criterionforum.org

Ugh, tragic

Prince Philip

That sucks. He won't see how The Crown finishes.

He missed out on his telegram from the queen by a matter of days

hearthesilence wrote: Thu Apr 08, 2021 8:01 pm Beat me to it.

Anne Beatts, one of the original writers of Saturday Night Live. She also created the 1982 CBS sitcom Square Pegs starring Sarah Jessica Parker, and she began her career in comedy writing at National Lampoon magazine, eventually becoming its first female editor. She wrote one of the magazine’s most notorious spoofs – an ad for the Volkswagen Beetle that featured a photograph of the floating automobile with the copy line, “If Ted Kennedy drove a Volkswagen, he’d be President today.” (Volkswagen sued.)

At SNL, she created popular characters like Todd DiLaMuca and Lisa Loopner (played by Bill Murray and Gilda Radner), Laraine Newman’s Shirley Temple-like Child Psychiatrist, the lecherous Uncle Roy (Buck Henry) and the cartoonishly sleazy salesman Irwin Mainway and Fred Garvin, male prostitute, for Dan Aykroyd.

Square Pegs is one of the great examples of a show that became very popular after its cancellation; so ahead of its time, and it really had potential to be even greater had it been allowed to run just a bit longer. Beatts was also one of the myriad of SNL writers who contributed to Gilda Radner's Broadway show Gilda Live, which became Mike Nichols' film of the same name. She was one of those people who didn't have a huge number of writing or producing credits, but she was always busy in the industry with things in development and with rewrites.

beamish14 wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 2:47 pm

hearthesilence wrote: Thu Apr 08, 2021 8:01 pm Beat me to it.

Anne Beatts, one of the original writers of Saturday Night Live. She also created the 1982 CBS sitcom Square Pegs starring Sarah Jessica Parker, and she began her career in comedy writing at National Lampoon magazine, eventually becoming its first female editor. She wrote one of the magazine’s most notorious spoofs – an ad for the Volkswagen Beetle that featured a photograph of the floating automobile with the copy line, “If Ted Kennedy drove a Volkswagen, he’d be President today.” (Volkswagen sued.)

At SNL, she created popular characters like Todd DiLaMuca and Lisa Loopner (played by Bill Murray and Gilda Radner), Laraine Newman’s Shirley Temple-like Child Psychiatrist, the lecherous Uncle Roy (Buck Henry) and the cartoonishly sleazy salesman Irwin Mainway and Fred Garvin, male prostitute, for Dan Aykroyd.

Square Pegs is one of the great examples of a show that became very popular after its cancellation; so ahead of its time, and it really had potential to be even greater had it been allowed to run just a bit longer. Beatts was also one of the myriad of SNL writers who contributed to Gilda Radner's Broadway show Gilda Live, which became Mike Nichols' film of the same name. She was one of those people who didn't have a huge number of writing or producing credits, but she was always busy in the industry with things in development and with rewrites.

It was pretty disappointing to hear the shit she had to put up with from Belushi. I know he's possibly one of SNL's most beloved cast members, maybe even the most popular one, and he's certainly a legend around in Chicago, but to be brutally honest, I found him overrated. Talented guy who could definitely be funny, but the hype outstripped the results, and I wouldn't mind so much if he wasn't such an arrogant, misogynist prick to some very talented people who were not only working with him but more or less doing what they can to build his legacy.

Sad to hear about Anne Beatts (just like other folks I admired who were just a little bit older than myself). I loved Square Pegs (which I initially watched solely because the principal was played by an upperclassman dorm mate of mine). Never have seen it, however, since it first aired on TV....

Never Cursed wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 4:41 pm DMX, for real this time

His performance in Ernest Dickerson's Never Die Alone is pretty extraordinary. The film is easily the best example of a neo-blaxsploitation film and is outrageously entertaining in many scenes. His music career completely imploded for an array of reasons, but I believe he was the first rapper to have 5 consecutive albums reach #1 on the Billboard charts, which is an unbelievably achievement.

hearthesilence wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 3:25 pm

beamish14 wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 2:47 pm

hearthesilence wrote: Thu Apr 08, 2021 8:01 pm Beat me to it.

Anne Beatts, one of the original writers of Saturday Night Live. She also created the 1982 CBS sitcom Square Pegs starring Sarah Jessica Parker, and she began her career in comedy writing at National Lampoon magazine, eventually becoming its first female editor. She wrote one of the magazine’s most notorious spoofs – an ad for the Volkswagen Beetle that featured a photograph of the floating automobile with the copy line, “If Ted Kennedy drove a Volkswagen, he’d be President today.” (Volkswagen sued.)

At SNL, she created popular characters like Todd DiLaMuca and Lisa Loopner (played by Bill Murray and Gilda Radner), Laraine Newman’s Shirley Temple-like Child Psychiatrist, the lecherous Uncle Roy (Buck Henry) and the cartoonishly sleazy salesman Irwin Mainway and Fred Garvin, male prostitute, for Dan Aykroyd.

Square Pegs is one of the great examples of a show that became very popular after its cancellation; so ahead of its time, and it really had potential to be even greater had it been allowed to run just a bit longer. Beatts was also one of the myriad of SNL writers who contributed to Gilda Radner's Broadway show Gilda Live, which became Mike Nichols' film of the same name. She was one of those people who didn't have a huge number of writing or producing credits, but she was always busy in the industry with things in development and with rewrites.

It was pretty disappointing to hear the shit she had to put up with from Belushi. I know he's possibly one of SNL's most beloved cast members, maybe even the most popular one, and he's certainly a legend around in Chicago, but to be brutally honest, I found him overrated. Talented guy who could definitely be funny, but the hype outstripped the results, and I wouldn't mind so much if he wasn't such an arrogant, misogynist prick to some very talented people who were not only working with him but more or less doing what they can to build his legacy.

Belushi really wasn't a writer, and most of the core original cast/creative team saw Dan Aykroyd's departure as being a far, far bigger blow to the series.

beamish14 wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 5:14 pm Belushi really wasn't a writer, and most of the core original cast/creative team saw Dan Aykroyd's departure as being a far, far bigger blow to the series.

No he wasn't, and I'd agree, Aykroyd was a bigger blow. But even Belushi's performances were prone to smug laziness, like the material was beneath him but he's going to get through it anyway. It's not a complete surprise - he initially refused to do SNL because he didn't like TV, and to be fair, he wasn't wrong about the kind of work network TV was doing then. I forgot who it was, it may even have been Dick Ebersol, but when Jim Belushi was on the show, they argued that Jim was actually the better actor. Not funnier, but I can see him doing a better job of putting himself in a role than just steamrolling it with his own personality.

Never Cursed wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 4:41 pm DMX, for real this time

We all have our weird things to defend/hype, and one of them for me is Belly. Staring DMX and Nas, directed by the genius that is Hype Williams, and shot by one of the greatest unknown cinematographers of all time, Malik Sayeed. It’s a movie that needs no introduction to black people...but for most it gets lumped in with the 90s gangsta shoot em ups. It does follow a Scorsese like structure of glorifying crime and violence, only to hit with an abrupt msg at the end...but it’s dazzling on Blu-ray.

I watch it once a year, so I’m quite familiar with DMX, and regret missing him on his last tour a few years ago.

In my fetish of 90s hip hop, DMX and Belly are just a few of my faves. At the very least treat yourself to the intro. RIP

Joye Hummel, first woman hired to write Wonder Woman comics.

hearthesilence wrote: Mon Mar 29, 2021 4:01 pm

schellenbergk wrote: Mon Mar 29, 2021 3:36 pm I liked that film but check out A Sunday in the Country

Thanks! Kino Lorber has it on BD - how's the color timing though? I may pick it up during the next sale.

Haven’t seen the Kino disc; I saw it in a theater on its original release in the US in the mid-1980s. It was such a vivid experience I remember it after 35 years.

György Szomjas, the father of Hungarian Ostern.

Per facebook confirmation by family and friends:
Edwin Aguilar, long-time animator for the Simpsons.
(The only available obituary so far I have linked below, but the second sentence in this article has an error in syntax, makes it read like he passed away 20 years ago)
https://www.theclevelandamerican.com/sa ... ears-dies/

I had the pleasure of knowing him since 2013, he was a true teddy bear of a man and absolutely a great guy to talk with. He had not been in good health for the past several years, unfortunately. I visited his office in 2018 and saw him at-work on the "'Tis the 30th Season" episode. He told me he really enjoyed that episode since his youngest child was finally old enough to start getting and giving Christmas gifts. He never tired of volunteering time with students or letting family or visitors stop by and learn all about the various types of skills and software needed to make an episode come to fruition and made sure they got a chance to see as much as they could around the offices. He truly will be missed.

According to his Instagram account, the incredible and iconic Italian movie poster artist, Enzo Sciotti, has passed away. His Instagram account was always a favorite of mine and was always surprised to see him skirt past their strict censorship rules by posting drawings of women with heaving bosoms, pronounced labias, giant asses and graphic violence along with a myriad of incredible posters.

okcmaxk wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 9:45 pm Richard Rush

I just watched his admittedly messy counterculture satirical drama, Getting Straight, and thought it was a very interesting reflection of its era's confusion manifesting in syrupy tonal sewage. Recommended.

I'll second the Getting Straight recommendation. I saw that along with the other films Tarantino selected to watch before OUATIH, and while this was decidedly not my favorite, I enjoyed it a lot. Watching those films in a short period of time was a wonderful experience

I'd need to comb through that 40s anniversary California Split interview to be certain, but I think when they are talking about Tarantino, they mention to Gould that he screened Getting Straight opening night when he took over the New Beverly Cinema

okcmaxk wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 9:45 pm Richard Rush

A wonderful, hugely idiosyncratic filmmaker who deserved to get far more films of the ground. Freebie and the Bean is brought down by its homophobia, but god, some of the set pieces are still fucking unbelievable. Getting Straight is probably *the* great campus in crisis film, and The Stunt Man is an incredible feat. I'm even partial to much of Color of Night, critics be damned.

therewillbeblus wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:18 pm I'd need to comb through that 40s anniversary California Split interview to be certain, but I think when they are talking about Tarantino, they mention to Gould that he screened Getting Straight opening night when he took over the New Beverly Cinema

Yes. Gould and Rush also did a joint Q&A at the Laemmle Royal on Santa Monica Blvd. a few years ago. Rush was a frequent guest at a number of L.A. theatres, and he came to the Aero and New Beverly as well.