Charles Bramesco
No One Enjoyed the Cubs’ World Series Win More Than Bill Murray
Late last night, a little after the midnight hour, Hell froze over. Reports of pigs and other assorted swine growing wings and taking flight started pouring in from all over the country. Dogs and cats were living together — it was mass hysteria, all because the Chicago Cubs had finally won the World Series after a 108-year drought.
Smithsonian Mounts $300,000 Campaign to Preserve Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers
A step above the sought-after Maltese Falcon and the fabled Ark of the Covenant, Dorothy Gale’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz have to be the single most vital prop in cinematic history. The red-sequined shoes, so lusted after by the Wicked Witch of the West in the immortal 1939 fantasy film, have spent the last 30 years as one of the Smithsonian's most popular attractions. But not even magical footwear is immune to the ravages of time, and Judy Garland’s old kicks have lost a bit of their luster. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, the iconic slippers have faded from their original Technicolor ruby to something closer to “a dull auburn.”
Harriet Tubman Biopic ‘Harriet’ Headed to Theaters
Abolitionist, humanitarian, and regular fourth-grade history report subject Harriet Tubman may very well be the most significant black woman to have ever lived. She ferried what scholars estimate to be over seventy runaway slaves to freedom through her Underground Railroad network of sanctuary, and to this day continues to provide inspiration to anyone struggling to do the right thing in a status quo that enforces injustice. Having most recently unseated former president and noted genocidal maniac Andrew Jackson as the face of the $20 bill, Harriet Tubman may be the closest thing U.S. history has to an actual superhero.
Ben Affleck, Matt Damon Re-Teaming For Historical Epic ‘Bunker Hill’
When a collaboration between creative types in Hollywood bears fruit, the studios often attempt to keep it together for as long as possible in order to extract all possible profit. Aaron Stockard and Ben Affleck first found success as the co-writers of Gone Baby Gone, a moody-broody, Affleck-directed neo-noir that cleared a trail through the untamed wilds of Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood...
Rea
‘Sicario 2’ is Real and Happening with the Original Cast, No Fooling
In a move that sounds like an April Fools’ Day joke but isn’t, development has begun on a sequel to Sicario, and everyone keeps referring to it as Sicario 2. An interview at The Hollywood Reporter with Black Label Media producers Molly Smith and twins Thad and Trent Luckinbill (those are their real names, also not an April Fool’s Day joke) unearthed the nugget that the team behind Demolition has already started in on the project they call Sicario 2, continuing the long and bitter battle to secure the Mexican-American border from drug runners. And just as the so-called War on Drugs ran into perpetuity with no viable end in sight, so shall this unlikely hit about the tangled morals of international law continue for as long as the money stays green.
Study Indicates Racially Diverse Movies Perform Better at Box-Office
Historically, the number-one rationale behind the overwhelming whiteness of Hollywood has been the financial imperative, the dubious claim that movies with predominantly black casts then become “black movies,” which is to say that they are niche movies, which is to say that they are not profitable...
In-Home Screening Room Draws Support From Major Filmmakers
Last week, we took note of a new business venture called Screening Room spearheaded by Napster founder Sean Parker. The proposed service would digitally stream the latest major-studio theatrical releases into the confines of private American homes for a hefty estimated fee of $50 on the same day as in-theater premieres, rendering a trip to the local cineplex less necessary than ever. Naturally, this radical new strategy would change the entire face of the industry, and has accordingly raised hackles on the production, distribution, and exhibition sides of Hollywood. As movie theaters struggle to stay relevant and profitable, Parker’s every press conference sounds like a death knell. And this weekend, both sides of this instantly contentious debate dug in their heels on their positions.
Ken Adam, Production Designer Behind Bond and ‘Dr. Strangelove,’ Dies at 95
Sir Kenneth Adam, the celebrated production designer responsible for the iconic sets from the James Bond franchise, Dr. Strangelove, and a host of other fine films, has died. He passed away last night in his London home following a brief stay in the hospital. He was 95 year old.
Would You Pay $50 to Watch ‘Batman vs. Superman’ at Home on Opening Night?
Leaving your house, driving to the nearest movie theater (or, if you want to find a film other than a wide-release studio picture, driving what could be very far away), dropping $13 on a ticket, spending $8 more on a soda and popcorn, watching fifteen minutes of commercials and trailers, and staring daggers at jagwagons using their cell phones in the theater is cool...
George Martin, Key Beatles Collaborator and Rock Legend, Dies at 90
Sir George Martin, the legendary music producer colloquially known as the Fifth Beatle for his collaborations with the seminal rock group, has died. Though the cause of death has not been disclosed, a representative from Martin’s management company has confirmed that he passed peacefully at his home in England...