Lee Gabler, a talent agent and former co-chairman and managing partner at Creative Artists Agency, died June 3 in Los Angeles after suffering a brain injury. He was 84.
After earning his stripes in the 1960s at the mailroom of Ashley Steiner Famous Artists in New York, Gabler was soon promoted to talent agency under the mentorship of agency founder, Ted Ashley. The agency eventually evolved into International Creative Management, and by 1970, Gabler was promoted to executive vice president. He then transferred to the Los Angeles office and became head of the worldwide Television Department. He represented clients such as Weinberger-Daniels-Brooks, Mtm and Bruce Paltrow.
In 1982, CAA recruited Gabler to bolster its television arm, and by 1989 he was head of the division. He was made co-chairman and managing partner in 1996. Gabler and his division represented Aaron Spelling, for whom he negotiated deals for “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Melrose Place;” Paul Junger Witt,...
After earning his stripes in the 1960s at the mailroom of Ashley Steiner Famous Artists in New York, Gabler was soon promoted to talent agency under the mentorship of agency founder, Ted Ashley. The agency eventually evolved into International Creative Management, and by 1970, Gabler was promoted to executive vice president. He then transferred to the Los Angeles office and became head of the worldwide Television Department. He represented clients such as Weinberger-Daniels-Brooks, Mtm and Bruce Paltrow.
In 1982, CAA recruited Gabler to bolster its television arm, and by 1989 he was head of the division. He was made co-chairman and managing partner in 1996. Gabler and his division represented Aaron Spelling, for whom he negotiated deals for “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Melrose Place;” Paul Junger Witt,...
- 6/6/2024
- by Jack Dunn
- Variety Film + TV
Lee Gabler, the talent agent and former co-chairman and managing partner at Creative Artists Agency who orchestrated pioneering television deals, died June 3 in Los Angeles of a brain injury. He was 84 years old.
His death was announced by a Sony Pictures rep. See some reactions from clients and friends below.
Gabler’s began his career in the early 1960s in the mailroom at Ashley Steiner Famous Artists in New York, and soon after was promoted to talent agent under the mentorship of agency founder Ted Ashley. One of Gabler’s first assignments in the Variety Show department was covering The Ed Sullivan Show.
The agency eventually evolved into ICM (International Creative Management) and by 1970 Gabler had risen through the ranks to executive vice president. He transferred to the Los Angeles office and became head of the worldwide Television Department, representing clients such as Weinberger-Daniels-Brooks, Mtm, and Bruce Paltrow. He helped...
His death was announced by a Sony Pictures rep. See some reactions from clients and friends below.
Gabler’s began his career in the early 1960s in the mailroom at Ashley Steiner Famous Artists in New York, and soon after was promoted to talent agent under the mentorship of agency founder Ted Ashley. One of Gabler’s first assignments in the Variety Show department was covering The Ed Sullivan Show.
The agency eventually evolved into ICM (International Creative Management) and by 1970 Gabler had risen through the ranks to executive vice president. He transferred to the Los Angeles office and became head of the worldwide Television Department, representing clients such as Weinberger-Daniels-Brooks, Mtm, and Bruce Paltrow. He helped...
- 6/6/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Lee Gabler, the powerful Hollywood agent who orchestrated landmark television deals during a four-decade career that included 25 years as a stalwart at CAA and a long relationship with David Letterman, has died. He was 84.
Gabler died Monday in Los Angeles from a brain injury, his wife of 35 years, Elizabeth Gabler, president of 3000 Pictures at Sony Pictures Entertainment, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Gabler, who started out at the Ashley Steiner Famous Artists agency in New York before coming to prominence at ICM, negotiated agreements for some of the most popular shows in TV history.
They included The West Wing, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, ER, Mad Men, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Amazing Race, Moonlighting, American Idol, House, Beverly Hills, 90210, Northern Exposure, 24, Sex and the City, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Melrose Place, The White Shadow, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Band of Brothers, Tales From the Crypt and Alf.
Gabler died Monday in Los Angeles from a brain injury, his wife of 35 years, Elizabeth Gabler, president of 3000 Pictures at Sony Pictures Entertainment, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Gabler, who started out at the Ashley Steiner Famous Artists agency in New York before coming to prominence at ICM, negotiated agreements for some of the most popular shows in TV history.
They included The West Wing, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, ER, Mad Men, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Amazing Race, Moonlighting, American Idol, House, Beverly Hills, 90210, Northern Exposure, 24, Sex and the City, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Melrose Place, The White Shadow, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Band of Brothers, Tales From the Crypt and Alf.
- 6/6/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"The Golden Girls" aired its pilot episode in the fall of 1985 and raked in 44 million viewers. An instant classic, the sitcom followed the lives of four older women — Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), Rose Nylund (Betty White), and Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty) — and how they cope with aging, dating, and living together. With a sharp comedic sensibility, the show ran seven seasons and frequently addressed major social issues, including racism, body image, and LGBTQ+ rights.
Producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas initially pitched a show about a female lawyer, but NBC senior vice president Warren Littlefield showed little interest in the concept. Instead, he asked...
The post The 25 Best Golden Girls Episodes appeared first on /Film.
Producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas initially pitched a show about a female lawyer, but NBC senior vice president Warren Littlefield showed little interest in the concept. Instead, he asked...
The post The 25 Best Golden Girls Episodes appeared first on /Film.
- 2/8/2022
- by Jason Scott
- Slash Film
Betty White had a mischievous side, and she loved to have fun and crack jokes on the set of “The Golden Girls.” But there were times when she was all business.
Those times were often on Monday mornings. In the early years of the NBC comedy, White, the legendary performer who died this week at the age of 99, would often sit with “Golden Girls” executive producer Tony Thomas and dig into the overnight ratings for the hit sitcom that aired in Saturday time slots for the entirety of its 1985-1992 run.
“When I think of Betty, I think of fun,” Thomas told Variety. “She liked to have a good time at work. We laughed a lot. She was just the best.”
Thomas and White had a bond from their mutual experience of having grown up alongside with the medium of television. Thomas is the son of legendary entertainer Danny Thomas,...
Those times were often on Monday mornings. In the early years of the NBC comedy, White, the legendary performer who died this week at the age of 99, would often sit with “Golden Girls” executive producer Tony Thomas and dig into the overnight ratings for the hit sitcom that aired in Saturday time slots for the entirety of its 1985-1992 run.
“When I think of Betty, I think of fun,” Thomas told Variety. “She liked to have a good time at work. We laughed a lot. She was just the best.”
Thomas and White had a bond from their mutual experience of having grown up alongside with the medium of television. Thomas is the son of legendary entertainer Danny Thomas,...
- 1/1/2022
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
The Environmental Media Association crowned the past year’s most environmentally relevant television and movie titles on Friday at the 2020 Ema Awards.
The annual awards show, which has gone virtual this year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, seeks to award Hollywood titles that address climate change, sustainability and other environmental topics through storylines. Ema also recognizes studios and productions for their efforts to put the environment at center stage both in front and behind the camera.
Darren Criss, John Oliver and Tracee Ellis Ross were among the stars accepting awards at the virtual ceremony. Receiving the Ema’s Paul Junger Witt Comedy Award alongside Peter Saji, Ross reflected on the award-winning Mixed-ish episode and expressed her optimism for a greener world.
“Much like we are facing an environmental crisis today, this was an episode that focused on an environmental crisis from 20 years ago,” she said. “We fixed it once and if we work together,...
The annual awards show, which has gone virtual this year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, seeks to award Hollywood titles that address climate change, sustainability and other environmental topics through storylines. Ema also recognizes studios and productions for their efforts to put the environment at center stage both in front and behind the camera.
Darren Criss, John Oliver and Tracee Ellis Ross were among the stars accepting awards at the virtual ceremony. Receiving the Ema’s Paul Junger Witt Comedy Award alongside Peter Saji, Ross reflected on the award-winning Mixed-ish episode and expressed her optimism for a greener world.
“Much like we are facing an environmental crisis today, this was an episode that focused on an environmental crisis from 20 years ago,” she said. “We fixed it once and if we work together,...
- 8/22/2020
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
For Sunday’s Oscars 2019 ceremony, producers had a difficult decision of which film industry people would make the cut and who would be left out of the “In Memoriam.” For the segment, Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic performed music by Oscar winner John Williams.
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
SEEDirector Stanley Donen, dead at 94, was light on his feet and a movie musical heavyweight
Stanley Donen would have certainly been included, but he died on the weekend after the segment had been finalized (look for him on the 2020 show). Here is list of some of the people included in the Memoriam tribute for the ceremony (Academy members are indicated with ** by their names):
Susan Anspach (actor)
Bernardo Bertolucci (director)
Yvonne Blake (costume designer)**
Paul Bloch...
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
SEEDirector Stanley Donen, dead at 94, was light on his feet and a movie musical heavyweight
Stanley Donen would have certainly been included, but he died on the weekend after the segment had been finalized (look for him on the 2020 show). Here is list of some of the people included in the Memoriam tribute for the ceremony (Academy members are indicated with ** by their names):
Susan Anspach (actor)
Bernardo Bertolucci (director)
Yvonne Blake (costume designer)**
Paul Bloch...
- 2/25/2019
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
While Academy Awards producers have strived for a much shorter ceremony this year, the annual “In Memoriam” segment will definitely remain. In fact this moment on Sunday’s 2019 event should be extra classy since Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic will be performing as part of the tribute.
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. But which ones will be featured in the short segment? There are generally outcries each year from family members upset about people being left out. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
Virtually certain to be part of the montage are Oscar-winning directors Bernardo Bertolucci and Milos Forman, Oscar-nominated actors Carol Channing, Albert Finney and Burt Reynolds, director and actress Penny Marshall, executive producer and entertainment icon Stan Lee and many more.
SEEDana Carvey, Mike Myers, Queen Latifah, Barbra Streisand...
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. But which ones will be featured in the short segment? There are generally outcries each year from family members upset about people being left out. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
Virtually certain to be part of the montage are Oscar-winning directors Bernardo Bertolucci and Milos Forman, Oscar-nominated actors Carol Channing, Albert Finney and Burt Reynolds, director and actress Penny Marshall, executive producer and entertainment icon Stan Lee and many more.
SEEDana Carvey, Mike Myers, Queen Latifah, Barbra Streisand...
- 2/22/2019
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
“He was my brother.” Producer Tony Thomas remembered his longtime partner Paul Junger Witt as an extraordinarily talented producer who had great taste in material and an instinctive skill at pitching shows to network buyers.
Witt died Friday in Los Angeles at age 77 after a long battle with cancer.
“He was a lion — an absolute lion,” Thomas told Variety. “He was laser-brain smart and strong and believed in his convictions and would not be deterred. He had terrific taste and he knew how to tell a story extremely well. He was a great salesman. He knew how to find the right way to articulate to a given network what the show was and the elements that they would respond to.”
Witt and Thomas worked together for more than 45 years. From 1975 on, the two were partners in the prosperous Witt/Thomas Prods., which later expanded to Witt/Thomas/Harris Prods. when writer Susan Harris,...
Witt died Friday in Los Angeles at age 77 after a long battle with cancer.
“He was a lion — an absolute lion,” Thomas told Variety. “He was laser-brain smart and strong and believed in his convictions and would not be deterred. He had terrific taste and he knew how to tell a story extremely well. He was a great salesman. He knew how to find the right way to articulate to a given network what the show was and the elements that they would respond to.”
Witt and Thomas worked together for more than 45 years. From 1975 on, the two were partners in the prosperous Witt/Thomas Prods., which later expanded to Witt/Thomas/Harris Prods. when writer Susan Harris,...
- 4/27/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Paul Junger Witt, the TV producer whose credits include “The Golden Girls” and “Soap,” has died at the age of 77, according to media reports.
According to Variety, Witt passed away in Los Angeles on Friday following a long battle with cancer.
Through his company Witt/Thomas/Harris productions, run with producing partner Tony Thomas and wife Susan Harris, Witt was also behind such shows as “The Partridge Family,” “Benson,” “It’s a Living,” “Empty Nest” and “Blossom” from the 1970s through the ’90s.
Also Read: Happy 96th Birthday, Betty White! Watch 9 of Her All-Time Best TV Moments (Videos)
On the film side, Witt also produced the Robin Williams drama “Dead Poets Society,” Nora Ephron’s “Mixed Nuts” and 2011’s “A Better Life,” which earned an Oscar nomination for star Demián Bichir.
He is survived by Harris and five children.
Read original story Paul Junger Witt, ‘Golden Girls’ Producer, Dies at 77 At TheWrap...
According to Variety, Witt passed away in Los Angeles on Friday following a long battle with cancer.
Through his company Witt/Thomas/Harris productions, run with producing partner Tony Thomas and wife Susan Harris, Witt was also behind such shows as “The Partridge Family,” “Benson,” “It’s a Living,” “Empty Nest” and “Blossom” from the 1970s through the ’90s.
Also Read: Happy 96th Birthday, Betty White! Watch 9 of Her All-Time Best TV Moments (Videos)
On the film side, Witt also produced the Robin Williams drama “Dead Poets Society,” Nora Ephron’s “Mixed Nuts” and 2011’s “A Better Life,” which earned an Oscar nomination for star Demián Bichir.
He is survived by Harris and five children.
Read original story Paul Junger Witt, ‘Golden Girls’ Producer, Dies at 77 At TheWrap...
- 4/27/2018
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Paul Junger Witt, who produced such hit TV shows as Golden Girls, Here Come the Brides and features Dead Poets Society, Three Kings and Insomnia, among others, died Friday morning at his home after a long battle with cancer, his publicist said. He was 77.
Witt, who began his career in the mailroom at Columbia Pictures, rose to become a producer of some TV’s most beloved and successful shows. Witt was behind such hits as The Partridge Family, Golden Girls, Here Come the Brides, Soap, its spinoff Benson, Empty Nest, Blossom and the original Beauty and the Beast.
In addition to his TV work, Witt also was a producer of features Dead Poets Society and Insomnia, both starring Robin Williams; Three Kings; and critically praised A Better Life, along with the classic 1971 TV movie Brian’s Song. The photo at left shows Witt with Williams at the Insomnia premiere in...
Witt, who began his career in the mailroom at Columbia Pictures, rose to become a producer of some TV’s most beloved and successful shows. Witt was behind such hits as The Partridge Family, Golden Girls, Here Come the Brides, Soap, its spinoff Benson, Empty Nest, Blossom and the original Beauty and the Beast.
In addition to his TV work, Witt also was a producer of features Dead Poets Society and Insomnia, both starring Robin Williams; Three Kings; and critically praised A Better Life, along with the classic 1971 TV movie Brian’s Song. The photo at left shows Witt with Williams at the Insomnia premiere in...
- 4/27/2018
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Paul Junger Witt, producer of such TV comedies as “The Golden Girls,” “Benson,” and “Soap” and a principal of the prosperous Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions, died Friday in Los Angeles. He was 77.
Witt had faced a long battle with cancer, a family representative said.
With producing partner Tony Thomas, Witt in the 1970s and 80s ran Witt/Thomas Productions, which was also home to NBC’s “Empty Nest” and “Blossom” and the original “Beauty and the Beast” series. In 1983, Witt married writer-producer Susan Harris, creator of NBC’s “Golden Girls,” and the company expanded as Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions.
In addition to his TV work, Witt was a producer of such films as 1989’s “Dead Poet’s Society,” 1999’s “Three Kings,” 2002’s “Insomnia,” and 2011’s “A Better Life.”
Born in New York City, Witt graduated from the University of Virginia. He got his start in Hollywood in the mail room of Columbia Pictures.
Witt had faced a long battle with cancer, a family representative said.
With producing partner Tony Thomas, Witt in the 1970s and 80s ran Witt/Thomas Productions, which was also home to NBC’s “Empty Nest” and “Blossom” and the original “Beauty and the Beast” series. In 1983, Witt married writer-producer Susan Harris, creator of NBC’s “Golden Girls,” and the company expanded as Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions.
In addition to his TV work, Witt was a producer of such films as 1989’s “Dead Poet’s Society,” 1999’s “Three Kings,” 2002’s “Insomnia,” and 2011’s “A Better Life.”
Born in New York City, Witt graduated from the University of Virginia. He got his start in Hollywood in the mail room of Columbia Pictures.
- 4/27/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Paul Junger Witt, who produced such classic TV shows as <em>The Partridge Family</em>, <em>Soap</em> and <em>The Golden Girls</em>, died Friday morning at his home in Los Angeles, his publicist stated. He was 77.
Witt died after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Along with his accomplished TV career, Witt was also a producer on a number of movies, including <em>Dead Poets Society</em>, <em>Three Kings</em> and <em>Insomnia</em>.
Beyond his work on the big and small screen, Witt had a passion for the environment that led him to serving on the California State Park and Recreation Commission for 16 years in the roles of chairman, vice chairman and ...
Witt died after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Along with his accomplished TV career, Witt was also a producer on a number of movies, including <em>Dead Poets Society</em>, <em>Three Kings</em> and <em>Insomnia</em>.
Beyond his work on the big and small screen, Witt had a passion for the environment that led him to serving on the California State Park and Recreation Commission for 16 years in the roles of chairman, vice chairman and ...
- 4/27/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
As if she didn't have enough to do, super-achiever president of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, with a raft of "Star Wars" sequels in the works, is joining the USC School of Cinematic Arts (Sca) Board of Councilors, announced Dean Elizabeth M. Daley. Typically, Kennedy joins a board comprised entirely of film and TV industry alpha males, except for alpha female Shonda Rhimes: Chair Frank Price, Frank Biondi, Jr., Barry Diller, Lee Gabler, David Geffen, Jim Gianopulos, Brian Grazer, Brad Grey, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Alan Levine, George Lucas, Michael Lynton, Don Mattrick, Bill M. Mechanic, Barry Meyer, Les Moonves, Sidney Poitier, John Riccitiello, Barney Rosenzweig, Scott Sassa, Steven Spielberg, Kevin Tsuijihara, John Wells, Jim Wiatt, Paul Junger Witt and Robert Zemeckis. Prior to joining Lucasfilm in 2012 to take over the reins from George Lucas, Kennedy headed The Kennedy/Marshall Company, which she...
- 6/23/2015
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The president and CEO of CBS Corporation has joined the USC School Of Cinematic Arts board of councillors, Dean Elizabeth M Daley announced.
“Les is an innovator whose insights and creative energy are legendary,” said Daley. “His experience spans the entire media landscape so in addition to contributing to the overall vision and goals of the school, Les has the kind of practical knowledge that will benefit all our divisions.”
Board councillors include chair Frank Price, Frank Biondi, Jr, Barry Diller, Lee Gabler, David Geffen, Jim Gianopulos, Brian Grazer, Brad Grey, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Alan Levine, George Lucas, Michael Lynton, Don Mattrick, Bill Mechanic, Barry Meyer, Sidney Poitier, John Riccitiello, Barney Rosenzweig, Scott Sassa, Steven Spielberg, John Wells, Jim Wiatt, Paul Junger Witt and Robert Zemeckis.
“The board of councillors is dedicated to making sure students at the School Of Cinematic Arts have the resources they need to prepare for careers in the industry,” said Price. “Les...
“Les is an innovator whose insights and creative energy are legendary,” said Daley. “His experience spans the entire media landscape so in addition to contributing to the overall vision and goals of the school, Les has the kind of practical knowledge that will benefit all our divisions.”
Board councillors include chair Frank Price, Frank Biondi, Jr, Barry Diller, Lee Gabler, David Geffen, Jim Gianopulos, Brian Grazer, Brad Grey, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Alan Levine, George Lucas, Michael Lynton, Don Mattrick, Bill Mechanic, Barry Meyer, Sidney Poitier, John Riccitiello, Barney Rosenzweig, Scott Sassa, Steven Spielberg, John Wells, Jim Wiatt, Paul Junger Witt and Robert Zemeckis.
“The board of councillors is dedicated to making sure students at the School Of Cinematic Arts have the resources they need to prepare for careers in the industry,” said Price. “Les...
- 12/17/2014
- by [email protected] (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Sara Chase and Lauren Adams have joined NBC comedy series Tooken from 30 Rock’s Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. It centers on Kimmy (Ellie Kemper), who escapes from a doomsday cult and starts life over in New York. Chase, repped by TalentWorks and Perennial Entertainment, will play Cyndee, Kimmy’s best friend from the cult. Adams will play Gretchen, a member of the cult for the past 10 years and the only member who has been successfully brainwashed and believes everything she was told. Adams is with Cesd, Luber/Rocklin and attorney Jeffrey Hynick. Related: 2014 NBC Pilots Emmy and Tony Award winner Debra Monk has been booked on NBC’s single-camera comedy pilot Feed Me, from Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas. Written by Sally Robinson and starring Mary-Louise Parker, Feed Me centers on a dysfunctional family bound by love and the restaurant they run together. Monk, repped by Brs/Gage and Principal Entertainment La,...
- 3/19/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Bille Woodruff has been tapped to direct VH1′s Drumline 2: A New Beat, co-written by Karen Gist and Regina Hicks. Fox Television Studios is co-financing and looking at the project as a possible back-door pilot. Story focuses on strong-willed and talented Dani Bolton, who defies her parents, bypassing Spelman College for Seu so she can join the Rolling Red Thunder Drumline. Nick Cannon will exec produce. Woodruff, repped by ICM Partners, Greenlight Management, and attorney Peter Nichols, directed features Honey and Beauty Shop. His current film Addicted for Lionsgate is slated to be released in October. Gist is repped by ICM Partners; Hicks is with Resolution. Michael Trim (Orange Is The New Black, Parks And Recreation, Weeds) will direct NBC’s single-camera comedy pilot Feed Me, from Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas. Written by Sally Robinson and starring Mary-Louise Parker, Feed Me is described as a comedic exploration...
- 3/18/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Mary-Louise Parker‘s reunion with NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt is now official as the former Weeds star has closed a deal to topline NBC’s single-camera comedy pilot Feed Me. The project, from veteran producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas, received a pilot green light last month based on Parker’s intention to star in it. Following the end of Weeds, which Greenblatt put on the air while running Showtime, NBC had been pursing the actress for multiple projects, and Feed Me was the script she responded to. Talks with Parker had already commenced when Feed Me was picked up to pilot three weeks ago, now they have been successfully completed. Written by Sally Robinson, who penned Lifetime’s successful Steel Magnolias remake, Feed Me is described as a comedic exploration of adult intimacy and desire that centers on a dysfunctional family bound by love and the restaurant they run together.
- 3/6/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Updated: NBC has given a late pilot order to Feed Me, a single-camera comedy from veteran producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas’ Witt/Thomas Prods (Blossom, Beauty And The Beast and its CW reboot, The Practice). NBC had been pursuing former Weeds star Mary-Louise Parker for multiple pilots. This is the script she responded to, helping it get a green light while the actress’ deal is being worked out. Feed Me would reunite Parker with NBC topper Bob Greenblatt who cast her in another dark comedy, Weeds, while at Showtime. Written by Sally Robinson, who penned Lifetime’s hugely successful Steel Magnolia remake, Feed Me is described as a comedic exploration of adult intimacy and desire that centers on a dysfunctional family bound by love and the restaurant they run together. And when daughter Emma’s husband has an affair, they circle the wagons to fiercely protect one of their own.
- 2/14/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Michael Lynton is the latest high-profile Hollywood name to join up with the USC School of Cinematic Arts. The CEO of Sony Entertainment has been appointed to the school’s Board Of Councilors, which deal with planning and development and maybe most importantly fundraising efforts. Lynton, who went to Harvard, joins board members including chairman Frank Price, Frank Biondi Jr, Barry Diller, Lee Gabler, David Geffen, Brian Grazer, Brad Grey, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Alan Levine, George Lucas, Don Mattrick, Bill M. Mechanic, Barry Meyer, Sidney Poitier, John Riccitiello, Barney Rosenzweig, Scott Sassa, Steven Spielberg, John Wells, Jim Wiatt, Paul Junger Witt, and Robert Zemeckis. Said Price in a statement today: “The Board of Councilors works in the interest of Sca’s students, who will be the future leaders of our industry. Michael is actively working on laying the groundwork for that future, and he will use his expertise to support the...
- 8/28/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
With the goofy snooze-fest known as "The Secret Circle" being put out to pasture (along with our guilty pleasure "Ringer"), The CW network has picked up two new genre-themed television shows to get your ghost. Now if only they can move "Supernatural" back to Thursday.
Deadline reports that The CW has picked up "Cult" from Warner Bros. TV and "Beauty and the Beast" from CBS Television Studios.
"Cult" centers on Skye (Jessica Lucas), an inquisitive young production assistant on a wildly popular television show called Cult. After a rash of disappearances and a likely murder, she joins Jeff (Matt Davis), a journalist blogger whose brother was among those gone missing, in investigating the rabid fans of the series who might be re-creating crimes seen on the program in real life. In the show, star Andrew Leeds' character is named Kyle and is the network Creative VP recently assigned to Cult.
Deadline reports that The CW has picked up "Cult" from Warner Bros. TV and "Beauty and the Beast" from CBS Television Studios.
"Cult" centers on Skye (Jessica Lucas), an inquisitive young production assistant on a wildly popular television show called Cult. After a rash of disappearances and a likely murder, she joins Jeff (Matt Davis), a journalist blogger whose brother was among those gone missing, in investigating the rabid fans of the series who might be re-creating crimes seen on the program in real life. In the show, star Andrew Leeds' character is named Kyle and is the network Creative VP recently assigned to Cult.
- 5/11/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
In his U.S. debut, Australian actor Jay Ryan has landed the male lead opposite Kristin Kreuk in the CW drama pilot Beauty And The Beast. Loosely based on the 1980s CBS series, CW’s Beauty And The Beast is described as a modern-day romantic love story with a procedural twist. It centers on Catherine (Kreuk), a tough-minded NYPD homicide detective haunted by witnessing her mother’s murder nine years ago and the killers’ quick demise at the hands of a Beast. After years of searching, Catherine finally finds the Beast, Vincent Koslow (Ryan), the survivor of a military experiment that went disastrously wrong, and becomes the protector of his secret life as a superhero. Gary Fleder is directing the pilot, written by Jennifer Levin and Sherri Cooper. Levin and Cooper are executive producing with the creator of the original series, Ron Koslow, the original series’ producers Paul Junger Witt & C.
- 3/2/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Lana Lang is returning to the CW network. Smallville is over (on television at least), but things are just beginning for the CW series, Beauty and the Beast, and actress Kristen Kreuk is your title beauty.
Deadline announced the seasoned CW actress had won the lead role in the new series. You can expect the story to very loosely follow that of the 1980s CBS series which starred Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman. Though Beauty and the Beast is a romance at heart, so to speak, this re-telling has “a procedural twist”.
Kreuk’s Catherine will be a NYPD homicide detective. I like this already! Her past trauma includes witnessing her mother’s murder nine years prior and the slaying of her mother’s killers, which followed right after. Who killed them? You guessed it, it was the Beast.
CW’s beast will be explained thanks to a military experiment gone wrong.
Deadline announced the seasoned CW actress had won the lead role in the new series. You can expect the story to very loosely follow that of the 1980s CBS series which starred Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman. Though Beauty and the Beast is a romance at heart, so to speak, this re-telling has “a procedural twist”.
Kreuk’s Catherine will be a NYPD homicide detective. I like this already! Her past trauma includes witnessing her mother’s murder nine years prior and the slaying of her mother’s killers, which followed right after. Who killed them? You guessed it, it was the Beast.
CW’s beast will be explained thanks to a military experiment gone wrong.
- 2/17/2012
- by Sasha Nova
- Boomtron
Some may have felt Kristin Kreuk’s Smallville character, Lana Lang’s romance with Clark Kent dragged the show to a halt. The super hero drama would fall into convoluted emo-driven subplots that action fans didn’t want to be bothered with. Besides, we all knew Superman would someday be with his Lois Lane when he got to Metropolis. In reality, Kreuk was just warming up for what could be an even bigger romantic fantasy, as the lead role in the CW’s modern take on the 1980′s Beauty and The Beast series that starred Linda Hamilton (Terminator) and Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy).
Kreuk will play Catherine, a New York City homicide detective, who is still emotionally damaged from her mother’s murder nine years ago. The killer was taken care of swiftly by Vincent Koslow, The Beast. Using her skills as a detective, she tracks down the Beast,...
Kreuk will play Catherine, a New York City homicide detective, who is still emotionally damaged from her mother’s murder nine years ago. The killer was taken care of swiftly by Vincent Koslow, The Beast. Using her skills as a detective, she tracks down the Beast,...
- 2/16/2012
- by Ernie Estrella
- BuzzFocus.com
EW has confirmed that Kristin Kreuk, a.k.a. Smallville’s Lana Lang, has been cast in The CW pilot Beauty and the Beast. The show, inspired by the late ’80s Linda Hamilton-Ron Perlman series of the same name, will follow New York homicide detective Catherine (Kreuk) who discovers an unlikely ally in Vincent, a military vet turned into a beast by an experiment gone wrong. Forced underground by his appearance, the Beast acts as an avenging angel — including killing the man who murdered Catherine’s mother nine years before.
Ron Koslow, who created the original series, will...
Ron Koslow, who created the original series, will...
- 2/16/2012
- by Lanford Beard
- EW - Inside TV
Smallville star Kristin Kreuk is back at the CW in one of the most talked-about roles this pilot season: the female lead in the CW’s drama pilot Beauty And The Beast. Loosely based on the 1980s CBS series starring Linda Hamilton, CW’s Beauty And The Beast is described as a modern-day romantic love story with a procedural twist. It centers on Catherine (Kreuk), a tough-minded NYPD homicide detective haunted by witnessing her mother’s murder nine years ago and the killers’ quick demise at the hands of a Beast. After years of searching, Catherine finally finds the Beast, Vincent Koslow, the survivor of a military experiment that went disastrously wrong, and becomes the protector of his secret life as a superhero. Gary Fleder is directing the pilot, written by Jennifer Levin and Sherri Cooper. Levin and Cooper are executive producing with the creator of the original series, Ron Koslow,...
- 2/16/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
That ear-piercing scream of glee you heard yesterday probably came from the region of the SciFi Mafia headquarters. Yes indeed, The CW has announced the pickup of the pilot for… wait for it… Arrow, the tv version of the Green Arrow comics, as well as the pilot for Beauty and the Beast.
We told you about the possibility of a Green Arrow pilot just last week, and now it has come to pass. According to Deadline, Arrow is to be a modern retelling of the DC Comics hero. It’s written by Andrew Kreisberg (Warehouse 13) and Marc Guggenheim based on a story by Greg Berlanti and Guggenheim. Kreisberg, Guggenheim and Berlanti are all credited as writers/executive producers on the pilot. David Nutter is expected to direct.
The other pilot, Beauty and the Beast, is another one about which we gave you a head’s up, this time back in September.
We told you about the possibility of a Green Arrow pilot just last week, and now it has come to pass. According to Deadline, Arrow is to be a modern retelling of the DC Comics hero. It’s written by Andrew Kreisberg (Warehouse 13) and Marc Guggenheim based on a story by Greg Berlanti and Guggenheim. Kreisberg, Guggenheim and Berlanti are all credited as writers/executive producers on the pilot. David Nutter is expected to direct.
The other pilot, Beauty and the Beast, is another one about which we gave you a head’s up, this time back in September.
- 1/19/2012
- by Erin Willard
- ScifiMafia
The CW has announced three more pilot orders, one of which should be of interest to genre fans - a reboot of the 1980s series "Beauty and the Beast" that has the original's creator involved as well.
Per Deadline, this new version will be loosely based on the 1980s CBS series starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman and play as a modern day romantic love story with a procedural twist. Jennifer Levin ("Without a Trace") and Sherri Cooper ("Brothers and Sisters") wrote the script and are executive producing along with the creator of the original series, Ron Koslow; Paul Junger Witt and C. Anthony Thomas of Witt/Thomas Productions, which co-produced the 1980s series; and Bill Haber.
In case you're curious, the other two pilots are "Arrow", based on DC Comics' Green Arrow, and an adaptation of Candace Bushnell’s novel The Carrie Diaries, a prequel to Sex and the City.
Per Deadline, this new version will be loosely based on the 1980s CBS series starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman and play as a modern day romantic love story with a procedural twist. Jennifer Levin ("Without a Trace") and Sherri Cooper ("Brothers and Sisters") wrote the script and are executive producing along with the creator of the original series, Ron Koslow; Paul Junger Witt and C. Anthony Thomas of Witt/Thomas Productions, which co-produced the 1980s series; and Bill Haber.
In case you're curious, the other two pilots are "Arrow", based on DC Comics' Green Arrow, and an adaptation of Candace Bushnell’s novel The Carrie Diaries, a prequel to Sex and the City.
- 1/19/2012
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Robin Williams Returns In Blu-ray. Carpe Diem . Seize the Day!
Academy Award® Winner for Best Original Screenplay!
.Dead Poets Society. Graduates To Blu-ray., January 17, 2012
Academy Award winner Robin Williams (Best Supporting Actor, Good Will Hunting, 1997) delivers one of his most memorable performances in Dead Poets Society . digitally restored and presented for the first time ever in breathtaking Blu-rayTM High Definition.
For generations, Welton Academy students have been groomed to live lives of conformity and tradition . until new professor John Keating inspires them to think for themselves, live life to the fullest and .Carpe Diem.. This unconventional approach awakens the spirits of the students, but draws the wrath of a disapproving faculty when an unexpected tragedy strikes the school. With unforgettable characters and beautiful cinematography, Dead Poets Society will captivate and inspire you time and time again..
Talent/Cast: Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting); Ethan Hawke (Training Day); Robert Sean Leonard...
Academy Award® Winner for Best Original Screenplay!
.Dead Poets Society. Graduates To Blu-ray., January 17, 2012
Academy Award winner Robin Williams (Best Supporting Actor, Good Will Hunting, 1997) delivers one of his most memorable performances in Dead Poets Society . digitally restored and presented for the first time ever in breathtaking Blu-rayTM High Definition.
For generations, Welton Academy students have been groomed to live lives of conformity and tradition . until new professor John Keating inspires them to think for themselves, live life to the fullest and .Carpe Diem.. This unconventional approach awakens the spirits of the students, but draws the wrath of a disapproving faculty when an unexpected tragedy strikes the school. With unforgettable characters and beautiful cinematography, Dead Poets Society will captivate and inspire you time and time again..
Talent/Cast: Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting); Ethan Hawke (Training Day); Robert Sean Leonard...
- 10/18/2011
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
A second Beauty and the Beast project is entering the fray this development season, this time based on the cult 1980s series starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman, our sister site TVLine reports. CBS has the rights to the original series, and a Beauty and the Beast reboot was the first new project new CW president Mark Pedowitz and CBS TV Studios president David Stapf discussed after Pedowitz took the reins of the network in late spring. Described as modern day romantic love story with a procedural twist, the new Beauty and the Beast will be written by Jennifer Levin (Without A Trace) and Sherri Cooper (Brothers and Sisters), who will executive produce with the creator of the original series Ron Koslow, Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas’ Witt/Thomas Prods., which co-produced the 1980s series, and Bill Haber. The other Beauty and the Beast drama project in development for next season,...
- 9/16/2011
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
A stranger's plight lodged itself in producer Paul Junger Witt's heart, pushing him for 25 years to bring the dramatized story to life on screen.
A Better Life, the result, is the rare Hollywood film that focuses on a Latino family in the United States and, rarer still, takes an intimate view of the price paid by illegal immigrants making their bid for the American dream.
The movie, opening in limited release July 15, is intended to be apolitical regarding the immigration issue, Witt said, but he wants it to spark more than ticket sales.
"I think people on both sides can politicize it and that's not unhealthy, because it will promote dialogue and discussion. This issue isn't going away," he said. "If that's one of the results of this film coming out, so be it. It needs to be talked about."
In the mid-1980s, a gardener working for Witt's...
A Better Life, the result, is the rare Hollywood film that focuses on a Latino family in the United States and, rarer still, takes an intimate view of the price paid by illegal immigrants making their bid for the American dream.
The movie, opening in limited release July 15, is intended to be apolitical regarding the immigration issue, Witt said, but he wants it to spark more than ticket sales.
"I think people on both sides can politicize it and that's not unhealthy, because it will promote dialogue and discussion. This issue isn't going away," he said. "If that's one of the results of this film coming out, so be it. It needs to be talked about."
In the mid-1980s, a gardener working for Witt's...
- 7/1/2011
- by Cineplex.com and contributors
- Cineplex
The Los Angeles Film Festival has announced the world premiere of Richard Linklater's Bernie as the opening night film for the 2011 festival.
The film will kick off the festival on June 16 at Regal Cinemas Stadium 14 at L.A. Live. It is written by Skip Hollandsworth and director Linklater and stars Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, and Matthew McConaughey.
The film follows a beloved mortician (Black) from a small Texas town, even winning over the town's richest, meanest widow (MacLaine). Even after Bernie commits a horrible crime, people still will not utter a bad word against him.
"We're thrilled to be opening the Festival with the world premiere of this delicious black comedy - a treat from one of the most original and exciting voices in independent film, Richard Linklater," said Festival director Rebecca Yeldham. "With its fabulous all-star cast, Bernie is a perfect stage setter for the incredible line-up of...
The film will kick off the festival on June 16 at Regal Cinemas Stadium 14 at L.A. Live. It is written by Skip Hollandsworth and director Linklater and stars Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, and Matthew McConaughey.
The film follows a beloved mortician (Black) from a small Texas town, even winning over the town's richest, meanest widow (MacLaine). Even after Bernie commits a horrible crime, people still will not utter a bad word against him.
"We're thrilled to be opening the Festival with the world premiere of this delicious black comedy - a treat from one of the most original and exciting voices in independent film, Richard Linklater," said Festival director Rebecca Yeldham. "With its fabulous all-star cast, Bernie is a perfect stage setter for the incredible line-up of...
- 5/30/2011
- by [email protected] (Alyssa Caverley)
- Reel Movie News
This year’s Oscars weren’t even two weeks ago and already we could have an awards contender on our hands for next year. This week I had a chance to see A Better Life, a drama directed by Chris Weitz (New Moon) about a single-dad gardener from Mexico living illegally in Los Angeles and trying to keep his teenage son away from the pervasive gang culture. Summit Entertainment is releasing the film at the end of June, in the same slot it gave to The Hurt Locker two years ago.
They have reason to be high on the film.
They have reason to be high on the film.
- 3/13/2011
- by Dave Karger
- EW - Inside Movies
Check out the trailer for A Better Life directed by Chris Weitz and starring Demian Bichir, Jose Julian, Dolores Heredia, Joaquin Cosio and Carlos Linares. A Better Life is a touching, poignant, multi-generational story about a father’s love and the lengths a parent will go to give his child the opportunities he never had. A Better Life opens June 24th via Summit Entertainment and is produced by Paul Junger Witt, Christian McLaughlin, Chris Weitz, Jami Gertz and Stacey Lubliner. A Better Life movie trailer...
- 2/28/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Check out the trailer for A Better Life directed by Chris Weitz and starring Demian Bichir, Jose Julian, Dolores Heredia, Joaquin Cosio and Carlos Linares. A Better Life is a touching, poignant, multi-generational story about a father’s love and the lengths a parent will go to give his child the opportunities he never had. A Better Life opens June 24th via Summit Entertainment and is produced by Paul Junger Witt, Christian McLaughlin, Chris Weitz, Jami Gertz and Stacey Lubliner. A Better Life movie trailer...
- 2/28/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Film review: 'Three Kings'
"Three Kings" is a hugely ambitious movie. Writer-director David O. Russell, whose previous films were the dark comedies "Spanking the Monkey" and "Flirting With Disaster", not only has designed an action-adventure laced with incendiary humor but a movie that wants to explore race, politics, war, the media and U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East.
In large measure, he pulls it off with breathtaking aplomb. Plus, this Village Roadshow production is the kind of male-oriented film Warner Bros. historically has marketed and distributed well. So "Three Kings" appears headed for boxoffice glory.
The story takes place in the Iraqi desert in the days immediately following the Gulf War cease-fire in March 1991. Russell swiftly establishes this as a morally chaotic and totally surreal world.
Bored soldiers -- who mostly marked time while high-tech specialists made Saddam Hussein cry uncle -- drink and party. Reservists are restless for action, while cynical war veterans look to grab their share of the spoils of a conflict few understand. Then a rogue foray into enemy territory by four U.S. soldiers, inspired solely by greed, sets off a chain of events that all but restarts the war.
A map falls into these soldiers' hands that they believe will lead them to a cache of Kuwaiti gold bullion stolen by the Iraqi army. Special Forces Capt. Archie Gates (George Clooney) is weeks away from retirement and sick of taking orders from men who've never fired a gun in combat. Army Reserve Sgt. Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg) is as eager for action as he is to get money for his wife and child back in Detroit.
Staff Sgt. Chief Elgin (Ice Cube) is a religious man who believes himself protected from harm by Jesus Christ's "ring of fire." And Pvt. Conrad Vig (Spike Jonze), an ill-educated redneck, will follow his pal Troy anywhere, even into combat.
The men illegally requisition a Humvee and take off at dawn with the hope of returning by lunch. Their only seeming obstacle is TV journalist Adriana Cruz (Nora Dunn), who wants to file a real story rather than the canned news handed to her by the U.S. military.
The AWOL soldiers find the gold quickly enough but are confronted by a horror show. Iraqi soldiers let them steal Saddam's gold without much resistance. But their willingness to continue butchering and torturing civilians in front of the Yanks' eyes outrages what is left of their moral sense. The soldiers are compelled, quite against their will, to act as heroes.
Russell flavors all this is with a heady streak of dark comedy. The action takes place in a desert littered with stolen consumer goods. Luxury cars and limos, purloined by our protagonists, race along desert roads jammed with terrified refugees. Underground bunkers are crammed with cell phones, stereos, watches, TV sets (including one playing the Rodney King beating) and murals of a benevolent Saddam Hussein kissing babies.
As engaging as the story is, Russell creates an aesthetic distance between his audience and the action through highly stylized touches and loopy humor that emphasize war's surreal horrors. The whole movie is filmed in high-contrast, desaturated colors on grainy film stock. Images pop up that depict what is in characters' minds or visceral shots of the damage a bullet can do to organs and tissue. A scene of torture devolves into a debate between an Iraqi interrogator and his American captive about U.S. adventurism in the Arab world.
These discussions sometimes fit awkwardly into the grim comedy and bloody battles. Nevertheless, they also add a political dimension to the mayhem, making "Three Kings" a kind of postmodern "Catch-22".
Clooney's sardonic presence anchors the mad adventure, while Ice Cube highlights the basic American values that get lost in such a landscape. Wahlberg's character is all instinct and little thought until forced to confront the hypocrisy of his and his country's actions. And Jonze, the award-winning music video director, proves himself an actor with a gift for zany humor.
THREE KINGS
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. presents
in association with
Village Roadshow Pictures/
A.M. Film Partnership
A Coast Ridge Films/
Atlas Entertainment production
Producers: Charles Roven, Paul Junger Witt, Edward L. McDonnell
Writer-director: David O. Russell
Story: John Ridley
Executive producers: Gregory Goodman, Kelley Smith-Wait, Bruce Berman
Director of photography: Newton Thomas Sigel
Production designer: Catherine Hardwicke
Music: Carter Burwell
Costume designer: Kym Barrett
Editor: Robert K. Lambert
Color/stereo
Cast:
Archie Gates: George Clooney
Troy Barlow: Mark Wahlberg
Chief Elgin: Ice Cube
Conrad Vig: Spike Jonze
Amir Abdulah: Cliff Curtis
Adriana Cruz: Nora Dunn
Walter Wogaman: Jamie Kennedy
Capt. Said: Said Taghmaoui
Col. Horn: Mykelti Williamson
Running time -- 110 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
In large measure, he pulls it off with breathtaking aplomb. Plus, this Village Roadshow production is the kind of male-oriented film Warner Bros. historically has marketed and distributed well. So "Three Kings" appears headed for boxoffice glory.
The story takes place in the Iraqi desert in the days immediately following the Gulf War cease-fire in March 1991. Russell swiftly establishes this as a morally chaotic and totally surreal world.
Bored soldiers -- who mostly marked time while high-tech specialists made Saddam Hussein cry uncle -- drink and party. Reservists are restless for action, while cynical war veterans look to grab their share of the spoils of a conflict few understand. Then a rogue foray into enemy territory by four U.S. soldiers, inspired solely by greed, sets off a chain of events that all but restarts the war.
A map falls into these soldiers' hands that they believe will lead them to a cache of Kuwaiti gold bullion stolen by the Iraqi army. Special Forces Capt. Archie Gates (George Clooney) is weeks away from retirement and sick of taking orders from men who've never fired a gun in combat. Army Reserve Sgt. Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg) is as eager for action as he is to get money for his wife and child back in Detroit.
Staff Sgt. Chief Elgin (Ice Cube) is a religious man who believes himself protected from harm by Jesus Christ's "ring of fire." And Pvt. Conrad Vig (Spike Jonze), an ill-educated redneck, will follow his pal Troy anywhere, even into combat.
The men illegally requisition a Humvee and take off at dawn with the hope of returning by lunch. Their only seeming obstacle is TV journalist Adriana Cruz (Nora Dunn), who wants to file a real story rather than the canned news handed to her by the U.S. military.
The AWOL soldiers find the gold quickly enough but are confronted by a horror show. Iraqi soldiers let them steal Saddam's gold without much resistance. But their willingness to continue butchering and torturing civilians in front of the Yanks' eyes outrages what is left of their moral sense. The soldiers are compelled, quite against their will, to act as heroes.
Russell flavors all this is with a heady streak of dark comedy. The action takes place in a desert littered with stolen consumer goods. Luxury cars and limos, purloined by our protagonists, race along desert roads jammed with terrified refugees. Underground bunkers are crammed with cell phones, stereos, watches, TV sets (including one playing the Rodney King beating) and murals of a benevolent Saddam Hussein kissing babies.
As engaging as the story is, Russell creates an aesthetic distance between his audience and the action through highly stylized touches and loopy humor that emphasize war's surreal horrors. The whole movie is filmed in high-contrast, desaturated colors on grainy film stock. Images pop up that depict what is in characters' minds or visceral shots of the damage a bullet can do to organs and tissue. A scene of torture devolves into a debate between an Iraqi interrogator and his American captive about U.S. adventurism in the Arab world.
These discussions sometimes fit awkwardly into the grim comedy and bloody battles. Nevertheless, they also add a political dimension to the mayhem, making "Three Kings" a kind of postmodern "Catch-22".
Clooney's sardonic presence anchors the mad adventure, while Ice Cube highlights the basic American values that get lost in such a landscape. Wahlberg's character is all instinct and little thought until forced to confront the hypocrisy of his and his country's actions. And Jonze, the award-winning music video director, proves himself an actor with a gift for zany humor.
THREE KINGS
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. presents
in association with
Village Roadshow Pictures/
A.M. Film Partnership
A Coast Ridge Films/
Atlas Entertainment production
Producers: Charles Roven, Paul Junger Witt, Edward L. McDonnell
Writer-director: David O. Russell
Story: John Ridley
Executive producers: Gregory Goodman, Kelley Smith-Wait, Bruce Berman
Director of photography: Newton Thomas Sigel
Production designer: Catherine Hardwicke
Music: Carter Burwell
Costume designer: Kym Barrett
Editor: Robert K. Lambert
Color/stereo
Cast:
Archie Gates: George Clooney
Troy Barlow: Mark Wahlberg
Chief Elgin: Ice Cube
Conrad Vig: Spike Jonze
Amir Abdulah: Cliff Curtis
Adriana Cruz: Nora Dunn
Walter Wogaman: Jamie Kennedy
Capt. Said: Said Taghmaoui
Col. Horn: Mykelti Williamson
Running time -- 110 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 9/22/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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