Madonna‘s album Like a Prayer was a major sea change in the Queen of Pop’s career. She never seemed more honest than when she put out that album. For example, a tune from Like a Prayer gave fans insight into her relationship with her mother. She revealed that she still spoke to her mother from beyond the grave.
Madonna dealt with family trauma on ‘Like a Prayer’
Prior to 1989, Madonna was known for boisterous dance tunes, sentimental ballads, and the occasional song about teen pregnancy. Her output got a little more personal with her 1989 album Like a Prayer. That record showed off a side of her that was more vulnerable. With the singles “Keep It Together” and “Oh Father,” the Queen of Pop gave fans insight into her feelings about her own family. Never had the Material Girl seemed more down-to-earth and human.
During a 1989 interview with Rolling Stone,...
Madonna dealt with family trauma on ‘Like a Prayer’
Prior to 1989, Madonna was known for boisterous dance tunes, sentimental ballads, and the occasional song about teen pregnancy. Her output got a little more personal with her 1989 album Like a Prayer. That record showed off a side of her that was more vulnerable. With the singles “Keep It Together” and “Oh Father,” the Queen of Pop gave fans insight into her feelings about her own family. Never had the Material Girl seemed more down-to-earth and human.
During a 1989 interview with Rolling Stone,...
- 4/16/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Elvis Presley‘s “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear” sounds like another 1950s doo-wop song. With its focus on teddy bears, it seems like it should be a children’s song. Despite that, it’s more suggestive than most 1950s hits. Some of the lyrical choices in the song are pretty questionable.
Elvis Presley’s ‘(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear’ isn’t for kids
Plenty of great rock songs are children’s songs, including The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine,” Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” and basically everything by The Monkees. Elvis’ “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear” is anything but that. It’s a song where Elvis asks his lover to touch him like she’s touching a teddy bear. How this didn’t upset the censors at the time is beyond me.
Furthermore, Elvis asks his lover to put a chain around his neck and lead him around.
Elvis Presley’s ‘(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear’ isn’t for kids
Plenty of great rock songs are children’s songs, including The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine,” Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” and basically everything by The Monkees. Elvis’ “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear” is anything but that. It’s a song where Elvis asks his lover to touch him like she’s touching a teddy bear. How this didn’t upset the censors at the time is beyond me.
Furthermore, Elvis asks his lover to put a chain around his neck and lead him around.
- 4/1/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Considering the complexity of The Beatles‘ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, it makes sense that Paul McCartney has some difficulty singing one of its songs. He said he was instrumental in writing the song. John Lennon might have told a different story.
1 ‘Sgt. Pepper’ song is a vocal challenge for Paul McCartney
During a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, the “Silly Love Songs” star discussed performing a Sgt. Pepper song live. “I also like doing ‘For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!’ [sic] that’s nice to do,” he said. “With ‘Mr. Kite,’ the thing about it is, it’s quite challenging cause the bass part goes somewhere that the vocal doesn’t go. So it’s like you’ve got to split your body in half and send one half to do the vocal and send the other half to do the bass part. That’s good to do; it’s quite hard to do.
1 ‘Sgt. Pepper’ song is a vocal challenge for Paul McCartney
During a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, the “Silly Love Songs” star discussed performing a Sgt. Pepper song live. “I also like doing ‘For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!’ [sic] that’s nice to do,” he said. “With ‘Mr. Kite,’ the thing about it is, it’s quite challenging cause the bass part goes somewhere that the vocal doesn’t go. So it’s like you’ve got to split your body in half and send one half to do the vocal and send the other half to do the bass part. That’s good to do; it’s quite hard to do.
- 3/29/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Tl;Dr:
Neil Sedaka wrote three Monkees songs, one of which Davy Jones released as a solo song. One of the songs in question uses a lot of ape metaphors. Another one of the songs was co-written by an important professional songwriter. Neil Sedaka | Gab Archive / Contributor
Neil Sedaka’s songs continue to fascinate classic rock fans to this very day. In addition to writing his own material, Sedaka also wrote a few Monkees songs. One of the tunes he wrote became Davy Jones’ only charting solo single.
3. ‘I Go Ape’
The early 1960s was a golden age for novelty songs, producing such hits as Brian Hyland’s “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini,” Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” and Elvis Presley’s “Rock-a-Hula Baby.” The arrival of The Beatles mostly put an end to this trend, though they occasionally wrote similar songs like “Yellow Submarine.
Neil Sedaka wrote three Monkees songs, one of which Davy Jones released as a solo song. One of the songs in question uses a lot of ape metaphors. Another one of the songs was co-written by an important professional songwriter. Neil Sedaka | Gab Archive / Contributor
Neil Sedaka’s songs continue to fascinate classic rock fans to this very day. In addition to writing his own material, Sedaka also wrote a few Monkees songs. One of the tunes he wrote became Davy Jones’ only charting solo single.
3. ‘I Go Ape’
The early 1960s was a golden age for novelty songs, producing such hits as Brian Hyland’s “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini,” Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” and Elvis Presley’s “Rock-a-Hula Baby.” The arrival of The Beatles mostly put an end to this trend, though they occasionally wrote similar songs like “Yellow Submarine.
- 4/3/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The portrayal of Dragons has generally been a negative one. With the exception of films like How to Train Your Dragon or Puff the Magic Dragon, when we see a dragon on film or in a book, we get images of fire breathing monsters who are capable of death and destruction. But there’s an artist out there who wants to put all of those stereotypes to bed. Brian Kesinger has been drawing the lighter side of dragons and it’s worth taking a look. Here’s what Brian had to say: As a kid of the 80’s, dragons have always inspired me.
Artist Draws Dragons To Destroy The Stereotypes About Them...
Artist Draws Dragons To Destroy The Stereotypes About Them...
- 3/11/2017
- by Nat Berman
- TVovermind.com
The immensely popular trio provides an extremely pleasant eighty minutes of musical nostalgia – with plenty of full performances but also the full variety of their music through the years. Interviews with the principals give us the back story, light but not superficial, while film clips show their political activism through the years.
50 Years with Peter Paul and Mary
DVD
Mvd Visual
2014 / B&W + Color / 1:33 flat full frame / 78 min. / Street Date December 9, 2016 / 19.95
Starring Peter Yarrow, Noel (Paul) Stookey, Mary Allin Travers.
Film Editor Pat Murphy
Produced by Jim Brown, Heather A. Smith
Directed by Jim Brown
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
When we watch movies about music groups we can be looking for historical and personal insights, or we could just want happy nostalgia, to hear the music and see our favorites as they appeared through the years. Many of us instantly recognize groups from the 1960s when we hear them,...
50 Years with Peter Paul and Mary
DVD
Mvd Visual
2014 / B&W + Color / 1:33 flat full frame / 78 min. / Street Date December 9, 2016 / 19.95
Starring Peter Yarrow, Noel (Paul) Stookey, Mary Allin Travers.
Film Editor Pat Murphy
Produced by Jim Brown, Heather A. Smith
Directed by Jim Brown
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
When we watch movies about music groups we can be looking for historical and personal insights, or we could just want happy nostalgia, to hear the music and see our favorites as they appeared through the years. Many of us instantly recognize groups from the 1960s when we hear them,...
- 12/27/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Fox Animation has picked up the feature film rights to the classic 1963 folk song "Puff the Magic Dragon," and they are looking to develop it into a CGI animated and live-action hybrid film. The studio has hired Trolls director Mike Mitchell to helm the project, and Akiva Goldsman (Transformers) is set to produce.
"Puff the Magic Dragon" tells the tale of an ageless dragon that lives by the seas who befriends a shy child and takes him to the land called Honalee. I can’t help but think the studio was inspired to make this film by Disney’s wonderful recent remake of Pete’s Dragon.
The song was created by Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton and spawned an animated TV special for Puff the Magic Dragon that aired in 1978. It was followed by two sequels called, Puff the Magic Dragon in the Land of the Living Lies and Puff and the Incredible Mr.
"Puff the Magic Dragon" tells the tale of an ageless dragon that lives by the seas who befriends a shy child and takes him to the land called Honalee. I can’t help but think the studio was inspired to make this film by Disney’s wonderful recent remake of Pete’s Dragon.
The song was created by Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton and spawned an animated TV special for Puff the Magic Dragon that aired in 1978. It was followed by two sequels called, Puff the Magic Dragon in the Land of the Living Lies and Puff and the Incredible Mr.
- 12/12/2016
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Fox Animation is going from trolls to dragons. The studio has announced, via Variety, they'll follow-up this year's animated feature Trolls with a live-action/animation hybrid adaptation of Puff the Magic Dragon, also directed by Mike Mitchell. It's not often that we see movies based on songs, but the original 1963 tune performed by folk group Peter, Paul and Mary is quite literary. The lyrics of "Puff the Magic Dragon" tell of a boy and his imaginary dragon friend, but the boy grows up and leaves the title character behind. Without his companion, Puff loses all courage and retreats to his cave by the sea. That doesn't sound like enough for a feature-length script, but Troll Doll toys didn't seem like something that could easily...
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- 12/10/2016
- by Christopher Campbell
- Movies.com
Perhaps based on the success of Disney’s Pete’s Dragon remake, Fox Animation has decided to greenlight Puff the Magic Dragon, an animated/live-action hybrid film based on the popular Peter, Paul and Mary song of the same name. It’ll be directed by Mike Mitchell (Trolls, Shrek Forever After).
Details are limited at the moment, but the folk song, written by Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton, is based on the 1959 poem, which in turn was inspired by the poem “Custard the Dragon” by Ogden Nash, as /Film notes. The song tells the story of an ageless dragon named Puff, who lives in Honalee, a fictional city by the sea. His friend is Jackie Paper, but he eventually grows older and loses interest in his adventures with his fictional friend. These days, the property is the sore subject of controversy regarding whether or not it’s referencing smoking weed.
Details are limited at the moment, but the folk song, written by Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton, is based on the 1959 poem, which in turn was inspired by the poem “Custard the Dragon” by Ogden Nash, as /Film notes. The song tells the story of an ageless dragon named Puff, who lives in Honalee, a fictional city by the sea. His friend is Jackie Paper, but he eventually grows older and loses interest in his adventures with his fictional friend. These days, the property is the sore subject of controversy regarding whether or not it’s referencing smoking weed.
- 12/9/2016
- by Will Ashton
- We Got This Covered
Fox Animation have acquired the rights to turn the Peter, Paul and Mary song Puff the Magic Dragon into a feature film. Trolls helmer Mike Mitchell has signed on to direct the hybrid live action/animated feature which will be produced by Safehouse partners Tory Tunnell and Joby Harold and Weed Road’s Akiva Goldsman. Hit the […]
The post Live-Action Animated Hybrid ‘Puff The Magic Dragon’ Movie Coming From ‘Trolls’ Director appeared first on /Film.
The post Live-Action Animated Hybrid ‘Puff The Magic Dragon’ Movie Coming From ‘Trolls’ Director appeared first on /Film.
- 12/9/2016
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Fox Animation will turn the Peter, Paul and Mary song “Puff the Magic Dragon” into a hybrid live action/animated feature that will be directed by Trolls helmer Mike Mitchell. The film will be produced by Safehouse partners Tory Tunnell and Joby Harold and Weed Road’s Akiva Goldsman. They secured the rights to the song, which has lyrics by Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton. Vanessa Morrison and Nate Hopper are overseeing for the studio. At a time when Hollywood has…...
- 12/9/2016
- Deadline
Jenny Morrill Dec 20, 2016
Russ Abbot, Bullseye, Noel Edmonds and a film we all watched in the same room. Christmas TV was more exciting in the 80s...
Cast your mind back to when Christmas Day wasn't about Doctor Who followed by sticking something on Netflix until it was time to go watch the annual fist fight outside the pub.
See related Looking back at Martin Scorsese's The King Of Comedy The Wolf Of Wall Street review The Wolf Of Wall Street & Scorsese's confrontational films
In the 80s, Christmas was about seeing which fantastic fare the TV had decided to bless us with. Of course, the more prepared among us knew this well in advance, having eagerly pored over the Radio Times/TV Times to check that Jimmy Cricket's Family Laugh 'n' Waz would be shown. There it was – right after Reflections On The Eucharist With The Reverend Paul Leyland.
Russ Abbot, Bullseye, Noel Edmonds and a film we all watched in the same room. Christmas TV was more exciting in the 80s...
Cast your mind back to when Christmas Day wasn't about Doctor Who followed by sticking something on Netflix until it was time to go watch the annual fist fight outside the pub.
See related Looking back at Martin Scorsese's The King Of Comedy The Wolf Of Wall Street review The Wolf Of Wall Street & Scorsese's confrontational films
In the 80s, Christmas was about seeing which fantastic fare the TV had decided to bless us with. Of course, the more prepared among us knew this well in advance, having eagerly pored over the Radio Times/TV Times to check that Jimmy Cricket's Family Laugh 'n' Waz would be shown. There it was – right after Reflections On The Eucharist With The Reverend Paul Leyland.
- 12/8/2016
- Den of Geek
The big hits of 1963 included “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Puff the Magic Dragon” and, in England anyway, a rush of hits by some next big thing called The Beatles, but in terms of sheer recall-ability, a song from that year by advertising executive Richard Trentlage might best them all. It begins, “Oh I’d love to be an Oscar Mayer weiner…” Trentlage, a former ad man with McCann-Erickson and D’Arcy who wrote the Oscar Mayer jingle, died of congestive heart failure at 87 on…...
- 10/1/2016
- Deadline TV
Pete's Dragon is a 1977 classic Disney live-action/animation hybrid that kids of the 1970s loved. Your parents will remember, but you've probably never heard of it. They don't remember? Tell them it's called Puff the Magic Dragon. It's not, but because that song was popular at the time, people get the movie confused with the song.
All this confusion is because, honestly, Pete's Dragon doesn't hold up well so it doesn't get the recirculation other Disney 70s live action movies might get like the Herbie the Love Bug movies or the Shaggy Dog movies. But now, Disney is dusting it off and prepping it for a reboot. Part of the recreation will be to change the story up considerably. The original is a musical about a boy and his magical dragon who come to a new town as a way to escape his abusive adopted parents - that's a little...
All this confusion is because, honestly, Pete's Dragon doesn't hold up well so it doesn't get the recirculation other Disney 70s live action movies might get like the Herbie the Love Bug movies or the Shaggy Dog movies. But now, Disney is dusting it off and prepping it for a reboot. Part of the recreation will be to change the story up considerably. The original is a musical about a boy and his magical dragon who come to a new town as a way to escape his abusive adopted parents - that's a little...
- 3/20/2013
- by tara@kidspickflicks.com (Tara the Mom)
- kidspickflicks
Simon Brew Dean Shepherd Oct 18, 2016
As The Adventure Game arrives at the BBC Store, we revisit an 80s children's TV classic that spawned countless imitators...
Four of the original six episodes of The Adventure Game are now finally available to buy at the BBC Store.
See related Arrow season 5 exclusive: Kevin Smith talks Onomatopoeia Arrow season 4 episode 23 review: Schism Legends Of Tomorrow: exploring season 1’s cliffhanger ending Supergirl: Melissa Benoist talks season 1 cliffhanger, impending crossovers
Take three 80s TV stars, a generous dash of Dungeons & Dragons and a healthy sprinkling of brain-numbing tasks and you have a game show recipe that left guests mystified, mortified and all-too-often vaporised, thanks to transmorphic dragons, green cheese rolls and the Vortex. Yep, we've finally got around to talking about The Adventure Game.
It’s funny how you never seemed to question TV concepts when you were little, especially if it was the BBC.
As The Adventure Game arrives at the BBC Store, we revisit an 80s children's TV classic that spawned countless imitators...
Four of the original six episodes of The Adventure Game are now finally available to buy at the BBC Store.
See related Arrow season 5 exclusive: Kevin Smith talks Onomatopoeia Arrow season 4 episode 23 review: Schism Legends Of Tomorrow: exploring season 1’s cliffhanger ending Supergirl: Melissa Benoist talks season 1 cliffhanger, impending crossovers
Take three 80s TV stars, a generous dash of Dungeons & Dragons and a healthy sprinkling of brain-numbing tasks and you have a game show recipe that left guests mystified, mortified and all-too-often vaporised, thanks to transmorphic dragons, green cheese rolls and the Vortex. Yep, we've finally got around to talking about The Adventure Game.
It’s funny how you never seemed to question TV concepts when you were little, especially if it was the BBC.
- 3/6/2013
- Den of Geek
Feature Simon Brew Dean Shepherd 7 Mar 2013 - 07:00
Set phasers to nostalgia as we revisit eighties children's TV classic, The Adventure Game...
Take three 80s TV stars, a generous dash of Dungeons & Dragons and a healthy sprinkling of brain-numbing tasks and you have a game show recipe that left guests mystified, mortified and all-too-often vaporised, thanks to transmorphic dragons, green cheese rolls and the Vortex. Yep, we've finally got around to talking about The Adventure Game.
It’s funny how you never seemed to question TV concepts when you were little, especially if it was the BBC. That’s why, from mid-way through 1980 up until 1986, no one asked why the likes of Keith Chegwin, Sarah Greene, and Noel Edmonds would suddenly become celebrity time travellers, heading ‘many light years away to the far side of the galaxy’ to pay an unwelcome visit to the dragon-like Argons, the polite but mischievous inhabitants of the planet Arg.
Set phasers to nostalgia as we revisit eighties children's TV classic, The Adventure Game...
Take three 80s TV stars, a generous dash of Dungeons & Dragons and a healthy sprinkling of brain-numbing tasks and you have a game show recipe that left guests mystified, mortified and all-too-often vaporised, thanks to transmorphic dragons, green cheese rolls and the Vortex. Yep, we've finally got around to talking about The Adventure Game.
It’s funny how you never seemed to question TV concepts when you were little, especially if it was the BBC. That’s why, from mid-way through 1980 up until 1986, no one asked why the likes of Keith Chegwin, Sarah Greene, and Noel Edmonds would suddenly become celebrity time travellers, heading ‘many light years away to the far side of the galaxy’ to pay an unwelcome visit to the dragon-like Argons, the polite but mischievous inhabitants of the planet Arg.
- 3/6/2013
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Will Rihanna’s upcoming tour feature a rendition of “Puff the Magic Dragon?” On Wednesday, while on a break from tour rehearsal on the West Coast, the 24-year-old shared a “selfie” of herself on Instagram, smoking what appears to be a blunt. “You a real n****, then ph**k with me! #Gold” the caption read. “It’s gonna...Read more»...
- 1/24/2013
- by Peggy Truong
- Celebuzz.com
In a recent interview with the Daily Beast, The Dark Knight Rises star Morgan Freeman -- divulged that he would like something to be legalized -- pot! Turns out Morgan is all about legalizing weed, marijuana, grass, ganja, Mary J, Puff the Magic Dragon, dankity dank, cash, mountain cabbage! Way to fight the good fight, Det. Alex Cross!
In the interview when asked about the legalization of the illegal substance, Morgan responded: "Marijuana! Heavens, oh yeah. It’s just the stupidest law possible, given history. You don’t stop people from doing what they want to do, so forget about making it unlawful. You’re just making criminals out of people who aren’t engaged in criminal activity. And we’re spending zillions of dollars trying to fight a war we can’t win! We could make zillions, just legalize it and tax it like we do liquor. It’s stupid."
Related: [link=tt...
In the interview when asked about the legalization of the illegal substance, Morgan responded: "Marijuana! Heavens, oh yeah. It’s just the stupidest law possible, given history. You don’t stop people from doing what they want to do, so forget about making it unlawful. You’re just making criminals out of people who aren’t engaged in criminal activity. And we’re spending zillions of dollars trying to fight a war we can’t win! We could make zillions, just legalize it and tax it like we do liquor. It’s stupid."
Related: [link=tt...
- 7/18/2012
- TheInsider.com
"A Better Man" delivered a lot of insight into Emmet Cole, how he felt about his son, what he wished for himself and his family and just how difficult he found things on the Amazon without them.
Indeed, The River is really a story about a man and the son he left behind, who is learning about the father he never knew through very perilous circumstances.
As soon as Lena picked up the accordion and starting singing a folk song with Lincoln while he strummed guitar, I knew either something was going jump out of the jungle or I was going to jump on in there myself and put a stop to that nonsense. Good gracious. Have some taste, people. What's next? Puff the Magic Dragon? That's when Emmet's camera man, Jonas, saved us all when he showed up hanging by the neck from Tarzan ropes by the river.
Found...
Indeed, The River is really a story about a man and the son he left behind, who is learning about the father he never knew through very perilous circumstances.
As soon as Lena picked up the accordion and starting singing a folk song with Lincoln while he strummed guitar, I knew either something was going jump out of the jungle or I was going to jump on in there myself and put a stop to that nonsense. Good gracious. Have some taste, people. What's next? Puff the Magic Dragon? That's when Emmet's camera man, Jonas, saved us all when he showed up hanging by the neck from Tarzan ropes by the river.
Found...
- 2/22/2012
- by carissa@tvfanatic.com (Carissa Pavlica)
- TVfanatic
ABC Family is ramping up for its annual 25 Days of Christmas holiday gauntlet of whimsical, fun-for-the-whole-family programming. Today the delightful folks at ABC Family sent me my very own miniature Christmas tree and ornaments with which to decorate it. As you can see, my cat Milo was also very excited.
The programming is as follows. Mark your calendars! For more information, including movie descriptions, check out http://abcfamily.com/25days, Facebook.com/25DaysofChristmas, Twitter.com/ABCF25Days.
Thursday, December 1
(6:00-6:30 Pm Et/Pt) Mickey's Christmas Carol
(6:30-7:00 Pm Et/Pt) Winnie The Pooh And Christmas Too
(7:00-9:00 Pm Et/Pt) The Santa Clause
(9:00-11:00 Pm Et/Pt) The Santa Clause - Encore Presentation (Live Action)
Friday, December 2
(6:00-6:30 Pm Et/Pt) Dr. Seuss On The Loose
(6:30-7:00 Pm Et/Pt) Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
(7:00-7:30 Pm...
The programming is as follows. Mark your calendars! For more information, including movie descriptions, check out http://abcfamily.com/25days, Facebook.com/25DaysofChristmas, Twitter.com/ABCF25Days.
Thursday, December 1
(6:00-6:30 Pm Et/Pt) Mickey's Christmas Carol
(6:30-7:00 Pm Et/Pt) Winnie The Pooh And Christmas Too
(7:00-9:00 Pm Et/Pt) The Santa Clause
(9:00-11:00 Pm Et/Pt) The Santa Clause - Encore Presentation (Live Action)
Friday, December 2
(6:00-6:30 Pm Et/Pt) Dr. Seuss On The Loose
(6:30-7:00 Pm Et/Pt) Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
(7:00-7:30 Pm...
- 11/9/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
DVD Playhouse—October 2011
By Allen Gardner
Terri (20th Century Fox) An awkward, obese teen (Jacob Wysocki) finds himself forming an odd friendship with his equally left-of-center vice-principal (John C. Reilly), who decides to help the boy navigate his way through adolescence’s rocky road. Low key film is filled with pathos and humor, but is ultimately too laid back for its own good (not to mention too long). Worth seeing for young Wysocki’s amazing, completely natural performance, and Reilly’s goofy charm. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Featurette; Deleted scenes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 5.1 surround.
Mr. Nice (Mpi) Rhys Ifans stars in the true story of Howard Marks, a Welsh-born Oxford grad who gained the most notoriety in his life for being the UK’s biggest hashish smuggler during the ‘70s and ‘80s, when he wasn’t busy spying for Her Majesty’s government, hanging out with a...
By Allen Gardner
Terri (20th Century Fox) An awkward, obese teen (Jacob Wysocki) finds himself forming an odd friendship with his equally left-of-center vice-principal (John C. Reilly), who decides to help the boy navigate his way through adolescence’s rocky road. Low key film is filled with pathos and humor, but is ultimately too laid back for its own good (not to mention too long). Worth seeing for young Wysocki’s amazing, completely natural performance, and Reilly’s goofy charm. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Featurette; Deleted scenes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 5.1 surround.
Mr. Nice (Mpi) Rhys Ifans stars in the true story of Howard Marks, a Welsh-born Oxford grad who gained the most notoriety in his life for being the UK’s biggest hashish smuggler during the ‘70s and ‘80s, when he wasn’t busy spying for Her Majesty’s government, hanging out with a...
- 10/3/2011
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
DVD Playhouse—August 2011
By Allen Gardner
High And Low (Criterion) Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 adaptation of Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom is a multi-layered masterpiece of suspense and one of the best portraits ever of class warfare in post-ww II Japan. Toshiro Mifune stars as a wealthy businessman who finds himself in a moral quandary when his chauffer’s son is kidnapped by ruthless thugs who think the boy is Mifune’s. Beautifully realized on every level. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Commentary by Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince; Documentary on film’s production; Interview with Mifune from 1984; Trailers and teaser. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 4.0 surround.
Leon Morin, Priest (Criterion) One of French maestro Jean-Pierre Melville’s rare non-crime-oriented films, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo as a devoted cleric who is lusted after by the women of a small village in Nazi-occupied France. When Fr. Morin finds himself drawn to a...
By Allen Gardner
High And Low (Criterion) Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 adaptation of Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom is a multi-layered masterpiece of suspense and one of the best portraits ever of class warfare in post-ww II Japan. Toshiro Mifune stars as a wealthy businessman who finds himself in a moral quandary when his chauffer’s son is kidnapped by ruthless thugs who think the boy is Mifune’s. Beautifully realized on every level. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Commentary by Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince; Documentary on film’s production; Interview with Mifune from 1984; Trailers and teaser. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 4.0 surround.
Leon Morin, Priest (Criterion) One of French maestro Jean-Pierre Melville’s rare non-crime-oriented films, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo as a devoted cleric who is lusted after by the women of a small village in Nazi-occupied France. When Fr. Morin finds himself drawn to a...
- 8/8/2011
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
'My feet are the stuff of nightmares'
Maxine Peake, 36, was born and brought up in Bolton. She studied performing arts at Salford Tech and was awarded a scholarship to Rada. In 1998 she was cast in Victoria Wood's TV sitcom Dinnerladies, and went on to play Veronica in Shameless and Myra Hindley in See No Evil. Most recently she played the lead in BBC1's legal drama Silk. Her stage credits include The Cherry Orchard at the National Theatre and Miss Julie at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. She is currently in Loyalty at Hampstead Theatre until 13 August. She lives in Salford.
When were you happiest?
The mid- to late 80s, summers spent at Park End Farm in Atherton – ankle deep in horse manure and soaking wet from falls from badly constructed rope swings across streams.
What is your greatest fear?
Political apathy.
What is your earliest memory?
Losing the fancy-dress...
Maxine Peake, 36, was born and brought up in Bolton. She studied performing arts at Salford Tech and was awarded a scholarship to Rada. In 1998 she was cast in Victoria Wood's TV sitcom Dinnerladies, and went on to play Veronica in Shameless and Myra Hindley in See No Evil. Most recently she played the lead in BBC1's legal drama Silk. Her stage credits include The Cherry Orchard at the National Theatre and Miss Julie at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. She is currently in Loyalty at Hampstead Theatre until 13 August. She lives in Salford.
When were you happiest?
The mid- to late 80s, summers spent at Park End Farm in Atherton – ankle deep in horse manure and soaking wet from falls from badly constructed rope swings across streams.
What is your greatest fear?
Political apathy.
What is your earliest memory?
Losing the fancy-dress...
- 7/15/2011
- by Rosanna Greenstreet
- The Guardian - Film News
Lidsville -Sid Krofft talked to me over the phone. That’s almost as wild and weird as the shows he created with his brother Marty that dominated the ’70s. Their live action Saturday morning series mixed puppets and people went perfect with the sugar rush from a fresh bowl of Count Chocula. This was like a weird childhood dream as I had so many questions that had puzzled me since childhood. Krofft was eager to give answers.
He was excited about Vivendi Entertainment’s recent release of H.R. Pufnstuf: The Complete Series Collector’s Edition. There’s also a normal H.R. Pufnstuf: The Complete Series. What’s the difference? A cool bobblehead of H.R. Pufnstuf. I’ve had little contact with the bobblehead since my two year-old has turned it into her new best friend. I told Sid Krofft how another generation has embraced the lizard hero of my youth.
He was excited about Vivendi Entertainment’s recent release of H.R. Pufnstuf: The Complete Series Collector’s Edition. There’s also a normal H.R. Pufnstuf: The Complete Series. What’s the difference? A cool bobblehead of H.R. Pufnstuf. I’ve had little contact with the bobblehead since my two year-old has turned it into her new best friend. I told Sid Krofft how another generation has embraced the lizard hero of my youth.
- 4/22/2011
- by UncaScroogeMcD
George Bush's memoirs reveal the film that broke the ice between two world leaders
For an American president to bond with a British prime minister over a Hollywood movie is nothing new. Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill shared a deep love of the stiff-upper-lip wartime film Mrs Miniver. But there is something just so horribly perfect about the movie with which George W Bush is said to have broken the ice with Tony Blair when they first met in February 2001.
According to the president's new autobiography, Decision Points, the Bushes and Blairs settled down to a viewing of the wacky comedy Meet the Parents. This stars Ben Stiller as a young liberal guy with the unfortunate name of Gaylord Focker, coming to meet his fiancee's mom and dad. The man he must impress is his future father-in-law, a ferocious former CIA operative played by Robert De Niro, who disconcertingly...
For an American president to bond with a British prime minister over a Hollywood movie is nothing new. Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill shared a deep love of the stiff-upper-lip wartime film Mrs Miniver. But there is something just so horribly perfect about the movie with which George W Bush is said to have broken the ice with Tony Blair when they first met in February 2001.
According to the president's new autobiography, Decision Points, the Bushes and Blairs settled down to a viewing of the wacky comedy Meet the Parents. This stars Ben Stiller as a young liberal guy with the unfortunate name of Gaylord Focker, coming to meet his fiancee's mom and dad. The man he must impress is his future father-in-law, a ferocious former CIA operative played by Robert De Niro, who disconcertingly...
- 11/11/2010
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
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