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A little bit ago, I discussed Hardware from 1990 and how it became a little lost to time. Today’s movie is no different as it’s pretty hard to come by and actually has three different versions to look out for. To that end, Richard Stanley can definitely be considered the best horror director you never saw. While he had a resurgence with the Nic Cage cosmic Lovecraft horror Color Out of Space, the rest of his catalogue is either a wonderful hot mess like his incomplete version of The Island of Dr. Moreau where he was fired or his first two movies that just don’t get talked about enough. While Hardware is loosely based on a comic, Dust Devil is what I would call a wholly original South African supernatural slasher flick. It has lore based in both legend and the creative mind of its writer/director Richard...

Exclusive: Industry Entertainment veterans Bill Butler and Michelle Kittrell have left after 14 years to join upstart management/production company Amplified, launched earlier this year by fellow longtime Industry managers Adam Levine, Brandy Rivers and Michael Hepburn.

Butler and Kittrell, who are bringing all of their clients, will be launching a New York office of Amplified, located in Chelsea. Butler, who was a partner at Industry, will join Hepburn, Rivers and Levine as partner; Kittrell has been named VP/Head of NY Talent.

Butler started his career at Wma before moving to Gersh, where he eventually rose to senior partner and head of the NY office. Kittrell began her career in theater before transitioning to representation at Gersh NY. She followed Butler when he left to launch the NY offices of Industry Entertainment in 2010.

Butler and Kittrell have been instrumental in growing the NY offices of both Gersh and Industry, working with a roster of clients,...

A live-action RoboCop TV series in development at Amazon MGM Studios has armed itself with two key creatives.

Peter Ocko, whose credits include Lodge 49, Elementary and Pushing Daises, has been tapped to serve as a writing executive producer and showrunner, while horror film vet James Wan, who helped shepherd Peacock’s upcoming Teacup thriller, has come on board as another EP.

More from TVLineAlex Cross Chases a Killer Who's Building a 'Masterpiece' in New Trailer for Prime Video AdaptationHas Neil Gaiman Quietly Stepped Away From The Sandman Season 2?Thursday Night Football: How to Watch the Patriots/Jets Game Live...

Rebel Ridge is a crime action thriller film written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier. The Netflix film is set in the town of Shelby Springs and it follows the story of Terry Richmond, a former marine as he comes to town to post bail for his cousin but when his savings are unlawfully taken by corrupt local police officers led by Chief Sandy Burnne, he decides to fight against the ones spreading corruption. Rebel Ridge stars Aaron Pierre in the lead role with Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, David Denman, Steve Zissis, Dana Lee, and James Cromwell starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the brutal action, thrilling story, and compelling characters in Netflix’s Rebel Ridge here are some similar movies you should check out next.

Wrath of Man (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – MGM

Wrath of Man is an action thriller drama film directed by Guy Ritchie from a screenplay co-written by Ritchie,...

In the 1990s, Hollywood found both success and failure by digging deep into the back catalog of horror master Stephen King. The decade saw some of the best adaptations of his work and some of the worst (we don't need to talk about "The Lawnmower Man"), but its high and low points alike notably drew from lesser-known King works, as many of his major hits were already adapted in the decades prior. "Thinner" falls into this category: Released in 1984, the novel that inspired the movie was well-regarded upon release, but is mostly known now as the book that helped readers identify King as the writer behind pseudonym Richard Bachman.

Plenty of King fans love "Thinner," but the novel about an overweight man who is cursed to lose weight rapidly to the point of emaciation isn't exactly as high profile as the novelist's more zeitgeist-defining works. The Tom Holland-directed film...

While it is a little early to say that Glen Powell‘s Hit Man is the best film of 2024 it is sure to end up in the top 3 for many people. Directed by Richard Linklater, who also co-wrote the film with star Powell. Loosely based on the real-life of Gary Johnson, Hit Man follows the story of a psychology professor who moonlights as a pretend hit man for the police, but Gary’s life takes a complete 180 when he meets a beautiful woman who comes to him to have her husband killed. Hit Man also stars Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Molly Kate Bernard, Evan Holtzman, and Morgana Shaw. So, if you loved the romantic comedy and dark thriller aspects of Hit Man here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a neo-noir...

Law & Order Svu may have lost Christopher Meloni at one point. But his absence allowed for Mariska Hargitay to tinker around with new storylines, some involving potential love interests for her character. But there was one on-screen romantic partner that Hargitay may not have appreciated breaking up with.

Mariska Hargitay had trouble getting over one of her most surprising onscreen relationships in ‘Law & Order Svu’ Mariska Hargitay and Robert John Burke | Heidi Gutman/Getty Images

Hargitay’s Olivia Benson explored a few romantic partners after Meloni’s departure from Svu. And although some of her flings were entirely new characters, she once dated a character fans were very familiar with. Robert John Burke’s Ed Tucker had been a part of the series since season 3. He played a stoic and no-nonsense Narc that was constantly at odds with Elliott Stabler and Olivia Benson. But as the series changed over time,...

We all remember John Candy as one of the most lovable comedians to have ever stepped in front of the screen. So rare were his dramatic performances that many might be hard-pressed to name any (he really only dipped his toe through JFK and Only the Lonely). But if Stephen King had gotten his way, Candy would have starred in Thinner, which is about a man who gets a curse placed upon him that causes him to lose weight at a deadly rate.

As noted on the commentary track of Shout! Factory’s upcoming Blu-ray release of Thinner (via CinemaBlend), producer Mitchell Galin revealed that King had the idea to cast Candy as Billy Halleck. However, there might have been an ulterior motive, but, jokingly, King pitched it. “We did reach out to [John] Candy’s people. Steve’s comment was like, ‘We’ll pay him a nice chunk of money,...

Actor Joe Mantegna has previously recorded a commentary for the 1996 Stephen King adaptation Thinner with the film’s director Tom Holland (whose other credits include Fright Night and Child’s Play)… but that didn’t stop him from sitting down to record a new commentary for Scream Factory’s upcoming Blu-ray release of Thinner! This time, Mantegna was joined by producer Mitchell Galin – and we’ll get to hear what they had to say about Thinner when the Blu-ray is released on January 23rd. Copies are available for pre-order through the Scream Factory website and on Amazon.

Scripted by Tom Holland and Michael McDowell, Thinner is based on a novel King wrote under his Richard Bachman pen name and tells a story of supernatural terror as one man faces a countdown to the ultimate excruciating payback. A 109-year-old Romani man, hell-bent on revenge for the death of his daughter, exacts a...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week — and since we’re off next week, you get an extra item!

Ghoulies Plushes from Toynk

Who among us hasn’t wanted to cuddle with the Ghoulies? Your dream can come true in the end, thanks to Toynk.

Summon 14″ plush toys of Fish Ghoulie, Cat Ghoulie, and Rat Ghoulie for $30 each. They’re currently eligible for a Buy 3, Get 1 Free deal.

Creature from the Black Lagoon Figure from Super 7

Creature from the Black Lagoon is joining Super7’s Super Cyborg line of “x-ray” toys next month for $125. Shipping is free with the code WINTER79.

The 11″ action figure features three removable panels that expose the anatomy of Gillman’s head, arm, and torso. It has seven points of articulation.

Writing as Richard Bachman, Stephen King's Thinner has always stuck with me as one of his most chilling and decidedly bleak novels, so it's especially thrilling to see that Tom Holland's 1996 adaptation of Thinner is coming to Blu-ray in a new Collector's Edition from Scream Factory that's brimming with bonus features, including an interview with Holland, two new audio commentaries, and much more!

Press Release: On January 23, 2024, Scream Factory™ will unleash the horror thriller Thinner Collector’s Edition on Blu-ray. This definitive collector’s edition release includes new audio commentary with producer Mitchell Galin and actor Joe Mantegna, new audio commentary with film critic and historian Lee Gambin and novelist Aaron Dries, new interviews with director Tom Holland, and actor Lucinda Jenney, and much more! Loyal fans and collectors, Thinner Collector’s Edition Blu-ray is available for pre-order now at ShoutFactory.com.

*Special Offer: Order from ShoutFactory.com...

Stars: Katie Kelly, Joseph Gatt, Michael Lombardi, Marc Menchaca, Jacoby Shaddix, Abbey Hafer, Ivan L. Moody, Zoltan Bathory, Robert Knepper, Robert John Burke | Written by Darren Geare, Jeff Allen Geare | Directed by Samuel Gonzalez Jr., Bridget Smith

From its opening landscape shot of a forest complete with moody voice on top, The Retaliators looks very good indeed. There is definitely an energy reminiscent of a heavy metal music video here, in both sound and visuals, but it works well with the theme and the tone of the movie. Directed by Samuel Gonzalez Jr. and Bridget Smith and penned by the team of Darren Geare and Jeff Allen Geare, this is a good old revenge flick and boy-oh-boy do I enjoy a revenge flick.

There is something very bitterly precise about this, something that looks you in the eye and doesn’t look away, a solid sledgehammer to the face in the guise of vengeance.

Directed by Tom Holland, Stephen King adaptation Thinner was released in 1996, and it’s now getting a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray from Scream Factory.

Thinner is coming to Blu-ray on January 23, 2024 from Scream Factory.

The classic King adaptation stars Robert John Burke and Joe Mantegna in a story of supernatural terror as one man faces a countdown to the ultimate excruciating payback.

Extras are in progress and will be announced at a later date.

You can pre-order your copy from Scream Factory now.

Stephen King’s novel Thinner was published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, and it was released in 1984 – twelve years before the movie adaptation came along.

The post Scream Factory Brings Stephen King Movie ‘Thinner’ to Blu-ray Early Next Year appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In early 2020 Hal Hartley managed to Kickstarter-finance Where to Land, a feature based on, so he claimed, the best screenplay he’d ever written. Other things––you surely noticed––from early 2020 made small, independent features a difficult prospect. Nearly four years on, however, Hartley’s returning to finance that same film with the same $300,000 price tag in a new Kickstarter campaign.

Regulars Bill Sage and Robert John Burke are expected to star alongside Katelyn Sparks; no word on the once-cast Edie Falco, Parker Posey, and Elina Löwensohn, but any appearing in his film is about the least-surprising thing that might transpire. With an essential, extensive Hartley retrospective now running on the Criterion Channel, one hopes interest in this filmmaker––among the most appreciably sui generis America’s produced the last 40 years––is sufficient to finance a new project.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Joseph Fulton, a well-regarded fifty-eight year-old director of romantic comedies,...

Intro: There’s a scene, roughly half way through the much maligned Robocop 3, in which the eponymous law enforcer is malfunctioning, battered and bruised, which is almost the perfect metaphor for the franchise at this point. As outlined in our previous video in this series, Robocop 2 may have had its fair share of issues, but alongside the annoying characters and a frustratingly dumbed down hero, it’s actually a pretty decent movie. It was just nowhere near the sequel it could so easily have been. Which leads us to part three, which is, well…Where do we start? Historically, in the wonderful world of movies in which we all often reside, part three’s, and later sequels to popular franchises, have that nagging tendency to Look like they should, but for the most part, this familiarity leads to something so very, very…Wrong! Beverley Hills Cop 3 lost all...

Beware! Spoilers for the work of Stephen King abound.

Stephen King has always been a self-referential writer. In addition to his poignant memoir On Writing and a multitude of forwards and afterwards in his Uncle Steve voice, the Master of Horror tends to inject his fiction with characters that bear a striking resemblance to his own persona. Equating writing with therapy, he often seems to be working through issues that underlie his novels and one can often pick out themes and seasons of life peeking through the windows of his work.

Before hitting the bestseller list, King was a young husband and father struggling to make ends meet and the weight of supporting a family frequently appears in his early writing. The newest King adaptation to hit the big screen, Rob Savage’s The Boogeyman, reimagines a story from the author’s first collection Night Shift in which a surly...

The real Palace Playland Photo: Robert Nickelsberg Maine doesn’t have many celebrities, so when someone makes it on a national scale, it’s a big deal. Anna Kendrick, Patrick Dempsey, and Judd Nelson all come to mind, but the Pine Tree State’s favorite son is Stephen King. When...

Robert John Burke in ThinnerPhoto: Paramount

Maine doesn’t have many celebrities, so when someone makes it on a national scale, it’s a big deal. Anna Kendrick, Patrick Dempsey, and Judd Nelson all come to mind, but the Pine Tree State’s favorite son is Stephen King. When I...

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Swarm, Extrapolations and Lucky Hank.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods premiere

Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler and Meagan Good debuted their Shazam! sequel on Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Lucy Liu and Zachary Levi Faithe Herman, Grace Caroline Currey, Meagan Good, Helen Mirren, Rachel Zegler, Marta Milans and Lucy Liu Leighton Meester and Adam Brody

Swarm premiere

Janine Nabers and Donald Glover’s new Prime Video series premiered on Tuesday in L.A. with stars Dominique Fishback, Chloe Bailey, Damson Idris and a special appearance by Billie Eilish.

Dominique Fishback, Donald Glover, Chloe Bailey, Janine Nabers and Damson Idris Billie Eilish Chloe Bailey and Dominique Fishback

Extrapolations premiere

The new Apple...

Boston Strangler is a thriller movie starring Keira Knightley and Carrie Coon. It is written and directed by Matt Ruskin.

Good photography, good performances… in a film that wants to be more of a vindication than a thriller and more All the President’s Men than Silence of the Lambs.

That said, Hulu and 20th Century Studios surprise with this very good, excellently set, period production.

Movie Review

A film that would be better called Loretta McLaughlin. Based on this journalist, who worked at the Boston Globe, the film uses the figure of the sadly infamous Boston Strangler in order to compose a whole defence statement of sexist injustices of that period that will leave thriller lovers feeling a little bit “this movie was not meant to be about that”, and those who want to see a good courtroom drama with a face of “I have not come to see...

Boston Strangler Trailer — Matt Ruskin‘s Boston Strangler (2023) movie trailer has been released by 20th Century Studios and Hulu. The Boston Strangler trailer stars Keira Knightley, Carrie Coon, Alessandro Nivola, Chris Cooper, David Dastmalchian, Robert John Burke, Morgan Spector, and Bill Camp. Crew Matt Ruskin wrote the screenplay for Boston Strangler. “It’s [...]

Continue reading: Boston Strangler (2023) Movie Trailer: Reporter Keira Knightley connects the Boston Strangler Murders...

"How many woman have to die before it's a story?" 20th Century & Hulu have revealed the official trailer for Boston Strangler, an original movie based on the infamous "Boston Strangler" serial killer from the 1960s. "Sixty years ago, two women helped uncover one of history’s most notorious serial killers. This is their story." Keira Knightley stars as Loretta McLaughlin, who was the reporter for the Record-American newspaper who broke the story of the Boston Strangler. Along with her colleague, the reporter Jean Cole, McLaughlin challenged the sexism of the era, pursuing the story at personal risk and uncovering corruption that cast doubt on the identity of the strangler. Knightley stars with Carrie Coon as Jean Cole, and a cast including Alessandro Nivola, Chris Cooper, David Dastmalchian, Robert John Burke, Morgan Spector, and Bill Camp. This is almost like She Said meets Zodiac, which isn't the most appealing pitch, but it doesn't look bad.

God’s Creatures Review — God’s Creatures (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, written by Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly and Shane Crowley and starring Emily Watson, Paul Mescal, Aisling Franciosi, Marion O’Dwyer, Toni O’Rourke, Brendan McCormack, Isabelle Connolly, John Burke, Steve Gunn, Sarah Kinlen, Leah Minto, Philip O’Sullivan and [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: God’S Creatures (2022): Emily Watson Turns in Fine Work in a Somber, Yet Fascinating, Film...

“Encanto” star John Leguizamo has signed on to executive produce short film “Triggered” from Tara Westwood.

“Triggered,” which stars Westwood, Isiah Whitlock Jr. (“Da 5 Bloods”), Caitlin Mehner (“Dopesick”) and Robert John Burke (“Law & Order Special Victim’s Unit”), deals with themes of gun violence.

“’Triggered’ is exceptional in that it doesn’t preach and never hits you over the head with a message – but I don’t know how anyone can watch it and not agree that we need to do things differently,” said Leguizamo. “Most Americans, even NRA members, already support basic changes such as improved background checks and this is a conversation that we must have. I’m so excited to be a part of this powerful piece directed and starring Tara Westwood.”

The short tells the story of Ohio (played by Whitlock Jr.) and Virginia (Mehner), who have both lost family to gun violence and who believe a senator,...

Bryan Cranston, Blair Underwood and Jennifer Morrison will lead the jury for this year’s Hollyshorts Film Festival.

They will be joined by Stephanie Lang, Joanna Quinn, David Dastmalchian, Adaku Ononogbo and Jeremy Swift.

Set to open Aug. 11 at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and virtually through the Bitpix platform, the festival will screen a number of short films including Steve McQueen’s prostate cancer documentary “Embarrassed,” starring Idris Elba, Ben Proudfoot’s “Mink!” about the first woman of color elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and Rory Keenan’s “Bump,” starring Gemma Arterton.

Also screening on the opening night are Frank Chi’s “38 and the Garden,” Mike Kearby’s comedy “The Problem with Time Travel,” Tara Westwood’s “Triggered” starring Isiah Whitlock Jr. and Robert John Burke, “Coral Amiga’s"Crosshairs” and Evan Miller’s “Thoughts and Prayers,” which features Adrianne Palicki and Zachary Levi.

Meanwhile...

Paris-based Cottonwood Media and the Paris National Opera are re-teaming with U.S. streamer Hulu, Germany’s Zdf and Zdf Studios and France Televisions, all partners on “Find Me in Paris,” for another premium live action tween series, “Spellbound.”

Scheduled to commence production this summer in Paris, moving later to Brussels, “Spellbound” is created by Jill Girling and Lori Mather (“Ride”), the same original executive produces and showrunners of “Find Me in Paris.”

Renaud Mathieu serves as line producer, a position he also held on “Emily in Paris.”Series lead director is Alexander Jacob. Directors include Annie Bradley, as well as Robert Burke.

Federation Kids & Family, a sales arm of Cottonwood Media parent Federation Entertainment, will partner with Zdf Studios, the commercial subsidiary of German public broadcaster Zdf, to handle worldwide sales.

Running to three seasons from its bow in 2018, “Find Me in Paris” has been broadcast in 130 territories with...

Exclusive: Oliver Trevena has signed on to star alongside Aaron Eckhart and Nina Dobrev in the action-thriller, The Bricklayer, which is heading into production in Europe next month.

In the film from director Renny Harlin, based on the novel by Noah Boyd, someone is blackmailing the CIA by assassinating foreign journalists and making it look like the agency is responsible. As the world begins to unite against the U.S., the CIA must lure its most brilliant – and rebellious – operative out of retirement, forcing him to confront his checkered past while unraveling an international conspiracy.

Hanna Weg and Matt Johnson penned the script. G-Base’s Alan Siegel, Butler and Danielle Robinson are producing with Eclectic Pictures’ Heidi Jo Markel, and Millennium Media’s Jeffrey Greenstein, Les Weldon, Jonathan Yunger, Yariv Lerner and Rob Van Norden. Avi Lerner, Trevor Short, Boaz Davidson and Tanner Mobley from Millennium are serving as exec producers.

Well, loyal readers, it’s that time again. December 31st, and you know what that means… it’s Val Kilmer’s birthday!

We here at Trailers From Hell would like to commemorate the moment with a look back at perhaps Kilmer’s signature role, the hard-partying sharpshooter Doc Holliday in the classic modern Western Tombstone (1993).

The story of Doc, the Earp brothers and their battle with a vicious gang of outlaws known as the “Cowboys” for the soul of Tombstone, Arizona, including the historic gunfight at the O.K. Corral, has been depicted on screen many times, many ways. But never with the verve and vigor of this picture, a riveting actioner boasting a cast of All-Stars. They even got Robert Mitchum to narrate!

After a spooky opening that introduces us to the ruthless Cowboys in all their evil ways as they disrupt a wedding in Mexico, we kick off...

"Everyone is keeping secrets..." Netflix has revealed an official trailer for another intriguing home invasion suspense thriller called Intrusion, which looks a lot like so many of these other home invasion thrillers over the last few years. When a husband and wife move to a small town, a home invasion leaves the wife traumatized and suspicious that those around her might not be who they seem. Freida Pinto and Logan Marshall-Green star as the husband and wife who move into a very slick modern home built out in the desert. The film's cast also includes Robert John Burke, Sarah Minnich, Mark Sivertsen, and Hayes Hargrove. This looks like it might have some good twists in the second half, but the rest of it just seems so plain and obvious and derivative. These are all ending up the same - no one is who they seem. Check it out. Here's the...

Olivia Benson isn't having a good year. Mariska Hargitay's Law & Order: Svu character finally became captain, but from there it's been a rough go. She lost her brother, and in the Thursday, Jan. 30 episode she learned her ex-boyfriend Ed Tucker (Robert John Burke) was retiring…and dying. And then later, well, spoiler alert: He died. Following a party crasher's suicide note video leveled rape allegations and a police cover up, Benson and the squad went into investigation mode. Tucker said he didn't remember Rachel Wilson (Holly Robinson Peete), not because he was covering up for his partner, the offender, but because of the cancer. He fessed up to Benson about his health after the...

Olivia Benson is back in therapy. In the exclusive sneak peek of Law & Order: Svu, above, Mariska Hargitay's Captain Benson seeks the guidance of her Dr. Peter Lindstrom (Bill Irwin). This is the first time fans have seen her in therapy since 2017 and from their conversation, it seems the first time Benson has been back to see him since making captain. "Congratulations," he tells her. "Thank you. I actually owe some of that to you," Benson tells him. "So, what? You're coming to thank me?" Lindstrom asks. What brings Benson back to Dr. Lindstrom? An ex-boyfriend, Ed Tucker (Robert John Burke), to be exact. Benson got an invite to Tucker's retirement party. It...

1966: Days of our Lives' Tony prepared to leave town.

1985: General Hospital's Josh Clayton was killed.

1994: One Life to Live's paralyzed Luna took her first steps.

1994: All My Children's Hayley and Alec plotted revenge."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1966: On Days of our Lives, Tony Merritt (Richard Colla) told Marie Horton (Maree Cheatham) he was leaving Salem.

1966: On Dark Shadows, news of Bill Malloy's death spread around Collinsport.

1966: On the Season 3 premiere of Peyton Place, Chris Webber (Gary Haynes) was...

Today we are recognizing BlacKkKlansman, as well as co-writer/director Spike Lee, plus co-stars Adam Driver and John David Washington. Our Hollywood Film Tributes recognize films and talent for their excellence in the art of filmmaking. One of the awards season’s most consistent players, BlacKkKlansman is a timely film that deserves to be recognized for the masterwork from Spike Lee that it is. Lee arguably has made one of his best movies ever here, while Driver and Washington are nomination worthy. It’s one of 2018’s best, plain and simple… From our rave review back in the summer: Spike Lee is not a subtle filmmaker. Sometimes, the stick of dynamite works better than the scalpel. Other times? Not so much. That’s sort of been the hallmark of his career, and in particular, the last handful of years. Well, this week, Lee is back with a vengeance, as he...

Stars: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace, Alec Baldwin, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Robert John Burke, Brian Tarantina, Arthur J. Nascarella, Ken Garito, Frederick Weller, Michael Buscemi, Damaris Lewis | Written by Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee | Directed by Spike Lee

[Note: With the film out on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday (Christmas Eve) here's a reposting of our review of BlacKkKlansman from its cinema release earlier this year]

Spike Lee returns to cinema screens after a small absence taking his mantel up at Netflix with the Roger Guenveur Smith one-man show Rodney King, as well as retooling his breakout 1986 hit She’s Gotta Have It into a critically acclaimed television series. Lee, famed in the same breath as he has been clouded in controversy, has been at the forefront of pioneering positive attitude on the representation of African Americans in cinema since is seminal 1989 work of Do the Right Thing, concerning the irrefutable oppression of his people and the police brutality governed in one of...

1966: Days of our Lives' Tony prepared to leave town.

1985: General Hospital's Josh Clayton was killed.

1994: One Life to Live's paralyzed Luna took her first steps.

1994: All My Children's Hayley and Alec plotted revenge."The best prophet of the future is the past."

― Lord Byron

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1966: On Days of our Lives, Tony Merritt (Richard Colla) told Marie Horton (Maree Cheatham) he was leaving Salem.

1966: On Dark Shadows, news of Bill Malloy's death spread around Collinsport.

1966: On the Season 3 premiere of Peyton Place, Chris Webber (Gary Haynes) was furious with Steven Cord (James Douglas) for defending his brother,...

Stars: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace, Alec Baldwin, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Robert John Burke, Brian Tarantina, Arthur J. Nascarella, Ken Garito, Frederick Weller, Michael Buscemi, Damaris Lewis | Written by Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee | Directed by Spike Lee

Spike Lee returns to cinema screens after a small absence taking his mantel up at Netflix with the Roger Guenveur Smith one-man show Rodney King, as well as retooling his breakout 1986 hit She’s Gotta Have It into a critically acclaimed television series. Lee, famed in the same breath as he has been clouded in controversy, has been at the forefront of pioneering positive attitude on the representation of African Americans in cinema since is seminal 1989 work of Do the Right Thing, concerning the irrefutable oppression of his people and the police brutality governed in one of the hottest summers Brooklyn has seen. Taking a few hits along the road,...

Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” and Boots Riley’s “Sorry to Bother You” are very different movies — one is about a black police officer infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan, and the other is about a black telemarketer working his way up an evil corporation — but they both explore the presence of racism in everyday language. In both cases, black characters adopt a stereotypical “white voice” to achieve their goals. This connective tissue has already inspired more than one thinkpiece on the issue, but none of them have picked up on the empowering message common to both films.

As an aspect of a cultural identity, “African American Vernacular English” (Aave) has long been weaponized against African Americans. Numerous studies report on discriminatory practices that are hostile towards black people, across industries, based entirely on the sound of their voice. As Riley’s absurdist satire “Sorry To Bother You” illustrates, capitalism suppresses the “black voice,...

BlacKkKlansman Focus Features Reviewed by: Harvey Karten Director: Spike Lee Screenwriter: Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee based on Ron Stallworth’s book “Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime” Cast: Topher Grace, Alec Baldwin, Adam Driver, Ryan Eggold, Laura Harrier, John David Washington, Paul Walter Hauser, Robert John Burke, […]

The post BlacKkKlansman Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Spike Lee is not a subtle filmmaker. Sometimes, the stick of dynamite works better than the scalpel. Other times? Not so much. That’s sort of been the hallmark of his career, and in particular, the last handful of years. Well, this week, Lee is back with a vengeance, as he’s got one of his best movies to date coming out. The film in question is BlacKkKlansman, a piece of vital cinema that stands tall among anything else the auteur has done. Not only is it one of Lee’s best, it’s one of the year’s best as well, in addition to being a major Oscar player. This is something special folks. Based on an incredible true story, the movie centers on Colorado Springs Police Officer Ron Stallworth (John David Washington). Teamed with partner Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), they would go undercover and take down the local...

Heads up: Spike Lee is coming at you with his greatest and most galvanizing movie in years. BlacKkKlansman is right up there with Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X in the Spike’s Joint pantheon of game-changers. For starters, it gets your blood up about the toxic and enduring power of racism. Based on the true story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the first African-American cop on the Colorado Springs police force, the film shows how Ron managed to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan and righteously screw with it from the inside.

"Only in the wilderness is man made pure again." Momentum has released a trailer for a dark thriller film titled Boarding School, the latest from filmmaker Boaz Yakin. The synopsis for this seems similar to The Miseducation of Cameron Post, but the actual film seems to border on being more horror or psychological thriller than a drama. Luke Prael stars as Jacob, a 12-year-old boy who, after being caught wearing women's dresses by his father, is sent away to a private boarding school for teenage misfits. Once there, he discovers the headmaster is much more dangerous than helpful in any way. The cast includes Will Patton, Samantha Mathis, Robert John Burke, Tammy Blanchard, Lucy Walters, Sterling Jerins, and Nadia Alexander. This gets super creepy by the end. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Boaz Yakin's Boarding School, direct from YouTube: When troubled 12-year-old Jacob Felsen is sent away to boarding school,...

29 years after he blasted onto the Croisette red carpet with Do the Right Thing, Spike Lee returns to Cannes with BlacKkKlansman, an entertaining romp based on the incredible true-life story of Ron Stallworth, the black undercover detective who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in the 1970s.

Set in Colorado Springs in the early 70s, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is set to become the local force’s first black policeman. With his nappy hair and groovy gear, he is very much the outsider, coming across the unit’s unthinking racism as black suspects are referred to as ‘toads’. After a period spent sorting files, he nominates himself for undercover work (and is obviously given the option of narcotics by his boss Chief Bridges – Robert John Burke – in another act of racial profiling), but instead he has to attend a talk organized by the black student union. They’ve invited Kwame Ture to talk,...

Over at the Cannes Film Festival yesterday, Spike Lee’s hotly anticipated new movie BlacKkKlansman had its World Premiere. At the same time, a Trailer dropped for the flick, showing just what was blowing people away in France. Initially thought to be a drama or a thriller, this based on a true story tale actually seems more like a black comedy, with buddy cop trappings as well. This genre and tonal shift certainly gives the film a whole new look. Plus, the Trailer does look fantastic. Combine that with the raves so far at Cannes and this is something to really be excited for. You’ll be able to see the Trailer at the end of this article, but first…let us get into just what Lee has in store for us this summer. The movie is a crime comedy of sorts, based on a true story. IMDb describes it as “Ron Stallworth,...

"With the right white man, we can do anything?" Focus Features has revealed the first official trailer for Spike Lee's new film BlacKkKlansman, timed in sync with the premiere of the film at the Cannes Film Festival this week. Based on an incredible true story, BlacKkKlansman is about a black police officer in Colorado in the 70s who is recruited into the local chapter of the Kkk. John David Washington (son of Denzel) plays Ron Stallworth, who convinced other Klan members over the phone that he was a white man, and went undercover to infiltrate the Kkk. When his presence was required, the officers sent a white officer in who doubled him and became highly regarded within the organization. Adam Driver co-stars, and the cast includes Laura Harrier, Topher Grace, Ryan Eggold, and Robert John Burke. This premiered to rave reviews, and it's Spike Lee at his most angry and brilliant,...

If D.W. Griffith’s “The Birth of a Nation” was “like writing history with lightning,” as Woodrow Wilson described it way back in 1915, then Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” is the roll of thunder that was eventually sure to follow. The astonishing true story of one of the riskiest undercover investigations in American history — an improbable early-’70s case in which black police detective Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) applied for and was ultimately granted membership in the Ku Klux Klan — Lee’s latest is as much a compelling black empowerment story as it is an electrifying commentary on the problems of African-American representation across more than a century of cinema.

Backed by Blumhouse and “Get Out” auteur Jordan Peele, “BlacKkKlansman” is also the best thing the director has made in a dozen years (since HBO miniseries “When the Levees Broke”) and a welcome throwback to the days when Lee’s...

"See you in 1938." Let's kick off the New Year by taking a time travel trip into 2018! A trailer has launched for a wacky little indie film titled Future '38, a spoof of classic screwball comedies from the 1930s. The story involves a man being sent via time travel into the future, 80 years ahead to the year 2018, to help them figure out how to solve their problems in the past. Something about defeating Hitler, but then he falls for a young lady, and it all becomes a big mess. The film's cast features Betty Gilpin, Nick Westrate, Ethan Phillips, Sean Young, Robert John Burke, and Ilana Becker, with an appearance by Neil deGrasse Tyson. This actually looks very fun! Yes, it's super cheesy, but it seems like they nailed the tone and balance of humor and quirk and screwball-ness for a very amusing, entertaining little film. Might be worth a watch.

Rebecca Lea Oct 30, 2017

Our lookbacks at the screen adaptations of Stephen King find us at Thinner, starring Robert John Burke...

The film: Morbidly obese and deeply unpleasant lawyer Billy Halleck (Robert John Burke) runs over an old gypsy woman with his car, distracted by his wife Heidi (Lucinda Jenney) who is doing something rather rude to him. His ties to the local law enforcement, Judge Cary Rossington (John Horton) and Chief of Police Duncan Hopley (Daniel von Bargen), means the case is dismissed before it gets to court. However, the old woman’s father (Michael Constantine) has a different kind of justice in mind. He curses Halleck with the word ‘thinner’ and soon, Halleck begins to lose weight at a dangerous and ever-increasing rate.

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Thinner is one of the books written under Stephen King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman, and it has the...

Last night’s “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” unmasked many important and shocking details about the complex world of forensic science. It also proved that the Olsen twins conspiracy has entered its most vital stage and gave us a “CSI” spin-off we could only dream of before.

Oliver shed light on the notable intricacies involved in actual forensic science, urging television audiences to combat the inaccurate accounts they’ve seen on shows like “CSI” and “NCIS.” As it turns out, fictional detective agencies have been portraying forensic science as much more accurate than it actually is.

The statistic that began the segment recalled cases that used forensic evidence for a conviction from the 1970s up to 1999, when DNA evidence became the golden standard. According to The Innocence Project, in 268 cases where FBI hair analysis has led to a conviction, 257 of those cases had errors in analysis while nine of...

Vulture Watch: Can this venerable series go on forever? Has the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit TV show been cancelled or renewed for a 19th season on NBC? The television vulture is watching for the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Law & Order: Svu, season 19. You can bookmark this page or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?What's This TV Show About? Airing on the NBC television network, Law & Order: Svu follows an elite squad of detectives who investigate sexually based crimes in New York City. In season 18, the cast is made up of Mariska Hargitay, Ice-t, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, and Raul Esparza. Recurring actors include Robert John Burke, Peter Gallagher, and Elizabeth Marvel. Read More…...

Olivia Benson's world is about to get turned on its head thanks to a very famous face. E! News has confirmed Brooke Shields will recur on season 19 of Law & Order: Svu in a role that will shake up Benson's (Mariska Hargitay) world. No other details have been announced about the role, but we can wildly speculate right now. Will she be Benson's new lover? Viewers saw the character break up with Tucker (Robert John Burke) during season 18 and she doesn't exactly have the greatest track record with men, maybe this is why… Could she be somehow related to Noah, Benson's adopted son? Or is she Benson's new boss? A new member of the Svu squad? Benson had a brother she wasn't exactly aware...