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Variety: ‘Terminator’ at 30: The Best and Worst Films of Schwarzenegger
Introduction: With his juggernaut physique, six-syllable name and an accent in need of subtitles, Arnold Schwarzenegger was perhaps the most unlikely movie star to emerge from Hollywood in the ’80s. And yet that’s just what happened when “The Terminator” premiered on October 26, 1984. Although he appeared as the title character in “Conan the Barbarian” two years earlier, his frightening turn as an unstoppable cyborg assassin was the breakout role he’d been waiting for. On the 30th anniversary of James Cameron’s sci-fi action classic, here’s a look at Schwarzenegger’s ten best performances, as well as five that should have been terminated.
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Variety: ‘The Terminator’ 30th Anniversary: 6 Things We Learned from Cameron and Hurd
Introduction: Like the cyborg killing machine it’s named for, James Cameron’s sci-fi action classic “The Terminator” is a blockbuster that simply refuses to die. And if the crowd at Wednesday’s 30th anniversary screening at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre was any indication, it never will. Writer/director Cameron and writer/producer Gale Anne Hurd were on hand to celebrate three decades of robotic rampage in a lively Q&A moderated by Geoff Boucher.
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Variety: ‘Pulp Fiction’ at 20: Why It’s the Coolest Film of the ’90s
Introduction: Like a shot of adrenaline to the heart, “Pulp Fiction” changed the movie landscape when it opened on Oct. 14, 1994. Quentin Tarantino’s ode to crime and pop-culture was a bold new cinematic vision in a decade that badly needed one. Before “Pulp Fiction,” prestige films like “Dances with Wolves” and “A Few Good Men” seemed content to play it safe, while blockbusters like “Jurassic Park” and “The Fugitive” focused squarely on the mainstream. Overnight, the term ‘Tarantinoesque’ became shorthand for audaciously stylized ultra-violence and genre-bending thrills. On its 20th anniversary, here’s why “Pulp Fiction” remains the coolest movie of the ’90s.
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Variety: ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ at 20: How It Went From Bomb to Beloved
Introduction: When it premiered on September 23, 1994, “The Shawshank Redemption” barely registered at the box office. The prison drama opened at No. 9, below the odious sex comedy “Exit to Eden” and just above Robert Redford’s “Quiz Show,” already in its fifth week. Though nominated for seven Academy Awards, the film failed to connect with audiences and vanished from theaters with little fanfare. And then, slowly but surely, its fortunes began to change. On its 20th anniversary, here’s how “The Shawshank Redemption” beat the odds and became a beloved classic.
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Variety: 7 Reasons Why “No Good Deed” Could Be a Late-Summer Sleeper
Introduction: In a summer dominated by ape warriors, transforming robots and wisecracking space raccoons, it’s difficult for low-budget non-effects-driven films to make a dent at the box office. And yet Screen Gems’ upcoming thriller “No Good Deed” hopes to accomplish just that. Arriving at the tail-end of the season, this story of a mother defending her home against an escaped convict includes a number of elements that could distinguish it from the pack. Invading theaters on September 12, here’s why “No Good Deed” could be a very late summer sleeper.
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Variety: Badass Grandpas: ‘The Expendables 3′ and 12 More Seasoned Stars
Introduction: When Bette Davis coined the phrase “Old age is no place for sissies,” she may as well have been describing the plot of “The Expendables 3.” Written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, the ensemble film features a cast of mature action vets who aren’t about to trade in their bullets for bifocals just yet. As the third entry in the popular franchise explodes into theaters on August 15, here’s a look at 12 films starring some of the toughest seniors in cinema.
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Variety: Best Movie Animals: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & 11 More Ass-Kicking Critters
Introduction: From the moment that a Border Collie named Jean wandered onto a silent film studio in 1908 and became the world’s first four-legged movie star, Hollywood’s love affair with animals was set in motion. But with the advent of CGI, today’s beastly actors are more apt to pick up a machine gun and lead an assault than snuggle on their masters’ laps. Case in point: the nunchuck-wielding Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. As the fifth entry in the TMNT franchise blasts into theaters, here are 12 of the most ass-kicking critters in recent cinema.
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Variety: ‘Purple Rain’ at 30: Why It’s the Musical That Defined the ’80s
Introduction: When it premiered on July 27, 1984, the rock drama “Purple Rain” announced the arrival of a major movie star in Prince Rogers Nelson, a flamboyant 26-year-old musician better known by the royal mononym Prince. Already a multi-platinum recording artist, Prince’s feature debut grossed a whopping $70 million in the U.S., while its Grammy winning soundtrack spent six consecutive months atop the Billboard charts. On the 30th anniversary of its release, here’s why “Purple Rain” remains the crowning musical film of our time.
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Variety: ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ Anniversary: The Final Films of 12 Directors
Introduction: “You’re only as good as your last picture” is an adage familiar to Hollywood, but it didn’t necessarily apply when Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut” premiered on July 16, 1999. Arriving four months after his death, the controversial film eluded audiences, divided critics and challenged movie historians to rank it among the director’s greatest work. On the 15th anniversary of its release, here’s a look at the final films of twelve celebrated auteurs.
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Variety: 7 Crazy ‘Planet of the Apes’ Moments You Won’t Believe
Introduction: When a film franchise lasts for more than four decades, it’s bound to collect a few odd moments along the way, and the “Planet of the Apes” series is no exception. As the eighth film in the popular saga arrives in theaters July 11, here’s a look at some of the strangest riffs on simian cinema.
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Matthew Chernov 