Category: Celebs

RIP: Dean Stockwell

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Dean Stockwell, the actor best known for his role on Quantum Leap, died yesterday at the age of 85.

With over 200 acting roles on his resume, Stockwell successfully transitioned from child, teenager, young adult, adult to mature actor. He performed on Broadway, television and in feature films. Mr. Stockwell’s first role came in 1945 and he was put under contract with MGM. As a child actor he stayed busy and worked with everyone from Abbott & Costello to Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Gregory Peck.

Interestingly enough from 1951 to 1956, Dean Stockwell took a break from acting. When he returned Mr. Stockwell alternated between television and feature films. In 1957, he also had an acclaimed run on Broadway as Judd Steiner in Compulsion. He later reprised the role for the 1959 feature film and it earned him and his Compulsion co-stars Orson Welles and Bradford Dillman the Cannes Best Actor Award. .

Dean Stockwell took another break from acting taking no roles in 1966 – 1967. When he returned in 1968, Mr. Stockwell took role in both television and feature films. His signature role as Admiral Al Calavicci on the Quantum Leap series ran from 1989 – 1993. Dean Stockwell continued to act until his retirement in 2015.

I always enjoyed seeing Dean Stockwell show up in the credits of any television show or movie. My favorite Dean Stockwell performance is as Judd Steiner in Compulsion. He shares the screen with Orson Welles and more than holds his own.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dean Stockwell’s family, friends and fans.

Kurt Russell Presents “Breakdown” Trivia (and Thoughts on Great Acting)!

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Rob Hunter, at Film School Rejects, presents 26 Things We Learned from Kurt Russell’s ‘Breakdown’ Commentary.  Before you click over, here are three of my favorites and thoughts on each…

Russell says J.T. Walsh might just be his favorite American actor. He also recalls how both he and Mostow (CO-Writer & Director) had independently decided on who should play the trucker and were pleased to discover they were both thinking of Walsh. “He’s flawless. Nothing fake, nothing phony.”  (JT Walsh isn’t an actor most folks think of when talking the best actors.  I love it when big name celebrities recognize and promote lesser known actors. – Craig)

Russell had hesitated on signing on to the film as he had just finished a movie and wanted to be home every night, so De Laurentiis worked some extra magic to make it happen. “You were picked up every morning, taken to a private airstrip, flown by jet then there’d be a helicopter waiting to fly you to the makeup trailer,” says Mostow, “we’d finish somewhere around 4:30 in the afternoon and we’d hear the helicopter coming back.”  (That is amazing that they wanted Russell so bad that they worked this out to get him! – Craig)

“When you’re an actor, you act,” says Russell after Mostow asks if he ever doubted the character or his portrayal. He references Dakota Fanning in Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds, saying “She screams as much as she talks in that movie, but she’s got fifteen different screams.” His point is that “you’re playing the same beat, but you can’t play it the same way.”  (Again, Russell recognizing a fellow actor, this time a child, and praising their acting abilities.  Gotta love Kurt Russell.)

“Swan Song” Starring Mahershala Ali and Glenn Close – The Trailer is Here!

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I like the Swan Song trailer and the dilemma it presents.  It will be interesting to see the twists this plot takes.  Mahershala Ali and Glenn Close are a bonus!

Set in the near future, Swan Song is a powerful, emotional journey told through the eyes of Cameron (Mahershala Ali), a loving husband and father diagnosed with a terminal illness who is presented with an alternative solution by his doctor (Glenn Close) to shield his family from grief. As Cam grapples with whether or not to alter his family’s fate, he learns more about life and love than he ever imagined. Swan Song explores how far we will go, and how much we’re willing to sacrifice, to make a happier life for the people we love.

This Apple Original Film stars two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali, Academy Award nominee Naomie Harris and eight-time Academy Award nominee Glenn Close. The film also features Golden Globe winner Awkwafina and Golden Globe nominee Adam Beach. Swan Song is written and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Benjamin Cleary and produced by Adam Shulman, Jacob Perlin, Jonathan King, Rebecca Bourke, Mahershala Ali and Mimi Valdés.

Song: “Doomed” by Moses Sumney https://apple.co/Doomed_MosesSumney

The All-Time Best Cowboy Movie Stars!

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Liam Gaughan, at /Film, came up with his list of The Twenty Best Western Movie Actors and it is a good one.  As I thought about my choices the top two were easy.  The tough part was deciding which order for the top two and who would get the third spot.  After some deliberation here are my top three…

#3.  Kurt Russell comes in at the third spot based on two strong lead performances in Tombstone and Bone Tomahawk.  It’s a shame Russell hasn’t made more westerns because the genre suits him.

#2.  Clint Eastwood was my choice for the number two spot and I really considered putting him in at #1.  Eastwood’s westerns always score well with fan and critics.  The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Josey Wales and Unforgiven are considered classics.  I wouldn’t argue too hard against Eastwood in the number one spot, but this time out I gave it to…

#1.  John Wayne.  My first place spot goes to the man that most folks think of first when they think of cowboy movie stars.  Wayne’s career spanned 50 years and he made so many popular westerns: Stagecoach, Angel and the Badman, Fort Apache, Red River, Hondo, The Searchers, Rio Bravo, True Grit, The Cowboys and The Shootist are some of my favorites.  

Sly Stallone on the “Rocky” Legacy and His Career!

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Sylvester Stallone and John Herzfeld (Actor/Writer/Director and Sly’s long-time friend) take us behind the scenes to share Sly thoughts on the Rocky franchise with a focus on Rocky IV: Rocky vs Drago.

During the Covid-19 shutdown of 2020, Stallone tackled his long-planned cut of the film: the result is ROCKY IV: ROCKY VS. DRAGO, a fine-tuning of the legendary film as well as a fascinating time capsule of a pop-cultural moment.

When it was released in 1985, ROCKY IV became the highest-grossing of all the “ROCKY” films. From writer, director and star Sylvester Stallone, ROCKY IV also features Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Brigitte Nielsen, Dolph Lundgren, Tony Burton, Michael Pataki, Robert Doornick, and Stu Nahan. Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff produced the original film, with James D. Brubaker and Arthur Chobanian serving as executive producers.

“Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road” – The Official Trailer is Here!

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I’ve never been a big fan of The Beach Boys.  I like several of their songs, but was more into other bands.  It has always intrigued me how people in the music industry talk about the genius of Brian Wilson.  I like the look of this trailer and look forward to learning more about the man behind the band.

Join The Beach Boy’s Brian Wilson on an intimate journey through his legendary career as he reminisces with Rolling Stone editor and longtime friend, Jason Fine. Featuring a new song written and performed by Wilson and interviews with Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Nick Jonas, Linda Perry, Jim James, Gustavo Dudamel and Al Jardine.

brianwilsonlongpromisedroad.com

James Gunn Shares “Suicide Squad” Trivia That May Surprise You!

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Rob Hunter, at Film School Rejects, posted a fun piece called 43 Things We Learned from ‘The Suicide Squad’ Commentary with James Gunn.

9. (Joel) Kinnaman was challenged as he’s not typically associated with comedies, but he quickly showed a talent and an affinity for earning laughs. (For All Mankind is where I first really noticed what a fine actor Kinnaman is.  I highly recommend the series as well. – Craig)

14. Gunn says John Cena is “probably the most gifted improvisational actor I’ve ever worked with in my life.” (I found this a bit surprising, but was happy to hear it. Cena seems like a nice guy off screen. – Craig)

26. Elba doesn’t actually smoke, and he has asthma, so the scene where Bloodsport smokes in the back of the van left his eyes watering. “I had to take a tear out of his eye with visual effects because I liked the shot.” (Elba doing what it takes for his art!  – Craig)

Steve Niles’ The Complete Cal McDonald Stories (with Two New Tales) is Coming! John Carpenter Intro!

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Yesterday Steve Niles sent a Tweet with the image above and…

The complete collection of Criminal Macabre prose stories by Steve Niles featuring two brand new tales and an introduction by horror legend John Carpenter! Now available for pre-order! In stores March 2, 2022. Cover by E.M. Gist.  @DarkHorseComics  @TheHorrorMaster

Here’s the synopsis…

The complete collection of Criminal Macabre prose stories by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) featuring two brand new tales and an introduction by horror legend John Carpenter!

The world has two faces. The natural and the supernatural. The face we see every day, people filing past us in an almost zombie-like stupor, numb to the horrors of everyday life or driven to madness by the pain and agony of modern-day existence. And those are the people who aren’t zombies or monsters!

Cal McDonald is a detective with one foot in the real world, and one in the world of magic. For Cal, the horrors we all dream about in the fevered darkness of the night are all-too real, kept at bay through an almost constant influx of drugs to numb the pain, but never erase it. Cut from the same mold as Sam Spade, Jake Gittes, and the famous detectives of Chandler, Hammett and Spillane, Cal McDonald, whether he likes it or not, is all that stands between us and the nightmare world just outside our vision.

Collects the complete Criminal Macabre prose stories Savage Membrane; Guns, Drugs, and Monsters; Dial M for Monster, All My Bloody Things, and two new prose stories: The Dead Son and Out of Water.

Criminal Macabre: The Complete Cal McDonald Prose Stories by Steve Niles is available for pre-order now. Deal me in!

“Dangerous” – Scott Eastwood, Kevin Durand, Mel Gibson – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like the poster and cast for Dangerous but the trailer has left me with mixed feelings.

Ex-con and reformed sociopath Dylan Forrester (Scott Eastwood) is trying to quietly serve out his parole — with the help of a steady supply of antidepressants and his eccentric psychiatrist (Mel Gibson). But when his brother dies under mysterious circumstances, Dylan breaks parole and, with a dogged FBI agent (Famke Janssen) on his trail, goes to uncover the truth. A band of heavily armed mercenaries wants something Dylan’s brother was hiding, and Dylan will need all his guile and tactical skills to survive in this action-packed thriller costarring Kevin Durand and Tyrese Gibson.

The 2nd Trailer for “Red Notice” is Here (and I like it)! 

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The second trailer for Red Notice is here and I like it!  I didn’t care for the first trailer.  Now I want to see the movie.  I’m going to have to re-watch the first again to see what’s changed.  Maybe it was just me.

An Interpol-issued Red Notice is a global alert to hunt and capture the world’s most wanted. But when a daring heist brings together the FBI’s top profiler (Johnson) and two rival criminals (Gadot, Reynolds), there’s no telling what will happen.

Watch Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot in RED NOTICE, on Netflix November 12:

“Ambulance” – The Trailer is Here!

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Michael Bay is back and it looks like he has a winner!  After seeing the trailer for Ambulance sign me up for a ride!

Over one day across the streets of L.A., three lives will change forever.

In this breakneck thriller from director-producer Michael Bay, decorated veteran Will Sharp (Emmy winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Candyman, The Matrix Resurrections), desperate for money to cover his wife’s medical bills, asks for help from the one person he knows he shouldn’t—his adoptive brother Danny (Oscar® nominee Jake Gyllenhaal, Zodiac, Spider-Man: Far From Home). A charismatic career criminal, Danny instead offers him a score: the biggest bank heist in Los Angeles history: $32 million. With his wife’s survival on the line, Will can’t say no.

But when their getaway goes spectacularly wrong, the desperate brothers hijack an ambulance with a wounded cop clinging to life and ace EMT Cam Thompson (Eiza González, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Baby Driver) onboard. In a high-speed pursuit that never stops, Will and Danny must evade a massive, city-wide law enforcement response, keep their hostages alive, and somehow try not to kill each other, all while executing the most insane escape L.A. has ever seen.

Ambulance is produced by Michael Bay, p.g.a., Bradley J. Fischer, p.g.a. (Zodiac, Shutter Island) for New Republic Pictures, James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, 2022’s Scream) and William Sherak (Ready or Not, 2022’s Scream) for Project X, and Oscar® nominee Ian Bryce (Transformers franchise, Saving Private Ryan).

The screenplay is by Chris Fedak (Prodigal Son, Chuck), based on the original story and screenplay for the 2005 Danish thriller Ambulancen by Laurits Munch-Petersen and Lars Andreas Pedersen.