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Before Star Wars rewrote the rules of what Hollywood could be, George Lucas managed to make an immensely successful movie on a measly budget. American Graffiti earned $140 million worldwide, over a budget of $777,000, and that’s 180 times its budget! (via The Numbers)

The coming-of-age dramedy made industry elites look at Lucas in a different light, and he was eventually able to create Star Wars by leveraging the success of American Graffiti. So, let’s look at how the stars aligned for the creator after his breakout movie!

How American Graffiti Paved the Way for Star Wars Harrison Ford in American Graffiti | Credits: Credits: Lucasfilm Ltd.

Before we could witness galaxies and lightsabers, George Lucas was working on American Graffiti, the launchpad that made Star Wars possible, and we got the greatest story ever told. American Graffiti received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Lucas.

The...

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Originally aired beginning in 1974 -- just one year after "American Graffiti" put George Lucas on the map and made the 1950s cool again -- "Happy Days" represents nostalgia at its peak. The popular show revolved around average teen Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) and his friends during the late 1950s and early 1960s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Injecting pure Americana straight into the veins of viewers, "Happy Days" ran for 11 seasons on ABC, becoming one of the most successful shows of the era and one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. And naturally, any network is going to look at that level of popularity and try to find a way to capitalize on it. 

Back in the 1970s, any show that had even a hint of a following could usually be counted on to generate a spinoff or two, so it...

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It's been over 20 years since "Gilmore Girls" premiered, and it is still the cozy cup of coffee that we return to. Some seasons of "Gilmore Girls" are better than others, but a trip to Stars Hollow means that you get to travel to a magical place that has a 1950s charm and unique characters, like Kirk (Sean Gunn), who keeps the town running with his many job skills. The show also sprinkles in self-aware jokes, which usually involve Lorelai (Lauren Graham) making sarcastic comments about non-emergencies that Taylor Doose (Michael Winters) has deemed as true emergencies.

There are moments centered in reality as Lorelai and her daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel), face life's hurdles, like Lorelai's choice to end her engagement to Max Medina (Scott Cohen). This mix of fantasy and real life allows for both escape and reflection, turning this show into comfort food.

Few people likely remember Joseph Brooks' 1977 musical drama "You Light Up My Life." The film stars Didi Conn (who played Frenchy in the Olivia Newton-John classic "Grease") as Laurie Robinson, a children's show host and commercial performer who dreams of a singing career. She is engaged to be married to Ken (Stephen Nathan), but has a one-night fling with a random film director named Christopher Nolan. Weeks later, when Laurie goes to an audition, she finds Nolan might be her director. Awkward. She sings her latest opus, a little ditty called "You Light Up My Life," and everyone loves it. (The film's writer/director Brooks also penned the song.)

The rest of the movie is a turgid melodrama about Laurie's ambitions, her relationship with her father (a comedian whom she performs on TV kids shows with), her growing ambivalence toward her fiancé, and her new potential romance with Nolan. The movie is,...

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This May, Netflix is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the highly anticipated next chapter in the Fear Street universe and the next season of the beloved adult animated anthology series, Love, Death + Robots. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Netflix this month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the five best films that are coming to Netflix in May 2025 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

American Graffiti (May 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95% Credit – Universal Pictures

American Graffiti is a coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by George Lucas, who also co-wrote the film with Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck. The 1973 film is set in 1962 in Modesto, California, and it revolves around a group of high-school graduates as they enjoy the final day...

Most people with a cursory knowledge of television history know that the expression “jump the shark” was born the moment Happy Days’ Fonzie literally jumped over a shark while on water skis. What many don’t know, however, is that even amongst Happy Days fans, there’s no consensus as to when the show figuratively (not literally) jumped the shark.

Back in the early days of the internet, jumptheshark.com allowed fans to vote on the exact moment they thought a show overstayed its welcome. In terms of Happy Days, many viewers blamed the show’s format switch in Season Three, when it went from a single-camera show to one with a live studio audience, while others blamed so-called sitcom curse Ted McGinley’s addition to the cast in Season Eight. I, however, subscribe to the idea that it tanked at the end of Season Seven, when its star, Ron Howard,...

In the annals of “things that have gone wrong on Saturday NIght Live” — Ashlee Simpson’s lip-synching disaster, Charles Rocket’s inopportune F-bomb, slam dancers destroying Studio 8H during a Fear performance — no individual episode can compare to the debacle surrounding the show’s live, prime-time special from Mardi Gras in 1977.

Saturday Night had become the hottest show on TV, and NBC was ready to cash in on that early success with a primetime special. Lorne Michaels was eager to take his show on the road, using iconic cities’ architecture as urban comedy sets. When someone suggested New Orleans as a possible destination, Michaels was all for it. “Let’s go get steeped in it!” he proclaimed, according to Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live.

The cast was stoked as well. Who wouldn’t want to escape New York’s winter for a week or two in the sunshine?...

David W. Duclon, the creator of Punky Brewster who also produced a handful of hit sitcoms, including Silver Spoons, Family Matters, The Jeffersons and Laverne & Shirley, has died. He was 74.

Duclon died Wednesday morning in Franklin, Tennessee, after a long illness, his daughter Danielle Duclon announced.

Born Warren David Duclon on April 27, 1950, in Rockford, Illinois, he first made his way into Hollywood in 1972 as a writer and assistant producer on ABC’s The Odd Couple, starring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman.

As Duclon continued his career in television, he clearly had a knack for sitcoms. He joined ABC’s Happy Days, starring Henry Winkler and Ron Howard, as a writer in 1976, as well as ABC’s Laverne & Shirley, starring Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams, that year. He also served as a producer on the latter.

Punky Brewster, which debuted in 1984 and ran for four seasons on NBC and in syndication,...

John Cazale has arguably one of the greatest filmographies of any actor or director ever and though he passed away much too soon, fans and loved ones can take solace in the fact that he left an incredible legacy of talent and accomplishment before he departed. Cazale came up in an acting generation alongside some of the industry's finest, including Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, and Sam Waterston, who all acted in several Broadway plays together. While his success in theater is admirable, it's Cazale's film roles that most people recognize him for.

A gifted actor who was reportedly beloved by everyone he met, as cataloged by the tribute documentary, I Knew It Was You, Cazale lived an impressive life on and off the screen. On-screen, each of his five films, in which he had major roles, are considered critical movies in cinema canon. Off-screen, he was in a relationship with...

Spoilers ahead for the first episode of "Star Wars: Skeleton Crew."

"Star Wars" is known for a lot of things. Lightsabers. Swashbuckling action. Tyrannical villains. Daring escapes. True love. Soul-searing music. Special effects extravaganzas. Incredible filmmaking. Within certain parameters, you know exactly what you're getting into with a live action "Star Wars" project.

Sure, that pendulum can swing pretty hard. On one side, you can get pretty gritty and realistic stories — "Andor," for instance — and on the other side you can get much more innocent, swashbuckling, kid-oriented adventures like "Skeleton Crew." But one thing that unites all of the "Star Wars" projects is the inspiration from other films that filmmakers pour into their work. Sometimes, those films can be from their own interests, like Rian Johnson bringing his love of "Brazil" into his masterpiece "The Last Jedi," and other times it can be filmmakers bringing George Lucas's foundational reliance...

The Conversation, Francis Ford Coppola’s outstanding thriller from 1974, is getting a 4K release this month, right as the film reaches its 50th birthday. While you would think half a century would be enough to put it beside other dated films of the 1970s, it is actually a pretty relevant picture that still feels very important.

According to Collider, Lionsgate Home Entertainment is releasing The Conversation in 4K, a first-time release for Coppola’s classic thriller starring Gene Hackman and Harrison Ford. Per Collider, the 4K release will also include the usual goods:

“The Conversation's 50th anniversary 4K edition will come with a new introduction from Coppola, a new trailer, as well as a collection of previously released bonus materials. Also featured is an original cassette tape of the film's score performed by David Shire. The physical media will be available for purchase this December.”

The Conversation stars Hackman as Harry Caul,...

Decades before shows like "Search Party" took an ever-shifting approach to the comedic TV format, "Laverne & Shirley" was switching things up season after season. The "Happy Days" spinoff started with a pretty consistent premise in its early seasons, focusing on two zany roommates working at a Milwaukee bottling company. By season 5, though, tomboy Laverne (Penny Marshall) and optimist Shirley (Cindy Williams) ended up in the Army Reserves, and season 6 saw them move to Burbank and work as department store gift wrappers. By the final season, Shirley was gone, and Laverne was working in the aerospace industry.

As wild as the twists and turns of "Laverne & Shirley" were, the show had some constants across its eight seasons, including the presence of neighbors Lenny (Michael McKean) and Squiggy (David Lander), Laverne's dad Frank (Phil Foster), and Shirley's fame-hungry ex, Carmine (Eddie Mekka). Most of the actors who made "Laverne & Shirley...

Throughout 2024, we will continue to update this In Memoriam photo gallery with notable celebrity deaths from film, television, theater and music. Major entertainment figures to be honored in the 2024 gallery are TV legends Bob Newhart and Phil Donahue, Oscar/Tony/Emmy winner Dame Maggie Smith, Emmy/Tony/Grammy winner James Earl Jones, music legend and Grammy/Tony/Emmy winner Quincy Jones, Oscar winner Louis Gossett, Jr., Oscar nominee and Emmy winner Gena Rowlands, Oscar nominee Teri Garr, director/producer Norman Jewison, broadway legend Chita Rivera, country music superstars Kris Kristofferson and Toby Keith and actors Dabney Coleman, Donald Sutherland and Carl Weathers.

Featured in the 2023 gallery were Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Tina Turner, Harry Belafonte, Jeff Beck, Robbie Robertson and David Crosby, Oscar and Tony winner Alan Arkin, Oscar/Emmy/Tony winner Glenda Jackson, Oscar and Grammy winner Burt Bacharach, Oscar winner William Friedkin, Grammy legend Tony Bennett,...

Female friendships have been at the center of some of television’s most memorable and iconic shows — from comedy highs to dramatic lows. Here are TV’s Top 10 BFFs.MEGALaverne and Shirley on 'Laverne & Shirley'mega

Schlemiel! Schlimazel! They might be polar opposites, but as roommates and co-workers at Milwaukee’s fictional Shotz Brewery, Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Shirley (Cindy Williams) constantly lifted each other’s spirits as they got in and out of trouble!

Ethel and Lucy on 'I Love Lucy'Prime Video/YouTube

In one of the most legendary sitcoms in TV history, Lucille Ball as Lucy and Vivian Vance as Bff Ethel made audiences howl with laughter over their hilarious antics.

Mary and Rhoda on 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'mega

The classic opposites attract couple of polite local news producer Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore) and her brash best friend and upstairs neighbor Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerie Harper) became a...

The second night of the Creative Arts Emmys commenced Sunday night. The FX series Shōgun would prove to be the awards darling of the night by taking home an incredible number of awards for categories that include Guest Actor, Costumes, Makeup, Hairstyling, Stunts, Production Design, Visual Effects and more. The historical drama snagged a total of 14 Emmys over the course of both nights and leads in wins.

Another popular FX series, The Bear, would have its own run of wins as the intense cooking show took home statues for casting, picture editing, sound mixing and guest stars Jon Bernthal, as well as Jamie Lee Curtis, who also served as the opening emcee for the ceremony, which was held at the Peacock Theater. The Bear has not been able to catch up to Shōgun, but the show has, so far, collected seven wins, which is just one more than the leader for Night 1, Saturday Night Live.

Laverne and Shirley started as a couple of trollops.

“Do you want to do a Happy Days?” Garry Marshall asked his sister Penny, according to her memoir My Mother Was Nuts. “We need two fast girls who put out.”

Penny was in. She and her pal Cindy Williams would play two gals from the wrong side of the tracks, enlisted by Fonzie to help Richie out of his dating slump. Why did the Fonz choose Shirley for Richie? “She’s a very cute girl, but she’s not your usual type of girl,” leers the Fonz. “I wanted to pick a girl who wouldn’t give you a hard time, if you get my drift. She’s — how would you say it — a good sport.”

Shirley had sex, in other words, and she wasn’t too particular about who she did it with. From the looks of things, Laverne was of a similar disposition.

Gold Derby recently honored seven of “The Morning Show’s” Emmy-nominated artisans at a special rooftop FYC event in Culver City, California. Those in attendance for the Apple TV+ drama series were production designer Nelson Coates, casting director Victoria Thomas, department head hairstylist Nicole Venables, key hairstylist Jennifer Petrovich, hair stylist Janine Thompson, department head makeup artist Cindy Williams and makeup artist Keiko Wedding. Watch our interviews with all of these Emmy nominees below by clicking each name.

“The Morning Show” explores the cutthroat world of morning news and the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning. The drama series stars Emmy nominees Jennifer Aniston as Alex Levy, Reese Witherspoon as Bradley Jackson, Billy Crudup as Cory Ellison, Mark Duplass as Chip Black, Jon Hamm as Paul Marks, Néstor Carbonell as Yanko Flores, Greta Lee as Stella Bak, Karen Pittman as Mia Jordan, Nicole Beharie...

They came from all over L.A. on Monday night to spend a languid, balmy August evening on the roof of the iconic One Culver building in the heart of Culver City. The event honored Emmy nominees in numerous crafts categories at Apple TV+’s Summer Soiree FYC party, where some 300 people gathered to talk about the forthcoming awards and chow down on a gourmet buffet. In the main, they were there to take a bow themselves or rise in applause for hairstylists, make-up artists, composers, sound editors and mixers, production designers, set decorators, main title designers, costume designers and casting directors who had earned 2024 nominations for the Apple original series “The Morning Show,” “Palm Royale” and “Masters of the Air.”

The gathering was designed to shine a vivid light on some of those artisans who tend to receive significantly less attention than the above-the-line red carpet talent but are...

Nestled between the epic sprawl of the first two Godfather films, The Conversation allowed Francis Ford Coppola to engage in a more personal style of storytelling. With it, he crafted a small-scale character study steeped in minor-key melancholia, as well as gave free reign to his infatuation with the international arthouse cinema of the time.

A shout-out to Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-up, The Conversation perfectly encapsulates the disaffection, alienation, and paranoia infecting America’s body politic in the era of Watergate, the wiretapping scandal that brought down the Nixon administration, though the timing of the film’s release was coincidental. By some act of synchronicity, Coppola opted to focus on a surveillance expert, Harry Caul (Gene Hackman at his most buttoned-up), who utilizes the same sort of hardware as G. Gordon Liddy and the other Watergate “plumbers” while in the employ of a corporate bigwig known only as the Director...

To mark the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s, The Conversation, Studiocanal is thrilled to announce a brand-new 4K restoration of the film is available to own via a special 2-disc 4K Uhd Collector’s edition and on digital now. To celebrate we are giving away a The Conversation bundle including a Uhd signed by Walter Murch!

Included in this awesome bundle is the 2-disc 4K Uhd Collector’s Edition signed by Walter Murch, a 64-page booklet with new essays, Exclusive tape cassette soundtrack, 2x posters of original artwork and a t-shirt, phone charger and key ring.

Of the new restoration, Francis Ford Coppola says: “As you will notice, I have never offered a new version of The Conversation, which is a film I have always been proud of, I’ve never felt the need to improve. It also features my wonderful collaboration with its editor (along with Richard Chew) and sound designer,...

Carrie Fisher was born for the Hollywood life, since both her parents, actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher, were well-known Hollywood stars. Her initial break came with the film Shampoo, but her portrayal as Princess Leia in George Lucas’ Star Wars (1977) propelled her to international recognition. While the actress passed away in 2016 at the age of 60, she left behind a significant Princess Leia legacy that many people still remember fondly.

Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in Star Wars (1977) || 20th Century Fox

While the movie was released almost five decades ago, the behind-the-scenes happenings still linger around Hollywood halls. One of the most prominent examples of that would be another actress was in the running for Fisher’s legendary role, and if it hadn’t been for Harrison Ford’s lack of interest, she could have gotten it.

Not Carrie Fisher but another actress could have grabbed the role of...

One of the best aspects of TV is watching relationships build, transform, and transpire, whether they are healthy or not.

Feuding females, frenemies, and gal pals glued at the hip seem to carry a magical essence in the TV world.

Some are so iconic they drive the show and make for the best scenes and audience draw. Here are 17 female duos who obsess over each other!

Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney (Laverne & Shirley)

Laverne & Shirley first aired in 1976 and was a spinoff of Happy Days. It stars Penny Marshall (Laverne) and Cindy Williams (Shirley).

The two are best friends, roommates, and co-workers at the Shotz Brewery in Milwaukee. They are complete opposites who balance each other perfectly and constantly encourage each other.

Related: Prequel Problems: Why Are TV Execs So Fixated on the Past?

The memorable duo was there for each other no matter what, and they were also highly independent.

Jim Henson: Idea Man is a story about how rare it is to be in the presence of a true original and such pure creative genius. Jim Henson was not just an expert at marketing his brand; he was certainly no fool in that department. He was an artist of the highest order. Mr. Henson was a technological innovator, allowing his puppets to emote and move in unprecedented ways.

Mr. Henson then brought those talents to Hollywood films, contributing to projects such as Labyrinth and the experimental The Dark Crystal. He brought joy to millions of families’ homes with The Muppets and Fraggle Rock. Perhaps most importantly, his work on Sesame Street left a lasting impact on children by teaching them skills that went beyond the classroom.

Move over, Mr. Rogers, Mr. Henson was America’s empathetic hero. He just let his friends like Kermit take the credit.

Jim...

“I’m a stubborn guy and I didn’t want people to tell me how to make my movies,” is how Star Wars creator George Lucas summed up the secret to his success, speaking to a crowd of fans at a packed Debussy theater in Cannes on Friday afternoon.

The 80-year-old filmmaker was being honored at the 77th Cannes festival with a Palme d’Or for his contribution to cinema, and the crowd, a much younger cohort than is usually seen at these events, whooped and hollered as Lucas walked on the stage. They were rapt as he sat down for a wide-ranging discussion of his life in the movie business.

Lucas said he felt “nostalgic” to be back in Cannes, where he presented his first feature, Thx-1138, at the Directors’ Fortnight back in 1971. His Thx-1138 co-writer and sound designer Walter Murch was in the audience as Lucas recalled how...

“We weren’t really that interested in making money, we were interested in making movies,” said Star Wars franchise architect George Lucas about the early days of his career with mentor Francis Ford Coppola in a Cannes sit down discussion today.

In a wide-ranging chat before a packed Salle Debussy Theatre crowd, Lucas, who is here to receive an honorary Palme d’or at the 77th edition shared how his Thx-1138 was accepted into a new section at Cannes, the Director’s Fortnight, back in 1971, but Warner Bros didn’t want to send the filmmaker or his co-scribe Walter Murch to France for the premiere. The duo scraped their money together, went to their own premiere in a side street venue, but snuck in because they didn’t have tickets. Years later he was asked by the French media why he didn’t go to the press conference of Thx 1138,...

Fred Roos, the Oscar-winning The Godfather Part II producer and longtime executive producer for Francis Ford Coppola and Sofia Coppola, died Saturday in Beverly Hills at 89, four days shy of his 90th birthday.

The news about Roos, who won his Godfather Part II Oscar and later was nominated for Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, comes as Francis Ford Coppola is here at the Cannes Film Festival, 45 years after winning the Palme d’Or for Apocalypse Now. Coppola is in town with his $120 million passion project Megalopolis, which had its world premiere last week. Roos is billed as producer on Megalopolis.

The news also comes after Coppola’s wife of 61 years, Eleanor, died April 12. Roos was an executive producer on Hearts of Darkness, her famed documentary about the making of Apocalypse Now that won them both an Emmy in 1992.

Roos was Francis Coppola’s co-producer on The Conversation, The Godfather Part II and Apocalypse Now,...

Makeup design doesn’t always mean prosthetics or extremes — that’s why the Emmy Awards smartly single out contemporary makeup design as its own category. But too often, those more immediately arresting designs are the ones that get all the attention. Not anymore. Join IndieWire in celebrating the makeup artists creating subtle, character-specific work for contemporary shows.

In “The Morning Show,” viewers get a glimpse of the glamorous and grueling nature of producing national morning news shows through fictional Uba network anchors Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) and Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon).

Season 3 of the Apple TV+ drama sees Uba anchors and executives in multiple new locations beyond their home base of New York City, from Texas to the Hamptons to Montana (and even space!). These environments impacted the work of makeup department head Cindy Williams in unexpected ways.

“When we are shooting in heat, we carry coolers to store the makeup in.

Photo: Nikki DeLoach, Andrew Walker Credit: ©2022 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Craig Minielly

Sleuthers love the Hallmark Mystery franchise Curious Caterer, starring Nikki DeLoach and Andrew Walker. Fans also enjoyed seeing the pair in a Countdown to Christmas movie, A Dream Of Christmas. Fast forward to now, and Nikki opened up about her Christmas wish, involving a sequel to that holiday movie. Will DeLoach’s wish come true on Hallmark?

Hallmark’s Nikki DeLoach wants a sequel with Andrew Walker Photo: Nikki DeLoach, Andrew Walker Credit: ©2023 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Syd Wong

Nikki DeLoach and Andrew Walker are well-known for their Hallmark Mystery franchise, Curious Caterer and a holiday movie, A Dream of Christmas. In a recent interview, Nikki was promoting the latest movie in the mystery franchise, but the talented actress also spoke of a Christmas wish that is close to her heart. She wants to work with Andrew...

Nikki DeLoach and Andrew Walker co-star in the hugely successful Hallmark Mystery series Curious Caterer. While promoting the latest movie in that franchise, the talented actress, producer, and writer spoke about a Christmas wish that includes working with Andrew again.

What specific Christmas sequel project does Nikki want to do with Andrew?

Hallmark-Photo: Andrew Walker, Nikki DeLoach Credit: ©2020 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Steven Ackerman Could Nikki DeLoach and Andrew Walker Star In Another Hallmark Christmas Movie?

Although Hallmark is airing their Countdown to Summer movies, many of the stars are focused on Christmas. That is because Countdown To Christmas is a big deal at the feel-good network. Therefore, it is of no surprise that Nikki DeLoach recently told US Magazine that she has a big Christmas wish. She wants to make another Christmas movie with Andrew Walker. Moreover, she wants to do a sequel. That is because...

Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 classic The Conversation is 50 years old – and is coming to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray…

It’s a terrific movie trivia question: at the 1975 Academy Awards, Francis Ford Coppola had two films nominated for Best Picture. The one that people tend to know is The Godfather Part II, which took home the Oscar. The one that might even be better than that is the paranoid thriller The Conversation, that’s very much a candidate for being Coppola’s best film.

It stars Gene Hackman, and the Cannes Palme D’Or winner is now celebrating its 50th birthday. As part of that celebration, it’s coming to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray for the very first time.

Set for release on 15th July, you can find more information on the release, and order a copy, right here.

Initially, the movie will be available in an impressive-looking collectors’ set, with two discs in the box,...

"Don't get involved in this, Mr. Caul." Don't get involved in what?! Who is after him?! Studiocanal UK has revealed a new re-release trailer for Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, for its 50th anniversary this year. The film initially opened in 1974 and premiered at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival, meaning he is back again premiering his newest film (Megalopolis) at Cannes 2024 a full 50 years later. "To mark the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s seminal neo-noir thriller, The Conversation, we are is thrilled to announce a brand-new 4K restoration of the film to UK cinemas on July 5th." This paranoia masterpiece stars Gene Hackman as sound surveillance expert Harry Caul, who hears something while taping a couple. A paranoid, secretive surveillance expert has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that the couple he is spying on will be murdered. The ensemble cast also includes John Cazale, Allen Garfield,...

"The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour" is likely not remembered by many people, except for Billy Crystal himself. The variety/talk show ran from January 30 through February 27 in 1982, lasting a grand total of five episodes. Crystal was already a successful comedian and beloved figure in the industry thanks to the popularity of his 1970s stand-up work and his role in the 1977 sitcom "Soap," so he had connections. He was able to secure guest appearances from many of his famous comedian friends, including Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Robin Williams, and John Candy for the debut episode. Subsequent guests included Morgan Fairchild, the Manhattan Transfer, Nell Carter, Shelley Duvall, Cindy Williams, Al Jarreau, and Smokey Robinson. 

"The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour" fell right in between "Soap" and "Saturday Night Live" on Crystal's professional timeline, and it might be considered something of a dip in his career. The show was canceled after only two episodes aired,...

Two years after he leapt to the forefront of the New Hollywood with The Godfather, and just months before he picked up the threads of that operatic crime saga with the magnificent sequel/prequel The Godfather Part II, Francis Ford Coppola released a quiet movie, one in which sound itself — and, more specifically, its surreptitious recording — is the narrative engine. Arriving during a particularly fertile era for American film, The Conversation was not a hit, but it is one of the period’s most subtle and shattering features. Half a century later, it resounds as hauntingly as ever, not merely as a cautionary tale but as a searing portrait of where we are now.

The movie took its New York bow on Coppola’s 35th birthday, April 7, 1974, a few weeks before its Palme d’Or triumph in Cannes. Today the octogenarian writer-director is again preparing to compete on the Croisette,...

There was perhaps no movie director more in demand in the 1970s than Francis Ford Coppola, who was leading the New Hollywood film movement with epics like “The Godfather” (1972), “The Godfather Part II” (1974) and “Apocalypse Now” (1979). But fewer viewers remember his quiet neo-noir drama “The Conversation,” a complete turnaround in production scale and arguably his only intimate, simple dramatic film. While it was not as financially successful as the previously aforementioned grander classics, the mystery thriller was just as acclaimed and lauded, earning three Oscar nominations and winning the Palme d’Or at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival. Now on its 50th anniversary, let’s look back at one of Coppola’s overlooked films, “The Conversation,” which was released on April 7, 1974.

The picture stars Gene Hackman as Harry Caul, a top surveillance expert who stumbles upon an ambiguous comment – that may lead to a potential murder – while recording for one of...

Until recently, if one were asked to name some of the best films of preeminent 1970s filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, it would be easy to pick the big hits. “The Godfather” (1972), “The Godfather II” (1974) and “Apocalypse Now” (1979) are definitely his most iconic and respected films. You’d also be hard-pressed to find a person aged 25-50 who isn’t keenly aware of his adaption of S.E. Hinton’s mandatory high school assigned “The Outsiders” (1983) or his classics “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986) and maybe even “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” (1988). Yet lately, Coppola’s “The Conversation” (1974) has entered the chat as a somewhat under the radar, low-key masterpiece from the filmmaker, and this year the film celebrates its 50th birthday.

After honing his directorial chops on films like the Roger Corman-produced horror film “Dementia 13” (1963) and fledgling films like “You’re a Big Boy Now” (1966), “Finian’s Rainbow” (1968) and “The Rain People...

Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation" is his masterpiece in between masterpieces. The legendary filmmaker wrapped principal photography in late February 1973, just one month before he would win the Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay Oscars for "The Godfather" (Albert Ruddy took home the Best Picture Oscar as the mafia classic's producer). Had Paramount released the film that year, it almost certainly would've received nominations for Best Picture and Director (over the wholly forgotten "A Touch of Class"), giving Coppola three consecutive nods in the latter category, a feat only accomplished once in Academy Awards history (by William Wyler). Instead, he wound up competing against himself a year later, when he added three more Oscars to his trophy case with "The Godfather Part II."

While "The Godfather" movies placed him atop Hollywood's director A-list for the rest of the decade, some cinephiles believe "The Conversation" is the superior film. The...

Flashback explores a world of past and future visions, leaving viewers questioning reality and multiple interpretations. Fred's journey navigates through memories, trauma, and alternate lives, ultimately finding resolution and appreciation. The film's complex structure blends past and present, highlighting themes of regret, growth, and understanding personal paths.

The Flashback movie explained a world where a person could see into the past and future, but the ending left many people confused. The film, written and directed by Christopher MacBride, stars Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner) as Fred Fitzell. After starting a new job and preparing to get married, a chance encounter with someone from his past causes Fred to remember Cindy Williams (Maika Monroe), an old classmate who vanished before final exams.

With his high school friends, he pieces together what happened to Cindy. Fred remembers the night when he, Cindy, and two other friends, took the pure version of Merc,...

Francis Ford Coppola‘s 1974 masterpiece “The Conversation” will be remade as a TV series, with “Margin Call” and “All Is Lost” filmmaker J.C. Chandor attached to both write and direct the series, IndieWire has confirmed.

Chandor will direct via his CounterNarrative Films banner alongside Temple Hill, producer Adam Fishbach, and executive produced by Coppola’s American Zoetrope. Erin Levy, known for her work on “Mad Men” and “Mindhunter,” will be the showrunner on “The Conversation” remake.

MRC is the studio behind the series, and the company optioned the TV remake rights directly from the Coppola estate.

Despite a rumor that Aubrey Plaza was attached to star, no cast is involved at this stage, as a source close to the project tells IndieWire. Other media reports suggested it would be a limited series and that it was set up at a network, but it is being envisioned as an ongoing series,...

Netflix generates more contemporary content than anyone, but they’re dipping into the past to curate the great movies from the ’70s. These are the films that people like myself discovered as kids in the early days of when HBO premiered on cable. Bravo, I say. Here’s the preliminary list.

Alice Doesn’T Live Here Anymore

A widowed singer and single mother starts over as a diner waitress in Arizona, befriending her coworkers and romancing a ruggedly handsome rancher.

Director: Martin Scorsese

Writer: Robert Getchell

Producers: Audrey Maas, David Susskind

Key Cast (Alphabetical): Ellen Burstyn, Jodie Foster, Diane Ladd, Alfred Lutter, Harvey Keitel, Kris Kristofferson, Vic Tayback

Distributed By: Warner Bros. Discovery

Initial Release Date: December 9, 1974

At the 47th Academy Awards, Burstyn won Best Actress

Black Belt Jones

High-kicking Black Belt Jones is dispatched to take down a group of Mafia goons trying to muscle in on a downtown karate studio.

1974 was quite a year for cinema; 50 years later, Netflix (of all places) is celebrating the golden jubilee.

In recognition of the anniversary, the streamer on Wednesday launched a new, dedicated content row (and direct URL link) with the first films being honored under its new “Milestone Movies: The Anniversary Collection” banner. Each of the 14 films came to Netflix this month by way of Warner Bros., Paramount, or Sony — the distributors that license content to Netflix.

The 1974 collection includes “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” “Black Belt Jones,” “Blazing Saddles,” “California Split,” “Chinatown,” “The Conversation,” “Death Wish,” “The Gambler,” “The Great Gatsby,” “It’s Alive,” “The Little Prince,” “The Lords of Flatbush,” “The Parallax View,” and “The Street Fighter” (“Gekitotsu! Satsujin ken”).

Netflix doesn’t plan to stop with disco’s heyday. In April, the streaming service will do the same for films from 1984 (turning 40); July will celebrate 1994 movies (turning 30); and in October...

Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers took the stage at the 2023 Emmys to pay tribute to their former colleague Norman Lear, in addition to other notable television figures who passed away since the previous ceremony.

Charlie Puth and The War and Treaty — comprised of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter — performed the former’s hit 2015 song “See You Again” for the In Memoriam segment. They finished the segment with a rendition of the Friends theme song that coincided with Matthew Perry being featured as the final name in the video tribute.

In keeping with the ceremony’s theme of celebrating television reunions, Reiner and Struthers reminisced about their time together as co-stars on All in the Family, the classic CBS sitcom that debuted in 1971 and ran for nine seasons.

“There’s a Yiddish word that describes Norman’s genius — it’s ‘kochleffel,'” Reiner said. “For all you non-Jews out there,...

The Emmys 2023 In Memoriam segment was bound to be a tear-jerker, and boy, did they deliver.

The tribute opened with All in the Family alum Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner, who stood in the Bunkers’ beloved living room as they honored creator Norman Lear. The pioneering producer, who was also behind iconic series like The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, and Good Times, died at 101 last month.

Charlie Puth then appeared on piano to perform his hit “See You Again,” backed by singers and a string arrangement. The slideshow of tributes included Euphoria star Angus Cloud,...

Previous | Image 1 of 12 | NextRaquel Welch, 1940-February 15, 2023

Chicago – As always, we lost a number of notable people in 2023. In his hustle and glory, photographer Joe Arce has spent his career not only taking Exclusive Portraits of every notable he runs across, but he also has collected an archive that makes their image available again for the 2023 In Memoriam.

Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos © Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com.

2023MEMORIAM1: Raquel Welch, 1940-February 15, 2023 2023MEMORIAM2: Tony Bennett, 1926-July 21, 2023 2023MEMORIAM3: Alan Arkin, 1934-June 29, 2023 2023MEMORIAM4: Cindy Williams, 1947-January 25, 2023 2023MEMORIAM5: ‘Exorcist ‘ Director William Friedkin, 1935-August 7, 2023 2023MEMORIAM6: Richard Roundtree of ’Shaft.’ 1942-October 24, 2023 2023MEMORIAM7: Stella Stevens of ‘The Poseidon Adventure,’ 1938-February 17, 2023 2023MEMORIAM8: Lisa Loring, Wednesday in 1960s ‘Addams Family,’ 1958-January 28, 2023 2023MEMORIAM9: Rocker Denny Laine of Wings, 1944-December 5, 2023 2023MEMORIAM10:...

Throughout 2023, we will continue to update this In Memoriam photo gallery with notable celebrity deaths from film, television, theater and music. The first major entertainment figures to be honored in the 2023 gallery are Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Tina Turner, Harry Belafonte, Jeff Beck, Robbie Robertson and David Crosby, Oscar and Tony winner Alan Arkin, Oscar/Emmy/Tony winner Glenda Jackson, Oscar and Grammy winner Burt Bacharach, Oscar winner William Friedkin, Grammy legend Tony Bennett, Emmy nominee Matthew Perry, Emmy winner Norman Lear, Emmy winner Andre Braugher, Emmy winner Ron Cephas Jones, along with rock legend Elvis Presley‘s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, and actresses Melinda Dillon, Annie Wersching and Cindy Williams.

Even more than his long-time colleague and friend, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas is the boy who never grew up. For one, Star Wars is so inspired by sci-fi serials like Flash Gordon and the WWII dogfight movies that his imagined sci-fi universe feels oddly antiquated, and befitting its setting in a moment “a long, long time ago.” No less fitting is that American Graffiti, Lucas’s breakout hit, is a love letter to his youth in the 1950s and ’60s, and that it’s become the ur-text of the nostalgia movie as a subgenre. Everything from Happy Days to The Big Chill lives in its shadow, though given the shininess of the film’s surfaces, from the neon-lit drive-ins to chrome-plated cars that have been buffed to perfection, perhaps it’s more accurate to say that the film’s descendants are illuminated by its gleaming glow.

American Graffiti has the most threadbare of plots.

Richard Moll, who played bald-headed bailiff Aristotle Nostradamus “Bull” Shannon on the NBC sitcom “Night Court,” died Thursday, a family spokesman said on Friday.

The 80-year-old passed away peacefully at his home in Big Bear Lake, California.

The 6’8″ actor rose to fame on the courtroom comedy, which starred Harry Anderson and John Larroquette and ran from 1984 to 1992. He did not appear in the recent Peacock reboot.

After “Night Court,” he landed a recurring role on the NBC sitcom starring Cindy Williams. He also guested on “Babylon 5,” “Anger Management,” “Cold Case,” “Smallville,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” and “7th Heaven.”

He lent his impressively deep voice to several animated shows as the voice of Harvey Dent/Two-Face on the ’90s Fox series “The Adventures of Batman & Robin” and Scorpion on “Spider-Man: The Animated Series.” He also voiced the bodyguard to the title character of the syndicated series “Mighty Max,” which...

Richard Moll, best known as the towering bailiff “Bull Shannon” on the long-running NBC sitcom Night Court, died Oct. 26 at his home in Big Bear Lake, Calif. He was 80 and no cause was given by his family.

Standing 6’8″, Moll was a character actor, but worked steadily during his career. Night Court ran from 1984 to 1992, and his commanding presence, deep voice, and endearing manner drew the frequent attention of casting directors.

After Night Court, Moll landed a recurring role on the sitcom Getting By, starring Cindy Williams, before appearing in an episode of the cult sci-fi hit Babylon 5. He also voiced the bodyguard to the title character of the animated Mighty Max.

His Night Court stint also enabled him to branch out into larger films and voiceover work on animated series, where he often relished the chance to play the bad guy. Moll was...

Actor Richard Moll died Thursday at his home in Big Bear Lake, Calif. He was 80.

The deep-voiced, 6 foot 8 inch actor was best known for the role of the bailiff Bull Shannon in “Night Court,” co-starring Harry Anderson and John Larroquette, from 1984 to 1992.

Moll was nominated for a Saturn award for the 1985 horror movie “House.” He voiced the role of Harvey Dent/Two-Face on “The Adventures of Batman & Robin,” as well as Scorpion on “Spider-Man: The Animated Series. He also had parts in “The Flintstones,” “Jingle All the Way,” “Casper Meets Wendy” and “Scary Movie 2.”

He had a recurring role on sitcom “Getting By” starring Cindy Williams and voiced the bodyguard in “Mighty Max.”

Moll went on to appear in the 1999 satire “But I’m a Cheerleader” with Natasha Lyonne, in which he played a gay man who shepherded teenagers sent to a re-education camp by parents who suspected they were homosexual.

In its prime, Happy Days was responsible for a few spinoff series, from the inspired (Mork & Mindy) to the insipid (Joanie Loves Chachi). But the most popular was clearly Laverne & Shirley. After Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall made three appearances on Happy Days, the characters of Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney were given their own show, which quickly rivaled Happy Days in popularity — in fact, during Laverne & Shirley’s third season, it actually surpassed Happy Days to become the #1 show of the season. Laverne & Shirley wound up airing for eight seasons, producing 178 episodes. We spoke to Williams many times over the years before her death this past January, and she told us the success of Laverne & Shirley came as a surprise to her and Marshall. (Click on the media bar below to hear Cindy Williams) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/cindy-laverne-and-shirley.mp3

Laverne & Shirley is currently streaming...

Two personal, stylish, and distinctive films celebrate major birthdays this month: “Risky Business” turned 40 August 5 and August 1 marked the 50th anniversary of the release of “American Graffiti.”

Two other personal, stylish, and distinctive films also celebrate their blockbuster success this August: “Barbie,” which is now $1 billion worldwide and counting, and “Oppenheimer,” which just crossed $600 million.

August is generally known for providing the dog days of summer box office. It’s the end of the road, kids are going back to school. There’s no time for a blockbuster to stretch its legs and no one’s in the mood for anything weighty. The current studio release calendar bears out that logic with “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” “The Last Voyage of the Demeter,” “Gran Turismo,” “Blue Beetle,” and “Strays.”

“Apocalypse Now”Courtesy Everett Collection

History tells us it doesn’t have to be that way. Among the smarter films...