(Courtesy image, Graphic by The Desk)
Wallet-conscious streaming TV service Frndly TV says it will offer Weigel Broadcasting’s new retro cartoon channel MeTV Toons when the network launches later this month.
The announcement was made in an email sent to some customers and business partners on Wednesday, and comes about a week after Frndly TV accidentally told a subscriber on Facebook that the channel would debut on the service.
“You’ve been asking for it, so we’re adding MeTV Toons to the Frndly TV lineup!” the email sent on Wednesday said, adding that viewers will be able to “catch all the classic cartoons on this new channel, coming soon!”
MeTV Toons is growing out of a retro cartoon block that airs weekends on MeTV. Shows like “Betty Boop,” “Scooby Doo,” “Huckleberry Hound,” “Tom & Jerry,” “Top Cat” and “Speed Racer” are listed among some of the shows that...
Wallet-conscious streaming TV service Frndly TV says it will offer Weigel Broadcasting’s new retro cartoon channel MeTV Toons when the network launches later this month.
The announcement was made in an email sent to some customers and business partners on Wednesday, and comes about a week after Frndly TV accidentally told a subscriber on Facebook that the channel would debut on the service.
“You’ve been asking for it, so we’re adding MeTV Toons to the Frndly TV lineup!” the email sent on Wednesday said, adding that viewers will be able to “catch all the classic cartoons on this new channel, coming soon!”
MeTV Toons is growing out of a retro cartoon block that airs weekends on MeTV. Shows like “Betty Boop,” “Scooby Doo,” “Huckleberry Hound,” “Tom & Jerry,” “Top Cat” and “Speed Racer” are listed among some of the shows that...
- 6/5/2024
- by Matthew Keys
- The Desk
"Dexter's Laboratory" changed the course of American TV animation. Like "Flapjack" after it, the cartoon gave many future legendary animators their start in the industry, from Craig McCracken and Butch Hartman to Rob Renzetti and one Seth MacFarlane. It also helped transform "The Powerpuff Girls" into a timeless hit.
The show started as a short in "What a Cartoon!" before becoming the very first Cartoon Cartoon. The man behind the show, Genndy Tartakovsky, has made hit after hit in a variety of genres and tones, from his influential "Star Wars: Clone Wars," to the devastatingly gory R-rated animated carnage of "Primal" or complex genre-bending tales of steampunk goodness like the criminally underseen "Unicorn: Warriors Eternal."
Much of Tartakovsky's style can be traced back to his work in "Dexter's Laboratory," from his use of silence to tell stories to his eye for iconography and imagery, along with his knack for pop culture references.
The show started as a short in "What a Cartoon!" before becoming the very first Cartoon Cartoon. The man behind the show, Genndy Tartakovsky, has made hit after hit in a variety of genres and tones, from his influential "Star Wars: Clone Wars," to the devastatingly gory R-rated animated carnage of "Primal" or complex genre-bending tales of steampunk goodness like the criminally underseen "Unicorn: Warriors Eternal."
Much of Tartakovsky's style can be traced back to his work in "Dexter's Laboratory," from his use of silence to tell stories to his eye for iconography and imagery, along with his knack for pop culture references.
- 6/2/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
The electronic program guide of Frndly TV. (Screen capture by The Desk)
Low-cost streaming service Frndly TV has retracted a statement made on social media that it would carry the soon-to-launch retro cartoon channel MeTV Toons when it becomes available in late June.
The statement was made in response to a comment left on Frndly TV’s Facebook page, in which a spokesperson appeared to confirm the streaming service would carry MeTV Toons when it launches on June 25.
“We will be carrying this in our lineup — stay tuned!” the spokesperson said. Hours later, an official with Frndly TV followed up in a series of Facebook messages saying the affirmation was made in error, and that the streaming service could not comment on whether it will carry MeTV Toons at launch.
Frndly TV is one of two streaming TV platforms that carries channels from Weigel Broadcasting, the media company developing MeTV Toons.
Low-cost streaming service Frndly TV has retracted a statement made on social media that it would carry the soon-to-launch retro cartoon channel MeTV Toons when it becomes available in late June.
The statement was made in response to a comment left on Frndly TV’s Facebook page, in which a spokesperson appeared to confirm the streaming service would carry MeTV Toons when it launches on June 25.
“We will be carrying this in our lineup — stay tuned!” the spokesperson said. Hours later, an official with Frndly TV followed up in a series of Facebook messages saying the affirmation was made in error, and that the streaming service could not comment on whether it will carry MeTV Toons at launch.
Frndly TV is one of two streaming TV platforms that carries channels from Weigel Broadcasting, the media company developing MeTV Toons.
- 5/27/2024
- by Matthew Keys
- The Desk
Right now, when audiences hear about an upcoming live-action adaptation, they automatically assume it will be bad. After the fiasco of The Cats movie and a whole slew of questionable Netflix series based on famous anime, people are wary of any other attempt.
But the upcoming live adaptation of the iconic musical Wicked is changing people's minds with just a few trailers. And Wicked isn't the only time the live-action version has treated the original with enough love and respect to turn it into something great. Here are 8 other live-action movies you might want to check out.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
While the latest attempt to bring our turtle heroes back to the big screen wasn't a huge success, the '90s version will live on in everyone's hearts forever.
The live-action version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which began as a comic book and then became an animated series,...
But the upcoming live adaptation of the iconic musical Wicked is changing people's minds with just a few trailers. And Wicked isn't the only time the live-action version has treated the original with enough love and respect to turn it into something great. Here are 8 other live-action movies you might want to check out.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
While the latest attempt to bring our turtle heroes back to the big screen wasn't a huge success, the '90s version will live on in everyone's hearts forever.
The live-action version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which began as a comic book and then became an animated series,...
- 5/16/2024
- by virginia-singh@startefacts.com (Virginia Singh)
- STartefacts.com
Anime is bigger than ever. With dedicated streaming services such as Crunchyroll enjoying a meteoric rise, rivals Netflix and Prime Video getting in on the action with their own dedicated selection, and even Disney – the arbiter of western animation – now boasting a growing number of exclusive anime series on Disney+, the availability and popularity of Japanese animation has never been greater.
Yet it's in film where anime has enjoyed the biggest boom, with the likes of Your Name and Miss Hokusai heralding a new era of excellence in animation, adding to a canon of definitive works such as Akira and My Neighbour Totoro. But with decades of brilliance to choose from, getting started on anime – or just choosing what to watch for movie night – can be daunting.
We've plucked out the best of the best to get you started, with a selection that highlights the medium's rich diversity of genres and styles,...
Yet it's in film where anime has enjoyed the biggest boom, with the likes of Your Name and Miss Hokusai heralding a new era of excellence in animation, adding to a canon of definitive works such as Akira and My Neighbour Totoro. But with decades of brilliance to choose from, getting started on anime – or just choosing what to watch for movie night – can be daunting.
We've plucked out the best of the best to get you started, with a selection that highlights the medium's rich diversity of genres and styles,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Matt Kamen
- Empire - Movies
Launching an All-Year Parade of Animation Classics MeTV Toons, a wellspring of classic animation, is gearing up for its grand launch on June 25, 2024. The newly formed network by Weigel Broadcasting Co. will be showcasing a vast library of animated series from the golden age of Hollywood and television classics. Veterans and New Viewers Alike Will Find Something to Love Weigel, in association with Warner Bros. Discovery, will deliver timeless pieces featuring iconic characters like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Scooby Doo. Besides these beloved figures, the network will also air animations like Rocky and Bullwinkle and Speed Racer,
The post MeTV Toons to Launch with Classic Animation this Summer first appeared on TVovermind.
The post MeTV Toons to Launch with Classic Animation this Summer first appeared on TVovermind.
- 5/3/2024
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
The innovative car racing anime series Speed Racer will be revving up for all major digital platforms on June 1, 2024 from Shout! Studios. Fans of the iconic racing adventure will be treated to all 52 episodes as it becomes available for video-on-demand. Mach GoGoGo, the original 1967 Japanese-language television series adaptation from Tatsunoko Production, will also be available for video-on-demand on all major digital platforms. The popular Japanese franchise originated as a manga series created by anime pioneer, and founder of Tatsunoko Production, Tatsuo Yoshida. The manga’s success in Japan spawned the adapted TV series Mach GoGoGo. It later gained popularity in the United States ... Read more...
- 5/3/2024
- by Thomas Miller
- Seat42F
Fans of classic cartoons might have a new favorite channel: MeTV Toons — a new TV network dedicated to animated favorites like Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Tom & Jerry and more — will debut this summer, TVLine has learned.
The new channel from MeTV parent company Weigel Broadcasting Co., which will be available on over-the-air broadcast television as well as ad-supporting streaming services, will air beloved Warner Bros. Discovery cartoons like Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Tom & Jerry, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Yogi Bear, Popeye and more, along with Rocky and Bullwinkle, Woody Woodpecker, Casper, Betty Boop, Speed Racer and others. MeTV Toons will officially launch on Tuesday,...
The new channel from MeTV parent company Weigel Broadcasting Co., which will be available on over-the-air broadcast television as well as ad-supporting streaming services, will air beloved Warner Bros. Discovery cartoons like Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Tom & Jerry, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Yogi Bear, Popeye and more, along with Rocky and Bullwinkle, Woody Woodpecker, Casper, Betty Boop, Speed Racer and others. MeTV Toons will officially launch on Tuesday,...
- 5/1/2024
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
Image created by “Shutterstock.AI” When Emile Hirsch starred as the title character in 2008’s Speed Racer, he felt confident that he’d be in a blockbuster movie. After all, with the Wachowskis directing, the beloved kids’ cartoon was going to get a state-of-the-art makeover that combined live action with brand-new CGI effects. So Hirsch was perplexed when the movie was generally panned by critics and shunned by audiences. Over the years, though, people have slowly come around to realizing that the movie was ahead of its time, and it’s now become a cult classic. A big part of that re-evaluation came from the innovative techniques that created Speed Racer’s vibrant, cartoonish look, though Hirsch once told us that was the most challenging part of making the movie in the first place. (Click on the media bar below to hear Emile Hirsch) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads...
- 3/28/2024
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
1999 was famously a great year for film, and it’s hard to pick what masterpiece from that year stands out as the greatest. Is it Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia”? Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut”? Spike Jonze’s “Being John Malkovich”? One could reasonably come up with hundreds of answers (even the teen films that year were pretty great), but it’s hard to deny the most influential film of the year came from Lana and Lilly Wachowski.
On March 24, 1999, the Wachowskis invited America into “The Matrix:” a speculative science fiction world where the reality as we know it is all a lie. In the martial arts sci-fi saga, computer programmer and hacker Neo discovers that the peaceful world he lives in — a world that heavily resembles 1999 North America — is a simulation created by self-aware machines that went to war with their makers and won, trapping all of...
On March 24, 1999, the Wachowskis invited America into “The Matrix:” a speculative science fiction world where the reality as we know it is all a lie. In the martial arts sci-fi saga, computer programmer and hacker Neo discovers that the peaceful world he lives in — a world that heavily resembles 1999 North America — is a simulation created by self-aware machines that went to war with their makers and won, trapping all of...
- 3/22/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
If there’s ever a movie from the late 2000s deserving of its reevaluation, might we thrust Speed Racer to the front? A dizzying piece of pop that zooms like an acid trip through the world of racing and anime, the movie just did not connect with audiences…outside of those actively under a certain kind of influence, at least. To say it went under the radar – taking in $44 million domestically on a $120 million budget – would be an understatement, but it has gained a lot traction in the 15+ years since its release, taking on a cult status that was sort of always there underneath the rubble.
Speed Racer star Emile Hirsch is well aware of the movie’s modern reception, although it does remind him of its flop at the box office. “When it came out, it was unanimously dogged…I remember we were all like, ‘Man, this movie is so good.
Speed Racer star Emile Hirsch is well aware of the movie’s modern reception, although it does remind him of its flop at the box office. “When it came out, it was unanimously dogged…I remember we were all like, ‘Man, this movie is so good.
- 3/22/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
This article contains spoilers for the ending of Lost.
Hiroyuki Sanada, star and producer of FX’s excellent miniseries Shōgun, is one of the most successful Japanese actors working in Hollywood today. English-speaking audiences have to come to know and appreciate the Tokyo-born performer through his roles in films such as The Last Samurai, Speed Racer, The Wolverine, Army of the Dead, and John Wick: Chapter 4.
TV nerds (including yours truly) had an entirely different introduction to Hiroyuki Sanada, however. For us, Sanada’s Western pop culture career begins with the final season of classic ABC drama Lost.
Despite what you may have heard about its ending Lost is one of the best genre series to ever grace network television. It also, admittedly, wasn’t perfect. And its simultaneously ingenious and infuriating use of Sanada in its sixth and final season is a perfect microcosm of the show overall.
Sanada...
Hiroyuki Sanada, star and producer of FX’s excellent miniseries Shōgun, is one of the most successful Japanese actors working in Hollywood today. English-speaking audiences have to come to know and appreciate the Tokyo-born performer through his roles in films such as The Last Samurai, Speed Racer, The Wolverine, Army of the Dead, and John Wick: Chapter 4.
TV nerds (including yours truly) had an entirely different introduction to Hiroyuki Sanada, however. For us, Sanada’s Western pop culture career begins with the final season of classic ABC drama Lost.
Despite what you may have heard about its ending Lost is one of the best genre series to ever grace network television. It also, admittedly, wasn’t perfect. And its simultaneously ingenious and infuriating use of Sanada in its sixth and final season is a perfect microcosm of the show overall.
Sanada...
- 3/5/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Episode 3 of Crunchyroll Presents: The Anime Effect is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere else you listen to your podcasts! If you're waiting to watch the video episode, it'll be live on Crunchyroll and YouTube at 7 p.m. Et. Listen or Watch on: Episode 3 Summary Nick, LeAlec, and Leah welcome Polygon’s Eic and co-host of The Besties podcast Chris Plante to dissect findings from “The Anime Opportunity." First, they discuss the new Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth game , Pokémon Day reveals and which side of Missouri is the “right” side? All that and more, only on The Anime Effect . Topics Discussed in Episode 2 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete Tower of God Season 2 One Piece English Dub Solo Leveling documentary True Beauty Viral Hit The End of Evangelion Pokémon Legends Z-a Pokémon Tcg Pocket Polygon's "The Anime Opportunity" Study Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!
- 3/1/2024
- by Guest Author
- Crunchyroll
Acclaimed Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada has built an impressive $10 million net worth over his prolific decades-long career in Hollywood and Asia. With his latest high-profile role in the TV series Shōgun, Sanada continues demonstrating why he’s one of the most reliable actors working today. But how did the martial artist-turned-thespian accumulate his fortune before this new samurai epic?
What Were Hiroyuki Sanada’s Breakout Hits in Japan and Asia? Hiroyuki Sanada in Mortal Kombat
Hiroyuki Sanada first gained fame in the 1980s by starring in Japanese and Hong Kong martial arts films, including The Ninja Dragon and Shogun’s Shadow. His athleticism and discipline from years of combat training allowed him to perform dangerous stunts that cemented his action-hero status.
This extreme dedication and discipline came from his upbringing. Sanada started training in martial arts when he was very young. He gained a black belt when he was 15 years old.
What Were Hiroyuki Sanada’s Breakout Hits in Japan and Asia? Hiroyuki Sanada in Mortal Kombat
Hiroyuki Sanada first gained fame in the 1980s by starring in Japanese and Hong Kong martial arts films, including The Ninja Dragon and Shogun’s Shadow. His athleticism and discipline from years of combat training allowed him to perform dangerous stunts that cemented his action-hero status.
This extreme dedication and discipline came from his upbringing. Sanada started training in martial arts when he was very young. He gained a black belt when he was 15 years old.
- 2/27/2024
- by Nivedita Dubey
- FandomWire
Lilly Wachowski is bound to direct “Trash Mountain,” a queer comedy-drama starring rising comedian and actor Caleb Hearon. The film follows a young gay man living in Chicago who returns to his hometown in Missouri following the death of his hoarder father.
Along with starring in the feature, Hearon also co-wrote the script with Ruby Caster. Colin Trevorrow, who directed Hearon in “Jurassic World Dominion,” is producing the feature with his banner Metronome Film Co., alongside Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev for Sight Unseen.
“Trash Mountain” will mark the first solo directorial feature effort for Wachowski, who is best known for writing and helming the original “Matrix” trilogy with her sister, Lana Wachowski. The duo’s other projects include the lesbian crime thriller “Bound” and the colorful manga adaptation “Speed Racer.”
In recent years, Lilly has worked in television, as a co-creator of Netflix’s “Sense 8” and as a showrunner,...
Along with starring in the feature, Hearon also co-wrote the script with Ruby Caster. Colin Trevorrow, who directed Hearon in “Jurassic World Dominion,” is producing the feature with his banner Metronome Film Co., alongside Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev for Sight Unseen.
“Trash Mountain” will mark the first solo directorial feature effort for Wachowski, who is best known for writing and helming the original “Matrix” trilogy with her sister, Lana Wachowski. The duo’s other projects include the lesbian crime thriller “Bound” and the colorful manga adaptation “Speed Racer.”
In recent years, Lilly has worked in television, as a co-creator of Netflix’s “Sense 8” and as a showrunner,...
- 2/12/2024
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
The Matrix and Sense8 mastermind Lilly Wachowski is here to take out the trash for her next film, Trash Mountain. The project finds Wachowski teaming up with comedian Caleb Hearon for what Collider says is an emotional comedy about closure through sorting the belongings of a hoarder. Casting for the film is underway, with Colin Trevorrow producing alongside Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev of Sight Unseen.
Caleb Hearon, a rising comedian, wrote the script with Ruby Caster. The comedian also stars in the project, which sounds like part tearjerker and part knee-slapper. According to Collider‘s exclusive report, Trash Mountain “follows a gay Chicago man in his 20s who must return to rural Missouri to deal with the death of his father — an obsessive hoarder who has left a house full of items, some valuable and some not so, to pick through.”
The report indicates that Lilly Wachowski and Colin...
Caleb Hearon, a rising comedian, wrote the script with Ruby Caster. The comedian also stars in the project, which sounds like part tearjerker and part knee-slapper. According to Collider‘s exclusive report, Trash Mountain “follows a gay Chicago man in his 20s who must return to rural Missouri to deal with the death of his father — an obsessive hoarder who has left a house full of items, some valuable and some not so, to pick through.”
The report indicates that Lilly Wachowski and Colin...
- 2/12/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Anime and manga live-action adaptations, especially English-language ones, have a mixed track record. For every "One Piece" and "Speed Racer," which manage to capture the endless imagination of the medium, there are thrice as many "Dragonball Evolution" and "Ghost in the Shell" bad movies that nearly ruin their source material.
One of the best ones is not really based on an anime or manga — though it is quite clear that "Akira" was a huge influence — Josh Trank and Max Landis' "Chronicle." The film is set in Seattle and follows three teens who acquire telekinetic powers. Soon enough, the fun and games turn dark and deadly when one of them begins to lose control and relish in their power. Aside from very direct visual references to Katsuhiro Otomo's iconic (and very influential) anime masterpiece, "Chronicle" manages to capture the quick and chaotic descent into madness and horror that plagues the...
One of the best ones is not really based on an anime or manga — though it is quite clear that "Akira" was a huge influence — Josh Trank and Max Landis' "Chronicle." The film is set in Seattle and follows three teens who acquire telekinetic powers. Soon enough, the fun and games turn dark and deadly when one of them begins to lose control and relish in their power. Aside from very direct visual references to Katsuhiro Otomo's iconic (and very influential) anime masterpiece, "Chronicle" manages to capture the quick and chaotic descent into madness and horror that plagues the...
- 2/6/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Christian Oliver completed filming on his final movie before he died.The 'Speed Racer' actor and his two daughters - Madita, ten, and Annik, 12 - died in a plane crash in the Caribbean on Thursday (04.01.24), as their plane was flying from J. F. Mitchell Airport in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to St. Lucia, and in a tribute to the German-born star from Nick Lyon, the director shared a photo from the last day of shooting on 'Forever Hold Your Peace', which was taken just two weeks before on 20 December.Sharing a photo of himself and Nick - who also had a producer credit on the thriller - he wrote on Instagram: “This is our 5th film together. @christianoliverofficial and me produced this one, and this is our last day of filming! We talked about producing a film together for years and finally did it!
- 1/7/2024
- by Viki Waters
- Bang Showbiz
The wife of actor Christian Oliver has spoken for the first time in the aftermath of the plane crash on Thursday that claimed her husband and two daughters.
A statement “from Jessica Klepser and family” was posted on Wundabar Pilates’ page by Amy Jordan, the company’s owner. Klepser, who was married to Oliver, is the regional manager of the California branch of the pilates studio.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic plane accident on January 4, 2024, which took the lives of our beloved family members. Our daughters, Madita (12), and Annik (10), along with their father Christian, were returning from a holiday in the Caribbean when the single-engine plane they were traveling in experienced engine trouble and fell into the ocean. Unfortunately, all four passengers on the small aircraft did not survive.”
Oliver appeared in films The Baby-Sitters Club, The Good German, Speed Racer and Valkyrie,
The Friday Instagram statement continued.
A statement “from Jessica Klepser and family” was posted on Wundabar Pilates’ page by Amy Jordan, the company’s owner. Klepser, who was married to Oliver, is the regional manager of the California branch of the pilates studio.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic plane accident on January 4, 2024, which took the lives of our beloved family members. Our daughters, Madita (12), and Annik (10), along with their father Christian, were returning from a holiday in the Caribbean when the single-engine plane they were traveling in experienced engine trouble and fell into the ocean. Unfortunately, all four passengers on the small aircraft did not survive.”
Oliver appeared in films The Baby-Sitters Club, The Good German, Speed Racer and Valkyrie,
The Friday Instagram statement continued.
- 1/6/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Hollywood actor Christian Oliver, his two young daughters and the pilot died in a plane crash near a Caribbean island, the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force announced.
Oliver, whose real name was Christian Klepser, was 51. His daughters, Madita Klepser and Annik Klepser, were 12 and 10, respectively. Pilot Robert Sachs also died in the crash, reports Variety.
They were the only passengers aboard the plane. The aircraft was a small, one-engine plane owned and piloted by Sachs. It crashed one nautical mile west of Petit Nevis, a small island in the Grenadines, Thursday afternoon.
As per Variety, the plane left from the J.F. Mitchell Airport in Paget Farm, Bequia, an island in the Grenadines, around 12:11 p.m. bound for St. Lucia as its final destination.
“Moments after taking off, the aircraft experienced difficulties and plummeted into the ocean”, the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force wrote in a statement.
Oliver, whose real name was Christian Klepser, was 51. His daughters, Madita Klepser and Annik Klepser, were 12 and 10, respectively. Pilot Robert Sachs also died in the crash, reports Variety.
They were the only passengers aboard the plane. The aircraft was a small, one-engine plane owned and piloted by Sachs. It crashed one nautical mile west of Petit Nevis, a small island in the Grenadines, Thursday afternoon.
As per Variety, the plane left from the J.F. Mitchell Airport in Paget Farm, Bequia, an island in the Grenadines, around 12:11 p.m. bound for St. Lucia as its final destination.
“Moments after taking off, the aircraft experienced difficulties and plummeted into the ocean”, the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force wrote in a statement.
- 1/6/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
The German born actor and producer appeared in Hollywood films including Speed Racer and The Good German.
German born actor Christian Oliver, known for Hollywood films including Speed Racer and German series Alarm For Cobra 11, has been killed in a plane crash in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, according to a report from local police.
A Facebook post by the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said 51-year-old Oliver (whose birth name was Christian Klepser), his young daughters Madita Klepser and Annik Klepser, and pilot Robert Sachs were all pronounced dead after their bodies were recovered from the...
German born actor Christian Oliver, known for Hollywood films including Speed Racer and German series Alarm For Cobra 11, has been killed in a plane crash in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, according to a report from local police.
A Facebook post by the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said 51-year-old Oliver (whose birth name was Christian Klepser), his young daughters Madita Klepser and Annik Klepser, and pilot Robert Sachs were all pronounced dead after their bodies were recovered from the...
- 1/5/2024
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
The German born actor and producer appeared in Hollywood films including Speed Racer and The Good German.
German born actor Christian Oliver, known for Hollywood films including Speed Racer and German series Alarm For Cobra 11, has been killed in a plane crash in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, according to a report from local police.
A Facebook post by the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said 51-year-old Oliver (whose birth name was Christian Klepser), his young daughters Madita Klepser and Annik Klepser, and pilot Robert Sachs were all pronounced dead after their bodies were recovered from the...
German born actor Christian Oliver, known for Hollywood films including Speed Racer and German series Alarm For Cobra 11, has been killed in a plane crash in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, according to a report from local police.
A Facebook post by the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said 51-year-old Oliver (whose birth name was Christian Klepser), his young daughters Madita Klepser and Annik Klepser, and pilot Robert Sachs were all pronounced dead after their bodies were recovered from the...
- 1/5/2024
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
Christian Oliver, a German-born actor who played roles in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Speed Racer, and Hunters, was killed in a plane crash on Thursday (January 4th).
According to a statement released by the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, the actor, identified as Christian Klesper, and his two daughters (aged 10 and 12) were aboard a private plane from Paget Farm, Bequia headed to St. Lucia before crash landing in the Caribbean Sea.
The Rsvgpf shared that the plane took off around noon from Paget Farm and “experienced difficulties and plummeted into the ocean” shortly after takeoff. Oliver, his daughters, and the pilot and owner of the aircraft were initially found by divers and fishermen from Paget Farm, and then handed over to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard. The exact cause of death has yet to be revealed, but it is believed that...
According to a statement released by the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, the actor, identified as Christian Klesper, and his two daughters (aged 10 and 12) were aboard a private plane from Paget Farm, Bequia headed to St. Lucia before crash landing in the Caribbean Sea.
The Rsvgpf shared that the plane took off around noon from Paget Farm and “experienced difficulties and plummeted into the ocean” shortly after takeoff. Oliver, his daughters, and the pilot and owner of the aircraft were initially found by divers and fishermen from Paget Farm, and then handed over to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard. The exact cause of death has yet to be revealed, but it is believed that...
- 1/5/2024
- by Paolo Ragusa
- Consequence - Film News
Christian Oliver, best known to TV audiences for playing Brian Keller on NBC’s Saved by the Bell: The New Class, was killed in a plane crash on Thursday. He was 51 years old. Oliver’s two young daughters — 10-year-old Madita and 12-year-old Annik — and a pilot, Robert Sachs, also died in the crash.
The single-jet engine plane hit the water while traveling from St. Lucia from the island of Bequia in the Caribbean. The plane experienced “unexplained issues” shortly after takeoff, and an exact cause of the malfunction has not yet been determined.
More from TVLineStarsky & Hutch's David Soul...
The single-jet engine plane hit the water while traveling from St. Lucia from the island of Bequia in the Caribbean. The plane experienced “unexplained issues” shortly after takeoff, and an exact cause of the malfunction has not yet been determined.
More from TVLineStarsky & Hutch's David Soul...
- 1/5/2024
- by Andy Swift
- TVLine.com
Christian Oliver, a German-born actor known for roles in Speed Racer, Hunters, The Good German and Saved by the Bell: The New Class, is believed to be dead after a private aircraft carrying him and his two daughters crashed into the Caribbean Sea on Thursday.
Four bodies were recovered by the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, including that of the actor — who was identified as Christian Klepser — and his daughters, Madita, 10, and Annik, 12. The 51-year-old actor and his children were found along with authorities believe is the owner and pilot of the aircraft.
“The Rsvgpf expresses condolences to all who are negatively affected by this tragic incident,” the local Pd said in a statement on social media. “The Rsvgpf will update the public as more information is gathered. Investigation into the matter continues.”
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Oliver’s reps for comment.
According to the local authorities,...
Four bodies were recovered by the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, including that of the actor — who was identified as Christian Klepser — and his daughters, Madita, 10, and Annik, 12. The 51-year-old actor and his children were found along with authorities believe is the owner and pilot of the aircraft.
“The Rsvgpf expresses condolences to all who are negatively affected by this tragic incident,” the local Pd said in a statement on social media. “The Rsvgpf will update the public as more information is gathered. Investigation into the matter continues.”
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Oliver’s reps for comment.
According to the local authorities,...
- 1/5/2024
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Christian Oliver, an actor you’ll recognize from movies such as Speed Racer, The Good German and Valkyrie, has sadly passed away at the age of 51.
The actor and his two young daughters – Madita Klepser, 10, and Annik Klepser, 12 – were involved in a deadly plane accident on Thursday (January 4) in the Caribbean.
Keep reading to find out more…
According to reporting from Deadline, Christian and his daughters were on a single-engine plane headed to St. Lucia at the time of the accident. Robert Sachs, the owner and pilot of the plane, also perished.
An investigation into the accident is still ongoing.
“Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft experienced difficulties and nose-dived into the ocean,” the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said in a press release. “Fishermen and divers from Paget Farm went to the scene of the incident in their boats to render assistance.”
In his final post on...
The actor and his two young daughters – Madita Klepser, 10, and Annik Klepser, 12 – were involved in a deadly plane accident on Thursday (January 4) in the Caribbean.
Keep reading to find out more…
According to reporting from Deadline, Christian and his daughters were on a single-engine plane headed to St. Lucia at the time of the accident. Robert Sachs, the owner and pilot of the plane, also perished.
An investigation into the accident is still ongoing.
“Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft experienced difficulties and nose-dived into the ocean,” the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said in a press release. “Fishermen and divers from Paget Farm went to the scene of the incident in their boats to render assistance.”
In his final post on...
- 1/5/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Actor Christian Oliver, his two young daughters and the pilot died in a plane crash near a Caribbean island on Thursday, the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force announced.
Oliver, whose real name was Christian Klepser, was 51. His daughters, Madita Klepser and Annik Klepser, were 12 and 10, respectively. Pilot Robert Sachs also died in the crash. They were the only passengers aboard the plane.
The aircraft was a small, one-engine plane owned and piloted by Sachs. It crashed one nautical mile west of Petit Nevis, a small island in the Grenadines, Thursday afternoon. The plane left from the J.F. Mitchell Airport in Paget Farm, Bequia, an island in the Grenadines, around 12:11 p.m. bound for St. Lucia as its final destination.
“Moments after taking off, the aircraft experienced difficulties and plummeted into the ocean,” the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force wrote in a statement.
Oliver, whose real name was Christian Klepser, was 51. His daughters, Madita Klepser and Annik Klepser, were 12 and 10, respectively. Pilot Robert Sachs also died in the crash. They were the only passengers aboard the plane.
The aircraft was a small, one-engine plane owned and piloted by Sachs. It crashed one nautical mile west of Petit Nevis, a small island in the Grenadines, Thursday afternoon. The plane left from the J.F. Mitchell Airport in Paget Farm, Bequia, an island in the Grenadines, around 12:11 p.m. bound for St. Lucia as its final destination.
“Moments after taking off, the aircraft experienced difficulties and plummeted into the ocean,” the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force wrote in a statement.
- 1/5/2024
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
Hollywood actor Christian Oliver, known by his real name Christian Klepser, and his two young daughters have been found dead following the recovery of four bodies from a plane crash off a Caribbean island on January 4, according to NBC News. The 51-year-old actor, recognized for roles in films like Speed Racer and Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny, as well as TV shows such as Hunters and Sense8, was on board a small plane that encountered difficulties and landed in the ocean, according to the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force. The deceased include his daughters, 10-year-old Madita Klepser and 12-year-old Annik Klepser, along with the plane’s pilot and owner, Robert Sachs, according to the police. The incident occurred shortly after the single-engine plane took off from Becquia, a small island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines that’s popular with tourists. The plane was en...
- 1/5/2024
- TV Insider
Christian Oliver (real name Christian Klepser), who starred in films including Speed Racer and Valkyrie among others, was killed Thursday along with his two young daughters when their small plane crashed into the sea off a Caribbean island. The owner and pilot of the plane, identified as Robert Sachs, also died in the crash. Oliver was 51.
According to authorities, the single-engine plane took off Thursday afternoon from J.F. Mitchell Airport in Bequia, a tiny island and part of the Caribbean nations of St. Vincent and Grenadines and was headed to nearby St Lucia when it crashed.
Among the dead were Oliver’s daughters, Madita Klepser, 12, and Annik Klepser, 10.
“Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft experienced difficulties and nose-dived into the ocean,” the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said in a statement provided to media outlets. “Fishermen and divers from Paget Farm went to the scene of the...
According to authorities, the single-engine plane took off Thursday afternoon from J.F. Mitchell Airport in Bequia, a tiny island and part of the Caribbean nations of St. Vincent and Grenadines and was headed to nearby St Lucia when it crashed.
Among the dead were Oliver’s daughters, Madita Klepser, 12, and Annik Klepser, 10.
“Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft experienced difficulties and nose-dived into the ocean,” the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force said in a statement provided to media outlets. “Fishermen and divers from Paget Farm went to the scene of the...
- 1/5/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Supervising sound editor and designer Dane A. Davis — who won an Oscar for 1999’s The Matrix — will receive Motion Picture Sound Editors’ Career Achievement Award during the org’s 71st annual Golden Reel Awards, which will be held March 3 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.
“With his work on The Matrix, Dane Davis set a new standard for how to use sound to create worlds, add impact to stories, and arouse the emotions of the audience,” said Mpse president Mark Lanza. “Since then, he has continued to innovate across features, animation, television, and other mediums. We are excited to recognize his unique accomplishments with our annual Career Achievement Award.”
Davis has been a sound editor and designer for four decades. His roughly 180 film, TV and game credits include the Wachowski sisters’ Matrix series, as well as Speed Racer, Sense8, Bound, and Jupiter Ascending. Additional credits include Allen v Farrow,...
“With his work on The Matrix, Dane Davis set a new standard for how to use sound to create worlds, add impact to stories, and arouse the emotions of the audience,” said Mpse president Mark Lanza. “Since then, he has continued to innovate across features, animation, television, and other mediums. We are excited to recognize his unique accomplishments with our annual Career Achievement Award.”
Davis has been a sound editor and designer for four decades. His roughly 180 film, TV and game credits include the Wachowski sisters’ Matrix series, as well as Speed Racer, Sense8, Bound, and Jupiter Ascending. Additional credits include Allen v Farrow,...
- 12/8/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Motion Picture Sound Editors said today that Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer Dane A. Davis will receive its 2024 Career Achievement Award during its 71st annual Golden Reel Awards in March.
Davis is known for his Oscar winning work on The Matrix, and for his creative contributions to that film’s sequels and scores of other films and television shows.
“With his work on The Matrix, Dane Davis set a new standard for how to use sound to create worlds, add impact to stories, and arouse the emotions of the audience,” said Mpse President Mark Lanza. “Since then, he has continued to innovate across features, animation, television, and other mediums. We are excited to recognize his unique accomplishments with our annual Career Achievement Award.”
Davis has been a sound designer and sound editor for more than 40 years with over 180 film, television, and game credits. Along with his Oscar for The Matrix,...
Davis is known for his Oscar winning work on The Matrix, and for his creative contributions to that film’s sequels and scores of other films and television shows.
“With his work on The Matrix, Dane Davis set a new standard for how to use sound to create worlds, add impact to stories, and arouse the emotions of the audience,” said Mpse President Mark Lanza. “Since then, he has continued to innovate across features, animation, television, and other mediums. We are excited to recognize his unique accomplishments with our annual Career Achievement Award.”
Davis has been a sound designer and sound editor for more than 40 years with over 180 film, television, and game credits. Along with his Oscar for The Matrix,...
- 12/8/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
As confirmed by Deadline, Richard Roundtree, the groundbreaking star of the original "Shaft" franchise has died as a result of pancreatic cancer. He was 81. Roundtree was a gifted athlete who played for New Rochelle High School's nationally-ranked and undefeated football team but later dropped out of college after he was scouted by Ebony Fashion Fair founder Eunice W. Johnson and began modeling for companies like Duke hair products and Salem cigarettes. A few years later, he joined the Negro Ensemble Company theater group in New York City, where he became a fast leading man. This led to a successful career in front of the camera, where Roundtree would become colloquially known as the "first Black action hero."
He appeared in a number of Blaxploitation films in the 1970s, but he became a cinematic icon as detective John Shaft in the films "Shaft," "Shaft's Big Score!," "Shaft in Africa," and the short-lived series adaptation.
He appeared in a number of Blaxploitation films in the 1970s, but he became a cinematic icon as detective John Shaft in the films "Shaft," "Shaft's Big Score!," "Shaft in Africa," and the short-lived series adaptation.
- 10/25/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Richard Roundtree, an icon of Blaxploitation film who starred as detective John Shaft in Gordon Parks’ 1971 action thriller, died Tuesday afternoon after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 81 years old.
His death was confirmed by Patrick McMinn, his manager since 1987.
“Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men in film,” McMinn said in his statement. “The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated.”
Roundtree was a leading man from the very start of his lifetime in screen acting. After beginning his career in modeling, he secured “Shaft” at the age of 28, marking his feature debut. The MGM release earned $12 million in ticket sales off of a $500,000 production budget, helping to save the studio from bankruptcy. A breakthrough hit, “Shaft” set the tone for a prolific decade of Blaxploitation filmmaking and demonstrated Hollywood’s historical failure to consider Black talent...
His death was confirmed by Patrick McMinn, his manager since 1987.
“Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men in film,” McMinn said in his statement. “The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated.”
Roundtree was a leading man from the very start of his lifetime in screen acting. After beginning his career in modeling, he secured “Shaft” at the age of 28, marking his feature debut. The MGM release earned $12 million in ticket sales off of a $500,000 production budget, helping to save the studio from bankruptcy. A breakthrough hit, “Shaft” set the tone for a prolific decade of Blaxploitation filmmaking and demonstrated Hollywood’s historical failure to consider Black talent...
- 10/25/2023
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Tamil director Lokesh Kanagaraj loves a bit of pastiche. Ostensibly remaking influential Western films like “Sorcerer” and “Assault on Precinct 13” with his beloved 2019 hit “Kaithi”, he’s a filmmaker brave enough to acknowledge his influences while also putting a gutsy Indian spin on the material. Now, he’s back with “Leo”, an action thriller that states in an opening quote from Kanagaraj himself that this is his tribute to David Cronenberg’s Canadian mystery thriller “A History of Violence”. It’s a bold move to prepare your audience for the twists and turns that might lie ahead by saying the story you’re about to tell will hit many of the same beats as a film they might well have seen, yet Kanagaraj adds so much to Cronenberg’s most stripped-back work that any core story elements are changed completely into something wholly more bombastic.
Check also this interview...
Check also this interview...
- 10/23/2023
- by Simon Ramshaw
- AsianMoviePulse
Devo are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their formation with 50 Years of De-Evolution (1973-2023), a new box set compiling the best music of their career. The project arrives in full October 20th, while the 7-inch version of their 1988 single “Disco Dancer” is on streaming services for the first time today.
50 Years of De-Evolution (1973-2023) comes in a 50-song 4xLP and 2xCD set, as well as a 25-song 2xLP version. Both offerings include the biggest tracks from all nine of Devo’s albums, while the super deluxe package features rarities like the 1974 demo for “I’m A Potato” and single mixes for “Come Back Jonee,” “Snowball,” and “What We Do.” The 4xLP set is pressed on clear vinyl and limited to 3,000 copies worldwide; it also features a 28-page book, a Devo air freshener, a lithograph of the album artwork, and a foldable hat matching the band’s iconic red energy domes.
50 Years of De-Evolution (1973-2023) comes in a 50-song 4xLP and 2xCD set, as well as a 25-song 2xLP version. Both offerings include the biggest tracks from all nine of Devo’s albums, while the super deluxe package features rarities like the 1974 demo for “I’m A Potato” and single mixes for “Come Back Jonee,” “Snowball,” and “What We Do.” The 4xLP set is pressed on clear vinyl and limited to 3,000 copies worldwide; it also features a 28-page book, a Devo air freshener, a lithograph of the album artwork, and a foldable hat matching the band’s iconic red energy domes.
- 9/6/2023
- by Carys Anderson
- Consequence - Music
Let’s be clear, there’s no doubt that you’ve watched anime at some point in your life. You probably just didn’t know it was anime.
If you’re wondering what exactly constitutes as anime, the term specifically refers to animation created and produced in Japan. And the stories usually originate from a manga or video game series. But today, anime has grown and expanded outside of Japan, inspiring other parts of the world to launch their own versions of the more than 100-year-old craft.
Whether it was “Pokémon” or catching Goku on the next episode of “Dragon Ball Z,” anime has always been there. And anime has inspired live-action films from the likes of the Wachowskis’ “Speed Racer” and Michael B. Jordan’s “Creed III.”
If you’re new to anime thanks to Netflix’s live-action adaptation “One Piece,” you may be wondering where to begin. What...
If you’re wondering what exactly constitutes as anime, the term specifically refers to animation created and produced in Japan. And the stories usually originate from a manga or video game series. But today, anime has grown and expanded outside of Japan, inspiring other parts of the world to launch their own versions of the more than 100-year-old craft.
Whether it was “Pokémon” or catching Goku on the next episode of “Dragon Ball Z,” anime has always been there. And anime has inspired live-action films from the likes of the Wachowskis’ “Speed Racer” and Michael B. Jordan’s “Creed III.”
If you’re new to anime thanks to Netflix’s live-action adaptation “One Piece,” you may be wondering where to begin. What...
- 9/3/2023
- by Raquel 'Rocky' Harris
- The Wrap
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being discussed here wouldn't exist. This article contains spoilers for "One Piece."
We've seen so many live-action adaptations of stories that have been previously told in animation in just the past decade, from Disney classics to beloved anime. And it's easy for creatives to feel the need to try and "fix" or change elements of the characterization for live-action. Sometimes these changes are for the better, like correcting caricatures from insensitive times, but sometimes they feel arbitrary and make the characters unrecognizable. Somehow, the live-action "One Piece" show has the perfect balance of changing just enough to make these cartoon characters work in real life while staying true to the 2D characters audiences have loved for over 25 years.
"One Piece" is not the best live-action manga adaptation because,...
We've seen so many live-action adaptations of stories that have been previously told in animation in just the past decade, from Disney classics to beloved anime. And it's easy for creatives to feel the need to try and "fix" or change elements of the characterization for live-action. Sometimes these changes are for the better, like correcting caricatures from insensitive times, but sometimes they feel arbitrary and make the characters unrecognizable. Somehow, the live-action "One Piece" show has the perfect balance of changing just enough to make these cartoon characters work in real life while staying true to the 2D characters audiences have loved for over 25 years.
"One Piece" is not the best live-action manga adaptation because,...
- 8/31/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
This article contains spoilers for Netflix’s One Piece.
Film and television adaptations of stories from other media consistently face uphill battles. Even the most faithful of adaptations can ruffle the feathers of the source material’s die-hard fans or lead audiences to question the point of the adaptation in the first place. Anime and manga have had an even harder time on this front as their live-action adaptations not only have to figure out how to ostensibly bring cartoons to life, but also take into consideration a multitude of sensitive cultural issues.
Audiences are used to writing off live-action anime adaptations after decades of being burnt by projects like Dragon Ball Evolution, Death Note, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, and this year’s Knights of the Zodiac, with live-action versions of Yu Yu Hakusho and My Hero Academia already in development. Even when Japan produces decent live-action anime features like Gintama,...
Film and television adaptations of stories from other media consistently face uphill battles. Even the most faithful of adaptations can ruffle the feathers of the source material’s die-hard fans or lead audiences to question the point of the adaptation in the first place. Anime and manga have had an even harder time on this front as their live-action adaptations not only have to figure out how to ostensibly bring cartoons to life, but also take into consideration a multitude of sensitive cultural issues.
Audiences are used to writing off live-action anime adaptations after decades of being burnt by projects like Dragon Ball Evolution, Death Note, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, and this year’s Knights of the Zodiac, with live-action versions of Yu Yu Hakusho and My Hero Academia already in development. Even when Japan produces decent live-action anime features like Gintama,...
- 8/31/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
In the decades since Japanese animation broke through to the mainstream of Western pop culture, Hollywood has been eager to mine it for precious content. It's not hard to see why. Anime has offered us some of the most fascinating, creatively striking, and challenging entertainment of the past fifty years. Consider the cyberpunk body horror ambitions of "Akira," the space Western melancholy of "Cowboy Bebop," or the astonishing achievements of Studio Ghibli. Anime has exploded in popularity in recent years, in large part thanks to greater accessibility to the material via streaming platforms like Crunchyroll. One such series that has broken through in a major way is "One Piece," a comedy-action saga about warring bands of pirates that is almost as beloved in America as it is in Japan.
Netflix is bringing its live-action English-language adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's work, which is the best-selling manga in history and has...
Netflix is bringing its live-action English-language adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's work, which is the best-selling manga in history and has...
- 8/29/2023
- by Kayleigh Donaldson
- Slash Film
District 9 director Neill Blomkamp’s true-life tale is unable to swerve the cliches yet delivers pedal-to-the-metal entertainment
South African-Canadian director Neill Blomkamp arrived with a bang in 2009 thanks to District 9, an urgent sci-fi fable that used modern fears of extraterrestrial invaders to tell an old-as-time story of racism and segregation. Blomkamp’s interest in wryly satirical socioeconomic sci-fi continued through the big-budget ecocide parable Elysium (2013) and the altogether more anarchically scrappy Chappie (2015) in which a sentient armoured police robot is led into a life of crime.
On the surface, this “based on a true story” account of video gamer turned race car driver Jann Mardenborough may seem like a left turn for a film-maker whose career has been built on adventurous fantasy. But if the story of a Darlington-born son of a former professional footballer parlaying video-gaming skills into international racetrack success is not the stuff of fantasy,...
South African-Canadian director Neill Blomkamp arrived with a bang in 2009 thanks to District 9, an urgent sci-fi fable that used modern fears of extraterrestrial invaders to tell an old-as-time story of racism and segregation. Blomkamp’s interest in wryly satirical socioeconomic sci-fi continued through the big-budget ecocide parable Elysium (2013) and the altogether more anarchically scrappy Chappie (2015) in which a sentient armoured police robot is led into a life of crime.
On the surface, this “based on a true story” account of video gamer turned race car driver Jann Mardenborough may seem like a left turn for a film-maker whose career has been built on adventurous fantasy. But if the story of a Darlington-born son of a former professional footballer parlaying video-gaming skills into international racetrack success is not the stuff of fantasy,...
- 8/13/2023
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie”(starring Margot Robbie as the titular doll) is, justifiably, capturing the cultural zeitgeist.
The movie itself is wonderful – a subversive, silly and surprisingly moving. Whatever you thought a “Barbie” movie would be, this isn’t it. There is no egregious product placements (despite almost every product imaginable in our world having a “Barbie” tie-ins) or feelings of gross consumerism. Instead, it’s a lovely tale about feminism and the differences between an idealized world created, in part, by the dreams of young women, and the cruel reality of the world we actually inhabit.
“Barbie” gives you such a buzz, in fact, that you’re probably looking for more things like it. We’ve compiled five movies that are, at the very least, “Barbie”-ish, and ones that we think you’ll probably enjoy.
Note: These are all movies that were not a part of Greta Gerwig...
The movie itself is wonderful – a subversive, silly and surprisingly moving. Whatever you thought a “Barbie” movie would be, this isn’t it. There is no egregious product placements (despite almost every product imaginable in our world having a “Barbie” tie-ins) or feelings of gross consumerism. Instead, it’s a lovely tale about feminism and the differences between an idealized world created, in part, by the dreams of young women, and the cruel reality of the world we actually inhabit.
“Barbie” gives you such a buzz, in fact, that you’re probably looking for more things like it. We’ve compiled five movies that are, at the very least, “Barbie”-ish, and ones that we think you’ll probably enjoy.
Note: These are all movies that were not a part of Greta Gerwig...
- 7/30/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Christina Ricci is a prominent American actress and producer. She made her film debut at just nine years old in Mermaids, which was then followed up by her breakout role as Wednesday Addams in The Addams family and its sequel, Addams Family Values.
Christina Ricci Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education
Christina Ricci was born on February 12, 1980 (Ricci’s age: 43) in Santa Monica, California to Ralph and Sarah Ricci. Her mother worked as a Ford Agency model during the 1960s before later finding work as a real estate agent. Her father had a more varied career, finding jobs as a lawyer, gym teacher, drug counselor, and primal scream therapist.
Early on in her childhood, Ricci and her family relocated to Montclair, New Jersey. She is the youngest of four. Her three older siblings are Dante, Rafael, and Pia. Her parents split up just as she was entering her teenage years,...
Christina Ricci Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education
Christina Ricci was born on February 12, 1980 (Ricci’s age: 43) in Santa Monica, California to Ralph and Sarah Ricci. Her mother worked as a Ford Agency model during the 1960s before later finding work as a real estate agent. Her father had a more varied career, finding jobs as a lawyer, gym teacher, drug counselor, and primal scream therapist.
Early on in her childhood, Ricci and her family relocated to Montclair, New Jersey. She is the youngest of four. Her three older siblings are Dante, Rafael, and Pia. Her parents split up just as she was entering her teenage years,...
- 6/15/2023
- by Trevor Hanuka
- Uinterview
It didn’t take all that long for Emile Hirsch to establish himself as one of the most competent young actors in Hollywood. Breaking through with The Girl Next Door before moving on to a remarkable lead in Into the Wild, the vastly underappreciated Speed Racer, a wonderful supporting turn in Milk, and playing Mario (we think…) in Prince Avalanche. And then the 2015 Sundance Film Festival rolled around…
Emile Hirsch was at Sundance with his movie Ten Thousand Saints – but proved to be anything but one, physically assaulting then-Paramount executive Dani Bernfeld (she’s now president of creative at Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity) and later pleading guilty to aggravated assault, spending just over two weeks in prison, paying nearly $5,000 to his victim and entering rehab. The rehab stems from a serious alcohol problem Hirsch had at the time, which he says played a significant role in the event.
Emile Hirsch was at Sundance with his movie Ten Thousand Saints – but proved to be anything but one, physically assaulting then-Paramount executive Dani Bernfeld (she’s now president of creative at Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity) and later pleading guilty to aggravated assault, spending just over two weeks in prison, paying nearly $5,000 to his victim and entering rehab. The rehab stems from a serious alcohol problem Hirsch had at the time, which he says played a significant role in the event.
- 6/14/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Fatally, perhaps, I went into Shin Kamen Rider as a Hideaki Anno fan first and a Kamen Rider fan… not so much. I knew about it, of course: the iconography of the motorbike-riding superhero with his bug-eyed grasshopper mask is as thoroughly ingrained into Japan’s pop-cultural consciousness as any Marvel or DC character in the States, having been a staple of TV, film, manga, and young boys’ imaginations for over half a century. Consume enough Japanese pop culture, and some exposure to Kamen Rider––his bike, his mask, his kabuki-like battle poses––is inevitable. Having seen barely one of the hundreds of hours of Kamen Rider content out there, however, I could not fill you in on the finer points of its character names, relationships, or plotlines––meaning that when Anno’s latest, allegedly standalone film stopped for regular applause lines and deep-cut lore references that received whooping ovations...
- 6/6/2023
- by Eli Friedberg
- The Film Stage
This article contains massive spoilers for "Fast X."
If there's a guiding principle to the "Fast & Furious" franchise, it's best summed up by one Cady Heron: the limit does not exist. After all, this is a series that, in the very first movie of the franchise, features street racing scenes where the cars go so fast they appear to travel into a psychedelic hyperspace — there's a legitimate argument to be made that "The Fast and the Furious" influenced the Wachowski's work on "Speed Racer," for cryin' out loud. Despite what a recent Twitter debate begun by people who clearly haven't been paying attention posited, the Fast Saga has never troubled itself with resembling any sort of reality.
With "Fast X," the franchise is now 10 films deep, and each successive installment has seen increasingly improbable events occur. A few examples: cars being able to fly across bridges and drop safely from airplanes,...
If there's a guiding principle to the "Fast & Furious" franchise, it's best summed up by one Cady Heron: the limit does not exist. After all, this is a series that, in the very first movie of the franchise, features street racing scenes where the cars go so fast they appear to travel into a psychedelic hyperspace — there's a legitimate argument to be made that "The Fast and the Furious" influenced the Wachowski's work on "Speed Racer," for cryin' out loud. Despite what a recent Twitter debate begun by people who clearly haven't been paying attention posited, the Fast Saga has never troubled itself with resembling any sort of reality.
With "Fast X," the franchise is now 10 films deep, and each successive installment has seen increasingly improbable events occur. A few examples: cars being able to fly across bridges and drop safely from airplanes,...
- 5/19/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Exclusive: The Into the Wild actor and the star of TNT’s I Am the Night are boarding the feature Degenerate, we hear.
Luc Walpoth is directing off a screenplay by Josh Wilcox.
In the project, when a home poker game is robbed, professional player Andy and his girlfriend, Chloe, are caught up in a whirlwind 24 hours that ends with Andy playing the biggest game of his life, while both their lives hang in the balance…
Emile Hirsch has starred in such movies as Lone Survivor, Milk, Speed Racer, Lords of Dogtown and The Girl Next Door.
Eisley starred in the Patty Jenkins directed, critically acclaimed TNT mini-series, I Am the Night, opposite Chris Pine. She also co-starred in Underworld: Awakening alongside Kate Beckinsale as well as the independent film, Look Away, opposite Jason Isaacs. She can recently be seen as the lead in the feature, Every Breath You Take,...
Luc Walpoth is directing off a screenplay by Josh Wilcox.
In the project, when a home poker game is robbed, professional player Andy and his girlfriend, Chloe, are caught up in a whirlwind 24 hours that ends with Andy playing the biggest game of his life, while both their lives hang in the balance…
Emile Hirsch has starred in such movies as Lone Survivor, Milk, Speed Racer, Lords of Dogtown and The Girl Next Door.
Eisley starred in the Patty Jenkins directed, critically acclaimed TNT mini-series, I Am the Night, opposite Chris Pine. She also co-starred in Underworld: Awakening alongside Kate Beckinsale as well as the independent film, Look Away, opposite Jason Isaacs. She can recently be seen as the lead in the feature, Every Breath You Take,...
- 5/19/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
In movies, the word “bomb” has always meant two things, generally at the same time. The first and most important definition of bomb is that a movie has lost a disastrous amount of money. Movies, in general, can’t afford to do that — they’re too expensive to produce. Bombs happen, but as a business model they’re not sustainable. A movie that bombs commercially has never been something to write off as a trivial matter.
The second definition of bomb, which is linked to the first (though not automatically), is that a film is spectacularly bad. It is, of course, not axiomatic that a movie that bombs commercially has failed as a work of art. There are movies we think of as classics that crashed and burned at the box office — like “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “Blade Runner” or “Intolerance” or “The Long Goodbye.” It’s become almost...
The second definition of bomb, which is linked to the first (though not automatically), is that a film is spectacularly bad. It is, of course, not axiomatic that a movie that bombs commercially has failed as a work of art. There are movies we think of as classics that crashed and burned at the box office — like “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “Blade Runner” or “Intolerance” or “The Long Goodbye.” It’s become almost...
- 4/22/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
"Cars don't win races! Drivers do." Really?! You don't say?! Viva Pictures has revealed an official trailer for Rally Road Racers, an animated movie made by the same director as the other animated movies you've never heard of before - A.C.O.R.N.S.: Operation Crackdown and Charming. This will be opening in theaters starting in May coming soon this summer. Racers compete in a high-stakes rally along the famous Silk Road trade route. Zhi, a rookie driver, gets the opportunity to compete against the reigning champion of the rally car circuit. With help from a former driver-turned-mechanic, Zhi must overcome treacherous terrain, rival racers, and unexpected obstacles to prove he has what it takes to be the next great racer. This features the voices of Jimmy O'Yang, J.K. Simmons, Chloe Bennet, Lisa Lu, Sharon Horgan, Catherine Tate, and John Cleese. This looks like they borrowed all the characters from Sing,...
- 4/9/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
"Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" remains one of the best video game adjacent movies ever, one that captures the aesthetic and the essence of leveling up and defeating bosses, all while also being, along with "Speed Racer" and "Alita: Battle Angel," one of the best live-action anime movies, even though this one is not based on an anime.
Edgar Wright's second most underrated film (after "The World's End") exudes style, is presented through a very specific lens, and if you get on its wavelength, it results in a phenomenal cartoony experience and a great adaptation of the comic series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. And yet, as well as the film captures the anime aesthetic, there are things that just don't quite work in live-action. It is great news, then, that this story is finally making its way to the medium it was always meant to be told in — anime.
Edgar Wright's second most underrated film (after "The World's End") exudes style, is presented through a very specific lens, and if you get on its wavelength, it results in a phenomenal cartoony experience and a great adaptation of the comic series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. And yet, as well as the film captures the anime aesthetic, there are things that just don't quite work in live-action. It is great news, then, that this story is finally making its way to the medium it was always meant to be told in — anime.
- 3/30/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
March has arrived, and there’s no lack of new streaming options this month. We’ve put together a curated guide to some of the best and most notable new movies streaming on everything from Netflix to HBO Max to Peacock this month, which runs the gamut from Oscar-contending features to blockbuster franchises to underseen gems. There’s a little something for everyone.
Check out our list of the best new movies to stream in March 2023 below.
Also Read:
Here’s What’s New on Netflix in March 2023 “Rango” Nickelodeon Pictures
Netflix – March 1
One of the great tragedies of last year was that Netflix pulled the plug on a new animated feature from Gore Verbinski, the filmmaker behind the first three “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies and offbeat cultish fare like “The Weather Man” and “A Cure for Wellness.” The news of a canceled Verbinski animated feature is only amplified if you revisit “Rango,...
Check out our list of the best new movies to stream in March 2023 below.
Also Read:
Here’s What’s New on Netflix in March 2023 “Rango” Nickelodeon Pictures
Netflix – March 1
One of the great tragedies of last year was that Netflix pulled the plug on a new animated feature from Gore Verbinski, the filmmaker behind the first three “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies and offbeat cultish fare like “The Weather Man” and “A Cure for Wellness.” The news of a canceled Verbinski animated feature is only amplified if you revisit “Rango,...
- 3/17/2023
- by Drew Taylor and Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
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