There wasn't a more capable director of massive, widescreen Westerns working in Hollywood during the 1950s and '60s than John Sturges. Whether classical ("Gunfight at the O.K. Corral") or somewhat unconventional ("Bad Day at Black Rock"), Sturges could frame a mountainous expanse or stage a gunfight with the best of them. He thrived when working with big casts and specialized in discovering stirring nuances in characters that would've been walking cliches in more typical genre flicks.
Sturges was also efficient, which came in handy when managing expensive studio productions populated with big egos. His biggest challenge in this department might've been "The Magnificent Seven," the 1960 remake of Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece "Seven Samurai." Yul Brynner, then a hugely popular movie star (largely on the strength of his Academy Award-winning performance in "The King and I" and his portrayal of Ramses in Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments"), controlled...
Sturges was also efficient, which came in handy when managing expensive studio productions populated with big egos. His biggest challenge in this department might've been "The Magnificent Seven," the 1960 remake of Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece "Seven Samurai." Yul Brynner, then a hugely popular movie star (largely on the strength of his Academy Award-winning performance in "The King and I" and his portrayal of Ramses in Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments"), controlled...
- 4/28/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
John Wilkes Booth was desperate to be famous. Instead, he became infamous as the man who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. He had been born in 1838 as the ninth of ten children of the famed actor Junius Brutus Booth. Though he had shown talent, his career was often derailed by his emotional instability. His older brother Edwin Booth was considered one of the top actors of the day.
The handsome younger Booth had received strong reviews in a New York production of “Richard III” with the New York Herald declaring him a “veritable sensation.” Booth even told the paper “I’m determined to be the villain.” A staunch supporter of the Confederacy, by 1864 he had recruited several co-conspirators in his plan to kidnap Honest Abe. Their attempts failed, but on April 14, 1865, he learned Lincoln would attend the comedy “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theater that evening, During the third act...
The handsome younger Booth had received strong reviews in a New York production of “Richard III” with the New York Herald declaring him a “veritable sensation.” Booth even told the paper “I’m determined to be the villain.” A staunch supporter of the Confederacy, by 1864 he had recruited several co-conspirators in his plan to kidnap Honest Abe. Their attempts failed, but on April 14, 1865, he learned Lincoln would attend the comedy “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theater that evening, During the third act...
- 4/8/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
What the movie-streaming public wants depends on which top 10 chart you prefer. This week offered little consistency and some outright contradictions.
One thing is clear: Jake Gyllenhaal’s straight-to-streaming “Road House” remake is a massive hit. Amazon Prime reported over 50 million worldwide viewers through its second streaming weekend and gateway app Reelgood reported it as the week’s #1 movie for March 21-27 in the U.S.
“The Accountant,” a 2016 Warner Bros. drama starring Ben Affleck, is currently #1 at Netflix. On Easter weekend “The Passion of the Christ” led VOD at iTunes, while the just-released $19.99 “Imaginary” (Lionsgate) topped Fandango’s revenue-calculated list. (It was #20 at iTunes.) For a second week, Google Play did not update its list.
“Ordinary Angels” (also Lionsgate) is #2 at Fandango, but #14 at iTunes. Since Fandango calculates by revenue, that list favors PVODs — but this week, six of its top 10 rented for $5.99 or less; “The Passion of the Christ,...
One thing is clear: Jake Gyllenhaal’s straight-to-streaming “Road House” remake is a massive hit. Amazon Prime reported over 50 million worldwide viewers through its second streaming weekend and gateway app Reelgood reported it as the week’s #1 movie for March 21-27 in the U.S.
“The Accountant,” a 2016 Warner Bros. drama starring Ben Affleck, is currently #1 at Netflix. On Easter weekend “The Passion of the Christ” led VOD at iTunes, while the just-released $19.99 “Imaginary” (Lionsgate) topped Fandango’s revenue-calculated list. (It was #20 at iTunes.) For a second week, Google Play did not update its list.
“Ordinary Angels” (also Lionsgate) is #2 at Fandango, but #14 at iTunes. Since Fandango calculates by revenue, that list favors PVODs — but this week, six of its top 10 rented for $5.99 or less; “The Passion of the Christ,...
- 4/2/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
For millions of people worldwide, this weekend is about solemnity and celebration. Easter Sunday is one of the most important holidays for those practicing Christianity, marking the miracle of Jesus of Nazareth‘s resurrection. For children, this means the Easter Bunny will pay a visit to provide them with a basket full of treats, and for the devout, it’s an essential occasion to go to church or watch a live-streamed service. If you’re looking for what Easter-themed specials and movies are available on TV and streaming, we’re here to help! Here’s a look at the best Easter viewing options for this weekend. ABC The Ten Commandments: The network will air Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 epic. Find out more details at Remind. March 30 at 8 p.m. Et Ewtv This global Catholic network will air Easter weekend masses and other special presentations from the world’s biggest churches.
- 3/29/2024
- TV Insider
Testament: The Story of Moses is Netflix's latest docuseries which highlights religious figure Moses and features an extensive cast of actors and Biblical characters.
Directed by Benjamin Ross, Testament: The Story of Moses is a departure from The Ten Commandments or other Biblical epics in that it focuses more on his inner struggles than his calling or his God. It also explores his presence within the Bible, Quaran, and Torah.
Netflix's academic approach to the life of Moses consists of three episodes and is presented through academic commentary, narration, and a cast of historical characters.
Read full article on The Direct.
Directed by Benjamin Ross, Testament: The Story of Moses is a departure from The Ten Commandments or other Biblical epics in that it focuses more on his inner struggles than his calling or his God. It also explores his presence within the Bible, Quaran, and Torah.
Netflix's academic approach to the life of Moses consists of three episodes and is presented through academic commentary, narration, and a cast of historical characters.
Read full article on The Direct.
- 3/28/2024
- by Savannah Sanders
- The Direct
There’s almost nothing as powerful as a good redemption story, and Moses — yes, that Moses — has one of the most compelling redemption arcs in human history.
Testament: The Story of Moses is the new documentary series exploring his life, from his exile as an outcast and murderer to eventual prophet and liberator. The three episodes take the story of Moses far deeper than the conventional wisdom generated by history classrooms and Charlton Heston; in other words, even if you think you know Moses, you have no idea. The new three-part series is directed by Benjamin Ross.
“Anyone who has seen The Ten Commandments as a child was well aware of the more epic elements of the tale,” producers Emre Sahin and Kelly McPherson told Netflix. “The burning bush, the plagues, Passover, the Red Sea, and, of course, the Ten Commandments. What really drew us in was the mystery...
Testament: The Story of Moses is the new documentary series exploring his life, from his exile as an outcast and murderer to eventual prophet and liberator. The three episodes take the story of Moses far deeper than the conventional wisdom generated by history classrooms and Charlton Heston; in other words, even if you think you know Moses, you have no idea. The new three-part series is directed by Benjamin Ross.
“Anyone who has seen The Ten Commandments as a child was well aware of the more epic elements of the tale,” producers Emre Sahin and Kelly McPherson told Netflix. “The burning bush, the plagues, Passover, the Red Sea, and, of course, the Ten Commandments. What really drew us in was the mystery...
- 3/27/2024
- by Amanda Richards
- Tudum - Netflix
Planet Hollywood Auction: (Almost) Everything Must Go!
You can’t put a price on memories, except, of course, when you can. And in March, we’ll all get a crack at buying some of the most unforgettable props in movie history at two huge, dueling movie memorabilia auctions in Los Angeles. The biggest, from March 20 to 24, will be Heritage Auctions’ Treasures From Planet Hollywood event, at which some 1,600 pieces — Princess Leia’s blaster, Indiana Jones’ whip, Jack and Rose’s lifeboat door from Titanic — will be on the block. For a mere $30,000, you could be brandishing Moses’ stone tablets from The Ten Commandments next time you’re disciplining the kids. Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl estimates that the Tinseltown-themed restaurant franchise spent between $20 and $30 million on film memorabilia over three decades and says the lots on sale represent just a fraction of its 60,000-item collection. Thirty-three years after its founding...
You can’t put a price on memories, except, of course, when you can. And in March, we’ll all get a crack at buying some of the most unforgettable props in movie history at two huge, dueling movie memorabilia auctions in Los Angeles. The biggest, from March 20 to 24, will be Heritage Auctions’ Treasures From Planet Hollywood event, at which some 1,600 pieces — Princess Leia’s blaster, Indiana Jones’ whip, Jack and Rose’s lifeboat door from Titanic — will be on the block. For a mere $30,000, you could be brandishing Moses’ stone tablets from The Ten Commandments next time you’re disciplining the kids. Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl estimates that the Tinseltown-themed restaurant franchise spent between $20 and $30 million on film memorabilia over three decades and says the lots on sale represent just a fraction of its 60,000-item collection. Thirty-three years after its founding...
- 3/1/2024
- by Edited by Benjamin Svetkey and Edited by Julian Sancton
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Warner Bros. Pictures Animation is expanding its executive team under President Bill Damaschke, adding Kim Mackey and Jessie Carbonaro, as EVP of Production Talent and VP of Production Talent, respectively, and elevating Susan Akinbola to VP of Development.
Mackey was most recently head of recruiting for Netflix Animation. She will be overseeing the hiring across the film, series, and adult animation divisions, responsible for recruiting and talent development strategy as well as the artistic management and training for the feature film animation division. Prior to Netflix, she led recruiting for DreamWorks Animation, where she also worked in production and executives roles for Prince of Egypt, Spirit, Shark Tale, and Flushed Away. As a talent acquisition studio executive, she managed resource needs across the studio’s production slate including franchises Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon.
Carbonaro also joins from Netflix where she was director of talent acquisition for feature animation.
Mackey was most recently head of recruiting for Netflix Animation. She will be overseeing the hiring across the film, series, and adult animation divisions, responsible for recruiting and talent development strategy as well as the artistic management and training for the feature film animation division. Prior to Netflix, she led recruiting for DreamWorks Animation, where she also worked in production and executives roles for Prince of Egypt, Spirit, Shark Tale, and Flushed Away. As a talent acquisition studio executive, she managed resource needs across the studio’s production slate including franchises Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon.
Carbonaro also joins from Netflix where she was director of talent acquisition for feature animation.
- 2/27/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
1956's "Forbidden Planet" follows a crew of astronauts traveling the galaxy in a flying saucer. While visiting planet Altair IV, they find a scientist and his daughter (Anne Francis) living alone on this deserted world — and realize they are hiding something.
Directed by Fred M. Wilcox and starring a young Leslie Nielsen, "Forbidden Planets looks like a kitschy B-movie today — and in a way it always was, but it was also a trailblazer. It was one of the first films to show humans in the distant future flying around in faster-than-light starships. Without "Forbidden Planet," there would be no "Star Wars" or "Star Trek."
While the Enterprise has an underbelly and nacelles beneath its saucer head, the "Forbidden Planet" ship (the C-57D) is a simple flying saucer — except this UFO is operated by humans, not aliens. The ship and the other effects got the "Forbidden Planet" special effects team an Oscar nomination.
Directed by Fred M. Wilcox and starring a young Leslie Nielsen, "Forbidden Planets looks like a kitschy B-movie today — and in a way it always was, but it was also a trailblazer. It was one of the first films to show humans in the distant future flying around in faster-than-light starships. Without "Forbidden Planet," there would be no "Star Wars" or "Star Trek."
While the Enterprise has an underbelly and nacelles beneath its saucer head, the "Forbidden Planet" ship (the C-57D) is a simple flying saucer — except this UFO is operated by humans, not aliens. The ship and the other effects got the "Forbidden Planet" special effects team an Oscar nomination.
- 2/10/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Biblical epics used to be Hollywood's bread and butter. From "The Ten Commandments" to "Ben-Hur," the unique blend of high-stakes drama, and big-scale spectacle used to dominate the box office as well as awards season. Today, they've all but disappeared from the filmmaking landscape. This makes the release of a movie like "The Book of Clarence" all the more special.
Written and directed by Jeymes "The Bullitts" Samuel ("The Harder They Fall"), "The Book of Clarence" combines a biblical epic with the comedic tone of Monty Python's "Life of Brian" or Mel Brook's "History of the World," poking fun at the story of a rising messiah, and the man who sees that fame and power and decides to get some of that for himself.
/Film's own Witney Seibold reviewed "The Book of Clarence" and called it "aspirational, unique, moving, funny, weird, and very shaggy." The film stars Lakeith Stanfield ("Atlanta...
Written and directed by Jeymes "The Bullitts" Samuel ("The Harder They Fall"), "The Book of Clarence" combines a biblical epic with the comedic tone of Monty Python's "Life of Brian" or Mel Brook's "History of the World," poking fun at the story of a rising messiah, and the man who sees that fame and power and decides to get some of that for himself.
/Film's own Witney Seibold reviewed "The Book of Clarence" and called it "aspirational, unique, moving, funny, weird, and very shaggy." The film stars Lakeith Stanfield ("Atlanta...
- 2/5/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Miracles are rare in the 21st century, but watch pretty much any episode of The Chosen and they are bountiful. But the biggest miracle of all is perhaps the fact that a historical drama centered around Jesus of Nazareth (a warm and welcoming Jonathan Roumie), set in 1st century Galilee as He preaches, gains followers (and enemies) and, on occasion, raises the dead and walks on water, has built a passionate legion of faithful viewers. How did a crowdfunded production become a heavenly international sensation? The holy cards were stacked against The Chosen from the start. Faith-based television is historically hit-or-miss. The Academy Award-winning 1956 classic The Ten Commandments, which has aired on ABC nearly every Easter season since 1973, regularly reaps solid viewership. But in terms of scripted TV, for every spiritual success (think Highway to Heaven and Touched by an Angel), there are just as many failures (anyone remember ABC...
- 2/4/2024
- TV Insider
Exclusive: An international drama series billed as the “Brazilian Succession” is being developed, with Nothing to Lose director Alexandre Avancini attached.
Diosual Television Studios, the TV arm of Diosual Entertainment, has created Whose Money Is It?, with telenovela writer Solange Castro Neves writing in collaboration with Thalma Bertozzi.
The series is an adaptation of the Brazilian non-fiction book ‘Whose Money Is It? Fear, Luck and Bad Luck: Victories and Stumbles in the Stock Market’ by Adley Piovesan and Homero Chemale.
The plan is for a three-season series, with Diosual seeking co-production and co-investment partners, with two international streamers understood to have been close to closing deals.
The plot is billed as a “a family drama with elements of action and investigation,” taking place in the financial markets of the present day with flashbacks from three decades ago.
Diosual Television Studios, the TV arm of Diosual Entertainment, has created Whose Money Is It?, with telenovela writer Solange Castro Neves writing in collaboration with Thalma Bertozzi.
The series is an adaptation of the Brazilian non-fiction book ‘Whose Money Is It? Fear, Luck and Bad Luck: Victories and Stumbles in the Stock Market’ by Adley Piovesan and Homero Chemale.
The plan is for a three-season series, with Diosual seeking co-production and co-investment partners, with two international streamers understood to have been close to closing deals.
The plot is billed as a “a family drama with elements of action and investigation,” taking place in the financial markets of the present day with flashbacks from three decades ago.
- 12/18/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Top musical talent is coming together to help support the next generation of songwriters and bring music education to young people as part of the third annual Holiday Auction for The ASCAP Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to supporting music creators.
In the past year alone, ASCAP Foundation programs benefited more than 300,000 people, including 60,000 students from 700 schools.
A range of A-list artists and songwriters from all corners of the music world have contributed items for bid including hip-hop icons Dr. Dre + Snoop Dogg and Big Daddy Kane, pop stars such as Olivia Rodrigo, Selena Gomez and Reneé Rapp, renowned DJs Steve Aoki and Martin Garrix, indie luminaries Cigarettes After Sex and mxmtoon, rockers Travis Barker (Blink-182), Tenacious D, Papa Roach, Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi guitarist), Chicago and Josh Klinghoffer (former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist), songwriting legends like Paul Williams, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Desmond Child and Poo Bear,...
In the past year alone, ASCAP Foundation programs benefited more than 300,000 people, including 60,000 students from 700 schools.
A range of A-list artists and songwriters from all corners of the music world have contributed items for bid including hip-hop icons Dr. Dre + Snoop Dogg and Big Daddy Kane, pop stars such as Olivia Rodrigo, Selena Gomez and Reneé Rapp, renowned DJs Steve Aoki and Martin Garrix, indie luminaries Cigarettes After Sex and mxmtoon, rockers Travis Barker (Blink-182), Tenacious D, Papa Roach, Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi guitarist), Chicago and Josh Klinghoffer (former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist), songwriting legends like Paul Williams, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Desmond Child and Poo Bear,...
- 12/4/2023
- Look to the Stars
Netflix has revitalized Grauman’s historic Egyptian Theatre with a $70 million renovation that speaks to the belief that everything old is new again.
The movie house on Hollywood Boulevard dates back to 1922, when it premiered Douglas Fairbanks’ “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” It also launched Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments” in 1923 and Charlie Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush” in 1925.
The theater, which now seats 516 people, had been closed for several years before Netflix acquired it in 2020. It debuted in renovated form last Thursday with the premiere of David Fincher’s “The Killer.”
Here’s a sample of looks from the renovated movie house. All photos courtesy of Netflix.
The post Egyptian Theatre: Netflix Pulls Back Curtain on Restored Hollywood Gem | Photos appeared first on TheWrap.
The movie house on Hollywood Boulevard dates back to 1922, when it premiered Douglas Fairbanks’ “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” It also launched Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments” in 1923 and Charlie Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush” in 1925.
The theater, which now seats 516 people, had been closed for several years before Netflix acquired it in 2020. It debuted in renovated form last Thursday with the premiere of David Fincher’s “The Killer.”
Here’s a sample of looks from the renovated movie house. All photos courtesy of Netflix.
The post Egyptian Theatre: Netflix Pulls Back Curtain on Restored Hollywood Gem | Photos appeared first on TheWrap.
- 11/16/2023
- by Jeremy Bailey
- The Wrap
During the silent era, Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre was a majestic movie palace where Hollywood’s biggest stars premiered their films. The year it opened in 1922, the Egyptian opened Douglas Fairbanks’ iconic “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” It launched Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments” in 1923 and Charlie Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush” in 1925. Situated in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard, only a few blocks from Grauman’s other movie palace, the Chinese Theatre, the Egyptian showcased all the opulence and splendor that was filmmaking.
In the ensuing decades, the Egyptian changed alongside its location, adding and subtracting pieces of the theater — columns were torn down and a glass facade added and taken away — but the majesty of showing one’s film there never diminished. The Egyptian premiered “Ben-Hur” in 1959 and James Cameron’s “Aliens” in 1986.
Now, Netflix has revitalized the Egyptian with a $70 million renovation that brings the...
In the ensuing decades, the Egyptian changed alongside its location, adding and subtracting pieces of the theater — columns were torn down and a glass facade added and taken away — but the majesty of showing one’s film there never diminished. The Egyptian premiered “Ben-Hur” in 1959 and James Cameron’s “Aliens” in 1986.
Now, Netflix has revitalized the Egyptian with a $70 million renovation that brings the...
- 11/16/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
First Hand Films is at IDFA with a busy slate including portmanteau project ’The Ten Commandments’.
Toei has acquired Japanese rights to Leslie Shampaine and Pip Gilmour’s completed Billy Elliot-style US doc Call Me Dancer, from Switzerland’s First Hand Films. The sales outfit is now talking to buyers about the remaining rights, including North America, at IDFA this week.
The film follows a teen with a passion to dance who struggles against the disapproval of his family. It was made with support from Zdf/Arte, yes Docu and Ebs. North American rights are still available.
First Hand Film...
Toei has acquired Japanese rights to Leslie Shampaine and Pip Gilmour’s completed Billy Elliot-style US doc Call Me Dancer, from Switzerland’s First Hand Films. The sales outfit is now talking to buyers about the remaining rights, including North America, at IDFA this week.
The film follows a teen with a passion to dance who struggles against the disapproval of his family. It was made with support from Zdf/Arte, yes Docu and Ebs. North American rights are still available.
First Hand Film...
- 11/13/2023
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Emma Tammi's "Five Nights at Freddy's," an adaptation of the popular video game series that began in 2014, has already raked in a great deal of box office lucre, making over $132 million on a modest $20 million budget in its first weekend of release. This, despite also being released on Peacock on the same day. It seems that the game's reputation preceded it, and the film was attended by many, many "Freddy's" fans eager to see the wicked animatronic Freddy Fazzbear commit acts of violence.
The film follows a beleaguered night watchman (Josh Hutcherson) who is hired to guard a kid's pizza palace, abandoned since the 1980s. There is still electricity in the building, however, and the animatronic band still operates ... and walks around the restaurant of their own volition. It will later be revealed that the animatronics are involved in a strange, dark conspiracy involving missing children, decades-old kidnapping cold cases,...
The film follows a beleaguered night watchman (Josh Hutcherson) who is hired to guard a kid's pizza palace, abandoned since the 1980s. There is still electricity in the building, however, and the animatronic band still operates ... and walks around the restaurant of their own volition. It will later be revealed that the animatronics are involved in a strange, dark conspiracy involving missing children, decades-old kidnapping cold cases,...
- 10/31/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Rock Brynner, the son of legendary actor Yul Brynner, who cut his own path as a writer, historian, novelist, playwright, bodyguard, and more, has died. He was 76. According to the New York Times, Rock passed away on Friday, October 13, at a hospice in Salisbury, Connecticut. His close friend, Maria Cuomo Cole, said the cause of death was due to complications of multiple myeloma. Born on December 23, 1946, in Manhattan, New York City, Rock had big shoes to fill, given that his father, Yul, was one of the world’s most iconic and well-respected actors, best known for his Tony and Oscar-winning turns in the stage and screen versions of the musical The King and I. He also starred in The Ten Commandments, The Magnificent Seven, Westworld, and the CBS TV series Anna and the King. However, Rock carved his own niche, embarking on a fascinating and varied career throughout his lifetime.
- 10/26/2023
- TV Insider
The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood turned 100 last year — and now the venue is ready for its closeup. Netflix said today that the storied movie palace and birthplace of the red carpet will reopen next month after a three-year renovation and retrofit.
The streamer acquired the Egyptian in 2020 and partnered with the American Cinematheque on a restoration that harks back to the landmark hall’s Roaring Twenties glory. The Egyptian’s grand reopening will be a November 9 screening of David Fincher’s The Killer, starring Michael Fassbender, followed by a Q&a with the filmmaker.
Netflix today also revealed a November 9 release the documentary short Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre. Directed by Angus Wall, the film includes interviews with Guillermo del Toro, Rian Johnson, Lynette Howell Taylor, Autumn Durald Arkapaw and the theater’s restoration architect Peyton Hall.
The Egyptian Theatre sign after renovation
A fixture on Hollywood...
The streamer acquired the Egyptian in 2020 and partnered with the American Cinematheque on a restoration that harks back to the landmark hall’s Roaring Twenties glory. The Egyptian’s grand reopening will be a November 9 screening of David Fincher’s The Killer, starring Michael Fassbender, followed by a Q&a with the filmmaker.
Netflix today also revealed a November 9 release the documentary short Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre. Directed by Angus Wall, the film includes interviews with Guillermo del Toro, Rian Johnson, Lynette Howell Taylor, Autumn Durald Arkapaw and the theater’s restoration architect Peyton Hall.
The Egyptian Theatre sign after renovation
A fixture on Hollywood...
- 10/18/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Joanna Merlin, who created the role of the daughter Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway and served as a casting director for Stephen Sondheim, Harold Prince and Bernardo Bertolucci, has died. She was 92.
Merlin died Sunday in Los Angeles of complications from myelodysplastic syndrome, a bone marrow disorder, her daughters, documentary filmmaker Rachel Dretzin (Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey) and actress Julie Dretzin (The Handmaid’s Tale), announced.
Merlin also portrayed the dance teacher Miss Berg in Alan Parker’s Fame (1980) and recurred as Judge Lena Petrovsky for more than a decade on NBC’s Law and Order: Svu.
Her acting résumé included the films Hester Street (1975), All That Jazz (1979), Baby It’s You (1983), The Killing Fields (1984), Mystic Pizza (1988), Class Action (1991) and City of Angels (1998) and such TV shows as Naked City, The Defenders, East Side/West Side, Homeland and The Good Wife.
Merlin cast the original Broadway productions of Sondheim’s Company,...
Merlin died Sunday in Los Angeles of complications from myelodysplastic syndrome, a bone marrow disorder, her daughters, documentary filmmaker Rachel Dretzin (Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey) and actress Julie Dretzin (The Handmaid’s Tale), announced.
Merlin also portrayed the dance teacher Miss Berg in Alan Parker’s Fame (1980) and recurred as Judge Lena Petrovsky for more than a decade on NBC’s Law and Order: Svu.
Her acting résumé included the films Hester Street (1975), All That Jazz (1979), Baby It’s You (1983), The Killing Fields (1984), Mystic Pizza (1988), Class Action (1991) and City of Angels (1998) and such TV shows as Naked City, The Defenders, East Side/West Side, Homeland and The Good Wife.
Merlin cast the original Broadway productions of Sondheim’s Company,...
- 10/17/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Joanna Merlin, whose acting career stretched from Broadway (she was the original Tzeitel in Fiddler On The Roof), film (she played the dance teacher Miss Berg in Alan Parker’s 1980 film Fame) and TV (Law & Order: SVU‘s Judge Lena Petrovsky on dozens of episodes) has died. She was 92.
Her death was announced on the Instagram page of the New York University Tisch Graduate Acting Program, where Merlin had been on the faculty since 1998.
“Joanna was an actress, master Chekhov teacher, and former casting director for Harold Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Bernardo Bertolucci, and James Ivory,” the NYU message said, adding, “Joanna will be deeply missed at Grad Acting, by the Chekhov community, and by the many people she touched through her artistry.”
As a casting director, Merlin was involved in numerous landmark Broadway productions written by Stephen Sondheim. She was, for many years, Harold Prince’s go-to casting director.
A...
Her death was announced on the Instagram page of the New York University Tisch Graduate Acting Program, where Merlin had been on the faculty since 1998.
“Joanna was an actress, master Chekhov teacher, and former casting director for Harold Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Bernardo Bertolucci, and James Ivory,” the NYU message said, adding, “Joanna will be deeply missed at Grad Acting, by the Chekhov community, and by the many people she touched through her artistry.”
As a casting director, Merlin was involved in numerous landmark Broadway productions written by Stephen Sondheim. She was, for many years, Harold Prince’s go-to casting director.
A...
- 10/16/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s not every day that a filmmaker will rise up during an interview and recite Old Testament tales and sing out their favorite hymn. Well, hallelujah, brother Jeymes Samuel for spreading the gospel’s good news.
The director’s spectacular Jesus in the hood movie, The Book of Clarence, starring a mighty fine Lakeith Stanfield playing a charlatan wannabe Messiah, shakes up the toga and peepy toe genre.
Samuel’s movie has its world premiere Wednesday at the BFI London Film Festival. The Legendary Pictures production is released through Tristar with congregations taking their pews from January 12, 2024.
The movie’s thrilling prologue kicks off with a rip-roaring, wheel-screeching chariot race with Mary Magdalene thrashing the lads.
The moment was of course inspired by the iconic chariot scene between Charlton Heston’s Judah Ben-Hur and Stephen Boyd’s Messala in William Wyler...
The director’s spectacular Jesus in the hood movie, The Book of Clarence, starring a mighty fine Lakeith Stanfield playing a charlatan wannabe Messiah, shakes up the toga and peepy toe genre.
Samuel’s movie has its world premiere Wednesday at the BFI London Film Festival. The Legendary Pictures production is released through Tristar with congregations taking their pews from January 12, 2024.
The movie’s thrilling prologue kicks off with a rip-roaring, wheel-screeching chariot race with Mary Magdalene thrashing the lads.
The moment was of course inspired by the iconic chariot scene between Charlton Heston’s Judah Ben-Hur and Stephen Boyd’s Messala in William Wyler...
- 10/11/2023
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Charlton Heston became a household name with leading roles in action adventures and biblical epics, but his credits extended past those two well-worn genres. Let’s take a look back at 12 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
After serving in the United States Army Air Force during WWII, Heston made his professional movie acting debut with the film noir “Dark City” (1950). His big breakthrough came just two years later with Cecil B. DeMille‘s big top soap opera “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952), in which he played the circus manager. Though an audience favorite in its time, the film often ranks among the all-time worst Oscar winners for Best Picture.
Heston later reunited with DeMille to play the Old Testament prophet Moses in “The Ten Commandments” (1956), which brought him a Golden Globe nomination. A holy hit at the box office, the role undoubtedly inspired William Wyler to cast...
After serving in the United States Army Air Force during WWII, Heston made his professional movie acting debut with the film noir “Dark City” (1950). His big breakthrough came just two years later with Cecil B. DeMille‘s big top soap opera “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952), in which he played the circus manager. Though an audience favorite in its time, the film often ranks among the all-time worst Oscar winners for Best Picture.
Heston later reunited with DeMille to play the Old Testament prophet Moses in “The Ten Commandments” (1956), which brought him a Golden Globe nomination. A holy hit at the box office, the role undoubtedly inspired William Wyler to cast...
- 9/30/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
When I was in college cinema courses I made a Super 8 film called Movie Girl. It was a Hollywood-set love letter to movies centered on a Musso & Frank waitress who put herself dreamily into the plots of classic films. It won an award there but was the highlight of the directing career I never had. However, I have always been partial to filmmakers who put their own early film-going experience and passion into their careers now. You may have heard of them: Kenneth Branagh won an Oscar for doing just that in Belfast. Steven Spielberg got several nominations last year for his very personal The Fabelmans. Woody Allen had his own charming take in The Purple Rose of Cairo. Peter Bogdanovich made a lasting impression with 1971’s The Last Picture Show, as did Giuseppe Tornatore with his Oscar winner Cinema Paradiso.
It is a combination of the latter two especially...
It is a combination of the latter two especially...
- 9/16/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
In 2021, Jeymes Samuel unleashed “The Harder They Fall,” a revisionist Black Western with an All-Star cast and an equally impressive soundtrack. He turned the genre on its head, while still celebrating everything that he loved about Westerns of the past. And he looks to be doing the same thing with his new biblical epic “The Book of Clarence,” due out at the beginning of next year from TriStar Pictures and Legendary. And you can watch the brand-new trailer for it above.
“The Book of Clarence” stars Lakeith Stanfield as a man living in Jerusalem at the same time as Jesus. Inspired by Jesus’ rise, he “risks everything to carve his own path to a divine life, and ultimately discovers that the redemptive power of belief may be his only way out” (according to the official synopsis). The movie also stars Omar Sy, Anna Diop, Rj Cyler, David Oyelowo (rocking a...
“The Book of Clarence” stars Lakeith Stanfield as a man living in Jerusalem at the same time as Jesus. Inspired by Jesus’ rise, he “risks everything to carve his own path to a divine life, and ultimately discovers that the redemptive power of belief may be his only way out” (according to the official synopsis). The movie also stars Omar Sy, Anna Diop, Rj Cyler, David Oyelowo (rocking a...
- 8/29/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Why settle for worshipping the Messiah when you could just be your own Personal Jesus (in the wise words of Depeche Mode)? So reasons Clarence (Lakeith Stanfield) in the newly-released trailer for "The Book of Clarence," the upcoming old-school Biblical epic written and directed by "The Harder They Fall" filmmaker Jeymes Samuel.
Much like his feature debut, which /Film's own Ben Pearson declared his top film of 2021 (calling it "a much-needed infusion of new blood" for the Western genre), "The Book of Clarence" sees Samuel and a talented cast composed primarily of Black actors working in a historically white genre. Citing his admiration of swords-and-sandals classics like "The Ten Commandments" as the reason he wanted to make the period piece in the first place, Samuel admitted to Ebony, "[But] as much as we love these films, there are no Black people in there. What happens when we, people of color and powerful women,...
Much like his feature debut, which /Film's own Ben Pearson declared his top film of 2021 (calling it "a much-needed infusion of new blood" for the Western genre), "The Book of Clarence" sees Samuel and a talented cast composed primarily of Black actors working in a historically white genre. Citing his admiration of swords-and-sandals classics like "The Ten Commandments" as the reason he wanted to make the period piece in the first place, Samuel admitted to Ebony, "[But] as much as we love these films, there are no Black people in there. What happens when we, people of color and powerful women,...
- 8/29/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Despite flopping pretty hard at the box office, Disney's second go at turning its classic Haunted Mansion ride into a successful film managed to only further cement Lakeith Stanfield's status as our current genre king. Think about it: be it horror satire ("Get Out"), murder-mystery ("Knives Out"), or supernatural crime-thriller, it seems Stanfield is committed to turning over every genre stone there is. He's even tried his hand at a Western, playing the real-life outlaw Crawford "Cherokee Bill" Goldsby in Jeymes Samuel's profoundly entertaining "The Harder They Fall."
"The Book of Clarence," Samuel's follow-up to his feature directing debut on "The Harder They Fall," sees him and Stanfield putting their stamp on another historically white genre: the Biblical epic. The film, which was even name-checked by Jim Beckwourth (Rj Cyler) in "Harder," casts Stanfield as Clarence, a regular guy in ancient times who just happens to know Jesus Christ.
"The Book of Clarence," Samuel's follow-up to his feature directing debut on "The Harder They Fall," sees him and Stanfield putting their stamp on another historically white genre: the Biblical epic. The film, which was even name-checked by Jim Beckwourth (Rj Cyler) in "Harder," casts Stanfield as Clarence, a regular guy in ancient times who just happens to know Jesus Christ.
- 8/28/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Christian Bale worked with Alien director Ridley Scott on Exodus: Gods and Kings, which was an adaptation of the famous biblical story. But Bale thought Scott might have been freaked out by his star’s appearance for their feature.
Christian Bale felt that he made Ridley Scott panic because of his looks Christian Bale | Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Bale felt he might have made a bad impression after being cast in Scott’s biblical epic Exodus. The actor has been known to change his physique for his films. So physically, Bale didn’t think he had the look Scott wanted for his Moses. Bale put on a significant amount of weight to play his lead role in American Hustle.
Meanwhile, Moses was supposed to carry a much more slight physique. It didn’t help that Bale’s performance was going to follow Charlton Heston’s take on Moses in The Ten Commandments.
Christian Bale felt that he made Ridley Scott panic because of his looks Christian Bale | Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Bale felt he might have made a bad impression after being cast in Scott’s biblical epic Exodus. The actor has been known to change his physique for his films. So physically, Bale didn’t think he had the look Scott wanted for his Moses. Bale put on a significant amount of weight to play his lead role in American Hustle.
Meanwhile, Moses was supposed to carry a much more slight physique. It didn’t help that Bale’s performance was going to follow Charlton Heston’s take on Moses in The Ten Commandments.
- 8/26/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
This is a boom time for blockbuster auteurs to talk about their failed attempts to make R-rated “Star Wars” movies. Just days after “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” director James Mangold revealed his plans for an edgy version of Boba Fett, “Man of Steel” filmmaker Zack Snyder has again discussed his attempt to fly into a galaxy far, far away.
Speaking to Empire, Snyder explained how his upcoming Netflix feature “Rebel Moon” started as a concept he had for a “Star Wars” project. “It was ‘Seven Samurai’ in space,” Snyder said, noting how original “Star Wars” creator George Lucas was inspired by Akira Kurosawa.
“The sale [of Lucasfilm to Disney] had just happened,” Snyder continued. “There was that window where, you know, who knows what’s possible? I was like, ‘I don’t want any of your characters. I don’t want to do anything with any known characters,...
Speaking to Empire, Snyder explained how his upcoming Netflix feature “Rebel Moon” started as a concept he had for a “Star Wars” project. “It was ‘Seven Samurai’ in space,” Snyder said, noting how original “Star Wars” creator George Lucas was inspired by Akira Kurosawa.
“The sale [of Lucasfilm to Disney] had just happened,” Snyder continued. “There was that window where, you know, who knows what’s possible? I was like, ‘I don’t want any of your characters. I don’t want to do anything with any known characters,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
James Mangold is moving on to direct a “Star Wars” tentpole following “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” but it’s not his first go-around with the Lucasfilm franchise. Back in 2018, news broke that Mangold had been hired to direct a movie about the bounty hunter Boba Fett. He was also set to co-write the project with Simon Kinberg, best known as a writer and producer on the “X-Men” movies.
Mangold’s Boba Fett movie never got off the ground, and he recently said on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that it wasn’t too surprising given the overall tone of the project.
“At the point I was doing it I was probably scaring the shit out of everyone,” Mangold said. “I was making much more of a borderline R-rated, single planet spaghetti Western. They probably would never be able to embrace Baby Yoda if I had made that.
Mangold’s Boba Fett movie never got off the ground, and he recently said on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that it wasn’t too surprising given the overall tone of the project.
“At the point I was doing it I was probably scaring the shit out of everyone,” Mangold said. “I was making much more of a borderline R-rated, single planet spaghetti Western. They probably would never be able to embrace Baby Yoda if I had made that.
- 6/29/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Queen Cleopatra is a towering figure in world history who was immortalized by Shakespeare in his tragic play Antony & Cleopatra, a love story of two powerful leaders who succumbed to love and jealousy, or is that what the famous playwright meant through his literature? When we think of Queen Cleopatra, we think of the unmatched beauty of Egypt, who bathed in milk, and we think of Elizabeth Taylor encapsulating the beauty of the Pharaoh in such a way that it is still hard to imagine another actor in the role other than the iconic Hollywood actress. But the new Netflix Original documentary series about the famous Queen of Egypt is not interested in talking just about the doomed love story. Directors Tina Gharavi and Victoria Adeola Thomas tell us the tale of the politician and leader that the Queen was, who managed to stay strong till the end.
The documentary begins with an American professor,...
The documentary begins with an American professor,...
- 5/10/2023
- by Smriti Kannan
- Film Fugitives
There’s George Foreman the boxer and George Foreman the grill. The Sony biopic out this Friday offers a different George. “I want to spread the word of God,” says Foreman (Khris Davis) in the trailer for “Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World.”
It’s a production from faith-based Sony Pictures’ label Affirm Films. Its first film in 2008, “Fireproof” starring Kirk Cameron, grossed $33 million on a $500,000 budget. To date, the (mostly domestic) global theatrical gross for Affirm titles stands at $520 million — $400 million more than the films’ total production costs.
Directed by George Tillman Jr. and with Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker in a supporting role, “Foreman” may represent the biggest Affirm budget to date. (One source lists it at $34 million.) Prior Affirm budgets topped out at $20 million. It’s also got one of Affirm’s biggest releases, with 2,575 theaters.
Opening prospects are unclear.
It’s a production from faith-based Sony Pictures’ label Affirm Films. Its first film in 2008, “Fireproof” starring Kirk Cameron, grossed $33 million on a $500,000 budget. To date, the (mostly domestic) global theatrical gross for Affirm titles stands at $520 million — $400 million more than the films’ total production costs.
Directed by George Tillman Jr. and with Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker in a supporting role, “Foreman” may represent the biggest Affirm budget to date. (One source lists it at $34 million.) Prior Affirm budgets topped out at $20 million. It’s also got one of Affirm’s biggest releases, with 2,575 theaters.
Opening prospects are unclear.
- 4/27/2023
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
ABC topped the linear rankings this week with a classic throwback: “The Ten Commandments.” The 67-year-old title was the most-watched program from March 29-April 4, which included the start of Holy Week, when Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 classic is a staple watch for many families.
The Wrap Report provides an exclusive first look at the most-watched movies and individual TV programs from the past week across both linear television and streaming from data analyzed from Samba TV’s panel of more than 3 million households drawn from over 25 million connected TVs balanced to the U.S. Census.
Beyond the 67-year-old Charlton Heston epic, the latest episodes of “American Idol,” “The Voice,” and “Chicago Med” rounded out the top five, with “American Idol” claiming spots No. 2 and 4. “Idol” generated a decent amount of perhaps unwanted publicity with the drama surrounding judge Katy Perry’s perceived mom-shaming comments that led fan-favorite Sarah Beth to...
The Wrap Report provides an exclusive first look at the most-watched movies and individual TV programs from the past week across both linear television and streaming from data analyzed from Samba TV’s panel of more than 3 million households drawn from over 25 million connected TVs balanced to the U.S. Census.
Beyond the 67-year-old Charlton Heston epic, the latest episodes of “American Idol,” “The Voice,” and “Chicago Med” rounded out the top five, with “American Idol” claiming spots No. 2 and 4. “Idol” generated a decent amount of perhaps unwanted publicity with the drama surrounding judge Katy Perry’s perceived mom-shaming comments that led fan-favorite Sarah Beth to...
- 4/10/2023
- by Dallas Lawrence
- The Wrap
On Easter weekend, TheWrap lists the top 10 highest grossing Christian films in box office history.
10.”Miracles From Heaven” (2016)
The Jennifer Garner film made $61.7 million this year on a budget of $13 million, good for eighth all time, adjusted for inflation.
9. “God’s Not Dead” (2014)
Starring Kevin Sorbo, Shane Harper, David A.R. White, and Dean Cain, “God’s Not Dead” opened to $60.8 million in 2014 ($61.8 million adjusted for inflation) on a budget of $2 million. Its box office success warranted a 2016 sequel.
8. “Exodus: Gods and Kings” (2014)
The film starring Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro and Aaron Paul grossed $65 million domestically.
7. “War Room” (2015)
The Sony Pictures film raised holy hell at the box office when it opened in August of 2015. It ended up making $67.8 million on a budget of $3 million. Adjusted for inflation, that’s $68.8 million.
6. “I Can Only Imagine” (2018)
Jon and Andrew Erwins’ take on the story behind MercyMe’s record-setting Christian single was so...
10.”Miracles From Heaven” (2016)
The Jennifer Garner film made $61.7 million this year on a budget of $13 million, good for eighth all time, adjusted for inflation.
9. “God’s Not Dead” (2014)
Starring Kevin Sorbo, Shane Harper, David A.R. White, and Dean Cain, “God’s Not Dead” opened to $60.8 million in 2014 ($61.8 million adjusted for inflation) on a budget of $2 million. Its box office success warranted a 2016 sequel.
8. “Exodus: Gods and Kings” (2014)
The film starring Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro and Aaron Paul grossed $65 million domestically.
7. “War Room” (2015)
The Sony Pictures film raised holy hell at the box office when it opened in August of 2015. It ended up making $67.8 million on a budget of $3 million. Adjusted for inflation, that’s $68.8 million.
6. “I Can Only Imagine” (2018)
Jon and Andrew Erwins’ take on the story behind MercyMe’s record-setting Christian single was so...
- 4/9/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Dawn Of The Jedi Takes Its Name From A Star Wars Comic, And It's The Perfect Inspiration For A Movie
"Star Wars" is entering a new era: one with movies that are more than origin stories for known characters, or trilogies centered on a single family and Emperor Palpatine. Instead of another trilogy, it seems we are getting three brand new, independent stories, all set in a different era, each with the potential to grow as rich in stories and lore as the Skywalker saga.
Of the three movies -- which include one directed by Dave Filoni and set between the original and sequel trilogies, and one about Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order 15 years after "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" -- arguably the most exciting announcement is the project that's furthest removed from the current tangle of storylines. A movie that will explore a new, yet much older era for the galaxy far, far away: the Dawn of the Jedi.
This project will be helmed by James Mangold, making...
Of the three movies -- which include one directed by Dave Filoni and set between the original and sequel trilogies, and one about Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order 15 years after "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" -- arguably the most exciting announcement is the project that's furthest removed from the current tangle of storylines. A movie that will explore a new, yet much older era for the galaxy far, far away: the Dawn of the Jedi.
This project will be helmed by James Mangold, making...
- 4/8/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
“The Ten Commandments” is the 1956 epic religious drama feature produced, directed and narrated by Cecil B. DeMille, based on the 1949 novel “Prince of Egypt” by Dorothy Clarke Wilson, the 1859 novel “Pillar of Fire” by J. H. Ingraham, the 1937 novel “On Eagle's Wings” by A. E. Southon and the “Book of Exodus”, found in the ‘Bible’, starring Charlton Heston (“Planet of the Apes”):
“…the ‘Ten Commandments’ dramatizes the biblical story of the life of ‘Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince who becomes the deliverer of the enslaved ‘Hebrews’ and leads the ‘Exodus’ to ‘Mount Sinai’, where he receives the ‘Ten Commandments’…”
Cast also includes Yul Brynner (“Westworld”) as ‘Rameses’, Anne Baxter as ‘Nefretiri’, Edward G. Robinson as ‘Dathan’…
…Yvonne De Carlo (“The Munsters”) as ‘Sephora’, Debra Paget as ‘Lilia’, John Derek as ‘Joshua, Sir Cedric Hardwicke as ‘Seti I, Nina Foch as ‘Bithiah’, Martha Scott as ‘Yochabel’, Judith Anderson as ‘Memnet...
“…the ‘Ten Commandments’ dramatizes the biblical story of the life of ‘Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince who becomes the deliverer of the enslaved ‘Hebrews’ and leads the ‘Exodus’ to ‘Mount Sinai’, where he receives the ‘Ten Commandments’…”
Cast also includes Yul Brynner (“Westworld”) as ‘Rameses’, Anne Baxter as ‘Nefretiri’, Edward G. Robinson as ‘Dathan’…
…Yvonne De Carlo (“The Munsters”) as ‘Sephora’, Debra Paget as ‘Lilia’, John Derek as ‘Joshua, Sir Cedric Hardwicke as ‘Seti I, Nina Foch as ‘Bithiah’, Martha Scott as ‘Yochabel’, Judith Anderson as ‘Memnet...
- 4/7/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
The Ten Commandments is one of those iconic movies that just about everyone has seen and many have made watching the epic film on TV a spring tradition every year. There have been other versions made over the years but none are anywhere near as popular as Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 classic.
Charlton Heston starred as Moses in The Ten Commandments but what some people don’t know is that wasn’t his only part in the movie or that his son was also in it.
Charlton Heston as Moses holding the tablets in ‘The Ten Commandments’ movie | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images Who Charlton Heston’s son played in the movie
DeMille chose Heston to play the part of Moses because the director believed he resembled Michelangelo’s statue of Moses in Rome, Italy. He also decided to cast Heston’s son in the movie before the child was even born.
Charlton Heston starred as Moses in The Ten Commandments but what some people don’t know is that wasn’t his only part in the movie or that his son was also in it.
Charlton Heston as Moses holding the tablets in ‘The Ten Commandments’ movie | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images Who Charlton Heston’s son played in the movie
DeMille chose Heston to play the part of Moses because the director believed he resembled Michelangelo’s statue of Moses in Rome, Italy. He also decided to cast Heston’s son in the movie before the child was even born.
- 4/1/2023
- by Michelle Kapusta
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Each year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences attempts to award Oscars to the “best” film or artist in each category that year, and each year it fails at least a few times.
There is always room for disagreement on what constitutes “best”: how can we possibly compare Toy Story 3, Inception and The King’s Speech? And yet voters did just that in 2010.
It is similarly impossible to nail down all the egregious choices in academy history, but here are a few of the most glaring errors, with just days to go until the 2023 ceremony. Starting with the granddaddy of them all...
How Green Was My Valley
Beat: Citizen Kane to Best Picture, Best Director and Best Cinematography in 1941
It takes a bit of searching these days to find someone who has a) seen John Ford’s Welsh melodrama How Green Was My Valley and b...
There is always room for disagreement on what constitutes “best”: how can we possibly compare Toy Story 3, Inception and The King’s Speech? And yet voters did just that in 2010.
It is similarly impossible to nail down all the egregious choices in academy history, but here are a few of the most glaring errors, with just days to go until the 2023 ceremony. Starting with the granddaddy of them all...
How Green Was My Valley
Beat: Citizen Kane to Best Picture, Best Director and Best Cinematography in 1941
It takes a bit of searching these days to find someone who has a) seen John Ford’s Welsh melodrama How Green Was My Valley and b...
- 3/9/2023
- by Helen O'Hara
- The Independent - Film
Netflix recently put The Woman King on its streaming service after a successful theatrical run, which recently culminated in a number of film awards nominations. For many Netflix viewers, this will be the first time they’ve ever interacted in any way with Western African history. While some experts on the topic have argued that the film oversimplifies historical events, it is important that the popularity of The Woman King allows future films about African history to be made by native filmmakers and those of the wider African diaspora.
The story of Namisca (Viola Davis) leading the Agojie, a real-life army of women warriors, who protected King Gezo of Dahomey (John Boyega) is indeed based on history, but the backstory of the conflict with the Oyo Empire and the slave trade represented by Oba (Jimmy Odukoya) is much more complicated. While the Dahomey Empire was indeed paying tributes to the larger Oyo Empire,...
The story of Namisca (Viola Davis) leading the Agojie, a real-life army of women warriors, who protected King Gezo of Dahomey (John Boyega) is indeed based on history, but the backstory of the conflict with the Oyo Empire and the slave trade represented by Oba (Jimmy Odukoya) is much more complicated. While the Dahomey Empire was indeed paying tributes to the larger Oyo Empire,...
- 2/28/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Chris Chesser, the film and documentary producer best known for bringing the iconic baseball comedy Major League to the big screen, has died. He was 74.
Chesser died suddenly Feb. 2 at his Los Angeles home, his brothers, Alan and Steve Chesser, announced. No cause of death was revealed.
As a production executive, Chesser supervised such notable films as The Great Santini (1979), Caddyshack (1980), On Golden Pond (1981), Wolfen (1981), Arthur (1981), Sharky’s Machine (1981) and Excalibur (1981).
He supervised production on the British comedy Yellowbeard (1983), starring Graham Chapman, and helped develop Rob Reiner’s Spinal Tap (1984) at Embassy Pictures and Sydney Pollack’s Absence of Malice (1981) at Columbia Pictures.
Chesser and Irby Smith produced Paramount’s Major League (1989), which was written and directed by David S. Ward and starred Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes and Rene Russo.
After earning his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and his master’s from the American Graduate School of International Management,...
Chesser died suddenly Feb. 2 at his Los Angeles home, his brothers, Alan and Steve Chesser, announced. No cause of death was revealed.
As a production executive, Chesser supervised such notable films as The Great Santini (1979), Caddyshack (1980), On Golden Pond (1981), Wolfen (1981), Arthur (1981), Sharky’s Machine (1981) and Excalibur (1981).
He supervised production on the British comedy Yellowbeard (1983), starring Graham Chapman, and helped develop Rob Reiner’s Spinal Tap (1984) at Embassy Pictures and Sydney Pollack’s Absence of Malice (1981) at Columbia Pictures.
Chesser and Irby Smith produced Paramount’s Major League (1989), which was written and directed by David S. Ward and starred Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes and Rene Russo.
After earning his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and his master’s from the American Graduate School of International Management,...
- 2/21/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chris Chesser, the independent film and documentary producer whose credits include the hit Charlie Sheen 1989 comedy Major League, died suddenly at his home in Los Angeles on February 2. He was 74.
His death was announced today by his brothers Alan and Steve Chesser. A cause of death was not disclosed.
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Chesser began his film career in New York in 1974 as an executive in international sales for Columbia Pictures. He became General Manager of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles in 1976.
In 1978 he became executive assistant at the newly formed Orion Pictures to co-founder Mike Medavoy, and from 1980 to 1983 he served as Vice President of Production for Marble Arch Productions and...
His death was announced today by his brothers Alan and Steve Chesser. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Huey "Piano" Smith Dies: New Orleans Rocker Behind 'Rockin' Pneumonia And Boogie Woogie Flu', 'Sea Cruise' Was 89 Related Story Jansen Panettiere Dies: Actor, Brother Of Hayden Panettiere Was 28
Chesser began his film career in New York in 1974 as an executive in international sales for Columbia Pictures. He became General Manager of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles in 1976.
In 1978 he became executive assistant at the newly formed Orion Pictures to co-founder Mike Medavoy, and from 1980 to 1983 he served as Vice President of Production for Marble Arch Productions and...
- 2/21/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The first time Cecil B. DeMille parted the waters of the Red Sea, to film the 1923 version of The Ten Commandments, he did it at Seal Beach, CA, just 30 miles down the Pacific coast from Santa Monica. Three decades later, when Paramount Pictures decided to remake the Old Testament tale in Technicolor and VistaVision, the same director returned to do it again, only this time on location on the Sinai Peninsula with thousands of extras provided by the Egyptian army — no matter that the country’s military was rather busy with urgent geopolitical matters at the time. Both versions were massive hits, with the remake serving as the capper to DeMille’s illustrious career.
Related Story Take Two: Hammond And McCarthy Talk The Highs And Lows Of A Sundance That Was A Welcome Return To Normal Related Story Sphinx Head From Cecil B. DeMille's 'The Ten Commandments' Unearthed Related Story 'A.
Related Story Take Two: Hammond And McCarthy Talk The Highs And Lows Of A Sundance That Was A Welcome Return To Normal Related Story Sphinx Head From Cecil B. DeMille's 'The Ten Commandments' Unearthed Related Story 'A.
- 2/2/2023
- by Todd McCarthy
- Deadline Film + TV
Each year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences attempts to award Oscars to the “best” film or artist in each category that year, and each year it fails at least a few times.
There is always room for disagreement on what constitutes “best”: how can we possibly compare Toy Story 3, Inception and The King’s Speech? And yet voters did just that in 2010.
It is similarly impossible to nail down all the egregious choices in academy history, but here are a few of the most glaring errors. Starting with the granddaddy of them all...
How Green Was My Valley
Beat: Citizen Kane to Best Picture, Best Director and Best Cinematography in 1941
It takes a bit of searching these days to find someone who has a) seen John Ford’s Welsh melodrama How Green Was My Valley and b) did not do so out of a morbid curiosity...
There is always room for disagreement on what constitutes “best”: how can we possibly compare Toy Story 3, Inception and The King’s Speech? And yet voters did just that in 2010.
It is similarly impossible to nail down all the egregious choices in academy history, but here are a few of the most glaring errors. Starting with the granddaddy of them all...
How Green Was My Valley
Beat: Citizen Kane to Best Picture, Best Director and Best Cinematography in 1941
It takes a bit of searching these days to find someone who has a) seen John Ford’s Welsh melodrama How Green Was My Valley and b) did not do so out of a morbid curiosity...
- 1/30/2023
- by Helen O'Hara
- The Independent - Film
The year 1953 surely left even the most devoted Oscar fans scratching their heads. One of the biggest upsets ever for Best Picture, some shocking snubs and all major awards going to different films led to some baffling anomalies at the 25th Academy Awards ceremony on March 19, 1953. This was also the year that the film industry finally capitulated to its rival source of entertainment, television, and for the first time broadcast the lavish ceremony live for viewers at home – so perhaps they wanted to dazzle and stun. Let’s flashback to the Oscars from 70 years ago.
With the cameras switching back and forth between Bob Hope hosting in Los Angeles and Conrad Nagel hosting in New York, the event attracted the largest single television audience to date in that medium’s young history. Five films were nominated for Best Picture, including the expected winner “High Noon,” plus “The Quiet Man,” “Moulin Rouge” and “Ivanhoe.
With the cameras switching back and forth between Bob Hope hosting in Los Angeles and Conrad Nagel hosting in New York, the event attracted the largest single television audience to date in that medium’s young history. Five films were nominated for Best Picture, including the expected winner “High Noon,” plus “The Quiet Man,” “Moulin Rouge” and “Ivanhoe.
- 1/26/2023
- by Susan Pennington
- Gold Derby
What was the movie Steven Spielberg saw as a child that inspired him to become one of the most successful, influential, and acclaimed filmmakers? According to his semi-autobiographical new film “The Fabelmans,” his cinematic alter-ego Sammy becomes obsessed with movies after his parents take him to the see Cecil B. DeMille’s 1952 circus epic “The Greatest Show on Earth.”
“The Greatest Show on Earth,” which not only won the Oscar for Best Picture and story, was the box office champ of the year earning 14 million domestically and 36 million worldwide. Critics were not so kind to his cotton-candy colored melodrama set under the big top at Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Films in Review declared “Mr. DeMille is so accomplished a showman that one is astonished he did not just photograph a circus performance without the synthetic story he injected here. After all, the Ringling Brothers-Barnum and Bailey Circus is a wonder in itself.
“The Greatest Show on Earth,” which not only won the Oscar for Best Picture and story, was the box office champ of the year earning 14 million domestically and 36 million worldwide. Critics were not so kind to his cotton-candy colored melodrama set under the big top at Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Films in Review declared “Mr. DeMille is so accomplished a showman that one is astonished he did not just photograph a circus performance without the synthetic story he injected here. After all, the Ringling Brothers-Barnum and Bailey Circus is a wonder in itself.
- 1/18/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
The year is 3042, and the Earth has been destroyed. 15 years ago, humankind unveiled a mysterious and powerful technology called the Titan Project. Its true nature is not revealed immediately, but a species of envious aliens made of pure energy, the Drej, fear it and have destroyed humankind in defense. Now, the galaxy's remaining humans roam the cosmos as outcasts, forced to take odd jobs on freighters. A young human named Cale (Matt Damon) has taken a job on a vessel called the Valkyrie, where he works alongside a smarmy bat alien named Preedex (Nathan Lane), a kooky frog-like scientist named Gune (John Leguizamo), a bitter and angry kangaroo-like engineer named Stith (Janeanne Garofalo), a human pilot named Akima (Drew Barrymore), and the heroic Captain Korso (Bill Pullman). Together, they travel the stars avoiding Drej and following an obscure map to the location of the Titan, the ship that still contains Earth's technological breakthrough.
- 12/18/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Composer Bear McCreary discusses a few of his favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Wolf Man (1941) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s Wolf Man movie power rankings
Host (2020)
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary celebration
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Total Recall (1990)
Robot Monster (1953) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary
Cat-Women Of The Moon (1953)
The Man With The Golden Arm (1955) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
The Ten Commandments (1956) – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary
The Swarm (1978) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Batman (1989)
Dick Tracy (1990)
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003) – Mike Schlesinger’s trailer commentary
Chinatown (1974) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary
The Professor And The Madman (2019)
Hollywood Boulevard (1976) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
Do The Right Thing (1989) – Allan Arkush...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Wolf Man (1941) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s Wolf Man movie power rankings
Host (2020)
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary celebration
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Total Recall (1990)
Robot Monster (1953) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary
Cat-Women Of The Moon (1953)
The Man With The Golden Arm (1955) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
The Ten Commandments (1956) – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary
The Swarm (1978) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Batman (1989)
Dick Tracy (1990)
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003) – Mike Schlesinger’s trailer commentary
Chinatown (1974) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary
The Professor And The Madman (2019)
Hollywood Boulevard (1976) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
Do The Right Thing (1989) – Allan Arkush...
- 12/6/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
(Welcome to Did They Get It Right?, a series where we take a look at an Oscars category from yesteryear and examine whether the Academy's winner stands the test of time.)
Hollywood cinema of the 1950s was somewhat similar to today's film landscape. This decade was the first where movies truly had to compete with television, as they became incredibly prevalent in American households. What could the movies do to get people out of their houses and head to their local cinemas? Spectacle. You had sword and sandal epics, lavish Technicolor musicals, and the advent of CinemaScope showcasing a scope and scale that you weren't going to get on your small, black-and-white television.
The box office was burning up with the likes of "Samson and Delilah," "Quo Vadis," "The Ten Commandments," and "South Pacific." As opposed to today, these massive blockbuster successes didn't just rake in all the money. They received piles of Academy Awards.
Hollywood cinema of the 1950s was somewhat similar to today's film landscape. This decade was the first where movies truly had to compete with television, as they became incredibly prevalent in American households. What could the movies do to get people out of their houses and head to their local cinemas? Spectacle. You had sword and sandal epics, lavish Technicolor musicals, and the advent of CinemaScope showcasing a scope and scale that you weren't going to get on your small, black-and-white television.
The box office was burning up with the likes of "Samson and Delilah," "Quo Vadis," "The Ten Commandments," and "South Pacific." As opposed to today, these massive blockbuster successes didn't just rake in all the money. They received piles of Academy Awards.
- 12/1/2022
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
DreamWorks Animation has released the new theatrical opener, set to debut with the release of “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” when the sequel opens on Dec. 21. If audiences want to see the new logo, and the new movie, in a theater a month ahead of schedule, the Comcast-owned studio will be offering a nationwide paid sneak preview of the upcoming action fantasy, on Nov. 26 for one 2 pm showing.
The piece was developed and produced by an all-star DreamWorks creative team including producer Suzanne Buirgy and production designer Kendall Cronkhite, per DreamWorks. The music was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams who worked on the “Shrek” franchise in addition to other Dwa animated features.
The 33-second video, which you can watch above, shows a young boy surfing the moon in deep space as he soars past a number of prominent Dwa characters. We get happy salutes from the Bad Guys, Toothless...
The piece was developed and produced by an all-star DreamWorks creative team including producer Suzanne Buirgy and production designer Kendall Cronkhite, per DreamWorks. The music was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams who worked on the “Shrek” franchise in addition to other Dwa animated features.
The 33-second video, which you can watch above, shows a young boy surfing the moon in deep space as he soars past a number of prominent Dwa characters. We get happy salutes from the Bad Guys, Toothless...
- 11/25/2022
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Fans of classic movies like The Ten Commandments, The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and the original Star Wars trilogy will get a chance to own a piece of Hollywood history when Heritage Auctions puts around 400 props, costumes and vehicles from historic Hollywood movies up for sale next month.
The Wicked Witch of the West’s hourglass in The Wizard of Oz and Chris Evans’ Captain America shield in Avengers: Endgame will go on the auction block on Dec. 13 as part of the Hollywood & Entertainment Signature Auction in Dallas, Texas. A 1973 “Herbie” Volkswagen Beetle that appeared in Disney’s 1980 film Herbie Goes Banana will be on offer, as will a prop Ferrari car used in a crash scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
The auction will also feature four dresses wore by Marilyn Monroe on screen during her movie career,...
Fans of classic movies like The Ten Commandments, The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and the original Star Wars trilogy will get a chance to own a piece of Hollywood history when Heritage Auctions puts around 400 props, costumes and vehicles from historic Hollywood movies up for sale next month.
The Wicked Witch of the West’s hourglass in The Wizard of Oz and Chris Evans’ Captain America shield in Avengers: Endgame will go on the auction block on Dec. 13 as part of the Hollywood & Entertainment Signature Auction in Dallas, Texas. A 1973 “Herbie” Volkswagen Beetle that appeared in Disney’s 1980 film Herbie Goes Banana will be on offer, as will a prop Ferrari car used in a crash scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
The auction will also feature four dresses wore by Marilyn Monroe on screen during her movie career,...
- 11/22/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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