News

A gripping crime thriller starring The Avengers' Samuel L. Jackson and an all-star cast is set to stream for free, bringing intense action and high-stakes drama.

Starting April 1, 2025, fans of high-stakes thrillers can revisit The Negotiator, one of Jackson’s most underrated films, as it arrives on Tubi. The 1998 crime drama, directed by F. Gary Gray, blends suspense, action, and psychological tension, keeping audiences on edge until the very last moment. With its gripping storyline and powerhouse performances, the film remains a standout in the crime thriller genre decades after its release.

A High-Stakes Battle of Wits

In The Negotiator, Jackson stars as Danny Roman, a top hostage negotiator for the Chicago Police Department who finds himself framed for corruption and murder. With his reputation and life on the line, Roman takes an entire office hostage in a desperate bid to prove his innocence. He demands to negotiate with Chris...

Tom Cruise reached a milestone early in his career with 1992's A Few Good Men. The acclaimed legal drama added another genre to his impressive range of films.

Tubi is streaming 1992's A Few Good Men for free this April. This legal drama had a stacked ensemble led by Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kiefer Sutherland, J.T. Walsh, and Kevin Bacon. The film was a box office hit, grossing $243 million against a $40 million budget. It also set a benchmark for the genre with its tense narrative and pacing, and the entire cast's performance was gripping. Released after Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July, and Far and Away, A Few Good Men also showcased Cruise's serious acting. It's also a breakout film for Demi Moore, who up to that point was known for romantic dramas and rom-coms.

Moore played Jag attorney Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway, superior...

March 17, 1951 was a great day in history, because that’s the day Kurt Vogel Russell entered the world. And while he would go on to become one of the biggest icons of the eighties and nineties, many folks don’t know that Russell started as a child star for The Walt Disney Company, even acting opposite his future life partner Goldie Hawn in The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968) – although they wouldn’t get together until Russell ended up in another movie starring Goldie Hawn, Swing Shift (1984). From the sixties into the seventies, he starred in Disney flicks like The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), but as the studio’s movies started to flop and Russell got older, a change of pace was needed. Arguably, Russell’s career took off when he began working with director John Carpenter, with the first movie being 1979’s TV movie Elvis, but what...

Even in its most buoyant moments, Stephen Frears’s The Grifters retains a palpable, stifling air of desperation and moral rot. The trio of grifters at the center of the 1990 crime thriller are introduced via a visual triptych, in which each of them are donning designer sunglasses and a slick outfit as they ready themselves for their respective cons. But despite their suave appearances, these schemers—Lilly (Anjelica Huston), Roy (John Cuscack), and Myra (Annette Bening)—aren’t living large.

There are no obscenely rich marks, no luxurious locales, no big score that’ll allow them to sail off into the sunset. No, while Lilly skims a little off the top of her employer’s winnings at a horse racetrack, Roy heads to a dive bar for a money swap that nets him a whopping $10 and Myra seduces a jewelry shop owner. Roy later works a similar scam that earns...

Warning: This article discusses drugs and violence.

Author Stephen King has written some incredible stories over the years, but some are much better than their movie adaptations. Stephen King’s books and short stories make brilliant films and TV shows, but the King of Horror’s narratives are often so unique and complex that it’s hard for them to be translated to the screen properly. While many of Stephen King’s movies are legendary pieces of cinema, some just don’t hit the mark.

There are several reasons why these adaptations are worse than their book counterparts. Some are simply bad films, some fail to follow their source material properly, and there is even an instance of one tale being adapted so poorly that King’s work can’t be identified. Hopefully, the upcoming Stephen King movie and TV adaptations over the next few years can learn from these mistakes.

The bond between siblings has been a longtime fascination for film and television shows, leading to some of the most famous brother and sister duos in film and television history. Those who think romance is the pinnacle of an interesting relationship need to look closer at these memorable bonds between sibling characters. Popular shows like Supernatural have a brother duo as their main characters, and one of Disney's biggest hits, Frozen, is all about the love between sisters rather than a princess and prince finding each other.

Besides brother and brother and sister with sister duos, though, there are also very memorable brother and sister characters at the heart of the best TV shows and movies ever. The relationships between siblings can lead to some unique storylines within television or movies. Whether it's being as protective as possible or having characters who wind each other up, there is something funny...

In the early nineties, Tom Cruise was at a crossroads in his career. As he approached thirty, the time was fast approaching when he could no longer play the kind of “cool young guy” role that had made his eighties movies such huge successes. Indeed, the formula was starting to wear thin, with Days of Thunder underperforming at the U.S. box office. His follow-up, Far and Away, performed even worse, landing with a thud at the North American box office, despite it re-teaming Cruise with his now wife Nicole Kidman, whose career was starting to take off. It was time for Cruise to tweak the kind of movies he was making, and sure enough, his next film, A Few Good Men, would kick off a streak of 5 back-to-back $100 million hits, which would make him the most bankable actor in the world.

A Few Good Men was based on a play by Aaron Sorkin,...

Horror fans love a sequel! Paramount Scares is back with another limited-edition collection of terrifying films, all available for the first time in 4K Ultra HD. Paramount Scares Vol. 2 is out now from Paramount Home Entertainment. It follows last year's incredible box set, the first Paramount Scares, which also collected new 4K Uhd releases of horror films from Paramount Pictures, along with a bunch of cool bonus features and exclusive merchandise.

This new collectible box set is a little stranger in its selections, but that eccentricity makes it a unique bos. It includes four very different films that offer an exciting mix of all that the horror genre has to offer. From a knife-wielding maniac in Friday the 13th Part II, to the twisted thrills of Orphan: First Kill, the terrifying zombie hordes of World War Z, and the psychological terror of Breakdown, this is another must-own collection that delivers...

"Make me believe why I should deal with you ever again!" Time for yet another Classic Trailer Rewatch session. Back to the 90s for another big summer movie from that era. The Negotiator was one of the big summer movies in 1998, opening at the end of July after lots of early hype. I remember being very excited to watch it and find out what was going on, and I recall everyone else being into it, too. Strangely checking the box office numbers, it only ended up earning $44M on a $43.M budget. I thought it was a bigger hit - but I guess not! In a desperate attempt to prove his innocence, a skilled police negotiator accused of corruption and murder takes hostages in a government office to gain the time he needs to find the truth. I love the twist in this - the expert negotiator becomes the hostage...

The studio objected to one story detail involving Tom Cruise and Demi Moore's characters in A Few Good Men, the actress reveals. Directed by Rob Reiner with a script written by Aaron Sorkin based on his stage play of the same name, the 1992 legal drama follows two military lawyers tasked with defending two marines charged with murdering a fellow marine. Cruise and Moore star in lead roles as the lawyers, with the cast also including Jack Nicholson, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Pollak, J.T. Walsh, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Kiefer Sutherland.

Appearing on Variety's series in which actors are quizzed on lines from their most famous movies, Moore revealed that the studio objected to one story detail involving her and Cruise's characters in A Few Good Men. Watch the portion of the video below, starting at the 10:00 minute mark:

Moore revealed that the studio objected to her and Cruise's characters...

Before Jonathan Mostow attempted to break out with big sci-fi films like the much-maligned Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and the Bruce Willis movie Surrogates, he made a humble little missing persons thriller with Kurt Russell called Breakdown. The film’s plot would involve one of the worst situations to have while traveling cross-country in the middle of nowhere and it is also one of our picks for the 10 Best Kurt Russell Movies. The paranoia film is an underrated gem that features one of the last great performances of the late J.T. Walsh. Blu-ray.com has now reported that Breakdown will soon be getting a 4K physical media release from Paramount Home Media Distribution. The cast that rounds out the film includes Kathleen Quinlan, M.C. Gainey, and Jack Noseworthy. And the description reads, “All roads lead to excitement with Kurt Russell in reakdown, the non-stop thrill ride that’s ‘a movie of nerve-frying intensity…...

Kurt Russell-headlined thriller Breakdown is coming to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in the UK – more details here.

It took a fair amount of time between the film’s US and UK release for the movie Breakdown to land in cinemas over here. If memory serves, by the time it did – in an era of heavily staggered release dates – the film was already on video in the US. Still, Breakdown was absolutely worth the weight, arguably the high point in Kurt Russell’s run of 1990s hit movies.

Directed by Jonathan Mostow (and it’d be a film that’d prove a stepping stone to him getting the Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines job), Breakdown co-stars Kathleen Quinlan and J T Walsh (in one of his final roles), and the conceit is a simple one: a couple break down, the husband stays with the car, the wife gets a...

Quick Links Needful Things Plot and Cast Needful Things Performed Badly at The Box Office Needful Things Found a Second Life with a Cult Following

When it comes to horror, you would be hard-pressed to think of a name more influential than Stephen King, particularly in movie adaptations. With over 350 movies drawing influence from his original works, many projects are loved, and almost equal numbers are despised; for every Shining and Misery, you get a Dreamcatcher and The Lawnmower Man. Still, out of so many films, there are bound to be a few that fall through the cracks, deserving of greater attention but largely forgotten with time.

1993's Needful Things falls into the latter category. The movie was a box office flop and critically panned on release, pushing it to be a side note in the ever-growing list of Stephen King adaptations. However, with time, the movie has found a cult following,...

A few months ago, I wrote an article listing ten movies that – despite being well known – were difficult to find (legally) on any streaming service or even on disc. Those titles ranged from Ron Howard’s Cocoon to movies like Dawn of the Dead (the original). In the comments, many of our readers chimed in with their two cents on films they’ve found difficult to find over the years, so here are a few more challenging-to-find flicks, some of which may surprise you.

Panic Room:

The fact that David Fincher’s Panic Room has never been issued on Blu-ray blows me away. It’s been announced a few times, but a physical release never seems to happen (although you can stream it in HD pretty easily). What gives? You’d think the fact that it has Fincher’s name on it, and stars Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker,...

When Kurt Russell shed his Disney child star image once and for all as the leathery, laconic renegade Snake Plissken in John Carpenter's dystopian action hit "Escape from New York," he seemed poised for a long career as a handsome, rough-and-tumble leading man, the John Wayne-Steve McQueen hybrid America needed now that both had hit the soil. Russell, however, had other plans.

For starters, Russell didn't dig the laconic shtick. After a tonally similar performance as the perpetually cheesed-off R.J. MacReady in Carpenter's "The Thing," the actor sought to send up his tough-guy persona in goofball action flicks like "Big Trouble in Little China" and "Tango & Cash." He also gleefully made a fool of himself in broad comedies (memorably/infamously in "Overboard" and "Captain Ron"), while playing in-over-their-heads everymen in thrillers like "The Mean Season" and "Unlawful Entry." He could still do the gruff act when...

A Backdraft remake with Glen Powell is in development, seemingly announced by producer Brian Grazer. The original film was praised for its special effects, though its belated sequel did not perform well. The remake aims to improve on its special effects using AI and digital technology.

A Backdraft remake is seemingly in development with a Top Gun: Maverick star. Directed by Ron Howard, with a script by Gregory Wilden, the 1991 action thriller follows two rival firefighters and brothers who team up to investigate a series of fires involving oxygen-induced infernos called backdrafts in Chicago. Kurt Russell leads the film's ensemble cast alongside William Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rebecca De Mornay, Donald Sutherland, Robert De Niro, Jason Gedrick, and J.T. Walsh.

Now, over 30 years after the original movie, a Backdraft remake with Glen Powell is seemingly in development, as announced by Brian Grazer, a producer and co-founder of Imagine Entertainment,...

Ron Howard is reportedly developing a sequel to the 1991 hit film Backdraft, and Glen Powell is said to be considering joining up.

Here’s an interesting story which suggests that Backdraft, the 1991 firefighting drama may be getting a sequel. Well, another sequel that is given that Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released a direct-to-video follow-up in 2019. Given that Ron Howard’s production company are involved this time though, we’d imagine that should this come to fruition, this one would be a proper bells and whistles sequel with a sizeable budget and lots of movie stars.

One movie star whose name was almost certain to pop up was that of Glen Powell.

He’s the man of the moment right now and he’s not averse to putting in a turn in legacy follow-ups either. Powell is currently appearing in Twisters, a loose follow-up to the 1996 film, Twister. He’s also...

You know, in some film circles, Ron Howard gets a lot of guff for being a "boring" director. But I think that's unfair. Sure, Howard has some duds in his directorial career, but he also has some home runs. "Apollo 13" is an exciting "based on a true story" flick, "The Paper" is a nifty look at the world of newspaper journalism, the underrated "Cinderella Man" is a stellar boxing drama. And then there's "Backdraft," Howard's 1991 thriller about firefighters. To be fair, the "Backdraft" script is a bit weak, but the film itself is action-packed and boasts some incredible visual effects that use real fire. The film also has a killer cast, including Robert De Niro, the late, great Donald Sutherland, Jennifer Jason Leigh, J.T. Walsh, Scott Glenn, and, of course, Kurt Russell. 

Russell plays Lieutenant Stephen "Bull" McCaffrey, a really cool guy who is also a damn good firefighter.

In Jonathan Mostow's 1997 thriller "Breakdown," Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan play a happily married couple driving their high-tech SUV from Boston to San Diego. By accident, they almost run into a pickup truck on the remote highways of Arizona. When Russell later meets the driver of the pickup (M.C. Gainey) at a gas station, tensions are high. Later still, when Russell and Quinlan are back on the road, their car suddenly stops. Quinlan offers to hitchhike into town to get help, while Russell stays with the SUV. It will be quite a while before they see each other again. It seems that Quinlan has been kidnapped! Russell has to drive around Arizona's remote backroads looking for clues, and eventually, he faces off against the kidnappers. "Breakdown" also stars the immortal J.T. Walsh, and a punky Jack Noseworthy.

The film is Hitchcockian in its trimness, and Mostow wrings every bit...

Sometimes, a movie comes along that you never knew you needed, slaps you straight across the mug, and wakes you up to its wonderful gifts such was the case with me and Kurt Russell's underrated '90s thriller Breakdown. This movie was like an adrenaline shot of thrills and unintentional laughs all wrapped up in a tight 90 minutes. On top of it all is Russell's devoted and over-the-top everyman performance, the movie's crowning achievement. That doesn't make Russell the only great performer in the film though. Breakdown features a wonderful cast full of several notable "that guy" actors of its era. M.C. Gainey and J.T. Walsh are two of the many fun and sinister faces that you'll find standing in Russell's way, making this movie a great game of "Where's Waldo" for B-actors. If you're in the market for a wild thriller and want to see Russell try to...

Only '90s kids raised in video stores — or, more likely, their dads — will recall Luis Llosa's 1993 military thriller "Sniper" with any clarity. "Sniper" stars Tom Berenger as Master Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Beckett as he becomes lost in the jungle while trying to complete an assassination mission with a militarily inexperienced sharpshooter played by Billy Zane. The bulk of the film takes place in the woods of Colombia, although it was shot in Australia. The film was well-liked but critics noted that it was pretty generic; Roger Ebert gave "Sniper" three stars, noting that it was competent but lacked originality. The film boasts a 38 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but that comes from a mere 13 reviews.

What only fans of "Sniper" might know is that Tom Berenger returned to play Thomas Beckett in Craig R. Baxley's "Sniper 2" in 2002 and P.J. Pesce's "Sniper 3" in 2004. These two sequels...

In 1994, professional basketball was all the rage, largely thanks to the rise of Michael Jordan and the historic run of three back-to-back NBA championships across 1991, 1992, and 1993, as chronicled in "The Last Dance" documentary series. Before his domination of the NBA, Jordan was considered a blue chip player, an athlete regarded as a hot prospect to be drafted into a professional franchise. Jordan gained blue chip status out of high school in the early 1980s, but he'd go on to attend college at University of North Carolina before being drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984. It wouldn't be until 10 years after Jordan's draft that "The Exorcist" and "The French Connection" director William Friedkin would direct a movie about the corrupt and complicated practice of college recruitment for sports in the perfect basketball movie, "Blue Chips."

"Blue Chips," released in 1994, follows Nick Nolte as Pete Bell, head coach of the fictional Western University Dolphins in Los Angeles.

Over a year after his untimely death in May 2022, Ray Liotta has just been honored with a Primetime Emmy nomination for his supporting performance on the Apple TV+ limited series “Black Bird.” This recognition comes after he received Critics Choice and Gold Derby TV Award notices for the same role. As the 11th person (and first in 25 years) to posthumously compete for an Emmy as a non-continuing program performer, he is just one step away from breaking new ground as the first deceased limited series acting winner in TV academy history.

Liotta’s “Black Bird” character, James Keene Sr., is the father of real-life convict James Keene Jr., whose 10-year prison sentence for dealing narcotics was ultimately shortened after he helped coax a confession out of serial killer Larry Hall. Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser also received 2023 Emmy nominations for their respective lead and supporting performances as Keene Jr.

If you've read Bryan Christopher's Catalog From The Beyond or you've listened to our member-exclusive audio commentary, then you know we're fans of Fraser C. Heston's adaptation of Stephen King's Needful Things here at Daily Dead, so it's especially thrilling that Kino Lorber will release the 1993 film on 4K Uhd along with a Blu-ray of the movie's 191-minute TV cut!

On Facebook, Kino Lorber announced a July 25th release date for their new 4K Uhd / Blu-ray of Needful Things. Below, we have a look at the cover art and full list of special features, including a new interview with screenwriter W.D. Richter on the Blu-ray of the TV cut:

From Kino Lorber: "Coming July 25th on 4Kuhd and Blu-ray!

https://kinolorber.com/product/needful-things-4kuhd

https://kinolorber.com/pro.../needful-things-special-edition

Needful Things (1993)

Disc 1 (4Kuhd):

• Brand New Hdr/Dolby Vision Master (Theatrical Cut) – From a 4K Scan...

There are two versions of the Stephen King adaptation Needful Things (watch it Here): the 2 hour theatrical cut and a 3 hour version that airs only on TBS and has never gotten a proper home video release. That’s about to change, as Kino Lorber has confirmed that their upcoming 4K Uhd and Blu-ray release of Needful Things, which is set to be released on July 25th, will contain both the theatrical cut and the 191 minute TV cut! Copies of this release can be pre-ordered at This Link. It goes for the price of $26.57 and only ships to the United States and Canada.

Needful Things was directed by Fraser C. Heston (the son of Charlton Heston) from a screenplay by Buckaroo Banzai director / Big Trouble in Little China writer W.D. Richter. Here’s the synopsis: When a creepy older man named Leland Gaunt moves to a small town in Maine...

Kino Lorber Studio Classics has announced today that they’re bringing 1993 Stephen King adaptation Needful Things to Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD, releasing on July 25, 2023.

Of particular note, the 191-minute television cut of Needful Things is being included on a Blu-ray disc, which marks the first time it’s been released on home video here in the States.

IMDb explains, “On May 22, 1996, the TBS network aired a 191-minute extended edition. The extra footage includes more of the citizens of Castle Rock and their lives, namely the character of Cora Rusk, played by Lisa Blount, shown only in passing in the current version.”

Special Features include…

Disc 1 (4Kuhd):

Brand New Hdr/Dolby Vision Master (Theatrical Cut) – From a 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative Audio Commentary by Director Fraser C. Heston, Moderated by Scorpion Releasing’s Walt Olsen 5.1 Surround and 2.0 Lossless Audio Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc Optional English Subtitles

Disc...

A Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson Collaboration almost always guaranteed a great movie. The '90s was a particularly exciting time to be a film fan, with the emergence of some major actors and filmmakers. As an actor, Jackson had been stealing movies for years, including Spike Lee's Jungle Fever, but it was Quentin Tarantino who made Jackson a movie star with Pulp Fiction. He's rarely stopped working in the years since, and whether the movies themselves are good or bad, he always makes them worth seeing.

The success of Pulp Fiction helped the careers of every major cast member and showed a new side to Die Hard star Bruce Willis. This also kicked off a series of acting collaborations between Willis and Jackson, some of which rank among their most successful projects. The two actors always seemed to bring out the best in one another, but how...

Author Stephen King is a master of nightmares, and that means that sometimes moments from his novels just don't quite make the jump to the screen. Some things are simply too horrendous to be committed to celluloid, while others just don't translate with the right level of emotion. Back in 1990 when Rob Reiner made his film version of King's novel "Misery," one scene was just never going to get past the MPAA, and another wasn't going to make it past hardened horror fans. 

While director Rob Reiner decided to change the infamous hobbling sequence to make it less gory (but somehow made it grosser), there was one sequence in King's novel that he deemed too silly to film. In "Misery," Annie Wilkes, played by Kathy Bates, keeps author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) captive while she forces him to write a sequel to her favorite book series. The one chance Paul...

History was made when the 2022 Primetime Emmy nominations were announced, as Chadwick Boseman (“What If…?”) and Jessica Walter (“Archer”) became the first pair of direct competitors to be recognized posthumously. They are both up for the Best Character Voice-Over Performance prize after having passed away in August 2020 and March 2021, respectively.

Walter is now the only performer to ever receive two post-death Emmy bids, having just contended in the same category last summer. Now including Boseman, the list of departed acting Emmy nominees consists of 26 entrants, four of whom were honored with wins.

The first actor to be nominated for and win an Emmy posthumously was Alice Pearce, who was awarded the Best Comedy Supporting Actress trophy for “Bewitched” two months after her death in 1966. The other three champs, all of whom triumphed for TV movie performances, are supporting players David Burns and Diana Hyland and lead Raul Julia.

Two more...

Writer, director and actor Michael Showalter joins hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss his favorite movies.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

The Baxter (2005)

Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015)

Runaway Daughters (1994)

Clueless (1995)

Bagdad Cafe (1987)

Coda (2021)

The Long Goodbye (1973) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Jaws (1975) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Do The Right Thing (1989)

Sugarbaby (1985)

City Slickers (1991)

Attack! (1956) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Paris, Texas (1984) – Karyn Kusama’s trailer commentary

Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)

Pretty In Pink (1986)

Escape From New York (1981) – Neil Marshall’s trailer commentary

Hamburger: The Motion Picture (1986)

The Warriors (1979)

The Thing (1982) – Jesus Treviño’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Innerspace (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Christine (1983)

Crossing Delancey (1988)

Annie Hall (1977) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary

When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

The Fugitive (1993)

The Big Sick (2017) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Between The Lines...

Every once in a while a movie makes me think, ‘this one’s too good to review, just tell them to see it and they’ll understand.’ John Cusack is a penny-ante small stakes cheat, his girlfriend Annette Bening hooks on the side while seeking a partner for ‘long cons,’ and his mother is an operative for the Mob, placing large bets at the race track to manipulate the odds on select horses. Each worships the ‘left-handed form of human endeavor’ and depends on it to the degree that human trust just can’t be maintained. Paramount’s plain wrap re-issue touts the film’s four Oscar nominations; the Stephen Frears film is the best adaptation yet of a Jim Thompson crime novel.

The Grifters

Blu-ray + Digital

Paramount

1990 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 110 min. / Street Date July 27, 2021 / 13.99

Starring: John Cusack, Anjelica Huston, Annette Bening, Pat Hingle, J.T. Walsh, Noelle Harling, Charles Napier,...

David Mamet’s gangster fable benefits from a casting match made in heaven — Don Ameche and Joe Mantegna. A shoeshine vendor is tapped to take a rap for a mob boss, but the hoodlum delivering him to court instead takes him on a two-day escape to Reno … against mob orders. It’s low-key comedy with delightful characters and the sobering knowledge that the weekend will end in jail … or the morgue. After a thirty-year hiatus Ameche makes a marvelous return to starring glory… just think, a Mamet film where we really warm up to the players!

Things Change

Region B Blu-ray

Powerhouse Indicator

1988 / Color / 1:85 / 100 min. / Street Date March 22, 2021 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £15.99

Starring: Don Ameche, Joe Mantegna, Robert Prosky, J.J. Johnston, Ricky Jay, Mike Nussbaum, Jack Wallace, William H. Macy, J.T. Walsh, Felicity Huffman, Sara Eckhardt, Karen Kohlhaas, Paul Butler.

Cinematography: Juan Ruiz Anchía

Film Editor: Trudy Ship...

J.T. Walsh was a brilliant actor who had the ability to infiltrate himself in various movies and roles without making a big scene. Best known for his roles in Sling Blade, A Few Good Men and Dark Skies, in his 23 years as an actor, he accomplished a lot and was nominated for Primetime Emmy for his role in the movie, Hope.

Related: J.T. Walsh Was Hollywood's Ultimate Go-To Villain

Sadly, in 1998, the actor passed away from a heart attack at Grossmont Hospital in San Diego. He was a late bloomer and began his career at 31, which arguably didn't give him enough time to meet his full potential.

Actor/Producer David Arquette joins Joe & Josh to discuss the movies that made him.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Scream (1996)

Never Been Kissed (1999)

3,000 Miles To Graceland (2001)

Bone Tomahawk (2015)

Spree (2020)

Gremlins (1984)

Muppets From Space (1999)

It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)

Unforgiven (1992)

The World According To Garp (1982)

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)

Slap Shot (1977)

The World of Henry Orient (1964)

Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961)

Insomnia (2002)

One Hour Photo (2002)

The Long Goodbye (1973)

A History Of Violence (2005)

Last House On the Left (1972)

The Tripper (2006)

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910)

The Wizard of Oz (1925)

Funny Bones (1995)

There’s Something About Mary (1998)

The Gold Rush (1925)

The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981)

Wild Style (1982)

The Shining (1980)

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

Dreamscape (1984)

Brainstorm (1983)

The Dead Zone (1983)

The Warriors (1979)

Commando (1985)

Somewhere In Time (1980)

Escape From New York (1981)

Being There (1979)

The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980)

Targets (1968)

Pleasantville (1998)

Hidden Agenda...

Ed Harris has popped up a few times in my Catalog From the Beyond’s coverage, which isn’t surprising considering he’s one of my favorite character actors of all time. He brings an intensity that always seems like he’s on the brink of a meltdown in any movie he’s in, from a vengeful gangster in A History of Violence to an obsessed LARPer in George Romero’s Knightriders. The dude even dances like a nut in Creepshow. As it turns out, this simmering rage is the perfect fit for the lead in another Stephen King property, 1993’s Needful Things.

Based on King’s 1991 novel, Needful Things features Harris as Castle Rock sheriff Alan Pangborn, who’s settled into what he thinks will be a quiet life after leaving the Pittsburgh police force. As the movie opens, things are looking up, as he proposed to local diner owner Polly Chalmers.

Mark Harrison Dec 26, 2018

Pleasantville is a big-screen treatment of small screen nostalgia, and it's a movie that deserves more attention.

This article comes from Den of Geek UK.

This feature contains spoilers for Pleasantville.

When Gary Ross’ Pleasantville was released on DVD in the UK, its cover bore a Total Film review pull-quote labelling it as “The Truman Show meets Back to the Future.” It’s the kind of description that sounds bang-on but doesn’t actually do the film any favors. Judging by the numbers, it certainly didn't help its box office performance at the time. Scanning more like a feature-length Twilight Zone story than a knockabout fantasy comedy, this technically brilliant film weaves an interesting teen movie-cum-civil rights drama around a fictional 1950s sitcom called Pleasantville.

In the film, high-schooler David (Tobey Maguire) is a child of divorce and a devoted Pleasantville geek, who clearly enjoys retreating into...

Could Miguel Ferrer become a posthumous Emmy nominee for “Twin Peaks: The Return”? The veteran character actor died of throat cancer in January 2017 after he shot the Showtime revival, in which he reprised his role as FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield. The TV academy often rewards stars who have died with nominations for their final performances, so could Ferrer compete for Best Movie/Mini Supporting Actor? Despite a long list of TV credits including “The Stand” (1994), “Crossing Jordan” (2001-2007), “NCIS: Los Angeles” (2012-2017) and many more, he never earned an Emmy nomination during his lifetime.

Ferrer first appeared in the original “Twin Peaks” in a recurring role as an abrasive and sarcastic FBI forensics specialist assisting Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) in his murder investigation in the title town. And he also appeared in the 1992 prequel film “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.” The 18-episode limited run in 2017 found him...

Satire, serial killers, swords, and Shannyn Sossamon.

I’m here to tell you that there’s a cinematic streaming goldmine available on Hulu that includes recent hits, older classics, domestic releases, and foreign imports. It’s even home to hundreds of Criterion titles (for now). Sure there’s plenty of filler and seemingly thousands of titles I’ve never heard of before, but I’m not here to talk about possible gems like Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell… I’m here to recommend some good movies to watch this month on Hulu.

Pick of the Month: In the Loop (2009)

These are rough, troubling, and disappointing times we’re living in, and while it’s no cure, laughter is most definitely a medicine for the blues. To that end, Armando Iannucci’s In the Loop — a feature film riff on his series, The Thick of It — is like an epic dose of comical vitamin C. Incredibly...

Hey, Toronto! The Twitch curated RussellMania! The Legend Of Kurt Russell retrospective at the Tiff Bell Lightbox may be approaching its end but we aint done yet! Things continue this week with an August 22nd screening of Breakdown and we want you to be there!While driving cross-country to their new life in California, Jeff Taylor (Kurt Russell) and his wife Amy (Kathleen Quinlan) have their car break down in the middle of the desert. Accepting a ride from a friendly trucker (J.T. Walsh), Amy heads to a nearby diner to call for help while Jeff stays with the car. After several hours, the bewildered and worried Jeff makes his way to the diner on foot, and finds that no one has seen Amy at all...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Lawyers in motion pictures have been portrayed as one of two extremes, devils or angels, almost since celluloid was invented. The first film dealing specifically with a law firm and attorneys, 1933’s Counsellor at Law, starring John Barrymore, portrayed its J.D.s as upstanding citizens, as did the early Perry Mason films of the same period. This quickly changed, however, with many attorneys portrayed as being capable of the same brand of skullduggery as their shifty clients. With that in mind, we bring you a list of the good, the bad and the ugly of lawyers in movies. Enjoy, and please refrain from suing us if you feel otherwise...

1. Devil’s Advocate (1997)

Keanu Reeves plays Kevin Lomax, a hot-shot young Florida lawyer who is all about climbing the ladder. When he gets an offer he can’t refuse from a high-powered New York firm, led by the legendary John Milton...

By Alex Simon

Lawyers in motion pictures have been portrayed as one of two extremes, devils or angels, almost since celluloid was invented. The first film dealing specifically with a law firm and attorneys, 1933’s Counsellor at Law, starring John Barrymore, portrayed its J.D.s as upstanding citizens, as did the early Perry Mason films of the same period. This quickly changed, however, with many attorneys portrayed as being capable of the same brand of skullduggery as their shifty clients. With that in mind, we bring you a list of the good, the bad and the ugly of lawyers in movies.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Gregory Peck’s Atticus Finch became the boilerplate for the Noble Movie Lawyer in this iconic, 1962 adaptation of Harper Lee’s award-winning novel. Atticus Finch, a small town attorney in the Depression-era South, must defend a black man (Brock Peters) falsely accused of raping a white woman,...

Nothing is ever the same again in Castle Rock after Leland Gaunt shows up and opens his antiques store, Needful Things. There’s something for everyone in Gaunt’s shop, but instead of money, the prices must be paid through devious, deadly deeds. Based on Stephen King’s 1991 novel of the same name, Needful Things (1993) is making its Us Blu-ray debut via Kino Lorber.

Kino Lorber will release Needful Things on Blu-ray this June with a new audio commentary from director Fraser Clarke Heston. Fans of the film no doubt are wondering if this home media release will include the extended TV version that features around an extra hour of footage. Kino Lorber revealed they do not at this time have the rights to the TV version, but they are pursuing them and will keep fans updated on the procuring process.

We’ll keep Daily Dead readers posted on further developments.

NBC found great success with their stage production of The Sound of Music Live in 2013, and are now ready to unleash Peter Pan Live! this December. Already considering what they may do for an encore in 2015, the network is considering a live staging of A Few Good Men.

The 1992 movie starring Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore was originally based on Aaron Sorkin's play, which will serve as the basis for this live show. The network is already in the stages of working out an agreement with Aaron Sorkin to make the production become a reality. The show put Aaron Sorkin on the map as a writer when it hit Broadway in 1989. And the feature film proved to be a smash hit.

Both the play and the movie adaptation of A Few Good Men follow a court-martial case against two Marines accused of killing a fellow serviceman. Directed by Rob Reiner,...

Stars: Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, Tung Thanh Tran, Chintara Sukapatana, Bruno Kirby, Robert Wuhl, J.T. Walsh, Noble Willingham | Written by Mitch Markowitz | Directed by Barry Levinson

The death of Robin Williams has been publicised massively over the last number of days, a shocking loss to the film industry, Williams was a beloved performer who had many fans, and so obviously there has been an outpouring of emotion since he passed away. I was a fan of Robin Williams and as a fan I have my favourites in terms of his library of films and television, the top of the heap being the 1987 comedy-drama, Good Morning, Vietnam, which I will be reviewing here, in both a tribute to the man himself, but also as a way to talk about one of my personal favourite comedy drama films and one I revisit every year or two and always enjoy.

Written by Mitch Markowitz...

Odd List Ryan Lambie Simon Brew 7 Nov 2013 - 07:02

Our journey through the half-remembered, underappreciated films of the 1990s continues. Here, we look to 1997...

Dominated by the box office behemoth that was James Cameron's Titanic, 1997 was a year of high drama and outlandish special effects. The Lost World: Jurassic Park brought with it a new batch of genetically revived dinosaurs, George Lucas dug his original Star Wars trilogy out of the cupboard and added new (controversial) computer-generated sequences, while Nicolas Cage and John Travolta did impressions of one another and fired guns in John Woo's delirious action movie, Face/Off.

It was a varied year for movies, for sure, particularly by 21st century standards; it's difficult to imagine a British feel-good comedy about amateur male strippers (The Full Monty) getting into the year's 10 highest grossing films these days. But among all those winners, there had to be some...

Exclusive Media will finance and produce the new thriller Still Of Night, written and to be directed by Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3, U-571, Breakdown) and starring Michelle Monaghan (Source Code) with Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking) in final negotiations to star, it was announced today by Exclusive Media Co-Chairmen, Nigel Sinclair and Guy East.

Exclusive Media will produce the film alongside writer/director Jonathan Mostow and Steve Alexander.

A paranoia thriller that builds to a pulse-pounding crescendo, Still Of Night is a smart, stylish ride packed with shocking twists that will give you nightmares – because it could actually happen to you. Katie Tyler (Michelle Monaghan) is an aspiring career woman with everything finally falling into place.until her sister Gwen disappears. Fully aware of Gwen.s tainted past and suddenly left to take care of her young daughter, Katie sets out determined to bring her back. But as...

Chicago – In Feb. 2012, the Music Box Theatre (on Chicago’s north side) offered a challenge to Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert. If he could beat them in predicting the 86th Annual Oscars – as part of his “Outguess Ebert” contest – then the theatre would screen any film chosen by the Pulitzer Prize-winning legend. Roger Ebert presents “Red Rock West” at the Music Box Theatre on May 1, 2012.

“Red Rock West” is a noir thriller from 1994 starring Nicolas Cage, J.T. Walsh, Laura Flynn Boyle and Dennis Hopper, and directed by John Dahl. Cage portrays Michael Williams, a drifter who is mistaken for a hit man hired to kill the wife (Boyle) of a local bar owner (Walsh). Williams takes the upfront money, and attempts to warn the potential victim of the set-up. Things get a bit complicated when the real hit man, “Lyle from Dallas” (Hopper) finally gets to town. Roger Ebert said in his review,...

DVD Playhouse—February 2012

By Allen Gardner

To Kill A Mockingbird 50th Anniversary Edition (Universal) Robert Mulligan’s film of Harper Lee’s landmark novel pits a liberal-minded lawyer (Gregory Peck) against a small Southern town’s racism when defending a black man (Brock Peters) on trumped-up rape charges. One of the 1960s’ first landmark films, a truly stirring human drama that hits all the right notes and isn’t dated a bit. Robert Duvall makes his screen debut (sans dialogue) as the enigmatic Boo Radley. DVD and Blu-ray double edition. Bonuses: Two feature-length documentaries: Fearful Symmetry and A Conversation with Gregory Peck; Featurettes; Excerpts and film clips from Gregory Peck’s Oscar acceptance speech and AFI Lifetime Achievement Award; Commentary by Mulligan and producer Alan J. Pakula; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 2.0 mono.

Outrage: Way Of The Yakuza (Magnolia) After a brief hiatus from his signature oeuvre of Japanese gangster flicks,...

Goooooooood Morning Vietnaaaaam! You have to yell it. I.ll wait. Well, Robin Williams. breakout performance makes the transition to high def with a 25th anniversary edition. Not that there.s much new to celebrate the occasion. 1965, Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams) arrives in Saigon to work as a DJ for Armed Forces Radio. He.s picked up by Pvt. Garlick (Forest Whitaker) but when he arrives at his new job he rubs his superiors, Lt. Hauk (Bruno Kirby) and Sgt. Dickerson (J.T. Walsh), the wrong way. However, he is a hit with the audiences who eat up his comedic patter and Brigadier General Taylor (Noble Willingham) is also a fan so he stays on the air. His love life...

Release Date: Jan. 17, 2012

Price: Blu-ray $20.00, standard-definition digital download $14.99, high-definition digital download $20.00

Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

The high-definition debut of Good Morning, Vietnam is timed to the comedy movie’s 25th birthday.

The 1987 film earned Robin Williams (Old Dogs) an Oscar nomination for his role as an unorthodox deejay who is assigned to the U.S. Armed Services radio station during the war. His humor makes him popular with the troops, to the chagrin of middle management, but soon his job is affected by the realities of the war around him.

Directed by Barry Levinson (You Don’t Know Jack), the movie also stars Forest Whitaker (Platoon), Bruno Kirby (Donnie Brasco) and J.T. Walsh (Pleasantville).

The other star in the drama-infused film is, of course, the soundtrack, including the Beach Boys’ “I Get Around,” James Brown’s “I Feel Good” and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World,” to name a few.