Though his personal tragedies and demons have sometimes overshadowed his work, there’s no denying the impact Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski has had on cinema.
Born in 1933 in Paris and raised in Poland, Polanski’s childhood was marked by tragedy when he was separated from his parents during the Holocaust. As a child, he escaped the Krakow ghetto after his mother was killed in an Auschwitz gas chamber. When the war ended, he was reunited with his father and returned home.
He turned to filmmaking as a student, making his directorial debut with the international hit “Knife in the Water” (1962), which earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. His followup, the psychological thriller “Repulsion” (1965), was an even bigger hit, and he was soon drafted by Hollywood to direct the occult horror film “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968), which earned him a Best Adapted Screenplay bid.
It was during this time that he married Sharon Tate,...
Born in 1933 in Paris and raised in Poland, Polanski’s childhood was marked by tragedy when he was separated from his parents during the Holocaust. As a child, he escaped the Krakow ghetto after his mother was killed in an Auschwitz gas chamber. When the war ended, he was reunited with his father and returned home.
He turned to filmmaking as a student, making his directorial debut with the international hit “Knife in the Water” (1962), which earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. His followup, the psychological thriller “Repulsion” (1965), was an even bigger hit, and he was soon drafted by Hollywood to direct the occult horror film “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968), which earned him a Best Adapted Screenplay bid.
It was during this time that he married Sharon Tate,...
- 8/10/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Jack Nicholson will be forever remembered as Jack Torrance in Stanley Kubrick’s iconic 1980 horror flick The Shining. Being the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, the ghosts finally convince Torrance to do something unthinkable.
Jack Nicholson in a still from The Shining | The Producer Circle Company
Convincing him to murder his wife and his child, the ghosts urge Torrance to break through everything and join them by murdering his wife and his son. The iconic story resulted in one of the most impressive scenes in Hollywood.
Here’s Johnny!
When you read the title, an immediate image of Jack Nicholson breaking down the bathroom door with an axe pops up in your head. This is the power of how iconic a scene can be.
Jack Nicholson in a still from The Shining | The Producer Circle Company
During the finale part of The Shining, we see Jack Torrance limping through the...
Jack Nicholson in a still from The Shining | The Producer Circle Company
Convincing him to murder his wife and his child, the ghosts urge Torrance to break through everything and join them by murdering his wife and his son. The iconic story resulted in one of the most impressive scenes in Hollywood.
Here’s Johnny!
When you read the title, an immediate image of Jack Nicholson breaking down the bathroom door with an axe pops up in your head. This is the power of how iconic a scene can be.
Jack Nicholson in a still from The Shining | The Producer Circle Company
During the finale part of The Shining, we see Jack Torrance limping through the...
- 8/7/2024
- by Visarg Acharya
- FandomWire
One of the oldest restaurants in Los Angeles, once frequented by stars like Mae West, prominent politicians, and the city’s powerbrokers, was severely damaged by fire during the early morning hours Saturday.
The Pacific Dining Car restaurant, a century-old a building on the outskirts of downtown Los Angeles, was a replica of a railway train car. In its heyday, it was a fixture of fine dining in L.A. and appeared in television shows and movies, including 1974’s Chinatown starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, and the 2001 film Training Day, with Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke.
The restaurant was shuttered during the pandemic, but the family vowed to bring it back, even after auctioning off items from it. Last year, the vacant building officially became a historic cultural monument in the city of Los Angeles.
Firefighters responded to the site around 1 a.m. Saturday, and found a blaze that...
The Pacific Dining Car restaurant, a century-old a building on the outskirts of downtown Los Angeles, was a replica of a railway train car. In its heyday, it was a fixture of fine dining in L.A. and appeared in television shows and movies, including 1974’s Chinatown starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, and the 2001 film Training Day, with Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke.
The restaurant was shuttered during the pandemic, but the family vowed to bring it back, even after auctioning off items from it. Last year, the vacant building officially became a historic cultural monument in the city of Los Angeles.
Firefighters responded to the site around 1 a.m. Saturday, and found a blaze that...
- 8/4/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Faye Dunaway’s career has had its series of ups-and-downs. She’s won an Academy-Award, an Emmy, three Golden Globes, a BAFTA, starred in classic films such as “Chinatown,” “Network,” and “Bonnie and Clyde,” but has also been dragged for her contentious on-set behavior. Her infamy hit a fever pitch after playing fellow challenging starlet Joan Crawford in the cult hit “Mommie Dearest,” then was reignited as a result of her flub during the 2017 Oscar Ceremony, where she and Warren Beatty unknowingly announced “La La Land” as winner of Best Picture instead of the actual recipient, “Moonlight.”
This past July, HBO released the documentary “Faye,” which aimed to explain the root of Dunaway’s “difficult” personality. In a recent interview with The Independent, Dunaway opened up on the process of exploring her life and revealing parts of herself she’d worked to keep hidden.
“I actually have, we might as well say,...
This past July, HBO released the documentary “Faye,” which aimed to explain the root of Dunaway’s “difficult” personality. In a recent interview with The Independent, Dunaway opened up on the process of exploring her life and revealing parts of herself she’d worked to keep hidden.
“I actually have, we might as well say,...
- 8/4/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Movie, TV and music fans are remembering notable figures who have died since the start of 2024. “Beverly Hills 90210” star Shannen Doherty, “Bob Newhart Show” star Bob Newhart, “An Officer and a Gentleman” Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr., “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actor Richard Lewis, “Starsky and Hutch” star David Soul and “Honeymooners” star Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie, are among celebrities from the world of television who have died.
In film, cinephiles are remembering actor Donald Sutherland, producer Roger Corman, “Chinatown” screenwriter Robert Towne, “Moonstruck” director Norman Jewison and “The Shining” star Shelley Duvall.
Last year, the entertainment community said goodbye to celebrities including musicians Jimmy Buffett, Shane McGowan, Robbie Robertson and David Crosby, actors Andre Braugher and Matthew Perry, writer-producer Norman Lear and director William Friedkin.
In film, cinephiles are remembering actor Donald Sutherland, producer Roger Corman, “Chinatown” screenwriter Robert Towne, “Moonstruck” director Norman Jewison and “The Shining” star Shelley Duvall.
Last year, the entertainment community said goodbye to celebrities including musicians Jimmy Buffett, Shane McGowan, Robbie Robertson and David Crosby, actors Andre Braugher and Matthew Perry, writer-producer Norman Lear and director William Friedkin.
- 7/30/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Al Pacino got his breakout role as Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather. The actor got an Oscar nomination for his compelling performance in the film. The actor reprised the role in the sequels The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III. While audiences still love the trilogy as a whole, they consider the first film to be the best film among the three.
Al Pacino and Marlon Brando in The Godfather | Paramount Pictures
Pacino got to share screen space opposite Marlon Brando who played Michael’s father, Vito Corleone. However, that combo almost didn’t happen as another bonafide actor was first attached to the role of Michael. Jack Nicholson turned down The Godfather in favor of other projects as he found them more interesting than Coppola’s film.
Al Pacino Has Jack Nicholson To Thank For His Career-Defining Role in The Godfather
Chinatown‘s...
Al Pacino and Marlon Brando in The Godfather | Paramount Pictures
Pacino got to share screen space opposite Marlon Brando who played Michael’s father, Vito Corleone. However, that combo almost didn’t happen as another bonafide actor was first attached to the role of Michael. Jack Nicholson turned down The Godfather in favor of other projects as he found them more interesting than Coppola’s film.
Al Pacino Has Jack Nicholson To Thank For His Career-Defining Role in The Godfather
Chinatown‘s...
- 7/28/2024
- by Rahul Thokchom
- FandomWire
Leo Chaloukian, a multi-Emmy Award-winning sound designer and former chair of the Television Academy, died July 18. He was 97.
During his 60-year career in sound, Chaloukian won four national Emmys and two regional Emmys —working at Ryder Sound Service, a company he’d eventually become the sole owner of for most of his career.
He worked on sound for National Geographic specials, David Wolper Productions documentaries and classic television shows like “Lassie,” “Death Valley Days,” “Sea Hunt,” “Maverick,” “Route 66,” “Gunsmoke” and Jacques Cousteau specials.
Chaloukian also oversaw the sound design for the 1967 film “The Graduate” and, with his staff of audio engineers, created the sound design for 1969’s “Easy Rider.”
The company also contributed to the recording, rerecording and mixing for “Love Story,” “The Godfather,” “Chinatown,” “Saturday Night Fever” and the first Star Trek movies, as well as “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Tootsie” and “The Killing Fields.”
Chaloukian led...
During his 60-year career in sound, Chaloukian won four national Emmys and two regional Emmys —working at Ryder Sound Service, a company he’d eventually become the sole owner of for most of his career.
He worked on sound for National Geographic specials, David Wolper Productions documentaries and classic television shows like “Lassie,” “Death Valley Days,” “Sea Hunt,” “Maverick,” “Route 66,” “Gunsmoke” and Jacques Cousteau specials.
Chaloukian also oversaw the sound design for the 1967 film “The Graduate” and, with his staff of audio engineers, created the sound design for 1969’s “Easy Rider.”
The company also contributed to the recording, rerecording and mixing for “Love Story,” “The Godfather,” “Chinatown,” “Saturday Night Fever” and the first Star Trek movies, as well as “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Tootsie” and “The Killing Fields.”
Chaloukian led...
- 7/24/2024
- by Diego Ramos Bechara
- Variety Film + TV
Leo Chaloukian, the Emmy- and Oscar-winning sound designer and former chair of the Television Academy, has died. He was 97.
The Television Academy said Chaloukian died Thursday after working in sound design well into his 80s. He first worked at Ryder Sound Service in 1954, becoming an award-winning rerecording mixer and eventually the company’s owner in 1976.
Chaloukian and his staff at Ryder Sound earned four Emmys, including one in 1986 for best achievement in sound for the TV movie Cross of Fire. They worked on National Geographic specials, David Wolper Productions documentaries and classic TV shows like Lassie, Death Valley Days, Sea Hunt, Maverick, Route 66, Gunsmoke and Jacques Cousteau underwater diving specials.
On the movie front, Ryder handled recording, rerecording and mixing for Steve McQueen’s 1968 action thriller Bullitt, and Chaloukian personally oversaw sound design for The Graduate. With his staff of audio engineers, he also created the sound design for Easy Rider.
The Television Academy said Chaloukian died Thursday after working in sound design well into his 80s. He first worked at Ryder Sound Service in 1954, becoming an award-winning rerecording mixer and eventually the company’s owner in 1976.
Chaloukian and his staff at Ryder Sound earned four Emmys, including one in 1986 for best achievement in sound for the TV movie Cross of Fire. They worked on National Geographic specials, David Wolper Productions documentaries and classic TV shows like Lassie, Death Valley Days, Sea Hunt, Maverick, Route 66, Gunsmoke and Jacques Cousteau underwater diving specials.
On the movie front, Ryder handled recording, rerecording and mixing for Steve McQueen’s 1968 action thriller Bullitt, and Chaloukian personally oversaw sound design for The Graduate. With his staff of audio engineers, he also created the sound design for Easy Rider.
- 7/24/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Leo Chaloukian, the multiple Emmy- and Oscar-winning sound designer, sound executive and former chair of the Television Academy, died July 18, the Academy announced Wednesday. He was 97.
Active professionally into his 80s, Chaloukian began his sound career at Ryder Sound Service in 1954, becoming an award-winning re-recording mixer and eventually the sole owner in 1976. He sold the company to the Soundelux Entertainment Group in 1997 and became the company’s SVP.
In 2000, Liberty Media Group acquired Soundelux, which became Ascent Media Group, Creative Sound Services, and later a division of Discovery Communications known as Css Studios LLC. Chaloukian continued as the company’s VP Business Development, representing its divisions for features and TV and retiring shortly after the company’s 2014 spinoff to become Todd Soundelux.
During his 60-year career in sound, Chaloukian and his staff at Ryder Sound won four national Emmys and two regional Emmys. He also was honored with the Syd...
Active professionally into his 80s, Chaloukian began his sound career at Ryder Sound Service in 1954, becoming an award-winning re-recording mixer and eventually the sole owner in 1976. He sold the company to the Soundelux Entertainment Group in 1997 and became the company’s SVP.
In 2000, Liberty Media Group acquired Soundelux, which became Ascent Media Group, Creative Sound Services, and later a division of Discovery Communications known as Css Studios LLC. Chaloukian continued as the company’s VP Business Development, representing its divisions for features and TV and retiring shortly after the company’s 2014 spinoff to become Todd Soundelux.
During his 60-year career in sound, Chaloukian and his staff at Ryder Sound won four national Emmys and two regional Emmys. He also was honored with the Syd...
- 7/24/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Connecting an actor’s onscreen personality with his or her offscreen reality tends to be a dicey proposition. But in “Faye,” an addictive and essential portrait of Faye Dunaway, it turns out to be the right thing to do. Dunaway, now in her early 80s, is interviewed throughout this HBO documentary, and there’s a knowing snap to her self-reflections that grabs you. Seated on a couch in her New York apartment, she starts off by chastising someone for bringing her water in a bottle instead of a glass — a sign that the movie is going to have fun with what a diva she is. As “Faye” presents it, Dunaway was too volcanic and troubled a personality not to pour herself into her roles. That’s part of what made her great. Yet the film also wants to cue us to the gossipy and reductive way that this kind of...
- 7/21/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Douglass Fake, founder of leading movie soundtrack label Intrada and producer of more than 700 albums of movie and TV music, died Saturday at a Richmond, Calif., hospital after a long illness. He was 72.
Fake’s many credits include the first complete restoration of Leonard Bernstein’s “On the Waterfront,” a lavish 5-cd release of Elmer Bernstein’s “The Ten Commandments” and the debut of several Henry Mancini scores including “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” previously only available in abridged pop recordings.
Among the label’s best sellers were expansions of previously incomplete recordings of such classics as John Williams’ “Jaws,” Alan Silvestri’s “Back to the Future” and Jerry Goldsmith’s “Alien.” Fake also supervised the re-recording of a dozen albums of classic film music including Bernard Herrmann’s “The Man Who Knew Too Much” and Miklos Rozsa’s “Ivanhoe,” “Spellbound” and “Julius Caesar.”
A longtime film-music fan, Fake launched Intrada Records...
Fake’s many credits include the first complete restoration of Leonard Bernstein’s “On the Waterfront,” a lavish 5-cd release of Elmer Bernstein’s “The Ten Commandments” and the debut of several Henry Mancini scores including “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” previously only available in abridged pop recordings.
Among the label’s best sellers were expansions of previously incomplete recordings of such classics as John Williams’ “Jaws,” Alan Silvestri’s “Back to the Future” and Jerry Goldsmith’s “Alien.” Fake also supervised the re-recording of a dozen albums of classic film music including Bernard Herrmann’s “The Man Who Knew Too Much” and Miklos Rozsa’s “Ivanhoe,” “Spellbound” and “Julius Caesar.”
A longtime film-music fan, Fake launched Intrada Records...
- 7/16/2024
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Actress Shelley Duvall, who was known for playing eccentric characters in several popular films recently passed away due to complications from diabetes. The veteran actress left behind a lasting legacy, which for better or worse includes her iconic performance in the 1980 horror film The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick.
The Shining marks Shelley Duvall’s most iconic role (Credit: Warner Bros).
The film proved to be extremely challenging for Duvall and the excruciating process she underwent deeply affected her even during the later stages of her career. However, during an interview conducted before the film’s shooting, Duvall suggested that she was aware of the challenges of working with Kubrick, and here is what she had to say.
Shelley Duvall Knew the Challenges of Working With Stanley Kubrick on The Shining
Actress Shelley Duvall played the role of Wendy Torrance in The Shining, starring opposite Jack Nicholson. The film initially...
The Shining marks Shelley Duvall’s most iconic role (Credit: Warner Bros).
The film proved to be extremely challenging for Duvall and the excruciating process she underwent deeply affected her even during the later stages of her career. However, during an interview conducted before the film’s shooting, Duvall suggested that she was aware of the challenges of working with Kubrick, and here is what she had to say.
Shelley Duvall Knew the Challenges of Working With Stanley Kubrick on The Shining
Actress Shelley Duvall played the role of Wendy Torrance in The Shining, starring opposite Jack Nicholson. The film initially...
- 7/15/2024
- by Pratik Handore
- FandomWire
Faye Dunaway and Jack Nicholson starred in the 1974 classic thriller film, Chinatown. The film was helmed by Roman Polanski, who was known to be a difficult director to work with. Dunaway had difficult times with the director while filming Chinatown, but she claimed that Jack Nicholson helped her through some of these difficult times.
Jack Nicholson in a still from Chinatown | Long Road Productions
However, Shelley Duvall, who worked with him on The Shining, had no such story to share even though Stanley Kubrick made her experience a nightmare. Nicholson saw that Duvall was undergoing emotional turmoil during the film and chose to do nothing to help her.
Jack Nicholson Helped Faye Dunaway During The Filming Of Chinatown Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in a still from Chinatown | Long Road Productions
Faye Dunaway had a pretty complicated time working on Roman Polanski‘s Chinatown. While Polanski was a challenging filmmaker,...
Jack Nicholson in a still from Chinatown | Long Road Productions
However, Shelley Duvall, who worked with him on The Shining, had no such story to share even though Stanley Kubrick made her experience a nightmare. Nicholson saw that Duvall was undergoing emotional turmoil during the film and chose to do nothing to help her.
Jack Nicholson Helped Faye Dunaway During The Filming Of Chinatown Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in a still from Chinatown | Long Road Productions
Faye Dunaway had a pretty complicated time working on Roman Polanski‘s Chinatown. While Polanski was a challenging filmmaker,...
- 7/14/2024
- by Hashim Asraff
- FandomWire
1974. It was the year when Hollywood was on its way to creating masterpieces, and the year in which Jack Nicholson starred in Roman Polanski’s iconic film Chinatown.
Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown | Long Road Productions
Starring alongside veteran actress Faye Dunaway, Nicholson (who would later find fame with The Shining) had a complicated relationship with his co-star and director Polanski’s workplace behavior added more fuel to the fire.
Faye Dunaway Was Nicknamed ‘The Dreaded Dunaway’
Roman Polanski was not a gentle director. Of the many controversies that happened on the sets of Chinatown, one seemed to hit hard for veteran actress Faye Dunaway during the shooting of the film.
Jack Nicholson in Chinatown | Long Road Productions
Dunaway recently starred in a documentary about her career in Hollywood called Faye. The documentary narrated Dunaway’s walk through the alleys of Hollywood to the big leagues.
SUGGESTEDJack Nicholson...
Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown | Long Road Productions
Starring alongside veteran actress Faye Dunaway, Nicholson (who would later find fame with The Shining) had a complicated relationship with his co-star and director Polanski’s workplace behavior added more fuel to the fire.
Faye Dunaway Was Nicknamed ‘The Dreaded Dunaway’
Roman Polanski was not a gentle director. Of the many controversies that happened on the sets of Chinatown, one seemed to hit hard for veteran actress Faye Dunaway during the shooting of the film.
Jack Nicholson in Chinatown | Long Road Productions
Dunaway recently starred in a documentary about her career in Hollywood called Faye. The documentary narrated Dunaway’s walk through the alleys of Hollywood to the big leagues.
SUGGESTEDJack Nicholson...
- 7/14/2024
- by Visarg Acharya
- FandomWire
Faye Dunaway is back in the spotlight and taking on another major Hollywood icon: herself. In frank candor, the singular Dunaway sits down for the first feature-length documentary about her life and career, speaking honestly about all the highs and lows, from Oscar wins to reputation blows and struggles with alcoholism, throughout her six-decade career. Along with insight from friends and colleagues, the three-time Oscar nominee “contextualizes her life and filmography, laying bare her struggles with mental health while confronting the double standards she was subjected to as a woman in Hollywood.”
Following its premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, the HBO Original Documentary “Faye” will premiere on Saturday, July 13 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. You can watch with Subscription to Max.
How to Watch “Faye”: When: Saturday, July 13 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt Where: HBO, Max Stream: Watch with a Subscription to Max.
Following its premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, the HBO Original Documentary “Faye” will premiere on Saturday, July 13 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. You can watch with Subscription to Max.
How to Watch “Faye”: When: Saturday, July 13 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt Where: HBO, Max Stream: Watch with a Subscription to Max.
- 7/13/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Our top pick for an awards contender to stream this week, crime drama “The Bikeriders,” has some names attached to it that have been in the conversation in awards seasons past. It stars Emmy and Tony winner Jodie Comer and Academy Award nominees Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, and Michael Shannon. Moreover, it’s written and directed by Jeff Nichols, whose previous film, 2016’s “Loving,” earned Ruth Negga an Academy Award nomination. While “The Bikeriders” looks more likely than not to miss out on major awards this year, don’t count Comer out yet in lead actress races. She is excellent in the film.
“The Bikeriders” is set in the midwest in the tumultuous years of the mid-to-late 1960s, and follows the rise and fall of Johnny Davis (Hardy), the founder of an outlaw motorcycle club, as seen through the eyes of his protegé’s wife, Kathy Cross (Comer). The club...
“The Bikeriders” is set in the midwest in the tumultuous years of the mid-to-late 1960s, and follows the rise and fall of Johnny Davis (Hardy), the founder of an outlaw motorcycle club, as seen through the eyes of his protegé’s wife, Kathy Cross (Comer). The club...
- 7/13/2024
- by Liam Mathews
- Gold Derby
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.NEWSThe Souvenir Part II.Equity, the British entertainment industry trade union, has greeted the incoming Labour government—the first in fourteen years, having won in a landslide—with demands for reforms to the government’s arts funding.Meanwhile, across the Channel, snap French parliamentary elections resulted in an upset victory for the leftist coalition Nouveau Front Populaire over Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally, which had promised to privatize, at least partially, the national television and radio broadcaster, amid other cutbacks.IATSE has released more details regarding its tentative contract with AMPTP, including allowances and limitations around the use of artificial intelligence.Teamsters Local 399 is still bargaining with AMPTP and may still be far from resolving issues...
- 7/10/2024
- MUBI
Hulu has announced that Interior Chinatown will launch on the streaming service on Tuesday, November 19, 2024. All ten episodes of the series will be available on that day.
Based on Charles Yu’s award-winning book of the same name, the show follows the story of Willis Wu, a background character trapped in a police procedural called “Black & White.”
Relegated to the background, Willis goes through the motions of his on-screen job, waiting tables and dreaming about a whole world beyond Chinatown.
When he inadvertently becomes a witness to a crime, Willis begins to unravel a criminal web in Chinatown, his family’s buried history, and what it feels like to be in the spotlight.
The Interior Chinatown cast includes Jimmy O. Yang, Ronny Chieng, Chloe Bennet, Lisa Gilroy, Sullivan Jones, Archie Kao, and Diana Lin.
Series creator Charles Yu serves as executive producer, along with Dan Lin and Lindsey Liberatore for Rideback; Jeff Skoll,...
Based on Charles Yu’s award-winning book of the same name, the show follows the story of Willis Wu, a background character trapped in a police procedural called “Black & White.”
Relegated to the background, Willis goes through the motions of his on-screen job, waiting tables and dreaming about a whole world beyond Chinatown.
When he inadvertently becomes a witness to a crime, Willis begins to unravel a criminal web in Chinatown, his family’s buried history, and what it feels like to be in the spotlight.
The Interior Chinatown cast includes Jimmy O. Yang, Ronny Chieng, Chloe Bennet, Lisa Gilroy, Sullivan Jones, Archie Kao, and Diana Lin.
Series creator Charles Yu serves as executive producer, along with Dan Lin and Lindsey Liberatore for Rideback; Jeff Skoll,...
- 7/10/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
When Paramount Pictures was finally absorbed by a conglomerate in 1966, it had been a long-running Hollywood powerhouse that was now contending with a new set of challenges.
Perfectly described by historian Robert Sklar as “the house Adolph Zukor built,” Paramount was one of the first major studios. As its leader, Zukor set in motion both industrial vertical integration along with a carefully constructed machinery for curating and maintaining celebrity image. Though Zukor was no longer chairman of the board by the time Gulf + Western swept in to take over Paramount, the founding mogul’s influence still permeated the studio gates.
At a time when Hollywood was searching for a new identity — founding moguls were gone or largely retired, shattered self-censorship practices were making way for a modern ratings system, studios were being gobbled up by companies outside of the entertainment realm — Paramount managed to prevail in glorious fashion. Within a couple years,...
Perfectly described by historian Robert Sklar as “the house Adolph Zukor built,” Paramount was one of the first major studios. As its leader, Zukor set in motion both industrial vertical integration along with a carefully constructed machinery for curating and maintaining celebrity image. Though Zukor was no longer chairman of the board by the time Gulf + Western swept in to take over Paramount, the founding mogul’s influence still permeated the studio gates.
At a time when Hollywood was searching for a new identity — founding moguls were gone or largely retired, shattered self-censorship practices were making way for a modern ratings system, studios were being gobbled up by companies outside of the entertainment realm — Paramount managed to prevail in glorious fashion. Within a couple years,...
- 7/8/2024
- by Chris Yogerst
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The life and career of Hollywood legend Faye Dunaway are explored in the HBO Original documentary, “Faye,” debuting on July 13 at 8:00 p.m. Et/Pt. The film, directed and produced by award-winning filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau, offers a revealing portrait of the Academy Award-winning actress, known for her iconic roles in “Bonnie and Clyde,” “Chinatown,” and […]
HBO Original Documentary ‘Faye’ Explores the Life and Career of a Hollywood Icon...
HBO Original Documentary ‘Faye’ Explores the Life and Career of a Hollywood Icon...
- 7/8/2024
- by Paul M
- MemorableTV
What's the best Jack Nicholson movie? Ask a group of film fans, and you'll likely get a half-dozen different answers. The actor's most historically significant movie may be "Chinatown," the sun-baked California noir from 1974 that earned 11 Oscar nominations and a permanent spot in the American Library of Congress' National Film Registry. Or it might be "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," the beloved adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel that swept the Oscars in 1975 and turned the already-popular Nicholson into Hollywood's hottest commodity.
The actor's most popular films according to Letterboxd users are Stanley Kubrick's horror masterpiece "The Shining" and Martin Scorsese's crime saga "The Departed." His highest-grossing role at the box office came in 1989, when Tim Burton cast him as the rictus-grin supervillain The Joker in "Batman." Other popular moneymakers featuring the veteran performer include James L. Brooks' "As Good As It Gets," Nancy Meyers' "Something's Gotta Give,...
The actor's most popular films according to Letterboxd users are Stanley Kubrick's horror masterpiece "The Shining" and Martin Scorsese's crime saga "The Departed." His highest-grossing role at the box office came in 1989, when Tim Burton cast him as the rictus-grin supervillain The Joker in "Batman." Other popular moneymakers featuring the veteran performer include James L. Brooks' "As Good As It Gets," Nancy Meyers' "Something's Gotta Give,...
- 7/6/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
(L-r) Mia Goth as Maxine and Halsey as Tabby, in Maxxxine. Photo Credit: Justin Lubin. Courtesy of A24
Director Ti West and actor Mia Goth are back with a third film in the X horror series. Maxxxine is a sequel to 2022’s X, while the second in the series, Pearl (also 2022), was a prequel. The first film, X, was a surprise hit at SXSW with audiences and critics, a kind of fun, tongue-in-cheek homage to both horror and porno films of the late 1970s and early 1980s, where the owner of a strip joint and his pals set out in make a porno film titled “The Farmers’ Daughters” at a rural house they have rented from an elderly couple, but without telling the old folks what kind of film they are making. Mia Goth plays in dual roles as one of the actresses in the porno, Maxine, and the elderly farm wife,...
Director Ti West and actor Mia Goth are back with a third film in the X horror series. Maxxxine is a sequel to 2022’s X, while the second in the series, Pearl (also 2022), was a prequel. The first film, X, was a surprise hit at SXSW with audiences and critics, a kind of fun, tongue-in-cheek homage to both horror and porno films of the late 1970s and early 1980s, where the owner of a strip joint and his pals set out in make a porno film titled “The Farmers’ Daughters” at a rural house they have rented from an elderly couple, but without telling the old folks what kind of film they are making. Mia Goth plays in dual roles as one of the actresses in the porno, Maxine, and the elderly farm wife,...
- 7/5/2024
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
One of the most unique honors in all of cinema is the Palm Dog Award, given annually at the Cannes Film Festival to the pooch who left the biggest mark on film that year. It’s a quirky award given at the most prestigious festival there is; but there’s nothing like that at the Oscars. Could you imagine the Academy voters nominating a dog? Well, they actually did – albeit in name only – thanks to Robert Towne. In the wake of Towne’s death this week, let’s take a look at the time he got so pissed off over Greystoke that he ensured his dog would be on the Oscar ballot.
In the ‘70s, Robert Towne was tasked to pen Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, later taking on directing duties at his own insistence. Towne hadn’t directed before so in the time being, he took on Personal Best,...
In the ‘70s, Robert Towne was tasked to pen Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, later taking on directing duties at his own insistence. Towne hadn’t directed before so in the time being, he took on Personal Best,...
- 7/4/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Screenwriter Robert Towne, noted for his Oscar-winning screenplay for the crime thriller “Chinatown’ has died:
Towne started writing screenplays for TV series, before hooking up with low-budget film director Roger Corman on “The Tomb of Ligeia”.
Part of the ‘New Hollywood’ wave of filmmaking, Towne wrote the Academy Award-winning screenplay…
…for director Roman Polanski's “Chinatown” (1974) starring Jack Nicholson.
For director Hal Ashby, he wrote screenplays for “The Last Detail” (1973), also starring Nicholson…
…and “Shampoo” (1975), starring Warren Beatty.
Noted as a script doctor, Towne collaborated on numerous features including “Days of Thunder (1990), “The Firm” (1993) and Brian de Palma’s “Mission: Impossible” (1996).
Click the images to enlarge…...
Towne started writing screenplays for TV series, before hooking up with low-budget film director Roger Corman on “The Tomb of Ligeia”.
Part of the ‘New Hollywood’ wave of filmmaking, Towne wrote the Academy Award-winning screenplay…
…for director Roman Polanski's “Chinatown” (1974) starring Jack Nicholson.
For director Hal Ashby, he wrote screenplays for “The Last Detail” (1973), also starring Nicholson…
…and “Shampoo” (1975), starring Warren Beatty.
Noted as a script doctor, Towne collaborated on numerous features including “Days of Thunder (1990), “The Firm” (1993) and Brian de Palma’s “Mission: Impossible” (1996).
Click the images to enlarge…...
- 7/4/2024
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Robert Towne – who died Monday at 89 – was more than just an Oscar winner, more than a mere successful screenwriter. He was the acknowledged master of the craft itself who achieved something no other writer has been able to match (before or since): he earned Academy Award screenplay nominations for three critical and commercial hits in successive years, all released in a single dizzying 14-month period. There was “The Last Detail” in 1974, “Chinatown” (for which he won his lone writing Oscar) in 1975 and “Shampoo” in ’76. He would also earn a bid in 1985 for “Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes.” But it was that remarkable run in the Seventies that established Towne as a screen wordsmith without peer.
In fact, Towne would become known as much for his writing on films for which he received no screen credit than the ones he did. A look at his IMDb...
In fact, Towne would become known as much for his writing on films for which he received no screen credit than the ones he did. A look at his IMDb...
- 7/3/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
American screenwriter and director best known for the hit films Chinatown, The Last Detail and Shampoo
Robert Towne, who has died aged 89, wrote a dazzling hat-trick of screenplays that helped define the great American cinema of the 1970s: The Last Detail (1973), Chinatown (1974) and Shampoo (1975). He also did extravagantly paid work as a script doctor, adding a scene or a few pages of dialogue to other writers’ screenplays, or completing what is known in the industry as a “polish”.
If a script was flawed or lacking, directors and studios went to Towne. “You must adopt the first precept of Hippocrates, which is to do no harm,” he said about this sideline. “You try to extend the material, not to impose yourself on it.” Sometimes, as with The Godfather (1971), he could provide a pick-me-up to a patient that was already fighting fit. In other cases, such as Armageddon (1998), he could do little...
Robert Towne, who has died aged 89, wrote a dazzling hat-trick of screenplays that helped define the great American cinema of the 1970s: The Last Detail (1973), Chinatown (1974) and Shampoo (1975). He also did extravagantly paid work as a script doctor, adding a scene or a few pages of dialogue to other writers’ screenplays, or completing what is known in the industry as a “polish”.
If a script was flawed or lacking, directors and studios went to Towne. “You must adopt the first precept of Hippocrates, which is to do no harm,” he said about this sideline. “You try to extend the material, not to impose yourself on it.” Sometimes, as with The Godfather (1971), he could provide a pick-me-up to a patient that was already fighting fit. In other cases, such as Armageddon (1998), he could do little...
- 7/3/2024
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Robert Towne, the renowned screenwriter and filmmaker responsible for the scripts of movies like "Chinatown," "Shampoo," and "Mission: Impossible," has died. The Hollywood Reporter shared the news (confirmed by publicist Carri McClure) that the 89-year-old storyteller passed away on Monday in his home.
A singularly influential and talented craftsman, Towne was as revered for the scripts that didn't end up with his name on them as for the ones that did. In 1973, when Francis Ford Coppola won the Oscar for Best Screenplay for "The Godfather," he acknowledged Towne's contributions in his acceptance speech, saying, "Giving credit where it's due, I'd like to thank Bob Towne, who wrote the very beautiful scene between Marlon [Brando] and Al Pacino in the garden — that was Bob Towne's scene."
According to THR, other scripts he worked on without credit include Oliver Stone's "8 Million Ways To Die," Paul Schrader's "The Yakuza," Jack Nicholson's "Drive,...
A singularly influential and talented craftsman, Towne was as revered for the scripts that didn't end up with his name on them as for the ones that did. In 1973, when Francis Ford Coppola won the Oscar for Best Screenplay for "The Godfather," he acknowledged Towne's contributions in his acceptance speech, saying, "Giving credit where it's due, I'd like to thank Bob Towne, who wrote the very beautiful scene between Marlon [Brando] and Al Pacino in the garden — that was Bob Towne's scene."
According to THR, other scripts he worked on without credit include Oliver Stone's "8 Million Ways To Die," Paul Schrader's "The Yakuza," Jack Nicholson's "Drive,...
- 7/3/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
A great ending can be the hardest thing for a writer. For Robert Towne — who died Monday, having written and reshaped some of the most important films of the 1970s — finding the best way to wrap up a film was a career-long challenge. In the script that earned him an Oscar, the downbeat “Forget it, Jake — it’s Chinatown” finale was famously Roman Polanski’s idea.
And yet, there’s undeniable poetry in Towne’s passing: The Oscar winner died 50 years (and two weeks) after “Chinatown” opened, basking in the fresh round of appreciation that the half-century anniversary brought. Towne was a natural raconteur whose stories were every bit as rich as his screenplays — as evidenced by an in-depth Variety interview that ran last month — and whose best writing often went uncredited.
For those who weren’t around to have witnessed Towne’s transformative impact on American cinema in the 1970s,...
And yet, there’s undeniable poetry in Towne’s passing: The Oscar winner died 50 years (and two weeks) after “Chinatown” opened, basking in the fresh round of appreciation that the half-century anniversary brought. Towne was a natural raconteur whose stories were every bit as rich as his screenplays — as evidenced by an in-depth Variety interview that ran last month — and whose best writing often went uncredited.
For those who weren’t around to have witnessed Towne’s transformative impact on American cinema in the 1970s,...
- 7/3/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Writer, who died in his Los Angeles home, also worked without credit on The Godfather and Bonnie and Clyde
Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Chinatown, considered one of the greatest screenplays of all time, has died at age 89.
Towne, the screenwriter also nominated for his films Shampoo and The Last Detail, died on Monday among family members at his Los Angeles home, said his publicist, who did not disclose a cause of death.
Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Chinatown, considered one of the greatest screenplays of all time, has died at age 89.
Towne, the screenwriter also nominated for his films Shampoo and The Last Detail, died on Monday among family members at his Los Angeles home, said his publicist, who did not disclose a cause of death.
- 7/3/2024
- by Guardian staff and agencies
- The Guardian - Film News
Legendary writer/director Robert Towne, whose screenplays include Chinatown and Shampoo and films include Personal Best and Tequila Sunrise, died yesterday in Los Angeles at the age of 89. On this sad occasion we’re reposting Matt Ross’s print edition interview with Towne from our Spring, 2006 issue. Below, the two discuss Towne’s adaptation of John Fante’s Ask the Dust, the financing difference between studio and independent films, and why Towne keeps returning to cinematic L.A. R.I.P. Robert Towne. — Editor Every city has its quintessential storyteller. And when it comes to Los Angeles, a city whose primary business is itself the […]
The post “It’s People Struggling To Be Something Other Than What They Are”: Writer/Director Robert Towne on Making L.A. Movies first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “It’s People Struggling To Be Something Other Than What They Are”: Writer/Director Robert Towne on Making L.A. Movies first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 7/3/2024
- by Matt Ross
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Legendary writer/director Robert Towne, whose screenplays include Chinatown and Shampoo and films include Personal Best and Tequila Sunrise, died yesterday in Los Angeles at the age of 89. On this sad occasion we’re reposting Matt Ross’s print edition interview with Towne from our Spring, 2006 issue. Below, the two discuss Towne’s adaptation of John Fante’s Ask the Dust, the financing difference between studio and independent films, and why Towne keeps returning to cinematic L.A. R.I.P. Robert Towne. — Editor Every city has its quintessential storyteller. And when it comes to Los Angeles, a city whose primary business is itself the […]
The post “It’s People Struggling To Be Something Other Than What They Are”: Writer/Director Robert Towne on Making L.A. Movies first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “It’s People Struggling To Be Something Other Than What They Are”: Writer/Director Robert Towne on Making L.A. Movies first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 7/3/2024
- by Matt Ross
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Chinatown who was also one of Hollywood’s most renowned script doctors, has died. He was 89.
Born in Los Angeles, Towne started his film career acting and writing for producer Roger Corman. In the early 1970s he emerged as a key figure in the New Hollywood movement, collaborating with filmmakers including Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty.
Towne’s credited scripts from the period included Roman Polanski’s classic Chinatown as well as The Last Detail and Shampoo. But he was also known as one of the industry’s leading script doctors, doing uncredited work...
Born in Los Angeles, Towne started his film career acting and writing for producer Roger Corman. In the early 1970s he emerged as a key figure in the New Hollywood movement, collaborating with filmmakers including Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty.
Towne’s credited scripts from the period included Roman Polanski’s classic Chinatown as well as The Last Detail and Shampoo. But he was also known as one of the industry’s leading script doctors, doing uncredited work...
- 7/2/2024
- ScreenDaily
Robert Towne, the screenwriter and director whose Oscar-winning work in the 1974 film Chinatown enshrined him in Hollywood history, has died at the age of 89.
Towne died at his home on Monday, his publicist Carri McClure confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
During his celebrated career, Towne wrote the Hal Ashby films The Last Detail in 1973 and 1975’s Shampoo, receiving Academy Award nominations for both. He also wrote and directed 1988 crime drama Tequila Sunrise — starring Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell, Michelle Pfeiffer — which garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography.
Early in his career,...
Towne died at his home on Monday, his publicist Carri McClure confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
During his celebrated career, Towne wrote the Hal Ashby films The Last Detail in 1973 and 1975’s Shampoo, receiving Academy Award nominations for both. He also wrote and directed 1988 crime drama Tequila Sunrise — starring Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell, Michelle Pfeiffer — which garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography.
Early in his career,...
- 7/2/2024
- by Charisma Madarang
- Rollingstone.com
Robert Towne, the acclaimed screenwriter best known for his Oscar-winning script for “Chinatown,” passed away on Monday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 89 years old.
Towne’s death was confirmed by his publicist, Carri McClure. The news marks the end of a career that spanned six decades and left an indelible mark on American cinema.
Born on November 23, 1934, Towne began his career in the early 1960s, writing for television series such as “The Outer Limits” and “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” However, it was his work in film that would cement his legacy as one of Hollywood’s most talented writers.
Towne’s breakthrough came with 1973’s “The Last Detail,” a military dramedy starring Jack Nicholson. This success paved the way for his most celebrated work, “Chinatown,” released the following year. The neo-noir thriller, directed by Roman Polanski and starring Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, earned Towne an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Towne’s death was confirmed by his publicist, Carri McClure. The news marks the end of a career that spanned six decades and left an indelible mark on American cinema.
Born on November 23, 1934, Towne began his career in the early 1960s, writing for television series such as “The Outer Limits” and “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” However, it was his work in film that would cement his legacy as one of Hollywood’s most talented writers.
Towne’s breakthrough came with 1973’s “The Last Detail,” a military dramedy starring Jack Nicholson. This success paved the way for his most celebrated work, “Chinatown,” released the following year. The neo-noir thriller, directed by Roman Polanski and starring Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, earned Towne an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
- 7/2/2024
- by Naser Nahandian
- Gazettely
Robert Towne, the screenwriter who wrote the Academy Award-winning original script for Roman Polanski’s Chinatown, has died at the age of 89. His publicist, Carri Mclure, announced that Towne died at his home in Los Angeles on Monday.
He originally set out to work as an actor and writer and quickly found employment with Roger Corman. He scripted Corman’s Last Woman on Earth and also co-starred in the film under the pseudonym Edward Wain. He also wrote The Tomb of Ligeia for Corman. Towne then earned a reputation as a top script doctor after Warren Beatty asked him to help out on Bonnie and Clyde. He went on to make uncredited contributions to movies such as The Godfather, The Parallax View, Marathon Man, The Missouri Breaks, Heaven Can Wait, Crimson Tide, and more.
Related Robert Towne says all Chinatown prequel episodes are written… So where is it?
Towne first...
He originally set out to work as an actor and writer and quickly found employment with Roger Corman. He scripted Corman’s Last Woman on Earth and also co-starred in the film under the pseudonym Edward Wain. He also wrote The Tomb of Ligeia for Corman. Towne then earned a reputation as a top script doctor after Warren Beatty asked him to help out on Bonnie and Clyde. He went on to make uncredited contributions to movies such as The Godfather, The Parallax View, Marathon Man, The Missouri Breaks, Heaven Can Wait, Crimson Tide, and more.
Related Robert Towne says all Chinatown prequel episodes are written… So where is it?
Towne first...
- 7/2/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Chinatown, has died at the age of 89.
Towne died at his home on Monday, July 1st, his publicist confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Towne began his career writing in television on shows including Breaking Point, The Outer Limits, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. He later took on the role of a script doctor, finessing screenplays including Bonnie and Clyde and The Godfather.
In 1973, Towne began a three-year run of writing scripts that would be nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, beginning with that year’s The Last Detail. In 1974, he followed up with perhaps his best-known screenplay: Chinatown, which not only won the Oscar, but has been cited as one the best scripts of all time.
Set in 1937 Los Angeles, Chinatown follows private investigator Jake Gittes as he becomes entangled in an intricate web of corruption,...
Towne died at his home on Monday, July 1st, his publicist confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Towne began his career writing in television on shows including Breaking Point, The Outer Limits, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. He later took on the role of a script doctor, finessing screenplays including Bonnie and Clyde and The Godfather.
In 1973, Towne began a three-year run of writing scripts that would be nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, beginning with that year’s The Last Detail. In 1974, he followed up with perhaps his best-known screenplay: Chinatown, which not only won the Oscar, but has been cited as one the best scripts of all time.
Set in 1937 Los Angeles, Chinatown follows private investigator Jake Gittes as he becomes entangled in an intricate web of corruption,...
- 7/2/2024
- by Scoop Harrison
- Consequence - Film News
Robert Towne, who won an Oscar for his Chinatown original screenplay and was nominated for his Shampoo, The Last Detail and Greystoke scripts, died Monday at his home. He was 89.
PR firm McClure & Associates announced the news on behalf of Towne’s family.
Towne also earned BAFTA, Golden Globe and WGA awards for Chinatown, the L.A.-set 1974 thriller starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. It was one of three Writers Guild Awards he won during his career, along with Shampoo and the drama series Mad Men, on which he was a consulting producer during the final seventh season. He also was nominated for The Last Detail (1973) and Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1985). He was honored with the guild’s Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement in 1997.
Thoughtful and soft spoken, Towne was a perfectionist who hated studio meetings and script notes and famously would disappear for...
PR firm McClure & Associates announced the news on behalf of Towne’s family.
Towne also earned BAFTA, Golden Globe and WGA awards for Chinatown, the L.A.-set 1974 thriller starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. It was one of three Writers Guild Awards he won during his career, along with Shampoo and the drama series Mad Men, on which he was a consulting producer during the final seventh season. He also was nominated for The Last Detail (1973) and Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1985). He was honored with the guild’s Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement in 1997.
Thoughtful and soft spoken, Towne was a perfectionist who hated studio meetings and script notes and famously would disappear for...
- 7/2/2024
- by Erik Pedersen and Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Writer-director Robert Towne, an Oscar winner for his original script for “Chinatown” and an acknowledged master of the art of screenwriting, has died. He was 89.
Towne died Monday at his home in Los Angeles, publicist Carrie McClure said in a statement.
During a long career that began in the 1960s, when he went to work as an actor and writer for B-movie director Roger Corman, Towne became one of the most sought-after script doctors in movie history, called on time and again to solve structural problems and create great moments for other people’s films.
Towne came to prominence in the 1970s with three critical and commercial hits released within a 14-month period: “The Last Detail” (1973), “Chinatown” (1974) and “Shampoo” (1975). All three screenplays were Oscar- nominated, with “Chinatown” winning in its year.
Hired as a “special consultant” by Warren Beatty for 1967’s “Bonnie and Clyde,” Towne restructured the picture to dramatize the outlaws’ impending doom.
Towne died Monday at his home in Los Angeles, publicist Carrie McClure said in a statement.
During a long career that began in the 1960s, when he went to work as an actor and writer for B-movie director Roger Corman, Towne became one of the most sought-after script doctors in movie history, called on time and again to solve structural problems and create great moments for other people’s films.
Towne came to prominence in the 1970s with three critical and commercial hits released within a 14-month period: “The Last Detail” (1973), “Chinatown” (1974) and “Shampoo” (1975). All three screenplays were Oscar- nominated, with “Chinatown” winning in its year.
Hired as a “special consultant” by Warren Beatty for 1967’s “Bonnie and Clyde,” Towne restructured the picture to dramatize the outlaws’ impending doom.
- 7/2/2024
- by Rick Schultz
- Variety Film + TV
A motion picture screenplay is by nature imperfectible, and time, tide, and taste will have their say. The Oscar-winning script written for 1974’s “Chinatown” by Robert Towne — who passed away Monday, July 1, at age 89, according to his publicist (via THR) — makes its own case for being as perfect an example of the form as we may ever see. That it was the first original (as opposed to an adaptation) Towne ever authored, coming along at the age of 40, is itself remarkable.
It’s no coincidence that his great friend Jack Nicholson, an artistic comrade in arms since they met as neophytes in a Hollywood acting class, was the center of “Chinatown’s” dark beauty and also of the ribald, corrosive and mordantly funny Towne script for 1973’s “The Last Detail.” Another friend, Warren Beatty, was the centerpiece of 1975’s “Shampoo,” which joined the previous two to notch Towne’s third...
It’s no coincidence that his great friend Jack Nicholson, an artistic comrade in arms since they met as neophytes in a Hollywood acting class, was the center of “Chinatown’s” dark beauty and also of the ribald, corrosive and mordantly funny Towne script for 1973’s “The Last Detail.” Another friend, Warren Beatty, was the centerpiece of 1975’s “Shampoo,” which joined the previous two to notch Towne’s third...
- 7/2/2024
- by Fred Schruers
- Indiewire
Robert Towne, the screenwriter as superstar whose Oscar-winning work on the 1974 classic Chinatown is widely recognized as the gold standard for movie scripts, has died. He was 89.
Towne died Monday at his home in Los Angeles, publicist Carri McClure announced.
He also received Academy Award nominations for The Last Detail (1973) and Shampoo (1975) in the years surrounding his most famous work.
His takes on Los Angeles were etched with melancholy and painted the city as one of beauty and sadness. In Chinatown and Shampoo, gumshoe J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson) and Beverly Hills hairdresser George Roundy (Warren Beatty) end up alone. (Towne collaborated often with those actors.)
This squinty vantage on Southern California, as a temptress who dashes hopes, also was evident in his script for Tequila Sunrise (1988), which starred Mel Gibson as a retired drug dealer, Kurt Russell as a cop and Michelle Pfeiffer as the femme fatale.
Towne also...
Towne died Monday at his home in Los Angeles, publicist Carri McClure announced.
He also received Academy Award nominations for The Last Detail (1973) and Shampoo (1975) in the years surrounding his most famous work.
His takes on Los Angeles were etched with melancholy and painted the city as one of beauty and sadness. In Chinatown and Shampoo, gumshoe J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson) and Beverly Hills hairdresser George Roundy (Warren Beatty) end up alone. (Towne collaborated often with those actors.)
This squinty vantage on Southern California, as a temptress who dashes hopes, also was evident in his script for Tequila Sunrise (1988), which starred Mel Gibson as a retired drug dealer, Kurt Russell as a cop and Michelle Pfeiffer as the femme fatale.
Towne also...
- 7/2/2024
- by Duane Byrge and Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hell yeah! HBO and Max’s new releases for July include the two-episode debut of Harley Quinn spinoff series Kite Man: Hell Yeah! (July 18) that follows the titular villain and his girlfriend the Golden Glider as they take their relationship to the next logical step – opening a bar for supervillains together. Hilarious hijinks are bound to ensue as Gotham’s hottest new bar takes off.
Football fans will get to follow the New York Giants in this season of Hard Knocks: Offseason starting July 2. This non-scripted series will follow the team as they prepare for their highly anticipated 100th season.
Notable movie releases this month include Love Lies Bleeding (July 19), the Katy O’Brian and Kristen Stewart-starring feature about the love affair between a reclusive gym owner Lou (Stewart) and bodybuilder Jackie (O’Brian). Anyone wanting to rewatch the original Twister before its sequel premieres in theaters this month are in luck,...
Football fans will get to follow the New York Giants in this season of Hard Knocks: Offseason starting July 2. This non-scripted series will follow the team as they prepare for their highly anticipated 100th season.
Notable movie releases this month include Love Lies Bleeding (July 19), the Katy O’Brian and Kristen Stewart-starring feature about the love affair between a reclusive gym owner Lou (Stewart) and bodybuilder Jackie (O’Brian). Anyone wanting to rewatch the original Twister before its sequel premieres in theaters this month are in luck,...
- 7/1/2024
- by Brynnaarens
- Den of Geek
Who says 1994 was a classic year for cinema? Netflix begins today to make that argument, curating a release of 17 films that turned 30 this year. The streamer has its list below. I have mine, and with the exception of the seminal Farrelly Brothers-directed Dumb & Dumber with Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, and Luc Besson’s Leon: The Professional, the film that stars Jean Reno and a sinister Gary Oldman and introduced the world to the outsized talent Natalie Portman, and maybe Ron Howard’s The Paper, there’s a lot missing. How about Forrest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, The Lion King, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Clear and Present Danger, Sicario, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Interview With the Vampire, Speed, Ed Wood, and the other two films in a starmaking year for Jim Carrey, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask. Speed, Once Were Warriors, and Ang Lee...
- 7/1/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
It might seem strange, but here’s the 411: 1994 was 30 years ago, which means these movies are ready for a celebration three decades in the making.
As temperatures climb and summer’s officially in full swing, Netflix is unveiling the ’90s edition of Milestone Movies: The Anniversary Collection, featuring films that were released in 1994.
Milestone Movies first launched in January to celebrate films marking major anniversaries this year — award winners, guilty pleasures, and cult classics among them. The films now streaming in the US include Reality Bites, Dumb and Dumber, Muriel’s Wedding, and Clerks.
The first round of Milestone Movies highlighted films released in 1974, including Blazing Saddles, Chinatown,and The Conversation. Then the clock rolled forward to films from 1984, like A Nightmare on Elm Street, Sixteen Candles, and Beverly Hills Cop. After this current run of ’90s flicks, we’ll jump ahead to movies released in 2004 —...
As temperatures climb and summer’s officially in full swing, Netflix is unveiling the ’90s edition of Milestone Movies: The Anniversary Collection, featuring films that were released in 1994.
Milestone Movies first launched in January to celebrate films marking major anniversaries this year — award winners, guilty pleasures, and cult classics among them. The films now streaming in the US include Reality Bites, Dumb and Dumber, Muriel’s Wedding, and Clerks.
The first round of Milestone Movies highlighted films released in 1974, including Blazing Saddles, Chinatown,and The Conversation. Then the clock rolled forward to films from 1984, like A Nightmare on Elm Street, Sixteen Candles, and Beverly Hills Cop. After this current run of ’90s flicks, we’ll jump ahead to movies released in 2004 —...
- 7/1/2024
- by Jessica Derschowitz
- Tudum - Netflix
It’s summertime, and Max is ready to ride the wave! This July marks the long-awaited return of Discovery’s Shark Week, which will be hosted this year by John Cena. Starting Sunday, July 7, you’ll be able to watch all of this year’s specials, including “Big Shark Energy,” “Belly of the Beast Pt. 2,” and “Great White Serial Killer: Sea of Blood” with your Max subscription. If you still haven’t made the dive in, you can sign up for an ad-supported plan beginning at $9.99 per month or an ad-free plan beginning at $16.99 per month.
Beyond shark-related content, HBO and Max are preparing for a big month, with the streaming debut of the recent A24 hit “Love Lies Bleeding,” Cannes and Tribeca festival documentaries including “Quad Gods” and “Faye,” and many HBO and Max Originals like a new season of “Hard Knocks” focused on the New York Giants offseason...
Beyond shark-related content, HBO and Max are preparing for a big month, with the streaming debut of the recent A24 hit “Love Lies Bleeding,” Cannes and Tribeca festival documentaries including “Quad Gods” and “Faye,” and many HBO and Max Originals like a new season of “Hard Knocks” focused on the New York Giants offseason...
- 6/28/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Pluto TV, Paramount’s free streaming service, has revealed its July highlights. The Pluto TV July 2024 schedule includes a new Westerns category and a Yellowstone Fourth of July marathon.
You can also expect fireworks at the Big Brother house when season 26 premieres, and with Pluto TV’s dedicated 24/7 live feeds, you won’t miss a second of the drama. Fans can also relive past seasons of the competition series on a new dedicated channel.
Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service, delivering hundreds of live, linear channels and thousands of titles on-demand to a global audience. The Emmy Award-winning service curates a diverse lineup of channels in partnership with hundreds of international media companies.
Pluto TV offers various genres, languages, and categories featuring movies, television series, sports, news, lifestyle, kids, and much more. The service can be easily accessed and streamed across mobile, web, and connected TV devices.
You can also expect fireworks at the Big Brother house when season 26 premieres, and with Pluto TV’s dedicated 24/7 live feeds, you won’t miss a second of the drama. Fans can also relive past seasons of the competition series on a new dedicated channel.
Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service, delivering hundreds of live, linear channels and thousands of titles on-demand to a global audience. The Emmy Award-winning service curates a diverse lineup of channels in partnership with hundreds of international media companies.
Pluto TV offers various genres, languages, and categories featuring movies, television series, sports, news, lifestyle, kids, and much more. The service can be easily accessed and streamed across mobile, web, and connected TV devices.
- 6/27/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Sure, Faye Dunaway might be best known to millennials for flubbing the Oscars Best Picture announcement alongside her “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967) co-star Warren Beatty. Or perhaps it’s Bowen Yang’s “Saturday Night Live” quips about the famed actress that has made Dunaway go viral more than a half-century since her iconic films were released.
Now, Dunaway is reclaiming her 21st-century legacy by way of an eponymous HBO documentary, “Faye.”
Dunaway revisits her tumultuous history, controversial reputation, and Hollywood iconography in the feature film directed by Laurent Bouzereau, who also directed HBO’s “Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind” doc.
“Faye” had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, with Dunaway traveling back in time to “contextualize her life and filmography, laying bare her struggles with mental health while confronting the double standards she was subjected to as a woman in Hollywood,” as the synopsis goes.
Née Dorothy Faye Dunaway,...
Now, Dunaway is reclaiming her 21st-century legacy by way of an eponymous HBO documentary, “Faye.”
Dunaway revisits her tumultuous history, controversial reputation, and Hollywood iconography in the feature film directed by Laurent Bouzereau, who also directed HBO’s “Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind” doc.
“Faye” had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, with Dunaway traveling back in time to “contextualize her life and filmography, laying bare her struggles with mental health while confronting the double standards she was subjected to as a woman in Hollywood,” as the synopsis goes.
Née Dorothy Faye Dunaway,...
- 6/27/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
"Before you make judgements, you have to look deeper." Max has revealed the official trailer for a biopic documentary film titled Faye, from acclaimed filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau. It just premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and will stream on Max starting this July. Here is the full Cannes intro: In Faye, the first feature doc about screen icon Faye Dunaway, the Academy Award-winning actor candidly discusses the triumphs & challenges of her illustrious career, with breakthrough roles in Bonnie & Clyde, Chinatown, and Network, while also reflecting on the film she views as a critical career misstep – Mommie Dearest. Through those reflections, she courageously explores personal discoveries: her struggles with mental health issues and bipolar disorder, her family history, and how the intensity of the characters she played still impacts who she is today. In addition to Faye, it includes interviews with her son Liam, as well as colleagues and friends such as Sharon Stone,...
- 6/27/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Pine writes, directs and stars – alongside Danny DeVito and Annette Bening – in this rambling comedy mystery about a shaggy, quirky pool attendant
Chris Pine is usually a likable screen presence but he’s let down here by a flimsy script and over-indulgent direction – which could have something to do with the co-screenwriter (Chris Pine) and the first-time director. You can see what he was going for: a knockabout stoner neo-noir paying homage to old-school Los Angeles, but this is more like Chinatown without the savagery, or Inherent Vice without the brains, or The Big Lebowski without the drugs.
Pine’s character is very much a watered-down version of Jeff Bridges’ Dude (the strongest thing he consumes is an egg cream mocktail). He’s a shaggy, aimless slacker who lives in a trailer next to the apartment-complex pool he tends with zen-like focus. As his character name, Darren Barrenman, forewarns, he...
Chris Pine is usually a likable screen presence but he’s let down here by a flimsy script and over-indulgent direction – which could have something to do with the co-screenwriter (Chris Pine) and the first-time director. You can see what he was going for: a knockabout stoner neo-noir paying homage to old-school Los Angeles, but this is more like Chinatown without the savagery, or Inherent Vice without the brains, or The Big Lebowski without the drugs.
Pine’s character is very much a watered-down version of Jeff Bridges’ Dude (the strongest thing he consumes is an egg cream mocktail). He’s a shaggy, aimless slacker who lives in a trailer next to the apartment-complex pool he tends with zen-like focus. As his character name, Darren Barrenman, forewarns, he...
- 6/26/2024
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Several years ago, there was some buzz about Chris Pine making his directorial debut when news got wind of the synopsis of Poolman. The premise sounded similar to Chinatown and The Big Lebowski, and with a stacked A-list cast that includes three Oscar nominees, surely that means the film has a good script if such high caliber talent signed up. Below is the actual synopsis of the upcoming film: Poolman tells the story of Darren Barrenman (Chris Pine), a native Los Angeleno who spends his days looking after the pool of the...
- 6/25/2024
- by Jeffrey Bowie Jr.
- TVovermind.com
Warner Bros. Discovery has announced the movies, TV shows, and live sports that will be available on the Max streaming service in July. The Max July 2024 lineup includes Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants and Max Original series Kite Man: Hell Yeah!
The July schedule also includes the HBO Original documentaries Faye, Wild Wild Space, and Quad Gods, A24’s Love Lies Bleeding, and Saban Films’ Knox Goes Away.
Featured Programming
Hard Knocks: Offseason With The New York Giants (HBO Original Sports Unscripted Series)
Debuts July 2 at 9 p.m. Et, 5 episodes
Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants will bring viewers inside the New York Giants organization as the team prepares for its highly anticipated 100th season. Camera crews will chronicle the team’s every move as general manager Joe Schoen and other members of the team’s front office and staff navigate the critical offseason...
The July schedule also includes the HBO Original documentaries Faye, Wild Wild Space, and Quad Gods, A24’s Love Lies Bleeding, and Saban Films’ Knox Goes Away.
Featured Programming
Hard Knocks: Offseason With The New York Giants (HBO Original Sports Unscripted Series)
Debuts July 2 at 9 p.m. Et, 5 episodes
Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants will bring viewers inside the New York Giants organization as the team prepares for its highly anticipated 100th season. Camera crews will chronicle the team’s every move as general manager Joe Schoen and other members of the team’s front office and staff navigate the critical offseason...
- 6/25/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
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