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It's remarkable how Sean Connery continues to define James Bond some 65 years after he first debuted in "Dr. No," the film that kick-started cinema's most enduring franchise. By way of comparison, the equally enduring pop culture figure of Batman hasn't had quite the same cinematic trajectory. For example, an entire generation of fans grew up with Michael Keaton as the Batman, but today, the youths couldn't care less about the man's tenure as the Dark Knight, as evidenced by the fact that "The Flash" became a box office disaster of superheroic proportions despite featuring Keaton's less than triumphant return in the cape and cowl. 

Meanwhile, while Bond fans undoubtedly gravitate towards whichever actor happened to be portraying 007 during their formative years, there's always a hushed respect for Connery, even among those who swear Roger Moore's more playful spy was the greatest on-screen iteration of the character. The fact that...

To celebrate the release of Dragnet available 3rd March on Blu-Ray, we are giving away 2 Blu-Ray copies of the film!

Dragnet is directed by Tom Mankiewicz and written by Dan Aykroyd and Alan Zweibel. Zweibel is known for producing Curb Your Enthusiasm – and won 4 Emmy’s between 1975-78.

Aykroyd plays Joe Friday, nephew of the original series star of the same name. He had always been a huge fan of the 1951 Dragnet series, giving many of his previous characters the ability to recite technical jargon in the same way that Joe Friday recites laws and police procedures; such as when Elwood describes the specifications of the “Bluesmobile” in The Blues Brothers.

Aykroyd is at his comedic best as the namesake nephew of Detective Sgt. Joe Friday. Like his uncle, he’s a blue suited, by-the-rules cop who reluctantly joins forces with his footloose partner Pep Streebek (Hanks) to rescue the...

Will Reeve, the youngest son of the late Christopher Reeve, has chosen a different career path from his father, best known for playing Supermanin four movies in the franchise from 1978 to 1987. The younger Reeve does have a cameo in the forthcoming Superman movie, but normally, one will find him in his job as an ABC News correspondent (and not at the Daily Planet like Clark Kent).

Reeve appeared on Live with Kelly and Mark on Feb. 21 and touched on why he wouldn’t want to play Superman on the big screen, and said he’s never been asked to do so.“No, I’ve never gotten the ask. I learned at an early age from my parents, who were both accomplished performers, that in order to succeed in entertainment, or really anything, but certainly in entertainment, you need the craft like you need air to breathe,”Reeve said.

Christopher Reeve,...

Growing up, while watching Superman II over and over again on VHS, I couldn’t help but ask myself a few questions. Questions like – where’s Marlon Brando as Jor-El? Why does the music sound so shitty? Why does another actor dub Gene Hackman for like half of his dialogue? Why do Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder look so different from scene to scene? Why is it so tonally uneven? In a pre-internet era, where the drama on movie sets wasn’t chronicled in real-time online, no one really got what the deal was with Superman II. Once the internet became a thing, word of what really went on behind the scenes of Superman II went from being an urban legend to a confirmed fact.

Superman: The Movie was financed by Alexander Salkind and his son Ilya. They were movie moguls who, in the seventies, had produced two highly successful Three Musketeer movies.

Late director Richard Donner will always be known as the man who created the superhero movie to triumph over all others. Even after more than 25 years, his 1978 Superman is still hailed as the perfect archetype from which future filmmakers draw inspiration.

Christopher Reeve and Marlon Brando in Superman II: Richard Donner Cut | Credit: Warner Bros.

In one of his last interviews, the man narrated what it was like to direct that movie. Moreover, he also talked about a bold stunt he pulled off, going against all norms to make it happen. And if anything, that stunt speaks of his dedication to his craft, and how his instincts ended up saving the savior of the world himself.

Richard Donner pulled off a bold stunt to save Superman

Richard Donner has spent his entire childhood reading the Superman comics. As a result, when it came to identifying what would depict his story best,...

Considering the first two Superman movies made over $500 million at the worldwide box office, it was absolutely no surprise that a Superman III would take flight. Besides, it was promised in the closing credits of Superman II!

With the success of Superman and its sequel, superhero movies were in the earliest iteration of franchise mode. In short: strong box office numbers guaranteed another movie, no matter how bad it could possibly turn out. And Superman III is just about as bad as it could possibly turn out, generally ranking among the worst superhero sequels ever and a prime example of what happens to a series’ reputation when things go wrong with the script, cast and, hell, even the opening credits sequence!

So, let’s go from Superman to Super-Mean to Super-Machine as we find out: What Happened to This Movie?!

Superman III was announced at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival, well...

Kurt Russell was everywhere in the '80s, but there was one 1985 film he can't be spotted in despite having originally signed on for it. It's "Ladyhawke," the largely forgotten fantasy epic starring a pre-"Ferris Bueller" Matthew Broderick alongside Michelle Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer. Directed by "The Omen" and "The Goonies" filmmaker Richard Donner, "Ladyhawke" received a lukewarm welcome at the box office and critical reviews to match.

So, how did Russell end up dodging this bullet? Well, apparently, by sticking to his no-tights rule. The actor once spoke about exiting the film in an interview with Whitney Scott Bain for Starburst Magazine, and confessed that a few factors led to his decision not to see the project through. "When I got there, I see wardrobe and the character has to wear tights," Russell explained, adding plainly: "I don't wear tights. That's not for me." Coming from anyone else,...

Comedy movies can be hit or miss for critical and audience success, as the genre isn't typically taken as seriously as other films. This means each decade has a litany of overlooked comedic movies that should be better remembered for their hilarious plots and campy visuals. While the Brat Pack movies of the 1980s have come to define this period of cinema because of their popularity, they don't capture the full humor and cultural moment of the '80s. The most underrated and rarely remembered movies from this period deserve a second life in the eyes of critics and viewers today.

Comedy is a strong indicator of the social and cultural opinions of a time.

Genre movies were having a heyday in the '80s, as the great cult sci-fi movies of the 1980s and other outlandish fantasy films often come to mind when remembering the decade. However, comedy is...

The big-screen adaptations of Ian Fleming’s James Bond have never really been known for being faithful to their source material. Apart from some initial releases, such as On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Thunderball, most films haven’t gone past the title of the books when it comes to borrowing material for the silver screen.

As a result, after rumors emerged claiming that Christopher Nolan was in talks to make a faithful adaptation of Fleming’s work, fans were elated. But as the story goes, these claims turned out to be false. However, had Quentin Tarantino got the ball running for his version of Casino Royale, fans would’ve witnessed a pretty truthful adaptation of the author’s first Bond novel.

Casino Royale Would’ve Stuck to the Books Had Quentin Tarantino Directed

A still from Casino Royale | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

While with Casino Royale, director Martin Campbell did stick to the books to some extent,...

Comic author Kyle Higgins reflects on Superman IV and how Christopher Reeve wanted to explore more real-world themes. Both Reeve and Zack Snyder's takes on Superman were criticized for tackling real-world issues, blurring the line between protector and potential tyrant. Reeve's Superman IV faced backlash for focusing on nuclear disarmament, challenging the escapist appeal of the character against societal issues.

Superman actor Christopher Reeve once faced the same problem Zack Snyder did when making 2013s Man of Steel. Considered by many to be the best live-action portrayal of DCs beloved superhero, Reeve first assumed Supermans iconic tights and cape for 1978s Superman: The Movie. He would reprise the role three more times, culminating in 1987s widely panned Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Since then, actors Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill would each go on to follow in Reeves footsteps in 2006s Superman Returns and Snyders 2013 Dceu debut, Man of Steel.

Like many children of the 80s, I have a soft spot for the 1985 adventure epic Ladyhawke. It’s directed by the great Richard Donner, with it coming just before The Goonies and Lethal Weapon, but after his time with the Superman franchise. Lavishly produced, it wasn’t a hit in 1985 despite having a top-notch cast that included the late Rutger Hauer (in a rare heroic role), Michelle Pfeiffer, and Matthew Broderick. While some might say the latter was rather improbably cast as an Italian thief in the Middle Ages, that’s not actually the weirdest thing about the movie.

Donner has a reputation for always choosing superb composers for his films. Just think about how iconic Michael Kamen and Eric Clapton’s work is for Lethal Weapon, John Williams’s Superman theme, Jerry Goldsmith’s work on The Omen, and Dave Grusin’s score for The Goonies. Yet, one score...

Actors do not get to pick the roles that make them stars. They might have an inkling in certain cases that a part has the potential to catapult them off the B-list (look no further than Humphrey Bogart convincing George Raft to surrender the lead in Raoul Walsh's 1941 gangster classic "High Sierra"), but, ultimately, the public chooses. And this can be the source of lifelong agony for actors who envisioned entirely different careers for themselves.

Take Christopher Plummer. The great Canadian actor worked steadily in theater, film, and television for over seven decades. He was equally at home playing Cyrano de Bergerac on Broadway or hamming it up as a paganistic reverend in Tom Mankiewicz's irredeemably silly "Dragnet." He won an Oscar, two Tonys, and two Primetime Emmys, and seemed to be having the time of his life even in the worst of movies (and they don't get...

Even the most die-hard 007 fans know that James Bond movies don’t always hit. There’s the yellow face of You Only Live Twice, the pigeon double-take in Moonraker, the surfing in Die Another Day. But never has the franchise done worse than when a certain Louisiana police officer bumbles into the otherwise solid Live and Let Die.

Yes, I’m talking about Sheriff J.W. Pepper, a loudmouth distraction who sort of makes sense in the American-set Live and Let Die, but then he somehow also shows up in Thailand to further drag down The Man With the Golden Gun.

Modern viewers meeting the character for the first time today will likely be confused by Pepper’s shtick. But to the viewers of the early 1970s, Pepper not only hit as a funny joke, but he was very much in line with Bond’s history of pop culture Johnny-come-latelyisms.

Throughout the 60 years James Bond has been on the big screen, there's been no shortage of casting controversies associated with the franchise. For 1974's "The Man with the Golden Gun," producers cast Christopher Lee in the role of villain Francisco Scaramanga, much to the chagrin of some behind the scenes. Writer Tom Mankiewicz even claimed to have "begged and pleaded" for them to find anyone else, mainly because he'd originally envisioned Jack Palance in the role.

Even Bond himself caused casting issues. When writer Ian Fleming and producers Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were casting 007 for "Dr. No," they all had a sense that Sean Connery was the man for the job. But before he was offered the part, he would have to screen test, which he ultimately agreed to do despite pushing back initially. As recounted in Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury's 2015 book, "Some Kind of Hero: The...

Of all the James Bond movies, "The Man with the Golden Gun" isn't the most beloved. Debuting to lackluster reviews in 1974, following the success that was '73's "Live and Let Die," Roger Moore's sophomore outing as Bond failed to dazzle audiences who were growing weary of the franchise.

The producers had a rough time replacing Sean Connery, who'd come to define the character with his run as England's greatest spy, before departing the series and being replaced by Aussie actor George Lazenby. While Lazenby did a solid job in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," he too left the role after his one and only appearance, after which Connery returned for the less than stellar "Diamonds Are Forever."

Unfortunately, Connery would once again leave the role that helped launch his career following this brief return, clearing the way for Roger Moore to take on the mantle with "Live and Let Die.

Being an international super spy comes with its share of drawbacks, which apparently include upsetting censors around the world. While James Bond has faced numerous censorship struggles throughout his more than 60-year on-screen run, he's often had a particular issue in his home country. For example, the original ending of 1971's "Diamonds Are Forever" was a little too S&m for the British censors, and was initially supposed to depict Jill St. John's Tiffany Case being tied to a bed by the charmingly bizarre Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd (Bruce Glover and Putter Smith respectively). That was very quickly nixed by UK censors who felt it was a little too kinky even for Bond.

But kink was less of a concern for the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) than violence. In a 2006 interview with Caped Wonder, "Diamonds" writer Tom Mankiewicz explained how "largely, the Brits cared a great...

An expansive three-part DC documentary series, Superpowered: The DC Story, will explore DC's history while showcasing over 60 interviews with comic creators and filmmakers.

Warner Bros. Discovery released a full synopsis for the series in a press release. "Narrated by Rosario Dawson, Superpowered: The DC Story takes an unprecedented look at the enduring and influential legacy of DC, allowing fans to rediscover the universe of characters, as well as the iconic comic book company’s origins, its evolution, and its nearly nine-decade cultural impact across every artistic medium," the synopsis reads. "Featuring a wealth of interviews with the industry’s most prolific creators and the actors who bring their iconic characters from the page to the screen, Superpowered: The DC Story reminds us that at the heart of DC are the comics – the four-color fantasies that forever spark the imagination and instill hope."

Related: The Flash Could Lose Warner Bros. Discovery Almost $200 Million

The series,...

“Superpowered: The DC Story” is a new 3-part doc series, directed by Leslie Iwerks, streaming July 20, 2023 on Max:

“…’Superpowered: The DC Story’ features over 60 new and archival interviews from people tied to DC, including Melissa Benoist, Greg Berlanti, Tim Burton, Mike Carlin, Lynda Carter, Henry Cavill, Kaley Cuoco, Gal Gadot, James Gunn, Patty Jenkins, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Jim Lee, Zachary Levi, Damon Lindelof, Tom Mankiewicz, Jason Momoa, Christopher Nolan, Robert Pattinson, Christopher Reeve, John Ridley, Margot Robbie, Bruce Timm, Michael E. Uslan and Mark Waid.

“Narrated by Rosario Dawson, the new series takes an unprecedented look at the enduring and influential legacy of DC, allowing fans to rediscover the universe of characters, as well as the iconic comic book company's origins, its evolution and its nearly nine-decade cultural impact across every artistic medium.

“Featuring a wealth of interviews with the industry's most prolific creators and...

Superpowered: The DC Story, a three-part Max Original DC documentary series co-directed by Academy Award® and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks and Peabody Award®-winning and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Mark Catalena, debuts Thursday, July 20 on Max.

Narrated by Rosario Dawson, Superpowered: The DC Story takes an unprecedented look at the enduring and influential legacy of DC, allowing fans to rediscover the universe of characters, as well as the iconic comic book company’s origins, its evolution and its nearly nine-decade cultural impact across every artistic medium. Featuring a wealth of interviews with the industry’s most prolific creators and the actors who bring their iconic characters from the page to the screen, Superpowered: The DC Story reminds us that at the heart of DC are the comics – the four-color fantasies that forever spark the imagination and instill hope.

Episodes:

Episode 1: The Hero’S Journey

For over 85 years, DC has...

It’s still an open question to whether Warner Bros. will be at San Diego Comic-Con in July. But even if the company skips the event, it’ll be there in spirit via the premiere date for a new docuseries about the history of DC Comics.

“Superpowered: The DC Story,” a three-part docuseries about the storied comic book company and the movies and TV shows it inspired, will premiere on Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming app on July 20. For those keeping score, that happens to be the very first day of Comic-Con 2023.

And to get into the mood, you can watch the trailer above right now.

Narrated by Rosario Dawson, the series is codirected by Leslie Iwerks and Mark Catalena. Per the official description, it “takes an unprecedented look at the enduring and influential legacy of DC, allowing fans to rediscover the universe of characters, as well as the...

Joseph L. Mankiewicz’ “Cleopatra,” which opened in New York on June 12, 1963 and in Los Angeles a week later, was not a flop. In fact, the 243-minute film was a box office champ making $26 million at the box office, $6 million more than the Cinerama epic “How the West was Won.” But being the most expensive movie of its time — the budget ended up being around $44 million which would be around $429.5 million in 2023 — it took a long time to recoup its staggering costs. The film was such a drain on Twentieth Century Fox, the studio ended up having to sell nearly 300 acres of its backlot. That acreage was transformed into Century City.

The budgets started to soar when the original production with Elizabeth Taylor, who asked for and received $1 million for her services, Peter Finch as Julius Caesar, Stephen Boyd as Marc Antony and veteran filmmaker Rouben Mamoulian as director, stopped production...

Two years ago, during the lockdown, I wrote that I had become addicted to those little bird-box libraries that make walking here something of a literary pilgrimage.

I’m still addicted. And almost two months ago, just before the writers strike began, I made a charming discovery–that one of my neighbors is a Very Famous Writer– all thanks to his sidewalk library.

The writer will remain unnamed, because privacy is something to be respected, even by reporters. But here’s the short form:

About four o’clock one afternoon, before the dog-crowd comes out, I felt a need for one of those short, head-clearing walks. A good target, I figured, would be a spot some blocks away, where somebody or other was maintaining what I’d long thought was the best little library in town. I won’t give titles, because some of those might tip the owner’s identity.

With the return of Michael Keaton as Batman in 2023's The Flash, attention has naturally shifted to the days of late '80s Batmania, when Keaton proved skeptics wrong and the Dark Knight became the planet's hottest pop culture property. Directed by Tim Burton, 1989's Batman and 1992's Batman Returns changed the general audience's view of superheroes. Gone was 1960s camp, replaced by a vision that was brooding, violent, and often just weird.

1989's Batman spent almost a decade in development, with everyone from established screenwriter Thomas Mankiewicz to comic book scribe Steve Englehart attempting drafts. While producer Michael E. Uslan always advocated for a serious take on Batman, Hollywood was pushing for something akin to the 1960s Batman television series starring Adam West. At one point, Bill Murray was in talks to star as Batman with Eddie Murphy joining him as Robin.

Related: The Flash Director Andy Muschietti Is...

Arguably the most hated James Bond supporting character also made a cameo in Superman 2. The Roger Moore era of the Bond series is extremely unlikely to be repeated. Moore's knowingly hammy performance and reliance on silly gags wouldn't fly with modern audiences raised on the Daniel Craig Bond movies or even the Bourne franchise. While some elements of Moore's run have aged poorly, there is a good-natured fun and spectacle to even his weakest outings.

Of course, Moore's comedy stylings as 007 weren't for everybody, with Timothy Dalton only agreeing to take over the role for The Living Daylights if he could present a more serious Bond. Moore's James Bond movie cycle produced some memorable allies and foes, including Richard Kiel's iconic henchman Jaws or General Gogol (Walter Gotell). Sadly, it also produced one of the most disliked characters in the entire franchise; Sheriff J.W. Pepper (Clifton James...

Quentin Tarantino has almost come to the end of his directing career, with his upcoming tenth movie fully expected to be his last stint behind the camera. As such, he has been sharing details on some of his older movies and also the ones that he never got to make. One of the latter was his interpretation of a James Bond movie, which would have seen him putting his spin on Ian Flemming’s Casino Royale.

Tarantino really hit the big time with Pulp Fiction in 1994, and as his follow up project he wanted to take a shot at the world’s most famous super spy. However, like many others before him, it just seems that it wasn’t meant to be, but the director recently shared how he had planned to do it in an interview with Deadline. He said:

"That's what I wanted to do after Pulp Fiction...

It’s hard to imagine Quentin Tarantino directing a franchise movie, but he has come close several times. After Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino considered directing a James Bond movie based on Casino Royale, but it didn’t work out.

While speaking with Deadline, Quentin Tarantino explained why his James Bond movie didn’t happen. “We reached out to the Ian Fleming people, and they had suggested that they still own the rights to Casino Royale,” Tarantino said. “And that’s what I wanted to do after Pulp Fiction was do my version of Casino Royale, and it would’ve taken place in the ’60s and wasn’t about a series of Bond movies. We would have cast an actor and be one and done. So I thought we could do this.“

Related Lionsgate preps Kill Bill 4K release for 20th anniversary

Unfortunately for Quentin Tarantino, the James Bond producers had...

Planning to kick off pre-pre-production and the casting process for his next — and still, according to him, final — film, Quentin Tarantino has revealed more about what it'll be. According to the writer/director, The Movie Critic will be based on a real person, but not as has been speculated, Pauline Kael. Instead, it'll be someone far less well known.

Tarantino, speaking to Deadline's Baz Bamigboye at Cannes (where the director is presenting a screening of John Flynn’s 1977 revenge thriller Rolling Thunder), opened up to explain more about the character's inspiration, a critic who wrote for, by Qt's description, a "porno rag". Turns out Tarantino really was checking out such magazines for the articles!

"He wrote about mainstream movies and he was the second-string critic, he says I think he was a very good critic. He was as cynical as hell. His reviews were a cross between early Howard Stern...

Though virtually all of Quentin Tarantino’s nine movies have been original stories — only “Jackie Brown” was adapted from the Elmore Leonard novel “Rum Punch” — the director and obsessive cinephile has kicked the tires on some of Hollywood’s biggest franchises over the years. From Marvel projects to an R-rated “Star Trek” movie, Tarantino loves to flirt with opportunities to work with his favorite characters. And sometimes, it seems like the only thing he loves more than making movies is talking about the movies he almost made.

In a new interview with Deadline, he recalled his failed attempt to put his own Tarantino-esque spin on the James Bond novel “Casino Royale” years before the Daniel Craig adaptation came out.

“We reached out to the Ian Fleming people, and they had suggested that they still own the rights to ‘Casino Royale,'” Tarantino said. “And that’s what I wanted to...

The character of Pee-wee Herman — a chuckling, hilarious man-child invented by comedian Paul Reubens — made his debut in 1977 in the film "Cheech and Chong's Next Movie," and cemented his legacy in 1981's "Nice Dreams." In the latter film, clearly strung out on something, the Pee-wee-like character asked if Cheech was the "guy from the hamburger train."

The same year, still playing the Pee-wee shtick, Reubens debuted "The Pee-wee Herman Show" at the Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles, cementing the character in the local pop consciousness. The stage shows were quite expressly adult, even if Pee-wee himself was quirky and childish. Characters that debuted on stage would eventually appear on the popular TV show "Pee-wee's Playhouse" in 1986, including Jambi the Genie, Miss Yvonne, and Cowboy Curtis.

Prior to the TV series, however, Reubens had ambitions to bring Pee-wee Herman to cinemas. Because the actor had a book of working directors, he...

Burbank, Calif., March 1, 2023 – As part of the year-long centennial celebration for the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studio, five films featuring the iconic DC Super Hero Superman – Superman: The Movie, Superman II, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, Superman III, and Superman IV – will be available for purchase in a five-film collection on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital on April 18.

Based on the DC character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the Superman films star Christopher Reeve as the legendary “Man of Steel.”

On April 18, the Superman 1978 – 1987 5-Film Collection will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray™ Disc from online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu, and more.

The Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Packs will include an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the feature films in 4K with Hdr, a Blu-ray disc with the feature...

There's a reason why, despite decades of CGI advancements and new comic-book stories to adapt since, Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie is still largely considered to be the best Superman movie of all time. The beloved 1978 film starring Christopher Reeve's Superman, Margot Kidder's Lois Lane, Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor, and Marlon Brando's Jor-El has captured imaginations for over 40 years. It's the first superhero blockbuster, and the benchmark for comic book movies that have followed. Superman influenced generations of filmmakers, and it's been the touchstone for every TV show and movie about the Man of Steel ever since. And yet, none of them have equaled the uplifting, sheer magic of Superman: The Movie.

As DC Studios restructures its content plan for the next decade, Henry Cavill's Superman has lost any future chances of topping Donner's '78 masterpiece. However, a new challenger has arrived: James Gunn's upcoming Superman movie,...

80 For Brady stars Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda offer an update on the long-stalled 9 to 5 sequel. Tomlin and Fonda were both superstars when they teamed up for the first time on 1980’s feminist comedy 9 to 5, co-starring their fellow superstar Dolly Parton. Since then, the Tomlin/Fonda pairing has come back for the Netflix comedy show Grace and Frankie, and for the brand-new comedy movie 80 For Brady.

But the one project Tomlin and Fonda’s fans have been waiting for the longest is a sequel to 9 to 5. Plans for a follow-up were indeed announced in 2018, but there have only been negative updates in the years since. Tomlin and Fonda unfortunately are not able to confirm that the 9 to 5 sequel is again happening, but they were able to offer somewhat of an update during a recent talk with Et to promote 80 For Brady. Check out what the pair...

When we talk about movies, screenwriters don't get enough credit. Their names are often overlooked while directors are treated as the true auteurs. Maybe part of that stems from the system of Hollywood itself, which tends to leave screenwriters low on the totem pole, with "Mank" even likening Herman J. Mankiewicz — the co-writer of "Citizen Kane" — to a mere "organ grinder's monkey."

Superhero films and other big studio tentpoles with a lot riding on their success can sometimes involve a revolving door of screenwriters, and this has been the case for decades. "Superman: The Movie" had four credited writers, three of whom carried over to the sequel, "Superman II." But one name you won't see credited as a screenwriter in either movie, despite his important writing contributions, is that of Mank's nephew, Tom Mankiewicz.

There's a rather complicated reason for that. For both "Superman" and "Superman II," Tom Mankiewicz did...

Richard Donner's 1978 film "Superman" changed how people thought of comic book films. Before this, we had silly superheroes like Adam West's "Batman" series. It was a blast, but it wasn't a serious take on comics or characters like this. "Superman" really started it all, nabbing three Oscar nominations and winning a Special Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects. Christopher Reeve played Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman in his breakout role and starred with the likes of Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, and Margot Kidder.

Both the 1978 film and 1980's "Superman II" were set to be filmed simultaneously, and after shooting a big chunk of the second film in addition to the first one, Donner ("Lethal Weapon," "The Goonies," "Scrooged") was fired from the production. He stated that he was never given a budget or a schedule for the film and was replaced by Richard Lester, who reshot a lot of...

In 2023, we are living in the age of superhero films. The Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Universe, as well as assorted others, have become the dominant form of entertainment these days. Back in the late 1970s, however, superheroes were the stuff of comic books, relegated to the world of camp and kids entertainment. Sure, we'd seen superheroes on TV with shows like "Wonder Woman" and "Batman," with the latter getting a film version as well in 1966, but it was all a bit on the silly side. (This is not a judgment. Campy superheroes are lovely.) Then came the Richard Donner-directed "Superman" in 1978, starring Christopher Reeve in his breakout role. 

This was a whole different kind of superhero film. "Superman" wasn't as dark as some of the comic book movies we have now, but it was indeed taken more seriously than anything we'd seen before. The cast included heavy hitters like Marlon Brando,...

After a decade-plus run as one of Hollywood's premiere television directors, Richard Donner successfully transitioned to filmmaking via the blockbuster horror classic "The Omen." Though he was much older than the industry's hottest helmers of big-budget entertainment, his reputation for knocking out high-quality TV on a tight schedule made him something of a safer bet than his young, boundary-pushing colleagues. He was also well-liked by his crews and a first-rate massager of movie star egos. He was basically a producer's dream.

So why did the production of 1978's "Superman" turn into such a nightmare? Four words: Alexander and Ilya Salkind.

The father-son producer duo had scored a major success with 1973's "The Three Musketeers," but quickly drew the ire of Hollywood's creative unions when they released "The Four Musketeers," a sequel comprised of footage from the initial production, the following year. While multiple lawsuits were filed, the Screen Actors Guild enacted the Salkind Clause,...

Director John Sturges’ final feature is a handsome production that fumbles and stumbles in unexpected ways. Michael Caine and especially Donald Sutherland lead an impossible commando mission to kidnap Winston Churchill right from English soil. Tom Mankiewicz’s dialogue is witty but the tone is all over the place. We don’t know whether it’s the script, the direction or the editing that muffs so many potential bravura moments. On the other hand, every scene with Sutherland and Jenny Agutter is gold. [Imprint] gives us both a theatrical cut and a more satisfying extended cut.

The Eagle Has Landed

Region Free Blu-ray

Viavision [Imprint] 193

1976 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 135 + 151 min. / Street Date December 28, 2023 / Available from / au 69.95

Starring: Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland, Robert Duvall, Jenny Agutter, Donald Pleasence, Anthony Quayle, Jean Marsh, Sven-Bertil Taube, John Standing, Judy Geeson, Treat Williams, Larry Hagman, Joachim Hansen, David Gilliam, Siegfried Rauch, Wolf Kahler, Roy Marsden, Ferdy Mayne.

When Sean Connery returned to the James Bond films after skipping out on "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (which is a great movie but seen as lesser at the time), anticipation was high. In 1971, Connery was Bond. George Lazenby was some pretender. There wasn't a tradition of handing over the character to a new actor yet. This was his grand return, and the film's creatives needed to get it right. They even brought back "Goldfinger" director Guy Hamilton to call the shots. 

On a financial level, everyone was happy. "Diamonds Are Forever" was the third-highest grossing film at the domestic box office in 1971. On an artistic level ... it's one of the worst films in the series. Connery is clearly only in it for the paycheck, the story is weirdly low-stakes and silly, and the Las Vegas setting feels chintzy.

The film does have two major bright spots though. First, there's...

Even from the first few minutes of "Diamonds Are Forever," it's pretty clear that the writing is a little different than past James Bond films. The introduction races along at a breakneck pace with a new one-two-punch dynamism. Sure, it's no "this never happened to the other fellow," a top-tier opening gag from George Lazenby's stint as Bond, but the beginning of "Diamonds Are Forever" is full of promise.

Unfortunately, by the time that body doubles and murderous duos get thrown into the mix, the movie starts to fall apart — there's a reason that "Diamonds Are Forever" ranked #20 out of 24 in our list of Bond films. Nevertheless, the movie's writing keeps a spunky attitude, constantly cracking jokes and unapologetically tossing in ridiculous elements. As it turns out, there might be a good explanation for the unique writing style: the producers made it a point to hire a screenwriter that would let Vegas shine.

Despite recent strides towards diversity in the James Bond universe, Black female rep in the franchise hasn't always been favorable. Of course, it has a bit to do with the political climate that the franchise was born into. Sean Connery's first outing as Bond came in the midst of the Civil Rights movement in the U.S., but Roger Moore's run — which began with "Live and Let Die" — coincided with the Blaxploitation era. That gave producers the leeway to introduce more Black characters to the world of Bond, including villain Dr. Kananga (Yaphet Kotto) and Bond girl Rosie Carver (Gloria Hendry).

While both characters more or less made Bond history, neither feels like a real win in hindsight. "Live and Let Die" pits nearly every Black character against Bond (which is never a good look) and misinterprets key aspects of Black culture in the process. None of this is...

As the first actor to play James Bond, Sean Connery set the bar for decades of iterations to come. His successors may have put their own spins on the character, but when you think of quintessentially Bond behavior — a smooth, detached flirt who tackles any challenge with the utmost confidence — Connery's Bond feels more like a shining example than a blueprint.

Unfortunately though, all good things must come to an end. As his Bond career progressed, Connery became increasingly frustrated with the movies' dependency on "bigger and better gimmicks." By the time that Roger Moore finally took up the mantle, Connery was adamantly out (or at least he would be for another decade). Today it might seem shocking to suggest that two Bond actors appear in a single film, but according to screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz, long-time "Bond" producer Eon Productions was eager for Connery to appear in "Live and Let Die.

Ta-Nehisi Coates is writing the next Superman movie. That good news has come alongside an avalanche of rumor and speculation. THR, for one, reports that unnamed sources say “the project is being set up as a Black Superman story.” Meanwhile Shadow and Act, a website centered on studying African diaspora in the arts and media, confirmed Coates’ involvement while also noting this is a full-fledged reboot with the search for a new Kal-El having yet to begin. Social media has already exploded with predicable reactions.

However, debates about who should play Superman run the risk of obscuring the full potential of a scribe like Ta-Nehisi Coates tackling such a character on a global stage. As a writer famous for his opinion journalism, including his essays for The Atlantic and his National Book Award for Nonfiction for Between the World and Me (2015), Coates has irrefutably demonstrated a brilliant mind—the kind...

When it comes to Old Hollywood screenwriters, there are few names that loom larger than Mankiewicz. That is probably because between two very different Mankiewicz brothers, some of the greatest screenplays of all-time were penned. In the case of Herman J. Mankiewicz that included The Wizard of Oz (1939), San Francisco (1936), The Pride of the Yankees (1942), and a little movie called Citizen Kane (1941). And it’s in the latter’s style filmmaker David Fincher is visiting Mank’s life.

In Fincher’s first film at Netflix, the modern filmmaker is teaming with Gary Oldman, still fresh off his Oscar win for playing Winston Churchill, to offer a highly stylized and intriguing interpretation of the life and times of Herman “Mank” Mankiewicz at time when the silver screen was still black and white, and life in a smoke-filled Tinseltown took on an ambiguous gray.

With a teaser trailer absolutely dripping with atmosphere,...

The director of Arlington Road, The Mothman Prophecies, Pearl Jam’s Jeremy and many more reflects on his career and some of the movies that made him.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Arlington Road (1999)

The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

Firewall (2006)

The Orphanage (2007)

Nostalgia (2018)

Avatar (2009)

Titanic (1997)

Chef (2014)

The Laundromat (2019)

Honeymoon In Vegas (1992)

Demonlover (2003)

Under The Sand (2000)

Mulholland Dr. (2001)

Under The Skin (2013)

The Great Beauty (2013)

Slap Shot (1977)

Network (1976)

Straw Dogs (1971)

The Pawnbroker (1964)

Star Wars (1977)

The Exorcist (1973)

Jaws (1975)

The World’s Greatest Athlete (1973)

All The President’s Men (1976)

Liquid Sky (1982)

The Brother From Another Planet (1984)

City Of Hope (1991)

Stop Making Sense (1984)

Snowpiercer (2013)

The Flintstones (1994)

Matinee (1993)

Batman (1989)

Transformers (2007)

A History Of Violence (2005)

Heaven Can Wait (1978)

Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

Psycho (1960)

Psycho (1998)

Mandy (2018)

Phantom Thread (2017)

Magnolia (1999)

Boogie Nights (1997)

The Master (2012)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

The Mustang (2019)

Inherent Vice (2014)

The New World (2005)

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

The Last Word (2017)

Cocaine Cowboys (2006)

The Burglar (1957)

What Lies Beneath...

David Crow Jul 11, 2019

Gary Oldman will play Herman Mankiewicz for David Fincher in Mank. It will cover the making of Citizen Kane and The Wizard of Oz.

David Fincher and Gary Oldman finally working together feels like it’s destined to be movie history, but the fact that it’s occurring for a Herman Mankiewicz biopic is doubly on-the-nose. The film, which will reveal how a newspaper man became the screenwriter of what many consider to be the finest film ever produced, 1941’s Citizen Kane, is set-up for Fincher at Netflix, indicative of an ever growing relationship between the streaming service and Oscar nominated auteur. It also promises to be a personal film for the director as his own father, Jack Fincher, wrote the screenplay.

The film, which is currently titled Mank, is one Fincher has wanted to make since 1997—so after Se7en and The Game but before Fight Club...

As Phoebe Waller-Bridge puts a spring in Bond 25’s step, we salute the craft of Hollywood’s rewrite maestros, from Carrie Fisher to Quentin Tarantino

Script doctors are the well-remunerated but mostly unsung heroes of the film world, usually brought in to pep up lacklustre dialogue, help nail that difficult third act and generally give the movie an extra touch of class. Recruited from the ranks of established/hot writers, the gig can be seen as a lucrative payday, with little opprobrium attached if the picture is a flop and high praise if it is seen as having benefited from their input.

In the words of rewrite king Tom Mankiewicz: “It’s one of the few times when the writer has a certain control over a film, because you’re coming in when the people on the film are at their most insecure, after all, if you’re there,...

The behind the scenes upheaval that plagued Christopher Reeves Superman films is legendary to fans. Though Richard Donner helmed 1978’s classic Superman: The Movie and made it a barnstorming success, the producers fell out with him during production on Superman II, causing him to be replaced by Richard Lester and making the final cut of the sequel something of a blend between Donner’s style and Lester’s more light-hearted approach.

Lester was retained for Superman III as well, which everyone agrees is far inferior to the two movies that came before, probably due to the absence of Donner and his screenwriting partner Tom Mankiewicz. And now, in a recent interview, Donner’s revealed what he would have done in the third film and it definitely sounds a whole lot better than what we got. In short, he would’ve introduced one of the Man of Steel’s greatest enemies,...

Mike Cecchini Dec 17, 2018

Richard Donner reflects on the legacy of Superman, the greatness of Christopher Reeve's performance, and why we still need the Man of Steel.

Superman: The Movie, one of the most important and influential superhero movies of all time, celebrates its 40th anniversary this month. The film remains the template for all superhero movies, and its influence can still be seen in some of the most revered films of the genre, notably the X-Men movies, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, and Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman. Marvel Studios mastermind Kevin Feige routinely cites it as an inspiration, and famed DC Comics writer and DC Films producer Geoff Johns has never been shy about the influence of Richard Donner's Superman movies on his own work.

While Donner's association with Superman and his world ended midway through the troubled production of Superman II, the director...

By Todd Garbarini

Richard Donner’s spectacular 1978 film, Superman: The Movie, arguably the greatest comic book movie of all-time (Imho), will be screened at Laemmle’s Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills in a 4K Digital Cinema Package (Dcp) presentation on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 at 7:30 pm. The 143-minute film, which stars Christopher Reeve in the title role, with Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, and Margot Kidder, made us all believe that a man could fly.

Please Note: At press time, several of the supporting performers in the film will be on hand to discuss their roles (please read the press release below for more info).

From the press release:

Superman (1978)

40th Anniversary Screening

Cast members joining for Q&A

New 4K Dcp

Tuesday, October 9, at 7:30 Pm

Ahyra Fine Arts Theatre

Laemmle Theatres and the Anniversary Classics Series present a 40th anniversary screening of the film that launched the comic book movie craze,...

When considering that this week would have been Christopher Reeve's 66th birthday, we find ourselves reflecting on an interview he gave in which a reporter asked, “How do you define a hero?” Christopher considered the question a moment before responding. Finally he noted, “For me, personally, a hero is somebody who will make sacrifices for others without expecting a reward.” “Superman is all that,” mused the interviewer. “That’s what I try to play,” Christopher replied. Then came the biggie: “How about Christopher Reeve? Is he a hero?" The answer was an honest one. “I don’t know,” he said. “I can’t start leaping to those conclusions.” (Photo Credit: Warner Bros) Thankfully, the rest of the world can and did, given the global response to the actor’s passing on Oct. 10, 2004, nearly a decade after the horseback riding accident that paralyzed him from the neck down. Lesser men might have given up,...