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After a heartbreaking loss to Mikey Madison (Anora) for the Best Actress Oscar, The Substance's Demi Moore's 1996 box office bomb, Striptease, is climbing the global Max top 10 chart. Released during the prime summer season, the film was supposed to be a high-profile box office hit, but ended up being a massive financial failure in North America. It is widely considered one of the worst films of all time.

Striptease was based on Carl Hiassen's 1993 novel and follows Erin Grant, who lost her FBI job after her loser ex-husband, Darrell (Robert Patrick), was arrested for drugs. And soon after, she loses custody of her daughter, Angela to said loser ex-husband. Grant becomes a stripper at the Eager Beaver strip club in Miami, Florida, to get the $15,000 needed to file an appeal for reprieve. Soon, she catches the eye of a creepy Congressman named David Dilbeck (Burt Reynolds).

The movie...

I consider myself something like a student, autodidact or otherwise, of cinema and––even still, must confess––had not ever grasped the concept of Argentine noir. Credit to Criterion Channel, who’ll expand my horizons with February’s program (concisely titled “Argentine Noir”) that includes one known title––Pierre Chenal’s Native Son, an Argentine film from a French director adapting an American novel about the African-American experience in Chicago––and five I look forward to discovering. Retrospective-wise, their wide-reaching Claudette Colbert program could double as a lesson in Old Hollywood, between Capra, Stahl, DeMille, Lubitsch, Sirk, and Sturges. February, of course, brings Black History Month and Valentine’s Day: the former engenders a series featuring films such as Nothing but a Man, Portrait of Jason, and Losing Ground; the latter brings “New York Love Stories,” from Carol to Crossing Delancey to, curiously, Annie Hall, which likely would not have...

First-time screenwriter Kate Gersten had one actress in mind to play the heroine of “The Last Showgirl”: Pamela Anderson. The problem was, Anderson’s then agent didn’t bother to forward the script about a 50-something Vegas dancer struggling to pivot to her next act.

“He threw it in the trash within the hour and never called me,” Anderson says of her former representative. “This was not an agent. He was just someone who brought me work for money.”

Undeterred, the film’s director, Gia Coppola, tracked down Anderson’s son Brandon through mutual friends, and he promised to pass the screenplay along to his mother, who had largely given up on acting and moved to British Columbia.

“I remember coming out of my garden, getting a message from Brandon and sitting at my computer and reading it. And I thought, ‘This is it,’” Anderson recalls. “This is my...

Silence, all you "You couldn't make 'Blazing Saddles' today" fools: it just so happens that Mel Brooks almost wasn't able to make "Blazing Saddles" in 1974. To be fair, Brooks knew going into making the film that he was looking to push buttons and boundaries, extrapolating from the anything-goes ethos of his prior comedy ventures. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly from 2014, Brooks confessed that his primary interest in making his brand of cinematic anarchy was that he "just wanted to exorcise both my angels and demons." Brooks encouraged his writers to "go nuts," on the assumption that Warner Bros. Pictures would see the finished film and refuse to release it.

Although "Blazing Saddles" was eventually released to great acclaim, becoming one of the most beloved comedy films of all time, Brooks' assumption did prove well-founded at one point. Surprisingly, WB didn't take issue with multiple aspects of the movie — and...

“We should write dangerously,” Mel Brooks told the writers he assembled to create his classic comedy, Blazing Saddles. “That’s what this is all about.”

The writers, including Brooks, Richard Pryor and Andrew Bergman, tried to push the envelope as far as it would stretch. Brooks’ only rule was posted on a wall in large print: First, We Laugh. In his memoir, All About Me!, Brooks recalled the only other guidance he gave to his scribes: “Write anything you want. We will never be heard from again. We will all be in jail for making this movie.” If a joke was bizarre or dirty or socially unacceptable, Brooks was all for it — up to a point.

There was one gag he cut from the final version of Blazing Saddles, deeming it “too far,” according to Far Out Magazine. In a movie full of edgy racial jokes and gross-out scatological humor,...

The 1974 western satire, Blazing Saddles, is still to this day, one of Mel Brooks' most iconic and successful films. Blazing Saddles' witty parody and caustic material is still hotly debated in cinema circles, as many believe the film could never get made or remade today. Well, thats only partially true because Blazing Saddles was remade in 2022 with the animated feature Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank. Brooks even officially endorsed and worked on the movie as an executive producer and voice actor. The animated update lifts so heavily from Blazing Saddles that the 1974 film's original writers: Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, and Alan Uger receive writing credits for the remake. While Blazing Saddles was an edgy, adult, groundbreaking comedy for its time, Paws of Fury is aimed squarely at kids. Unfortunately, despite an all-star cast and Brooks' involvement, the film amounts to little more than a half-baked attempt at a remake.

Maika Monroe has a new horror project coming up with the vampire movie Brides, and according to what is known about its story, it will cover an often ignored storyline from Dracula and can even fix it. Maika Monroe has earned a spot among the modern Scream Queens thanks to various horror roles in recent years. Monroe rose to fame when she starred as Jay Height in David Robert Mitchells It Follows. Monroe returned to the genre in 2019 with Villains, a horror comedy in which she starred alongside Bill Skarsgrd.

After starring in the 2022 sci-fi horror movie Significant Other, Monroe had another massive horror hit when she played Lee Harker in Osgood Perkins Longlegs. Also starring Nicolas Cage as the title serial killer, Longlegs was a critical and commercial success, grossing $109 million against a budget of around $10 million. Now, Monroe will continue her path in the horror genre with a new movie titled Brides,...

This article contains mention of sexual assault.

Maika Monroe has been cast in the new horror movie Brides. Monroe is a horror "scream queen" who had her breakout role a decade ago in the 2014 horror film It Follows. More recently, Monroe is known for playing Agent Lee Harker in this year's Nicolas Cage horror film Longlegs. Her other recent roles include parts in God Is a Bullet, Significant Other, and Watcher. She is also slated to star in the upcoming It Follows sequel entitled They Follow.

As per Collider, Monroe has now been cast in an upcoming horror film called Brides. The movie will be directed and written by Chloe Okuno. Brides will be a 1960s-set period piece about a woman named Sally Bishop who travels with her husband to an Italian villa. When the villa's mysterious owner takes note of the couple, he becomes determined to turn Sally into one of his vampire brides.

The classic Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024. In honor of the occasion, the film is making a return with its debut on 4K Uhd.

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has announced that Blazing Saddles is one of three films celebrating a special anniversary this year with a debut on 4K Ultra HD. North by Northwest, which turns 65 this year, is also getting released, as is The Terminator for its 40th anniversary. All three will be dropping on 4K Ultra HD and Digital on Nov. 19, 2024. Additionally, The Wizard of Oz will be getting a new 85th Anniversary Edition on Nov. 5.

Related Josh Gad Confirms Hes Writing Spaceballs 2, Reveals Mel Brooks Reaction

Frozen star Josh Gad is officially writing the hotly-anticipated and long-overdue sequel to Mel Brooks' 1987 sci-fi comedy classic - Spaceballs.

The official description for Blazing Saddles reads, "Ribald, tasteless and hilarious ... this classic spoof of...

From classic thriller to science fiction classic to controversial comedy, three iconic movies are celebrating the anniversaries of their release Blazing Saddles (50th anniversary), North by Northwest (65th anniversary) and The Terminator (40th anniversary), and all three of them will be released for the first time on 4K Ultra HD and Digital on November 19.

Also celebrating anniversaries are The Wizard of Oz (85th anniversary), which will be available in an 85th Anniversary Theater Edition on November 5 and The Polar Express (20th anniversary), which was released on 4K in 2022.

Released in 1974, Blazing Saddles, which returned to theaters last month to mark the milestone, has been called ribald, tasteless and...hilarious. This classic spoof of the Western genre by director Mel Brooks pokes fun at everyone and everything. A corrupt governor grants a reprieve to an African American convict if the condemned man agrees to serve as sheriff of a small Western town,...

With over 100 years of gritty and dramatic approaches to the era, the American Old West is one of the most explored in films, and Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles remains one of the more unique 50 years later. At the time, Brooks was a rising name in the world of film, having originally made a name for himself in the world of TV by co-creating Get Smart and musicals like Shinbone Alley. While he would go on to be better known for his various parodies, Blazing Saddles proved to be a far better focus on genre satire than anything else.

Blazing Saddles

Director Mel BrooksRelease Date February 7, 1974Studio(s) Warner Bros. PicturesDistributor(s) Warner Bros. PicturesWriters Alan Uger, Richard Pryor, Andrew Bergman, Norman Steinberg, Mel BrooksCast Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Slim Pickens, Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Mel BrooksRating RRuntime 93 minutesGenres Comedy, WesternBudget $2.6 million Stream on NetflixStream on NetflixStream on NetflixStream on NetflixStream...

Demi Moore‘s record-breaking payday didn’t come without some blowback from the public.

The Golden Globe nominee recently reflected on the criticism around her risqué starring role in 1996’s Striptease, as well as the controversy that came with her reported $12.5 million salary for the Andrew Bergman-helmed film.

“Well, with Striptease, it was as if I had betrayed women, and with G.I. Jane, it was as if I had betrayed men,” explained Moore on The New York Times‘ The Interview podcast. “But I think the interesting piece is that when I became the highest-paid actress — why is it that, at that moment, the choice was to bring me down? I don’t take this personally. I think anyone who had been in the position that was the first to get that kind of equality of pay would probably have taken a hit. But because I did a film that...

Demi Moore reflects on her role in the film Striptease. Striptease is a 1996 dark comedy based on the Carl Hiaasen novel about a woman who is a stripper and a single mother who winds up in a dangerous situation once a congressional representative takes a liking to her. Directed by Andrew Bergman, Striptease starred Demi Moore as Erin Grant, with a supporting cast that included Burt Reynolds, Armand Assante, Ving Rhames, and Robert Patrick.

Speaking with Variety, Moore expresses her thoughts on her role in Striptease. The actor noted that "one of the biggest misconceptions about [her] is that [she] loved [her] body." Instead of taking on projects overtly to show off her body or be sexual, she took on projects "that provoke meaningful thought." She felt that Striptease was one such project, challenging audiences to look beyond simply condemning Erin's work as a dancer. She also drew comparisons with other films such...

Mel Brooks has been a whirling dervish of comedic invention for over 70 years. Okay, he's slowed down a tad at the age of 97, but he just wrote and produced the long-awaited "History of the World, Part II" last year. You try doing that at the age of 96. How about you simply try living until 96? Until then, you shall marvel at this man's longevity and continued relevance.

That latter quality is perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Brooks' brilliance. We're constantly judging art produced prior to last week on the basis of how well it's aged. What was deemed open to ridicule or even just a slight ribbing in the past might now strike some as mean-spirited or downright offensive. And yet Brooks, who made films considered vulgar at the time of their release, is still considered an unimpeachable master of his craft. And his movies, especially the wildly provocative "Blazing Saddles,...

You couldn't make "Blazing Saddles" today. 

For one, it's already 12:30, and you haven't eaten lunch yet. Then you said you'd take that pile of old clothes to the Goodwill, and also swing by the pharmacy to pick up your dad's ear medicine. By then, it would already be about 2:30 or 3pm. There just wouldn't be enough time to make "Blazing Saddles." 

When Mel Brooks made "Blazing Saddles" in 1974, however, he had plenty of time. He also had access to a brilliant script, a wonderful cast of comedic geniuses, and a healthy willingness to rip apart every halcyon tradition associated with the American Western. "Blazing Saddles" spoofed Westerns to within an inch of their lives, examining the horrid racism that the genre tends to overlook or even romanticize. 

"Blazing Saddles" is a comedy about racism but never makes light of it, putting all the racism into the mouths of...

How now, what news: the Criterion Channel’s July lineup is here. Eight pop renditions of Shakespeare are on the docket: from movies you forgot were inspired by the Bard (Abel Ferrara’s China Girl) to ones you’d wish to forget altogether (Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing), with maybe my single favorite interpretation (Michael Almereyda’s Hamlet) alongside Paul Mazursky, Gus Van Sant, Baz Luhrmann, Derek Jarman, and (of course) Kenneth Branagh. A neonoir collection arrives four months ahead of Noirvember: two Ellroy adaptations, two from De Palma that are not his neonoir Ellroy adaptation, two from the Coen brothers (i.e. the chance to see a DVD-stranded The Man Who Wasn’t There in HD), and––finally––a Michael Winner picture given Criterion’s seal of approval.

Columbia screwballs run between classics to lesser-seens while Nicolas Roeg and Heisei-era Godzilla face off. A Times Square collection brings The Gods of Times Square,...

1985’s Fletch was directed by Michael Ritchie and written by Andrew Bergman. The film is an adaptation of the popular novels written by Gregory McDonald and brings a more comedic and dry approach to its titular character, Fletch, played by Chevy Chase. Fletch is an investigative journalist working the undercover beat as a homeless beach junkie as he tries to uncover the truth behind a kingpin-level drug ring that is looming over greater L.A. While undercover, Fletch is propositioned by a rich man called Alan Stanwick who claims to be dying of bone cancer to kill the man in his upper-class home so that his family can reap the benefits of his life insurance. In exchange, Fletch will receive $50,000 cash and a ticket out of the country.

When this movie was made, Chevy Chase was arguably at the height of his career. While he’d opened the decade with a few horrible flops,...

Exclusive: The WGA East is honoring Tony Gilroy at the upcoming Writers Guild Awards with the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Career Achievement.

With the award, which was established in 1992, the Andor creator will be following in the footsteps of his father Frank D. Gilroy, who was honored with the Hunter Award in 2011.

“Tony embodies the best of what it means to be a Writers Guild member. He is an extraordinary talent who has written some of the most thought-provoking and exciting screenplays of the last 30 years,” Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, President of the Writers Guild of America East, said in a statement. “He is also a staunch union ally, one of our most trusted voices when it comes to advocating for writers’ rights, and he gave one of the best damn speeches on the picket lines last summer. We all wish we were Tony, but short of that we are...

Although collecting physical media doesn’t have the convenience appeal of streaming films, there is now sort of a stigma with purchasing movies through online platforms. Although its possible to compile a collection of movies through an online library, consumers will ultimately be at the whim of the service should it choose to keep the title available on their server. Additionally, there are a number of titles that don’t happen to find their way to have streaming access and physical media distributors like Shout and Vinegar Syndrome have dedicated their business to some overlooked titles.

Kino Lorber, another great media distributor has just unveiled the technical specs for the Chevy Chase Fletch films via Blu-ray.com, as well as revealing the special features that can be found on the new blu-rays. In 2022, Jon Hamm would take up the mantle in the long-in-development third movie, Confess, Fletch, which is based...

With its scathing social satire, raunchy humor and frequent use of the controversial N-word, “Blazing Saddles” got mixed reviews upon its release February 7, 1974. Nonetheless, it galloped to the top of the box office and earned three Oscar nominations, and set new standards for comedy films with its irreverence, spoofs and just plain silliness. Some reviewers did get the joke from the beginning, including Roger Ebert, who awarded it four out of four stars, saying it’s “a crazed grab bag of a movie that does everything to keep us laughing except hit us over the head with a rubber chicken.” On its 50th anniversary, we look back at how “Blazing Saddles” has endured as one of the greatest and most beloved comedies of all time.

It all started when Mel Brooks bought the film rights to a story titled “Tex-x” (changed so it wouldn’t be mistaken for an X-rated...

Netflix generates more contemporary content than anyone, but they’re dipping into the past to curate the great movies from the ’70s. These are the films that people like myself discovered as kids in the early days of when HBO premiered on cable. Bravo, I say. Here’s the preliminary list.

Alice Doesn’T Live Here Anymore

A widowed singer and single mother starts over as a diner waitress in Arizona, befriending her coworkers and romancing a ruggedly handsome rancher.

Director: Martin Scorsese

Writer: Robert Getchell

Producers: Audrey Maas, David Susskind

Key Cast (Alphabetical): Ellen Burstyn, Jodie Foster, Diane Ladd, Alfred Lutter, Harvey Keitel, Kris Kristofferson, Vic Tayback

Distributed By: Warner Bros. Discovery

Initial Release Date: December 9, 1974

At the 47th Academy Awards, Burstyn won Best Actress

Black Belt Jones

High-kicking Black Belt Jones is dispatched to take down a group of Mafia goons trying to muscle in on a downtown karate studio.

1974 was quite a year for cinema; 50 years later, Netflix (of all places) is celebrating the golden jubilee.

In recognition of the anniversary, the streamer on Wednesday launched a new, dedicated content row (and direct URL link) with the first films being honored under its new “Milestone Movies: The Anniversary Collection” banner. Each of the 14 films came to Netflix this month by way of Warner Bros., Paramount, or Sony — the distributors that license content to Netflix.

The 1974 collection includes “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” “Black Belt Jones,” “Blazing Saddles,” “California Split,” “Chinatown,” “The Conversation,” “Death Wish,” “The Gambler,” “The Great Gatsby,” “It’s Alive,” “The Little Prince,” “The Lords of Flatbush,” “The Parallax View,” and “The Street Fighter” (“Gekitotsu! Satsujin ken”).

Netflix doesn’t plan to stop with disco’s heyday. In April, the streaming service will do the same for films from 1984 (turning 40); July will celebrate 1994 movies (turning 30); and in October...

Editor’s Note: This article previously stated that Disney CEO Bob Iger was at the company’s Upfronts today in NYC, based on accounts from eyewitnesses outside the venue. The exec was not in New York Tuesday, and references to him have been removed from this story. We regret the error.

It was a tale of two coasts today, as WGA picketers and their allies targeted Disney’s upfront presentation in New York and also the company’s Burbank lot in Los Angeles. And the two scenes were very different.

This morning at the Disney upfront, pickets were being kept a solid two blocks away from the venue on 10th Ave. Here’s the view looking south from the main entrance:

Outside the Disney upfront with picketers held back below the LED screen in the distance. (Dade Hayes/Deadline)

By Tuesday afternoon, upfront guests in power suits and skirts shared...

Norman Steinberg, screenwriter of films including “Blazing Saddles” “My Favorite Year” died March 15. He was 83.

His other credits include the film “Johnny Dangerously,” the TV movie “Free to Be…You and Me,” and the TV show “Doctor, Doctor.”

Born in Brooklyn, Steinberg went to college at the U. of Maryland and law school at the U. of Pittsburgh and began practicing law in Manhattan.

He disliked being a lawyer, his family said, and met Mel Brooks when he would stop for coffee at Chock Full o’ Nuts. After much badgering from Steinberg, Brooks told him to try writing a script for “Get Smart.” When Brooks told him the script was funny, he quit his job at the law firm the same day.

He started out writing for the music magazine Cash Box, then wrote a political humor album for David Frye. After moving to Los Angeles, he started writing for the “Flip Wilson Show,...

Norman Steinberg, who co-scripted Mel Brooks’ comedy classic Blazing Saddles with and won an Emmy for Flip Wilson’s 1970s variety show, has died. He was 83. The WGA East said Steinberg died March 15 but did not provide other details.

Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Whoopi Goldberg Pushes Back On Claims 'Blazing Saddles' Is Racist: "Don't Make Me Come For You" Related Story Carol Arthur Dies: 'Blazing Saddles,' 'Hot Stuff' Actress & Wife Of Dom DeLuise Was 85

Steinberg was a disgruntled lawyer met Brooks in the 1960s at a Manhattan coffee shop, where he would run into the future Egot winner regularly. After repeatedly telling him that we wanted to be a comedy writer, Brooks relented and told Steinberg to submit a script for his James Bond-spoofing sitcom Get Smart! The series was canceled, but Brooks told the would-be scribe that...

Norman Steinberg, the Emmy-winning screenwriter who teamed with Mel Brooks on Blazing Saddles and My Favorite Year and wrote for the Michael Keaton-starring Mr. Mom and Johnny Dangerously, has died. He was 83.

Steinberg died March 15 at his Hudson Valley home in upstate New York, his family announced.

Steinberg also wrote Yes, Giorgio (1982), starring Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti in his feature acting debut, and co-wrote Funny About Love (1990), directed by Leonard Nimoy and starring Gene Wilder and Christine Lahti.

The Brooklyn native and former lawyer won his Emmy very early in his career, for his work on a Flip Wilson variety show.

His TV résumé also included developing Marlo Thomas’ 1974 landmark kids special, Free to Be … You & Me (he brought Brooks in on that); serving as a writer and executive producer on the first two seasons of CBS’ Cosby; and creating the short-lived CBS sitcoms Doctor, Doctor and Teech.

Norman Steinberg, screenwriter of the classic Mel Brooks comedy “Blazing Saddles,” has died at the age of 83, his family said through a statement by the Writers Guild of America East.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, and a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh law school, Steinberg sought to be a comedy writer after he felt dissatisfied with life as an attorney. That dream was something that he would regularly tell Brooks when he encountered him at the Chock Full ‘O Nuts cafe in Manhattan, which led the famed comedian and producer to tell Steinberg to write a script for the sitcom “Get Smart.”

Though “Get Smart” was canceled by the time Steinberg finished the script, Brooks enjoyed it and told him to pursue writing. He quit his job as a lawyer and got his start as a writer for the music magazine Cash Box. Like countless others, he moved to...

The "Fletch" movies have always been the product of turmoil. I.M. Fletcher, a hybrid private eye and journalist, made his first appearance in Gregory McDonald's 1974 novel "Fletch," following the investigator as he looks into a shady but tempting offer from a fat cat billionaire. His big-screen debut came in Michael Ritchie's ("Bad News Bears") 1985 feature of the same name, starring Chevy Chase in the lead role of the loose adaptation; it was a box-office smash. Four years later, the sequel "Fletch Lives" saw Chase and Ritchie reprising their respective roles in a follow-up Roger Ebert once described as a "dispirited slog through the rummage sale of movie cliches."

Since then, Fletch has undergone more iterations than his numerous implausible identities. The most talked about version is Kevin Smith's unproduced "Fletch Won," which he envisioned as a Miramax vehicle for "Mallrats" star and frequent Smith collaborator Jason Lee.

Filmmaker Spike Lee is set to receive the Ian McClellan Hunter Award from the Writers Guild of America East at the Writers Guild Awards in March.

The kudo recognizes writers who have made significant contributions to film and TV through a body work that takes on timely issues and social concerns. Past recipients include Robert Benton, Tom Fontana, Geoffrey Ward, Andrew Bergman, John Sayles, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, John Waters, Richard Lagravenese, Nora Ephron and Walter Bernstein.

“For nearly forty years, Spike Lee has written and directed some of the most meaningful and creative films in cinema,” said WGA East president Michael Winship. “With a unique ability to challenge, entertain, and inform, his narratives spotlight the racism and bigotry that too often have defined the Black experience in America. Spike Lee is a moviemaker and storyteller greatly deserving to be honored with the WGA East’s Hunter Award for Career Achievement.

Spike Lee will be this year’s recipient of the WGA East’s Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Career Achievement.

The award, which will be presented March 5 at the 75th anniversary WGA Awards in New York City, is named after the famed writer who fronted for Dalton Trumbo and Ring Lardner Jr. during the Hollywood Blacklist before being blacklisted himself. In announcing Lee’s selection, the guild described him as “one of the greatest writer/directors in film history.”

“For nearly 40 years, Spike Lee has written and directed some of the most meaningful and creative films in cinema,” said WGA East President Michael Winship. “With a unique ability to challenge, entertain and inform, his narratives spotlight the racism and bigotry that too often have defined the Black experience in America.”

Lee began his storied career in the 1980s as a writer-director of such films as She’s Gotta Have It,...

The hilarious family animated film Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank, from Paramount Pictures, is available now to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Canada. The exciting action-adventure stars Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais and Samuel L. Jackson.

Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank also stars Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, Cathy Shim and Kylie Kuioka.

A down-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem… cats hate dogs!

Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank is directed by Rob Minkoff,...

What do “Some Like It Hot,” “High Noon,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Dog Day Afternoon” and “Almost Famous” have in common? These popular and beloved films are making their long and winding road to the stage.

Since Disney asked Julie Taymor to find a way to bring Simba to Broadway, virtually every studio has been going through its archives to see what might transfer from screen to stage. (The opposite had been the traditional course of events.) Disney’s catalog of animated hits, alongside franchise spinoffs like “Wicked” and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” attract a built-in family crowd. But the scorecard on many recent adaptations has been mixed: “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Tootsie,” “Pretty Woman” and even Billy Crystal’s “Mr. Saturday Night” — which closes Sept. 4 after a five-month run — are a few that came and went.

This fall will see musicals based on Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous,” with music by Tom Kitt,...

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank Review — Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Chris Bailey, Mark Koetsier and Rob Minkoff, written by Ed Stone, Nate Hopper, Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor and Alan Uger and starring Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais, Samuel [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank (2022): Michael Cera Voices a Samurai Warrior Dog in an Energetic Animated Tale...

It’s not every day that you get to see Richard Pryor listed as one of the screenwriters of a new movie. That’s because Pryor died in 2005. But when I saw his name credited among the seven writers of “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank,” it gave me an unreasonable jolt of optimism. If you’re wondering what Pryor’s name is doing on a computer-animated comedy about a samurai canine, it’s because the script is credited to Ed Stone and Nate Hopper — and also to Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Alan Uger, and Pryor, who were the five screenwriters of “Blazing Saddles,” the landmark Mel Brooks Western comedy that came out in 1974.

“Paws of Fury” was originally entitled “Blazing Samurai,” because it recycles (sort of) the premise of “Blazing Saddles,” a movie Brooks originally wanted to make with Pryor as its star. He was set...

A new featurette with Michael Cera and Samuel L. Jackson for the forthcoming animated film Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank has been released, and you can check it out right here on CinemaNerdz.

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank tells the story of a hard-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem…cats hate dogs!

About The Film Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy MPAA Rating: PG for action, violence, rude and suggestive humor, and some language Cast: Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais, Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi,...

Check out the new character posters from the new animated film Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, starring Michael Cera, Samuel L. Jackson, Ricky Gervais, and Michelle Yeoh.

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank tells the story of a hard-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem…cats hate dogs!

About The Film Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy MPAA Rating: PG for action, violence, rude and suggestive humor, and some language Cast: Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais, Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh,...

The new trailer for Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank has been released along with the official poster for the film. You can check it out right here on CinemaNerdz!

A hard-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem… cats hate dogs! Also starring Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, Kylie Kuioka, and Cathy Shim, Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank pounces into theatres July 15, 2022.

About The Film Genre: Animation, Action., Comedy MPAA Rating: PG for action, violence, rude and suggestive humor,...

Prolific actor and director Adam Arkin was uniquely suited to direct episode four of “The Offer,” about the making of 1972’s “The Godfather.” In that hour, streaming now on Paramount+, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola (Dan Fogler) and producer Albert S. Ruddy (Miles Teller) finally meet with Marlon Brando (Justin Chambers), who auditions to play Don Corleone on the spot – and leaves the filmmakers almost speechless. It fell to Arkin to recreate that iconic and oft-discussed moment, but he knew where to start. After all, the three-time Emmy nominee as an actor who has directed episodes of some of the most acclaimed television shows in the last decade, including “Fargo” and “Succession,” had heard stories about what “The Godfather” star was like from his father Alan Arkin.

“Brando asked my father if he would come over and have dinner, just before he was going to do the film ‘The Freshman’ because...

A year after NAACP’s production partnership with CBS Studios formally launched with the hire of Sheila Ducksworth as President, the venture has sold its first projects. The five shows — spanning platforms (broadcast and streaming) and genres, include a reboot of cult 1991 movie Soapdish for Paramount+, with original co-star Whoopi Goldberg reprising her role and Jane the Virgin creator Jennie Snyder Urman co-writing the dramedy adaptation.

Goldberg is one of three top comedians attached to star in NAACP-cbs Studios projects, with D.L. Hughley and Earthquake set to headline autobiographical comedy series in the works at Fox and CBS, respectively.

Real people and events are the inspiration behind two dramatic projects, a limited series at Apple TV+ with Kapital Entertainment, which tells the story of the courageous Little Rock 9 Black students who helped end school segregation in the South, and drama Construction at Paramount+, inspired by...

Nearly five decades after its release, the classic comedy Blazing Saddles is trending on Twitter with thousands of fans praising what many say is a cinematic masterpiece. Directed by iconic filmmaker Mel Brooks, who recently celebrated turning 95 years old, the movie starred Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder in the lead roles. Brooks also appears in the movie and co-wrote the script with Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, and Al Uger.

A black comedy Western that serves as a satire of race relations in the United States, Blazing Saddles follows railroad worker Bart (Little) as he becomes the first Black sheriff of the frontier town of Rock Ridge. When a group of thugs arrive to decimate the town's population, it's up to Bart and his drunken pal Jim (Wilder) to thwart their plans. The movie was nominated for three Oscars with Little earning a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer.

On Twitter,...

Actress Carrie Coon joins Josh and Joe to discuss the Best of what she’s been watching during the pandemic.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

The Nest (2020)

Gone Girl (2014)

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Sabrina (1954)

The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Opening Night (1977)

Husbands (1971)

Too Late Blues (1961)

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Faces (1968)

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)

Gloria (1980)

Mephisto (1981)

The Cremator (1969)

Zama (2017)

Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2017)

Wanda (1970)

Blue Collar (1978)

The Lunchbox (2013)

63 Up (2019)

To Sleep With Anger (1990)

Killer of Sheep (1978)

The Glass Shield (1994)

My Brother’s Wedding (1983)

Rita, Sue and Bob Too (1987)

Rio Bravo (1959)

Chilly Scenes of Winter (1979)

Cutter’s Way (1981)

Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

The Magician (1958)

The Silence (1963)

The Magic Flute (1975)

The Last House on the Left (1972)

The Virgin Spring (1963)

Summer with Monika (1953)

The Seventh Seal (1957)

Wings of Desire (1987)

Black Girl (1966)

Fat Girl (2001)

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Parasite (2019)

Jesus of Montreal (1989)

Other Notable Items...

HBO Max has added a disclaimer in front of Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles. The new disclaimer is similar to the one that the streaming platform put in front of Gone With the Wind, which was briefly pulled. It's unclear when HBO Max decided to throw the new introduction on to the comedy classic, though it must have been recently since the movie just started streaming in July. "The intro was added to ensure that the film was put into the proper social context," a spokesperson for HBO Max said.

TCM host Jacqueline Stewart puts Blazing Saddles in context in the new disclaimer. Stewart spends three minutes talking about the movie and even talks about Richard Pryor being up for the leading role. She says, "as the storyline implies the issue of race is front and center in Blazing Saddles. And racist language and attitudes pervade the film. But those attitudes...

Remakes are hot property these days, with many usually ending up as lesser copies of their predecessor. Well, in some surprising news, comedic legend Mel Brooks' western classic Blazing Saddles is next to receive the remake treatment, but with a pretty substantial twist. The movie is set to be retold in an entirely new medium, and switch genre, for an animated movie entitled Blazing Samurai.

Blazing Samurai will take the set-up of the Mel Brooks classic and transplant it into the Samurai era. But wait, that's not all. The movie will also center on animated animals rather than humans. The story will follow a dog named Hank who dreams of becoming a Samurai. When he becomes in charge of protecting Kakamucho, he learns that the town is populated entirely by cats. Is that enough of a twist for you?

The movie has been on hiatus since 2015 but is now moving...

The camera pushes in on our hero the first time he sees him, and it’s easy to see why: the man sitting behind the desk, bathed in a little spotlight, in the Old World Social Club on Hester Street, is, unmistakably, a doppelganger for…

“I know what you’re thinking – the resemblance, right?” nudges the man who brought him there. “He’s the real thing, the original merchandise. When they saw him, they based the movie.” The use of such non-specifics as “the resemblance” and “the movie” isn’t just a filmmaker being coy (or avoiding copyright infringement); when Andrew Bergman’s “The Freshman” was released thirty years ago, in the summer of 1990, “The Godfather” was only 18 years old – and it was back in the spotlight, thanks to the long-awaited third installment, due in theaters that winter.

Continue reading ‘The Freshman’ At 30: The ‘Godfather’ Send-Up Is The Swan...

Jon Hamm has signed on to star in a planned reboot of the Chevy Chase movie ‘Fletch’ at Miramax.

Hamm is set to take on the role of the quick-witted investigative reporter played by Chase in the 80’s movie.

Based on the second book in the Gregory McDonald series, “Confess Fletch.” In a mysterious chain of events, Fletch finds himself in the middle of multiple murders — one of which pins him as a prime suspect. While on a quest to prove his innocence, Fletch is tasked with finding his fiancée’s stolen art collection, acquired after her father goes missing and is presumed dead.

Greg Mottola will direct from a script by Zev Borrow. Hamm will also produce alongside manager/producer Connie Tavel.

Also in news – Michelle Williams and Oscar Isaac to star limited series adaptation of ‘Scenes from a Marriage’

Released in 1985, ‘Fletch’ is a neo-noir comedy thriller film...

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...

Movies to watch when you’re staying in for a while, featuring recommendations from Dana Gould, Daniel Waters, Scott Alexander, and Allison Anders.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Destroy All Monsters (1969)

Planet Of The Apes (1968)

Beneath The Planet of the Apes (1970)

Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (1971)

Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes (1972)

Battle For The Planet Of The Apes (1973)

Suparpie

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

Hello Down There (1969)

Koyaanisqatsi (1982)

Thirteen Days (2000)

Stalker (1979)

Last Year At Marienbad (1961)

No Exit (1962)

The Exterminating Angel (1962)

Sleeper (1973)

The Tenant (1976)

Final Cut: Ladies And Gentlemen (2012)

The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990)

La classe américaine (1993)

The Sex Adventures of a Single Man a.k.a. The 24 Hour Lover (1968)

The Omega Man (1971)

Soylent Green (1973)

Knives Out (2019)

The Hunt (2020)

Banana Split (2020)

The Cocoanuts (1929)

Animal Crackers (1930)

Monkey Business (1931)

Horse Feathers (1932)

Duck Soup (1933)

A Night At The Opera (1935)

The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant (1971)

Susan Slade (1961)

My Blood Runs Cold...

Richard Price, the acclaimed screenwriter of The Color of Money and co-creator of HBO’s limited series The Night Of, will be the recipient of the WGA East’s Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Career Achievement. The award will be presented February 1 at the 72nd annual Writers Guild Awards at New York’s Edison Ballroom.

The author of nine novels, Price joined the guild in 1984 after writing the screenplay for The Color of Money, which was directed by Martin Scorsese, starred Paul Newman and Tom Cruise and earned Price an Oscar nomination. He worked with Scorsese again in 1987 for his segment in New York Stories, a three-part film that also featured contributions from Francis Ford Coppola and Sofia Coppola, and Woody Allen.

Widely acclaimed for writing some of the most thought-provoking crime dramas, Price ‘s film work throughout the 1990s continued to receive critical and box office success. He wrote...

Film editor Barry Malkin, a two-time Oscar nominee best known for his many collaborations with Francis Ford Coppola, died Thursday. He was 80.

Malkin began his career in 1963 as an apprentice to Dede Allen on Elia Kazan’s “America America.” He was first credited as an editor for his work on “The Patty Duke Show.” Through his friendship with editor and director Aram Avakian, Malkin was introduced to Francis Ford Coppola, and was hired to edit Coppola’s 1969 film “The Rain People.”

“The Rain People” began a long collaboration between the director and editor. Malkin would work either by himself or as part of the editing team on eight additional Coppola productions. Most significantly, Malkin worked on three “Godfather” projects: “The Godfather, Part II” alongside Richard Marks and Peter Zinner in 1974; “The Godfather Saga,” which edited “The Godfather” parts one and two into a chronological TV miniseries featuring scenes not included in the theatrical releases,...

Barry Malkin, the film editor who collaborated with director Francis Ford Coppola on 11 features, earning Oscar nominations for The Godfather: Part III and The Cotton Club, has died. He was 80.

Malkin died Thursday at his longtime home on Central Park West in New York City, a family spokeswoman told The Hollywood Reporter.

Malkin also collaborated with director Andrew Bergman on four films: The Freshman (1990) starring Marlon Brando; Honeymoon in Vegas (1992); It Could Happen to You (1994); and Isn't She Great (2000).

After working as an apprentice to famed editor Dede Allen, Malkin — a boyhood ...