William Hopper, the actor who played the stalwart private detective Paul Drake on the hit 1957 legal drama "Perry Mason," was a notoriously prolific smoker, often seen with a cigarette hanging from his lips on camera. In 1970, Hopper suffered a stroke and succumbed to smoking-related health issues a month later. He was 55 years old.
As Paul Drake, Hopper was a cynic, a more grizzled presence built to balance Perry Mason's serious intellect. He was the Dr. McCoy to Perry Mason's Spock. For those unfamiliar with the series, "Perry Mason" was about a Los Angeles defense lawyer, played brilliantly by Raymond Burr, who was always careful to investigate the clients he was hired to defend. Typically, innocent people came to Mason, and he was always curious about the details of their case. Mason would always face off against the L.A. District Attorney Hamilton Burger (William Talman), who never won a case against him.
As Paul Drake, Hopper was a cynic, a more grizzled presence built to balance Perry Mason's serious intellect. He was the Dr. McCoy to Perry Mason's Spock. For those unfamiliar with the series, "Perry Mason" was about a Los Angeles defense lawyer, played brilliantly by Raymond Burr, who was always careful to investigate the clients he was hired to defend. Typically, innocent people came to Mason, and he was always curious about the details of their case. Mason would always face off against the L.A. District Attorney Hamilton Burger (William Talman), who never won a case against him.
- 4/13/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
If there's one thing we can take away from modern blockbusters it's that, with rare exceptions, special effects just don't feel "special" anymore.
That's not to say that there aren't beautiful and convincing visual effects being produced in the world of cinema. "Top Gun: Maverick" seamlessly blends real aerial footage with CG recreations, to the extent that it's nearly impossible to tell what was really in front of the camera. "Avatar: The Way of Water," whatever its other flaws may be, is a sumptuous spectacle for the eyes, at once vibrant and colorful and creative.
But what so very many modern visual effects films have in common is that they take imagery that should be astounding for granted, treating the most incredible and impossible things the human mind could devise, and acting like it's just something everyone deals with every day. And the new superhero film "Shazam! Fury of the Gods...
That's not to say that there aren't beautiful and convincing visual effects being produced in the world of cinema. "Top Gun: Maverick" seamlessly blends real aerial footage with CG recreations, to the extent that it's nearly impossible to tell what was really in front of the camera. "Avatar: The Way of Water," whatever its other flaws may be, is a sumptuous spectacle for the eyes, at once vibrant and colorful and creative.
But what so very many modern visual effects films have in common is that they take imagery that should be astounding for granted, treating the most incredible and impossible things the human mind could devise, and acting like it's just something everyone deals with every day. And the new superhero film "Shazam! Fury of the Gods...
- 3/17/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
With the Sam Raimi-produced 65 now playing in theaters, genre fans are getting something we’ve been craving for years – a big budget dinosaur thriller Not part of the Jurassic Park franchise. The film’s premise of an astronaut crash landing on Earth during the age of the dinosaurs sounds exactly like something that would have hit theaters and drive-ins back in the 60s and 70s when a healthy stream of dinosaur themed B-movie fare was released.
65 seems like a perfect genre mash-up of sci-fi and survival horror. Back in 1969, another genre hybrid about dinosaurs was set loose – The Valley of Gwangi. The hook? Cowboys vs. dinosaurs. Hell, if the movie came out today I guarantee that Cowboys vs. Dinosaurs would be the title.
The Valley of Gwangi was spearheaded by stop motion effects legend Ray Harryhausen and his long-time producing partner, Charles Schneer. Harryhausen needs no introduction. His...
65 seems like a perfect genre mash-up of sci-fi and survival horror. Back in 1969, another genre hybrid about dinosaurs was set loose – The Valley of Gwangi. The hook? Cowboys vs. dinosaurs. Hell, if the movie came out today I guarantee that Cowboys vs. Dinosaurs would be the title.
The Valley of Gwangi was spearheaded by stop motion effects legend Ray Harryhausen and his long-time producing partner, Charles Schneer. Harryhausen needs no introduction. His...
- 3/15/2023
- by Tyler Eschberger
- bloody-disgusting.com
Mill Creek’s latest disc collection gathers three Columbia Sci-fi faves and throws in a Blu-ray debut for a fourth. It’s a good selection: two giant Ray Harryhausen monsters, one marginal bad-taste Sam Katzman zombie epic, and a quirky Lou Costello comedy with Dorothy Provine doing a wholesome take on Allison Hayes’ biggest role. Do these encodings measure up to fancier editions? We give them a spin.
Sci-Fi from the Vault: 4 Films
Blu-ray
Creature with the Atom Brain, It Came from Beneath the Sea, 20 Million Miles to Earth, The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock
Mill Creek Entertainment
1955-1959 / B&w / 303 min. / Street Date February 14, 2023 / Available from Mill Creek Entertainment / 29.99
Starring: Richard Denning; Kenneth Tobey & Faith Domergue; William Hopper & Joan Taylor; Lou Costello & Dorothy Provine.
Directed by Edward L. Cahn, Robert Gordon, Nathan Juran, Sidney Miller
Disc collectors are now tempted weekly by plenty of interesting disc releases...
Sci-Fi from the Vault: 4 Films
Blu-ray
Creature with the Atom Brain, It Came from Beneath the Sea, 20 Million Miles to Earth, The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock
Mill Creek Entertainment
1955-1959 / B&w / 303 min. / Street Date February 14, 2023 / Available from Mill Creek Entertainment / 29.99
Starring: Richard Denning; Kenneth Tobey & Faith Domergue; William Hopper & Joan Taylor; Lou Costello & Dorothy Provine.
Directed by Edward L. Cahn, Robert Gordon, Nathan Juran, Sidney Miller
Disc collectors are now tempted weekly by plenty of interesting disc releases...
- 2/25/2023
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
I loved old monster movies when I was a little kid. I couldn't get enough of bug-eyed mutants, lovestruck fish-men, and giant ants in the drains of Los Angeles. I especially got a thrill from enraged creatures rampaging through a city, so Ray Harryhausen's "20 Million Miles to Earth," "It Came From Beneath the Sea," and "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms" were particular favorites. I just wanted the destruction to go on and on, and I always cried when the beast died at the end.
If Harryhausen is commonly known as the master of stop-motion animation, giving us such...
The post Securing Funding For the Original King Kong Was Almost As Impressive As the Film Itself appeared first on /Film.
If Harryhausen is commonly known as the master of stop-motion animation, giving us such...
The post Securing Funding For the Original King Kong Was Almost As Impressive As the Film Itself appeared first on /Film.
- 5/10/2022
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Director Ron Underwood discusses a few of his favorite westerns with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Mighty Joe Young (1998)
Speechless (1994)
Heart and Souls (1993)
Stealing Sinatra (2003)
City Slickers (1991)
Tremors (1990) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Tourist Trap (1979) – David DeCoteau’s trailer commentary
The Seduction (1982)
Puppet Master (1989)
The Boondock Saints (1999)
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952)
Capricorn One (1977) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Panic In The Streets (1950) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
Back When We Were Grownups (2004)
Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell (2018)
Tremors: Shrieker Island (2020)
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
Red River (1948) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Johnny Guitar (1954) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Searchers (1956)
Seven Samurai (1954) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
The Magnificent Seven (1960) – Jesus Treviño’s trailer commentary
The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Westworld...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Mighty Joe Young (1998)
Speechless (1994)
Heart and Souls (1993)
Stealing Sinatra (2003)
City Slickers (1991)
Tremors (1990) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Tourist Trap (1979) – David DeCoteau’s trailer commentary
The Seduction (1982)
Puppet Master (1989)
The Boondock Saints (1999)
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952)
Capricorn One (1977) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Panic In The Streets (1950) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
Back When We Were Grownups (2004)
Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell (2018)
Tremors: Shrieker Island (2020)
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
Red River (1948) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Johnny Guitar (1954) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Searchers (1956)
Seven Samurai (1954) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
The Magnificent Seven (1960) – Jesus Treviño’s trailer commentary
The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Westworld...
- 2/1/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
It was 40 years ago, in June 1981, that Clash of the Titans, the last film to feature the stop-motion animation effects of Ray Harryhausen, was released.
Starring a then-unknown Harry Hamlin, along with veteran stars like Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Burgess Meredith, and Ursula Andress, the film was loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus (Hamlin), weaving in strands of other mythologies and legends and putting its hero into conflict with creatures like the Kraken, Calibos, Medusa the Gorgon and a two-headed dog named Dioskilos.
“Greek and Roman myths contained characters and fantastic creatures that were ideal for cinematic adventures,” wrote Harryhausen in his memoir, Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life. “If some of the adventures were combined with 20th century storytelling, a timeless narrative could be constructed that would appeal to both young and old.”
Harryhausen was already a filmmaking legend by the time he began work on Clash of the Titans.
Starring a then-unknown Harry Hamlin, along with veteran stars like Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Burgess Meredith, and Ursula Andress, the film was loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus (Hamlin), weaving in strands of other mythologies and legends and putting its hero into conflict with creatures like the Kraken, Calibos, Medusa the Gorgon and a two-headed dog named Dioskilos.
“Greek and Roman myths contained characters and fantastic creatures that were ideal for cinematic adventures,” wrote Harryhausen in his memoir, Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life. “If some of the adventures were combined with 20th century storytelling, a timeless narrative could be constructed that would appeal to both young and old.”
Harryhausen was already a filmmaking legend by the time he began work on Clash of the Titans.
- 6/20/2021
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
If the release of Godzilla vs. Kong has you feeling nostalgic for the golden age of giant monsters, you’re not alone. There was a time when it felt like giant monsters ruled TVs and theater screens everywhere. They were even prominently featured in one of the most beloved arcade games of the 1980s: 1986’s “smash-em-up” Rampage.
Actually, there were quite a few years after Rampage‘s release when it remained one of the best ways to live out your giant monster fantasies. Later games would more fully realize the “destroy everything” philosophy that Rampage was built on, but it took a long time for another game to come close to matching (must less surpassing) Rampage‘s simple and satisfying gameplay. For years, it was the best way to let gamers play as Godzilla, King Kong, and even The Wolfman (despite the fact the games didn’t use those names...
Actually, there were quite a few years after Rampage‘s release when it remained one of the best ways to live out your giant monster fantasies. Later games would more fully realize the “destroy everything” philosophy that Rampage was built on, but it took a long time for another game to come close to matching (must less surpassing) Rampage‘s simple and satisfying gameplay. For years, it was the best way to let gamers play as Godzilla, King Kong, and even The Wolfman (despite the fact the games didn’t use those names...
- 3/31/2021
- by Matthew Byrd
- Den of Geek
Closing out a year in which we’ve needed The Criterion Channel more than ever, they’ve now announced their impressive December lineup. Topping the highlights is a trio of Terrence Malick films––Badlands, Days of Heaven, and The New World––along with interviews featuring actors Richard Gere, Sissy Spacek, and Martin Sheen; production designer Jack Fisk; costume designer Jacqueline West; cinematographers Haskell Wexler and John Bailey; and more.
Also in the lineup is an Afrofuturism series, featuring an introduction by programmer Ashley Clark, with work by Lizzie Borden, Shirley Clarke, Souleymane Cissé, John Akomfrah, Terence Nance, and more. There’s also Mariano Llinás’s 14-hour epic La flor, Bill Morrison’s Dawson City: Frozen Time, Ken Loach’s Sorry We Missed You, Jennie Livingston’s Paris Is Burning, plus retrospectives dedicated to Mae West, Cary Grant, Barbra Streisand, and more.
Check out the lineup below and return every Friday for our weekly streaming picks.
Also in the lineup is an Afrofuturism series, featuring an introduction by programmer Ashley Clark, with work by Lizzie Borden, Shirley Clarke, Souleymane Cissé, John Akomfrah, Terence Nance, and more. There’s also Mariano Llinás’s 14-hour epic La flor, Bill Morrison’s Dawson City: Frozen Time, Ken Loach’s Sorry We Missed You, Jennie Livingston’s Paris Is Burning, plus retrospectives dedicated to Mae West, Cary Grant, Barbra Streisand, and more.
Check out the lineup below and return every Friday for our weekly streaming picks.
- 11/24/2020
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1944/ 87 min.
Starring Maria Montez, Jon Hall
Cinematography by George Robinson
Directed by Arthur Lubin
Thanks to George Robinson’s Technicolor photography and Vera West’s kaleidoscopic costumes, death and destruction look pretty as a picture in 1944’s Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Director Arthur Lubin’s action fantasy is no patch on the Fleischer brothers’ Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba’s Forty Thieves but this Universal Pictures release is a cheerfully unassuming time-killer.
This Arabian Nights fable about a caliph’s son who grows up to lead a band of robbers contains a few nuggets of actual history; the movie’s bloodthirsty villain, Hulagu Khan, was indeed the grandson of the infamous Genghis. Hulagu was a thug who didn’t fall far from the tree; he conquered Baghdad and then decimated it, sending the then storybook city into a spiral.
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1944/ 87 min.
Starring Maria Montez, Jon Hall
Cinematography by George Robinson
Directed by Arthur Lubin
Thanks to George Robinson’s Technicolor photography and Vera West’s kaleidoscopic costumes, death and destruction look pretty as a picture in 1944’s Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Director Arthur Lubin’s action fantasy is no patch on the Fleischer brothers’ Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba’s Forty Thieves but this Universal Pictures release is a cheerfully unassuming time-killer.
This Arabian Nights fable about a caliph’s son who grows up to lead a band of robbers contains a few nuggets of actual history; the movie’s bloodthirsty villain, Hulagu Khan, was indeed the grandson of the infamous Genghis. Hulagu was a thug who didn’t fall far from the tree; he conquered Baghdad and then decimated it, sending the then storybook city into a spiral.
- 8/8/2020
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Christopher Knopf, the prolific screenwriter behind Emperor of the North, 20 Million Miles to Earth and a host of TV Westerns in the 1950s and '60s, has died. He was 91.
Knopf died Wednesday of congestive heart failure at his home in Santa Monica, a family member told The Hollywood Reporter.
Knopf wrote for the CBS Western Zane Grey Theater, starring Dick Powell, and its spinoff, Trackdown, starring Robert Culp; penned the pilot episode for ABC's The Big Valley; and created CBS' Cimarron Strip, starring Stuart Whitman.
His much-admired television work also included 1977's Scott Joplin: King of Ragtime (for which he won a Writers ...
Knopf died Wednesday of congestive heart failure at his home in Santa Monica, a family member told The Hollywood Reporter.
Knopf wrote for the CBS Western Zane Grey Theater, starring Dick Powell, and its spinoff, Trackdown, starring Robert Culp; penned the pilot episode for ABC's The Big Valley; and created CBS' Cimarron Strip, starring Stuart Whitman.
His much-admired television work also included 1977's Scott Joplin: King of Ragtime (for which he won a Writers ...
- 2/16/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.