When German writer Erich Maria Remarque was 18 and a student at the University of Munster, he was drafted into the army and fought in the trenches on the Western front during World War I. He was wounded five times with the final instance in 1917 being so serious he spent the last year of the conflict recuperating in a German hospital. His experiences during the global conflict inspired his powerful 1929 anti-war novel “All Quiet On the Western Front” which, with the war in Ukraine, seems more timely than ever.
The novel slammed the door on the concept of the romanticism of war. War is hell. The book’s protagonist, the wide-eyed innocent Paul Baumer, and his friends are excited to get into battle on the Western front, exterminate the enemy and return home heroes. But Paul quickly realizes the horrors of war. Reading the book is a visceral experience-one can smell...
The novel slammed the door on the concept of the romanticism of war. War is hell. The book’s protagonist, the wide-eyed innocent Paul Baumer, and his friends are excited to get into battle on the Western front, exterminate the enemy and return home heroes. But Paul quickly realizes the horrors of war. Reading the book is a visceral experience-one can smell...
- 1/3/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Kevin Rooney, a stand-up comedian who won two Emmy awards for his work as a writer on “Dennis Miller Live,” died at his home on July 19 after a battle with diabetes and end-stage renal failure. He was 71 years old.
Rooney’s death was confirmed by his colleague, Jay Mandyam.
“He was a sophisticated raconteur and was a modern-day H.L. Mencken or Schopenhauer,” a statement from Mandyam reads. “As curmudgeonly as he was, he was always the wittiest person in the room and was generous and kind to all.”
Rooney briefly attended Lawrence College in the 1970s before joining the military. In 1977, he began a career in comedy, performing his first stand-up set in Washington, D.C., concluding his act by an act of arguable baptism — pouring a pitcher of beer over his head. Rooney then attended the University of Massachusetts where he studied to become a teacher.
Rooney found his...
Rooney’s death was confirmed by his colleague, Jay Mandyam.
“He was a sophisticated raconteur and was a modern-day H.L. Mencken or Schopenhauer,” a statement from Mandyam reads. “As curmudgeonly as he was, he was always the wittiest person in the room and was generous and kind to all.”
Rooney briefly attended Lawrence College in the 1970s before joining the military. In 1977, he began a career in comedy, performing his first stand-up set in Washington, D.C., concluding his act by an act of arguable baptism — pouring a pitcher of beer over his head. Rooney then attended the University of Massachusetts where he studied to become a teacher.
Rooney found his...
- 7/24/2022
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Writer/director Adam McKay kicks off Season 5 by discussing a few of his favorite movies with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Don’t Look Up (2021)
Parasite (2019) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
The Big Short (2015)
Vice (2018)
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary links
The Second Civil War (1997) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary, Joe Dante revisits the movie
Network (1976) – Chris Wilkinson’s trailer commentary
Broadcast News (1987)
To Die For (1995) – Illeana Douglas’s trailer commentary
The Hospital (1971) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Ace In The Hole (1951) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Dr. Strangelove (1964) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Over The Edge (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Warriors (1979)
River’s Edge (1986)
Tex (1982)
Rumble Fish (1983) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Don’t Look Up (2021)
Parasite (2019) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
The Big Short (2015)
Vice (2018)
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary links
The Second Civil War (1997) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary, Joe Dante revisits the movie
Network (1976) – Chris Wilkinson’s trailer commentary
Broadcast News (1987)
To Die For (1995) – Illeana Douglas’s trailer commentary
The Hospital (1971) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Ace In The Hole (1951) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Dr. Strangelove (1964) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Over The Edge (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Warriors (1979)
River’s Edge (1986)
Tex (1982)
Rumble Fish (1983) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray...
- 1/18/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
He still is stalling, but the bottom line is that Donald Trump is ankling his job. For the uninitiated, “ankling” is Variety “slanguage” for getting fired, as Trump knows well. Trump often has boasted that his rallies were “boffo,” called his speeches “blurbs” and demonstrated a keen attraction for “thesps.” Indeed, his presidency long has been a reality show, which suits his qualifications.
At a banquet some years ago, Trump even alluded to the legendary “sticks” headline (“Sticks Nix Hick Pix”). He had no idea what the headline meant (no one does), but I sensed he understood the importance of the “sticks” since he shaped his politics with them in mind. What he couldn’t know was that his presidential term would best be described by another Variety banner: ”Wall Street Lays An Egg.” In the end, so did Trump.
Trump felt free to cite Variety slanguage to me because...
At a banquet some years ago, Trump even alluded to the legendary “sticks” headline (“Sticks Nix Hick Pix”). He had no idea what the headline meant (no one does), but I sensed he understood the importance of the “sticks” since he shaped his politics with them in mind. What he couldn’t know was that his presidential term would best be described by another Variety banner: ”Wall Street Lays An Egg.” In the end, so did Trump.
Trump felt free to cite Variety slanguage to me because...
- 11/19/2020
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
When the critic John Simon died last weekend, at 94, virtually every piece written about him — one usually calls these pieces “tributes,” though in Simon’s case I’m not sure the word applies — dealt front and center with the quality that had made him a legend: his famous vitriol, the gleeful and reflexive nastiness that sloshed through the cartridge of his poison pen.
For Simon, toxic negativity wasn‘t a tool for reviewing an art form; it was the art form. At New York magazine, where he was ensconced as the theater critic from 1968 to 2005, and at the National Review, where he reviewed movies for decades, he pushed the role of critical hanging judge as far as it could go, to the point that it was the driving force of his identity. In 1967, he was fired from New York’s Channel 13 for writing reviews that were deemed too “misanthropic,...
For Simon, toxic negativity wasn‘t a tool for reviewing an art form; it was the art form. At New York magazine, where he was ensconced as the theater critic from 1968 to 2005, and at the National Review, where he reviewed movies for decades, he pushed the role of critical hanging judge as far as it could go, to the point that it was the driving force of his identity. In 1967, he was fired from New York’s Channel 13 for writing reviews that were deemed too “misanthropic,...
- 11/30/2019
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix is really big, and getting bigger. Just last quarter, it added nearly 10 million more subscribers around the world, plumping it up to nearly 149 million paying accounts. And yet, while announcing these numbers in its quarterly earnings call last week, Netflix made a point of showing how small it is, at least compared to some other big users of the world's mobile video bandwidth.
Executives At Netflix: We're Small and Still Crushing It. Look at this Chart!
So what else are we watching on our smartphones besides Us and Umbrella Academy, Triple Frontier and Stranger Things, Kingdom and Bird Box? Here's a handy chart of everything else, based on data from networking-equipment maker Sandvine, that Netflix included in last week's letter to shareholders.
Netflix included this Sandvine chart of bandwidth eaters in its quarterly letter to shareholders this month.
Taking a look at these numbers, it is indeed appropriate that...
Executives At Netflix: We're Small and Still Crushing It. Look at this Chart!
So what else are we watching on our smartphones besides Us and Umbrella Academy, Triple Frontier and Stranger Things, Kingdom and Bird Box? Here's a handy chart of everything else, based on data from networking-equipment maker Sandvine, that Netflix included in last week's letter to shareholders.
Netflix included this Sandvine chart of bandwidth eaters in its quarterly letter to shareholders this month.
Taking a look at these numbers, it is indeed appropriate that...
- 4/24/2019
- by David Bloom
- Tubefilter.com
All hail legendary song-and-dance man Gene Kelly on the 106th anniversary of his birth on August 23. In the history of American film, there were unarguably two great male dancers — Fred Astaire and Kelly. Astaire’s style was romantic and sophisticated, with long lines and elegant movement. Kelly’s style was more athletic — a guy’s guy, if you will — with a scrappy style that set him apart from other dancers of his era.
Kelly appeared to be able to do it all. He could dance, sing, and act in his films, ultimately choreographing and directing them as well. In the course of his nearly four decades on film, he starred in such classics as “An American in Paris” and “Anchors Aweigh,” as well as starring and co-directing the great musicals “On the Town” and “Singin’ in the Rain.”
For his work, Kelly earned two Golden Globe nominations — one for Best...
Kelly appeared to be able to do it all. He could dance, sing, and act in his films, ultimately choreographing and directing them as well. In the course of his nearly four decades on film, he starred in such classics as “An American in Paris” and “Anchors Aweigh,” as well as starring and co-directing the great musicals “On the Town” and “Singin’ in the Rain.”
For his work, Kelly earned two Golden Globe nominations — one for Best...
- 8/23/2018
- by Tom O'Brien and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
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