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Almost a decade ago Betty Gilpin and Natasha Lyonne were both performing in plays in the same theater in New York. To hear Lyonne tell it, she was in the black box, indie project that only had 20 seats to fill per show, while Gilpin was on the main stage. The East Coast performers were in each other’s orbits then, but now, their worlds are colliding much more, as they are both identify as “Jenji’s girls.”

They ended up shooting at the same studio in Astoria, Queens when Gilpin was on “Nurse Jackie” and Lyonne on “Orange is the New Black.” Now, both women also see Netflix as their homes: “Glow” just launched its third season on the platform on Aug. 9, while Lyonne co-created, writes, produces, directs and stars in “Russian Doll,” which was recently renewed for a second season.

Because they have such a shared history (and because...

Old Hollywood has its pitfalls, but it sure made some excellent, even downright delightful films. Case in point, Heaven Can Wait, from director Ernst Lubitsch. Lubitsch was born in 1892 and began making films in the early 1900s. He worked with movie stars from Hollywood's Golden Age, like Greta Garbo, Carole Lombard, Gary Cooper, Claudette Colbert, Burgess Meredith, Melvyn Douglas, and many more. Starring a young Don Ameche (Mortimer in Trading Places!) as playboy Henry Van Cleve and the extraordinarily beautiful Gene Tierney, the film opens with Van Cleve meeting with Satan, who has a large basement office with fake painted books on the walls (Hell indeed). Before Van Cleve can be admitted to Hell, he must recount his...

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

Alan Johnson, a three-time Emmy Award winning choreographer whose work spanned Broadway and Hollywood – and included four scenes from Mel Brooks’ comedies that became instant, irreverent classics – died July 7 of Parkinson’s disease at his home in Los Angeles. He was 81.

His death was confirmed to news outlets by his nephew Todd Johnson.

Johnson began his career as an understudy dancer for Broadway’s original 1957 West Side Story production and went on to include notable work for, among others, Chita Rivera, Tommy Tune, Bernadette Peters and Shirley MacLaine (including Emmy-winning choreography for the 1980 TV special Shirley MacLaine…Every Little Movement).

But the dance routines that are almost certainly his most widely viewed were performed far from any Broadway stage. As Mel Brooks’ go-to choreographer, Johnson collaborated with the director on unforgettable routines that became high points of the movies that contained them: The wildly, intentionally tasteless “Springtime For Hitler” (1967’s...

A version of this article originally appeared on EW.com."Jack Riley, an alum of The Bob Newhart Show and the voice of Stu Pickles on Rugrats, has died at the age of 80. The actor died from pneumonia in Los Angeles early Friday morning, his representative Paul Doherty tells Entertainment Weekly. Riley is best known for playing Elliot Carlin, one of Bob Newhart’s patients — a role he reprised in 1985 on the NBC medical series St. Elsewhere. He also appeared in several of Mel Brooks’ films, including History of the World: Part I, High Anxiety, and To Be or Not to Be.

A version of this article originally appeared on EW.com."

Jack Riley, an alum of The Bob Newhart Show and the voice of Stu Pickles on Rugrats, has died at the age of 80. The actor died from pneumonia in Los Angeles early Friday morning, his representative Paul Doherty tells Entertainment Weekly.

Riley is best known for playing Elliot Carlin, one of Bob Newhart’s patients — a role he reprised in 1985 on the NBC medical series St. Elsewhere. He also appeared in several of Mel Brooks’ films, including History of the World: Part I, High Anxiety, and To Be or Not to Be.

Iconic Hollywood director Mel Brooks will present Steve Martin with the American Film Institute's 43rd Life Achievement Award — America's highest honor for a career in film. Martin will be recognized as one of the most acclaimed artists of his generation. The private black tie gala will be held at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood on June 4 and will premiere Saturday, June 13, at 10 p.m. (Est/Pst) on TBS, with an encore at 11:30 p.m. (Est/Pst). Sister network TCM will present an encore of the special on Thursday, July 30, at 8 p.m. (Est/Pst) during a night of movies starring Martin.

As the 41st AFI Life Achievement Award recipient in 2013, Brooks is also in an elite group as an "Egot" — an artist who has received all four major entertainment prizes: the Emmy®, Grammy®, Oscar® and Tony® awards. Most recently Brooks was awarded the British Film Institute Fellowship — the British Film Institute's highest possible honor. Brooks has written, directed, produced and starred in many classic comedies, including "The Producers" (1967), "Blazing Saddles" (1974), "Young Frankenstein" (1974), "Silent Movie" (1976), "High Anxiety" (1977), "History of the World Part 1" (1981), "To Be or Not to Be" (1983), "Spaceballe" (1987), "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" (1993) and "Dracula: Dead and Loving it" (1995). His visionary film company, Brooksfilms Limited, also produced critically acclaimed films such as "My Favorite Year" (1982), "The Fly" (1986), "84 Charing Cross Road" (1987) and the Academy Award®-nominated "The Elephant Man" (1980).

Steve Martin is an actor, comedian, author, playwright, screenwriter, producer and musician. Recipient of an Emmy®, four Grammy Awards®, a Kennedy Center Honor and an Honorary Oscar®, Martin first rose to prominence as a stand-up comedian and quickly established himself as a leading man with a body of work defined by his unique creative voice. In his break-out role in "The Jerk"(1979), which he also co-wrote, Martin's distinct comedic sensibilities launched him into the zeitgeist.

He went on to become a bankable big-screen star, with distinct roles in films such as "Pennies from Heaven" (1981), "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" (1982), "The Man with Two Brains" (1983), "Three Amigos!' (1986), "Little Shop of Horrors" (1986) and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (1988), "All of Me" (1984), "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" (1987), "Roxanne" (1987) and "Father of the Bride" parts I and II (1991, 1995), "Parenthood" (1989), "Grand Canyon" (1991), "L.A. Story" (1991) and "Shopgirl" (2005) — a film which he wrote based on his novella of the same name.

In addition to his beloved film credits and his successful writing career, Martin is also an accomplished musician. Martin recently premiered his new musical "Bright Star," at the Old Globe Theater featuring original music by Martin and songwriter Edie Brickell, inspired by their Grammy Award®-winning collaboration "Love Has Come For You."

"Steve Martin is an American original," said Sir Howard Stringer, Chair of the AFI Board of Trustees. "From a wild and crazy stand-up comic to one who stands tall among the great figures in this American art form, he is a multi-layered creative force bound by neither convention nor caution. His work is defined by him alone, for he is the author — and a national treasure whose work has stuck with us like an arrow in the head. AFI is proud to present him with its 43rd Life Achievement Award." Proceeds from the AFI Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute event directly support the Institute's national education programs.

I don’t own Blazing Saddles. I know. That’s insane. Don’t worry, that will change May 6.

Here is the news release from Warner Bros.:

On May 6, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (Wbhe) will commemorate the four-decade birthday of the great comedy classic Blazing Saddles, by releasing a new 40th Anniversary Blu-ray highlighted by a new featurette Blaze of Glory: Mel Brooks’ Wild, Wild West in which Mel Brooks reflects on his own movie-making chutzpah, Blazing Saddles‘ lasting cultural impact on audiences of all generations, and alongside co-stars Gene Wilder and Madeline Kahn, proves why his film is, without a doubt, the funniest and most outrageous film ever made. Blazing Saddles 40th Anniversary Bu-ray will also include 10 quotable art cards with funny quotes and images from the film, plus vintage extra content including Brooks’ commentary, cast reunion documentary, and “Black Bart,” the 1975 television pilot inspired by the movie.

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has added an exciting roster of screen legends and beloved titles to the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival, including appearances by Maureen O’Hara, Mel Brooks and Margaret O’Brien, plus a two-film tribute to Academy Award®-winner Richard Dreyfuss. Marking its fifth year, the TCM Classic Film Festival will take place April 10-13, 2014, in Hollywood. The gathering will coincide with TCM’s 20th anniversary as a leading authority in classic film.

O’Hara will present the world premiere restoration of John Ford’s Oscar®-winning Best Picture How Green Was My Valley (1941), while Brooks will appear at a screening of his western comedy Blazing Saddles (1974). O’Brien will be on-hand for Vincente Minnelli’s perennial musical favorite Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), starring Judy Garland. The tribute to Dreyfuss will consist of a double feature of two of his most popular roles: his Oscar®-winning performance...

“Is this the end of zombie Shakespeare?” It would appear not, as John Murlowski’s comedy Zombie Hamlet makes its way onto DVD on December 31st. Written by John McKinney and with original music by Jackson Rathbone, whom you might remember from Twilight or, if you’re too ashamed to admit you knew that, the indie horror flick Dread.

The film stars Travis Wester, Jason Mewes, Shelley Long, Vanessa Lee Evigan, John Amos, and June Lockhart.

Zombie Hamlet tells the story of first-time film director, Osric Taylor (Travis Wester), as he finally manages to get his dream movie financed. He envisions Shakespeare's Hamlet set against the epic backdrop of the American Civil War. Osric heads to a small Louisiana town to start filming when his production funding unexpectedly dries up. With no other options, he agrees to accept southern matron Hester Beauchamp's offer to finance his movie, as long as...

Martin Scorsese will present Mel Brooks with the American Film Institute’s 41st Life Achievement Award – America’s highest honor for a career in film. The private black tie gala will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on June 6 and will air on TNT Saturday, June 15, at 9 p.m. Et/Pt and as part of an all-night tribute to Brooks on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) Sunday, July 24, at 8 p.m. Et. Brooks will be recognized for his range of mastery as a director, producer, writer, actor and composer.

Martin Scorsese is widely regarded as one of the greatest directors of all time having received the AFI Life Achievement Award for his contributions to cinema, two AFI Awards, an Academy®Award, a Palme d’Or, Grammy® Award, two Emmys®, four Golden Globes®, a BAFTA and three DGA Awards. Scorsese’s body of work includes films such as The Departed,...

Chicago – I’m a huge Mel Brooks fan, one of those critics who bows at the altar of arguably the two best comedies of all time, “Blazing Saddles” & “Young Frankenstein.” I’ve seen them both a dozen times and can’t wait to watch them again. “The Producers,” “A History of the World,” “High Anxiety,”” “Silent Movie,” “To Be or Not To Be,” “The Twelve Chairs,” his work on “Get Smart” & “Your Show of Shows,” “The 2000 Year Old Man” — the first response that most people should have to “American Masters: Mel Brooks: Make a Noise,” debuting on PBS tonight and releasing on DVD tomorrow, May 21, 2013, is a simple one — What took so long? “American Masters” premiered in 1986 and he should have been one of the first choices.

Television Rating: 4.5/5.0

To be fair, “Make a Noise” doesn’t do much more than confirm what most of us fans...

On the surface it seemed one of the stranger matches of the 20th century: the serious, award-winning dramatic actress Anna Maria Louisa Italiano, and the man whose fertile imagination introduced both flatulence around an Old West campfire and a singing-dancing Adolf Hitler to the silver screen, Melvin Kaminsky. Or, as the world knew them, Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks. Asked about the couple's marriage, which lasted from 1964 until her death from uterine cancer in 2005, an introspective Brooks says in the new PBS American Masters documentary Mel Brooks: Make a Noise, "You know, it took because Anne and I both grew up during the marriage,...

Mel Brooks really misses his late wife, Anne Bancroft.

In a taping of "SiriusXM's Town Hall with Mel Brooks," the legendary comedy writer, director and actor revealed his favorite movie to work on. "'To Be or Not To Be' with my wife," Brooks said, referring to the 1983 comedy he and Bancroft co-starred in. "I liked her so much. I couldn't get enough of her."

Bancroft, best known for her award-winning roles in "The Miracle Worker" and "The Graduate," passed away in 2005.

One sequence that Brooks remembered fondly was the couple performing "Sweet Georgia Brown" in Polish. Watch them sing the song below:

Watch:

"We would hang out for 24 hours" during the making of the film, Brooks said. "How many people could stand their wives for 24 hours? I could cry now. She was easy... she was fun."

Apatow chimed in, saying that Brooks was one of his inspirations for working with his own wife,...

Some acting careers are made by a single role. Think Brando’s Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Robert DeNiro’s Johnny Boy in Mean Streets (1973), Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack in the box office behemoth Titanic (1997).

A similar connection can happen on a more personal basis. You watch a movie and an actor — for whatever magical, alchemical reason – clicks with you. You suddenly remember the other times you’ve seen him or her, you want to know more about what they’ve done, what they’re going to do. From that moment, their name in the credits means something to you.

And in that great, romantic way Hollywood dream-making works, they may not even be stars; never were, never will be. But they are somebody you respond to, somebody’s who work touches you.

For me, Charles Durning was one of those actors. At the news of his passing on Christmas Eve,...

Charles Durning has died, aged 89. The Oscar-nominated character actor passed away from natural causes at his home in New York City on December 24, his agent and friend Judith Moss said. Known as the 'king of the character actors', Durning appeared in a wide variety of roles in a career that spanned seven decades. He was perhaps best known for his Academy Award-nominated roles as a corrupt governor in The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas and a bumbling Nazi officer in To Be Or Not To Be in 1983. Durning also starred as the would-be suitor of Dustin Hoffman's cross-dressing character in Tootsie and as Pappy O'Daniel in the Coen Brothers' 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?. He appeared in over 100 films, many TV shows and several Broadway plays, and was awarded a Golden Globe in 1991 for his role in the TV film The Kennedys (more)...

New York – In a movie world of cops, mugs, southern governors, priests and Irish pals who had your back, there was none better than Charles Durning, a man that defined character in the term “character actor.” Durning died December 24th in New York City. He was 89 years old.

He had significant roles in classic films like “The Sting,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Tootsie” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” plus made a mulitude of guest appearances in TV series, mini-series and dramas. But what is less known about Durning is his heroic service in World War II, for which he was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart, and participated in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day, June 6th, 1944.

Early Role: Charles Durning as Sgt. Eugene Moretti with Al Pacino in ‘Dog Day Afternoon’

Photo credit: Warner Home Video

Charles Durning was born in Highland Falls, New York, into a large Irish family.

2012 has been, so definitively, the year for huge teeming male casts (Argo, Lincoln, Zero Dark, Magic Mike) of stars and character actors playing anxious determined men that I felt an extra pang of sadness to hear about the passing of Charles Durning on Christmas Eve. He was 89 years-old.

Charles Durning at the SAG ceremony in 2008 accepting his lifetime achievement award

Had any of those movies (well, not, Magic Mike) been made in the 1980s, he would with certainty have popped up -- 100% -- growling great lines in a suit or stove pipe hat.

Since the seeds of my movie mania were planted in the early 1980s, Charles Durning was one of the very first actors that embodied and defined the term "Character Actor" for me. I absolutely loved him in Tootsie (1982), one of the all time great movie comedies, as Jessica Lange's widower dad who took an unfortunate shine...

Charles Durning: The extremely versatile actor Charles Durning, 89, has died. He had a great touch for comedy, earning Academy Award nominations for his work in 1982’s The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and 1983’s To Be or Not to Be, and sweetly romancing Dustin Hoffman (as “Dorothy”) in Tootsie. Yet he was completely convincing as a dogged Chicago cop in The Sting and a frustrated NYC police negotiator in Dog Day Afternoon. He continued to make memorable impressions in smaller roles in movies (The Hudsucker Proxy, O Brother, Where Art Thou?), television (Evening Shade, Rescue Me), and on the stage (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof). He died at his home in Manhattan on Monday. [New York Times] Star Wars: Episode VII: Director J.J. Abrams has confirmed that he had...

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Charles Durning: The extremely versatile actor Charles Durning, 89, has died. He had a great touch for comedy, earning Academy Award nominations for his work in 1982’s The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and 1983’s To Be or Not to Be, and sweetly romancing Dustin Hoffman (as “Dorothy”) in Tootsie. Yet he was completely convincing as a dogged Chicago cop in The Sting and a frustrated NYC police negotiator in Dog Day Afternoon. He continued to make memorable impressions in smaller roles in movies (The Hudsucker Proxy, O Brother, Where Art Thou?), television (Evening Shade, Rescue Me), and on the stage (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof). He died at his home in Manhattan on Monday. [New York Times] Star Wars: Episode VII: Director J.J. Abrams has confirmed that he had...

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Charles Durning: Oscar-nominated, Tony-winning actor has died Charles Durning, who romanced Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie, a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nominee for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and To Be or Not to Be, and a Life Achievement SAG Award recipient, died of "natural causes" on Christmas Eve at his home in Manhattan. Durning was 89. (Photo: SAG Life Achievement Award recipient Charles Durning.) According to reports, Charles Durning (born on Feb. 28, 1923, in Highland Falls, N.Y.) grew up in a large, [...]...

Charles Durning, known best for his role as Jessica Lange's father, Les, in Tootsie, has died at the age of 89. The ex-pro boxer and World War II vet, who nabbed a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as Governor in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and for his role in To Be or Not to Be as Col. Erhardt, passed away on Christmas Eve from natural causes in his New York City home, according to People. Dubbed the king of the character actors, Durning told USA Today in 1990, "I was born a character actor. I was born looking older…and I've been aging since I was a teenager." Before his acting days, Durning enlisted in the army and served in World War II where he earned...

Veteran character actor Charles Durning died yesterday in his Manhattan home. He was 89. A former professional boxer and a decorated World War veteran who took part in the D-Day invasion at Omaha Beach, the Battle of the Bulge and was one of few survivors of the Malmedy massacre, Durning earned two Oscar and nine Emmy nominations, most recently an Emmy nom in 2008 for his last major role, a recurring part on FX’s Rescue Me as Denis Leary’s retired firefighter father. According to AP, Durning died of natural causes. Durning started his acting career on stage before segueing to film and TV. He got his break with a role in the 1973 movie The Sting and was a standout in the 1982 comedy Tootsie. Durning was nominated for supporting-actor Oscars for the 1983 Mel Brooks comedy To Be or Not to Be and the 1982 musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. He...

Charles Durning grew up in poverty, lost five of his nine siblings to disease, barely lived through D-Day and was taken prisoner at the Battle of the Bulge.

His hard life and wartime trauma provided the basis for a prolific 50-year career as a consummate Oscar-nominated character actor, playing everyone from a Nazi colonel to the pope to Dustin Hoffman’s would-be suitor in Tootsie.

Durning, who died Monday at age 89 in New York, got his start as an usher at a burlesque theater in Buffalo, N.Y. When one of the comedians showed up too drunk to go on,...

“King of the Character Actors” indeed. I couldn’t even find a movie poster with his image on it for this article, yet he was a very popular, dependable supporting actor for many years and everyone knew who he was. He scored back-to-back Oscar noms for Best Little Whorehouse In Texas (1983) and To Be Or Not To Be (1984). He appeared in quality films such as The Sting, Tootsie, Dog Day Afternoon and many more. Looking at his credits, it appears he never worked for a quick paycheck (there’s not a single horror film in his filmography), but made careful decisions about what he was associated with. He was a WWII hero, among the first wave of U.S. soldiers to land at Normandy during the D-Day invasion and the only member of his Army unit to survive. He was captured in the Battle of the Bulge and survived a massacre of prisoners yet,...

The Academy Award-nominated actor, who many will remember for starring in ‘Tootsie,’ died Dec. 24 in New York.

2012 has claimed the lives of countless Hollywood icons, and now we have more to add to that tragic list: Charles Durning — who received Oscar nominations for his roles in 1982′s The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and 1983′s To Be Or Not To Be — died Dec. 24 at the age of 89.

Charles Durning’s Career History:

The aforementioned titles were only a few highlights of Charles’ 50-year acting career. Since landing his first role in 1953, Charles appeared in more than 200 movies and TV shows. 1975′s Dog Day Afternoon and 1979′s The Muppet Movie were also among his crowning achievements on the big screen. (That’s right, the man shared the screen with Kermit the Frog.)

Charles also had an incredible career on television with appearances on dozens of shows, including All In The Family,...

Charles Durning passed away Monday, Dec. 24. He was 89. The Oscar-nominated character actor died of natural causes at his NYC home, his agent, Judith Moss, told The Associated Press. Durning is best known for his roles in The Sting, Dog Day Afternoon and Tootsie. He earned an Academy Award nomination for his 1982 role in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and his 1983 film To Be or Not to Be. Durning won a Golden Globe for best supporting TV actor for the 1991 TV film The [...]...

Celebrated character actor Charles Durning, whose myriad TV credits included Rescue Me, Evening Shade, Now and Again and Everybody Loves Raymond, died Monday of natural causes in New York City, according to The Associated Press. He was 89.

Durning scored his first of two Oscar nominations for his role as a comically crooked governor in 1982′s The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. His second nod came the following year for his role as a bumbling Nazi officer in Mel Brooks’ To Be or Not to Be. His other notable film roles included Tootsie, The Muppet Movie and The Sting.

He is survived by his children,...

Charles Durning, the versatile character actor whose friendly face and full form was recognizable to movie audiences since the mid-'70s, died of natural causes at his Manhattan home Dec. 24, his agent confirmed. He was 89. Among his roles: The corrupt cop in The Sting, the show-stopping Governor in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (for which he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar), Jessica Lange's father and Dustin Hoffman's love-smitten suitor in Tootsie, a buffoon of a German officer in To Be Or Not to Be (another Oscar nod) and Warren Beatty's law-enforcement boss in Dick Tracy. His range of real-life roles was even broader. Durning, a genuine World War II hero with the Purple Hearts to prove it, worked in a button factory, taught ballroom dancing, sung on radio, trained as a stockbroker and painted bridges. According to a 1990 People profile, at the time he played Big Daddy to Kathleen Turner's Maggie the Cat in a Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, During had been on his own since age 16, when he left home because his widowed mother, Louise, was having trouble supporting five kids on the money she earned laundering cadets' uniforms at West Point. (His father, an Army sergeant, died when Durning was 12.)...

Chicago – Mel Brooks is an indisputable genius and his comic mastery gets a perfect tribute in the 5-dvd-and-1-cd set from Shout Factory, “The Incredible Mel Brooks,” a treasure trove of rare clips, old TV shows, appearances, and recollections from one of comedy’s greatest writers. This is a fantastic set, a perfect gift for the comedy fan in your family.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

As with all sets this big, it’s hard to know where to begin. And so I find it funny that the first clip on the first DVD of “The Incredible Mel Brooks” is “The Hitler Rap,” a promotional music video with Brooks as Hitler rapping to promote “To Be or Not To Be.” It’s the kind of thing that would typically be lost to movie history but Shout Factory has a wonderful track record of finding such lost material and bringing it to modern audiences. It sets the tone,...

While Amazon typically has a decent selection of severely discounted movies and TV shows available on Blu-ray and DVD, it's always a good day when every Gold Box special is a bunch of movie and TV season collections. Today is such a day as Amazon has the Blu-ray edition of the Mel Brooks Collection (which includes Blazing Saddles, High Anxiety, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, History of the World: Part 1, Silent Movie, To Be or Not to Be, Spaceballs, and Young Frankenstein) as well as season sets of Dexter. Criminal Minds, NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and History Channel's Mega Collection for The Universe.

The Mel Brooks Collection on Blu-ray - $25.99 (68% off) - all day long Dexter: Seasons 1-5 on Blu-ray - $126.49 (57% off) - 9am - 12pm Est Criminal Minds: Seasons 1-6 on DVD - 12pm - 3pm Est Dexter: Season 1-5 on DVD - 3pm - 5pm...

For those that grew up during the 1980s, it may be hard to believe that Spaceballs is now 25 years old, but it's true. Back in 1987, director Mel Brooks was coming off of 1983's To Be or Not to Be, a remake that was not a box office success, and decided to go back to the kind of genre parody that had made him successful in the 70s with Frankenstein riff Young Frankenstein and Western spoof Blazing Saddles.

Almost directly parodying Star Wars, or, more specifically, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (with a little Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi jokes thrown in for good measure), Spaceballs took shots at the entire sci-fi genre as it followed Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and his half-man half-dog partner Barf (the late John Candy) on their attempt to save Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) from the evil Lord Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis). With a new,...

The American Film Institute announced it will confer Doctorate of Fine Arts degrees honoris causa upon American comedy icon Mel Brooks and celebrated surrealist David Lynch for “contribution of distinction to the art of the moving image” during AFI Conservatory commencement 2012 at Hollywood’s landmark Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Both artists worked together on the Academy Award winning The Elephant Man (1980), with Lynch as director and screenwriter and Brooks as executive producer. The AFI Conservatory . named the #1 film school in the world by The Hollywood Reporter . is renowned for its collaborative approach to hands-on filmmaking and its advanced training of the next generation of storytellers in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting. Previous recipients of the AFI Honorary Degree include Robert Altman, Maya Angelou, Clint Eastwood, Roger Ebert, James Earl Jones,Nora Ephron, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Kathleen Kennedy, John Lasseter, Spike Lee, Helen Mirren, Haskell Wexler and John Williams.

The Gold Box spotlight deal of the day over at Amazon today is The Mel Brooks Collection on Blu-ray for only $42.99 (that's 57% off the list price of $99.99).

This 9-disc Blu-ray box set comes with 9 Mel Brooks comedies: Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs, Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety, History Of The World Part 1, Robin Hood Men In Tights, Silent Movie, To Be Or Not To Be, Twelve Chairs.

Note, this deal is valid only for today, Wednesday, October 5, 2011, til 11:59pm Pst while supplies last [...]...

Before we called them MILFs or cougars – long before – there was only Mrs. Robinson. She was a mid-1960s adolescent fantasy come true; the sexy, available older woman/housewife next door with an appetite for young not-quite-men/not-quite-boys. She became so indelibly, boldly etched in the public consciousness that the name became a noun – and, for young males, a hope – and the referenced fodder for a thousand if-only-they-were-true Letters to Penthouse.

But the character in the movie The Graduate (1967) was no exercise in wish fulfillment, no Weird Science (1985) or Risky Business (1983) teen’s wet dream. Rather, Mrs. Robinson was a devouring suburban nightmare, a paean to unmoored youth and disillusioned adulthood and life-draining, soul-killing upper middle class ennui.

Over four decades later, the name still resonates, her portrait so deeply carved into the pop culture by Anne Bancroft’s letter perfect Oscar-nominated performance that Mrs. Robinson remains the proto-milf/cougar,...

[1] Amazon has The Mel Brooks Collection on Blu-ray [2] for $46.99 with free shipping.  The set includes: Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs, Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety, History Of The World Part 1, Robin Hood Men In Tights, Silent Movie, To Be Or Not To Be, and Twelve Chairs. [3] Amazon is selling Forrest Gump: Sapphire Series Blu-ray 2-Disc Set [4], on sale for only $11.99, 60% off the $30 msrp. True Blood Season 3 was released this week on DVD and Blu-ray and Amazon is selling the DVD set for only $29.99 [5], 50% off the list price of $60, and the Blu-ray set for $34.99 [6], 56% off the list price of $80. Free shipping. [1] http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/ZZ208ED606.jpg [2] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002PHI2N8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=film-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399701&creativeASIN=B002PHI2N8 [3] http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/ZZ20B3C326.jpg [4] http://www.amazon.com/gp...

Max Brooks is widely known for his best-selling success with the books World War Z and The Zombie Survival Guide, but he had previously dabbled in acting with TV and cartoon voice-over roles. He’s next going before the cameras in The Girl From Mars, the latest feature from Satan Hates You and Hypothermia’s James Felix McKenney.

In the sci-fi comedy, Brooks (who made his screen debut in dad Mel’s 1983 comedy To Be Or Not To Be) will play an anchorman in a series of recurring television broadcasts within the movie. Pauley Perrette of TV’s NCIS stars as a girl who claims to be from the Red Planet and changes the life of a lonely nerd. “I’m always excited to work with Jim!” says Brooks, who previously cameoed as another TV newsman in Satan Hates You. His wife, playwright Michelle Kholos Brooks, will co-star in The Girl From Mars as well.

Chicago – “The Mel Brooks Collection” contains two undeniable masterpieces, four more films that I could watch repeatedly, two so-so entries, and one interesting dud. The range of material, the special features, and the collectible packaging make it a must-own for anyone who dares claim to be a hardcore comedy fan.

Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

Comedy is subjective but there’s nearly universal agreement on the fact that “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein” are two of the funniest movies ever made. They simply never get old. They had been previously available on Blu-ray, but most of their partners in this new collection are debuting on the format.

The Mel Brooks Collection was released on Blu-Ray on December 15th, 2009.

Photo credit: Fox Home Video

Eight of the eleven films that Brooks directed are included, in chronological order: “The Twelve Chairs,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein,” “Silent Movie,” “High Anxiety,” “History of the World, Part I,...

Comedy legend Mel Brooks' timeless classics are available for the first time in high definition. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has debuted "The Mel Brooks Collection on Blu-ray Disc" on December 15.

The nine-disc collection features an exclusive book created in conjunction with him highlighting his life and unforgettable films.

It includes nine of his critically acclaimed films, including "High Anxiety," "History of the World Part 1," Robin Hood: Men in Tights," "Silent Movie," "Spaceballs," "To Be or Not to Be," "The Twelve Chairs," and his most commercially successful films "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein."

Brooks wrote, directed, and starred in the satirical Western comedy "Blazing Saddles" in 1974 with co-stars Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, and is considered one of the greatest American comedies of all time.

DVD Playhouse—December 2009

By

Allen Gardner

Public Enemies (Universal) Johnny Depp portrays legendary Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger in co- writer/director Michael Mann’s take on America’s first “Public Enemy Number One.” Like many big studio releases today, Public Enemies has it all: A-list talent before and behind the camera, but lacks a heart or soul that allows its audience to connect with it. Film plays out like a “true crime” TV show with re-enactments of famous events cast with top actors and shot by the best technicians in the business, with little, if any, character or story development to hold it together in between. A real disappointment from one of our finest filmmakers and finest actors. The lone standout: the great character actor Stephen Lang as a hard-eyed lawman who’s seen a lot, but manages to retain a tiny piece of his heart. For a better take on the same subject,...

For contemporary audiences, Mel Brooks shares a lot in common with filmmakers like the Zucker brothers: he's a guy who pioneered a lot of the conventions of modern parody who may or may not quite still be relevant. In other words, his influence is undeniable; but the longevity of his body of work? Not quite as assured.

Brooks' films are definitely not 100 percent consistent (it should tell you something that Dracula: Dead and Loving It and Life Stinks never seem to find their way into his home-video boxed sets), but the ones that hold up are truly great: Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, and Blazing Saddles still have viewers in stitches, and many others from that time, including To Be or Not To Be, Spaceballs, and High Anxiety, still hold special places in the hearts of their fans. But whether you like only one or two of Brooks' films or all of them,...

Getting some of the funniest guys in show business and dropping them in Vegas for a bachelor party sounds like a winning formula, but nobody expected "The Hangover" to gross a whopping $450 million dollars worldwide. Now the film is hitting DVD and Blu-ray, and is our lead film for this week's DVD Report.

Todd Phillips already had hits like "Old School" and "Road Trip" in the bank at the time he was begged to director "The Hangover," and the veteran comedy helmer pulled together a cast of unproven but fan-favorite stars. Headlining the zany misadventure romp would be Bradley Cooper (best known as the quintessential a-hole in "Wedding Crashers), Ed Helms ("Daily Show" and "The Office" alum) and underground comedy icon Zach Galifianakis. While all three shared a level of success, none had ever held a film together on their own, making this a considerable experiment for all involved.

What resulted,...

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Inglourious Basterds I just reviewed the Blu-ray edition, which you can read right here, but if you're looking for the short version... Buy this one right now. My recommendation is Blu-ray. The Mel Brooks Collection [Blu-ray] I almost made this the first previewed release, but at $92.99 I know it isn't exactly something people are going to be rushing out to buy as it takes a little more thought before handing over that kind of money. However, considering the set comes with nine of Mel Brooks's films on beautiful Blu-ray transfers that means you are getting each at just over $10. That's a pretty good deal.

The titles included in the set are Twelve Chairs, Silent Movie, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety, History of the World - Part I, To Be or Not To Be, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

I first encountered Mel Brooks’ work, without realizing it, when I began watching Get Smart, the wonderful spy satire he cocreated with Buck Henry (who just happened to be my father’s college roommate – small world and all that). It wasn’t until Blazing Saddles and being in high school before I could put a name to the madman who unleashed these wonderful works. From that point on, when I saw his name I was guaranteed to be there.

In time, I learned of Brooks’ career prior to Get Smart and understood the steps taken that led to the work that I adored. My respect for his determination as a writer, performer, and romancer only grew with time and understanding. There was no single style to his humor – it could be slapstick, word play, satire – and he blended it unlike anyone previously. Nothing was sacred and he continually pushed the...

On top of everything below I recently received the Mel Brooks Collection on Blu-ray and watched a pair of Brooks's films I hadn't seen yet (Twelve Chairs and Silent Movie). The set contains seven more films, all on Blu-ray as well as six all-new featurettes exclusive to Blu-ray (such as, Silent Movie has a trivia track as well as a new 24-minute featurette focusing on silent films and how they inspired the movie). Also included are Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety, History of the World - Part I, To Be or Not To Be, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. I will have a full review of the complete set as soon as I can and hopefully before it's released this Tuesday. Stay tuned for that, but for now let's have a look at what else I watched and then hear from you!

Federico Fellini's 8½ (1963) Quick Thoughts:...

It’s that time of year again, when sites the web-over compile helpful holiday shopping lists to guide you into the deepest, darkest pits of retail with a map that will hopefully get you out alive. Here now, without further ado, is the 2009 Quick Stop Holiday Shopping Guide.

(If you see anything you like, please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make your holiday purchases - it’s appreciated!)

I’ve banged on about for years, and I’m going to keep going virtual door to virtual door until the word gets out about Qi. If you’ve never heard of the UK quiz program Qi, you’re missing out on one of the funniest “educational” shows ever devised (the devisee being creator/producer John Lloyd, formerly of Blackadder, Not The Nine O’Clock News, and Spitting Image). The key to Qi (which stands for “Quite Interesting...

If you're a fan of the irreplaceable and wonderful Mel Brooks, chances are you've already got The Mel Brooks Collection -- a DVD box jam-packed with most of the directors classic films. I already double-dipped to get them all in one spot, in space-saving super-slim cases, but now there's a collection worthy of a double or triple dip. And -- darn you all! -- yet another reason to get a Blu-ray player.

As DVD Snapshot shares, there's a new The Mel Brooks Collection on the way, and this time in glorious Blu-ray. But it's not just the old collection in high definition. It's the same roster +1 -- the film that was surprisingly lacking from the first release -- Spaceballs. That means, vacuum cleaner intergalactic hijinx along with Blazing Saddles, High Anxiety, History of the World Part I, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Silent Movie, To Be or Not to Be,...

Okay, so I didn't watch only these two movies, but I have a few movies I am saving for actual reviews including the new Natural Born Killers Blu-ray and Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding which hits Criterion Blu-ray on October 20. While Monsoon Wedding will be a traditional review, I hope to encourage some conversation when I post my commentary on Natural Born Killers.

As always, remember you can keep tabs on my personal Netflix queue right here. I now have 50 friends on the movie rental site and would love to have a few more if those of you out there with accounts are interested. Now, here's the recap of my week in movies...

The Thaw (2009) Quick Thoughts: I already mentioned the Ghost House Collection this was a part of in my DVD/Blu-ray round-up last tuesday and Sara reviewed all four films from the collection last week. I finally got...

Actress Anne Bancroft, who won an Oscar for The Miracle Worker and a place in pop culture history as the seductive Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate, died Monday of cancer; she was 73. The wife of comedian Mel Brooks, Bancroft died in New York at Mt. Sinai Hospital. One of the most popular actresses of the '60s, Bancroft's career started off dubiously in the '50s with a number of B movies for 20th Century Fox such as Gorilla at Large and Demetrius and the Gladiators. The studio also renamed the young actress, who was born Anna Maria Louise Italiano and originally went by Anne Marno; given a list of names, she chose the dignified Bancroft. However, fulfilling roles for the versatile TV and movie actress didn't follow, and Bancroft left both big and small screens for Broadway in the late 50s, winning two Tonys, for Two for the Seesaw and The Miracle Worker. When Hollywood came calling to adapt both films, Bancroft lost the role in the former to Shirley MacLaine. However, when studio heads wanted a more glamorous actress for the role of Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker, director Arthur Penn put his foot down and refused to budge. Then faced with a minimal budget, Penn created a gripping black-and-white film which won Oscars in 1962 for both Bancroft and co-star Patty Duke (as Helen Keller). That role was followed by another Oscar-nominated performance in The Pumpkin Eater and the acclaimed The Slender Thread and 7 Women. In 1967, however, Bancroft did a total 180 from her saintly persona as Annie Sullivan and donned leopard-skin lingerie for her role as the wily Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate, which nabbed her another Oscar nomination and permanent enshrinement in film history. By then, she had seduced not just Dustin Hoffman but the filmgoing public as well, and for the rest of her career she was pretty much able to call her own shots. She worked almost non-stop through the '70s and '80s in both comedic and dramatic films, including The Turning Point (another Oscar nomination), The Elephant Man, To Be or Not To Be (directed by her husband), Agnes of God (her last Oscar nomination), 84 Charing Cross Road, and Torch Song Trilogy. In the '90s Bancroft took a number of character roles, most notably as a mysterious old con woman in Malice, a menacing senator in G.I. Jane, a comedic matriarch in Home For the Holidays, an elegant trainer of a young assassin in Point of No Return, and an updated Mrs. Havisham in Great Expectations; she most recently appeared in The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, for which she received an Emmy nomination. Bancroft is survived by her husband, whom she married in 1964, and their son, Max. --Prepared by IMDb staff...

Actress Anne Bancroft, who won an Oscar for The Miracle Worker and a place in pop culture history as the seductive Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate, died Monday of cancer; she was 73. The wife of comedian Mel Brooks, Bancroft died in New York at Mt. Sinai Hospital. One of the most popular actresses of the '60s, Bancroft's career started off dubiously in the '50s with a number of B movies for 20th Century Fox such as Gorilla at Large and Demetrius and the Gladiators. The studio also renamed the young actress, who was born Anna Maria Louise Italiano and originally went by Anne Marno; given a list of names, she chose the dignified Bancroft. However, fulfilling roles for the versatile TV and movie actress didn't follow, and Bancroft left both big and small screens for Broadway in the late 50s, winning two Tonys, for Two for the Seesaw and The Miracle Worker. When Hollywood came calling to adapt both films, Bancroft lost the role in the former to Shirley MacLaine. However, when studio heads wanted a more glamorous actress for the role of Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker, director Arthur Penn put his foot down and refused to budge. Then faced with a minimal budget, Penn created a gripping black-and-white film which won Oscars in 1962 for both Bancroft and co-star Patty Duke (as Helen Keller). That role was followed by another Oscar-nominated performance in The Pumpkin Eater and the acclaimed The Slender Thread and 7 Women. In 1967, however, Bancroft did a total 180 from her saintly persona as Annie Sullivan and donned leopard-skin lingerie for her role as the wily Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate, which nabbed her another Oscar nomination and permanent enshrinement in film history. By then, she had seduced not just Dustin Hoffman but the filmgoing public as well, and for the rest of her career she was pretty much able to call her own shots. She worked almost non-stop through the '70s and '80s in both comedic and dramatic films, including The Turning Point (another Oscar nomination), The Elephant Man, To Be or Not To Be (directed by her husband), Agnes of God (her last Oscar nomination), 84 Charing Cross Road, and Torch Song Trilogy. In the '90s Bancroft took a number of character roles, most notably as a mysterious old con woman in Malice, a menacing senator in G.I. Jane, a comedic matriarch in Home For the Holidays, an elegant trainer of a young assassin in Point of No Return, and an updated Mrs. Havisham in Great Expectations; she most recently appeared in The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, for which she received an Emmy nomination. Bancroft is survived by her husband, whom she married in 1964, and their son, Max. --Prepared by IMDb staff...