The legendary test pilot Chuck Yeager took Philip Kaufman, the writer/director of the lauded 1983 space race epic “The Right Stuff,” for a ride in his plane during production. And at one point the man who broke the sound barrier in 1947 turned over the controls to Kaufman as he also turned off the engine. “He thought it would scare me being one of the ‘Hollywood’ guys,” Kaufman told me in a 2003 L.A. Times interview. “I just sort of looked at him and smiled, because I knew there was something blessed about this man. The funny thing about Yeager is that he would drive out to the sets, particularly in the high desert, and he would not go above the speed limit. He was the fastest man alive, but he wouldn’t go over 55 because he knew how dangerous it was on the highway”
Barbara Hershey, who played Yeager’s wife Glennis,...
Barbara Hershey, who played Yeager’s wife Glennis,...
- 10/24/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
A Million Miles Away is a feel-good drama film based on the autobiography of astronaut José Hernández titled Reaching for the Stars: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farmworker Turned Astronaut. The Prime Video film follows the story of Hernández from when he was a child and he came to the United States as a migrant farm worker with his parents. In his childhood, he saw the launch of Apollo 11, and from then on he harbored a dream of going into space. Throughout his life he overcomes a lot of hurdles first with the help of his family and then his wife in order to achieve his dream. So, if you liked the inspirational film here are some similar movies you could watch next.
First Man (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Universal Pictures
Synopsis: Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for the riveting story behind the...
First Man (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Universal Pictures
Synopsis: Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for the riveting story behind the...
- 9/13/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
In the fall of 1975, Sam Shepard — the hottest playwright on both sides of the Atlantic — returned to his new home in Northern California one day to find a note waiting for him that said Bob Dylan had called. Having never met him, the 31-year-old Shepard called the phone number on the note and was informed that Dylan wanted him to write the screenplay for the film to be based on his upcoming, star-studded Rolling Thunder tour. Because Shepard, who would later be nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of Chuck Yeager, America’s most famous test pilot, in The Right Stuff but was so afraid of flying that he had not been inside a plane for the past twelve years, he crossed the country by rail to meet Dylan in New York. As Robert Greenfield recounts in an exclusive excerpt from his new biography of Shepard, True West,...
- 4/21/2023
- by Robert Greenfield
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Who knew when the year began that a sequel to a 36-year-old movie starring its 60-year-old actor who headlined the original would be the box office champ so far this year? But “Top Gun: Maverick” starring Tom Cruise, which was released Aug. 23 on digital formats while still flying high in theaters is not only the No. 1 film of the year with a staggering haul of 683.4 million domestically and 720 million overseas. And the acclaimed film didn’t even play in China or Russia. “Top Gun: Maverick” is also the biggest film of Cruise’s career which began in 1981 with Franco Zeffirelli’s “Endless Love.”
And with the digital release, let’s relive 1986, the year we first felt the need for speed and flew into the danger zone. The year the original “Top Gun” took our breath away.
Top 10 Box Office Hits
Top Gun (natch)
Crocodile Dundee
Platoon
The Karate Kid Part...
And with the digital release, let’s relive 1986, the year we first felt the need for speed and flew into the danger zone. The year the original “Top Gun” took our breath away.
Top 10 Box Office Hits
Top Gun (natch)
Crocodile Dundee
Platoon
The Karate Kid Part...
- 8/24/2022
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
This article contains mild Top Gun: Maverick spoilers.
What does a man like Tom Cruise’s Lt. Pete Mitchell, aka ace Navy pilot “Maverick,” look like in his old age? What would it be like for such a man to retire? That is a question that would seemingly be posed by the prospect of a legacy sequel released 36 years after the original and iconic Top Gun. And yet, the answer remains elusive in the final, and joyously satisfying, Top Gun: Maverick.
Technically, Cruise’s beloved pilot with an affinity for fast motorcycles, faster jets, and slow-motion volleyball has reached an age where he should be a peer to crusty Rear Admiral Chester “Hammer” Cain. Yet while Cain might be ready to command a fleet, Maverick is still doing what he’s always done: pushing it to the limit and flying high above the danger zone.
Now raised to the rank...
What does a man like Tom Cruise’s Lt. Pete Mitchell, aka ace Navy pilot “Maverick,” look like in his old age? What would it be like for such a man to retire? That is a question that would seemingly be posed by the prospect of a legacy sequel released 36 years after the original and iconic Top Gun. And yet, the answer remains elusive in the final, and joyously satisfying, Top Gun: Maverick.
Technically, Cruise’s beloved pilot with an affinity for fast motorcycles, faster jets, and slow-motion volleyball has reached an age where he should be a peer to crusty Rear Admiral Chester “Hammer” Cain. Yet while Cain might be ready to command a fleet, Maverick is still doing what he’s always done: pushing it to the limit and flying high above the danger zone.
Now raised to the rank...
- 5/25/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Dmitriy Kiselev’s overlooked Russian thriller is an exciting and inspirational true account of the first walk in space by a Soviet cosmonaut — a mission that nearly became a tragedy. It’s almost as emotional an experience as Apollo 13 — the worthy cosmonauts demonstrate ‘the right stuff’ under much more trying conditions. The beautifully produced and splendidly acted show makes it seem a crime that foreign movies this good are routinely denied theatrical exhibition here. The Blu-ray comes with an excellent pair of featurettes, with the participation of the original spacewalker Alexey Leonov.
Spacewalker
Blu-ray
Capelight
2017 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 137 min. / Vremya pervykh (The First Time); Spacewalker / Street Date January 19, 2021 / Available from Amazon / (pretty cheap)
Starring: Evgeniy Mironov, Konstantin Khabenskiy, Vladimir Ilin, Anatoliy Kotenyov, Aleksandra Ursulyak, Elena Panova, Aleksandr Novin, Gennadiy Smirnov, Yuriy Nifontov, Sergey Batalov.
Cinematography: Vladimir Bashta
Visuyal Effects supervisors: Kirill Kulakov, Sergei Nevshupov, Pavel Perepyolkin
Film Editors: Anton Anisimov,...
Spacewalker
Blu-ray
Capelight
2017 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 137 min. / Vremya pervykh (The First Time); Spacewalker / Street Date January 19, 2021 / Available from Amazon / (pretty cheap)
Starring: Evgeniy Mironov, Konstantin Khabenskiy, Vladimir Ilin, Anatoliy Kotenyov, Aleksandra Ursulyak, Elena Panova, Aleksandr Novin, Gennadiy Smirnov, Yuriy Nifontov, Sergey Batalov.
Cinematography: Vladimir Bashta
Visuyal Effects supervisors: Kirill Kulakov, Sergei Nevshupov, Pavel Perepyolkin
Film Editors: Anton Anisimov,...
- 4/17/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Casting director Lynn Stalmaster, who jumpstarted the careers of stars like Christopher Reeve and John Travolta, died Feb. 12. He was 93.
The Hollywood Reporter, which first reported the story, said the Casting Society of America’s Laura Adler confirmed Stalmaster’s death Friday.
“We are heartbroken to share the news that Lynn Stalmaster, the iconic and beloved casting director, passed away this morning at his home in Los Angeles. A pioneer of our craft, Lynn was a trailblazer with over half a century of world-class film and television casting credits. He was a friend and mentor to many of us, Casting Society of America co-presidents Russell Boast and Rich Mento said in a statement.
“We offer our condolences to his family and friends. Lynn will be deeply, deeply missed. Lynn was the first casting director to receive an Oscar. This photo is from the Academy’s 2016 Governors Awards ceremony in which Lynn received his honorary Oscar.
The Hollywood Reporter, which first reported the story, said the Casting Society of America’s Laura Adler confirmed Stalmaster’s death Friday.
“We are heartbroken to share the news that Lynn Stalmaster, the iconic and beloved casting director, passed away this morning at his home in Los Angeles. A pioneer of our craft, Lynn was a trailblazer with over half a century of world-class film and television casting credits. He was a friend and mentor to many of us, Casting Society of America co-presidents Russell Boast and Rich Mento said in a statement.
“We offer our condolences to his family and friends. Lynn will be deeply, deeply missed. Lynn was the first casting director to receive an Oscar. This photo is from the Academy’s 2016 Governors Awards ceremony in which Lynn received his honorary Oscar.
- 2/13/2021
- by Samson Amore
- The Wrap
Lynn Stalmaster, who was the first casting director to receive an Academy Award, died today at home in Los Angeles. He was 93 and his death was confirmed by Laura Adler of the Casting Society of America.
Stalmaster had a legendary vision for casting. He is credited with moving Dustin Hoffman into The Graduate, Christopher Reeve as Superman, and tabbing the young John Travolta for TV comedy classic Welcome Back, Kotter, among many others.
The November 2016 Governors Awards saw Stalmaster become the first casting director to receive an Academy Award. The honorary Oscar recognized his long and meritorious career.
Stalmaster also had another notable achievement: on Norman Jewison’s 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair Stalmaster became the first casting director to receive a single-card credit in the titles.
Stalmaster has more than 400 casting credits among them such classics as Inherit the Wind (1960), The Great Escape (1963), In the Heat of the Night (1967), They Shoot Horses,...
Stalmaster had a legendary vision for casting. He is credited with moving Dustin Hoffman into The Graduate, Christopher Reeve as Superman, and tabbing the young John Travolta for TV comedy classic Welcome Back, Kotter, among many others.
The November 2016 Governors Awards saw Stalmaster become the first casting director to receive an Academy Award. The honorary Oscar recognized his long and meritorious career.
Stalmaster also had another notable achievement: on Norman Jewison’s 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair Stalmaster became the first casting director to receive a single-card credit in the titles.
Stalmaster has more than 400 casting credits among them such classics as Inherit the Wind (1960), The Great Escape (1963), In the Heat of the Night (1967), They Shoot Horses,...
- 2/13/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
As we finally turn the calendar on the Cruelest Year, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the memorable people we lost from the world of entertainment. Click through the photo gallery above.
Among those who passed during 2020 were big-screen Hollywood legends from Kirk Douglas and Olivia de Havilland to Sean Connery and Chadwick Boseman, sitcom favorites Jerry Stiller and Dawn Wells and two of the all-time showbiz multihyphenates in Carl Reiner and Buck Henry. Other actors who left us include Diana Rigg, Max Von Sydow, Brian Dennehy, Kelly Preston, Fred Willard, Naya Rivera, Nick Cordero, Monty Python’s Terry Jones and Indian stars Irrfan Khan and Soumitra Chatterjee.
The movie world also mourns filmmakers Alan Parker, Joel Schumacher and Kim Ki-duk, along with a man who would be on a Mount Rushmore for film composers: Ennio Morrocone.
Also gone this past year were such admired TV personalities as Regis Philbin,...
Among those who passed during 2020 were big-screen Hollywood legends from Kirk Douglas and Olivia de Havilland to Sean Connery and Chadwick Boseman, sitcom favorites Jerry Stiller and Dawn Wells and two of the all-time showbiz multihyphenates in Carl Reiner and Buck Henry. Other actors who left us include Diana Rigg, Max Von Sydow, Brian Dennehy, Kelly Preston, Fred Willard, Naya Rivera, Nick Cordero, Monty Python’s Terry Jones and Indian stars Irrfan Khan and Soumitra Chatterjee.
The movie world also mourns filmmakers Alan Parker, Joel Schumacher and Kim Ki-duk, along with a man who would be on a Mount Rushmore for film composers: Ennio Morrocone.
Also gone this past year were such admired TV personalities as Regis Philbin,...
- 12/31/2020
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
With the passing of Chuck Yeager, the man who broke the sound barrier in 1947, it’s likely that we’ll see a movie or at least a TV movie that will make mention of him and possibly detail his life at some point since looking back at what he did during his time on this earth it’s easy to see that it would make quite the story. How accurate it will be is up for debate of course, but it does feel as though not doing it would be kind of an insult to the life of one such as Chuck
Five Actors Who Could Play Chuck Yeager in a Movie...
Five Actors Who Could Play Chuck Yeager in a Movie...
- 12/12/2020
- by Tom
- TVovermind.com
U.S. Air Force officer and test pilot Chuck Yeager, who was famous for breaking the sound barrier when he tested the X-1 in October 1947, has died at 97. Yeager, who was known as “the fastest man alive,” died on Monday night in a Los Angeles hospital. The pilot had gone through a series of […]
The post Chuck Yeager, First Man To Break The Sound Barrier, Dies At 97 appeared first on uInterview.
The post Chuck Yeager, First Man To Break The Sound Barrier, Dies At 97 appeared first on uInterview.
- 12/8/2020
- by Yati Sanghvi
- Uinterview
Chuck Yeager, the first person to break the sound barrier and a subject of the book and film “The Right Stuff,” has died. He was 97.
Yeager’s wife, Victoria Yeager, announced his death on Twitter Monday night. “It is with profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9 p.m. Et,” she wrote. “An incredible life well lived, America’s greatest pilot and a legacy of strength, adventure and patriotism will be remembered forever.”
Fr @VictoriaYeage11 It is w/ profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9pm Et. An incredible life well lived, America’s greatest Pilot, & a legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered forever.
— Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) December 8, 2020
Yeager began his career during World War II as a private in the United States Army Air Forces. After the war, he became a test pilot,...
Yeager’s wife, Victoria Yeager, announced his death on Twitter Monday night. “It is with profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9 p.m. Et,” she wrote. “An incredible life well lived, America’s greatest pilot and a legacy of strength, adventure and patriotism will be remembered forever.”
Fr @VictoriaYeage11 It is w/ profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9pm Et. An incredible life well lived, America’s greatest Pilot, & a legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered forever.
— Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) December 8, 2020
Yeager began his career during World War II as a private in the United States Army Air Forces. After the war, he became a test pilot,...
- 12/8/2020
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Chuck Yeager, a World War II fighter pilot, the first person to break the sound barrier and one of the subjects of Philip Kaufman’s The Right Stuff has died. He was 97.
Yeager’s wife, Victoria, confirmed the death on the pilot’s official Twitter page on Monday, noting that the historic WWII vet died just before 9 p.m. Et.
“An incredible life well lived, America’s greatest Pilot, & legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered forever,” Victoria Yeager tweeted from her husband’s profile.
Born on February 13, 1923 in West Virginia, Yeager enlisted as a private for the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1941 and started his military experience as an aircraft mechanic. Less than three months after enlisting, Yeager was accepted for flight training and became a certified pilot in 1943.
Though the second World War had come to an end in 1945, Yeager remained with the U.S. armed forces...
Yeager’s wife, Victoria, confirmed the death on the pilot’s official Twitter page on Monday, noting that the historic WWII vet died just before 9 p.m. Et.
“An incredible life well lived, America’s greatest Pilot, & legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered forever,” Victoria Yeager tweeted from her husband’s profile.
Born on February 13, 1923 in West Virginia, Yeager enlisted as a private for the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1941 and started his military experience as an aircraft mechanic. Less than three months after enlisting, Yeager was accepted for flight training and became a certified pilot in 1943.
Though the second World War had come to an end in 1945, Yeager remained with the U.S. armed forces...
- 12/8/2020
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
Chuck Yeager, perhaps the most well-known test pilot of all time who in 1947 became the first person ever to break the sound barrier, died Monday. He was 97.
The news was announced on Yeager’s official Twitter account via a statement from his wife, Victoria, on Monday night.
“It is w/ profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9pm Et. An incredible life well lived, America’s greatest Pilot, & a legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered forever,” the statement said.
Yeager’s achievements as a pilot were legendary even in his day. He entered the Army as an enlisted man in the summer of 1941 and first worked as a place mechanic. He was ineligible to become a pilot as he hadn’t gone to college, the military relaxed recruitment requirements after the attack on Pearl Harbor and Yeager was accepted for training.
The news was announced on Yeager’s official Twitter account via a statement from his wife, Victoria, on Monday night.
“It is w/ profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9pm Et. An incredible life well lived, America’s greatest Pilot, & a legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered forever,” the statement said.
Yeager’s achievements as a pilot were legendary even in his day. He entered the Army as an enlisted man in the summer of 1941 and first worked as a place mechanic. He was ineligible to become a pilot as he hadn’t gone to college, the military relaxed recruitment requirements after the attack on Pearl Harbor and Yeager was accepted for training.
- 12/8/2020
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles “Chuck” Yeager, the World War II fighter pilot ace and quintessential test pilot who showed he had the “right stuff” when in 1947 he became the first person to fly faster than sound, had died. He was 97.
Yeager died Monday, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement, calling the death “a tremendous loss to our nation.”
“Gen. Yeager’s pioneering and innovative spirit advanced America’s abilities in the sky and set our nation’s dreams soaring into the jet age and the space age. He said, ‘You don’t concentrate on risks. You ...
Yeager died Monday, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement, calling the death “a tremendous loss to our nation.”
“Gen. Yeager’s pioneering and innovative spirit advanced America’s abilities in the sky and set our nation’s dreams soaring into the jet age and the space age. He said, ‘You don’t concentrate on risks. You ...
- 12/8/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Space and space exploration are having a moment in the pop culture zeitgeist. Just in the past year, we’ve seen Netflix alone trot out “Space Force,” “Away,” and “Over The Moon.” It’s with that in mind that the streaming space race takes flight with Disney+’s “The Right Stuff” debuting on the streamer roughly a year since it launched in November 2019.
“The Right Stuff,” which states that it is not only based on Tom Wolfe’s novel of the same name, but additionally Philip Kaufman’s 1983 adaptation for the screen, is Disney+’s first attempt at a more mature series since both “High Fidelity” and “Love, Victor” were ported over to Hulu for fear that the content wouldn’t sit well alongside Disney’s more family-friendly fare. Including the screenplay in the credits is notable because the specter of the 1983 film iteration haunts every moment of the series,...
“The Right Stuff,” which states that it is not only based on Tom Wolfe’s novel of the same name, but additionally Philip Kaufman’s 1983 adaptation for the screen, is Disney+’s first attempt at a more mature series since both “High Fidelity” and “Love, Victor” were ported over to Hulu for fear that the content wouldn’t sit well alongside Disney’s more family-friendly fare. Including the screenplay in the credits is notable because the specter of the 1983 film iteration haunts every moment of the series,...
- 10/9/2020
- by Leonardo Adrian Garcia
- Indiewire
Even if you haven’t seen the 1983 film or read Tom Wolfe’s 1979 book of the same name, chances are you’ve already seen something exactly like “The Right Stuff.” In its retelling of the true story of “The Mercury 7” (i.e. the intrepid group of American astronauts vying to be the country’s first space travelers), this TV version of “The Right Stuff” never met a space story cliché it didn’t embrace with open arms. Its determined, talented men storm in and out of rooms, demanding answers and praise and cooperation. The series frequently evokes the specter of Russia beating America to the moon to everyone’s haunted horror, the score swelling dramatically to underline the severity of the situation. It pits the saintly John Glenn (Patrick J. Adams) against the cocky Alan Shepard (Jake McDorman) to exactly the effect you’d imagine. Everything about this “Right Stuff” is,...
- 10/9/2020
- by Caroline Framke
- Variety Film + TV
In 1972, Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner sent New Journalism titan Tom Wolfe to cover Apollo 17, the last manned mission to the moon. While researching the piece, Wolfe fell in love with the stories of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, and instead churned out a four-part series of articles titled “Post-Orbital Remorse,” which he then adapted into the 1979 book The Right Stuff, which in turn was adapted by Philip Kaufman into a 1983 movie, and this weekend becomes — kind of, sort of — a new streaming series for the National Geographic hub of Disney+.
- 10/8/2020
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
The National Geographic series “The Right Stuff” premieres on Disney+ on October 9. It’s based on Tom Wolfe‘s book about fighter pilots recruited to become NASA’s first astronauts, which was also adapted into an Oscar-winning 1983 film. Will the small-screen version have just as much awards success? One of its leading men, Patrick J. Adams, shocked us once before at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and he could potentially do it again.
Adams broke out with his long-running role in USA’s drama “Suits” as a brilliant college dropout masquerading as a lawyer. That series was popular with fans, but didn’t really catch on with industry peer-group awards — except for Adams, who surprised by earning a nomination at the SAG Awards in 2012 for the show’s first season. That was especially impressive given how little space is available at these awards: lead and supporting actors compete together in...
Adams broke out with his long-running role in USA’s drama “Suits” as a brilliant college dropout masquerading as a lawyer. That series was popular with fans, but didn’t really catch on with industry peer-group awards — except for Adams, who surprised by earning a nomination at the SAG Awards in 2012 for the show’s first season. That was especially impressive given how little space is available at these awards: lead and supporting actors compete together in...
- 10/8/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
This The Right Stuff review contains no spoilers.
It’s impossible to see The Right Stuff, Disney+’s new drama series about NASA’s Mercury 7 astronauts, and not think about the award-winning 1983 film of the same name, but those comparisons don’t do this streaming series version any favors. Where the film is widely and rightly lauded for its authentic and ultimately inspiring depiction of the real lives behind the men who pioneered the U.S. space program, the small-screen version of The Right Stuff never gets off the ground.
On paper, I almost always enjoy an uplifting tale of humanity’s infinite possibility to do and be better than we have been, and regularly weep over stories about our collective ability to work together to achieve great things. Space stories are a particularly potent example of both of those things, as humans look toward the stars and risk their...
It’s impossible to see The Right Stuff, Disney+’s new drama series about NASA’s Mercury 7 astronauts, and not think about the award-winning 1983 film of the same name, but those comparisons don’t do this streaming series version any favors. Where the film is widely and rightly lauded for its authentic and ultimately inspiring depiction of the real lives behind the men who pioneered the U.S. space program, the small-screen version of The Right Stuff never gets off the ground.
On paper, I almost always enjoy an uplifting tale of humanity’s infinite possibility to do and be better than we have been, and regularly weep over stories about our collective ability to work together to achieve great things. Space stories are a particularly potent example of both of those things, as humans look toward the stars and risk their...
- 10/6/2020
- by Lacy Baugher
- Den of Geek
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
“A British Right Stuff”
By Raymond Benson
There exists a period in the career of the great David Lean in which several of his pictures are today more or less forgotten, especially in the U.S. After the one-two double punch of Brief Encounter and Great Expectations in the mid-40s, Lean directed several pictures that were less than stellar in terms of popularity and critical acclaim before he hit a spectacular stride with Hobson’s Choice, Summertime, and The Bridge on the River Kwai in the mid-50s.
Nestled neatly in this middle period is The Sound Barrier (titled Breaking the Sound Barrier in the U.S.), released in 1952. Despite doing very decent box office on both sides of the Atlantic, the film isn’t one that comes to mind when considering Lean’s genius.
It's the story of how the sound barrier...
“A British Right Stuff”
By Raymond Benson
There exists a period in the career of the great David Lean in which several of his pictures are today more or less forgotten, especially in the U.S. After the one-two double punch of Brief Encounter and Great Expectations in the mid-40s, Lean directed several pictures that were less than stellar in terms of popularity and critical acclaim before he hit a spectacular stride with Hobson’s Choice, Summertime, and The Bridge on the River Kwai in the mid-50s.
Nestled neatly in this middle period is The Sound Barrier (titled Breaking the Sound Barrier in the U.S.), released in 1952. Despite doing very decent box office on both sides of the Atlantic, the film isn’t one that comes to mind when considering Lean’s genius.
It's the story of how the sound barrier...
- 5/12/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Why is David Lean’s stirring ode to British aviation so historically and technically bogus? Because at heart it’s a science fiction film! Ralph Richardson drives his test pilots and his own son to die on the altar of aviation R&d, in a tale focused firmly on futurism and the push to the stars. Nigel Patrick and Denholm Elliott struggle to measure up, while Ann Todd hugs her baby and resists. Watching this terrific production, you’d think the Queen had a monopoly on supersonic aviation.
The Sound Barrier
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1952 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 117 109 min. / Breaking the Sound Barrier / Street Date April 28, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Ralph Richardson, Ann Todd, Nigel Patrick, John Justin, Dinah Sheridan, Joseph Tomelty, Denholm Elliott.
Cinematography: Jack Hildyard
Film Editor: Geoffrey Foot
Original Music: Malcolm Arnold
Aerial and second unit director: Anthony Squire
Written by Terence Rattigan
Produced and...
The Sound Barrier
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1952 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 117 109 min. / Breaking the Sound Barrier / Street Date April 28, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Ralph Richardson, Ann Todd, Nigel Patrick, John Justin, Dinah Sheridan, Joseph Tomelty, Denholm Elliott.
Cinematography: Jack Hildyard
Film Editor: Geoffrey Foot
Original Music: Malcolm Arnold
Aerial and second unit director: Anthony Squire
Written by Terence Rattigan
Produced and...
- 4/14/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Dennis Quaid came roaring back into the spotlight in 2019 with the low budget suspense thriller The Intruder, which turned into a sneaky box office hit, an ensemble role in the World War II epic Midway, and Netflix’s Happy Merry Whatever. Could the 66-year-old actor be making a resurgence? Is this the start of the “Dennissance”?
Jared Gutstadt, who is credited with coining the title of Quaid’s new podcast, The Dennissance, seems to think so.
“Last year was a Dennissance, and that’s really where the word came from,” Gutstadt tells Den of Geek. “Driving my kids to school every morning, I’d see his face on a poster on different streets. So you were literally like The Intruder one week, Happy Merry Whatever the next. Everyone said, ‘We’re living through a renaissance of Dennis,’ because I think one time he excitedly told me on the phone, ‘It...
Jared Gutstadt, who is credited with coining the title of Quaid’s new podcast, The Dennissance, seems to think so.
“Last year was a Dennissance, and that’s really where the word came from,” Gutstadt tells Den of Geek. “Driving my kids to school every morning, I’d see his face on a poster on different streets. So you were literally like The Intruder one week, Happy Merry Whatever the next. Everyone said, ‘We’re living through a renaissance of Dennis,’ because I think one time he excitedly told me on the phone, ‘It...
- 4/13/2020
- by Chris Longo
- Den of Geek
John Wayne! Janet Leigh! Nifty jet-age flying sequences! Goofy, bad-taste sex jokes! Hans Conreid as a chortling Russian army officer! Howard Hughes’ personal fun project took seven years to make while he played games with the aerial footage. It’s a highly-polished absurd joke, but it’s certainly entertaining. See Hughes try to do for Janet Leigh what he did for Jane Russell — I assume Ms. Leigh was too shrewd to sign any long-term contracts! This German disc has excellent widescreen image and audio.
Jet Pilot
Blu-ray
Explosive Media GmbH
1957 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 113 min. / Düsenjäger / Street Date June 14 2018, 2019 / 12.99 euros
Starring: John Wayne, Janet Leigh, Jay C. Flippen, Paul Fix, Richard Rober, Roland Winters, Hans Conried, Ivan Triesault, Hall Bartlett, Gregg Barton, Gene Evans, Paul Frees, Harry Lauter, Nelson Leigh, Denver Pyle, Gene Roth, Kenneth Tobey, Mamie Van Doren, Carleton Young.
Cinematography: Winton C. Hoch
Aerial Stunts: Chuck Yeager
Original Music:...
Jet Pilot
Blu-ray
Explosive Media GmbH
1957 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 113 min. / Düsenjäger / Street Date June 14 2018, 2019 / 12.99 euros
Starring: John Wayne, Janet Leigh, Jay C. Flippen, Paul Fix, Richard Rober, Roland Winters, Hans Conried, Ivan Triesault, Hall Bartlett, Gregg Barton, Gene Evans, Paul Frees, Harry Lauter, Nelson Leigh, Denver Pyle, Gene Roth, Kenneth Tobey, Mamie Van Doren, Carleton Young.
Cinematography: Winton C. Hoch
Aerial Stunts: Chuck Yeager
Original Music:...
- 7/16/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Exclusive: It’s been seven years and seven months since the release of Green Lantern, but the film’s historic failure still glows brightly in the memory of Warner Bros executives and fans alike. That’s one reason the studio has struggled to decide how best to revamp a property that remains far too prominent in DC Comics lore to otherwise leave sitting on a shelf.
The latest word is that producer-writer Geoff Johns is working on a script that will reinvent Green Lantern, but the details are scant. If Johns is looking to the publishing history for inspiration there’s plenty of material — this year marks the 60th anniversary of the deep-space hero’s debut so there’s plenty of of mythology to chose from. But the most screen-ready version of the Emerald Crusader may actually be the very latest one.
Writer Grant Morrison and artist Liam Sharp have...
The latest word is that producer-writer Geoff Johns is working on a script that will reinvent Green Lantern, but the details are scant. If Johns is looking to the publishing history for inspiration there’s plenty of material — this year marks the 60th anniversary of the deep-space hero’s debut so there’s plenty of of mythology to chose from. But the most screen-ready version of the Emerald Crusader may actually be the very latest one.
Writer Grant Morrison and artist Liam Sharp have...
- 1/9/2019
- by Geoff Boucher
- Deadline Film + TV
In early September, Brie Larson promised to break the internet with her tease for what became the first reveal of her Captain Marvel costume on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. And while she didn't quite accomplish that goal, she gets another shot with the first trailer release for the film that looks just awesome and ushers in a whole new era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The character will be making her debut in the self-titled film coming out in March 2019, which is set in the 1990s and features a much younger Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. From there, Captain Marvel (aka Carol Danvers) jumps to the present wher she goes toe-to-toe with Thanos (the bad guy from Avengers: Infinity War) in May's Avengers 4. Let's not forget that Thanos is the man who provided a smack-down to the Hulk before wiping out half of humanity across the galaxy. Bottom line: she's strong.
- 9/18/2018
- by Ed Gross
- Closer Weekly
Brie Larson promised to break the Internet with her tease for what became the first reveal of her in her Captain Marvel costume on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. And truth be told, if anyone could do it, it's probably her (with all due respect to Kim Kardashian's butt). After all, Brie is the one who, as Captain Marvel in Avengers 4, is going to go toe-to-toe with Thanos, the man who provided a smack-down to the Hulk before wiping out half of humanity across the galaxy. Bottom line: she's strong. Really strong. We're talking Superman levels of power. "She's so strong," Brie told Britain's Express, instantly begging the question how strong, "she can move planets. Yes, entire planets. So for me, it was, like, 'How far can I go with this strength?'" In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly she adds, "She can be aggressive, and she can have a temper,...
- 9/8/2018
- by Ed Gross
- Life and Style
Exclusive: Genius Produced has snapped up the rights to the story of aviation pioneer Florence Lowe “Pancho” Barnes in an agreement with her family and estate.
The announcement was made by Genius Produced CEO Kim Rocco Shields, who also revealed that Dahlia Heyman, sister of producer David Heyman, will adapt the story for a feature film which Shields will produce and direct. Shields previously wrote, produced and directed the viral short Love Is All You Need? which
she developed into a feature film.
Christened Florence Lowe at birth in 1901, Pancho Barnes fell in love with flying under the guidance of her grandfather, who established America’s first military air unit during the Civil War. After a youth spent riding stunt horses in Hollywood and fighting Mexican revolutionaries while disguised as a man, she was dubbed “Pancho” by her compatriots, and the name stuck; her last name was acquired through marriage.
The announcement was made by Genius Produced CEO Kim Rocco Shields, who also revealed that Dahlia Heyman, sister of producer David Heyman, will adapt the story for a feature film which Shields will produce and direct. Shields previously wrote, produced and directed the viral short Love Is All You Need? which
she developed into a feature film.
Christened Florence Lowe at birth in 1901, Pancho Barnes fell in love with flying under the guidance of her grandfather, who established America’s first military air unit during the Civil War. After a youth spent riding stunt horses in Hollywood and fighting Mexican revolutionaries while disguised as a man, she was dubbed “Pancho” by her compatriots, and the name stuck; her last name was acquired through marriage.
- 9/6/2018
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
“Avengers: Infinity War” has only been in theaters for two weeks and has already grossed nearly $1.2 billion worldwide, becoming the fastest film to hit the $1 billion mark in box office history. Now the question is, can it become the first summer movie ever to reach $2 billion worldwide?
It’s a box office mark that has only been reached by two films on their initial theatrical runs: “Avatar” with $2.7 billion and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” with $2.06 billion. “Titanic” grossed $1.8 billion in its original run and crossed the $2 billion mark after re-releases in 2012 and 2017. What all three of these films have in common is that they were released in December, allowing the film to run through January and February with little box office competition.
While there are many summer blockbusters that have grossed more than $1 billion, none have reached the level of “Avatar” simply because there are so many blockbusters in theaters during the season that no single one can keep audiences’ attention long enough to hit that impossible mark.
Also Read: How Marvel Became a $16 Billion Franchise: Fandom, Cribbing From Comics and Kevin Feige
But by moving up the domestic release date for “Infinity War” to April 27 (it was originally set to come out on May 4), Disney has allowed the Marvel film to stretch out the time it will be the only blockbuster in theaters before “Deadpool” hits on May 18. The result? $1.16 billion grossed after just 12 days in global release, with another weekend alone in theaters as it opens in China.
“There are few films that can so radically change the look of the box office with just a one-week release-date move,” said comScore’s Paul Dergarabedian.
“Infinity War” changed how the industry looks at the first weekend of May as the “start of the summer,” added the box office analyst. “The second-weekend totals were less than the opening weekends of films like ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ which released at the start of May [in 2016]. But that hardly matters because of how ‘Infinity War’ had such an astronomic start the week before,” said Dergarabedian.
Also Read: 'Avengers: Infinity War' Becomes Fastest Film to Earn $1 Billion Worldwide
Using the performance of some past Marvel films and some back-of-the-napkin math to estimate how far “Avengers” could go — starting the count with the $1.18 billion it has grossed globally to date — “Infinity War” is expected to finish with a domestic cume of at least $700 million. (It has grossed $453 million domestically so far.) That should be about it as “Deadpool 2” is expected to open to $130-140 million when it bows on May 18, according to early tracking figures, and take the wind out of “Infinity War”‘s sails.
Over in China, the record for the highest-grossing Marvel movie in that country is “Avengers: Age of Ultron” with $240 million, a mark that “Infinity War” is expected to clear.
That means “Infinity War” should gross at least $500 million more in the U.S. and China during the remainder of its theatrical run.
Analysts who spoke to TheWrap also say they expect at least another $125-$150 million to be grossed by other overseas territories. That puts “Infinity War” at a global total of $1.8-$1.85 billion and needing about and extra $150 million to hit that $2 billion target.
Exhibitor Relations analyst Jeff Bock thinks that extra money could come from China, if the anticipation that has been built by the last two weeks worth of global audience reactions is big enough.
Also Read: How Marvel Studios Rose as Movie Stars Fell
“We’re talking nickels and dimes here obviously because it’s going to make so much, but domestically it’s not going to earn enough to get that last push to $2 billion,” Bock said. “It’s going to come down to China and how it holds internationally. ‘Infinity War’ has already overperformed compared to ‘Age of Ultron,’ so if it does that in China’s massive market and makes $350 million in China, then yeah, it could hit $2 billion.”
It’s always tough for a film to reach that final milestone in the last weeks of its theatrical run. “Black Panther,” for example, is just $7 million away from becoming the third film ever to gross $700 million domestically. But with its digital home release coming this week, it may end up falling just short of that mark, though it has already exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations with a $693 million domestic run and a global total just above the $1.33 billion made by “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
And even if “Avengers” also falls short of the most exclusive of all box office clubs, it is still widely expected to pass “Jurassic World” and its global total of $1.67 billion, becoming the biggest summer release of all-time.
“The analogy I like to use is Chuck Yeager trying to reach the speed of sound,” said Dergarabedian. “His plane was already going really fast but the hardest part was just getting that extra bit more to break the sound barrier. That would be the case with ‘Infinity War.’ The hardest part would be that final bit needed to reach the $2 billion mark, and it would have to make that money at a time when a lot of other big movies are going to be fresh in theaters.”
Read original story Will ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Become the First $2 Billion Summer Hit? At TheWrap...
It’s a box office mark that has only been reached by two films on their initial theatrical runs: “Avatar” with $2.7 billion and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” with $2.06 billion. “Titanic” grossed $1.8 billion in its original run and crossed the $2 billion mark after re-releases in 2012 and 2017. What all three of these films have in common is that they were released in December, allowing the film to run through January and February with little box office competition.
While there are many summer blockbusters that have grossed more than $1 billion, none have reached the level of “Avatar” simply because there are so many blockbusters in theaters during the season that no single one can keep audiences’ attention long enough to hit that impossible mark.
Also Read: How Marvel Became a $16 Billion Franchise: Fandom, Cribbing From Comics and Kevin Feige
But by moving up the domestic release date for “Infinity War” to April 27 (it was originally set to come out on May 4), Disney has allowed the Marvel film to stretch out the time it will be the only blockbuster in theaters before “Deadpool” hits on May 18. The result? $1.16 billion grossed after just 12 days in global release, with another weekend alone in theaters as it opens in China.
“There are few films that can so radically change the look of the box office with just a one-week release-date move,” said comScore’s Paul Dergarabedian.
“Infinity War” changed how the industry looks at the first weekend of May as the “start of the summer,” added the box office analyst. “The second-weekend totals were less than the opening weekends of films like ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ which released at the start of May [in 2016]. But that hardly matters because of how ‘Infinity War’ had such an astronomic start the week before,” said Dergarabedian.
Also Read: 'Avengers: Infinity War' Becomes Fastest Film to Earn $1 Billion Worldwide
Using the performance of some past Marvel films and some back-of-the-napkin math to estimate how far “Avengers” could go — starting the count with the $1.18 billion it has grossed globally to date — “Infinity War” is expected to finish with a domestic cume of at least $700 million. (It has grossed $453 million domestically so far.) That should be about it as “Deadpool 2” is expected to open to $130-140 million when it bows on May 18, according to early tracking figures, and take the wind out of “Infinity War”‘s sails.
Over in China, the record for the highest-grossing Marvel movie in that country is “Avengers: Age of Ultron” with $240 million, a mark that “Infinity War” is expected to clear.
That means “Infinity War” should gross at least $500 million more in the U.S. and China during the remainder of its theatrical run.
Analysts who spoke to TheWrap also say they expect at least another $125-$150 million to be grossed by other overseas territories. That puts “Infinity War” at a global total of $1.8-$1.85 billion and needing about and extra $150 million to hit that $2 billion target.
Exhibitor Relations analyst Jeff Bock thinks that extra money could come from China, if the anticipation that has been built by the last two weeks worth of global audience reactions is big enough.
Also Read: How Marvel Studios Rose as Movie Stars Fell
“We’re talking nickels and dimes here obviously because it’s going to make so much, but domestically it’s not going to earn enough to get that last push to $2 billion,” Bock said. “It’s going to come down to China and how it holds internationally. ‘Infinity War’ has already overperformed compared to ‘Age of Ultron,’ so if it does that in China’s massive market and makes $350 million in China, then yeah, it could hit $2 billion.”
It’s always tough for a film to reach that final milestone in the last weeks of its theatrical run. “Black Panther,” for example, is just $7 million away from becoming the third film ever to gross $700 million domestically. But with its digital home release coming this week, it may end up falling just short of that mark, though it has already exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations with a $693 million domestic run and a global total just above the $1.33 billion made by “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
And even if “Avengers” also falls short of the most exclusive of all box office clubs, it is still widely expected to pass “Jurassic World” and its global total of $1.67 billion, becoming the biggest summer release of all-time.
“The analogy I like to use is Chuck Yeager trying to reach the speed of sound,” said Dergarabedian. “His plane was already going really fast but the hardest part was just getting that extra bit more to break the sound barrier. That would be the case with ‘Infinity War.’ The hardest part would be that final bit needed to reach the $2 billion mark, and it would have to make that money at a time when a lot of other big movies are going to be fresh in theaters.”
Read original story Will ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Become the First $2 Billion Summer Hit? At TheWrap...
- 5/8/2018
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Close-Up is a feature that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. David Lean's Breaking the Sound Barrier (1952) is playing October 14 - November 13, 2017 on Mubi in the United States.John (J.R.) Ridgefield is a man possessed. The wealthy and influential aircraft industrialist is consumed by his desire to manufacture a plane capable of penetrating the inscrutable sound barrier. This supersonic obsession is a blessing and a curse for the Ridgefield family, providing their ample fortune and triggering largely latent rifts in their ancestral relations. It’s an opposition at the heart and soul of David Lean’s 1952 film The Sound Barrier, a post-war endorsement of British ingenuity and determination, and an emotional, blazing depiction of sacrifice and scientific achievement. The opening of The Sound Barrier (also known as Sound Barrier and Breaking the Sound Barrier), spotlights Philip Peel (John Justin), one of the film’s principal test pilots. In just under two minutes,...
- 10/18/2017
- MUBI
When lauded actor, director, and playwright Sam Shepard passed away earlier this year, he left behind a rich and varied legacy, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of pilot Chuck Yeager in “The Right Stuff,” forty-four plays, as well as several books, including short stories, essays, and memoirs, and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play “Buried Child.” He also left behind at least one new feature, Camille Thomas’s feature debut, “Never Here.”
The film follows Mireille Enos as Miranda, an installation artist whose latest project involves photographing strangers. It’s an intriguing premise, but one made even more compelling by Miranda’s own complex life — the kind that few people would want documented, oddly enough — including a secret love affair that leads to Miranda posing as a witness to save her man. Along the way, she becomes entangled in some very unexpected consequences,...
The film follows Mireille Enos as Miranda, an installation artist whose latest project involves photographing strangers. It’s an intriguing premise, but one made even more compelling by Miranda’s own complex life — the kind that few people would want documented, oddly enough — including a secret love affair that leads to Miranda posing as a witness to save her man. Along the way, she becomes entangled in some very unexpected consequences,...
- 9/26/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Chicago – He was a true renaissance man, but his unassuming persona would conceal that lofty designation. Sam Shepard was a playwright, actor, author, screenwriter and director of countless important stage and screen works. Shepard died on July 27th, 2017, of complications due to Lou Gehrig’s Disease (Als). He was 73.
Sam Shepard, American Storyteller
Photo credit: File Photo
He was born Samuel Shepard Rogers III in Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and graduated high school in California. After a brief stint in college, he started his career in a traveling theater repertory company. After landing in New York City, he dropped the Rogers from his name and began to work Off Broadway. He won six Obie Awards for his stage writing, and began his screen career by penning “Me and My Brother” (1968) and “Zabriskie Point” (1970). His had a love connection with rocker Patti Smith, which led to the collaborative play “Cowboy Mouth” (1971). He...
Sam Shepard, American Storyteller
Photo credit: File Photo
He was born Samuel Shepard Rogers III in Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and graduated high school in California. After a brief stint in college, he started his career in a traveling theater repertory company. After landing in New York City, he dropped the Rogers from his name and began to work Off Broadway. He won six Obie Awards for his stage writing, and began his screen career by penning “Me and My Brother” (1968) and “Zabriskie Point” (1970). His had a love connection with rocker Patti Smith, which led to the collaborative play “Cowboy Mouth” (1971). He...
- 8/3/2017
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Sam Shepard passed away on July 27 after complications from Als, and Hollywood is mourning the death of the 73-year-old legendary actor and playwright. Fellow playwright Beau Willimon was among the first to pay tribute to him, posting a photo of Sam on Twitter and writing, "Sam Shepard is one of the greats. These eyes saw so much, and he wrote of what he saw with fearless, timeless honesty. Rip maestro." Since then, several other stars have taken to social media to share their favorite memories with the actor and tweet their condolences. RelatedMatthew McConaughey Has a Tearjerking Reaction to Sam Shepard's Death on the Red Carpet Sam is best known for his portrayal of pilot Chuck Yeager in 1983's The Right Stuff and was also known for his roles in films like The Notebook and Black Hawk Down. He is survived by his three children: Jesse, 47, from his marriage to O-Lan Jones,...
- 8/2/2017
- by Monica Sisavat
- Popsugar.com
In the early '80s, writer/director Philip Kaufman (The Wanderers) took on the task of adapting Tom Wolfe's 1979 nonfiction best-seller The Right Stuff, which documents the Project Mercury space program. A central character is U.S. Air Force General Chuck Yeager, who in 1947 became the first man to break the sound barrier. While shut out of the space program, Yeager exemplified an earlier generation of test pilots against which the Mercury Seven measured their own accomplishments, and Kaufman knew casting the right actor to play Yeager would be crucial to the success of the movie. Kaufman spoke to The Hollywood...
- 8/1/2017
- by Philip Kaufman, as told to Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Matthew McConaughey first learned of Sam Shepard’s death during a red carpet interview last night, and his raw emotional reaction to the news was captured on camera.
“Sam Shepard moved on?” the actor asked incredulously at The Dark Tower premiere in New York City Tuesday night, after an Associated Press reporter told him the news.
Shepard, who starred with McConaughey in 2012’s Mud, died at his home in Kentucky on July 27 after battling Als, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, People confirmed. The actor’s illness was not publicly known. He was with his family at the time of his death.
“Sam Shepard moved on?” the actor asked incredulously at The Dark Tower premiere in New York City Tuesday night, after an Associated Press reporter told him the news.
Shepard, who starred with McConaughey in 2012’s Mud, died at his home in Kentucky on July 27 after battling Als, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, People confirmed. The actor’s illness was not publicly known. He was with his family at the time of his death.
- 8/1/2017
- by Mike Miller
- PEOPLE.com
Legendary actor and playwright Sam Shepard passed away at his home in Kentucky on Thursday, The New York Times reports. Chris Boneau, a spokesperson for Sam's family, told CNN that the 73-year-old died of complications from Als, or Lou Gehrig's disease, and that his loved ones "request privacy at this difficult time." Sam was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor for his portrayal of pilot Chuck Yeager in 1983's The Right Stuff and was also known for his roles in films like The Notebook and Black Hawk Down. He is survived by his three children: Jesse, 47, from his marriage to O-Lan Jones, as well as Hannah, 31, and Samuel, 30, from his longtime relationship with Jessica Lange. The two separated in 2009.
- 8/1/2017
- by Caitlin Hacker
- Popsugar.com
More than one tribute honoring Sam Shepard, the influential American playwright and actor who died at his Kentucky home on Thursday at 73, has pointed to the iconic image of his rangy figure clad in a bomber jacket, ambling away unfazed from a near-fatal crash in his Oscar-nominated role as test pilot Chuck Yeager in Philip Kaufman's 1983 film The Right Stuff.
Shepard's loose cowboy swagger, his easy masculinity and his rejection of conventional heroism were stamped all over that memorable performance, along with his laconic heartland manner and piercing directness.
But for me, the film role most emblematic of this...
Shepard's loose cowboy swagger, his easy masculinity and his rejection of conventional heroism were stamped all over that memorable performance, along with his laconic heartland manner and piercing directness.
But for me, the film role most emblematic of this...
- 8/1/2017
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sam Shepard, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and Oscar-nominated actor, died Sunday at the age of 73. The winner of 13 Obie Awards, Shepard won his first six for plays he penned between 1966 and 1968. After his success on the off-Broadway stage, Shepard segued to screenwriting with credits on films like Michelangelo Antonioni’s Zabriske Point before turning to acting. Besides his Oscar-nominated turn as Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff, Shepard also acted in Mud, Black Hawk Down, The Notebook, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, August: Osage County. Shepard suffered from Als and was 73.
From The New York Times:
“Sam Shepard, whose hallucinatory plays redefined the landscape of the American West and its inhabitants, died on Thursday at his home in Kentucky of complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, a spokesman for the Shepard family announced on Monday. He was 73. Possessed of a stoically...
From The New York Times:
“Sam Shepard, whose hallucinatory plays redefined the landscape of the American West and its inhabitants, died on Thursday at his home in Kentucky of complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, a spokesman for the Shepard family announced on Monday. He was 73. Possessed of a stoically...
- 7/31/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Rolling Stone's Peter Travers pays tribute to the late, great playwright/actor Sam Shepard: "It was never about him. It was always about the work." Everett Collection
Sam Shepard famously hated endings. As a playwright, he felt "the temptation towards resolution, towards wrapping up the package, seems to me a terrible trap."
He got that right. So Shepard leaves us to deal with his ending, a death at 73 at his home in Kentucky, surrounded by family. Als, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, was the culprit. The obits pay...
Sam Shepard famously hated endings. As a playwright, he felt "the temptation towards resolution, towards wrapping up the package, seems to me a terrible trap."
He got that right. So Shepard leaves us to deal with his ending, a death at 73 at his home in Kentucky, surrounded by family. Als, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, was the culprit. The obits pay...
- 7/31/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Sam Shepard in Blackthorn Photo: Mongrel Media Sam Shepard: 'I still don't like to look at myself act' Hollywood today paid tribute to Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, screenwriter and actor Sam Shepard, who died on July 27, aged 73.
Shepard, who won the Pulitzer for Buried Child, died from the complications of Motor Neurone Disease at his Kentucky home.
In addition to his career as a playwright - penning more 40 plays - he also forged a career onscreen. He featured in films including Terrence Malik's Days Of Heaven and went on to be nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in Philip Kaufaman's biographical drama about test pilot Chuck Yeager, The Right Stuff.
Other film roles included Steel Magnolias, Black Hawk Down and Don't Come Knocking. More recently, he also starred in Blackthorn, Ithaca and Midnight Special. His last film Never Here had it's premiere last month and he...
Shepard, who won the Pulitzer for Buried Child, died from the complications of Motor Neurone Disease at his Kentucky home.
In addition to his career as a playwright - penning more 40 plays - he also forged a career onscreen. He featured in films including Terrence Malik's Days Of Heaven and went on to be nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in Philip Kaufaman's biographical drama about test pilot Chuck Yeager, The Right Stuff.
Other film roles included Steel Magnolias, Black Hawk Down and Don't Come Knocking. More recently, he also starred in Blackthorn, Ithaca and Midnight Special. His last film Never Here had it's premiere last month and he...
- 7/31/2017
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Sam Shepard was a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright whose contributions to the theater world spanned decades; by the time he started acting in movies, his career had already taken off. As such, even as he landed an Oscar nomination for “The Right Stuff” and continued to be a regular presence in front of the camera, the multi-talented writer-performer remained primarily associated with the stage. Nevertheless, Shepard remained a major figure in American cinema for 40 years in more ways that one: It’s his tender screenplay that makes Wim Wenders’ “Paris, Texas” such an emotional powerhouse, and he even directed two features, but it’s Shepard’s acting credits speak to his astonishing range — and the way he continued to evolve his skills as the decades wore on. Here are five standouts from a career so rich with talent that we can only begin to explore it with this limited sampling (sorry,...
- 7/31/2017
- by Eric Kohn, Michael Nordine, Ben Travers and David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Tony Sokol Aug 1, 2017
Sam Shepard has sadly passed at the age of 73. We bid farewell to a great playwright, author and actor.
Playwright, author, and actor Sam Shepard, who spearheaded the Off Broadway movement, and starred in such films as The Right Stuff, Mud and Midnight Special, died on the 27th of July, the theatre public relations firm Boneau/Bryan-Brown announced. Shepard was 73 years old. Known for such plays as Buried Child, which won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, Curse Of The Starving Class and A Lie Of The Mind, Shepard’s 1969 science fiction play The Unseen Hand influenced Richard O'Brien's stage musical The Rocky Horror Show.
Shepard wrote 44 plays as well as books of short stories and essays. Besides his 1979 work Buried Child, his plays, True West and Fool For Love were also nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. 11 of Shepard’s plays won Obie Awards including Chicago and...
Sam Shepard has sadly passed at the age of 73. We bid farewell to a great playwright, author and actor.
Playwright, author, and actor Sam Shepard, who spearheaded the Off Broadway movement, and starred in such films as The Right Stuff, Mud and Midnight Special, died on the 27th of July, the theatre public relations firm Boneau/Bryan-Brown announced. Shepard was 73 years old. Known for such plays as Buried Child, which won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, Curse Of The Starving Class and A Lie Of The Mind, Shepard’s 1969 science fiction play The Unseen Hand influenced Richard O'Brien's stage musical The Rocky Horror Show.
Shepard wrote 44 plays as well as books of short stories and essays. Besides his 1979 work Buried Child, his plays, True West and Fool For Love were also nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. 11 of Shepard’s plays won Obie Awards including Chicago and...
- 7/31/2017
- Den of Geek
"There are places where writing is acting and acting is writing. I'm not so interested in the divisions. I'm interested in the way things cross over." Sad news to report - playwright, director, and beloved actor Sam Shepard has died at age 73. The news comes from multiple sources (e.g. Variety), reporting that Shepard died at his home in Kentucky on Sunday from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as "Lou Gehrig's disease." He was nominated for a Best Supporting Performance Oscar in 1984 for playing Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff, but he is known for memorable appearances in many different films, not to mention books, plays, and other projects over the years. He most recently starred in Jeff Nichols' Midnight Special last year. Here's a few of the heartfelt remembrances posted on Twitter after news broke about Sam Shepard's death: A hero of theatre. A hero of writing.
- 7/31/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and actor who suffered from Als died at his home.
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and Oscar-nominated actor Sam Shepard has died from Als. He was 73.
Shepard died on July 27 at his home in Kentucky surrounded by family. “The family requests privacy at this difficult time,” Chris Boneau, the spokesman for the family, said.
Shephard won the Pulitzer Prize in 1979 for his play Buried Child and received a best supporting actor Oscar nomination for his role as Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff.
His final on-screen appearance came in 2015 on the Netflix drama Bloodline. As an actor his screen credits include Days Of Heaven, Resurrection, Frances, Country, Fool For Love, Crimes Of The Heart, Baby Boom, Steel Magnolias, Bright Angel, Defenseless, Hamlet, The Notebook, Black Hawk Down, The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, Brothers, Mud, August: Osage County, Cold in July, Midnight Special, In Dubious Battle, and You Were...
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and Oscar-nominated actor Sam Shepard has died from Als. He was 73.
Shepard died on July 27 at his home in Kentucky surrounded by family. “The family requests privacy at this difficult time,” Chris Boneau, the spokesman for the family, said.
Shephard won the Pulitzer Prize in 1979 for his play Buried Child and received a best supporting actor Oscar nomination for his role as Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff.
His final on-screen appearance came in 2015 on the Netflix drama Bloodline. As an actor his screen credits include Days Of Heaven, Resurrection, Frances, Country, Fool For Love, Crimes Of The Heart, Baby Boom, Steel Magnolias, Bright Angel, Defenseless, Hamlet, The Notebook, Black Hawk Down, The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, Brothers, Mud, August: Osage County, Cold in July, Midnight Special, In Dubious Battle, and You Were...
- 7/31/2017
- ScreenDaily
Sam Shepard, who died July 27 from complications of Als, had an extensive list of acting credits, on top of being a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and author of short stories and essays. Read on to look back on his best film and television roles. Shepard began his acting career with Terrence Malick’s “Days of Heaven,” in which he starred opposite Richard Gere and Brooke Adams in 1978. In 1980, the actor starred in “Resurrection,” which was nominated for two Academy Awards. In 1983, he starred in “The Right Stuff.” For his role as pilot Chuck Yeager, he was nominated for an Academy...
- 7/31/2017
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Sam Shepard, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and Oscar-nominated actor, died Sunday at the age of 73.
Shepard, who suffered from Als in recent years, died at his home in Kentucky from complications from the disease, his rep told The Hollywood Reporter.
The winner of 13 Obie Awards, Shepard won his first six for plays he penned between 1966 and 1968. After his success on the off-Broadway stage, Shepard segued to screenwriting with credits on films like Michelangelo Antonioni's Zabriske Point and Robert Frank's Me and My Brother.
During this time, Shepard also...
Shepard, who suffered from Als in recent years, died at his home in Kentucky from complications from the disease, his rep told The Hollywood Reporter.
The winner of 13 Obie Awards, Shepard won his first six for plays he penned between 1966 and 1968. After his success on the off-Broadway stage, Shepard segued to screenwriting with credits on films like Michelangelo Antonioni's Zabriske Point and Robert Frank's Me and My Brother.
During this time, Shepard also...
- 7/31/2017
- Rollingstone.com
He had also been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as pilot Chuck Yeager in 'The Right Stuff'...
- 7/31/2017
- by Clarisse Loughrey
- The Independent - Film
Sam Shepard, known for his acting work in films such as Black Hawk Down and The Right Stuff, has died. He was 73.
Shepard’s theater representative confirms to People that Shepard passed away at his home in Kentucky on Thursday, July 27, from complications from Als, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The actor’s battle with Als was not publicly known. He was with his family at the time of his death.
“The family requests privacy at this difficult time,” said Chris Boneau, the family’s spokesman.
The representative said funeral arrangements would remain private. Plans for a public...
Shepard’s theater representative confirms to People that Shepard passed away at his home in Kentucky on Thursday, July 27, from complications from Als, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The actor’s battle with Als was not publicly known. He was with his family at the time of his death.
“The family requests privacy at this difficult time,” said Chris Boneau, the family’s spokesman.
The representative said funeral arrangements would remain private. Plans for a public...
- 7/31/2017
- by Stephanie Petit and Dave Quinn
- PEOPLE.com
Sam Shepard, the Oscar-nominated actor and Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist, died on Thursday from complications from Als. The playwright and actor passed away at his home in Kentucky and was with his family at the time of his death. He was 73.
The multidimensional talent, who most recently appeared on Netflix's Bloodline, received an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actor for his portrayal of Chuck Yeager in 1983's The Right Stuff and won the 1979 drama Pulitzer Prize for his play Buried Child.
The Black Hawk Down and Pelican Brief star was in a relationship with actress Jessica...
The multidimensional talent, who most recently appeared on Netflix's Bloodline, received an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actor for his portrayal of Chuck Yeager in 1983's The Right Stuff and won the 1979 drama Pulitzer Prize for his play Buried Child.
The Black Hawk Down and Pelican Brief star was in a relationship with actress Jessica...
- 7/31/2017
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Director, playwright, and actor Sam Shepard has passed away at the age of 73. BroadwayWorld first reported the news this morning.
He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of pilot Chuck Yeager in “The Right Stuff.” He was also the author of forty-four plays, as well as several books, including short stories, essays, and memoirs. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play “Buried Child.”
As BroadwayWorld notes, “Shepard’s plays are chiefly known for their bleak, poetic, often surrealist elements, black humor and rootless characters living on the outskirts of American society.”
In 2009, he received the Pen/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award as a master American dramatist. Shepard was elected to The American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1986. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1986. Shepard was also a dedicated teacher of the arts,...
He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of pilot Chuck Yeager in “The Right Stuff.” He was also the author of forty-four plays, as well as several books, including short stories, essays, and memoirs. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play “Buried Child.”
As BroadwayWorld notes, “Shepard’s plays are chiefly known for their bleak, poetic, often surrealist elements, black humor and rootless characters living on the outskirts of American society.”
In 2009, he received the Pen/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award as a master American dramatist. Shepard was elected to The American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1986. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1986. Shepard was also a dedicated teacher of the arts,...
- 7/31/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
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