Hollywood
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Who doesn’t know the classic movie Ben Hur starring the legendary Charlton Heston, which won 11 Oscars Most people will have seen it. However what many don’t realize that the 1959 version had in fact been the 2nd remake of the story of Ben Hur, The 1st time it hit the screens was in in…
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Bugs Bunny, one of the most iconic and enduring characters in American animation, made his official debut on July 27, 1940 Warner Bros. cartoon A Wild Hare. Directed by Tex Avery and produced by Leon Schlesinger, A Wild Hare marked a significant turning point in cartoon history, not only introducing a fully formed version of…
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Steven Spielberg’s classic was released in cinemas on this day 50 years ago. Below just some random facts and anecdotes about the 50 year old Great White. Behind-the-Scenes Anecdotes Bruce the Shark was a NightmareThe mechanical shark, nicknamed “Bruce” after Spielberg’s lawyer, frequently malfunctioned. This led Spielberg to limit its screen time dramatically — ironically…
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The video below is an interview I conducted with Ferne Pearlstein, director, writer and producer of The Last Laugh. It is a documentary with world-famous comedians, including Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman, and Gilbert Gottfried, pitch in with their own views on the boundaries of comedy. source https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2102508/
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Introduction When Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back premiered in 1980, audiences in the United Kingdom were treated to an unusual and haunting short film titled Black Angel, shown before the main feature. Directed by Roger Christian—an Oscar-winning art director who helped define the look of Star Wars—Black Angel emerged as a brief but resonant…
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The final episode of Bonanza aired on January 16, 1973, marking the end of a remarkable 14-season run. This blog delves into the unseen yet pivotal characters of the show—the mothers—whose presence shaped the story but who never appeared on screen. The Mothers of the Cartwright Boys in Bonanza The classic Western television series Bonanza…
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Ninety-eight years ago today, the classic science fiction movie Metropolis was released. Watching it again recently, I was struck by how fresh and visually striking the film still feels, even after nearly a century. However, Metropolis is more than just a sci-fi masterpiece; it also serves as a fascinating snapshot of the political and social…
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I recently finished am reading Animation under the Swastika: A History of Trickfilm in Nazi Germany, 1933–1945. This compelling book delves into the history of how Hitler and Joseph Goebbels sought to rival Hollywood, particularly the works of Walt Disney. It provides a fascinating and often chilling account of how animation was weaponized as a…
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High Noon is my favourite Western and one of my favourite movies overall. The Western genre has long held a special place in American cinema, representing ideals of heroism, rugged individualism, and the triumph of good over evil. However, not all Westerns adhere to a singular vision of these ideals, and one film that provoked…
History of Sorts 