Dick Smith (The Exorcist,...
- 7/22/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
You can't choose your neighbors in an apartment complex, and sometimes you get stuck next to a noisy, mean-spirited soul who makes you want to look in the classified ads before you even finish unpacking. Alison Parker has some rowdy neighbors around her new Brooklyn apartment, but what disturbs her the most is that nobody else lives on her floor. And that's only one of many creepy elements to be found in 1977's The Sentinel, and fans of the cult classic fright film should be excited to hear that Scream Factory has announced they will release The Sentinel on Blu-ray this summer.
From Scream Factory: "We are beyond thrilled today to report that we will be bringing the 1977 cult classic chiller The Sentinel to Blu-ray for the first time in the U.S. and Canada!
Planned release is for August. This often underrated, overlooked and shocking film from Director Michael Winner...
From Scream Factory: "We are beyond thrilled today to report that we will be bringing the 1977 cult classic chiller The Sentinel to Blu-ray for the first time in the U.S. and Canada!
Planned release is for August. This often underrated, overlooked and shocking film from Director Michael Winner...
- 4/3/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
“….God told me to!”
God Told Me To screens midnights this Friday and Saturday (March 6th and 7th) at The Hi-Pointe Theater (1005 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, Mo 63117)
In the Fall of 1976, my father dropped me off at the Hi-Pointe Theater after church one Sunday because I’d been bugging him about seeing the new horror film Rabid by David Cronenberg, a director who would soon become a favorite. Rabid was the first half of a double feature that afternoon, paired with something called Demon, which I knew nothing about except that it was rated R and was called Demon. While I loved the gory Rabid (and still do), my 14-year old mind was mostly just bewildered by the deranged religious madness and paranormal confusion on display in the less-gruesome Demon. About a dozen years later, I rented the VHS of Larry Cohen’s God Told Me To, and was surprised...
God Told Me To screens midnights this Friday and Saturday (March 6th and 7th) at The Hi-Pointe Theater (1005 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, Mo 63117)
In the Fall of 1976, my father dropped me off at the Hi-Pointe Theater after church one Sunday because I’d been bugging him about seeing the new horror film Rabid by David Cronenberg, a director who would soon become a favorite. Rabid was the first half of a double feature that afternoon, paired with something called Demon, which I knew nothing about except that it was rated R and was called Demon. While I loved the gory Rabid (and still do), my 14-year old mind was mostly just bewildered by the deranged religious madness and paranormal confusion on display in the less-gruesome Demon. About a dozen years later, I rented the VHS of Larry Cohen’s God Told Me To, and was surprised...
- 3/2/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
I am super psyched that we were able to grab the 4K restoration of Larry Cohen’s masterpiece, God Told Me To for our March Late Nite Grindhouse show. Come see what Time Out New York claims is one of the 100 best horror films.
“God Told Me To is without question one of darkest, sharpest, oddest films on this list, a tale of serial murder, religious mania and alien abduction shot on some of mid-’70s New York’s least salubrious streets. Cohen deserves to be mentioned alongside Carpenter and Craven in the horror canon – this might be Cohen’s masterpiece!”
- Time Out New York God Told Me To
1975 / dir. Larry Cohen / 4K Digital
A rooftop sniper guns down 14 pedestrians on the streets of New York City. A mild-mannered dad takes a shotgun and blows away his wife and children. A cop goes on a sudden shooting spree at the St.
“God Told Me To is without question one of darkest, sharpest, oddest films on this list, a tale of serial murder, religious mania and alien abduction shot on some of mid-’70s New York’s least salubrious streets. Cohen deserves to be mentioned alongside Carpenter and Craven in the horror canon – this might be Cohen’s masterpiece!”
- Time Out New York God Told Me To
1975 / dir. Larry Cohen / 4K Digital
A rooftop sniper guns down 14 pedestrians on the streets of New York City. A mild-mannered dad takes a shotgun and blows away his wife and children. A cop goes on a sudden shooting spree at the St.
- 2/24/2015
- by Andy Triefenbach
- Destroy the Brain
Take the Charles Whitman inspired murders in Peter Bogdanovich's Targets, the satanic cult conception of Rosemary's Baby and toss in conspiracies from The Chariots of the Gods, a crazy Andy Kaufman cameo and sexual body horror that would make David Cronenberg blush and you'll get a rough idea of what you're in for with Larry Cohen's 1976 unconventional exploitation insanity known as God Told Me To.
The police procedural structure and gritty New York City atmosphere that permeates most of Cohen's work is punctuated with chaotic immediacy due to the Guerilla filmmaking and handheld cinematography that doesn't care about logical consistency and is concerned with creating panic and paranoia for the audience, not unlike the occurring calamity between characters and these bizarre events. Often due to budget and editing there is often no sense of time or reason to events as they unfold, which actually works in the film's...
The police procedural structure and gritty New York City atmosphere that permeates most of Cohen's work is punctuated with chaotic immediacy due to the Guerilla filmmaking and handheld cinematography that doesn't care about logical consistency and is concerned with creating panic and paranoia for the audience, not unlike the occurring calamity between characters and these bizarre events. Often due to budget and editing there is often no sense of time or reason to events as they unfold, which actually works in the film's...
- 2/21/2015
- by Sean McClannahan
- DailyDead
Welcome to another horror round-up! This time around we’re focusing on Blue Underground’s theatrical re-release of Larry Cohen’s God Told Me To, a Scream Queens casting update, and Arrow Video’s upcoming Blu-ray/DVD releases of Society and Island of Death.
God Told Me To: Press Release – “One of the most disturbing and thought-provoking horror films of our time, God Told Me To was written, produced and directed by Larry Cohen (It’S Alive, Q- The Winged Serpent) and stars Tony Lo Bianco (The French Connection, The Honeymoon Killers)
Co-starring Deborah Raffin (Death Wish 3), Academy Award® winner Sandy Dennis (Who’S Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?), Academy Award® nominee Sylvia Sidney (Beetlejuice), Sam Levene (Brute Force), Robert Drivas (Cool Hand Luke), Mike Kellin (Sleepaway Camp), Richard Lynch (Bad Dreams), and Andy Kaufman (Taxi)
Confirmed theaters and dates, with additional cities coming soon.
Special Q&A’s with Larry Cohen Tba!
God Told Me To: Press Release – “One of the most disturbing and thought-provoking horror films of our time, God Told Me To was written, produced and directed by Larry Cohen (It’S Alive, Q- The Winged Serpent) and stars Tony Lo Bianco (The French Connection, The Honeymoon Killers)
Co-starring Deborah Raffin (Death Wish 3), Academy Award® winner Sandy Dennis (Who’S Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?), Academy Award® nominee Sylvia Sidney (Beetlejuice), Sam Levene (Brute Force), Robert Drivas (Cool Hand Luke), Mike Kellin (Sleepaway Camp), Richard Lynch (Bad Dreams), and Andy Kaufman (Taxi)
Confirmed theaters and dates, with additional cities coming soon.
Special Q&A’s with Larry Cohen Tba!
- 2/12/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Reviewed by Kevin Scott
MoreHorror.com
God Told Me Too (1976)
Written by: Larry Cohen
Directed by: Larry Cohen
Cast: Tony Lo Bianco (Peter J. Nicholas), Deborah Raffin (Casey Forster), Sandy Dennis (Martha Nicholas), Sylvia Sydney (Elizabeth Mullin), Richard Lynch (Bernard Phillips), Andy Kaufman (Police Officer).
This film is unquestionably one of the most unique films that I have watched or reviewed. I don’t just throw that statement nonchalantly out here. It was written by Larry Cohen, who horror fans will primarily know from the “It’s Alive” films and the really eclectic sequel to “Salem’s Lot”. He’s done everything, and is a prolific writer and director. One of my all-time favorites of his is “The Stuff” about some killer yogurt, and I don’t mean “killer” as in it just tastes good. I’ve seen a lot of his work, and “God Told Me To” has to be the most complex.
MoreHorror.com
God Told Me Too (1976)
Written by: Larry Cohen
Directed by: Larry Cohen
Cast: Tony Lo Bianco (Peter J. Nicholas), Deborah Raffin (Casey Forster), Sandy Dennis (Martha Nicholas), Sylvia Sydney (Elizabeth Mullin), Richard Lynch (Bernard Phillips), Andy Kaufman (Police Officer).
This film is unquestionably one of the most unique films that I have watched or reviewed. I don’t just throw that statement nonchalantly out here. It was written by Larry Cohen, who horror fans will primarily know from the “It’s Alive” films and the really eclectic sequel to “Salem’s Lot”. He’s done everything, and is a prolific writer and director. One of my all-time favorites of his is “The Stuff” about some killer yogurt, and I don’t mean “killer” as in it just tastes good. I’ve seen a lot of his work, and “God Told Me To” has to be the most complex.
- 1/4/2015
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Top 100 horror movies of all time: Chicago Film Critics' choices (photo: Sigourney Weaver and Alien creature show us that life is less horrific if you don't hold grudges) See previous post: A look at the Chicago Film Critics Association's Scariest Movies Ever Made. Below is the list of the Chicago Film Critics's Top 100 Horror Movies of All Time, including their directors and key cast members. Note: this list was first published in October 2006. (See also: Fay Wray, Lee Patrick, and Mary Philbin among the "Top Ten Scream Queens.") 1. Psycho (1960) Alfred Hitchcock; with Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam. 2. The Exorcist (1973) William Friedkin; with Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow (and the voice of Mercedes McCambridge). 3. Halloween (1978) John Carpenter; with Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Tony Moran. 4. Alien (1979) Ridley Scott; with Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt. 5. Night of the Living Dead (1968) George A. Romero; with Marilyn Eastman,...
- 10/31/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Christopher Reeve: 'Superman' and his movies (photo: Christopher Reeve in 'Superman' 1978) Christopher Reeve, Superman in four movies from 1978 to 1987, died ten years ago today. In 1995, while taking part in a cross-country horse race in Culpeper, Virginia, Reeve was thrown off his horse, hitting his head on the top rail of a jump; the near-fatal accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. He ultimately succumbed to heart failure at age 52 on October 10, 2004. Long before he was cast as Superman aka Clark Kent, the Manhattan-born (as Christopher D'Olier Reeve on September 25, 1952), Cornell University and Juillard School for Drama alumnus was an ambitious young actor whose theatrical apprenticeship included, while still a teenager, some time as an observer at London's Old Vic and Paris' Comédie Française. At age 23, he landed his first Broadway role in a production of Enid Bagnold's A Matter of Gravity, starring Katharine Hepburn.
- 10/11/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Professional photographer Kim Gottlieb-Walker has been involved with numerous iconic films and captured hundreds of magical moments throughout her decades-spanning career. This week, she gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at films like Halloween, The Fog, Escape from New York, Halloween II and Christine, with the release of a new book, On Set with John Carpenter: The Photographs of Kim Gottlieb-Walker.
Although she’s found an immense amount of success throughout her career as a photographer, that wasn’t the direction Gottlieb-Walker envisioned her career taking while she was still a film student at UCLA. “I majored in film production and hoped to be a camera operator. When I graduated, I had no contacts in the movie industry, so I went back to shooting stills for the underground press as I had done while at school with my film school teacher. In fact, it was during one of his interviews...
Although she’s found an immense amount of success throughout her career as a photographer, that wasn’t the direction Gottlieb-Walker envisioned her career taking while she was still a film student at UCLA. “I majored in film production and hoped to be a camera operator. When I graduated, I had no contacts in the movie industry, so I went back to shooting stills for the underground press as I had done while at school with my film school teacher. In fact, it was during one of his interviews...
- 10/7/2014
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Order Here! ... er+2+and+3 Both Scanners II and III were directed by Christian Duguay. Like "Scanners," they boast gorgeous casts, contain themes of good versus evil and were filmed in and around the cold, gray environs of Montreal and Quebec, Canada. In "Scanners II: The New Order," a veterinarian student, David Kellum (David Hewitt) is a scanner on the run who finds another scanner, Julie Vale (Deborah Raffin); together they try to destroy…...
- 1/9/2014
- Horrorbid
Andy Kaufman alive? Or Andy Kaufman hoax? New York City-born comedian Andy Kaufman, little known outside the United States but well-remembered in the U.S. by those who watched the late ’70s / early ’80s television series Taxi, is alive, married, and has a (previously unknown) grown daughter who goes by the name of McCoy. Well, if — and that’s a big if (or perhaps a small one, considering people’s willful gullibility and/or downright stupidity) — you believe the story reported in numerous outlets in the last couple of days: Andy Kaufman may have faked his own death of lung cancer at age 35 in 1984 so he could escape the limelight. (Photo: Andy Kaufman) At the New York-based Andy Kaufman Awards last Monday night, November 11, 2013, a woman claiming to be Kaufman’s daughter — calling herself "McCoy" (reportedly the name Kaufman used when checking himself into hospitals) — appeared on stage with Michael Kaufman,...
- 11/15/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Scanners II: The New Order (1991) Directed By: Christian Duguay Starring: David Hewlett, Deborah Raffin, Yvan Ponton Rated: R/Region A/1:78/1080p/Number of Discs 2 Available from Scream Factory Good and evil scanners combating when a crooked politician schemes to gain control of a major city. Scanners are people who, because their mothers had taken a certain drug during pregnancy, have acquired telepathic powers. One scanner escapes from a menta…...
- 8/20/2013
- Horrorbid
Mackenzie Rosman is best known for her role on "7th Heaven" as the adorable, curly-cued, originally youngest Camden child, Ruthie. But five years after the long-running WB series about a Protestant minister's family came to an end, the actress is proving she's all grown up.
Now 23-year-old Rosman, who starred on "7th Heaven" for 11 seasons (appearing in all but five of the show's 243 episodes), stripped down for Maxim's September 2013 issue to promote her new Syfy movie "Ghost Shark" (premieres August 22) and to look back on her formative years.
Rosman was just seven years old when she started her stint on "7th Heaven," but once the show ended, her image changed, thanks to a leaked photo of her in lingerie and another of her kissing another woman.
In recent years, Rosman's reunited with some fellow "7th Heaven" alumni: She had a multi-episode arc as a not-so-virginal high schooler named Zoe on...
Now 23-year-old Rosman, who starred on "7th Heaven" for 11 seasons (appearing in all but five of the show's 243 episodes), stripped down for Maxim's September 2013 issue to promote her new Syfy movie "Ghost Shark" (premieres August 22) and to look back on her formative years.
Rosman was just seven years old when she started her stint on "7th Heaven," but once the show ended, her image changed, thanks to a leaked photo of her in lingerie and another of her kissing another woman.
In recent years, Rosman's reunited with some fellow "7th Heaven" alumni: She had a multi-episode arc as a not-so-virginal high schooler named Zoe on...
- 7/30/2013
- by Jaimie Etkin
- Huffington Post
We told you a while back that The Scream Factory would be releasing both Scanners II: The New Order and Scanners III: The Takeover on Blu-ray and DVD this fall, and now we have some artwork to dig on!
The 1991 direct-to-video sequel Scanners II: The New Order starred David Hewlett of future “Stargate” TV fame and Deborah Raffin (Death Wish 3) in a tale about a mild-mannered scanner mixed up in a government conspiracy involving evil Scanners plotting a coup. Its lesser 1992 follow-up Scanners III: The Takeover starred no one in particular and dealt with a sibling rivalry between good and evil scanners.
Hopefully one day we'll see the original flick get the Blu-ray treatment it richly deserves. Fingers crossed!
For more visit the official The Scream Factory website, and "like" The Scream Factory on Facebook.
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Plot a coup in the comments section below!
The 1991 direct-to-video sequel Scanners II: The New Order starred David Hewlett of future “Stargate” TV fame and Deborah Raffin (Death Wish 3) in a tale about a mild-mannered scanner mixed up in a government conspiracy involving evil Scanners plotting a coup. Its lesser 1992 follow-up Scanners III: The Takeover starred no one in particular and dealt with a sibling rivalry between good and evil scanners.
Hopefully one day we'll see the original flick get the Blu-ray treatment it richly deserves. Fingers crossed!
For more visit the official The Scream Factory website, and "like" The Scream Factory on Facebook.
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Plot a coup in the comments section below!
- 5/1/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
As a new year dawns, a tribute to those we've lost in the year now ending is merited ... and in 2012, those sad milestones have encompassed some of the most popular personalities in television history.
Andy Griffith: The actor-producer who put Mayberry on the map forever will be remembered as one of television's most genial personalities, also extending to his run as wily lawyer Matlock.
Dick Clark: The number of music stars who owe at least part of their success to the "American Bandstand" maestro is incalculable. Thanks to him, people also enjoy "New Year's Rockin' Eve," receive American Music Awards and have a greater appreciation of bloopers. Here's a "so long" salute to you, Dick.
Larry Hagman: The truly unfortunate irony of the veteran actor's recent death is that he was just starting his second round of "Dallas" success as master schemer J.R. Ewing. He'll also...
Andy Griffith: The actor-producer who put Mayberry on the map forever will be remembered as one of television's most genial personalities, also extending to his run as wily lawyer Matlock.
Dick Clark: The number of music stars who owe at least part of their success to the "American Bandstand" maestro is incalculable. Thanks to him, people also enjoy "New Year's Rockin' Eve," receive American Music Awards and have a greater appreciation of bloopers. Here's a "so long" salute to you, Dick.
Larry Hagman: The truly unfortunate irony of the veteran actor's recent death is that he was just starting his second round of "Dallas" success as master schemer J.R. Ewing. He'll also...
- 12/31/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
It was a post-Thanksgiving week of delightful highs and solemn lows. From the passing of favorite actors to confusion over the recent Two and a Half Men drama, this week's stories left you experiencing a whirlwind of emotions on People.com. As always, you've been reacting in droves, telling us what you love, what makes you mad and what leaves you to Lol. Check out the stories with top reactions on the site this week, and keep clicking on the emoticons at the bottom of every story to tell us what you think! Nostalgic readers loved the promise of a...
- 12/2/2012
- PEOPLE.com
One night during my college years, I was pulling an all-nighter studying for finals when I caught an old movie on TV; a flick called Willa that concerned a divorced mother who becomes a truck driver.
I saw a lot of myself in Willa, the shy, smiling blonde with the heart and will of a lion. And seeing this movie got me to thinking, “What can I do?”
Deborah Raffin, the actress who played Willa, passed away Wednesday, November 21st, 2012 after a battle with leukemia. In her all too brief existence this woman accrued a vast list of accomplishments that reflected her boundless talents.
As an actress her regal demeanor and angelic beauty served her well in glittery romances like 40 Carats and Jacqueline Susann’s Once is Not Enough. Yet she also played heroines whose strength, intellect and resourcefulness were of far more importance than her grace and fashion sense.
I saw a lot of myself in Willa, the shy, smiling blonde with the heart and will of a lion. And seeing this movie got me to thinking, “What can I do?”
Deborah Raffin, the actress who played Willa, passed away Wednesday, November 21st, 2012 after a battle with leukemia. In her all too brief existence this woman accrued a vast list of accomplishments that reflected her boundless talents.
As an actress her regal demeanor and angelic beauty served her well in glittery romances like 40 Carats and Jacqueline Susann’s Once is Not Enough. Yet she also played heroines whose strength, intellect and resourcefulness were of far more importance than her grace and fashion sense.
- 11/28/2012
- by MeganHussey
- Planet Fury
Deborah Raffin, who had brief but successful careers both as an actress - 7th Heaven, among other shows - and a book publisher, died of leukemia last Wednesday, a family member told the Los Angeles Times. Raffin was 59 and reportedly had battled the disease for about a year. Starting out, the blonde Californian was often compared to the young Grace Kelly, People noted in a 1979 profile. Her mother, Trudy Marshall, had been a bit player for 20th Century Fox in the '40s, and her father was a wealthy meat broker. When Raffin was a sophomore at Valley College in Van Nuys,...
- 11/26/2012
- by Stephen M. Silverman
- PEOPLE.com
Actress Deborah Raffin, whose film and television career spanned four decades, passed away on Nov. 21 after a battle with leukemia, her brother confirms to the La Times. She died at age 59 at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Raffin starred in the 1988 miniseries "Noble House" opposite Pierce Brosnan and appeared in over a dozen TV movies. She was perhaps best known for her role as Aunt Julie on "Seventh Heaven." As Rev. Eric Camden's alcoholic sister, Raffin brought plenty of "very special" episodes -- including one where she got a little too rough with 11-year-old Simon when he tried to hide the key to the liquor cabinet.
More recently, Raffin had appeared on episodes of "The Secret Life of the American Teenager." In addition to her acting success, Raffin and her husband Michael Viner turned their small books-on-tape business into a multimillion-dollar venture. Their first bestseller was...
Raffin starred in the 1988 miniseries "Noble House" opposite Pierce Brosnan and appeared in over a dozen TV movies. She was perhaps best known for her role as Aunt Julie on "Seventh Heaven." As Rev. Eric Camden's alcoholic sister, Raffin brought plenty of "very special" episodes -- including one where she got a little too rough with 11-year-old Simon when he tried to hide the key to the liquor cabinet.
More recently, Raffin had appeared on episodes of "The Secret Life of the American Teenager." In addition to her acting success, Raffin and her husband Michael Viner turned their small books-on-tape business into a multimillion-dollar venture. Their first bestseller was...
- 11/26/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Deborah Raffin, whose career acting in film and TV spanned three decades and included a memorable turn on the TV series 7th Heaven, has died. She was 59. Raffin's brother told the Los Angeles Times the actress passed away from leukemia at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles last Wednesday after being diagnosed with the blood cancer over a year ago. Raffin broke into the business in the mid-'70s appearing in several Hollywood movies such as 1973's 40 Carats starring Liv Ullmann and Gene Kelly and 1975's Once Is Not Enough with Kirk Douglas. By decade's end, the thesp had starring roles in a slew of TV movies, among them 1979's Haywire, in which she played the actress Brooke...
- 11/26/2012
- E! Online
Before founding the profitable audio-book company Dove Books-on-Tape in the mid-’80s,Deborah Raffin was a busy actress. The Los Angeles native landed parts in the 1973 film 40 Carats and in 1975′s Once Is Not Enough adapted from the steamy Jacqueline Susann novel. In the 1980s, she became something of a TV-movie staple appearing in such memorable fare as Mind Over Murder and Noble House.
But it.s her role as the girlfriend of Charles Bronson (an actor 32 years her senior) in Death Wish 3 (1985), one of American cinema.s finest hours, that will forever endear her to this movie geek. Raffin played public defender Kathryn Davis, who tracks down suspected vigilante Paul Kersey (Bronson), invites him to dinner, falls in love with him and, because she.s a love interest in a Death Wish movie, is promptly blown to smithereens. Raffin also had roles in Larry Cohen.s ambitious cult...
But it.s her role as the girlfriend of Charles Bronson (an actor 32 years her senior) in Death Wish 3 (1985), one of American cinema.s finest hours, that will forever endear her to this movie geek. Raffin played public defender Kathryn Davis, who tracks down suspected vigilante Paul Kersey (Bronson), invites him to dinner, falls in love with him and, because she.s a love interest in a Death Wish movie, is promptly blown to smithereens. Raffin also had roles in Larry Cohen.s ambitious cult...
- 11/25/2012
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Here is last week's caption pic winner. This week's caption pic is at the bottom of the page.
Thanks to everyone for participating! The winner is ...
"...and then Snicks killed Jacob, rescued his beloved Stevie, and there was much rejoicing in the world...."
Thanks to Campion for this week's winning caption!
Weekend Birthdays! (Note: Birthday shoutouts are for out entertainers, allies, or for any celeb that seems to have a following on Ae). Maxwell Caulfield (above) is 53, Bruce Vilanch is 64, Chris Hardwick is 41, Miley Cyrus is 20, Garret Dillahunt is 48, Christina Applegate is 41, Sarah Hyland is 22, and Amy Grant is 52. Below you can see Amy's first top 40 hit, "Find A Way," which peaked at #29 in July 1985, and was a runner-up on the Lost 100 list.
Why Gay Shoppers Should Hit Target, Abercrombie And Starbucks On Black Friday, according to the Hrc Buyer's Guide. "But the Trump Organization, Urban Outfitters and even Tupperware received considerably less favorable ratings.
Thanks to everyone for participating! The winner is ...
"...and then Snicks killed Jacob, rescued his beloved Stevie, and there was much rejoicing in the world...."
Thanks to Campion for this week's winning caption!
Weekend Birthdays! (Note: Birthday shoutouts are for out entertainers, allies, or for any celeb that seems to have a following on Ae). Maxwell Caulfield (above) is 53, Bruce Vilanch is 64, Chris Hardwick is 41, Miley Cyrus is 20, Garret Dillahunt is 48, Christina Applegate is 41, Sarah Hyland is 22, and Amy Grant is 52. Below you can see Amy's first top 40 hit, "Find A Way," which peaked at #29 in July 1985, and was a runner-up on the Lost 100 list.
Why Gay Shoppers Should Hit Target, Abercrombie And Starbucks On Black Friday, according to the Hrc Buyer's Guide. "But the Trump Organization, Urban Outfitters and even Tupperware received considerably less favorable ratings.
- 11/23/2012
- by snicks
- The Backlot
Actress Deborah Raffin, who went on to found a profitable audio-book company, died Wednesday after a battle with leukemia, the Los Angeles Times reports. She was 59. Raffin's brother William told the Times that she had been diagnosed with the disease approximately a year ago. She died at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Also read: Notable Celebrity Deaths of 2012 The Los Angeles native landed early parts in the 1973 film "40 Carats" and in 1975's "Once Is Not Enough," adapted from the steamy Jacqueline Susann novel. In the 1980s, she became...
- 11/23/2012
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
Los Angeles — Deborah Raffin, an actress who ran a successful audiobook company with the help of her celebrity friends, has died. She was 59.
Raffin died Wednesday of leukemia at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, her brother, William, told the Los Angeles Times ( ). She was diagnosed with the blood cancer about a year ago. http://lat.ms/R0q9NM
Raffin, the daughter of 20th Century Fox contract player Trudy Marshall, had roles in movies such as "Forty Carats" and "Once Is Not Enough." She also starred in television miniseries, most notably playing actress Brooke Hayward in "Haywire" and a businesswoman in "Noble House," based on the James Clavell saga set in Hong Kong.
She and her then-husband, music producer Michael Viner, launched Dove Books-on-Tape in the mid-1980s, which blossomed into a multimillion-dollar business. The company's first best-seller was Stephen Hawking's opus on the cosmos entitled "A Brief History of Time.
Raffin died Wednesday of leukemia at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, her brother, William, told the Los Angeles Times ( ). She was diagnosed with the blood cancer about a year ago. http://lat.ms/R0q9NM
Raffin, the daughter of 20th Century Fox contract player Trudy Marshall, had roles in movies such as "Forty Carats" and "Once Is Not Enough." She also starred in television miniseries, most notably playing actress Brooke Hayward in "Haywire" and a businesswoman in "Noble House," based on the James Clavell saga set in Hong Kong.
She and her then-husband, music producer Michael Viner, launched Dove Books-on-Tape in the mid-1980s, which blossomed into a multimillion-dollar business. The company's first best-seller was Stephen Hawking's opus on the cosmos entitled "A Brief History of Time.
- 11/23/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Deborah Raffin: movie and TV actress, Dove audio-book entrepreneur has died Deborah Raffin, film and television actress, and Dove Books on Tape co-founder, died yesterday, Nov. 22, of leukemia at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Raffin was 59. (Photo: Deborah Raffin ca. 1975.) Born in Los Angeles on March 13, 1953, Raffin was the daughter of mid-’40s 20th Century Fox contract player Trudy Marshall (Dragonwyck, Sentimental Journey) and meat broker and restaurateur Philip Raffin. Deborah Raffin movies Deborah Raffin was featured [...]...
- 11/23/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Actress Deborah Raffin, who became the quintessential California blonde TV movie/mini-series ingenue and heroine during the three decades when the genre thrived in the 1970s-1980s-1990s, died on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Times quoted her brother as saying she’d had leukemia for the past year and passed away at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. She was 59. Though she starred in several features, she was best known for her TV work and most recently took recurring roles on The Secret Life Of The American Teenager (2008-2010) and 7th Heaven (1996-2005). Also, later in life, she started what eventually became the multimilliondollar Dove audio books with her then husband, showbiz entrepreneur Michael Viner. (They sold the company in 1997.) Los Angeles-born Raffin was the daughter of 20th Century Fox contract player Trudy Marshall and became a TV star when she was discovered in an elevator by an agent. With...
- 11/23/2012
- by NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief
- Deadline Hollywood
Actress Deborah Raffin, who became the quintessential California blonde TV movie/mini-series ingenue and heroine during the three decades when the genre thrived in the 1970s-1980s-1990s, died on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Times quoted her brother as saying she’d had leukemia for the past year and passed away at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. She was 59. Though she starred in several features, she was best known for her TV work and most recently took recurring roles on The Secret Life Of The American Teenager (2008-2010) and 7th Heaven (1996-2005). Also, later in life, she started what eventually became the multimilliondollar Dove audio books with her then husband, showbiz entrepreneur Michael Viner. (They sold the company in 1997.) Los Angeles-born Raffin was the daughter of 20th Century Fox contract player Trudy Marshall and became a TV star when she was discovered in an elevator by an agent. With...
- 11/23/2012
- by NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief
- Deadline TV
Deborah Raffin, an actress and entrepreneur who launched audiobook powerhouse Dove Books-on-Tape with her husband, music producer Michael Viner, has died. She was 59. Raffin died Wednesday of leukemia at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, her brother William told the Los Angeles Times. She was diagnosed with the blood cancer about a year ago, he said. Photos: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2012 The blond Los Angeles native, who as a college student was spotted by a talent scout while on an elevator, stared her career by appearing in such films as 40 Carats (1973)
read more...
read more...
- 11/22/2012
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Scream Factory has been exciting horror fans every Friday by announcing more cult horror titles that they will be releasing on DVD and (possibly) Blu-ray next year. Not a whole lot of excitement this week, though, with their announcement of a pair of early Nineties direct-to-video Scanners sequels.
I’m sure there are a few people out there thrilled to hear that Scanners II: The New Order and Scanners III: The Takeover will be coming to DVD (and possibly Blu-ray) for the first time next year, but the fact that even Scream Factory’s own Facebook announcement begins with an apology for not being able to get the rights to give David Cronenberg’s original 1980 Scanners a much overdue Blu-ray release speaks volumes as to how unlikely this news is to make any heads explode from excitement. This is probably the first time a Scream Factory announcement has been worded...
I’m sure there are a few people out there thrilled to hear that Scanners II: The New Order and Scanners III: The Takeover will be coming to DVD (and possibly Blu-ray) for the first time next year, but the fact that even Scream Factory’s own Facebook announcement begins with an apology for not being able to get the rights to give David Cronenberg’s original 1980 Scanners a much overdue Blu-ray release speaks volumes as to how unlikely this news is to make any heads explode from excitement. This is probably the first time a Scream Factory announcement has been worded...
- 11/3/2012
- by Foywonder
- DreadCentral.com
This month on TCM, a Christmas special featuring some of your favorite people, including Our Fearless Leader.
Take heed, holiday hellions. Throughout the rest of December, TCM (our favorite channel) will be airing an hour-long look at Christmas movies. The special includes a lot of personal and behind-the-scenes stories from a variety fo Hollywood luminaries, including our very own Joe Dante. (Also, Chevy Chase!) Graphical Genius Charlie heartily recommends catching this next time it airs.
Sayeth TCM:
A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas (2011) is a tinsel-filled journey through the most iconic holiday films of all time, including perennial favorites It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) and Miracle on 34th Street (1947). The special will look at variations within the genre, such as holiday romances, family movies and even thrillers. A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas will feature behind-the-scenes stories and personal Hollywood Christmas memories from the likes of Chevy Chase,...
Take heed, holiday hellions. Throughout the rest of December, TCM (our favorite channel) will be airing an hour-long look at Christmas movies. The special includes a lot of personal and behind-the-scenes stories from a variety fo Hollywood luminaries, including our very own Joe Dante. (Also, Chevy Chase!) Graphical Genius Charlie heartily recommends catching this next time it airs.
Sayeth TCM:
A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas (2011) is a tinsel-filled journey through the most iconic holiday films of all time, including perennial favorites It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) and Miracle on 34th Street (1947). The special will look at variations within the genre, such as holiday romances, family movies and even thrillers. A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas will feature behind-the-scenes stories and personal Hollywood Christmas memories from the likes of Chevy Chase,...
- 12/16/2011
- by Danny
- Trailers from Hell
Hal Kanter (see photo), creator of the groundbreaking television series Julia, starring Diahann Carroll (photo) as a nurse, died Sunday, Nov. 6, of complications from pneumonia at Encino Hospital in the Los Angeles suburb of Encino. Kanter was 92. Julia (1968-71) marked the first time a black actress had an important role in an American television series playing something other than a maid (e.g., Ethel Waters and Louise Beavers in the 1950s series Beulah). As quoted in the Los Angeles Times obit, Kanter said he didn't want to make profound political statements with each Julia episode. But political statements were made all the same, as Kanter explained: There is a fallout of social comment. Every week we see a black child playing with a white child with complete acceptance and without incident. One of the recurring themes in the thousands of letters we get is from people who thank us for...
- 11/8/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
TCM Teams with DreamWorks Television and Filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau
on Two All-New Specials: A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King
and A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas!
Documentaries are Latest Entries in TCM.s A Night at the Movies Series
of One-Hour Genre Specials
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will celebrate Halloween and Christmas this year with two all-new specials produced by DreamWorks Television and award-winning filmmaker and author Laurent Bouzereau and presented as part of TCM.s ongoing A Night at the Movies documentary series. In October, TCM will premiere A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King, with the master storyteller himself discussing the classic horror films that influenced him the most. And in December, A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas! will take viewers on a magical journey through some of the greatest holiday films ever made.
TCM...
on Two All-New Specials: A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King
and A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas!
Documentaries are Latest Entries in TCM.s A Night at the Movies Series
of One-Hour Genre Specials
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will celebrate Halloween and Christmas this year with two all-new specials produced by DreamWorks Television and award-winning filmmaker and author Laurent Bouzereau and presented as part of TCM.s ongoing A Night at the Movies documentary series. In October, TCM will premiere A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King, with the master storyteller himself discussing the classic horror films that influenced him the most. And in December, A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas! will take viewers on a magical journey through some of the greatest holiday films ever made.
TCM...
- 8/11/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
I've been on a Mad Men bender. Nine episodes in the past three days. This decision was spurred on by a hugely thoughtful gift from a friend (1st and 2nd season) and the abundant Emmy nominations last week. Just as I began to watch Season 1 in marathon form -- I'd only seen some of it not being a regular until season 2 -- the publicity blitz for Season 3 (coming in August) started hitting.
This Interview interview with January Jones (aka "Betty Draper") is so cute.
Who knew that that Ethan Hawke wolfdog movie White Fang (1991) was that inspiring to little children? It made little January want to be an actor. Jones is so sneaky/fantastic as Betty Draper (she's almost too good in the role for you to notice how much she's doing... initially) that I must now thank the makers of White Fang for contributing to the wonder that is Mad Men.
This Interview interview with January Jones (aka "Betty Draper") is so cute.
Who knew that that Ethan Hawke wolfdog movie White Fang (1991) was that inspiring to little children? It made little January want to be an actor. Jones is so sneaky/fantastic as Betty Draper (she's almost too good in the role for you to notice how much she's doing... initially) that I must now thank the makers of White Fang for contributing to the wonder that is Mad Men.
- 7/22/2009
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Despite fine performances by Stephen Fry and Jude Law, "Wilde" is a disappointingly predictable and uninvolving film portrait of Victorian wit and writer Oscar Wilde, who was imprisoned for being homosexual.
The Sony Pictures Classics limited release is a tony entry in the presummer sweepstakes, but it lacks a compelling point of view and resorts to hoary melodramatics, and the dialogue is often painfully earnest. An initial flurry of boxoffice interest, buoyed by admiring reviews, will not last long.
"Wilde" opens with the long-haired, flamboyant dresser Oscar (Fry) lecturing miners in Colorado, circa 1882. On his return to England, he woos and weds the beautiful Constance (Jennifer Ehle) and appears ready to settle down into a literary career.
Enter Robert Ross (Michael Sheen), a house guest who seduces Oscar and starts scandalmongers talking. With his Irish mother (Vanessa Redgrave) on his side, Oscar leads a double life -- devoted husband and covert homosexual -- while his career successes make him a celebrity.
At the premiere of his play "Lady Windermere's Fan", Oscar meets and instantly falls for handsome young sonnet writer Lord Alfred Douglas Law), causing Ross much pain. But nothing rivals the vicious reaction of Douglas' homophobic father, the Marquess of Queensberry (Tom Wilkinson), who eventually brings about Oscar's downfall and imprisonment in 1895.
While one learns a little about the man (he read prodigiously at a fast rate and had a poet's precise memory), there's not enough spontaneity to many of the exchanges. Most of the time, Oscar comes off as a walking omnibus of classical quotations, as if he's always playing to an audience, while supporting characters talk about him with the measured insight of an undergraduate lecture on the subject.
At the center of it all, Fry is a dignified, comfy presence, but he's often upstaged by Law playing the spoiled, showoff Douglas with sizzling charisma. Sheen registers strongly in his scenes, and Wilkinson is suitably menacing as the heavy.
Director Brian Gilbert ("Tom & Viv") and crew have mounted a handsome widescreen production on a limited budget, with locations including London's Athenaeum Club, Somerset House and Oxford Prison.
WILDE
Sony Pictures Classics
Dove International presents
a Samuelson production
Director: Brian Gilbert
Producers: Marc Samuelson, Peter Samuelson
Screenwriter: Julian Mitchell
Executive producers: Michiyo Yoshizaki,
Michael Viner, Deborah Raffin,
Alex Graham, Alan Howden
Director of photography: Martin Fuhrer
Production designer: Maria Djurkovic
Editor: Michael Bradsell
Costume designer: Nic Ede
Music: Debbie Wiseman
Casting: Sarah Bird
Color/stereo
Cast:
Oscar Wilde: Stephen Fry
Lord Alfred Douglas: Jude Law
Lady Speranza Wilde: Vanessa Redgrave
Constance Wilde: Jennifer Ehle
Robert Ross: Michael Sheen
Marquess of Queensberry:Tom Wilkinson
Running time -- 117 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
The Sony Pictures Classics limited release is a tony entry in the presummer sweepstakes, but it lacks a compelling point of view and resorts to hoary melodramatics, and the dialogue is often painfully earnest. An initial flurry of boxoffice interest, buoyed by admiring reviews, will not last long.
"Wilde" opens with the long-haired, flamboyant dresser Oscar (Fry) lecturing miners in Colorado, circa 1882. On his return to England, he woos and weds the beautiful Constance (Jennifer Ehle) and appears ready to settle down into a literary career.
Enter Robert Ross (Michael Sheen), a house guest who seduces Oscar and starts scandalmongers talking. With his Irish mother (Vanessa Redgrave) on his side, Oscar leads a double life -- devoted husband and covert homosexual -- while his career successes make him a celebrity.
At the premiere of his play "Lady Windermere's Fan", Oscar meets and instantly falls for handsome young sonnet writer Lord Alfred Douglas Law), causing Ross much pain. But nothing rivals the vicious reaction of Douglas' homophobic father, the Marquess of Queensberry (Tom Wilkinson), who eventually brings about Oscar's downfall and imprisonment in 1895.
While one learns a little about the man (he read prodigiously at a fast rate and had a poet's precise memory), there's not enough spontaneity to many of the exchanges. Most of the time, Oscar comes off as a walking omnibus of classical quotations, as if he's always playing to an audience, while supporting characters talk about him with the measured insight of an undergraduate lecture on the subject.
At the center of it all, Fry is a dignified, comfy presence, but he's often upstaged by Law playing the spoiled, showoff Douglas with sizzling charisma. Sheen registers strongly in his scenes, and Wilkinson is suitably menacing as the heavy.
Director Brian Gilbert ("Tom & Viv") and crew have mounted a handsome widescreen production on a limited budget, with locations including London's Athenaeum Club, Somerset House and Oxford Prison.
WILDE
Sony Pictures Classics
Dove International presents
a Samuelson production
Director: Brian Gilbert
Producers: Marc Samuelson, Peter Samuelson
Screenwriter: Julian Mitchell
Executive producers: Michiyo Yoshizaki,
Michael Viner, Deborah Raffin,
Alex Graham, Alan Howden
Director of photography: Martin Fuhrer
Production designer: Maria Djurkovic
Editor: Michael Bradsell
Costume designer: Nic Ede
Music: Debbie Wiseman
Casting: Sarah Bird
Color/stereo
Cast:
Oscar Wilde: Stephen Fry
Lord Alfred Douglas: Jude Law
Lady Speranza Wilde: Vanessa Redgrave
Constance Wilde: Jennifer Ehle
Robert Ross: Michael Sheen
Marquess of Queensberry:Tom Wilkinson
Running time -- 117 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
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