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George Clooney might seem like a fun-loving sort, but he is a man who takes his movie stardom seriously. Yes, he's a notorious practical joker who once affixed a frame to Brad Pitt's license plate that read "F*** Cops," but, really, when he's not trying to get his "Ocean's Eleven" co-star arrested, he cares deeply about his craft. If you doubt this, you should perhaps read the book "George Clooney: Anatomy of an Actor," which examines ten of his most significant film performances in some detail — and, yes, I am just recommending this book because I wrote it.

Though Clooney does come from a long line of entertainers, most prominent among them his aunt Rosemary Clooney, he's more than earned his A-list stature. After struggling throughout the 1980s by appearing in past-their-prime sitcoms ("The Facts of Life") and literally...

We’ve learned the sad news this week that Charles Cyphers, a veteran actor best known to horror fans for his role in John Carpenter’s Halloween, has passed away at the age of 85.

Variety reports that Cyphers passed away “from a brief illness in Tucson, Arizona, on Sunday.”

Chris Roe Management said in a statement to Variety, “Charles was a lovable and sensitive man. He always had the best stories, and you got a full performance while he told you. He was a close friend and client on many years who will be dearly missed.”

Charles Cyphers played Sheriff Leigh Brackett in both Halloween and Halloween II, the sheriff of Haddonfield and the father of Michael Myers victim Annie Brackett. He more recently reprised the iconic role from those movies in legacy sequel Halloween Kills (2021).

“So sorry to hear about dear Chuck,” said Nancy Kyes, who played the daughter...

She wore bluuueeeee velvettttt – but she didn’t wear a cap and gown along with it. Laura Dern spent a whopping two days at UCLA before dropping out to play Sandy Williams in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. Just imagine how much Pabst Blue Ribbon she missed out on in the dorm!

Appearing on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast, Laura Dern remembered being excited to land the part in Blue Velvet but running into issues with the university, who rebuked her request to take time off to work on the film. Dern insisted she would do all the required work, which the department head was reluctant to approve. “I said, ‘I have this opportunity and he said, ‘Well, I’ll look at the script if you want to give me the script, but, you know, you’re not going to get a leave of absence. It’s not going to happen.

The third installment in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, is now available to stream on Screambox. The sequel was initially released in 1990 and marked the first entry in the franchise distributed by New Line Cinema in an attempt to turn it into a new series that harkened back to the original’s gritty horror roots.

Considering the events of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, that also meant introducing a new cannibalistic clan to accompany the iconic Leatherface in the sequel. Leatherface follows a couple from California who run afoul of the Sawyer clan after a bizarre run-in with a hitchhiker at a Texas gas station. That hitchhiker, Tex, is played by The Lord of the Rings trilogy star and frequent David Cronenberg collaborator Viggo Mortensen. Mind you, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III isn’t Mortensen’s first horror role – that distinction belongs to 1987’s...

There are relatively few famous unfinished films, ranging from von Sternberg’s “I, Claudius” to Jerry Lewis’ “The Day the Clown Cried” to various Orson Welles joints that continue to be patched together by former collaborators long after his death. But most such projects, usually abandoned due to financial and/or legal woes, languish in an obscurity compounded by the fact no one cries for the resuscitation of something they don’t know exists.

But somebody did notice the plight of “New York Ninja,” , a moderately successful figure in Taiwanese action cinema. An already marginal, guerrilla-shot endeavor whose plug got pulled when the planned distributor went under, it has now been meticulously if none-too-seriously reconstructed by Vinegar Syndrome’s Kurtis M. Spieler, who “re-directed” the extant footage sans any surviving original script or sound components.

Its newly dubbed dialogue performed by a host of fan-fave exploitation veterans including Cynthia Rothrock,...

After the phenomenal success of “Jaws” in 1975, there was a cash-in surge for further “nature strikes back” creature features, as mankind was successively imperiled by dogs, cats, whales, buffalo, piranha and so on. One of the most blatant of these knockoffs was William Girdler’s 1976 “Grizzly,” an undistinguished tale of hairy menace running amok in a national park. It was, nonetheless, a hit — in fact the biggest indie success story of its year, purportedly grossing about fifty times its modest $750,000 budget. As quickly as it had been rushed out to ride “Jaws’” coattails, however, a sequel was slow in coming.

Well, there’s ordinary “slow,” and then there’s the Rip Van Winkle-grade variety. After decades spent as a famously abandoned project, “Grizzly II” finally hits theaters and VOD in 2021. For reasons that remain murky, the Hungary-shot horror thriller originally titled “Grizzly II: The Concert” went unfinished after principal photography...

Laura Dern and Timothy Spall are among the stars-to-be in this abandoned project, now finished for a cynical belated release

Here’s a film that for decades has been nothing more than a rumour: a jaw-dropping, so-bad-it’s-bad meisterwerk to be savoured by masochists and awfulness connoisseurs. Watching it turned my face into a replica of Munch’s The Scream. This is the thankfully long-lost 1983 film Grizzly II: Revenge (sometimes known as Grizzly II: Predator or Grizzly II: The Concert), the proposed sequel to the mediocre but profitable 1976 Jaws knockoff Grizzly, about a huge bear that goes ape, if you will, after its cubs are killed by poachers and conceives a murderous loathing for all humans straying into its forest.

Grizzly II was abandoned after filming finished (with a 16ft mechanical bear and Hungarian woodland standing for a US national park). But its producer Suzanne C Nagy has, after 37 years of legal wrangling,...

Last month, we reported that Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, had acquired Grizzly II: Revenge, a sequel to 1976’s William Girdler film Grizzly. Grizzly II: Revenge is directed by André Szöts, written by David Shaldon and Joan McCall, and stars George Clooney, Laura Dern, Charlie Sheen, Louise Fletcher, John Rhys-Davies, and Steve Inwood. The thriller is slated to release in select theaters and On Demand beginning January 8th, […]...

Don’t be fooled by the marketing materials. Yes, Charlie Sheen, George Clooney and Laura Dern do appear in the long unseen Grizzly II: Revenge. But despite their top billing, the three future stars, looking impossibly young, are only onscreen for the first five minutes or so before their characters are killed by the titular beast. That, and the fact that the film went unseen for the next 37 years or so, turned out to be their lucky breaks.

This never-released sequel to 1976’s surprisingly successful indie exploitation film Grizzly has long been an object of fascination for genre fans. Unfortunately,...

Don’t be fooled by the marketing materials. Yes, Charlie Sheen, George Clooney and Laura Dern do appear in the long unseen Grizzly II: Revenge. But despite their top billing, the three future stars, looking impossibly young, are only onscreen for the first five minutes or so before their characters are killed by the titular beast. That, and the fact that the film went unseen for the next 37 years or so, turned out to be their lucky breaks.

This never-released sequel to 1976’s surprisingly successful indie exploitation film Grizzly has long been an object of fascination for genre fans. Unfortunately,...

Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, has acquired thriller, Grizzly II: Revenge, a sequel to 1976’s William Girdler film Grizzly. Grizzly II: Revenge is directed by André Szöts, written by David Shaldon and Joan McCall, and stars George Clooney, Laura Dern, Charlie Sheen, Louise Fletcher, John Rhys-Davies, and Steve Inwood. The thriller is slated to release in select theaters and On Demand beginning January 8th, 2021. Synopsis:All hell breaks loose […]...

One of the five film festivals that took part in the ambitious Nightstream film festival, Popcorn Frights has an extra treat in store for Florida horror fans this October with their Wicked Weekend virtual event!

Taking place October 29th–November 1st, Popcorn Frights' Wicked Weekend includes an eclectic 20+ film lineup headlined by the world premiere of Smiley Face Killers, a Tracking Terror panel with Graham Reznick and Steve Moore, and a conversation with Tibor Takács about his cult 1987 film The Gate.

In the charitable spirit of Nightstream, proceeds from Wicked Weekend will help out the one-of-a-kind independent theater where Popcorn Frights usually takes place. Since this is a special treat for Florida horror fans, all film screenings will be geo-locked to the Sunshine State, with the amazing team behind Popcorn Frights continuing to keep horror alive and well in the region.

We have the official press release with more details on Wicked Weekend below,...

The 12th annual Knoxville Horror Film Festival is taking place this October! Those looking for socially distant opportunities this Halloween season can see classic horror films on the big screen at the drive-in, along with special screenings of The Stylist and Grizzly II: Revenge.

From the Press Release: Knoxville, Tennessee — The Knoxville Horror Film Fest will present its twelfth annual weekend of cinematic scares Friday, October 23 through Sunday, October 25, with programming split between Maryville, Tennessee’s Parkway Drive-In, the nearby The Bird & The Book, and the festival’s home base at Central Cinema in Knoxville.

After years hosting key screenings at a local multiplex, Khff’s move to the Parkway is both a Covid-era safety precaution and the fulfillment of a long-term goal, reflected in a dream lineup of drive-in chillers: Friday night features Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead 2 (1987) and J.P. Simon’s Pieces (1982), while Saturday offers a...

Did you know there’s a movie where a giant bear tries to kill Laura Dern, George Clooney, and Charlie Sheen during a music festival? If you’re wondering how you never saw such a spectacle, there’s a very good reason: it was never released. Grizzly II (which went by two different titles, Grizzly II: The Predator and Grizzly II: The Concert), […]

The post ‘Grizzly 2’, Starring George Clooney, Laura Dern, and a Killer Bear, is Officially Being Released After Almost 40 Years appeared first on /Film.

"I don't want a cloud of fear on this concert! Now you get that grizzly, and get it now!" Gbgb Intl. has unveiled an official trailer for a long lost horror film titled Grizzly II Revenge, which is somehow getting a release nearly 37 years after the project originally fell apart. So... the story goes that in 1983, a production team hired a Hungarian filmmaker to direct a sequel to Grizzly, a 1976 cult classic horror film about an 18-foot-tall grizzly bear that terrorizes a state park. This sequel picks up where that one left off, with a momma bear seeking revenge for her cub's murder. The film takes place at a concert at Yellowstone National Park, where thousnds gather to see a show. But then the production all fell apart. Somehow, it's finally finished and ready to be released. The original cast (from '83!) features George Clooney, Laura Dern, Charlie Sheen, Louise Fletcher,...

Hollywood’s elite turned out Thursday night at the Dolby Theatre, home of the Oscars, to pay tribute to George Clooney, this year’s American Film Institute Life Achievement Award recipient. Faces in the crowd included Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, CBS’ Leslie Moonves and Paramount’s Jim Gianopulos, just to name a few.

Diane Keaton, last year’s AFI honoree, took the stage early to marvel at Clooney’s distant relationship with former president Abraham Lincoln and rib him over that “Killer Tomatoes” sequel he’s never quite lived down. Laura Dern remembered cutting her teeth with Clooney in failed horror project “Grizzly II: The Concert.” Jimmy Kimmel, returning to the Dolby stage for the first time since the 90th annual Academy Awards in March, regaled with stories of “rascal” Clooney’s infamous practical jokes, which have apparently included sending packages to Brad Pitt labeled “the porn that you ordered.

Ahead of the show's season two premiere on Tuesday, August 25th, from director Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror), comes another From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series behind-the-scenes video. Also: Voices of the Damned and Children of the Night release details.

From Dusk Till Dawn Season 2: In this second behind-the-scenes video, the crew takes you through what the costume and makeup process is like for the series:

Press Release: "El Rey Network and Miramax® released a behind-the-scenes featurette from the El Rey Network original "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series".

Returning cast members are D.J. Cotrona (Dear John, G.I. Joe: Retaliation); Zane Holtz (Wind Walkers, Holes, The Perks of Being a Wallflower); Jesse Garcia (Quinceañera, "Sons of Anarchy"); Eiza González ("Amores Verdaderos" ("True Love")); Wilmer Valderrama ("That '70s Show," To Whom It May Concern); Madison Davenport ("Noah," "Shameless"); Brandon Soo Hoo (Tropic Thunder, Ender's Game, Incredible Crew) and guest star Jake Busey ("Motorcycle Gang,...

As Jaws once cleared tourist-filled beaches thanks to a Great White threat, Backcountry is certain to make outdoorsy adventurers re-think their next wilderness excursion. Yes, Backcountry is the camping equivalent to Jaws, turning a natural woodland predator into a horrific killing machine with more ferocity than the wildest creatures Hollywood has ever dreamed up.

While bear encounters probably don’t turn into a survivalist’s nightmare all that often, filmmaker Adam MacDonald channels every camper’s worst-case-scenario into a gritty, gory, tremendously tense vacation-from-hell genre experiment that puts animal attack movies back on the map. I assumed no bear-centric horror movie would top the opening scene of André Szöts’ never-completed Grizzly 2: The Predator (George Clooney, Laura Dern, Charlie Sheen – tell me you’ve seen this??), but Backcountry asserts its dominance by once again reminding humanity that Mother Nature’s untamed domain can never be accounted for – a primal realization...

Feature Mark Foster 5 Nov 2013 - 06:00

Love Kevin Bacon, hate those bloody adverts he keeps doing...

We know we're not alone here. There's an actor very close to our hearts, who has recently found himself in a situation not entirely dissimilar to a dancing bear: a once proud creature now forced into prancing about for a cruel master, a great sadness behind his eyes. We know that you will join with us in wishing him a full and speedy recovery. We hope you will add your voice to our ideals. The man in question is the brilliant Kevin Bacon. And this message is for him.

Dear Kevin Bacon,

We love your body of work, and also your physical body. That's also rad. If we hung out – and I hope we will – you'd be among friends.

In Animal House you taught us that, to get in with the right people, sometimes...

There are more horror films being made today than ever before in history. No, the studios might not be churning them out like they used to, but that has never been, as bookies are fond of saying, where the action was. It has been in the underground, on the fringes, and outside of the usual Hollywood influences. The reason Night Of The Living Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, and other first time/early efforts are so potent is because they arrive in front of audiences untainted, pure of the artist, and with the only consideration in their creation being…their creation. This independent spirit doesn’t need heaps of money to achieve realization, and as such, indie horror has been a gateway into “the business” for as long as cameras have been rolling.

While many, including some we will discuss, have no problem talking about their past, not everybody is...

Ryan Gosling is having a career year, with three buzzed-about performances in three critical darlings, and he faces the possibility of having to choose which project he'd rather see get some Oscar shine.

George Clooney, meanwhile, is continuing to have one helluva career. Hollywood's reigning King of Cool could be a contender in the both the Best Director and Best Actor races ... for different movies.

The heavyweights square off in "The Ides of March," the Clooney-directed political thriller starring Gosling as an ace campaign strategist facing serious ethical dilemmas (and costarring Clooney as a politician who positions himself as an"Agent of Change").

Is the suddenly ubiquitous Gosling a threat to Clooney's Tinseltown throne? We asked writers Cassie Carpenter (representing Gosling) and Todd Gilchrist (representing Clooney) to go at it in our inaugural edition of "Fight Club." Ding ding.

Cassie: Ryan Gosling plays more mysterious, complex characters. He takes bigger risks than George Clooney.

In 1983 David Sheldon was busy shooting Grizzly 2: The Predator, aka Predator: The Concert. Grizzly 2 boasted early performances by George Clooney, Laura Dern, and the Internet's current golden boy, Charlie Sheen, who plays a hiker who serves as the bear's first victim.

The film would later become somewhat of an urban legend as far as horror movies go due to the fact that it was never completed. Supposedly the film was released as a TV movie, but no official release has ever been made theatrically or on home video. Here's the synopsis:

All hell breaks loose when a giant Grizzly, reacting to the slaughter of Grizzlies by poachers, attacks at a massive big-band rock concert in the National Park.

Rumors abound as to what the actual reason for the film's incomplete nature was. From misappropriation of budget to bankruptcy lawsuits, faulty animatronics, and even an issue over the rights to the Grizzly title itself.