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The late Bob Newhart began his comedy career, weirdly enough, while working a mind-numbing job as a copywriter in 1958. The job was so dull that Newhart and a co-worker would regularly call each other's desks and play-act comedic scenarios just to keep their minds occupied. They felt their conversations were funny enough to record, and submitted them to local radio stations. When his co-worker quit and moved away, Newhart recorded similar comedic phone conversations, made all the funnier that one could only hear his end of them. That became Newhart's shtick for many years, and he released his first comedy record, "The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart," in 1960.

That led to a stint on "The Ed Sullivan Show," and, shortly thereafter, the launch of 1961's "The Bob Newhart Show". Newhart was a TV legend, a comedy icon, and a consummate performer. His death marks a sad day for the world.

One needn't recount the premise of "Gilligan's Island." One only needs to listen to the theme song.

When Sherwood Schwartz was first casting his sitcom "Gilligan's Island" back in 1964, he knew that finding the right actor to play the Skipper -- Jonas Grumby, the captain of the S.S. Minnow -- was going to be a challenge. He had envisioned the title character as a shrimpy, thin man, and he knew that he wanted Bob Denver, previously the star of "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," in the role. To provide a physical contrast, Shwartz wanted the Skipper to be large, imposing, and capable of yelling in rage. But, and this was key, the Skipper also had to be lovable. In an interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Schwartz was explicit in saying he wanted a teddy bear of a man. Someone who was big and round, but also imminently cuddly.

Natalie Wood was the former child actress who racked up three Oscar nominations before she was 25, Wood’s life ended in a tragedy that often overshadows her movie career. Yet many of her titles remain classics, so let’s take a look back at 15 of her greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1938 in San Francisco, Wood snagged her first starring role when she was just nine years old in the holiday classic “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947), playing a precocious girl who tugs on Santa Claus’ beard. She earned her first Oscar nomination when she was 17 for the juvenile delinquent drama “Rebel Without a Cause” (Best Supporting Actress in 1955), which made an icon out of James Dean, who died before its release. Wood added two more Best Actress bids to her resume with the romantic melodramas “Splendor in the Grass” (1961) and “Love with the Proper Stranger” (1963).

Though she never won an Academy Award,...

Get ready for a holiday action extravaganza with Red One starring The Rock and Chris Evans, coming to theaters Nov. 15, 2024. J.K. Simmons plays a superhero Santa Claus in the film, earning praise from his co-star Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jake Kasdan, Red One promises to be a mix of Miracle on 34th Street and Jumanji for a new Christmas classic.

The long-awaited trailer for Red One has finally been unwrapped, revealing our first look at Dwayne The Rock Johnson and Chris Evans holiday action movie. Red One comes courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios and Seven Bucks and should provide audiences with the perfect Christmas gift when it lands in theaters later this year. Red One will feature the exciting team-up between Johnson and Marvel star Chris Evans, with Johnson set to star as Callum Drift, the Commander of the E.L.F., while Evans ditches the superhero persona to play everyman Jack O'Malley,...

Clockwise from bottom left: Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa (Miramax), Ed Asner in Elf (New Line Cinema), and Edmund Gwenn in Miracle On 34th Street (20th Century Flox) Graphic: The A.V. Club Tis the season to talk movie Santas. With Christmas upon us, we decided to dig deep into...

Many Christmas movies, such as "Holiday Inn" and "It's a Wonderful Life," were released during the summer or spring, but have become holiday classics over the years. "Miracle on 34th Street" was released in May because the studio wanted more people to go to the movies during warm weather, with plans to re-release it during the Christmas season. "Die Hard" is set on Christmas Eve and has become a controversial Christmas classic, even though it was released in July.

Every festive season there are Christmas films that audiences love to rewatch to get in the holiday mood, but several of these merry movies were not actually released near Christmas at all. Despite including classic Christmas themes such as family, coming together for the holidays, and spreading joyful cheer, many Christmas movies were released during the summer, spring, and fall, and some were not intended to be associated with Christmas at all.

Miracle on 34th Street's heartwarming quotes fill everyone with holiday spirit. Fred's "Maybe I didn't do such a wonderful thing after all" is a hilarious way to end the movie and works better than a final statement about believing. Doris Walker's "I believe in you too" shows how Doris has grown as a character, coming to believe in hope and magic.

Miracle on 34th Street is one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time and includes many memorable quotes. The story about the department store Santa who turns out to be the real thing has been remade several times since 1947. The original Miracle on 34th Street is the winner of two Oscars for writing and one for Edmund Gwenn's performance as Kris Kringle.Kris' insistence that he is the real Santa Claus changes the lives of lawyer Fred Gailey, single mother Doris Walker, and Doris' daughter Susie.

Kris Kringle is a charming and warmhearted Santa Claus who inspires people to believe in something wonderful. Miracle on 34th Street is a feel-good movie with a heartwarming message that has remained a classic for over 75 years. The movie emphasizes the importance of faith, the true meaning of Christmas, and the benefits of believing in something magical.

The best Miracle on 34th Street quotes highlight the unique Santa Claus story that remains a holiday favorite. While there are endless Christmas movies to enjoy during this festive season, Miracle of 34th Street remains a classic that fans love to return to again and again. It is the story of Santa Claus as more than a figure of Christmas but something that represents having faith in something wonderful. The man who calls himself Kris Kringle may be dismissed by most people, but his charm and warmheartedness that he brings to those around...

Users can find holiday classics, new movies and plenty more on Sling TV this holiday season.

Sling TV is a fantastic way to watch your favorite cable channels no matter what time of year it is. With regular plans starting at $40 per month (now 50% off), it’s hard to beat the value you’ll get with a Sling TV subscription, especially since it carries top cable channels like ESPN, TNT, FX, and more.

But at this time of year, when temperatures turn cold and indoor activities take on an even greater emphasis, a subscription to a top-quality streaming service is an absolute must. Sling is one of the best available, with plenty of incredible holiday-themed content for users to enjoy at Christmastime!

Get 50% Off Pay Just $20 For Your First Month sling.com What Holiday Content is Available with Sling TV?

Sling TV carries Lifetime in both of its base plans,...

The holiday season is upon us, and that means more snugging down and tuning in for some good old Christmas movies on streaming services. One can never go wrong with classics, right? Each streaming service has its own holiday classic to recommend, ranging from The Nightmare Before Christmas to The Polar Express to any version of A Christmas Carol.

Naturally, the recommendations above are then reflected in the statistics. Forbes reported that according to a sample of 2,000 taken by Statista, the top 10 most-watched Christmas movies last year in 2022 were Home Alone, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, The Grinch, Elf, It’s a Wonderful Life, Scrooge, and Miracle on 34th Street.

Being hailed as a "Christmas classic" and viewed continually is, without a doubt, a coveted feat for any motion picture adapting said theme. This time, the honor falls to the...

Will Ferrell in Elf Screenshot: New Line Cinema 2003 was an exciting time for Christmas movies. As Love Actually and Bad Santa gave adults a reason to get in the spirit, a little film about a big elf became a box office heavyweight. Jon Favreau’s Elf turns 20 on November 7, and...

Original Matilda star Mara Wilson struggled with early fame as a child star due to fans sexualizing her.

In an interview with The Guardian, Wilson opened up about her time as an in-demand child actor in such '90s hits as Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street and Danny DeVito's Matilda film adaptation. Though Wilson admits she felt "safe" on film sets thanks to her mother and the successful directors she worked with, that did not shield her from older fans who made inappropriate passes at her in the early days of the internet. "I had people sending me inappropriate letters and posting things about me online," Wilson recalled. "I made the mistake of Googling myself when I was 12 and saw things that I couldn't unsee."

Related: Matilda the Musical Revives This Forgotten Part of Roald Dahl's Novel

Wilson recounted how her parents purposely had her cast in...

The 1996 Matilda film adaptation is beloved but differs from Roald Dahl's original book. Mara Wilson catapulted into the spotlight as Matilda Wormwood, working alongside Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman as Harry and Zinnia Wormwood. Wilson had previously gained recognition for her roles in Mrs. Doubtfire and the 1994 Miracle on 34th Street remake. However, most remember the actress as the strong-willed and intelligent character in the DeVito-directed comedy. In 2013, Dahl's story hit Broadway after a successful run in the West End. The musical was adapted into a movie musical and premiered on Netflix in December 2022, receiving mostly positive reviews.

While some still prefer the 1996 Matilda, many were quick to point out that the movie musical stayed more true to Dahl's book. However, one unexplained change in both the stage and Netflix musical is the absence of Matilda's brother. The musical focuses on Matilda as an...

Mara Wilson disappeared from the public eye not long after 1996's Matilda. Wilson is one of the most memorable child actors from the 1990s, thanks in large part to roles in Mrs. Doubtfire and the 1994 Miracle On 34th Street remake. But of course, the role that stands out the most in Wilson's acting career is that of the titular character in Matilda.

As a child, Wilson was working with industry legends like Martin Short, Danny DeVito, and Robin Williams. She won a Young Artist Award in 1996 for her role in 1996's Matilda movie and another a year later for A Simple Wish. The star also appeared at the 1995 Academy Awards on the red carpet and as a presenter with Tim Curry. During a 1997 interview on The Rosie O'Donnell Show, the host praised Wilson for having so many acting roles under her belt at only 10 years old. But while this was...

Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corp. is expanding its legendary Century City studio lot.

The proposed Fox Future Studio Lot promises another nine new soundstages, to bring the total number to 24, and will add new production facilities and commercial office space.

Fox owns the former 20th Century Fox complex and leased the facility to Disney for seven years as part of the $52 billion deal unveiled in late 2017, in which Disney acquired Fox’s film and television assets, much of which was centered on the lot.

Now, Fox will expand the studio facility as the Century City film shooting sector expands. “The Fox Studio Lot is one of the most iconic and treasured production locations in the history of entertainment and is a rich part of our history. The Fox Future project represents a long-term commitment to our industry, to our community, and to the City of Los Angeles,” Lachlan Murdoch, executive...

(Clockwise from bottom left) Elf (Courtesy New Line Cinema), It’s A Wonderful Life (Rko Radio Picture/Getty Images), A Christmas Story (Courtesy of MGM), Miracle On 34th Street (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images) Graphic: The A.V. Club After a long day of braving frigid temps and long queues—online or...

Clockwise from bottom left: A Very Harold And Kumar Christmas, Miracle On 34th Street, An American Christmas Carol, It’s A Wonderful Life Graphic: The A.V. Club Happy holidays from The A.V. Club to you! If you’re anything like us, the winter season is for curling up in front...

Much has been made of titles being quietly removed from HBO Max over the last few week, but while the number of films departing the service in September is substantial, at least subscribers have a heads up.

As is the case every month, various movies are due to leave HBO Max in September, and below we’ve got the full list of which films are leaving and when so you can prioritizing some viewing options. Noteworthy removals include the 2021 Warner Bros. thriller “The Little Things” starring Denzel Washington (leaving Sept. 16), the 2020 “Freaky Friday” horror riff “Freaky,” Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” films, the “Lethal Weapon” franchise, “Super 8,” “Tootsie” and the Nancy Meyers classic “The Holiday.”

Check out the full list of what’s leaving HBO Max in September below.

September 4

Meet the Patels, 2014

September 5

Turner Classic Movies: Follow the Thread, 2022

September 8

Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, 2018

September 9

Horrible Bosses 2,...

Fox Post Production Services has entered into a strategic alliance with the full-service post-production sound company Formosa Group that will broaden the creative talent available to the studio’s producers, leveraging the storied Fox sound facilities and further expanding business opportunities for both companies.

Fox Post Production Services is based at the historic Fox Studio Lot in Century City and encompasses four feature mixing stages, along with two Adr stages, the Newman Scoring Stage, a foley stage and editing rooms supporting the full post-production process. Formosa Group will now have a presence in the lot’s original Film Editorial building.

“Formosa is revered for its incredible roster of artists, and we’re looking forward to working alongside them,” said Fox Post Production Services’ Senior Vice President Andy Nelson, who leads the group’s creative mixing staff. “We see such great opportunities for both companies with this new alliance, offering even...

Chris Evans is packing up his cozy knit-sweaters and heading for holiday climates! The former Marvel actor is joining Dwayne Johnson in his action-packed Christmas "experience," currently titled "Red One." The film has been shrouded in mystery thus far, but for context, producer Hiram Garcia once described it as "Hobbs and Shaw" meets "Guardians of the Galaxy" meets "Miracle on 34th Street."

This terrifying concept is "a globe-trotting, four-quadrant action-adventure comedy, imagining a whole new universe to explore within the holiday genre." Set to film later this year, the film comes from previous Johnson collaborators director Jake Kasdan ("Jumanji: Welcome To The...

The post Dwayne Johnson Christmas Action Movie Red One Adds Sweater Enthusiast Chris Evans appeared first on /Film.

The holidays can be a hectic time and despite doing our best to find free time, it can be tough to catch your favorite holiday staples on TV live. A good alternative is streaming, and plenty of Christmastime flicks are readily available through some of today’s most popular platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Disney+. Below, we’re breaking down where you can find your holiday favorites this year on streaming and On Demand. Starz Elf (2003) Amazon Prime Video It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Elf (Credit: New Line/courtesy Everett Collection) Disney+ Home Alone (1990) Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) The Santa Clause (1994) The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) Netflix White Christmas (1954) HBO Max A Christmas Carol (1938) Elf (2003) Miracle on 34th Street (1947) Die Hard (Credit: Copyright © 20th Century Fox Film corp./courtesy Everett collection) AMC+ National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) The Polar Express (2004) Elf (2005) Apple TV...

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While it’s much easier to gather with family this year, that doesn’t mean we can’t uphold some well-worn holiday traditions, like settling in on the couch with some hot cocoa to watch Christmas movies. Even if you’re not physically in the room with them, watch parties using integrated apps or Zooms or other virtual meetups means you can still have a collective, shared experience — just over the internet.

And if you are lucky enough to be in the same place as your family, you can spend time with your loved ones and cherish the fact that you’re able to be close to them Irl when so many people cannot be with theirs.

Multi-hyphenate talent Melvin Van Peebles has died at the age of 89. The news was announced on Wednesday by The Criterion Collection and Janus Films, which shared it on behalf of the entire Van Peebles family. The “giant of American Cinema” passed away on September 21 at home with his family.

Van Peebles gave American independent cinema exactly what it needed, when it needed it most: an explosive shake-up, with his unfiltered expression of Black consciousness and energetic style. The anarchic 1971 blaxploitation classic “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song” undeniably shifted the course of American film history, and it was just one piece of a remarkably varied career that also encompassed forays into European arthouse cinema (“The Story of a Three Day Pass”), Hollywood comedy (“Watermelon Man”), Broadway productions (“Don’t Play Us Cheap”), novels, and performances. He was a transformative artist whose biting observations of social mores, unapologetic radicalism, and vision established a model for Black creative independence.

'Tis the season to lounge around in sweats and forget about everything going on in the world. Somehow it's December already, which means one excellent thing for those of us hunkered down indoors due to cold and/or the continuing coronavirus pandemic: 25 Days of Christmas! Freeform is bringing the non-stop joy with its annual holiday lineup, a much-needed TV treat in a year that's made so many of us wish we could make like Santa Claus and escape to the North Pole. During the month-long event, Freeform will air tried and true favorites like Home Alone, The Santa Clause trilogy, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street and The Nightmare Before...

Freeform is set to deck the halls with its annual 25 Days of Christmas programming extravaganza, which includes a dozen or so showings of holiday faves like Home Alone and The Santa Clause (and their myriad sequels).

Not enough Tim Allen for you? The Home Improvement and Last Man Standing star can also be seen in Christmas With the Kranks and heard in the Toy Story trilogy, both of which make multiple appearances throughout the cable network’s festive lineup.

More from TVLineNetflix's 'Here for the Holidays' Schedule: New Christmas TV Shows & Movies'It's a Wonderful Lifetime' Schedule: 30 New Christmas MoviesTVLine Items:...

Fans of physical media have just been dealt a major blow by Disney. The company is reportedly no longer going to be releasing 4K copies of its library titles via physical media. This means many classic Disney movies, as well as the huge collection of classics that the company inherited as part of the Fox merger last year, will not be making it to 4K Ultra HD. The upcoming 4K releases of Hocus Pocus and Home Alone are expected to be the last older movies to get a physical release in the HD format.

According to a new report, the company will only be releasing new animated Disney movies, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel titles on 4K disc in the future. Disney has not been particularly eager when it comes to releasing popular movies from its library on 4K in recent years, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 becoming...

Warning: Do not read this story until you have seen the final episode of “Hollywood.”

For its first six episodes, Ryan Murphy’s “Hollywood” mixed reality and fiction in its portrait of the movie business in the years after World War II. But there’s a good reason why the final episode is titled “A Hollywood Ending” – because it uses the Oscars of March 1948 to paint a picture of Hollywood growing more tolerant, more open to minorities and gays and more embracing of the kind of films that in reality were nearly impossible to make at the time or for decades later.

Like the ending of Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” the episode veers into a kind of wish-fulfillment fiction that is the whole point of its existence.

So we’re not really fact-checking when we look at the show’s depiction of the 20th Academy Awards ceremony.

Natasha Gregson Wagner says a poignant thing about her movie star mother, and her all-too tragic death, at the beginning of Laurent Bouzereau’s Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind. “Since then there’s been so much speculation on how she died that it’s overshadowed her life’s work and who she was as a person.” It’s a brief but sudden flash into the perspective of living with a lifelong media whirlwind of speculation and insinuation. It also is clearly Gregson Wagner’s pained personal truth.

Yet what’s both interesting and ultimately frustrating about Bouzereau’s new documentary, which just premiered on HBO, is that it seems to immediately concede this point by framing its narrative as being more concerned with how she died—and how that death has been manipulated by the press—than with how she lived. And as someone who grew up on Natalie Wood’s movies and total legacy,...

“I feel that this documentary is definitive documentary of her life you know, and my book is the definitive deep dive into our relationship, but I also talk about the night she died and the sheriff’s department reopening the case, I get into that in the book as well, and I just think this narrative of fiction that has been peddled, it’s time for that to stop now.”

Those are the determined words of Natasha Gregson Wagner, daughter of the late Natalie Wood, in talking to me recently about her new film for which she is not only a producer but also an on-camera guide and interviewer in exploring the career, life and yes death of her famous mother, who died at age 43 while on a weekend boating excursion to Catalina Island in late November 1981. That mysterious death, in which Wood was found floating in the shallow surf,...

By now we all know that the film the Academy selects as the “Best Picture” of any given year is rarely the actual Best Picture, but some years it’s hard to explain why they picked what they picked. Never mind “Shakespeare in Love” beating “Saving Private Ryan,” because at least “Shakespeare in Love” is a handsome production with a witty script. Never mind “Dances with Wolves” beating “Goodfellas,” because at least “Dances with Wolves” is a respectable western. We’re taking a look at the films that we can’t watch, even in a vacuum, without cringing nowadays. And when you compare them with the nominees that didn’t earn the Oscar, it’s just plain hard to justify why the Academy voted the way it did.

“The Broadway Melody” (1929)

The second Best Picture winner, and the first synch sound movie to win the top prize, was innovative for the time.

AMC Networks has viewers covered this holiday season as the second annual “Best Christmas Ever,” returns with its largest slate of holiday programming to-date featuring over 60 films and specials airing all day, every day, and this year expands to all five of AMC Networks. Beginning Monday, November 25 through Christmas Day, the monthlong programming event will offer up more than 700 hours of holiday-themed movies, specials and family favorite films. AMC Networks will be the exclusive home to many holiday favorites including Elf, The Polar Express, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Miracle on 34th Street (’94), Four Christmases, Fred Claus and Rankin-Bass Christmas classics including The Year Without a Santa Claus, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, Jack Frost, and Rudolph’s Shiny New Year, among many others. This year’s newly expanded Best Christmas Ever holiday event will feature a schedule takeover on AMC, and daily marathons across the other AMC Networks including BBC America,...

Natalie Wood would’ve celebrated her 81st birthday on July 20, 2019. A former child actress who racked up three Oscar nominations before she was 25, Wood’s life ended in a tragedy that often overshadows her movie career. Yet many of her titles remain classics, so in honor of her birthday, let’s take a look back at 15 of her greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1938 in San Francisco, Wood snagged her first starring role when she was just nine years old in the holiday classic “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947), playing a precocious girl who tugs on Santa Claus’ beard. She earned her first Oscar nomination when she was 17 for the juvenile delinquent drama “Rebel Without a Cause” (Best Supporting Actress in 1955), which made an icon out of James Dean, who died before its release. Wood added two more Best Actress bids to her resume with the romantic melodramas “Splendor in the Grass...

Composer-arranger Sid Ramin, a longtime associate of Leonard Bernstein who won an Oscar, an Emmy and a Grammy for his work in film, TV and theater, died of natural causes Monday (July 1) at his home in New York City. He was 100.

Ramin won a 1961 Academy Award for adapting the music of “West Side Story,” which he had originally orchestrated for composer Leonard Bernstein on Broadway in 1957 (with fellow arranger Irwin Kostal). He won a 1961 Grammy for the “West Side Story” soundtrack album, and a 1983 Daytime Emmy for music for TV’s “All My Children.”

Ramin’s musical career encompassed every aspect of show business. He started in the early days of live television, arranging for Milton Berle’s “Texaco Star Theatre” from 1948 to 1956. “There was no second take,” Ramin once reminisced about the insane pace of live TV. “What you did was on the air, good or bad.”

He began...

Mark Harrison Jun 11, 2019

As Men In Black: International gives the franchise a soft reboot, we revisit the private battles of the first three films

All things considered, it's pretty astonishing that Men In Black: International seems to have come together in just over 18 months. Starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson in the lead roles, F. Gary Gray's spin-off film was announced in 2017, started shooting last July, and arrives in cinemas this week. All films are difficult to make, but compared with each installment of the original trilogy starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, it sounds like it was a doddle to make.

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the three films are loosely inspired by Malibu Comics' The Men In Black, a six-issue sci-fi series penned by Lowell Cunningham. To give you an idea of how long it took to bring to the screen,...

Barry Jenkins and Spike Lee made history this year as the first black writers to earn multiple nominations at the Oscars. They’re both up for Best Adapted Screenplay, Jenkins for “If Beale Street Could Talk” and Lee for “BlacKkKlansman.” But Jenkins previously won this category for “Moonlight” (2016), so if he prevails again he will become the first black writer to claim multiple awards, and he would join an elite group of scribes with multiple Best Adapted Screenplay trophies on their mantels.

The auspicious list of multiple champs already includes Joseph L. Mankiewicz (“A Letter to Three Wives” and “All About Eve”), George Seaton (“Miracle on 34th Street” and “The Country Girl”), Robert Bolt (“Doctor Zhivago” and “A Man for All Seasons”), Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo (together for both “The Godfather” and “The Godfather Part II”), Alvin Sargent (“Julia” and “Ordinary People”), Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (“A Room with a View...

Do you believe?

That's the question asked of the characters and audiences alike as Kris Kringle (an Oscar-winning role for Edmund Gwenn) insists he's the real deal Santa Claus in the heartwarming 1947 classic Miracle on 34th Street.

Kris is brought in to sub in as a Macy's Santa after the original

...

Read More >

Other Links From TVGuide.com Miracle On 34th StreetMiracle On 34th Street...

It may be “the most wonderful time of the year,” as the song goes, but let’s face it, not all things Christmas are created equal. There are the tree ornaments you cherish, and others that can fill space in the back. There are movies that become classics, like “Miracle on 34th Street” or “Elf,” and those which seem to have been created as holiday time-fillers — harmless if charmless mediocrities parents can use to distract the kids for a couple of hours while they get some Christmas shopping done in peace.

Such is the generic ilk of “Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer,” a Canadian toon whose animation isn’t the only thing that seems to have been handled by computer. A would-be new “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” it’s energetic and polished enough to avoid feeling like a rip-off — “Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny,” this is not — but there the compliments pretty much end.

The Best Supporting Actor Oscar race could be one for the ages. Timothee Chalamet (“Beautiful Boy”) could become the second youngest winner in the category, but on the other end of the spectrum, Sam Elliott (“A Star Is Born”) could become one of the oldest.

Elliott, who will be 74 years and 199 days old on the Feb. 24 ceremony, would become the sixth oldest Best Supporting Actor champ, dethroning Jack Palance who was 73 years and 41 days old when he did those one-handed push-ups. He’d be a few years off of the fifth spot, held by “Cocoon” (1981) Don Ameche, who was 77 years and 297 days old, and eight years shy of the record set by Christopher Plummer, who became the oldest acting winner in any category at 82 years and 75 days old when he prevailed for “Beginners” (2011).

See Sam Elliott (‘A Star Is Born’) on how he reacted when Bradley Cooper stole his voice...

Who doesn't love Santa Claus? This jolly, rotund individual with the big white beard is loved and revered by all. In fact, he is the ultimate uniter. I defy you to tell me any religion that doesn't at least smile somewhat (regardless of how they feel about Christmas) when they see this iconic being. Santa Claus has been portrayed by people of all walks of life. Some looking like the Jolly Ole Saint Nick we see in Norman Rockwell paintings, and other's looking like Don Knotts. Santa is a symbol and that symbol has found no better home (no pun intended) than on the silver screen.

For years this character has been portrayed in movies. He has appeared in cameos and starring roles. In fact, it seems that just adding Santa Claus (and the holiday season) to a film can make it have a longer life. People love nostalgia. They...

Miracle on 34th Street is back in theatres this month as part of our Classic Film SeriesMiracle on 34th Street is back in theatres this month as part of our Classic Film SeriesIngrid Randoja - Cineplex Magazine11/29/2017 1:57:00 Pm

In today’s Hollywood no movie studio would even consider opening a Christmas movie in June, but that’s exactly what 20th Century Fox studio head Darryl Zanuck decided to do in 1947 with Miracle on 34th Street. In addition to releasing the film in summer, he also decided that the trailer wouldn’t even mention it was a Christmas movie.

His curious choices paid off as crowds flocked to see a movie that’s become a Holiday classic. Directed by George Seaton, the film stars Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle, a kindly old man who is hired by Macy’s department store employee Doris Walker (Maureen O’Hara) to act...

Here’s the only plausible explanation for “Pottersville,” a nearly unwatchable — but inexplicably star-studded — new Christmas comedy which is making a brief pitstop in select theaters before spending the rest of eternity in the storage room of your local Walmart: A veteran producer at the Hallmark Channel was at the end of his rope (for the purposes of this hypothetical scenario, let’s pretend said producer was “Pottersville” director Seth Henrikson, whose sparse IMDb credits leave plenty to the imagination). Frustrated by a career spent churning out festive — and weirdly horny — shlock like “A Very Merry Mix-Up,” “Matchmaker Santa” (featuring Lacey Chabert), and “A Boyfriend for Christmas” (the story of an infatuated girl who wastes her 20s waiting for Santa Claus to come down her chimney), he finally broke.

Some scholars argue that it was the 2007 Melissa Joan Hart / Mario Lopez vehicle “Holiday in Handcuffs” that pushed him over the...

If you usually visit the theatre, it is almost a sure bet that you have had both a positive and negative experience at one point or another. Personally, I don’t understand why anybody would pay for a cinema ticket only to talk all their way through a film, when they could have easily just gone to a bar to talk each other’s ear off for a couple of hours.

Thankfully, my cinematic adventures in the theatre have been an enjoyable ride for the most part. Whether that was due to a film being so good that it had the ability to totally immerse me in it’s world or seeing a movie with an upbeat crowd of people, well, there are numerous considerations I could have picked from. In this piece I’m going to be talking about five theatre experiences that turned out to be memorable for both worthwhile reasons,...

The death of movie producer Jc Spink has been ruled an accidental drug overdose by the Los Angeles Coroners Office. Spink, who shepherded titles like “The Hangover,” “We’re the Millers” and “A History of Violence” with partner Chris Bender, was found dead at his West Hollywood home in April. His autopsy report indicates his death was accidental and cited “multiple drug intoxication.” Also Read: The Big Heart of Jc Spink Remembered by Hollywood's Players Originally from Philadelphia, Spink was one half of Benderspink, the management-production company that he founded with Bender. The college pals were assistants at management-production company Zide-Perry Productions before striking.

It’s never too early for a bit of Christmas magic! A Midwest production of “Miracle on 34th Street” is searching for its Kris Kringle, plus several other lead and supporting roles. There are also opportunities for lead roles in a short film, YouTube variety series hosts, and background actors in Amazon’s “Red Oaks!” “Miracle On 34Th Street”The musical based on the film of the same name is casting principal and supporting roles. Male and female talent aged 18–65 are needed to fill several roles, including the lead roles of Kris Kringle and Doris Walker. There is an open casting call on Aug. 1 in NYC. Rehearsals begin Oct. 16 and the show runs Nov. 3–Dec. 23 in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. Competitive salary, Emc points, travel, housing, and meals will be provided. “Htttg”Several actors are needed to fill lead roles in “Htttg,” a short film that “examines family dynamics and how we communicate with others.” One male and one female actor, both ages 35–48, are sought for the lead parent roles. There are also lead roles available for a young male actor ages 14–18 and two fraternal female twins ages 14–18. The...

Long before movies routinely created ‘worlds’ with their own twisted fantasy logic, only a few paranoid thrillers, usually odd genre items, tried out twisted stories of deceptive ‘hidden realities.’ Like an extended Twilight Zone entry, this lively James Garner war pic morphs into a bizarre conspiracy worthy of Philip K. Dick. If only it weren’t so “L-a-o” — Literal And Obvious.

36 Hours

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1965 / B&W / 2:35 widescreen / 115 min. / Street Date April 11, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Rod Taylor, Werner Peters, John Banner, Russell Thorson, Alan Napier, Oscar Beregi, Ed Gilbert, Sig Ruman, Celia Lovsky, Karl Held, James Doohan.

Cinematography Philip H. Lathrop

Art Direction Edward Carfagno, George W. Davis

Film Editor Adrienne Fazan

Original Music Dimitri Tiomkin

Written by George Seaton, Carl K. Hittleman, Luis H. Vance from a story by Roald Dahl

Produced by William Perlberg

Directed by George Seaton

Released...

On this day in showbiz history

The Story of Miss Lonelyheart from Péter Lichter on Vimeo.

1913/1914 Did you know that Detective Doyle (Wendell Corey) and Miss Lonelyhearts (Judith Evelyn) from Rear Window shared a birthday? Now you do! (Uff, I love Rear Window so much)

1942 Rings on Her Finger, a screwball comedy starring Henry Fonda and Gene Tierney opens in theaters

1948 Gentleman's Agreement wins Best Picture at the 1947 Oscars but the enduring statues from that year are surely Edmund Gwenn's Supporting Actor win as Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street and the Cinematography and Art Direction wins for the astounding Black Narcissus. What a picture! 

1952 Vivien Leigh wins her second Best Actress prize at the 1951 Oscars for A Streetcar Named Desire. Absent from the ceremony, Greer Garson accepts for Vivien...

Sal Mineo & Natalie Wood at the Oscars for Rebel Without A Cause (1955) one of only two years wherein two minors were nominated. The other is 1973As Sunny Pawar (Lion) can attest this Oscar season, being a cute kid with a preternatural gift in front of the cameras can only get you so far. A little further if you're a girl but still, the point is: it's not easy to be Oscar nominated when you're a minor. Think of the famous or iconic minor performances that Didn't snag nominations: Natalie Wood in Miracle on 34th Street, Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet, Hayley Mills in The Parent Trap, Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz, Evan Rachel Wood in thirteen, Jacob Tremblay in Room and so on. 

On this 18th day before the Oscars let's quickly survey all the actors who managed a nomination before their 18th birthday!

There are 21 of them...

Sean Wilson Jan 16, 2017

From the BBC's Sherlock, through Disney, Hans Zimmer and Young Sherlock Holmes: we salute the music of Mr Holmes...

Few characters have enjoyed as much reinvention as Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth Sherlock Holmes, an enduring icon who is as much bound up with the history of cinema (and indeed stage, TV and radio) as he is with literature. Indeed, adaptations of Holmes stories stretch right the way back to the earliest days of film at the start of the 20th century. Fittingly enough given Holmes' penchant for a violin serenade, the musical scores to his adventures are as richly varied as the outcomes to his mysteries are unexpected. Here are Holmes' musical highlights, from Buster Keaton through to Benedict Cumberbatch.

Sherlock Jr. (1924)

Not, strictly speaking, a Sherlock movie but as the title implies, the legacy of the character casts a long shadow over Buster Keaton's silent classic.

I’m guessing that you, just like most of us, have always had seasonal favorites when it comes to movies that attempt to address and evoke the spirit of Christmas. Like most from my generation, when I was a kid I learned the pleasures of perennial anticipation of Christmastime as interpreted by TV through a series of holiday specials, like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town and even musical variety hours where the likes of Bing Crosby and Andy Williams and Dean Martin et al would sit around sets elaborately designed to represent the ideal Christmas-decorated living room, drinking “wassail” (I’m sure that’s what was in those cups) and crooning classics of the season alongside a dazzling array of guests. (We knew we were moving into a new world of holiday cheer when David Bowie joined Bing Crosby for...

Daniel Langrish-Beard Dec 20, 2016

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation has an odd picture on its DVD cover: a picture of a scene that seemingly nobody has ever heard of.

I’ll set the scene for you. I was invited round my friends Jane's house for Christmas cocktails and Christmas films. On the day I realised that I had forgotten to bring any promised DVDs with me. Thus, I nipped into a local supermarket to pick up some cheap DVDs, so I didn’t look like I’d forgotten.

I picked three films in the end: Miracle On 34th Street (double feature with 1947 & 1994 versions), Nativity (never seen) and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Jane hadn’t seen Christmas Vacation, so we popped that in the DVD player.

I had a look at the cover, as it was different to the cover I had at home. Then I saw it - a picture of a...