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Yearly Archives: 2015
Variety: Eli Roth & Courtney Love at ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ Live Read
“It’s probably the first film that didn’t condescend to American teenagers.”
So began Film Independent’s curator Elvis Mitchell as he introduced a special Live Read Thursday of Cameron Crowe’s script for the 1982 comedy “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” The event concluded this year’s Los Angeles Film Festival with a one-night-only reading, chosen and directed by filmmaker Eli Roth, and performed exclusively for those present in the audience. As always, no recordings were allowed.
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Variety: ‘Jaws’ Anniversary: 10 Movies That Are Better Than The Book
When novelist John le Carré famously quipped that “having your book turned into a movie is like seeing your oxen turned into bouillon cubes” he summed up the disappointment that countless authors feel about the often lackluster adaptations of their work. And yet, on rare occasions, the exact opposite can be true. Case in point: the Oscar-winning “Jaws,” which drastically improved upon Peter Benchley’s bestselling novel. As Steven Spielberg’s shark classic celebrates its 40th anniversary, here are ten movies that bettered their literary source material.
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Variety: The Best and Worst Disaster Movies of All Time
Moviegoers have thrilled to disaster since the dawn of the silent film era. From the 1901 drama “Fire!” about a burning house to the 1928 epic “Noah’s Ark,” whose climactic flood scene drowned three actors, Hollywood has reveled in catastrophe from the very beginning. The genre exploded in popularity during the ’70s with a string of blockbusters featuring all-star casts. Though the trend soon faded, the development of CGI effects brought it roaring back to life two decades later. The chaos continues on May 29 with the release of “San Andreas,” about a massive quake that destroys California. While we wait to assess the damage, here are ten essential disaster movies, plus five that barely register on the Richter scale.
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The Robot’s Voice: 10 Secrets From the Cast & Crew of the ’80s Rambo Cartoon
“His name was Rambo, and he was just some nothing kid for all anybody knew…”
So begins David Morrell’s harrowing novel “First Blood,” which I read in one white-knuckle sitting more than three decades ago. Back then, a film adaptation was still a ways off, but the cinematic quality of the writing made a movie version inevitable. The idea that such a brutal book could inspire a children’s cartoon, however, was completely absurd. Which makes the 1986 animated series “Rambo: The Force of Freedom” one of the most unlikely kids shows ever broadcast. Since this month marks the 30th anniversary of the blockbuster movie “Rambo: First Blood Part II,” I spoke with the cartoon’s cast and crew, including Rambo voice actor Neil Ross, head writer/story editor Mike Chain and writer/assistant story editor Jack Bornoff, about the challenges and rewards of bringing Morrell’s iconic character to the small screen.
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Audio Book Review: ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ Read by Rosamund Pike
A review of the audio book version of Ian Fleming’s novel “The Spy Who Loved Me.”
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The Robot’s Voice: 10 Revelations From the ‘He-Man’ Soundtrack Producers
Like many who spent time on Eternia in the ’80s, what I remember most about the original “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” cartoon is its insanely catchy theme song. That deceptively simple title track not only stirred our emotions with its sweeping melody, but managed to repeat the main character’s name 10 times in under a minute and a half. No wonder it’s so iconic! And yet as memorable as it was, the rest of the show’s music has largely been forgotten… until now. Making its long awaited debut, La-La-Land Records presents a deluxe 2-CD set of the “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” soundtrack, featuring over 90 minutes of previously unreleased music. I talked with John Takis and Neil S. Bulk, the album’s Producers, about the series’ signature sound and what it took to bring this meticulously restored television score to life.
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HubSpot: The 12 Greatest Advertising Movies Ever Made
The first official TV commercial aired in 1941 when a paid announcer uttered the magic words: “America runs on Bulova time.” Since then, television and advertising have been inseparable. From classic sitcoms like “Bewitched,” to dramas like “Thirtysomething” and “Melrose Place,” stories set in ad firms have fascinated viewers for decades. Yet none of those shows captured the essence of advertising better than AMC’s brilliant “Mad Men.” With its nuanced dialogue, stylish art direction and superb performances, the series riveted our attention like no other. Alas, all good things must come to an end. To help ease the sense of loss as its final season approaches, here’s a list of 12 movies that could teach Don Draper a few things about the business.
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Variety: ‘Pretty Woman’ Anniversary: 12 Hookers with Hearts of Gold
When it premiered on March 23, 1990, “Pretty Woman” made one thing perfectly clear: Hollywood has an obsession with the world’s oldest profession. From Gloria Swanson playing a harlot in the silent melodrama “Sadie Thompson,” to Sasha Grey as a high-priced escort in Steven Soderbergh’s “The Girlfriend Experience,” prostitutes have been a movie mainstay since the pre-code era. Yet unlike Jane Fonda’s icy call girl in “Klute” or Pam Grier’s psycho streetwalker in “Fort Apache, the Bronx,” Julia Roberts’ happy-go-lucky Vivian Ward was a hooker with the proverbial heart of gold. On the 25th anniversary of “Pretty Woman,” here’s a look at 11 working girls (plus one working guy) who would give you the shirt off their backs… provided they were wearing one.
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The Robot’s Voice: 10 Things We Learned From ‘Transformers’ 1986 Cast & Crew
It’s hard to exaggerate the impact that The Transformers: The Movie had on those of us who saw it in the summer of ’86. Back then, all I expected was a snazzier version of the TV series. Instead, the film played like a trippy collaboration between Ralph Bakshi and Sam Peckinpah. With its slaughter of everyone’s favorite characters shown in a more elaborate fashion than we had any reason to expect, “more than meets the eye” didn’t quite cover it. At a recent tribute screening presented by the American Cinematheque and Dammaged Goods, I spoke with the movie’s story consultant Flint Dille, voice director Wally Burr and voice actors Neil Ross and Michael Bell about its enduring legacy.
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HubSpot: The 12 Best Sales Movies of All Time
Pssst! Have you heard the one about the traveling salesman? Well if you’re a film fan, chances are you’re well acquainted with the profession. From the iconic Fuller Brush man lugging a suitcase of merchandise in the 1940s, to a slick young corporate raider trading stocks in a modern brokerage firm, Hollywood has romanticized the art of selling since films were first invented. There’s just something inherently gripping about the psychological chess game between buyer and seller that audiences respond to. So whether you prefer comedy or drama, you’re bound to enjoy a few movies on this list … and that’s a money-back guarantee.
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Matthew Chernov 