When Willem Dafoe receives his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Jan. 8, the distinction will commemorate more than just a four-time Oscar nominee, but an actor so versatile that he has embodied everything from a conflicted messiah in “The Last Temptation of Christ” to the tortured father figure of “Antichrist.” Is there an actor working today with greater range?
With his deep-set eyes, sharp nose and broad smile, Dafoe has depicted his share of devils, from creepy “Nosferatu” star Max Schreck in “Shadow of the Vampire” to comic-book villain the Green Goblin in “Spider-Man 2.” But he also excels at the other end of the spectrum, as when he plays God in Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things,” a Frankensteinian surgeon charitably committed to reanimating dead creatures, like Emma Stone’s Bella.
“My character has this beautiful predicament, because he adores her so much and she adores him, but what she needs,...
With his deep-set eyes, sharp nose and broad smile, Dafoe has depicted his share of devils, from creepy “Nosferatu” star Max Schreck in “Shadow of the Vampire” to comic-book villain the Green Goblin in “Spider-Man 2.” But he also excels at the other end of the spectrum, as when he plays God in Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things,” a Frankensteinian surgeon charitably committed to reanimating dead creatures, like Emma Stone’s Bella.
“My character has this beautiful predicament, because he adores her so much and she adores him, but what she needs,...
- 1/8/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Over the course of 100 minutes, Lost in Translation explores the relationship between two lost souls. Romantic and well-observed, with rich performances from Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray, the movie captures the longing shared by two people who don’t belong anywhere. And yet, despite the film’s many achievements, the conversation around Lost in Translation has been dominated by one question: “What did he say?”
At the end of the film, aging actor Bob Harris (Murray) hugs young grad student and newlywed Charlotte and whispers something in her ear. Writer-director Sofia Coppola puts just enough of the whisper into the mix to suggest that maybe it should be heard by a viewer who pays enough attention, but not enough to register, even with subtitles.
For 20 years, some corners of film fandom have obsessed over the question, as if hearing that brief bit of dialogue would unlock the meaning of the...
At the end of the film, aging actor Bob Harris (Murray) hugs young grad student and newlywed Charlotte and whispers something in her ear. Writer-director Sofia Coppola puts just enough of the whisper into the mix to suggest that maybe it should be heard by a viewer who pays enough attention, but not enough to register, even with subtitles.
For 20 years, some corners of film fandom have obsessed over the question, as if hearing that brief bit of dialogue would unlock the meaning of the...
- 9/25/2023
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
For a writer whose specialty was his mad rush of words — careening, excessive, gloriously offensive and thoroughly “gonzo,” to use a word he may well have coined — Hunter S. Thompson has long been an irresistible image to put on screen. He was played by Johnny Depp in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” Bill Murray in “Where the Buffalo Roam” and a few others, and now it’s Willem Dafoe’s turn in Patricia Arquette’s directorial debut, “Gonzo Girl.”
Rather, it’s Dafoe’s turn to play somebody like Hunter S. Thompson. In the movie, which had its world premiere on Thursday night as one of the opening-night attractions of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, Dafoe is “Walker Reade,” a wild-eyed journalist and author who lives in Woody Creek, Colorado and loves guns, drugs, alcohol and messing with people — not necessarily in that order. The fact that all of...
Rather, it’s Dafoe’s turn to play somebody like Hunter S. Thompson. In the movie, which had its world premiere on Thursday night as one of the opening-night attractions of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, Dafoe is “Walker Reade,” a wild-eyed journalist and author who lives in Woody Creek, Colorado and loves guns, drugs, alcohol and messing with people — not necessarily in that order. The fact that all of...
- 9/8/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
It is never a normal “opening night” when it comes to the Toronto Film Festival, which is offering numerous films including the much anticipated Hayao Miyizaki film The Boy and the Heron, which is the key opening-night gala. But there are others including two exceptional directorial debuts from celebrated veteran stars Kristin Scott Thomas and Patricia Arquette making it all a very memorable kickoff for TIFF on many fronts.
In fact this is a festival this year featuring numerous premieres of films either marking the first time an actor has gone behind the camera as Thomas and Arquette have done, respectively, with Special Presentation North Star, and the Discovery Section opener Gonzo Girl, or taking their latest shot as a director. In the coming days we will also have Anna Kendrick’s Woman of the Hour; Viggo Mortensen’s sophomore feature The Dead Don’t Hurt; Ethan Hawke’s Wildcat; Chris Pine...
In fact this is a festival this year featuring numerous premieres of films either marking the first time an actor has gone behind the camera as Thomas and Arquette have done, respectively, with Special Presentation North Star, and the Discovery Section opener Gonzo Girl, or taking their latest shot as a director. In the coming days we will also have Anna Kendrick’s Woman of the Hour; Viggo Mortensen’s sophomore feature The Dead Don’t Hurt; Ethan Hawke’s Wildcat; Chris Pine...
- 9/8/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The Disney+ film Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day has added Paulina Chávez and Rose Portillo to its cast, joining previously announced stars Eva Longoria, George Lopez and Jesse Garcia.
Chávez will play Mia Garcia, the titular Alexander’s 16-year-old sister who is described as an independent-minded, intelligent and eye-rolling teenager. Her parents are Frank (Garcia) and Val (Longoria). Portillo plays Lidia Garcia, the family matriarch, the mother of Frank and grandmother to Alexander, Mia and David.
From writer Matt Lopez and director Marvin Lemus, Alexander tells the story of 11-year-old Alexander Garcia, who thinks he has the worst luck in the world. When his family sets off on a road trip to California, he’s pretty sure disaster awaits at every corner. His anxiety only increases when a family secret is revealed.
Chávez will play Mia Garcia, the titular Alexander’s 16-year-old sister who is described as an independent-minded, intelligent and eye-rolling teenager. Her parents are Frank (Garcia) and Val (Longoria). Portillo plays Lidia Garcia, the family matriarch, the mother of Frank and grandmother to Alexander, Mia and David.
From writer Matt Lopez and director Marvin Lemus, Alexander tells the story of 11-year-old Alexander Garcia, who thinks he has the worst luck in the world. When his family sets off on a road trip to California, he’s pretty sure disaster awaits at every corner. His anxiety only increases when a family secret is revealed.
- 3/8/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
On Dec. 20, 2022, the acting world lost a star whose career lasted over 50 years. Quinn K. Redeker was best known for his work on two big daytime dramas, One Life to Live and The Young and the Restless. However, his career was far more diverse than many realize. Although he was a celebrated actor, there were other things he did in Hollywood that meant even more to him. Here are some facts you may not know about Redeker and everything he achieved.
Quinn Redeker became a daytime drama star
The Y&r Family sends our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Quinn Redeker who blessed Y&r with his talents in two memorable roles. pic.twitter.com/EFe7Prf5WX
— Young & The Restless (@YRInsider) January 9, 2023
According to Deadline, Quinn Redeker died of natural causes on Dec. 20, 2022, at the age of 86. His daughter, Arianne Raser, announced his death in January.
Quinn Redeker became a daytime drama star
The Y&r Family sends our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Quinn Redeker who blessed Y&r with his talents in two memorable roles. pic.twitter.com/EFe7Prf5WX
— Young & The Restless (@YRInsider) January 9, 2023
According to Deadline, Quinn Redeker died of natural causes on Dec. 20, 2022, at the age of 86. His daughter, Arianne Raser, announced his death in January.
- 2/12/2023
- by Kira Martin
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Hunter S. Thompson is a confounding figure. Though he didn’t invent Gonzo journalism, he is the most identifiable face of it. His first-person narrative style of news gathering makes him partially accountable for the overriding trends of internet journalism, on both sides of the aisle and all the cleanup calls which go along with them. Thompson’s 1970 attempt to run for sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado, marked the beginning of baby boomer politicking. Writer-director Bobby Kennedy III’s Fear and Loathing in Aspen tells that story with wit, wisdom and weirdness.
Set just before Thomson, played by Jay Bulger, caught his stride with his 1971 novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream, the film conjures the energy of strange, new beginnings. Much of it is shot on vintage grade, grainy film stock, and it looks like the actors were free...
Set just before Thomson, played by Jay Bulger, caught his stride with his 1971 novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream, the film conjures the energy of strange, new beginnings. Much of it is shot on vintage grade, grainy film stock, and it looks like the actors were free...
- 8/30/2021
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Jada Pinkett Smith isn’t the only one who didn’t like her portrayal in a feature film — Mark Zuckerberg and David Letterman didn’t, either
Jada Pinkett Smith, “All Eyez on Me”
Jada Pinkett Smith took to Twitter to share her discontent with how her relationship with Tupac Shakur was portrayed, saying it was “deeply hurtful.”
Mark Zuckerberg, “The Social Network”
Zuckerberg said that the producers of 2010’s “The Social Network” “made it seem like my whole motivation for building Facebook was so I could get girls, right? And they completely left out the fact that my girlfriend, I’ve been dating since before I started Facebook.”
David Letterman, “The Late Shift”
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Letterman talked about the movie that recounted his battle with Jay Leno to fill “The Tonight Show” chair after Johnny Carson retired. John Michael Higgins played him in the movie.
The...
Jada Pinkett Smith, “All Eyez on Me”
Jada Pinkett Smith took to Twitter to share her discontent with how her relationship with Tupac Shakur was portrayed, saying it was “deeply hurtful.”
Mark Zuckerberg, “The Social Network”
Zuckerberg said that the producers of 2010’s “The Social Network” “made it seem like my whole motivation for building Facebook was so I could get girls, right? And they completely left out the fact that my girlfriend, I’ve been dating since before I started Facebook.”
David Letterman, “The Late Shift”
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Letterman talked about the movie that recounted his battle with Jay Leno to fill “The Tonight Show” chair after Johnny Carson retired. John Michael Higgins played him in the movie.
The...
- 9/25/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Caesar Cordova, a character actor whose long association with Al Pacino included appearances in Scarface and Carlito’s Way, died Aug. 26 of natural causes in Atlantic City. He was 84.
His death was announced by son Panchito Gomez, an actor whose credits include Selena, American Me and Hill Street Blues, with Deadline’s sister publication Variety first reporting the news.
Cordova first appeared with Pacino in 1969 in Broadway’s Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? The play marked the Broadway debut of the little-known Pacino. In Brian de Palma’s 1983 Scarface, Cordova played a lunch stand cook, and 10 years later played a barber in Carlito’s Way.
Other film credits include Where the Buffalo Roam (1980), Cutter’s Way (1981) and Nighthawks (1981). TV credits from the 1970s and ’80s include Toma, Kojak, Baretta, Police Woman, Cagney and Lacey and The A-Team.
Born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York City, Cordova is survived by...
His death was announced by son Panchito Gomez, an actor whose credits include Selena, American Me and Hill Street Blues, with Deadline’s sister publication Variety first reporting the news.
Cordova first appeared with Pacino in 1969 in Broadway’s Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? The play marked the Broadway debut of the little-known Pacino. In Brian de Palma’s 1983 Scarface, Cordova played a lunch stand cook, and 10 years later played a barber in Carlito’s Way.
Other film credits include Where the Buffalo Roam (1980), Cutter’s Way (1981) and Nighthawks (1981). TV credits from the 1970s and ’80s include Toma, Kojak, Baretta, Police Woman, Cagney and Lacey and The A-Team.
Born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York City, Cordova is survived by...
- 8/28/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Caesar Cordova, a character actor who appeared with Al Pacino in “Scarface” and “Carlito’s Way,” died of natural causes Wednesday in Atlantic City, N.J. He was 84.
His son, actor Panchito Gomez “American Me,” “Mi Vida Loca”), announced his death.
In Brian de Palma’s “Scarface,” Cordova played the taco cook at the El Paraiso lunch stand. Though the film was set in Miami, the scene was actually shot in downtown Los Angeles. In “Carlito’s Way,” he played the barber.
Cordova was a lifetime member of the Actors Studio. He also appeared on Broadway with Pacino in “Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?”
His film credits include “Where the Buffalo Roam,” opposite Peter Boyle and Bill Murray, “Nighthawks” with Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams and “Shark’s Treasure,” where he appeared opposite Cornel Wilde, who also wrote and directed the film.
On television, he had guest appearances on “Kojak,...
His son, actor Panchito Gomez “American Me,” “Mi Vida Loca”), announced his death.
In Brian de Palma’s “Scarface,” Cordova played the taco cook at the El Paraiso lunch stand. Though the film was set in Miami, the scene was actually shot in downtown Los Angeles. In “Carlito’s Way,” he played the barber.
Cordova was a lifetime member of the Actors Studio. He also appeared on Broadway with Pacino in “Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?”
His film credits include “Where the Buffalo Roam,” opposite Peter Boyle and Bill Murray, “Nighthawks” with Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams and “Shark’s Treasure,” where he appeared opposite Cornel Wilde, who also wrote and directed the film.
On television, he had guest appearances on “Kojak,...
- 8/28/2020
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Caesar Cordova, a character actor who appeared in the Brian De Palma films Scarface and Carlito’s Way, both starring Al Pacino, has died. He was 84.
A member of the Actors Studio, Cordova died Wednesday of natural causes in Atlantic City, his family announced.
Born May 16, 1936, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Cordova also worked in such films as Sharks’ Treasure (1975), Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) and Nighthawks (1981) and on television in Toma, Kojak, Police Woman, The A-Team and Cagney & Lacey.
He played a taco-stand cook in Scarface (1983) and a barber in Carlito’s Way (1993).
Survivors include his wife, Gladys, and children Panchito — ...
A member of the Actors Studio, Cordova died Wednesday of natural causes in Atlantic City, his family announced.
Born May 16, 1936, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Cordova also worked in such films as Sharks’ Treasure (1975), Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) and Nighthawks (1981) and on television in Toma, Kojak, Police Woman, The A-Team and Cagney & Lacey.
He played a taco-stand cook in Scarface (1983) and a barber in Carlito’s Way (1993).
Survivors include his wife, Gladys, and children Panchito — ...
- 8/28/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Caesar Cordova, a character actor who appeared in the Brian De Palma films Scarface and Carlito’s Way, both starring Al Pacino, has died. He was 84.
A member of the Actors Studio, Cordova died Wednesday of natural causes in Atlantic City, his family announced.
Born May 16, 1936, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Cordova also worked in such films as Sharks’ Treasure (1975), Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) and Nighthawks (1981) and on television in Toma, Kojak, Police Woman, The A-Team and Cagney & Lacey.
He played a taco-stand cook in Scarface (1983) and a barber in Carlito’s Way (1993).
Survivors include his wife, Gladys, and children Panchito — ...
A member of the Actors Studio, Cordova died Wednesday of natural causes in Atlantic City, his family announced.
Born May 16, 1936, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Cordova also worked in such films as Sharks’ Treasure (1975), Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) and Nighthawks (1981) and on television in Toma, Kojak, Police Woman, The A-Team and Cagney & Lacey.
He played a taco-stand cook in Scarface (1983) and a barber in Carlito’s Way (1993).
Survivors include his wife, Gladys, and children Panchito — ...
- 8/28/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and filmmakers and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
Today we analyze the lesser-known films of a legend: Mr. Bill Murray. From his early SNL days to his latter days as Coolest Guy Not Invited To Your Wedding But There Anyway, myself, Conor O’Donnell, and esteemed guest Evan Cutler Wattles question what works and does not work within the whole Bill Murray legend. Our B-Sides include: Where The Buffalo Roam, The Razor’s Edge, Quick Change, and Mad Dog and Glory.
Evan explains why he grew up more a fan of Steve Martin than Murray and we debate the pros and cons of Hunter S. Thompson and the Gonzo style. Also, how exactly did Chevy Chase’s legacy go so far in the opposite direction of Murray’s?...
Today we analyze the lesser-known films of a legend: Mr. Bill Murray. From his early SNL days to his latter days as Coolest Guy Not Invited To Your Wedding But There Anyway, myself, Conor O’Donnell, and esteemed guest Evan Cutler Wattles question what works and does not work within the whole Bill Murray legend. Our B-Sides include: Where The Buffalo Roam, The Razor’s Edge, Quick Change, and Mad Dog and Glory.
Evan explains why he grew up more a fan of Steve Martin than Murray and we debate the pros and cons of Hunter S. Thompson and the Gonzo style. Also, how exactly did Chevy Chase’s legacy go so far in the opposite direction of Murray’s?...
- 8/14/2020
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Danny Goldman, the actor who voiced Brainy Smurf and played the persistent medical student whose prying questions drove Gene Wilder’s irate doctor to stab his own leg with a scalpel in the opening scene of Young Frankenstein, died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles from complications of two recent strokes. He was 80.
His family made the announcement. The cause of death was not related to Covid-19.
A casting director of television commercials for nearly 30 years, Daniel Goldman — he always went by Danny– also was a familiar face on episodic TV throughout the 1970s, ’80s and into the ’90s, appearing on The Good Life, Room 222, Get Smart,...
His family made the announcement. The cause of death was not related to Covid-19.
A casting director of television commercials for nearly 30 years, Daniel Goldman — he always went by Danny– also was a familiar face on episodic TV throughout the 1970s, ’80s and into the ’90s, appearing on The Good Life, Room 222, Get Smart,...
- 4/13/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
If you find yourself somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert and the drugs are starting to take hold, you might as well continue on the road to a Colorado cabin where author Hunter S. Thompson wrote some of his most famous works.
The cabin for the late author behind the best-selling novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the founder of Gonzo journalism has a cabin for rent on Airbnb. For $550 per night, you can enjoy the comforts of Owl Farm, which Thompson often called his “fortified compound” in his writings.
Thompson’s widow, Anita Thompson, is renting out the lodge to support the Hunter S. Thompson scholarship for veterans at Columbia University, where they both studied. Owl Farm contains the two-bedroom home where Thompson lived from the 1960s until his death by suicide in 2005.
The property is also the place where his ashes were fired...
The cabin for the late author behind the best-selling novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the founder of Gonzo journalism has a cabin for rent on Airbnb. For $550 per night, you can enjoy the comforts of Owl Farm, which Thompson often called his “fortified compound” in his writings.
Thompson’s widow, Anita Thompson, is renting out the lodge to support the Hunter S. Thompson scholarship for veterans at Columbia University, where they both studied. Owl Farm contains the two-bedroom home where Thompson lived from the 1960s until his death by suicide in 2005.
The property is also the place where his ashes were fired...
- 7/12/2019
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Tony Sokol Sep 25, 2018
A lifetime of letters from Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson will be auctioned off.
Okay you deranged pile of scurvy buzzards, we may not be proud of what we learned from the Godfather of Gonzo journalism, Hunter S. Thompson, but we never doubted it was worth knowing. The Rolling Stone and ESPN reporter didn't contain himself to stories, he also spewed wisdom he stuck in envelopes and licked the stamps, possibly hoping one may have been misplaced blotter. A collection of 182 letters written by Thompson will be auctioned by Nate D. Sanders Auctions on September 27, 2018.
"The letters begin in 1955 when a 17-year-old Thompson wrote to his Louisville, Kentucky childhood friend Paul Semonin, who was attending Yale University," according to the official statement. "All but two of the letters in the collection were written to Semonin.
The other two items include a letter to an unnamed friend and...
A lifetime of letters from Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson will be auctioned off.
Okay you deranged pile of scurvy buzzards, we may not be proud of what we learned from the Godfather of Gonzo journalism, Hunter S. Thompson, but we never doubted it was worth knowing. The Rolling Stone and ESPN reporter didn't contain himself to stories, he also spewed wisdom he stuck in envelopes and licked the stamps, possibly hoping one may have been misplaced blotter. A collection of 182 letters written by Thompson will be auctioned by Nate D. Sanders Auctions on September 27, 2018.
"The letters begin in 1955 when a 17-year-old Thompson wrote to his Louisville, Kentucky childhood friend Paul Semonin, who was attending Yale University," according to the official statement. "All but two of the letters in the collection were written to Semonin.
The other two items include a letter to an unnamed friend and...
- 9/25/2018
- Den of Geek
Jerry Maren, the last surviving munchkin from The Wizard of Oz, has died at the age of 98.
TMZ reports that Maren died last week at a San Diego nursing care facility, where the actor had spent the past few years as he battled dementia, and was laid to rest over the weekend at Los Angeles' Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
Maren was 18 and newly arrived in Hollywood when he was cast along with over 100 other little people to portray "munchkins" in the big-screen adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
TMZ reports that Maren died last week at a San Diego nursing care facility, where the actor had spent the past few years as he battled dementia, and was laid to rest over the weekend at Los Angeles' Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
Maren was 18 and newly arrived in Hollywood when he was cast along with over 100 other little people to portray "munchkins" in the big-screen adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
- 6/6/2018
- Rollingstone.com
Just like Carl Spackler and his imagined victory at the Masters, “Caddyshack” was the surprise cult comedy no one saw coming.
The year was 1980. Chevy Chase and Bill Murray were at the peak of their fame in their halcyon “Saturday Night Live” days; Rodney Dangerfield and Ted Knight were having career resurgences; and “Animal House” was a massive blockbuster that ushered in a new generation of slobs vs. snobs comedy into the mainstream.
And yet the cast, producer Doug Kenney and director Harold Ramis were prepared for “Caddyshack” to tank. Ramis was a first-time director trying to wrangle a fiasco of a production. Early preview screenings made them think they had floated a Baby Ruth in the pool rather than landed on the next “Animal House.” And the response from critics and the box office was tepid at best.
Entertainment Weekly film critic Chris Nashawaty’s new book, “Caddyshack: The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story,” charts the journey the film took to cult acclaim, from Kenney’s time at National Lampoon to the cast’s rise to stardom at Second City and “SNL.” There are a lot of surprise revelations about the making of “Caddyshack,” from cocaine-addled benders on set to some last minute scrambling to get Murray’s character in the film at all.
Also Read: 'Groundhog Day' at 25: How Bill Murray Rom-Com Became an Accidental Classic
The original draft of the script was 200 pages long – and Carl Spackler wasn’t in it
The original script of “Caddyshack” written by Ramis, Kenney and Brian Doyle-Murray clocked in at 200 pages and was far different from the movie it would become. “It looked like the Bible,” an executive on the film, Mark Canton, says in the book.
The script went through so many last minute changes on set that the actors lost track of them. Entire monologues and memorable lines of dialogue from Chase, Dangerfield, Murray and more were completely improvised, as was much of the film.
Not once in the 200 pages did the name Carl Spackler appear, Nashawaty writes. Murray was a late addition to the cast, and when he finally did have a character, he appeared in only a handful of scenes. His “Dalai Lama” story was given to another actor who struggled with it, his scene with Chase’s character Ty Webb was tacked on after Murray had already wrapped and returned to “SNL,” and his “Cinderella Story” monologue was entirely an invention of Murray. There was nothing written in the script for the scene, so Ramis gave Murray the direction, “Did you ever do imaginary golf commentary in your head?” The rest is, well, a miracle.
Also Read: Bill Murray to Open 'Caddyshack'-Themed Bar Near Chicago
Mickey Rourke was strongly considered to play Danny Noonan
The role of Danny Noonan went down to two finalists — Mickey Rourke and Michael O’Keefe, who ultimately booked it. “This was the early, young, hot, relaxed Mickey Rourke,” O’Keefe says in the book. “He was as compelling as Marlon Brando in a way back then…But I’m a little more easy on the eyes than Mickey. Clearly it would have been a much darker movie.”
Ramis described Rourke as “maybe too real for the movie,” saying, “Michael O’Keefe seemed like a really good boy. Plus, he was a scratch golfer. Mickey Rourke was much more complicated.”
Nearly everyone was doing cocaine – A Lot of it
Michael O’Keefe says in Nashawaty’s book that “cocaine was everywhere” on the set. He described his 11 weeks there as “a permanent party.” Instead of responsible producers making sure everyone played by the rules, Kenney led the charge of much of the cast and crew’s rampant drug use. “The eagle has landed; the eagle has landed! Get your per diems in cash, the dealer’s here,” he would yell, running through their motel hallways. Chase described that cocaine would just “materialize” on set, much to the annoyance of Knight, who always got to bed early, showed up for call time early and didn’t appreciate the looser, more improvisational approach to filming.
Also Read: 'Ghostbusters' Origin Story: How John Belushi and Cocaine Helped Inspire Slimer
Shooting at the same time and released the same summer was “The Blues Brothers,” which was also when John Belushi started getting heavily addicted to cocaine. According to Nashawaty, when that film’s budget started rising as a result of Belushi’s binges, the studio was forced to crack down on the parties on the “Caddyshack” set.
Bill Murray was a “magnificent flake”
Murray has countless urban legends to his name, but his legendary status started even before his “Caddyshack” days. He was shooting the Hunter S. Thompson movie “Where the Buffalo Roam” in the summer of ’79, and was due back in New York for “SNL” in the fall, so Ramis had him for just six days. But Murray never made it clear just when he’d show up on set. As far as Ramis knew, Murray was Mia.
Turns out Murray had commandeered Lorne Michaels’ Vw bug and had driven it everywhere from Los Angeles to Florida to Aspen and took it upon himself to install a stereo along the way. When he finally arrived, he rolled up in a golf cart and said, “Which way to the youth hostel?” The following morning, Murray and actress Cindy Morgan (who played Lacey Underall in the film) woke up together on a nude beach in Jupiter, Florida, after the two had just met.
The gopher saved the day
As Nashawaty writes, it became clear fairly quickly that Ramis was out of his depth in editing “Caddyshack.” He had come from an improv background and used a “yes and…” mentality during filming, but he struggled to find a connective thread for the countless scenes of his actors just riffing and being goofy. The first cut of “Caddyshack” clocked in at four and a half hours. And it was a mess.
They had several editors look at the footage and attempt to salvage it, but it was executive producer Jon Peters who suggested that the gopher, only seen sparingly at first, could be the thing that tied everything together. They were then forced to ask the studio for an extra half-million dollars to build an animatronic gopher and, in the process, cut out the romantic subplots of many of the younger actors. When Kenny Loggins saw that gopher dance, the theme song he wrote should’ve been a clue that everything with “Caddyshack” would be just fine: “I’m Alright. Nobody worry about me.”
Read original story 5 Crazy Stories You Didn’t Know About the Making of ‘Caddyshack’ At TheWrap...
The year was 1980. Chevy Chase and Bill Murray were at the peak of their fame in their halcyon “Saturday Night Live” days; Rodney Dangerfield and Ted Knight were having career resurgences; and “Animal House” was a massive blockbuster that ushered in a new generation of slobs vs. snobs comedy into the mainstream.
And yet the cast, producer Doug Kenney and director Harold Ramis were prepared for “Caddyshack” to tank. Ramis was a first-time director trying to wrangle a fiasco of a production. Early preview screenings made them think they had floated a Baby Ruth in the pool rather than landed on the next “Animal House.” And the response from critics and the box office was tepid at best.
Entertainment Weekly film critic Chris Nashawaty’s new book, “Caddyshack: The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story,” charts the journey the film took to cult acclaim, from Kenney’s time at National Lampoon to the cast’s rise to stardom at Second City and “SNL.” There are a lot of surprise revelations about the making of “Caddyshack,” from cocaine-addled benders on set to some last minute scrambling to get Murray’s character in the film at all.
Also Read: 'Groundhog Day' at 25: How Bill Murray Rom-Com Became an Accidental Classic
The original draft of the script was 200 pages long – and Carl Spackler wasn’t in it
The original script of “Caddyshack” written by Ramis, Kenney and Brian Doyle-Murray clocked in at 200 pages and was far different from the movie it would become. “It looked like the Bible,” an executive on the film, Mark Canton, says in the book.
The script went through so many last minute changes on set that the actors lost track of them. Entire monologues and memorable lines of dialogue from Chase, Dangerfield, Murray and more were completely improvised, as was much of the film.
Not once in the 200 pages did the name Carl Spackler appear, Nashawaty writes. Murray was a late addition to the cast, and when he finally did have a character, he appeared in only a handful of scenes. His “Dalai Lama” story was given to another actor who struggled with it, his scene with Chase’s character Ty Webb was tacked on after Murray had already wrapped and returned to “SNL,” and his “Cinderella Story” monologue was entirely an invention of Murray. There was nothing written in the script for the scene, so Ramis gave Murray the direction, “Did you ever do imaginary golf commentary in your head?” The rest is, well, a miracle.
Also Read: Bill Murray to Open 'Caddyshack'-Themed Bar Near Chicago
Mickey Rourke was strongly considered to play Danny Noonan
The role of Danny Noonan went down to two finalists — Mickey Rourke and Michael O’Keefe, who ultimately booked it. “This was the early, young, hot, relaxed Mickey Rourke,” O’Keefe says in the book. “He was as compelling as Marlon Brando in a way back then…But I’m a little more easy on the eyes than Mickey. Clearly it would have been a much darker movie.”
Ramis described Rourke as “maybe too real for the movie,” saying, “Michael O’Keefe seemed like a really good boy. Plus, he was a scratch golfer. Mickey Rourke was much more complicated.”
Nearly everyone was doing cocaine – A Lot of it
Michael O’Keefe says in Nashawaty’s book that “cocaine was everywhere” on the set. He described his 11 weeks there as “a permanent party.” Instead of responsible producers making sure everyone played by the rules, Kenney led the charge of much of the cast and crew’s rampant drug use. “The eagle has landed; the eagle has landed! Get your per diems in cash, the dealer’s here,” he would yell, running through their motel hallways. Chase described that cocaine would just “materialize” on set, much to the annoyance of Knight, who always got to bed early, showed up for call time early and didn’t appreciate the looser, more improvisational approach to filming.
Also Read: 'Ghostbusters' Origin Story: How John Belushi and Cocaine Helped Inspire Slimer
Shooting at the same time and released the same summer was “The Blues Brothers,” which was also when John Belushi started getting heavily addicted to cocaine. According to Nashawaty, when that film’s budget started rising as a result of Belushi’s binges, the studio was forced to crack down on the parties on the “Caddyshack” set.
Bill Murray was a “magnificent flake”
Murray has countless urban legends to his name, but his legendary status started even before his “Caddyshack” days. He was shooting the Hunter S. Thompson movie “Where the Buffalo Roam” in the summer of ’79, and was due back in New York for “SNL” in the fall, so Ramis had him for just six days. But Murray never made it clear just when he’d show up on set. As far as Ramis knew, Murray was Mia.
Turns out Murray had commandeered Lorne Michaels’ Vw bug and had driven it everywhere from Los Angeles to Florida to Aspen and took it upon himself to install a stereo along the way. When he finally arrived, he rolled up in a golf cart and said, “Which way to the youth hostel?” The following morning, Murray and actress Cindy Morgan (who played Lacey Underall in the film) woke up together on a nude beach in Jupiter, Florida, after the two had just met.
The gopher saved the day
As Nashawaty writes, it became clear fairly quickly that Ramis was out of his depth in editing “Caddyshack.” He had come from an improv background and used a “yes and…” mentality during filming, but he struggled to find a connective thread for the countless scenes of his actors just riffing and being goofy. The first cut of “Caddyshack” clocked in at four and a half hours. And it was a mess.
They had several editors look at the footage and attempt to salvage it, but it was executive producer Jon Peters who suggested that the gopher, only seen sparingly at first, could be the thing that tied everything together. They were then forced to ask the studio for an extra half-million dollars to build an animatronic gopher and, in the process, cut out the romantic subplots of many of the younger actors. When Kenny Loggins saw that gopher dance, the theme song he wrote should’ve been a clue that everything with “Caddyshack” would be just fine: “I’m Alright. Nobody worry about me.”
Read original story 5 Crazy Stories You Didn’t Know About the Making of ‘Caddyshack’ At TheWrap...
- 5/1/2018
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
An authorized biographical series about the life of late author Hunter S. Thompson is in development at MGM Television, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The series will be titled Fear and Loathing, after Thompson's acclaimed book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which was first published as a two-part article in Rolling Stone in 1971.
Veteran television writer Davey Holmes will helm Fear and Loathing as part of a new overall deal with MGM TV. Holmes has written for shows like In Treatment and Shameless, and most recently adapted Elmore Leonard's novel,...
Veteran television writer Davey Holmes will helm Fear and Loathing as part of a new overall deal with MGM TV. Holmes has written for shows like In Treatment and Shameless, and most recently adapted Elmore Leonard's novel,...
- 10/24/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Tony Sokol Kirsten Howard Oct 25, 2017
MGM will turn the life of Gonzo Godfather Hunter S. Thompson into a new TV treat. Drink deep, it's good for you...
"When times get weird, the weird turn pro," Hunter S. Thompson once wrote. It’s been 13 years since the father of Gonzo journalism decided to end his life - ending the games, the fun, the walking and the swimming. Since then, times have gotten weirder than any hallucinogenic chemical fantasia might have imagined. So, maybe it's time for an authorised, televised Hunter S. Thompson biography to tell the story.
There are no details on what it will be, but it will be directed by Davey Homes, who runs the TV adaptation of Elmore Leonard's 1990 novel Get Shorty, and written by Bob Nelson, who wrote screenplays for The Confirmation and Nebraska. The Thompson biography project is being produced by MGM Television.
"Davey is...
MGM will turn the life of Gonzo Godfather Hunter S. Thompson into a new TV treat. Drink deep, it's good for you...
"When times get weird, the weird turn pro," Hunter S. Thompson once wrote. It’s been 13 years since the father of Gonzo journalism decided to end his life - ending the games, the fun, the walking and the swimming. Since then, times have gotten weirder than any hallucinogenic chemical fantasia might have imagined. So, maybe it's time for an authorised, televised Hunter S. Thompson biography to tell the story.
There are no details on what it will be, but it will be directed by Davey Homes, who runs the TV adaptation of Elmore Leonard's 1990 novel Get Shorty, and written by Bob Nelson, who wrote screenplays for The Confirmation and Nebraska. The Thompson biography project is being produced by MGM Television.
"Davey is...
- 10/24/2017
- Den of Geek
A photo posted to a Facebook group triggered debate just as furious as that surrounding The Dress – is it Murray impersonating a crying baby, or is it Hanks?
Bill Murray’s mood swings were so tempestuous during the making of Ghostbusters that Dan Aykroyd nicknamed him The Murricane. The Groundhog Day actor doesn’t have an agent and instead uses a 1-800 number for pitches and offers. On his 20th birthday he was arrested trying to smuggle around 10lb of marijuana through Chicago’s O’Hare airport. He has jammed with Eric Clapton, lived and breathed Hunter S Thompson to play him in Where the Buffalo Roam, sung a duet with Clint Eastwood and tended an Austin bar for the night with members of the Wu-Tang Clan, giving everyone tequila shots no matter what they ordered.
There is already well-established folklore around the living legend that is Bill Murray, and...
Bill Murray’s mood swings were so tempestuous during the making of Ghostbusters that Dan Aykroyd nicknamed him The Murricane. The Groundhog Day actor doesn’t have an agent and instead uses a 1-800 number for pitches and offers. On his 20th birthday he was arrested trying to smuggle around 10lb of marijuana through Chicago’s O’Hare airport. He has jammed with Eric Clapton, lived and breathed Hunter S Thompson to play him in Where the Buffalo Roam, sung a duet with Clint Eastwood and tended an Austin bar for the night with members of the Wu-Tang Clan, giving everyone tequila shots no matter what they ordered.
There is already well-established folklore around the living legend that is Bill Murray, and...
- 10/26/2016
- by Olivia Solon in San Francisco
- The Guardian - Film News
Making a movie about a famous writer is a difficult undertaking for many reasons. But James Ponsoldt somehow managed to avoid most of the pitfalls as such with “The End of the Tour,” last year's winsome, loving ode to David Foster Wallace. Similarly, Bennett Miller erected a commendable testament to Truman Capote back in 2005 with his Philip Seymour Hoffman-starring biopic. There's something to said for films like 2010's noble but erratic “Howl,” which starred James Franco as beat poet Allen Ginsberg, as well as the two big-screen Hunter Thompson adaptations, 1980's "Where the Buffalo Roam" and 1998's "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas," both of which indulge in the author’s penchant for overkill. Read More: James Ponsoldt's 'The End Of The Tour' Starring Jason Segel & Jesse Eisenberg So a movie about Ernest Hemingway is going to spark at least a flash of intrigue in any bibliophile.
- 3/24/2016
- by Nicholas Laskin
- The Playlist
Let's get one thing straight before we begin. Bill Murray is the King. There are better actors. There are people who have better filmographies. There are even funnier people, although not many. But Bill Murray is, all things, considered, the King. I've dedicated much of the last 45 years working this out scientifically, and I am prepared to finally share the findings with you, free of charge, right here at HitFix. Ostensibly, we're doing this because of this weekend's release of "Rock The Kasbah," but that's just an excuse. The truth is that it's important that we rank all 55 of Bill Murray's film performances, with a special focus on the top 25. We are not including his television work here. There are films on this list we have not seen, but not many. We decided to leave those films unranked, so here is that list: Unranked "The Hat Act" "Pass The Buck: Expo '74...
- 10/24/2015
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
David Letterman will bid farewell to his Late Show tonight with a surprise-filled (and Foo Fighters-featuring) finale, but before the late-night legend says goodbye to airwaves, take 45 minutes to remember Letterman at the onset of his 33-year career. Decider unearthed Letterman's incredible debut episode of his Late Night NBC program from February 1, 1982, which featured guests Bill Murray and Donald "Mr. Wizard" Herbert.
The episode opened up with actor Calvert DeForest, or Larry "Bud" Melman as he was known on the show, delivering a spooky prologue inspired by actor Edward Van Sloan...
The episode opened up with actor Calvert DeForest, or Larry "Bud" Melman as he was known on the show, delivering a spooky prologue inspired by actor Edward Van Sloan...
- 5/20/2015
- Rollingstone.com
Bill Murray became a movie star 35 years ago this week, upon the release of "Meatballs" on June 29, 1979. His lead role as the head counselor at a sub-par summer camp marked a number of firsts: his first of four movies with director Ivan Reitman (the others were "Stripes" and the two "Ghostbusters"), his first of six movies with writer Harold Ramis (the four Reitman films, plus "Caddyshack" and "Groundhog Day"), and his first taste of mega-stardom beyond his TV fame on "Saturday Night Live."
Since then, his career has taken on a trajectory unique in the history of film, one in which he's gone from comic goofball to dramatic thespian, from universally beloved to acquired taste, and from manic cynic to soft-spoken spiritual seeker. Through it all, however, there have been a few constants; no matter whether he's a grubby groundskeeper or a morose mogul: Murray's character is always the coolest...
Since then, his career has taken on a trajectory unique in the history of film, one in which he's gone from comic goofball to dramatic thespian, from universally beloved to acquired taste, and from manic cynic to soft-spoken spiritual seeker. Through it all, however, there have been a few constants; no matter whether he's a grubby groundskeeper or a morose mogul: Murray's character is always the coolest...
- 6/26/2014
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
On this week's episode of The Golden Briefcase, Tim and Jeremy are joined by guest Brian Salisbury of One of Us and Film School Rejects to go through their latest picks of the week, the newest DVD & Blu-ray releases and much more. The main topic of the night was a discussion on films that deal with Man vs. Machine in honor of José Padilha's remake of RoboCop starring Joel Kinnaman, out in theaters now. The guys talk over some of their favorite entries in this sub-genre, go over how its occurrences have changed in films over the years, and even pontificate on the future of humankind in the hands of future robot overlords. Download #187 or Listen Now: [audio href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/firstshowing/EP187.mp3" title="Of Machines and Men (Guest: Brian Salisbury)"]The Golden Briefcase #187/audio] Subscribe via: RSS or iTunes Previous Episode: Remembering Mr. Hoffman (Guest: Matt Patches) Our Guest: Brian Salisbury: @BriguySalisbury Picks of the Week: Jeremy: Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) Brian:...
- 2/16/2014
- by Tim Buel
- firstshowing.net
Stars: Katia Winder, Michael McMillian, Ted Levine | Written and Directed by Blair Erickson
The Banshee Chapter follows journalist, Anna (Winter) who is investigating the disappearance of her friend James (McMillan). James has been experimenting with strange drugs that the Us military used in real life experiments in the 1960s. These experiments had very weird and sinister results, of course, so as Anna goes about her investigation, weird and sinister things begin to happen to her too. I really liked this. It’s got quite a bit going on, including but not limited to archival footage both fictional and real, strange referencing of real life cultural figures and Lovecraftian horrors from beyond the veil. As such, it was a little unpredictable, which I liked.
Whilst we know what beats and tropes to expect from a film involving zombies or creepy children or vampires, there isn’t really an established dialogue for...
The Banshee Chapter follows journalist, Anna (Winter) who is investigating the disappearance of her friend James (McMillan). James has been experimenting with strange drugs that the Us military used in real life experiments in the 1960s. These experiments had very weird and sinister results, of course, so as Anna goes about her investigation, weird and sinister things begin to happen to her too. I really liked this. It’s got quite a bit going on, including but not limited to archival footage both fictional and real, strange referencing of real life cultural figures and Lovecraftian horrors from beyond the veil. As such, it was a little unpredictable, which I liked.
Whilst we know what beats and tropes to expect from a film involving zombies or creepy children or vampires, there isn’t really an established dialogue for...
- 2/1/2014
- by Jack Kirby
- Nerdly
With the release of "Lost in Translation" ten years ago, everyone was finally forced to take Bill Murray seriously. Even the Academy finally noticed him and gave him a Best Actor nomination, the only one he's received so far.
By this time, he'd been paring down his craft for 30 years until, with the help of directors like "Translation"'s Sofia Coppola and "Rushmore"'s Wes Anderson, he'd achieved a kind of Zen purity. After that, he could choose to play the smartass clown (as in his early roles) or the serious thespian, or somewhere in between. With no agent and plenty of savings, he could pick and choose projects at whim and do only what he felt like doing. So even his lesser movies seemed like labors of love; after all, there must have been something personally appealing to him in those roles to coax him off the golf course.
By this time, he'd been paring down his craft for 30 years until, with the help of directors like "Translation"'s Sofia Coppola and "Rushmore"'s Wes Anderson, he'd achieved a kind of Zen purity. After that, he could choose to play the smartass clown (as in his early roles) or the serious thespian, or somewhere in between. With no agent and plenty of savings, he could pick and choose projects at whim and do only what he felt like doing. So even his lesser movies seemed like labors of love; after all, there must have been something personally appealing to him in those roles to coax him off the golf course.
- 9/13/2013
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Monday
The fifth and final day of Frightfest mercifully began a little later than the preceding days, a boon to many now slightly flagging and delirious film fans. Unfortunately, the first film on the main screen was the single worst feature I caught at the festival. Dark Touch (Marina De Van) features a French crew and an Irish cast and one wonders if something drastic was lost in translation. It’s the story of an eleven year old girl called Niamh (Marie Missy Keating) whose parents and baby brother are killed when household objects seemingly begin to attack them of their own accord. She goes to live with family friends but the mysterious occurrences start to happen again.
It’s apparently a film about child abuse but it misjudges its take on this very difficult subject so badly, it’s borderline offensive. It’s also just stupid. If I were...
The fifth and final day of Frightfest mercifully began a little later than the preceding days, a boon to many now slightly flagging and delirious film fans. Unfortunately, the first film on the main screen was the single worst feature I caught at the festival. Dark Touch (Marina De Van) features a French crew and an Irish cast and one wonders if something drastic was lost in translation. It’s the story of an eleven year old girl called Niamh (Marie Missy Keating) whose parents and baby brother are killed when household objects seemingly begin to attack them of their own accord. She goes to live with family friends but the mysterious occurrences start to happen again.
It’s apparently a film about child abuse but it misjudges its take on this very difficult subject so badly, it’s borderline offensive. It’s also just stupid. If I were...
- 9/4/2013
- by Jack Kirby
- Nerdly
There's always been a lot of tripping in movies, and man, is it hilarious. People trip all the time. Why, just the other day, I had dropped my backpack on the floor of my apartment right when I walked in, and as I circled back around really quickly I ended up stepping right into ...
Oh. Ohhh. That type of tripping. The one with hallucinogenic drugs. Okay, got it. Yeah, that type of tripping is funny, too. And hey, that's in a bunch of movies as well! Like, say, this week's "This is the End." Or so we hear.
We've counted down for you the Top 15 "tripping" scenes in movies, ranked in order of ... trippiest? We guess?
15. 'Batman Begins' (2005)
The tripping scenes in "Batman Begins" are underrated to the degree that a) they're not done for fun — quite the opposite, in fact — and b) they're kind of an afterthought...
Oh. Ohhh. That type of tripping. The one with hallucinogenic drugs. Okay, got it. Yeah, that type of tripping is funny, too. And hey, that's in a bunch of movies as well! Like, say, this week's "This is the End." Or so we hear.
We've counted down for you the Top 15 "tripping" scenes in movies, ranked in order of ... trippiest? We guess?
15. 'Batman Begins' (2005)
The tripping scenes in "Batman Begins" are underrated to the degree that a) they're not done for fun — quite the opposite, in fact — and b) they're kind of an afterthought...
- 6/11/2013
- by Nick Blake
- NextMovie
Were you expecting a three-part Bill Murray video essay when you woke up today? Probably not. But as it turns out, it's totally the perfect way to spend your afternoon, revisiting some of the highlights from nearly all of Murray's films, but not necessarily focusing on all the most famous stuff. There are instantly recognizable clips from Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day, of course, but not necessarily the most famous lines, plus scenes from movies like Tootsie and Little Shop of Horrors that are rarely remembered for Murray's roles in them. Then there's movies like Where The Buffalo Roam and Mad Dog and Glory, which I had never even heard of, much less remembered Murray's roles in them. The actor who once seemed so synonymous with his most famous characters has actually managed to reinvent himself in recent years, and it's amusing to see roles as different as The Royal Tenenbaums...
- 4/4/2013
- cinemablend.com
A decades-long history of mixed visuals represent the Gonzo journalist's exuberant words on film. In honor of Piotr Kabat's fantastic new animation of Hunter S. Thompson's work (posted here and below), we rifle through a few other films attempting to get to the heart of this wild figure. "Where the Buffalo Roam" | 1980 | Inchoate and Quirky This comedy, semi-based on Hunter S. Thompson's whacked-out adventures in the 1970s, was called "bad, dumb, low-level, low rent" by the journalist. Neither Bill Murray's acting nor Neil Young's score could save this bizarrely structured biopic that took the punch out of Thompson's words. However, as Roger Ebert said, "this is the kind of bad movie that's almost worth seeing." "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" | 1998 | Frenzied and Brilliant Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro take on Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, fictional exaggerations based...
- 1/17/2013
- by Maggie Lange
- Thompson on Hollywood
In 2003, William James Murray (better known to those who haven't spent hours reading his Wikipedia page as Bill Murray) starred in Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation," a poignant, somber romantic comedy that spotlighted the budding relationship between an aging film star (Murray) and the lonely wife of a photographer (Scarlett Johansson) in Tokyo. Murray was nominated for an Oscar for said performance, but he ultimately lost to Sean Penn's turn in "Mystic River."
At one point, he also did the Garfield movies.
But herein lies the massive injustice. Bill Murray should have been nominated for an Academy Award for every other movie he's done. There. We said it. The following is a comprehensive list of Murray movies where the Academy unconscionably overlooked his performance, starting from the very beginning of his illustrious career.
'Meatballs' (1979)
Role: Tripper Harrison
Analysis: We're willing to forgive this one, as the...
At one point, he also did the Garfield movies.
But herein lies the massive injustice. Bill Murray should have been nominated for an Academy Award for every other movie he's done. There. We said it. The following is a comprehensive list of Murray movies where the Academy unconscionably overlooked his performance, starting from the very beginning of his illustrious career.
'Meatballs' (1979)
Role: Tripper Harrison
Analysis: We're willing to forgive this one, as the...
- 12/6/2012
- by Nick Blake
- NextMovie
Toronto — Most stars shun the "O word" – Oscar – when they might be in the running for an Academy Award, not wanting to jinx their chances or look too eager.
Bill Murray has no problem dissecting Hollywood's highest honors.
A best actor nominee for 2003's "Lost in Translation," Murray could have Oscar prospects again as Franklin Delano Roosevelt in "Hyde Park on the Hudson," a comic drama that played the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival.
Murray won a string of key prizes for "Lost in Translation" leading up to the Oscars, including a Golden Globe, an Independent Spirit Award and honors from many critics groups.
When he lost on Oscar night, it was a lesson not to get your hopes up too high, Murray said in an interview.
"You can't get all ramped up and amped up about this thing all the time," Murray said. "I mean, I got excited about it once,...
Bill Murray has no problem dissecting Hollywood's highest honors.
A best actor nominee for 2003's "Lost in Translation," Murray could have Oscar prospects again as Franklin Delano Roosevelt in "Hyde Park on the Hudson," a comic drama that played the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival.
Murray won a string of key prizes for "Lost in Translation" leading up to the Oscars, including a Golden Globe, an Independent Spirit Award and honors from many critics groups.
When he lost on Oscar night, it was a lesson not to get your hopes up too high, Murray said in an interview.
"You can't get all ramped up and amped up about this thing all the time," Murray said. "I mean, I got excited about it once,...
- 9/13/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
One of the most fascinating casting choices of the last year came when it was announced that Bill Murray would be playing President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the Roger Michell-directed drama Hyde Park on Hudson. The actor has only played real figures a couple of times, and those include his turn as drag queen Bunny Breckinridge in Ed Wood and the insane Hunter S. Thompson in Where The Buffalo Roam - neither character even remotely similar to our 32nd president. Murray did look great in the first image of him in character that was released late last year, but when will we have our chance to see what he looks like in motion. According to Box Office Mojo, that day will come on December 7th, as it is being reported that will be the day that Hyde Park on Hudson arrives in theaters. The move drops the title into...
- 2/20/2012
- cinemablend.com
Johnny Depp's new project seems a far cry from Jack Sparrow, but John Patterson finds a case of yo-ho-hum with this new bottle of rum
• Johnny Depp interview: 'I'm not ready to give up my American citizenship'
When Johnny Depp was shooting Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas in the late-90s, he got a call from Bill Murray, who nearly two decades earlier had also played Gonzo kingpin Hunter S Thompson in the largely forgettable Where The Buffalo Roam. Make your next role drastically different from Thompson, Murray advised Depp, "Otherwise you'll find yourself 10 years from now still doing him."
Here we are, not just 10 but nearly 15 years later, facing The Rum Diary, which, precisely in line with the prognostications of the Nostradamus-like Murray (who knew?), stars Johnny Depp as a very lightly fictionalised version of the young Hunter S Thompson – although it's a very different, more realistic performance.
• Johnny Depp interview: 'I'm not ready to give up my American citizenship'
When Johnny Depp was shooting Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas in the late-90s, he got a call from Bill Murray, who nearly two decades earlier had also played Gonzo kingpin Hunter S Thompson in the largely forgettable Where The Buffalo Roam. Make your next role drastically different from Thompson, Murray advised Depp, "Otherwise you'll find yourself 10 years from now still doing him."
Here we are, not just 10 but nearly 15 years later, facing The Rum Diary, which, precisely in line with the prognostications of the Nostradamus-like Murray (who knew?), stars Johnny Depp as a very lightly fictionalised version of the young Hunter S Thompson – although it's a very different, more realistic performance.
- 11/7/2011
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
Johnny Depp's new project seems a far cry from Jack Sparrow, but John Patterson finds a case of yo-ho-hum with this new bottle of rum
• Johnny Depp interview: 'I'm not ready to give up my American citizenship'
When Johnny Depp was shooting Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas in the late-90s, he got a call from Bill Murray, who nearly two decades earlier had also played Gonzo kingpin Hunter S Thompson in the largely forgettable Where The Buffalo Roam. Make your next role drastically different from Thompson, Murray advised Depp, "Otherwise you'll find yourself 10 years from now still doing him."
Here we are, not just 10 but nearly 15 years later, facing The Rum Diary, which, precisely in line with the prognostications of the Nostradamus-like Murray (who knew?), stars Johnny Depp as a very lightly fictionalised version of the young Hunter S Thompson – although it's a very different, more realistic performance.
• Johnny Depp interview: 'I'm not ready to give up my American citizenship'
When Johnny Depp was shooting Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas in the late-90s, he got a call from Bill Murray, who nearly two decades earlier had also played Gonzo kingpin Hunter S Thompson in the largely forgettable Where The Buffalo Roam. Make your next role drastically different from Thompson, Murray advised Depp, "Otherwise you'll find yourself 10 years from now still doing him."
Here we are, not just 10 but nearly 15 years later, facing The Rum Diary, which, precisely in line with the prognostications of the Nostradamus-like Murray (who knew?), stars Johnny Depp as a very lightly fictionalised version of the young Hunter S Thompson – although it's a very different, more realistic performance.
- 11/5/2011
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
Against the classic humanist code of 'to thine own self be true', Hunter S Thompson proposed a new liberty: keep making yourself up
There was a real man, Hunter Stockton Thompson, born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1937. It was apparently the same person, or the same legal entity, who shot himself in the head in 2005 at his home in Woody Creek, Colorado, at the age of 67. Such evidence is not to be ignored, but I'm not sure how much help it is in the story of a plain human being who was bent on becoming a legend, a fictional being or a ghost. He was called a journalist (in official descriptions) and maybe a studious count could have been kept on the amount of alcohol and other substances that he consumed – if anyone was of a mood to credit those numbers. But it's more to the point that his dedication to "mind altering" went further.
There was a real man, Hunter Stockton Thompson, born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1937. It was apparently the same person, or the same legal entity, who shot himself in the head in 2005 at his home in Woody Creek, Colorado, at the age of 67. Such evidence is not to be ignored, but I'm not sure how much help it is in the story of a plain human being who was bent on becoming a legend, a fictional being or a ghost. He was called a journalist (in official descriptions) and maybe a studious count could have been kept on the amount of alcohol and other substances that he consumed – if anyone was of a mood to credit those numbers. But it's more to the point that his dedication to "mind altering" went further.
- 11/4/2011
- by David Thomson
- The Guardian - Film News
"Johnny Depp's quasi-filial bromance with Hunter S Thompson has now extended well beyond the celebrated gonzo journalist's death," writes Salon's Andrew O'Hehir, "with consequences that are a lot like the relationship itself: Strange, endearing and a little bit embarrassing. Depp personally financed and supervised the firing of Thompson's earthly remains out of a cannon at the writer's 2005 funeral, an event captured in Alex Gibney's documentary Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr Hunter S Thompson (narrated, of course, by Johnny Depp). Having played Thompson's most famous alter ego, Raoul Duke, in Terry Gilliam's psychotronic 1998 version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas — a flawed film, but very much worth a second look in its recent Criterion release — Depp now returns to the Thompson well of booze and acid for a second dip."
"To get to the heart of the mess that is The Rum Diary," writes Gustavo Turner in the La Weekly,...
"To get to the heart of the mess that is The Rum Diary," writes Gustavo Turner in the La Weekly,...
- 10/28/2011
- MUBI
The Rum Diary holds a special place in the heart of Johnny Depp. It was the actor who found the manuscript for what would prove to be one of Hunter S. Thompson's final books. Depp sits down and talks to Movie Fanatic about how full his heart is now that The Rum Diary is set to hit the big screen.
The Rum Diary (don't miss this clip starring Amber Heard and Depp) is an origins story in the legend of Thompson's Gonzo self. His fictional alter ego, Paul Kemp, is an aspiring novelist who lands in Puerto Rico to take a position at a San Juan daily newspaper. To say chaos ensues undermines and minimizes the author's penchant for mayhem. The Rum Diary also stars Giovanni Ribisi and Aaron Eckhart.
Depp also discusses his friendship with Thompson and what the author would make of the promotional circus that is...
The Rum Diary (don't miss this clip starring Amber Heard and Depp) is an origins story in the legend of Thompson's Gonzo self. His fictional alter ego, Paul Kemp, is an aspiring novelist who lands in Puerto Rico to take a position at a San Juan daily newspaper. To say chaos ensues undermines and minimizes the author's penchant for mayhem. The Rum Diary also stars Giovanni Ribisi and Aaron Eckhart.
Depp also discusses his friendship with Thompson and what the author would make of the promotional circus that is...
- 10/27/2011
- by joel.amos@moviefanatic.com (Joel D Amos)
- Reel Movie News
Things are looking up for the long-delayed literary adaptation The Rum Diary, Johnny Depp's second run at writer Hunter M. Thompson. Whenever a movie sits on the shelf for long, it starts to small a little. But while FilmDistrict did not take the film to early fall film fests, they have booked it as the opening of Elvis Mitchell's Film Independent series at Lacma and will play the upcoming Hamptons Film Festival. So far the alcoholic Rolling Stone writer and movies have not mixed well, from Depp's first foray into channeling the boozehound, Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, to 1980's Where the Buffalo Roam, starring Bill Murray, and Alex Gibney's noisy doc Gonzo. Thompson has a great voice as a writer. It's ...
- 9/27/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
Things are looking up for the long-delayed literary adaptation The Rum Diary, Johnny Depp's second run at writer Hunter M. Thompson. Whenever a movie sits on the shelf for long, it starts to small a little. But while FilmDistrict did not take the film to early fall film fests, they have booked it as the opening of Elvis Mitchell's Film Independent series at Lacma and will play the upcoming Hamptons Film Festival. So far the alcoholic Rolling Stone writer and movies have not mixed well, from Depp's first foray into channeling the boozehound, Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, to 1980's Where the Buffalo Roam, starring Bill Murray, and Alex Gibney's noisy doc Gonzo. Thompson has a great voice as a writer. It's ...
- 9/26/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
Hunter S. Thompson has been portrayed onscreen a couple of times. First, there was Bill Murray in Where the Buffalo Roam, and Murray was fine. He had the mannerisms and speech patterns down, but he was still Bill Murray playing Hunter Thompson.
But in Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Johnny Depp was Hunter Thompson. Depp wholly embodied Thompson's sly gonzo intellect in a movie that wasn't perfect, but felt a lot like the book on which it was based — at once curious, weary, disenchanted and hopeful.
Now, Depp is back as Thompson. Well, not Thompson per se, but his alter ego. In The Rum Diary, Depp plays Paul Kemp, a burnt-out journalist who leaves the confines of 1950s America to work at a newspaper in Puerto Rico and ends up involved in crazed adventures with offbeat characters. The film is based on Thompson's book of the same name,...
But in Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Johnny Depp was Hunter Thompson. Depp wholly embodied Thompson's sly gonzo intellect in a movie that wasn't perfect, but felt a lot like the book on which it was based — at once curious, weary, disenchanted and hopeful.
Now, Depp is back as Thompson. Well, not Thompson per se, but his alter ego. In The Rum Diary, Depp plays Paul Kemp, a burnt-out journalist who leaves the confines of 1950s America to work at a newspaper in Puerto Rico and ends up involved in crazed adventures with offbeat characters. The film is based on Thompson's book of the same name,...
- 8/26/2011
- by Theron
- Planet Fury
Neds; Route Irish; Tangled; Barney's Version; Morning Glory; Get Low
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Peter Mullan's Neds (2010, Entertainment One, 18), a hard-hitting tale of "non-educated delinquents" street-fighting in 70s Glasgow, is just how stylishly cinematic it manages to be. Mullan may have earned his acting spurs working with Ken Loach on the gritty Cannes prize-winner My Name is Joe, but his directorial style here owes more to the colourful choreography of Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange and Boyle's Trainspotting than to any grim social-realist tradition. He is greatly aided by the presence of screen newcomer Conor McCarron who excels as the super-bright schoolkid led astray by a classist slight which turns him against authority and education. It's that crushing sense of wasted youth married with a fearsomely kinetic portrayal of adolescent anarchy which powers the film's infernal combustion engine. Having wrestled with the Catholic church in The Magdalene Sisters,...
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Peter Mullan's Neds (2010, Entertainment One, 18), a hard-hitting tale of "non-educated delinquents" street-fighting in 70s Glasgow, is just how stylishly cinematic it manages to be. Mullan may have earned his acting spurs working with Ken Loach on the gritty Cannes prize-winner My Name is Joe, but his directorial style here owes more to the colourful choreography of Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange and Boyle's Trainspotting than to any grim social-realist tradition. He is greatly aided by the presence of screen newcomer Conor McCarron who excels as the super-bright schoolkid led astray by a classist slight which turns him against authority and education. It's that crushing sense of wasted youth married with a fearsomely kinetic portrayal of adolescent anarchy which powers the film's infernal combustion engine. Having wrestled with the Catholic church in The Magdalene Sisters,...
- 5/21/2011
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
Somehow, Norman Jewison still doesn't quite seem to get enough recognition. But, despite the fact that his name doesn't leap to mind when thinking about legendary directors, many of his films make the list of all-time greats. One of those classics (missing out on many of the Oscars it was nominated for due to the domination of The French Connection) is now available on Blu-Ray, and the 40th Anniversary Edition of Fiddler on the Roof is an absolute must own title.
Few films have ever managed to stir such emotion and deliver such complexity of theme, especially when you consider Fiddler on the Roof's ability to balance the oppressive setting with the joy and vibrancy of life embodied by Tevye (in Topol's brilliant performance).
Eyeing marriages for their five daughters, each with the fire and spark of youth tempered into various manifestations by the determined good cheer of their father,...
Few films have ever managed to stir such emotion and deliver such complexity of theme, especially when you consider Fiddler on the Roof's ability to balance the oppressive setting with the joy and vibrancy of life embodied by Tevye (in Topol's brilliant performance).
Eyeing marriages for their five daughters, each with the fire and spark of youth tempered into various manifestations by the determined good cheer of their father,...
- 5/17/2011
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
X-Men (2006, 2009) and Hugh Jackman’s Open.No Producer John Palermo considering a summer start in L.A. for The Dead Circus, a drama that develops a storyline into the odd death of one hit wonder Bobby Fuller.
James Marsden, Michael Shannon (Update: Shannon’s reps said scheduling has knocked him out of the role), Michael C. Hall and Oscar winner Melissa Leo are attached to this project.
The script is penned by Adam Davenport and John Kaye, based on Kaye’s novel. Davenport is going to make his directorial debut on The Dead Circus.
Fuller has been on the rise, with I Fought the Law charting on Billboard, but he was soon found dead in his car outside of his apartment. Fuller’s death has remained a mystery, but some speculate that the Manson family was involved in that case.
Leo will play a Manson Family matriarch who was hiding...
James Marsden, Michael Shannon (Update: Shannon’s reps said scheduling has knocked him out of the role), Michael C. Hall and Oscar winner Melissa Leo are attached to this project.
The script is penned by Adam Davenport and John Kaye, based on Kaye’s novel. Davenport is going to make his directorial debut on The Dead Circus.
Fuller has been on the rise, with I Fought the Law charting on Billboard, but he was soon found dead in his car outside of his apartment. Fuller’s death has remained a mystery, but some speculate that the Manson family was involved in that case.
Leo will play a Manson Family matriarch who was hiding...
- 3/30/2011
- by Nikola Mraovic
- Filmofilia
The life and work of Hunter S. Thompson have already served as the inspiration for several films (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Where the Buffalo Roam, Gonzo), and there may be another such movie on the way. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Motion Picture Corporation of America bought the rights to “Prisoner in Denver,” an article co-written by Thompson and Mark Seal which ran in Vanity Fair’s June 2004 issue....
- 5/7/2010
- Pastemagazine.com
Late cult writer Hunter S. Thompson is set to return to the big screen posthumously - in a new film based on his final literary works.
Bosses at the Motion Picture Corporation of America have acquired the film rights to Prisoner of Denver - a June 2004 Vanity Fair article co-written by the infamous gonzo journalist and the magazine's contributing editor Mark Seal.
The article focused on the case of 21-year-old Lisl Auman, who began a correspondence with Thompson after she was charged with the murder of a Denver, Colorado police officer.
Auman was handed a life sentence with no possibility of parole, but Thompson's piece helped overturn her sentence in 2005.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, producers are adapting the article, with a focus on Thompson and Seal's roles in the case.
Actor Johnny Depp, a longtime friend of the writer's, previously brought Thompson to the big screen in Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Bill Murray played him in 1980's Where the Buffalo Roam.
Bosses at the Motion Picture Corporation of America have acquired the film rights to Prisoner of Denver - a June 2004 Vanity Fair article co-written by the infamous gonzo journalist and the magazine's contributing editor Mark Seal.
The article focused on the case of 21-year-old Lisl Auman, who began a correspondence with Thompson after she was charged with the murder of a Denver, Colorado police officer.
Auman was handed a life sentence with no possibility of parole, but Thompson's piece helped overturn her sentence in 2005.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, producers are adapting the article, with a focus on Thompson and Seal's roles in the case.
Actor Johnny Depp, a longtime friend of the writer's, previously brought Thompson to the big screen in Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Bill Murray played him in 1980's Where the Buffalo Roam.
- 5/4/2010
- WENN
Prisoner of Denver, about the gonzo reporter's campaign to free a Colorado woman wrongly convicted of murder, is to be turned into a film
Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Art Linson's Where the Buffalo Roam and Bruce Robinson's forthcoming The Rum Diary all feature lead characters based on the late Hunter S Thompson. Now the original gonzo reporter looks set to get a fresh turn on the big screen after one of his final written works was optioned by Hollywood. And this time he has a sidekick.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Prisoner of Denver will be based on a Vanity Fair article from June 2004, which was co-written by Thompson and the magazine's contributing editor Mark Seal, a long-term fan who grabbed a late opportunity to work with his idol. The piece highlighted the plight of 21-year-old Lisl Auman, a Colorado woman who was...
Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Art Linson's Where the Buffalo Roam and Bruce Robinson's forthcoming The Rum Diary all feature lead characters based on the late Hunter S Thompson. Now the original gonzo reporter looks set to get a fresh turn on the big screen after one of his final written works was optioned by Hollywood. And this time he has a sidekick.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Prisoner of Denver will be based on a Vanity Fair article from June 2004, which was co-written by Thompson and the magazine's contributing editor Mark Seal, a long-term fan who grabbed a late opportunity to work with his idol. The piece highlighted the plight of 21-year-old Lisl Auman, a Colorado woman who was...
- 5/4/2010
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
One of Hunter S. Thompson's last works has been picked up for feature treatment that could see Thompson onscreen again, this time as a crusader for justice.
Motion Picture Corporation of America, led by CEO Brad Krevoy, has acquired rights to "Prisoner of Denver," a June 2004 Vanity Fair article co-written by Thompson and the magazine's contributing editor Mark Seal.
"Prisoner" focused on the injustice and abuse of Colorado's legal system that saw 21-year-old Lisl Auman charged with murder when the crime occurred while she was in the back of a patrol car, already in police custody. She was handed a life sentence with no possibility of parole.
While behind bars, she began a correspondence with Thompson. His unrelenting grass-roots activism -- which included enlisting celebrity pals including Johnny Depp, Jack Nicholson, Benicio Del Toro and Woody Harrelson -- and the Vanity Fair piece helped overturn Auman's sentence in 2005.
Seal...
Motion Picture Corporation of America, led by CEO Brad Krevoy, has acquired rights to "Prisoner of Denver," a June 2004 Vanity Fair article co-written by Thompson and the magazine's contributing editor Mark Seal.
"Prisoner" focused on the injustice and abuse of Colorado's legal system that saw 21-year-old Lisl Auman charged with murder when the crime occurred while she was in the back of a patrol car, already in police custody. She was handed a life sentence with no possibility of parole.
While behind bars, she began a correspondence with Thompson. His unrelenting grass-roots activism -- which included enlisting celebrity pals including Johnny Depp, Jack Nicholson, Benicio Del Toro and Woody Harrelson -- and the Vanity Fair piece helped overturn Auman's sentence in 2005.
Seal...
- 5/3/2010
- by By Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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