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David Anspaugh's 1986 sports drama "Hoosiers" has gone down in history as one of the most influential sports dramas ever made. Partly inspired by the real-life story of the 1954 Indiana state champions Milan High School, "Hoosiers" focuses on formerly-disgraced basketball coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman), who gets a rare second chance to prove his mettle at Indiana's Hickory High School. The rather tight-knit town of Hickory seems a little too unforgiving towards Norman due to his sketchy past, but redemption finds its way to him via a David vs. Goliath situation that soon transforms into a classic underdog tale about dreaming big and achieving the impossible.

Some of the more saccharine themes in "Hoosiers" might feel a tad corny at times, but it is a film that brandishes sincere authenticity when it comes to the magic of unexpected second chances and the highs and lows of small-town sports. Moreover, a...

HBO/Max’s Love & Death is, in the words of its director, Lesli Linka Glatter, about an American tragedy. Following Candy Montgomery (Elizabeth Olsen), the seven-part limited series examines a Texas woman who seemingly had it all — the perfect family, the perfect marriage — but there was something darker under the surface. After she embarks on an affair with Jesse Plemons’ Allan Gore, the picture-perfect facade fades away. And the tragedy that unfolded is a shocking one: When Gore’s wife, Betty (Lily Rabe), discovers the affair, she — at least according to Montgomery’s testimony — attacked her husband’s mistress with an ax, at which point Montgomery snapped and struck Gore 41 times with the weapon.

The 1980 murder has compelled readers since it was written about in Texas Monthly — so much so that Love & Death is the second time the crime has received the limited series treatment (following last year’s Candy,...

[This story contains spoilers from the finale of Love & Death, “Ssssshh.”]

Lily Rabe had heard about the Candy Montgomery-Betty Gore case, but it wasn’t until Nicole Kidman, an executive producer on Love & Death, reached out to her about playing Betty that she began to research.

“It always excites me to hear, ‘It’s so different from anything you’ve done,'” Rabe tells The Hollywood Reporter about her conversation with Kidman. “I always love when it’s like, ‘This is nothing like you and nothing like anything you’ve done.'”

What Rabe would find in her research and portrayal of Betty — the real-life Texas housewife who was murdered in the 1980s by her friend Candy Montgomery, played in the series by Elizabeth Olsen, when she was inexplicably struck by an ax 41 times — that she was able to relate to her more than she anticipated as she began to understand her more. “Betty is handled throughout the story,...

“Love & Death” is set in the Dallas suburb of Wylie in the late ’70s, but in order to bring the small town to life for the true crime series, production designer Suzuki Ingerslev found the best locales with old school looks around the Texas capital. “Dallas has gotten so big now that these towns have also grown too, so they’re not these quintessential American towns,” she tells Gold Derby (watch above). “We ended up finding Austin as our home base and we found the best towns out there. It was amazing. Some of the towns were actually stuck in time. It was still a lot of work for us to do, but the bones were there and we could create this kind of world that we wanted to have our characters thriving in.”

That world was a picturesque churchgoing community where everything seems quaint and lovely and “normal” on the surface.

The Joe Bob Briggs episode of the Wtf Happened to This Horror Celebrity? video series (formerly known as Where in the Horror Are They Now) was Written and Narrated by Jessica Dwyer and Edited by Victoria Verduzco. It was Produced by John Fallon and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

There’s a gold standard that horror hosts are held to. The icons become as popular as the movies that they show. Zacherley, Elvira, and Vampira are some of the names that come to mind, all of them inherently macabre in their own way. Most horror hosts have something ooky and spooky about them. And then there’s the one and only Joe Bob Briggs. Joe Bob is his own sort of creature, a Drive In Cowboy who loves blood, breasts, and beasts… and going on long, amazing rants about all the things he has a problem with in the world.

The name Candy Montgomery is familiar to many. But after the first three episodes of Love & Death, people will better understand the woman who has been known as the housewife who struck her friend 41 times with an axe.

“I oddly think we made the show she would want to have made,” Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Candy, tells The Hollywood Reporter. “We really defend her, without trying to let her completely off the hook. But we are telling, I think, her story.”

The seven-part Max series written by David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, The Undoing and many more) released its first three episodes before moving to a weekly release. And the three-part premiere, all of which were directed by Lesli Linka Glatter (Homeland, Mad Men and many more), serve as an opening chapter to the true-crime retelling of the infamous story.

On June 13, 1980, Texas housewife Candace “Candy” Montgomery was...

“Love & Death,” which debuts on HBO Max (soon to be just Max) on April 27, is the second TV telling of the story of Candy Montgomery in less than a year.

The first rendition was Hulu’s “Candy,” starring Jessica Biel in the leading role of Candy and Melanie Lynskey as her neighbor whom she eventually murders, Betty Gore. The series streamed in May 2022, nearly one year ago.

Now, Elizabeth Olsen steps into the role of Montgomery, a housewife from Fairview, Tx., while Lily Rabe portrays Betty, the second-grade teacher. Both shows are based on a true story, explained below. The latest, written by David E. Kelley, draws in part from a two-part Texas Monthly account of the crime.

In 1978, Montgomery was a 29-year-old mother of two when she began an affair with Allan Gore (portrayed in the latest limited series by Jesse Plemmons), who was married to Betty, one of Candy’s friends.

The horribly tragic true story of Candy Montgomery and Betty Gore has been grist for several true-crime dramas. During the summer of 1980, Montgomery stopped by her friend Gore's home to pick up a swimsuit for Gore's daughter. Gore allegedly confronted Montgomery, who was engaged in an affair with her husband. A fight ensued, and, per Montgomery, she murdered Gore in self-defense. The sticking point here is the viciousness of the killing: Gore was struck 41 times with an axe. Though Montgomery was found not guilty, many people in the Dallas suburb of Wylie, Texas believed she had murdered Gore in cold blood, and protested the verdict.

Barbara Hershey won a Primetime Emmy for playing a fictionalized version of Montgomery in Stephen Gyllenhaal's 1990 made-for-tv movie "A Killing in a Small Town." In 2022, Jessica Biel portrayed Montgomery opposite Melanie Lynskey's Gore in Nick Antosca and Robin Veith's Hulu series...

This article contains details of real life events that will likely spoil future episodes of Love & Death.

Elizabeth Olsen is the lead in HBO Max’s new true crime limited drama series Love & Death. Olsen’s journey into the bloody genre sees her take on the role of murderer Candy Montgomery for seven episodes alongside Jesse Plemons.

In recent years several true crime dramas have been major hits for streamers, from the likes of Netflix’s controversial Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story to Hulu’s The Girl from Plainville. So it was no surprise then that HBO Max decided to take part too and add Candy Montgomery’s story to its stream. However, this is not the first time Candy’s story has been told.

In 1990, Stephen Gyllenhaal made a film inspired by the story called A Killing in a Small Town starring Barbara Hershey and Lee Garlington.

Warning! This article contains Spoilers for Love & Death!

This article contains mention of murder.

Love & Death recounts how Candy landed herself in deep trouble after killing Betty, which begs the question of what happened to the real Candy Montgomery after the murder. Although HBO's Love & Death features many flash-forwards to hint at Candy's grim future, it initially comes off as a light-hearted depiction of an extramarital love affair that could spiral out of control. Towards episode 3, however, things take a dark turn when Betty starts suspecting that something is going on between her husband and Candy.

Love & Death's true story caveat becomes even more disturbing when Candy murders Betty in the show and attempts to bury it like her secretive affair with Allan. As Candy's past gradually starts catching up to her, it becomes evident that the consequences of her actions will prove far more painful than she and Allan had initially anticipated.

Why does the new HBO Max miniseries Love & Death exist?

On a certain level, yes, I understand why it exists. This is prime Emmy-bait season, and the role of Candy Montgomery — a Texas housewife who, on a warm Sunday in 1980, killed her friend Betty Gore, striking her with an axe 41 times — is an obvious awards play for star Elizabeth Olsen. It may also be for supporting actors like Jesse Plemons, who plays Betty’s husband — and, crucially, Candy’s lover — and for its Emmy-adored creator David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies...

“Love & Death” feels familiar, as it should. The Max drama is the second series in less than a year to take on the same story: the case of Candy Montgomery, a Texas housewife who killed her friend and neighbor Betty Gore with an ax in 1980.

This version follows closely on the heels of “Candy,” which aired on Hulu last year. The proximity practically demands comparison, and it’s tempting to draw up a laundry list of differences and call it a review. “Love & Death” casts Elizabeth Olsen as Montgomery, while “Candy” stars Jessica Biel. “Candy” is inflected with horror, while “Love & Death” is more naturalist. “Candy” flashes back from the day of the murder, which saw Montgomery toggle from brutal homicide to eerily banal errands, while “Love & Death” is more linear in structure. The effect is not unlike that of 2019’s competing documentaries about the viral quagmire known as Fyre Festival,...

The Love & Death cast includes multiple Emmy winners portraying real-life characters of a shocking true story. The HBO series is a biographical look at the life of Candace “Candy” Montgomery, particularly the case against her for murdering her best friend, Betty Gore. Striking Gore down with an ax 41 times, Montgomery made headlines in the early '80s, and her trial received a lot of publicity. Her story has been previously portrayed with Barbara Hershey starring in a fictionalized version broadcast in 1990 titled A Killing in a Small Town and Jessica Biel leading the cast of Hulu’s limited series Candy in 2022.

Big names are similarly attached to 2023's Love & Death both on screen and behind the scenes with Nicole Kidman serving as one of the executive producers and eight-time Emmy nominee Lesli Linka Glatter directing each episode. Also, Big Little Lies creator David E. Kelley serves as showrunner and writer,...

In 1980, Texas housewife Candy Montgomery killed her friend Betty Gore. The murder split both the Montgomery and Gore families apart, since part of the motivation was that Candy was having an affair with Betty's husband, Allan. Over 40 years later, the case has garnered new attention - not because of new evidence, but because it's inspired two miniseries about the murder.

Elizabeth Olsen stars as Candy in HBO Max's "Love & Death," out in April, alongside Jesse Plemons, Lily Rabe, and Tom Pelphrey. But Jessica Biel and Melanie Lynskey previously starred in Hulu's 2022 "Candy," which also dramatized the case.

The case of Betty Gore's murder is a perplexing one, filled with unbelievable details that remain shocking 40 years after the killing took place. Ahead, here is the true story of Candy Montgomery and Betty Gore's murder.

How Did Betty Gore and Candy Montgomery Become Friends?

According to Texas Monthly's "Love and Death in Silicon Prairie,...

The HBO Max miniseries Love & Death will air on April 27 after premiering to much acclaim at the South By Southwest film festival last week. Elizabeth Olsen, who is best known for her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff in the MCU, will take on the very different yet equally complicated role of Candy Montgomery. She is joined by an all-star cast that includes Jesse Plemons (Fargo) as Allan Gore, Patrick Fugit (Babylon) as Pat Montgomery, and Lily Rabe (Shrinking) as Betty Gore.

The true story of the Texas housewife begins with the small town of Wylie in 1980, where Candy and Pat befriend fellow married couple Allan and Betty. Love & Death will follow the two women's friendship, as well as Candy's affair with Allan, which leads to the gruesome murder for which she eventually stands trial. Those who follow true crime (or who already watched last year's Hulu series Candy) already know the ending,...

In the opening hour of David E. Kelley’s “Love & Death,” Allan Gore (Jesse Plemons) says that all of life is a competition. Everyone should be competing — even just a little — to give everything that dangerous edge. As a contender for the South by Southwest audience award, “Love & Death” is in fact competing with its premiere episode, which debuted at this festival on Saturday in front of a lively audience.

“We are so incredibly excited to be here,” executive producer and director Lesli Linka Glatter told the crowd before introducing Episode 1. She called SXSW “the perfect place to show our show for the first time. We made it here, it is a Texas story, I am a Texas human.”

“Love & Death” tells the true story of Candy Montgomery (Elizabeth Olsen), who had an affair with Gore starting in 1978 and eventually killed his wife Betty (Lily Rabe) with an axe.

Elizabeth Olsen propositions Jesse Plemons in the first teaser trailer for HBO Max’s Love & Death. The seven-episode limited series is based on the true story of Candy Montgomery who was accused of picking up an axe and giving her friend 41 whacks.

Candy was arrested for the vicious murder of Betty Gore, the wife of her lover, in June 1980. Jesse Plemons plays Candy’s lover, Allan Gore, and Lily Rabe stars as Betty. Patrick Fugit is Candy’s husband, Pat. The cast also includes Krysten Ritter, Tom Pelphrey, Keir Gilchrist, and Elizabeth Marvel.

HBO Max has set an April 27, 2023 premiere date, with new episodes arriving on Thursdays.

The limited series is inspired by Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs by John Bloom and Jim Atkinson, as well as Texas Monthly articles. David E. Kelley writes and Lesli Linka Glatter directs. Matthew Tinker, Michael Klick,...

Anyone familiar with the 1990 made-for-tv movie A Killing in a Small Town, or any true-crime reenactment series on basic cable, knows Candy Montgomery’s murderous story.

What made Monday’s debut of Hulu’s five-day limited series Candy, starring Jessica Biel, different and more engaging was, well, Jessica Biel. Delivering what is arguably the strongest performance of her career, Biel pulled viewers in by creating a captivatingly layered and troubling performance filled with arrogance, regret, guilt and duplicity.

More from TVLineCandy Trailer: Jessica Biel Secretly Has an Axe to Grind With Melanie Lynskey in Hulu's 5-Night True Crime SeriesMaggie: Hulu...

One year after separately conquering the three drama acting Emmy Awards categories, “The Crown” castmates Gillian Anderson, Olivia Colman, and Claire Foy could all find themselves facing off in the same race. As the respective stars of “The First Lady,” “Landscapers,” and “A Very British Scandal,” they are all viable candidates for the 2022 Best TV Movie/Limited Actress prize, which would be the second Emmy earned by Colman and the third for either Anderson or Foy.

This year’s Emmys lineup could also feature up to four previous winners of the award. Dating furthest back is Barbara Hershey, who won in 1990 for “A Killing in a Small Town” and is now being considered for “The Manor.” She is followed chronologically by 2010 (“Temple Grandin”) winner Claire Danes (“The Essex Serpent”) and 2017 (“Big Little Lies”) winner Nicole Kidman (“Nine Perfect Strangers” and “Roar”). Sarah Paulson, who already prevailed in 2016 for the first...

Love and Death has its leading lady. Elizabeth Olsen has been cast as Texas housewife Candy Montgomery, an infamous axe murderer, in a newly ordered HBO Max series. The drama, based on the is being written by David E. Kelley and directed by Lesli Linka Glatter. The A Killing in a Small Town feature film is based on the 1980 case.

Read More…...

It will never fail to amuse us how Hollywood can rarely go more than, say, six months without announcing competing projects about the same topic. Today we hear news that Elizabeth Olsen (surely feeling the love from the WandaVision reception) will be playing axe murderer Candy Montgomery in an HBO miniseries called Love and Death based on the non-fiction book "Evidence of Love: True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs". This book was previously adapted into a TV movie A Killing in a Small Town which won Barbara Hershey the Golden Globe in the 1990s. But this miniseries is Not the same project as the previously announced Candy which is based on the same crime with Elisabeth Moss headlining. But since we haven't heard a peep about the Moss project in several months, maybe that one isn't happening after all. 

Nevertheless it all begs the question: Which Lizzie...

Cedar Park, the independent studio formed by Chris Long and David Ayer, is partnering with Jose Daniel Freixas, Tony Gonzalez and author T.J. English, the trio behind The Corporation: An Epic Story of the Cuban American Underworld, to develop Cuban-focused The Exiles as a television series.

Emmy-nominated Cynthia Cidre is attached to pen the series and will also serve as executive producer with Ayer and Long, Exilium’s Freixas and Gonzalez, and English.

Based on research and other materials, The Exiles is described as a a multi-layered saga spanning half a century, encompassing the most significant political events of the late 20th century. The potential series follows members of the CIA as well as the Cuban exiles they recruit to carry out clandestine operations, and the games of manipulation they play with one another in the interest of patriotism, the ongoing Cold War against Communism, and the relentless pursuit of revenge against Fidel Castro.

As the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy approaches next year, award-winning director Stephen Gyllenhaal has signed on to the feature film The Kennedy Detail as Screenwriter and Director.  The motion picture focuses on the men of the Secret Service protective detail assigned to President John F. Kennedy. The project is targeted for a November, 2013 release, coinciding with the tragic anniversary.

.This is the project of a lifetime and I could not be more excited to be part of it,. said Gyllenhaal. .Everyone knows how this story ends, but the true stories told through the eyes of this extraordinary band of brothers, from JFK.s election to that awful day in Dallas, have never been told.  It is time to share their perspective with the world..

Gyllenhaal has begun work on the script with his research including interviews with many of the surviving members of President...

Academy Award nominee Barbara Hershey has been cast in ABC’s Once Upon a Time in the very important role of the Evil Queen’s mother. I know it’s a weird concept. How could someone as evil as the Evil Queen (just look at her name!) have such a human concept such as parents? How could anyone give birth to that!? There are so many questions to ask. Is her mother evil too? Will she be an original character or will she be taken from a real fairy tale?

According to TVLine, we’ll be seeing Evil Queen’s mother later in the season with the possibility of her turning up for a short arc in Season 2 should the series be renewed. There wasn’t any mention of her Storybrooke counterpart, or if she even has one. It’s possible she died in the fairy tale world before her...

Barbara Hershey is getting wicked on "Once Upon a Time." According to TVLine, the Academy Award nominee will play Cora, the mother to the Evil Queen of the fairytale world.

EW reports Hershey has signed on for a three-episode arc if "Once Upon a Time" is renewed for a Season 2.

Hershey's small screen work includes "Chicago Hope," "A Killing in a Small Town" and "The Mountain." The actresses also played Natalie Portman's evil mother in "Black Swan."

In other casting news ...

Vivica A. Fox is coming to "Raising Hope." Fox will play Sarah Louise, a churchgoer who is in charge of the Heavenly Helpers committee, and Burt decides to run for her position. [EW]

"The Birds" actress Veronica Cartwright will guest star on "Revenge." Cartwright will play a judge in an upcoming episode. [TV Guide]...

Academy Award nominee Barbara Hershey has landed a mother of a role on ABC’s Once Upon a Time, as the very woman who brought the Evil Queen into this world — or, to be more precise, into the fairytale world, TVLine has learned.

Hershey, who is also an Emmy and Golden Globe winner for her role in the 1990 TV-movie A Killing in a Small Town, will first appear as the queen’s mum, Cora, later this season, with the option of also having a short arc in Season 2 (if/when the fantastical drama conjures up a renewal this spring).

Did...

TNT and TBS are going into production on four series pilots, including projects from such producers and writers as Dean Devlin (TNT's "Leverage" and "The Librarian" movie trilogy); Marco Schnabel (TNT's "The Librarian" movie trilogy); Kenneth Biller and Mike Sussman ("Star Trek: Voyager"); Allan Loeb ( The Switch , Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps ); and Cynthia Cidre ( The Mambo Kings , A Killing in a Small Town ). TNT has lined up pilots for a pair of unique crime procedural pilots, "Perception" (working title) and an untitled Allan Loeb project. The network is also moving forward on a pilot for "Dallas," an updated version of the classic TV series. Meanwhile, TBS has a pilot in the works for "Brain Trust"...