December 15, 2011
Five Favorite Films with Roger Corman
Movies as we know them just wouldn't be the same without Roger Corman. Sure, filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, James Cameron and Joe Dante probably would have found their way into the game eventually, but the fact remains that they all got their start under the tutelage of Corman and his low-budget genre factory -- a tireless B-picture production line that also gave early breaks to unknown young actors like Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone and Jack Nicholson. Perhaps more significantly, Corman was one of the pioneers of the independent movie model, cranking out scores of exploitation and genre films (and distributing foreign titles by Truffaut, Bergman, Fellini and Kurosawa) that turned profits even as they flaunted the traditional studio system. (Not to be discounted: he also directed a handful of genuinely fine movies, like the Edgar Allan Poe adaptation The Masque of the Red Death.) This week, Corman is celebrated in Alex Stapleton's documentary Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel, a career-spanning look at his work that gathers together exultant testimonials from many of his most famous pupils. We caught up with Corman earlier this week for a chat about his career and his "graduates," his thoughts on independent film, and how the Lucas/Spielberg blockbusters spelled doom for genre pictures. First, here are Corman's five favorite films.
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January 3, 2011
Grant McCune: 1943-2010
Special effects artist Grant McCune, who won an Academy Award for his work on "Star Wars," has passed away at the age of 67.
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August 16, 2010
George Lucas Talks Star Wars Blu-rays
The big news over the weekend was that Lucasfilm is prepping a "Star Wars" Blu-ray box -- and that it'll contain the "upgraded" versions of the original trilogy. Lucas discusses the hows and whys of bringing the saga to hi-def in an interview with the New York Times.
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April 19, 2010
Star Wars Is Coming to Blu-ray
No release date yet, but Lucasfilm has confirmed that the "Star Wars" saga is headed for Blu-ray -- and it'll include "lots of extra material."
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April 6, 2010
An Animated Star Wars Sitcom?
Triggering the anguished screams of thousands of fans, Lucasfilm Animation has announced plans for an animated "Star Wars" comedy TV series, to be developed by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich of "Robot Chicken."
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January 22, 2010
Weekly Ketchup: George Lucas plans Star Wars in 3D
This week's Ketchup includes casting news for Conan the Barbarian and Green Lantern, new projects for directors Martin Scorsese and Tim Burton, and new roles for Sean Penn, Reese Witherspoon and Samuel L. Jackson.
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January 6, 2010
George Lucas Talks Star Wars
George Lucas popped up on "The Daily Show" last night -- and now, thanks to the magic of the Internet, you can watch his segment from the comfort of your own browser.
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October 1, 2009
Star Wars: In Concert Takes the Stage
Skeptical about "Star Wars: In Concert"? You aren't alone. In fact, John Williams had his own reservations, as detailed in the Los Angeles Times' look behind the scenes of the touring production.
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July 24, 2009
Announcing Star Wars: In Concert
"Star Wars in Concert" begins its tour October 1, but you can get a sneak peek at what to expect now, thanks to the Force-powered multimedia extravaganza's brand new website.
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June 3, 2009
Where Will Star Trek Boldly Go Next?
With Star Trek entering popular culture not just as a franchise reboot but a cinematic moment in sci-fi history, talk has already turned to the sequel(s) and where the next movie will take the fresh new crew.
Online calls have gone out to J. J. Abrams and his crew. Slow down the pace. Let us see the story and characters evolve. Easy with the lens flare. And come up with something -- new.
Here are our top 10 ideas for possible stories...
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March 31, 2009
The Legacy of The Matrix
1999 was one of the most important years for modern cinema. Ten years on, we're celebrating a remarkable twelve months of movies with new features around some of the year's best and most important releases. The Matrix was the phenomenon which made George Lucas' serial-style adventure seem as quaint as tie-dye loon pants. It did the proper sci-fi job of surfing the zeitgeist exactly in every single aspect. It has seeped into subsequent movies which have either blatantly or subtly drawn from aspects of The Matrix -- ranging from its action-friendly fashion sense to franchise-building business plan. Join RT as we explore ten movies released in the ten years since The Matrix came out that owe a little something to one of 1999's most exciting releases.
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March 9, 2009
Live-Action Star Wars Series Inches Forward
Just in case you were wondering, Lucasfilm is still moving forward with that long-gestating "Star Wars" live-action television series -- in fact, according to Rose Byrne, they're casting for it now.
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February 26, 2009
Exclusive: Franklyn - Director's Sketchbook
Franklyn may be Gerald McMorrow's debut feature film, but by the standards of even the most experienced of helmers it's an ambitious and visually-stunning movie, telling the tale of four disparate souls -- played by Ryan Phillippe, Eva Green, Sam Riley & Bernard Hill - who find each other on their quest to find themselves. Part set in contemporary London and part set in a mythical fantasy world called Meanwhile City -- whose inhabitants must, by law, find religious faith even if that means taking washing machine instructions as their bible -- it's one of the most original and exciting British films of the year. Exclusively on RT, McMorrow opens his sketchbook and explains his vision for the film.
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January 28, 2009
The Blair Witch Project 10 Years On with Directors Ed Sanchez and Dan Myrick
1999 was one of the most important years for modern cinema. Ten years on, we're celebrating a remarkable twelve months of movies with new features around some of the year's best and most important releases. Shot on a budget of just $22,000 by film school graduates Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick, The Blair Witch Project premiered at the Sundance Film Festival ten years ago this month and started a journey that dominated public consciousness for most of the year. Now, ten years on, we reunite directors Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick to share their memories of making and releasing the film, as well as their plans for more from the Blair Witch franchise.
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December 12, 2008
Prepare for Star Wars: A Musical Journey
Have you ever wondered what would happen if someone took every single "Star Wars" movie, turned them into a 90-minute film, and played it in front of an orchestra? So has George Lucas, apparently, because that's exactly what Lucasfilm is planning.
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September 8, 2008
Drew Struzan Hangs Up His Pen
Drew Struzan, the illustrator who provided iconic images for the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" trilogies, among many other films, has announced his retirement.
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July 23, 2008
Lucas Taking Star Wars 3-D?
According to DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, George Lucas is prepping 3-D versions of all six episodes in the Star Wars saga.
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July 16, 2008
Exclusive: The World of WALL-E
The artists behind this year's freshest film share their story with RT, with exclusive contributions from Andrew Stanton, Ben Burtt, Jim Morris, Lindsay Collins, Angus MacLane, Derek Thompson, David DeVan and Rodrigo Blaas.
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June 26, 2008
Lucas Prompts Star Wars Silliness on Capitol Hill
George Lucas showed up on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to urge lawmakers' support for a free, educational-purposes-only Internet -- and was subjected to autograph requests, awful Star Wars jokes, and questions like "Would Barack Obama be a Jedi?"
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April 15, 2008
Chewbacca Was Not the Original Wingman
You don't even have to be a dork to know that Chewbacca was Han Solo's co-pilot, not his wingman, although maybe you do have to be a dork to point out that the trilogy's most prominent wingman was Luke's fellow X-Wing pilot Wedge Antilles.
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April 8, 2008
Lucasfilm in Star Wars costume fight
Lawyers for George Lucas' Lucasfilm Ltd. and a British prop designer faced off in London's High Court Tuesday over rights to the molded white Stormtrooper uniforms from the Star Wars films.
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January 3, 2008
New Indy 4 Interviews, Pictures Online!
May 22 still feels awfully far away, but if the nearly six-month gap between your eyeballs and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has you feeling forlorn, fear not -- Vanity Fair's February issue features tons of Indy 4 pictures, interviews, and info!
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November 29, 2007
Box Office Guru Preview: Mr. Skywalker and Ms. Storm in New Thriller
Only one new film ventures into wide release. Studios typically avoid opening worthwhile pics during the weekend after the Thanksgiving frame since moviegoing subsides and holiday shopping becomes a bigger national priority. Overall ticket sales tumble by 40-50% from the previous frame and holdovers usually lead the way.
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October 17, 2007
Lucas Talks Star Wars TV Series
Three decades after taking theatrical audiences to a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas is preparing to bring the Star Wars universe to the small screen.
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June 22, 2007
AFI Announces Top 100 Movies of All Time ... Again
Ten years ago the AFI gave us a list of the Top 100 American Films Ever Made -- and when that was done they churned out 15 other lists every few years. And then last night they updated the Top 100 ... I guess because they ran out of lists.
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May 14, 2007
New "Star Wars" Documentary to Premiere on The History Channel
"Empire of Dreams" is the name of the "Star Wars" documentary that came in that 4-disc original trilogy box set -- and it was pretty much a fanboy's dream. (Let's just say I've watched it more than once.) Now it looks like The History Channel has something to add.
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April 6, 2007
Lucas Spills a Few "Indy 4" Beans
No, nothing as juicy as, say, an actual movie title, but if, like me, you've been salivating over the prospect of a fourth "Indiana Jones" adventure for what feels like twenty years, you might be interested in what producer George Lucas had to say recently.
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January 12, 2007
Did Harrison Ford Turn Down a $47 Million "Han Solo" Paycheck?
From the "I don't really buy it, but everyone else is talking about it" files: Superstar Harrison Ford allegedly turned down a $47 million payday because he didn't want to play Han Solo for a fourth time. He instead opted to do "Indiana Jones 4," a gig that'll probably net him around the same amount.
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October 6, 2006
Lucas Discusses New "Star Wars" Series and (Briefly) "Indiana Jones 4"
Seems that whenever George Lucas opens his mouth, there's someone there to record what he has to say -- even when he's not actually saying a whole lot. This time around he's talking about next year's new "Clone Wars" cartoon -- plus he's nice enough to toss in a little bread crumb for the "Indiana Jones" fans.
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October 5, 2006
George Lucas Donates $175m, Quits Movies, and Discusses "Indy 4"
The somewhat wealthy George Lucas recently donated $175 million to the USC School of Cinematic Arts -- after which he denounced the world of filmmaking and basically said "Now TELEVISION, that's where it's at!" Then he dropped a few new non-hints about "Indiana Jones 4" and went home to his 12 mansions.
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June 20, 2006
Marketing Brings Out the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" News
One of the places you'll find some exciting news on the upcoming tentpole titles is the Licensing International Trade Show. Sounds pretty boring, doesn't it? Well, sure, it's very boring ... if you have no interest in things like "Star Wars," "Indiana Jones," "The Simpsons Movie," "Harry Potter 5," "Spider-Man 3," "Pirates of the Caribbean 3," and "Die Hard 4."
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June 5, 2006
2006 MTV Movie Award Winners!
I was going to try to avoid the MTV Movie Awards winners until the broadcast on June 8th, but since we at RT like to bring you the movie news while it's still relevant ... OK, here they are!
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May 25, 2006
Box Office Preview: X-Men 3 Ready to Rock Memorial Day Weekend
Wolverine, Professor X, and the rest of their soul patrol will launch a full-scale attack on the North American box office this weekend as the gargantuan comic book film X-Men: The Last Stand invades the marketplace on Friday ready to dominate the long Memorial Day holiday weekend.
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May 18, 2006
"Limited Edition" Star Wars Covers
Last week it was announced that the original, unedited, and allegedly grungy-looking "Star Wars" trilogy would make its Limited Edition DVD debut. Today we get a look at what the DVD covers will look like, plus we also get the news that the DVDs will not come with anamorphic (16x9) transfers, which isn't great news.
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May 4, 2006
Lucas Gives In To Demands of the Dark Side -- Er, Rabid Fans
Remember all that geekboy hullabullo a few years back when it was announced that the Original Trilogy ("Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back," "Return of the Jedi") would be released on DVD ONLY in their new-fangled special edition form? (And I'm not knocking the geekboys, mainly because I was one of the complainers.) Well, it seems that George Lucas has reversed his "lifetime ban" on the uncut OT. The unrejiggered Star Wars trilogy is finally coming to DVD.
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March 16, 2006
Lucas Talks With Time About "Star Wars" Series
Time Magazine recently had a rather interesting sit-down with mega-successful moviemaker George Lucas, and topics included the next Indiana Jones epic, "day & date" release patterns, 2D vs. 3D, and, of course, the upcoming "Star Wars" TV series.
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September 22, 2005
Whedon Talks "Serenity" All Over the Place
Fred Topel over at About.com had an entertaining sit-down with writer / producer / director / nutcase Joss Whedon, and together the pair chatted mainly about "Serenity," but digressed into bursts about "Veronica Mars" and "Wonder Woman," too.
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May 23, 2005
Time Magazine Names the Top 100 Movies Ever Made
Time Magazine film critics Richard Corliss and Richard Schickel have put together a list of the All-Time Top 100 Movies. Lists like these are usually the domain of the American Film Institute (AFI), but the Timekeepers do a fairly interesting job with their list...
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May 18, 2005
FilmFocus Chats With Some Guy Named Lucas!
One of our favorite movie sites from across the pond is FilmFocus, and their Joe Utichi had the chance to lob a few questions towards George Lucas during the London premiere of "Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith." The equally loved and derided filmmaker stopped to share some news regarding Indiana Jones ("Harrison's definitely the right age for this one, for what we have in mind, he'll definitely do it. He could take down Arnold Schwarzenegger if he wanted to!""), the "Star Wars" TV series ("We're doing another series of Clone Wars ... But we're also doing something with live action for television too. It's a spin-off really. I won't really be involved in it, but I'm going to get it started and get it going.") ...
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May 18, 2005
Critical Consensus: "Revenge of the Sith" Tomatometer Update
Now that the critical dust has settled, it?s time for a final consensus on "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith." After George Lucas? first two "Star Wars" prequels received lukewarm responses from fans, he finally ends the series on a triumphant and satisfying note.
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May 12, 2005
Early Consensus: "Revenge of the Sith" May Be the Best "Star Wars" Movie
After George Lucas?s first two "Star Wars" prequels received lukewarm responses from fans, it looks like he will end the series on a triumphant and satisfying note with the concluding chapter. Early reviews from the nation?s print, online, and broadcast critics, are gushing praises for "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith."
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April 26, 2005
Lucas to Bring "Star Wars" to the Small Screen
You didn't actually buy all that "one final trilogy and that's it" material, did you? Seems that George Lucas has not one but two separate "Star Wars" TV series in the works, one a spin-off of his exceedingly popular "Clone Wars" animated adventures ... and the other a live-action adventure series that will take place after "Revenge of the Sith," but before "Star Wars."
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