here’s a great shot of Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) on Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner set
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It’s with a heavy heart that I share with you guys the news that the talented filmmaker Curtis Hanson has died aged 71 – With a CV that boasts the 1992 intense psychological drama The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, 1994’s The River Wild, 2000’s delicate yet brilliant Wonder Boys, hip hop drama 8 Mile, 2005’s heart warming In Her Shoes and of course his masterpiece 1997’s gripping noir drama L.A. Confidential that not only won awards but gave it’s stars Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger and Guy Pearce a huge career lift, L.A. Confidential is up them amongst the Best Movies of it’s genre and one I personally enjoy returning to – thank you sir for the legacy of great movies you’ve left behind for us to enjoy over and over…..
“If science teaches us anything, it teaches us to accept our failures, as well as our successes, with quiet dignity and grace” – in his career Gene Wilder has made me laugh like no other actor has, his movies such as Stir Crazy, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, See No Evil, Hear No Evil and of course Willy Wonka continue to this day to make me smile, cry with laughter and think of the world a much better place after watching them – thank you for entertaining us with your own brand of humor and stardom and you can be sure that someone somewhere is watching one of your movies tonight and raising a glass or two and more than likely spilling it as they begin laughing like a banshee… may you now rest in peace… well that’s if Feldman, Pryor and co will let you 🙂
It’s always painful as a film fan to loose anybody you’ve admired in the business, even if that person was from afar and sadly the passing of Garry Marshall is one that hurts like hell – yes I know what your thinking “you never knew the guy so why the sad face?” well let me tell you why the sad face – Garry Marshall was a huge part of my television life, back in the 80s I would watch his classic creations Mork & Mindy, The Odd Couple and Happy Days the Marshall stamp was clear on all these shows, simple, effective and loveable characters that would bring tears of joy to my face, then in the late 80s and early 90s when I became truly addicted to film he delivered two classic film gems 1987s Overboard with Goldie Hawn & Kurt Russell and then in 1990 the romantic Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts & Richard Gere, both fantastic slices of cinema that continue to get replayed in my home on a yearly basis – other much loved films in my collection include his 2004 film Raising Helen with Kate Hudson and the underrated Frankie & Johnny from 1991 that starred Al Pacino & Michelle Pfeiffer – so as you can see Garry Marshall meant a lot (and still does), his film style, his love of the audience, his performers and most of all he above all else his creations made me smile when I needed to smile most and for that I thank him RIP
Here’s some fantastic footage of Gareth Edwards latest Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – this 3 minute clip is an absolute treat for us fans of this universe and whets the appetite for the movies upcoming release in December – the films cast include Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Mads Mikklesen, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk & Forest Whitaker the impression I get from these clips is that Rogue One appears to be more practical film-making, less CGI than say The Force Awakens and more in style of the original Lucas trilogy, the action and storyline looks fabulous and the return of old favourite Darth Vader will get us fanboys buzzing like a turned on light sabre – take a peek at the trailer below and enjoy (I have already watched it 3 times it’s so damn good)
Olivia De Havilland moved to Paris in the mid 50s and still lives there today – she is in my opinion “The Greatest Actress” to have shone on our screens, a giant of cinema who mesmerised with her beauty and injected energy, passion & commitment to her many roles spanning the 30s through to the 60s – De Havilland had an impressive range of performances in her career appearing in classics such as Gone With The Wind, The Snake Pit, Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte and My Cousin Rachel, she was a Double Best Actress winner at the Oscars for roles in To Each His Own and The Heiress but for me it was her many collaborations with actor and friend Errol Flynn that caught my imagination, she may not have been the main star in these early films but it was her infectious presence, them dreamy eye’s and that swashbuckling attitude in movies such as Dodge City, Captain Blood, They Died With Their Boots On, Santa Fe Trail & The Adventures of Robin Hood that started my love affair with cinema and this British-American actress who took my breath away – so from us here we wish Olivia De Havilland a Happy 100th Birthday !!
The world of film has lost one of it’s brightest young stars – whether it be an Indie pic or big screen blockbuster Anton Yelchin was fiercely brilliant, utterly committed and enhanced every picture he was involved with – although Anton’s career was short lived, his time on the screen will live on and entertain us all for many years to come !!
Hans Gruber, The Sheriff of Nottingham & Severus Snape just three iconic roles the legendary actor ALAN RICKMAN gave the world of cinema – may you rest in peace !!
Trying to pick 15 Movies that have stood out, excited & impressed the hell out of me in 2015 has been a difficult task and one that I started compiling over two weeks back – when making a Best of List it’s important to view the movie multiple times and for me personally I never choose any movie on pure sentiment, take the Star Wars movie for example, I’m a huge geek when it comes to them movies but it would be unfair of me to name it as one of my favorite movies purely on past glories, the movie has to be better than that and deserve a place by merit – everybody has their own personal favorites, whether it be at home or at the cinema movies are there to be enjoyed – don’t take my Top 15 as gospel and certainly don’t let friends or film critics decide what you watch, the beauty is we are all movie critics and we all have our own opinions – so if you’ve not seen some of these movies, give them a try and then compile your own list of Your Favorite Movies of 2015….
Terribly Sad News – the beautiful actress Maureen O’Hara has died aged 95
Throughout the years their have been many great actresses that have graced our screens, but not too many had Maureen O’Hara’s screen presence, her beauty and undoubted acting chops, she was a great leading lady, starring alongside some of Hollywood’s finest including John Wayne, Henry Fonda, James Stewart and Tyrone Power – for me on film though she will always be that fiery beauty Mary Kate Danaher from John Ford’s classic movie The Quiet Man where she starred opposite her good friend John Wayne, they appeared in 5 movies together but this 50’s gem is not only their best collaboration but Maureen’s greatest movie role – the lights of the movie world have been dimmed today, as we say farewell to one heck of a movie star !!
Happy Back to the Future Day Everyone !! A Big Thanks to Robert Zemeckis, Michael J Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and all the cast and crew who made the Back to the Future series one of my all time favorite movie trilogies – the films may all take place in the past after today but in the future I’m pretty confident we may eventually get to see them Flying Cars, Hover Boards and maybe just maybe Jaws 19 – if you happen to be re-watching any of these movies today have fun and remember “the future is what you make of it” !!
Once a year Universal Studios in Orlando gets transformed into an exciting, ghoulish Halloween event, one that uniquely allows its victims to get up close & personal with their deepest desires & darkest fears – I mean where else would you get the chance to walk through 9 different houses, each one crafted to scare the life out of you, some even designed to replicate your horror movie nightmares? You will even get so walk through scare zones, each jam packed with a different menace, streets shrouded in fog, monsters of yesteryear roaming freely and psychotic chainsaw wielding maniacs chasing you down if you dare look in their direction – this year HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS celebrates its 25th year, it’s bigger, better and more elaborate and if your a fan of the horror genre and want an evening or two of demented but delicious fun then please visit, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen – it’s an exhausting, Adrenalin fueled ride that will have you screaming at every turn !!
Below I have included some snaps of my Top 3 Girl & Boy scare actors, they all contributed so much to the nights I spent at the event, their mannerisms, makeup, costumes and sheer scare factor deserves a big thank you and my applause for such a great job !!
After visiting this years event on many separate occasions I have listed below My Top 9 Houses
Here’s a couple more snaps of my time at Halloween Horror Nights
Originally released in 1989 Robert Zemeckis classic Back to the Future 2 is due for a one day only re-release and Great Scott this guy right here is very excited – Back to the Future 2 happens to my favorite of the trilogy, it’s so well written, insanely fun and contains some of the most memorably shot scenes in movie history – here’s a new poster for the upcoming event !!
absolutebadasses 