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If there is something positive about the existence of streaming platforms in recent times, it's the explosion of quality television series that we haven't experienced for several decades. There is something for everyone, even for TV sceptics who are not easily convinced to step out of the cinema or from what they concern as a serious screening content. Almost four years ago, during the Mastercard event at the Venice Film Festival, Brian de Palma confessed that he was hooked to the comedy-drama series “Dead To Me” starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini, admitting that he was watching television more than ever before due to a big improvement in quality of productions. Liz Feldman wasn't in the audience, but I was, glad to hear that such a legend and I are sharing the same passion for the show.

“The Brothers Sun” had me at “Michelle Yeoh”. I wasn't interested in reading the synopsis,...

In out-there Estonian comedy “The Invisible Fight,” a clueless Russian border guard somehow escapes a surprise attack by three formidable Chinese action figures — gravity-defying kung fu warriors who swoop in out of nowhere, blasting Black Sabbath on their bright red boombox — so he does what anyone in his position would do: He resolves to become an Orthodox monk. Huh? “I guess God has other plans for you,” a less-fortunate comrade wheezes with his dying breath, setting up one of the oddest plots audiences are likely to find on the art-house circuit this year.

After attracting international attention with 2017 festival discovery “November” —a hyper-stylized, black-and-white folk horror novelty involving pagan stick monsters known as “kratts” — writer-director Rainer Sarnet swings to the color-saturated opposite extreme to make a genre-splicing martial arts satire. Set in the highly repressive, mid-’70s Soviet Union and shot like a vintage drive-in movie, “The Invisible Fight” treats kung fu as comedy,...

August isn't especially famous for its great movies. As months go, the eighth one on the calendar has often been a bit of a wasteland for Hollywood, as blockbusters peter off, kids have a lot less free time and money, and studio executives need to find somewhere to dump their proverbial dead bodies.

If you want a good example, you can pretty much throw a dart at any year after "Jaws" popularized the concept of summer blockbuster season. For example, let's take a look at 1993. 30 years ago, August was a month for dreck comedies like "Son of the Pink Panther," family film misfires like "Father Hood" and "Surf Ninjas," and the weird-ass "Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday."

But then again, there are exceptions to every rule. There were also a few excellent motion pictures in August 1993. The increasingly timeless classic "The Fugitive" came out that month, along with...

With everything else going on in the world lately, you may have understandably missed news of the passing of Kurt Thomas, Olympic athlete and one-time action star of… Gymkata (1985) Director: Robert Clouse Stars: Kurt Thomas, Tetchie Agbayani, Richard Norton A gymnast is trained by the CIA in the deadly new martial art of "gymkata" and sent to the totally-not-made-up country…...

Kurt Thomas, a breakthrough American Olympic gymnast, has died at the age of 64 due to a stroke, which occurred on May 24, caused by a tear in the basilar artery in his brain stem, according to the Associated Press. While Thomas’s legacy will undoubtedly be defined by gold medal wins, connoisseurs of campy action films best remember him from his high-flying starring role in 1985 cult classic Gymkata.

Thomas was an initially a multi-sport athlete with accomplishments on the basketball courts, having led the Indiana State Sycamores to an Ncaa team title in 1977. However, he rose to fame in the late-1970s, hitting the talk show circuit as a bellwether star in men’s gymnastics, a category that had been mostly associated with its women’s division. After having competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Thomas broke big in the 1978 Strasbourg, France World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, in which he became the first U.

Kurt Thomas, who became the first Us athlete to win a gymnastics gold medal at the world championships, died Friday. He was 64 and died from complications caused by a basilar stroke last month.

Wife Beckie Thomas confirmed the news to International Gymnast Magazine. “Yesterday I lost my universe, my best friend and my soul mate of 24 years. Kurt lived his life to the extreme, and I will be forever honored to be his wife.”

Thomas competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics, then won a gold medal at the 1978 world championships for his work during the floor exercise. He followed that by winning a record six gold medals at the 1979 world championships, a record since tied by Simone Biles, who matched it at the 2018 world championships.

He entered 1980 as a strong favorite for a gold medal at that year’s Olympics, but was denied a chance when the Us boycotted the games.

Kurt Thomas, the first U.S. male to win a gold medal at the Gymnastic World Championships, died Friday after suffering a stroke. He was 64.

His stroke on May 24 was caused by a tear in the basilar artery in his brain stem, according to the Associated Press.

“Yesterday I lost my universe, my best friend and my soul mate of 24 years. Kurt lived his life to the extreme, and I will be forever honored to be his wife,” his wife Beckie Thomas told the International Gymnast Magazine.

Throughout his gymnastic career, Thomas won eight world medals, including three gold medals, and created two signature moves called the “Thomas Flair” and the “Thomas Salto.”

At the 1978 Gymnastic World Championships in Strasboug, France, Thomas won the first gold medal for the U.S. men’s gymnastic program. He also competed with the U.S. teams at the 1975 Pan American Games and the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.

A Cinema Retro Exclusive: director John Stevenson provides an exclusive interview with Midge Costin, director of the acclaimed new film "Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound".

Working on the sound was the most fun part of the two animated feature films I have directed. One of the nicest gifts you get as a director, after working on your film for years, is being able to see your film fresh again once the sound designers and composer have added a whole new dimension to the story. So I was very excited to see Midge Costin's new documentary "Making Waves: The Art Of Cinematic Sound" and have a chance to talk to her about this vital, but often overlooked aspect of movie making. (John Stevenson)

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Js: I loved your film and was surprised at how visual it was for a subject that is primarily auditory.

Craig Lines Nov 1, 2017

Every now and then, martial arts movies go, er, a 'little leftfield', Here are some examples...

There are few feelings I enjoy as much as watching a movie that shakes me out of my complacency, wakes me up from my jaded quasi-slumber and makes me go “I’ve not seen that before!” I watch way too many films and it can take a lot to genuinely shock or surprise me, but there are few genres that manage it as often as martial arts.

Now, I appreciate there’s a lot of base level ‘weirdness’ to the genre if you’re not used to it. There’s curious dubbing, an emphasis on physicality over plotting, some eastern cultural touchpoints that baffle unfamiliar western audiences… but fans get used to all that. I’m talking about something slightly different.

To clarify, it might seem strange to new viewers when...

Production design, characters, and more come alive in new coffee table book.

Regardless of where you stand on Ghost in the Shell 2017’s story, performances, and overall existence, there’s one thing most of us can agree on — it’s one hell of a visually attractive film. From the character design to the look of the world itself, the various teams and talents behind the scenes succeeded in crafting and creating a high-tech environment infused with aesthetic appeal.

Fans of the film in general and of its visuals in particular will want to check out the new coffee table book from Insight Editions called The Art of Ghost in the Shell.

As they’ve done previously with films as diverse as Krampus, Pan, and The Jungle Book, the book pulls together a treasure trove of sketches, paintings, photographs (both from the film and behind the scenes), and ideas used by the filmmakers to design and build the...

Dachshunds dressed up as giant rats terrorize Toronto in a nature gone amok thriller from the director of Enter the Dragon. Guilty pleasures don’t get much guiltier than Deadly Eyes, and surprise announcements don’t get much more surprising than Scream Factory’s plan to release this 1982 creature feature.

It really would be an understatement to state that Scream Factory’s announcement Friday afternoon that they have acquired the rights to the early Eighties Warner Bros./Golden Harvest mutant rat b-movie bonanza Deadly Eyes came as a surprise to most everyone.

This slice of Canuxsploitation starring Scatman Crothers (The Shining) and Canadian scream queens Lesleh Donaldson (Curtains) and Lisa Langlois (Happy Birthday to Me) has been toiling in obscurity for so long I don’t think too many people expected to ever see it get an official release in any post-vhs form. This will mark the first time Deadly Eyes...

After watching the men’s U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials, we already had our eye on 20-year-old Jake Dalton (pictured), who made the team thanks to his phenomenal floor and vault scores and large cheering section of supporters wearing T-shirts with his face on them. But now, after reading the headline “Olympian Dalton inspired by American Anthem” on NBCOlympics.com, we’re officially fans.

Dalton says he was probably seven years old when he started watching the movie on VHS and realized he wanted to be like Mitch Gaylord (the member of the gold medal-winning ’84 team who stars in the...

Taylor Lautner, the biggest teen wolf since Michael J. Fox, has signed on to star in the upcoming parkour thriller, Tracers. This film will be produced by Mary Bowen and Wyck Godfrey, who also produced the Twilight movies, which of course made Lautner a household name and the shirtless heartthrob of millions. Tracers will also be Spanish director Daniel Benmayor’s first film with a big American marquee star. But the most important question here is: what the hell is “parkour”?

Actually, I get the feeling that I’m showing my age here, like when my grampa had to have me explain The Simpsons to him when I was 12 years old. I punched “parkour” into the internet machine and found that I actually am a bit familiar with it. Parkour is that crazy thing French guys do where they bounce around off buildings and bus stop benches and stuff like that.

Directed by: Robert Clouse

Written by: S. Lee Pogostin, Sylvia Schneble

Cast: Joe Don Baker, Elizabeth Ashley, Ann Sothern, Jim Kelly, Burgess Meredith

When one thinks of martial art film stars, the names that come to mind probably won't include Joe Don Baker. While the beefy American actor could carry an action film (as he did in Walking Tall), his stature and fighting style isn't associated with the techniques we expect in a martial arts movie.

But then, despite any expectations, Golden Needles isn't a martial arts film. Sure, a bulk of the action takes place in Hong Kong and we get a few moments of kung fu fighting (courtesy of Jim Kelly and Frances Fong). But the movie is more a mystery than a martial arts showcase and it's best to go into the film not expecting a repeat of director Robert Clouse's two previous films, Enter the Dragon and Black Belt Jones.

Call them "cult classics." "Guilty pleasures." "Comfort movies." We all have a mental rolodex of flicks that may not be terribly popular but, for one reason or another, they resonate in a very special way. Maybe you saw it at the right moment. Maybe you just see gold where everyone else sees feces. Whatever the case, these are the special favorites that you keep stashed away for sick days. Here are some of ours.

With "Ninja Assassin" hitting theaters this week, it seemed the perfect time to put the spotlight on one my favorite masterpiece of sick-day cinema: 1985's "American Ninja."

Directed by Sam Firstenberg and starring Michael Dudikoff, Steve James ("I'm Gonna Git You Sucka") and veteran '80s ninja movie star Tadashi Yamashita, "American Ninja" was on such a heavy rotation during my childhood that I wore out several copies of the film on VHS. While it spawned at least three sequels,...

In Jennifer's Body (in theaters today), Adam Brody, our favorite geek hero from The O.C., tries evil on for size. He plays the lead singer of a devil-worshipping emo band that attempts to sacrifice Jennifer (Megan Fox) because they think she's a virgin and it will bring them greater fame. (He doesn't do his own vocals: "My singing voice is still going through puberty," he says. "They gave me a singing lesson or two, and it’s not the worst thing in the world, but it’s not anything anyone would choose to hear.") Unfortunately, since Jennifer's not pure, a demon takes over her body and starts feeding on high school boys. Almost as dangerous as Megan Fox with a supernatural appetite? The EW Pop Culture Personality Test. Brody submitted to one and had a couple of friends over in case he needed backup... Entertainment Weekly: The best concert you’ve ever seen?...

Click for more Beijing Olympics news

Sure, Michael Phelps has racked up more medals than any other Olympian in history, but turning his gold into Madison Avenue or Hollywood cash will be far trickier.

The advertising world has long had an ambivalent relationship with Olympic athletes; though coverage is saturated during the Games, interest in the quadrennial competition fades once its torch is extinguished.

And Hollywood, once a natural next stop for successful Olympic athletes, has become a remote detour.

So despite endless exposure, athletic dominance and a boy-next-door likability, one of the best athletes the U.S. has ever produced might be a ho-hum story when he climbs out of the pool.

"If anyone can transcend the limited shelf life of Olympians, it's Phelps," said Bob Dorfman, a vp at San Francisco-based shop Baker Street Partners, which compiles an annual list of sports-star endorsements. "But there are still a lot of problems."

After the 2004 Athens Olympics, Disney signed Phelps -- then coming off a performance that saw him win six gold medals -- to a multicity swimming tour. He also became a celebrity spokesman for Hong Kong electronics maker Matsunichi, inking a four-year deal worth about $4 million.

The dreams are bigger this year for Phelps and Peter Carlisle, his rep at sports agency Octagon, which handles many Olympic athletes. (Phelps has no Hollywood agent, though it's possible that a sports-minded shop could soon be making overtures.) Phelps' habit of breaking world records and the attention on the Games makes him an attractive candidate; Visa already has created new spots around his Olympic performance, and he has deals in place with PowerBar and Speedo.

But the fact that the Summer Olympics take place every four years has proved a huge obstacle. And, apart from frequency issues, the Games may run into a more fundamental problem with consumers. "It's always been an impediment to these folks going on because the glory is (supposed to be) enough," marketing consultant Robert Passikoff said. "Isn't that the Olympic tradition?"

Even for Olympians, gold medals don't always translate directly into marketing dollars. Two of the most marketable U.S. Olympic athletes in modern times, gymnast Mary Lou Retton and decathlete Bruce Jenner, won a comparatively small number of golds -- just two and one, respectively. By contrast, a nine-time gold medalist, swimmer Mark Spitz, and a five-time champion, speedskater Bonnie Blair, have had far fewer endorsements.

In Beijing, Phelps is proving that he has not only unparalleled swimming chops but broad commercial appeal.

When he lined up to compete for his fourth gold, in the 200-meter butterfly, just after 10 p.m. Et on Tuesday night, NBC saw ratings spike 23% to 39.1 million viewers for the half-hour. As one wag put it, if every one of those extra 8 million who tuned in went to see a movie he was in, Phelps would have a boxoffice hit (at the right budget).

But like Madison Avenue, the Hollywood reality is hardly that simple.

In a pre-endorsement age, Hollywood would scour the Olympics for athletes and slot them into movies, as they did with Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie and U.S. swimmers Buster Crabbe and Johnny Weissmuller.

"Once upon a time studios would find these beautiful creatures and put them in movies," Hollywood publicity guru Tony Angellotti said. "And if someone isn't that facile with the English language, like Weissmuller, well, you just make him Tarzan."

In the modern age, the path is far more checkered for athletes looking to cross over. Retton has done a host of walk-on parts as herself in movies or shows such as "The Naked Gun" and "Baywatch," but attempts at larger casting have been tricky -- just ask anyone who saw Jenner in "Can't Stop the Music" or the near-Olympian Kurt Thomas in "Gymkata."

While studios seek what they call "pre-awareness," that idea has them putting in a rap star in supporting roles, not athletes.

Hollywood still could be key if Phelps is to overcome the fragile celebrity of most Olympians. Branding experts say that placing him in reality shows -- either his own, like skateboarder Ryan Sheckler on MTV, or in venues like "Dancing With the Stars" -- is essential. "The key is to create content that keeps him out there," Dorfman said.

But even that might not be enough, either to drive ratings or goose endorsements.

"The challenge for Olympic athletes has always been to be able, after the post-game hype, to translate that into big marketing and endorsement deal dollars," Starcom's Tom Weeks said.

And Phelps could fade even within the Olympics, which still has another week left after the athlete kicks through his last breaststroke Saturday. "There's no question that Michael is an important driver of interest in the Olympics," NBC research chief Alan Wurtzel said. "But the Olympics turn out to be more than Michael Phelps."...