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Ruthless People
''Ruthless People'' is a 1986 American black comedy film directed by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and written by Dale Launer. It stars Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold, Anita Morris, and Helen Slater, with Bill Pullman in a supporting role in his film debut. The film is the story of a couple who kidnap their ex-boss's wife to get revenge and extort money from him. They soon realize he does not want her back and was planning to kill her himself. Meanwhile, the boss's mistress plans a blackmail attempt on him which also fails to go as planned. This was the last film released under the Touchstone Films name before it was renamed to Touchstone Pictures by Disney. Plot Beverly Hills fashion tycoon Sam Stone despises his wife, Barbara, having married her for her family wealth, and plans to murder her so he can inherit her $15million fortune and retire with his mistress Carol Dodsworth. He returns home armed with chloroform but finds Barbara is missing and re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zucker, Abrahams And Zucker
Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker (abbreviated to ZAZ) were an American comedy filmmaking trio consisting of Jim Abrahams and brothers David and Jerry Zucker who specialized in writing slapstick comedy films during the 1980s. History David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker knew each other during their childhood years, growing up in Shorewood, Wisconsin, and attending Shorewood High School which is sometimes referenced in their work. While attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the trio founded a small theater known as The Kentucky Fried Theater in 1971 which led to their sketch comedy film ''The Kentucky Fried Movie'' in 1977. This was followed by the trio's breakout hit ''Airplane!'' in 1980, which remains a revered comedic milestone. Subsequent collaborations include ''Top Secret!'', ''Ruthless People'', and ''The Naked Gun ''The Naked Gun'' media franchise, also known as ''Police Squad!'', consists of several American crime spoof-comedies, based on an original ... [...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] |
Gene Siskel
Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune''. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted a series of movie review programs on television from 1975 until his death in 1999. Siskel started writing for the ''Chicago Tribune'' in 1969, becoming its film critic soon after. In 1975, he was paired with Roger Ebert to co-host a monthly show called ''Opening Soon at a Theater Near You'' airing locally on PBS member station WTTW. In 1978, the show, renamed ''Sneak Previews'', was expanded to weekly episodes and aired on PBS affiliates all around the United States. In 1982, Siskel and Ebert both left ''Sneak Previews'' to create the syndicated show '' At the Movies''. Following a contract dispute with Tribune Entertainment in 1986, Siskel and Ebert signed with Buena Vista Television, creating ''Siskel & Ebert & the Movies'' (renamed ''Siskel & Ebert'' in 1987, and renamed again several times after Siske ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television are named), it remains the most-read daily newspaper in the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region. It had the sixth-highest circulation for American newspapers in 2017. In the 1850s, under Joseph Medill, the ''Chicago Tribune'' became closely associated with the Illinois politician Abraham Lincoln, and the Republican Party's progressive wing. In the 20th century under Medill's grandson, Robert R. McCormick, it achieved a reputation as a crusading paper with a decidedly more American-conservative anti-New Deal outlook, and its writing reached other markets through family and corporate relationships at the ''New York Daily News'' and the ''Washington Times-Herald.'' The 1960s saw its corporate parent owner, Tribune Company, rea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Eisner
Michael Dammann Eisner (born March 7, 1942) is an American businessman and former chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company from September 1984 to September 2005. Prior to Disney, Eisner was president of rival film studio Paramount Pictures from 1976 to 1984, and had brief stints at the major television networks NBC, CBS, and ABC. Eisner's 21-year stint at Disney saw the revitalization of the company's poorly performing animation studios with successful films such as ''The Little Mermaid'' (1989), ''Beauty and the Beast '' (1991), '' Aladdin'' (1992), and ''The Lion King'' (1994), a period known as the Disney Renaissance. Eisner additionally broadened the company's media portfolio by leading the acquisitions of ABC, most of ESPN and The Muppets franchise. Eisner also led major investments and expansion of the company's theme parks both domestically and globally, including the openings of Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney's Hollywood Studios) in 1989, Euro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Memphis Group
The Memphis Group, also known as Memphis Milano, was an Italian design and architecture group founded by Ettore Sottsass. It was active from 1980 to 1987. The group designed postmodern furniture, lighting, fabrics, carpets, ceramics, glass and metal objects. The Memphis group's work often incorporated plastic laminate and terrazzo materials and was characterized by ephemeral design featuring colorful and abstract decoration as well as asymmetrical shapes, sometimes arbitrarily alluding to exotic or earlier styles and designs. Background Memphis was born on the evening of December 11, 1980, when Sottsass invited a group of young designers and architects to discuss the future of design. Together, they wanted to change the concept of what design had been focused on, which had been Modernism and aimed to do so by creating and forming a new design collective. After their initial meeting, the group went away to brainstorm different ideas and concepts, and three months later, came bac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gary Riley
Gary Riley (born April 28, 1967) is a former child and teen American character actor with numerous film, made-for-TV films and television credits. Film and television career Riley played Charlie Hogan, one of his best-known roles, in the 1986 film '' Stand by Me'', and also received notice for his portrayal of Dave Frazier in the 1987 comedy '' Summer School''. He made notable appearances as a thief who steals money from Steve Martin's character's wallet in '' Planes, Trains, and Automobiles'' and as a naive metalhead customer whom Ken Kessler (portrayed by Judge Reinhold) cannot bear to rip off after discovering his girlfriend is pregnant in ''Ruthless People''. He also made guest appearances on such TV shows as ''Knots Landing'', ''Growing Pains'', a special hour-long episode of ''Amazing Stories'' directed by Steven Spielberg, and ''Airwolf''. His last role was as a thug in ''Fear'', with Mark Wahlberg. In 1986 he auditioned for the roles of "Bill S. Preston Esquire" and Te ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clarence Felder
Clarence Felder (born September 2, 1938) is an American character actor who has starred in films and on television, and co-starred in ten Broadway productions. He is also a playwright and director. His play ''Captain Felder's Cannon'' was adapted as the feature film ''All for Liberty'' (2009), in which he starred. Overview of career Felder's first feature film performance was in ''Man on a Swing'' (1974); his other films include '' After Hours'' (1985), ''Ruthless People'' (1986), '' The Hidden'' (1987), ''The Last Boy Scout'' (1991), and '' The Ride'' (1997). He stars in the award-winning feature film ''All for Liberty'' (2009), portraying his ancestor, Capt. Henry Felder, an American Revolutionary War hero of the Backcountry of South Carolina. It was based on his play ''Captain Felder's Cannon.'' His starring role on a television series was as Insp. Bobo Pritzger in ABC's 1980s hit series ''Hooperman.'' Felder has starred in many TV movies, including ''Playing for Time'', ''Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Art Evans (actor)
Arthur James Evans (born March 27, 1942) is an American actor who has made multiple film and television program appearances over three decades. Evans was born in Berkeley, California. His acting career, spanning almost 40 years, started with Frank Silvera's Theater of Being in Los Angeles. He took a starring role in ''The Amen Corner'' which transferred to Broadway in 1965. His first uncredited acting performance in film was ''Claudine'' in 1974. His first credited role was in ''Chico and the Man'' as Bubba in the episode "Too Many Crooks" which aired in 1976, and his talents for many instruments came in handy when playing Blind Lemon Jefferson in the movie ''Leadbelly'' (1976). One of Evans's early roles was the first victim in the John Carpenter film ''Christine'', based on the novel by Stephen King; Evans played a Detroit auto worker found dead on the assembly line after daring to flick cigar ash on Christine's upholstery. In 1984, Evans co-starred in the all-star African-A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William G
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of England in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is sometimes abbreviated "Wm." Shortened familiar versions in English include Will, Wills, Willy, Willie, Bill, and Billy. A common Irish form is Liam. Scottish diminutives include Wull, Willie or Wullie (as in Oor Wullie or the play ''Douglas''). Female forms are Willa, Willemina, Wilma and Wilhelmina. Etymology William is related to the given name ''Wilhelm'' (cf. Proto-Germanic ᚹᛁᛚᛃᚨᚺᛖᛚᛗᚨᛉ, ''*Wiljahelmaz'' > German ''Wilhelm'' and Old Norse ᚢᛁᛚᛋᛅᚼᛅᛚᛘᛅᛋ, ''Vilhjálmr''). By regular sound changes, the native, inherited English form of the name shoul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Santa Monica Pier
The Santa Monica Pier is a large double-jointed pier at the foot of Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California, United States. It contains a small amusement park, concession stands, and areas for views and fishing. Attractions Pacific Park The pier contains Pacific Park, a family amusement park with its solar panelled Ferris wheel. The brightly lit wheel can be seen from a distance and has been turned off during the Earth Hour observance. Other attractions It also has an original carousel hippodrome from the 1920s, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium operated by Heal the Bay, shops, entertainers, a video arcade, a trapeze school, pubs, and restaurants. The pier's west end is a popular location for anglers. The pier is a venue for outdoor concerts, movies, and other activities. History Santa Monica has had several piers; however, the current Santa Monica Pier is made up of two adjoining piers that long had separate owners. The long, narrow Municipal Pier opened Septemb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Mexico covers ,Mexico ''''. . making it the world's 13th-largest country by are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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