In a career spanning more than fifty years, George Stevens directed nearly sixty films and took home the Oscar for Best Director twice, in 1951 for A Place in the Sun, and again in 1956, for Giant. In 1985, ten years after his death, George Stevens: A Filmmaker’s Journey was released in the United States. Written, directed, and narrated by George Stevens Jr.., it has
Set during the McCarthy-era witch-hunts of the early 1950s, when the US government was exposing supposed communists in the entertainment industry, 1976’s The Front was the first film to address the issue, with a cast and crew including individuals who had been blacklisted during that period—including director Martin Ritt, screenwriter Walter Bernstein, and actors Zero Mostel, Herschel Bernardi, and Lloyd Gough—viewers might expect The Front
Best known for his string of thrillers during the 1970’s and 1980’s, and his action films in the 1990’s, Brian De Palma has always had a subversive streak, never afraid to explore more playful themes. Released in 1970, Hi, Mom!, is the second collaboration between De Palma, and a young Robert De Niro. Greetings (De Niro’s first major film role),released in 1968, features De Niro
A social crusader and a champion of the first amendment, Lenny Bruce was a man ahead of his time. Incarcerated repeatedly for his act, comedians such as George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and a slew of others owe him a debt of gratitude for their success. Lenny Bruce was smart, socially aware, and boldly frank. By 1966, at forty-years old, he was just another
Probably best known for his role as Reverend Smith in the HBO series Deadwood, and for creating the Sundance TV series Rectify, Ray McKinnon wrote, directed, and starred as dual characters in 2007’s Randy and the Mob. Set in the deep south, Randy Pearson (McKinnon) is a small-town hustler, whose world is unraveling, both personally and financially. Driven by a band of kooky characters, Randy
A twenty-eight-year-old Jewish woman from a wealthy family, all Judy Benjamin (Goldie Hawn) wants is a big house, nice clothes, two closets, a live-in maid, and a “professional man” for a husband. She seems to have it all, after her wedding to successful man Yale Goodman (Albert Brooks). Making love on the bathroom floor of their hotel room, Judy is devastated when he has a
One of the highest grossing media franchises of all time, Looney Tunes debuted in 1930 as a series of shorts featuring a cast of characters including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd and Porky Pig. Featuring a group of animators including Tex Avery, Friz Freleng, and Chuck Jones, among others, they were given the freedom to create lively characters that a nation dealing with the
Originally titled Cutter and Bone, the script by Jeffrey Alan Fiskin found its way to Paul Gurian, a neophyte producer with a couple of short films and a TV movie on his resume. Based on a novel by Newton Thornburg, and released in 1981, the retitled Cutter’s Way was a box office failure, despite widespread critical praise. Since then, the film has developed a cult
Debuting in 2018, the series sequel to the first three Karate Kid films Cobra Kai began life as a YouTube Red / YouTube Premium offer. With Ralph Macchio returning as good guy Daniel LaRusso, William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence, Martin Kove as John Kreese, and Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi shown in archival footage, the series was a hit, and moved over to Netflix after
With their careers in decline, Peter Sellers and director Edwards put their differences aside, joining forces for 1975’s Return of the Pink Panther, more than a decade away from the franchise did nothing to dull the humor of Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau. Eager for a hit both Sellers and Edwards (which he co-wrote with Frank Walkman) were at the top of their game. Some