|
Paul Bartel
Paul Bartel (August 6, 1938 – May 13, 2000) was an American actor, writer and director. He was perhaps most known for his 1982 hit black comedy ''Eating Raoul'', which he wrote, starred in and directed. Bartel appeared in over 90 movies and TV episodes, including such titles as ''Eat My Dust'' (1976), Hollywood Boulevard (1976 film), ''Hollywood Boulevard'' (1976), ''Rock 'n' Roll High School'' (1979), ''Get Crazy'' (1983) and ''Amazon Women on the Moon'' (1987). He frequently co-starred with friend and former Warhol girl Mary Woronov; the pair appeared in 17 films together, often as husband and wife. Bartel also directed 11 low-budget films, many of which he also acted in or wrote. He started in 1968 with the short ''The Secret Cinema'', a paranoid delusional fantasy of self-referential cinema. He graduated to features in 1972 with the horror-comedy ''Private Parts (1972 film), Private Parts''. He would go on to direct such cult films as ''Death Race 2000'' (1975), ''Eatin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Comedy
Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discuss. Writers and comedians often use it as a tool for exploring vulgar issues by provoking discomfort, serious thought, and amusement for their audience. Thus, in fiction, for example, the term ''black comedy'' can also refer to a genre in which dark humor is a core component. Popular themes of the genre include death, crime, poverty, suicide, war, violence, terrorism, discrimination, disease, racism, sexism, and human sexuality. Black comedy differs from both blue comedy—which focuses more on crude topics such as nudity, sex, and Body fluids—and from straightforward obscenity. Whereas the term ''black comedy'' is a relatively broad term covering humor relating to many serious subjects, ''gallows humor'' tends to be used more specifical ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Margaret Whiting
Margaret Eleanor Whiting (July 22, 1924 – January 10, 2011) was an American popular music and country music singer who gained popularity in the 1940s and 1950s.Mapes, Jillian.Margaret Whiting, Iconic Standards Singer, Dies at 86. ''Billboard'', January 12, 2011. Biography Youth Whiting was born in Detroit,Heckman, Don.Margaret Whiting Dies at 86; pop singer mentored by Johnny Mercer. ''Los Angeles Times'', January 13, 2011. Her family moved to Los Angeles in 1929, when she was five years old. Her father, Richard, was a composer of popular songs, including the classics "Hooray for Hollywood", "Ain't We Got Fun?", and "On the Good Ship Lollipop". Her sister, Barbara Whiting, was an actress (''Junior Miss'', ''Beware, My Lovely'') and singer. An aunt, Margaret Young, was a singer and popular recording artist in the 1920s. Whiting's singing ability was noticed at an early age and at seven she sang for singer-lyricist Johnny Mercer, with whom her father had collaborated on some ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alan Arkush
Allan Arkush (born April 30, 1948) is an American director and producer of films, television and videos. He is a collaborator of Joe Dante. Early life Arkush grew up in Fort Lee, New Jersey. He graduated in 1966 from Fort Lee High School. His experiences there served as the inspiration for the film ''Rock 'n' Roll High School'' (1979). He attended New York University Film School from 1967 to 1970. ''Septuagenarian Substitute Ball'', his senior film, starring John Ford Noonan, won third prize at the National Student Film Festival-1970. His teacher and faculty adviser was Martin Scorsese "whose knowledge and passion changed my life". While at NYU, he worked at The Fillmore East as an usher, stage crew member and in the psychedelic light show "Joe's Lights", performing with artists including The Who, Grateful Dead, Santana, Allman Bros, Miles Davis, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Virgil Fox and Fleetwood Mac in New York City and London. He returned to New York City in 1973 whe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ron Howard
Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of ''The Twilight Zone''. He gained national attention for playing young Opie Taylor, the son of Sheriff Andy Taylor (played by Andy Griffith) in the sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'' from 1960 through 1968. During this time, he also appeared in the musical film ''The Music Man'' (1962), a critical and commercial success. He was credited as Ronny Howard in his film and television appearances from 1959 to 1973. Howard was cast in one of the lead roles in the coming-of-age film ''American Graffiti'' (1973), and became a household name for playing Richie Cunningham in the sitcom ''Happy Days'', a role he would play from 1974 to 1980.Stated on ''Inside the Actors Studio'', 1999 In 1980, Howard left ''Happy Days'' to focus on directing, producing and sometimes writing a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many major accolades, including an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards, four British Academy Film Awards, two Directors Guild of America Awards, an AFI Life Achievement Award and the Kennedy Center Honor in 2007. Five of his films have been inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". Scorsese received an Master of Arts, MA from New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development in 1968. His directorial debut, ''Who's That Knocking at My Door'' (1967), was accepted into the Chicago Film Festival. In the 1970s and 1980s decades, Martin Scorsese filmography, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joe Dante
Joseph James Dante Jr. (; born November 28, 1946) is an American film director, producer, editor and actor. His films—notably ''Gremlins'' (1984) alongside its sequel, '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990)—often mix 1950s-style B movies with cartoon comedy. Dante's films also include ''Piranha'' (1978), ''The Howling'' (1981), ''Explorers'' (1985), ''Innerspace'' (1987), ''The 'Burbs'' (1989), '' Matinee'' (1993), ''Small Soldiers'' (1998), and '' Looney Tunes: Back in Action'' (2003). His work for television and cable includes immigration satire ''The Second Civil War'' (1997) and episodes of anthology series ''Masters of Horror'' ("Homecoming" and " The Screwfly Solution") and ''Amazing Stories'', as well as ''Police Squad!'' and ''Hawaii Five-0''. Early life Dante was born in Morristown, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby Livingston. His father, Joseph James Dante, was a professional golfer, though Dante was more interested in becoming a cartoonist. Career 1960s Dante ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cannonball (1976 Film)
''Cannonball'' (stylized on-screen as ''Cannonball!'', and released theatrically in the UK as ''Carquake'') is a 1976 American comedy film directed by Paul Bartel and starring David Carradine. The film is one of two released in 1976 that were based on a real illegal cross-continent road race that took place for a number of years in the United States (the other being'' The Gumball Rally''). The same topic later became the basis for the films ''The Cannonball Run'', ''Cannonball Run II'' and ''Speed Zone''. The film was written and directed by Paul Bartel, who also directed ''Death Race 2000''. The name of the film and the plot were inspired by Erwin G. "Cannon Ball" Baker (1882–1960), who traveled across the United States several times, and by the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, an illegal cross-continent road race introduced by Brock Yates to protest against the 55 MPH speed limit. Plot The Trans-America Grand Prix is an illegal race held every year ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, he won his first critical acclaim as an actor for his co-starring role as Stanley Rosiello in ''The Lords of Flatbush''. Stallone subsequently found gradual work as an extra or side character in films with a sizable budget until he achieved his greatest critical and commercial success as an actor and screenwriter, starting in 1976 with his role as boxer Rocky Balboa, in the first film of the successful ''Rocky'' series (1976–present), for which he also wrote the screenplays. In the films, Rocky is portrayed as an underdog boxer who fights numerous brutal opponents, and wins the world heavyweight championship twice. In 1977, Stallone was the third actor in cinema to be nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Carradine
David Carradine ( ; born John Arthur Carradine Jr.; December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) was an American actor best known for playing martial arts roles. He is perhaps best known as the star of the 1970s television series ''Kung Fu'', playing Kwai Chang Caine, a peace-loving Shaolin monk travelling through the American Old West. He also portrayed the title character in both of the ''Kill Bill'' films. He appeared in two Martin Scorsese films: ''Boxcar Bertha'' and ''Mean Streets''. David Carradine was a member of the Carradine family of actors that began with his father, John Carradine. The elder Carradine's acting career, which included major and minor roles on stage, television, and in cinema, spanned more than four decades. A prolific "B" movie actor, David Carradine appeared in more than 100 feature films in a career spanning more than six decades. He received nominations for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award for his work on ''Kung Fu'', and received three add ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Big Bad Mama
''Big Bad Mama'' is a 1974 American action-crime- sexploitation comedy movie produced by Roger Corman, starring Angie Dickinson, William Shatner, and Tom Skerritt, with Susan Sennett and Robbie Lee. This movie is about a mother, Wilma (played by Dickinson), and her two daughters, Polly (Robbie Lee) and Billie Jean (Susan Sennett), who go on a crime spree. After the mother unexpectedly falls in love with a bank robber it all ends, with tragic consequences. ''Big Bad Mama'' became a cult hit and was followed by a sequel, ''Big Bad Mama II'', in 1987. Plot In Texas in 1932, after stopping her youngest daughter's wedding, Wilma McClatchie (Dickinson) takes over her late lover's bootlegging business, but gets caught while doing the delivery route with her two daughters. After handing over all her money and her ring to the sheriff, they are let go and she begins her crime spree. While Wilma is at a bank trying to cash a fake check, the bank is held up by Fred Diller (Skerritt) and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New World Pictures
New World Pictures (also known as New World Entertainment and New World Communications Group, Inc.) was an American independent production, distribution, and (in its final years as an autonomous entity) multimedia company. It was founded in 1970 by Roger Corman and Gene Corman as New World Pictures, Ltd., a producer and distributor of motion pictures, eventually expanding into television production in 1984. New World eventually expanded into broadcasting with the acquisition of seven television stations in 1993, with the broadcasting unit expanding through additional purchases made during 1994. 20th Century Fox (then owned by News Corporation), controlled by Rupert Murdoch, became a major investor in 1994 and purchased the company outright in 1997; the alliance with Murdoch, particularly through a group affiliation agreement with New World reached between the two companies in May 1994, helped to cement the Fox network as the fourth major U.S. television network. Although effec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works that have an already-established critical reputation, such as his cycle of low-budget cult films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe. In 1964, Corman—admired by members of the French New Wave and '' Cahiers du Cinéma''—became the youngest filmmaker to have a retrospective at the Cinémathèque Française, as well as in the British Film Institute and the Museum of Modern Art. He was the co-founder of New World Pictures, the founder of New Concorde and is a longtime member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2009, he was awarded an Honorary Academy Award "for his rich engendering of films and filmmakers". Corman is also famous for distributing in the U.S. many foreign directors, such as Federico Fellini (Ital ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
