This week we noticed a trend with a number of in-development projects that were recently added to IMDbPro: Biopics. Move over Moneyball, Iron Lady and J. Edger, there's a new crop of biographies in the works.
Untitled Marion Barry Biopic – Eddie Murphy produces and stars in this HBO project based on the life of the civil rights activist-turned-troubled Washington D.C. mayor whose political career rebounded from a prison conviction for crack possession in the 1990s and eventually became mayor again. Spike Lee directs.
Powell – Forest Whitaker's Spirit Dance Entertainment is developing this Ed Whitworth script based on former Secretary of State Colin Powell's run-ins with President Bush over building a case for the U.S. to invade Iraq in 2003.
Dangerously Funny – George Clooney optioned this Smothers Brothers bio about the comedy duo's rise from the 1960s San Francisco club circuit to primetime TV. Scribes Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman will pen the script for Clooney and Grant Heslov's Smoke House and Sony.
Untitled Sammy Davis Jr. Biopic – Writer-producer-comedian Bryron Allen produces this drama based on the life of legendary entertainer, Sammy Davis Jr., which is not to be confused with Wil Haygood's competing script In Black and White that Universal once considered developing.
Ruby McCollum – Cary Elwes stars in and James Brolin directs this civil rights era biography about the woman who challenged the deep south's sexual slavery laws, also known as "paramour rights", when she was convicted for killing a white doctor who tried to force her to bear his child. Springtree Studios is producing the film.
If you know of something in the works, you can submit it via our online submission form (it doesn't have to be a biopic).
Untitled Marion Barry Biopic – Eddie Murphy produces and stars in this HBO project based on the life of the civil rights activist-turned-troubled Washington D.C. mayor whose political career rebounded from a prison conviction for crack possession in the 1990s and eventually became mayor again. Spike Lee directs.
Powell – Forest Whitaker's Spirit Dance Entertainment is developing this Ed Whitworth script based on former Secretary of State Colin Powell's run-ins with President Bush over building a case for the U.S. to invade Iraq in 2003.
Dangerously Funny – George Clooney optioned this Smothers Brothers bio about the comedy duo's rise from the 1960s San Francisco club circuit to primetime TV. Scribes Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman will pen the script for Clooney and Grant Heslov's Smoke House and Sony.
Untitled Sammy Davis Jr. Biopic – Writer-producer-comedian Bryron Allen produces this drama based on the life of legendary entertainer, Sammy Davis Jr., which is not to be confused with Wil Haygood's competing script In Black and White that Universal once considered developing.
Ruby McCollum – Cary Elwes stars in and James Brolin directs this civil rights era biography about the woman who challenged the deep south's sexual slavery laws, also known as "paramour rights", when she was convicted for killing a white doctor who tried to force her to bear his child. Springtree Studios is producing the film.
If you know of something in the works, you can submit it via our online submission form (it doesn't have to be a biopic).
- 12/16/2011
- by Eric Greene
- IMDbPro News
According to reports, George Clooney and partner Grant Heslov, through their Smokehouse Pictures will adapt the novel, "Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'" by author David Bianculli, as a big screen Sony motion picture.
The book covers the comedy duo's 1967-69, 'subversively funny', CBS variety hour TV series.
With a writing staff that included Steve Martin and Rob Reiner, the original series, freaked out CBS censors on a weekly basis by including social commentary about the Vietnam War and politicians.
"I'm thrilled on behalf of Tom and Dick, whose story deserves to be told and retold," said Bianculli, "and whose efforts to inject topicality into scripted TV comedy in the 1960's led very directly to the sort of thing Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Bill Maher are doing today."
Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman ("Atari") will write the screenplay for Smokehouse.
Click the images to...
The book covers the comedy duo's 1967-69, 'subversively funny', CBS variety hour TV series.
With a writing staff that included Steve Martin and Rob Reiner, the original series, freaked out CBS censors on a weekly basis by including social commentary about the Vietnam War and politicians.
"I'm thrilled on behalf of Tom and Dick, whose story deserves to be told and retold," said Bianculli, "and whose efforts to inject topicality into scripted TV comedy in the 1960's led very directly to the sort of thing Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Bill Maher are doing today."
Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman ("Atari") will write the screenplay for Smokehouse.
Click the images to...
- 12/13/2011
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
George Clooney and producing partner Grant Heslov will take a trip back to the '60s for their next effort, a film about comedians Tom and Dicky Smothers. Specifically, the movie will focus on the brothers' show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, which went from clean-cut humor to a promoting the politics of the counter-culture movement. The show was also notable for featuring cutting-edge music acts such as The Who and Jefferson Airplane as well as providing a start for future stars like Steve Martin and Rob Reiner who were part of the writing staff. The film will be based on the David Bianculli book Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story Of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. No word on whether Clooney will take on acting or directing duties for the project, but since he's involved, expect to see some notable names attached. This material seems well within Clooney's wheelhouse, like...
- 12/13/2011
- by Aaron
- FilmJunk
After collaborating as producing partners and occasionally co-stars on films like Good Night and Good Luck, The Men Who Stare at Goats and The Ides of March this year, George Clooney and Grant Heslov are teaming up again through their Smokehouse production banner to tell the story of Tom and Dicky Smothers, the iconic 60's comedians who brought controversial, topical and irreverent laughs to TV with "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour." Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman will write the film based on David Bianculli's book Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story Of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Deadline says at this time it's not clear of Clooney is looking to direct or star in the film, but since he's taking one role or the other in many of the films from Smokehouse, it's very likely he'll at least do one or the other. Though the show only ran from 1967-1969 on CBS,...
- 12/12/2011
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Everyone on the planet knows George Clooney as an actor and, to a smaller extent, director, but he’s also been in the producing game for some time now. (Call him a renaissance man, if it makes you comfortable.) Things are really taking off on that lattermost front, too; both he and his creative partner, Grant Heslov, have recently been launching new projects under their company, Smoke House — some of which involve Aaron Sorkin and Christopher McQuarrie.
Now, Deadline says that the duo are getting behind an adaptation of David Bianculli‘s Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story Of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour for Sony Pictures. Though it hasn’t been said if Clooney will star or direct, Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman have been hired to shape the non-fiction book into a screenplay. As an audience, we’ll be presented with their transition “from squeaky clean comics to counterculture troublemakers,...
Now, Deadline says that the duo are getting behind an adaptation of David Bianculli‘s Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story Of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour for Sony Pictures. Though it hasn’t been said if Clooney will star or direct, Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman have been hired to shape the non-fiction book into a screenplay. As an audience, we’ll be presented with their transition “from squeaky clean comics to counterculture troublemakers,...
- 12/12/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Sony Pictures is teaming with George Clooney and his Smokehouse partner Grant Hesloy to adapt the story of Tom and Dicky Smothers into a feature film, Deadline is reporting. ‘Atari’ screenwriters Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman have been hired to script the story of the 1960s television comedian brothers. Clooney and Hesloy are on board to produce the movie, but there’s no word yet whether the actor will star in and/or direct the biography. The film comes after Sony, Glooney and Hesloy optioned David Bianculli’s book ‘Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story Of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.’ The brother’s show ran from 1967-69 on CBS, and it made headlines for...
- 12/12/2011
- by karen
- ShockYa
George Clooney (The Descendants) and his Smokehouse Pictures are teaming up with Sony to tell the behind-the-scenes story of one of America’s most famous television shows. According to Deadline, Clooney and his producing partner, Grant Heslov had already optioned the rights to, Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story Of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, before seeking a deal with Sony. Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman have been hired to write the adapted screenplay from the book was written by television critic, David Bianculli.
- 12/12/2011
- by Kerry Fleming
- GetTheBigPicture.net
You might think of Tom and Dick Smothers as cute old guys; a quaint, genial and humorously argumentative duo that played folk songs flavored with comedy on variety TV shows and as the stars of their own show in the '60s. And they were that, but there's a history to the Smothers Brothers that is easy to miss with forty years removed between their popular heyday and today. On the face of it, the Smothers Brothers' comedy seems incredibly tame by today's standards. But the duo flirted with controversy for years, as they used their show to highlight emerging counterculture elements (with performances from the Who, Pete Seeger and Joan Baez) and laced their routines with satirical jabs at politics and mainstream culture of the time. Now that sly counterculture aspect of the Smothers Brothers might be remembered once more as producing partners George Clooney and Grant Heslov have...
- 12/12/2011
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
As year-end rituals go, remembering those we've lost over the past twelve months is the solemn twin of list-making, though it's often no less an act of celebration. In the new issue of the Brooklyn Rail, Charles Bernstein and Susan Bee look back on the life of George Kuchar, "one of the most creative, original, and influential filmmakers of our time, straddling two generations of North American iconoclasts, from Stan Brakhage, Ken Jacobs, Rudy Burckhardt, Kenneth Anger, and Michael Snow to Warren Sonbert, Ernie Gehr, Abigail Child, and Henry Hills. Often collaborating with his twin brother, Mike, George Kuchar started making films as a Bronx teenager, and the brothers' early films already show the ingenuity, exuberance, and do-it-yourself charm that would pervade scores of their subsequent films."
More from Clara Pais in the freely downloadable December issue of One + One, which also features Diamuid Hester on Jacques Tati, Donna K on Brent Green,...
More from Clara Pais in the freely downloadable December issue of One + One, which also features Diamuid Hester on Jacques Tati, Donna K on Brent Green,...
- 12/11/2011
- MUBI
George Clooney and Grant Heslov are set to make a film about 60's comedians Tom and Dicky Smothers at Sony Pictures and Smokehouse says Deadline.
Based on the David Bianculli book "Dangerously Funny", the story follows the two brothers who famously squabbled both off screen and on air during their late 60's CBS series.
Initially quite clean, the pair became counterculture troublemakers which introduce liberal politics into the mainstream and made them an enemy of Richard Nixon.
It's unknown if Clooney will star or direct. Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman ("Atari") are adapting the script which Clooney and Heslov ("The Ides of March") will produce.
Based on the David Bianculli book "Dangerously Funny", the story follows the two brothers who famously squabbled both off screen and on air during their late 60's CBS series.
Initially quite clean, the pair became counterculture troublemakers which introduce liberal politics into the mainstream and made them an enemy of Richard Nixon.
It's unknown if Clooney will star or direct. Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman ("Atari") are adapting the script which Clooney and Heslov ("The Ides of March") will produce.
- 12/11/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
George Clooney will continue his interest in real-life characters by adapting the life story of radical '60s comedian-musicians Tom and Dicky Smothers for the big screen. Clooney and his Smokehouse partner Grant Heslov have optioned the David Bianculli's "Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" for Sony. Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman, who wrote the Black Listed script "Atari," about video game pioneer Nolan Bushnell, will pen the screenplay. While Clooney and Heslov are producing, it's unknown at this time if Clooney will star, according to Deadline.com, who broke the story. Best known for the...
- 12/10/2011
- by HitFix Staff
- Hitfix
George Clooney and producing partner Grant Heslov have joined with Sony Pictures to bring the story of the Smothers Brothers to the big screen, reports Deadline New York. The film will be based on the biography Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, which was written by Brian Bianculli.Deadline had this to say about the Smothers Brothers:"The show ran from 1967-69 on CBS, and the brothers, who famously squabbled on and off screen, were transformed by the period’s social upheaval. They went from squeaky clean comics to counterculture troublemakers. They were aided by a writing staff that included Steve Martin, and Rob Reiner and they were the first to introduce liberal hippie politics into the mainstream, as well as cutting edge rock acts like The Who, Jefferson Airplane and The Doors. All this earned them a spot on President Richard Nixon’s enemies...
- 12/10/2011
- LRMonline.com
Actor/producer/director George Clooney is looking to turn the story of of 60s comedians Tom and Dicky Smothers into a full length movie. According to Deadline, Sony Pictures will team up with Smokehouse to adapt David Bianculli book Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story Of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman. will write the script. While we can confirm Clooney will produce the biopic, we don’t know if he will star or direct.
The show ran from 1967-69 on CBS, and the brothers, who famously squabbled on and off screen, were transformed by the period’s social upheaval. They went from squeaky clean comics to counterculture troublemakers. They were aided by a writing staff that included Steve Martin, and Rob Reiner and they were the first to introduce liberal hippie politics into the mainstream, as well as cutting edge rock acts like The Who, Jefferson Airplane and The Doors.
The show ran from 1967-69 on CBS, and the brothers, who famously squabbled on and off screen, were transformed by the period’s social upheaval. They went from squeaky clean comics to counterculture troublemakers. They were aided by a writing staff that included Steve Martin, and Rob Reiner and they were the first to introduce liberal hippie politics into the mainstream, as well as cutting edge rock acts like The Who, Jefferson Airplane and The Doors.
- 12/10/2011
- by Mike Lee
- FusedFilm
George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Productions are developing a biopic about60s comedians Tom and Dicky Smothers for Sony Pictures. Deadline reports that the project is based on David Bianculli book Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story Of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman are currently writing the script for Clooney and Heslov to produce. The project is still in the early stages and it’s not known if Clooney will star or direct.
The Smothers Brothers Show ran on CBS from 1967-69 and were known for making waves both on and off the screen during the tumultuous social climate of the times. They went from “squeaky clean comics to counterculture troublemakers. They were aided by a writing staff that included Steve Martin, and Rob Reiner and they were the first to introduce liberal hippie politics into the mainstream, as well as cutting edge rock acts like The Who,...
The Smothers Brothers Show ran on CBS from 1967-69 and were known for making waves both on and off the screen during the tumultuous social climate of the times. They went from “squeaky clean comics to counterculture troublemakers. They were aided by a writing staff that included Steve Martin, and Rob Reiner and they were the first to introduce liberal hippie politics into the mainstream, as well as cutting edge rock acts like The Who,...
- 12/10/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
Through their production shingle Smokehouse Pictures, George Clooney and Grant Heslov have been developing and producing interesting, intelligent fare over the last five years. The duo had Clooney's third directorial effort in "The Ides Of March" out this year, are backing Ben Affleck's "Argo," which is due out next year, and have a multitude of features in the works including "Our Brand is Crisis" (which Clooney has mentioned is likely to be next up for the duo), the Aaron Sorkin-penned "The Challenge," a movie based on Washington Post article "700 Billion Man" and "The Monster Of Florence" which Christopher McQuarrie is scripting. The two have now added another project their ranks, utilising their partnership deal with Sony to plot a feature film about renowned '60's comedians Tom and Dicky Smothers -- collectively known as the Smothers Brothers -- recruiting Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman to write the...
- 12/10/2011
- The Playlist
George Clooney continued to be in the awards season spotlight thank to his political drama The Ides of March, which he directed in addition to playing its lead, a presidential candidate facing a scandal, as well as his lead role in director Alexander Payne’s family drama The Descendants. Clooney made news again yesterday when Deadline’s Mike Fleming reported that Clooney and his Smokehouse partner Grant Heslov acquired rights to the David Bianculli book Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of ‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.’ Sony Pictures joined the project and Clooney and Heslov hired Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman to adapt the book, a look at the transformation of stand-up sibs Tom and Dick Smothers from clean-cut comedians to counter-culture heroes who earned a spot on President Richard Nixon’s enemies list.
- 12/10/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
George Clooney continued to be in the awards season spotlight thank to his political drama The Ides of March, which he directed in addition to playing its lead, a presidential candidate facing a scandal, as well as his lead role in director Alexander Payne’s family drama The Descendants. Clooney made news again yesterday when Deadline’s Mike Fleming reported that Clooney and his Smokehouse partner Grant Heslov acquired rights to the David Bianculli book Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of ‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.’ Sony Pictures joined the project and Clooney and Heslov hired Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman to adapt the book, a look at the transformation of stand-up sibs Tom and Dick Smothers from clean-cut comedians to counter-culture heroes who earned a spot on President Richard Nixon’s enemies list.
- 12/10/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
George Clooney continued to be in the awards season spotlight thank to his political drama The Ides of March, which he directed in addition to playing its lead, a presidential candidate facing a scandal, as well as his lead role in director Alexander Payne’s family drama The Descendants. Clooney made news again yesterday when Deadline’s Mike Fleming reported that Clooney and his Smokehouse partner Grant Heslov acquired rights to the David Bianculli book Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of ‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.’ Sony Pictures joined the project and Clooney and Heslov hired Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman to adapt the book, a look at the transformation of stand-up sibs Tom and Dick Smothers from clean-cut comedians to counter-culture heroes who earned a spot on President Richard Nixon’s enemies list.
- 12/10/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Exclusive: Sony Pictures and Smokehouse partners George Clooney and Grant Heslov will turn the story of 60s comedians Tom and Dicky Smothers into a feature film. They’ve optioned the David Bianculli book Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story Of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and they’ve set Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman to write the script. Clooney and Heslov will produce. It’s too early to determine whether or not Clooney will star or direct. The show ran from 1967-69 on CBS, and the brothers, who famously squabbled on and off screen, were transformed by the period’s social upheaval. They went from squeaky clean comics to counterculture troublemakers. They were aided by a writing staff that included Steve Martin, and Rob Reiner and they were the first to introduce liberal hippie politics into the mainstream, as well as cutting edge rock acts like The Who, Jefferson Airplane and The Doors.
- 12/10/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
George Clooney has his sights set on another period biopic. Deadline reports that his Smokehouse Pictures is set to team with Sony on the story of Tom and Dick Smothers, specifically focusing on their television variety show, "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" that ran in the late '60s. The screenplay, to be drafted by Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman, is based "Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" by David Bianculli. Bianculli, a television critic and founder of TV Worth Watching , wrote the fully authorized book in 2009. It's officially described as follows: A behind-the-scenes look at the rise and fall of "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" -- the provocative, politically charged program that shocked...
- 12/9/2011
- Comingsoon.net
For the fourth consecutive year Hollywood has selected its Black List, a compilation of the top unproduced screenplays for 2009. Over 300 film professionals were asked to submit the titles of up to ten of their favorite screenplays. The only condition for the picks were that the projects would not be released in theaters this year. That means some of the Black List honorees may be in the process of being turned into movies but by far the majority remain thoughts on digital ink, a blueprint for grand dramatic ideas, high-reaching adventure and controversial ideas waiting to be burned to light.
For a screenplay to have made it onto the Black List it must have received at least five votes for it. Some scripts have five votes while the top-rated screenplay received 47 votes. That doesn't mean that the script with the most votes is the best screenplay of the year; it means...
For a screenplay to have made it onto the Black List it must have received at least five votes for it. Some scripts have five votes while the top-rated screenplay received 47 votes. That doesn't mean that the script with the most votes is the best screenplay of the year; it means...
- 12/12/2009
- by Patrick Sauriol
- Corona's Coming Attractions
Year: 2009
Directors: Brian Hecker
Writers: Brian Hecker
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Tommy
Rating: 7 out of 10
“Sing, Sing, Sing, With A Swing” by Benny Goodman is the first song that you hear as this great film starts up; it takes you back to the fifties with the soundtrack and, then thwarts you into the life of poor Danny and his struggle to get a date for the prom. He’s got the essentials: the tuxedo, the limousine and the hotel room, no thanks to his newly divorced parents, played by William H. Macy and Cheryl Hines, who’s advice gives poor Danny even more trouble to deal with most of the time.
Having watched this poignant film twice, I picked up a lot more of the subtleties, such as: as Danny passes the Ems team he sees them lifting a body into the back of an ambulance, and that...
Directors: Brian Hecker
Writers: Brian Hecker
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Tommy
Rating: 7 out of 10
“Sing, Sing, Sing, With A Swing” by Benny Goodman is the first song that you hear as this great film starts up; it takes you back to the fifties with the soundtrack and, then thwarts you into the life of poor Danny and his struggle to get a date for the prom. He’s got the essentials: the tuxedo, the limousine and the hotel room, no thanks to his newly divorced parents, played by William H. Macy and Cheryl Hines, who’s advice gives poor Danny even more trouble to deal with most of the time.
Having watched this poignant film twice, I picked up a lot more of the subtleties, such as: as Danny passes the Ems team he sees them lifting a body into the back of an ambulance, and that...
- 8/13/2009
- QuietEarth.us
Chicago – The Round-Up is back with a quintet of standard DVDs that may have gone unnoticed in your latest Best Buy circular. There’s at least one very good movie in here and a few unique independent offerings that you might want to take a peek at. We wish we had time to cover these titles in more depth, but here are the details - synopsis, cast, features - that you really need to know.
“Horsemen” was released on July 14th, 2009.
“Bad Lieutenant,” “Bart Got a Room,” “Big Man Japan,” and “The Great Buck Howard” will be released on July 28th, 2009.
“Bad Lieutenant: Special Edition”
Photo credit: Lionsgate Synopsis: “Harvey Keitel is a nameless New York cop, hopelessly addicted to drugs, gambling, and sex. As he makes his way to various crime scenes, he is concerned only with taking bets from his fellow cops on the outcome of the ongoing National League playoffs.
“Horsemen” was released on July 14th, 2009.
“Bad Lieutenant,” “Bart Got a Room,” “Big Man Japan,” and “The Great Buck Howard” will be released on July 28th, 2009.
“Bad Lieutenant: Special Edition”
Photo credit: Lionsgate Synopsis: “Harvey Keitel is a nameless New York cop, hopelessly addicted to drugs, gambling, and sex. As he makes his way to various crime scenes, he is concerned only with taking bets from his fellow cops on the outcome of the ongoing National League playoffs.
- 7/27/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Anchor Bay Entertainment is releasing the comic gem, "Bart Got a Room," the 2008 film festival favorite, on DVD July 28, 2009. Written and directed by South Florida native, Brian Hecker, the coming-of-age film is set in the pastel pink suburbs of Miami and stars William H. Macy ("The Cooler"), Cheryl Hines (.Curb Your Enthusiasm.), Jennifer Tilly (.Bullets Over Broadway"), Alia Shawkat (the upcoming Whip It!), and newcomer Steven Kaplan as the film.s centerpiece character, Danny Stein. Hecker is currently co-writing the screenplay for the upcoming bio-pic, "Atari." The film also features YouTube star, Brandon Hardesty, and debuted at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival to sold-out shows and critical acclaim. Most recently, the film received the...
- 7/23/2009
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
See the trailer as well as new clips and interviews from Anchor Bay Entertainment's comedy "Bart Got a Room," starring Starring Steven Kaplan, Alia Shawkat, Brandon Hardesty, Jennifer Tilly, Cheryl Hines and William H. Macy. Brian Hecker makes his feature-length debut on the project, helming from his own screenplay. The film which made its debut at last year's Tribeca Film Festival and later saw a limited theatrical release. This comes out on DVD on July 28th. Nerdy high school senior Danny (newcomer Steven Kaplan) has spent six hundred bucks on the hotel room, the limo and the tux for his prom. He’s only missing one thing—the girl. Hampered by well-intentioned but clueless advice from his newly-divorced parents (William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines) and unsympathetic mocking from his best friends...
- 7/8/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
The sight of William H. Macy sporting a Jew-fro as a di vorced dad trying to help his nerdy son score with a prom date is among the myriad delights in the gut-bustingly funny "Bart Got a Room."
First-time director Brian Hecker draws on his own experiences as a teenager in South Florida for this short and sweet comedy, which is overflowing with quirky little details that magnify the laughs.
The only thing funnier than Macy loudly simulating the sounds of lovemaking -- to convince his son that the walls of...
First-time director Brian Hecker draws on his own experiences as a teenager in South Florida for this short and sweet comedy, which is overflowing with quirky little details that magnify the laughs.
The only thing funnier than Macy loudly simulating the sounds of lovemaking -- to convince his son that the walls of...
- 4/3/2009
- by By LOU LUMENICK
- NYPost.com
Vin Diesel and Paul Walker reteam for Universal’s “Fast & Furious,” the actioner unspools into 3, 462 venues across America. Justin Lin returns to the helm of the Neal H. Moritz, Michael Fottrell and Vin Diesel production, directing from the screenplay by his “The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift” writer Chris Morgan. The record of previous films in the franchise: · “The Fast and the Furious” – Opened on June 22nd, 2001 in the top spot with $40.7 million from 2,899 theatres before ending off with $144.5 million in the U.S. and $62.7 million overseas. Budget was $38 million. · “2 Fast 2 Furious” – The sequel opened on June 6th of 2003 with $50.4 million and finished with $127.1 million. International gross was over $109.1 million. · “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” – The lowest grossing of the three without Paul Walker or Vin Diesel in the lead. Lucas Black starred and the film managed $62.5 million domestically and $95.9 million overseas. The pairing up of the...
- 4/2/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Filmmaker Brian Hecker is having the best moment of his career so far. The South Florida native's critically-acclaimed "Bart Got a Room" had sold out screenings at film festivals across the country, including Ft. Lauderdale's International Film Festival. "Bart Got a Room," starring William H. Macy and Jennifer Tilly, is opening in limited release.
Hecker and his writing partner were also recently hired by Paramount Pictures to helm a Leonardo Dicaprio-starring bio-pic based on Nolan Bushnell, the 29-year-old rebel who created Pong and started Atari in 1972. He also was awarded "Director of the Year" at the American Film Institute.
Hecker recently joined the Miami Filmmaker Project Advisory Board and now, in association with the Miami International Film Festival and the Entertainment Industry Incubator, will host A Conversation with Filmmaker Brian Hecker. The free seminar will take place Wednesday, April 1st at the Miami Science Museum.
During the seminar, Hecker...
Hecker and his writing partner were also recently hired by Paramount Pictures to helm a Leonardo Dicaprio-starring bio-pic based on Nolan Bushnell, the 29-year-old rebel who created Pong and started Atari in 1972. He also was awarded "Director of the Year" at the American Film Institute.
Hecker recently joined the Miami Filmmaker Project Advisory Board and now, in association with the Miami International Film Festival and the Entertainment Industry Incubator, will host A Conversation with Filmmaker Brian Hecker. The free seminar will take place Wednesday, April 1st at the Miami Science Museum.
During the seminar, Hecker...
- 3/31/2009
- icelebz.com
This week finds us lampooning the '50s, waxing nostalgic about the '80s and lamenting the fact that Vin Diesel ever made it out of the early '00s. There are also high school kids trying to get off, Brian Cox trying to get out and the finest nomadic goat herder rom-com you'll ever see.
Download this in audio form (MP3: 10:40 minutes, 14.6 Mb)
"Adventureland"
Having played no small part in shepherding in the current bromance boom, "Superbad" director Greg Mottola reverts back to the more traditional boy-meets-girl formula for this '80s comedy based on his own experience working amidst the disheveled and dispirited at a Long Island theme park. Perennially awkward Jesse Eisenberg stars as James Brennan, who, having realized a tad too late that a degree in renaissance literature was not the fastest track to six figures, resigns himself to minimum wage eternity while making...
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"Adventureland"
Having played no small part in shepherding in the current bromance boom, "Superbad" director Greg Mottola reverts back to the more traditional boy-meets-girl formula for this '80s comedy based on his own experience working amidst the disheveled and dispirited at a Long Island theme park. Perennially awkward Jesse Eisenberg stars as James Brennan, who, having realized a tad too late that a degree in renaissance literature was not the fastest track to six figures, resigns himself to minimum wage eternity while making...
- 3/30/2009
- by Neil Pedley
- ifc.com
Nerdy high school senior Danny Stein has spent hundred bucks on the hotel room, the limo and the tuxedo for his prom, but he has one thing missing, his date, as seen in the first trailer of "Bart Got a Room". Though in desperate need of finding a date for the upcoming prom, the video footage first points out that Danny thinks he is not the biggest loser in the school.
As the trailer continues with his search for a prom date, it is revealed that the school's biggest dweeb, Bart, has not only secured a date for the prom, but got a hotel room as well. As if battling peer pressure is not enough, Danny has to deal with his parents' independent search for love and their well-intentioned but clueless advice.
Premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 25, 2008, "Bart Got a Room" is a comedy movie from writer/director Brian Hecker.
As the trailer continues with his search for a prom date, it is revealed that the school's biggest dweeb, Bart, has not only secured a date for the prom, but got a hotel room as well. As if battling peer pressure is not enough, Danny has to deal with his parents' independent search for love and their well-intentioned but clueless advice.
Premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 25, 2008, "Bart Got a Room" is a comedy movie from writer/director Brian Hecker.
- 2/16/2009
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
There is nothing like indie comedies that aren't afraid to approach the topic of high school dating or, even more racy, high school sex. Bring in prom and it's impossible to avoid the topic. Director/writer Brian Hecker gives us Bart Got a Room, what looks to be a terrific comedy starring William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines and Steven Kaplan.
Bart Got a Room Trailer & Poster
Nerdy high school senior Danny (newcomer Steven Kaplan) has spent six hundred bucks on the hotel room, the limo and the tux for his prom. He.s only missing one thing.the girl. Hampered by well-intentioned but clueless advice from his newly-divorced parents (William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines) and unsympathetic mocking from his best friends (Brandon Hardesty, Alia Shawkat), Danny battles peer pressure, teen angst and his own raging hormones as he desperately searches for a prom date.
Bart Got a Room Trailer & Poster
Nerdy high school senior Danny (newcomer Steven Kaplan) has spent six hundred bucks on the hotel room, the limo and the tux for his prom. He.s only missing one thing.the girl. Hampered by well-intentioned but clueless advice from his newly-divorced parents (William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines) and unsympathetic mocking from his best friends (Brandon Hardesty, Alia Shawkat), Danny battles peer pressure, teen angst and his own raging hormones as he desperately searches for a prom date.
- 2/15/2009
- www.canmag.com
Leonardo DiCaprio has agreed to star in Atari, a film about video game pioneer Nolan Bushnell, says The Hollywood Reporter. Writers Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman sold a script to Paramount at the end of last week which detailed how Bushnell went from fixing pinball machines to forming the Atari Corporation in the early '70s. The company was eventually sold to Warner Communications for $$28 million. (more)...
- 6/9/2008
- by By Simon Reynolds
- Digital Spy
Variety.com reports today that Paramount Pictures has signed Leonardo Di Caprio to star in the upcoming film “Atari”. The film is a biopic about entrepreneur Nolan Bushnell, the creator of the Atari game system and the video game industry. Brushnell and partner Ted Dabney were the founders of Atari Inc. in 1972. The film is written by Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman. Brian Hecker is best know for his film “Bart Got a Room”. Stay tuned to Toxic Shock TV for [...]...
- 6/8/2008
- by Brian Corder
- ShockYa
Leonardo DiCaprio has more fake IDs than Fletch.
The ubiquitous actor-producer has just become attached to star in "Atari", a pitch that writers Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman sold to Paramount on Friday about the godfather of the video game industry, Nolan Bushnell. DiCaprio's Appian Way shingle is producing the biopic, which the filmmakers hope will play with elements from "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "Tucker".
Bushnell was an engineering student, puzzle-lover and game enthusiast (chess, Go, early computer games) who went from fixing broken pinball machines to launching Atari Corp., a video game manufacturer, in the early '70s. Its first product was a little game called Pong that transfixed kids in suburban rec rooms across the country and led to hundreds of millions of dollars worth of video game sales. Within a few years, he sold the company to Warner Communications for $28 million.
During the next three decades, Bushnell started many other tech ventures and also created Chuck E.
The ubiquitous actor-producer has just become attached to star in "Atari", a pitch that writers Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman sold to Paramount on Friday about the godfather of the video game industry, Nolan Bushnell. DiCaprio's Appian Way shingle is producing the biopic, which the filmmakers hope will play with elements from "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "Tucker".
Bushnell was an engineering student, puzzle-lover and game enthusiast (chess, Go, early computer games) who went from fixing broken pinball machines to launching Atari Corp., a video game manufacturer, in the early '70s. Its first product was a little game called Pong that transfixed kids in suburban rec rooms across the country and led to hundreds of millions of dollars worth of video game sales. Within a few years, he sold the company to Warner Communications for $28 million.
During the next three decades, Bushnell started many other tech ventures and also created Chuck E.
Venue: Tribeca Film Festival (Plum Pictures) NEW YORK -- One can't help wondering if the agonies surrounding teenage sexual awakening will ever cease to mesmerize filmmakers.
The latest addition to the genre, "Bart Got a Room", got a rapturous response at the Tribeca Film Festival -- mainly from the director's extended family and friends who packed the premiere screening. That response probably will not be duplicated out in the real world, but "Bart" has enough laughs to snare a distributor and decent-sized audiences.
The premise could hardly be simpler. Time is running out, and Danny Stein (Steven Kaplan) still does not have a date for the prom. Danny is reluctant to invite his fallback date, his best friend Camille (Alia Shawkat), but most of his other prospects evaporate as the big night approaches. Danny is even forced to solicit the help of his divorced parents (William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines), though neither of them has much stored wisdom with regard to romantic relationships.
This familiar melange trots out adolescent sex jokes along with dysfunctional family jokes, and some of them are even funny, though the tone established by first-time writer-director Brian Hecker is much too broad.
The young actors help keep the movie afloat. Kaplan has innate charm, and Shawkat conveys just the right mixture of gawkiness and nascent self-assurance. Although it's a stretch to cast Macy and Hines as neurotic Jewish parents, they both score some belly laughs, and the supporting cast is deft. Jennifer Tilly has a brief but hilarious cameo as one of Macy's Internet dates.
Hecker makes good use of the south Florida locations, and the song selection -- including many Big Band favorites -- is winning. Hecker has said that the film was inspired by his own adolescent experiences, and while he is not the first filmmaker to mine his own teen crises for comedy, he would be well advised to move a little further afield if he wants to sustain a career.
CAST: Steven Kaplan, William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines, Alia Shawkat. SCREENWRITER-DIRECTOR: Brian Hecker. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Pamela Hirsch, Stephen Benedek, Ed Hart, Bruce Lunsford, Reagan Silber, Dina Burke, Mario Fallone, Michael Lafetra, Randy Simon.
No MPAA rating, 80 minutes.
The latest addition to the genre, "Bart Got a Room", got a rapturous response at the Tribeca Film Festival -- mainly from the director's extended family and friends who packed the premiere screening. That response probably will not be duplicated out in the real world, but "Bart" has enough laughs to snare a distributor and decent-sized audiences.
The premise could hardly be simpler. Time is running out, and Danny Stein (Steven Kaplan) still does not have a date for the prom. Danny is reluctant to invite his fallback date, his best friend Camille (Alia Shawkat), but most of his other prospects evaporate as the big night approaches. Danny is even forced to solicit the help of his divorced parents (William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines), though neither of them has much stored wisdom with regard to romantic relationships.
This familiar melange trots out adolescent sex jokes along with dysfunctional family jokes, and some of them are even funny, though the tone established by first-time writer-director Brian Hecker is much too broad.
The young actors help keep the movie afloat. Kaplan has innate charm, and Shawkat conveys just the right mixture of gawkiness and nascent self-assurance. Although it's a stretch to cast Macy and Hines as neurotic Jewish parents, they both score some belly laughs, and the supporting cast is deft. Jennifer Tilly has a brief but hilarious cameo as one of Macy's Internet dates.
Hecker makes good use of the south Florida locations, and the song selection -- including many Big Band favorites -- is winning. Hecker has said that the film was inspired by his own adolescent experiences, and while he is not the first filmmaker to mine his own teen crises for comedy, he would be well advised to move a little further afield if he wants to sustain a career.
CAST: Steven Kaplan, William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines, Alia Shawkat. SCREENWRITER-DIRECTOR: Brian Hecker. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Pamela Hirsch, Stephen Benedek, Ed Hart, Bruce Lunsford, Reagan Silber, Dina Burke, Mario Fallone, Michael Lafetra, Randy Simon.
No MPAA rating, 80 minutes.
- 4/29/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- This year's Tribeca Film Festival had barely begun when the fest received the kind of vindication it has eagerly been seeking: A screening for the Michelle Monaghan family drama "Trucker" on Thursday night brought out execs from such studio specialty divisions as Miramax and Paramount Vantage, and even the Weinstein Co.'s Harvey Weinstein.
The weekend that followed didn't land all the blows organizers had hoped for. But for a festival trying carefully to reinvent itself while holding on to the ample buzz and goodwill it has generated over its six years, it might have been just enough.
It's Year 1 for the Genna Terranova experiment at Tribeca, as the fest's senior programmer and former Weinstein Co. exec attempts to streamline and improve programming and presentation, with a particular eye on the industry.
Focusing on quality over quantity (moving from 157 features to a more carefully curated 120) and frontloading the weekend with available titles was met with positive reactions.
The premiere of Plum Pictures' "Bart Got a Room" played strongly Friday as Brian Hecker's coming-of-age dramedy earned high marks for its depiction of teenage romance and family life in the South Florida suburbs.
The weekend that followed didn't land all the blows organizers had hoped for. But for a festival trying carefully to reinvent itself while holding on to the ample buzz and goodwill it has generated over its six years, it might have been just enough.
It's Year 1 for the Genna Terranova experiment at Tribeca, as the fest's senior programmer and former Weinstein Co. exec attempts to streamline and improve programming and presentation, with a particular eye on the industry.
Focusing on quality over quantity (moving from 157 features to a more carefully curated 120) and frontloading the weekend with available titles was met with positive reactions.
The premiere of Plum Pictures' "Bart Got a Room" played strongly Friday as Brian Hecker's coming-of-age dramedy earned high marks for its depiction of teenage romance and family life in the South Florida suburbs.
- 4/27/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines, Alia Shawkat and Steven Kaplan will star in Brian Hecker's coming-of-age comedy Bart Got a Room for Plum Pictures.
Kaplan plays Bart, a high school senior living in a Florida retirement community with bickering parents (Macy and Hines). The nerdy teen struggles to find a date to his prom with the help of his best friend (Shawkat).
Plum is producing Bart in association with Hart-Lunsford Pictures, Shrink Media Inc., Basra Entertainment, and Benedek Films. Principal photography begins this month in Florida.
Plum's Galt Niederhoffer, Celine Rattray, and Daniela Taplin Lundberg will produce with Shrink's Jai Stefan and Basra's Tony Shawkat. Ed Hart, Bruce Lunsford, Pam Hirsch, Dina Burke, Stephen Benedek, Mario Fallone, Randy Simon, and Michael LeFetra will executive produce.
Macy's many feature credits include Fargo and Wild Hogs. Hines, who recently appeared in Waitress, co-starred with Shawkat on Fox's Arrested Development. The film marks Kaplan's feature debut.
Kaplan plays Bart, a high school senior living in a Florida retirement community with bickering parents (Macy and Hines). The nerdy teen struggles to find a date to his prom with the help of his best friend (Shawkat).
Plum is producing Bart in association with Hart-Lunsford Pictures, Shrink Media Inc., Basra Entertainment, and Benedek Films. Principal photography begins this month in Florida.
Plum's Galt Niederhoffer, Celine Rattray, and Daniela Taplin Lundberg will produce with Shrink's Jai Stefan and Basra's Tony Shawkat. Ed Hart, Bruce Lunsford, Pam Hirsch, Dina Burke, Stephen Benedek, Mario Fallone, Randy Simon, and Michael LeFetra will executive produce.
Macy's many feature credits include Fargo and Wild Hogs. Hines, who recently appeared in Waitress, co-starred with Shawkat on Fox's Arrested Development. The film marks Kaplan's feature debut.
- 10/2/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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