With its scathing social satire, raunchy humor and frequent use of the controversial N-word, “Blazing Saddles” got mixed reviews upon its release February 7, 1974. Nonetheless, it galloped to the top of the box office and earned three Oscar nominations, and set new standards for comedy films with its irreverence, spoofs and just plain silliness. Some reviewers did get the joke from the beginning, including Roger Ebert, who awarded it four out of four stars, saying it’s “a crazed grab bag of a movie that does everything to keep us laughing except hit us over the head with a rubber chicken.” On its 50th anniversary, we look back at how “Blazing Saddles” has endured as one of the greatest and most beloved comedies of all time.
It all started when Mel Brooks bought the film rights to a story titled “Tex-x” (changed so it wouldn’t be mistaken for an X-rated...
It all started when Mel Brooks bought the film rights to a story titled “Tex-x” (changed so it wouldn’t be mistaken for an X-rated...
- 2/7/2024
- by Susan Pennington
- Gold Derby
Netflix generates more contemporary content than anyone, but they’re dipping into the past to curate the great movies from the ’70s. These are the films that people like myself discovered as kids in the early days of when HBO premiered on cable. Bravo, I say. Here’s the preliminary list.
Alice Doesn’T Live Here Anymore
A widowed singer and single mother starts over as a diner waitress in Arizona, befriending her coworkers and romancing a ruggedly handsome rancher.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: Robert Getchell
Producers: Audrey Maas, David Susskind
Key Cast (Alphabetical): Ellen Burstyn, Jodie Foster, Diane Ladd, Alfred Lutter, Harvey Keitel, Kris Kristofferson, Vic Tayback
Distributed By: Warner Bros. Discovery
Initial Release Date: December 9, 1974
At the 47th Academy Awards, Burstyn won Best Actress
Black Belt Jones
High-kicking Black Belt Jones is dispatched to take down a group of Mafia goons trying to muscle in on a downtown karate studio.
Alice Doesn’T Live Here Anymore
A widowed singer and single mother starts over as a diner waitress in Arizona, befriending her coworkers and romancing a ruggedly handsome rancher.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: Robert Getchell
Producers: Audrey Maas, David Susskind
Key Cast (Alphabetical): Ellen Burstyn, Jodie Foster, Diane Ladd, Alfred Lutter, Harvey Keitel, Kris Kristofferson, Vic Tayback
Distributed By: Warner Bros. Discovery
Initial Release Date: December 9, 1974
At the 47th Academy Awards, Burstyn won Best Actress
Black Belt Jones
High-kicking Black Belt Jones is dispatched to take down a group of Mafia goons trying to muscle in on a downtown karate studio.
- 1/17/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
1974 was quite a year for cinema; 50 years later, Netflix (of all places) is celebrating the golden jubilee.
In recognition of the anniversary, the streamer on Wednesday launched a new, dedicated content row (and direct URL link) with the first films being honored under its new “Milestone Movies: The Anniversary Collection” banner. Each of the 14 films came to Netflix this month by way of Warner Bros., Paramount, or Sony — the distributors that license content to Netflix.
The 1974 collection includes “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” “Black Belt Jones,” “Blazing Saddles,” “California Split,” “Chinatown,” “The Conversation,” “Death Wish,” “The Gambler,” “The Great Gatsby,” “It’s Alive,” “The Little Prince,” “The Lords of Flatbush,” “The Parallax View,” and “The Street Fighter” (“Gekitotsu! Satsujin ken”).
Netflix doesn’t plan to stop with disco’s heyday. In April, the streaming service will do the same for films from 1984 (turning 40); July will celebrate 1994 movies (turning 30); and in October...
In recognition of the anniversary, the streamer on Wednesday launched a new, dedicated content row (and direct URL link) with the first films being honored under its new “Milestone Movies: The Anniversary Collection” banner. Each of the 14 films came to Netflix this month by way of Warner Bros., Paramount, or Sony — the distributors that license content to Netflix.
The 1974 collection includes “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” “Black Belt Jones,” “Blazing Saddles,” “California Split,” “Chinatown,” “The Conversation,” “Death Wish,” “The Gambler,” “The Great Gatsby,” “It’s Alive,” “The Little Prince,” “The Lords of Flatbush,” “The Parallax View,” and “The Street Fighter” (“Gekitotsu! Satsujin ken”).
Netflix doesn’t plan to stop with disco’s heyday. In April, the streaming service will do the same for films from 1984 (turning 40); July will celebrate 1994 movies (turning 30); and in October...
- 1/17/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
Piano-playing comedian and political satirist Mark Russell died Thursday at the age of 90, his wife Ali Russell said.
For more than 50 years, Russell took shots at all sectors of the political spectrum with stand-up monologues and song parodies. He was best known for his PBS specials, which he taped six times a year from 1975 to 2004. His routines, which he sang and performed on piano, covered the latest political news with timely lyrical updates of classic songs.
Russell was a member of the National Comedy Center Advisory Board, and was remembered by fellow member Jon Stewart, who said, “Mark Russell was a DC institution who did the hardest thing a comic can do… relentlessly and righteously mock his neighbors.”
Also Read:
Jon Stewart Says Half of GOP Campaigning Against Critical Race Theory Don’t Mean It: ‘They Think It’s an Appeal to Emotion’
“Mark Russell transformed the landscape of political humor in America and,...
For more than 50 years, Russell took shots at all sectors of the political spectrum with stand-up monologues and song parodies. He was best known for his PBS specials, which he taped six times a year from 1975 to 2004. His routines, which he sang and performed on piano, covered the latest political news with timely lyrical updates of classic songs.
Russell was a member of the National Comedy Center Advisory Board, and was remembered by fellow member Jon Stewart, who said, “Mark Russell was a DC institution who did the hardest thing a comic can do… relentlessly and righteously mock his neighbors.”
Also Read:
Jon Stewart Says Half of GOP Campaigning Against Critical Race Theory Don’t Mean It: ‘They Think It’s an Appeal to Emotion’
“Mark Russell transformed the landscape of political humor in America and,...
- 3/30/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Norman Steinberg, screenwriter of films including “Blazing Saddles” “My Favorite Year” died March 15. He was 83.
His other credits include the film “Johnny Dangerously,” the TV movie “Free to Be…You and Me,” and the TV show “Doctor, Doctor.”
Born in Brooklyn, Steinberg went to college at the U. of Maryland and law school at the U. of Pittsburgh and began practicing law in Manhattan.
He disliked being a lawyer, his family said, and met Mel Brooks when he would stop for coffee at Chock Full o’ Nuts. After much badgering from Steinberg, Brooks told him to try writing a script for “Get Smart.” When Brooks told him the script was funny, he quit his job at the law firm the same day.
He started out writing for the music magazine Cash Box, then wrote a political humor album for David Frye. After moving to Los Angeles, he started writing for the “Flip Wilson Show,...
His other credits include the film “Johnny Dangerously,” the TV movie “Free to Be…You and Me,” and the TV show “Doctor, Doctor.”
Born in Brooklyn, Steinberg went to college at the U. of Maryland and law school at the U. of Pittsburgh and began practicing law in Manhattan.
He disliked being a lawyer, his family said, and met Mel Brooks when he would stop for coffee at Chock Full o’ Nuts. After much badgering from Steinberg, Brooks told him to try writing a script for “Get Smart.” When Brooks told him the script was funny, he quit his job at the law firm the same day.
He started out writing for the music magazine Cash Box, then wrote a political humor album for David Frye. After moving to Los Angeles, he started writing for the “Flip Wilson Show,...
- 3/22/2023
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Norman Steinberg, who co-scripted Mel Brooks’ comedy classic Blazing Saddles with and won an Emmy for Flip Wilson’s 1970s variety show, has died. He was 83. The WGA East said Steinberg died March 15 but did not provide other details.
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Whoopi Goldberg Pushes Back On Claims 'Blazing Saddles' Is Racist: "Don't Make Me Come For You" Related Story Carol Arthur Dies: 'Blazing Saddles,' 'Hot Stuff' Actress & Wife Of Dom DeLuise Was 85
Steinberg was a disgruntled lawyer met Brooks in the 1960s at a Manhattan coffee shop, where he would run into the future Egot winner regularly. After repeatedly telling him that we wanted to be a comedy writer, Brooks relented and told Steinberg to submit a script for his James Bond-spoofing sitcom Get Smart! The series was canceled, but Brooks told the would-be scribe that...
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Whoopi Goldberg Pushes Back On Claims 'Blazing Saddles' Is Racist: "Don't Make Me Come For You" Related Story Carol Arthur Dies: 'Blazing Saddles,' 'Hot Stuff' Actress & Wife Of Dom DeLuise Was 85
Steinberg was a disgruntled lawyer met Brooks in the 1960s at a Manhattan coffee shop, where he would run into the future Egot winner regularly. After repeatedly telling him that we wanted to be a comedy writer, Brooks relented and told Steinberg to submit a script for his James Bond-spoofing sitcom Get Smart! The series was canceled, but Brooks told the would-be scribe that...
- 3/22/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Norman Steinberg, the Emmy-winning screenwriter who teamed with Mel Brooks on Blazing Saddles and My Favorite Year and wrote for the Michael Keaton-starring Mr. Mom and Johnny Dangerously, has died. He was 83.
Steinberg died March 15 at his Hudson Valley home in upstate New York, his family announced.
Steinberg also wrote Yes, Giorgio (1982), starring Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti in his feature acting debut, and co-wrote Funny About Love (1990), directed by Leonard Nimoy and starring Gene Wilder and Christine Lahti.
The Brooklyn native and former lawyer won his Emmy very early in his career, for his work on a Flip Wilson variety show.
His TV résumé also included developing Marlo Thomas’ 1974 landmark kids special, Free to Be … You & Me (he brought Brooks in on that); serving as a writer and executive producer on the first two seasons of CBS’ Cosby; and creating the short-lived CBS sitcoms Doctor, Doctor and Teech.
Steinberg died March 15 at his Hudson Valley home in upstate New York, his family announced.
Steinberg also wrote Yes, Giorgio (1982), starring Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti in his feature acting debut, and co-wrote Funny About Love (1990), directed by Leonard Nimoy and starring Gene Wilder and Christine Lahti.
The Brooklyn native and former lawyer won his Emmy very early in his career, for his work on a Flip Wilson variety show.
His TV résumé also included developing Marlo Thomas’ 1974 landmark kids special, Free to Be … You & Me (he brought Brooks in on that); serving as a writer and executive producer on the first two seasons of CBS’ Cosby; and creating the short-lived CBS sitcoms Doctor, Doctor and Teech.
- 3/22/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Norman Steinberg, screenwriter of the classic Mel Brooks comedy “Blazing Saddles,” has died at the age of 83, his family said through a statement by the Writers Guild of America East.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, and a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh law school, Steinberg sought to be a comedy writer after he felt dissatisfied with life as an attorney. That dream was something that he would regularly tell Brooks when he encountered him at the Chock Full ‘O Nuts cafe in Manhattan, which led the famed comedian and producer to tell Steinberg to write a script for the sitcom “Get Smart.”
Though “Get Smart” was canceled by the time Steinberg finished the script, Brooks enjoyed it and told him to pursue writing. He quit his job as a lawyer and got his start as a writer for the music magazine Cash Box. Like countless others, he moved to...
Born in Brooklyn, New York, and a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh law school, Steinberg sought to be a comedy writer after he felt dissatisfied with life as an attorney. That dream was something that he would regularly tell Brooks when he encountered him at the Chock Full ‘O Nuts cafe in Manhattan, which led the famed comedian and producer to tell Steinberg to write a script for the sitcom “Get Smart.”
Though “Get Smart” was canceled by the time Steinberg finished the script, Brooks enjoyed it and told him to pursue writing. He quit his job as a lawyer and got his start as a writer for the music magazine Cash Box. Like countless others, he moved to...
- 3/22/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
The hilarious family animated film Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank, from Paramount Pictures, is available now to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Canada. The exciting action-adventure stars Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais and Samuel L. Jackson.
Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank also stars Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, Cathy Shim and Kylie Kuioka.
A down-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem… cats hate dogs!
Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank is directed by Rob Minkoff,...
Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank also stars Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, Cathy Shim and Kylie Kuioka.
A down-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem… cats hate dogs!
Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank is directed by Rob Minkoff,...
- 9/5/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank Review — Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Chris Bailey, Mark Koetsier and Rob Minkoff, written by Ed Stone, Nate Hopper, Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor and Alan Uger and starring Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais, Samuel [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank (2022): Michael Cera Voices a Samurai Warrior Dog in an Energetic Animated Tale...
Continue reading: Film Review: Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank (2022): Michael Cera Voices a Samurai Warrior Dog in an Energetic Animated Tale...
- 7/17/2022
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
It’s not every day that you get to see Richard Pryor listed as one of the screenwriters of a new movie. That’s because Pryor died in 2005. But when I saw his name credited among the seven writers of “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank,” it gave me an unreasonable jolt of optimism. If you’re wondering what Pryor’s name is doing on a computer-animated comedy about a samurai canine, it’s because the script is credited to Ed Stone and Nate Hopper — and also to Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Alan Uger, and Pryor, who were the five screenwriters of “Blazing Saddles,” the landmark Mel Brooks Western comedy that came out in 1974.
“Paws of Fury” was originally entitled “Blazing Samurai,” because it recycles (sort of) the premise of “Blazing Saddles,” a movie Brooks originally wanted to make with Pryor as its star. He was set...
“Paws of Fury” was originally entitled “Blazing Samurai,” because it recycles (sort of) the premise of “Blazing Saddles,” a movie Brooks originally wanted to make with Pryor as its star. He was set...
- 7/13/2022
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
A new featurette with Michael Cera and Samuel L. Jackson for the forthcoming animated film Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank has been released, and you can check it out right here on CinemaNerdz.
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank tells the story of a hard-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem…cats hate dogs!
About The Film Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy MPAA Rating: PG for action, violence, rude and suggestive humor, and some language Cast: Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais, Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi,...
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank tells the story of a hard-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem…cats hate dogs!
About The Film Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy MPAA Rating: PG for action, violence, rude and suggestive humor, and some language Cast: Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais, Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi,...
- 7/6/2022
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
Check out the new character posters from the new animated film Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, starring Michael Cera, Samuel L. Jackson, Ricky Gervais, and Michelle Yeoh.
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank tells the story of a hard-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem…cats hate dogs!
About The Film Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy MPAA Rating: PG for action, violence, rude and suggestive humor, and some language Cast: Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais, Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh,...
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank tells the story of a hard-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem…cats hate dogs!
About The Film Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy MPAA Rating: PG for action, violence, rude and suggestive humor, and some language Cast: Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais, Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh,...
- 6/17/2022
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
The new trailer for Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank has been released along with the official poster for the film. You can check it out right here on CinemaNerdz!
A hard-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem… cats hate dogs! Also starring Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, Kylie Kuioka, and Cathy Shim, Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank pounces into theatres July 15, 2022.
About The Film Genre: Animation, Action., Comedy MPAA Rating: PG for action, violence, rude and suggestive humor,...
A hard-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem… cats hate dogs! Also starring Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, Kylie Kuioka, and Cathy Shim, Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank pounces into theatres July 15, 2022.
About The Film Genre: Animation, Action., Comedy MPAA Rating: PG for action, violence, rude and suggestive humor,...
- 6/10/2022
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
“Nostalgia, Swashbuckling, And Laughter”
By Raymond Benson
Mel Brooks served as executive producer on this thoroughly delightful picture released in 1982 and directed by actor/director Richard Benjamin. It feels like a Brooks movie (but perhaps not as zany). In fact, My Favorite Year, which was written by Norman Steinberg and Dennis Palumbo, from Palumbo’s story, is loosely inspired by Brooks’ days as a writer on Sid Caesar’s early television comedy/variety programs, Your Show of Shows and Caesar’s Hour, in the 1950s.
The year is 1954, New York City, and Benjy Stone (Mark Linn-Baker) is a young comedy writer on “Comedy Cavalcade,” which stars the demanding and difficult-to-work-for King Kaiser (Joseph Bologna). The studio is lucky to snare a guest appearance on the show by the once hugely popular but now fading swashbuckling movie star, Alan Swann (Peter O’Toole). Swann is a notorious alcoholic,...
“Nostalgia, Swashbuckling, And Laughter”
By Raymond Benson
Mel Brooks served as executive producer on this thoroughly delightful picture released in 1982 and directed by actor/director Richard Benjamin. It feels like a Brooks movie (but perhaps not as zany). In fact, My Favorite Year, which was written by Norman Steinberg and Dennis Palumbo, from Palumbo’s story, is loosely inspired by Brooks’ days as a writer on Sid Caesar’s early television comedy/variety programs, Your Show of Shows and Caesar’s Hour, in the 1950s.
The year is 1954, New York City, and Benjy Stone (Mark Linn-Baker) is a young comedy writer on “Comedy Cavalcade,” which stars the demanding and difficult-to-work-for King Kaiser (Joseph Bologna). The studio is lucky to snare a guest appearance on the show by the once hugely popular but now fading swashbuckling movie star, Alan Swann (Peter O’Toole). Swann is a notorious alcoholic,...
- 5/25/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
My Favorite Year
Blu ray
Warner Archive
1982/ 1.85:1 / 92 min.
Starring Peter O’Toole, Mark Linn-Baker, Joe Bologna
Directed by Richard Benjamin
Nat King Cole’s shimmering version of Stardust, Rockefeller Plaza surrounded by wide-brimmed hats and two-toned Buicks – the first three minutes of My Favorite Year invoke the past with such ease that Proust might applaud.
Sentimental as they are, the sights and sounds of 1954 foreshadow something more significant in the zeitgeist – the era when television was on the rise and Hollywood’s star system was headed in the opposite direction.
Richard Benjamin’s 1982 comedy opens with the camera gliding by the sleek deco marquee of Radio City Music Hall where Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was the summer showcase – on Broadway the Rivoli was flogging the “right at you” thrills of House of Wax. One film in CinemaScope and four track stereo, the other in 3-D – each designed to lure...
Blu ray
Warner Archive
1982/ 1.85:1 / 92 min.
Starring Peter O’Toole, Mark Linn-Baker, Joe Bologna
Directed by Richard Benjamin
Nat King Cole’s shimmering version of Stardust, Rockefeller Plaza surrounded by wide-brimmed hats and two-toned Buicks – the first three minutes of My Favorite Year invoke the past with such ease that Proust might applaud.
Sentimental as they are, the sights and sounds of 1954 foreshadow something more significant in the zeitgeist – the era when television was on the rise and Hollywood’s star system was headed in the opposite direction.
Richard Benjamin’s 1982 comedy opens with the camera gliding by the sleek deco marquee of Radio City Music Hall where Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was the summer showcase – on Broadway the Rivoli was flogging the “right at you” thrills of House of Wax. One film in CinemaScope and four track stereo, the other in 3-D – each designed to lure...
- 10/1/2019
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Amy HeckerlingThe films of Amy Heckerling reveal a heart guarded and tender, a penchant for the past without a whiff of the maudlin. Who could forget her debut, Fast Times at Ridgemont High? Directed from Cameron Crowe's script, the 1982 film gave us frank portrayals of sexuality and the detailed minutiae of growing up, suspended in the hazy tedium of high school, all without condescension or patronizing. Totally righteous. Heckerling proved attuned to the particulars of comedy with her next feature Johnny Dangerously (1984), a waggish send-up of the 1930s gangster comedy. In its cheeky beginning, a 1935 title card reveals itself to be a real material object that crumbles when car crash obliterates its façade. With a darkened lash line, a young Michael Keaton puts forth his best James Cagney as the titular mobster whose identity and status are known to all but his ailing ma and brother, a rising assistant Da.
- 5/13/2016
- MUBI
The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, concludes the Fall 2014 Musicals in Mufti Series with the first New York revival and world premiere of a new re-imagined version of the 1992 musical, My Favorite Year, with book by Joseph Dougherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty, based on the motion picture by Dennis Palumbo and Norman Steinberg. The limited engagement of My Favorite Year will play 5 performances only this weekend, December 5-7, 2014 at The York Theatre Company's home at Saint Peter's Entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue.
- 12/5/2014
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Meet the Cast and Creative Team of The York Theatre Company's Musicals in Mufti presentation of the first New York revival and world premiere of a new re-imagined version of the 1992 musical, My Favorite Year The show features book by Joseph Dougherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty, based on the motion picture My Favorite Year, courtesy of Turner Entertainment Co., with story by Dennis Palumbo and screenplay by Norman Steinberg and Dennis Palumbo.
- 12/2/2014
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, concludes the Fall 2014 Musicals in Mufti Series with the first New York revival and world premiere of a new re-imagined version of the 1992 musical, My Favorite Year, with book by Joseph Dougherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty, based on the motion picture by Dennis Palumbo and Norman Steinberg. The limited engagement of My Favorite Year will play 5 performances only December 5-7, 2014 at The York Theatre Company's home at Saint Peter's Entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue.
- 11/17/2014
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Listening to Hollywood producer Michael Gruskoff talk about his experiences with some of the most legendary directors is an awe-inspiring learning experience. In a business so reluctant to taking chances that might represent financial loss, Gruskoff has placed it all on the line in order to support original voices and talent outside the norm. Although he admits that some of his projects were more successful than others, he remains certain that he always went with his gut in pursuit of talent. In that regard, he has undoubtedly overachieved.
The list of people he has worked with includes acclaimed German filmmaker Werner Herzog , Jean-Jacques Annaud , Mel Brooks , and Stanley Donen. Gruskoff has always had an international taste and is unafraid of searching for stories abroad. Not surprisingly, he is a member of the Academy’s Foreign Language Film branch, to which he returned, invited by Mark Johnson, the head of the Foreign Language Committee, after serving there in the past. Once again he brings his expertise and eclectic global influences to support the Academy in its efforts to highlight World Cinema as a crucial element of the film industry.
Winner of a Cesar Award for the film Quest for Fire , and an outspoken defendant of the filmmaking craft over the cult of celebrity, Mr. Gruskoff is a humble creative person. Still fully in love with cinema despite the ups and downs the industry throws at anyone who attempts to make a living out of its unstable magic, it is incredible to see that passion for a great story is still Michael Gruskoff’s prime motivation. This writer had the privilege to talk to Mr. Gruskoff’s a couple weeks ago in Beverly Hills. Here is what he shared with us.
Carlos Aguilar: Could you tell us how you got started in the film industry?
Michael Gruskoff: I started in the N.Y. mailroom of the William Morris Agency and ended my agency career at Creative Management Associates. While at Cma I was representing Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda during Easy Rider, as well as Robert Redford, Natalie Wood ,Faye Dunaway, amongst others. I started getting the producing "bug" while representing Albert Ruddy and Irwin Winkler, having been instrumental in the packaging of some of their films. It was an exciting time in the industry, with the success of Easy Rider, Midnight Cowboy, and The Graduate, the studios were open to taking chances with new talent and ideas. Ned Tanen at Universal set up an independent division and asked me to run it but I opted to make an overall three picture production deal. I went into business with Douglas Trumbull, Michael Cimino, Sam Shepard and Steven Bochco and independently developed low budget scripts off the studio lot. It kicked off with Dennie Hopper's The Last Movie and Silent Running, a science fiction film dealing with environmental issues. I also developed a script called Conquering Horse with Cimino, which we were going to do in the Sioux language, a predecessor to Dances With Wolves, but it was tabled because of budget issues.
Aguilar: How did your interest in foreign cinema developed?
Gruskoff: Seeing Luis Buñuel , Ingmar Bergman , Vittorio De Sica, and Akira Kurosawa's films got me interested in foreign cinema. Another filmmaker that impressed me was Gillo Pontecorvo the director of The Battle of Algiers, which is one of the great anti-war movies. I was an agent at the time, and asked him if I could represent him. He said "Michael, I don't make that many movies, and you are not going to make any money with me because I'm not interested in working in the Hollywood system" I said, "It’s Ok, you can come to me if you're having trouble raising money for a project/" He said "That could work, but please do not send me any scripts." I was also Anouk Aimée's agent when she did A Man and a Woman with Claude Lelouch. She was responsible for me meeting many people in French and Italian cinema. She's a great lady.
Aguilar : What were your thoughts on the batch of films submitted this past year for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film? Were there any you consider highlights?
Gruskoff : You always look for a diamond that might be there. You have to see films from some 70 countries and many do not work, but being part of the industry I feel it's my way of supporting the Academy. You have to see four films a week, and with the addition of seeing new films. the internet, plus cable, and family etc. It's an overload of information. I did see a jewel of a film from Iceland called Of Horses and Men directed by Benedikt Erlingsson. We have been in touch and are in the process of discussing a project he is writing. He's a bold new voice.
Aguilar: How do you think this category benefits the industry and foreign filmmakers?
Gruskoff: Foreign filmmakers want us to see their films. They have stories they want to tell and we have the ability to make their dreams come through. It benefits us to see what's being made around the world because we are all part of the film community.
It's interesting talking to Bernardo Bertolucci about Italian realism and how those great Italian films and directors came together in the late 40s, 50s and 60s with Rossellini and Fellini , Visconti, etc. After Mussolini and the end of Ww 2 there was such exuberance that filmmakers ran into streets and started making movies. It was a great period in Italian Cinema.
Aguilar: Do you believe this nostalgia for those filmmakers influenced voters to choose The Great Beauty as the winner?
Gruskoff: Sorrentino is s very talented director and he carries the torch of Fellini. I liked The Great Beauty and I also loved his Il Divo
Aguilar: When watching these or any other film, as a producer do you look for something different in them from what a director or an actor might?
Gruskoff: I'm just hoping that when the lights go down I'll see a good film. I want to be entertained and have it not be a waste my time. When I saw 12 Years a Slave it blew me away. Steve McQueen is a great filmmaker because he puts all his passion on the screen and he doesn't cop out. It was real. I like movies that don't pander to the audience.
Aguilar: Would you say all of the 76 films submitted were on a level playing field, despite some of them being obscure titles and not having a festival run?
Gruskoff : I saw a real voice in Benedikt Erlingsson, Sebastian Lelio with Gloria , The Hunt , Omar , The Past , The Missing Picture , or The Broken Circle Breakdown.The directors have something to say and they know how to say it. An interesting thing is when you are seeing that many movies in an environment where the people like films, you really start getting into it. Like being at a Festival.
Aguilar: Now that you mention the Academy wants to promote foreign films, how do you perceive the role of world cinema in Hollywood today? Is it more influential?
Gruskoff: Definitely. 2/3 of the box-office comes from foreign markets. More films will be made with Asian and European talent to bolster their international box-office. Moviegoers in those countries like to see a character they can relate to as long as it's realistically part of the story.
Aguilar: On that note, can you talk about the international filmmakers you've work with throughout your career?
Gruskoff: I met Paul Verhoeven after seeing Soldier Of Orange, one of his earlier films. We developed a screenplay called Harry’s Tale. Unfortunately, it was ahead of its time and the budget was too high.
After seeing The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser by Werner Herzog , I called him. He mentioned Nosferatu the Vampyre , and said he wanted to remake it and it would be a film that "the likes of which the world has never seen before", and I told him "Please be my guest" [Laughs]. I got the financing from Fox and we made it for $900,000 starring Isabelle Adjani , Klaus Kinski and Bruno Ganz. . Werner is a tremendously innovative film director.
I briefly worked with Russian director, Andrey Konchalovskiy , we developed a story that never got to be a screenplay.
Following that, Jean-Jacques Annaud gave me the English translation of a book called “La guerre de feu”, which is Quest for Fire . The film became an international hit and it earned us 5 Cesar Awards including Best Picture. It was a great moment when Orson Welles handed me the award.
Aguilar: One of the great American directors you worked with was Mel Brooks, how did that relationship begin?
Gruskoff: I had briefly met Mel Brooks when I was working in the mail room at William Morris Agency in New York. At the time I was 22 and he was 32, and he had already achieved success in television.
Mike Medavoy worked as an agent at Cma during the early 70s and wanted me to come back and work with him. I wanted to continue producing, and he gave me the treatment for a movie called Young Frankenstein.written by Gene Wilder. I said I wanted to produce it , but Gene said that it was up to Mel Brooks to decide. Having met Mel Brooks earlier and since he actually remembered and liked me, he said "Let's do it ...get the deal." At that point in Mel's career, he made two terrific films, The Twelve Chairs and The Producers, both films did not make money and he was just starting to reignite his career with pre-production on Blazing Saddles.
I set Young Frankensteinn up at Columbia but they passed because the budget was too high and Mel, rightfully so, wanted to make it in Black & White. They were insisting that it should be in color. I gave it to my friend Alan Ladd Jr. at Fox and he said yes with an even bigger budget than we had. Seven years later Mel and I did My Favorite Year based on an idea I had. The original script was written by Norman Steinberg and Mel helped develop and executive produce it.. Peter O'Toole was a dream to work with and I learned a lot about filmmaking working with him.
Aguilar: Going back to the Foreign Language Academy Award, back when the shortlist and eventually the nominees were announced, there was much talk about several films being snubbed, including Gloria and The Past. Why do you think these weren't included?
Gruskoff: Gloria probably didn’t get nominated because it wasn’t as serious as some of the other films. We will be hearing a lot from its director Sebastian Lelio. On the other hand, it's about preferential viewing, Farhadi makes very specific movies. He is a serious filmmaker, and he is a very good storyteller. He is another director that tells it how it is. His films are like reading a book with great characters, It was one of my favorite films but it was a tough movie for some people. He is what he is, take it or leave it. He just does his thing.
Aguilar: Are there any filmmakers you would like to work with in the future? Anyone who has caught your eye?
Gruskoff: Sure, David O. Russell would be great. [Laughs]. Other great directors whom I would love to work with are Steve McQueen, Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan , David Fincher, or Kathryn Bigelow ....who wouldn't!
Aguilar: Where do you think the industry is going, with all the awards campaigns and the more glamorous, less artistic, side of the business becoming so prominent?
Gruskoff: The industry has become more about celebrity. After seeing 12 Years a Slave at the Pacific Designer Center early on, I knew McQueen's work was just beginning. He was going to have to live between L.A. and N.Y.C. to attend press events and Q&As for the next six months....longer than it took to shoot the film. Fashion has also joined the fray to cross-promote films.
Just a few years ago when Sydney Pollack made a movie and the distribution people received the print, the filmmakers promotion schedule was not as arduous. Going to 2 or 3 major cities with the actors before the film opened. Now it has become so celebrity-driven with all the different outlets fighting for space, it has gotten out of hand. If you have Brad Pitt producing or Ben Affleck starring, you have an opportunity to promote your film on every talk show. It cuts your marketing costs, which are very expensive and getting even more expensive, even with the help of the internet.
Aguilar: What are your future plans? Looking back your career are there any regrets?
Gruskoff: As a producer you are always looking for a good story. I did Quest for Fire and my friends said “Don’t you have something better to do with your time? You will never get it made.” Miraculously it did get made. I’d like to do dark comedies in the vein of American Beauty or Fargo. It's about what turns you on, what gives you a rush, because it is such a difficult journey. You never know what's around the corner.
The list of people he has worked with includes acclaimed German filmmaker Werner Herzog , Jean-Jacques Annaud , Mel Brooks , and Stanley Donen. Gruskoff has always had an international taste and is unafraid of searching for stories abroad. Not surprisingly, he is a member of the Academy’s Foreign Language Film branch, to which he returned, invited by Mark Johnson, the head of the Foreign Language Committee, after serving there in the past. Once again he brings his expertise and eclectic global influences to support the Academy in its efforts to highlight World Cinema as a crucial element of the film industry.
Winner of a Cesar Award for the film Quest for Fire , and an outspoken defendant of the filmmaking craft over the cult of celebrity, Mr. Gruskoff is a humble creative person. Still fully in love with cinema despite the ups and downs the industry throws at anyone who attempts to make a living out of its unstable magic, it is incredible to see that passion for a great story is still Michael Gruskoff’s prime motivation. This writer had the privilege to talk to Mr. Gruskoff’s a couple weeks ago in Beverly Hills. Here is what he shared with us.
Carlos Aguilar: Could you tell us how you got started in the film industry?
Michael Gruskoff: I started in the N.Y. mailroom of the William Morris Agency and ended my agency career at Creative Management Associates. While at Cma I was representing Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda during Easy Rider, as well as Robert Redford, Natalie Wood ,Faye Dunaway, amongst others. I started getting the producing "bug" while representing Albert Ruddy and Irwin Winkler, having been instrumental in the packaging of some of their films. It was an exciting time in the industry, with the success of Easy Rider, Midnight Cowboy, and The Graduate, the studios were open to taking chances with new talent and ideas. Ned Tanen at Universal set up an independent division and asked me to run it but I opted to make an overall three picture production deal. I went into business with Douglas Trumbull, Michael Cimino, Sam Shepard and Steven Bochco and independently developed low budget scripts off the studio lot. It kicked off with Dennie Hopper's The Last Movie and Silent Running, a science fiction film dealing with environmental issues. I also developed a script called Conquering Horse with Cimino, which we were going to do in the Sioux language, a predecessor to Dances With Wolves, but it was tabled because of budget issues.
Aguilar: How did your interest in foreign cinema developed?
Gruskoff: Seeing Luis Buñuel , Ingmar Bergman , Vittorio De Sica, and Akira Kurosawa's films got me interested in foreign cinema. Another filmmaker that impressed me was Gillo Pontecorvo the director of The Battle of Algiers, which is one of the great anti-war movies. I was an agent at the time, and asked him if I could represent him. He said "Michael, I don't make that many movies, and you are not going to make any money with me because I'm not interested in working in the Hollywood system" I said, "It’s Ok, you can come to me if you're having trouble raising money for a project/" He said "That could work, but please do not send me any scripts." I was also Anouk Aimée's agent when she did A Man and a Woman with Claude Lelouch. She was responsible for me meeting many people in French and Italian cinema. She's a great lady.
Aguilar : What were your thoughts on the batch of films submitted this past year for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film? Were there any you consider highlights?
Gruskoff : You always look for a diamond that might be there. You have to see films from some 70 countries and many do not work, but being part of the industry I feel it's my way of supporting the Academy. You have to see four films a week, and with the addition of seeing new films. the internet, plus cable, and family etc. It's an overload of information. I did see a jewel of a film from Iceland called Of Horses and Men directed by Benedikt Erlingsson. We have been in touch and are in the process of discussing a project he is writing. He's a bold new voice.
Aguilar: How do you think this category benefits the industry and foreign filmmakers?
Gruskoff: Foreign filmmakers want us to see their films. They have stories they want to tell and we have the ability to make their dreams come through. It benefits us to see what's being made around the world because we are all part of the film community.
It's interesting talking to Bernardo Bertolucci about Italian realism and how those great Italian films and directors came together in the late 40s, 50s and 60s with Rossellini and Fellini , Visconti, etc. After Mussolini and the end of Ww 2 there was such exuberance that filmmakers ran into streets and started making movies. It was a great period in Italian Cinema.
Aguilar: Do you believe this nostalgia for those filmmakers influenced voters to choose The Great Beauty as the winner?
Gruskoff: Sorrentino is s very talented director and he carries the torch of Fellini. I liked The Great Beauty and I also loved his Il Divo
Aguilar: When watching these or any other film, as a producer do you look for something different in them from what a director or an actor might?
Gruskoff: I'm just hoping that when the lights go down I'll see a good film. I want to be entertained and have it not be a waste my time. When I saw 12 Years a Slave it blew me away. Steve McQueen is a great filmmaker because he puts all his passion on the screen and he doesn't cop out. It was real. I like movies that don't pander to the audience.
Aguilar: Would you say all of the 76 films submitted were on a level playing field, despite some of them being obscure titles and not having a festival run?
Gruskoff : I saw a real voice in Benedikt Erlingsson, Sebastian Lelio with Gloria , The Hunt , Omar , The Past , The Missing Picture , or The Broken Circle Breakdown.The directors have something to say and they know how to say it. An interesting thing is when you are seeing that many movies in an environment where the people like films, you really start getting into it. Like being at a Festival.
Aguilar: Now that you mention the Academy wants to promote foreign films, how do you perceive the role of world cinema in Hollywood today? Is it more influential?
Gruskoff: Definitely. 2/3 of the box-office comes from foreign markets. More films will be made with Asian and European talent to bolster their international box-office. Moviegoers in those countries like to see a character they can relate to as long as it's realistically part of the story.
Aguilar: On that note, can you talk about the international filmmakers you've work with throughout your career?
Gruskoff: I met Paul Verhoeven after seeing Soldier Of Orange, one of his earlier films. We developed a screenplay called Harry’s Tale. Unfortunately, it was ahead of its time and the budget was too high.
After seeing The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser by Werner Herzog , I called him. He mentioned Nosferatu the Vampyre , and said he wanted to remake it and it would be a film that "the likes of which the world has never seen before", and I told him "Please be my guest" [Laughs]. I got the financing from Fox and we made it for $900,000 starring Isabelle Adjani , Klaus Kinski and Bruno Ganz. . Werner is a tremendously innovative film director.
I briefly worked with Russian director, Andrey Konchalovskiy , we developed a story that never got to be a screenplay.
Following that, Jean-Jacques Annaud gave me the English translation of a book called “La guerre de feu”, which is Quest for Fire . The film became an international hit and it earned us 5 Cesar Awards including Best Picture. It was a great moment when Orson Welles handed me the award.
Aguilar: One of the great American directors you worked with was Mel Brooks, how did that relationship begin?
Gruskoff: I had briefly met Mel Brooks when I was working in the mail room at William Morris Agency in New York. At the time I was 22 and he was 32, and he had already achieved success in television.
Mike Medavoy worked as an agent at Cma during the early 70s and wanted me to come back and work with him. I wanted to continue producing, and he gave me the treatment for a movie called Young Frankenstein.written by Gene Wilder. I said I wanted to produce it , but Gene said that it was up to Mel Brooks to decide. Having met Mel Brooks earlier and since he actually remembered and liked me, he said "Let's do it ...get the deal." At that point in Mel's career, he made two terrific films, The Twelve Chairs and The Producers, both films did not make money and he was just starting to reignite his career with pre-production on Blazing Saddles.
I set Young Frankensteinn up at Columbia but they passed because the budget was too high and Mel, rightfully so, wanted to make it in Black & White. They were insisting that it should be in color. I gave it to my friend Alan Ladd Jr. at Fox and he said yes with an even bigger budget than we had. Seven years later Mel and I did My Favorite Year based on an idea I had. The original script was written by Norman Steinberg and Mel helped develop and executive produce it.. Peter O'Toole was a dream to work with and I learned a lot about filmmaking working with him.
Aguilar: Going back to the Foreign Language Academy Award, back when the shortlist and eventually the nominees were announced, there was much talk about several films being snubbed, including Gloria and The Past. Why do you think these weren't included?
Gruskoff: Gloria probably didn’t get nominated because it wasn’t as serious as some of the other films. We will be hearing a lot from its director Sebastian Lelio. On the other hand, it's about preferential viewing, Farhadi makes very specific movies. He is a serious filmmaker, and he is a very good storyteller. He is another director that tells it how it is. His films are like reading a book with great characters, It was one of my favorite films but it was a tough movie for some people. He is what he is, take it or leave it. He just does his thing.
Aguilar: Are there any filmmakers you would like to work with in the future? Anyone who has caught your eye?
Gruskoff: Sure, David O. Russell would be great. [Laughs]. Other great directors whom I would love to work with are Steve McQueen, Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan , David Fincher, or Kathryn Bigelow ....who wouldn't!
Aguilar: Where do you think the industry is going, with all the awards campaigns and the more glamorous, less artistic, side of the business becoming so prominent?
Gruskoff: The industry has become more about celebrity. After seeing 12 Years a Slave at the Pacific Designer Center early on, I knew McQueen's work was just beginning. He was going to have to live between L.A. and N.Y.C. to attend press events and Q&As for the next six months....longer than it took to shoot the film. Fashion has also joined the fray to cross-promote films.
Just a few years ago when Sydney Pollack made a movie and the distribution people received the print, the filmmakers promotion schedule was not as arduous. Going to 2 or 3 major cities with the actors before the film opened. Now it has become so celebrity-driven with all the different outlets fighting for space, it has gotten out of hand. If you have Brad Pitt producing or Ben Affleck starring, you have an opportunity to promote your film on every talk show. It cuts your marketing costs, which are very expensive and getting even more expensive, even with the help of the internet.
Aguilar: What are your future plans? Looking back your career are there any regrets?
Gruskoff: As a producer you are always looking for a good story. I did Quest for Fire and my friends said “Don’t you have something better to do with your time? You will never get it made.” Miraculously it did get made. I’d like to do dark comedies in the vein of American Beauty or Fargo. It's about what turns you on, what gives you a rush, because it is such a difficult journey. You never know what's around the corner.
- 6/2/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
On Wednesday, The Lone Ranger received multiple Razzie nominations, including the notorious Worst Picture nod. The next day, The Lone Ranger was nominated for an Oscar, for best makeup.
This isn’t the first movie to get nods from both ends of the spectrum. Since the Razzies first began back in 1981, 47 movies have been nominated for both “awards”– some even for the same exact person or song. Here’s a look at the club The Lone Ranger just joined:
The Competition
Oscar nods: Film editing, music (original song) for “People Alone” with music by Lalo Schifrin and lyrics by Wilbur...
This isn’t the first movie to get nods from both ends of the spectrum. Since the Razzies first began back in 1981, 47 movies have been nominated for both “awards”– some even for the same exact person or song. Here’s a look at the club The Lone Ranger just joined:
The Competition
Oscar nods: Film editing, music (original song) for “People Alone” with music by Lalo Schifrin and lyrics by Wilbur...
- 1/16/2014
- by Ariana Bacle
- EW.com - PopWatch
New York – The Writers Guild of America, East (Wgae) announced today the 2013 nominees (order determined by lot) for its Council election. The term is for two years from 2013-2015. There are nine (9) open Council seats (six Freelance seats and three Staff seats) in this election. The twelve (12) candidates for the six (6) open Freelance seats are: Zhubin Parang, Bonnie Datt (i), David Atkins, Henry Bean (i), Bernardo Ruiz (i), Susan Kim (i), Robert Levi, Michael Lannan, Amy Sohn, Courtney Simon (i), Norman Steinberg and George Strayton. The five (5) candidates for the three (3) open Staff seats are: Duane Tollison (i), Jeff Christman, Phil Pilato (i), Matt Nelko and Sue Brown McCann (i). Guild President Michael Winship and Secretary-Treasurer Bob Schneider are running for reelection unopposed. Vice President Jeremy Pikser is running for re-election and faces Jeff Christman. The Wgae annual membership meeting and election is scheduled for Thursday, September 19, 2013. Related: Wgaw Unveils...
- 6/24/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Rank the week of August 23rd’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases against the best films of all-time: New Releases Blitz
(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #9439
Win Percentage: 51%
Times Ranked: 215
Top-20 Rankings: 5
Directed By: Elliott Lester
Starring: Jason Statham • Paddy Considine • Aidan Gillen • Zawe Ashton • David Morrissey
Genres: Crime • Crime Thriller • Police Detective Film • Thriller
Rank This Movie
The Beaver
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #5199
Win Percentage: 52%
Times Ranked: 858
Top-20 Rankings: 6
Directed By: Jodie Foster
Starring: Mel Gibson • Jodie Foster • Anton Yelchin • Jennifer Lawrence • Zachary Booth
Genres: Comedy Drama • Drama • Psychological Drama
Rank This Movie
Win Win
(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #2107
Win Percentage: 61%
Times Ranked: 2455
Top-20 Rankings: 6
Directed By: Thomas McCarthy
Starring: Paul Giamatti • Amy Ryan • Bobby Cannavale • Jeffrey Tambor • Burt Young
Genres: Comedy Drama • Drama • Sports Comedy • Sports Drama
Rank This Movie
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #5643
Win Percentage: 49%
Times Ranked: 725
Top-20 Rankings:...
(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #9439
Win Percentage: 51%
Times Ranked: 215
Top-20 Rankings: 5
Directed By: Elliott Lester
Starring: Jason Statham • Paddy Considine • Aidan Gillen • Zawe Ashton • David Morrissey
Genres: Crime • Crime Thriller • Police Detective Film • Thriller
Rank This Movie
The Beaver
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #5199
Win Percentage: 52%
Times Ranked: 858
Top-20 Rankings: 6
Directed By: Jodie Foster
Starring: Mel Gibson • Jodie Foster • Anton Yelchin • Jennifer Lawrence • Zachary Booth
Genres: Comedy Drama • Drama • Psychological Drama
Rank This Movie
Win Win
(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #2107
Win Percentage: 61%
Times Ranked: 2455
Top-20 Rankings: 6
Directed By: Thomas McCarthy
Starring: Paul Giamatti • Amy Ryan • Bobby Cannavale • Jeffrey Tambor • Burt Young
Genres: Comedy Drama • Drama • Sports Comedy • Sports Drama
Rank This Movie
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #5643
Win Percentage: 49%
Times Ranked: 725
Top-20 Rankings:...
- 8/23/2011
- by Jonathan Hardesty
- Flickchart
Jonathan Chase is in final negotiations for the male lead in Cinemax's 13-episode late-night half-hour dramedy Chemistry, executive produced by Bill Haber. Written by Richard Christian Matheson and Norman Steinberg, the series focuses on the complexity of the relationship between Liz and Michael (Chase), who have strong physical attraction bordering on erotic madness. Chase is with Domain and Main Title. Young New York stage actor Dan Amboyer has been cast as William in Hallmark’s movie William and Kate: A Royal Love Story. The biopic of the glamorous future royal couple, played by Amboyer and Alice St. Clair, was written by and is executive produced by Linda Yellen, who also exec produced the hugely popular telefilm The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana, about the once-fairytale love story of Prince William's parents. Filming is scheduled to begin May 9 in Bucharest for an Aug. 13 premiere. Amboyer is with Brookside Artist Management and Harden Curtis.
- 4/20/2011
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
I hear Cinemax is finalizing the deals for a 13-episode order to Chemistry, a half-hour dramedy for late night that is executive produced by CAA co-founder Bill Haber. Richard Christian Matheson and Norman Steinberg have written all 13 episodes of the series, about the complexity of the relationship between Liz and Michael, who have strong physical attraction bordering on erotic madness. The series, said to have overtones of Last Tango in Paris and an upscale, sophisticated Red Shoe Diaries, is executive produced by Haber and Jeff Hayes, with Matheson and Steinberg serving as co-executive producers. In anticipation of a series greenlight, Chemistry has already started casting. Cinemax has been making a big push in original programming with three recent primetime action series orders: Strike Back, The Transporter and The Sector. Unlike those series, which are bigger-budget, mainstream entertainment, in its late-night scripted efforts, including Chemistry, the network is staying closer to...
- 4/7/2011
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
David Strathairn is in negotiations to topline Showtime's drama pilot Paradise, set in the world of televangelists. The project, written and executive produced by Norman Steinberg and Richard Christian Matheson, centers on a world-renowned televangelist (Strathairn) and provides a behind-the-scenes look at the lucrative business of TV preachers. Oscar-winning writer-turned-director Frank Pierson (HBO's Conspiracy) is attached to direct. Strathairn won an Independent Spirit Award for his role in 1991's City of Hope. He recently starred in the CBS telefilm Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story. Strathairn is repped by the Gersh Agency and manager Madeline Ryan.
- 7/16/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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