Ty Burrell and Bryan Cranston are set to walk a Tightrope! for the Roku Channel.
The two Emmy winners are teaming up for a comedic reworking of a short-lived detective drama from the late 1950s (exclamation point very much included). Burrell will star in and executive produce the six-episode series, while Cranston is an executive producer.
Roku made the announcement Tuesday at its newfronts presentation to advertisers, where it also showcased upcoming programming including a travel series from Tracee Ellis Ross, culinary competition Best Bite Wins hosted by Josh Peck and a talk show from John Cena, among others.
Tightrope! aired for one season in 1959-60 on CBS. The drama starred Mike Connors as an undercover police officer who infiltrated various criminal organizations. The Roku show will “reshape the drama of the vintage 1950s series into a slapstick comedy, where Burrell plays a lone wolf detective following cases city to...
The two Emmy winners are teaming up for a comedic reworking of a short-lived detective drama from the late 1950s (exclamation point very much included). Burrell will star in and executive produce the six-episode series, while Cranston is an executive producer.
Roku made the announcement Tuesday at its newfronts presentation to advertisers, where it also showcased upcoming programming including a travel series from Tracee Ellis Ross, culinary competition Best Bite Wins hosted by Josh Peck and a talk show from John Cena, among others.
Tightrope! aired for one season in 1959-60 on CBS. The drama starred Mike Connors as an undercover police officer who infiltrated various criminal organizations. The Roku show will “reshape the drama of the vintage 1950s series into a slapstick comedy, where Burrell plays a lone wolf detective following cases city to...
- 4/30/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Few followers of cinema could dispute the influence of Francis Ford Coppola, the director of such cinematic masterworks as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. But when Eleanor Coppola, who sadly passed away yesterday, set her camera on the action behind the scenes of Apocalypse Now, she would lay the foundation for a film that I believe has had just as much impact on the landscape of cinema in the 30+ years since its release. If Francis’s influence is bold and loud, Eleanor’s is quiet and subtle, but it is no less powerful.
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, which was released in 1991 and was also directed by Fax Bahr and the late George Hickenlooper, has taught generations of aspiring filmmakers to trust in a process that at times can feel fraught and doomed to peril. For the truth is that every film production is its own journey up the river.
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, which was released in 1991 and was also directed by Fax Bahr and the late George Hickenlooper, has taught generations of aspiring filmmakers to trust in a process that at times can feel fraught and doomed to peril. For the truth is that every film production is its own journey up the river.
- 4/13/2024
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
Eleanor Coppola, wife of Francis Ford Coppola, has died at the age of 87. She is best known for Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, the 1991 documentary which chronicled the making of Apocalypse Now, the iconic 1979 movie which was plagued with a myriad of issues.
Eleanor first met her future husband on the set of Dementia 13, which was Francis’ feature directorial debut. Eleanor was the assistant art director on the movie and the pair soon began dating before getting married in 1963. Each of their children, Gian-Carlo, Roman, and Sofia, would get into the movie business after spending their childhood years growing up on film sets, although Gian-Carlo sadly died in 1986 at the age of 22.
“I don’t know what the family has given except I hope they’ve set an example of a family encouraging each other in their creative process whatever it may be,” Eleanor told The Associated Press...
Eleanor first met her future husband on the set of Dementia 13, which was Francis’ feature directorial debut. Eleanor was the assistant art director on the movie and the pair soon began dating before getting married in 1963. Each of their children, Gian-Carlo, Roman, and Sofia, would get into the movie business after spending their childhood years growing up on film sets, although Gian-Carlo sadly died in 1986 at the age of 22.
“I don’t know what the family has given except I hope they’ve set an example of a family encouraging each other in their creative process whatever it may be,” Eleanor told The Associated Press...
- 4/12/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Eleanor Coppola, Emmy-Winning Director of ‘Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse,’ Dies at 87
Eleanor Coppola, the matriarch of a Hollywood dynasty who won an Emmy for directing the documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse and helmed her first narrative feature at age 80, died Friday. She was 87.
Coppola died at her home in Rutherford, California, her family said in a statement to the Associated Press.
Survivors include her husband of 61 years, five-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, 85; their daughter, Sofia Coppola, the director, producer and Oscar-winning screenwriter; and their son, Roman Coppola, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter.
Her oldest child, actor Gian-Carlo Coppola, died in 1986 at age 22 in a speedboat accident.
Eleanor Coppola often went on location with Francis, and during the making of his Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now (1979), she was in the Philippines to shoot footage with a 16mm camera and conduct interviews, material that supposedly was to be used by the United Artists publicity department.
It would all be seen in Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse.
Coppola died at her home in Rutherford, California, her family said in a statement to the Associated Press.
Survivors include her husband of 61 years, five-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, 85; their daughter, Sofia Coppola, the director, producer and Oscar-winning screenwriter; and their son, Roman Coppola, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter.
Her oldest child, actor Gian-Carlo Coppola, died in 1986 at age 22 in a speedboat accident.
Eleanor Coppola often went on location with Francis, and during the making of his Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now (1979), she was in the Philippines to shoot footage with a 16mm camera and conduct interviews, material that supposedly was to be used by the United Artists publicity department.
It would all be seen in Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse.
- 4/12/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There remains one group we’ve yet to hear from when it comes to the best films of 2019: the directors who made them. IndieWire has reached out to a number of our favorite filmmakers to share their lists and thoughts on what made this year great.
As is advisable with creative people, we gave the directors a great deal of freedom in how they reflected on the year in moving images. What follows is everything ranging from traditional top 10 lists to favorite moments and performances, with lists that span TV, podcasts, and much more.
This is the fourth year IndieWire has done this survey, and what was exciting about this particular group is how many are international, and the wide range of films they celebrated. If you are bored with every end-of-the-year list looking the same, you are in for a treat, as some of the best filmmakers highlight...
As is advisable with creative people, we gave the directors a great deal of freedom in how they reflected on the year in moving images. What follows is everything ranging from traditional top 10 lists to favorite moments and performances, with lists that span TV, podcasts, and much more.
This is the fourth year IndieWire has done this survey, and what was exciting about this particular group is how many are international, and the wide range of films they celebrated. If you are bored with every end-of-the-year list looking the same, you are in for a treat, as some of the best filmmakers highlight...
- 12/30/2019
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
“Francis feels very frustrated,” wrote Eleanor Coppola in Notes: The Making of Apocalypse Now. “He gathers up his Oscars and throws them out the window. The children pick up the pieces in the back yard. Four of the five are broken.” The shoot for Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam epic had yet to even begin—the director was still trying to cast the key roles of Willard and Kurtz. Steve McQueen, Al Pacino, Jimmy Caan, Robert Redford and even Marlon Brando had all turned him down. Their reasons bounced between keeping kids in school, fears about getting sick in the Philippines and, of course, money. This is just the start of a book crafted from Eleanor Coppola’s three-year diaries kept during production on Apocalypse Now.
The entire Coppola family had moved to the Philippines—Francis, Eleanor and their three children, Gian-Carlo, Roman and Sofia—and Eleanor had been additionally...
The entire Coppola family had moved to the Philippines—Francis, Eleanor and their three children, Gian-Carlo, Roman and Sofia—and Eleanor had been additionally...
- 5/17/2017
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
When John Milius first put pen to paper on a screenplay that set Joseph Conrad’s seminal novel Heart of Darkness in the jungles of Vietnam, he had no idea he’d be embarking on a decade-long trip through creative hell. When George Lucas dropped out of directing Apocalpyse Now in favor of making Star Wars, he had no idea he’d be subjecting his friend and fellow director, Francis Ford Coppola, to the wrath of the filmmaking gods. And when Coppola—with dreams in his eyes of his own company that would make ambitious films with directors like himself—packed up his family and left for the Philippines, he had no idea he was in for years of creative frustration, physical and mental exhaustion, and near-financial ruin.
Perhaps Eleanor knew something. Francis’s wife had the foresight to chronicle her family’s odyssey on videotape. This footage—along with...
Perhaps Eleanor knew something. Francis’s wife had the foresight to chronicle her family’s odyssey on videotape. This footage—along with...
- 1/21/2014
- by John Gilpatrick
- SoundOnSight
War is hell, for sure, but war can make for undeniably brilliant movie-making. Here, the Guardian and Observer's critics pick the ten best
• Top 10 action movies
• Top 10 comedy movies
• Top 10 horror movies
• Top 10 sci-fi movies
• Top 10 crime movies
• Top 10 arthouse movies
• Top 10 family movies
10. Where Eagles Dare
As the second world war thriller became bogged down during the mid-60s in plodding epics like Operation Crossbow and The Heroes of Telemark, someone was needed to reintroduce a little sang-froid, some post-Le Carré espionage, and for heaven's sake, some proper macho thrills into the genre. Alistair Maclean stepped up, writing the screenplay and the novel of Where Eagles Dare simultaneously, and Brian G Hutton summoned up a better than usual cast headed by Richard Burton (Major Jonathan Smith), a still fresh-faced Clint Eastwood (Lieutenant Morris Schaffer), and the late Mary Ure (Mary Elison).
Parachuted into the German Alps, they have one...
• Top 10 action movies
• Top 10 comedy movies
• Top 10 horror movies
• Top 10 sci-fi movies
• Top 10 crime movies
• Top 10 arthouse movies
• Top 10 family movies
10. Where Eagles Dare
As the second world war thriller became bogged down during the mid-60s in plodding epics like Operation Crossbow and The Heroes of Telemark, someone was needed to reintroduce a little sang-froid, some post-Le Carré espionage, and for heaven's sake, some proper macho thrills into the genre. Alistair Maclean stepped up, writing the screenplay and the novel of Where Eagles Dare simultaneously, and Brian G Hutton summoned up a better than usual cast headed by Richard Burton (Major Jonathan Smith), a still fresh-faced Clint Eastwood (Lieutenant Morris Schaffer), and the late Mary Ure (Mary Elison).
Parachuted into the German Alps, they have one...
- 10/29/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Chicago – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 50 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the highly anticipated new comedy “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa” starring Johnny Knoxville!
“Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa,” which is rated “R” and opens on Oct. 25, 2013, also stars Spike Jonze, Jackson Nicoll, Georgina Cates, Blythe Barrington-Hughes, Kassidy Hejlik, Kamber Hejlik and Brittany Mumford from writer and director Jeff Tremaine and writers Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze, Fax Bahr and Adam Small. Note: You must be 17+ to win and attend this “R”-rated screening.
To win your free “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our unique Hookup technology below. That’s it! This screening is on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning!
“Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa,” which is rated “R” and opens on Oct. 25, 2013, also stars Spike Jonze, Jackson Nicoll, Georgina Cates, Blythe Barrington-Hughes, Kassidy Hejlik, Kamber Hejlik and Brittany Mumford from writer and director Jeff Tremaine and writers Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze, Fax Bahr and Adam Small. Note: You must be 17+ to win and attend this “R”-rated screening.
To win your free “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our unique Hookup technology below. That’s it! This screening is on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning!
- 10/19/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Have you ever wondered what are the films that inspire the next generation of visionary filmmakers? As part of our monthly Ioncinephile profile (read this months’ pick), we ask the filmmaker the incredibly arduous task of identifying their top ten (eleven in this case) favorite films of all time. Hannah Fidell (who saw her first feature film A Teacher hit Sundance and SXSW, concludes a busy year with a VOD and theatrical release (September 6th) via Oscilloscope Laboratories. Here are her “favorite films right now (at this very moment)”. Enjoy!
A Face In The Crowd – Elia Kazan (1957)
“In my opinion, this is the greatest film of all time. Everything about this film is spot on: acting, story, camerawork… it is a masterpiece.”
Boogie Nights – Paul Thomas Anderson (1997)
“I will never forget where I was when I first saw this film. It was like a light bulb turned on after the...
A Face In The Crowd – Elia Kazan (1957)
“In my opinion, this is the greatest film of all time. Everything about this film is spot on: acting, story, camerawork… it is a masterpiece.”
Boogie Nights – Paul Thomas Anderson (1997)
“I will never forget where I was when I first saw this film. It was like a light bulb turned on after the...
- 9/1/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Not too long ago I asked the Sound On Sight staff to choose their ten favourite films of all time. The result led to mixed reactions (both by staff and readers), and some angry feedback. But how could any of us select only ten films from the thousands we’ve seen and walk away happy with the results. The fact is, of all the films which received a vote, it was those more widely available who made the cut. In other words, films such as The Godfather and Pulp Fiction stood a greater chance of receiving more ballots than say, obscure foreign gems.
My biggest disappointment with the picks, although only ten films were spotlighted, was the lack of votes for films directed by women. Could it be that none of us here at Sound On Sight valued great directors such as Claire Denis, Agnès Varda, Chantal Akerman or Lina Wertmüller?...
My biggest disappointment with the picks, although only ten films were spotlighted, was the lack of votes for films directed by women. Could it be that none of us here at Sound On Sight valued great directors such as Claire Denis, Agnès Varda, Chantal Akerman or Lina Wertmüller?...
- 9/26/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
1.) We begin today with a pretty amazing photo Darren Aronofsky tweeted from the set of Noah. [Darren Aronofsky] 2.) Terrence Howard and Dawn Olivieri ("House of Lies") are in talks to become the latest stars to board Breacher (formerly known as Ten) for director David Ayer (Street Kings, the upcoming End of Watch). Sam Worthington and Arnold Schwarzenegger are already attached to the action thriller. The script by Swordfish scribe Skip Woods follows 10 DEA agents get picked off one by one after pulling off a heist. Howard and Olivieri would play two of the team members who are engaged in an affair and have a plan to keep all the money to themselves. [Heat Vision] 3.) Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry) is attached to direct a remake of the 2000 French thriller With a Friend Like Harry. The original tells of a family man joined on vacation by an old schoolmate named Harry, who he doesn't remember.
- 7/27/2012
- by Kevin Blumeyer
- Rope of Silicon
Sony has pre-emptively picked up Fax Bahr and Harry Dunn's comedy pitch "De-Friended" says The Hollywood Reporter.
The story centers on a lonely, desperate woman in her late-'30s who is hopelessly addicted to social media. She seeks revenge when the most popular girl from her high school de-friends her on Facebook.
Steve Tisch, Todd Black and Jason Blumenthal are attached to produce. Both Bahr and Dunn worked on classic sketch show "In Living Color".
The story centers on a lonely, desperate woman in her late-'30s who is hopelessly addicted to social media. She seeks revenge when the most popular girl from her high school de-friends her on Facebook.
Steve Tisch, Todd Black and Jason Blumenthal are attached to produce. Both Bahr and Dunn worked on classic sketch show "In Living Color".
- 7/27/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Oh, to be de-friended. It usually follows a bad breakup, a friendship fallout, or one user's inability to cope with a Facebook over-sharer who bombs feeds with boring minutiae that fail to provide entertainment value. Anyhow, Sony picked up the comedy by MadTV co-creator Fax Bahr and In Living Color writer Harry Dunn about "what it means to be friends in a world obsessed with online social networking," according to The Hollywood Reporter. The protagonist is a late-thirtysomething woman who's addicted to social media and seeks revenge when Miss Popular from high school de-friends her on Facebook. Give her a lashing on Twitter, right?...
- 7/27/2012
- by Brett Smiley
- Vulture
Sony has preemptively picked up De-Friended, a comedy pitch from MadTV co-creator Fax Bahr and Harry Dunn. Steve Tisch, Todd Black and Jason Blumenthal of Escape Artists are producing. The comedy aims to examine what it means to be friends in a world obsessed with online social networking. It centers on a lonely, desperate woman in her late-'30s who is hopelessly addicted to social media. She seeks revenge when the most popular girl from her high school de-friends her on Facebook. Bahr is no slouch in the TV comedy world, having co-created not only
read more...
read more...
- 7/27/2012
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
File this under: Shows You Were Pretty Sure Were Cancelled But Didn’t Know For Certain Until Now.
Fox has axed its short-lived sketch comedy series In the Flow with Affion Crockett. The network aired six episodes of the show earlier this fall. The series had a rather ridiculous comedy pedigree — producers included In Living Color alum Jamie Foxx, Mad TV co-creators Fax Bahr and Adam Small, Arrested Developmemt creator Mitch Hurwitz and Two and a Half Men’s executive producers Eric and Kim Tannenbaum were all on board. Too many cooks?
The news comes on the heels of Fox...
Fox has axed its short-lived sketch comedy series In the Flow with Affion Crockett. The network aired six episodes of the show earlier this fall. The series had a rather ridiculous comedy pedigree — producers included In Living Color alum Jamie Foxx, Mad TV co-creators Fax Bahr and Adam Small, Arrested Developmemt creator Mitch Hurwitz and Two and a Half Men’s executive producers Eric and Kim Tannenbaum were all on board. Too many cooks?
The news comes on the heels of Fox...
- 11/1/2011
- by James Hibberd
- EW - Inside TV
CBS has handed a series order to Same Name, a new fish-out-of-water comedic reality series about celebrities trading places with total strangers who happen to share the same name, which will air this summer. The network originally greenlighted a pilot for the project (then The Same Name) in October. Each hourlong, self-contained episode of the series, executive produced by Cris Abrego and Eugene Young, will feature a well-known personality who switches places with a person bearing the same name. For one week, the star and their counterpart live in each other's houses, meet and interact with family, friends and co-workers and experience how the other lives. "They may have the same names, but their lives couldn't be more different," CBS head of alternative Jennifer Bresnan said. "Walking in each other's shoes and experiencing their home life, work and other activities reveals moments of humor, laughter and unexpected emotion." In the pilot episode,...
- 4/15/2011
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
We’ve had some sad departures from the world of filmmaking recently, but most of the deaths have been people who reached healthy old ages. Which makes the death of writer/director George Hickenlooper, at the age of 47, all the more tragic. Hickenlooper died suddenly on Friday night, as he was in Colorado, supporting his cousin’s political campaign.Hickenlooper had also been kicking off the press rounds for his latest film, the drama Casino Jack, which saw Kevin Spacey playing real-life disgraced American lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who is currently languishing in prison.But the filmmaker was probably best known for something he controversially didn’t always get credit for – making Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, which he worked on with Fax Bahr and Eleanor Coppola, and which chronicled the infamously tough production process for Apocalypse Now. He made his fictional directing debut with Grey Knight, which saw a...
- 10/31/2010
- EmpireOnline
The film community(especially his home town of St. Louis) was stunned to hear of the death of director George Hickenlooper. The forty seven year old was found dead of natural causes in Denver, Co where he was helping his cousin John in his run for governor.
George left behind an impressive list of films. After making Super 8 movies during his years at St. Louis University High School, he continued his studies at USC School of Cinema and Television and Yale and interned with Roger Corman. George’s debut as a professional director was the 1988 short Art,Acting,And The Suicide Chair:Dennis Hopper. In 1991 George had great success with two feature length documentaries: Picture This:The Times Of Peter Bogdanovich In Archer City, Texas and Hearts Of Darkness:a Filmmaker’S Apocalypse (with Fax Bahr). Hearts, a look at the making of Apocalypse Now, has been hailed as one...
George left behind an impressive list of films. After making Super 8 movies during his years at St. Louis University High School, he continued his studies at USC School of Cinema and Television and Yale and interned with Roger Corman. George’s debut as a professional director was the 1988 short Art,Acting,And The Suicide Chair:Dennis Hopper. In 1991 George had great success with two feature length documentaries: Picture This:The Times Of Peter Bogdanovich In Archer City, Texas and Hearts Of Darkness:a Filmmaker’S Apocalypse (with Fax Bahr). Hearts, a look at the making of Apocalypse Now, has been hailed as one...
- 10/31/2010
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
American filmmaker George Hickenlooper, known for directing "Factory Girl," the documentary, "Mayor of the Sunset Strip," and co-directing "Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse" with Fax Bahr, among many other pictures, was found dead this morning according to the Denver Post. The 47-year old filmmaker, a cousin of Denver mayor John Hickenlooper who confirmed his passing, was in the city preparing to unveil his his latest film, "Casino Jack" starring Kevin Spacey, at the Starz Denver Film Festival. The director evidently died of natural causes in his sleep according to the report and comments on his Facebook page. His last…...
- 10/30/2010
- The Playlist
Francis Ford Coppola, 1979
It was John Milius who first came up with the idea of transposing Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness to a Vietnam war setting. Milius wrote the first drafts of the screenplay; former war correspondent Michael Herr later added narration. George Lucas was down to direct, but it was Francis Ford Coppola who finally set out to make what was intended to be the ultimate statement about the madness of war. It turned out to be equally about the madness of movie making. Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) hitches a lift on a Navy patrol boat up the Mekong river to Cambodia on a mission to terminate "with extreme prejudice" a certain Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) who is reported to have gone native in rather a nasty way. But it's a long journey, and before he confronts the renegade colonel, Willard must first face all manner of trippy imagery,...
It was John Milius who first came up with the idea of transposing Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness to a Vietnam war setting. Milius wrote the first drafts of the screenplay; former war correspondent Michael Herr later added narration. George Lucas was down to direct, but it was Francis Ford Coppola who finally set out to make what was intended to be the ultimate statement about the madness of war. It turned out to be equally about the madness of movie making. Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) hitches a lift on a Navy patrol boat up the Mekong river to Cambodia on a mission to terminate "with extreme prejudice" a certain Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) who is reported to have gone native in rather a nasty way. But it's a long journey, and before he confronts the renegade colonel, Willard must first face all manner of trippy imagery,...
- 10/19/2010
- by Anne Billson
- The Guardian - Film News
As Terry Gilliam’s latest attempt to bring Don Quixote to the screen collapses once again, we take a look back at the project’s long and difficult history…
Those with even a passing interest in the work of director Terry Gilliam will be aware of his ill-starred and abortive attempt to bring Don Quixote to the screen in 1999.
His retelling of Cervantes' vast 17th century novel about a delusional country gentleman who believes himself to be a knight, which he aimed to bring to the screen as The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, was the victim of what is surely the most extraordinary run of bad luck in filmmaking history.
Already knocking around in development hell for the best part of 10 years, Gilliam finally managed to pull together a budget of around $32 million for the start of the new millennium, only for his picture to become the victim...
Those with even a passing interest in the work of director Terry Gilliam will be aware of his ill-starred and abortive attempt to bring Don Quixote to the screen in 1999.
His retelling of Cervantes' vast 17th century novel about a delusional country gentleman who believes himself to be a knight, which he aimed to bring to the screen as The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, was the victim of what is surely the most extraordinary run of bad luck in filmmaking history.
Already knocking around in development hell for the best part of 10 years, Gilliam finally managed to pull together a budget of around $32 million for the start of the new millennium, only for his picture to become the victim...
- 9/6/2010
- Den of Geek
Nominated for an unprecedented 35 Emmy Awards and winner of 8, "MADtv", the sketch comedy television series debuted October 1995, created by Fax Bahr and Adam Small, produced by Bahr/Small Productions and Quincy Jones/David Salzman Entertainment (Qde).
The series finale aired May 2009.
Salzman said at the time he would be continuing the series on another channel, possibly cable, while Warners TV reports that a new Mad Magazine animated TV series is currently in development.
Sneak Peek "Madtv" musical parodies of Britney Spears/Madonna, Christina Aguilera and Shakira...
The series finale aired May 2009.
Salzman said at the time he would be continuing the series on another channel, possibly cable, while Warners TV reports that a new Mad Magazine animated TV series is currently in development.
Sneak Peek "Madtv" musical parodies of Britney Spears/Madonna, Christina Aguilera and Shakira...
- 6/7/2010
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
By Greg Hernandez
Deadline Hollywood’s Nellie Andreeva is reporting that The Wanda Sykes Show is being canceled by Fox after just one season!
Writes Nellie: The late-night talk show started off strong but tumbled in the ratings as the season went on and fell below the performance of predecessor MadTV in the Saturday 11 Pm hour. Fox has options for the late-night Saturday slot. It has been actively developing sketch comedies this pilot season and ordered two pilots, one written by and starring Dana Carvey and Spike Feresten, with another, from Jamie Foxx and MadTV creators Fax Bahr and Adam Small.
I’d be more outraged if I’d watched it more than just a few times. It’s hard to change your Saturday night viewing habits and if I’ve been out and about, I like to come home and watch SNL. I just don’t think Wanda’s show created enough buzz-worthy moments.
Deadline Hollywood’s Nellie Andreeva is reporting that The Wanda Sykes Show is being canceled by Fox after just one season!
Writes Nellie: The late-night talk show started off strong but tumbled in the ratings as the season went on and fell below the performance of predecessor MadTV in the Saturday 11 Pm hour. Fox has options for the late-night Saturday slot. It has been actively developing sketch comedies this pilot season and ordered two pilots, one written by and starring Dana Carvey and Spike Feresten, with another, from Jamie Foxx and MadTV creators Fax Bahr and Adam Small.
I’d be more outraged if I’d watched it more than just a few times. It’s hard to change your Saturday night viewing habits and if I’ve been out and about, I like to come home and watch SNL. I just don’t think Wanda’s show created enough buzz-worthy moments.
- 5/15/2010
- by Greg Hernandez
- Hollywoodnews.com
Exclusive: I hear Fox is canceling The Wanda Sykes Show after one season. The late-night talk show started off strong but tumbled in the ratings as the season went on and fell below the performance of predecessor MadTV in the Saturday 11 Pm hour. Fox has options for the late-night Saturday slot. It has been actively developing sketch comedies this pilot season and ordered two pilots, one written by and starring Dana Carvey and Spike Feresten, with another, from Jamie Foxx and MadTV creators Fax Bahr and Adam Small. Coincidentally, Fox aired MadTV and Spike Feresten's talk show in late-night on Saturday before canceling them [...]...
- 5/14/2010
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
It looks like the new sketch comedy show from Jamie Foxx and Affion Crockett is shaping up to look more and more like Fox's former hit show In Living Color.
As with the new untitled project about to premiere from Fox, the new show- like In Living Color- is casting some sketch comedy vets for their new show. We hear that the new series regulars added Erica Ash (of MadTV fame), Eric Andre, Kyle Dunnigan (of Reno 911! fame) and Dana DeLorenzo.
As we previously reported, the show is the brainchild of Foxx, Crockett and MadTV creators Fax Bahr and Adam Small. As of this writing we also discovered that the cast should be rounded out in the next couple of days.
More on this story as it develops.
Questions or comments? Please email us at thehumormill.info@gmail.com...
As with the new untitled project about to premiere from Fox, the new show- like In Living Color- is casting some sketch comedy vets for their new show. We hear that the new series regulars added Erica Ash (of MadTV fame), Eric Andre, Kyle Dunnigan (of Reno 911! fame) and Dana DeLorenzo.
As we previously reported, the show is the brainchild of Foxx, Crockett and MadTV creators Fax Bahr and Adam Small. As of this writing we also discovered that the cast should be rounded out in the next couple of days.
More on this story as it develops.
Questions or comments? Please email us at thehumormill.info@gmail.com...
- 4/20/2010
- by noreply@blogger.com (The Humor Mill Magazine)
- Humor Mill Magazine
Oscar winner Jamie Foxx will try his hand at the small screen again.
The "In Living Color" alum and star of "The Jamie Foxx Show" is teaming up with "MadTV" creators Fax Bahr and Adam Small for comedy sketch comedy pilot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Foxx won't necessarily be in front of the cameras though. Affion Crockett of "Wild 'N Out" is attached to star. He's known for his impersonations of Chris Brown, Kanye West and Russell Simmons.
"The Boondocks" producer Carl Jones will co-produce alongside Crockett, a producer. Small, Bahr, Jones and Crockett are writing.
More pilot news:
- Christine Woods, who plays FBI agent Janis Hawk on ABC's "FlashForward," has joined the NBC comedy pilot "Perfect Couples" in the female lead. Woods' character Julia will be happily married to Dave (Tba), and they need to find some time alone to celebrate their anniversary. The project revolves around three couples.
The "In Living Color" alum and star of "The Jamie Foxx Show" is teaming up with "MadTV" creators Fax Bahr and Adam Small for comedy sketch comedy pilot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Foxx won't necessarily be in front of the cameras though. Affion Crockett of "Wild 'N Out" is attached to star. He's known for his impersonations of Chris Brown, Kanye West and Russell Simmons.
"The Boondocks" producer Carl Jones will co-produce alongside Crockett, a producer. Small, Bahr, Jones and Crockett are writing.
More pilot news:
- Christine Woods, who plays FBI agent Janis Hawk on ABC's "FlashForward," has joined the NBC comedy pilot "Perfect Couples" in the female lead. Woods' character Julia will be happily married to Dave (Tba), and they need to find some time alone to celebrate their anniversary. The project revolves around three couples.
- 3/29/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Filed under: TV News Daily
When we first heard the news that Jamie Foxx was developing a new television show, we thought the same thing you did: Boy, he's really getting into this 'Laverne and Shirley' remake. (Which his reps have since denied.) But as it turns out, while his latest project does feature the return of a classic series, it's one that is perhaps a bit more understandable for Foxx: 'In Living Color.'
Well, sort of. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Foxx is teaming with former 'In Living Color' writers Fax Bahr and Adam Small to develop a new "urban-flavored sketch-comedy show" for Fox.
Foxx, of course, rose to super-stardom thanks to his role on 'In Living Color,' which ran from 1990-1994, while Bahr and Small went on to create Fox's seminal sketch series 'MADtv.'
Continue reading Jamie Foxx Returning to...
When we first heard the news that Jamie Foxx was developing a new television show, we thought the same thing you did: Boy, he's really getting into this 'Laverne and Shirley' remake. (Which his reps have since denied.) But as it turns out, while his latest project does feature the return of a classic series, it's one that is perhaps a bit more understandable for Foxx: 'In Living Color.'
Well, sort of. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Foxx is teaming with former 'In Living Color' writers Fax Bahr and Adam Small to develop a new "urban-flavored sketch-comedy show" for Fox.
Foxx, of course, rose to super-stardom thanks to his role on 'In Living Color,' which ran from 1990-1994, while Bahr and Small went on to create Fox's seminal sketch series 'MADtv.'
Continue reading Jamie Foxx Returning to...
- 3/29/2010
- by Scott Harris
- Inside TV
Almost 20 years since his breakout role on In Living Color, Jamie Foxx may be headed back to Fox for another sketch-comedy show, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The network has ordered the untitled pilot with Foxx and fellow In Living Color writers Fax Bahr and Adam Small serving as executive producers.
Jamie Foxx apologizes for Miley rant
Wild 'N Out alum Affion Crockett is also attached to the project. The comedic actor is best known for his spoofs of ...
Read More >...
The network has ordered the untitled pilot with Foxx and fellow In Living Color writers Fax Bahr and Adam Small serving as executive producers.
Jamie Foxx apologizes for Miley rant
Wild 'N Out alum Affion Crockett is also attached to the project. The comedic actor is best known for his spoofs of ...
Read More >...
- 3/29/2010
- by Gina DiNunno
- TVGuide - Breaking News
According to the Hollywood Reporter, we just discovered that Jamie Foxx has teamed up with comedic actor Affion Crockett for a new urban-flavored sketch-comedy show, which will air on the Fox network.
Fox has ordered a pilot for an untitled project executive produced by Foxx and fellow "In Living Color" scribes, "MadTV" creators Fax Bahr and Adam Small, with "Wild 'N Out" alum Crockett attached.
According to the report, the pilot is the result of merging two projects. Foxx was looking to do a sketch-comedy series with an urban twist and paired with Bahr and Small to pitch the idea to Fox.
Separately, Sony TV-based Tantamount was working on a sketch-comedy project starring Crockett, probably best known for his spoofs of Russell Simmons, Kanye West, Chris Brown, Drake and Jay-z. Crockett also was attached to co-write with Carl Jones, a producer on Sony's animated comedy "The Boondocks," on which Jones...
Fox has ordered a pilot for an untitled project executive produced by Foxx and fellow "In Living Color" scribes, "MadTV" creators Fax Bahr and Adam Small, with "Wild 'N Out" alum Crockett attached.
According to the report, the pilot is the result of merging two projects. Foxx was looking to do a sketch-comedy series with an urban twist and paired with Bahr and Small to pitch the idea to Fox.
Separately, Sony TV-based Tantamount was working on a sketch-comedy project starring Crockett, probably best known for his spoofs of Russell Simmons, Kanye West, Chris Brown, Drake and Jay-z. Crockett also was attached to co-write with Carl Jones, a producer on Sony's animated comedy "The Boondocks," on which Jones...
- 3/29/2010
- by noreply@blogger.com (The Humor Mill Magazine)
- Humor Mill Magazine
Fox has ordered an untitled comedy pilot to be executive produced by Jamie Foxx and to feature Affion Crockett. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox had been pitched on two different sketch comedy projects, one from Foxx and one from Crockett, and elected to squish them together. Foxx will executive produce along with Fax Bahr and Adam Small. The three producers all worked together way back in the day on a little Fox series called "In Living Color." Bahr and Small then went on to create "MadTV" for Fox, while Foxx went on to star in "The Jamie Foxx...
- 3/29/2010
- by HitFix Staff
- Hitfix
Almost two decades after his breakout stint on "In Living Color," Oscar winner Jamie Foxx is back at Fox with another urban-flavored sketch-comedy show.
The network has ordered a pilot for an untitled project executive produced by Foxx and fellow "Color" scribes, "MadTV" creators Fax Bahr and Adam Small, with "Wild 'N Out" alum Affion Crockett attached as one of the stars.
Tantamount and Fox TV Studios are producing.
The pilot is the result of merging two projects. Foxx was looking to do a sketch-comedy series with an urban twist and paired with Bahr and Small to pitch the idea to Fox.
Separately, Sony TV-based Tantamount was working on a sketch-comedy project starring Crockett, probably best known for his spoofs of Russell Simmons, Kanye West, Chris Brown, Drake and Jay-z. Crockett also was attached to co-write with Carl Jones, a producer on Sony's animated comedy "The Boondocks," on which Jones...
The network has ordered a pilot for an untitled project executive produced by Foxx and fellow "Color" scribes, "MadTV" creators Fax Bahr and Adam Small, with "Wild 'N Out" alum Affion Crockett attached as one of the stars.
Tantamount and Fox TV Studios are producing.
The pilot is the result of merging two projects. Foxx was looking to do a sketch-comedy series with an urban twist and paired with Bahr and Small to pitch the idea to Fox.
Separately, Sony TV-based Tantamount was working on a sketch-comedy project starring Crockett, probably best known for his spoofs of Russell Simmons, Kanye West, Chris Brown, Drake and Jay-z. Crockett also was attached to co-write with Carl Jones, a producer on Sony's animated comedy "The Boondocks," on which Jones...
- 3/28/2010
- by By Nellie Andreeva
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With the Library of Congress’ recent announcement of the 25 films being added to our National Film Registry for 2009, I was inspired to look back over some of the films that haven’t yet been included. In doing so, I noticed there are many films from my lifetime that deserve eventual recognition. The National Film Preservation Board selects up to 25 films each year to be included in the Registry, so I have selected 23 yet unselected films from my lifetime (one for each year) that I would like to nominate for 2010… in fact, I’ve actually submitted my list of nominations to the National Film Preservation Board, as they encourage the public to do. More info on this can be found at their website.
This list of 23 films spans my lifetime, which means they fall between my year of birth (1978) and the new cut-off year which is 10 years back (2000). This is Not...
This list of 23 films spans my lifetime, which means they fall between my year of birth (1978) and the new cut-off year which is 10 years back (2000). This is Not...
- 1/2/2010
- by Travis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Click image to enlarge...
"Mad tv", the sketch comedy television series, licensing the name/logo of "Mad".
debuted October 14, 1995, airing Saturday nights on Fox and in syndication on Comedy Central. The series was created by Fax Bahr and Adam Small, originally produced by Bahr/Small Productions and Quincy Jones/David Salzman Entertainment.
Comedy Central picked up the show after its syndication package of Saturday Night Live reruns was acquired by the E! Entertainment Network, and has aired 30-minute and full-hour reruns of episodes from seasons eight to eleven.
Producer Salzman said he is exploring the continuation of the show on cable...
"Mad tv", the sketch comedy television series, licensing the name/logo of "Mad".
debuted October 14, 1995, airing Saturday nights on Fox and in syndication on Comedy Central. The series was created by Fax Bahr and Adam Small, originally produced by Bahr/Small Productions and Quincy Jones/David Salzman Entertainment.
Comedy Central picked up the show after its syndication package of Saturday Night Live reruns was acquired by the E! Entertainment Network, and has aired 30-minute and full-hour reruns of episodes from seasons eight to eleven.
Producer Salzman said he is exploring the continuation of the show on cable...
- 11/28/2009
- by SneakPeek.Ca
- SneakPeek
Kevin Spacey.s next role will be as disgraced Washington power broker Jack Abramoff.According to Variety, Spacey will star in the true story-based thriller "Casino Jack," directed by George Hickenlooper from an original screenplay by Norman Snider. Hickenlooper is best known as the documentary filmmaker who co-directed along with Fax Bahr the award-winning 1991 documentary .Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker.s Apocalypse. which details the many problems that plagued the shooting of Francis Ford Coppola.s Apocalypse Now. Hickenlooper also directed the short film version of Billy Bob Thornton.s Sling Blade in 1994 when it was known as .Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade...Casino Jack. follows the downward spiral of the once high-powered lobbyist whose bribery schemes and fraudulent dealings with Indian...
- 5/13/2009
- by Adnan Tezer
- Monsters and Critics
Filed under: Action, Comedy, Documentary, Dreamworks, Movie Marketing, War
Considering the lengths to which the Tropic Thunder gang went to sell all of their Hollywood fakery, it comes as little surprise that the mock making-of Rain of Madness does exist beyond a mere trailer (embedded above, and probably not kid-friendly) and website. However, while I'm sure it'll be included on the eventual DVD, who's really going to wait that long when it's currently available as a free iTunes exclusive?
That's right: for thirty minutes and zero dollars (yep), one can follow filmmaker Jan Jürgen (co-writer Justin Theroux, acting as if making Werner Herzog's Werner Herzog were making Hearts of Darkness) as he chronicles the expensive chaos that went behind making the movie within the movie. Star/director/co-writer/probable caterer Ben Stiller explained in a recent press release: "We wanted to do a fake documentary about the making of...
Considering the lengths to which the Tropic Thunder gang went to sell all of their Hollywood fakery, it comes as little surprise that the mock making-of Rain of Madness does exist beyond a mere trailer (embedded above, and probably not kid-friendly) and website. However, while I'm sure it'll be included on the eventual DVD, who's really going to wait that long when it's currently available as a free iTunes exclusive?
That's right: for thirty minutes and zero dollars (yep), one can follow filmmaker Jan Jürgen (co-writer Justin Theroux, acting as if making Werner Herzog's Werner Herzog were making Hearts of Darkness) as he chronicles the expensive chaos that went behind making the movie within the movie. Star/director/co-writer/probable caterer Ben Stiller explained in a recent press release: "We wanted to do a fake documentary about the making of...
- 8/28/2008
- by William Goss
- Cinematical
Comedy Central has handed out series pickups to David Alan Grier's fake magazine show and a reality spoof from the producers of NBC's "The Biggest Loser".
The news comes on the heels of Comedy's 2008-09 development slate announcement, which included both projects as well as the series order for the fantasy comedy "Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire," which debuts in first-quarter 2009.
The working-titled "David Alan Grier's Chocolate News," also bowing in the first quarter, will investigate such "inherently urban pop culture topics" as an operation to save black and white conjoined twins, steroid use in Little Leaguers and a rapper's public service announcement gone awry.
Grier hosts the half-hour show and also executive produces with Robert Morton (Comedy Central's "Mind of Mencia"), Fax Bahr and Adam Small (Fox's "Mad TV") and Generate's Peter Aronson and Jordan Levin. The episode order has yet to be determined.
"Reality Bites", also a working title, is a spoof of the reality genre that features comedians in an elimination-style competition where every episode is a self-contained spoof of one of the major reality formats, such as "Are You Smarter Than a Monkey?" "So You Think You Can Dive!" "Almost American Gladiators" and "The Amazing Disgrace". The winner will end up being the "last comic standing" and win a cash prize.
The news comes on the heels of Comedy's 2008-09 development slate announcement, which included both projects as well as the series order for the fantasy comedy "Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire," which debuts in first-quarter 2009.
The working-titled "David Alan Grier's Chocolate News," also bowing in the first quarter, will investigate such "inherently urban pop culture topics" as an operation to save black and white conjoined twins, steroid use in Little Leaguers and a rapper's public service announcement gone awry.
Grier hosts the half-hour show and also executive produces with Robert Morton (Comedy Central's "Mind of Mencia"), Fax Bahr and Adam Small (Fox's "Mad TV") and Generate's Peter Aronson and Jordan Levin. The episode order has yet to be determined.
"Reality Bites", also a working title, is a spoof of the reality genre that features comedians in an elimination-style competition where every episode is a self-contained spoof of one of the major reality formats, such as "Are You Smarter Than a Monkey?" "So You Think You Can Dive!" "Almost American Gladiators" and "The Amazing Disgrace". The winner will end up being the "last comic standing" and win a cash prize.
- 3/26/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Comedian Katt Williams is set to star in the workplace comedy Mission: Intolerable, the first film slated for production from the Weinstein Co./Robert L. Johnson-owned Our Stories Films.
Our Stories president and COO Tracey Edmonds and Mike Karz will produce the film. John Whitesell (Deck the Halls) is in talks to direct.
Williams will play a wannabe CIA agent who starts a business as a "temp from hell" whom companies hire to get unwanted employees to quit their jobs. His latest assignment goes awry, however, when his new target fights back.
The film is based on an original screenplay by Steven List and Astrid Neal, rewritten by Fax Bahr and Adam Small with additional contributions from Williams. Dave Phillips and Josh Woodward are executive producing and Damon Lee is co-executive producing. Production is expected to begin before the end of first-quarter 2008.
Most Our Stories features, aimed by BET founder Johnson for a black audience, will be theatrically distributed through the Weinstein Co.'s genre arm Dimension Films and released on DVD via the company's Genius Products partnership.
Our Stories president and COO Tracey Edmonds and Mike Karz will produce the film. John Whitesell (Deck the Halls) is in talks to direct.
Williams will play a wannabe CIA agent who starts a business as a "temp from hell" whom companies hire to get unwanted employees to quit their jobs. His latest assignment goes awry, however, when his new target fights back.
The film is based on an original screenplay by Steven List and Astrid Neal, rewritten by Fax Bahr and Adam Small with additional contributions from Williams. Dave Phillips and Josh Woodward are executive producing and Damon Lee is co-executive producing. Production is expected to begin before the end of first-quarter 2008.
Most Our Stories features, aimed by BET founder Johnson for a black audience, will be theatrically distributed through the Weinstein Co.'s genre arm Dimension Films and released on DVD via the company's Genius Products partnership.
- 12/7/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IN THE ARMY NOW
Buena Vista Pictures
The stoner lingo has been toned down and the costumes are not as spectacular. Even the trademark curls are shorn. But before one gets the idea that Pauly Shore's screen persona has significantly matured, ''In the Army Now'' shows its silly stripes. A late-summer theatrical campaign should come marching home with fair booty for Buena Vista Pictures.
Shore and the usual phalanx of writers, including his strike team of Fax Bahr and Adam Small, have cleverly managed to expand the stand-up comedian's up-to-now limited appeal to MTV-soaked airheads, while delivering an uneven but enjoyable farce.
While Shore still has most of the best lines and situations -- such as when he faces off against drill sergeants and other stern military types -- he's also backed up by a solid ensemble cast, including Lori Petty, David Alan Grier and Andy Dick as the other misfits in a water-purifying detail of army reservists.
Director Daniel Petrie Jr. and cinematographer William Wages are appropriately conservative in their approach. Robert Folk's heroic movie music rehash hits the target, while O. Nicholas Brown's editing helps the laughs flow more or less constantly (HR 8/12-14).-- David Hunter
ANDRE
Paramount Pictures
A Pacific sea lion stands in for a harbor seal and Vancouver locales double for Rockport, Maine, but ''Andre'' gets away with the usual Hollywood trickery. Four-legged, live-action animal stars have not fared well this season. But Paramount's bewhiskered, herring-munching, wryly comic seal has a chance to swim at least a few leagues along the same family film current as last summer's aquatic sleeper hit ''Free Willy.''
Set in the '60s, ''Andre' '' plot is strictly formula and the payoffs predictable. Still, there's a disarming gentleness and positive messages aplenty in debut screenwriter Dana Baratta's adaptation of the book ''A Seal Called Andre'' written by Harry Goodridge and Lew Dietz.
Goodridge is the basis for Harry Whitney (Keith Carradine), the kindly harbor master who adopts an orphaned seal pup to the delight of his family.
Director George Miller (''The Man From Snowy River'') orchestrates the swiftly swimming plot and shifting emotions with reasonable success, while the main human performers are natural and relaxed.
Thomas Burstyn's wide-screen cinematography is serviceable, but such potentially riveting scenes as Andre's climactic return journey to the Whitneys after being let go in the open sea are disappointing (HR 8/12-14).-- David Hunter
A LA MODE
Miramax Films
''A la Mode'' (aka ''Fausto'') is a comfortable fit, not too fancy but stylish and spirited. Directed by first-timer Remy Duchemin, the French import distributed by Miramax tries on familiar themes, centered around a young man's coming of age after a family tragedy, but triumphs because of the captivating characters and upbeat, fun-loving mood.
With a strong screenplay and four excellent lead performances, the worst thing one can say about ''A la Mode'' is that it's noticeably episodic. Word of mouth should be good and the art-house underdog ought to perform well.
Set in the mid-1960s in Paris, ''A la Mode'' is written by Duchemin and Richard Morgieve, based on the latter's novel ''Fausto.'' The well-directed film is quietly ambitious in both its evocation of the times and smooth combination of comedy and drama (HR 8/12-14).-- David Hunter
Also reviewed last week was the film ''A Good Man in Africa'' (HR 8/15).
(c) BPI Communications...
Buena Vista Pictures
The stoner lingo has been toned down and the costumes are not as spectacular. Even the trademark curls are shorn. But before one gets the idea that Pauly Shore's screen persona has significantly matured, ''In the Army Now'' shows its silly stripes. A late-summer theatrical campaign should come marching home with fair booty for Buena Vista Pictures.
Shore and the usual phalanx of writers, including his strike team of Fax Bahr and Adam Small, have cleverly managed to expand the stand-up comedian's up-to-now limited appeal to MTV-soaked airheads, while delivering an uneven but enjoyable farce.
While Shore still has most of the best lines and situations -- such as when he faces off against drill sergeants and other stern military types -- he's also backed up by a solid ensemble cast, including Lori Petty, David Alan Grier and Andy Dick as the other misfits in a water-purifying detail of army reservists.
Director Daniel Petrie Jr. and cinematographer William Wages are appropriately conservative in their approach. Robert Folk's heroic movie music rehash hits the target, while O. Nicholas Brown's editing helps the laughs flow more or less constantly (HR 8/12-14).-- David Hunter
ANDRE
Paramount Pictures
A Pacific sea lion stands in for a harbor seal and Vancouver locales double for Rockport, Maine, but ''Andre'' gets away with the usual Hollywood trickery. Four-legged, live-action animal stars have not fared well this season. But Paramount's bewhiskered, herring-munching, wryly comic seal has a chance to swim at least a few leagues along the same family film current as last summer's aquatic sleeper hit ''Free Willy.''
Set in the '60s, ''Andre' '' plot is strictly formula and the payoffs predictable. Still, there's a disarming gentleness and positive messages aplenty in debut screenwriter Dana Baratta's adaptation of the book ''A Seal Called Andre'' written by Harry Goodridge and Lew Dietz.
Goodridge is the basis for Harry Whitney (Keith Carradine), the kindly harbor master who adopts an orphaned seal pup to the delight of his family.
Director George Miller (''The Man From Snowy River'') orchestrates the swiftly swimming plot and shifting emotions with reasonable success, while the main human performers are natural and relaxed.
Thomas Burstyn's wide-screen cinematography is serviceable, but such potentially riveting scenes as Andre's climactic return journey to the Whitneys after being let go in the open sea are disappointing (HR 8/12-14).-- David Hunter
A LA MODE
Miramax Films
''A la Mode'' (aka ''Fausto'') is a comfortable fit, not too fancy but stylish and spirited. Directed by first-timer Remy Duchemin, the French import distributed by Miramax tries on familiar themes, centered around a young man's coming of age after a family tragedy, but triumphs because of the captivating characters and upbeat, fun-loving mood.
With a strong screenplay and four excellent lead performances, the worst thing one can say about ''A la Mode'' is that it's noticeably episodic. Word of mouth should be good and the art-house underdog ought to perform well.
Set in the mid-1960s in Paris, ''A la Mode'' is written by Duchemin and Richard Morgieve, based on the latter's novel ''Fausto.'' The well-directed film is quietly ambitious in both its evocation of the times and smooth combination of comedy and drama (HR 8/12-14).-- David Hunter
Also reviewed last week was the film ''A Good Man in Africa'' (HR 8/15).
(c) BPI Communications...
- 8/16/1994
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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