Wes Craven’s “Scream” Trivia You May Not Know!

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Rob Hunter at Film School Rejects shared 31 Things We Learned from Wes Craven’s ‘Scream’ Commentary.  Before you click over, here are three of my favorites and thoughts on each…

Sidney types her distress call out to the online 911 system, and she enters 34 Elm Street as her address — but it was cut for time. (That’s too bad it was cut.  Fans would have loved it! – Craig)

Joseph Whipp plays the sheriff here, and he plays a cop in A Nightmare on Elm Street too. “So the backstory there that I put in is that he was so upset by the events in Nightmare on Elm Street that he moved to a small town in Northern California.”  (That’s funny and probably goes unnoticed by 99% of the viewers. – Craig)

Craven is pleased by his addition to the end credits acknowledgements ending a list of thanks with “No thanks whatsoever to The Santa Rosa City School District Governing Board.”  (Read Hunter’s item #10 and you’ll know why! – Craig)

“Voir” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Voir – love the poster and trailer.  I’ll be watching once it premieres on December 6th!

From executive producers David Fincher and David Prior, VOIR is a series of visual essays celebrating Cinema and the personal connection we each have to the stories we see on the big screen. From intimate personal histories to insights on character and craft, each episode reminds us why Cinema holds a special place in our lives.

“Love It Was Not” – The Trailer is Here!

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Love It Was Not is proof that real life is stranger than fiction.  I look forward to see this one.

Starring: Helena Citron, Roza Citron, Franz Wunsch
Directed By: Maya Sarfaty
Synopsis: A young Jewish woman named Helena Citron is taken to Auschwitz, where she develops an unlikely romantic relationship with Franz Wunsch, a high-ranking SS officer. Thirty years later, a letter arrives from Wunsch’s wife asking Helena to testify on Wunsch’s behalf. Faced with an impossible decision, Helena must choose. Will she help the man who brutalized so many lives, but saved hers?

“The Last Son” Starring Sam Worthington, Colson Baker, Thomas Jane & Heather Graham – The Trailer is Here!

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The Last Son looks interesting.  I want to see more.

Isaac LeMay (Sam Worthington) is a murderous outlaw cursed by a terrible prophecy, hunting down his offspring to prevent his own murder before targeting his son Cal (Colson Baker). With bounty hunters and the enigmatic U.S. officer Solomon (Jane) on their tail, all are set on a collision course.

Director: Tim Sutton
Writer: Greg Johnson
Actors: Sam Worthington, Colson Baker, Thomas Jane, Heather Graham

The All-Time Best Neo-Noir Films

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Liam Gaughan, at /Film, came up with his list of The 12 Best Neo-Noir Films Ranked.  It is a solid list.  Before you click over, here are my top three in alphabetical order.  All are well written, well cast and well directed.  If I were to pick four films, I’d have included Se7en since it meets the same criteria.  ; )

  • LA Confidential
  • No Country for Old Men
  • The Usual Suspects

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.)

Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find Giant-Size Charlotte MiniCon – This Weekend!

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This weekend I’ll be at the Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find Giant-Size Charlotte MiniCon.  The convention is put on by Shelton Drum and his team (the same folks behind HeroesCon).  This will be the first big gathering that I’ve attended in over a year and a half.  I feel good about going, since the following will be required:

After much consideration, paying close attention to state and local guidelines, and in an effort to make our event safe and enjoyable for everyone in attendance, we will be requiring masks, as well as proof of an authorized Covid-19 vaccination, or a valid negative test result within 72 hours of entry. (Rapid tests and at-home tests are OKAY! You can also show proof of vaccination on a smart phone, with a photo, or a print-out copy of your vaccination card.)

While there won’t be a Drink & Draw on Friday Night, multiple panels running hourly or a Saturday Night Art Auction (all staples of HeroesCon), I am looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones and maybe getting a new Stallone sketch (or two) for my collection.  If you’re in the area, come on by and have some fun!

Tom Richmond’s The Inkstained Wretch – Free Newsletter!

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Tom Richmond, best known for his wonderful work on MAD Magazine has started a free newsletter that he calls The Inkstained Wretch.  If you subscribe you get a peek behind the curtain to see what Tom’s working on, blasts from the past (projects), advance looks at art, questions & answers from the mail bag and more.  Tom still updates his blog weekly (as opposed to weakly) and is worth checking out — there’s a treasure trove of past posts with art and fun stories — but the newsletter is the way to go.

“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

Col Gives Anthony Neil Smith the 3rd Degree! (ANS Gives Up the Goods!)

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Yesterday we were talking about Anthony Neil Smith’s new book  The Butcher’s Prayer. Today we have a link to The Col’s Library for a fun and informative interview with ANS.  It’s worth a read even if you’re not already a fan.  Check out QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH ANTHONY NEIL SMITH.  I’ll be here when you get back.  ; )