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There is no filmmaker quite like Andy Milligan. A connoisseur of the depraved and debaucherous, Milligan’s lot in life was troubled, but out of the pain he suffered beginning in his youth he managed to create a unique oeuvre that defies and defiles common decency at a level that is both shocking and admirable. The Degenerate: The Life and Films of Andy Milligan, the latest documentary from directors Josh Johnson (Rewind This!) and Grayson Tyler Johnson (Bob Morgan's Just Going to Tell Some Stories) digs deep into Milligan’s life and work in a way that presents the grindhouse regular as a kind of avant garde auteur, and to be frank, it’s a hard argument to refute. The filmmakers dig deep into Milligan’s past with the...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Today, Chattanooga Film Festival organizers gave their fans even more bang for their 2025 badge buck by announcing another jam-packed wave filled with a veritable Whitman’s sampler of the genre programming for which Cff has become known.

The third and final wave of Chattanooga Film Festival 2025 includes a film programmed by a very special guest, another World Premiere, sneak preview screenings, and their biggest 2025 shorts program ever!

Joining the festival’s programmers and curating a secret screening as part of the 2025 edition of their fan-favorite Redeye secret screening series is David Dastmalchian, who will give fans insight into the wild world of his selection, a film presented by longtime Cff co-conspirators Arrow Video.

Joining the festival’s already-announced lineup is the World Premiere of Alan At Night, a Top Secret Sneak Preview screening of a fantastically funny new film, and a screening of Abigail Before Beatrice.

Then, there’s their massive shorts program,...

The Chattanooga Film Festival has announced the final wave of programming and closing night film for its 12th annual event, which will take place June 20-28 both in-person in Tennessee and virtually.

Joining the team’s programmers and curating a secret screening as part of the 2025 edition of their fan-favorite Redeye secret screening series is actor and horror stalwart David Dastmalchian. Look for new world premieres, a massive short film slate, and special live episodes of podcasts including Bloody FM’s Horror Queers. The new additions round out an already packed wave one and two for programming at this year’s fest.

Read on for the third and final wave…

‘Abigail Before Beatrice’

Abigail Before Beatrice (d. Cassie Keet)

An isolated woman is confronted by her past when a fellow former cult member reaches out with news that their leader has been released from prison early. What happens when your...

Back in 2021, Severin Films released a massive box set of the films of Andy Milligan, introducing a whole new audience to films like The Ghastly Ones, Legacy of Blood, Bloodthirsty Butchers, and more! Now, they're back with a new documentary on the life and films of Milligan, and we have all the details, along with a look at the trailer and poster:

From the Press Release: "Severin Films and Monocular Films are immensely proud to reveal the poster and trailer for their latest original documentary, The Degenerate: The Life & Films Of Andy Milligan, which will World Premiere June 11th at the 2025 edition of New York City's Tribeca Film Festival [...]

He was a pioneer of avant-garde theater, trailblazer of early Queer cinema, and remains one of the most divisive talents in exploitation/horror history. But what is the truth behind Andy Milligan and his “depraved, desperate, and damned” (Time Magazine) legacy?...

In Part One of our conversation with Dune costume designers Jacqueline West and Bob Morgan, they shared the logistical challenges of producing some 2,000+ costumes for the ambitious sci-fi blockbuster, as well as the influences that went into bringing Lady Jessica Atreides (the great Rebecca Ferguson) to life. Today, we continue the discussion on what inspired the Atreides military uniforms and the Fremen’s desert survival suits – or “stillsuits.”

It sounds like the costume production on this film spanned the globe – you had Fbfx in London, in-house production in Budapest, and where else?

Morgan: We made the bulk of the costumes in-house with four workshops in Budapest – we had an armory die shop, a textile shop, an aging department, a sewing department and a prop department. I brought in many artists whom I had worked with on different films like Maleficent from England, like our armorer, textile master artists and pattern makers.

In order to deliver the 2,000 costumes – including approximately 400 specialty costumes and bespoke “stillsuits”– for Denis Villeneuve’s visually captivating and masterfully adapted sci-fi epic Dune, the director enlisted the help of costume designers Jacqueline West and Bob Morgan, whose work on the film is currently nominated at the upcoming Oscars.

With her background in art history, former fashion designer West is a four-time Academy Award nominee, whose credits include Quills, Argo and The Revenant. Having previously collaborated with West as costume supervisor on the Prohibition-era gangster drama Live by Night, Morgan’s long list of credits includes Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Man of Steel. This is Morgan’s first costume design credit on a feature – and his first Oscar nomination.

Released in 2021, when all Warner Bros features were available day-and-date in theaters and on HBO Max, the film recently crossed $400 million in worldwide box office. The immersive sci-fi fantasy...

A new piece of fan art from D I O showcases the unique styles of the Great Houses in Dune, drawing inspiration from the various adaptations of Frank Herbert's novel. Lynch's 1984 Dune costumes were made with unconventional materials due to its rushed production schedule, while Villeneuve's were carefully planned for years. The diverse interpretations of Dune character costumes reflect the depth and creativity of Herbert's iconic sci-fi world.

Following the recent epic chapter in the war for Arrakis supremacy, a new piece of Dune fan art showcases the various styles of the houses vying for power over the planet. Frank Herbert's groundbreaking and influential sci-fi novel has served as both an inspiration to many other creatives' worlds, as well as multiple adaptations of the tales he wrote for the big screen. The latest adaptations of Dune have been brought to life by Denis Villeneuve, with the...

Desert expert Les Stroud explains why Dune's stillsuits make sense in real life; in the desert, more clothing is better for retaining moisture and protecting against the sun. In the movie, Liet Kynes explains how stillsuits recover water from sweat and ensure no one overheats in the Arrakis desert. Despite the suit lacking head protection, characters use their own means to cover up, as revealed by Dune's costume designers. A survival expert's opinion adds credibility to the functionality of the stillsuits.

Desert expert Les Stroud explains that Dune's stillsuits make sense in real life. The movie, based on Frank Herbert's acclaimed science fiction novel, follows Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), a young man haunted by visions of the future, who becomes entangled in a war for the planet Arrakis. Along with Chalamet, the cast of Dune includes Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellen Skarsgård, Zendaya, and Javier Bardem. The stillsuit,...

The Oscars for design — Costume Design, Production Design, and Makeup and Hairstyling — are often awarded together to reward movies that have excelled in their costume creations, set building, and distinct makeup work. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” won all three while “Black Panther” won both Costume Design and Production Design. Those two are fantasy films, which is a leading genre in the design categories. But period pictures, historical epics, sci-fi flicks, and even distinct contemporary films have also done well in these races.

With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of the eight films we expect to be the strongest contenders across the three categories.

“Barbie”

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way. The trailers have flaunted pretty pastels and plastics in both the sets and the costumes and the full film does not disappoint. The legendary Jacqueline Durran is in...

With the world premiere of Guillermo Del Toro and Mark Gustafson’s Pinocchio this month, people are once again reminded of how creepy stop-motion animation is. Despite how truly beautiful the medium can be, as all of Studio Laika’s movies can attest to, stop-motion will always have a place in the horror genre, even when the movies don’t mean to.

Some stop-motion films, both feature-length and short, traumatized kids with their seemingly innocent facades. These bits of media are a wonderful way to get kids into the horror genre. At worst, it gives them a few nightmares along the way.

Mouse Soup (1993)

Redditor PurpleSaurusRex655 had haunting memories about trying to recall a creepy short he had watched as a child. To paraphrase, “I remember seeing a very creepy cartoon when I was little, or at least part of it before I turned it off. The cartoon contained unattached...

The 38th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place from Feb. 8 to Feb.18.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will be happening in person, with screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels and celebrity tributes held throughout the city, including at the historic Arlington Theatre.

“Sbiff has long been a place to celebrate and showcase the enduring power of cinema. As we have been confronted with difficult times, film and festivals have continued to be a place for reflection and inspiration. It is with that in mind that we excitedly prepare the 38th Sbiff edition and look forward to bringing the year’s best cinema and talent to our devoted patrons” says Roger Durling, Sbiff’s executive director.

Last year, the festival had a successful return to an in-person festival. It hosted 48 world premieres, 95 U.S. premieres, with honorary awards feted on Javier Bardem, Nicole Kidman, Kristen Stewart, Penélope Cruz,...

Cannes conversations were continued in a more relaxed setting, said attendees.

International buyers have given a generally positive response to this week’s three-day London Screenings event held at Picturehouse Central from June 21-23, organised by Film London.

“It was very good to catch-up after Cannes to get a broader picture of what is coming from the UK,” said Anna Lindstrom, acquisitions manager at Stockholm-based Lucky Dogs.

Lindstrom confirmed she had made one acquisition during the event for a film which she had been discussing in Cannes.

UK titles that have been generating buzz include Frank Berry’s Irish asylum drama Aisha,...

Kino’s Noir boxes offer interesting noir-adjacent crime and mystery pix. This seventh return to the well of darkness brings up the organized crime ‘meller’ Chicago Confidential with Brian Keith and the more ambitious The Boss, starring John Payne and written by Dalton Trumbo. The third show The Fearmakers is a real oddity. Starring Dana Andrews and directed by Jacques Tourneur, it’s a political conspiracy tale about manipulating opinions with fraudulent polls. It sounds a lot like the fractured state of modern America, 65 years later. With commentaries by Jason A. Ney and Alan K. Rode.

Film Noir the Dark Side of Cinema VII

The Boss, Chicago Confidential, The Fearmakers

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1956-1958 / B&w / Street Date June 7, 2022 / 249 min. / available through Kino Lorber / 49.95

Starring: John Payne, Gloria McGehee, Brian Keith, Beverly Garland, Dana Andrews, Marilee Earle.

Directed by Byron Haskin, Sidney Salkow, Jacques Tourneur

Kino treads the dark...

With “Dune,” Denis Villeneuve confirms that he is a visionary director. Adapted from Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, “Dune” is set in the year 10191 and Villeneuve salutes his artisans who helped him create the look and sound of the film, which covers multiple interplanetary cultures and locations.

Patrice Vermette, production design

Patrice preps a lot. He is a workaholic and it’s all about details and massive visual research — whether you dig in the past or project into the future, it requires research. I knew he would add the right sensibility in the architecture, and in the way we approach the light and texture of the film.

Patrice put his imprint on every set, every detail, even the way the sand is seen. Some of these sets were so gigantic, there was no stage to hold them, so we had to build them outside. Patrice has an amazing cultural background and...

“Dune” has started rolling out overseas, collecting a strong $36.8 million in its international debut over the weekend. While the first movie in Denis Villeneuve’s planned two-part saga doesn’t arrive in the U.S. until late October, his crafts team has started making the rounds in support of what is surely one of the year’s big below-the-line Oscar contenders. Costume designers Jacqueline West and Bob Morgan recently spoke to Variety, which reports the duo created “1,000 or so looks” to bring the film’s different planetary worlds to life.

As reported by Variety: “Jacqueline West and Bob Morgan teamed up to create the 1,000 or so looks needed for the three main worlds of the movie: Arrakis, Caladan, and Giedi Prime. ‘For research, I looked at David Lean films — “Dr. Zhivago,” “Lawrence of Arabia” — [as well as] “Fahrenheit 451,”‘ says West. She says she also referenced Greek and Roman mythology because she thought...

Denis Villeneuve’s long-awaited adaptation of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” made its debut at the Venice Film Festival on Friday leaving some critics in awe of the massive scope and spectacle of the “Arrival” director’s work and others wondering what all the fuss is about.

“‘Dune’ reminds us what a Hollywood blockbuster can be,” The Guardian critic Xan Brooks wrote in a five-star review. “Implicitly, its message written again and again in the sand, Denis Villeneuve’s fantasy epic tells us that big-budget spectaculars don’t have to be dumb or hyperactive, that it’s possible to allow the odd quiet passage amid the explosions.”

But writing for Indiewire, critic David Ehrlich offered a strong dissent, tying in Villeneuve’s comments about seeing “Dune” on the big screen with the film itself.

“In the end, Denis Villeneuve was all too right: Your television isn’t big enough for the scope of his ‘Dune,...

The work of “Dune” costume designers Jacqueline West and Bob Morgan has caught the attention of fashion writers as well as film fans. It was an epic undertaking for the veteran costume designers. “Well, we’ve worked together many times and when this came up — when it was so large — she said, ‘would you collaborate on this with me?’ And I said, ‘of course.’ I adore her. We’ve been dear friends for many years and loved the project,” says Morgan. Both are big fans of the Frank L. Herbert novels, and methodically broke down the epic’s main three worlds of Arrakis, Caladan and Giedi Prime, “which were three kind of diametrically opposed places in their climate, and then the people that inhabited them, which meant three armies, three different things that we had to do,” he adds. “Dune” bows Sept. 3 at the Venice Film Festival.

What was your starting point for the costumes?...

Chicago – The premiere of a documentary feature, “(C)answers: The Answer to Cancer” will take place this Saturday, July 31st, 2021, at the Gene Siskel Film Center and through online virtual cinema. Directed by Breht Gardner, the film takes us inside one young man’s emotional cancer battle and exposes the provocative truth about cannabis prohibition, where race, politics and the business of medicine powerfully intersect. For more info and tickets, click here.

’(C)answers: The Answer to Cancer’ at the Gene Siskel Film Center

Photo credit: CanswersFilm.com

The evening will feature the screening of the film and an panel to break it down afterwards (live at the Siskel Center and accessible virtual/online), and includes a host committee with Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Senior Advisor to Governor J.B. Pritzker Toi Hutchinson, and State Representatives Kelly Cassidy, Jehan Gordon Booth, and Bob Morgan.

Oscar nominee Denis Villeneuve directs Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ “Dune,” the big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal bestseller of the same name.

A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

The film is slated to be released in select theaters in 2D and 3D and IMAX and on HBO Max on October 22, 2021 and will be available on HBO Max’s Ad-Free plan in 4K Uhd, HDR10, Dolby Vision...

Here’s a first look at the trailer for director Denis Villeneuve’s highly anticipated Dune, the big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal bestseller.

A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

And gosh, is this a great cast or what?!

Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac (the “Star Wars” franchise) Oscar nominee Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, David Dastmalchian, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling,...

The wait for the latest cinematic depiction of Frank Herbert’s Dune is nearly over. Ahead of the film's planned December 18th release, Warner Bros. revealed the official trailer for Denis Villeneuve's Dune, featuring a star-studded cast led by Timothée Chalamet:

Oscar nominee Denis Villeneuve directs Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ “Dune,” the big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal bestseller of the same name. A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

© 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photo Credit: Chiabella James

While we wait for cinemas to re-open to moviegoers, Warner Brothers Pictures has released the first images for Dune. The studio is hoping to release it by the end of the year.

(L-r) TIMOTHÉE Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat, Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica Atreides, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck and Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure “Dune,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

Dune is set for release on December 18, 2020.

Oscar nominee Denis Villeneuve directs Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ “Dune,” the big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal bestseller of the same name.

A mythic and emotionally charged hero’sjourney, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding,...

Josh Brolin shot a video showing off the set of director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, and as you can see, it looks like the landscape of the story you’d image. It seems like a pretty awesome place to shoot the movie. I like how Brolin describes it aa an “ancient space.”

There’s an incredibly talented team of creative people working on Dune, and I have no doubt that this team is going to deliver an amazing film adaptation of Dune.

Check out the video below:

Josh Brolin showing off the Dune set. #Dune pic.twitter.com/FCFGqwfEut

— Dune (@DUNEFAN2020) April 6, 2019

Here’s the synopsis for the film:

Set on the planet Arrakis, we find ourselves exploring the story of two warring galactic royal families House Atreides and House Harkonnen. When Duke Leto Atreides is assassinated, his son Paul and wife Lady Jessica escape only to be adopted by the Fremen,...

Production has officially started on Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, and it’s been announced that Dark Knight and Inception composer Hans Zimmer will create the film’s score. Hans and Denis previously worked on Blade Runner 2049, so it makes sense that they would want to work together again.

Zimmer is a master composer and I love the scores that he has created for the films that he’s worked on. It’ll be cool to see what he ends up delivering for this one.

We also have a new synopsis to share with you that came from a recent press release:

Set on the planet Arrakis, we find ourselves exploring the story of two warring galactic royal families House Atreides and House Harkonnen. When Duke Leto Atreides is assassinated, his son Paul and wife Lady Jessica escape only to be adopted by the Fremen,...

Featuring a cast that includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, and Dave Bautista, Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment's new adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune has begun filming, with a release date currently set for November 20th, 2020:

Press Release: Burbank, Calif. -- Filming has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Entertainment’s epic “Dune,” being directed by Oscar nominee Denis Villeneuve.

The big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal bestseller Dune stars Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Call Me by Your Name”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation”), Oscar Isaac (“Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi”), Oscar nominee Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya (“Spider-Man: Homecoming”), David Dastmalchian (the “Ant-Man” movies), Stephen Henderson, with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling, with Jason Momoa (“Aquaman”), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem. Chang Chen is in discussions to join the cast.

A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey,...

After a lot of false starts and studios changes, the long-gestating Dune remake has finally started filming and WB has revealed a new synopsis for the film, more cast and behind the scenes additions. Come inside to check it all out!

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am for this. Since I started writing about movies/entertainment (around a decade now), I feel like I've been writing about the Dune movie remake. Seriously, some version of a new Dune movie has been in the works for as long as I can remember. Now, it's finally happening and with a ridiculously stacked cast.

Today marks the start of production on Denis Villeneuve's take on the iconic science fiction property. The press release from WB reveals some more behind the scenes crew which includes the reveal that Hans Zimmer has signed on to handle the film's score! Seriously,...

1971: The last appearance of Barnabas Collins on the original Dark

Shadows. 1984: Jack Wagner debuted as Frisco Jones on Gh.

1998: One Life to Live's Téa tried to figure out Todd.

2006: Passions aired a Bollywood episode."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1931: Clara, Lu & Em shifted from Wgn to the NBC Blue Network, one of the earliest radio soap operas. Listen to the episode here.

1953: On The Guiding Light, Meta Bauer White prepared for the worst.

Thanks to Jennifer for sending in the clip above.

World AIDS Day takes place on December 1st each year. It's an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day. Globally, there are an estimated 36.7 million people who have the virus. Despite the virus only being identified in 1984, more than 35 million people have died of HIV or AIDS, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history.

Today, scientific advances have been made in HIV treatment, there are laws to protect people living with HIV and we understand so much more about the condition. World AIDS Day is important because it reminds the public and government that HIV has not gone away – there is still a vital need to raise money, increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education.

1982: Another World's Buzz Winslow died in Wyoming.

1988: General Hospital's Anna lost her baby.

1990: Another World's Jake raped Marley, then got shot.

2000: All My Children's Vanessa and Arlene were busted."The best prophet of the future is the past."

― Lord Byron

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1937: Radio soap opera Stella Dallas made its debut as a local show in New York City. The 15-minute drama, with Anne Elstner in the title role, was picked up by the NBC Radio network beginning June 6, 1938, and aired weekdays afternoons through 1955.

1971: Chris Bohn debuted as Dr. Jason Aldrich on The Doctors.

1977: On Another World, Iris Carrington (Beverlee McKinsey...

1971: The last appearance of Barnabas Collins on the original Dark

Shadows. 1984: Jack Wagner debuted as Frisco Jones on Gh.

1998: One Life to Live's Téa tried to figure out Todd.

2006: Passions aired a Bollywood episode."Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results."

― Machiavelli

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1931: Clara, Lu & Em shifted from Wgn to the NBC Blue Network, one of the earliest radio soap operas.

Even after all of your presents are unwrapped and your tree is packed away (or put on the curb), Arrow Video will continue to give the gift of new horror Blu-ray releases for fans looking to expand their collections. The company just announced their impressive February 2018 slate of Blu-rays, including a limited edition version of Frank Henenlotter's Basket Case, The Gruesome Twosome, and much more!

From Arrow Video: "Time for our new announcements! First up two titles coming from Arrow Records and Books this December…

New Arrow Book: The Hitcher (Book)

Pre-order now: http://bit.ly/2BqKmWx

Release date: 29th December

Robert Harmon’s 1986 film The Hitcher is a complex beast: reviled at the time of its release, it has been adored in the long term as one of the most intoxicating, unrelenting highway cult films ever made. Starring Rutger Hauer in the title role whose alluring villainy...

When they say, "They don't make 'em like that anymore," this is what they're talking about. "How the West Was Won," released in America 50 years ago this week (on February 20, 1963) was probably the most ambitious western ever made, an epic saga spanning four generations, 50 years, two-and-a-half hours, five vignettes, three directors (well, actually four), the widest possible screen, and an enormous cast of A-listers, including James Stewart, Debbie Reynolds, Gregory Peck, George Peppard, Henry Fonda, John Wayne, Karl Malden, Carroll Baker, and Spencer Tracy. It's hard to imagine any movie, let alone a western, being made on such a grand scale today, when it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Naturally, in a production that massive, there was a lot of chaos behind the scenes. Even fans of the movie may not be aware of the off-camera feud between Peck and his director, the technical challenges imposed by the untried widescreen format,...

Actress Yvonne De Carlo, who played two very famous but disparate wives -- to Charlton Heston in movie epic The Ten Commandments and Fred Gwynne in the horror-spoof sitcom The Munsters -- died Monday in Los Angeles of natural causes; she was 84. Born Margaret Yvonne Middleton in Vancouver, Canada, the actress first traveled to Hollywood with her mother at the age of 15, but returned to Canada after finding little success, even though she was named "Miss Venice Beach" in 1938. Upon her return in 1940 at age 18, she found minor success with chorus girl roles and uncredited bit parts, finally securing her first notable role as Princess Wah-Tah in the western The Deerslayer. As a starlet for Universal, she toiled in numerous unmemorable roles before scoring the lead in the box office success Salome Where She Danced (1945), which led to starring roles in movies such as Slave Girl, Casbah, and River Lady. She played a femme fatale alongside Burt Lancaster in the noir classic Criss Cross, the Princess Scheherazade in The Desert Hawk, and the lead opposite a young Rock Hudson in Scarlet Angel. Her two most famous film roles came in the late '50s, when she played wife Sephora to Charlton Heston's Moses in The Ten Commandments, and the female lead opposite Clark Gable in Raoul Walsh's Band of Angels (which also featured the young Sidney Poitier).

By the early '60s, De Carlo was appearing steadily in a number of television series, and in 1964 she was tapped for the role of Lily Munster in the sitcom The Munsters. A show that parodied both horror films and squeaky-clean family sitcoms, where the titular family of monstrous misfits interacted with the regular world at large, it aired on CBS from 1964-66 and became a cultural phenomenon upon going into reruns. Spoofing the Bride of Frankenstein, De Carlo showed off a comic flair that was often missing from her film roles, and though the show lasted for only 70 episodes, Lily Munster became De Carlo's most famous part. (The Munsters debuted in the same year as the similarly-themed The Addams Family, and both were canceled two years later.) Most of De Carlo's film and TV appearances for the rest of her career were in horror movies (or spoofs) or in episodic television, and her last role was in the 1995 TV movie The Barefoot Executive. On Broadway, however, she created the role of Carlotta Campion in Stephen Sondheim's 1972 musical Follies, where she sang the show's signature number, "I'm Still Here," and also published her autobiography in 1987. De Carlo was married to stutman Bob Morgan, whom she divorced in 1968 and with whom she had two sons. --Mark Englehart, IMDb staff...