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The Andy Griffith Show valued character development over broad humor or slapstick for a unique approach to sitcom comedy. Andy Griffith's insistence on realistic dialogue and everyday scenes added to the show's authenticity and success. The show's overall tone was carefully crafted to reflect Griffith's sensibility, showcasing his talent in finding humor in everyday life.

Ron Howard explains The Andy Griffith Shows one main rule for comedy. Beginning on the show when he was only six years old, Howard played Opie Taylor, the son of protagonist Andy Taylor, in the series. Howard continued to play the role during the duration of The Andy Griffith Show, which ran for eight seasons from 1960 to 1968. In addition to Howard and Andy Griffith, The Andy Griffith Shows ensemble cast featured Don Knotts, Frances Bavier, Colin Male, George Lindsey, Howard McNear, Tom Jacobs, Aneta Corsaut, and Jack Dodson.

Speaking in an interview with Conan OBrien Needs a Friend,...

Opie Taylor was originally going to be a wise-cracking kid akin to other child characters at the time. Ron Howard's real-life father stepped in after the filming of The Andy Griffith Show pilot to suggest an alternate approach to Opie. Opie was rewritten to be a respectful young boy, bringing a unique and genuine quality to The Andy Griffith Show.

Ron Howard explains how The Andy Griffith Show rewrote his key character. Howard played Opie Taylor on the hit 60s show, beginning the role when he was only six years old and continuing to act until the show ended, when he was 14 years old. In addition to Howard, the popular '60s series The Andy Griffith Show starred the eponymous Andy Griffith alongside a supporting cast including Don Knotts, Frances Bavier, Colin Male, George Lindsey, Howard McNear, Tom Jacobs, Aneta Corsaut, Jack Dodson, and Hal Smith.

Speaking on Conan OBrien Needs a Friend,...

It’s a hot soap from ’65, when movies promised raging passion but delivered cheap teases and hypocritical judgments. It’s Suzanne Pleshette’s only starring role, but it doesn’t exploit her bright personality, her sense of humor. John O’Hara’s tale hasn’t much pity for a promiscuous young wife who breaks the rules. Does nymphomania make her a social menace, or is she victimized by a script determined to put the blame on Mame? Costarring Ben Gazzara, Bradford Dillman and Peter Graves.

A Rage to Live

Blu-ray

Viavision [Imprint] 197

1965 / B&w / 2:35 widescreen / 101 min. / Street Date December 28, 2022 / Available from [Imprint] / aud 34.98

Starring: Suzanne Pleshette, Bradford Dillman, Ben Gazzara, Peter Graves, Bethel Leslie, Carmen Mathews, Linden Chiles, James Gregory, Ruth White, Mark Goddard, Sarah Marshall, George Furth, Virginia Christine, Aneta Corsaut, Frank Maxwell, Almira Sessions.

Cinematography: Charles Lawton Jr.

Costume Designer: Howard Shoup

Art Director: James Sullivan

Film Editor: Stuart Gilmore...

“What he does to your nerves is almost as frightening as what he does to his victims!”

World Premiere of The Toolbox Murders (1978) on New 4K 16-Bit Restoration struck from the uncut original negative for the 4K Uhd + Blu-ray Set Coming January 18th 2022. Pre-order Here

Here’s the Restored 1080p HD Movie Trailer from Blue Underground

Blue Underground Opens the Tool Shed to Release One of the Most Shocking Slashers of All Time in 4K Ultra HD. Blue Underground invites you to ring in the New Year with one of the most sadistic and controversial slashers of all time. On January 18, the cult distributor plans to dust off the old toolshed with a brand-new release of The Toolbox Murders. Dennis Donnelly’s notorious exploitation classic makes its debut on 4K Ultra HD with a new Blu-ray combo that has been scanned in 4K 16-bit from the uncut original negative. A...

Celebrating its 60th anniversary on October 3, “The Andy Griffith Show” is one of the most charming comedies in the history of American television. The CBS program was never outside of the top seven in TV ratings throughout its eight-year run and continues a strong six-decade domination in syndication.

Starting with the 1960 debut as a spinoff from “The Danny Thomas Show,” the series starred comedian Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor, sheriff of small-town Mayberry in North Carolina. One of the keys to the popularity was casting Don Knotts as bumbling but well-meaning deputy Barney Fife. Audiences got to know the young Ron Howard as Andy’s son Opie, long before his successful time on “Happy Days” and decades before his Oscar-winning career as a film director and producer.

SEERon Howard movies: 15 greatest films ranked from worst to best

While Griffith never received an Emmy nomination for his work on the program,...

Celebrating its 60th anniversary on October 3, “The Andy Griffith Show” is one of the most charming comedies in the history of American television. The CBS program was never outside of the top seven in TV ratings throughout its eight-year run and continues a strong six-decade domination in syndication.

Starting with the 1960 debut as a spinoff from “The Danny Thomas Show,” the series starred comedian Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor, sheriff of small-town Mayberry in North Carolina. One of the keys to the popularity was casting Don Knotts as bumbling but well-meaning deputy Barney Fife. Audiences got to know the young Ron Howard as Andy’s son Opie, long before his successful time on “Happy Days” and decades before his Oscar-winning career as a film director and producer.

While Griffith never received an Emmy nomination for his work on the program, Knotts won five times as Best Comedy Supporting Actor. In fact,...

Stars: Steve McQueen, Aneta Corsaut, Earl Rowe, Stephen Chase, John Benson, Olin Howland | Written by Theodore Simonson, Kay Linaker | Directed by Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr

Alongside The Fly and The Thing, Chuck Russell’s remake of The Blob was the third in the Holy Trinity of 1980s cover versions of 1950s sci-fi horror. Like David Cronenberg’s and John Carpenter’s films, it improved upon the original work in virtually every way.

If you’re familiar with the Frank Darabont-scripted schlocker, you’ll be aware from the first note of the ridiculously jaunty “Beware of the Blob” theme song that we are dealing with a very different amorphous beast with this, the 1958 original.

I’m a sucker for movies set over a single night, as well as small town settings, and here we have both. It’s Pennsylvania, and Steve (Steve McQueen) is at a kissing spot with his...

Acting on The Andy Griffith Show felt a lot like living in Mayberry, Nc, the idyllic burg where the classic 1960 to 1968 sitcom was set. "It was warm and funny, like the show," Ron Howard, who played Sheriff Andy Taylor’s adorable son, Opie, exclusively told Closer Weekly in the magazine's latest issue, on newsstands now. "I learned hard work and fun were not diametrically opposed. In fact, they could work hand in hand." But off camera, star Andy Griffith’s life wasn’t as bucolic. The actor endured failed marriages, allegations of alcoholism and infidelity, a debilitating disease, and the tragic death of one of his children. And he didn’t always deal with crises in the cool, calm manner of Sheriff Taylor or lawyer Ben Matlock. "He could have this explosive temper," Daniel de Visé, author of Andy & Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show,...

Guest reviewer Lee Broughton covers a trio of grisly horrors. The Toolbox Murders, Blood Harvest and A Cat in the Brain each feature a pop culture icon in a leading role. Hollywood actor Cameron Mitchell, oddball 1960s crooner Tiny Tim and the Italo horror director and all-round enfant terrible Lucio Fulci find themselves caught up in their own gory and disturbing splatter show. Perhaps unsurprisingly, all three films fell foul of the British Board of Film Classification at the time of their original release in the UK.

The Toolbox Murders, Blood Harvest, A Cat in the Brain

Separate Region B Blu-ray releases

All from 88 Films – Slasher Classics Collection

£14.99 each

Reviewed by Lee Broughton

The Toolbox Murders

Region B Blu-ray

1978 / Color / 1.78 / 93 min. / Street Date December 4, 2017

Starring: Cameron Mitchell, Pamelyn Ferdin, Wesley Eure, Nicholas Beauvy, Tim Donnelly, Aneta Corsaut.

Cinematography: Gary Graver

Film Editor: Nunzio Darpino

Production Designer: D. J. Bruno

Original...

“It creeps and leaps and glides and slides across the floor. Right through the door. And all around the wall. A splotch, a blotch. Be careful of the Blob!”

The Blob screens Wednesday, August 3rd at Schlafly Bottleworks Restaurant and Bar (7260 Southwest Ave.- at Manchester – Maplewood, Mo 63143) as part of Webster University’s Award-Winning Strange BrewFilm Series. The screening is Sponsored by Planet Score Records

The Blob is chiefly remembered now for launching Steve McQueen’s career. Soon after the release of this film, he was offered the role of Josh Randall on the hit TV series Wanted: Dead or Alive, and super-stardom was only a few years away. Here, billed as “Steven” McQueen, he leads a pack of teenagers who are determined to stop the Blob from devouring their small town. The main problem is that the authorities (i.e. the local police) refuse to believe their story...

Our series on big-screen remakes continues with a cult horror film that kickstarted the illustrious career of Steve McQueen. This week, Cinelinx looks at The Blob (1958 vs. 1988). Come inside to see how these two films stack up.

The original version of The Blob was a low-budget monster film made for $110,000. The titular creature was originally supposed to be called The Molten Meteor Monster, which then was changed to The Mass, which turned into The Glob, and Finally The Blob. The film's tongue-in-cheek title song was written by Burt Bacharach and Mack David, which became a hit. The movie was directed by Irvin Yeaworth who specialized in directing motivational educational and religious films, so this was a departure for him. The film was a moderate success, grossing over $4 million, although the critics weren’t overly kind. It has a 67% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite its cheesiness, its reputation has grown over...

Alrighty, kids, providing we make it through the Mayan apocalypse on Friday we've got some great news coming your way on some highly anticipated video releases headed our way via IFC Midnight and the Criterion Collection.

First up the original 1958 version of The Blob is getting the Blu-ray treatment via The Criterion Collection. Look for it in stores on March 12, 2013. Directed by Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr. The Blob stars Steve McQueen and Aneta Corsaut.

Synopsis

A cult classic of gooey greatness, The Blob follows the havoc wreaked on a small town by an outer-space monster with neither soul nor vertebrae, with Steve McQueen playing the rebel teen who tries to warn the residents about the jellylike invader. Strong performances and ingenious special effects help The Blob transcend the schlock sci-fi and youth delinquency genres from which it originates. Made outside of Hollywood by a maverick film distributor and a crew...

There are many shows which are described as "beloved" but only a few which truly deserve that description. The Andy Griffith Show is one of those precious few. The long running series, which inspired two spin-offs (Gomer Pyle Usmc; Mayberry Rfd), has been rerun consistently since its initial run (1960-1968), always on the air somewhere. The series celebrated it's 50th anniversary in 2010. While it's true that many shows are still remembered decades after they aired, how many are remembered as fondly as the Andy Griffith Show?

The Andy Griffith Show 50th Anniversary: The Best of Mayberry collects 17 of the most popular episodes of the series, as well as several other bonus treats. One of the best extras in the set is "Danny Meets Andy Griffith", an episode of the popular 1950s series Make Room for Daddy (Aka The Danny Thomas Show) which served as the prototype for Griffith's own show.

There are many shows which are described as "beloved" but only a few which truly deserve that description. The Andy Griffith Show is one of those precious few. The long running series, which inspired two spin-offs (Gomer Pyle Usmc; Mayberry Rfd), has been rerun consistently since its initial run (1960-1968), always on the air somewhere. The series celebrated it's 50th anniversary in 2010. While it's true that many shows are still remembered decades after they aired, how many are remembered as fondly as the Andy Griffith Show?

The Andy Griffith Show 50th Anniversary: The Best of Mayberry collects 17 of the most popular episodes of the series, as well as several other bonus treats. One of the best extras in the set is "Danny Meets Andy Griffith", an episode of the popular 1950s series Make Room for Daddy (Aka The Danny Thomas Show) which served as the prototype for Griffith's own show.