The B Movie Celebration
For the past five years, fans of the often maligned genre of B-movies have gathered in Franklin, Indiana – not just to watch classic B-films, but to, as the name implies, celebrate them! This year — the Sixth — looks…
Rating A Smoke
Should R ratings be slapped on any movie that tells the story of a character who happens to smoke? The Atlantic has an interesting article up that cites a recent study from the Surgeon General that deems smoking to be…
Andy On TCM
Turner Classic Movies will honor Andy Griffith on July 18 by broadcasting four of his movies, the network announced Wednesday. While primarily known for his comedic talents, Griffith at times showed a tremendous talent for dramatic roles. The evening will…
Dreed Empty
Remakes and reboots always seem to demand comparisons to their predecessors, but “Dredd” evokes a slightly different relationship: What Zack Snyder’s “Dawn of the Dead” is to George Romero’s original, Pete Travis’ film is to, no, not Danny Cannon’s 1995…
B Movies At The Museum
The Florida Museum of Natural History continues its free July Creative B movie series from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday with the showing of “Mothra vs. Godzilla.” University of Florida students with a valid Gator 1 ID receive free admission…
Shivers
David Cronenberg is once again in fashion. After the financial failures of Existenz and Spider, our country’s most celebrated auteur has gotten back into the saddle thanks to A History of Violence, which as of this writing, is still holding…
Fireballs
Ah, the vanity project. Films meant to showcase the utter brilliance of those involved are a dime a dozen on Canadian arthouse circuits, but when it comes to our b-films, they aren’t quite so common. Rock N Roll Nightmare is…
Def-Con 4
Canadian critics can endlessly debate the positive and negative effects tax shelters had on Canadian film in the late 1970s and early 1980s. While most agree that they were largely detrimental, there is no denying that this influx of private…
Fido
With the exception of George Romero’s Toronto-shot Diary of the Dead, Fido is the most anticipated Canadian-lensed zombie movie set for release in 2007for whatever that’s worth. The fact that it’s anticipated at all means something, though this isn’t another…
Ginger Snaps
It’s interesting to see when a horror movie gets labeled ” legitimate” by the press. In the case of Ginger Snaps, much ballyhoo was made by the alternative weeklies about how this kind of horror movie was “acceptable” because it…
Mad Mad World
Billing it as “The Last 70MM Film Festival”, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences unveiled its latest summer screening series with a pristine and stunning 70MM print of Stanley Kramer’s 1963 classic comedy, It’s A Mad Mad Mad…
Western Film Fair
The 35th edition of the Western Film Fair, now underway in Winston-Salem, has a new home. The four-day celebration of all things Western is now being held at the Hawthorne Inn & Conference Center, 420 High St. XX“It’s not only…
Outland
When it comes to actors who have played James Bond the only one who really has been able to escape the stigma of the role, despite being the best to wear the tuxedo, is Sean Connery. And unlike some of…
Sybil Danning
SYBIL DANNING ACTRESS Battle Beyond the Stars, LA Bounty, Reform School Girls, Howling II Early in her career, Hollywood labeled Sybil Danning the B-Movie Queen, a title she continues to embrace and defend. Where else but the B’s would a…
O’Toole Retires
Peter O’Toole, the dashing, singularly voiced British actor whose career launched 50 years ago with Lawrence of Arabia, announced his retirement today, at 79. You can read his statement below: Dear All, It is time for me to chuck in…
Brian Trenchard Smith
Brian Trenchard-Smith (born 1946) is an English film and television director, producer, writer, consultant and actor who is notable for his contributions to the horror and action genre during the 1970s and 1980s in Australia. Most of his work has…
Amazing SpiderMan Leads Box Office
The Amazing Spider-Man proved once again that he has secret Spidey powers. The film reboot with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone is leading at the box office by a wide margin. The closest competition came from a foul-mouthed, stuff bear…
Five Things About Ernest
We knew him as the sadistic noncom who beat Frank Sinatra to death in From Here to Eternity; as the shy, lonely butcher who finds love in Marty; as the nautical version of Sgt. Bilko in the TV sitcom McHale’s…
B-movie star Quigley Book
Michael McCarty wrote his latest collaboration with his co-author on speed dial for technical advice. “Michael would call and say, ‘What’s a wrap party like?’” laughed Linnea Quigley, the Davenport-born and raised actress who became known as one of the…
‘Savages’ an entertaining B-movie
“Savages” is a much better movie than it could have been mainly thanks to the gifted directorial talents of Oliver Stone.In the hands of somebody like Michael Bay, this easily could have been another soulless, meaningless summer blockbuster like “Bad…