Category: Celebs

RIP: Betty Lynn

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Betty Lynn, the actress best known as Barney Fife’s girlfriend on The Andy Griffith Show, died yesterday at the age of 95.

Many folks are surprised and the number of movies and television shows Ms. Lynn appeared in (probably because her role of Thelma Lou is so ingrained in our memories).  When Mark Evanier was a child, Betty Lynn was his next door neighbor.  They developed a life-long friendship and Evanier has written on his blog about Betty Lynn many times over the years. If you click over you’ll find his initial post about her passing and all about Ms. Lynn’s amazing life.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Betty Lynn’s family, friends and fans.

“Bruised” Directed by & Starring Halle Berry! The Trailer is Here!

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Congrats on Halle Berry directing and starring in Bruised.  The fact that it is on Netflix makes this one a no-brainer.  Deal me in.

This Thanksgiving, Academy Award ® winning actress Halle Berry directs and stars in a triumphant sports drama about a fighter who reclaims her power, in and out of the ring, when everyone has counted her out.

Jackie Justice (Halle Berry) is a mixed martial arts fighter who leaves the sport in disgrace. Down on her luck and simmering with rage and regret years after her last fight, she’s coaxed into a brutal underground fight by her manager and boyfriend Desi (Adan Canto) and grabs the attention of a fight league promoter (Shamier Anderson) who promises Jackie a life back in the octagon. But the road to redemption becomes unexpectedly personal when Manny (Danny Boyd, Jr.) — the son she gave up as an infant — shows up at her doorstep. BRUISED marks the directorial debut of Academy Award winner Halle Berry and also stars Adriane Lenox, Sheila Atim, Valentina Shevchenko, and Stephen McKinley Henderson.

Watch Bruised, only on Netflix

“The Tender Bar” – Clooney, Affleck, Lloyd and Rabe – The Trailer is Here!

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The Tender Bar looks good.  That shouldn’t be a surprise since it is directed by George Clooney, stars Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Christopher Lloyd, Lily Rabe, is written by William Monahan and is based on the best seller by J.R. Moehringer’s memoir.  I’ll check this out when it comes to Prime.

The Tender Bar arrives in US theaters December 17 and Prime Video on January 17.

Directed by Academy Award® Winner George Clooney
Written by Academy Award® Winner William Monahan
Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning author J.R. Moehringer’s memoir “The Tender Bar”

Starring Academy Award® Winner Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Christopher Lloyd, Lily Rabe

The Tender Bar tells the story of J.R. (Sheridan), a fatherless boy growing up in the glow of a bar where the bartender, his Uncle Charlie (Affleck), is the sharpest and most colorful of an assortment of quirky and demonstrative father figures. As the boy’s determined mother (Rabe) struggles to provide her son with opportunities denied to her — and leave the dilapidated home of her outrageous if begrudgingly supportive father (Christopher Lloyd) — J.R. begins to gamely, if not always gracefully, pursue his romantic and professional dreams — with one foot persistently placed in Uncle Charlie’s bar. The Tender Bar is based on the best-selling memoir of the same name by J.R. Moehringer.

“Apex” Starring Neal McDonough & Bruce Willis – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Apex is another updated version of The Most Dangerous Game.  This one stars Neal McDonough and Bruce Willis.  Man, both of these guys are making a lot of movies these days.  Apex will be streaming for me if I tune in,

Serving a life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit, ex-cop Thomas Malone is offered a chance at freedom if he can survive a deadly game of Apex. Six hunters pay for the pleasure of hunting another human on a remote island, but once Malone arrives all hell breaks loose. Laying traps and playing mind games, Malone tries to turn the tables and fight for his life and his future.

The cast includes Neal McDonough, Bruce Willis, Corey Large, Alexis Fast, Nels Lennarson, Lochlyn Munro, Megan Peta Hill, and Trevor Gretzky. Edward Drake from a screenplay he also wrote with Corey Large.

Apex opens in theaters, on digital and On Demand on November 12, 2021.

“The Beatles: Get Back” Docuseries Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I’m all-in for The Beatles: Get Back docuseries!

The official trailer for #TheBeatlesGetBack is here! The Disney+ original docuseries, directed by Peter Jackson, will be arriving on Disney+ just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Made entirely from never-before-seen, restored footage, it provides the most intimate and honest glimpse into the creative process and relationship between John, Paul, George, and Ringo ever filmed. Be sure to check them both out, and don’t forget to watch “The Beatles: Get Back” when it rolls out over three days, November 25, 26, and 27, 2021, exclusively on Disney+.

Directed by three-time Oscar®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson (“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “They Shall Not Grow Old”), “The Beatles: Get Back” takes audiences back in time to the band’s January 1969 recording sessions, which became a pivotal moment in music history. The docuseries showcases The Beatles’ creative process as they attempt to write 14 new songs in preparation for their first live concert in over two years. Faced with a nearly impossible deadline, the strong bonds of friendship shared by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr are put to the test. The docuseries is compiled from nearly 60 hours of unseen footage shot over 21 days, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg in 1969, and from more than 150 hours of unheard audio, most of which has been locked in a vault for over half a century. Jackson is the only person in 50 years to have been given access to this Beatles treasure trove, all of which has now been brilliantly restored. What emerges is an unbelievably intimate portrait of The Beatles, showing how, with their backs against the wall, they could still rely on their friendship, good humor, and creative genius. While plans derail and relationships are put to the test, some of the world’s most iconic songs are composed and performed. The docuseries features – for the first time in its entirety – The Beatles’ last live performance as a group, the unforgettable rooftop concert on London’s Savile Row, as well as other songs and classic compositions featured on the band’s final two albums, Abbey Road and Let It Be.

An exciting new collaboration between The Beatles and Jackson presented by The Walt Disney Studios in association with Apple Corps Ltd. and WingNut Films Productions Ltd., “The Beatles: Get Back” is directed by Peter Jackson, produced by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon, Olivia Harrison, Peter Jackson, Clare Olssen (“They Shall Not Grow Old”) and Jonathan Clyde (“Eight Days a Week”), with Apple Corps’ Jeff Jones (“Eight Days a Week”) and Ken Kamins (“The Hobbit” trilogy) serving as executive producers. Jabez Olssen (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”) serves as the film’s editor, the music supervisor is Giles Martin (“Rocketman”), Michael Hedges (“The Adventures of Tintin”) and Brent Burge (“The Hobbit” trilogy) serve as the series re-recording mixers, and the music is mixed by Giles Martin and Sam Okell (“Yesterday”).

“One Shot” Starring Scott Adkins & Ryan Phillppe – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster is okay, but I liked the trailer for One Shot, so I’ll check it out on streaming.

In an effort to prevent a terrorist attack on Washington D.C., an elite squad of Navy SEALs led by Lt. Jake Harris (Scott Adkins) and a junior CIA analyst Zoe Anderson (Ashley Greene) must retrieve a detainee from a CIA black site island prison. Tensions flare as Site Manager Jack Yorke (Ryan Phillippe) refuses to release the suspected terrorist based solely on Anderson’s intel, but when the base comes under attack by waves of insurgents they must band together to complete the mission.

“Learning To Live Together: The Return of Mad Dogs & Englishmen” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I’m interested in seeing Learning To Live Together: The Return of Mad Dogs & Englishmen.  I was never a huge fan of Joe Cocker or Leon Russell so there’s a lot I don’t know about them other than I’ve enjoyed their music over the years.  Yep, deal me in.

Watch the official trailer for “Learning To Live Together: The Return of Mad Dogs & Englishmen,” an electrifying documentary and concert film spotlighting the reunion of the celebrated “Mad Dogs & Englishmen,” Joe Cocker’s short-lived tour featuring a mammoth thirty-two piece band. The original members (including the late Rock’n’Roll Hall of Famer Leon Russell) and the reunion organizers (Grammy Award-winning Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi) tell the story of the original tour and the reunion, both highlighted by inspired performances.

Official selection of the Woodstock Film Festival (2021) and the Raindance Film Festival (2021)

James Bond: Fascinating Facts You May Not Know About 007!

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Mathew Jackson at Mental Floss came up with 45 Fascinating Facts About James Bond.  Here are three that I didn’t know and my thoughts for each…

MANY ACTORS WERE ALMOST JAMES BOND.  (Jackson lists: Cary Grant, Richard Burton, Michael Gambon, Burt Reynolds, James Brolin, Sam Neill, and Ewan McGregor as actors who almost played 007.  Cary Grant would have worked as a Roger Moore type Bond.  I can’t see Richard Burton Sam Neill or Ewan McGregor as 007.  I’m not familiar with Michael Gambon.  Burt Reynolds would have been an interesting choice.  How would they have played Reynolds’ Bond?  Ladies man, yes.  More comedy?  I’d hope not.  James Brolin would have made a great looking Bond, but I’ve never heard him do an English accent. ; ) – Craig)

GEORGE LAZENBY SNUCK HIS WAY INTO PLAYING JAMES BOND.  (Lazenby was known as more of a model than actor at the time.  I love how he went after the part.  Lazenby got the 007 clothes and accessories and then snuck into the producers’ office.  The only thing to make the story better was if instead of saying, “I heard you’re looking for James Bond,”  he had said, “I heard you were looking for me.” – Craig)

IAN FLEMING DIDN’T WANT SEAN CONNERY AS BOND.  (Connery was perfect the role and I wonder if they had went with someone else, if the franchise would have taken off.  – Craig)

“The 355” Trailer is Here!

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The 355 has a great cast, interesting plot and .cool trailer.  Deal me in.

A dream team of formidable female stars come together in a hard-driving original approach to the globe-trotting espionage genre in The 355.

When a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, wild card CIA agent Mason “Mace” Brown (Oscar®-nominated actress Jessica Chastain) will need to join forces with rival badass German agent Marie (Diane Kruger, In the Fade), former MI6 ally and cutting-edge computer specialist Khadijah (Oscar® winner Lupita Nyong’o), and skilled Colombian psychologist Graciela (Oscar® winner Penélope Cruz) on a lethal, breakneck mission to retrieve it, while also staying one-step ahead of a mysterious woman, Lin Mi Sheng (Bingbing Fan, X-Men: Days of Future Past), who is tracking their every move.

As the action rockets around the globe from the cafes of Paris to the markets of Morocco to the opulent auction houses of Shanghai, the quartet of women will forge a tenuous loyalty that could protect the world—or get them killed.

The film also stars Édgar Ramirez (The Girl on the Train) and Sebastian Stan (Avengers: Endgame).

The 355 is directed by genre-defying filmmaker Simon Kinberg (writer-director-producer of Dark Phoenix, producer of Deadpool and The Martian and writer-producer of the X-Men films). The screenplay is by Theresa Rebeck (NBC’s Smash, Trouble) and Kinberg, from a story by Rebeck. The 355, presented by Universal Pictures in association with FilmNation Entertainment, is produced by Chastain and Kelly Carmichael for Chastain’s Freckle Films and by Kinberg for his Kinberg Genre Films. The film is executive produced by Richard Hewitt (Bohemian Rhapsody), Esmond Ren (Chinese Zodiac) and Wang Rui Huan.

Spielberg’s All-Time Best Protagonists!

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Audrey Fox at /Film came up with her list of The 15 Best Spielberg Protagonists Ranked.  You know me and lists.  So before you click over, here are my choices for the top 5 and two others that would have made my list, but didn’t make hers.

Indiana Jones — The Indiana Jones franchise.  Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones is one of those casting decisions that seems like a no-brainer until we remember that Ford only got the part because Tom Selleck couldn’t make Raiders of the Lost Ark due to his Magnum P.I. commitment.

Quint — Jaws.  Robert Shaw had the gravitas and acting chops to ensure that Quint wasn’t a one-dimensional character.  We felt safe with Quint running the shark hunt until…

Hooper — Jaws.  This was the part that made Richard Dreyfuss a household name.  The role required Dreyfuss to be intelligent (but not too much a nerd), humorous (but not off-putting) and a foil for Quint (without alienating the audience).  Dreyfuss succeeds on all levels.

John Miller — Saving Private Ryan.  Tom Hanks is great at playing an “every man” put in an unusual situation who then rises to the challenge.  This role required that and so much more.  Hanks has to come off as a strong, thoughtful, brave leader who has the respect of his men but must deal with his own nerves and fears in private. 

Oskar Schindler — Schindler’s List.  Liam Neeson received a well earned an Oscar nomination for this role.  

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Columbo – Murder by the Book.  Sure, it is a television episode.  I’d say it qualifies as a tv movie.  Either way, are we going to leave one of the all-time great protagonists off this list?

Sergeant Horvath – Saving Private Ryan.  This could be Tom Sizemore’s best role. He plays the dedicated Sgt. who has his Captain’s back even when he doesn’t agree with him.

Val Kilmer – His Best Films!

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Matthew Monagle at /Film came up with his list of The 14 Best Val Kilmer Movies Ranked.  Monagle’s list is a good one, but only one of my top three Kilmer films made his three best.  So, before you click over, here are my three favorites with my thoughts on each.  I also list a couple of other Kilmer films that didn’t make Monagle’s list but would have made mine…

Tombstone:  If this was the only film Kilmer ever played in, it would be enough to secure his legacy as a great actor.  It’s a shame that Kilmer wasn’t even nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Doc Holiday. 

Heat:  While Doc Holiday is arguably Kilmer’s best role, Heat may be the best film on his resume. 

The Salton Sea:  I’m a big fan of The Salton Sea.  I wish more people were aware of it.  Under-rated to say the least.

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Films that didn’t make Monagle’s list that would have made mine…

  • Willow
  • Thunderheart
  • True Romance