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Beverly Hills Cop star Judge Reinhold has paid tribute to his longtime friend and colleague John Ashton, who has passed away at 76 following a battle with cancer.

The duo memorably played the ‘by the book’ police partners Taggart and Rosewood in the hit comedy franchise starring Eddie Murphy. Ashton was the straight man and Reinhold the clown in what became a beloved comedy pairing in the movies.

Reinhold said last night: “Thursday night John seemed like he was sleeping but the Yankees were on. They won the game, clinched the division then John made it to home. Forty years of laughs on screen and off. John Lived his life! My brother, my partner, my Sarge – I love you. There’s no smoking in Heaven, John.”

Thursday night John seemed like he was sleeping but the Yankees were on. They won the game, clinched the division then John made it to home.

Veteran character actor’s career spanned over 50 years in TV and films, including Little Big League and Midnight Run

John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the Beverly Hills Cop films, has died. He was 76.

Ashton died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado, his family announced in a statement released by Ashton’s manager, Alan Somers, on Sunday. No cause of death was immediately available.

Actor John Ashton, best known for the action-comedy Beverly Hills Cop franchise, has passed away. Ashton’s rep has issued a statement confirming his passing. He was 76 at the time of his death.

Ashton’s Family Has Asked For Donations In His Honor

In a statement with TMZ, Ashton’s rep Alan Somers confirmed he had passed away this past Thursday in Ft. Collins, Colorado. He was battling cancer at the time of his death.

According to the publication, Somers issued the following statement, “John leaves behind a legacy of love, dedication, and service. His memory will forever be treasured by his wife, children, grandchildren, as well as his brother, sisters, his extended family and all who loved him. John’s impact on the world will be remembered and celebrated for generations to come.”

John Ashton – YouTube

The publication noted that Ashton’s family any donations made be used for Pathways Hospice Care.

John Ashton has died. Ashton’s manager, Alan Somers, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the Beverly Hills Cop star died on Thursday. No official cause of death has been announced. He was 76.

Ashton was a prolific character actor who starred in over 200 productions on stage and screen. Perhaps best known as Sgt.

John Ashton, the actor known for playing Sgt. John Taggart in the Beverly Hills Cop films, has died. He was 76.

A rep for Ashton tells Deadline that the Some Kind of Wonderful actor died “peacefully” on Thursday in Ft. Collins, Co after a battle with cancer.

“John was a loving husband, brother, father, and grandfather who will be deeply missed by all who knew him,” reads a statement shared by the rep.

“John leaves behind a legacy of love, dedication, and service. His memory will forever be treasured by his wife, children, grandchildren, as well as his brother, sisters, his extended family and all who loved him. John’s impact on the world will be remembered and celebrated for generations to come.”

Deadline Related Video:

After first portraying Sgt. Taggart in 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop with Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold, Ashton returned for the 1987 sequel and most recently reprised...

John Ashton, the character actor who starred alongside Eddie Murphy in the Beverly Hills Cop series, has died at the age of 76.

The actor’s rep confirmed his death to TMZ, adding that Ashton died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colorado after a battle with cancer.

Ashton was best known for portraying Sgt. John Taggart alongside Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley and Judge Reinhold’s Det. Billy Rosewood in three of the four Beverly Hills Cop films: 1984’s original, the 1987 sequel Beverly Hills Cop II, and this year’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,...

John Ashton, the actor best known as detective John Taggart in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, has died. He was 76.

Ashton died in his Colorado home on Friday after a battle with cancer, his rep confirmed to TMZ on Sunday.

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Ashton cut his acting teeth in 1973 with an appearance in the film An Eye for an Eye,...

John Ashton, who played John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” movies, died Thursday at his home in Fort Collins, Colorado, his representative shared with TheWrap. He was 76 years old.

While he was best known for his role as Taggart — including in this year’s “Axel F” — Ashton’s career spanned more than 200 film, television and stage productions. He played Detective John Taggart in the first two “Beverly Hills Cop” films alongside Eddie Murphy before returning to the role in 2024.

In July Ashton told Nerds of Color that returning to the film franchise just felt right. “We developed the characters in the first one. Martin Brest gave us the freedom to run with it and develop our characters, and we grew and grew and grew and we became Taggart and Rosewood, and Axel, you know?” he said. “Going back to this one was like a family reunion, we just fell right back into it.

John Ashton, known for his role as John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colo., his manager Alan Somers confirmed to Variety. He was 76.

Ashton played Detective Sergeant John Taggart in the first two installments of the “Beverly Hills Cop” series, released in 1984 and 1987, alongside Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold. He reprised his role in 2024’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” in which his character is now a police chief.

Ashton’s acting career spanned more than 50 years. His early film credits include “An Eye for an Eye” (1973), “So Evil, My Sister” (1974), “Cat Murkil and the Silks” (1976), “Breaking Away” (1979), “Borderline” (1980) and “Honky Tonk Freeway” (1981). He also guest starred on several television series during the ’70s, including “Emergency!,” “Columbo,” “Police Story,” “Barnaby Jones,” “Police Woman,” “Mash,” “Starsky and Hutch” and “Dallas.”

Ashton portrayed Cliff Nelson, father of Eric Stoltz’s Keith Nelson, in the 1987 teen rom-com “Some Kind of Wonderful,...

The 1990s were the Golden Age of kids' sports movies, with some of the most recognizable titles originating from this defining decade. From elevated made-for-television movies to celebrated cult classics, this genre boasts a wide range of sports underdog stories. This collection of films highlights how society utilizes sports as a narrative for positive upbringing. This comes with a series of common sports movie stereotypes, as many of these movies deal with single parents, moving to a new town, or being an outcast. Despite relying on a handful of tropes, each film still maintains its unique message and humor.

The 1990s kids' sports movie is largely defined by the success of 1984s The Karate Kid. The martial arts film starring Ralph Macchio and Noriyuki Pat Morita helped create a lot of the tropes seen in later films, such as the single parent trope, the outcast coming-of-age trope, and the sports Heros Journey narrative.

Beverly Hills Cop 3's lack of success and absence from Netflix is partly due to the absence of the John Taggart character, played by John Ashton. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer's absence also contributed to the film's decline, with Ashton considering the third film's chances without him. Scheduling conflicts with the baseball movie Little Big League prevented Ashton from participating in Beverly Hills Cop 3, further impacting the franchise.

It has been 30 long years since Beverly Hills Cop 3 was released, yet despite three decades having passed, many fans are still wondering why Taggart wasn't involved in the sequel. With a fourth film, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, finding success, the franchise has had something of a revival. Beverly Hills Cop 3, however, remains largely marginalized and is absent from Netflix despite the presence of the other movies on the service. The first two films are cult classics and have endured,...

It is hard to believe (for people of a certain age), but the year 1994 was 30 years ago! For this week’s poll, we wanted to step back into the time machine and reminisce about what could possibly be considered one of the best years in cinema history. If, like me, you are in your thirties, 1994 holds a nostalgic place due to movies such as Blank Check, D2: The Mighty Ducks, Major League 2, Clifford, The Flintstones, Getting Even With Dad, Little Big League, Angels in the Outfield, The Little Rascals, Camp Nowhere, Richie Rich and Little Giants. The year also represented the huge breakout of comedy legend Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber were all released during that single calendar year.

But it wasn’t just movies aimed at a child’s heart that were released in 1994. The year also saw some genuine...

Best known for his recurring roles on the TV shows “Everwood” and “The Soul Man,” actor John Beasley passed away on Tuesday, May 30 at the age of 79, THR reports.

The site reports, “Beasley died in a hospital in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. He had been undergoing tests on his liver before taking an unexpected turn for the worst.”

Son Mike W. Beasley writes on Facebook, “Man…you know this is a part of life…but that doesn’t make it any easier. I lost my best friend today. They say you shouldn’t ever meet your heroes because they don’t turn out to be who you thought they were. That is so wrong. My hero was my father. Thank you for everything. I hope I made you proud. Love you more.”

In the horror genre, John Beasley most recently starred in last year’s Stephen King adaptation Firestarter,...

John Beasley, an actor best known for his roles on the TV shows ‘Everwood’ and ‘The Soul Man,’ died Tuesday at the age of 79.

Beasley’s son Mike shared the news of his father’s death on Facebook.

“Man…you know this is a part of life…but that doesn’t make it any easier,” Mike W. Beasley wrote above a photo of him and his father. “I lost my best friend today. They say you shouldn’t ever meet your heroes because they don’t turn out to be who you thought they were. That is so wrong. My hero was my father. Thank you for everything. I hope I made you proud. Love you more.”

The character actor died in a hospital in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, where he’d been undergoing tests on his liver before his condition unexpectedly worsened, Beasley’s son Tyrone told The Hollywood Reporter.

John Beasley, known for his role in TV shows like Everwood and The Soul Man has died. He was 79.

Beasley’s son Mike, shared a touching post on Facebook honoring his late father.

“Man…you know this is a part of life…but that doesn’t make it any easier. I lost my best friend today,” he wrote. “They say you shouldn’t ever meet your heroes because they don’t turn out to be who you thought they were. That is so wrong. My hero was my father. Thank you for everything. I hope I made you proud. Love you more.”

Beasley was born in Omaha, Nebraska in June 26, 1943 and didn’t get started in acting until his 40s. His first acting credits were in films like V.I. Warshawski (1991), The Mighty Ducks (1992), Rudy (1993), Untamed Heart (1993) and Little Big League (1994) and in TV shows like Brewster Place (1990), Lucky Day...

John Beasley, the admired character actor who played the school bus driver Irv Harper on The WB drama Everwood and Barton Bellentine, the father of Cedric the Entertainer’s character, on the TV Land comedy The Soul Man, died Tuesday. He was 79.

Beasley died in a hospital in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, his son Tyrone Beasley told The Hollywood Reporter. He had been undergoing tests on his liver before taking an unexpected turn for the worst.

Beasley sparkled as the retired minister Charles Blackwell in the Robert Duvall-starring and directed The Apostle (1997) and appeared in such other films as V.I. Warshawski (1991), The Mighty Ducks (1992), Rudy (1993), Untamed Heart (1993), Losing Isaiah (1993), Little Big League (1994), Crazy in Alabama (1997), The General’s Daughter (1999), The Sum of All Fears (2002), the 2004 remake of Walking Tall and Firestarter (2022).

More recently, he appeared onstage in Chicago in the Broadway-bound musical adaptation of The Notebook, based on...

Exclusive: Reid Miller (Joe Bell), Jonathan Silverman (Good Girls), Marguerite Moreau (Wet Hot American Summer) and Chris Mulkey (Twin Peaks) have signed on to star in the indie Feeling Randy, marking the solo directorial debut of veteran cinematographer Dean Lent.

The film inspired by Lent’s own youth follows Randy (Miller), who amid family turmoil, heads off with his high school buds on a road trip to uncover their emerging sexuality in 1970s California. Silverman and Moreau will play Randy’s parents, with Mulkey as his understanding teacher. Richard Riehle, Tyler Lawrence Gray, Kerrice Brooks, Shane Almagor, Blaine Kern III and O. Hibbs Wyman will round out the cast.

Lent penned the script, with Salome Breziner on board to produce under her Semblance banner. Production is underway in the Los Angeles area.

Miller is best known for starring alongside Mark Wahlberg and Connie Britton in Reinaldo Marcus Green’s drama Joe Bell for Roadside Attractions.

The 1990s were the heyday for kid-led sports movies, with films like "The Big Green," "The Sandlot," "Little Giants," "Ladybugs," "Air Bud," "Little Big League," "Angels in the Outfield," and "Rookie of the Year" becoming household favorites, but only one* became a certified cultural phenomenon. Disney's "The Mighty Ducks" spawned a trilogy of films, an animated television series, a live-action sequel television series, and a real-life National Hockey League hockey team. The feature writing debut of Steve Brill, "The Mighty Ducks" nabbed Stephen...

The post The Classic Comedy That Heavily Influenced The Mighty Ducks appeared first on /Film.

HBO Max is out with its list of everything new coming to the streaming service in October and everything leaving at the end of the month.

The list includes HBO Originals like the limited series “The Undoing” starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant, out Oct. 25, and David Byrne’s “American Utopia” special event about Byrne’s Broadway show that electrified audiences, out Oct. 17.

There is also Nathan Fielder’s comedic docuseries “How To With John Wilson,” out Oct. 23, and the first season finale of “Lovecraft Country” on Oct. 18.

Among the things leaving at the end of the month are “Amelie,” “Ocean’s 11,” “V For Vendetta,” “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.”

Read the full list here:

Oct. 1

A World of Calm, Documentary Series Premiere

Akeelah And The Bee, 2006 (HBO)

All-Star Superman, 2011

American Dynasties: The Kennedys, 2018

American Reunion, 2012 (HBO)

Analyze That,...

With Lovecraft Country still providing HBO and HBO Max with its horror content through October, the streamer is looking elsewhere for its spooky season offerings. HBO Max’s new releases for October 2020 feature some truly awesome horror library titles.

Jordan Peele’s Us, John Carpenter’s The Thing, and David Fincher’s Se7en all arrive on Oct. 1. That alone should be enough to last you through spooky season. And if it doesn’t, It: Chapter Two is right there as well. October is also a big month for Batman and Superman with Man of Steel arriving on Oct. 1 along with a whole of animated specials dropping that same day.

In relation to the library titles, this isn’t HBO Max’s strongest month from an original perspective. But there is still plenty to like here. The West Wing election special arrives on Oct. 15. That will be followed by David Byrne...

HBO Max is serving up a lot of great new movies this October. Fittingly for the spooky season, the Warner Bros. streaming service is adding a fair few classic horrors to its library next month, but there’s really something for everyone going up – from comedies to romances to sci-fi to superhero films.

Speaking of that last genre, DC lovers will be pleased to note that 2013’s Man of Steel, the movie that kicked off the Dceu, is among the titles arriving on October 1st. Besides that, there’s a bunch of animated DC pics dropping the same day, including Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and All-Star Superman. 2005’s Constantine featuring Keanu Reeves, meanwhile, also debuts on the service from the 1st.

That’s not the only film starring the beloved actor headed to the platform, though, as probably the highlight of October’s haul is the addition of the...

For many, Timothy Busfield is just an actor, someone who often shows up in the work of Aaron Sorkin. For others, he’s a part of such baseball classics as Field of Dreams and Little Big League. Busfield, however, is not just an accomplished actor, but an award-winning director as well, helming episodes of many popular shows, including many Sorkin-penned ones. Now, with his feature effort Guest Artist out in the world, starring Jeff Daniels, he stopped by the podcast to chat about it, though as you’ll hear next, we ended up talking about literally everything under the sun. To call it a wide reaching conversation would be a bit of an understatement. Below you’ll be able to hear my interview with Busfield. It’s a really good one too, almost entirely due to his incredible generosity. We went for basically an hour, with the man willing to chat about baseball,...

Take a look at movie/TV titles streaming July 1, 2020 on HBO Max, including "The Batman vs Dracula", "Mars Attacks!", "Dirty Harry" and a whole lot more:

Streaming July 1, 2020 on HBO Max

Absolute Power, 1997The Adventures of Pinocchio, 1996The Amazing Panda Adventure, 1995American Graffiti, 1973 (HBO)American History X, 1998Angels in the Outfield, 1951Angus, 1995August Rush, 2007The Bachelor, 1999Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, 1998Batman and Harley Quinn , 2017Batman vs. Two-Face, 2017The Batman vs. Dracula, 2005

Batman: Assault on Arkham, 2014Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, 2016Batman: Under the Red Hood, 2010Batman: Year One, 2011Beautiful Creatures, 2013Beerfest, 2006The Big Year (Extended Version), 2011 (HBO)Bishop's Wife ,The, 1947Blade 2, 2002Blade, 1998Blade: Trinity, 2004

Blazing Saddles, 1974Blood Work , 2002Born to Be Wild, 1995Boy Who Could Fly, The, 1989Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason, 2004 (HBO)Catch Me If You Can, 2002Clara's Heart, 1988The Conjuring, 2013Cop Out, 2010Creepshow, 1982Death Becomes Her, 1992 (HBO)The Departed, 2006Dirty Dozen, The, 1967

Dirty Harry, 1971Doc Hollywood,...

HBO Max is out with its list of everything coming and going from the new streaming service, and the list includes the 2019 film “Harriet” starring Cynthia Erivo as Harriet Tubman.

The HBO Originals coming next month include season four of “Room 104,” HBO Europe’s “Foodie Love,” and documentaries like “Stockton on My Mind” and “Showbiz Kids.” Other films joining include “Motherless Brooklyn,” “Midway,” and “Last Christmas.”

Leaving at the end of the month are “Aquamarine,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Long Shot,” “Crimson Peak,” “The Sun Is Also a Star” and “X-Men.”

Also Read: iHeartMedia, WarnerMedia to Co-Produce Companion Podcasts for HBO Max Shows

Here is the full list of everything new and leaving in July:

July 1

Absolute Power, 1997

The Adventures of Pinocchio, 1996

The Amazing Panda Adventure, 1995

American Graffiti, 1973 (HBO)

American History X, 1998

Angels in the Outfield, 1951

Angus, 1995

August Rush, 2007

The Bachelor, 1999

Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, 1998

Batman and Harley Quinn , 2017

Batman vs.

HBO Max is set to enter into its second month of existence. And you know what that means: it’s Christmas in July!

HBO Max’s list of new releases for July 2020 is highlighted by one prominent Christmas movie: last year’s Emilia Clarke-starring Last Christmas. But the real cause for Christmas in July is all the exciting animated DC content coming our way on the first of the month. July 1 sees the arrival of just about every animated Batman project ever created. July 1 also features the arrival of just about every Justice League animated series ever created as well.

If that weren’t enough, July 1 is also when every live-action Superman movie (save for Man of Steel) makes it streaming debut. July is starting to look like a month where HBO Max establishes its real potential and geek culture bonafides…despite an at-times difficult rollout.

The HBO original...

When HBO Max launched last month, DC fans hoped it would be the premiere place to go to watch all their favorite DC content. While the streaming service did have an impressive array of films and TV shows available on launch, there were a lot of notable missing titles, too, due to pre-existing licenses getting in the way. As time goes on, though, more DC properties will end up on the site. Case in point: this July will see a whole heap of superhero content go up on HBO Max.

Below you can find the full list of every movie and TV series coming to HBO Now, Go and Max next month, broken down by day of release. It includes an enormous amount of DC animated movies, mostly featuring Batman, the Justice League and Green Lantern. All of the Christopher Reeve Superman films will be up on HBO Max as of July,...

Play ball! With baseball officially back and the season having started this week, I wanted to do something a little bit fun and look at not just the best sports movies, but the best baseball movies ever made. I did this once a few years ago and am tinkering with the list today. There’s more than a few to choose from, with a solid handful starring Kevin Costner, I might add. I’m even going to make some potentially controversial choices, as you’ll see below. It’s all in good fun though, and as I get set to spend another year getting my heart broken by the New York Mets, I wanted to put this out there for you all. Enjoy and get ready for baseball… Here are, to me, the ten best baseball movies of all time: 10. Rookie of the Year – Perhaps a lot of this is nostalgia fueling the pick,...

Whenever you think you’re alone, just remember that he’s always watching when The Super arrives on Blu-ray (plus Digital), DVD, and Digital December 18 from Lionsgate. This film is currently available On Demand. Starring Grammy® Award nominee Val Kilmer, this taut, suspenseful thriller will have you looking over your shoulder…even when you’re home. Produced by the creator of TV’s “Law & Order” and “Chicago P.D.,” written by John J. McLaughlin (Black Swan), and directed by Stephan Rick, The Super Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $21.99 and $19.98, respectively.

Official Synopsis

Former cop Phil takes a job as a superintendent in a Manhattan apartment building. When a teen goes missing, along with several other tenants, Phil suspects a sadistic murderer may be roaming the eerie corridors and that his daughters’ lives are in danger. But whom can he trust when everybody around him has something to hide?...

"What's in the box?!" Details on Cavitycolors' Holiday Mystery Pin will be revealed today at 5:00pm Est. Also in today's Horror Highlights, release details for The Super on Blu-ray and DVD, a teaser trailer for the anthology I Am An Addict, and details on the return of Paranormal Lockdown.

Holiday Mystery Pin from Cavitycolors Release Details: "What spooky surprise awaits inside this box? Tomorrow at 5 Pm Est, you can find out when we launch our Holiday Mystery Pin!

Here’s the scoop:

The pin + gift box is limited to 200.

2 per person only.

The pin inside has never been seen or released before, so it’s a complete surprise!

Just in time for the Holiday season - Grab one for yourself and one as a gift for a friend or family member. We wanted to capture that sense of wonder and excitement you experience on Christmas morning with a fun little mystery gift.

The '90s were an incredible decade for sports films. For those of us who grew up then, our childhoods are forever intertwined with classic moments from movies like The Mighty Ducks, Angels in the Outfield, Rookie of the Year, Little Big League and more. But there's perhaps no more beloved sports movie than The Sandlot. The insanely quotable movie introduced some of us to the concept of s'mores, convinced us to never try chewing tobacco (especially not at the carnival), made us long for summer days at the community pool and somehow had us all in love with the idea of playing baseball—especially if it meant we'd find a friend as cool as Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez. Set in the...

The 1990s were the heyday of kid-centric baseball films. This was back when movies like Rookie of the Year and Angels in the Outfield were making $50 million at the box office, and even something like Little Big League – which only pulled in $12 million domestically – could expect a healthy life on home video after it left […]

The post ‘The Sandlot’ Writer/Director Has Written a New Baseball Movie appeared first on /Film.

Today I begin a new series that combines my fondness for film with the joy I have of being a parent. Like most geek dads or dads in general I am eager to share the things I have a passion for with my son. Growing up I can remember my dad doing the same. As a proud Air Force veteran with a father who made his living working for the Rail Road my dad grew up with his own passions and hobbies. Some of my greatest memories as a child are the times I spent seeing my dad gushing at train museums, getting lost in amazement at air shows, or simply try to gather as much information as possible about World War II. Now as I am closing in on the two year mark of being a dad I am beginning to brainstorm on what movies are must sees for my son.

There are a string of baseball movies that I grew up with; The Sandlot, Little Big League, Angels In The Outfield. The list goes on, but also includes Rookie Of The Year. Directed by Daniel Stern himself (of Home Alone fame), the movie also featured Stern in a role as a pitching coach for the Chicago Cubs. Well, wouldn't you know it? The Cubs are doing pretty well this year, so Stern decided to... Read More...

Having fulfilled the role of lovable losers for decades now, the Chicago Cubs have a lot of goodwill in their first World Series appearance since 1945. (They also have a one-game deficit to overcome, but let’s try not to think about that.) Among their celebrity fans is Daniel Stern, whom you might recognize as Phil Brickman from “Rookie of the Year” — a standout from the mid-’90s halcyon days of kids’ sports movies (see also: “Little Big League,” “Air Bud,” “Little Giants,” “The Big Green”) that he also directed.

Read More: World Series 2016: Hollywood Is Divided Over the Battle Between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians

Stern — who appeared in both “Home Alone” films and narrated “The Wonder Years” — has reprised his quirky role on both YouTube and Twitter in support of the Cubbies, who haven’t won the World Series since 1908. He’s posted a number of videos...

Play ball! With Baseball season coming next week, I wanted to do something a little bit fun and look at not just the best sports movies, but the best baseball movies ever made. There’s more than a few to choose from, with a solid handful starring Kevin Costner, I might add. I’m even going to make some potentially controversial choices, as you’ll see below. It’s all in good fun though, and as I get set to spend another year getting my heart broken by the New York Mets, I wanted to put this out there for you all. Enjoy and get ready for baseball… Here are the ten best baseball movies of all time: 10. Rookie of the Year – Perhaps a lot of this is nostalgia fueling the pick, but I have a real soft spot for the story of a kid who winds up pitching for the Chicago Cubs.

Twenty-five years ago this week, kids were finalizing their holiday wish lists, which probably included a Nintendo home gaming system or the company's brand new handheld device, the Game Boy.

Video: 9 Stars Who Voiced Video Game Characters

They were also gearing up to see The Wizard, a brand new movie about -- what else? -- Nintendo.

Older generations may not recall The Wizard, but I do, since it was aimed right at my demographic. For one thing, it starred Fred Savage, a kid my age I saw each week on The Wonder Years. For another, it offered our first peek at Nintendo's highly anticipated new game, Super Mario Bros. 3. And even though I wasn't a serious gamer, that still sounded fairly interesting.

News: Simpsons Flashback

The Wizard follows two runaway brothers, Corey and Jimmy (Savage and Luke Edwards) on a cross-country trip to compete in a Nintendo tournament. Savage is chatty and a quick thinker, but Jimmy hasn't...

25 years ago today, one of the best films about video games hit theaters -- and made Everyone want a Power Glove.Yep, we're talking about "The Wizard."The film is about a mute kid (Luke Edwards) who travels with his brother (Fred Savage) and a runaway (Jenny Lewis) across the country to compete in a video game competition. While the 1989 movie wasn't exactly a smash hit, it became a cult classic -- and popularized both "Super Mario Bros. 3" and the aforementioned glove.In the flick, video game pro Lucas Barton (Jackey Vinson) wields the special controller while saying the movie's most infamous line: "I love the Power Glove, it's so bad."You really just have to watch him do it:But what happened to the film's stars in the last 25 years?Savage would continue starring on "The Wonder Years" until it went off the air in 1993. While he continued to act,...

Every single year we seem to get some sort of trend in the movies. Sometimes it’s Oscar themed (remember how many 2013 prestige releases were about survival of some sort?), while sometimes it’s a specific sort of a disaster movie, or even a particular type of genre outing, like how the apocalypse has been in of late. 2014 looks to be the year that the Biblical Epic returns to the screen, with both Darren Aronofsky’s Noah and Ridley Scott’s Exodus looking for awards attention (and just this past weekend Son of God opened, though that’s basically just an expansion of that TV series The Bible, so it’s hardly an epic in my eyes). That got me thinking about what other trend could be next… Personally, I never mind if we get two astroid movies in one year or something like that, as long as they each offer something different.

Summer's over, everyone! Especially at the box office. One of this weekend's wide releases, Getaway, currently has a Rotten Tomatoes rating south of 5 percent. Five percent! Another one is a concert documentary about the boy band One Direction. Slim pickings. But it could be worse. It honestly could be so much worse. We've taken a look at every summer weekend from the past twenty years and picked eight that are strong contenders for rock bottom. (We're talking qualitatively here — box office wasn't really a factor in these choices.) Please offer up your own suggestions.July 1, 1994* The Shadow * Blown Away* I Love Trouble* Baby's Day Out* Little Big League These days, the Fourth of July weekend is sacrosanct for Hollywood. Though there were several prior examples of blockbuster early-July weekends (Terminator 2), 1996’s Independence Day, which established Will Smith as the king of that weekend for a time,...

Film and TV actor Dennis Farina has passed away at the age of 69 in Arizona. The cause of his death has not been released at this time.

Farina came late to the acting game, working as a cop for eighteen years before turning to acting at 37 years old.

Throughout the late 1980s and all of the 1990s, the actor was rarely out of work thanks to various feature film supporting roles.

His earliest roles included FBI chief Jack Crawford in Michael Mann's "Manhunter," playing a detective in the Chuck Norris action film "Code of Silence," and the memorably foul-mouthed Jimmy Serrano in "Midnight Run".

Key roles in films like "Get Shorty," "Another Stakeout," "Striking Distance," "Little Big League," "The Mod Squad," "Out of Sight," "Saving Private Ryan," "Snatch," "Reindeer Games," "Bottle Shock," and "What Happens in Vegas" followed.

He was also a regular and/or recurring guest star on shows like "Crime Story,...

New York — To find their Mr. Darcy, the Guthrie Theater in Minnesota has turned to a Mad Man.

Vincent Kartheiser, who plays the malcontent Pete Campbell on AMC's "Mad Men," will star this summer in a new Guthrie production of "Pride and Prejudice" as the brooding hero of Jane Austen's most famous novel.

"It's interesting playing a character that people have such strong feelings about before I've even begun playing him," he said Friday by phone from Los Angeles. "I don't have a lot of experience playing famous characters and it's an interesting expectation that lays on my head."

Kartheiser is a native of Minneapolis and first appeared at the Guthrie in 1986 at age 7 as Tiny Tim in "A Christmas Carol." He returned to play small roles in the company's 1990 productions of "Henry V" and "Henry IV."

"I think my biggest scene I was being carried around dead," he joked.

Long before they were co-workers at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, "Mad Men" stars Jay R. Ferguson (Stan Rizzo) and Vincent Kartheiser (Pete Campbell) were teen heartthrobs in the '90s.

As Pajiba recently pointed out, native Texan Ferguson was plucked out of obscurity to play the role of Ponyboy Curtis in the TV adaptation of the feature film "The Outsiders" in 1989. He moved out to Los Angeles at the age of 14 for the part and has been working pretty steadily since.

Here he is in 1990:

And another picture of young Ferguson with David Arquette, who played Two-Bit in "The Outsiders," at the Earthwalk Benefit in 1990:

Ferguson was quite the teen magazine regular:

(Via Ebay)

(Via Ztams)

After "The Outisders" was cancelled 13 episodes in, Ferguson was cast in the Burt Reynolds-fronted sitcom "Evening Shade." He starred on the CBS comedy as Reynolds' character's eldest son throughout the show's four-season run.

Former Major League Baseball player-turned-actor Brad Lesley has died at the age of 54, reports TMZ.

Lesley's ex-wife, Chiho Svimonoff, told the website that the former athlete had been living in a nursing home, where he was receiving dialysis for kidney problems, for the past seven months. According to Svimonoff, the "Little Big League" star was rushed to hospital on Saturday night, and later died there from kidney failure.

Lesley made his Major League debut on July 31, 1982, pitching for the Cincinnati Reds, and was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 1984 and let go from the team in 1985.

The former 6-foot-6-inch athlete went on to showbusiness, appearing on the Japanese game show "Takeshi's Castle" in 1986, and furthered his credits in a number of movies in the 1990s, including "Mr. Baseball," "A Boy Called Hate," "Big Monster on Campus" and the 1994 film "Little Big League," in which he played an angry pitcher.

Brad Lesley -- who played a few years of Major League Baseball before appearing in a slew of '90s sports movies -- passed away this weekend. He was 54.Lesley's ex-wife, Chiho Svimonoff, tells TMZ ... Lesley had been suffering from kidney problems and had been living in a nursing home for the past seven months, where he was receiving dialysis.Svimonoff says Lesley was rushed to a hospital in Marina Del Rey on Saturday night...

The ’90s gave us some pretty spectacular things, including the end of the Cold War, our little sister, Garth Brooks and email. These are all undoubtedly great things, but perhaps our favorite thing that the ’90s brought was a serious bumper crop of awesome baseball movies!

We don’t know why, but it seemed like we got taken out to the ball game extremely often when we ventured to the movie theater during the Clinton-Era. And all the best ones (Little Big League, Rookie Of The Year, Angels In The Outfield, we could go on) seemed to directly involve kids. This lead to some ill-advised attempts to actually play ball ourselves and join little league.

After we got struck out by a T-ball stand a bunch of times, we went back to our basement to appreciate these awesome movies about the sport instead of actually trying ourselves. It was much...

Just in time for the Halloween season (any bets on how often we'll be saying that before October 31st?), Irrational Films has made Dan Riesser's horror-comedy short film Night of the Punks available for viewing, and we have it in its entirety right here.

From the Press Release:

In Night of the Punks, small-town punk rockers The Brain Deads have their first out of town show, but there are a few problems: The venue is deserted, the promoter is a creep, their bassist has gone missing, and the only kids in the audience turn out to be bloodthirsty punk rockers from Hell.

Drawing inspiration from Return of the Living Dead, Night of the Demons, and the Evil Dead series, Night of the Punks is a blood-splatted love letter to '80s horror cinema. The cast includes industry veteran Luke Edwards (The Wizard, Little Big League, Newsies), sketch comedian Nick Munday,...

As YouTube networks solidify and creators begin making actual paychecks, it’s easy to forget about the passion filled collaborative days of YouTube’s yesteryear that helped to build some of the site’s biggest fan bases. YouTubers working with YouTubers was a powerful tool that not only grew audiences, but gave content creators an opportunity to have fun working with fellow talent. Yes, collabs certainly still happen, but it feels like they’re happening less so between individuals represented by different YouTube networks. Thankfully, though, we have a show like The Stooges to further remind us people are still working together and it doesn’t always have to be all about the Benjamin’s (not that there’s anything wrong if it is). Shot on a modest budget bumping $10K, the series features YouTube stars Eric Pumphrey of Reckless Tortuga and Rawn Erickson (HiimRawn) of Maker Studios, as well as Luke Edwards,...

As baseball season approaches, it seems fitting to announce the official All-Star team of fictional baseball characters. Below is a full 35-man roster that would compete against any Major League squad in history. In fact, I’d like to see Espn put it to the test.

You may disagree with a roster occupant here and there, but this is the most comprehensive roster of sports movie characters you’re likely to find. So, sit back and watch the Boys (and Ladies) of Summer tap into your baseball movie nostalgia.

Starting Lineup:

Cf- Willie Mays Hayes (Major League)

3B- Kelly Leak (The Bad News Bears)

Rf- Roy Hobbs (The Natural)

C- Crash Davis (Bull Durham)

1B- Jack Elliot (Mr. Baseball)

Dh- Jack Parkman (Major League 2)

2B- Marla Hooch (A League Of Their Own)

Lf- Bobby Rayburn (The Fan)

SS- Benny Rodriguez (The Sandlot)

P- Steve Nebraska (The Scout)

Pitching Staff: Sp-...

How do you like your sports-themed movies? Heavy on the sport or just a side of sport with a heaping helping of feel-good story? Me… I’m not tellin’ though I’m sure there’s some conclusion that can be made after you’ve seen my list. First I wanna share a few stories that inspired me to put pen to paper type up my list. A long time ago Espn.com’s Bill Simmons started his list of the best 72 sports movies of the past 33 years, but the list is incomplete and I worry it may never be finished — come on Bill! Then there was the news we reported of the Vince Lombardi project starring Robert De Niro in the lead role which got the folks over at the Dallas Morning News asking who would play Tom Landry if when he is immortalized on the big screen. Finally the A.