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On Monday February 3 2025, Outd broadcasts Dead Meat!

The Best of Times Episode 4 Episode Summary

In the upcoming episode of “Dead Meat” titled “The Best of Times,” Chef Leysath returns to the kitchen with an exciting new dish. This time, he will be preparing Snakeheads, a fish known for its unique flavor and texture. The episode promises to highlight the chef’s skills as he cooks this intriguing ingredient, showcasing his culinary expertise.

Alongside the cooking segment, viewers can expect a rapid-fire look back at some of the more interesting critters featured on the show. This nostalgic journey will give fans a chance to remember the various unique animals that have been part of “Dead Meat.” From bizarre seafood to unusual game, the episode will celebrate the diversity of creatures that have captivated audiences over the years.

“The Best of Times” aims to blend cooking with a fun retrospective, making it...

In the upcoming episode of “Dead Meat,” titled “The Best of Times,” Chef Leysath returns to the kitchen for another exciting culinary adventure. This episode promises to be a treat for fans of the show, as Leysath will be whipping up a dish featuring snakeheads, a fish known for its unique flavor and texture. The anticipation builds as viewers look forward to seeing how he transforms this intriguing ingredient into a mouthwatering meal.

Alongside the cooking, this episode offers a rapid-fire look back at some of the most interesting critters that have graced the “Dead Meat” series. From bizarre sea creatures to unusual game meats, the show has showcased a wide variety of animals, and this special segment will highlight some of the most memorable moments. Fans will enjoy reminiscing about the wild and sometimes wacky encounters that have made “Dead Meat” a standout in the culinary world.

Airing at 9:30 Pm on Monday,...

Ron Shelton's career transition from baseball player to screenwriter and director was fueled by some early struggles but ultimately led to success. Bull Durham was a turning point for Shelton, showcasing his talent for character-driven sports comedies that resonated with audiences. White Men Can't Jump further solidified Shelton's reputation for revolutionizing sports films with its unique take on basketball and street culture.

Ron Shelton's movie career started much like his career in professional baseball with a thud. As a second baseman in the Baltimore Orioles farm system, the Montecito, California native found himself in the company of some of the nation's greatest young baseball talent. Still, after five years scratching away in baseball's minor leagues, Shelton couldn't make it to the bigs and decided to cross over to a career in screenwriting. As a writer, Shelton suffered some fits and starts but eventually found his words being spoken by...

The big new horror movie coming out this weekend is Longlegs, starring Maika Monroe as an FBI agent and Nicolas Cage as the titular serial killer, who we assume has an impressive set of gams.

Cage’s character is apparently so creepy that no images of him have been included in the trailer or any of the film’s marketing. So instead, here’s a clip of him getting so horny that his brain explodes in a Japanese electronics commercial:

But Longlegs is far from the first time that Cage has played a big creep. In fact, you could argue that one of his creepiest roles was that of Nicolas Cage, host of Saturday Night Live.

Cage has only hosted the show once, for the Season 18 premiere back in 1992. He did have previous TV comedy experience, having starred alongside Crispin Glover in the pilot for a teen series called The Best of Times.

Nicolas Cage is officially back on the case and back in the Spider-Verse. After all the teasing and rumors about his involvement in Christopher Miller and Phil Lord's live-action Spider-Man Noir series, Prime Video confirmed at its inaugural upfront presentation that the project has been greenlit with Cage as the lead for what will be his first television role since the ill-fated pilot The Best of Times in 1981. Titled Noir, it's slated to make its debut in the U.S. on the linear MGM+ channel before streaming on Prime Video worldwide.

Nicolas Cage is reportedly in talks to star in the live-action Spider-Man Noir show, potentially reprising his role from the animated Spider-Verse movies. Despite previous character change reports, Cage is reportedly in serious negotiations to play the '30s detective version of the Marvel webslinger. Sony has not yet responded to inquiries regarding Cage's involvement in the project, which is still developing.

Despite previous reports indicating a change in character for the project, Nicolas Cage is reportedly in talks to star in the live-action Spider-Man Noir show. Cage first brought the alternate version of the Marvel hero to life in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, serving as one of the many variants who helped Miles Morales in his early days of becoming a hero. Though Noir appeared in the final moments of Across the Spider-Verse, archival audio was used for Cage's return, ultimately setting up a proper role in Beyond the Spider-Verse.

Nicholas Cage is going to be working less.

The 59-year-old actor revealed that he’s planning on doing fewer movies now that he’s turning 60 years old in a few weeks.

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, he revealed how his life will change after his January 7 birthday.

Keep reading to find out more…

“I’d like to read a book a week, I wanna spend more time with my daugther. I’m taking more stock of what’s important,” he said. “Maybe not make quite as many movies.”

Nicolas has been active as an actor since 1981, starting with the TV pilot The Best of Times, which wasn’t picked up. His film debut happened in 1982 when he got a minor role in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Despite his prediction for life after 60, he has at least three or four more movies lined up to release in the next year or so,...

Nicolas Cage's latest film, Dream Scenario, has the potential to be one of the best titles in the actor's career, with a score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes so far. Cage's previous movies this year received mixed reviews, but Dream Scenario may save his year with its critical success. The film follows the story of a family man who becomes famous when he starts appearing in other people's dreams, but things take a dark turn, making fame a burden.

Nicolas Cage stars in Dream Scenario, Kristoffer Borgli's latest film, and it looks like it could become one of the best titles in the ever-popular actor's career.

Cage made his acting debut on television under the name Nicolas Coppola in the series The Best of Times in 1981. In 1982, he made the leap to the big screen with Fast Times at Ridgemont High and in the following four decades he...

It’s hard to find a Hollywood career that is as bombastic and surprising as Nicolas Cage’s, and we wanted to walk you through it the best way we could. Considering that we’re in the middle of a full-blown Nicolas Cage renaissance, it felt like it was time to offer a primer to our favorite national treasure the best way we can. In this article we’re going to talk about his early days, his rise to superstardom, his fall from grace, and the subsequent reclaiming of his legacy that we’ve seen in recent years.

We’re so grateful to be alive during a time that Nicolas Cage exists, and though his “nouveau shamanism” (whatever that means) style of acting isn’t for everybody, we wanted to drive the point home that there is a lot more to Nicolas Cage than meets the eye at a first glance.

With Super Bowl Lvii upon us, we wanted to know what Football (or Football related) movie was your favorite. We compiled a list of scripted movies, so you won’t see the Oscar Winning Documentary Undefeated on the list, but if that is your favorite, please click the other button and let us know why you loved it so much in the comments section.

Favorite Football Film80 For Brady (2023)American Underdog (2021)Paterno (2018)Woodlawn (2015)My All American (2015)Concussion (2015)Balls Out (2014)When The Game Stands Tall (2014)Draft Day (2014)23 Blast (2013)Touchback (2012)The 5th Quarter (2011)The Blind Side (2009)The Longshots (2008)The Express: The Ernie Davis Story (2008)Leatherheads (2007)The Game Plan (2007)The Comebacks (2007)Gridiron Gang (2006)Facing The Giants (2006)We Are Marshall (2006)Invincible (2006)Two For The Money (2005)The Longest Yard (2005)Friday Night Lights (2004)Radio (2003)Monday Night Mayhem (2002)The Replacements (2000)Remember The Titans (2000)Any Given Sunday (1999)Varsity Blues (1999)Air Bud: Golden Receiver (1998)The Waterboy (1998)The Garbage...

The Jackass series debuted on MTV in 2000, quickly becoming one of the most popular television shows. It followed the antics of a group of friends as they engaged in outrageous stunts, pranks, and dangerous physical challenges. The show cast included Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-o, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, Dave England, Preston Lacy, and Ryan Dunn.

Despite parental and political worries about the show’s potential impact on younger viewers, it quickly skyrocketed in popularity. After three seasons of wading through constant censorship notes from MTV, Knoxville and his pals decided to end their run; thus began, Jackass’ successful transition to the silver screen era.

The Jackass franchise spawned several movies that were released between 2002 and 2022, in the following order:

All the Jackass Movies in Order of Release Date Jackass The Movie (2002) Jackass Number Two (2006) Jackass 2.5 (2007) Jackass Presents Mat Hoffman’s Tribute to Evel Knievel (2008) Jackass 3D (2010) Jackass 3.5 (2011) Jackass Presents...

For those who were not cognizant throughout the 1980s, it's probably difficult to believe there was a time when Robin Williams was considered a risky box office bet. Though his first time out as a leading man, in Robert Altman's "Popeye," was a hit, that film's success was largely ascribed to the popularity of the cartoon character. He enjoyed two moderate successes after the cancellation of "Mork & Mindy" ("The World According to Garp" and "Moscow on the Hudson"), but neither film fully showcased his head-spinning comedic stream-of-consciousness. In 1986, he was strangely miscast in the Ron Shelton-scripted underdog yarn "The Best of Times," and undermined by a relentlessly unfunny screenplay in Harold Ramis' "Club Paradise."

The back-to-back failure of those two films left studios weary of Williams' big-screen appeal. The industry's conventional wisdom held that his genius was limited to the stand-up stage and guest appearances on late-night talk shows.

Hong Kong, 2 February 2021 – The Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf) today unveils 21 projects for the fifth edition of its Work-in-Progress section (Wip). Established and emerging filmmakers such as Chang Tso-Chi, Huang Ji, Pierre Sarraf, Tan Chui Mui, and Jessey Tsang will present their latest work, along with 12 first-feature directors.

The Wip section will return to its regular slot this year, running from 15 to 17 March in conjunction with the main Haf programme and the 25th Hong Kong Filmart (Filmart). Given the Covid-19 pandemic’s ongoing restrictions, the event will go online again following its first-ever virtual edition in August 2020.

Wip began in 2017 as a dedicated platform for later-stage projects seeking completion funding, post-production partners, distributors and sales agents, and film festival support, extending the services of the main Haf programme which is for projects in the pre-production or development stages.

There were 129 submissions from 50 countries and regions this year. Most...

Twenty-one projects have been selected to take part in the upcoming Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum’s Work-in-Progress section. It will be operated virtually alongside the Hong Kong FilMart that runs March 15-17, 2021.

The ten documentary and eleven fiction film projects were selected from the 129 submissions, organizers said on Tuesday.

The Wip section, open to projects that are in the later stages of production, is in its fifth year as part of the Haf project market. As the market is being operated without in person participation, filmmakers will be expected to make their pitches online to potential investors, post-production partners, distributors, sales agents and film festivals.

In the fiction feature section, Chang Tso-chi, two-time winner of Taiwan’s Golden Horse best film prize, presents new project “Red Horse In The Summer Sky,” a drama about a runaway girl in search of her biological father. Another is “Stonewalling,” by Huang Ji and Otsuka Ryuji,...

David Nichols, a production designer and visual consultant on more than 20 films, such as “Rocky,” “Taxi Driver” and “Groundhog Day,” died on Wednesday in Taos, N.M., Variety has learned. He was 78.

Nichols had a 30-year career in the film industry, serving as a production designer, art director, visual consultant, writer and actor at various times. His work stretched across Hollywood films and on Broadway shows.

As a production designer, he worked on the 1993 hit comedy “Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray. His other credits include “Gossip,” “Buddy,” “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” “A Midnight Clear,” “Great Balls of Fire!” “The Serpent and the Rainbow,” “Hoosiers,” “Heartbreakers,” “Found Money,” “Testament,” “Swamp Thing” and “Longshot.”

As a visual consultant in the different art departments, he helped with Sylvester Stallone’s Oscar-winning movie “Rocky” and Robert De Niro’s “Taxi Driver,” which picked up four Oscar nominations. Nichols also appeared as an extra in a...

For the past 20 years, Styx have put their fans in an impossible situation. Anyone who attends one of their shows not only misses out on seeing founder and ex-frontman Dennis DeYoung, but the current lineup doesn’t even play many of the hit songs he wrote and sang, including “Babe” and “The Best of Times.” They only recently gave in to years of pressure and added “Mr. Roboto” into the set.

DeYoung plays everything in the Styx catalog at his solo gigs, but he doesn’t have the name or...

By Paul Caspers

Chang Tso-chi’s new film “Synapses” focuses on the three generations of the Zhang family, who live together in a soon-to-be demolished house. As the father is diagnosed with early stages of dementia, the daughter returns home from a lengthy prison stint. The youngest of the grandsons is trying to make sense of it all and makes friends with a homeless man; the long-suffering grandmother is committed to keeping the family together, but cracks when her husband goes off to visit a former lover.

Do you still follow your old method of letting the actors live together in a house before you start shooting?

Yes, always. Besides Li Meng [who plays the daughter], most of the actors had little experience. So I did this to let them get close to each other and get along as a ‘family’.

And again, you didn’t let them read the full screenplay?

Same as always.

Chang Tso-chi (1961) is a Taiwanese film maker. He studied film and drama at the Chinese Culture University. When he started his career in the film industry as an assistant photographer and an assistant director, he worked with renowned directors such as Tsui Hark and especially Hou Hsiao-hsien, who is a visible influence on his work. His films, like “The Best of Times”, “When Love Comes” and “Thanatos, Drunk”, were selected for international film festivals like Cannes, Venice and Berlin. “Synapses” was the opening film of the Taiwanese Golden Horse Film Festival.

On the occasion his latest film “Synapses” selected for the Voices section and the Big Screen Competition at the the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr), we speak to him about losing our memories, working with professional actors, Taiwanese opera and other topics.

There is an alternative English title for the film “The Beloved Stranger”. Can you explain why you...

So with the New Year upon us I decided that I wanted to mix things up a little bit and bring something new to the website/podcast. I thought about how the whole website started with the 365 movies in 365 days and wondered maybe something like that would be pretty cool. Then I remembered an epsiode of Community where Abed watched a load of Nic Cage movies in a whole weekend and it sent him a bit mental.

Thus the Nicolas Cage Appreciation Society was born… A tribute to the 1 time Oscar winner, 5 times Razzie nominated, method-acting icon. With a total of 103 movie credits (at the time of writing). With every one of them better than the last, this should be a pretty interesting dive into the legacy of one of the greatest actors of our time. I will be writing up reviews on the site but also listen into the...

Shortly after reports surfaced that Jerry Herman, Broadway composer of hits like “Hello, Dolly!” and “La Cage aux Folles” died Thursday of pulmonary complications, stars of the stage and screen flocked to Twitter to share fond memories.

“How Sad,,, Jerry Herman has passed away ,,,of course he made it to Christmas and left us the next day !! He was always so enthusiastic and uplifting about things and gave us the wonderful show Hello Dolly among others !!Rip Jerry Dearest,” tweeted “Annie” actress Bernadette Peters.

Harvey Fierstein, an actor and playwright known for “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Independence Day,” shared thoughts on his “friend of 40 years.”

Also Read: Ari Behn, Kevin Spacey Accuser and Ex-Husband of Norwegian Princess, Dies at 47

“Jerry Herman lost his hard fought battle last night and we lost one of the greats. A collaborator and friend for almost 40 years, I cannot thank him enough for his love, trust,...

“Synapses,” a Taiwanese family drama directed by Chang Tso-chi, has been set as the opening film of the 2019 edition of the Golden Horse Film Festival in Taiwan. “The Garden of Evening Mists,” a Malaysia-set reconciliation drama directed by Taiwan’s Tom Lin Shu-yu, will close the event.

The festival, which runs Nov. 7-24, has not yet revealed its complete lineup, so it is too early to assess the full impact of the mainland Chinese boycott of the festival and its prestigious Golden Horse Film Awards. But the selection of two Taiwanese films may be indicative.

China’s National Film Administration has banned mainland Chinese talent and film from participating in the festival and awards as a result of last year’s prize ceremony, at which one of the winners called for Taiwanese independence. China regards Taiwan as a rebel province with which it will ultimately be reunited, by force if necessary.

Amy Schumer’s mother-daughter movie Snatched has opened to largely negative reviews – and it’s not the first time a comedian has failed to add humor to a cinematic venture

For stand-up comics, there were always two paths to stardom: become a talk-show host or a create a hit sitcom. If “movie star” is conveniently absent from that equation, it’s because the list of brilliant comics whose genius did not translate to the silver screen is long and filled with some of our greatest talents. Even those who do find success in film – like the late Robin Williams, who won an Oscar and gave a handful of indelible performances – had more than a few false starts early in his career (The Survivors, The Best of Times, Club Paradise).

Related: Snatched trailer: Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn get kidnapped

Continue reading...

Pitbull is one party machine!

The 35-year-old singer surprised over 1,500 fans at the grand opening of Brickell City Centre, a four-level, 4.9 million square-foot retail space in downtown Miami on Nov. 2. Despite the rain, the crowd danced to Mr. 305's "Fireball," "Rain Over Me" and "Echa Pa'lla."

Watch: Padma Lakshmi Poses in Black Lingerie Because 'Moms Do That Sometimes'

Earlier in the day, Padma Lakshmi and Matthew Morrison attended Elton John's An Enduring Vision Benefit, with cocktails by Clase Azul Tequila and Chopin Vodka in New York City. The benefit gala raised more than $3.15 million to support HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, supporting services, and advocacy programs across the United States, the Americas, and the Caribbean.

Getty Images

Adriana Lima looked chic and classic in a Vanto crew neck top and black Aleida blazer by All Saints, while running errands in NYC on Nov. 2. 

Star Traks Photo

Malin Akerman was all smiles while shopping the new Hotel Style bath...

Signature Theatrepresents La Cage aux Folles, directed and choreographed by Signature Associate Artistic DirectorMatthew GardinerSignature's West Side Story, Sunday in the Park with George. With an iconic score byJerry HermanHello, Dolly Mame, featuring 'I Am What I Am' and 'The Best of Times,' and a book byHarvey FiersteinKinky Boots, Newsies, this musical comedy runs through July 10 inSignature Theatre's intimate Max Theatre. Check out a first look below...

Signature TheatrepresentsLa Cage aux Folles,directed and choreographed bySignature Associate Artistic DirectorMatthew GardinerSignature'sWest Side Story,Sunday in the Park with George.With an iconic score byJerry HermanHello, DollyMame, featuring I Am What I Am and The Best of Times, and a book byHarvey FiersteinKinky Boots, Newsies, this musical comedy runs throughJuly 10in Signature Theatre's intimate Max Theatre. Watch highlights below...

The best of times may beget the worst of times, when Marvel’s Daredevil serves up Season 2 this Friday via Netflix.

Picking up about six months after the events of Season 1, the superhero series finds its titular crimefighter “functioning at his best,” star Charlie Cox tells TVLine. “Matt and Daredevil have enjoyed a period of time where everything’s been going brilliantly well. Wilson Fisk is behind bars, the crime rate has plummeted because everyone is aware of Daredevil his work….”

As a result, lawyer-by-day Matt Murdock “has grown in confidence, he’s more self-assured,” Cox reports. In fact, “There...

BroadwayWorld is counting down to the biggest night on every theatre-lover's calendar- the 69th Annual Tony Awards, which will be co-hosted by Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming on Sunday, June 7 8Pm on CBS. All month, We've been asking you to weigh in on your favorite Tonys performances from the past five years, and the time has come to reveal the winners. As the ceremony approaches, we'll be bringing you Your CHOICESBelow, we bring you three performances that fell just shy of the Top Ten list- La Cage Aux Folles 2010- 'The Best of Times', Memphis 2010- 'Steal Your Rock 'N' Roll,' and The Book of Mormon 2011- 'I Believe.'Check back tomorrow to find out who landed in the 10 spot...

And Tarantino's still in charge, working with managers Torgan, Jules McLean and Brian Quinn, even as he continues shooting "The Hateful Eight," which just left Colorado to finish filming in L.A. The theater first opened back in 1978 with a double feature of "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Last Tango in Paris." 35mm-collector and passionate advocate Tarantino quickly lined up a slate including films from his own collection, the late Paul Mazursky ("Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice") and the late Robin Williams ("The Best of Times"), as well as a double bill of Luc Besson's "The Professional" and Tarantino's own "Pulp Fiction," both 20 years old last October. Back in August, Tarantino told La Weekly: "I want the New Beverly to be a bastion for 35 millimeter films. I want it to stand for something. When you see a film on the New Beverly calendar, you don’t have to ask whether it’s going to be.

Wash Westmoreland began making a film about Alzheimer’s just as his co-director husband was diagnosed with degenerative condition Als

Just over a week ago, Julianne Moore won the best actress Oscar for her role in Still Alice. The film’s two directors watched the awards from hospital. Wash Westmoreland and his husband Richard Glatzer had hoped to be at the ceremony, but shortly before, on the day they had been fitted for tuxedos, Glatzer developed breathing difficulties. In hospital, he had a cardiac arrest and had to have his heart restarted five times. “The best of times and the worst of times is the phrase I’ve been using for the last year,” says Westmoreland, “but this was extreme.” Still, Glatzer recovered to watch their lead actor take the award on the hospital TV; they had smuggled champagne in to the ward. When Moore won, they cheered so loudly...

In the latest episode of Kcrw's The Treatment, Tarantino opens up about his (radical? backward?) decision to throw digital out the window and devote the New Beverly exclusively to film prints. Listen below. The La rep theater's October slate includes films from the late Paul Mazursky ("Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice") and the late Robin Williams ("The Best of Times"), as well as a double bill of Luc Besson's "The Professional" with Tarantino's own "Pulp Fiction," both 20 years old this October. (Tarantino defends not only 35mm projection, but also shooting in 35mm.) In August, Tarantino told La Weekly: "I want the New Beverly to be a bastion for 35 millimeter films. I want it to stand for something. When you see a film on the New Beverly calendar, you don’t have to ask whether it’s going to be shown in Dcp [Digital Cinema Projection] or in 35 millimeter. You know it’s playing...

Quentin Tarantino officially begins his tenure as film programmer of the New Beverly Cinema tonight when he re-opens the LA institution after a monthlong remodeling. On the docket is a Paul Mazursky double feature of Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and Blume In Love, which kicks off three months of Tarantino-programmed films, as Deadline reported last month. Many of those films, screened on film either on 16mm or 35mm, will come from Tarantino’s personal vaults. Tonight’s Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice print is the best known print out there, according to Tarantino, who was gifted with the newly struck print after his Django Unchained opening.

After floating the beloved New Beverly business for years, Tarantino took over as manager and programmer last month from owner Michael Torgan with a renewed commitment to screening movies only on film. New features and upgrades inside the historic theater include the addition of mechanical masking,...

Quentin Tarantino officially begins his tenure as film programmer of the New Beverly Cinema tonight when he re-opens the La institution after a monthlong remodeling. On the docket is a Paul Mazursky double feature of Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and Blume In Love, which kicks off three months of Tarantino-programmed films, as Deadline reported last month. Many of those films, screened on film either on 16mm or 35mm, will come from Tarantino’s personal vaults. Tonight’s Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice print is the best known print out there, according to Tarantino, who was gifted with the newly struck print after his Django Unchained opening.

After floating the beloved New Beverly business for years, Tarantino took over as manager and programmer last month from owner Michael Torgan with a renewed commitment to screening movies only on film. New features and upgrades inside the historic theater include the addition of mechanical masking,...

After temporarily shuttering its doors in late August, announcing takeover of theater programming and throwing digital out the window, celluloid defender Quentin Tarantino has reopened the New Beverly in Los Angeles. According to Variety, 35mm-collector Tarantino has lined up an October slate including films from the late Paul Mazursky ("Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice") and the late Robin Williams ("The Best of Times"), as well as a double bill of Luc Besson's "The Professional" with Tarantino's own "Pulp Fiction," both 20 years old this October. (Tarantino defends not only 35mm projection, but also shooting in 35mm.) In August, Tarantino told La Weekly: "I want the New Beverly to be a bastion for 35 millimeter films. I want it to stand for something. When you see a film on the New Beverly calendar, you don’t have to ask whether it’s going to be shown in Dcp [Digital Cinema Projection] or in 35 millimeter. You know it’s.

"Suicide is a permanent solution to temporary problems." - Robin Williams, "World's Greatest Dad" This is a very emotional "Ask Drew." This is, I would suspect, the closest you're ever going to see to me losing it on camera completely. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when there was a Robin Williams question, since it's still so fresh and so raw for so many people, but I couldn't have known just how hard it would be to talk about him. I mean, I have stared at the blinking cursor on my blank document page for almost two days now, grappling with one question: how in the hell do you even remotely begin to sum up someone as huge as Robin Williams? We could start from the personal angle. I could tell you about the occasional e-mails I got from him when I was at Ain't It Cool, or the...

The world is just, quite simply, not nearly as funny a place now as it was just a few hours ago, before the tragic death of legendary comedian and actor Robin Williams. For nearly 40 years, the man kept us in stitches in ways only he could, with an impeccable delivery and an unmistakable charm that is often mimicked but never equaled.

As the world mourns this comedy legend, we take a look back at our 16 favorite Robin Williams performances, some in classics that are beloved the world over, and some in overlooked and/or underrated gems that deserve to be noticed.

1Popeye (1980)

While some actors spend years paying their dues in thankless guest starring or supporting roles on film and TV, it didn't take Robin Williams long to find a foothold in Hollywood. His appearance as the alien Mork on one episode of Happy Days was so popular it lead...

On October 7, 2010, the San Francisco Giants began the march towards their first World Series championship in 56 years, and Robin Williams was there.

It was just before Game 1 of the National League Division Series, and the Giants were set to take on the Atlanta Braves. Williams – who had lived to in nearby Marin County since high school – stood behind home plate at San Fran's At&T Park, with a black Giants cap on his head and a microphone in his hand, and belted out a modified version of one of his signature lines: "Gooooood Evening,...

Not every Robin Williams performance was a winner. The actor was in some bad films, and sometimes he could be not-great in pretty decent fare. Still, his output was so consistent that it resulted in some of his performances falling completely by the wayside, work that would be grouped with other inessential material. Williams, after all, wasn't so much a great actor as he was a great experimenter, attempting different films, giving diverse performances, taking a plunge where others would simply wade in. As a result, these five performances have been overlooked despite their significance to Williams' resume because of the growth in his craft, and the risks he took. The Best Of Times One of the earlier films in Williams' career, this comedy-drama pits him against Kurt Russell in a nerds-vs.-jocks story where one high school failure rings throughout eternity. Williams was still early into his serious acting...

The late film critic Andrew Sarris once said, "When great actors die, people are sad. When the great clowns die, people grieve." He was talking about Charlie Chaplin. But Sarris could have been describing the audience's reaction to the death of Robin Williams, who died Monday of an apparent suicide. Starting out as a stand-up comic and the becoming one of the most sublimely silly men on TV, Williams was best-known as as a fixture in beloved, big budget comedies like Mrs. Doubtfire and Jumanji. Still, some of Williams's finest work came in his under-seen films. Whether it was in the 1986 football flick, The Best of Times, where he portrayed a banker who can't get over a catch he dropped in the big game, or as the brilliantly bland, increasingly creepy stalke...

Robin Williams’ long filmography has more than its share of high-profile roles—but IMDb lists 102 total acting credits stretching all the way back to 1977. (That first one? A pair of parts in something called Can I Do It ‘Till I Need Glasses?, which the site describes as “a comedy are comprised of short sexually suggestive skits.”) Williams’ triumphs (Good Will Hunting) and failures (Popeye) are well-known, but it’s worth digging through some of his less-heralded work to find the occasional gem.

1. Insomnia (2002)

Williams had been an animated Disney character, a silly cross-dressing nanny, Peter Pan, and an Oscar-winner before...

When Tim Burton’s Batman hit theaters 25 years ago, it was more than just a pivotal film in the superhero genre. It was a pivotal film in any genre — largely due to its phantasmagorical sets and vehicles. The 1989 vision of Gotham City, the Batmobile and the Batwing all sprang from the dark, fertile imagination of the film’s Oscar-winning production designer Anton Furst. Watch some of Furst’s earlier films and it’s easy to see how his and Burton’s aesthetics would play well with each other. For The Company of Wolves, Neil Jordan’s 1984 horrific take on the tale of Little Red Riding Hood, Furst created a world that merged storybook fantasy with gothic gloom. For Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, he created crumbling sets and morphed actual locations in the UK into a war-ravaged Vietnam. In Batman, Furst’s vision would synthesize fantasy and realism into a dystopia crawling with life. Like...

Your Top Three is a series here at Movies.com where we choose a topic and you give us your top three picks. As you await the Super Bowl this Sunday, you'll be making the usual preparations: concocting the perfect seven-layer dip, stocking up on beer and, if you're like us and can't solely devote the weekend to sports, maybe popping in your favorite football movies.  For a few decades of my life, the only football games I saw were the ones on the big screen in titles like The Best of Times, Wildcats, The Last Boy Scout and, uh, Disney's animated Robin Hood. Nowadays I still prefer the sport when it's in movie form, especially in documentaries like Oscar winner Undefeated, Go Tigers! and Harvard Beats Yale 29-29.  If you're not into football...

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Whistler Film Festival in BC runs from December 4 to 8, 2013, and filmmakers and deal-makers from Los Angeles, China and Canada will meet there at the Whistler Film Festival’s annual industry Summit to talk about cross border distribution and commerce. One of the many advantages of Wff’s Summit is the intimate environment in which executives and filmmakers network and forge relationships. Whether it is at a panel discussion, a reception or strolling through the village, Whistler offers an unparalleled opportunity for gaining access to the people you need to talk to – and with this years roster of industry elite, it’s an opportunity you can’t afford to miss.

“Drawing on the expertise of this years VIP guests, the Summit is structured around the theme of bringing your films to market, and is designed to provide filmmakers and producers with the necessary tools to succeed both within and beyond Canada’s borders,” said Paul Gratton, Wff’s Director of Programming. “Our second annual China Canada Gateway for Film Script Competition will provide insight into what works when considering a possible co-production with China. Similarly, this year's Crossing Borders program focuses on film distribution in Canada, specifically addressing what the EOne acquisition of Alliance means to Canadian players.”

On December 5th, Wff’s Summit kicks off with the second annual China Canada Gateway for Film® Script Competition, a dynamic pitching competition designed to stimulate international financing for Canadian creators to participate in a China Canada co-production. The competition introduces experienced writer/producer teams to Chinese studios with production financing on the table for three selected projects. The selected teams, international panel of experts and three Chinese production companies will be announced at the end of October.

On December 6th, the Summit’s Crossing Borders program will address all things distribution from big screen success to small screen solutions, attracting the most influential players in the industry.

The New Distribution panel will reveal how the vacuum in the Canadian distribution sector is quickly being filled up by aggressive new players such as Pacific Northwest Pictures and Indiecan, and how more established companies such as Kinosmith and Phase Four Films are stepping up to the plate. Attendees will learn about the new distributors, what they are looking for, and how and when to best approach them with their next film project. Guests include: Emily Alden, VP of Production & Development, Pacific Northwest Pictures; Robin Smith, Founder & President, Kinosmith; and Berry Meyerowitz, President & CEO, Phase 4 Films Inc.

The Alternative Distribution panel will speak to new ways of getting films to the big screen, or any screen for that matter. At a time when digital technology is allowing more and more films to get made than ever before, the challenge still remains on how to get these films to market. With alternative distributors speaking from both the Us and Canadian perspective, attendees will find out from the pros how to get films seen and generating revenue no matter what side of the border you live on. Guests include: J. Joly, Founder & CEO, CineCoup; Bill Bromiley, Chief Acquisitions Officer, Image, Rlj Entertainment; and Avi Federgreen, CEO, IndieCan Entertainment.

The What’s Up Docs panel will be moderated by Sturla Gunnarsson, director of numerous award-winning docs and of Ice Soldiers, which is receiving its world premiere at Wff. Featuring notable documentary filmmakers, the panel will address financing and distribution options for feature length documentaries at a time when most of the programming slots for so-called "one-offs" have disappeared from television screens to make way for reality programs. Guests include: Barry Avrich, Director, Filthy Gorgeous: The Bob Guccione Story; and Lucy Walker, Director, Crash Reel, with others to be announced with Wff’s lineup.

Hussain Amarshi, President & Founder of Mongrel Media, will deliver a keynote address entitled The Best of Times, The Worst of Times - Reflections on 20 Years of Film Distribution at Wff’s annual invitation only Filmmaker Luncheon.

Summit highlight In Conversation: A View From The Top moderated by Variety’s VP & Executive Editor, Steven Gaydos features Canada’s distribution and exhibition leaders including eOne, Cineplex and Bell Media who will discuss consolidation in the media and debate the pros and cons their companies' dominant positions bring to their respective sectors (theatrical distribution, theatrical exhibition, and television exhibition) in Canada. Guests include: Patrice Theroux, President, Global Filmed Entertainment, Executive Director of Entertainment One Ltd.; Michael Kennedy, Vice-President of Filmed Entertainment, Cineplex; and Kevin Goldstein, VP Regulatory Affairs Bell Media Inc.

Registered filmmakers and producers with industry experience and production credits will also have the opportunity to sign up for high-level one-on-one meetings to pitch their projects to commissioning editors, sales agents, distributors and other key execs attending the Festival.

On December 7th, Wff’s ShortWork Lab returns to empower the next generation of storytellers, providing filmmakers firsthand insight into the world of narrative short-form storytelling. Emerging filmmakers are invited to participate in this full day of panel discussions, pitches, networking and screenings with filmmakers and industry experts.

Wff’s Summit industry schedule is now available at www.whistlerfilmfestival.com . The Festival’s online box office is open for early bird industry registration and festival passes until October 31st. The Festival lineup and film schedule will be available online on November 4th.

For more information, go to www.whistlerfilmfestival.com .

The Whistler Film Festival is supported by Telefilm Canada, the Province of British Columbia and the Resort Municipality of Whistler. Bell Media (CTV, Etalk, E!) is Wff’s lead partner. Wff is sponsored by Variety, Transcontinental Media (Elle Canada), the Directors Guild of Canada - British Columbia, American Airlines, Sorel, Christie, Zoom Audio Visual Networks, Promosa Management, Tourism Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb and the Westin Resort & Spa Whistler.

The Whistler Film Festival Society (Wffs) is a cultural charitable organization dedicated to furthering the art of film by providing programs that focus on the discovery, development and promotion of new talent culminating with a must attend festival for artists, the industry and audiences in Whistler. Wffs produces one of Canada’s leading film festivals and plays a leadership role in offering professional and project development programs for filmmakers.

Whistler is Canada’s premier, year-round destination located in the spectacular Coast Mountains of British Columbia, and just two hours north of Vancouver. Consistently ranked the number one mountain resort in North America, Whistler features two majestic mountains, epic skiing and snowboarding conditions, four championship golf courses, more than 200 shops, 90 restaurants and bars, accommodations galore, hiking trails, spas and arguably the best mountain bike park in the world. In short, Whistler has everything you will ever need to have the time of your life - and so much more.

The fans are in the seats, the fields have been lined in white and the players are ready for some football action. Can’t you smell it in the air? The early days of Fall are here and we’re in the thick of the hallowed football time of year – high school, college and NFL. Wamg is counting down our 35 favorite football films you need to see before the kickoff of pigskin season. It’s never too early or too late to talk the sport loved by fans everywhere. Many of these true stories can be found on DVD, Blu-ray and Video On Demand. Let us know in the comments section below how you would have ranked your favorite football movies or if we left any on the sidelines.

1. Rudy

“You’re 5 foot nothin’, 100 and nothin’, and you have barely a speck of athletic ability. And you hung in there...

Sports Night and 24 producer Tony Krantz is teaming up with the NFL to make a movie with the league's official blessing, a patina that eluded films like Any Given Sunday and those innumerable films about college football. Written by Ron Shelton — whose career canvasses baseball (Cobb, Bull Durham), basketball (White Men Can't Jump), boxing (Play It to the Bone), golf (Tin Cup), and, yes, football (The Best of Times) — the project is described by Variety as "interweaving storylines in the vein of Crash," with "PG-13 content, since the NFL is very protective of its family-friendly brand." NFL: The Movie (we made that up, but feel free to run with it, guys) will detail the final three weeks of an NFL season through the perspectives of fictional coaches, players, and significant others. Studios should be bidding on the project right around the time the NFL starts its season this September.

Tonight at Radio City Music Hall in New York, the NFL will welcome its next class of millionaires as the league’s worst teams get the first shot at college football’s biggest stars. Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Baylor’s Heisman-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III are the sure-thing first two picks, as Indianapolis and Washington have made their intentions clear. In fact, the NFL Draft has been so obsessed over by the likes of Espn’s Mel Kiper Jr. that it makes Academy Awards handicapping seem restrained.

So rather than pretend to offer any fresh insight about tonight’s event,...

Kirk Cameron, Left Behind Kirk Cameron: Gays 'Unnatural' – Plus Cameron's Banana Video As for Kirk Cameron, he hasn't had a very fruitful film career, as the vast majority of his work has been restricted to television. During his Growing Pains heyday in the '80s, Cameron was seen in only a handful of mainstream releases, all but one box-office bombs — e.g., Douglas Day Stewart's romantic drama Listen to Me (1989), opposite Jami Gertz, and the Robin Williams-Kurt Russell comedy The Best of Times (1986). The second phase of Cameron's film career is comprised of a few movies geared to Evangelical Christian audiences in the United States. In Vic Sarin's Armaggedon-themed Left Behind (2001), Cameron plays television journalist Buck Williams, described by the New York Times' Stephen Holden as "the most golly gee-whiz young journalist to appear since Jimmy Olsen stalked Superman." For all his naiveté, Williams uncovers...

Remember that time Nick Cave said no to an MTV award with a pleasantly hysterical letter? Nope? Well here's the calmer first bit of the Australian singer's response to a 1996 Best Male Artist nomination for his ninth studio album with the Bad Seeds, Murder Ballads. Via Letters of Note:

"I feel that it's necessary for me to request that my nomination for best male artist be withdrawn and furthermore any awards or nominations for such awards that may arise in later years be presented to those who feel more comfortable with the competitive nature of these award ceremonies. I myself, do not."

Clear enough, yes? But then there's the really good part, which is best viewed the way it appears on Cave's site, in all caps:

My Relationship With My Muse Is A Delicate One At The Best Of Times And I Feel That It Is My Duty To Protect...

Feinstein's at Loews Regency continues its Fall 2011 season with the return engagement of Grammy Award nominated singer and entertainer Marilyn Maye. Her new show, The Best Of Times Is Now - which honors the legendary Broadway composer Jerry Herman on this 80th Birthday year - features songs from his shows including Mame, Mack and Mabel, Hello, Dolly and Milk and Honey. Marilyn starred in Hello, Dolly many times and recorded a CD of all the songs from the Tony Award winning score. Her recent local appearances have been received with rave reviews and full houses. The show opened November 1 and runs through Saturday, November 12 at the Loews Regency Hotel. Broadway Beat was on hand for opening night and takes you inside the showroom below...

Happy 30th Birthday to tennis stud Feliciano Lopez (above, in one of his more demure photos), and Happy Birthday to two out music stars. Dan Sells from The Feeling is 31, and Chuck Panozzo is 64. Chuck was the bass player and one of the founders of Styx, and he came out and announced he was living with HIV in 2001. He left the group for a few years, but now occasionally performs with his old bandmates. Okay, time to name your top five Styx songs! Here are mine: 5. "Don't Let It End," 4."Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)," 3. "Mr. Roboto," 2. "The Best Of Times," and my #1 is a bit of a cheat. It's actually the solo hit from Styx lead singer Dennis DeYoung. "Desert Moon" is one of the greatest lost gems of the 80's, and #12 on the Snicks Top 100 Of The 80's.

Tomorrow is the 2nd Annual A Day With HIV In America.

1. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

2. My Best Girl (1927)

3. The Best Man (1964)

4. Best in Show (2000)

5. Nothing But the Best (1964)

6. The Best of Enemies (1961)

7. Second Best (1994)

8. The Best of Everything (1959)

9. Best Foot Forward (1943)

10. Best Seller (1987)

11. Personal Best (1982)

12. My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

13. Best Laid Plans (1999)

14. The Best Man (1999)

15. The Best Things in Life are Free (1956)

16. Best of the Best (1989)

17. The Best of Times (1986)

18. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)

19. Best Friends (1982)

20. The Next Best Thing (2000)

21. Best Man (1997)

22. New Best Friend (2002)

23. The Best and the Brightest (2010)

24. Man's Best Friend (1993)

25. My Best Friend's Girl (2008)...