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We’re just a few months away from the release of Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, which is supposedly the last installment in the film series that began as a spy thriller about stealing floppy discs, then somehow morphed into Tom Cruise’s big budget take on Jackass.

But we would have never gotten any joy out of seeing Cruise routinely endanger his life for our amusement if not for the actions of one of the most famous comedic performers of all-time: Lucille Ball.

Ball’s production company Desilu produced a number of famous TV shows, including Star Trek and the original Mission: Impossible series. And Ball didn’t simply greenlight the pitch and walk away either. As one of the show’s stars, Barbara Bain, revealed in an interview, Lucy had the “final word on the casting.”

Bain had to meet with Ball after others became “concerned” about...

Before Tom Cruise was driving motorcycles off cliffs, clinging to planes, and fighting bad guys atop moving trains in the name of "Mission: Impossible," the franchise had its humble beginnings in the form of a very '60s CBS series. The original "Mission: Impossible" was a spy series with a rotating cast of characters created by Bruce Gellar, who died in a plane crash just five years after the show ended. Several key cast members have passed away in the years since then, including Peter Graves, Greg Morris, Martin Landau, Steven Hill, and, of course, Leonard Nimoy.

"Mission: Impossible" was a huge success when it aired, winning 10 Emmys throughout its seven-season run and producing 171 episodes. The show inspired an '80s revival series, but "Mission: Impossible" really took off when Cruise (and Brian De Palma) got a hold of the franchise in 1996. The near-superhuman character Ethan Hunt was created for the movies,...

Robbin Bain, who was known as the “Today Girl” handling fashion and beauty segments on the NBC-TV morning show, died Oct. 21 in Southampton, N.Y., on Long Island. She was 87 and had breast cancer, according to her daughter.

Her public career began in 1959, when she was named as Miss Rheingold, then the most popular beer in the New York region. For her win, she received $50,000 and spent the next year making appearances in the United States and Europe.

She turned to modeling, appearing in ads for Helena Rubinstein and Revlon. She was also one of four women, called “Portrettes,” who introduced Jackie Gleason on his television variety show, The Jackie Gleason Show, in 1956 and 1957.

Early in her career, she changed her first name to Robbin to avoid confusion with the actress Barbara Bain.

In late August 1961, Bain joined NBC as the “Today Girl,” working alongside the host John Chancellor...

In George Lucas' 1977 sci-fi/fantasy film "Star Wars," the roguish smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) claimed to have the fastest starship in the galaxy. Named the Millennium Falcon, the ship was said to have "made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs." Clearly, Lucas hadn't yet grasped that a parsec is a measure of distance (about 19 trillion miles) and not time. 

When it comes to its design, the Millennium Falcon is more or less a flying saucer. It carries a radar dish on its dorsal region, two fork-like protrusions on its bow (called loading arms), and its cockpit rests protruding from its starboard side. Otherwise, it's flat and plate-shaped. Like many of the vehicles in "Star Wars," it is encrusted with textured plating and scads of ineffable machinery that only the most devoted Starwoids could accurately explain. It's a small ship, too, only able to house about a half dozen people comfortably.

“Moonlighting” was more than a watercooler show. It was an obsession. Episodes were taped and rewatched. And for good reason. There had never been a anything on the small screen like the 1985-89 ABC romantic screwball comedy detective series. The rapid-fire dialogue recalled such Howard Hawks’ classics as 1938’s ‘Bringing Up Baby” and 1940’ “His Girl Friday.” Fourth walls were broken. There was a black-and-white episode and even and wild and crazy take on William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” That was just the tip of the innovations.

Creator and executive producer Glenn Gordon Caron told me in a 2000 L.A. Times interview that ABC didn’t give him total freedom when it came to the episodes: “The truth is no one let me do everything. I just did it. Ignorance is bliss. There were rules and I chose not to listen to anybody. At a certain point, the network said- ‘This is working.

The Space: 1999 TV series was released nearly 50 years ago, and a new documentary, titled The Eagle Has Landed, will celebrate the show’s anniversary.

Space: 1999 aired in first-run syndication for 48 episodes, between 1975 and 1977. The sci-fi series stars Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Barry Morse, Catherine Schell, Tony Anholt, Prentis Hancock, Nick Tate, Zienia Merton, Anton Phillips, Suzanne Roquette, Clifton Jones, John Hug, Jeffery Kissoon, Yasuko Nagazumi, Sam Dastor, and Alibe Parsons. The story follows the inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha, a research center in a crater on the Earth's moon. Following a nuclear waste accident, the moon is ripped from Earth's orbit and sent hurling through space. While trying to find a new home planet, the center's crew encounters various alien civilizations, dystopian societies, and mind-bending phenomena.

Read More…...

Updated with participation of Space: 1999 cast member Nick Tate in the documentary The Eagle Has Landed: Exclusive: Actress Barbara Bain, star of the British sci-fi series Space: 1999, is preparing to board an upcoming documentary about the Eagle, the famed spacecraft at the heart of the show that ran from 1975-1977.

Bain will appear in The Eagle Has Landed as will Nick Tate, her cast mate from Space: 1999. The documentary includes the participation of several other notable figures: Apollo XVI astronaut Charles Duke Jr., Academy Award-winning visual effects artist Bill George, and Brian Johnson, the VFX artist on Space: 1999 whose work is said to have influenced Star Wars. The film is being directed and produced by Jeffrey Morris, who also hosts the documentary.

The Eagle spacecraft in ‘The Eagle Has Landed’

The Eagle Has Landed “explores the cross-generational impact of the iconic vessel...

We all know that Mission: Impossible is about Ethan Hunt, the living manifestation of destiny. With mega-star Tom Cruise in the role, the character of Hunt became more important to the franchise than any of the leads of the original series, Jim Phelps, Dan Briggs (Steven Hill), or Cinnamon Carter (Barbara Bain). But for a little while, producers considered phasing Hunt out of the series, making him the new secretary of the Impossible Mission Force while Jeremy Renner’s William Brandt became the new team leader.

Those plans changed midway through the production of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol when Christopher McQuarrie came in to finish a script started by Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec. Although director Brad Bird had already started shooting scenes for Ghost Protocol, McQuarrie successfully argued that Hunt should remain the focus and could not be replaced.

This behind-the-scenes tension added a spark of electricity between Brandt and Hunt on screen.

From left: Jon Voight, Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible (Paramount), Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg in Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount) Graphic: AVClub Wtf is the Imf? The answer to that question, like many aspects of the long-running Mission: Impossible franchise itself, can be convoluted, elusive, frustrating, and rewarding, in equal measures.

The Imf then and now: The Mission: Impossible TV cast show (1966-1973) and the stars of Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount).Photo: Bettmann (Getty Images)

Wtf is the Imf? The answer to that question, like many aspects of the long-running Mission: Impossible franchise itself, can be convoluted, elusive,...

Covert operations, shadowy government agencies, foreign intrigue, technological wizardry, masters of disguises, heist-like action, self-destructing tapes — Mission: Impossible had it all. Oh, and that iconic theme song, of course. Mission: Impossible ran for seven seasons and 172 episodes on CBS before ending 50 years ago, on March 30, 1973. Steven Hill, Barbara Bain, Greg Morris, and Peter Lupus made up the original Impossible Mission Force — whose missions, should they choose to accept them, involved retrieving sensitive information, recovering ill-gotten goods, neutralizing targets, and averting geopolitical crises. As the show progressed, the faces of the Imf changed — and not just because of the latex masks the operatives so often wore for disguises. Peter Graves took over as Imf leader, and Martin Landau, Leonard Nimoy, Lesley Ann Warren, and Sam Elliott joined the elite team full-time. With the Mission: Impossible finale a half century behind us — and the next installment of Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible...

Barry Berkman went bust. Bill Hader’s quest for a third Emmy for Best Comedy Actor for his portrayal as “Barry’s” leading (hit)man was cut short Monday evening when he went suffered his first loss in the category at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards and came up short on making history.

In the lead-up to the ceremony, many predicted Hader to return to the Emmy stage for his work on “Barry’s” excellent third season, which saw a troubled Barry attempt to make things right with his one-time acting coach, Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler), after the latter man discovered the former was responsible for murdering his girlfriend in Season 1. Defending champ Jason Sudeikis ultimately went home with the statuette instead, triumphing over Hader, as well as fellow nominees comedy legends Steve Martin (“Only Murders in the Building”) and Martin Short (“Only Murders in the Building”), former winner Donald Glover...

Barry Berkman is back, baby. Alec Berg and Bill Hader’s deeply funny comedy “Barry” has made its triumphant return to HBO after three years, and the show — and its leading (hit)man — hasn’t missed a beat.

The new season sees a troubled Barry (Hader) trying to make things right with his acting coach, Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler), after the latter discovered the former was responsible for murdering his girlfriend in Season 1. The two men continue to give emotionally layered but exceptionally funny performances in Season 3, playing off each other so well that it won’t be surprising if they both return to the Emmy stage later this year. But if Hader succeeds, he’ll also make Emmy history in the process.

If Hader defeats his former “Saturday Night Live” co-star and “Ted Lasso” frontman Jason Sudeikis to take home the award for Best Comedy Actor this year, he...

Earth is being visited by aliens from a dying planet, who are abducting humans and harvesting their organs for their own bodies. Earth's defence organisation - a secret, high-tech international military agency called Shado – suspect that a full-blown invasion is being planned. Called into covert action, Shado wages a spectacular battle to prevent the alien takeover, which must remain hidden from the public. This one is for the fans of UK sci-fi shows of old. Horror Channel is bringing UFO, a British sci-fi thriller series from 1970 to the channel on October 20th. UFO is the show that would lead to the beloved series Space 1999, starring Martin Landau and Barbara Bain. I will admit that my knowledge of sci-fi from my native...

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

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Emmys Collective

Visit each individual category, according to the awards show from The Emmys Hub

Link to film awards hub The Oscars Hub

Draft>>>Pre-season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Emmys Predictions:

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Updated: Aug 19, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: BAFTA TV Award snub aside, critical darling Corrin has dominated...

The year of 1969 saw the moon landing of the Apollo 11’s Eagle module, Richard Nixon sworn in as the 37th president of the United States, the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village ushering in the gay rights movement, the Tate-La Bianca murders by the Manson Family, the landmark Woodstock Music and Arts Fair which attracts 400,000, the tragic and violent Rolling Stones concert at the Altamont Speedway and even Tiny Tim marrying Miss Vicki on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.”

But one major event was basically ignored by the mainstream media: the Harlem Cultural Arts Festival which took place June 29-August 24 at the Mount Morris Park. Founded by Tony Lawrence, the festival celebrating Black pride, music and culture features such landmark performers as Sly and the Family Stone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Stevie Wonder, The Fifth Dimension and Mahalia Jackson. And when the NYPD refused to supply security,...

“The Crown” is on track to become the first show since “Cagney & Lacey” in 1985 to win its first Best Drama Series Emmy for its fourth season, but that is not the only Emmy history it could share with the procedural. If Emma Corrin takes Best Drama Actress as widely expected, “The Crown” will join “Cagney & Lacey” as the only shows to win the category for multiple actresses.

“Cagney & Lacey” dominated drama actress in the ’80s and holds the category record with six wins. Tyne Daly won four of them from 1983-85 and in 1988, while her screen partner Sharon Gless bested her in 1986 and ’87. “The Crown” notched its first victory here in 2018 when Claire Foy won for her second and final season on “The Crown” as Queen Elizabeth II.

The Best Drama Actress category as we know it was standardized in 1966, but prior to that, the Emmys awarded lead performances regardless of genre,...

Welcome, readers. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will require you to enter the following giveaway. The opportunity lies in winning the entire collection of the Mission Impossible Original TV Series on Blu-ray. Now that the set has been officially released (as of December 1), we’re giving three lucky geeks the opportunity to win one of their own! A cool 143 hours of footage, this set provides the perfect escape into a world full of anonymity, deception and corruption…totally unlike our world…maybe.

Click here to enter via our official giveaway page!

Whether you grew up watching the series or want to go back in time to learn the espionage that inspired the global and super successful movie franchise, the I.M.F. team is ready to fulfill their mission. Follow Daniel Briggs (Steven Hill) and later, Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) as they lead their crew of experts around the world!

On The Rocks A24 Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net linked from Rotten Tomatoes by: Harvey Karten Director: Sofia Coppola Writer: Sofia Coppola Cast: Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans, Jessica Henwick, Jenny Slate, Barbara Bain Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 10/15/20 Opens: October 23, 2020 Human beings are a sociable lot, unable to cope with […]

The post On The Rocks Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on October 1st, 2020, reviewing the new films On the Rocks” (In select theaters October 2nd and on AppleTV+ starting October 23rd.) and “A Call to Spy” (In theaters & Video-On-Demand).

Rating: 4.0/5.0

On the Rocks Sofia Coppola writes and directs this simple tale of a late-thirty-something writer named Laura (Rashida Jones) who is also a stay at home Mom. Her hard-charging husband Dean (Marlon Wayans) is spending more time at the office, and Laura begins to suspect he’s having an affair with a co-worker. Her doting but similarly hard-charging father Felix (Bill Murray) is going to help her find out if the affair is true. This is a relationship and character comedy, with Laura and her Dad finding out more about their approaches to life than anything having to do with the marriage. 4/5 stars.

Rating:...

Sofia Coppola and Bill Murray deliver a soft-focus view of a Manhattan that now almost seems like a dream

Dir: Sofia Coppola. U.S. 2020. 96 mins

Nostalgia is a dangerous temptation, but Sofia Coppola’s comedy On the Rocks, premiering at the New York Film Festival, makes it easy to surrender to. Spun mostly of sugar and air, this film is a lightweight, but mostly sweet, treat – and a lovely reminder of when pictures could just be low-key amusements, and the pandemic hadn’t yet turned cities into ghost towns.

Coppola hands Bill Murray every scene and he simply slips it...

"On the Rocks" is a new comedy feature, written and directed by Sofia Coppola, starring Bill Murray, Rashida Jones and Marlon Wayans, releasing October 2020, by A24 and Apple TV+:

"...'Laura' (Jones) thinks she's happily hitched, but when her husband 'Dean' (Wayans) starts logging late hours at the office with a new co-worker, Laura begins to fear the worst. 

"She turns to the one man she suspects may have insight: her charming, impulsive father 'Felix' (Murray), who insists they investigate the situation. As the two begin prowling New York at night, careening from uptown parties to downtown hotspots, they discover at the heart of their journey lies their own relationship..."

Cast also includes Jessica Henwick as 'Fiona', Jenny Slate as 'Vanessa' and Barbara Bain ("Misssion Impossible") as 'Gran'.

Click the images to enlarge...

A24 and AppleTV+ have debuted the first trailer for Sofia Coppola comedy ‘On The Rocks’ starring Bill Murray and Rashida Jones.

Faced with sudden doubts about her marriage, a young New York mother and writer teams up with her larger-than-life playboy father to tail her husband in a bittersweet comedy about relationships.

Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, the film stars Rashida Jones, Bill Murray and Marlon Wayans. Jessica Henwick, Jenny Slate and Barbara Bain co-star.

Also in trailers – Star studded trailer drops for Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Death on the Nile’

The film hits cinemas and AppleTV+ in October.

The post Bill Murray and Rashida Jones star in trailer for Sofia Coppola’s ‘On the Rocks’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

We were guaranteed a new Best Drama Actress Emmy winner before nominations last year with 2018 champ Claire Foy (“The Crown”) out, but that’s not the case this time around. “Killing Eve” star Jodie Comer is currently in fourth place in our odds and is looking to become the first drama actress champ to defend her crown in seven years and the 10th altogether.

Of the 16 women who’ve won this category more than once, nine have done so with at least one successful title defense. Two, Tyne Daly and Barbara Bain, have even three-peated. Here are the nine:

1. Michael Learned, “The Waltons” and “Nurse” (1982)

2. Tyne Daly, “Cagney & Lacey”

3. Barbara Bain, “Mission: Impossible” (1967-69)

4. Susan Hampshire, “The Forsyte Saga” (1970) and “The First Churchills” (1971)

5. Sharon Gless, “Cagney & Lacey” (1986-87)

6. Patricia Wettig, “thirtysomething” (1990-91)

7. Kathy Baker, “Picket Fences”

8. Glenn Close, “Damages” (2008-09)

9. Claire Danes, “Homeland” (2012-13)

See ‘Killing Eve’: Villanelle’s most gruesome,...

More than two decades after the inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha were sent across the galaxy after a nuclear explosion, the Eagle Transporter is finally returning to Earth as Hero Collector unveils plans to re-create the iconic spaceship from 1970s TV show Space: 1999 as the latest in its line of die-cast spaceship releases at New York Toy Fair.

The Eagle Transporter was an integral part of Space: 1999, a live-action series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson between 1975 and 1977 that starred Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse, being the off-world spacecraft that allowed the characters to venture beyond the ...

More than two decades after the inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha were sent across the galaxy after a nuclear explosion, the Eagle Transporter is finally returning to Earth as Hero Collector unveils plans to re-create the iconic spaceship from 1970s TV show Space: 1999 as the latest in its line of die-cast spaceship releases at New York Toy Fair.

The Eagle Transporter was an integral part of Space: 1999 — the live-action series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson that ran from 1975-1977 and starred Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse — being the off-world spacecraft that allowed the characters to venture ...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

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Los Angeles – September 11, 2019 – Attention all sections Alpha: prepare for transmission! To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Space: 1999’s Breakaway Day, Shout! Factory TV will stream a two-day marathon of the landmark sci-fi series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Breakaway Day celebrates the day in series lore in which the moon broke free from the earth.

The marathon comes complete with fantastic bonus features, including interviews with director Kevin Connor, actors Barbara Bain and Nick Tate, and author John Muir, and can be viewed on ShoutFactoryTVLive.com; Shout! Factory TV’s Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and Android apps; and the following digital streaming platforms: Twitch, Samsung TV Plus, Xumo, and Stirr.

The Space:1999 Breakaway Day marathon joins the slate of Shout! Factory TV’s Saturn Awards Week, a showcase of Saturn Award-winning and nominated films,...

After more than a decade apart, CBS and Viacom announced a new merger on Tuesday. A new company called ViacomCBS will emerge as a new corporate umbrella, and underneath it will be heavy-hitter brands like Paramount Pictures, CBS TV, Showtime, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, among others. And in the midst of this deal, it seems the ideas are beginning to flow, and in some cases, formulating into something bigger.

And that appears to be the case with one of Paramount Pictures’ hottest products, Mission: Impossible. Following the success of last year’s trailblazing action film, Fallout, the Imf team will be making its return to the small screen.

As reported by /Film, and confirmed by sources close to We Got This Covered – the same ones who told us that Robert Pattinson was locked in for Batman, and that the leads of Ghostbusters 3 would be young teens – a spinoff series is indeed in development,...

Joseph Baxter Sep 24, 2018

The TV return of Patrick Stewart to his iconic role of Jean-Luc Picard kicks off with a tweet teasing first the writers room meeting.

CBS All Access’s untitled Star Trek Jean-Luc Picard spinoff series is quickly becoming a reality, as a tweet of the newly-launched writers room from star Patrick Stewart reveals.

Stewart, who made the official announcement of the Star Trek: The Next Generation follow-up series back in August, tweeted a photo of the former-and-soon-to-return Picard actor’s proverbial ready room, joined by a creative coalition consisting of Kirsten Beyer (Star Trek: Discovery), Michael Chabon (Spider-Man 2), Akiva Goldsman (Star Trek: Discovery), Diandra Pendleton-Thompson (Awakening Love) and James Duff (Major Crimes). Indeed, Stewart’s accompanying caption, “The journey has begun,” is enough to stoke excitement amongst even the most lapsed of Trekkies.

The journey has begun. Kirsten Beyer, Michael Chabon, Akiva Goldsman, Diandra Pendleton-Thompson, James Duff,...

Martin Landau’s daughter Susie Landau Finch tells People growing up with the Hollywood star made for a very exciting childhood.

“No one day was the same. He was full of excitement and would tell me amazing bedtime stories and was always making funny voices – so much that he scared my little sister,” she says.

The actor, who won an Academy Award in 1994 for the Tim Burton-directed Ed Wood, came to fame playing a villain in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest and later in the original Mission: Impossible TV show on CBS. He died at UCLA Medical Center...

Martin Landau and Barbara Bain had a love meant for the screen.

Oscar winner Landau, who died Saturday at at age 89 after a brief illness, rose through the ranks in Hollywood alongside his Mission: Impossible costar Bain, as their marriage spanned 36 years and two children before they divorced in 1993.

Their romance got off to an unlikely start when Bain showed up to one of Landau’s classes at the Actors Studio in New York.

“I thought she was an empty-headed model, a magazine cover wired for sound,” he told People back in 1976 of his first impression of Bain. “I had hair down to my shoulders,...

Oscar-winning actor Martin Landau died Saturday night, aged 89. Martin Landau Dead At 89 Landau’s publicist Dick Guttman said the actor died of unexpected complications during a short stay at UCLA Medical Center. Landau gained fame in the 1960s as Rollin Hand on Mission: Impossible the TV show. His real-life wife, Barbara Bain, also starred in the show. […]

Source: uInterview

The post Martin Landau, Oscar-Winner & ‘Ed Wood’ Star, Dies At 89 appeared first on uInterview.

Landau (center) with "Mission:Impossible" co-stars (clockwise) Peter Graves, Greg Morris, Peter Lupus and Barbara Bain.

By Lee Pfeiffer

Oscar-winning actor Martin Landau has passed away at age 89. Landau had originally intended to be a cartoonist before studying at the esteemed Actors Studio in New York City. With his intense looks and persona, he began to be noticed by Hollywood studios. In 1959 he was cast as James Mason's gay henchman in Alfred Hitchcock's classic "North by Northwest". It was Landau who suggested playing the role as a not-so-closeted homosexual, a rather daring strategy for the era. The result made Landau standout in a cast of heavyweights that included Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and Leo G. Carroll. Roles in epic films such as "Cleopatra" and "The Greatest Story Ever Told" followed. Landau also appeared regularly on popular TV programs including "The Twilight Zone", "The Untouchables", "I Spy", "The Wild,...

Martin Landau, the Oscar-winning Ed Wood actor who appeared in Crimes & Misdemeanors, North by Northwest and the Mission: Impossible TV series over a career that spanned over 50 years, died Saturday at the age of 89.

Landau died following "unexpected complications during a short hospitalization" at the UCLA Medical Center, his representative told The Hollywood Reporter.

The actor spent five years as a newspaper cartoonist in his native New York before deciding to focus on acting; As Landau often stated, he and Steve McQueen were notably the only two applicants accepted into...

Los Angeles – His acting career spanned from working with Alfred Hitchcock to Tim Burton. Along the way, he had significant TV and film roles including a Best Supporting Oscar win for portraying Bela Lugosi in Burton’s “Ed Wood”. Martin Landau died in Los Angeles on July 15, 2017. He was 89.

He was one of the rare actors known both for distinctive parts in both television and film, and had a revival in his career towards the end of his life. Besides working for directors Hitchcock and Burton, he also has roles in films by Woody Allen, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Francis Ford Coppola and Frank Darabont. On television, he had an early role on “Mission: Impossible in the 1960s, and another on the cult series “Space :1999”

Martin Landau in a 2013 Appearance in Chicago

Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Martin Landau was born in Brooklyn, New York,...

Oscar-winning actor Martin Landau has died at age 89 after a brief illness.

The versatile Hollywood star, who won an Academy Award in 1994 for the Tim Burton-directed Ed Wood, came to fame playing a villain in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest and later in the original Mission: Impossible TV show on CBS.

Landau died at UCLA Medical Center on Saturday afternoon following “unexpected complications during a short hospitalization,” according to a statement from his reps late Sunday.

“We are overcome with sadness to report the death of iconic actor Martin Landau,” statement said.

“He had just celebrated his 89th birthday.

Oscar winner Martin Landau died Saturday of “unexpected complications” following a brief stay at UCLA Medical Center, per The Hollywood Reporter. He was 89.

Landau got his big break when he was cast in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 film North by Northwest. In 1966, he began his star-making role as master of disguise Rollin Hand in the small screen Mission: Impossible, for which he earned the Golden Globe award as well as several Emmy nominations. In the series, Landau starred alongside then-wife Barbara Bain. It would mark the first of two small-screen collaborations for the couple, who later co-starred in the 1970s science-fiction program Space: 1999.

Martin Landau, a screen giant who brought his one-of-a-kind talents to Hollywood for more than 60 years, has died at 89. TMZ first reported the news, stating that the actor died yesterday of “unexpected complications” after briefly being hospitalized at UCLA Medical Center.

Read MoreGeorge Romero, Horror Icon and ‘Night of the Living Dead’ Director, Dies at 77

Landau won a richly deserved Academy Award for his role as Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton’s “Ed Wood,” having previously been nominated for both “Crimes and Misdemeanors” and “Tucker: The Man and His Dream”; he also had three Golden Globes, six Emmy nominations, a BAFTA nod and several lifetime achievement awards to his name. More than that, though, he had an inimitable screen presence that both delighted and, when called for, unsettled.

Landau first came to wide attention for his performance in Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest,” going on to appear in “Cleopatra,...

Martin Landau, whose role as Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton’s 1994 film Ed Wood earned the popular player an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, died Saturday at 89 following “unexpected complications” after a brief stay at the UCLA Medical Center, his publicist Dick Guttman confirmed Sunday.

In a career spanning more than half a century of roles on television and film, Landau may have been best known for his run as undercover operative Rollin Hand in the Mission: Impossible TV series that initially ran from 1966 to 1973 on CBS. The show co-starred Landau’s wife at the time, Barbara Bain.

Also known for his varied roles in classic films from Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest to Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors, Landau was not only one of the most familiar faces in Hollywood but also one of the most highly regarded character actors in the business. “Martin Landau is...

Oscar-winning star of Ed Wood turned down role of Spock in Star Trek.

Martin Landau, who won the Oscar for Ed Wood and made his name in the TV series Mission: Impossible, has died in Los Angeles following complications during a hospital visit. He was 89.

Landau was born June 28, 1928, in Brooklyn and worked as a newspaper cartoonist before the call of entertainment became too strong to resist.

He found fame in entertainment in the 1960s TV spy series Mission: Impossible, starring opposite his then wife Barbara Bain.

The couple also played alongside each other in the 1970s sci-fi episodic Space 1999. Landau appeared in many TV shows – earning an Emmys nod for Without a Trace in 2005 – and famously turned down the role of Spock in Star Trek, which eventually went to Leonard Nimoy.

In film he got his big break as the villainous James Woods’ lieutenant Leonard in Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest. Roles included...

Silver Skies debuts on DVD, Amazon and iTunes April 4th

When Dana Jung reviewed Silver Skies here at We Are Movie Geeks, he wrote “.…. there’s no better way to spend a couple of hours than skipping down memory lane with the old friends of Silver Skies.” Read all of Dana’s review Here

And read my interview with Silver Skies director Rosemary Rodriguez Here

With humor and compassion, Silver Skies chronicles the unexpected developments that occur when a group of eccentric seniors have their lives turned upside down by the sale of their beloved apartment complex. A refreshingly original story about getting older and trying to hold tight to the American Dream, the film features a cast of much-loved screen icons: George Hamilton, Valerie Perrine, Barbara Bain, Jack McGee, Alex Rocco, Mariette Hartley, Jack Betts, and Howard Hesseman. Far from playing their usual roles, however, the actors fully inhabit...

It's almost impossible to believe, but Mission: Impossible made its debut on CBS 50 years ago today.Created by Bruce Geller, the action-adventure drama followed the missions of top secret government agents. Over the show's run, the cast included Greg Morris, Peter Lupus, Peter Graves, Steven Hill, Barbara Bain, Barbara Anderson, Martin Landau, Leonard Nimoy, Lesley Ann Warren, and Sam Elliott.Read More…...

Silver Skies screens Sunday November 8th at 6:45pm at The Tivoli Theater as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. The film’s director, Rosemary Rodriguez, will be in attendance and will receive Sliff’s ‘Women in Film’ Award.Ticket information for the event can be found Here

Review by Dana Jung.

Today, more than ever, with our shortened attention spans, inundation by multi-media delivery systems, and almost obsessive need for instant information, it is easy to forget the wonderful actors of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s who inspired and influenced us. So many great moments created by sometimes iconic performers live on in the movies and television of certain eras. From Mr. Spock to Archie Bunker, Annie Hall to James Bond, or Mrs. Peel to Lieutenant Columbo, these and other memorable characters fueled everything from fashion choices to sexual fantasies. That’s why the new...

Silver Skies screens Sunday November 8th at 6:45pm at The Tivoli Theater as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. The film’s director, Rosemary Rodriguez, will be in attendance and will receive Sliff’s ‘Women in Film’ Award.Ticket information for the event can be found Here

With humor and compassion, Silver Skies chronicles the unexpected developments that occur when a group of eccentric seniors have their lives turned upside down by the sale of their beloved apartment complex. A refreshingly original story about getting older and trying to hold tight to the American Dream, the film features a cast of much-loved screen icons: George Hamilton, Valerie Perrine, Barbara Bain, Jack McGee, Alex Rocco, Mariette Hartley, Jack Betts, and Howard Hesseman. Far from playing their usual roles, however, the actors fully inhabit characters of real complexity: Long-time pals Phil and Nick (Hamilton and McGee) tenderly...

The St. Louis International Film Festival has announced the films nominated for the Awfj Eda Awards.

Awfj will partner once again with Sliff to recognize the Best Female-Directed Narrative Feature and Best Female-Directed Documentary. The 24th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival will be held Nov. 5-15, 2015. Check out the full lineup here.

Here’s a glimpse of the films that have been selected:

Narratives

Fidelio: Alice’S Odyssey – Lucie Borleteau (France)

A rare woman in the man’s world of seafaring, 30-year-old Alice signs on as a replacement engineer on the freighter Fidélio. Although she loves her job and does it well, Alice remains a woman even when wearing greasy blue overalls, and there’s some doubt that the all-male crew will remain totally insensitive to her charms. The situation has further complications: Alice has a fiancé back on shore, but when she discovers that the Fidélio is captained by Gaël,...

I had the pleasure of speaking with writer and director Rosemary Rodriguez in midtown Manhattan two days before her film "Silver Skies" will have its United States premiere at the Woodstock Film Festival on Saturday October 3.

Rosemary Rodriguez wrote and directed the feature, "Acts of Worship, "which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards, including the John Cassavetes Award for Best Feature. Her episodic TV work includes "Empire," "The Good Wife," (where she is a regular director), "Manhattan," "Rake," "Elementary" and "Vegas." She is currently directing the new Marvel series on Netflix, "Jessica Jones."

"Silver Skies," Rosemary’s second feature, chronicles a group of seniors whose lives turn upside down when their Los Angeles apartment complex threatens to be sold out from under them.

We began our conversation talking about the evolution of "Silver Skies."

Rodriguez : It took about ten years. I ended up going to the MacDowell Colony with an outline for "Silver Skies" and wrote the script while I was there. Then, when I directed a "Law and Order" episode, I hit it off with (star) Dennis Farina and he loved the script. He helped to get the movie made. Fast forward almost two years later I called Dennis and told him we got the money. We picked the start date, and then he passed away two weeks later. I was devastated when he passed away. But then things fell in place. Fred Roos and Arthur Sarkissian came to the reading of the script, and they said, ‘let’s do this movie.’ The movie is dedicated to Dennis. He was my guardian angel.

Kouguell: In "Silver Skies," the theme of ageism is tackled straight on. The characters in this ensemble piece are threatened with the possible loss of their homes and livelihood. You describe "Silver Skies" as very personal and inspired by your parents’ aging. The characters of Nick and Phil are inspired by your father, who was a bookie in Boston, and the character, Eve, by your mother.

Rodriguez : Valerie Perrine’s character always has flowers; that was my mother. I watched my parents get old when I was still young. I saw how their relationships changed. You think logic would say life would get easier when you get older, but the emotional truth is that life still happens on its own terms. I think seniors don’t have a voice in this world. These are people who want to have sex. They want to work. They want to spend money. Make money. Have money.

Kouguell: You don’t shy away from thought-provoking issues, facing this generation, including the sexual assault of one female character and another main character’s choice she made of personal survival that causes the death of her spouse.

Rodriguez : My role model for directors is Robert Altman. His movies were a slice of life. The ironic thing about being a human being on this planet is that you have no idea what is going to happen next. The movie is real life. You’re going on a roller coaster ride; there are parts you’re laughing because life is like that, and then the rug gets pulled right out from under you.

The issues women go through, and with this female character with her husband abusing her, and feeling guilty over surviving, doing whatever she had to survive, whatever way she needed to behave was maybe ‘not as a good girl’ would, and coming to terms with that. Sexual abuse to elders is real. Elder abuse is real. I wanted to bring that issue in, as well as bring in that feminist message in there.

Kouguell: In "Silver Skies," the trepidation and excitement of newfound love is complicated by raw emotion as seen in one character’s personal and financial insecurities with a recent widow.

Rodriguez : Love doesn’t stop people at a certain age, it doesn’t stop their desires. It doesn’t matter what age we are. To work with these wonderful actors and Alex Rocco in particular -- he was just like a teenage boy when doing his scenes with Valerie Perrine, saying: “I’m used to playing killers, I’m not used to playing lovers.”

(Alex Rocco passed away July 18 of this year.)

Rodriguez : The recent memorial for Alex was on the racetrack: “Friends of Rocco” – it was the seventh race, it was dedicated to him. I loved him dearly. I miss him dearly. It was intended as a celebration of this wonderful man. His character reminds me of my dad. As I told my dad when it became clear he had to retire, I told him, “You always wanted to go out a winner.”

Kouguell: The film stars Barbara Bain, George Hamilton, Jack McGee, Valerie Perrine, Mariette Hartley, Howard Hesseman, Jack Betts, and Alex Rocco. Did they have any input into the script?

Rodriguez : They definitely did. They stuck to the script a lot. I’m a big collaborator; I want to hear what people have to say. In the film George Hamilton’s character is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Jack McGee’s brother, George Hamilton’s mother, and my dad, all had Alzehimer’s and we shared our respective experiences to further develop George’s character. In a way it was a tribute for George to his mother, for Jack to his brother, and mine to my father.

Kouguell: You’ve earned great success as a director on "The Good Wife." How has directing television influenced your work as a director on "Silver Skies"?

Rodriguez : I can work efficiently and quickly, and in television that’s some of the skill set that gets developed. My instincts are very sharp. The idea out there is that we’re less creative working in television, but the real truth is we’re under such pressure that we can make decisions quickly, and also go with your heart and instincts. It’s very quick and very satisfying, and of course millions of people see your work in a shorter window of time and that is opposite of a movie.

Kouguell: Currently, you are the 4th Vice President of the Directors Guild of America. Although there is more media attention on the low percentage of women directors getting work in the industry, the numbers are still not rising fast enough.

Rodriguez : The DGA works very hard and we all work hard to address the issue of diversity. It’s been a problem for many years. My involvement in the DGA is reflective of how much the DGA cares about women directors and minority directors, and wants to get us out there. It’s a benefit to the Guild. There’s a lot of content there now and opportunity for diversity. I want to be meeting with you in a few years when this isn’t an issue any more; where there are not “female directors” – that there are just great storytellers and that we don’t have to separate each other.

Kouguell: Some final words about "Silver Skies"?

Rodriguez: The way these actors enriched my life was unexpected and so profound. These are people with 50 and 60-year careers in a tough industry. These actors showed up and put their hearts in these characters. They’re artists. They were there for the love for what they do. They just loved the characters. They had beautiful chemistry together. We are part of each other’s lives. I never could give back to them what they gave to me.

"Silver Skies" premieres at the Woodstock Film Festival on Saturday, October 3. http://www.woodstockfilmfestival.com/

Award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker, Susan Kouguell teaches screenwriting at Purchase College Suny, and presents international seminars on screenwriting and film. Author of Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! and The Savvy Screenwriter, she is chairperson of Su-City Pictures East, LLC, a consulting company founded in 1990 where she works with writers, filmmakers, and executives worldwide. www.su-city-pictures.com, http://su-city-pictures.com/wpblog...

Read More: Woodstock Film Festival Celebrates 16 Years in Official Poster Art  Fresh off her work on the upcoming Netflix series "Jessica Jones," Rosemary Rodriguez (whose credits also include "The Good Wife" and "Empire") has written and directed the ensemble comedy-drama "Silver Skies." According to the official synopsis, "'Silver Skies' chronicles a group of seniors whose lives are turned upside down when their cozy Los Angeles apartment complex is threatened to be sold out from underneath them." The film, which features acting veteran George Hamilton, Valerie Perrine and Barbara Bain, will have its U.S. premiere at the Woodstock Film Festival on Saturday, October 3.   Watch the charming clip above.  Read More: 16th Woodstock Film Festival Reveals Full Slate, Including Centerpiece 'The Walk'...

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