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Before his untimely death in 1982, John Belushi was set to appear on the hilarious Leslie Nielsen TV series that spawned the Naked Gun movies. A comedy icon, Belushi made his name on the late-night show "Saturday Night Live," which marked his first televised appearance with comedy partner Dan Aykroyd. Out of their time together on "SNL," the two developed the Blues Brothers characters, as whom they released a chart-topping platinum album and the comedy movie, "The Blues Brothers." Belushi was also known for his roles in movies such as "Animal House," Amblin Entertainment's debut feature "Continental Divide," and "Neighbors."

A credit Belushi never ultimately received was for an appearance on "Police Squad!" This cult classic comedy series, created by the legendary trio of Jim Abrahams and brothers David and Jerry Zucker, only ran for six episodes before it was canceled by ABC. While network executives apparently didn't appreciate the series' non-stop quickfire humor,...

Every episode of the 1982 Jerry Zucker/Jim Abrahams/David Zucker comedy series "Police Squad!" featured a special guest star. The first episode, "A Substantial Gift (The Broken Promise)," featured a special appearance by Lorne Greene. The second episode, "Ring of Fear (A Dangerous Assignment)," featured Georg Stanford Brown. The third episode, "The Butler Did It (A Bird in the Hand)," starred Robert Goulet. Most fun for Trekkies was episode four, "Revenge and Remorse (The Guilty Alibi)," which featured a post "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" William Shatner. The final two episodes featured Florence Henderson in "Rendezvous at Big Gulch (Terror in the Neighborhood)" and William Conrad in "Testimony of Evil (Dead Men Don't Laugh)." And that was it; the series only lasted six episodes.

The gag with all the celebrity cameos on "Police Squad!" was that the stars never lived past the opening credits. Lorne Green was merely pushed out...

Jack Betts, known for appearing in dozens of the most classic series, Spaghetti Westerns, and the 2002 Spider-Man as Henry Balkan, has died. According to Variety, the 96-year-old character actor died on June 19 in his sleep at his home in Los Osos, California, as reported by his nephew. The actor was close friends with Everybody Loves Raymond star Doris Roberts, and the pair often attended events together before she died in 2016. 2002 was the year Betts caught the attention of younger generations, portraying Balkan, an executive who sat on the board of Oscorp Technologies alongside its wealthy company founder Norman Osborn before he became the Green Goblin. However, his iconic career spanned decades before that role even came along.

He was born on April 11, 1929, and grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey, before moving to Miami, Florida, with his family at 10 years old. Like many classic actors, Betts once auditioned for a...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Jaws Inflatable from BigMouth

Dive into Jaws’ 50th anniversary with BigMouth’s giant shark pool float that lives up to the company’s name.

Priced at $99.99, the limited edition inflatable measures 50” tall, 44” wide, and 45” deep.

Uzumaki Plushes from Great Eastern

Great Eastern Entertainment has turned Junji Ito’s Uzumaki characters into 8″ plush toys.

Azami Kurotani is selling for $19, while Kirie Goshima costs $14.97.

Vincent Price Shirt from Fright-Rags

Not only did Vincent Price’s birthday yield The Vincent Price Legacy trailer, but Fright-Rags celebrated with a shirt.

Kyle Crawford’s “The Merchant of Menace” design is printed on 4.5oz pre-shrunk ringspun cotton tees for $33.

Fallout Statues from Dark Horse

Dark Horse has released a series of...

Joe Don Baker, who played a bad guy and a CIA agent in three James Bond films and the star of the classic movie Walking Tall, has died aged 89. His family announced on May 7 that the actor had passed, but no cause of death was revealed. Baker established himself as an action star, first appearing in minor roles on television and in films in the mid-to-late '60s. It wasn't long before he snagged his breakthrough role as real-life Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser in the 1976 movie Walking Tall. After that, leading and supporting roles flowed in for the Texas native, who played basketball and football in school.

After serving two years in the United States Army, Baker moved to New York City to study at the Actors Studio. While there, during the 1963-1964 Broadway season, he appeared onstage in Marathon '33, a play based on June Havoc's memoir, which...

The 90s cult classic WesternTombstone tells the story of best friends Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer), and their quest to get revenge on the vicious gang that claimed the life of Earp's brother. With high-stakes shootouts, a thrilling horseback chase, and plenty of bar brawls, the film makes good use of the genre's most popular tropes. While the movie has no sequels or spin-offs, there are plenty of options for fans looking for another Western fix.

Tombstone's central characters are bona fide legends of American history whose lives have been explored in countless films and TV shows over the years. So viewers hungry for more of Doc and Earp have plenty of options. Beyond that, many TV shows share the movies' themes of family, friendship, and vengeance.

Raylan Givens is a Modern Day Cowboy Justified

Modern Western Justified follows the exploits of free-spirited US Marshal...

If one were to ask which Western TV series is the most iconic, invariably the answer is going to be one of two: Gunsmoke, which premiered in 1955 and ended after 20 seasons, or Bonanza, which debuted shortly after the former in 1959, ending after 14 seasons. The latter, starring Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright, patriarch of the wealthy Cartwright family, is very much a series that was ahead of its time, tackling issues like racism full-on at a time when it was frowned upon, and episodes focused largely on the dynamic between Cartwright and his three sons.

Although most of today's viewing audiences weren't watching 1960s television live, it speaks to the quality and relatability of shows from that decade that many of its shows are cemented in popular culture. If they're not being rerun on cable or made available on several different streaming apps, they're being transformed for modern viewers with feature-length homages, for better or worse.

From spy dramas and family sitcoms to science fiction adventures and dark gothic soap operas, the 1960s had a little something for everyone. When we look back on the decade's television, we see a rapidly changing landscape, one where shows nostalgic for a simper time screen opposite imaginative, forward-thinking programs. Although many 1960s shows feel very much of their time, there's a stylish charm that makes them still enjoyable to watch today.

Here are some of the best TV shows that the 1960s has to offer -- take a...

Firefighter shows have always been popular television fare and several series have proven successful with audiences and critics alike over the years. As one of the big three emergency services, along with medical personnel and police, firefighters have always struck a chord with the American viewing public. Those big red fire trucks speeding out of ornately decorated stations with armored citizens ready to save the lives of those in danger is a naturally propulsive scenario. It's not hard to understand why so many children are fascinated by firefighters.

Unlike cop shows that often have to deal with the sticky issues of policing in America, firefighting shows can simply focus on the problems at hand. The people who choose to do such a dangerous job for little recognition and even tinier compensation are inherently compelling and worth exploring, either from a comedic angle, a dramatic one, or a combination of both.

Movies about Rome often bring to memory emperors, gladiators, Julius Caesar, and aristocrats. Many people also think of William Shakespeare, as the Bard himself wrote frequently on the subject in his plays. Outside of Shakespeare and adaptations of his work, Ancient Rome played a big role in massive studio movies since the early days of silent films. Some of the most renowned movies in cinema history have been set in Ancient Rome, including some of the world's earliest blockbusters with headline-grabbing budgets, such as Ben Hur's then-recording-breaking $15 million dollar production cost in 1959.

Movies set in the Roman Empire fall into the "sword and sandal" movie subgenre, though the movies set in this specific corner of the ancient world are renowned for their tendency to have massive sets and budgets to match. The increased budget brought with it big risks, but the best movies set in Ancient Rome often ended...

It bears repeating that, in the olden days, back when televisions where 4x3 boxes beaming mostly black-and-white images into the living rooms of Americans, landing a regular role on a sitcom or hour-long drama wasn't considered a career coup in Hollywood. Making it in movies was still just about every working actor's goal, while television was a step down -- lucrative, steady, but hardly prestigious.

And worst of all, if you hung around one series for too long, you ran the risk of getting typecast.

This was very much on Pernell Roberts' mind when the Shakespearian trained actor was cast as Adam Cartwright, the oldest son of wealthy rancher Ben Cartwright (future Commander Adama and Alpo pitchman Lorne Greene), on "Bonanza." Handsome, eloquent and quite at home in front of a camera, Roberts had earned rave reviews as a stage performer (he won a Drama Desk Award in 1955 for his...

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The Western genre has stood out as one of the best and most significant genres in both film and television, seeing a heyday during the mid-twentieth century. While audiences typically think of iconic films like True Grit and Unforgiven, the genre has a strong history on TV too. The Western is one of the most versatile genres in fiction, and has been blended with everything from science-fiction to crime, delivering excellent stories.

The Old West is one of the most significant periods in American history, marking an era of expansion, violence, war and migration as settlers moved into new territories. The themes of the genre have also been translated into the present, with Neo-Westerns following current day gunslingers, ranchers and lawmen. Old or new, the depiction of the American West continues to make for some of the most entertaining and compelling television there is.

The Battlestar Galactica reboot has been lost in space. After about five years in development hell, the project has officially been scrapped.

Per Variety, Peacock has axed a planned Battlestar Galactica reboot that was in the works for a streaming release on the NBCUniversal platform. The unfortunate update comes nearly five full years since the project was announced in September 2019. At the time, a Battlestar Galactica reboot series was one of the titles announced by NBCUniversal for Peacock's original programming ahead of the platform's official launch in 2020. However, though it was given an announcement, the show was never officially ordered to series, and it would now appear that NBCUniversal had called it quits on making it happen.

Related Beloved Crime Drama Lands Streaming Home for First Time 31 Years After Debut

The series will stream for the first time ever 25 years after ending its acclaimed run on television.

Storyline details were not revealed for the reboot,...

The long-gestating reboot of the popular sci-fi franchise Battlestar Galactica, from Sam Esmail’s Esmail Corp., is no longer set up at Peacock.

First announced as being in development at the NBCUniversal streamer in 2019, the new incarnation of Battlestar Galactica never got to a green light but remained in development, including a writer change within the past year as The Sinner creator Derek Simonds came on board as writer, executive producer and showrunner.

That version of the project from Simonds will now be shopped to other platforms by its studio, Peacock’s NBCUniversal sibling UCP.

A new take on the classic IP, the latest incarnation is executive produced by Simonds as well as Esmail Corp’s Sam Esmail and Chad Hamilton. UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio.

Battlestar Galactica has been a passion project for Mr. Robot creator Esmail who is a big fan of the original.

“Battlestar Galactica” will not chronicle its next chapter on Peacock. A planned reboot for the classic sci-fi hit is no longer in development at the streamer, an insider close to the decision-making told TheWrap.

The project had been in development since 2019, helmed by Sam Esmail (“Mr. Robot”). It was never officially picked up to series at Peacock, and though no plot details were revealed, the show was set to be set in the same timeline as the popular 2003 series.

The news comes months after “The Sinner” EP Derek Simonds was tapped to be writer, executive producer and showrunner. The reboot will now be shopped around to other outlets by its production company, UCP, with whom Esmail has an overall deal. The project was in development with UCP, Esmail Corp and Chad Hamilton.

“Battlestar Galactica” was first introduced in the ’70s as a single-season show starring Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict and Lorne Greene.

The long-gestating reboot of “Battlestar Galactica” is no longer in development at Peacock, Variety has learned exclusively.

The project was first announced back in 2019 ahead of Peacock’s official launch as part of the streamer’s initial slate of original programming. It was never formally ordered to series, though, and has been in development ever since. Exact story details never emerged, but the show was said to be set in the same continuity as the 2003 “Battlestar Galactica” series.

The reboot was a passion project for Sam Esmail, who was executive producing via Esmail Corp. under the company’s overall deal with studio UCP. Chad Hamilton of Esmail Corp. was also an executive producer. Michael Lesslie had originally come onboard as the writer of the reboot in 2020, but it was reported that he left the project in 2021. Most recently, it was reported in January that Derek Simonds was attached to serve as writer,...

Everybody who knows anything about the Western genre knows Bonanza. Whether you remember that famous theme tune or recall Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon leading cattle to and fro, the impressive 14-season series was the second most popular Old West series, just behind Gunsmoke. But Bonanza's success didn't stop creator David Dortort from moving on, and in 1967, he developed The High Chaparral for NBC. For four seasons and nearly 100 episodes, Dortort's newest Western aired on the network, and though it eventually fell prey to the infamous rural purge, it's notable for doing a few things that Bonanza just never could. If you've never heard of this one before, it may be worth giving a shot now.

There aren't many shows that can get away successfully with a name change during its initial airing, but the classic Western series Bonanza was certainly one of them. Following the adventures of Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) and his sons, the series ran for 14 seasons between 1959 and 1973, making it NBC's longest-airing Western program. In fact, after Gunsmoke, it was second in line for that cowboy crown, and in efforts to boost ratings and build a new audience, the network aired Bonanza reruns during the summer of 1972, this time under a new title: Ponderosa.

Distinguished by a golden-tipped cane and a black derby hat, Bat Masterson was a distinctive, sophisticated figure in the Wild West scene. Despite being canceled due to competition, Bat Masterson's unique visual appeal could captivate a modern, diverse audience. With a revival possible, Bat Masterson's concealed sword and stylish flair could bring a fresh spin to the Western genre today.

With the medium of television becoming a new and prominent feature in the household during the Golden Age of America, many different genres would suddenly have a turn in a more visual type of spotlight. For science fiction fans, there was Space Patrol, The Invisible Man, and, of course, The Twilight Zone. For those more inclined toward fantasy sitcoms, Adventures of Superman, starring George Reeves, and the lesser-known series Topper are some great picks. While similar in nature, family sitcoms quickly amassed audiences with titles like Father Knows Best, Leave It to Beaver,...

Battlestar Galactica has a compelling premise. Twelve human space colonies in a distant part of the universe are at war with a race of artificially intelligent robots called the Cylons. A human called Baltar betrays humanity and the Cylons wipe out the Twelve Colonies and most of their space-faring ships, the Colonial Fleet, in a nuclear attack that leaves their planets uninhabitable. The only surviving vessel from the Fleet is the Battlestar Galactica, along with a ragtag collection of other space vessels. So the human survivors travel across the universe led by Commander Adama of the Galactica, looking for the legendary 13th colony, Earth, to make it their new home.

With such a fascinating setup, it’s no surprise that Battlestar Galactica (1978) has had several sequels, spinoffs, and remakes: the short-lived sequel series Galactica 1980, which was hampered by a lack of most of the original stars; the very successful 2003-...

Exclusive: There is a new writer at the helm of Peacock’s long-gestating reboot of the popular sci-fi franchise Battlestar Galactica. The Sinner creator Derek Simonds has come on board as writer, executive producer and showrunner.

Battlestar Galactica, which remains in development at Peacock, has been a passion project for Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail — a big fan of the original — whose company Esmail Corp. is producing the reboot through UCP where the company is based.

First announced as being in development at NBCUniversal’s streamer Peacock in 2019, the Battlestar Galactica reimagening previously had Michael Lesslie attached to write and executive produce.

A new take on the classic IP, the latest incarnation is executive produced by Simonds as well as Esmail Corp’s Sam Esmail and Chad Hamilton. UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio.

“We are working on it,” Esmail told Deadline in October about the Battlestar Galactica series reboot.

Mohawk Girls is a fresh take on dramedy focusing on an important culture and heritage. The show is the best approach to representation, focusing on indigenous women by indigenous women, but it's for everyone. This kind of representation is what the new streaming service model is good for and should focus on.

As Thanksgiving is over and November comes to a close, there are still a few days of National Native American Heritage Month left. What better way to engage in that than to watch a show about indigenous women from an indigenous creator? There's a lot of television to pick from these days, even when it comes to shows led by women and minorities, but few are as unique and refreshing as Tracey Deer's Mohawk Girls, currently streaming on Peacock. Even though there have been Native American characters in American television shows since the beginning of television itself,...

Ronald D Moore's Battlestar Galactica reboot retained several characters from the original show, and made significant changes to their backstories and relationships. A darker reimagining of Glen A Larson's Mormon sci-fi adventure series, the 2004 version of Battlestar Galactica was a timely tale of humanity's relationship with technology. As the lines between human and artificial intelligence blur further, Battlestar Galactica continues to be as relevant today as it was almost a decade ago. It's the show's continued relevance that makes the prospect of a potential reboot so difficult for anyone wishing to follow in Moore's footsteps.

Another challenge facing a new Battlestar Galactica would be how it approaches the core characters from the original series. As Ronald D Moore's 2004 reboot fleshed out the original characters beyond the sci-fi archetypes of Larson's BSG, it's hard to see what direction a second reboot could take. Although Moore's Battlestar Galactica didn't...

The 21st century re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica adapted a storyline from the short-lived spinoff series Galactica 1980 to save the life of Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff). The original Battestar Galactica had been canceled by ABC in 1979, leading to a letter writing campaign and protests outside their studios demanding the show be recommissioned. Surprised by the public backlash to the decision to cancel Battlestar, ABC contacted show creator Glen A. Larson to see if he could revive the series for a smaller budget.

The revived series, Galactica 1980, was an obvious money-saving exercise that swapped the space battles of the original series for life in contemporary America. The premise was that a new generation of the Galactica crew were now working with human scientists to advance technology and prepare the Earth for an attack by the Cylons. The new Battlestar Galactica series was poorly received by audiences and Galactica 1980 was canceled...

Jay Julian Eller, a retired attorney who represented numerous entertainment clients during his long career, died Feb. 2 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 93.

Eller was married to Robin Ray Eller, actor and audiobook narrator, and was the father of longtime Variety editor-in-chief Claudia Eller.

“Dad was the rock and moral compass of our entire family for decades, and his loss leaves a huge hole in our lives and our hearts,” Claudia Eller said.

As a lawyer, Jay Eller represented actors Michael Landon, Dan Blocker and Lorne Greene, the principal stars of the long-running NBC western drama “Bonanza.” Landon also was active as a producer and director as well, creating and shepherding several successful series, including NBC’s “Highway To Heaven” and “Little House on the Prairie,” which made him television’s highest-paid actor-producer at the time.

Eller was Landon’s sole representative during his career, acting as a...

Our favorite horror meister is celebrating October in style! Played since 1979 by Rich Koz, Svengoolie (above) is a Chicago camp legend who’s earned a rabid fan following around the country, the world and even far, far away — Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, has tweeted about his love for the show! MeTV is devoting the month to Svengoolie’s special brand of tricks and treats, including his über-popular weekly movie series. Saturday, October 8th’s viewing: It! Terror From Beyond Space, a schlocky 1958 frightfest about a doomed rescue mission to Mars. The Addams Family (Credit: Everett Collection) “Despite some cheesiness, this film is actually cited as a big influence on the 1979 sci-fi blockbuster Alien,” Koz says. “It’s fun to note the similarities between the two.” There’s plenty more eye candy in store in the weeks ahead, like spooky episodes of old-time favorites, plus show marathons. “BOOnanza does not...

One of the great things about horror is the variety, which can go hand and hand with longevity; as fans we never get tired of the genre because there are so many rabbit holes to dive down, to drown in weird worlds of ghosts, dismemberment, and monsters. And even when a sub-genre isn’t in fashion, it’s nice to see a touch of the old in the current; case in point: The Being (1983), writer/director Jackie Kong’s (Blood Diner) feature debut and a breezy update of ‘50s sci-fi shenanigans.

Released by Best Film & Video in November, The Being was originally shot in 1980 under the title Easter Sunday; no takers were to be found until ‘83. The film did not light up the box office, nor did it receive any lofty notices. It did, however, signal the arrival of a fun new voice on the horror scene in the guise of Kong.

Exclusive: Peacock’s reboot of Battlestar Galactica has found its world builder. Michael Lesslie, who was the lead writer and showrunner of AMC’s spy drama The Little Drummer Girl and penned scripts for Macbeth and Assassin’s Creed, will create, write and executive produce the series.

The new Battlestar Galactica comes from Mr Robot and Homecoming exec producer Sam Esmail, who struck a big overall deal with NBCU’s Universal Content Productions last year. It is produced by Esmail Corp and Ucp, with Esmail and Chad Hamilton also exec producing.

NBCUni’s Universal produced the original Glen A. Larson-created Battlestar Galactica series for ABC. Ucp, then known as Universal Cable Productions, produced the successful Ronald D. Moore revamp that ran from 2004-2009 on the then-Sci-Fi Channel.

The original Battlestar Galactica centered on the last group of humans on the verge of extinction after a series of wars with a robot race,...

As the 1960s dawned, Hollywood actor Kirk Douglas became a screen legend with a single role, in the historical epic Spartacus. At around the same time, Johnny Cash, a larger-than-life country-music star, would make an inauspicious big-screen debut in Five Minutes to Live, with results that would suggest he was a much more effective singer than actor. By the time their paths crossed onscreen in the 1971 western A Gunfight a decade later, Douglas was a respected film icon and Cash was the star of his own network TV series, as...

The new NBCUniversal streaming service that the company said Tuesday would be called Peacock will launch in April 2020 with original content that includes series reboots from the NBCU library among its fare. That list includes the return of a sci-fi classic: a new Battlestar Galactica, billed as an original series from Mr. Robot and Homecoming executive producer Sam Esmail.

Not much is known about the premise, but we hear Esmail is a huge fan of Bg and told NBCU brass it was high on a list of titles he wanted to tackle under the mega new four-year overall deal he closed at NBCU’s Universal Content Productions earlier this year.

NBCU’s Universal produced the original Glen A. Larson-created Battlestar Galactica series for ABC, and NBC Universal TV produced the successful Ronald D. Moore-commanded revamp that ran from 2004-2009 on the then-Sci-Fi Channel. We hear Esmail had been in touch with Moore,...

Gay Talese comparing Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Michael Cimino to Italian painters working for the Popes during the Renaissance: "These painters now are directors." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

In early 1970, Gay Talese drove up unannounced to the Spahn Ranch. It was less than a year after the murders of Sharon Tate, Voytek Frykowski, Abigail Folger, and Jay Sebring by members of the Manson family that had lived there. The journalistic adventure of meeting George Spahn was turned by Gay into the Esquire magazine article Charlie Manson's Home On The Range. The location is featured in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt with Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate and Bruce Dern as Spahn.

Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) and Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood

King Vidor's Duel in the Sun, starring Gregory Peck,...

1974 was ground zero for a 7.0 magnitude shaker on the clumsy, kitschy disaster-movie Richter Scale with Universal’s ambitious, tossed-together epic of Los Angeles torn asunder by ‘The Big One.’ The all-star cast headed by Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner slug and mug their way through a gloppy soap opera of a script, admirably retaining their collective dignity. The special effects range from terrific to embarrassing, but the tacky gimmick of “Sensurround” saved Universal’s bacon: to this day I still hear people remembering it fondly. The collector’s edition brings us both the theatrical cut and the brain-numbing extended version cobbled together for TV.

Earthquake

Blu-ray

Shout! Factory

1974 / Color / 2:35 widescreen (theatrical), & 1.33 flat full frame (extended TV cut) / 123 + 142 min. / Collector’s Edition Street Date , 2019 / 29.99

Starring: Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, Lorne Greene, Geneviéve Bujold, Richard Roundtree, Marjoe Gortner, Barry Sullivan, Lloyd Nolan, Victoria Principal.

Cinematography: Philip Lathrop

Film Editor:...

Happy Monday, everyone! Before we head into Memorial Day, we have more horror and sci-fi Blu-ray and DVD releases coming our way that should definitely keep genre fans busy for the three-day weekend. Scream Factory is keeping busy with their Blus for The Seduction, The Hunted, and the recent psychological thriller A Dark Place. Shout Select is showing Earthquake some love with their Collector’s Edition this week, and Kino Lorber has two stellar-looking Special Edition releases on their docket as well: Black Moon Rising and Bitter Moon.

Other exciting titles coming home on May 21st include White Chamber, She-Devils on Wheels, A Brilliant Monster, and Crank in 4K.

Black Moon Rising: Special Edition

When master thief Sam Quint is hired by the government to steal top-secret data from a crime organization, he hides the stolen data in the experimental supercar, The Black Moon. But when the car is then...

The Big One tears through California in 1974's Earthquake, which is coming to Blu-ray like never before with a new Collector's Edition featuring both the theatrical and TV versions of the Charlton Heston-starring disaster film.

From the Press Release: Charlton Heston leads an all-star cast in an epic film about ordinary citizens who must come together in the face of an unstoppable natural disaster in Earthquake! This Academy Award-winning disaster epic will be released as a two-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray May 21st, 2019 from Shout! Factory. Featuring both a new 2k scan of the theatrical cut and a new 2k scan reconstruction of the TV version that contains over twenty additional minutes of footage not seen in the theatrical cut, the release also contains a number of new bonus features, including a new interview with Brett Burt discussing Sensurround, a new featurette on the music of the film, and more!

Richard Hatch, best known for his role as Captain Apollo on the original Battlestar Galactica, has passed away from cancer.

His friend, composer Bear McReary broke the news on Twitter today.

Hatch had been in hospice care after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 71 years old.

Hatch began his long career in theater before catching his first television break on All My Children in 1971.

His theater credits include runs in the Los Angeles Resperatory Theater as well as in Chicago and off-Broadway roles.

He got his first big break with a role on The Streets of San Francisco in its final season as Inspector Dan Robbins.

It was on Battlestar Galactica in 1978 where Richard Hatch became a household name.

As Captain Apollo, Hatch starred alongside Dirk Benedict and Lorne Greene for one season.

Yes, the original series of Battlestar Galactica was on the air for only one season,...

Richard Hatch, who starred alongside Lorne Greene and Dirk Benedict in the 1970s sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica, has died. He was 71. Ronald D. Moore, who created the 2000s reboot of the show in which Hatch also appeared, tweeted the news: Richard Hatch was a good man, a gracious man, and a consummate professional. His passing is a heavy blow to the entire BSG family. — Ronald D. Moore (@RonDMoore) February 7, 2017 Alec Peters, who is working on the…...

After languishing in development since 2009, Universal Pictures' Battlestar Galactica movie is finally moving forward in the right direction. We reported last month that the studio has brought on Michael De Luca, Scott Stuber and Dylan Clark to produce this sci-fi reboot, but now even more progress is being made. Today we have word that HBO's Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy has signed on to write the screenplay, with Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) circling the project as a director.

This new report from Deadline doesn't reveal if Francis Lawrence is in negotiations, or if he's just interested in taking on this coveted directorial gig. Much like the original 1978 TV series, and the critically-acclaimed 2003 TV reboot, this project will follow the longstanding battle between humans and the Cylons, although no specific plot details were given. We reported back in 2014 that this project will be a full reboot that is more...

"This is how I heard about the boy, Kunta Kinte," Alex Haley (Laurence Fishburne) tells us in the opening moments of History's new miniseries Roots. "And this is how I'll tell you the story." The importance of stories, and the way that we tell them, form the heart of the new Roots, which debuts Monday night at 9 (the eight-hour project will air over four straight nights, simulcast on History, A&E, and Lifetime). From the time we meet Kunta (Malachi Kirby) as a young man abducted from his home in Juffure, Gambia by slavers, until we leave his descendants over 100 years later in the post-Civil War American South, Roots prizes the power of stories and tradition, from how Kunta's Uncle Silla (Derek Luke) teaches him the ways of the Mandinka warrior, to how Kunta's grandson Chicken George (Rege-Jean Page) will tell his own offspring stories about the grandfather he never met,...

Even as a new version of the classic mini-series is in the works, Warner Bros. is aiming to please fans by bringing the entire original series of Roots to the high definition format with a slew of bonus features. Come inside to learn more!

If you're a fan of the original Roots series, or weren't old enough to remember the iconic mini-series, then you're in luck. Today WB has announced a new blu-ray set to bring the entire series to blu-ray with loads of special features that dive into the heart of the story on June 7, 2016. All the details are below:

The groundbreaking, acclaimed television miniseries that captivated the entire nation and won multiple awards, Roots, will be released on Blu-ray™ for the first time, by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (Wbhe) on June 7, 2016. The legendary family saga, which follows the inspiring story of Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton, Transformers: Rescue Bots,...

Since its debut in 1978, Battlestar Galactica has never really been absent from popular culture. That first series may have only run for one season, but it has been rebooted, re-imagined and re-worked more times than anyone over the age of 35 would probably care to remember. Despite more failures to launch than successful orbits, Universal has assembled a team of powerhouse producers to make a Battlestar Galactica movie franchise a reality.

Michael De Luca (Captain Phillips, Moneyball, The Social Network, and the Fifty Shades franchise), Scott Stuber (The Break-Up, The Kingdom, Ted) and Dylan Clark (The Heat, the Planet Of The Apes franchise) are combining their considerable forces to begin piecing together what the studio hopes will become a movie series of the tent-pole variety. While that sounds, perhaps, ill-advised, it is certainly the case that the Battlestar Galactica brand has enormous potential for development.

Created by Glen A. Larson (Magnum P.

“Battlestar Galactica” is coming back — again — this time to the big screen with Michael De Luca (“Fifty Shades of Grey”) and Scott Stuber as producers, along with Dylan Clark of Bluegrass Films. The Universal film, based on the iconic 1970s sci-fi series and 2003 revival, is in the early stages of development but has yet to find a writer. Created by Glen A. Larson, the first “Battlestar Galactica” series premiered in 1978 and starred Lorne Greene and Richard Hatch, focusing on a group of humans’ bloody war against a cybernetic race known as the Cylons while searching for Earth. Also Read: Danny McBride...

Way back in 2009, Universal Pictures announced plans to bring Battlestar Galactica back to the big screen, following the success of Ronald D. Moore's hit Syfy series which ended its run that year. Over the years, Bryan Singer was attached to direct at one point, although be parted ways with the project in 2014. Today we have word from The Hollywood Reporter that the studio is taking another crack at the big-screen project, with producers Michael De Luca, Scott Stuber and Dylan Clark boarding the project.

We last reported on the Battlestar Galactica movie back in 2014, when Transcendence writer Jack Paglen was brought on to work on the script. Back in 2011, John Orloff (Anonymous) signed on to write the script, which was said, at the time, to be based on the original 1978 Battlestar Galactica TV series, and not the 2003 Battlestar Galactica remake series. The project doesn't currently have any writers attached,...

Billy Wilder directed Sunset Blvd. with Gloria Swanson and William Holden. Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett movies Below is a list of movies on which Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder worked together as screenwriters, including efforts for which they did not receive screen credit. The Wilder-Brackett screenwriting partnership lasted from 1938 to 1949. During that time, they shared two Academy Awards for their work on The Lost Weekend (1945) and, with D.M. Marshman Jr., Sunset Blvd. (1950). More detailed information further below. Post-split years Billy Wilder would later join forces with screenwriter I.A.L. Diamond in movies such as the classic comedy Some Like It Hot (1959), the Best Picture Oscar winner The Apartment (1960), and One Two Three (1961), notable as James Cagney's last film (until a brief comeback in Milos Forman's Ragtime two decades later). Although some of these movies were quite well received, Wilder's later efforts – which also included The Seven Year Itch...

Let’s face it, most of us have a soft spot for things blowing up in movies, and for a long time movies have been happy to feed our appetite for destruction. But it wasn’t always that way.

I know it’s hard to imagine, but there was a time when explosions weren’t so common in movies. Back then, big-budget movies had dancing and singing, and everyone had a merry time. After WWII though, things started to change. In newspapers and magazines, Americans were being exposed to terrible images of war-torn Europe and Japan. This imagery was haunting, yet it sparked some imaginations. At first, Hollywood was careful not to glamorize it. They figured out a way to show massive destruction and violence while making it fun and moderately profitable instead of soul-crushing and distasteful. The 50’s became known for its low-budget cheese-fests; sci-fi B movies featuring such...

'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl': Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow. 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' review: Mostly an enjoyable romp (Oscar Movie Series) Pirate movies were a Hollywood staple for about three decades, from the mid-'20s (The Sea Hawk, The Black Pirate) to the mid-to-late '50s (Moonfleet, The Buccaneer), when the genre, by then mostly relegated to B films, began to die down. Sporadic resurrections in the '80s and '90s turned out to be critical and commercial bombs (Pirates, Cutthroat Island), something that didn't bode well for the Walt Disney Company's $140 million-budgeted film "adaptation" of one of their theme-park rides. But Neptune's mood has apparently improved with the arrival of the new century. He smiled – grinned would be a more appropriate word – on the Gore Verbinski-directed Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,...

'San Andreas' movie with Dwayne Johnson. 'San Andreas' movie box office: $100 million domestic milestone today As the old saying (sort of) goes: If you build it, they will come. Warner Bros. built a gigantic video game, called it San Andreas, and They have come to check out Dwayne Johnson perform miraculous deeds not seen since ... George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road, released two weeks earlier. Embraced by moviegoers, hungry for quality, original storylines and well-delineated characters – and with the assistance of 3D surcharges – the San Andreas movie debuted with $54.58 million from 3,777 theaters on its first weekend out (May 29-31) in North America. Down a perfectly acceptable 52 percent on its second weekend (June 5-7), the special effects-laden actioner collected an extra $25.83 million, trailing only the Melissa McCarthy-Jason Statham comedy Spy, (with $29.08 million) as found at Box Office Mojo.* And that's how this original movie – it's not officially a remake,...

Blackhat What an ugly week for new DVD and Blu-ray releases. It's hard to even take it seriously, but at the top of the heap (only because it's the first one I'm writing about) is Michael Mann's supremely disappointing Blackhat. Some people attempted to make excuses for this attempted mess of a cyber thriller, but if you're interested in my take, click here.

Mortdecai I skipped this one and I feel no shame in doing so. In fact, that's all I'm going to say about it.

Still Alice Okay, now this isn't a bad film, I guess I just get frustrated every time I see it mentioned because Julianne Moore did not deliver the best female performance last year and yet, here we are, Oscar winner Julianne Mooore... because "it was her time".

The Cobbler I could have sworn this had already been released, but I guess I was wrong.

For the sixth consecutive year, thousands of movie lovers from around the globe descended upon Hollywood for the TCM Classic Film Festival. The 2015 festival took take place Thursday, March 26 – Sunday, March 29, 2015 and no matter your favorite genre, attendees were treated to an extensive lineup of great movies, appearances by legendary stars and filmmakers, fascinating presentations and panel discussions, special events and more.

Friday night’s screening of Apollo 13 was definitely one of the most exciting events of the festival. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Ron Howard’s impressive telling of the nearly doomed mission of the 3 astronauts aboard Apollo 13 looked as spectacular as the first time audiences saw it 20 years ago.

Host and long-time Nasa enthusiast Alex Trebek was on hand to introduce the film, as well as introduce fans in attendance to the real Captain Jim Lovell (played in the film by Tom Hanks). Also joining them on...

Warner Bros. Pictures has released the brand new trailer for next summer’s disaster-suspense film San Andreas.

The film stars Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Ioan Gruffudd, Archie Panjabi, Hugo Johnstone-Burt, Art Parkinson and Paul Giamatti.

Shot on location in The Gold Coast and Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and in Los Angeles and San Francisco, San Andreas is slated to open in theatres in both 3D and 2D format on Friday, May 29, 2015.

This isn’t the first film where Southern California has been destroyed on the silver screen. San Francisco (1936) is based on the April 18, 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Directed by Woody Van Dyke, the drama stars Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald, and Spencer Tracy.

Airport originated the 1970s disaster film genre and audiences were deluged with a series of movies including the original Earthquake (1974). These films always included a huge cast, where many of the actors usually perished by the climax.

Legendary TV producer and writer Glen A. Larson sadly passed away recently aged 77 – Larson was most famous for creating Battlestar Galactica one of the most spectacular and ambitious television programmes ever produced in the 1970s. And with Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Original Series being released on Blu-ray for the first time last month we’re remembering some of the most iconic TV shows of the 1970s.

Happy Days

Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealised view of Us life in the 1960s and was one of the highest-rated Us TV shows in the 1970s. ‘The Fonz’: Early episodes of the Happy Days revolve around Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) and his friends but high school dropout and ladies man Arthur ‘The Fonz’ Fonzarelli (Henry Winkler) proved a favourite with viewers so more story lines were written to reflect this popularity. Fun Facts! Robin Williams appeared in the...