The MPTF “Lights, Camera, Take Action!” telethon raised 867,986 on Saturday night to benefit the 100-year old charity’s support of entertainment industry members in need.
Cast and Crew of MPTF Telethon
The telethon aired live on Ktla 5, with presenting sponsors City National Bank and UCLA Health leading the philanthropic charge. Acclaimed Emmy-nominated actress and writer Yvette Nicole Brown, currently seen in Disenchanted, and beloved game show host and Emmy winner Tom Bergeron co-hosted the show on-air, with Ktla’s Sam Rubin hosting the in-studio phone bank. Writer-producer Phil Rosenthal, who also appeared during the program, and David Wild produced the show. The telethon celebrated MPTF’s significant safety net support to the entertainment community and offered viewers a night of unforgettable musical performances and appearances by special guests. Industry celebrities including Spencer Garrett, Clark Gregg, Annette O’Toole, Michael McKean, Rob Morrow, Jessica Rothe, and Adrienne Visnic took donations on a phone bank throughout the event.
Cast and Crew of MPTF Telethon
The telethon aired live on Ktla 5, with presenting sponsors City National Bank and UCLA Health leading the philanthropic charge. Acclaimed Emmy-nominated actress and writer Yvette Nicole Brown, currently seen in Disenchanted, and beloved game show host and Emmy winner Tom Bergeron co-hosted the show on-air, with Ktla’s Sam Rubin hosting the in-studio phone bank. Writer-producer Phil Rosenthal, who also appeared during the program, and David Wild produced the show. The telethon celebrated MPTF’s significant safety net support to the entertainment community and offered viewers a night of unforgettable musical performances and appearances by special guests. Industry celebrities including Spencer Garrett, Clark Gregg, Annette O’Toole, Michael McKean, Rob Morrow, Jessica Rothe, and Adrienne Visnic took donations on a phone bank throughout the event.
- 12/14/2022
- Look to the Stars
Tonight’s MPTF’s telethon on Ktla raised 858,493 for Hollywood’s 101-year-old charitable organization – exceeding the 750,000 that it had targeted. Jeff Bridges, who was one of the many stars who appeared on the show, noted that the MPTF is in “dire straits” due to the extraordinary Covid expenses it’s racked up over the last three years.
MPTF said in October that it’s facing its “imminent demise” unless it raises 10 million-12 million in cash donations by the end of this year in order to meet its bank line compliance and continue ongoing operations.
Related: MPTF To Hold Telethon December 10 On Ktla As Charity Struggles To Meet Fundraising Goals To Stay Afloat
MPTF president and CEO Bob Beitcher said last week that the current fundraising campaign has only raised about half of that. Tonight’s telethon – called Lights, Camera, Take Action! – gets them nearly 1 million closer to meeting its fundraising needs.
MPTF said in October that it’s facing its “imminent demise” unless it raises 10 million-12 million in cash donations by the end of this year in order to meet its bank line compliance and continue ongoing operations.
Related: MPTF To Hold Telethon December 10 On Ktla As Charity Struggles To Meet Fundraising Goals To Stay Afloat
MPTF president and CEO Bob Beitcher said last week that the current fundraising campaign has only raised about half of that. Tonight’s telethon – called Lights, Camera, Take Action! – gets them nearly 1 million closer to meeting its fundraising needs.
- 12/11/2022
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
The Motion Picture & Television Fund’s star-packed telethon Lights, Camera, Take Action! airs live Saturday on Ktla beginning at 7 p.m. It hopes to raise at least 750,000 to defray some of the 9 million in direct Covid expenses it’s racked up over the past three years – and to help keep more than 250 residents of the retirement village from having to move out.
If you can’t watch it on Ktla, you can watch the livestream above.
The 101-year-old charitable organization said in October it’s facing its “imminent demise” unless it raises 10 million-12 million in cash donations by the end of the year in order to meet its bank line compliance and continue ongoing operations.
MPTF president and CEO Bob Beitcher said a week ago that the current fundraising campaign has only raised about half of what’s needed. MPTF officials hope tonight’s two-hour telethon will get them a little closer.
If you can’t watch it on Ktla, you can watch the livestream above.
The 101-year-old charitable organization said in October it’s facing its “imminent demise” unless it raises 10 million-12 million in cash donations by the end of the year in order to meet its bank line compliance and continue ongoing operations.
MPTF president and CEO Bob Beitcher said a week ago that the current fundraising campaign has only raised about half of what’s needed. MPTF officials hope tonight’s two-hour telethon will get them a little closer.
- 12/11/2022
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
MPTF is proud to announce the “Lights, Camera, Take Action!” telethon, airing live in primetime on Los Angeles’ Ktla 5 on Saturday, December 10, 2022 from 7:00 Pm to 9:00 Pm local time and also available across the country via Ktla.com and MPTF.com.
Acclaimed Emmy-nominated actress and writer Yvette Nicole Brown, currently seen in Disenchanted, and beloved game show host and Emmy winner Tom Bergeron are slated to host the fundraising event, while writer-producer Phil Rosenthal, who will also appear during the program, and David Wild will produce the show whose presenting sponsors include City National Bank and UCLA Health. The telethon will celebrate MPTF’s significant safety net support to the entertainment community and offer viewers a night of unforgettable musical performances and appearances by special guests. Industry celebrities will be taking donations on a phone bank throughout the event. All funds raised from the Ktla telethon will benefit MPTF.
Acclaimed Emmy-nominated actress and writer Yvette Nicole Brown, currently seen in Disenchanted, and beloved game show host and Emmy winner Tom Bergeron are slated to host the fundraising event, while writer-producer Phil Rosenthal, who will also appear during the program, and David Wild will produce the show whose presenting sponsors include City National Bank and UCLA Health. The telethon will celebrate MPTF’s significant safety net support to the entertainment community and offer viewers a night of unforgettable musical performances and appearances by special guests. Industry celebrities will be taking donations on a phone bank throughout the event. All funds raised from the Ktla telethon will benefit MPTF.
- 12/8/2022
- Look to the Stars
The Motion Picture & Television Fund commemorated its centennial anniversary with its 100 Years of Hollywood: A Celebration of Service gala, held at the Lot on Formosa in West Hollywood on Saturday night.
Founded in 1921 by silent screen legend Mary Pickford, the nonprofit organization provides working and retired members of the entertainment community with an array of social and health services including financial assistance, child and elder care, and residential living at its Wasserman Campus in Woodland Hills.
The gala was originally set to take place last year, but it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. On the red carpet ahead of the event, MPTF president and CEO Bob Beitcher told Variety, “It’s a year in the making because we hoped to have done it last year and so to arrive at this point is great, but the anticipation of what the show is going to be and what...
Founded in 1921 by silent screen legend Mary Pickford, the nonprofit organization provides working and retired members of the entertainment community with an array of social and health services including financial assistance, child and elder care, and residential living at its Wasserman Campus in Woodland Hills.
The gala was originally set to take place last year, but it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. On the red carpet ahead of the event, MPTF president and CEO Bob Beitcher told Variety, “It’s a year in the making because we hoped to have done it last year and so to arrive at this point is great, but the anticipation of what the show is going to be and what...
- 6/22/2022
- by Ashley Hume
- Variety Film + TV
Lord Greystoke is back in Africa righting wrongs, freeing the enslaved, smiting the Belgians and rescuing his blonde damsel in distress. We've got more 3-D scenery, irate gorillas and special effects than we can shake a stick at... but do we really have Tarzan? The Legend of Tarzan 3-D Blu-ray Warner Home Video 2016 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 110 min. / Video title extension: A New Threat Awaits / Street Date October 11, 2016 / 24.99 Starring Alexander Skarsgård, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, Margot Robbie, Djimon Hounsou, Jim Broadbent, Ben Chaplin, . >Cinematography Henry Braham Film Editor Mark Day Original Music Rupert Gregson-Williams Written by Adam Cozad, Craig Brewer based on stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs Produced by David Barron, Tony Ludwig, Alan Riche, Jerry Weintraub Directed by David Yates
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Hollywood's love affair with comic book heroes and classic pulp adventure heroes is more than a little spotty. Yes, the Marvel Universe still has the...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Hollywood's love affair with comic book heroes and classic pulp adventure heroes is more than a little spotty. Yes, the Marvel Universe still has the...
- 10/11/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
David Yates brought Tarzan to life on the big screen for a new generation with this Summer's, The Legend of Tarzan, and now Warner Bros. has announced the film's release on blu-ray. Come inside for all the details for what's included on the upcoming disc.
If you missed The Legend of Tarzan when it hit theaters or simply want to watch it again, you'll get your chance on October 11, 2016 when it hits blu-ray. If you simply can't wait that long, it'll land on digital platforms September 20th:
The King of the Jungle returns when “The Legend of Tarzan” arrives onto Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD. From Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures comes the action adventure “The Legend of Tarzan,” starring Alexander Skarsgård (“Diary of a Teenage Girl,” HBO’s “True Blood”) as the legendary character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
If you missed The Legend of Tarzan when it hit theaters or simply want to watch it again, you'll get your chance on October 11, 2016 when it hits blu-ray. If you simply can't wait that long, it'll land on digital platforms September 20th:
The King of the Jungle returns when “The Legend of Tarzan” arrives onto Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD. From Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures comes the action adventure “The Legend of Tarzan,” starring Alexander Skarsgård (“Diary of a Teenage Girl,” HBO’s “True Blood”) as the legendary character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
- 8/19/2016
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Jordan Maison)
- Cinelinx
Burbank, CA, August 18, 2016 – The King of the Jungle returns when The Legend of Tarzan arrives onto Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD. From Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures comes the action adventure The Legend of Tarzan, starring Alexander Skarsgård (Diary of a Teenage Girl, HBO’s True Blood) as the legendary character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
The ensemble cast also stars Oscar® nominee Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, the Marvel Cinematic Universe films), Margot Robbie (Suicide Squad, The Wolf of Wall Street), Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, Gladiator), with Oscar winner Jim Broadbent (Iris), and two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained).
David Yates (the final four Harry Potter films, upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) directed The Legend of Tarzan from a screenplay by Adam Cozad and Craig Brewer, which...
The ensemble cast also stars Oscar® nominee Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, the Marvel Cinematic Universe films), Margot Robbie (Suicide Squad, The Wolf of Wall Street), Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, Gladiator), with Oscar winner Jim Broadbent (Iris), and two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained).
David Yates (the final four Harry Potter films, upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) directed The Legend of Tarzan from a screenplay by Adam Cozad and Craig Brewer, which...
- 8/18/2016
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
Exclusive: Warner Bros has locked Craig Brewer into a deal to write and direct a new installment of Tarzan. Brewer has come up with a take that tells the Tarzan story over three films. He hopes the first one will be his next directing assignment. Warner Bros, which has been stymied in watching several attempts to relaunch the Edgar Rice Burroughs-created hero die on the vine, separately has screenwriter Adam Cozad working on a script that tells a different version of the man raised by apes in the jungles of Africa from infancy. Cozad's recent work includes the Jack Ryan reboot and Archangel, the pic that has Tron: Legacy's Joseph Kosinski attached. How the studio decides which film to make remains to be seen, but clearly Warner Bros is determined to revive a live action Tarzan. This is a passion project for Brewer, who is in demand after...
- 6/2/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Creepshow, the 1982 horror anthology movie written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero, is getting the remake treatment. Warner Bros. Pictures is developing the remake, which will be produced by Roy Lee and Doug Davison of Vertigo Entertainment along with Taka Ichise of OZ LA and Tony Ludwig. James Dudelson, the original rights holder, also is attached to produce. Although in the original anthology the stories -- which were written in the old 1950s EC Comics style -- were unconnected, the plan is to structure the new movie a la Go, where individual stories will have interconnected characters and situations.
- 10/21/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Opens Friday, February 27
For his follow-up to "Old School", director Todd Phillips has literally gone old school -- giving a comedy fuel injection to the mack daddy of 1970s cop shows (sorry, "Baretta"), "Starsky and Hutch".
The end result, which has gained an ampersand in the process, finds Phillips' comedy street cred (he also was responsible for 2000's "Road Trip") reasonably intact, and if it doesn't hit as many inspired highs as last year's smash, it still cruises along agreeably on the easy chemistry between Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, who step in where Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul left off.
It's definitely a lot more fun than the last "Charlie's Angels" picture, another big-screen redo of a '70s Spelling-Goldberg production which has managed to occupy a place in the collective pop culture psyche.
Expect a huge payoff and at least one sequel for the Warner Bros. release (Dimension Pictures has it internationally), which will see Stiller build on that "Along Came Polly" momentum, while Wilson will be able to rebound from "The Big Bounce" and "I Spy".
Effectively laying down the groundwork for the enduring odd couple buddy cop vehicle, the ABC series, which originally aired between 1975-1979, served up a smooth mix of character-driven banter and gritty action.
It was ultimately deemed a little too gritty for the network's tastes, which ordered the violence toned down for the 1977-78 season.
No worries for the kinder, gentler, funnier 2004 version, in which Stiller's feverishly devoted, quick tempered Detective David Starsky is partnered with Wilson's more laidback, rules-bending Detective Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson in the investigation of a Bay City murder.
The trail of clues soon lead them to Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn), a sadistic, polyester-clad businessman who has found a way to make cocaine undetectable by taste or smell.
But it will take more than a trunkful of disguises and a few spins in their trusty Ford Gran Torino (aka the Red Tomato) to successfully nail Feldman before he pulls off the biggest drug deal in the greater Bay City area.
Stiller has put his skills as an astute mimic to good use here, capturing the original Starsky's caffeine-enhanced body language. Wilson, on the other hand, is essentially playing his surfer-boy-self here, but it serves the character well, and after appearing in something like half a dozen movies together, the two have an easy give-and-take that's more Hope and Crosby than Matthau and Lemmon.
The smart casting also applies to the effectively utilized presence of Snoop Dogg, who neatly slides into Antonio Fargas' slick shoes as fly informant Huggy Bear.
Also popping up are Will Ferrell as a jailed associate of Vaughn's with a dragon fetish, Juliette Lewis as Vaughn's naive girlfriend on the side, Jason Bateman as his lackey and Amy Smart and Carmen Electra as a pair of Bay City cheerleaders with a thing for cops.
Even the original Starsky and Hutch put in a final act appearance, and while the former looks more or less the same, the latter is barely recognizable from his "Don't Give up on Us" days.
Phillips, who contributed to the script along with his writing partner Scot Armstrong and John O'Brien, keeps things clicking at a suitably low-tech pace, although some sharper actual writing and a little less improvising would have helped the picture over a few sluggish spots.
Behind-the-scenes, the '70s live again thanks to production designer Edward Verreaux's authentic interiors, costume designer Louise Mingenbach's shudder-inducing threads and Theodore Shapiro's evocative score which doesn't skimp on the wah-wah guitar.
Starsky & Hutch
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Pictures and Dimension Films present a Riche-Ludwig/Weed Road/Red Hour production of a Todd Phillips movie
Credits:
Director: Todd Phillips
Screenwriters: John O'Brien, Todd Phillips, Scot Armstrong
Story by: Stevie Long, John O'Brien
Based on characters created by: William Blinn
Producers: William Blinn, Stuart Cornfeld, Akiva Goldsman, Tony Ludwig, Alan Riche
Executive producer: Gilbert Adler
Director of photography: Barry Peterson
Production designer: Edward Verreaux
Editor: Leslie Jones
Costume designer: Louise Mingenbach
Music: Theodore Shapiro
Cast:
Detective David Starsky: Ben Stiller
Detective Ken Hutchinson: Owen Wilson
Reese Feldman: Vince Vaughn
Kitty: Juliette Lewis
Huggy Bear: Snoop Dogg
Police Capt. Dobey: Fred Williamson
Staci: Carmen Electra
Holly: Amy Smart
Running time -- 100 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
For his follow-up to "Old School", director Todd Phillips has literally gone old school -- giving a comedy fuel injection to the mack daddy of 1970s cop shows (sorry, "Baretta"), "Starsky and Hutch".
The end result, which has gained an ampersand in the process, finds Phillips' comedy street cred (he also was responsible for 2000's "Road Trip") reasonably intact, and if it doesn't hit as many inspired highs as last year's smash, it still cruises along agreeably on the easy chemistry between Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, who step in where Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul left off.
It's definitely a lot more fun than the last "Charlie's Angels" picture, another big-screen redo of a '70s Spelling-Goldberg production which has managed to occupy a place in the collective pop culture psyche.
Expect a huge payoff and at least one sequel for the Warner Bros. release (Dimension Pictures has it internationally), which will see Stiller build on that "Along Came Polly" momentum, while Wilson will be able to rebound from "The Big Bounce" and "I Spy".
Effectively laying down the groundwork for the enduring odd couple buddy cop vehicle, the ABC series, which originally aired between 1975-1979, served up a smooth mix of character-driven banter and gritty action.
It was ultimately deemed a little too gritty for the network's tastes, which ordered the violence toned down for the 1977-78 season.
No worries for the kinder, gentler, funnier 2004 version, in which Stiller's feverishly devoted, quick tempered Detective David Starsky is partnered with Wilson's more laidback, rules-bending Detective Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson in the investigation of a Bay City murder.
The trail of clues soon lead them to Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn), a sadistic, polyester-clad businessman who has found a way to make cocaine undetectable by taste or smell.
But it will take more than a trunkful of disguises and a few spins in their trusty Ford Gran Torino (aka the Red Tomato) to successfully nail Feldman before he pulls off the biggest drug deal in the greater Bay City area.
Stiller has put his skills as an astute mimic to good use here, capturing the original Starsky's caffeine-enhanced body language. Wilson, on the other hand, is essentially playing his surfer-boy-self here, but it serves the character well, and after appearing in something like half a dozen movies together, the two have an easy give-and-take that's more Hope and Crosby than Matthau and Lemmon.
The smart casting also applies to the effectively utilized presence of Snoop Dogg, who neatly slides into Antonio Fargas' slick shoes as fly informant Huggy Bear.
Also popping up are Will Ferrell as a jailed associate of Vaughn's with a dragon fetish, Juliette Lewis as Vaughn's naive girlfriend on the side, Jason Bateman as his lackey and Amy Smart and Carmen Electra as a pair of Bay City cheerleaders with a thing for cops.
Even the original Starsky and Hutch put in a final act appearance, and while the former looks more or less the same, the latter is barely recognizable from his "Don't Give up on Us" days.
Phillips, who contributed to the script along with his writing partner Scot Armstrong and John O'Brien, keeps things clicking at a suitably low-tech pace, although some sharper actual writing and a little less improvising would have helped the picture over a few sluggish spots.
Behind-the-scenes, the '70s live again thanks to production designer Edward Verreaux's authentic interiors, costume designer Louise Mingenbach's shudder-inducing threads and Theodore Shapiro's evocative score which doesn't skimp on the wah-wah guitar.
Starsky & Hutch
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Pictures and Dimension Films present a Riche-Ludwig/Weed Road/Red Hour production of a Todd Phillips movie
Credits:
Director: Todd Phillips
Screenwriters: John O'Brien, Todd Phillips, Scot Armstrong
Story by: Stevie Long, John O'Brien
Based on characters created by: William Blinn
Producers: William Blinn, Stuart Cornfeld, Akiva Goldsman, Tony Ludwig, Alan Riche
Executive producer: Gilbert Adler
Director of photography: Barry Peterson
Production designer: Edward Verreaux
Editor: Leslie Jones
Costume designer: Louise Mingenbach
Music: Theodore Shapiro
Cast:
Detective David Starsky: Ben Stiller
Detective Ken Hutchinson: Owen Wilson
Reese Feldman: Vince Vaughn
Kitty: Juliette Lewis
Huggy Bear: Snoop Dogg
Police Capt. Dobey: Fred Williamson
Staci: Carmen Electra
Holly: Amy Smart
Running time -- 100 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Swedish directors Simon Sandquist and Joel Bergvall have signed on to helm Warner Bros. Pictures' big-screen adaptation of DC Comics' Books of Magic. The comic, about a bespectacled teenager learning magic in contemporary London, is seen as a precursor to Harry Potter. First published as a miniseries by the comic-book heavyweight in 1990, Books of Magic is being produced by Atmosphere Entertainment MM and Riche-Ludwig. Mark Canton, Bernie Goodman and Steve Barnett are producing for Atmosphere, with Alan Riche and Tony Ludwig producing for Riche-Ludwig. Peter Riche also will be involved in producing the film. Neil Gaiman, the author of the original story and the novel, will serve as executive producer. Lionel Wigram and Kristen Lowe will oversee for Warners.
- 5/14/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Opens Friday, February 27
For his follow-up to "Old School", director Todd Phillips has literally gone old school -- giving a comedy fuel injection to the mack daddy of 1970s cop shows (sorry, "Baretta"), "Starsky and Hutch".
The end result, which has gained an ampersand in the process, finds Phillips' comedy street cred (he also was responsible for 2000's "Road Trip") reasonably intact, and if it doesn't hit as many inspired highs as last year's smash, it still cruises along agreeably on the easy chemistry between Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, who step in where Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul left off.
It's definitely a lot more fun than the last "Charlie's Angels" picture, another big-screen redo of a '70s Spelling-Goldberg production which has managed to occupy a place in the collective pop culture psyche.
Expect a huge payoff and at least one sequel for the Warner Bros. release (Dimension Pictures has it internationally), which will see Stiller build on that "Along Came Polly" momentum, while Wilson will be able to rebound from "The Big Bounce" and "I Spy".
Effectively laying down the groundwork for the enduring odd couple buddy cop vehicle, the ABC series, which originally aired between 1975-1979, served up a smooth mix of character-driven banter and gritty action.
It was ultimately deemed a little too gritty for the network's tastes, which ordered the violence toned down for the 1977-78 season.
No worries for the kinder, gentler, funnier 2004 version, in which Stiller's feverishly devoted, quick tempered Detective David Starsky is partnered with Wilson's more laidback, rules-bending Detective Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson in the investigation of a Bay City murder.
The trail of clues soon lead them to Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn), a sadistic, polyester-clad businessman who has found a way to make cocaine undetectable by taste or smell.
But it will take more than a trunkful of disguises and a few spins in their trusty Ford Gran Torino (aka the Red Tomato) to successfully nail Feldman before he pulls off the biggest drug deal in the greater Bay City area.
Stiller has put his skills as an astute mimic to good use here, capturing the original Starsky's caffeine-enhanced body language. Wilson, on the other hand, is essentially playing his surfer-boy-self here, but it serves the character well, and after appearing in something like half a dozen movies together, the two have an easy give-and-take that's more Hope and Crosby than Matthau and Lemmon.
The smart casting also applies to the effectively utilized presence of Snoop Dogg, who neatly slides into Antonio Fargas' slick shoes as fly informant Huggy Bear.
Also popping up are Will Ferrell as a jailed associate of Vaughn's with a dragon fetish, Juliette Lewis as Vaughn's naive girlfriend on the side, Jason Bateman as his lackey and Amy Smart and Carmen Electra as a pair of Bay City cheerleaders with a thing for cops.
Even the original Starsky and Hutch put in a final act appearance, and while the former looks more or less the same, the latter is barely recognizable from his "Don't Give up on Us" days.
Phillips, who contributed to the script along with his writing partner Scot Armstrong and John O'Brien, keeps things clicking at a suitably low-tech pace, although some sharper actual writing and a little less improvising would have helped the picture over a few sluggish spots.
Behind-the-scenes, the '70s live again thanks to production designer Edward Verreaux's authentic interiors, costume designer Louise Mingenbach's shudder-inducing threads and Theodore Shapiro's evocative score which doesn't skimp on the wah-wah guitar.
Starsky & Hutch
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Pictures and Dimension Films present a Riche-Ludwig/Weed Road/Red Hour production of a Todd Phillips movie
Credits:
Director: Todd Phillips
Screenwriters: John O'Brien, Todd Phillips, Scot Armstrong
Story by: Stevie Long, John O'Brien
Based on characters created by: William Blinn
Producers: William Blinn, Stuart Cornfeld, Akiva Goldsman, Tony Ludwig, Alan Riche
Executive producer: Gilbert Adler
Director of photography: Barry Peterson
Production designer: Edward Verreaux
Editor: Leslie Jones
Costume designer: Louise Mingenbach
Music: Theodore Shapiro
Cast:
Detective David Starsky: Ben Stiller
Detective Ken Hutchinson: Owen Wilson
Reese Feldman: Vince Vaughn
Kitty: Juliette Lewis
Huggy Bear: Snoop Dogg
Police Capt. Dobey: Fred Williamson
Staci: Carmen Electra
Holly: Amy Smart
Running time -- 100 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
For his follow-up to "Old School", director Todd Phillips has literally gone old school -- giving a comedy fuel injection to the mack daddy of 1970s cop shows (sorry, "Baretta"), "Starsky and Hutch".
The end result, which has gained an ampersand in the process, finds Phillips' comedy street cred (he also was responsible for 2000's "Road Trip") reasonably intact, and if it doesn't hit as many inspired highs as last year's smash, it still cruises along agreeably on the easy chemistry between Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, who step in where Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul left off.
It's definitely a lot more fun than the last "Charlie's Angels" picture, another big-screen redo of a '70s Spelling-Goldberg production which has managed to occupy a place in the collective pop culture psyche.
Expect a huge payoff and at least one sequel for the Warner Bros. release (Dimension Pictures has it internationally), which will see Stiller build on that "Along Came Polly" momentum, while Wilson will be able to rebound from "The Big Bounce" and "I Spy".
Effectively laying down the groundwork for the enduring odd couple buddy cop vehicle, the ABC series, which originally aired between 1975-1979, served up a smooth mix of character-driven banter and gritty action.
It was ultimately deemed a little too gritty for the network's tastes, which ordered the violence toned down for the 1977-78 season.
No worries for the kinder, gentler, funnier 2004 version, in which Stiller's feverishly devoted, quick tempered Detective David Starsky is partnered with Wilson's more laidback, rules-bending Detective Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson in the investigation of a Bay City murder.
The trail of clues soon lead them to Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn), a sadistic, polyester-clad businessman who has found a way to make cocaine undetectable by taste or smell.
But it will take more than a trunkful of disguises and a few spins in their trusty Ford Gran Torino (aka the Red Tomato) to successfully nail Feldman before he pulls off the biggest drug deal in the greater Bay City area.
Stiller has put his skills as an astute mimic to good use here, capturing the original Starsky's caffeine-enhanced body language. Wilson, on the other hand, is essentially playing his surfer-boy-self here, but it serves the character well, and after appearing in something like half a dozen movies together, the two have an easy give-and-take that's more Hope and Crosby than Matthau and Lemmon.
The smart casting also applies to the effectively utilized presence of Snoop Dogg, who neatly slides into Antonio Fargas' slick shoes as fly informant Huggy Bear.
Also popping up are Will Ferrell as a jailed associate of Vaughn's with a dragon fetish, Juliette Lewis as Vaughn's naive girlfriend on the side, Jason Bateman as his lackey and Amy Smart and Carmen Electra as a pair of Bay City cheerleaders with a thing for cops.
Even the original Starsky and Hutch put in a final act appearance, and while the former looks more or less the same, the latter is barely recognizable from his "Don't Give up on Us" days.
Phillips, who contributed to the script along with his writing partner Scot Armstrong and John O'Brien, keeps things clicking at a suitably low-tech pace, although some sharper actual writing and a little less improvising would have helped the picture over a few sluggish spots.
Behind-the-scenes, the '70s live again thanks to production designer Edward Verreaux's authentic interiors, costume designer Louise Mingenbach's shudder-inducing threads and Theodore Shapiro's evocative score which doesn't skimp on the wah-wah guitar.
Starsky & Hutch
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Pictures and Dimension Films present a Riche-Ludwig/Weed Road/Red Hour production of a Todd Phillips movie
Credits:
Director: Todd Phillips
Screenwriters: John O'Brien, Todd Phillips, Scot Armstrong
Story by: Stevie Long, John O'Brien
Based on characters created by: William Blinn
Producers: William Blinn, Stuart Cornfeld, Akiva Goldsman, Tony Ludwig, Alan Riche
Executive producer: Gilbert Adler
Director of photography: Barry Peterson
Production designer: Edward Verreaux
Editor: Leslie Jones
Costume designer: Louise Mingenbach
Music: Theodore Shapiro
Cast:
Detective David Starsky: Ben Stiller
Detective Ken Hutchinson: Owen Wilson
Reese Feldman: Vince Vaughn
Kitty: Juliette Lewis
Huggy Bear: Snoop Dogg
Police Capt. Dobey: Fred Williamson
Staci: Carmen Electra
Holly: Amy Smart
Running time -- 100 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 2/23/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Can the king of the jungle still swing? Variety reports that screenwriter John August, of Charlie's Angels fame, has been given a crack at reshaping Tarzan for film glory. August will nab seven figures for his work on the new Warner Bros. live-action feature, to be produced by Jerry Weintraub, Alan Riche and Tony Ludwig. The franchise-ready concept does not yet have a director, star or start date named.
- 6/27/2003
- IMDbPro News
Carmen Electra is in negotiations to join the cast of Warner Bros. Pictures' big-screen adaptation of the classic 1970s police action series Starsky and Hutch for director Todd Phillips. The project goes into production today. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson will star as the cop duo who race around the city in a bright red hot rod and report to their never-happy boss, Capt. Dobey. Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg) is the duo's flamboyant street informant. Electra will play Hutch's (Wilson) girlfriend. Stuart Cornfeld, Akiva Goldsman, Tony Ludwig, Alan Riche and William Blinn are producing the project. Stiller and Gil Adler are executive producing. Steve Long, John O'Brien, Phillips and Scott Armstrong wrote the screenplay. Electra, repped by UTA and Untitled Entertainment, has appeared in such films as Sol Goode, Get Over It and Scary Movie. She most recently appeared on television in Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding.
The Lord of the Rings star Sean Astin is in final negotiations and Blade's Steven Dorff is set to topline the indie feature The Mule. Production begins in June on location in London and Amsterdam. Geoffrey Wright (Romper Stomper) is directing. The project is based on the true story of two Hollywood stuntmen (Astin and Dorff) who began making supply runs of the drug Ecstasy between Amsterdam and Los Angeles during the actors strike in the '90s. What started off as a quick, easy way to make money turned in to an elaborate operation in Europe. Clayton Barber and Jack Singman wrote the script to the project, which is being produced by Tony Ludwig and Alan Riche. Dorff also is producing the film, the actor's first foray into producing. The film's $17 million budget is being financed out of Germany. Astin, repped by Writers & Artists, manager Joel Stevens and attorney David Feldman, will segue into Mule after he wraps shooting Columbia Pictures' 50 First Kisses, starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore (HR 3/17). He next stars in the third installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King. Dorff, repped by UTA, next stars in the Walt Disney Co. feature Cold Creek Manor.
- 3/27/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Lord of the Rings star Sean Astin is in final negotiations and Blade's Steven Dorff is set to topline the indie feature The Mule. Production begins in June on location in London and Amsterdam. Geoffrey Wright (Romper Stomper) is directing. The project is based on the true story of two Hollywood stuntmen (Astin and Dorff) who began making supply runs of the drug Ecstasy between Amsterdam and Los Angeles during the actors strike in the '90s. What started off as a quick, easy way to make money turned in to an elaborate operation in Europe. Clayton Barber and Jack Singman wrote the script to the project, which is being produced by Tony Ludwig and Alan Riche. Dorff also is producing the film, the actor's first foray into producing. The film's $17 million budget is being financed out of Germany. Astin, repped by Writers & Artists, manager Joel Stevens and attorney David Feldman, will segue into Mule after he wraps shooting Columbia Pictures' 50 First Kisses, starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore (HR 3/17). He next stars in the third installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King. Dorff, repped by UTA, next stars in the Walt Disney Co. feature Cold Creek Manor.
- 3/27/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
John Schultz, who directed this summer's basketball comedy Like Mike, has come aboard to direct Paramount Pictures/Nickelodeon Films' Where's Waldo. A late-summer 2003 start date is being planned. The project, based on Martin Handford's illustrated children's book series of the same name, is about a lanky, bespectacled boy in a red-and-white striped hat who travels through various scenes throughout the world and throughout time. The feature film version, adapted for the screen by Adam Rifkin, is described as Back to the Future meets Inspector Gadget. It centers on Waldo, now 30 years old, who is a janitor/inventor who ends up traveling through time after accidentally activating a malfunctioning travel machine. There is also a love story component to the project. Tony Ludwig and Alan Riche are producing Waldo. Schultz and Rifkin are both repped by CAA. Schultz, additionally repped by attorney Jason Sloane, directed Drive Me Crazy and Bandwagon, which he also wrote and produced.
- 10/31/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The newspaper ad for "Deep Blue Sea" kind of says it all: wet and terrified, Saffron Burrows is about to be eaten by a very big shark. One can't help but have certain expectations. See created-by-science monsters go amok! See a feisty crew of adventurers go bye-bye one at a time! See pretty girls die and men ride the giant, man-munching beast.
The Warner Bros. wide release, bumped up to Wednesday, should chomp up the competition, given the awareness and relative uniqueness of the movie.
Shocking but true, we live in an era where the original theatrical release of "Jaws" and its mostly abysmal sequels are ancient history. There really hasn't been a good shark movie since Steven Spielberg's big hit 24 years ago.
Savvy casting -- with a mixture of new faces and character actors -- and director Renny Harlin's extreme-sports approach to the action scenes, cool destructible production design and gruesome special effects, make it all come together in a crowd-roaring swim-hide-die game between unlucky humans and 25-foot-long, genetically altered mako sharks.
Floating research facility Aquatica -- a huge facility with underwater living quarters and laboratories and a fenced-in sea-corral -- is in trouble. Funding might go away, there's a tropical depression headed toward it and someone's been keeping secrets about those strange, messed-with sharks, which may hold the key to regenerating human brain tissue.
The beleaguered head of Aquatica, Dr. Susan McAlester (Burrows) is personally driven to find a cure for Alzheimer's, and she suspects increasing the brain size, and presumably teeth, of makos is making them smarter. And meaner. But her crew is just plain nervous when a seemingly successful experiment -- hurried to save the company and witnessed by a take-charge financial backer (Samuel L. Jackson) -- results in the near gobbling up of the project mastermind (Stellan Skarsgard).
It does take a while for the film to open the human sushi bar, with Jackson's got-the-ax outsider giving Burrows' prickly English gal an excuse to take everyone on a grand tour, and be introduced to chief shark wrangler and aquaman Carter Blake (Thomas Jane), religious cook Sherman "Preacher" Dudley (LL Cool J), Aquatica's excitable engineer Todd Scoggins (Michael Rapaport) and the always budgeted marine biologist/screamer (Jacqueline McKenzie).
But once the three "smart" sharks -- they recognize guns, can swim backwards and behave like 8,000-pound underwater housebreakers -- cause the facility to nearly blow up and sink, with many sections flooded and the survivors separated, "Deep" sees red and there are a half-dozen hoot-and-holler scares and numerous memorable dismemberments.
One doesn't so much root for the sharks (thankfully no attempt is made to really personalize them) as against certain characters, with some of them rudely and quite hilariously removed from the proceedings. (One early clue that the subject matter and appeal of the movie is blood-curdling primal, despite its sci-fi premise that's hard to swallow anyway, is the Film Production's notes, in which casting information is put under the section "Shark Bait".)
"Deep" Heroes Blake and Dudley are at just the right depth for this barn flooder -- guys who know how to survive, how to out-hustle the leaky screenplay and how to fry bogeyfish. Hip-hop artist LL Cool J is sensationally funny, and almost as over-the-top as muscleman Jane. Burrows makes for a delectable but somewhat tart fall girl.
Technical aspects of the widescreen production are generally top-notch given the experienced behind-the-camera crew, including production designer William Sandell ("Small Soldiers"), the editing team of Frank J. Urioste, Derek G. Brechin and Dallas S. Puett, visual effects supervisor Jeffrey A. Okun, animatronic wizard Walt Conti, stunt coordinator R. A. Rondell and underwater director of photography Pete Romana.
DEEP BLUE SEA
Warner Bros.
In association with Village Roadshow Pictures/
Groucho III Film Partnership
An Alan Riche-Tony Ludwig/Akiva Goldsman production
Director:Renny Harlin
Producers:Akiva Goldsman, Tony Ludwig, Alan Riche
Screenwriters:Duncan Kennedy, Donna Powers, Wayne Powers
Executive producers:Duncan Henderson, Bruce Berman
Director of photography:Stephen Windon
Production designer:William Sandell
Editors:Frank J. Urioste, Derek G. Brechin, Dallas S. Puett
Music:Trevor Rabin
Costume designer:Mark Bridges
Visual effects supervisor:Jeffrey A. Okun
Shark action supervisor:Walt Conti
Casting:Christine Sheaks
Color/stereo
Cast:
Carter Blake:Thomas Jane
Dr. Susan McAlester:Saffron Burrows
Sherman "Preacher" Dudley:LL Cool J
Russell Franklin:Samuel L. Jackson
Janice Higgins:Jacqueline McKenzie
Todd Scoggins:Michael Rapaport
Jim Whitlock:Stellan Skarsgard
Running time -- 105 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
The Warner Bros. wide release, bumped up to Wednesday, should chomp up the competition, given the awareness and relative uniqueness of the movie.
Shocking but true, we live in an era where the original theatrical release of "Jaws" and its mostly abysmal sequels are ancient history. There really hasn't been a good shark movie since Steven Spielberg's big hit 24 years ago.
Savvy casting -- with a mixture of new faces and character actors -- and director Renny Harlin's extreme-sports approach to the action scenes, cool destructible production design and gruesome special effects, make it all come together in a crowd-roaring swim-hide-die game between unlucky humans and 25-foot-long, genetically altered mako sharks.
Floating research facility Aquatica -- a huge facility with underwater living quarters and laboratories and a fenced-in sea-corral -- is in trouble. Funding might go away, there's a tropical depression headed toward it and someone's been keeping secrets about those strange, messed-with sharks, which may hold the key to regenerating human brain tissue.
The beleaguered head of Aquatica, Dr. Susan McAlester (Burrows) is personally driven to find a cure for Alzheimer's, and she suspects increasing the brain size, and presumably teeth, of makos is making them smarter. And meaner. But her crew is just plain nervous when a seemingly successful experiment -- hurried to save the company and witnessed by a take-charge financial backer (Samuel L. Jackson) -- results in the near gobbling up of the project mastermind (Stellan Skarsgard).
It does take a while for the film to open the human sushi bar, with Jackson's got-the-ax outsider giving Burrows' prickly English gal an excuse to take everyone on a grand tour, and be introduced to chief shark wrangler and aquaman Carter Blake (Thomas Jane), religious cook Sherman "Preacher" Dudley (LL Cool J), Aquatica's excitable engineer Todd Scoggins (Michael Rapaport) and the always budgeted marine biologist/screamer (Jacqueline McKenzie).
But once the three "smart" sharks -- they recognize guns, can swim backwards and behave like 8,000-pound underwater housebreakers -- cause the facility to nearly blow up and sink, with many sections flooded and the survivors separated, "Deep" sees red and there are a half-dozen hoot-and-holler scares and numerous memorable dismemberments.
One doesn't so much root for the sharks (thankfully no attempt is made to really personalize them) as against certain characters, with some of them rudely and quite hilariously removed from the proceedings. (One early clue that the subject matter and appeal of the movie is blood-curdling primal, despite its sci-fi premise that's hard to swallow anyway, is the Film Production's notes, in which casting information is put under the section "Shark Bait".)
"Deep" Heroes Blake and Dudley are at just the right depth for this barn flooder -- guys who know how to survive, how to out-hustle the leaky screenplay and how to fry bogeyfish. Hip-hop artist LL Cool J is sensationally funny, and almost as over-the-top as muscleman Jane. Burrows makes for a delectable but somewhat tart fall girl.
Technical aspects of the widescreen production are generally top-notch given the experienced behind-the-camera crew, including production designer William Sandell ("Small Soldiers"), the editing team of Frank J. Urioste, Derek G. Brechin and Dallas S. Puett, visual effects supervisor Jeffrey A. Okun, animatronic wizard Walt Conti, stunt coordinator R. A. Rondell and underwater director of photography Pete Romana.
DEEP BLUE SEA
Warner Bros.
In association with Village Roadshow Pictures/
Groucho III Film Partnership
An Alan Riche-Tony Ludwig/Akiva Goldsman production
Director:Renny Harlin
Producers:Akiva Goldsman, Tony Ludwig, Alan Riche
Screenwriters:Duncan Kennedy, Donna Powers, Wayne Powers
Executive producers:Duncan Henderson, Bruce Berman
Director of photography:Stephen Windon
Production designer:William Sandell
Editors:Frank J. Urioste, Derek G. Brechin, Dallas S. Puett
Music:Trevor Rabin
Costume designer:Mark Bridges
Visual effects supervisor:Jeffrey A. Okun
Shark action supervisor:Walt Conti
Casting:Christine Sheaks
Color/stereo
Cast:
Carter Blake:Thomas Jane
Dr. Susan McAlester:Saffron Burrows
Sherman "Preacher" Dudley:LL Cool J
Russell Franklin:Samuel L. Jackson
Janice Higgins:Jacqueline McKenzie
Todd Scoggins:Michael Rapaport
Jim Whitlock:Stellan Skarsgard
Running time -- 105 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 7/26/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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