N.W.A. insulted funk music pioneer Charles Wright by offering him a measly $600 to sample his hit song "Express Yourself" for their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ... according to Wright. Wright's rep Kimirhochelle Porter tells TMZ the singer felt totally disrespected by the lowball offer, since he usually gets around $600k for samples of his '70s hit. We're told Wright was also pissed because N.W.A. didn't invite him to the ceremony.
- 4/30/2016
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Announced by Vanessa Williams and Matthew Morrison at Feinstein’s/54 Below this morning, the 61st annual Drama Desk Award nominations honored the best of Broadway and Off-Broadway, with both competing in the same categories. A total of 64 shows in the 2015–16 season earned nominations, a testament to the strength and creativity of this New York theater season. Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of “She Loves Me” led the way with nine nominations, including nods for outstanding musical revival and actors Laura Benanti, Zachary Levi, Jane Krakowski, and Nicholas Barasch. The musical’s veteran lyricist Sheldon Harnick will receive a special Drama Desk in recognition also of this season’s productions of “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Rothschild and Sons.” New Broadway musicals “American Psycho” and “Bright Star” also fared well, nabbing eight and seven nominations, respectively. “The Color Purple,” “First Daughter Suite,” “John,” and “Shuffle Along” each earned six. Matthew Morrison,...
- 4/28/2016
- backstage.com
Charles Wright, long-time Drama Desk member, has been elected the new President of the Drama Desk by its membership voting electronically in approval of the projected Officers and Board of Director slate for 2014-2015. He assumed the Presidency at this evening's annual membership meeting, held from 530-730 p.m. at the Travel Inn, 515 West 42nd Street. Mr. Wright was introduced as the incoming President by outgoing President Isa Goldberg, who was elected to remain on the Board as a Member-at-Large.
- 11/12/2014
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
WWE.com
Face paint and wrestling go hand in hand. Even going as far back as the early days of professional wrestling, face paint has been one of the many tools used to create new characters with just one person. For some, the face paint is there to just look cool. For others, it’s a part of their character’s own identity, and sometimes that identity can be pretty weird; in fact it can be downright creepy. Some face paint designs are just one shade while others are a multitude of colors and designs that take a very long time to put on. Professional wrestling is a form of art, and in art you can expect to see some pretty outlandish characters.
In professional wrestling, the most odd looking face paints that are forever engrained in the minds of fans young and old are the ones that manage to withstand the test of time.
Face paint and wrestling go hand in hand. Even going as far back as the early days of professional wrestling, face paint has been one of the many tools used to create new characters with just one person. For some, the face paint is there to just look cool. For others, it’s a part of their character’s own identity, and sometimes that identity can be pretty weird; in fact it can be downright creepy. Some face paint designs are just one shade while others are a multitude of colors and designs that take a very long time to put on. Professional wrestling is a form of art, and in art you can expect to see some pretty outlandish characters.
In professional wrestling, the most odd looking face paints that are forever engrained in the minds of fans young and old are the ones that manage to withstand the test of time.
- 5/28/2014
- by Tom Gibbs
- Obsessed with Film
WWE.com
A lot of people have been talking about Benjamin Morris’ 538 piece, “Are Pro Wrestlers Dying at an Unusual Rate?”
Like Morris, I am neither an actuarial scientist nor a demographer. So, our interpretations of the data should be taken with a grain of salt. My results were somewhat different from Morris’ due to a difference data set and changes in how we calculated actuarial predictions.
Differences in methodology from Morris
I also used Social Security Actuarial Life Tables, but my “expected mortality rates” for the age groups were not the same as Morris’. For each wrestler, I calculated what their age would have been as of today. Then, based on gender, I looked up the number of lives (out of 100,000) that were expected to still be alive and converted that to a percentage. His analysis looked at wrestlers who were on 20+ WWF PPVs through 2002. I went with a...
A lot of people have been talking about Benjamin Morris’ 538 piece, “Are Pro Wrestlers Dying at an Unusual Rate?”
Like Morris, I am neither an actuarial scientist nor a demographer. So, our interpretations of the data should be taken with a grain of salt. My results were somewhat different from Morris’ due to a difference data set and changes in how we calculated actuarial predictions.
Differences in methodology from Morris
I also used Social Security Actuarial Life Tables, but my “expected mortality rates” for the age groups were not the same as Morris’. For each wrestler, I calculated what their age would have been as of today. Then, based on gender, I looked up the number of lives (out of 100,000) that were expected to still be alive and converted that to a percentage. His analysis looked at wrestlers who were on 20+ WWF PPVs through 2002. I went with a...
- 4/22/2014
- by Chris Harrington
- Obsessed with Film
WWE
Charles Wright is staying at a hotel in New Orleans according to reports, leading to some speculation he will appear in character as Papa Shango at WrestleMania 30.
Wright himself commented that he will be at WrestleMania 30, according to this tweet from some fans he posed for a photograph with.
The return of Papa Shango would make sense given New Orleans cultural history of ‘Louisiana Voodoo’, the spiritual folklore which is still a major tourist attraction in the region. Fans may fondly remember Shango from the cartoon era, he would cast spells (the WWF dimmed the lights and used smoke machines) to create a supernatural aura around his character. Despite wrestling Bret Hart for the WWF Title, Shango was considered a dismal failure, the gimmick was considered silly and up against the emerging new WWF standard it died a death. Wright was re-packaged as Kama Mustafa and then later The Godfather in the attitude era.
Charles Wright is staying at a hotel in New Orleans according to reports, leading to some speculation he will appear in character as Papa Shango at WrestleMania 30.
Wright himself commented that he will be at WrestleMania 30, according to this tweet from some fans he posed for a photograph with.
The return of Papa Shango would make sense given New Orleans cultural history of ‘Louisiana Voodoo’, the spiritual folklore which is still a major tourist attraction in the region. Fans may fondly remember Shango from the cartoon era, he would cast spells (the WWF dimmed the lights and used smoke machines) to create a supernatural aura around his character. Despite wrestling Bret Hart for the WWF Title, Shango was considered a dismal failure, the gimmick was considered silly and up against the emerging new WWF standard it died a death. Wright was re-packaged as Kama Mustafa and then later The Godfather in the attitude era.
- 4/4/2014
- by Grahame Herbert
- Obsessed with Film
If there's anything I have as much of a passion for as horror movies it's professional wrestling, which has been a lifelong obsession of mine since well before the days my parents allowed me to make friends with guys like Jason and Freddy. Not surprisingly, it's been the horror-inspired characters that I've always found myself gravitating towards - guys who looked and acted like they belonged inside the confines of horror films, more than they did the squared circle.
With WWE's Wrestlemania 30 on the horizon, taking place this Sunday night, now's the perfect time to shine the spotlight on some of the scariest grapplers in the history of the business, which is precisely what I'm here to do today. So here are 10 professional wrestlers who have channeled the spirit of horror cinema over the years, and have brought together my two biggest passions in life!
Kamala
I'll never forget my first introduction to Kamala,...
With WWE's Wrestlemania 30 on the horizon, taking place this Sunday night, now's the perfect time to shine the spotlight on some of the scariest grapplers in the history of the business, which is precisely what I'm here to do today. So here are 10 professional wrestlers who have channeled the spirit of horror cinema over the years, and have brought together my two biggest passions in life!
Kamala
I'll never forget my first introduction to Kamala,...
- 4/2/2014
- by John Squires
- FEARnet
Fox Launches Diverse Writers Program Fox TV and film writers, producers and executives have signed on to judge submissions for the Fox Writer’s Intensive, the new initiative for experienced writers with diverse background, ethnic minorities as well as Lgbt, foreign-born, etc. Fox received several hundred submissions for the program by the November 9 deadline. Participating organization Film Independent is currently reviewing all of them and will present 20-30 finalists to Fox. The judges will select 10 scripts whose writers will enter the program. (The winners expected to be announced in the next few weeks.) The list of judges include: Carla Kettner (Ep, Bones), Heather Mitchell (Supervising Producer, Scandal), Matt Olmstead (Ep, Breakout Kings), Missy Alexander (Producer, How I Met Your Mother), Gina Prince-Bythewood (Writer/Producer, The Secret Life of Bees), Lisa Cortes (Writer, Ep, Precious), Charles Wright (Playwright/Director, Ruined), Attica Locke (Novelist, Black Water Rising), Suzanne DePasse (Producer, Sister, Sister), David Engel (Producer,...
- 1/20/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Jan. 16
7:30 p.m.
Egyptian Theater
6712 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Hosted by: L.A. Filmforum
This is one of several screenings happening around Los Angeles in support of the recently published book Radical Light: Alternative Film And Video In The San Francisco Bay Area, 1945–2000, edited by Steve Anker, Kathy Geritz and Steve Seid.
This particular event will run about 78 minutes and include nine short films by Bay Area experimental filmmakers such as Greta Snider, Dominic Angerame, Gunvor Nelson, Jay Rosenblatt and more. The full lineup of films is below and all prints are provided by the legendary S.F. distributor Canyon Cinema.
Curators Steve Anker and Kathy Geritz, as well as filmmakers Timoleon Wilkins and Cauleen Smith, who have films in the program, will be in attendance for a post-screening discussion.
For some background on these two particular time periods represented at this screening, here are descriptions from the L.
7:30 p.m.
Egyptian Theater
6712 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Hosted by: L.A. Filmforum
This is one of several screenings happening around Los Angeles in support of the recently published book Radical Light: Alternative Film And Video In The San Francisco Bay Area, 1945–2000, edited by Steve Anker, Kathy Geritz and Steve Seid.
This particular event will run about 78 minutes and include nine short films by Bay Area experimental filmmakers such as Greta Snider, Dominic Angerame, Gunvor Nelson, Jay Rosenblatt and more. The full lineup of films is below and all prints are provided by the legendary S.F. distributor Canyon Cinema.
Curators Steve Anker and Kathy Geritz, as well as filmmakers Timoleon Wilkins and Cauleen Smith, who have films in the program, will be in attendance for a post-screening discussion.
For some background on these two particular time periods represented at this screening, here are descriptions from the L.
- 1/14/2011
- by screenings
- Underground Film Journal
The devil wants your mommy in Michael Frost‘s disturbing short horror movie Antivirgen 1: Chi Sei?, which reworks footage from two classic Italian Exorcist rip-offs from the 1970s and transforms them into exactly the kind of nightmare that you wished the originals actually were. Warning: This film is very Nsfw, unless of course you work for Fangoria or something.
In the ’70s and ’80s, Italian horror filmmakers where especially fond of taking original American horror movie concepts and beating them down into a bloody pulp. While Exorcist fever gripped all sorts of shlock directors, from blaxploitation trash like the late William Girdler‘s Abby to the crappy legitimate sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic, Italian maestros seemed to churn them out by the bucketful.
Chi Sei? was one of the more popular and notorious of the possession set, especially when it was released in the U.S. under the title Beyond the Door.
In the ’70s and ’80s, Italian horror filmmakers where especially fond of taking original American horror movie concepts and beating them down into a bloody pulp. While Exorcist fever gripped all sorts of shlock directors, from blaxploitation trash like the late William Girdler‘s Abby to the crappy legitimate sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic, Italian maestros seemed to churn them out by the bucketful.
Chi Sei? was one of the more popular and notorious of the possession set, especially when it was released in the U.S. under the title Beyond the Door.
- 8/23/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Normally when I nominate a song for Scenes (Songs) We Love, it's because I want to share a scene (and a song) that is, for the most part, a happy memory. But today, I'm doing things a little differently, because as much as I may love Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band's Do Your Thing, it's visual accompaniment is the definition of a downer. My first exposure to the soul classic was in Paul Thomas Anderson's porn masterpiece, Boogie Nights, and as I watched Little Bill (played by William H. Macy) make his way through **spoiler alert** his last New Years Eve party, I was on pins and needles. As the camera tracks Macy and that bass kicked in, I may have had the overwhelming urge to get down, but I also knew that something was up, and it was not going to end well.
Watch the scene after the jump.
Watch the scene after the jump.
- 8/13/2010
- by Jessica Barnes
- Cinematical
Two plays by Sarah Ruhl are among the 10 new works of theater selected for the 91st edition of the annual Best Plays Theater Yearbook. The choices for 2009-10 were announced today by Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, editor of the yearbook, which will be published by Limelight Editions in 2011. The Best Plays Theater Yearbook was founded in 1920 by drama critic Burns Mantle and honors each work with an essay. This year’s selections were chosen from among Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions that opened between June 1, 2009, and May 31, 2010. The new volume will also honor three plays cited by the Harold and Mimi Steinberg New Play Awards and Citations competition."Despite the naysayers who decry the end of theatrical civilization as each season draws to a close, Best Plays Theater Yearbook finds it increasingly difficult each year to whittle our list to a top 10," Jenkins, who chose the plays in consultation with the yearbook’s editorial board,...
- 7/8/2010
- backstage.com
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