Food is the way to the heart…and also your wallet!
And Giada De Laurentiis knows how to maneuver both. If you’ve ever watched Food Network — or any cooking show with Bobby Flay — you’ve probably heard of this culinary superstar.
Cooking expert Giada De Laurentiis has become wealthy due to her work hosting several Food Network shows (Credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock)
A New Chapter with Amazon Studios
In early 2023, Giada De Laurentiis left the Food Network after 21 years and signed a multi-year deal with Amazon Studios.
This powerhouse of a woman is one of the richest chefs in the world and an incredible culinary artist.
Giada has become a household name for many home chefs, but if you aren’t familiar with your home kitchen — or with Giada — let’s recap this chef’s background, career, and how she accumulated a net worth of $30 million!
On Rebecca Minkoff’s Superwomen podcast,...
And Giada De Laurentiis knows how to maneuver both. If you’ve ever watched Food Network — or any cooking show with Bobby Flay — you’ve probably heard of this culinary superstar.
Cooking expert Giada De Laurentiis has become wealthy due to her work hosting several Food Network shows (Credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock)
A New Chapter with Amazon Studios
In early 2023, Giada De Laurentiis left the Food Network after 21 years and signed a multi-year deal with Amazon Studios.
This powerhouse of a woman is one of the richest chefs in the world and an incredible culinary artist.
Giada has become a household name for many home chefs, but if you aren’t familiar with your home kitchen — or with Giada — let’s recap this chef’s background, career, and how she accumulated a net worth of $30 million!
On Rebecca Minkoff’s Superwomen podcast,...
- 5/16/2024
- by Jan Stromsodd
- Your Next Shoes
Edgar Wright is in talks to direct the 'Barbarella' remake.The 50-year-old filmmaker is set to helm the new take on the 1968 cult classic that will star Sydney Sweeney in the title role – a part that was played by Jane Fonda in the original flick.Edgar, whose previous movies include 'Shaun of the Dead' and 'Last Night in Soho', has been interested in the picture for some time and held a meeting with Sydney after it was first announced in 2022. However, he was only committed to working on the project if he was able to get behind the camera.Jane Goldman and her daughter Honey Ross are also in negotiations to pen the script – with the former writing for successful franchises including 'X-Men' and the 'Kingsman' spy series.Little is known about the new movie, but the original film was...
- 5/14/2024
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
Edgar Wright will direct a remake of Barbarella starring Sydney Sweeney, and here are details of the upcoming film.
It was reported last year thar Edgar Wright was going to direct a remake of Barbarella. The original 1968 film, adapted from the French comic book series by Jean-Claude Forest and directed by Roger Vadim, followed Jane Fonda as an astronaut from the 41st century. She sets out to find and stop the evil scientist Durand Durand, whose Positronic Ray threatens to bring evil back into the galaxy.
Jane Fonda has repeatedly claimed that she pushed its producer, Dino De Laurentiis to make a feminist take on the film many times but he always refused.
According to Deadline, the new film is now officially in development, with Wright directing from a screenplay by Jane Goldman and her daughter Honey. Sydney Sweeney will star in the picture too, we now learn.
It won...
It was reported last year thar Edgar Wright was going to direct a remake of Barbarella. The original 1968 film, adapted from the French comic book series by Jean-Claude Forest and directed by Roger Vadim, followed Jane Fonda as an astronaut from the 41st century. She sets out to find and stop the evil scientist Durand Durand, whose Positronic Ray threatens to bring evil back into the galaxy.
Jane Fonda has repeatedly claimed that she pushed its producer, Dino De Laurentiis to make a feminist take on the film many times but he always refused.
According to Deadline, the new film is now officially in development, with Wright directing from a screenplay by Jane Goldman and her daughter Honey. Sydney Sweeney will star in the picture too, we now learn.
It won...
- 5/14/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Edgar Wright is doubling down on iconic-film remakes, potentially directing “Barbarella,” starring executive producer Sydney Sweeney.
IndieWire can confirm that Wright is in talks to direct the reimagining of the 1968 cult film that originally starred Jane Fonda as an astronaut looking to defeat an intergalactic evil force. “X-Men: First Class” screenwriters Jane Goldman and Honey Ross are also in negotiations to write the Sony film.
Deadline first reported that Wright is in the running to direct.
And speaking of running, Wright was recently announced to be writing and directing his long-awaited “Running Man” remake with Sweeney’s “Anyone But You” co-star Glen Powell in the lead. The Paramount feature has been in the works with Wright since 2017, and is based on Stephen King’s 1982 novel and later the 1987 feature starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“Barbarella” is based on Jean-Claude Forest’s comic series, which was published as a serialized strip for V...
IndieWire can confirm that Wright is in talks to direct the reimagining of the 1968 cult film that originally starred Jane Fonda as an astronaut looking to defeat an intergalactic evil force. “X-Men: First Class” screenwriters Jane Goldman and Honey Ross are also in negotiations to write the Sony film.
Deadline first reported that Wright is in the running to direct.
And speaking of running, Wright was recently announced to be writing and directing his long-awaited “Running Man” remake with Sweeney’s “Anyone But You” co-star Glen Powell in the lead. The Paramount feature has been in the works with Wright since 2017, and is based on Stephen King’s 1982 novel and later the 1987 feature starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“Barbarella” is based on Jean-Claude Forest’s comic series, which was published as a serialized strip for V...
- 5/13/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Giada De Laurentiis was one of the most recognized faces on the Food Network for a long time. Recently, the popular TV personality talked about why she left, along with the uncertainty that followed. So, what did she have to say?
Giada De Laurentiis Was A Staple On The Food Network
As longtime Food Network viewers know, Giada De Laurentiis was one of the faces of the network for a long time. Along with other Food Network icons like Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, Emeril, and more, Giada was a big part of building the network into what it is today.
Her take on classic Italian recipes was a big hit with viewers from the very beginning. Eventually, this translated into travel shows, competition shows, and sitting on the judging panel as well. She was an instrumental part of the Food Network family, which only made her departure that much more shocking.
Giada De Laurentiis Was A Staple On The Food Network
As longtime Food Network viewers know, Giada De Laurentiis was one of the faces of the network for a long time. Along with other Food Network icons like Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, Emeril, and more, Giada was a big part of building the network into what it is today.
Her take on classic Italian recipes was a big hit with viewers from the very beginning. Eventually, this translated into travel shows, competition shows, and sitting on the judging panel as well. She was an instrumental part of the Food Network family, which only made her departure that much more shocking.
- 4/28/2024
- by Evan Morgan
- TV Shows Ace
Giada De Laurentiis left the Food Network after 21 years and is not missing her old work schedule.
In a new interview, De Laurentiis reflects on what led her to leave the cable network after so long and focus on her lifestyle brand.
“I would switch gears without knowing it every seven years. So I did Everyday Italian for seven years. Then I got pregnant, and I was like ‘Ok I can’t do that show anymore. I got to do a reincarnation of the show because I’m now pregnant. I’m a different person,’” De Laurentiis said on Rebecca Minkoff’s podcast Superwomen.
De Laurentiis was one of the most recognizable faces on the Food Network and “was lucky enough to be at a period of time” at the network where she was able to make suggestions about her next projects.
“The landscape hadn’t really been fully discovered yet,...
In a new interview, De Laurentiis reflects on what led her to leave the cable network after so long and focus on her lifestyle brand.
“I would switch gears without knowing it every seven years. So I did Everyday Italian for seven years. Then I got pregnant, and I was like ‘Ok I can’t do that show anymore. I got to do a reincarnation of the show because I’m now pregnant. I’m a different person,’” De Laurentiis said on Rebecca Minkoff’s podcast Superwomen.
De Laurentiis was one of the most recognizable faces on the Food Network and “was lucky enough to be at a period of time” at the network where she was able to make suggestions about her next projects.
“The landscape hadn’t really been fully discovered yet,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Despite being fearful of saying farewell to Food Network after 21 years, Giada De Laurentiis‘s departure has brought her happiness and a feeling of fulfillment. The television host and chef personality cut ties with the network in February 2023 and signed a multi-year deal for unscripted series production with Amazon Studios. She has also been exploring entrepreneurial endeavors with her own lifestyle brand, Giadzy. Earlier this week, De Laurentiis sat down with Rebecca Minkoff on her podcast, Superwoman, to discuss why she ultimately decided to leave Food Network and how she has been changing things up since then. “I would switch gears without knowing it every seven years,” said De Laurentiis. “So I did Everyday Italian for seven years. Then I got pregnant, and I was like ‘Okay I can’t do that show anymore. I got to do a reincarnation of the show because I’m now pregnant. I’m a different person.
- 4/28/2024
- TV Insider
Even in this age of instant YouTube gratification, movie trailers are a big deal. They get us hyped for an upcoming project by making promises that the eventual film will (hopefully) pay off. The best sizzle reels are even able to do this by giving a taste of things to come without ruining any surprises or plot twists. Think about the teaser for Alien with its cracking egg and unnerving siren sound, or the deft use of a choral version of Radiohead’s “Creep” in the classic promo for The Social Network. Both of those examples speak to the haunting nature of their movies while allowing space for the film to stand on its own down the road.
But some trailers do their job too well. Some trailers outdo the movies they advertise, sometimes because the film has a concept too shallow to sustain more than three minutes, and sometimes...
But some trailers do their job too well. Some trailers outdo the movies they advertise, sometimes because the film has a concept too shallow to sustain more than three minutes, and sometimes...
- 4/27/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
Editor, composer, director and producer John Ottman is teaming with film and music industry executive David Franco to develop a dramatic biopic based on the life of world-renowned Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi.
The project, written by Kevin Lund and Tj Scott, has had been long-gestating, beginning 20 years ago when Ron Howard was set to direct. After many unsuccessful attempts, including with members of the famous Italian filmmaking De Laurentiis family in 2008, the project needed a new vision.
In 2018, Franco, the music producer on previous versions, brought the script to Ottman, who he saw as the man “destined to bring Vivaldi to life.” “There’s simply no talent more suited to craft this remarkable story,” he says.
Ottman immediately got to work re-shaping the story with the writers, before the Covid-19 pandemic stalled the project once again. Now, it’s finally back on track. “After all these years, we’ve never been more confident.
The project, written by Kevin Lund and Tj Scott, has had been long-gestating, beginning 20 years ago when Ron Howard was set to direct. After many unsuccessful attempts, including with members of the famous Italian filmmaking De Laurentiis family in 2008, the project needed a new vision.
In 2018, Franco, the music producer on previous versions, brought the script to Ottman, who he saw as the man “destined to bring Vivaldi to life.” “There’s simply no talent more suited to craft this remarkable story,” he says.
Ottman immediately got to work re-shaping the story with the writers, before the Covid-19 pandemic stalled the project once again. Now, it’s finally back on track. “After all these years, we’ve never been more confident.
- 4/15/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
King Kong (1976) SteelBook 4K Uhd from Paramount
The 1976 remake of King Kong is now available on SteelBook 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray via Paramount. The 134-minute theatrical version is presented in 4K with Hdr., while the 182-minute TV cut is included on Blu-ray. No other special features are included.
From producer Dino De Laurentiis, the monster movie is directed by John Guillermin and written by Lorenzo Semple Jr. (Flash Gordon). Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, and Jessica Lange star.
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter Apparel from Gutter Garbs
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter turns 40 tomorrow, and Gutter Garbs is celebrating with a design by Sam Coyne.
T-shirts for $30, long sleeves for $40, zip-up hoodies for...
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
King Kong (1976) SteelBook 4K Uhd from Paramount
The 1976 remake of King Kong is now available on SteelBook 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray via Paramount. The 134-minute theatrical version is presented in 4K with Hdr., while the 182-minute TV cut is included on Blu-ray. No other special features are included.
From producer Dino De Laurentiis, the monster movie is directed by John Guillermin and written by Lorenzo Semple Jr. (Flash Gordon). Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, and Jessica Lange star.
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter Apparel from Gutter Garbs
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter turns 40 tomorrow, and Gutter Garbs is celebrating with a design by Sam Coyne.
T-shirts for $30, long sleeves for $40, zip-up hoodies for...
- 4/12/2024
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Melanoma Research Alliance (Mra) is the largest private funder of melanoma research. Since its founding in 2007, Mra has committed more than $79 million in funding to advance our understanding of this disease. Mra funds projects in the areas of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, with the majority of funding allocated for melanoma treatment.
Celebrity supporters
Melanoma Research Alliance has 34 known supporters, including Eva Longoria, Bruce Springsteen, and Gwyneth Paltrow
Areas of work Cancer Read more about Melanoma Research Alliance's work and celebrity supporters. Related articles Laura Linney Stands Up To Cancer In New PSAGiada De Laurentiis Stands Up To CancerEva Longoria Joins L’Oréal Paris And Melanoma Research Alliance For New CampaignBradley Cooper To Executive-Produce Star-Studded Stand Up To Cancer TV BroadcastStars Announced For Fifth Biennial Stand Up To Cancer Television Special
Explore celebrities by social reach, cause, location, field and more with Insider Access →
Copyright © 2024 Look To The Stars. This article...
Celebrity supporters
Melanoma Research Alliance has 34 known supporters, including Eva Longoria, Bruce Springsteen, and Gwyneth Paltrow
Areas of work Cancer Read more about Melanoma Research Alliance's work and celebrity supporters. Related articles Laura Linney Stands Up To Cancer In New PSAGiada De Laurentiis Stands Up To CancerEva Longoria Joins L’Oréal Paris And Melanoma Research Alliance For New CampaignBradley Cooper To Executive-Produce Star-Studded Stand Up To Cancer TV BroadcastStars Announced For Fifth Biennial Stand Up To Cancer Television Special
Explore celebrities by social reach, cause, location, field and more with Insider Access →
Copyright © 2024 Look To The Stars. This article...
- 4/4/2024
- Look to the Stars
The episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? covering Manhunter was Written and Narrated by Mike Holtz, Edited by Joseph Wilson, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
How cool would it be to wake up in an alternate universe where bizarre versions of your favorite movies existed and you could experience them all over again for the first time? That’s exactly what I can offer to The Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon fans who have never experienced Manhunter (watch it Here). The forgotten and abandoned stepchild of the Hannibal Lecter film series. How in the fava bean f*$& does a movie that has the twisted murder weirdness and fascinating serial killer storytelling of a Silence of the Lambs or Mindhunter paired with the coolness of a movie like Heat and flair of a Nicolas Winding Refn film go this unnoticed?...
How cool would it be to wake up in an alternate universe where bizarre versions of your favorite movies existed and you could experience them all over again for the first time? That’s exactly what I can offer to The Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon fans who have never experienced Manhunter (watch it Here). The forgotten and abandoned stepchild of the Hannibal Lecter film series. How in the fava bean f*$& does a movie that has the twisted murder weirdness and fascinating serial killer storytelling of a Silence of the Lambs or Mindhunter paired with the coolness of a movie like Heat and flair of a Nicolas Winding Refn film go this unnoticed?...
- 4/1/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Arnold Schwarzenegger made a whole slew of classic 80s action movies. Still, one remains totally obscure despite being released smack dab in the middle of his amazing The Terminator to Predator run of movies from 1984-87. That film in 1986’s Raw Deal. A formulaic 80s action flick, it’s the most modestly mounted Schwarzenegger action epic of the era, with Arnie coerced into starring in it to complete a long-standing contract he had with producer Dino De Laurentiis following Conan The Barbarian.
In it, Schwarzenegger is somewhat unconvincingly cast as a small-town sheriff named Kaminski, who used to be an FBI agent but was forced out of the bureau after roughing up a suspect. He’s recruited by his old mentor (The Night Stalker’s legendary Darren McGavin) whose son was killed by the Chicago mob. He wants Kaminski to go undercover in the mob and tear them apart from the inside.
In it, Schwarzenegger is somewhat unconvincingly cast as a small-town sheriff named Kaminski, who used to be an FBI agent but was forced out of the bureau after roughing up a suspect. He’s recruited by his old mentor (The Night Stalker’s legendary Darren McGavin) whose son was killed by the Chicago mob. He wants Kaminski to go undercover in the mob and tear them apart from the inside.
- 3/26/2024
- by Adam Walton
- JoBlo.com
The episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? covering Hannibal Rising was Written, Narrated, and Edited by Mike Holtz, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
Remember that time Rob Zombie, The Weinstein Company, and Dimension Films got hopped up enough to make some bad decisions together and decided “Hey, you know Michael Myers? The character whose mystique is in large part because we don’t know where, how, or why his evil exists? We should make a film explaining that it’s all because his family sucked and his house smelled like old bologna!” I’m paraphrasing a little. Well, just a few months beforehand the same choice, to explain and demystify the background of one of horror’s most mysterious monsters was made for Hannibal Lecter as well. At least with this version, however, that story would at the very least...
Remember that time Rob Zombie, The Weinstein Company, and Dimension Films got hopped up enough to make some bad decisions together and decided “Hey, you know Michael Myers? The character whose mystique is in large part because we don’t know where, how, or why his evil exists? We should make a film explaining that it’s all because his family sucked and his house smelled like old bologna!” I’m paraphrasing a little. Well, just a few months beforehand the same choice, to explain and demystify the background of one of horror’s most mysterious monsters was made for Hannibal Lecter as well. At least with this version, however, that story would at the very least...
- 3/7/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two is almost everyone’s current obsession thanks to the brilliant execution of the source material by the cast and crew. It goes without saying that the sequel has surpassed its predecessor in more ways than one. Whether it’s the acting, the soundtrack, the cinematography, or the direction, Dune: Part Two was able to blow the audience’s minds through its two-hour seventeen-minute runtime.
A still from Dune: Part Two (2024)
However, Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novels wasn’t the first go Hollywood had at the story. Back in 1984, director David Lynch released another adaptation titled Dune starring Kyle MacLachlan and Francesca Annis. Unfortunately, the film was met with an overwhelming amount of negative feedback which led people to wonder what Ridley Scott would’ve turned the film into, should things have gone according to plan.
Suggested“We have different...
A still from Dune: Part Two (2024)
However, Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novels wasn’t the first go Hollywood had at the story. Back in 1984, director David Lynch released another adaptation titled Dune starring Kyle MacLachlan and Francesca Annis. Unfortunately, the film was met with an overwhelming amount of negative feedback which led people to wonder what Ridley Scott would’ve turned the film into, should things have gone according to plan.
Suggested“We have different...
- 3/5/2024
- by Mishkaat Khan
- FandomWire
In 1971, just six years after Frank Herbert published his groundbreaking science-fiction novel "Dune," Arthur P. Jacobs' Apjac International obtained the rights to the story for a film adaptation. The producer behind "Planet of the Apes" was ready to craft another world set in a distant future, but with the sequel film "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" on its way, "Dune" was delayed.
Jacobs went through a handful of different directors and screenwriters in early development, but he tragically passed away in 1973. David Lynch would eventually bring "Dune" to the big screen in 1984, but there were multiple failed attempts that paved the way for his film and a remake in his wake that led to Denis Villeneuve's recent adaptations. The messy histories of failed "Dune" adaptations could justify their own feature-length documentaries but allow this to be a crash course on the bizarre "Dune" movies that never came to be.
Jacobs went through a handful of different directors and screenwriters in early development, but he tragically passed away in 1973. David Lynch would eventually bring "Dune" to the big screen in 1984, but there were multiple failed attempts that paved the way for his film and a remake in his wake that led to Denis Villeneuve's recent adaptations. The messy histories of failed "Dune" adaptations could justify their own feature-length documentaries but allow this to be a crash course on the bizarre "Dune" movies that never came to be.
- 3/4/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)
"When I finished the novel. I was just knocked out." Those are the words of filmmaker David Lynch, of "Twin Peaks" and "Eraserhead" fame. The director said this in 2021 reflecting on reading Frank Herbert's "Dune" for the first time. That is, in no small part, why he decided to sign on to direct an adaptation of the novel that had been kicking around Hollywood for years. Unfortunately, for various reasons, Lynch's version was doomed to fail.
"I'd seen 'Star Wars,' of course; but to be honest, I wasn't all that crazy about it," Lynch, who had been eyed to potentially direct "Return of the Jedi," said in that same interview. "Dune was different; it had believable characterizations and depth.
"When I finished the novel. I was just knocked out." Those are the words of filmmaker David Lynch, of "Twin Peaks" and "Eraserhead" fame. The director said this in 2021 reflecting on reading Frank Herbert's "Dune" for the first time. That is, in no small part, why he decided to sign on to direct an adaptation of the novel that had been kicking around Hollywood for years. Unfortunately, for various reasons, Lynch's version was doomed to fail.
"I'd seen 'Star Wars,' of course; but to be honest, I wasn't all that crazy about it," Lynch, who had been eyed to potentially direct "Return of the Jedi," said in that same interview. "Dune was different; it had believable characterizations and depth.
- 3/2/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Ever since David Lynch tried bringing Frank Herbert's epic tome to the big screen, "Dune" 1984 has enjoyed a somewhat uneven legacy. Many view it as a rare misstep for Lynch, in part because the film bombed spectacularly at the box office, but mainly because, well, there are a lot of things wrong with "Dune" 1984. That said, the film has some pretty ardent defenders and gained a significant cult following after its release. In fact, as we all await the arrival of the bleak blockbuster that is "Dune: Part Two," Lynch's take on the material seems to be enjoying more of a reassessment than it ever has before, with modern audiences asking whether the director's imaginative sci-fi really was as bad as its initial box office performance suggests.
In many ways, the answer to that question is an emphatic "no." Even contemporary critics agreed that "Dune" 1984 wasn't without its charms.
In many ways, the answer to that question is an emphatic "no." Even contemporary critics agreed that "Dune" 1984 wasn't without its charms.
- 2/29/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
By the time Rumpelstiltskin was in the works, the slasher model of yesteryear was replaced with something fresh but still familiar enough. Hence the many oddball slashers where the antagonist is neither human nor ordinary. From djinns to scarecrows, the decade saw horror turning to more fantastical inspirations. Mark Jones, whose career began in writing for cartoons and television, essentially kicked off the trend with Leprechaun. And had his first movie not been so successful, his next would have likely never happened.
After striking gold with Leprechaun in the early 1990s, Mark Jones looked to another magical icon for his second horror movie. Two specific on-screen depictions of Rumpelstiltskin influenced Jones’ own unique reimagining; he drew from Shaike Ophir and Billy Barty’s performances, respectively from the vintage anthology show Shirley Temple’s Storybook and an ‘87 movie directed by David Irving. Jones remembered Ophir’s take on the Brothers Grimm character to be particularly creepy.
After striking gold with Leprechaun in the early 1990s, Mark Jones looked to another magical icon for his second horror movie. Two specific on-screen depictions of Rumpelstiltskin influenced Jones’ own unique reimagining; he drew from Shaike Ophir and Billy Barty’s performances, respectively from the vintage anthology show Shirley Temple’s Storybook and an ‘87 movie directed by David Irving. Jones remembered Ophir’s take on the Brothers Grimm character to be particularly creepy.
- 2/26/2024
- by Paul Lê
- bloody-disgusting.com
As attention turns to the Oscars around this time every year, it’s easy to get caught up remembering some of the big winners. One of the most notable champs was The Silence of the Lambs, which took home the “Big Five” awards in 1992: Best Picture, Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress (Jodie Foster), Best Director (Jonathan Demme), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ted Tally), as well as Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing to round it out.
And despite owning the film rights to works of author Thomas Harris, super-producer Dino De Laurentiis saw none of that windfall, be it Oscar gold or box office riches. How could a savvy Hollywood player, responsible for making some of the most important movies of all time, make such a wild mistake?
It’s all Michael Mann’s fault.
Hannibal and the Italian
In 1981, author Thomas Harris published Red Dragon, a...
And despite owning the film rights to works of author Thomas Harris, super-producer Dino De Laurentiis saw none of that windfall, be it Oscar gold or box office riches. How could a savvy Hollywood player, responsible for making some of the most important movies of all time, make such a wild mistake?
It’s all Michael Mann’s fault.
Hannibal and the Italian
In 1981, author Thomas Harris published Red Dragon, a...
- 2/19/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Last Feb. 14, actress Valentina Bellè walked the red carpet at the Critics Choice Awards for The Good Mothers, the Disney+ series directed by Julian Jarrold and Elisa Amoruso that was nominated for best foreign series after bowing last year in Berlin, where it won the fest’s first Berlinale Series Award. And it is to Berlin that the 31-year-old Bellè will return this year, chosen as the Italian face of European Shooting Stars, an annual award given to up-and-coming talent.
“I am extremely honored,” Bellè says. “I can’t wait to meet my wonderful colleagues from all over Europe, all these incredible talents. And I can’t wait to be in Berlin to exchange ideas and experiences. And to find out where it all started for them.”
Her beginning took place on the stage of her elementary school’s theater. “A confined space in which to abandon the idea of yourself for a while,...
“I am extremely honored,” Bellè says. “I can’t wait to meet my wonderful colleagues from all over Europe, all these incredible talents. And I can’t wait to be in Berlin to exchange ideas and experiences. And to find out where it all started for them.”
Her beginning took place on the stage of her elementary school’s theater. “A confined space in which to abandon the idea of yourself for a while,...
- 2/18/2024
- by Manuela Santacatterina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In the 1980s, Stephen King was on top of the world. He burst onto the scene in the late 1970s with his debut novel "Carrie," and seemed to be unstoppable. His books were best sellers, and Hollywood came calling. The film adaptations weren't always well-received, and they weren't always box office hits, either. Eventually, King would get an idea in his head: what if he directed a film adaptation himself? Who better to adapt Stephen King than ... Stephen King?
Of course, there was a flaw in this logic: King didn't know the first thing about filmmaking. But how hard could it be? When mega-producer Dino De Laurentiis scooped up the rights to a film adaptation of King's short story "Trucks," the film's production designer, Giorgio Postiglione, told King that the famed author should be the one to direct the project. According to the book "Creepshows: The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Guide,...
Of course, there was a flaw in this logic: King didn't know the first thing about filmmaking. But how hard could it be? When mega-producer Dino De Laurentiis scooped up the rights to a film adaptation of King's short story "Trucks," the film's production designer, Giorgio Postiglione, told King that the famed author should be the one to direct the project. According to the book "Creepshows: The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Guide,...
- 2/18/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
In his last dramatic and interminable years, Michael Cimino spent his days in solitude rewatching old movies in the Bel-Air mansion he bought during his heyday. On the rare occasions that he ventured out, he drove a Rolls-Royce he acquired while making The Deer Hunter in 1978, his chauffeur having left long ago, as well as his success.
Even in those final moments, he did everything he could to show a winning image to Hollywood, a town that had ostracized him ever since the colossal Heaven’s Gate fiasco that had bankrupted United Artists during the early ’80s. He had a perpetually ironic, scornful smile, but he was the first to know how pointless, even miserable, that act was. The only thing he had left from his triumphant years was some money, and he would show up at the hangouts of movers and shakers like the Polo Lounge, where he often ended...
Even in those final moments, he did everything he could to show a winning image to Hollywood, a town that had ostracized him ever since the colossal Heaven’s Gate fiasco that had bankrupted United Artists during the early ’80s. He had a perpetually ironic, scornful smile, but he was the first to know how pointless, even miserable, that act was. The only thing he had left from his triumphant years was some money, and he would show up at the hangouts of movers and shakers like the Polo Lounge, where he often ended...
- 2/17/2024
- by Antonio Monda
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? covering Hannibal was Written by Mike Holtz, Narrated by Travis Hopson, Edited by Joseph Wilson, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
When The Silence of the Lambs was released upon the world in 1991 and not only became a financial and critical success but also the third film in history to win all five of the big awards at the Oscars, you knew it meant one thing… Tostito’s Pizza Rolls! Because that’s the best way to celebrate any achievement. No, it meant a sequel. Thank God it released in the 90s and not today! Forget a sequel, Disney would have purchased the rights and farmed out an entire cinematic universe. I can see it now… (trailer voice) “You’ve seen Hannibal Lecter behind bars. But have you ever seen him… in the classroom?...
When The Silence of the Lambs was released upon the world in 1991 and not only became a financial and critical success but also the third film in history to win all five of the big awards at the Oscars, you knew it meant one thing… Tostito’s Pizza Rolls! Because that’s the best way to celebrate any achievement. No, it meant a sequel. Thank God it released in the 90s and not today! Forget a sequel, Disney would have purchased the rights and farmed out an entire cinematic universe. I can see it now… (trailer voice) “You’ve seen Hannibal Lecter behind bars. But have you ever seen him… in the classroom?...
- 2/12/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Jon Rosen, senior partner and board member at WME, has set his plans to launch the management production firm Envisionary after exiting the agency earlier this month.
Envisionary will use the skills Rosen honed over three decades with the agency, especially in the non-scripted and on-air areas specializing in news, sports and culinary talent. The new venture will offer a comprehensive suite of services including management representation, production verticals, advisory and consulting, as well as an investment arm.
Joining Rosen to start Envisionary is an elite roster of clients including including Alex Rodriguez, Stephen A. Smith, Al Roker, Bobby Flay, Brent Montgomery & Wheelhouse, Buddy Valastro, Giada De Laurentiis, Hallie Jackson, Julia Fox, Lara Spencer, Natalie Morales, Robin Roberts, Stephanie Ruhle, Van Jones, Willie Geist, E Street Band consigliere and actor Steven Van Zandt and more.
Rosen over the past 30 years held key leadership roles at the William Morris Endeavor and William Morris Agency,...
Envisionary will use the skills Rosen honed over three decades with the agency, especially in the non-scripted and on-air areas specializing in news, sports and culinary talent. The new venture will offer a comprehensive suite of services including management representation, production verticals, advisory and consulting, as well as an investment arm.
Joining Rosen to start Envisionary is an elite roster of clients including including Alex Rodriguez, Stephen A. Smith, Al Roker, Bobby Flay, Brent Montgomery & Wheelhouse, Buddy Valastro, Giada De Laurentiis, Hallie Jackson, Julia Fox, Lara Spencer, Natalie Morales, Robin Roberts, Stephanie Ruhle, Van Jones, Willie Geist, E Street Band consigliere and actor Steven Van Zandt and more.
Rosen over the past 30 years held key leadership roles at the William Morris Endeavor and William Morris Agency,...
- 1/30/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
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
Prominent Italian producer Aurelio De Laurentiis has teamed up with the National Italian American Foundation (Niaf) to establish a film production grant program supporting aspiring filmmakers with compelling stories to tell about Italian and Italian American experiences.
De Laurentiis, who is the nephew of the late great movie mogul Dino De Laurentiis and a mogul in his own right — his Filmauro banner has released more than 400 movies — has long been supporting young filmmakers by financing the Venice Film Festival’s $100,000 “Luigi De Laurentiis” award for best first work.
The nascent Niaf/De Laurentiis Film Prizes will award a $10,000 grant this year to five selected applicants toward producing a short film project in any genre, including documentaries. The best project will be awarded an additional $10,000, plus a mentorship directly with De Laurentiis and his Filmauro team.
The five award-winning films will premiere at the Niaf 50th anniversary gala in Washington, D.
De Laurentiis, who is the nephew of the late great movie mogul Dino De Laurentiis and a mogul in his own right — his Filmauro banner has released more than 400 movies — has long been supporting young filmmakers by financing the Venice Film Festival’s $100,000 “Luigi De Laurentiis” award for best first work.
The nascent Niaf/De Laurentiis Film Prizes will award a $10,000 grant this year to five selected applicants toward producing a short film project in any genre, including documentaries. The best project will be awarded an additional $10,000, plus a mentorship directly with De Laurentiis and his Filmauro team.
The five award-winning films will premiere at the Niaf 50th anniversary gala in Washington, D.
- 1/16/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Director William Friedkin (who passed away earlier this year) made a lot of great films, including Best Picture winner The French Connection and one of the best horror movies ever made, The Exorcist. One you don’t hear referenced very often is the serial killer thriller Rampage, which had trouble making its way out into the world and was a project where Friedkin felt he had missed the mark, as the finished film wasn’t close enough to his original vision for it. But now Kino Lorber is showing Rampage some of the respect it’s been lacking over the decades, as Blu-ray.com reports they’ll be giving the film a 4K Uhd release sometime in early 2024.
Scripted by Friedkin and based on a novel of the same name by William P. Wood, Rampage delves into the subject of legal insanity, so often the default defense in modern-time gruesome crime trials.
Scripted by Friedkin and based on a novel of the same name by William P. Wood, Rampage delves into the subject of legal insanity, so often the default defense in modern-time gruesome crime trials.
- 12/28/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Josh Kramer, who worked as a film producer and financier and Amazon executive, died Nov. 27 in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 67.
Kramer started his career in entertainment in foreign sales for the Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis. By pre-selling foreign movie rights, he became an integral member of the company, financing films such as “Manhunter” and “Blue Velvet.” He led the acquisition of the film rights for Madonna’s first concert film “Madonna: Truth or Dare” and later sold the film overseas.
Rachael Horovitz, who worked with him at De Laurentiis, remembered Kramer on his memorial site. “A concert pianist who helped right the Beastie Boys tourbus one night in Paris when rabid fans were tipping it over; a patient negotiator who cried reading J.D. Salinger. His contradictions made him.”
He joined forces with Thom Mount to form the Mount/Kramer Company in the early ’90s, producing Roman Polanski’s...
Kramer started his career in entertainment in foreign sales for the Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis. By pre-selling foreign movie rights, he became an integral member of the company, financing films such as “Manhunter” and “Blue Velvet.” He led the acquisition of the film rights for Madonna’s first concert film “Madonna: Truth or Dare” and later sold the film overseas.
Rachael Horovitz, who worked with him at De Laurentiis, remembered Kramer on his memorial site. “A concert pianist who helped right the Beastie Boys tourbus one night in Paris when rabid fans were tipping it over; a patient negotiator who cried reading J.D. Salinger. His contradictions made him.”
He joined forces with Thom Mount to form the Mount/Kramer Company in the early ’90s, producing Roman Polanski’s...
- 12/19/2023
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
Josh Kramer, a veteran Hollywood executive who produced such films as Roman Polanski’s Death and the Maiden and Sidney Lumet’s Night Falls on Manhattan, has died following a stroke. He was 67.
Kramer died Nov. 27 surrounded by family and friends in Santa Monica, according to a representative. The producer, who was a graduate of the American School in London, earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, where he is said to have made a mark creating conceptual art pieces. He then went on to earn his Mba from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
He began his entertainment industry career by working in foreign sales for legendary Italian producer Dino de Laurentiis, specializing in international presales of films by such directors as Sam Raimi, Michael Cimino, Bruce Beresford and David Cronenberg. One such title he shepherded was the iconic documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare.
Kramer went on...
Kramer died Nov. 27 surrounded by family and friends in Santa Monica, according to a representative. The producer, who was a graduate of the American School in London, earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, where he is said to have made a mark creating conceptual art pieces. He then went on to earn his Mba from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
He began his entertainment industry career by working in foreign sales for legendary Italian producer Dino de Laurentiis, specializing in international presales of films by such directors as Sam Raimi, Michael Cimino, Bruce Beresford and David Cronenberg. One such title he shepherded was the iconic documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare.
Kramer went on...
- 12/19/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Josh Kramer, who produced Roman Polanski’s Death and the Maiden and Sidney Lumet’s Night Falls on Manhattan and later led sales for Capitol Films before becoming Head of Motion Picture Business Operations at Amazon Studios, has died. He was 67.
Kramer died November 27 in Santa Monica.
Born on May 17, 1956, he began his showbiz career working for the Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis, pre-selling foreign movie rights that would help finance films including Manhunter, Blue Velvet and others. Kramer was instrumental in the success of the 1991 concert pic Madonna: Truth or Dare, leading the acquisition of the film rights and then selling the film overseas.
In the early 1990s, he teamed with Thom Mount to form the Mount/Kramer Company, which produced Death and the Maiden (1994) and Night Falls on Manhattan (1996).
He went on to become the head of sales for Capitol Films, later joining international acquisitions at MGM. In...
Kramer died November 27 in Santa Monica.
Born on May 17, 1956, he began his showbiz career working for the Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis, pre-selling foreign movie rights that would help finance films including Manhunter, Blue Velvet and others. Kramer was instrumental in the success of the 1991 concert pic Madonna: Truth or Dare, leading the acquisition of the film rights and then selling the film overseas.
In the early 1990s, he teamed with Thom Mount to form the Mount/Kramer Company, which produced Death and the Maiden (1994) and Night Falls on Manhattan (1996).
He went on to become the head of sales for Capitol Films, later joining international acquisitions at MGM. In...
- 12/19/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
If you had to name the most original filmmaker of the last half-century, what’s the first name that comes to mind? David Cronenberg? Wes Anderson? Maybe Werner Herzog or the Coen brothers? While all of them are certainly worthy contenders, it’s hard to argue against the lasting merits of David Lynch, the truly unique cinematic surrealist who has been tormenting audiences with nightmarishly vexing material since his feature film debut Eraserhead in 1977. Indeed, few filmmakers have become name brands unto themselves in the way Lynch’s name evokes a particular type of psychological moviegoing experience. And while he’s worked in many different genres in his career with varying results, no one explores the nature of dreams and the human subconscious like Lynch has repeatedly done throughout his filmography. Moreover, as seen in his tour-de-force 1986 neo-noir mystery Blue Velvet, Lynch has an uncanny knack for digging beneath the...
- 11/27/2023
- by Jake Dee
- JoBlo.com
Top: Napoleon (Gaumont), Middle: Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure (Orion Pictures), Bottom: Napoleon Bunny-Part (Warner Bros. Pictures)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Napoleon Bonaparte died on May 21, 1821, but the iconic French emperor has lived on (and on and on) in numerous movies and television shows. Esteemed director Ridley Scott, who...
Napoleon Bonaparte died on May 21, 1821, but the iconic French emperor has lived on (and on and on) in numerous movies and television shows. Esteemed director Ridley Scott, who...
- 11/24/2023
- by Ian Spelling
- avclub.com
Nineteen sixty-eight has to be considered the apex of psychedelic sexploitation romps, with the release of Candy, adapted from Mason Hoffenberg and Terry Southern’s satirical reworking of Voltaire’s Candide, and Roger Vadim’s Barbarella, based on Jean-Claude Forest’s comic, and partially scripted by Southern (alongside an armada of other credited writers). Both employ a rambling, shaggy-dog structure as an excuse to flagrantly foreground softcore sexual hijinks tinged with a pungent whiff of social commentary, albeit the latter aspect may be easier to discern in Candy’s perverse daisy chain of events.
Southern’s contributions to the Dino De Laurentiis-produced Barbarella can be detected in some of its wittier lines (“A good many dramatic situations begin with screaming!”) and sly pokes at the persistence of class-consciousness. Aside from Southern, the two films are linked by the presence of Anita Pallenberg, style icon and muse of the Rolling...
Southern’s contributions to the Dino De Laurentiis-produced Barbarella can be detected in some of its wittier lines (“A good many dramatic situations begin with screaming!”) and sly pokes at the persistence of class-consciousness. Aside from Southern, the two films are linked by the presence of Anita Pallenberg, style icon and muse of the Rolling...
- 11/21/2023
- by Budd Wilkins
- Slant Magazine
Exclusive: Film Bridge International is launching sales at AFM on horror Xelter, whose producers include The De Laurentiis Company (Hannibal) and Head Gear Films (Talk To Me).
The period horror film directed by Martin Bonnici is currently in production in Malta, with a cast of Maltese newcomers alongside actors including Brit Bobby Schofield (The Covenant) and Irish actor Moe Dunford (Vikings).
The WWII-set movie charts the legend of the Babaw, a supernatural creature known for stalking and killing children. The film, inspired by true historical events, sees citizens of Malta take shelter from Nazi bombardment in the ancient catacombs underneath the cities, where they suffered deadly peril from collapsing tunnels and entrapment. That experience scarred a generation, and led to stories about creatures that stole children who strayed too far away from their parents.
Screenplay was written by Scottish screenwriter and comics writer Emma Beeby, based on a story Beeby wrote with Gordon Rennie.
The period horror film directed by Martin Bonnici is currently in production in Malta, with a cast of Maltese newcomers alongside actors including Brit Bobby Schofield (The Covenant) and Irish actor Moe Dunford (Vikings).
The WWII-set movie charts the legend of the Babaw, a supernatural creature known for stalking and killing children. The film, inspired by true historical events, sees citizens of Malta take shelter from Nazi bombardment in the ancient catacombs underneath the cities, where they suffered deadly peril from collapsing tunnels and entrapment. That experience scarred a generation, and led to stories about creatures that stole children who strayed too far away from their parents.
Screenplay was written by Scottish screenwriter and comics writer Emma Beeby, based on a story Beeby wrote with Gordon Rennie.
- 11/2/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
“Diabolik – Who Are You,” which has its market premiere this week at AFM, following its world premiere at the Rome Film Festival, is the third in a series of adaptations of an Italian comic-book franchise. The books, written by sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani, have sold more than 150 million copies.
Kino Lorber has picked up U.S. rights for all three instalments of the stylish crime-comic movies, written and directed by brothers Marco and Antonio Manetti. Beta Cinema is handling world sales for the films. International buyers for the third film so far include Metropolitan Film in France, Spain’s Flins & Piniculas, Plaion Pictures in German-speaking territories, and Discovery Film in the former Yugoslavia. 01 Distribution is releasing the pic in Italy on Nov. 30.
The franchise centers on Diabolik, an ingenious gentleman thief, living in the fictional city of Clerville in the 1960s and 1970s. Luca Marinelli played the master criminal in the first film,...
Kino Lorber has picked up U.S. rights for all three instalments of the stylish crime-comic movies, written and directed by brothers Marco and Antonio Manetti. Beta Cinema is handling world sales for the films. International buyers for the third film so far include Metropolitan Film in France, Spain’s Flins & Piniculas, Plaion Pictures in German-speaking territories, and Discovery Film in the former Yugoslavia. 01 Distribution is releasing the pic in Italy on Nov. 30.
The franchise centers on Diabolik, an ingenious gentleman thief, living in the fictional city of Clerville in the 1960s and 1970s. Luca Marinelli played the master criminal in the first film,...
- 11/1/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
John Carpenter's "Halloween" is one of the finest horror films ever made. Rick Rosenthal's "Halloween II" is one or 12 steps down from that.
Carpenter's original is also one of the most successful independent productions of all time. It launched the slasher film craze, made Jamie Lee Curtis a star and, thanks to the white-masked Michael Myers, spawned lifelong nightmares in the subconscious of every kid who begged their parents to let them watch it. Forty-five years on, "Halloween" is still a wildly effective, brilliantly crafted film. It is, per its tagline, "The Night He Came Home." "Halloween II" was unimaginatively sold as "More of the Night He Came Home." It's basically the "More American Graffiti" of horror flicks, and, like that film, it's better than its reputation suggests.
Having established himself as a genre auteur, Carpenter bowed out of directing the sequel and set his sights on "The Fog.
Carpenter's original is also one of the most successful independent productions of all time. It launched the slasher film craze, made Jamie Lee Curtis a star and, thanks to the white-masked Michael Myers, spawned lifelong nightmares in the subconscious of every kid who begged their parents to let them watch it. Forty-five years on, "Halloween" is still a wildly effective, brilliantly crafted film. It is, per its tagline, "The Night He Came Home." "Halloween II" was unimaginatively sold as "More of the Night He Came Home." It's basically the "More American Graffiti" of horror flicks, and, like that film, it's better than its reputation suggests.
Having established himself as a genre auteur, Carpenter bowed out of directing the sequel and set his sights on "The Fog.
- 10/20/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
In Frank Herbert’s original Dune novel, the character Duke Leto Atreides is set up to fail. Awarded the mining rights to the arid planet Arrakis by a powerful emperor, and given a limited number of days to exploit them, Leto is sent to the desert essentially to die. And in the end, he should’ve known forces beyond his control were conspiring against him from the start.
One wonders whether back in 1984 if David Lynch felt he could relate. An already impressive directorial talent behind intriguing films like Eraserhead (1977) and The Elephant Man (1980), Lynch was a 34-year-old wunderkind when he was tapped by producer Dino De Laurentiis to direct, and eventually rewrite, Dune as a sci-fi epic intended to rival Star Wars. Yet through the vicissitudes of fate—as well as budget, location photography, and post-production studio mandates—the film that reached cinema screens was a fraction of his sprawling vision.
One wonders whether back in 1984 if David Lynch felt he could relate. An already impressive directorial talent behind intriguing films like Eraserhead (1977) and The Elephant Man (1980), Lynch was a 34-year-old wunderkind when he was tapped by producer Dino De Laurentiis to direct, and eventually rewrite, Dune as a sci-fi epic intended to rival Star Wars. Yet through the vicissitudes of fate—as well as budget, location photography, and post-production studio mandates—the film that reached cinema screens was a fraction of his sprawling vision.
- 9/18/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
When first-time documentary director Leonard Manzella premieres his award-winning “Shoe Shine Caddie” at the Portobello Film Festival in London on September 16, it will represent a kind of return to the former actor’s roots in the international film scene.
A professional family therapist for the past 30 years in California, Manzella’s earlier career began when the native Angeleno left Los Angeles for Rome in 1968 “when everything was burning.” In his early 20s and armed with “no contacts and about $50 bucks in my pocket,” a fortuitous introduction to American actor Brett Halsey got Manzella into movies, first as an extra and eventually as a leading man.
Halsey, who landed in Rome in the ‘60s and worked steadily in Euro crime thrillers and in the burgeoning spaghetti western scene, often toiled under the moniker Montgomery Ford and Leonard Manzella became famous as Leonard Mann.
“I went to Rome to study political science,...
A professional family therapist for the past 30 years in California, Manzella’s earlier career began when the native Angeleno left Los Angeles for Rome in 1968 “when everything was burning.” In his early 20s and armed with “no contacts and about $50 bucks in my pocket,” a fortuitous introduction to American actor Brett Halsey got Manzella into movies, first as an extra and eventually as a leading man.
Halsey, who landed in Rome in the ‘60s and worked steadily in Euro crime thrillers and in the burgeoning spaghetti western scene, often toiled under the moniker Montgomery Ford and Leonard Manzella became famous as Leonard Mann.
“I went to Rome to study political science,...
- 9/15/2023
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
Cliff Twemlow is an obscure figure even by British B-movie standards, a handsome, no-nonsense former Manchester nightclub doorman who attempted to create a Hollywood of the north in the early ’80s and ’90s. Born in 1937, a fact he tried to cloud for many years, he was something of a renaissance man: He acted in soaps, he composed lucrative library music, he wrote a novel about a killer pike, and, after a wounding experience with a botched adaptation of his autobiographical novel Tuxedo Warrior, he decided to become a filmmaker himself.
His first production, G.B.H. (1982), was shot on video — the grainy, ugly, analog kind — and it rode on the coattails of the recent hit The Long Good Friday. Twemlow starred as a handsome, no-nonsense Manchester nightclub doorman, hired to protect a local nightclub from a protection racket after returning from a stretch in prison.
His first production, G.B.H. (1982), was shot on video — the grainy, ugly, analog kind — and it rode on the coattails of the recent hit The Long Good Friday. Twemlow starred as a handsome, no-nonsense Manchester nightclub doorman, hired to protect a local nightclub from a protection racket after returning from a stretch in prison.
- 8/28/2023
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
When you consider the evidence, the 1970s was the greatest crime movie period since the 1930s. Maybe it’s because of the grim film stock, but those 10 years were so filled with the criminal element even a highly-rated political journalism feature like All the President’s Men (1976) is really an investigation into indictable acts. The decade is defined by Francis Ford Coppola’s first two The Godfather movies, but those tell the story of the dons who live in compounds on Long Island. Most illicit infractions are committed on the street, and so many fall between the cracks.
Crime and gangster movies historically and consistently break boundaries in motion picture art. This is especially true when independent filmmakers muscle their way in packing something heavy. The 1970s was an experimental decade for motion pictures with wildly varied visions behind the lens. Some of these films were considered old-fashioned, others have proven...
Crime and gangster movies historically and consistently break boundaries in motion picture art. This is especially true when independent filmmakers muscle their way in packing something heavy. The 1970s was an experimental decade for motion pictures with wildly varied visions behind the lens. Some of these films were considered old-fashioned, others have proven...
- 8/12/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
A few months ago, we heard that The CW had picked up the U.S. rights to the TV series adaptation of author Frank Schätzing’s apocalyptic sci-fi novel The Swarm (you can pick up a copy at This Link). Now Deadline has revealed that The Swarm is set to begin airing on The CW at 9 p.m. Et/Pt on Tuesday, September 12th. A trailer for the show can be seen in the embed above.
The Swarm, not to be confused with the Donald Glover / Prime Video series Swarm, has been a long time coming. In 2006, Uma Thurman and producers Michael Souvignier, Ica Souvignier, and Till Grönemeyer acquired the film rights, with The Silence of the Lambs screenwriter Ted Tally handling the adaptation and Dino De Laurentiis on board to help finance the film. But it didn’t make it into production. In 2018, it was announced that Game of Thrones...
The Swarm, not to be confused with the Donald Glover / Prime Video series Swarm, has been a long time coming. In 2006, Uma Thurman and producers Michael Souvignier, Ica Souvignier, and Till Grönemeyer acquired the film rights, with The Silence of the Lambs screenwriter Ted Tally handling the adaptation and Dino De Laurentiis on board to help finance the film. But it didn’t make it into production. In 2018, it was announced that Game of Thrones...
- 8/11/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
No study of film is complete without the inclusion of the shark. Cinema has long told stories of man’s eternal battle with monsters, real or otherwise. Yet over the decades, no animal has endured so thoroughly as that on-screen nemesis like the humble shark. There’s always time for a shark movie, including this summer with the release of Ben Wheatley’s Meg 2. Indeed, our very (mis)understanding of the creature is rooted in its movie history. Film has an incredible ability to reimagine the world around us, but its eternal insistence on turning the shark into a merciless killing machine for midnight movie scares has left a permanent, major scar. And it’s almost entirely thanks to one movie that not only changed Hollywood forever but left sharks with a serious case of bad PR.
Jaws has a lot to answer for.
Prior to the film that changed everything,...
Jaws has a lot to answer for.
Prior to the film that changed everything,...
- 8/5/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Jessica Lange came by her restlessness naturally. Born on April 20, 1949, to a stay-at-home mom and a traveling salesman father who moved the family all over the state of Minnesota, she quickly became acclimated to the process of re-acclimating. Eventually, the need for stabilization lost its appeal. Three years into studying art and photography at the University of Minnesota, she married Spanish photographer Paco Grande, at which point their shared wanderlust took them all over the United States and Mexico. The pair split upon moving to Paris, where Lange discovered Étienne Decroux and corporeal mime -- which departs from the conventional white-faced japery you're familiar with, and seeks to find abstract poetry in the movement of people and things.
Lange possessed the soul of a poet, but found this form of performance emotionally unrewarding, so she decamped for New York City to study acting with Mira Rostova at Hb Studio. She...
Lange possessed the soul of a poet, but found this form of performance emotionally unrewarding, so she decamped for New York City to study acting with Mira Rostova at Hb Studio. She...
- 7/25/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The Halloween III: Season of the Witch episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? was Written by Cody Hamman, Narrated by Adam Walton, Edited by Jaime Vasquez, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
For two films, movie-goers watched the masked slasher Michael Myers stalk Jamie Lee Curtis and murder his way through the small town of Haddonfield on Halloween night. So you can understand that some were shocked when they went to see Halloween III and it wasn’t anything like the previous two films. Instead of more Michael Myers, they got a movie about a warlock who wanted to use the power of Stonehenge to kill millions of children. With masks that would melt their heads down into puddles of snakes and bugs. This change in direction did not go over well. For decades, Halloween III: Season of the Witch (watch it Here) was largely disregarded.
For two films, movie-goers watched the masked slasher Michael Myers stalk Jamie Lee Curtis and murder his way through the small town of Haddonfield on Halloween night. So you can understand that some were shocked when they went to see Halloween III and it wasn’t anything like the previous two films. Instead of more Michael Myers, they got a movie about a warlock who wanted to use the power of Stonehenge to kill millions of children. With masks that would melt their heads down into puddles of snakes and bugs. This change in direction did not go over well. For decades, Halloween III: Season of the Witch (watch it Here) was largely disregarded.
- 7/6/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
A wannabe "Jaws" rip-off theorized what would happen if a killer whale wreaked revenge on humanity -- "Orca" was a warning. Let's be honest: it's kind of a surprise that it's taken this long for killer whales to revolt against humans. We've poisoned their oceans, killed their young, and forced them into a life of showbiz in cramped theme park pools. Humans had a good run but it seems that orcas are the new mammals in charge.
Sailors working off the coast of Western Europe have reported a series of attacks by a group of orcas they said seemed to be "coordinated." This included striking and sinking a number of boats, although no human casualties have been reported. Some scientists said spikes in aggression may have been started by a female orca nicknamed White Gladis, who is believed to have suffered trauma after a collision with a sailboat.
While other...
Sailors working off the coast of Western Europe have reported a series of attacks by a group of orcas they said seemed to be "coordinated." This included striking and sinking a number of boats, although no human casualties have been reported. Some scientists said spikes in aggression may have been started by a female orca nicknamed White Gladis, who is believed to have suffered trauma after a collision with a sailboat.
While other...
- 5/26/2023
- by Kayleigh Donaldson
- Slash Film
An adaptation of author Frank Schätzing’s apocalyptic sci-fi novel The Swarm (you can pick up a copy at This Link), not to be confused with the Donald Glover / Prime Video series Swarm, was a long time coming. In 2006, Uma Thurman and producers Michael Souvignier, Ica Souvignier, and Till Grönemeyer acquired the film rights, with The Silence of the Lambs screenwriter Ted Tally handling the adaptation and Dino De Laurentiis on board to help finance the film. But it didn’t make it into production. In 2018, it was announced that Game of Thrones executive producer Frank Doelger was teaming with Beta Film and Zdf Enterprises to bring The Swarm to the screen as an eight-part TV series. Five years later, episodes of the show finally had their premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. The Swarm is now streaming on multiple services around the world – and Deadline reports that The CW has picked up the U.
- 5/26/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Arnold Schwarzenegger managed to maintain his reputation as an action star even in his much older years. But Clint Eastwood was a significant motivator for Schwarzenegger’s continued run in the genre.
How Clint Eastwood inspired Arnold Schwarzenegger’s future career as an action star Arnold Schwarzenegger | Leon Bennett/WireImage
Schwarzenegger was determined to become a blockbuster superstar at an early age, which he accomplished at the highest level. His roles in features like Predator, Terminator, and Commando helped turn him into one of Hollywood’s biggest action heroes. He felt like the movie Conan the Barbarian was when he truly cemented himself as a leading man.
“Universal Studios sold movies internationally, and Dino De Laurentiis was the biggest producer and had more awards on his shelves than you can even imagine,” he once told Buzzfeed. “You have Oliver Stone write the script and have John Milius rewrite it and then direct.
How Clint Eastwood inspired Arnold Schwarzenegger’s future career as an action star Arnold Schwarzenegger | Leon Bennett/WireImage
Schwarzenegger was determined to become a blockbuster superstar at an early age, which he accomplished at the highest level. His roles in features like Predator, Terminator, and Commando helped turn him into one of Hollywood’s biggest action heroes. He felt like the movie Conan the Barbarian was when he truly cemented himself as a leading man.
“Universal Studios sold movies internationally, and Dino De Laurentiis was the biggest producer and had more awards on his shelves than you can even imagine,” he once told Buzzfeed. “You have Oliver Stone write the script and have John Milius rewrite it and then direct.
- 5/20/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Belgian directors Felix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch’s Italian-language drama The Eight Mountains and veteran Marco Bellocchio’s Exterior Night topped the 68th edition of Italy’s David di Donatello Awards on Wednesday evening.
The Eight Mountains won best film as well as best non-original screenplay, photography and sound.
Based on the novel of the same name by Paolo Cognetti, it stars Luca Marinelli and Alessandro Borghi as two men from different backgrounds who form a life-long bond during summers spent together as children in a remote mountain village.
The film world premiered in Competition at Cannes last year where it co-won the Jury Prize. Read the Deadline review here.
It is the second time in the history of the awards that a film by non-Italian directors has clinched the best film prize.
The last time was in 1971 when the Dino de Laurentiis-produced epic Waterloo by Russian director Sergei Bonderchuk,...
The Eight Mountains won best film as well as best non-original screenplay, photography and sound.
Based on the novel of the same name by Paolo Cognetti, it stars Luca Marinelli and Alessandro Borghi as two men from different backgrounds who form a life-long bond during summers spent together as children in a remote mountain village.
The film world premiered in Competition at Cannes last year where it co-won the Jury Prize. Read the Deadline review here.
It is the second time in the history of the awards that a film by non-Italian directors has clinched the best film prize.
The last time was in 1971 when the Dino de Laurentiis-produced epic Waterloo by Russian director Sergei Bonderchuk,...
- 5/11/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
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