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The Hollywood Hall Of Shame
''The Hollywood Hall of Shame'' is a 1984 book by brothers Harry and Michael Medved. The authors had previously written or been involved in the creation of similar books exploring "bad movies" or "cinematic mistakes": ''The Fifty Worst Films of All Time'', and ''The Golden Turkey Awards''. While those earlier books listed films judged by the authors as bad and ridiculous and featured many film oddities, exploitation films and low-budget obscurities, ''The Hollywood Hall of Shame'' examines expensive financial disasters; big budget mainstream films that failed miserably at the box office, or had other disastrous consequences. The main section of ''The Hollywood Hall of Shame'' explores in detail a small selection of celebrated failures, describing the financial and production problems that led to the big budget and in many cases cost overruns, while contemplating why the film failed to gain public acceptance. A basement compendium aims to give a comprehensive overview of other big ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Medved
Michael Saul Medved (born October 3, 1948) is an American radio show host, author, political commentator, and film critic. His talk show, ''The Michael Medved Show'', is syndicated from his home station KTTH in Seattle. It is syndicated via Genesis Communications Network. Early life and education Michael Medved was born on October 3, 1948 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to parents Renate (née Hirsch) and David Bernard Medved. His father was a Navy veteran and scientist. Raised in a Jewish home, his family's origin is German and Ukrainian. The surname Medved means a "bear" in many Slavic languages. Medved was raised in San Diego, California, where his father worked as a defense contractor for Convair and NASA. After the family moved to Los Angeles, California, he attended Palisades High School. Medved entered Yale University as a 16-year-old undergraduate. He received his B.A. with honors in 1969, and later attended Yale Law School, though he did not finish his J.D. degree. Med ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hello, Everybody!
''Hello, Everybody!'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code musical film directed by William A. Seiter and written by Lawrence Hazard, Fannie Hurst, and Dorothy Yost. The film stars Kate Smith, Randolph Scott, Sally Blane, Charley Grapewin, George Barbier, Wade Boteler and Julia Swayne Gordon Julia Swayne Gordon (born Sarah Victoria Smith; October 29, 1878 – May 28, 1933) was an American actress who appeared in at least 228 films between 1908 and 1933. Early years Gordon was born in Columbus, Ohio, to Louis and Anna Smith and wa .... The film was released on February 17, 1933, by Paramount Pictures. Plot The setting is a farm. Kate Smith and Sally Blane play sisters; assorted relatives live with the sisters, but everyone at home, and in the whole town, depends on Kate to hold everything together. The power company wants to build a dam which will require flooding many of the farms; Kate is holding out; if Kate sells, everyone else will sell; if Kate refuses, the rest of the t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heaven's Gate (film)
''Heaven's Gate'' is a 1980 American epic Western film written and directed by Michael Cimino, starring Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, John Hurt, Sam Waterston, Brad Dourif, Isabelle Huppert, Jeff Bridges, and Joseph Cotten. Loosely based on the Johnson County War, it revolves around a dispute between land barons and European immigrants in Wyoming in the 1890s. Cimino's follow-up to his critically acclaimed film ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), the film's production faced numerous setbacks, including cost overruns, significant retakes, bad press (including allegations of animal abuse on set), and rumors about Cimino's allegedly authoritarian directorial style. Cimino had an expensive and ambitious vision for the film, pushing the film nearly four times over its planned budget. After its premiere in November 1980, the film received significant critical backlash, prompting United Artists to pull it from theaters. In April 1981, a truncated re-cut version of the film was re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Can't Stop The Music
''Can't Stop the Music'' is a 1980 American musical comedy film directed by Nancy Walker. Written by Allan Carr and Bronté Woodard, the film is a pseudo-biography of the 1970s disco group the Village People loosely based on the actual story of how the group formed. Produced by Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment (formerly EMI Films), distributed by independent distributor Associated Film Distribution (AFD), the film was released after disco's peak and, along with '' Xanadu'', is known for inspiring the creation of the Golden Raspberry Awards, winning the first Razzies for Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay. Plot Songwriter Jack Morell—a reference to Village People creator Jacques Morali—gets a break DJing at local disco Saddle Tramps. His roommate, Samantha "Sam" Simpson, is a supermodel newly retired at the peak of her success. She sees the response to a song that he wrote for her ("Samantha") and agrees to use her connections to get him a record deal. Her connection is her ex ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paint Your Wagon (film)
''Paint Your Wagon'' is a 1969 American Western musical film starring Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood, and Jean Seberg. The film was adapted by Paddy Chayefsky from the 1951 musical '' Paint Your Wagon'' by Lerner and Loewe. It is set in a mining camp in Gold Rush-era California. It was directed by Joshua Logan. Plot When a wagon crashes into a ravine, prospector Ben Rumson (Lee Marvin) finds two adult male occupants, brothers, one of whom is dead and the other of whom has a broken arm and leg. While burying the dead man, gold dust is discovered at the grave site. Ben stakes a claim on the land and adopts the surviving brother (Clint Eastwood) as his "Pardner" while he recuperates. Pardner is innocent and romantic, singing a love song about an imaginary girl ("I Still See Elisa"). He hopes to make enough in the gold rush to buy some land and is suspicious of the fast-living Ben. Ben claims that while he is willing to fight, steal, and cheat at cards, he will never betray a partner. B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Messenger Of God
''MESSENGER'' was a NASA robotic space probe that orbited the planet Mercury between 2011 and 2015, studying Mercury's chemical composition, geology, and magnetic field. The name is a backronym for "Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging", and a reference to the messenger god Mercury from Roman mythology. ''MESSENGER'' was launched aboard a Delta II rocket in August 2004. Its path involved a complex series of flybys – the spacecraft flew by Earth once, Venus twice, and Mercury itself three times, allowing it to decelerate relative to Mercury using minimal fuel. During its first flyby of Mercury in January 2008, ''MESSENGER'' became the second mission, after Mariner 10 in 1975, to reach Mercury. ''MESSENGER'' entered orbit around Mercury on March 18, 2011, becoming the first spacecraft to do so. It successfully completed its primary mission in 2012. Following two mission extensions, the spacecraft used the last of its maneuvering propellant to deorbit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Greatest Story Ever Told
''The Greatest Story Ever Told'' is a 1965 American epic film produced and directed by George Stevens. It is a retelling of the Biblical account about Jesus of Nazareth, from the Nativity through to the Ascension. Along with the ensemble cast, it is Claude Rains' final film role. It received five Academy Award nominations. Plot Part I Three wise men (magi) follow a brightly shining star from Asia to Jerusalem in search of a newborn king. They are summoned by King Herod the Great, whose advisers inform him of a Messiah mentioned in various prophecies. When Herod remembers that the prophecy names nearby Bethlehem as the child's birthplace, he sends the Magi there to confirm the child's existenceand secretly sends guards to follow them and "keep iminformed." In Bethlehem, the Magi find a married coupleMary and Josephlaying their newborn son in a manger. Mary states that his name is Jesus. As the local shepherds watch, the Magi present gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Blue Bird (1976 Film)
''The Blue Bird'' is a 1976 American-Soviet children's fantasy film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay by Hugh Whitemore, Alfred Hayes, and Aleksei Kapler is based on the 1908 play '' L'Oiseau bleu'' by Maurice Maeterlinck. It was the fifth screen adaptation of the play, following two silent films, the studio's 1940 version starring Shirley Temple, and a 1970 animated feature. It was famous as one of the few cinematic co-productions between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. However unlike prior adaptations the film received little-to-no critical praise and was a flop at the box office. Plot Mytyl and her brother Tyltyl are peasant children who are led on a quest for the Blue Bird of Happiness by the Queen of Light, who gives them a hat with a magic diamond that allows them to call forth the souls of all things, both living and inanimate. On their journey, they are accompanied by the human personifications of a dog, a cat, water, sugar, bread, mi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doctor Dolittle (film)
''Doctor Dolittle'' (also known as ''Dr. Dolittle'') is a 1967 American musical comedy film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley, and Richard Attenborough. It was adapted by Leslie Bricusse from the novel series by Hugh Lofting. The screenplay primarily fuses three of the books, ''The Story of Doctor Dolittle'' (1920), ''The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle'' (1922), and ''Doctor Dolittle's Circus'' (1924). Various attempts to adapt the ''Doctor Dolittle'' series began as early as the 1920s. In the early 1960s, actress-turned-producer Helen Winston acquired the film rights in an attempt to produce a film adaptation to no success. In 1963, producer Arthur P. Jacobs subsequently acquired the rights and recruited Alan Jay Lerner to compose the songs and Rex Harrison to star in the project. After numerous delays, Lerner was fired and replaced by Leslie Bricusse. The production was continuously delayed by setbacks caused by poorly chosen s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Only Game In Town (film)
''The Only Game in Town'' is a 1970 American romantic comedy-drama film, the last directed by George Stevens. It stars Elizabeth Taylor and Warren Beatty. The screenplay by Frank D. Gilroy is based on his play of the same name which had a brief run on Broadway in 1968. Plot Fran Walker (Dame Elizabeth Taylor) is an aging Las Vegas chorus girl. She has given her wealthy San Francisco, California-based married lover Tom Lockwood (Charles Braswell), who she has not seen in six months, ultimatum after ultimatum in leaving his wife, Fran always ending back in his arms, despite him not having succumbed to her ultimatum. Fran continually tells herself that Tom will one day come through, regardless of if she truly believes it. She, who wants to remain financially independent in asking and taking nothing from Tom in terms of financial support or lavish material gifts, only stays in Las Vegas out of inertia. Joe Grady (Warren Beatty) is a Las Vegas lounge pianist. Unlike Fran, Joe hate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Boom! (1968 Film)
''Boom!'' is a 1968 British drama film directed by Joseph Losey and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Noël Coward. It was adapted by Tennessee Williams from his own play ''The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore''. Plot Flora 'Sissy' Goforth (Taylor, in a part written for an older woman) is a terminally-ill woman living with a coterie of servants, whom she verbally abuses, in a large mansion on a secluded Italian island. Into her life comes a mysterious man, Christopher Flanders, nicknamed "Il Angelo Dellamorte" " The Angel of Death" (played by then-husband Burton, in a part intended for a younger man). Christopher claims to have met her previously, while Flora, for her part, affects not to remember having met him before. Flora is said to suffer from neuritis and several other kinds of "-itis." In her complex of villas wired for sound, so she can at any moment resume her dictation, Flora is dictating her memoirs detailing her multiple marriages, and her affair wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cleopatra (1963 Film)
''Cleopatra'' is a 1963 American epic historical drama film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, with a screenplay adapted by Mankiewicz, Ranald MacDougall and Sidney Buchman from the 1957 book ''The Life and Times of Cleopatra'' by Carlo Maria Franzero, and from histories by Plutarch, Suetonius, and Appian. The film stars Elizabeth Taylor in the eponymous role. Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Roddy McDowall, and Martin Landau are featured in supporting roles. It chronicles the struggles of Cleopatra, the young queen of Egypt, to resist the imperial ambitions of Rome. Walter Wanger had long contemplated producing a biographical film about Cleopatra. In 1958, his production company partnered with Twentieth Century Fox to produce the film. Following an extensive casting search, Elizabeth Taylor signed on to portray the title role for a record-setting salary of $1 million. Rouben Mamoulian was hired as director, and the script underwent numerous revisions from Nigel Balchin, Dale W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
