Category Archives: The Big Screen

To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before…

Posted on September 8, 2016 by James| Comments Off on To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before…

Enterprise

On September 8, 1966, “The Man Trap” was first released upon the world. This, the first episode of one of the most famous TV Shows in history, Star Trek.

Posted in Because I Can, On This Day, The Big Screen, The Little Screen (Television)

RIP Gene Wilder (He found his golden ticket)

Posted on August 29, 2016 by James| Comments Off on RIP Gene Wilder (He found his golden ticket)
Gene Wilder (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016)

Gene Wilder (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016)

Gene Wilder has died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.  He was 83.

Willy Wonka has found his golden ticket.

Jerome Silberman, known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American stage and screen comic actor, screenwriter, film director, and author.

Wilder began his career on stage, and made his screen debut in the TV-series Armstrong Circle Theatre in 1962. Although his first film role was portraying a hostage in the 1967 motion picture Bonnie and Clyde,[1] Wilder’s first major role was as Leopold Bloom in the 1968 film The Producers for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. This was the first in a series of collaborations with writer/director Mel Brooks, including 1974’s Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, which Wilder co-wrote, garnering the pair an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Wilder is known for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and for his four films with Richard Pryor: Silver Streak (1976), Stir Crazy (1980), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989), and Another You (1991).[1] Wilder directed and wrote several of his own films, including The Woman in Red (1984).

Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka (1971)

Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka (1971)

Posted in News, The Big Screen, The Little Screen (Television)

Happy Birthday, Mr. Bond

Posted on August 25, 2016 by James| Comments Off on Happy Birthday, Mr. Bond

Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born August 25, 1930) is an Oscar-winning Scottish film and stage actor who is best known as the original cinematic James Bond. His character’s catch phrase “Bond, James Bond” has become considerably famous.

Sean ConneryWikipedia Link

Posted in Because I Can, On This Day, The Big Screen

RIP Elvis!

Posted on August 16, 2016 by James| Comments Off on RIP Elvis!
Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935–August 16, 1977)


Wikipedia Link

Elvis Aaron Presley, was an American singer, musician and actor. He is a cultural icon, often known as “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, or simply “The King”.

Posted in Because I Can, Music, On This Day, The Big Screen

RIP Robin Williams (No more nanu nanu)

Posted on August 11, 2016 by James| Comments Off on RIP Robin Williams (No more nanu nanu)

 

Robin Williams (July 21, 1951 – August 11, 2014)

Robin Williams (July 21, 1951 – August 11, 2014)

Robin McLaurin Williams was an American actor, voice actor, and stand-up comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork & Mindy (1978-1982), Williams went on to establish a successful career in both stand-up comedy and feature film acting. His film career included such acclaimed films as Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), Awakenings (1990), The Fisher King (1991), and Good Will Hunting (1997), as well as financial successes such as Popeye (1980), Hook (1991), Aladdin (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Jumanji (1995), The Birdcage (1996), Night at the Museum (2006), and Happy Feet (2006).

Wikipedia Article

Posted in The Big Screen, The Little Screen (Television)

RIP James Garner

Posted on July 19, 2016 by James| Comments Off on RIP James Garner

James Garner as Bret Maverick

James Garner as Jim Rockford

James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American film and television actor. He starred in several television series over more than five decades, which included such popular roles as Bret Maverick in the 1950s western-comedy series Maverick and Jim Rockford in the 1970s detective drama The Rockford Files.

Garner starred in more than 50 films including The Great Escape (1963), Paddy Chayefsky’s The Americanization of Emily (1964), Grand Prix (1966), Blake Edwards’ Victor Victoria (1982), Murphy’s Romance (1985) for which he received an Academy Award nomination, and The Notebook (2004).

Wikipedia Link

Posted in The Big Screen, The Little Screen (Television)

Happy Birthday, Han Solo/Dr. Jones!

Posted on July 13, 2016 by James| Comments Off on Happy Birthday, Han Solo/Dr. Jones!

 Solo! Hay lapa no ya, Solo!

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford (July 13, 1942 – )

Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. His career has spanned six decades and includes roles in several Hollywood blockbusters, including Presumed Innocent, The Fugitive, Air Force One, and What Lies Beneath. At one point, four of the top six box-office hits of all time included one of his roles. Five of his films have been inducted into the National Film Registry.

In 1997, Ford was ranked No. 1 in Empire‘s “The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time” list. As of July 2008, the United States domestic box office grosses of Ford’s films total over US$3.5 billion, with worldwide grosses surpassing $6 billion, making Ford the third highest grossing U.S. domestic box-office star. Ford is the husband of actress Calista Flockhart.

Posted in The Big Screen

RIP Ernest Borgnine

Posted on July 8, 2016 by James| Comments Off on RIP Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine

Ernest Borgnine (January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012)

Ernest Borgnine (born Ermes Effron Borgnino) was an American film and television actor whose career spanned more than six decades. He was an unconventional lead in many films of the 1950s, winning an Oscar in 1955 for Marty. On television, he played Quinton McHale in the 1962–1966 series McHale’s Navy and co-starred in the mid-1980s action series Airwolf, in addition to a wide variety of other roles. Borgnine was also known for his role as Mermaid Man in the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. Borgnine earned an Emmy Award nomination at age 92 for his work on the series ER.

 

Posted in The Big Screen, The Little Screen (Television)

Anniversary of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Posted on June 30, 2016 by James| Comments Off on Anniversary of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
WillyWonkaMoviePoster

Original Movie Poster (June 30, 1971)

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 American musical fantasy film[4] directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and tells the story of Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum, in his only film appearance) as he receives a Golden Ticket and visits Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory with four other children from around the world.

Filming took place in Munich in 1970, and the film was released by Paramount Pictures on June 30, 1971. With a budget of just $3 million, the film received positive reviews and performed well in 1971, earning about $4 million at the end of its original run. It then made an additional $21 million during its 1996 re-release.

The film has since developed a cult following especially due to its repeated television airings and home entertainment sales. In 1972, the film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score, and Wilder was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, but lost both to Fiddler on the Roof. In 2014, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

Wikipedia Link

Posted in The Big Screen

Happy Birthday, Kris Kristofferson

Posted on June 22, 2016 by James| Comments Off on Happy Birthday, Kris Kristofferson

Kristoffer “Kris” Kristofferson is an influential American country music songwriter, singer and actor. He is best known for hits such as “Me and Bobby McGee”, “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”, and “Help Me Make It Through the Night”.

Kris Kristofferson

Kris Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – )

Wikipedia Link

Posted in Music, The Big Screen

Anniversary of Jaws

Posted on June 20, 2016 by James| Comments Off on Anniversary of Jaws
Jaws Poster

In 1975, we learned that it was no longer “safe to go back into the water.”

Wikipedia Link

Posted in The Big Screen

First Motion Picture Theater

Posted on June 19, 2016 by James| Comments Off on First Motion Picture Theater

The first motion picture theater was called a nickelodeon because admission was a nickel.

It opened in McKeesport, PA on June 19,1905.

Posted in On This Day, The Big Screen

Anniversary of Jurassic Park

Posted on June 11, 2016 by James| Comments Off on Anniversary of Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park Poster

June 11, 1993

Wikipedia Link

Posted in On This Day, The Big Screen

Anniversary of WarGames

Posted on June 3, 2016 by James| Comments Off on Anniversary of WarGames

In 1983,

A Computerized Voice Asked You…

Would You Like To Play A Game?

Wikipedia Link

Posted in On This Day, The Big Screen

Happy Birthday, Clint Eastwood!

Posted on May 31, 2016 by James| Comments Off on Happy Birthday, Clint Eastwood!
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. (May 31, 1930 - )

Clinton “Clint” Eastwood, Jr. (May 31, 1930 – )

Clint Eastwood is an American film actor, director, producer, composer, pianist, businessman, investor, and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide.

Wikipedia Link

Read more »

Posted in The Big Screen

Happy Birthday, Ian Fleming!

Posted on May 28, 2016 by James| Comments Off on Happy Birthday, Ian Fleming!

 

Ian Fleming

Ian Lancaster Fleming (May 28, 1908 – August 12, 1964)

Ian Lancaster Fleming  was an English author and journalist, best remembered for writing the James Bond series of novels as well as the children’s story, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Wikipedia Link

Posted in Because I Can, Literary, The Big Screen

Anniversary of Star Wars

Posted on May 25, 2016 by James| Comments Off on Anniversary of Star Wars

Star Wars

May 25, 1977, Memorial Day weekend opens with an intergalactic bang as the first of George Lucas’ blockbuster Star Wars movies hits American theaters.

Wikipedia Link

Posted in Because I Can, On This Day, The Big Screen

RIP Jim Henson

Posted on May 16, 2016 by James| Comments Off on RIP Jim Henson

James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was the most widely known American puppeteer in modern American television history.

He was the creator of The Muppets and the leading force behind their long creative run. Henson brought an engaging cast of characters, innovative ideas, and a sense of timing and humor to millions of people. He is also widely acknowledged for the ongoing vision of faith, friendship, magic, and love which was infused in nearly all of his work.

Jim Henson

Statue of Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog, on display outside of Adele H. Stamp Student Union in College Park, Maryland.

Posted in The Big Screen, The Little Screen (Television)

Happy Birthday, George Lucas

Posted on May 14, 2016 by James| Comments Off on Happy Birthday, George Lucas
George Lucas

George Walton Lucas, Jr. (May 14, 1944 – )

George Lucas is an Academy Award-nominated American film producer, screenwriter, director and chairman of Lucasfilm Ltd. He is best known for being the creator of the epic Sci-Fi franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones.

Wikipedia Link

Posted in The Big Screen, The Little Screen (Television)

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish!

Posted on May 11, 2016 by James| Comments Off on So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish!
Douglas Adams

Douglas Noël Adams (March 11, 1952 – May 11, 2001)

Douglas Adams was an English author, comic radio dramatist, and musician. He is best known as author of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series. Hitchhiker’s began on radio, and developed into a “trilogy” of five books (which sold more than fifteen million copies during his lifetime) as well as a television series, a towel, a live theater show, a drink, a comic book series, a computer game and a feature film that was completed after Adams’ death. He was known to some fans as Bop Ad (after his illegible signature), or by his initials “DNA”.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish is the fourth book of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy “trilogy”. Its title is the message left by the dolphins when they departed Planet Earth just before it was demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass, as described in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The phrase has since been adopted by some science fiction fans as a humorous way to say “goodbye.”

Wikipedia Link

Posted in Because I Can, Literary, The Big Screen, The Little Screen (Television)