Even the most die-hard 007 fans know that James Bond movies don’t always hit. There’s the yellow face of You Only Live Twice, the pigeon double-take in Moonraker, the surfing in Die Another Day. But never has the franchise done worse than when a certain Louisiana police officer bumbles into the otherwise solid Live and Let Die.
Yes, I’m talking about Sheriff J.W. Pepper, a loudmouth distraction who sort of makes sense in the American-set Live and Let Die, but then he somehow also shows up in Thailand to further drag down The Man With the Golden Gun.
Modern viewers meeting the character for the first time today will likely be confused by Pepper’s shtick. But to the viewers of the early 1970s, Pepper not only hit as a funny joke, but he was very much in line with Bond’s history of pop culture Johnny-come-latelyisms.
Yes, I’m talking about Sheriff J.W. Pepper, a loudmouth distraction who sort of makes sense in the American-set Live and Let Die, but then he somehow also shows up in Thailand to further drag down The Man With the Golden Gun.
Modern viewers meeting the character for the first time today will likely be confused by Pepper’s shtick. But to the viewers of the early 1970s, Pepper not only hit as a funny joke, but he was very much in line with Bond’s history of pop culture Johnny-come-latelyisms.
- 2/23/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
Mills Lane, the judge and former boxer who presided over three seasons of the show Judge Mills Lane, has died at the age of 85, according to his son, Tommy Lane. Lane was known as a boxer and boxing referee before his time in court. His diminutive stature, fighting at just 147 pounds, didn’t stop him from gaining respect in the boxing world. His famous phrase “Let’s get it on!” became a catchphrase during his court show — carried over from his time in the ring. After serving in the Marines in the 1950s, he had a successful career as a welterweight boxing champion, holding a professional record of 10 wins, one loss, and six knockouts. He went on to acquire a law degree and eventually became a District Judge in 1990. As a referee, he presided over one of the most infamous boxing matches in the history of the sport — the 1997 heavyweight...
- 12/7/2022
- TV Insider
Richard Roundtree’s two-fisted detective tale burst on the scene announcing that a craze called Blaxploitation was on the way. No matter that the movie is somewhat slow and drab — John Shaft was the identification figure denied black audiences for 60 years, a hero who takes no guff from nobody and consistently tells The Man where to head in. Even bigger was the music theme by Isaac Hayes, which transforms Shaft’s casual stroll through Times Square into an iconic image of the 1970s. Criterion’s presentation of Gordon Parks’ smash hit has the original feature in 4K Uhd and in Blu-ray with the first sequel Shaft’s Big Score! in Blu-ray only.
Shaft
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1130
1971 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 100 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date June 21, 2022 / 39.95
Starring: Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi, Christopher St. John, Gwenn Mitchell, Lawrence Pressman, Victor Arnold, Sherri Brewer,...
Shaft
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1130
1971 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 100 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date June 21, 2022 / 39.95
Starring: Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi, Christopher St. John, Gwenn Mitchell, Lawrence Pressman, Victor Arnold, Sherri Brewer,...
- 6/18/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Tommy Lane, an actor and stuntman who appeared in such classic films as Shaft and Live and Let Die, died Monday at Fort Lauderdale’s Florida Medical Center after a long battle with Copd. He was 83.
His daughter, Kamala Lane, confirming his passing to Deadline.
Born on December 17, 1937, in Miami, Lane primarily was active as an actor from the 1960s through the 1990s. In Gordon Parks’ classic 1971 private eye thriller Shaft, he played gangster Bumpy Jonas’ (Moses Gun) hitman, Leroy, who memorably is dragged up steps and thrown out of a window by Richard Roundtree’s detective John Shaft. In Guy Hamilton’s 1973 Bond film Live and Let Die, starring Roger Moore, he portrayed Adam, a gangster and enforcer reporting to Yaphet Kotto’s Mr. Big and Julius Harris’ Tee Hee.
Yaphet Kotto Dies: Bond Villain, ‘Homicide’ Star, ‘Alien’ & ‘Midnight Run’ Actor Was 81
Lane’s film credits also include Cotton Comes to Harlem...
His daughter, Kamala Lane, confirming his passing to Deadline.
Born on December 17, 1937, in Miami, Lane primarily was active as an actor from the 1960s through the 1990s. In Gordon Parks’ classic 1971 private eye thriller Shaft, he played gangster Bumpy Jonas’ (Moses Gun) hitman, Leroy, who memorably is dragged up steps and thrown out of a window by Richard Roundtree’s detective John Shaft. In Guy Hamilton’s 1973 Bond film Live and Let Die, starring Roger Moore, he portrayed Adam, a gangster and enforcer reporting to Yaphet Kotto’s Mr. Big and Julius Harris’ Tee Hee.
Yaphet Kotto Dies: Bond Villain, ‘Homicide’ Star, ‘Alien’ & ‘Midnight Run’ Actor Was 81
Lane’s film credits also include Cotton Comes to Harlem...
- 11/30/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Stuntman and actor Tommy Lane, who appeared in films including “Live and Let Die” and “Shaft,” died Monday in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. He was 83.
His daughter Kamala reported that he died after a long bout of Copd.
In Richard Roundtree’s “Shaft,” his character Leroy could be seen crashing through Richard Roundtree’s Times Square office window. “That’s some cold shit, throwing my man Leroy out the window. Just picked my man up and threw him out the goddamn window,” says Willy in the 1971 blaxploitation classic.
In the 1973 James Bond film “Live and Let Die,” he played Adam, one of Kananga’s henchmen who chases Roger Moore in a speedboat off the coast of the fictional island of San Monique. His character threatens, “You made one mistake back on that island, Bond. You took something that didn’t belong to you. And you took it from a friend of Mr.
His daughter Kamala reported that he died after a long bout of Copd.
In Richard Roundtree’s “Shaft,” his character Leroy could be seen crashing through Richard Roundtree’s Times Square office window. “That’s some cold shit, throwing my man Leroy out the window. Just picked my man up and threw him out the goddamn window,” says Willy in the 1971 blaxploitation classic.
In the 1973 James Bond film “Live and Let Die,” he played Adam, one of Kananga’s henchmen who chases Roger Moore in a speedboat off the coast of the fictional island of San Monique. His character threatens, “You made one mistake back on that island, Bond. You took something that didn’t belong to you. And you took it from a friend of Mr.
- 11/30/2021
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Tommy Lane, an actor and stuntman who worked in films including Cotton Comes to Harlem, Live and Let Die and Shaft, has died. He was 83.
Lane died Monday at Florida Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale after a long bout with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, his daughter Kamala Lane announced.
Lane also appeared in such other films as Shamus (1973), starring Burt Reynolds; The Pilot (1980), directed by and starring Cliff Robertson; and Eureka (1983), helmed by Nicolas Roeg.
In Gordon Parks’ Shaft (1971), Lane played a gangster named Leroy employed by Harlem crime boss Bumpy (Moses Gunn) who winds up falling out of an office window ...
Lane died Monday at Florida Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale after a long bout with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, his daughter Kamala Lane announced.
Lane also appeared in such other films as Shamus (1973), starring Burt Reynolds; The Pilot (1980), directed by and starring Cliff Robertson; and Eureka (1983), helmed by Nicolas Roeg.
In Gordon Parks’ Shaft (1971), Lane played a gangster named Leroy employed by Harlem crime boss Bumpy (Moses Gunn) who winds up falling out of an office window ...
- 11/30/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Tommy Lane, an actor and stuntman who worked in films including Cotton Comes to Harlem, Live and Let Die and Shaft, has died. He was 83.
Lane died Monday at Florida Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale after a long bout with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, his daughter Kamala Lane announced.
Lane also appeared in such other films as Shamus (1973), starring Burt Reynolds; The Pilot (1980), directed by and starring Cliff Robertson; and Eureka (1983), helmed by Nicolas Roeg.
In Gordon Parks’ Shaft (1971), Lane played a gangster named Leroy employed by Harlem crime boss Bumpy (Moses Gunn) who winds up falling out of an office window ...
Lane died Monday at Florida Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale after a long bout with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, his daughter Kamala Lane announced.
Lane also appeared in such other films as Shamus (1973), starring Burt Reynolds; The Pilot (1980), directed by and starring Cliff Robertson; and Eureka (1983), helmed by Nicolas Roeg.
In Gordon Parks’ Shaft (1971), Lane played a gangster named Leroy employed by Harlem crime boss Bumpy (Moses Gunn) who winds up falling out of an office window ...
- 11/30/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Important News Franchise Fever: Tom Cruise said he won't do Top Gun 2 with CGI jets. Tom Cruise is also working on Edge of Tomorrow 2. Christopher McQuarrie revealed a big stunt idea for Mission: Impossible 6. Ivan Reitman claimed there is only one Ghostbusters movie in the works. Casting Net: Rachel McAdams confirmed she's in talks for Doctor Strange. Chris Pine signed on to play Wonder Woman's love interest. Tommy Lee Jones is joining the next Bourne movie. Jake Gyllenhaal is joining the Boston Marathon bombing movie Stronger. Remake Report: Shaft is being rebooted again as a comedy. New Directors/New Films: Christopher Nolan's next film is a short documentary on the Quay brothers...
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- 8/1/2015
- by Christopher Campbell
- Movies.com
Every week, EW will imagine a sequel to a movie that we wish would happen — no matter how unlikely the idea really is.
Mystery Men is one of those movies that you either really love or you really loathe. For me, it’s the former. The hilarious, over-the-top, ridiculous, so-stupid-it’s-funny comedy revolves around Champion City and the not-so-super superheroes that walk its streets. You see, when Greg Kinnear’s Captain Amazing finds himself out of worthy adversaries, he uses his billionaire alter ego to try and get the city’s biggest villain, Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush) released from the...
Mystery Men is one of those movies that you either really love or you really loathe. For me, it’s the former. The hilarious, over-the-top, ridiculous, so-stupid-it’s-funny comedy revolves around Champion City and the not-so-super superheroes that walk its streets. You see, when Greg Kinnear’s Captain Amazing finds himself out of worthy adversaries, he uses his billionaire alter ego to try and get the city’s biggest villain, Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush) released from the...
- 9/5/2013
- by Samantha Highfill
- EW.com - PopWatch
Did you miss out on the 2013 Oscars? Couldn't stay up until the wee hours of the morning to watch Ben Affleck's heartfelt acceptance speech for "Argo," to see Jennifer Lawrence fall upwards towards victory, to witness Quvenzhané Wallis raise the roof? Well, no need for you to break out the ol' DVR and watch the whole thing start to finish — we have you covered with our rundown of the big night ... in GIFs!
Read on to relive the 85th annual Academy Awards in GIFs!
The broadcast began with a vision of the future: Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise traveling back in time to prevent Seth MacFarlane from ruining the Oscars.
The only way to fix his future Oscar mistakes? Implement more song-and-dance routines, like so:
The plan obviously worked, because it motivated standing applause from famous frown-face Tommy Lee Jones. (Perhaps he just hates the Golden Globes?...
Read on to relive the 85th annual Academy Awards in GIFs!
The broadcast began with a vision of the future: Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise traveling back in time to prevent Seth MacFarlane from ruining the Oscars.
The only way to fix his future Oscar mistakes? Implement more song-and-dance routines, like so:
The plan obviously worked, because it motivated standing applause from famous frown-face Tommy Lee Jones. (Perhaps he just hates the Golden Globes?...
- 2/25/2013
- by Josh Wigler
- MTV Movies Blog
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