With anticipation for Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie reaching a fever pitch, fans of Nintendo’s most famous character are finding all the ways they can to tide themselves over before the film’s theatrical release on April 5. Whether it’s going back and playing the classics of the Mario franchise over again, or simply reminiscing about the Mushroom Kingdom’s best moments with friends, the film is a special entertainment event.
While some folks may have felt that adapting Mario and his pals for the big screen was a novel concept, taking a trip back to the 1980s would allow you to discover that the plumber has already been transported to the television set decades in the past. The Super Mario Bros. Super Show was the first of three syndicated Mario animation series that aired between 1989 and 1991. If you grew up a gamer during this era, you...
While some folks may have felt that adapting Mario and his pals for the big screen was a novel concept, taking a trip back to the 1980s would allow you to discover that the plumber has already been transported to the television set decades in the past. The Super Mario Bros. Super Show was the first of three syndicated Mario animation series that aired between 1989 and 1991. If you grew up a gamer during this era, you...
- 4/3/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
The 2023 Super Bowl is really, really nerdy. Not the players (although maybe? Who's to say) but the commercials, which include trailer spots for "The Flash" and "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts." Not to be outdone by DC or Hasbro, however, Nintendo decided to show off their first collaboration with Illumination, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie."
We've seen a few trailers for Mario Jumpman Mario's latest cinematic adventure before, but this particular trailer tried something a little different. Instead of showing off the voice cast, which includes household names like Chris Pratt and Jack Black, the "Super Mario" Super Bowl spot shows off a niche corner of the titular character's silly history. How niche? Well, do you remember a hybrid live-action and animated series from 1989 called "The Super Mario Bros Super Show!"? No? That's okay — we're about to ingrain it in your memory forever.
(You're welcome in advance, by the way.
We've seen a few trailers for Mario Jumpman Mario's latest cinematic adventure before, but this particular trailer tried something a little different. Instead of showing off the voice cast, which includes household names like Chris Pratt and Jack Black, the "Super Mario" Super Bowl spot shows off a niche corner of the titular character's silly history. How niche? Well, do you remember a hybrid live-action and animated series from 1989 called "The Super Mario Bros Super Show!"? No? That's okay — we're about to ingrain it in your memory forever.
(You're welcome in advance, by the way.
- 2/13/2023
- by Cameron Roy Hall
- Slash Film
The animation studio Illumination has made a feature film based on the 1985 Nintendo game "Super Mario Bros." and every decision they have made has been baffling. Making the film at all seemed like a dodgy proposition from the start, as the last attempt to make a Mario movie -- a strange dinosaur-themed dystopian movie with Dennis Hopper, Bob Hoskins, and John Leguizamo -- resulted in critical panning and box office losses. This author feels that 1993's "Super Mario Bros." was a perfectly entertaining, delightfully weird, high-octane version of the game, but few agree. Now, 29 years later, attempt number two has arrived.
A second strange choice for Aaron Horvath's and Michael Jelenic's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" was its all-star American voice cast. For many years, in the video games, Mario had been voiced by Charles Martinet, who also voiced series staples Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi. Martinet gave Mario a high-pitched,...
A second strange choice for Aaron Horvath's and Michael Jelenic's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" was its all-star American voice cast. For many years, in the video games, Mario had been voiced by Charles Martinet, who also voiced series staples Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi. Martinet gave Mario a high-pitched,...
- 10/6/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Illumination and Nintendo have put together a powerhouse voiceover cast for their upcoming Super Mario Bros. animated movie which will hit cinemas on Dec. 21, 2022; that date also being news today.
Playing the fraternal, mushroom digesting plumbers and squashers of turtles are Chris Pratt as Mario and Charlie Day as Luigi. As Princess Peach, it’s Queen’s Gambit and recent Emmy nominee Anya Taylor-Joy. Playing bad guy Bowser is Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and stand-up comedian Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike. “Each voice actor was cast for their ability to capture the unique spirit of their character,” reads this afternoon’s release.
The co-financed feature between Universal and Nintendo will be produced by Chris Meledandri of Illumination and Shigeru Miyamoto, Representative Director and Fellow of Nintendo, and directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic,...
Playing the fraternal, mushroom digesting plumbers and squashers of turtles are Chris Pratt as Mario and Charlie Day as Luigi. As Princess Peach, it’s Queen’s Gambit and recent Emmy nominee Anya Taylor-Joy. Playing bad guy Bowser is Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and stand-up comedian Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike. “Each voice actor was cast for their ability to capture the unique spirit of their character,” reads this afternoon’s release.
The co-financed feature between Universal and Nintendo will be produced by Chris Meledandri of Illumination and Shigeru Miyamoto, Representative Director and Fellow of Nintendo, and directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic,...
- 9/23/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
A review of tonight's Brooklyn Nine-Nine coming up just as soon as I give you a signed copy of my book of mouth exercises... My father's cousin was an actor named Danny Wells. He never hit it big — these days, if people would know him at all, it would be for playing Luigi to Captain Lou Albano's Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! — but he worked steadily in TV throughout the '70s and '80s, to the point where it became almost routine when I would tell my parents that Cousin Danny had popped up in another episode of The A-Team or CHiPs. He also had a recurring role on The Jeffersons as Charlie, the bartender on the first floor of George and Weezie's apartment building (here he is giving George some advice), and towards the end of the series, there were even a couple of Charlie-centric episodes.
- 2/17/2016
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
Actor Danny Wells, best known for portraying Luigi in the 1989 television series based on the Super Mario Bros. video game, has died. He was 72.
The actor, whose real name was Jack Westelman, played one half of the famous brother duo opposite the late Lou Albano in the live-action segments (and also voiced the character in animated segments) for the length of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!’s 65-episode run in the late ’80s. He also recurred on The Jeffersons as Charlie the Bartender, from 1975-1985.
While many of his post-Mario credits were in voice work, one of Wells’ last...
The actor, whose real name was Jack Westelman, played one half of the famous brother duo opposite the late Lou Albano in the live-action segments (and also voiced the character in animated segments) for the length of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!’s 65-episode run in the late ’80s. He also recurred on The Jeffersons as Charlie the Bartender, from 1975-1985.
While many of his post-Mario credits were in voice work, one of Wells’ last...
- 12/5/2013
- by Sandra Gonzalez
- EW - Inside TV
Danny Wells, who played Luigi on the TV adaptation of the wildly popular Nintendo video game franchise Super Mario Bros., died Nov. 28 in Toronto. He was 72. The Montreal-born actor, whose real name was Jack Westelman, also showed up as the recurring Charlie the Bartender on the long-running sitcom The Jeffersons. Wells appeared as the green character Luigi on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! in the 1989 series’ live-action segments and voiced him for its animated parts. The show, from Dic Entertainment, ran for 65 episodes in syndication and on independent TV stations. Lou Albano, the
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- 12/5/2013
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Old Stock
Directed by James Genn
Written by Dane Clark
Canada, 2012
We live in a youth-obsessed culture. That much we know. We worship at the altar of infinite possibility, saying “youth must have its fling” – and we bemoan those lost opportunities to “make our mistakes”. But there’s nothing bracing or invigorating about living through a real folly of youth. One that hurts the ones we care about. Those kinds of mistakes can make people instantly old, no matter what their calendar age. Old Stock explores the consequences of two such follies: one that engulfs its title character at the end of high school, and another committed by an older man in the grip of second child(hood)ishness.
When we first meet Stock Burton (Noah Reid), he is living in a retirement home with his grandfather (Harold, played with old-time Allen Jenkins-ish charm by Danny Wells), who is...
Directed by James Genn
Written by Dane Clark
Canada, 2012
We live in a youth-obsessed culture. That much we know. We worship at the altar of infinite possibility, saying “youth must have its fling” – and we bemoan those lost opportunities to “make our mistakes”. But there’s nothing bracing or invigorating about living through a real folly of youth. One that hurts the ones we care about. Those kinds of mistakes can make people instantly old, no matter what their calendar age. Old Stock explores the consequences of two such follies: one that engulfs its title character at the end of high school, and another committed by an older man in the grip of second child(hood)ishness.
When we first meet Stock Burton (Noah Reid), he is living in a retirement home with his grandfather (Harold, played with old-time Allen Jenkins-ish charm by Danny Wells), who is...
- 5/31/2013
- by David Fiore
- SoundOnSight
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