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The films of Ken Russell are among the most unique in the canon of cinema. In Altered States, he took audiences on a journey into the deepest recesses of consciousness and brought us images that were hallucinatory and hellish. He brought the rock opera to mainstream audiences with Tommy and, in doing so, gave The Whos concept album about the rejection of the drug culture a commentary on the obsession with celebrity culture and the messianic cult that surrounds it. Russells most controversial film, The Devils, based on the book The Devils of Loudun by Aldous Huxley, decimated the hubris and morality of organized religion.

Crimes of Passion, which turns 40 this year, saw Russell take the format thats commonly associated with erotic thrillers and apply his own brand of style and aspects found in the philosophy of the Marquis de Sade, all the while providing a vehicle for one of Kathleen Turners most provocative performances.

Crimes Of Passion is a 1984 thriller directed by Ken Russell. Fresh off of Romancing The Stone and years before her infamous Jessica Rabbit, Kathleen Turner stars as Joanna Crane, a successful fashion designer who moonlights as sex worker China Blue. Alongside Turner are Psycho star Anthony Perkins as Reverend Peter Shayne, a wicked, voyeuristic preacher, and John Laughlin as Bobby Grady, a dissatisfied family man on the verge of divorce. When Bobby Grady picks up some surveillance work on behalf of Joanna's employer, he discovers her China Blue persona but keeps it to himself. Meanwhile, Reverend Peter Shayne flits between doing poppers at peepshows, preaching about sin outside said peepshows, and stalking Joanna as he insists upon "saving" her. Crimes Oo Passion is a thrilling, erotic, and often hilarious exploration of themes surrounding sex, vulnerability, and the dual lives we all lead.

God’s Country Song on Great American Pure Flix [Image Great American Family]

Fans of Great American Family’s drama movies can look forward to these five new, original movies coming in August 2024. Airing on the company’s streaming network, Pure Flix, the following is a brief plot description and casting news for the new upcoming movies according to the press release.

1. God’s Country Song God’s Country Song on Great American Pure Flix [Image Great American Family]

Starring: Justin Gaston, Mariel Hemingway, John Laughlin, Christopher Michael and Justene Alpert

Premiere date: Saturday, August 10, at 8 pm Et/Pt

Plot:

This powerful story is about Noah (Gaston), who is on the verge of becoming the next great star in country music and doesn’t want anything to get in the way of his newfound glory, not even his kids. God’s Country Song is about second chances and leading a purpose-driven life.

2. Nothing is Impossible Nothing is Impossible on Great American Pure Flix [Image Great American Family]

Starring: David A.R. White,...

Kevin Bacon was not enthusiastic about the fame he gained from Footloose, wanting to be seen as a serious actor instead. Bacon initially didn't fully comprehend that Footloose was a dance movie and wasn't trained as a dancer. The Footloose cast included several notable actors, such as Lori Singer, Dianne Wiest, John Lithgow, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Although for many Footloose is one of the most important films in Kevin Bacon's filmography, and has become a classic, the actor was not very sure about joining the cast. And, in fact, he was not very happy with the fame he achieved thanks to that film.

By 1984, when Footloose was released, Bacon had already made ten films and had participated in two television series. However, there is no doubt that it was the movie that gave him a strong foothold in the business Footloose turned him an icon for teen audiences, which...

One of the many horror classics we received from director Wes Craven was the 1977 film The Hills Have Eyes… but when he brought us a sequel the following decade, things didn’t turn out so well. The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 (watch it Here), released in 1985, has a reputation for being a mess – and is known as “the movie where a dog has a flashback”. To find out what went wrong behind the scenes on this sequel, check out the new episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? in the embed above!

Scripted by Craven, The Hills Have Eyes Part 2 has the following synopsis:

Ignoring the warnings of a survivor of the earlier gruesome ordeal, a group of youngsters set out to take the desert road again. When their bus runs short of gas and they are stranded in the middle of nowhere, the crazed mutants reappear, their blood lust unabated.

Rupert Everett is to star in AGC Television, Lionsgate Television and Night Train Media espionage drama Gray, which has entered production in Toronto, as the series rounds out key cast. Check out a first-look picture of leads Lydia West and Patricia Clarkson above.

AGC Studios’ TV arm is producing, with Lionsgate, whose involvement was previously announced, and Night Train co-financing. Lionsgate Television International will shop the show internationally in partnership with Herbert L. Kloiber’s Germany-based Night Train. AGC Studios will distribute in the U.S., represented by CAA.

The show stars Clarkson as CIA spy Cornelia Gray, who comes in from the cold after 20 years in hiding and discovers a new mole within her old spy network. Lydia West (It’s a Sin) co-stars.

Everett (My Best Friend’s Wedding), Wendy Crewson (Pretty Hard Cases) and Shawn Doyle (Star Trek: Discovery) also have roles, with Tim Rozon (Wynonna Earp, Schitt’s Creek), Jamaal Grant and Benjamin Sutherland announced today to round out the key cast.

John McLaughlin (Black Swan) is writing, based on an idea from author David Baldacci.

Exec producers are AGC’s Stuart Ford and Lourdes Diaz, Clarkson, McLaughlin, Baldacci, director Ruba Nadda, Marc Shmuger, Lionsgate’s Agapy Kapouranis and Elliott Brannon and Night Train’s Kloiber.

Click here to read the full article.

Rupert Everett (My Best Friend’s Wedding, the Shrek franchise), Wendy Crewson (Pretty Hard Cases, Peacock’s Departure) and Shawn Doyle (Paramount+’s Star Trek: Discovery, Netflix’s Frontier) are joining stars Patricia Clarkson and Lydia West in espionage thriller series Gray.

Other new cast members unveiled on Thursday are Tim Rozon (Schitt’s Creek), Jamaal Grant (USA’s Chucky, Amazon’s The Expanse) and Benjamin Sutherland (Epix’s Billy the Kid, OWN’s The Kings of Napa) round out the cast.

AGC Television, Lionsgate and Night Train Media also announced that principal photography on the eight-part show has started in Toronto and released a first-look photo. Gray is directed by Ruba Nadda (Roswell, NCIS: Los Angeles) who previously worked with Clarkson on the film Cairo Time. The series is written by John McLaughlin (Black Swan, Hitchcock) based on an idea from best-selling author David Baldacci...

Carlos Santana, the Grammy-winning 74-year-old founder of the group Santana, collapsed on stage during a concert in Michigan on Tuesday night. He was taken from the Pine Knob Music Theatre, an outdoor shed 40 miles outside of Detroit, to a nearby hospital in Clarkston. His manager released a statement saying that he is staying at the facility “for observation and is doing well.”

Santana’s Wednesday gig at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania has been postponed.

Images and video of Ems workers rushing the scene made their way to social media late Tuesday. After a few moments of confusion, the iconic guitarist was carried away but shielded by a curtain. He later waved to fans, who cheered the musician.

Carlos Santana waved to clapping fans as he’s helped off the stage pic.twitter.com/YA55N4QCZe

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) July 6, 2022

The incident occurred about 40 minutes into the set,...

Donald Trump in recent months has been telling confidants that he may launch his 2024 presidential campaign early — and that he’s considering launching it in Florida to stick it to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Trump has kicked around staging a large, flashy launch rally (with fireworks, of course) that would announce his White House bid before the 2022 midterm elections, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

People who’ve spoken to Trump say that one reason he’s eying the Sunshine State is to assert his dominance over an ascendant DeSantis,...

Exclusive: Indican Pictures has acquired One Moment, a family comedy starring the late Danny Aiello, with plans to release it in theaters in May and on VOD in July.

One Moment tells the story of middle-aged siblings struggling to manage their lives and careers while also caring for their recently widowed aging father, Joe (Aiello). Joe, demanding and difficult, stubbornly believes he is still capable of running his own life which leads to sad, but sometimes hilarious situations. Although at odds on how to best care for Joe in his final years, the family is united in wanting to ensure his well-being and help him find peace of mind—without them losing their own.

Adria Tennor, Frankie Ingrassia, Natalie Seus, Sioux Madden and Sal Rendino round out the cast of the film written and directed by Deirdre O’Connor, who produced alongside Jodie Weiner. Shaun Hill and Gary Goldberger negotiated the...

Recently, CBS put out an official press release for their upcoming episode 5 of this current season 15. It features a brief teaser description of the episode, and it sounds like we're going to see some pretty serious stuff take place. The NCIS team is going to discover a major breach when they investigate a new case. Additionally, McGee will get pretty embarrassed and more. The CBS press release also revealed that episode 5 is entitled, "Fake It Til You Make It." According to their description, we're going to see Reeves get quite distraught because he's going to see his friend get kidnapped! This will prompt the NCIS team to launch a big investigation to find the missing friend. After looking into it, they will discover that the primary suspect stole some very confidential military information and just disappeared! Will the team be able to track down this culprit? Or will they fall short?...

'Making Love': Groundbreaking romantic gay drama returns to the big screen As part of its Anniversary Classics series, Laemmle Theaters will be presenting Arthur Hiller's groundbreaking 1982 romantic drama Making Love, the first U.S. movie distributed by a major studio that focused on a romantic gay relationship. Michael Ontkean, Harry Hamlin, and Kate Jackson star. The 35th Anniversary Screening of Making Love will be held on Saturday, June 24 – it's Gay Pride month, after all – at 7:30 p.m. at the Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre on Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills. The movie will be followed by a Q&A session with Harry Hamlin, screenwriter Barry Sandler, and author A. Scott Berg, who wrote the “story” on which the film is based. 'Making Love' & What lies beneath In this 20th Century Fox release – Sherry Lansing was the studio head at the time – Michael Ontkean plays a...

Flamboyant artist Ken Russell was eventually sidelined for what the industry calls 'excess,' but he was a genuine artist, as indicated by this, his last American film. Absolutely beyond the pale in terms of polite viewing, it's by turns awkward and insightful, profane... and more profane. Crimes of Passion Blu-ray + DVD Arrow Video (UK) 1984 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 112, 107 min. / Street Date July 12, 2016 / Available from Amazon UK 39.95 Starring Kathleen Turner, Anthony Perkins, Annie Potts, Bruce Davidson, John Laughlin. Cinematography Dick Bush China Blue's dress Ruth Myers Original Music Rick Wakeman Written and Produced by Barry Sandler Directed by Ken Russell

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

What separates exploitation trash from progressive film art? They say it's an artist's vision, and Ken Russell certainly has plenty of that. I can admire Russell's house brand of outrageousness but I also find much of his work just too fussy, too indulgent. He's excellent when trying...

This year celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Footloose, the iconic 80s movie about one rebel who stood up to a town that has banned dancing. When The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon does the same, actor Kevin Bacon has to do something about it. Watch as the actor takes matters into his own hands, pays homage to his endearing classic the only way he knows how...By dancing! This is one video that clearly speaks for itself. Watch as Footloose gets the birthday present it certainly deserves.

Footloose was released February 17th, 1984 and stars Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Chris Penn, Sarah Jessica Parker, John Laughlin, Elizabeth Gorcey. The film is directed by Herbert Ross.

First poster for Armand Mastroianni's Dark Desire suspense starring Kelly Lynch and Nic Robuck. In the film, when Caren, an unhappily married woman, loses her son in a tragic accident, she turns to her son's gorgeous college roommate for comfort and soon starts to suspect that her new lover may be responsible for her son's death. Also in the cast are Brian Borello, Jarrett Sleeper, Mika Boorem, John Laughlin, with Nia Peeples and Michael Nouri. The film's scripted by Julie Lynch (1998's Remembering Sex) and produced by Ed Polgardy, Sean Davis and Armand Mastroianni.

First poster for Armand Mastroianni's Dark Desire suspense starring Kelly Lynch and Nic Robuck. In the film, when Caren, an unhappily married woman, loses her son in a tragic accident, she turns to her son's gorgeous college roommate for comfort and soon starts to suspect that her new lover may be responsible for her son's death. Also in the cast are Brian Borello, Jarrett Sleeper, Mika Boorem, John Laughlin, with Nia Peeples and Michael Nouri. The film's scripted by Julie Lynch (1998's Remembering Sex) and produced by Ed Polgardy, Sean Davis and Armand Mastroianni.

For those readers not familiar with the Gothic imagery of British photographer Simon Marsden, now is the time to be introduced. His latest book, Vampires: The Twilight World, will be published by Palazzo Editions on December 1, 2011.

Using primarily infrared film to photograph ruins of castles, manor houses, palaces, etc. (all reputedly haunted), Marsden, over the course of his nearly 40-year career, has captured some of the scariest places on earth: Leap Castle in Ireland, Corvin (Hunedoara) Castle in Romania, Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, as well as Venice, Italy; the ruins of Elizabeth Bathory's Cachtice Castle; and Puschino-Na-Nare Estate near Moscow (viewers of the Korean horror film R-Point might find themselves getting goosebumps when they see this place).

Dread Central recently had the good fortune to interview Sir Simon and discuss how he came to photographing places most of us would avoid (and he had one "adventure" for this book...

We've long claimed that the only thing holding back Jason Statham are the lousy scripts he's often given to work with. So, we couldn't be more excited that the actor might move out of the cheap-o action flick ghetto with a role in Taylor Hackford's upcoming crime thriller, Parker.

The film is based upon the series of novels written by Donald Westlake under the penname Richard Stark. Like Point Blank, Full Contact and Payback before it, the script for the new film is based upon the first Parker novel, The Hunter, and was written by John C. McLaughlin, one of the co-writers of Black Swan. We dug that movie in a pretty serious way, but we're really hoping that McLaughlin manages to work this scene into the new film:

All joking aside, this is an exciting development, as Statham has made a career out of playing the type of rough,...

This could be a Psycho-good casting call.

Modern-day psycho-horror legend Anthony Hopkins is in negotiations to play the original master, Alfred Hitchcock, in a new non-fiction movie about the director's life and film career. The Hollywood Reporter relays that Hopkins is talking to production company Montecito to star in a big-screen adaptation of Stephen Rebello's 1998 book, 'Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho.'

The book focuses on the story of Hitchcock's decision to make the now-famous horror movie and the struggle he had to finance and get support for the film. The script, which was written by 'Black Swan' scribe John Laughlin and which Sacha Gervasi is in talks to direct, may concentrate more on his relationship with his wife, Alma Reville.

Hopkins of course has great experience in the creepy horror genre, winning an Academy Award for his role as Hannibal Lecter in 'Silence of the Lambs,...