Even more than his long-time colleague and friend, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas is the boy who never grew up. For one, Star Wars is so inspired by sci-fi serials like Flash Gordon and the WWII dogfight movies that his imagined sci-fi universe feels oddly antiquated, and befitting its setting in a moment “a long, long time ago.” No less fitting is that American Graffiti, Lucas’s breakout hit, is a love letter to his youth in the 1950s and ’60s, and that it’s become the ur-text of the nostalgia movie as a subgenre. Everything from Happy Days to The Big Chill lives in its shadow, though given the shininess of the film’s surfaces, from the neon-lit drive-ins to chrome-plated cars that have been buffed to perfection, perhaps it’s more accurate to say that the film’s descendants are illuminated by its gleaming glow.
American Graffiti has the most threadbare of plots.
American Graffiti has the most threadbare of plots.
- 11/8/2023
- by Jake Cole
- Slant Magazine
It’s hard to believe at first glance that the surreal Lovecraftian horrors of Messiah of Evil are courtesy of Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, who wrote both the warm nostalgia bath that is American Graffiti and the absurd comic book antics of Howard the Duck. But there are definite similarities between these films. American Graffiti and Messiah of Evil each capture a particular milieu at the end of an era, whether that’s provincial Modesto before the Beatles and Vietnam, or a beach town being overtaken by an evil cult. And Messiah of Evil and Howard the Duck both concern a cataclysmic threat from another realm.
Messiah of Evil focuses on Arletty (Marianna Hill), a young woman who’s come to Point Dune on the California coast looking for her famous artist father, Joseph Lang (Royal Dano). She soon makes the acquaintance of raffish Thom (Michael Greer), a nomadic...
Messiah of Evil focuses on Arletty (Marianna Hill), a young woman who’s come to Point Dune on the California coast looking for her famous artist father, Joseph Lang (Royal Dano). She soon makes the acquaintance of raffish Thom (Michael Greer), a nomadic...
- 10/27/2023
- by Budd Wilkins
- Slant Magazine
After foiling a Nazi plot to unleash the power of the Ark of the Covenant on the world, the intrepid archaeologist, Indiana Jones, is heading beneath the Pankot Palace in India to recover the mystical Sankara Stones from the evil Thuggee cult, led by the deranged priest Mola Ram. This mission is all in a day’s work for Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones Jr., whose heroism is becoming a legend worldwide after his thrilling adventure in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Grab your trusty braided kangaroo leather whip, bury your entomophobia deep, and bring your appetite for chilled monkey brains because we’re looking back on the second chapter of Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones franchise, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom!
When executive producer and story writer George Lucas teamed up with Steven Spielberg for the Indiana Jones project, the creator of the Star Wars Universe said he...
When executive producer and story writer George Lucas teamed up with Steven Spielberg for the Indiana Jones project, the creator of the Star Wars Universe said he...
- 7/18/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Eight minutes into Temple Of Doom, Indiana Jones kills someone by hurling a flaming kebab into his chest. As far as I’m aware, we hadn’t seen such a thing on screen before. Or in real life. It’s outrageous really, an insane thing to do, and to see. But all of Temple Of Doom is loopy. With Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas had made a genuinely classic film, got heaps of acclaim, and now here they were with a follow-up for which they, well, went mad. To which I say: Thank you.
Temple Of Doom is pulpier, funnier, sillier, scarier than Raiders. Each Indy outing is tonally different from the last; this one actually becomes a whole other film halfway through, switching unapologetically from knockabout farce to traumatic nightmare. And for all its faults – which, for all the film’s greatness, are admittedly plentiful – it is,...
Temple Of Doom is pulpier, funnier, sillier, scarier than Raiders. Each Indy outing is tonally different from the last; this one actually becomes a whole other film halfway through, switching unapologetically from knockabout farce to traumatic nightmare. And for all its faults – which, for all the film’s greatness, are admittedly plentiful – it is,...
- 6/22/2023
- by Alex Godfrey
- Empire - Movies
It may not feel like it, but the ratings system used for movies that is administered by the Motion Picture Association of America is still an ongoing work in progress. Granted, the system has seemingly been fully established for the last 30-odd years or so, with the last major hiccup being the creation and controversial usage of the Nc-17 rating during the 1990s.
Still, it only takes a cursory glance at the recent cinematic landscape to see that there's a remarkable imbalance in the way the ratings system has been used over the past couple decades. Upon the introduction of a "middle ground" rating between PG and R, the PG-13, the system began to slowly be skewed to the point where now G and PG-rated films are almost exclusively the purview of children's movies (with the G rating itself nearly fully retired by circumstance). PG-13 has far and away become the most common rating,...
Still, it only takes a cursory glance at the recent cinematic landscape to see that there's a remarkable imbalance in the way the ratings system has been used over the past couple decades. Upon the introduction of a "middle ground" rating between PG and R, the PG-13, the system began to slowly be skewed to the point where now G and PG-rated films are almost exclusively the purview of children's movies (with the G rating itself nearly fully retired by circumstance). PG-13 has far and away become the most common rating,...
- 5/11/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
The wild, wild world of "Star Wars" has been rocked by yet another creative attachment. Variety reports that the currently untitled "Star Wars" film that Lucasfilm has been developing for "Ms. Marvel" director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has got a new, big-name writer on board after the high-profile departure of Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson.
That new writer is none other than "Peaky Blinders" creator Steven Knight.
Now, we don't know much of anything about this new "Star Wars" movie. Is it a one-off? Is it the start of a brand new saga told in this universe? Maybe it's Episode 10 and will pick back up with Rey, Finn, and Poe? We have no idea, but we do know that Lucasfilm took a break from their theatrical "Star Wars" projects after wrapping up the Skywalker Saga with "Star Wars: Episode 9 — The Rise of Skywalker," much to the chagrin of a ton of creatives...
That new writer is none other than "Peaky Blinders" creator Steven Knight.
Now, we don't know much of anything about this new "Star Wars" movie. Is it a one-off? Is it the start of a brand new saga told in this universe? Maybe it's Episode 10 and will pick back up with Rey, Finn, and Poe? We have no idea, but we do know that Lucasfilm took a break from their theatrical "Star Wars" projects after wrapping up the Skywalker Saga with "Star Wars: Episode 9 — The Rise of Skywalker," much to the chagrin of a ton of creatives...
- 3/23/2023
- by Eric Vespe
- Slash Film
George Lucas' 1977 sci-fi film "Star Wars" was made on a budget of $11 million in 1976, which, in 2023 dollars shake out to about $58 million. That's a sizeable amount of money, of course, but given that the last theatrical "Star Wars" feature film, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" cost anywhere from $275 to $460 million to make, the original's budget seems like a drop in the bucket. Because Lucas was working with a mere mid-size budget (by today's standards), he was forced to change a great deal of his original "Star Wars" script, removing many fantastical elements and characters for more grounded, human, easier-to-film counterparts. From the looks of the original script, though, "Star Wars" might have come out looking as dense and as odd as Jodorowsky's failed "Dune" adaptation.
In 2020, details of Lucas' first draft were explored in detail on the Biography website. It seems the filmmaker's early visions for "Star Wars" were...
In 2020, details of Lucas' first draft were explored in detail on the Biography website. It seems the filmmaker's early visions for "Star Wars" were...
- 3/18/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Brian De Palma's 1996 action thriller "Mission: Impossible" is, compared to its sequels, terse and restrained. Its helicopter chase through the Chunnel notwithstanding, "Mission: Impossible" is more about negotiation with villains, eluding assassination, and heist movie shenanigans. Before star Tom Cruise began grasping onto the sides of actual airplanes, the tensest moments in "Mission: Impossible" came when a single drop of sweat nearly touched an alarm sensor.
"Mission: Impossible" also disappointed fans of the 1966 TV series on which it was based. The series was typically about entire teams of spies, working together to undo -- or commit -- acts of espionage. The first act of De Palma's film introduces a diverse team of players only to immediately kill them off during their first mission. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is the only agent to survive, and he spends the film assembling a new team. "Mission: Impossible" wasn't about the agency or its inner workings,...
"Mission: Impossible" also disappointed fans of the 1966 TV series on which it was based. The series was typically about entire teams of spies, working together to undo -- or commit -- acts of espionage. The first act of De Palma's film introduces a diverse team of players only to immediately kill them off during their first mission. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is the only agent to survive, and he spends the film assembling a new team. "Mission: Impossible" wasn't about the agency or its inner workings,...
- 1/21/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
In the past, George Lucas himself has admitted that he's not exactly a wordsmith when it comes to movie dialogue. In 1999, just as the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy was getting underway with "The Phantom Menace," Lucas spoke at length to Empire magazine about his utilitarian attitude toward dialogue, saying things like, "I'm aware that dialogue isn't my strength," and, "I'd be the first person to say I can't write dialogue."
If he'd be the first, then Harrison Ford would surely be the second. An oft-repeated story about Ford and Lucas and clunky "Star Wars" dialogue involves the Han Solo actor telling the "New Hope" writer-director: "George, you can type this s***, but you can't say it." In 2017, with "The Force Awakens" in his rearview mirror, Ford elaborated on the origin of that quote and how it started out as a joke on set. He told GQ:
"George usually sits near a monitor,...
If he'd be the first, then Harrison Ford would surely be the second. An oft-repeated story about Ford and Lucas and clunky "Star Wars" dialogue involves the Han Solo actor telling the "New Hope" writer-director: "George, you can type this s***, but you can't say it." In 2017, with "The Force Awakens" in his rearview mirror, Ford elaborated on the origin of that quote and how it started out as a joke on set. He told GQ:
"George usually sits near a monitor,...
- 11/19/2022
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
If the Indiana Jones movies had been made in chronological order, the Thuggee cult in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" might have made pretty good bad guys for our intrepid adventurer to warm up on before tackling the greater peril of the Third Reich. After all, the real-life Thugs were proper nasty bastards, posing as travelers to waylay and murder around 30,000 people in early 19th century India, strangling their victims and offering them as a sacrifice to Kali, not to mention nicking all their stuff.
"Temple of Doom" screenwriters Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz made them even worse, adding voodoo magic, enslaving children, turning people into zombies, and ripping out people's hearts to the Thuggee repertoire. And yet it still wasn't quite enough, because "Raiders of the Lost Ark" came first, and "Raiders" had the Nazis, those go-to cinematic (and real world) villains. After a whole movie beating up and melting Nazis,...
"Temple of Doom" screenwriters Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz made them even worse, adding voodoo magic, enslaving children, turning people into zombies, and ripping out people's hearts to the Thuggee repertoire. And yet it still wasn't quite enough, because "Raiders of the Lost Ark" came first, and "Raiders" had the Nazis, those go-to cinematic (and real world) villains. After a whole movie beating up and melting Nazis,...
- 9/30/2022
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Movie theaters bring entertainment and escapism. The smell of popcorn wafting through the air, the previews of coming attractions, and the communal reactions to seeing a movie on the big screen often bring a viewing experience that can’t be replicated elsewhere. It’s also a safe way to experience horror, as the terror is harmlessly confined to celluloid.
But what if it isn’t…?
This week’s streaming picks center around horror movies that feature or are set at the cinema. For the characters in these six titles, their haven becomes anything but when movie theaters turn into slaying grounds for killers and creatures alike.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Messiah of Evil – Fandor, Paramount+, Pluto TV, Prime Video, Screambox, Shudder
Arletty has arrived in a Coastal Californian town to visit her father after receiving a series of worrying letters.
But what if it isn’t…?
This week’s streaming picks center around horror movies that feature or are set at the cinema. For the characters in these six titles, their haven becomes anything but when movie theaters turn into slaying grounds for killers and creatures alike.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Messiah of Evil – Fandor, Paramount+, Pluto TV, Prime Video, Screambox, Shudder
Arletty has arrived in a Coastal Californian town to visit her father after receiving a series of worrying letters.
- 8/22/2022
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Before the mammoth success of "Star Wars," George Lucas directed and co-wrote (along with Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck) the 1973 coming-of-age film "American Graffiti." A nostalgic slice of Americana pie filmed in a warm, naturalistic style, "American Graffiti" is the simple, wistful story of a group of California teenagers spending one last night together after their high school graduation in 1962. There's the best friends Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss) and Steve Bolander (Ron Howard), the drag-racing John Milner (Paul Le Mat) and the nerdy Terry "The Toad" Fields (Charles Martin Smith). Harrison Ford makes an appearance as Bob Falfa, John's drag race rival.
They cruise the Modesto strip while listening to...
The post American Graffiti Ending Explained: The Calm Before the Storm appeared first on /Film.
They cruise the Modesto strip while listening to...
The post American Graffiti Ending Explained: The Calm Before the Storm appeared first on /Film.
- 2/28/2022
- by Caroline Madden
- Slash Film
A surprise addition to Shudder's “61 Days of Halloween” lineup, a special one-night event hosted by Elvira will feature a four-film marathon, including Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, House on Haunted Hill, The City of the Dead and Messiah of Evil. The special will air on Shudder on September 25h, and we have more details below, along with a promo video featuring, featuring Elvira!
Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streamer for horror, thriller and the supernatural, welcomes the beloved Halloween queen of camp Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) for a one-night movie marathon event, Elvira’s 40th Anniversary, Very Scary, Very Special Special. Joining Shudder’s annual “61 Days of Halloween” lineup, the special debuts Saturday, September 25 at 8pm Et in the US and Canada via the Shudder TV feed within the Shudder app and will also be released on demand to all Shudder platforms and AMC+ beginning Monday, September 27. Similar to the cult classic,...
Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streamer for horror, thriller and the supernatural, welcomes the beloved Halloween queen of camp Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) for a one-night movie marathon event, Elvira’s 40th Anniversary, Very Scary, Very Special Special. Joining Shudder’s annual “61 Days of Halloween” lineup, the special debuts Saturday, September 25 at 8pm Et in the US and Canada via the Shudder TV feed within the Shudder app and will also be released on demand to all Shudder platforms and AMC+ beginning Monday, September 27. Similar to the cult classic,...
- 9/15/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
On this date, 35 years ago, the world was changed forever.
Howard The Duck, the first feature film to be adapted from a Marvel comic was unleashed upon the world on August 1st, 1986, leading to decades of beloved blockbusters that would —
Oh wait, just kidding. It took a few more decades, and some much better movies, until the MCU engulfed the industry.
One of the craziest non-blockbusters ever produced, Howard The Duck was optioned and developed with mega-franchise aspirations. Howard The Duck is a film so uncomfortably weird that, even now, it must be seen to be believed, though I’ll do my best to discuss its relative non-charms here.
Written, directed and produced by the creative team behind the much-better American Graffiti (1974), Howard The Duck landed with a thud at the domestic box office in the summer of 1986. Critics weren’t much kinder. The film currently sits at a 14% “Tomatometer...
Howard The Duck, the first feature film to be adapted from a Marvel comic was unleashed upon the world on August 1st, 1986, leading to decades of beloved blockbusters that would —
Oh wait, just kidding. It took a few more decades, and some much better movies, until the MCU engulfed the industry.
One of the craziest non-blockbusters ever produced, Howard The Duck was optioned and developed with mega-franchise aspirations. Howard The Duck is a film so uncomfortably weird that, even now, it must be seen to be believed, though I’ll do my best to discuss its relative non-charms here.
Written, directed and produced by the creative team behind the much-better American Graffiti (1974), Howard The Duck landed with a thud at the domestic box office in the summer of 1986. Critics weren’t much kinder. The film currently sits at a 14% “Tomatometer...
- 8/2/2021
- by Alex Kirschenbaum
- Trailers from Hell
To celebrate Variety’s 115th anniversary, we went to the archives to see how some of Hollywood’s biggest stars first landed in the pages of our magazine. Read more from the archives here.
George Lucas entered the movie pantheon in 1977 with “Star Wars.” But long before that, Lucas was on the radar of people in the industry.
Variety first mentioned him on Jan. 9, 1968, when he was part of the third annual National Student Film Fest competition. There were 153 entries and 46 finalists, and Lucas scored an impressive three nominations, for “6-18-67” (“A Desert Poem”); the docu “The Emperor,” and, in the dramatic competition, the sci-fi short “Thx-1138 4Eb.” He won for “Thx.”
Francis Coppola (after a few esteemed films but before the mega-success of “The Godfather”) helped Lucas land a deal to make a 1971 feature version of “Thx” at Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. The film was an artful but...
George Lucas entered the movie pantheon in 1977 with “Star Wars.” But long before that, Lucas was on the radar of people in the industry.
Variety first mentioned him on Jan. 9, 1968, when he was part of the third annual National Student Film Fest competition. There were 153 entries and 46 finalists, and Lucas scored an impressive three nominations, for “6-18-67” (“A Desert Poem”); the docu “The Emperor,” and, in the dramatic competition, the sci-fi short “Thx-1138 4Eb.” He won for “Thx.”
Francis Coppola (after a few esteemed films but before the mega-success of “The Godfather”) helped Lucas land a deal to make a 1971 feature version of “Thx” at Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. The film was an artful but...
- 12/17/2020
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Much will be said about the memory and accomplishments of Tom Pollock, who passed away at age 77. He presided over Universal Pictures in a strong period in the ’80s and early ’90s when the studio released 200 pictures that globally grossed $10 billion and released Steven Spielberg’s then all time box office champ Jurassic Park and Best Picture Oscar winner Schindler’s List back to back. He and Ivan Reitman built a successful company in The Montecito Picture Company. But Pollock’s singular accomplishment is being the lawyer who made the greatest deal ever for a filmmaker, his first client George Lucas when Pollock started the firm Pollock, Rigrod, and Bloom, which later became Pollock, Bloom and Dekom, and then Bloom Hergott. Back when Star Wars was being relaunched by LucasFilm and JJ Abrams, Deadline got Pollock to explain how it all happened. Here is the interview from 2015:
***
Behind many a...
***
Behind many a...
- 8/3/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Chris Cummins Sep 26, 2019
Everything's just ducky now that a 3-cd re-release of the excellent score and songs from Howard the Duck is on the way.
We all have grudges that we hold onto throughout our lives. Some are valid, like family disputes or relationship betrayals, while others are about trivial things that have taken on a conflated importance in our minds as time passes. I'm not sure which category this falls into, but I'm still pissed at my brother for taping over my Howard the Duck soundtrack in the early '90s. You see, I was on board with the film version of Marvel Comics' maladjusted mallard from the start. Seeing the movie with my father is one of my prized childhood memories. I loved the weird tonal shifts and how bizarre the events unfolding on screen were. But more than anything, I was obsessed with the film's music.
Everything's just ducky now that a 3-cd re-release of the excellent score and songs from Howard the Duck is on the way.
We all have grudges that we hold onto throughout our lives. Some are valid, like family disputes or relationship betrayals, while others are about trivial things that have taken on a conflated importance in our minds as time passes. I'm not sure which category this falls into, but I'm still pissed at my brother for taping over my Howard the Duck soundtrack in the early '90s. You see, I was on board with the film version of Marvel Comics' maladjusted mallard from the start. Seeing the movie with my father is one of my prized childhood memories. I loved the weird tonal shifts and how bizarre the events unfolding on screen were. But more than anything, I was obsessed with the film's music.
- 9/26/2019
- Den of Geek
For Sunday’s Oscars 2019 ceremony, producers had a difficult decision of which film industry people would make the cut and who would be left out of the “In Memoriam.” For the segment, Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic performed music by Oscar winner John Williams.
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
SEEDirector Stanley Donen, dead at 94, was light on his feet and a movie musical heavyweight
Stanley Donen would have certainly been included, but he died on the weekend after the segment had been finalized (look for him on the 2020 show). Here is list of some of the people included in the Memoriam tribute for the ceremony (Academy members are indicated with ** by their names):
Susan Anspach (actor)
Bernardo Bertolucci (director)
Yvonne Blake (costume designer)**
Paul Bloch...
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
SEEDirector Stanley Donen, dead at 94, was light on his feet and a movie musical heavyweight
Stanley Donen would have certainly been included, but he died on the weekend after the segment had been finalized (look for him on the 2020 show). Here is list of some of the people included in the Memoriam tribute for the ceremony (Academy members are indicated with ** by their names):
Susan Anspach (actor)
Bernardo Bertolucci (director)
Yvonne Blake (costume designer)**
Paul Bloch...
- 2/25/2019
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
While Academy Awards producers have strived for a much shorter ceremony this year, the annual “In Memoriam” segment will definitely remain. In fact this moment on Sunday’s 2019 event should be extra classy since Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic will be performing as part of the tribute.
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. But which ones will be featured in the short segment? There are generally outcries each year from family members upset about people being left out. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
Virtually certain to be part of the montage are Oscar-winning directors Bernardo Bertolucci and Milos Forman, Oscar-nominated actors Carol Channing, Albert Finney and Burt Reynolds, director and actress Penny Marshall, executive producer and entertainment icon Stan Lee and many more.
SEEDana Carvey, Mike Myers, Queen Latifah, Barbra Streisand...
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. But which ones will be featured in the short segment? There are generally outcries each year from family members upset about people being left out. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
Virtually certain to be part of the montage are Oscar-winning directors Bernardo Bertolucci and Milos Forman, Oscar-nominated actors Carol Channing, Albert Finney and Burt Reynolds, director and actress Penny Marshall, executive producer and entertainment icon Stan Lee and many more.
SEEDana Carvey, Mike Myers, Queen Latifah, Barbra Streisand...
- 2/22/2019
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
This past Sunday, the Oscar nominated screenwriter Gloria Katz lost her battle with ovarian cancer in a Los Angeles hospital. Along with her husband and writing partner, Willard Huyck, Katz was made famous for writing the great classic American Graffiti, and the not so great classic Howard the Duck. They also adapted the screenplay for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, along with several others.
Katz was a Los Angeles native with a Masters in film from UCLA. She married her husband, Huyck, who happened to be best friends with George Lucas, and she ended up being his go-to for script consultation and polishing. She mentioned in a 2017 interview that she and her husband helped to add much of the humor to The Empire Strikes Back, and helped to mold Leia into the badass she was.
So it turns out, behind the scenes, we have a lot to thank Katz for.
Katz was a Los Angeles native with a Masters in film from UCLA. She married her husband, Huyck, who happened to be best friends with George Lucas, and she ended up being his go-to for script consultation and polishing. She mentioned in a 2017 interview that she and her husband helped to add much of the humor to The Empire Strikes Back, and helped to mold Leia into the badass she was.
So it turns out, behind the scenes, we have a lot to thank Katz for.
- 11/30/2018
- by Jessica Fisher
- GeekTyrant
Gloria Katz, who received an Academy Award nomination for her work on American Graffiti, passed away on Sunday. She was 76.
The screenwriter passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on her 49th wedding anniversary to husband Willard Huyck, after a battle with ovarian cancer, Huyck told The Hollywood Reporter. The pair married in 1969.
Amblin Entertainment, a production company founded by Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, went on to confirm her death on Twitter.
“Very sad news to report tonight. Gloria Katz, who wrote Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom for us with her husband Willard Huyck,...
The screenwriter passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on her 49th wedding anniversary to husband Willard Huyck, after a battle with ovarian cancer, Huyck told The Hollywood Reporter. The pair married in 1969.
Amblin Entertainment, a production company founded by Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, went on to confirm her death on Twitter.
“Very sad news to report tonight. Gloria Katz, who wrote Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom for us with her husband Willard Huyck,...
- 11/29/2018
- by Maria Pasquini
- PEOPLE.com
Gloria Katz, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of “American Graffiti” who helped polish the final “Star Wars” script, died on Sunday. She was 76.
She died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles following a battle with cancer. Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment confirmed Katz’ passing in a tweet on its official account, writing, “Very sad news to report tonight. Gloria Katz, who wrote Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom for us with her husband Willard Huyck, has passed away. Our deepest condolences to Mr. Huyck and loved ones.”
Katz co-wrote 1973’s “American Graffiti” with her husband Willard Huyck and director George Lucas. In addition to an Academy Award nod, “American Graffiti” won the National Society of Film Critics Award and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for best screenplay.
Later, Katz and Huyck re-teamed with Lucas to revise his fourth and final draft of 1977’s “Star Wars,” including shaping and...
She died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles following a battle with cancer. Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment confirmed Katz’ passing in a tweet on its official account, writing, “Very sad news to report tonight. Gloria Katz, who wrote Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom for us with her husband Willard Huyck, has passed away. Our deepest condolences to Mr. Huyck and loved ones.”
Katz co-wrote 1973’s “American Graffiti” with her husband Willard Huyck and director George Lucas. In addition to an Academy Award nod, “American Graffiti” won the National Society of Film Critics Award and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for best screenplay.
Later, Katz and Huyck re-teamed with Lucas to revise his fourth and final draft of 1977’s “Star Wars,” including shaping and...
- 11/29/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Gloria Katz, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter who co-wrote “American Graffiti” and “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” died Sunday following a battle with ovarian cancer. She was 76.
Katz co-wrote “Graffiti” with her husband of 50 years, Willard Huyck, and director George Lucas. The three went on to win the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay, and were nominated for an Academy Award.
“Graffiti” was the beginning of a long association between the couple and Lucas, which continued when Katz and Huyck worked uncredited as script doctors on his 1977 blockbuster “Star Wars.”
Also Read: Yes, That Was That Dead Villain in 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' - Here's What it Means
The pair later co-wrote the Steven Spielberg-directed “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Howard the Duck,” directed by Huyck, and “Radioland Murders,” all...
Katz co-wrote “Graffiti” with her husband of 50 years, Willard Huyck, and director George Lucas. The three went on to win the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay, and were nominated for an Academy Award.
“Graffiti” was the beginning of a long association between the couple and Lucas, which continued when Katz and Huyck worked uncredited as script doctors on his 1977 blockbuster “Star Wars.”
Also Read: Yes, That Was That Dead Villain in 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' - Here's What it Means
The pair later co-wrote the Steven Spielberg-directed “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Howard the Duck,” directed by Huyck, and “Radioland Murders,” all...
- 11/29/2018
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
Producer and screenwriter Gloria Katz died Sunday in Los Angeles at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after a battle with ovarian cancer. She was 76.
Katz was born in Los Angeles on October 25, 1942. She attended Uc Berkeley and went on to UCLA where she received a masters in film. Her husband William Huyck met George Lucas at USC and the three later became a trio of collaborators.
Katz teamed with her husband and Lucas on many projects. She is best known for co-writing the Lucas-directed classic American Graffiti starring Ron Howard. The film earned Katz, her husband, and Lucas an Oscar nomination in 1974 for Best Screenplay.
In addition to the coming-of-age comedy, Katz and her husband collaborated on numerous projects including the Steven Spielberg-directed Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. She also co-wrote Messiah of Evil, Lucky Lady, French Postcards, Best Defense, and Howard the Duck, which were all directed by Huyck.
Katz was born in Los Angeles on October 25, 1942. She attended Uc Berkeley and went on to UCLA where she received a masters in film. Her husband William Huyck met George Lucas at USC and the three later became a trio of collaborators.
Katz teamed with her husband and Lucas on many projects. She is best known for co-writing the Lucas-directed classic American Graffiti starring Ron Howard. The film earned Katz, her husband, and Lucas an Oscar nomination in 1974 for Best Screenplay.
In addition to the coming-of-age comedy, Katz and her husband collaborated on numerous projects including the Steven Spielberg-directed Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. She also co-wrote Messiah of Evil, Lucky Lady, French Postcards, Best Defense, and Howard the Duck, which were all directed by Huyck.
- 11/29/2018
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Gloria Katz, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter who partnered with her husband, Willard Huyck, on the scripts for the George Lucas classics American Graffiti and Star Wars, has died. She was 76.
Katz died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after a long battle with ovarian cancer, Huyck told The Hollywood Reporter. She died on their 49th wedding anniversary.
Katz and her husband also penned the screenplay for Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, produced by Lucas from his story.
Katz died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after a long battle with ovarian cancer, Huyck told The Hollywood Reporter. She died on their 49th wedding anniversary.
Katz and her husband also penned the screenplay for Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, produced by Lucas from his story.
- 11/29/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Gloria Katz, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter who partnered with her husband, Willard Huyck, on the scripts for the George Lucas classics American Graffiti and Star Wars, has died. She was 76.
Katz died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after a long battle with ovarian cancer, Huyck told The Hollywood Reporter. She died on their 49th wedding anniversary.
Katz and her husband also penned the screenplay for Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), produced by Lucas from his story.
The couple wrote the script for Stanley Donan's Lucky Lady (1975) as well as ...
Katz died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after a long battle with ovarian cancer, Huyck told The Hollywood Reporter. She died on their 49th wedding anniversary.
Katz and her husband also penned the screenplay for Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), produced by Lucas from his story.
The couple wrote the script for Stanley Donan's Lucky Lady (1975) as well as ...
- 11/29/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
On August 1, 1973, George Lucas brought his nostalgic film American Graffiti to the big screen at the Avco Cinema Center in Los Angeles. The Hollywood Reporter's original review is below:
Good movies about being young in America, like East of Eden, Bonnie and Clyde and Easy Rider, sometimes receive such gigantic commercial and critical acceptance that they single-handedly create new directions in filmmaking. American Graffiti, produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by George Lucas from a screenplay by Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck and the director, is certainly the freshest American movie in years and may well prove to be...
Good movies about being young in America, like East of Eden, Bonnie and Clyde and Easy Rider, sometimes receive such gigantic commercial and critical acceptance that they single-handedly create new directions in filmmaking. American Graffiti, produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by George Lucas from a screenplay by Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck and the director, is certainly the freshest American movie in years and may well prove to be...
- 8/1/2017
- by THR Staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On August 1, 1973, George Lucas brought his nostalgic film American Graffiti to the big screen at the Avco Cinema Center in Los Angeles. The Hollywood Reporter's original review is below:
Good movies about being young in America, like East of Eden, Bonnie and Clyde and Easy Rider, sometimes receive such gigantic commercial and critical acceptance that they single-handedly create new directions in filmmaking. American Graffiti, produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by George Lucas from a screenplay by Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck and the director, is certainly the freshest American movie in years and may well prove to be a ...
Good movies about being young in America, like East of Eden, Bonnie and Clyde and Easy Rider, sometimes receive such gigantic commercial and critical acceptance that they single-handedly create new directions in filmmaking. American Graffiti, produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by George Lucas from a screenplay by Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck and the director, is certainly the freshest American movie in years and may well prove to be a ...
On August 1, 1973, George Lucas brought his nostalgic film American Graffiti to the big screen at the Avco Cinema Center in Los Angeles. The Hollywood Reporter's original review is below:
Good movies about being young in America, like East of Eden, Bonnie and Clyde and Easy Rider, sometimes receive such gigantic commercial and critical acceptance that they single-handedly create new directions in filmmaking. American Graffiti, produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by George Lucas from a screenplay by Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck and the director, is certainly the freshest American movie in years and may well prove to be a ...
Good movies about being young in America, like East of Eden, Bonnie and Clyde and Easy Rider, sometimes receive such gigantic commercial and critical acceptance that they single-handedly create new directions in filmmaking. American Graffiti, produced by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by George Lucas from a screenplay by Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck and the director, is certainly the freshest American movie in years and may well prove to be a ...
Chris Cummins Aug 24, 2016
To go with the film, Howard The Duck got a videogame in 1986. A hidden retro gem? Well, not exactly...
Following the release of Howard The Duck in 1986, I found myself becoming downright obsessed with the film. I knew that it was considered the year's biggest flop, but that didn't disuade me one bit from my mission to track down everything related to the movie I could get my hands on.
Being something of an indoor kid who spent his time reading comics and playing games on the Commodore 64, I secretly wished that the video game gods would grant me a Howard The Duck tie-in game despite the movie's failure at the box office. Then, while reading through a magazine at a local book shop some months later, I saw an ad that made my pre-pubsecent heart stop. It seemed that my wishes had come true and Activision,...
To go with the film, Howard The Duck got a videogame in 1986. A hidden retro gem? Well, not exactly...
Following the release of Howard The Duck in 1986, I found myself becoming downright obsessed with the film. I knew that it was considered the year's biggest flop, but that didn't disuade me one bit from my mission to track down everything related to the movie I could get my hands on.
Being something of an indoor kid who spent his time reading comics and playing games on the Commodore 64, I secretly wished that the video game gods would grant me a Howard The Duck tie-in game despite the movie's failure at the box office. Then, while reading through a magazine at a local book shop some months later, I saw an ad that made my pre-pubsecent heart stop. It seemed that my wishes had come true and Activision,...
- 8/4/2016
- Den of Geek
Not every anniversary is a celebration.
It’s been a long, strange trip for Howard The Duck. Created by Steve Gerber in 1973 for Marvel Comics, the anthropomorphic fowl was a source for social satire and various misadventures, even running for president in 1976 (and allegedly receiving thousands of write-in votes). He’s disappeared and reappeared many times in Marvel comics throughout the decades, most recently in a series written by Chip Zdarsky and drawn by Joe Quinones. But in between his various escapades in the panels of Marvel comics, the character has made a brief stop over in Hollywood with 1986’s film, Howard The Duck, which was released 30 years ago today.
The film was directed by William Huyck, who also cowrote with Gloria Katz, a man best known for his work writing on American Graffiti and Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, and produced by George ...
It’s been a long, strange trip for Howard The Duck. Created by Steve Gerber in 1973 for Marvel Comics, the anthropomorphic fowl was a source for social satire and various misadventures, even running for president in 1976 (and allegedly receiving thousands of write-in votes). He’s disappeared and reappeared many times in Marvel comics throughout the decades, most recently in a series written by Chip Zdarsky and drawn by Joe Quinones. But in between his various escapades in the panels of Marvel comics, the character has made a brief stop over in Hollywood with 1986’s film, Howard The Duck, which was released 30 years ago today.
The film was directed by William Huyck, who also cowrote with Gloria Katz, a man best known for his work writing on American Graffiti and Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, and produced by George ...
- 8/1/2016
- by Rob Dean
- avclub.com
Screenwriting duo and real-life couple Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz are proof words have great worth ... they're selling their Brentwood home for $15.9 million! Willard and Gloria were Hollywood all-stars in the '70s and '80s ... with film credits that include "American Graffiti" and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." They also worked on the 'Star Wars' franchise. The home's around 5,200 square feet, but the steep price is more about acreage ... 1.45 in...
- 7/23/2016
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Cherry Falls, starring the late Brittany Murphy, is getting the Blu-ray treatment courtesy of Scream Factory on March 29th! Also: a trailer for Darling, The Eyes of My Mother acquisition news, Nitehawk Cinema's programming schedule for March, Baskin release details, and Everlasting at the Nevermore Film Festival.
Cherry Falls: Press Release: "Lose your innocence…or lose your life. On March 29th, 2016, Scream Factory presents teen thriller Cherry Falls in its Blu-ray debut packed with new extras including audio commentary with Geoffrey Wright and interviews with writer/co-executive producer Ken Selden and producer Marshall Persinger.
A serial killer is stalking the peaceful town of Cherry Falls. At first, it seems that he is just targeting teenagers, but after the third killing, it becomes clear that all the victims have been virgins. When the town's students hear about this, they realize that there is only one way to protect themselves and...
Cherry Falls: Press Release: "Lose your innocence…or lose your life. On March 29th, 2016, Scream Factory presents teen thriller Cherry Falls in its Blu-ray debut packed with new extras including audio commentary with Geoffrey Wright and interviews with writer/co-executive producer Ken Selden and producer Marshall Persinger.
A serial killer is stalking the peaceful town of Cherry Falls. At first, it seems that he is just targeting teenagers, but after the third killing, it becomes clear that all the victims have been virgins. When the town's students hear about this, they realize that there is only one way to protect themselves and...
- 2/13/2016
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Chris Cummins Aug 1, 2019
We take a look back at how Universal promoted one of the first Marvel movies...Howard the Duck.
One might say that Howard the Duck is one of the most (unfairly) maligned films of the 1980s. As something of a Duckologist myself, I'd like to point out that the film is definitely stranger and funnier than you probably remember.
So why was it such a bomb?
Well, its flirtation with beastiality aside, I think one of the main reasons Howard the Duck flopped when it was released back on August 1, 1986, was that the marketing campaign was terrible.
Let's take a look...
The first look audiences were given of the film is this bizarre teaser in which Lea Thompson's Beverly Switzler character coos about wanting to fornicate with a waterfowl. By judging the movie on this footage alone, you'd be forgiven if you thought that Howard the...
We take a look back at how Universal promoted one of the first Marvel movies...Howard the Duck.
One might say that Howard the Duck is one of the most (unfairly) maligned films of the 1980s. As something of a Duckologist myself, I'd like to point out that the film is definitely stranger and funnier than you probably remember.
So why was it such a bomb?
Well, its flirtation with beastiality aside, I think one of the main reasons Howard the Duck flopped when it was released back on August 1, 1986, was that the marketing campaign was terrible.
Let's take a look...
The first look audiences were given of the film is this bizarre teaser in which Lea Thompson's Beverly Switzler character coos about wanting to fornicate with a waterfowl. By judging the movie on this footage alone, you'd be forgiven if you thought that Howard the...
- 7/31/2014
- Den of Geek
Feature Simon Brew 28 Jan 2014 - 05:53
Simon takes another look at arguably the most brutal blockbuster movie of the 1980s: Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom...
This feature contains spoilers for Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
One of the pleasures I've found of being a parent is being able to introduce my offspring to some of the classic films of my own youth. My now ten-year old son worked his way through the Back To The Future trilogy last year, loving them all (with a special soft spot for the third), and for every modern release he watches, I try and introduce him to something a little older.
For some time, he's been asking about Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom. I showed him, to his delight, Raiders Of The Lost Ark last year, and he's been keen to see more of Indy's adventures. But I...
Simon takes another look at arguably the most brutal blockbuster movie of the 1980s: Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom...
This feature contains spoilers for Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
One of the pleasures I've found of being a parent is being able to introduce my offspring to some of the classic films of my own youth. My now ten-year old son worked his way through the Back To The Future trilogy last year, loving them all (with a special soft spot for the third), and for every modern release he watches, I try and introduce him to something a little older.
For some time, he's been asking about Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom. I showed him, to his delight, Raiders Of The Lost Ark last year, and he's been keen to see more of Indy's adventures. But I...
- 1/27/2014
- by sarahd
- Den of Geek
Welcome to Issue 12 of ‘The Marvelous Da7e!’
Real quick mission statement: this column is for discussion of superhero movie news and superhero movies. Titular allegiance aside, this sphere includes non-Marvel properties.
This week: What we can learn by defining Howard The Duck.
Pardon me, but I’ve been re-watching Howard The Duck. The 1986 live-action creature-feature “sci-fi/comedy,” PG-rated zoophilia and notorious flop.
It’s not a good movie. It’s an enjoyable movie, but not because of what is on screen…okay, scratch-that. It has the most physically attractive appearence of Lea Thompson on film and this time, she’s not the mother of our main character, so you can totally lust after her up until the end where it seems like she’s actually going to have sex with this duck.
Ducks, who – by the way – are basically rapists across the board. But that’s neither here nor there.
Real quick mission statement: this column is for discussion of superhero movie news and superhero movies. Titular allegiance aside, this sphere includes non-Marvel properties.
This week: What we can learn by defining Howard The Duck.
Pardon me, but I’ve been re-watching Howard The Duck. The 1986 live-action creature-feature “sci-fi/comedy,” PG-rated zoophilia and notorious flop.
It’s not a good movie. It’s an enjoyable movie, but not because of what is on screen…okay, scratch-that. It has the most physically attractive appearence of Lea Thompson on film and this time, she’s not the mother of our main character, so you can totally lust after her up until the end where it seems like she’s actually going to have sex with this duck.
Ducks, who – by the way – are basically rapists across the board. But that’s neither here nor there.
- 9/4/2013
- by Da7e
- LRMonline.com
The Force is strong with this one: On May 14, 1944 in Modesto, Calif., George Lucas was born to parents Dorothy and George Lucas, Sr. Sixty-nine years later, Lucas is one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of Hollywood, the man who made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs who created "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones."
After making his directorial debut with 1971's "Thx 1138," Lucas co-wrote and directed the coming-of-age classic "American Graffiti." (The film was based on Lucas' early life in Modesto.) Featuring a bevy of future stars like Harrison Ford, Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfuss, "American Graffiti" was a hit; the 1973 film earned five Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Director for Lucas and Best Original Screenplay for Lucas, Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck. After "American Graffiti" came a little film called "Star Wars" (later known as "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope").
"Star Wars...
After making his directorial debut with 1971's "Thx 1138," Lucas co-wrote and directed the coming-of-age classic "American Graffiti." (The film was based on Lucas' early life in Modesto.) Featuring a bevy of future stars like Harrison Ford, Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfuss, "American Graffiti" was a hit; the 1973 film earned five Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Director for Lucas and Best Original Screenplay for Lucas, Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck. After "American Graffiti" came a little film called "Star Wars" (later known as "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope").
"Star Wars...
- 5/14/2013
- by Christopher Rosen
- Huffington Post
Back in 2010, Marvel announced that it would be developing some live-action TV shows, and the comic book community exploded with discussions of what properties could possibly be in the running. We already know what the first series will be, the upcoming Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for ABC, which will see the return of fan favorite actor Clark Gregg reprising his role as Agent Phil Coulson (how he’ll return after the events of The Avengers has been the subject of much speculation around the net).
But what about other properties? A few have been mentioned as being in development so far, including The Incredible Hulk, Mockingbird, A.K.A. Jessica Jones (which was passed on), Cloak and Dagger, and The Punisher (also passed on, thankfully). Some of these have sounded promising, others… not so much. But the Marvel Universe is an extremely diverse place, and the potential for quality...
But what about other properties? A few have been mentioned as being in development so far, including The Incredible Hulk, Mockingbird, A.K.A. Jessica Jones (which was passed on), Cloak and Dagger, and The Punisher (also passed on, thankfully). Some of these have sounded promising, others… not so much. But the Marvel Universe is an extremely diverse place, and the potential for quality...
- 4/9/2013
- by Percival Constantine
- Obsessed with Film
Darkness falls across the land, and Junk Food Dinner is close at hand! We're deep into Schlocktober as, this week, we put our disembodied heads together and discuss three films about the living dead.
Up first, a coastal town hold a dark secret for a young woman in search of her father. William Huyck & Gloria Katz, the team behind American Graffiti, Howard the Duck, and more, craft a hallucinogenic, nightmarish tale of deception and the occult in the 1973 film - Messiah of Evil!
Then we learn that (fake) blood is thicker than water when becoming a zombie is a family affair. Certainly one of the messiest entries in the zombie canon, 1992's Dead Alive (aka: Braindead) from director Peter Jackson!
Finally, the laughs (and cringes) keep coming as we take a look at a subject near and dear to our hearts - slackers in their late twenties coming to terms with life and the afterlife.
Up first, a coastal town hold a dark secret for a young woman in search of her father. William Huyck & Gloria Katz, the team behind American Graffiti, Howard the Duck, and more, craft a hallucinogenic, nightmarish tale of deception and the occult in the 1973 film - Messiah of Evil!
Then we learn that (fake) blood is thicker than water when becoming a zombie is a family affair. Certainly one of the messiest entries in the zombie canon, 1992's Dead Alive (aka: Braindead) from director Peter Jackson!
Finally, the laughs (and cringes) keep coming as we take a look at a subject near and dear to our hearts - slackers in their late twenties coming to terms with life and the afterlife.
- 10/20/2011
- by noreply@blogger.com (Kevin, Mark & Parker)
A look at what's new on DVD today:
"Let Me In" (2010)
Directed by Matt Reeves
Released by Anchor Bay Entertainment
"Never Let Me Go" (2010)
Directed by Mark Romanek
Released by Fox Home Entertainment
Two of 2010's most underrated films that approach their respective genres from radically different perspectives than most, "Cloverfield" director Matt Reeves' "Let Me In" and Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go" will finally have the opportunity to stand out on home video. In "Let Me In," Reeves applies some of his own biographical touchstones for this remake of Tomas Alfredson's horror film about the unlikely friendship between a vampire (Chloe Moretz) and a lonely young boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Romanek's adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's much-beloved sci-fi novel about a group of children raised apart from the rest of society for purposes that are unknown to them. (Alison Willmore's reviews for "Let Me In" and...
"Let Me In" (2010)
Directed by Matt Reeves
Released by Anchor Bay Entertainment
"Never Let Me Go" (2010)
Directed by Mark Romanek
Released by Fox Home Entertainment
Two of 2010's most underrated films that approach their respective genres from radically different perspectives than most, "Cloverfield" director Matt Reeves' "Let Me In" and Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go" will finally have the opportunity to stand out on home video. In "Let Me In," Reeves applies some of his own biographical touchstones for this remake of Tomas Alfredson's horror film about the unlikely friendship between a vampire (Chloe Moretz) and a lonely young boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Romanek's adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's much-beloved sci-fi novel about a group of children raised apart from the rest of society for purposes that are unknown to them. (Alison Willmore's reviews for "Let Me In" and...
- 1/30/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Edgar Wright returns to the New Beverly grindhouse in Los Angeles with his resume of flicks along with a boatload of his favorites. This is the second time the fan favorite filmmaker has taken over the retro theater where he will be present for Q & A’s and a raucous good time.
january 14, 15 The Wright Stuff II – Triple Feature! All Tickets $10
Shaun Of The Dead Fri / Sat: 7:30 2004, UK / France / USA, 99 minutes Edgar Wright will appear In Person, schedule permitting, Friday & Saturday to discuss! directed by Edgar Wright; written by Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright; starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran Trailer
Hot Fuzz Fri / Sat: 9:30 2007, UK / France / USA, 121 minutes directed by Edgar Wright; written by Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright; starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Timothy Dalton, Jim Broadbent, Paddy Considine, Bill Nighy
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Fri / Sat: 11:59pm (Midnight) 2009, USA / UK / Canada,...
january 14, 15 The Wright Stuff II – Triple Feature! All Tickets $10
Shaun Of The Dead Fri / Sat: 7:30 2004, UK / France / USA, 99 minutes Edgar Wright will appear In Person, schedule permitting, Friday & Saturday to discuss! directed by Edgar Wright; written by Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright; starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran Trailer
Hot Fuzz Fri / Sat: 9:30 2007, UK / France / USA, 121 minutes directed by Edgar Wright; written by Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright; starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Timothy Dalton, Jim Broadbent, Paddy Considine, Bill Nighy
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Fri / Sat: 11:59pm (Midnight) 2009, USA / UK / Canada,...
- 1/3/2011
- by Jason Bene
- Killer Films
One of the defining characteristics of 70s horror is the thick and pervasive atmosphere that distinguishes them amongst their peers. Films like Let’s Scare Jessica to Death and Phantasm invoke such strong, yet unique, impressions that it’s impossible to find others exactly like them. And that’s true of Messiah of Evil as well – an impossibly odd little effort filmed in 1971 by future George Lucas collaborators Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz.
The story brings a young woman to the small artist’s cove of Pointe Dune, CA to locate her missing father. His abandoned shore house, decorated floor-to-ceiling with the most eerily mundane murals imaginable, reveals maddening journals that chronicle the increasingly strange behavior of the town’s inhabitants. Meanwhile, a mass of people gather nightly on the beach beside roaring fires as if expecting the arrival of someone, or something and the rest of the town seems...
The story brings a young woman to the small artist’s cove of Pointe Dune, CA to locate her missing father. His abandoned shore house, decorated floor-to-ceiling with the most eerily mundane murals imaginable, reveals maddening journals that chronicle the increasingly strange behavior of the town’s inhabitants. Meanwhile, a mass of people gather nightly on the beach beside roaring fires as if expecting the arrival of someone, or something and the rest of the town seems...
- 3/20/2010
- by Masked Slasher
- DreadCentral.com
On Saturday Feb 21, 2010, author Maura McHugh, aka 'Splinister', wrote a blog post entitled 'SFX forgets women in horror', and the result has been nothing short of huge.
McHugh's article noted that out of 34 horror industry professionals interviewed for an important article in the U.K. SFX Magazine Issue # 192 about their favorite horror movies and books, not one was a woman. Of all their answers, she further points out, only one recommended the work of a woman...
SFX Magazine may not have immediately heeded one woman's intelligent argument that they either deliberately, or negligently, underrepresented women in the magazine, but the UK Guardian and feminist blog The F Word both picked up on it and made the discrepency a news topic that SFX editor Ian Berriman couldn't possibly ignore.
In addition to her blog post, McHugh wrote a direct letter to the editor expressing her disappointment at not seeing more women's...
McHugh's article noted that out of 34 horror industry professionals interviewed for an important article in the U.K. SFX Magazine Issue # 192 about their favorite horror movies and books, not one was a woman. Of all their answers, she further points out, only one recommended the work of a woman...
SFX Magazine may not have immediately heeded one woman's intelligent argument that they either deliberately, or negligently, underrepresented women in the magazine, but the UK Guardian and feminist blog The F Word both picked up on it and made the discrepency a news topic that SFX editor Ian Berriman couldn't possibly ignore.
In addition to her blog post, McHugh wrote a direct letter to the editor expressing her disappointment at not seeing more women's...
- 3/3/2010
- by Superheidi
- Planet Fury
The weirdly male, 50's-ish monster-kid-oriented Rondo Awards are happening yet again, and while no one really knows who would nominate almost unheard-of blogs like Obscure Hollow (really? last review on Dec 20, 2009? Is it abandoned?) or newbies like Dollar Bin Horror (seriously? two-paragraph, badly-written reviews?) there are some women nominated who really deserve a look before you vote!
First off is our pick for best blog, Final Girl, run by staff contributor Stacie Ponder. Funny, mostly sarcastic, silly, and much more enjoyable than the films reviewed, Final Girl has our official endorsement. There are also surprising nominees for best article, best TV episode, and more that you need to check out before you vote because they show that women have taken a really effective part in this year's horror phenomenon...
For TV: Medium, 'Bite Me,' CBS, 10.30.09. Allison's nightmares throw her into scenes from 'Night of the Living Dead.' Elvira guest stars.
First off is our pick for best blog, Final Girl, run by staff contributor Stacie Ponder. Funny, mostly sarcastic, silly, and much more enjoyable than the films reviewed, Final Girl has our official endorsement. There are also surprising nominees for best article, best TV episode, and more that you need to check out before you vote because they show that women have taken a really effective part in this year's horror phenomenon...
For TV: Medium, 'Bite Me,' CBS, 10.30.09. Allison's nightmares throw her into scenes from 'Night of the Living Dead.' Elvira guest stars.
- 2/23/2010
- by Superheidi
- Planet Fury
Finally, the book can be closed on the DVD era: Howard The Duck, a George Lucas production every bit as ignominious as Jar Jar Binks, has now been made available to the tens of fans clamoring for its release. It even comes with special revisionist-history bonus features, with husband-wife team Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz (Huyck directed, Katz produced, and they scripted together) putting a shine on one of the 1980s’ most notorious failures. The critics misunderstood it, they say, or they resented Lucas’ success, or they were simply enemies of fun who wanted “an existential experience” rather than the ...
- 3/18/2009
- avclub.com
Looking for something to do before school or work begins again? Well, Hulu has just added the reviled Howard the Duck to its list of free feature films. The live-action Universal film, starring Tom Robbins, Lea Thompson, and eight different guys in an expensive duck suit, was considered one of the worst films of the year when it was released in 1986 and remains one of the most awful adaptations from a comic book.
What is astonishing is that the film was produced by George Lucas from a script by the able Willard Huyck & Gloria Katz (American Graffiti). Lucas spent $10 million to make the film which earned a meager $16 million while making Howard’s creator Steve Gerber weep.
What is astonishing is that the film was produced by George Lucas from a script by the able Willard Huyck & Gloria Katz (American Graffiti). Lucas spent $10 million to make the film which earned a meager $16 million while making Howard’s creator Steve Gerber weep.
- 12/28/2008
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
CANNES -- Good popcorn movies, commercial cinema, are hard to create. There’s no formula, no sure thing, and William Goldman’s dictum that "nobody knows anything" still proves the most golden of all the nonrules in Hollywood moviemaking.
An affectionate, comprehensive overview of Hollywood’s blockbusters and bombs, "Boffo!: Tinseltown’s Bombs and Blockbusters" encapsulates that mythical lightning in a bottle that miraculously strikes within the most unlikely projects and implodes other "sure things." Mixing a superb collection of clips from such blockbusters as The Godfather, Jaws, Driving Miss Daisy and Titanic as well as such mega-bombs as Howard the Duck and The Bonfire of the Vanities, Boffo illuminates that one contradictory reality of Hollywood moviemaking: The trouble with moviemaking is that it is a business, but the trouble with it as a business is that it is also an art.
Amplified by an array of eclectic insights from all the right suspects, "Boffo!" should delight serious cineastes as well as entertain popcorn-munching casual viewers. Best yet, you don’t have to understand Variety-ese or have read a boxoffice report to appreciate the anecdotal movie wisdom imparted here under the entertaining guidance of director Bill Couturie.
The smartly selected clips are marvelously orchestrated and intercut with a wide range of industry players, including executive types, actors, filmmakers and hyphenates, Tom Rothman, Sherry Lansing, Peter Guber, Charlize Theron, David Brown, Robert Evans, Pierce Brosnan, Morgan Freeman, Richard Dreyfuss, George Clooney, Brian Grazer and Jodie Foster among them.
Buttressed by an industry-savvy script from Peter Bart and Couturie, "Boffo!" is a wide-eyed squint at the thinking, dreaming and naysaying that make up the crazy alchemy of moviemaking.
While the film basically goes as far back as The Godfather, it raises vexing questions in this day in which everything seems to be created sequel: What stories to tell with the new technology? In its paradoxical wisdom, "Boffo!" shows the true magic of Jaws was in Steven Spielberg’s making do without a working shark — having the shark looming offscreen was the key to the film’s power. Now, the shark is the technology. And, the new hit-makers will, like Spielberg, have to learn to keep it in its place.
Boffo! Tinseltown’s Bombs and Blockbusters
HBO Documentary Films
A Film by Bill Couturie
Director: Bill Couturie; Screenwriters: Peter Bart, Bill Couturie; Suggested by the book "Boffo: How I Learned to Love the Blockbuster and Fear the Bomb" by: Peter Bart; Producers: Anne Sandkuhler, Bill Couturie; Executive producers: Peter Bart, Charlie Koones, Sheila Nevins; Supervising producer: John Hoffman; Co-producer: Timothy M. Gray; Associate producer: Alexis Ercoli; Director of photography: Stephen Lighthill; Composer: Todd Boekelheide.
Featuring: Peter Bogdanovich, Pierce Brosnan, David Brown, George Clooney, Danny DeVito, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Evans, Jodie Foster, Morgan Freeman, Brian Grazer, Peter Guber, Alan Horn, Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz, Sherry Lansing, Penny Marshall, Sydney Pollack, Tom Rothman, John Singleton, Charlize Theron, Nia Vardalos, Richard Zanuck.
No MPAA rating, running time 80 minutes.
An affectionate, comprehensive overview of Hollywood’s blockbusters and bombs, "Boffo!: Tinseltown’s Bombs and Blockbusters" encapsulates that mythical lightning in a bottle that miraculously strikes within the most unlikely projects and implodes other "sure things." Mixing a superb collection of clips from such blockbusters as The Godfather, Jaws, Driving Miss Daisy and Titanic as well as such mega-bombs as Howard the Duck and The Bonfire of the Vanities, Boffo illuminates that one contradictory reality of Hollywood moviemaking: The trouble with moviemaking is that it is a business, but the trouble with it as a business is that it is also an art.
Amplified by an array of eclectic insights from all the right suspects, "Boffo!" should delight serious cineastes as well as entertain popcorn-munching casual viewers. Best yet, you don’t have to understand Variety-ese or have read a boxoffice report to appreciate the anecdotal movie wisdom imparted here under the entertaining guidance of director Bill Couturie.
The smartly selected clips are marvelously orchestrated and intercut with a wide range of industry players, including executive types, actors, filmmakers and hyphenates, Tom Rothman, Sherry Lansing, Peter Guber, Charlize Theron, David Brown, Robert Evans, Pierce Brosnan, Morgan Freeman, Richard Dreyfuss, George Clooney, Brian Grazer and Jodie Foster among them.
Buttressed by an industry-savvy script from Peter Bart and Couturie, "Boffo!" is a wide-eyed squint at the thinking, dreaming and naysaying that make up the crazy alchemy of moviemaking.
While the film basically goes as far back as The Godfather, it raises vexing questions in this day in which everything seems to be created sequel: What stories to tell with the new technology? In its paradoxical wisdom, "Boffo!" shows the true magic of Jaws was in Steven Spielberg’s making do without a working shark — having the shark looming offscreen was the key to the film’s power. Now, the shark is the technology. And, the new hit-makers will, like Spielberg, have to learn to keep it in its place.
Boffo! Tinseltown’s Bombs and Blockbusters
HBO Documentary Films
A Film by Bill Couturie
Director: Bill Couturie; Screenwriters: Peter Bart, Bill Couturie; Suggested by the book "Boffo: How I Learned to Love the Blockbuster and Fear the Bomb" by: Peter Bart; Producers: Anne Sandkuhler, Bill Couturie; Executive producers: Peter Bart, Charlie Koones, Sheila Nevins; Supervising producer: John Hoffman; Co-producer: Timothy M. Gray; Associate producer: Alexis Ercoli; Director of photography: Stephen Lighthill; Composer: Todd Boekelheide.
Featuring: Peter Bogdanovich, Pierce Brosnan, David Brown, George Clooney, Danny DeVito, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Evans, Jodie Foster, Morgan Freeman, Brian Grazer, Peter Guber, Alan Horn, Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz, Sherry Lansing, Penny Marshall, Sydney Pollack, Tom Rothman, John Singleton, Charlize Theron, Nia Vardalos, Richard Zanuck.
No MPAA rating, running time 80 minutes.
- 5/20/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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