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Who doesn't love a good crossover? Besides the fact that they settle nerds' constant debates of "who would win in a fight between ___ and ___?," there's something so exciting about seeing the main characters of two or more different franchises coming together for the first time ever. Another reason why crossovers have so much appeal with audiences is that there are often legal reasons why characters from one series can't mingle with those of another, making the times when they do meet on the big (or small) screen all the more special.

Crossovers got a massive boost in popularity due to the wildly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, crossovers haven't only been relegated to the superhero realm; for decades, there have been numerous other examples of fictional worlds colliding across numerous genres. In fact, well before Nick Fury appeared at the end of "Iron Man" to tell Tony Stark about the Avengers Initiative,...

Henri Belolo, a music producer and co-creator of the Village People, died on Saturday, New York Daily News reports. He was 82.

“I am devastated by the untimely death of Henri Belolo who was my former producer, mentor and co-creator of Village People,” lead singer Victor Willis said in a statement to Rolling Stone. ” Henri who actually died on August 3, 2019, leaves an impressive body of work that helped shape the disco genre, and as a record executive, he was par excellence. A private funeral was held already in France [in] Paris, but...

Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, and Tom Stockman

Lee Marvin rose through the ranks of movie stardom as a character actor, delivering mostly villainous supporting turns in many films before finally graduating to leading roles. Regardless of which side of the law he was on however, he projected a tough-as-nails intensity and a two-fisted integrity which elevated even the slightest material. Born February 19, 1924, in New York City, Marvin quit high school to enter the Marine Corps and while serving in the South Pacific was badly wounded in battle when a machine gun nest shot off part of his buttocks and severed his sciatic nerve. He spent a year in recovery before returning to the U.S. where he began working as a plumber. The acting bug bit after filling in for an ailing summer-stock actor and he studied the art at the New York-based American Theater Wing. Upon making his debut in summer stock,...

In the Navy during World War II, Robert Astey flew combat missions, and later became a commercial pilot, a mutual fund senior vice president, as well as a husband and father to three children. Then at age 55 he began a transition to living as a woman, renamed Robina Asti, and was soon legally recognized as female. Today, at age 93, after a "glorious romance" with a the husband she met in 1980, she has become something else - a trailblazer, having won a victory that makes it much easier for transgender spouses to get Social Security survivor benefits. The Naval lieutenant (who...

In the Navy during World War II, Robert Astey flew combat missions, and later became a commercial pilot, a mutual fund senior vice president, as well as a husband and father to three children. Then at age 55 he began a transition to living as a woman, renamed Robina Asti, and was soon legally recognized as female. Today, at age 93, after a "glorious romance" with a the husband she met in 1980, she has become something else - a trailblazer, having won a victory that makes it much easier for transgender spouses to get Social Security survivor benefits. The Naval lieutenant (who...

Feature Andrew Blair 28 Aug 2013 - 07:23

Andrew reports back on Brian Henson's session at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, on the evolution of puppetry...

That Puppet Game Show is the unlikely combination of B-list celebrities and new creations from the Jim Henson Company. Brian Henson, director of modern classic The Muppet Christmas Carol and 'How to Introduce the Unique Stylings of Tim Curry to children' (aka Muppet Treasure Island), is a puppeteer on the show, and as such was around to give a presentation at the Edinburgh TV Festival about the history of his father's creations.

So, first of all, Brian Henson was in the room. This was very exciting. I mean, he's Brian Henson. The guy Exec-Produced Farscape.

Starting with a rare clip from a 1956 episode of Sam and Friends (featuring a pre-recorded back projection and the then non-gender-or-species specific Kermit puppet), Brian Henson documented his father's approach...

There's a brain-frying moment in writer-director Jamie Kastner's flawed, mildly entertaining documentary The Secret Disco Revolution in which members of the Village People vehemently deny that double entendres run rampant in songs like "In the Navy" and "Ymca." "They were just party songs," insists the exasperated Construction Worker. "There was no innuendo." Group delusion turns mean-spirited when the Native American sniffs, "Those guys [songwriter-producer Henri Belolo and the group's late impresario, Jacques Morali] couldn't write a double entendre." Cut to Belolo explaining that the late, openly gay Morali definitely and pointedly worked to bring post-Stonewall liberated queer maleness to the mainstream with his most popular creation. That moment crackles in the film,...

Last surviving member of the wartime swing trio the Andrews Sisters, whose hits included Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy

Patty Andrews, who has died aged 94, was the lead singer and soloist with the Andrews Sisters. The swinging American trio, comprising Patty and her older siblings, Laverne and Maxene, achieved their greatest success in the 1940s, contributing to the war effort with catchy songs including Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me) and, with Bing Crosby, Don't Fence Me In.

The Andrews Sisters performed at military bases and raised money for war bonds; their hits were sung by the troops and by women working in factories. Patty, Laverne and Maxene accompanied the most popular singers and big bands of the day; enjoyed success not just on radio but also in musical comedy films; and spawned a host of other sister acts – not all of whom were real siblings.

Patty Andrews: Last Surviving member of The Andrews Sisters dead at 94 Patty Andrews, the lead vocalist and last surviving member of the Andrews Sisters musical trio, died of "natural causes" earlier today at her home in the Los Angeles suburb of Northridge, in the San Fernando Valley. Andrews, who was also the youngest sister, was 94. (Photo: The Andrews Sisters: Laverne Andrews, Patty Andrews, Maxene Andrews.) Born in Minnesota into a Greek-Norwegian family, the Andrews Sisters began their show business career in the early ’30s, while both Maxene and Patty were still teenagers. Their first big hit came out in 1938: the English version of the Yiddish song "Bei Mir Bistu Shein" (aka "Bei mir bist du schön"), with lyrics — "To me, you’re grand" — by Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin. (The song made into the movies that same year, but Warner Bros. star Priscilla Lane is the one singing it in Love,...

Patty Andrews, last surviving member of the Andrews sisters, has died. She was 94 and died today at her home in Northridge, CA. The phenomenally popular singing trio that entertained U.S. troops during World War II even announced the war’s end in 1945 to 5,000 G.I.’s while they were performing at a show in Italy. Laverne (top), Patty (center), and Maxene (bottom) also appeared in movies and on TV. A signature song “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy From Company B” was featured in the 1941 Abbott & Costello film Buck Privates. They appeared in more than a dozen features, including another Abbott & Costello film In the Navy, and the 1947 Bob Hope-Bing Crosby-Dorothy Lamour vehicle Road to Rio. With Crosby they also performed the hit “Don’t Fence Me In” and several other tunes. They also sang with the big bands of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Jimmy Dorsey, Bob Crosby,...

So it turns out that disco was actually a revolutionary tool that ended the oppression of women and black and gay people in the Us. Who knew?

I like disco as much as the next person, which is to say I like it at night, in moderate helpings, and only when accompanied by spirits. Disco has long been the musical genre to caricature rather than savour, best enjoyed in the background on hazy nights out rather than as a legitimate musical experience. So presented with the opportunity to sit through a two-hour disco documentary at the London film festival, I was a bit circumspect.

But from the first bar of that sour-sweet high-octane disco beat, I was hooked. This is because The Secret Disco Revolution is no ordinary history lesson about the 70s craze. Rather than simply charting the rise and fall of disco to a thumping soundtrack, the film...

Now that we know Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj are not (yet) engaged in an epic feud one day after American Idol’s season 12 judging announcement, feast your eyes on the first official judges portrait — a sea of understated navy topped with a dollop of rainbow sherbet. It is my esteemed privilege to be the first one to ask, “What’s your damage, Nicki Minaj’s pants?” Will the living, breathing, rapping cotton candy dispenser insist on corrupting every serene group shot with a “Can you see my no-no?” expression of faux surprise? Stay tuned.

Also, come on, Randy. Step it up,...

As Hulk Journeys Toward The Convention Center Itself, Hulk Looks Up At The Marriot Which Has Two Gigantic Screen Advertisements Over The Side Of The Towers. Looking Around The City, These Kinds Of Ads Are Everywhere, Taking Up The Entire Sides Of Skyscrapers… It’S Like The City Itself Is Cosplaying.

Hulk Arrives To The Back Of The Line In The Midst Of Chaos And One Of The Biggest Surprises Is That Line System Works Pretty Damn Well. The Volunteers And Security Are On Their Game. They Direct People With Care And Know-how. And There Is No Doubting That The...

Pauly Shore and Andy Dick "reunited" yesterday on Dick's web series, and the two sort of agreed to collaborate on a sequel to In the Army Now. "I've always said we should do In the Army Again," Dick said, and Shore agreed. "We just need a script and someone to back the project and I'm in," Shore said, which sure does sound iron-clad and like a plan that will absolutely 100 percent work out perfectly, ending in a blockbuster feature film. ("In the Army Again"? How about In the Army Later? Or Out of the Army Now? In the Navy Now? No bad ideas in a brainstorm.) Now all that's left to ponder is how to orchestrate a Son in Law sequel! Carla Gugino, wait by your phone.

Los Angeles — A judge in Los Angeles says the original lead singer of the Village People can reclaim at least partial ownership of the copyrights to more than two dozen of the group's songs, including "Y.M.C.A.," "Macho Man," and "In the Navy."

U.S. District Judge Barry T. Moskowitz on Monday rejected a lawsuit by two music publishers who argued Victor Willis had no right to regain ownership of 33 songs he co-wrote for the group under contract.

It's the first test of a decades-old copyright provision and could mean millions in additional royalties for Willis.

The former San Diego resident tells U-t San Diego () that the ruling benefits all songwriters. http://bit.ly/J4txjZ

But Stewart Levy, an attorney for Scorpio Music and Can't Stop Productions, tells the New York Times () that it doesn't lay out how much Willis will get and the case is far from over.

Britain's Got Talent hopefuls The Showbears have revealed that they have Harry Potter, Fame and a potential Royal Family routine up their sleeves if they reach the latter stages of the ITV1 talent show. The group ended up performing on the Bgt stage with judge David Walliams after they impressed him with their sailor-themed song and dance routine. Speaking about their possible performances at the Live Shows, the five-piece told Digital Spy: "We tend to have themes. When we extend the sailor theme, we'd have sailor-themed songs built around it like 'In the Navy' and 'Love Boat'. "We do a little section that's around the theme and we have done themes like Harry Potter. It was a magical medley and Hermione turns into Superwoman at the end and we all sing 'Single Ladies'. "There is a dance theme (more)...

Timothy White The photographer’s mother, Mary White

For his sixth picture book, celebrity photographer Timothy White is turning the lens homeward. Making weekly trips to his childhood house in Fort Lee, New Jersey, Mr. White is in the process of photographing his 92-year-old parents. A fan of large format books with glossy prints, Mr. White believes this book will be a little more intimate in both size and subject. He’s captured his parents, Mary and Joseph White, bathing,...

Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, and Tom Stockman

We’re celebrating one of Hollywood’s great tough guys and one of our favorite actors September 6th at The Way Out Club in St. Louis with Super-8 Lee Marvin Movie Madness.

Lee Marvin rose through the ranks of movie stardom as a character actor, delivering mostly villainous supporting turns in many films before finally graduating to leading roles. Regardless of which side of the law he was on however, he projected a tough-as-nails intensity and a two-fisted integrity which elevated even the slightest material. Born February 19, 1924, in New York City, Marvin quit high school to enter the Marine Corps and while serving in the South Pacific was badly wounded in battle when a machine gun nest shot off part of his buttocks and severed his sciatic nerve. He spent a year in recovery before returning to the U.S. where...

The 2011 MTV Movie Awards aren't just an excuse to hand out buckets of golden popcorn (though, make no mistake about it, we'll be on the edge of our seat when they announce the winner of "Best Scared-As-s--- Performance,") they're also the go-to source for some thoroughly kick-ass musical performances, courtesy of the Foo Fighters, Lupe Fiasco and Trey Songz.

In fact, since they first started in 1992, the Movie Awards have made it a point to feature music, too, and over the years, everyone from D'Angelo to Weezer have graced its stage. So with the 2011 show looming on the horizon (it airs live, Sunday, June 5 at 9 p.m. Et/8 p.m. Ct on MTV,) we decided to take a look back at the Movie Awards' long musical history, and choose the 10 best performances of all time. Sadly, neither Ken Jeong's interpretive dancing or the Les Grossman/Jennifer Lopez booty workout...

Village People star Victor Willis is heading back to court once again after suing his former bandmates for $1.5 million (GBP890,000) in royalties. The singer, who played the cop role in the camp group, left the line-up in 1979, but claims he is owed a larger slice of the proceeds because he helped to write hits including "Y.M.C.A.", "Macho Man" and "In the Navy".

He filed his lawsuit in federal court in California last week (ends May 1). Stewart Levy, a lawyer for Can't Stop Productions, which now owns the rights to the tracks, insisted Willis' legal action is "without merit".

Willis is no stranger to suing over his Village People past - in 2009, he settled a legal battle with the organizers of a college football half-time concert, which featured an offshoot of the Village People. He insisted a group using the band's name had no right to include his...

Harriett Tendler was 18, the only child of a widowed Jewish farmer, when she enrolled at the Bessie V. Hicks School of Stage, Screen, and Radio in Philadelphia in 1947. It was there she fell in love with Charles Buchinsky, a fellow student eight years her senior. Charles was part of a large Lithuanian family from an impoverished coal mining town in Pennsylvania. He had served in WWII as a tail gunner and was using the GI bill to study art and acting. Harriett and Charles were married in 1949 and two years later, Charles was cast in his first film. In 1953 he changed his last name to Bronson and found work as a solid character actor with a rugged face, muscular physique and everyman ethnicity that kept him busy in supporting roles as indians, convicts, cowboys, boxers, and gangsters. Life was good for the Bronsons and they had a daughter and then a son.

It's hard to believe, but this is what I'm doing with my Saturday night. It won't be as bad as The Client List (it's can't be. Please, God, don't let it be worse than The Client List), but it's not gonna be good. Once again, additional commentary is provided by Mrs. Tk. And we are joined by one surly cat named Little Man and one mildly retarded one named Desmond.

Let's rock.

9:00 - Holy fucking balls, Sharktopus has its own theme song. It's some kind of freaky surf rock track. "Sharktopus won't be kept at bay, and you can never ever ever ever get away." I think I'm in love.

9:02 - First gratuitous ass shot. Two minutes in. Damn, that's impressive. Oh, this girl is gonna get herself all kinds of eaten.

Wait, no, I'm wrong. Sharktopus sighting already, and it just fucked up a great white shark.

Former Village People star Victor Willis is apparently planning to sue the producers of The Cleveland Show. Willis, who appeared as a cop in the group's original lineup, is considering taking legal action over false suggestions that he provided a voiceover in what he deemed an "offensive" episode of the animated comedy, which made fun of the 'In The Navy' band. His spokeswoman Linda Smith told WENN: "Victor was offended by the episode and says he would never have agreed to do a voiceover for such an offensive portrayal of the Village People police character originally created by him." The episode, titled 'Buried Pleasure', was broadcast on February 14, and featured an animated version of the Village People cop parading around in shorts before "eventually jumping on the backside of a male after effeminately yelling, 'Dog (more)...