Tim McGraw and Kevin Williamson are the latest creatives to join Netflix.
The streaming giant, during its time wooing Madison Avenue ad buyers as part of the annual upfronts week in New York, announced series pickups for a pair of scripted dramas.
Ordered to series are an untitled bull riding drama starring and exec produced by McGraw; and The Waterfront, a thriller that brings creator Williamson back to North Carolina, where he filmed his breakout hit Dawson’s Creek.
The McGraw vehicle that hails from Skydance Television is set in the competitive world of bull riding and revolves around a “megastar champion (played by McGraw) who faces a life-or-death crossroads when confronted by the arrival of a fearless young rider whose very existence challenges his ways and unearths secrets that force him to reckon with his past.”
Brandon Camp (2018’s Benji) created the series and serves as writer, exec producer and...
The streaming giant, during its time wooing Madison Avenue ad buyers as part of the annual upfronts week in New York, announced series pickups for a pair of scripted dramas.
Ordered to series are an untitled bull riding drama starring and exec produced by McGraw; and The Waterfront, a thriller that brings creator Williamson back to North Carolina, where he filmed his breakout hit Dawson’s Creek.
The McGraw vehicle that hails from Skydance Television is set in the competitive world of bull riding and revolves around a “megastar champion (played by McGraw) who faces a life-or-death crossroads when confronted by the arrival of a fearless young rider whose very existence challenges his ways and unearths secrets that force him to reckon with his past.”
Brandon Camp (2018’s Benji) created the series and serves as writer, exec producer and...
- 5/15/2024
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Terry Carter, who portrayed Pvt. Sugie Sugarman on The Phil Silvers Show, the sidekick of Dennis Weaver’s character on McCloud and Colonel Tigh on the original version of Battlestar Galactica, has died. He was 95.
Carter died Tuesday at his home in Manhattan, his son, Miguel Carter DeCoste, told The New York Times.
Carter appeared three times on Broadway early in his career and produced and directed a documentary on jazz legend Duke Ellington for PBS’ American Masters series in 1988.
The Brooklyn native appeared on all four seasons (1955-59) of CBS’ The Phil Silvers Show (also known as Sgt. Bilko) as Pvt. Sugarman. He then played Sgt. Joe Broadhurst alongside Weaver’s Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud on NBC’s McCloud from 1970-77 and Tigh in the 1978 Battlestar Galactica movie and 1978-79 ABC series.
An only child, John Everett DeCoste was born in Brooklyn on Dec. 16, 1928. He graduated from Stuyvesant High...
Carter died Tuesday at his home in Manhattan, his son, Miguel Carter DeCoste, told The New York Times.
Carter appeared three times on Broadway early in his career and produced and directed a documentary on jazz legend Duke Ellington for PBS’ American Masters series in 1988.
The Brooklyn native appeared on all four seasons (1955-59) of CBS’ The Phil Silvers Show (also known as Sgt. Bilko) as Pvt. Sugarman. He then played Sgt. Joe Broadhurst alongside Weaver’s Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud on NBC’s McCloud from 1970-77 and Tigh in the 1978 Battlestar Galactica movie and 1978-79 ABC series.
An only child, John Everett DeCoste was born in Brooklyn on Dec. 16, 1928. He graduated from Stuyvesant High...
- 4/23/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Joe Camp, the creator, director and writer of the “Benji” films, died March 15. He was 84.
Camp died Friday morning at his home in Bell Buckle, Tenn., following a battle with illness, according to his son, filmmaker and writer of the 2018 “Benji” reboot, Brandon Camp.
Camp had nearly no Hollywood experience before he raised $500,000 to make the first “Benji” film, a family movie about a lovable mutt who saves a pair of children from kidnappers. Higgins the dog, who previously appeared on the CBS sitcom “Petticoat Junction,” came out of retirement to star in the titular role.
After having no luck acquiring distribution, Camp formed his own distribution company Mulberry Square Releasing in 1974 to distribute the film himself. “Benji” would go on to gross almost $40 million ($250 million after inflation).
Camp would follow up the original with “For the Love of Benji” in 1977 and “Oh! Heavenly Dog” in 1980, which starred Chevy Chase...
Camp died Friday morning at his home in Bell Buckle, Tenn., following a battle with illness, according to his son, filmmaker and writer of the 2018 “Benji” reboot, Brandon Camp.
Camp had nearly no Hollywood experience before he raised $500,000 to make the first “Benji” film, a family movie about a lovable mutt who saves a pair of children from kidnappers. Higgins the dog, who previously appeared on the CBS sitcom “Petticoat Junction,” came out of retirement to star in the titular role.
After having no luck acquiring distribution, Camp formed his own distribution company Mulberry Square Releasing in 1974 to distribute the film himself. “Benji” would go on to gross almost $40 million ($250 million after inflation).
Camp would follow up the original with “For the Love of Benji” in 1977 and “Oh! Heavenly Dog” in 1980, which starred Chevy Chase...
- 3/15/2024
- by Jack Dunn
- Variety Film + TV
Joe Camp, who wrote, produced and directed a series of films and TV shows that elevated a pooch stage-named Benji to Hollywood’s canine pantheon alongside Lassie and Rin Tin Tin, died today at his Tennessee home. He was 84.
His death was announced by his son, the director Brandon Camp, who told Deadline that his father died after a prolonged illness at his home in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, surrounded by family.
In addition to the long-lasting Benji franchise that began in 1974 and would continue well into the 21st Century, Camp co-wrote and directed Hawmps!, the 1976 Western comedy that replaced horses with camels, and 1979’s The Double McGuffin, a mystery film starring Ernest Borgnine and George Kennedy.
While he also wrote a series of books about horses, including the popular The Soul of a Horse and Why Horses Are Barefoot, Camp’s most enduring contribution to Hollywood was and remains the...
His death was announced by his son, the director Brandon Camp, who told Deadline that his father died after a prolonged illness at his home in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, surrounded by family.
In addition to the long-lasting Benji franchise that began in 1974 and would continue well into the 21st Century, Camp co-wrote and directed Hawmps!, the 1976 Western comedy that replaced horses with camels, and 1979’s The Double McGuffin, a mystery film starring Ernest Borgnine and George Kennedy.
While he also wrote a series of books about horses, including the popular The Soul of a Horse and Why Horses Are Barefoot, Camp’s most enduring contribution to Hollywood was and remains the...
- 3/15/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Joe Camp, the writer, director and producer who taught that old dog Hollywood new tricks about animal movies as the creative force behind the 1974 franchise-spawning Benji, has died. He was 84.
Camp died Friday morning at his home in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, following a long illness, his son, filmmaker Brandon Camp, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Camp also directed and co-wrote the comedies Hawmps! (1976), about the U.S. Cavalry replacing horses with camels in the 1850s, and The Double McGuffin (1979), which revolved around kids trying to thwart a terrorist (Ernest Borgnine) and featured lots of in-jokes about Hitchcock movies.
Other than serving as an extra on the Robert Mitchum-starring Home From the Hill (1960), Camp had no Hollywood experience when he raised about $500,000 to make Benji, a story about a stray mixed breed — not a fancy pure breed like Lassie! — who helps rescue two youngsters from kidnappers.
Crucial to the movie’s success,...
Camp died Friday morning at his home in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, following a long illness, his son, filmmaker Brandon Camp, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Camp also directed and co-wrote the comedies Hawmps! (1976), about the U.S. Cavalry replacing horses with camels in the 1850s, and The Double McGuffin (1979), which revolved around kids trying to thwart a terrorist (Ernest Borgnine) and featured lots of in-jokes about Hitchcock movies.
Other than serving as an extra on the Robert Mitchum-starring Home From the Hill (1960), Camp had no Hollywood experience when he raised about $500,000 to make Benji, a story about a stray mixed breed — not a fancy pure breed like Lassie! — who helps rescue two youngsters from kidnappers.
Crucial to the movie’s success,...
- 3/15/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘The Kitchen’ Trailer Follows Class Clash in Dystopian London for Daniel Kaluuya’s Directorial Debut
A war is coming to London as the gap between rich and poor is stretched to its limits in the trailer for Netflix’s The Kitchen.
Co-directed by Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares, the upcoming science fiction drama pits the underclass of a dystopian London against a brutal ruling class in a society where social housing has been eliminated. Instead, the working class make up the residents of “The Kitchen,” including British actor and rapper Kane Robinson’s Izi.
“I’m getting out of this place,” Izi tells one man in the trailer, who responds, “It’s our home.”
With Jedaiah Bannerman’s Benji — the son he never knew — under his wing, Izi fights to escape a place plagued by violent repression as their community refuses to leave the place they call home. The two-minute trailer mostly focuses in on painting the film’s universe through a series of action...
Co-directed by Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares, the upcoming science fiction drama pits the underclass of a dystopian London against a brutal ruling class in a society where social housing has been eliminated. Instead, the working class make up the residents of “The Kitchen,” including British actor and rapper Kane Robinson’s Izi.
“I’m getting out of this place,” Izi tells one man in the trailer, who responds, “It’s our home.”
With Jedaiah Bannerman’s Benji — the son he never knew — under his wing, Izi fights to escape a place plagued by violent repression as their community refuses to leave the place they call home. The two-minute trailer mostly focuses in on painting the film’s universe through a series of action...
- 12/18/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Brian De Palma's 1996 "Mission: Impossible" movie subverted everything the TV show was about. A lot of "Mission: Impossible" focused on the team dynamic, with each member of the Imf working together to undo the week's hideous act of terrorism or espionage. De Palma's movie assembled a team, set them up on a mission, and then shockingly killed them all off. The only survivor was Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), a new character that hadn't been part of the show. Cruise has become the mastermind of the "Mission: Impossible" movies ever since, standing in as the film series' unflappable and indestructible leader. The TV show was never about heroes of that ilk, and it took several sequels before an Imf team began to form again.
J.J. Abrams' "Mission: Impossible III," for instance, introduced the character of Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), a pencil-pusher back at the Imf home office who,...
J.J. Abrams' "Mission: Impossible III," for instance, introduced the character of Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), a pencil-pusher back at the Imf home office who,...
- 7/23/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Plot: Multi-platinum rap superstar Jack Harlow makes his big-screen debut as Jeremy, a former star of the game whose injuries stalled his career, and Sinqua Walls stars as Kamal, once a promising player who derailed his own future in the sport. Juggling tenuous relationships, financial pressures and serious internal struggles, the two ballers—opposites who are seemingly miles apart—find they might have more in common than they imagined possible.
Review: When White Men Can’t Jump was released in 1992, it came at a time when basketball was viewed much differently than it had been decades prior. The chemistry between Woody Harrelson’s unexpected baller and Wesley Snipes’ experienced player made for a mismatch that would work in their favor as Ron Shelton’s movie became a box office hit. Three decades later, White Men Can’t Jump gets a contemporary update as streamers continue to mine their IP. While the remake...
Review: When White Men Can’t Jump was released in 1992, it came at a time when basketball was viewed much differently than it had been decades prior. The chemistry between Woody Harrelson’s unexpected baller and Wesley Snipes’ experienced player made for a mismatch that would work in their favor as Ron Shelton’s movie became a box office hit. Three decades later, White Men Can’t Jump gets a contemporary update as streamers continue to mine their IP. While the remake...
- 5/18/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
There was a time when Benji was the most beloved dog in America, and possibly the whole world. He was a scrappy, whip-smart little canine, and he had a tendency to find himself in one death-defying situation after another. He foiled kidnappers, international spies, murderers, poachers, and, he made first contact with extraterrestrials.
Benji isn’t just cute, he’s a badass, and Netflix even rebooted the franchise in 2018 after a decade-plus absence. Here are all of the “Benji” films in reverse order of quality, from completely unwatchable to totally paw-some.
6. “Oh Heavenly Dog” (1980)
Chevy Chase is a private detective who gets killed, but he comes back to solve his own murder in the body of Benji, a dog who was just about to die in a car accident anyway. If this sounds like a fun idea for a movie, get your ears checked. Chevy Chase phones in a bored and boring performance,...
Benji isn’t just cute, he’s a badass, and Netflix even rebooted the franchise in 2018 after a decade-plus absence. Here are all of the “Benji” films in reverse order of quality, from completely unwatchable to totally paw-some.
6. “Oh Heavenly Dog” (1980)
Chevy Chase is a private detective who gets killed, but he comes back to solve his own murder in the body of Benji, a dog who was just about to die in a car accident anyway. If this sounds like a fun idea for a movie, get your ears checked. Chevy Chase phones in a bored and boring performance,...
- 8/26/2022
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
A documentary series spanning over two decades of footage and home videos of Kanye West’s life and work has landed at Netflix.
Billboard, which first reported the news, cites sources putting the price tag at Netflix at $30 million, though a person familiar with the matter tells Variety that that is not an accurate figure. The series is said to include never-before-seen footage of West, and will cover his career in music and fashion, his failed 2020 presidential bid, and the death of his mother, Donda West.
The multi-part docuseries, which does not yet have a title, hails from music video producing duo Clarence “Coodie” Simmons and Chike Ozah, better known as Coodie & Chike, who directed and produced West’s 2004 music video “Jesus Walks (Version 3)” and “Through the Wire.” The pair have also produced and directed the 2012 ESPN “30 for 30” documentary “Benji,” about Benjamin Wilson; music videos for Lupe Fiasco, Erykah Badu...
Billboard, which first reported the news, cites sources putting the price tag at Netflix at $30 million, though a person familiar with the matter tells Variety that that is not an accurate figure. The series is said to include never-before-seen footage of West, and will cover his career in music and fashion, his failed 2020 presidential bid, and the death of his mother, Donda West.
The multi-part docuseries, which does not yet have a title, hails from music video producing duo Clarence “Coodie” Simmons and Chike Ozah, better known as Coodie & Chike, who directed and produced West’s 2004 music video “Jesus Walks (Version 3)” and “Through the Wire.” The pair have also produced and directed the 2012 ESPN “30 for 30” documentary “Benji,” about Benjamin Wilson; music videos for Lupe Fiasco, Erykah Badu...
- 4/7/2021
- by Elaine Low
- Variety Film + TV
Kanye West is getting his own documentary series about his life and career, and Netflix has acquired the multipart project that’s expected to debut later this year, an individual with knowledge of the project and the sale told TheWrap.
Clarence “Coodie” Simmons and Chike Ozah, better known as music video duo Coodie & Chike, are directing the still untitled project that’s been put together from never-before-seen home movie footage spread out over 20 years about the rapper. And Billboard is additionally reporting via a source that the deal for the docuseries is for upwards of $30 million. However, an individual with knowledge of the deal described that number as inaccurate.
Coodie & Chike’s production company Creative Control is producing alongside Time Studios. The two music video directors have worked with West on several music videos, including the third iteration of “Jesus Walks.”
Time had no comment on the price reported by Billboard.
Clarence “Coodie” Simmons and Chike Ozah, better known as music video duo Coodie & Chike, are directing the still untitled project that’s been put together from never-before-seen home movie footage spread out over 20 years about the rapper. And Billboard is additionally reporting via a source that the deal for the docuseries is for upwards of $30 million. However, an individual with knowledge of the deal described that number as inaccurate.
Coodie & Chike’s production company Creative Control is producing alongside Time Studios. The two music video directors have worked with West on several music videos, including the third iteration of “Jesus Walks.”
Time had no comment on the price reported by Billboard.
- 4/6/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Gina Prince-Bythewood, the director of this summer’s hottest movie, The Old Guard, joins Josh and Joe for a cheerful discussion of the movies that shattered her.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Old Guard (2020)
The Irishman (2019)
The Other Side of the Wind (2018)
Love And Basketball (2000)
The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
First Cow (2019)
Benji (1974)
Oh! Heavenly Dog (1980)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Bambi (1942)
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
The Color Purple (1985)
Ghost (1990)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Ordinary People (1980)
Central Station (1998)
Life Is Beautiful (1997)
To Be Or Not To Be (1942)
Pinocchio (2002)
Like Crazy (2011)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Beyond The Lights (2014)
12 Years A Slave (2013)
Goodfellas (1990)
Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
Amy (2015)
Moonlight (2016)
The Florida Project (2017)
Man On Fire (2004)
Bridesmaids (2011)
Sex And The City: The Movie (2008)
Wonder Woman (2017)
Black Panther (2018)
Spy (2015)
Se7en (1995)
Fight Club (1999)
The Game (1997)
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
Other Notable Items
Netflix
Martin Scorsese
Orson Welles...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Old Guard (2020)
The Irishman (2019)
The Other Side of the Wind (2018)
Love And Basketball (2000)
The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
First Cow (2019)
Benji (1974)
Oh! Heavenly Dog (1980)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Bambi (1942)
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
The Color Purple (1985)
Ghost (1990)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Ordinary People (1980)
Central Station (1998)
Life Is Beautiful (1997)
To Be Or Not To Be (1942)
Pinocchio (2002)
Like Crazy (2011)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Beyond The Lights (2014)
12 Years A Slave (2013)
Goodfellas (1990)
Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
Amy (2015)
Moonlight (2016)
The Florida Project (2017)
Man On Fire (2004)
Bridesmaids (2011)
Sex And The City: The Movie (2008)
Wonder Woman (2017)
Black Panther (2018)
Spy (2015)
Se7en (1995)
Fight Club (1999)
The Game (1997)
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
Other Notable Items
Netflix
Martin Scorsese
Orson Welles...
- 8/4/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
This Love, Victor review contains no spoilers.
From the people who made Love, Simon, the heartwarming spin-off series Love, Victor is here to soothe our tired souls without asking too much of our brains.
And while its made strides in updating its queer representation to the modern context, there are still some significant oversights. As a Pride month offering Love, Victor is something of a complicated one, as Love, Simon was before it, though the writers have clearly learned at least some of their lessons this time around.
Nick Robinson reprises his role as Simon Spier (largely via voiceover) in a much larger part than expected, messaging Victor in long paragraphs at least once an episode. Their messages frame the episodes but, unlike typical voiceover (since they’re being sent to another character) the contrast between Victor’s intentions and actions serves as further characterization rather than merely a weak device.
From the people who made Love, Simon, the heartwarming spin-off series Love, Victor is here to soothe our tired souls without asking too much of our brains.
And while its made strides in updating its queer representation to the modern context, there are still some significant oversights. As a Pride month offering Love, Victor is something of a complicated one, as Love, Simon was before it, though the writers have clearly learned at least some of their lessons this time around.
Nick Robinson reprises his role as Simon Spier (largely via voiceover) in a much larger part than expected, messaging Victor in long paragraphs at least once an episode. Their messages frame the episodes but, unlike typical voiceover (since they’re being sent to another character) the contrast between Victor’s intentions and actions serves as further characterization rather than merely a weak device.
- 6/13/2020
- by Delia Harrington
- Den of Geek
Megan Fox and Josh Duhamel Lead a New Breed of Comedy
Premiering in Households Everywhere June 9 from Lionsgate
Don’t miss the paws-itively heartwarming family comedy Think Like a Dog, premiering on Digital, and On Demand June 9 from Lionsgate. The film will be available on Blu-ray (plus Digital), and DVD the same day. A doggone good time for all ages, the film stars Gabriel Bateman (Annabelle, Benji, Playmobil: The Movie), Kunal Nayyar (TV’s “The Big Bang Theory,” Trolls, Ice Age: Continental Drift), Julia Jones (TV’s “The Mandalorian,” “Westworld,” The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), Janet Montgomery (The Space Between Us, TV’s “New Amsterdam”), Bryan Callen, Todd Stashwick as the voice of “Henry”, with Megan Fox (Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Jennifer’s Body), and Josh Duhamel (Transformers: The Last Knight), and is written and directed by Daytime Emmy® nominee Gil Junger and produced by Andrew Lazar, Cory Chen (upcoming The Doorman), and Linshu Zhang.
Premiering in Households Everywhere June 9 from Lionsgate
Don’t miss the paws-itively heartwarming family comedy Think Like a Dog, premiering on Digital, and On Demand June 9 from Lionsgate. The film will be available on Blu-ray (plus Digital), and DVD the same day. A doggone good time for all ages, the film stars Gabriel Bateman (Annabelle, Benji, Playmobil: The Movie), Kunal Nayyar (TV’s “The Big Bang Theory,” Trolls, Ice Age: Continental Drift), Julia Jones (TV’s “The Mandalorian,” “Westworld,” The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), Janet Montgomery (The Space Between Us, TV’s “New Amsterdam”), Bryan Callen, Todd Stashwick as the voice of “Henry”, with Megan Fox (Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Jennifer’s Body), and Josh Duhamel (Transformers: The Last Knight), and is written and directed by Daytime Emmy® nominee Gil Junger and produced by Andrew Lazar, Cory Chen (upcoming The Doorman), and Linshu Zhang.
- 5/12/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Tom Lester, the actor who played the guileless, brighter-than-he-seemed farmhand Eb Dawson on CBS’ 1960s sitcom Green Acres, died Monday in Nashville of complications from Parkinson’s disease, his family announced. He was 81.
Born Thomas William Lester in Laurel, Mississippi, Lester set out for Hollywood after graduating from the University of Mississippi. He studied acting with teacher and Petticoat Junction actress Lurene Tuttle, soon coming to the attention of the show’s creator Paul Henning, who was casting another rural comedy within The Beverly Hillbillies-Petticoat Junction universe.
More from DeadlineNotable Hollywood & Entertainment Industry Deaths In 2020: Photo GalleryMatthew Seligman Dies Of Covid-19: David Bowie Bassist And Camera Club Member Was 64Ranjit Chowdhry Dies: 'The Office' And 'Prison Break' Actor Was 64
The show was Green Acres, an alternately hokey and surreal comedy starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a sophisticated...
Born Thomas William Lester in Laurel, Mississippi, Lester set out for Hollywood after graduating from the University of Mississippi. He studied acting with teacher and Petticoat Junction actress Lurene Tuttle, soon coming to the attention of the show’s creator Paul Henning, who was casting another rural comedy within The Beverly Hillbillies-Petticoat Junction universe.
More from DeadlineNotable Hollywood & Entertainment Industry Deaths In 2020: Photo GalleryMatthew Seligman Dies Of Covid-19: David Bowie Bassist And Camera Club Member Was 64Ranjit Chowdhry Dies: 'The Office' And 'Prison Break' Actor Was 64
The show was Green Acres, an alternately hokey and surreal comedy starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a sophisticated...
- 4/20/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Tom Lester, the actor known for the 1960s television series “Green Acres,” has died. He was 81.
Lester was in Nashville at the home of his fiancee, Jackie, at this time of his death Monday, which was due to complications from Parkinson’s disease, according to TMZ.
He played the wide-eyed, friendly farmhand Eb Dawson on the sitcom who was known to say “Golly, Mr. Douglas.” The Mississippi native began acting in plays after moving to Los Angeles, and is said to have beat out 400 other actors for the part of Eb because he actually knew how to milk a cow in real life.
Lester was also known to be a fan of the simple life. According to a 1969 newspaper article, Lester was living “in an apartment above a garage in the San Fernando Valley” even at the height of his “Green Acres” fame. He continued to farm later in life, and won the award for Mississippi’s “Wildlife Farmer of the Year,” where he owned a large timber farm.
Lester was in Nashville at the home of his fiancee, Jackie, at this time of his death Monday, which was due to complications from Parkinson’s disease, according to TMZ.
He played the wide-eyed, friendly farmhand Eb Dawson on the sitcom who was known to say “Golly, Mr. Douglas.” The Mississippi native began acting in plays after moving to Los Angeles, and is said to have beat out 400 other actors for the part of Eb because he actually knew how to milk a cow in real life.
Lester was also known to be a fan of the simple life. According to a 1969 newspaper article, Lester was living “in an apartment above a garage in the San Fernando Valley” even at the height of his “Green Acres” fame. He continued to farm later in life, and won the award for Mississippi’s “Wildlife Farmer of the Year,” where he owned a large timber farm.
- 4/20/2020
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
Tom Lester, best known for his role as the smart-aleck farmhand Eb Dawson on the ’60s sitcom “Green Acres,” died Monday in Nashville, Tenn. from complications related to Parkinson’s disease. Lester, who was 81, was the last surviving actor of the original “Green Acres” cast.
His death was confirmed by his brother Michael on Facebook and in local media reports.
Born Sep. 23, 1938 in Jackson, Miss., Lester grew up working on his grandfather’s farm. He earned a degree in chemistry at the University of Mississippi and taught in Oklahoma for a few years before making the move to Hollywood. Lester landed his role in “Green Acres” in 1965, beating out the competition because he was the only actor who could actually milk a cow.
He went on to star in “Green Acres” until the show’s end in 1971, also appearing in the two related series “Petticoat Junction” and “Beverly Hillbillies.” Lester and co-star Eddie Albert,...
His death was confirmed by his brother Michael on Facebook and in local media reports.
Born Sep. 23, 1938 in Jackson, Miss., Lester grew up working on his grandfather’s farm. He earned a degree in chemistry at the University of Mississippi and taught in Oklahoma for a few years before making the move to Hollywood. Lester landed his role in “Green Acres” in 1965, beating out the competition because he was the only actor who could actually milk a cow.
He went on to star in “Green Acres” until the show’s end in 1971, also appearing in the two related series “Petticoat Junction” and “Beverly Hillbillies.” Lester and co-star Eddie Albert,...
- 4/20/2020
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Amazon has thrown families a huge benefit during the coronavirus pandemic by making a lot of their children’s content (Amazon Originals and licensed shows) available for free, even for families that don’t have a Prime membership. Most of what’s there is series programming, which Amazon excels at offering. For families with Amazon Prime, however, there are definitely some family friendly movies to watch, although those are in shorter supply than the more extensive episodic programs. Many of the films that are available are classics parents will remember from their own childhoods, so if you’re trying to figure out what to watch with your kids on Amazon Prime, here are some of our suggestions on family friendly movies.
Benji (1974)
While this classic film may be a little triggering for children (the plot involves the two main child characters being kidnapped), the story of the heroic stray who rescues them,...
Benji (1974)
While this classic film may be a little triggering for children (the plot involves the two main child characters being kidnapped), the story of the heroic stray who rescues them,...
- 4/11/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Dogs, in their rambunctious domesticated way, can lead us overly civilized humans a step or two closer to the natural world. So it’s only fitting that the best dog movies have saluted that unruly canine spirit without a lot of artificial flavoring. Hollywood’s classic dog tales, like “Old Yeller” (1957) or “Lassie Come Home” (1943), are lyrical marvels of plainspoken storytelling — primal fables of love, loss, heart, and home — and so, in its way, was the last great dog movie, “Marley & Me” (2008), which treated the title pooch of John Grogan’s memoir as a scruffy agent of canine chaos who was also, in his way, a figure of faith. That said, I’ve never had much patience for synthetic anthropomorphic dog comedies like “Beethoven” or “Benji” or “Turner & Hooch.” If I want to see a dog turned into a cartoon, I’d rather watch a cartoon.
“The Call of the Wild,...
“The Call of the Wild,...
- 2/17/2020
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Remakes have been a part of the studio machine since at least as far back as 1904 when the groundbreaking “The Great Train Robbery” was reshot and resold. In the century-plus that followed, remakes have gotten a bad name for themselves and, to some, are indicative of the creative vacancy of the mainstream entertainment industry. But look closer and you’ll find that many filmmakers are doing wonderful things by taking old stories and making them new again, either by adding visual flair or injecting nuance where, perhaps, there was little to be found before. Some of the best movies of the last decade were remakes. And these, we dare say, were the 10 best.
Runners-Up (alphabetically): “About Last Night” (2014), “Benji” (2018), “The Crazies” (2010), “Frankenweenie” (2012), “Ghostbusters” (2016), “The Jungle Book” (2016), “Murder on the Orient Express” (2017), “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (2013), “A Star Is Born” (2018), “We Are What We Are” (2013)
10. “Let Me In...
Runners-Up (alphabetically): “About Last Night” (2014), “Benji” (2018), “The Crazies” (2010), “Frankenweenie” (2012), “Ghostbusters” (2016), “The Jungle Book” (2016), “Murder on the Orient Express” (2017), “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (2013), “A Star Is Born” (2018), “We Are What We Are” (2013)
10. “Let Me In...
- 12/12/2019
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
With the Writers Guild of America locked in a bitter standoff with Hollywood agents, three high-profile screenwriters have slammed the severity of the WGA’s tactics.
The letter, addressed to WGA leaders, was written by Brandon Camp, Peter Landesman and Phyllis Nagy. The WGA and the Association of Talent Agents saw talks crater on April 12 over efforts to revamp the 43-year-old rules governing how agents represent WGA members. No new talks are scheduled.
“We are writing to you because we are torn,” Camp, Landesman and Nagy said. “On the one hand, we agree TV packaging has gotten out of hand. On the other, we have serious qualms about the Guild’s tactics in righting this situation. Its methodology has seemed belligerent at times. Meanwhile, leadership’s tone toward its own members has seemed outright threatening, especially toward those who have chosen to dissent from the path you are on.”
The...
The letter, addressed to WGA leaders, was written by Brandon Camp, Peter Landesman and Phyllis Nagy. The WGA and the Association of Talent Agents saw talks crater on April 12 over efforts to revamp the 43-year-old rules governing how agents represent WGA members. No new talks are scheduled.
“We are writing to you because we are torn,” Camp, Landesman and Nagy said. “On the one hand, we agree TV packaging has gotten out of hand. On the other, we have serious qualms about the Guild’s tactics in righting this situation. Its methodology has seemed belligerent at times. Meanwhile, leadership’s tone toward its own members has seemed outright threatening, especially toward those who have chosen to dissent from the path you are on.”
The...
- 5/3/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Alec Bojalad Alejandro Rojas Joseph Baxter Nov 19, 2019
History knows the truth is still out there, orders the Aidan Gillen-starring Project Blue Book Season 2.
The public's endless fascination for aliens and UFOs wins again! History and A+E Studios announced the renewal of Project Blue Book for Season 2.
Project Blue Book is an in-house A+ Studios production for History, which likely made the announcement of Project Blue Book Season 2 much easier. Of course, it doesn't hurt that people seem to like the sci-fi (though emphasis on the "sci") drama series. History reports that Project Blue Book is the number one new cable show of the 2018-19 TV season, pulling in 3.4 million viewers in the Live+3 Nielsen metric. Eli Lehrer, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming and History, said in a prepared statement:
“We are believers in Project Blue Book and so is our audience who has sparked a conversation about...
History knows the truth is still out there, orders the Aidan Gillen-starring Project Blue Book Season 2.
The public's endless fascination for aliens and UFOs wins again! History and A+E Studios announced the renewal of Project Blue Book for Season 2.
Project Blue Book is an in-house A+ Studios production for History, which likely made the announcement of Project Blue Book Season 2 much easier. Of course, it doesn't hurt that people seem to like the sci-fi (though emphasis on the "sci") drama series. History reports that Project Blue Book is the number one new cable show of the 2018-19 TV season, pulling in 3.4 million viewers in the Live+3 Nielsen metric. Eli Lehrer, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming and History, said in a prepared statement:
“We are believers in Project Blue Book and so is our audience who has sparked a conversation about...
- 2/10/2019
- Den of Geek
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” flew to the top of China’s box office this weekend, earning $26 million. That marked the fourth-largest opening of all time for an animated Hollywood film in the Middle Kingdom.
It also marked the best opening of the year for a foreign animated feature. The figure beat earlier studio projections of $17.5 million for the three-day weekend.
Though already in its third weekend, “Aquaman” stayed a close second in China with a three-day intake of $23.4 million. With a cumulative gross of $233 million, the undersea epic is now one of Warner Bros.’ most profitable titles ever in the country.
The two sailed high above three other local films that all opened Friday. Supernatural slapstick local comedy “Airpocalypse” came in third with $12.3 million, trailed by Chinese historical martial arts flick “Kung Fu Monster” with $7.53 million. “Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy” opened with $6.03 million in its opening weekend.
Hayao Miyazaki...
It also marked the best opening of the year for a foreign animated feature. The figure beat earlier studio projections of $17.5 million for the three-day weekend.
Though already in its third weekend, “Aquaman” stayed a close second in China with a three-day intake of $23.4 million. With a cumulative gross of $233 million, the undersea epic is now one of Warner Bros.’ most profitable titles ever in the country.
The two sailed high above three other local films that all opened Friday. Supernatural slapstick local comedy “Airpocalypse” came in third with $12.3 million, trailed by Chinese historical martial arts flick “Kung Fu Monster” with $7.53 million. “Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy” opened with $6.03 million in its opening weekend.
Hayao Miyazaki...
- 12/24/2018
- by Becky Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Let’s pretend for a moment that Disney didn’t just release a “live-action” remake of its 1967 “The Jungle Book” two years ago. In a world without such competition, “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle” might have seemed like a good idea: a darker, decidedly non-Disney approach to Rudyard Kipling’s collection of stories about a boy raised by wild animals deep in the Indian forest. It may even have excited some people to know that performance-capture prodigy Andy Serkis was tackling the project as his directorial debut — one complicated enough that his second feature, “Breathe,” actually beat it to screens.
But Disney did release “The Jungle Book,” and that movie was a big, big hit, followed by the seemingly inevitable announcement of a sequel. Now, the best that Serkis’ “Mowgli” movie can hope for is possibly being mistaken for director Jon Favreau’s still-in-development followup (he decided to make “The Lion King” first). Still,...
But Disney did release “The Jungle Book,” and that movie was a big, big hit, followed by the seemingly inevitable announcement of a sequel. Now, the best that Serkis’ “Mowgli” movie can hope for is possibly being mistaken for director Jon Favreau’s still-in-development followup (he decided to make “The Lion King” first). Still,...
- 12/8/2018
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
This article marks Part 15 of the Gold Derby series analyzing 84 years of Best Original Song at the Oscars. Join us as we look back at the timeless tunes recognized in this category, the results of each race and the overall rankings of the winners.
The 1978 Oscar nominees in Best Original Song were:
“Ready to Take a Chance Again” from “Foul Play”
“Hopelessly Devoted to You” from “Grease”
“When You’re Loved” from “The Magic of Lassie”
“The Last Time I Felt Like This” from “Same Time, Next Year”
“Last Dance” from “Thank God It’s Friday”
Won: “Last Dance” from “Thank God It’s Friday”
Should’ve won: “Ready to Take a Chance Again” from “Foul Play”
After the ho-hum affairs of 1976 and 1977, it’s nice to come upon a Best Original Song line-up with not just one or two listenable nominees. In fact, 45 years of Best Original Song in,...
The 1978 Oscar nominees in Best Original Song were:
“Ready to Take a Chance Again” from “Foul Play”
“Hopelessly Devoted to You” from “Grease”
“When You’re Loved” from “The Magic of Lassie”
“The Last Time I Felt Like This” from “Same Time, Next Year”
“Last Dance” from “Thank God It’s Friday”
Won: “Last Dance” from “Thank God It’s Friday”
Should’ve won: “Ready to Take a Chance Again” from “Foul Play”
After the ho-hum affairs of 1976 and 1977, it’s nice to come upon a Best Original Song line-up with not just one or two listenable nominees. In fact, 45 years of Best Original Song in,...
- 12/7/2018
- by Andrew Carden
- Gold Derby
This article marks Part 13 of the Gold Derby series analyzing 84 years of Best Original Song at the Oscars. Join us as we look back at the timeless tunes recognized in this category, the results of each race and the overall rankings of the winners.
The 1974 Oscar nominees in Best Original Song were:
“I Feel Love” from “Benji”
“Blazing Saddles” from “Blazing Saddles”
“Wherever Love Takes Me” from “Gold”
“Little Prince” from “The Little Prince”
“We May Never Love Like This Again” from “The Towering Inferno”
Won: “We May Never Love Like This Again” from “The Towering Inferno”
Should’ve won: “I Feel Love” from “Benji”
While 1973 marked perhaps the strongest Best Original Song line-up of the decade, 1974 nearly competes with the truly dreadful 1972 as the decade’s bottom of the barrel in original music for the big screen. If not for a couple of these nominees, this category would be...
The 1974 Oscar nominees in Best Original Song were:
“I Feel Love” from “Benji”
“Blazing Saddles” from “Blazing Saddles”
“Wherever Love Takes Me” from “Gold”
“Little Prince” from “The Little Prince”
“We May Never Love Like This Again” from “The Towering Inferno”
Won: “We May Never Love Like This Again” from “The Towering Inferno”
Should’ve won: “I Feel Love” from “Benji”
While 1973 marked perhaps the strongest Best Original Song line-up of the decade, 1974 nearly competes with the truly dreadful 1972 as the decade’s bottom of the barrel in original music for the big screen. If not for a couple of these nominees, this category would be...
- 12/5/2018
- by Andrew Carden
- Gold Derby
There are few producers who have had the overwhelming success of Jason Blum and his Blumhouse Productions from their early days turning Oren Peli’s low-budget Paranormal Activity into a hugely profitable franchise, followed by the equally successful Insidious and The Purge movies. Jason Blum also has an Oscar nomination notched onto his career belt for his involvement in getting Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-nominated Whiplash made, and Blumhouse were involved with bringing Jem and the Holograms to movie theaters. (Sorry, but I actually kind of liked it, even though it bombed… big time.)
Jordan Peele’s directorial debut Get Out will be the third time Blumhouse has worked with an actor making their transition into directing, as Jason Blum handled the same duties on Joel Edgerton’s The Gift and Leigh Whannell’s Insidious: Chapter 3 a few years back.
Get Out is a very different movie in which Daniel Kaluuya...
Jordan Peele’s directorial debut Get Out will be the third time Blumhouse has worked with an actor making their transition into directing, as Jason Blum handled the same duties on Joel Edgerton’s The Gift and Leigh Whannell’s Insidious: Chapter 3 a few years back.
Get Out is a very different movie in which Daniel Kaluuya...
- 2/23/2017
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
This week, three new wide releases will take advantage of a projected lull in the schedule — “A Dog’s Purpose” (Universal), “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” (Sony) and “Gold” (Weinstein). They compete against the second weekend for “Split” (Universal), along with possible Oscar-nomination surges for “Hidden Figures” (20th Century Fox) and “La La Land” (Lionsgate). Of course, that lull is there for a reason: This late January weekend, just before the Super Bowl, is usually among the very worst of the year.
The title to beat is “Split,” the M. Night Shyamalan hit produced by Jason Blum that became the first non-franchise, live-action release to open to over $40 million since the fall 2015. If it performs like most horror films, which tend to be frontloaded, it could fall only 50 percent for a $20 million total.
That might be enough to repeat at no. 1. It’s not unheard of for a genre title...
The title to beat is “Split,” the M. Night Shyamalan hit produced by Jason Blum that became the first non-franchise, live-action release to open to over $40 million since the fall 2015. If it performs like most horror films, which tend to be frontloaded, it could fall only 50 percent for a $20 million total.
That might be enough to repeat at no. 1. It’s not unheard of for a genre title...
- 1/26/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Back in 1974, a Watergate-weary America needed a smile. Enter Benji, a cute little mutt who starred in a slew of films and TV shows and helped make it all better. Flash-forward to 2016, a politics-weary populace is getting another chance to grin its cares away. Brandon Camp, whose father Joe was behind the original Benji and its sequels and spinoffs, will write and direct a modern retelling of the dog tale with a newly rescued new Benji. The younger Camp is partnering on…...
- 5/20/2016
- Deadline
Exclusive: Universal Pictures has acquired an untitled pitch to be written by Steinbeck’s Point Of View scribe Brandon Camp, with Offspring Entertainment partners Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot attached to produce. Pitch is described as a supernatural thriller in the spirit of Ghost. Matt Smith will executive produce and Universal execs Jon Mone and Sara Scott will oversee it. Camp separately is working with Offspring writing the musical The Dance for New Line. Camp recently sold the Nicholas Sparks’ pilot to TNT based on Sparks’ A Bend In The Road. He is also writing to direct Benji, a re-imagining of the ‘70s family classic for Walden Media. UTA reps Camp and Offspring.
- 5/6/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
We've had Uggie, now the search is on to find the new Benji. Got a cute dog? You could be barking all the way to the bank
It doesn't take a genius to see that dogs are huge right now. Without question, the runaway star of The Artist was 10-year-old jack russell Uggie, while Pudsey – the canine winner of this year's Britain's Got Talent – is rumoured to be in talks with Disney about appearing in a film of his own. If you're after a fast buck, and have always yearned to live out your Hollywood dreams vicariously through an animal that drinks out of the toilet, you could do a lot worse than get a dog.
And if it happens look like Benji, all the better. You remember Benji. He was the Pepsi to Lassie's Coca-Cola – a small mixed-breed mutt with a lovable demeanour and an inexplicable propensity for helping strangers.
It doesn't take a genius to see that dogs are huge right now. Without question, the runaway star of The Artist was 10-year-old jack russell Uggie, while Pudsey – the canine winner of this year's Britain's Got Talent – is rumoured to be in talks with Disney about appearing in a film of his own. If you're after a fast buck, and have always yearned to live out your Hollywood dreams vicariously through an animal that drinks out of the toilet, you could do a lot worse than get a dog.
And if it happens look like Benji, all the better. You remember Benji. He was the Pepsi to Lassie's Coca-Cola – a small mixed-breed mutt with a lovable demeanour and an inexplicable propensity for helping strangers.
- 7/19/2012
- by Stuart Heritage
- The Guardian - Film News
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