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Ronnie Wood agreed to a cameo in new comedy film 'Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties' after Billy Bob Thornton personally reached out to him.The Rolling Stones guitarist plays himself in the movie, which is based on the Canadian TV series 'Trailer Park Boys' and follows Mike Smith's character Bubbles form a country band and get offered a European tour supporting Thornton's rock group the Boxmasters. The movie culminates with a scene in which Ronnie, 77, and Billy, 69, join Bubbles on stage at London's iconic Abbey Road Studios - the place where The Beatles recorded their acclaimed albums - as the character performs a song inspired by his life-long love of cats.Writer-and-actor Mike penned the script with the idea that a major rock star would join Bubbles for the scene, but he had no idea who he would be able to get until his friend Billy - who...

Fabulous Films have released Jim Henson’s The Storyteller on DVD.

From the creators of Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, this complete collection comprises of all 9 episodes of Jim Henson’s The Storyteller series narrated by John Hurt (The Elephant Man), plus all 4 episodes of Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Greek Myths narrated by Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore). Featuring both human actors and creations from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, The Storyteller won 2 BAFTA Awards and 1 Primetime Emmy Award.

Jim Henson’s daughter Lisa studied folklore as an undergraduate at Harvard, and suggested to her father that his creature shop could bring the European folk tales to life. It took 2 years for Academy-Award winning writer/director Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) to write, and perfect the nine original episodes. The series included the darker, scarier side of these traditional tales with their often bleak endings.

Jim Henson funded the pilot...

Billy Bob Thornton was reduced to tears when he watched his new movie 'Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties', writer-and-star Mike Smith has revealed.The comedy film - which is based on the Canadian TV series 'Trailer Park Boys' - sees Mike's character Bubbles form a country band and then get offered a European tour supporting Thornton's rock group the Boxmasters. Mike and Billy have been friends for around 10 years and the comic actor wrote the movie with him in mind.When the pair watched 'Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties' together at a premiere held at Abbey Road Studios - the iconic London recording studio where The Beatles made their albums and which serves as the location for the film's finale - Mike was astonished to see the 'Landman' star crying over one particularly poignant scene, and it was a moment that filled Mike with immense pride and happiness.

Stars: Mike Smith, Robb Wells, Jp Tremblay, Pat Roach, Billy Bob Thornton, Ronnie Wood, Martin Freeman, Robert Sheehan | Written by Mike Smith | Directed by Charlie Lightening

It’s a little hard to say how popular the series Trailer Park Boys is. It went for twelve seasons and this is the fourth movie spin-off, all in the space of over twenty years. Not many shows have been quite as prolific as that. But. I have met very few people who have watched the show and I see very little talk about it online. I am a fan of the show and have been for a good while. Although in truth, it’s been a long time since I’ve opened up my DVD boxset. When I discovered a new movie was out though, I jumped at the chance to see it.

Focusing on Bubbles and his band – Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties...

“Anybody that causes a prison riot singing about whores and cats, that’s my guy!” quips Billy Bob Thornton (Sling Blade), in Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties: The Bubbles and The Shitrockers Story, a film with one of the most bloated movie titles to arrive in recent memory. The plot of this quirky comedy may not be as consistently amusing, but there’s still spunk in this offbeat tale about a frenzied Canadian band that finds themselves opening for Thornton’s band during a European tour.

To be sure, this film may work best for diehard fans of the hit Canadian TV show, Trailer Park Boys, and/or the real-life band featured in it, Bubbles and The Shitrockers. Still, if you’re a Borat fan and a lover of silly comedies or films about beleaguered bands, this film is for you. For others, it’s amusing enough and a...

"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" is often criticized for its culturally problematic portrayal of the Thugee cult, and its unsettlingly dark content that, along with "Gremlins," led to the Motion Picture Association's creation of the PG-13 rating. The former issue is wholly legitimate, but is anything in the 1984 sequel more violent than Nazis getting their faces melted or Pat Roach getting cut to ribbons by a airplane propeller in "Raiders of the Lost Ark?"

What's not up for debate is that "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" was a particularly rough shoot for star Harrison Ford. The actor herniated a disc in his back while performing a somersault during the assassination attempt in Indy's bedroom, and refused to leave the set for treatment. As George Lucas recalled in John Baxter's "Mythmaker: The Life and Work of George Lucas," "[Ford] could barely stand up, yet he was...

Few deaths in the "Indiana Jones" films as quite as unforgettable as that of Pat Roach's Nazi mechanic in "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Upon spotting Indy (Harrison Ford) duking it out with one of his fellow Nazi handymen near a plane preparing to take off, Roach's nameless, burly villain smiles to himself as he removes his shirt, clearly itching for a fight. He proceeds to give Indy quite the thrashing and might've well won their match, had he bothered to turn around in time and spot the spinning airplane propellor bearing down on him.

Roach had a knack for playing the heel, starting with his run on the British wrestling circuit. Having earned a black belt in Judo before becoming the National Judo Champion in 1960, Roach spent the next decade wrestling under such personas as "Big" and "Lord" Pat Roach, squaring off against the likes of Dwayne Johnson's grandfather,...

Indiana Jones is the quintessential action hero. Played brilliantly by the great Harrison Ford, Jones is an archeologist whose globe-trotting exploits find him searching for some of the greatest artifacts known to mankind. In addition to being an archeologist, Indiana Jones is one tough guy and a war veteran, making him a formidable hero.

While Jones has plenty of action on his quests, he gets heavily beaten up along the way, which is what makes him such a relatable character to viewers. With the upcoming untitled fifth Indiana Jones film hitting cinemas next year, fans can only hope the action is akin to the classic action sequences the franchise has enjoyed over the years.

Related: 10 Ways Indiana Jones Impacted The Action Genre

The Fight In Marion's Bar Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Raiders of the Lost Ark was the first film in the Indiana Jones series and is often regarded as a classic action movie.

Fans of Willow have four brand-new collectibles to buy thanks to Funko Pop! and associate designer Kaysi Smith. For those unfamiliar with the film, it’s a 1988 fantasy movie that was directed by Ron Howard. The story for the film hailed from George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, though the script was written by Bob Dolman. A sequel series, created by Jonathan Kasdan, was released on Disney+ 34 years later, but not for long.

Smith said in an interview with Lucasfilm:

“As a fan of Willow, I was excited to be able to take part in turning these characters into Funko Pop!s. Willow was something I grew up with, and being able to tap into that nostalgia and look at the film with a critical lens was very cool. You get to find a lot of details in the film that you don’t normally look for. I...

The Indiana Jones franchise has no shortage of gruesome deaths, but which are the best? Jaws is probably the closest Steven Spielberg has come to directing a true horror film, and even then, the 1975 classic is commonly labeled an adventure movie. Regardless of the genre his work falls into, Spielberg is still responsible for some of the best horror sequences of the last half-century. From the opening of Jaws to the T-Rex attack in Jurassic Park, Spielberg has an unparalleled skill with unnerving audiences.

The Indiana Jones movies are another example. They fall firmly into the action-adventure category, but even then, their death scenes can be shockingly brutal. Temple Of Doom, for instance, proved so horrific that the Indiana Jones film helped create the PG-13 rating in America. The deaths in the Indiana Jones franchise can range from humorous to downright nightmarish and speak to Spielberg's endless creativity when...

Long before Tom Cruise snapped his ankle in half jumping from rooftop to rooftop while making "Mission: Impossible — Fallout," Harrison Ford was putting his body on the line for our entertainment.

There's a long history of lead actors getting injured on movie sets while trying to capture something truly amazing for the viewing audience. Silent star Wallace Reid was famously injured in a train stunt gone wrong in 1919's "The Valley of the Giants" to the point where he ended up addicted to his pain management treatment (at that time the options were morphine or to just grin and bear it). That addiction would end up prematurely killing the young cinema star.

The point is Hollywood has a long history of stars putting their physical health on the line for the good of the picture and one notable incident that isn't talked about nearly as much as it should be...

Click here to read the full article.

On the sixth episode of The Rings of Power — the first in Amazon’s mega-budget The Lord of the Rings prequel to truly erupt in action as Adar’s rampaging orcs finally come face-to-face with Galadriel and her fresh-off-the-boat, battle-hungry Númenóreans — there are a few moments where viewers over a certain age may experience a sense of déjà vu.

In one sequence, Arondir — Ismael Cruz Cordova’s extremely nimble, sharpshooting elven warrior — falls from a roof only to be cornered by a huge lumbering orc who proceeds to throw him around like a rag doll. Stunt coordinator and second unit director Vic Armstrong says he got the idea — which contrasts the quick-footed physicality of Arondir against the slower but more brutal moves of the orc — from a scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, in which Indiana Jones comes up against a stacked...

"We could've ruled the world together!" Studiocanal UK has revealed a new trailer for the 4K restoration re-release of the campy action classic Red Sonja, which originally opened in July of 1985. The movie was a follow-up to Conan the Destroyer, which was a huge success the year before, so they made another just like it. Directed by Richard Fleischer, the epic 80s fantasy action film Red Sonja has been restored in 4K Uhd with a score from the legendary Academy Award-Winning composer Ennio Morricone. Based on stories by the creator of Conan the Barbarian, Robert E. Howard and featuring new original artwork by the artist Renato Casaro (seen below). The fearless warrior Red Sonja sets out to avenge her family's murder and rid her kingdom from the tyrannical rule of evil Queen Gedren. This one stars Brigitte Nielsen as Red Sonja, Arnold Schwarzenegger as Kalidor, Sandahl Bergman, Paul Smith, Ernie Reyes Jr,...

4K discs are selling like hotcakes so it’s only natural for studios to give Home Theater fanatics the biggest vintage blockbusters. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg’s hyper-efficient, no-loitering juggernaut is a return to the joys of serial action thrills, one ‘did you see that?’ bravura sequence after another. Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones is pitted against Paul Freeman’s villainous Belloq, and the might of Jehovah combats the Nazis. Accept the proposition that Adolf Hitler was ‘nuts about the occult’ and everything else will make logical sense. The picture hasn’t dated at all — it overflows with Gee-Whiz excitement that makes Marvel exploits play like weak tea.

Raiders of the Lost Ark 4K

4K Ultra HD + Digital / Steelbook

Paramount

1981 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 115 min. / Street Date June 14, 2022 / Available from / 30.99

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliott, Alfred Molina, Wolf Kahler, Anthony Chinn, Pat Roach,...

The Willow Disney+ series will need to find a new director as Jon M. Chu has announced his departure from the project. Last month, Disney confirmed that Chu would be directing the series' pilot episode with a planned release for 2022, but production has since been bumped to this summer. Taking to Twitter, the filmmaker explains that his exit is not personal and is just a matter of timing now that his family has a new addition on the way. From the Twitter post:

Personal Update on Willow for @disneyplus that I’ve been working on... pic.twitter.com/eS7uurCMfg

— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) January 11, 2021"I'm heartbroken to let you all know that I unfortunately have to step away from directing Willow. With the production schedule moving due to continued lockdowns in the UK, and with a new baby coming this summer (surprise!), the timing is just not going to...

While there is an abundance of films out there that feature halflings forced into a fight against an all-consuming evil, about 95% of them were directed by Peter Jackson. But today, I want to pay homage to a film directed by Richie Cunningham (aka Ron Howard), produced by George Lucas, and predating The Lord of the Rings movies by over a decade. Call it sacrilege if you must, but Ron Howard’s Willow holds a place nearer and dearer to my heart than anything set in Middle-earth. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some hobbits, but I was introduced to the Nelwyn clan at five years old. And at that age, when you fall for a movie, you fall hard.

For those who aren’t familiar, Willow centers on farmer/would-be sorcerer Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis). When he happens upon Elora Danan, an infant of the Daikini clan (aka...

Back in 1988, Ron Howard was still much more well-known as an actor than he was a director, from iconic roles in Green Acres, The Andy Griffith Show, Happy Days and American Graffiti. The actor/filmmaker had directed hit comedies such as Night Shift, Splash, Cocoon and Gung Ho before he delved into the world of fantasy filmmaking with the iconic Willow. During a Ama session to promote his new film In the Heart of the Sea, in theaters this weekend, the filmmaker was asked if he would ever consider making a sequel to Willow. Here's what the director had to say.

"Right now, the Lucasfilm team led by Kathleen Kennedy, who is an old dear friend, is entirely myopically focused on the Star Wars universe as you can imagine. So I think the immediate possibility of another Willow movie is probably not on the front burner. But Warwick Davis is such a cool guy,...

Red Sonja & Mystique Cosplayers: Maitland Ward & Grip Goddess In the times of sword and sorcery, amazonian Red Sonja avenges her sister's death and deposes an evil queen. With box-office superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger ("Eraser," "True Lies") and Golden Globe-winner Sandahl Bergman ("Conan the Barbarian"). Actors: Brigitte Nielsen, Ernie Reyes Jr., Pat Roach, Paul L. Smith, Sandahl Bergman, and Arnold Schwarzenegger Director: Richard Fleischer * Screenwriters: Clive Exton & George MacDonald Fraser...

Has it really been 25 years since we first met Indiana Jones's father?

"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," the third film in the globe-trotting series, opened on May 24, 1989, returning our favorite dashing archaeologist to fighting Nazis and searching for Biblical treasures. It was the second-highest grossing film of 1989 with $197 million in the U.S. alone, surpassing 1984's "Temple," which earned just under $180 million.

While we are all as much scholars of these films as Dr. Jones is of collectible relics, we've unearthed some details you might not have known about the making of the film, including its many James Bond connections and why Steven Spielberg was so reluctant to make a movie about the Holy Grail.

1. Although George Lucas and Spielberg had always intended to make the series a trilogy, Spielberg also wanted "to apologize for the second one" by returning to the spirit of the original, hence the welcome...

It's been 25 years since the diminutive title hero of Ron Howard's Willow first saved the world from an evil queen; now you can relive the swords-and-sorcery epic on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time.  Warwick Davis (Harry Potter series) stars as an unlikely hero who must rescue an infant destined to overthrow a wicked queen before she can sacrifice the child.  Assisting him in his quest are the roguish swordsman Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), the impaired sorceress Fin Raziel (Patricia Hayes) and two comical creatures known as Brownies (Rick Overton, Kevin Pollak) who are even smaller than Willow himself.  Standing in their way are Princess Sorsha (Joanne Whalley) and the vicious General Kael (Pat Roach) who will do anything to deliver the infant to the evil Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh). While the remastered edition of Willow on Blu-ray is well worth the purchase, there are sufficient extras to please fans of all ages.

Fox Home Entertainment has provided us with an exclusive clip from the new Blu-ray release of Willow, debuting on March 12th. George Lucas wrote the screenplay for director Ron Howard's magical adventure, which follows Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) on his quest to protect an abandoned baby and defeat the powerful evil forces around him, with the help of a swordsman named Madmartigan (Val Kilmer). Take a look at this scene where Madmartigan flees from a foul, two-headed fire-breathing beast. You can also clickHere for details on a Twitter chat being held by Ron Howard and Warwick Davis on March 12th.

Willow - Exclusive "Get Him!"

When young Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis; Harry Potter franchise) finds an abandoned baby girl, he learns she is destined to end the reign of the wicked Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh; Upstairs, Downstairs). In order to protect the child, Willow must team up with a...

Back in December, we reported that the 1986 classic Willow will make its Blu-ray debut on March 12. Today, Fox Home Entertainment announced that director Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) and star Warwick Davis (@WarwickADavis) will be hosting a Twitter chat on March 12, between 2 Pm Pst and 2:30 Pm Pst. Fans can ask their own questions to the filmmaker and actor via their Twitter handles and the hashtag #WillowChat. Take a look at the Willow Blu-ray cover art, then read the official details from the studio.

Join director Ron Howard and star Warwick Davis for an exclusive Artist to Artist Twitter chat in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Willow! Fans can even join in the conversation by tweeting questions using the hashtag #WillowChat.

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the unforgettable classic, Willow, has been fully digitally restored and debuts on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack March 12, 2013 from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Yesterday, we reported that the 1986 classic Willow will be debuting on Blu-ray March 12, 2013. Today, Fox Home Entertainment has debuted a Blu-ray trailer for this upcoming release, starring Warwick Davis, Jean Marsh, and Val Kilmer. Take a look at this new video for director Ron Howard's adventure, written by George Lucas, then check out the official details for this Blu-ray release.

Willow - Trailer

When young Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis; Harry Potter franchise) finds an abandoned baby girl, he learns she is destined to end the reign of the wicked Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh; Upstairs, Downstairs). In order to protect the child, Willow must team up with a rogue swordsman (Val Kilmer; Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang) and overcome the forces of darkness in the ultimate battle of good versus evil!

The Willow Blu-ray and DVD include a dazzling array of extras with never-before-seen exclusive content such as deleted scenes with remarks from Ron Howard,...

Journey to the far corners of your imagination with Willow, for the first time ever on stunning Blu-ray! Written and produced by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard, the film tells a timeless fantasy tale in which heroes come in all sizes...and adventure is the greatest magic of all. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the unforgettable classic has been fully digitally restored and debuts on Blu-ray and DVD Combo Pack March 12, 2013 from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

When young Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis; Harry Potter franchise) finds an abandoned baby girl, he learns she is destined to end the reign of the wicked Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh; Upstairs, Downstairs). In order to protect the child, Willow must team up with a rogue swordsman (Val Kilmer; Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang) and overcome the forces of darkness in the ultimate battle of good versus evil!

The...

Rank the week of August 2nd’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases against the best films of all-time: New Releases Rio

(DVD & Blu-ray | PG | 2011)

Flickchart Ranking: #3463

Times Ranked: 1625

Win Percentage: 52%

Top-20 Rankings: 16

Directed By: Carlos Saldanha

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg • Anne Hathaway • Leslie Mann • Jemaine Clement • Jamie Foxx

Genres: Adventure • Adventure Comedy • Animal Picture • Animation • Comedy • Family

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Soul Surfer

(DVD & Blu-ray | PG | 2011)

Flickchart Ranking: #6816

Times Ranked: 243

Win Percentage: 55%

Top-20 Rankings: 5

Directed By: Sean McNamara

Starring: Helen Hunt • Craig T. Nelson • Dennis Quaid • AnnaSophia Robb • Kevin Sorbo

Genres: Drama • Family Drama • Sports Drama

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The Final Destination

(DVD & Blu-ray | R | 2009)

Flickchart Ranking: #5287

Times Ranked: 5225

Win Percentage: 31%

Top-20 Rankings: 2

Directed By: David R. Ellis

Starring:

Genres: Horror

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The Perfect Game

(DVD & Blu-ray | PG | 2009)

Flickchart Ranking: #13940

Times Ranked: 28

Win Percentage: 61%

Top-20 Rankings: 0

Directed By: William Dear

Starring: Clifton Collins, Jr. • Cheech Marin • Moisés Arias • Jake T. Austin...