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To celebrate the release of Fran Rubel Kuzui’s Tokyo Pop, out now – An underseen gem of ‘80s American independent cinema, we are giving away 3 copies to lucky winners!

Tokyo Pop directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), takes us on a breezy tour through bubble era Tokyo, replete with knowing nods to the city’s vibrant pop culture.

Bleach-blonde wannabe rocker Wendy (Carrie Hamilton) is disillusioned with her life in New York City. After receiving a postcard from Japan saying “wish you were here,” she spontaneously hops on a plane to Tokyo with dreams of making it big as a singer.

Quickly finding herself broke and a fish out of water, she moves into a youth hostel for gaijin (foreigners) and takes up work as a hostess at a karaoke bar. Just when she’s at her breaking point, she meets Hiro (Diamond Yukai), a rock ‘n...

Linda Lavin, star of CBS’ long-running sitcom “Alice” and a Tony winner for Neil Simon’s play “Broadway Bound” who remained active in TV and on stage, died Sunday. She was 87.

A representative for Lavin confirmed the actress died unexpectedly Sunday due to complications from lung cancer that had been recently discovered. As recently as Dec. 4, Lavin attended the premiere of Netflix’s dark comedy series “No Good Deed” at the streamer’s Tudum Theater in Hollywood.

Lavin was also ready to co-star with Matt Bomer and Nathan Lane in the upcoming Hulu comedy “Mid-Century Modern,” which is in the midst of filming its first season. The show hails from “Will & Grace” creators/executive producers David Kohan and Max Mutchnick and director-producer James Burrows for 20th Television.

“Working with Linda was one of the highlights of our careers. She was a magnificent actress, singer, musician and a heat seeking missile with a joke.

“Tokyo Pop” is one of those movies that easily gets the title iconic. Written and directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui, who later directed “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, it also stars Yutaka Tadokoro, leader of the rock band Red Warriors, who also appear in the movie, legendary Tetsuro Tanba, as much as a cameo appearance by X Japan. The main protagonist, actress, playwright and singer Carrie Hamilton unfortunately died at the age of 38 due to lung cancer. In honor of the film’s 35th anniversary, a 4K restoration of Tokyo Pop was released by Kino Lorber in New York City at Bam Rose Cinemas on August 4, 2023, and in Los Angeles at the American Cinematheque on August 11, followed by a national expansion.The restoration was released on Blu-ray on December 5, 2023.

Tokyo Pop is screening at Five Flavours

The story follows Wendy, a young aspiring singer in New York City, who decides to leave for Japan,...

Carol Burnett is unstoppable. The coolest 91-year-old in show biz, Burnett is a contender for her 25th Emmy nomination for her role as Norma Dellacorte, the powerful maven of Palm Beach society who knows where all the bodies are buried and is not above a little blackmail in Apple TV +’s “Palm Royale.” She won her first Emmy in 1962 for her work on CBS’ “The Garry Moore Show” and her 25th last year for NBC’s “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love.” And her beloved CBS 1967-78 comedy variety series “The Carol Burnett Show’” won 25 Emmys.

But did you know Burnett was a Broadway baby? She made her debut as the “Shy” Princess Winnifred on the Great White Way in 1959 in the musical comedy “Once Upon a Mattress” for which she was nominated for a Tony and received a Theatre World honor. She also reprised her role in...

From the moment “Home On The Range” became the defining song of the American West, accusations of plagiarism over its lyrics cast a shadow over its success. Dr. Brewster Higley was eventually credited with the poem that became the eternal hit, and while it’s now the state song of Kansas, there was a time when Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico all made claims for the tune as their own. When New York rocker Wendy (Carrie Hamilton) arrives in Tokyo, she winds up working as a hostess in a karaoke bar, despondently singing that very tune to a room full of enthusiastic (and drunk) Japanese salarymen.

Continue reading ‘Tokyo Pop’ Review: A Charming, Sparkling Story Of Romance, Music & Life Lost In Translation at The Playlist.

"A sweet, cocky love-and-rock story." Kino Lorber has revealed a new official trailer for a 4K restoration of an "underseen gem of '80s American independent cinema" titled Tokyo Pop. Long before there was Lost in Translation, there was Tokyo Pop, about a young woman finding her way in Tokyo. The film premiered in 1988 at the Cannes Film Festival but that's about it. For its 35th anniversary, the film has been restored in 4K and will get a theatrical re-release. A young rock singer, played by Carrie Hamilton, not appreciated by her band gets a postcard from Japan saying "wish you were here." She takes what little money she has and flies over to Tokyo. The film takes us on a "breezy tour through bubble era Tokyo, replete with knowing nods to the city's vibrant pop culture." Sounds good to me. Tokyo Pop is a "bubbly and charming rock & roll...

Before Fran Rubel Kuzui helmed 1992’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she debuted her first feature Tokyo Pop at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival to much acclaim. Due to its distributor going bankrupt, the film never got a fully fledged U.S. run, but now––35 years later––her bubbly pop adventure has been restored in 4K and will open in U.S. theaters (starting on August 4) from Kino Lorber.

Ahead of its release, we’re pleased to exclusively debut the new trailer for the film that follows the unlikely love story between American wannabe rocker Wendy and the struggling Japanese singer Hiro (Diamond Yukai of the Japanese band Red Warriors) as they seek music stardom in 1980s Tokyo, only to discover it might be found together.

Here’s the expanded synopsis: “Bleach-blonde wannabe rocker Wendy is disillusioned with her life in New York City. After receiving a postcard from Japan saying “wish you were here,...

So, did you ever wonder why Carol Burnett always tugs her ear? It was a way she could say “hi” to her beloved grandmother. The first time she did it was when she made her TV debut at 22 on the Dec. 17, 1955 episode of the popular “The Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney Show.” She played the girlfriend of the woody dummy. “The first song I sang on TV was ‘Over the Rainbow’ to Jerry Mahoney,” she noted in a 2016 L.A. Times interview with me. “I remember I called my grandmother to tell her I was going to be on television. Nanny said say hello to me. That’s when we came up with pulling my ear.”

Nearly seven decades later, Burnett is still tugging at her ear, singing and making people laugh And on April 26th, which is her 90th birthday, NBC is throwing her a celebration “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love.

Encouraging her fans and fellow Broadway-goers to spread the hashtag “The Majestic Is Fit for a Prince,” TV and stage icon Carol Burnett has launched a social media campaign to get Broadway’s Majestic Theatre renamed for legendary producer and director Harold Prince.

In a video posted to her Instagram page, Burnett says, “Carol Burnett here to tell you how I believe, along with many others in the theatre world, that the Majestic Theatre in New York City should be renamed after the brilliant producer-director Harold Prince. It’s more than fitting, since the Majestic houses Phantom of the Opera, which was directed by Hal and it’s the longest-running show in Broadway history.

“And not only that,” she continues, “but Hal was the recipient of 21 Tony Awards for Broadway shows he produced and/or directed. I had the joy of knowing and working with Hal and it was one...

Japan Society revived this 1988 film in November 19, 2019 as part of its film series, ‘Tokyo Stories: Japan in the Global Imagination’. It was followed by a Q&A with Fran Rubel Kuzui, its creator, director and co-writer, a New Yorker who has resided with her husband Kaz Kuzui in Japan since 2000.

When I acquired Tokyo Pop for the U.S. market in 1988, none of us had any idea that this largely forgotten gem of ’80s American independent cinema by Fran Rubel Kuzui would bring such success to its director or star. Tokyo Pop’s name star, Carrie Hamilton, the daughter of Carol Burnett, was bound for stardom until her life ended prematurely (1963–2002)....

Continue reading on SydneysBuzz The Blog »...

Apple TV+ is in final negotiations for Carrie & Me, a new film adapted from Carrie and Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Story, Carol Burnett’s bestselling memoir about her daughter Carrie Hamilton. Tara Miele will write and direct the project, which will be produced by Apple Studios along with iconic entertainer Burnett, Emmy winner Tina Fey, Eric Gurian, Steven Rogers and Josh McLaughlin. Jeff Richmond will executive produce.

In the memoir, described as “a touching tribute to her eldest daughter,” Burnett tells the story of Hamilton, who won the hearts of everyone she met with her kindness, quirky humor and unconventional approach to life. After overcoming her painful and public teenage struggle with drug addiction in a time when personal troubles were kept private, Hamilton lived her adult life of sobriety to the fullest, achieving happiness and success as an actress, writer, musician and director before losing a hard-fought battle with...

A film about the life of comedy icon Carol Burnett has found its writer-director.

The adaptation of Burnett’s bestselling memoir, “Carrie and Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Story,” will be helmed by Tara Miele, whose feature “Wander Darkly” opens this Friday. Miele will also adapt the screenplay.

The movie was announced as a development title at Focus Features in 2019, though insiders said the project is in negotiations to jump to Apple, where it will be released as an original.

Burnett will produce with Tina Fey and Eric Gurian of Little Stranger, and Steven Rogers. Little Stranger’s Jeff Richmond is also on board to executive produce.

The book and subsequent film will track the ups and downs of Burnett’s life as a working mom, star and producer, as seen through the lens of her close relationship with daughter Carrie Hamilton. Grappling with a public addiction battle as a teen,...

By Wally Adams

Fran Rubel is one of those figures in cinema that left an invisible impact behind the scenes and from multiple angles. Most people would think they never heard of her, but surprisingly very high numbers have partaken of her products, services or things influenced by her and her partner over the years. In concrete terms, she’s best known for making the original “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” movie which later spawned a more famous TV series. But there’s more to her legacy than that, to which the largely forgotten “Tokyo Pop” was both the stepping stone and emblem towards wider goals.

“Tokyo Pop” is screening at Japan Society

Fresh out of NYU, Rubel had been hired in Japan as a script supervisor for Japanese publishing and film mega-tycoon Haruki Kadokawa’s company. Kadokawa Pictures had achieved huge success in previous years with mega-hits including the classically...

Japan Society is screening the film November 19th as part of its film series, ‘Tokyo Stories: Japan in the Global Imagination’. It will be followed by a Q&a with Fran Rubel Kuzui, its creator, director and co-writer.

When I acquired Tokyo Pop for the U.S. market in 1988, none of us had any idea that this largely forgotten gem of ’80s American independent cinema by Fran Rubel Kuzui would bring such success to its director or star. Tokyo Pop’s name star, Carrie Hamilton, the daughter of Carol Burnett, was bound for stardom until her life ended prematurely (1963–2002).

The film itself is slated to be a classic, and, if I may say, it was perhaps the precursor to Sophie Coppola’s own classic, Lost in Translation.

Not only did we have no idea of what the future would bring for any of us who were then struggling to put U.

From the bustle of neon-lit Shinjuku and its ultramodern skyscrapers to the traditional scenery of Mt. Fuji, cherry blossoms, and Shinto shrines, Tokyo has served as a source of creative inspiration for generations of international filmmakers. Anticipating the 2020 Summer Games, when the eyes of the world will once again fall upon Japan’s dynamic capital, Tokyo Stories: Japan in the Global Imagination considers the ways Japan—and the elusive concept of “Japaneseness” —is rendered and interpreted outside its borders with a revealing selection of Tokyo-set films by foreign directors, including Japanese co-productions, Hollywood blockbusters, and European arthouse favorites.

The series kicks off November 8 with Werner Herzog’s latest film Family Romance, LLC, a quasi-documentary narrative feature concerning the function of role-playing in matters of love and business, screening in New York for the first time since it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Herzog is one of...

Carol Burnett is an undisputed TV legend. The trailblazing comedienne is the queen of making people laugh - but her own life hasn't been all smiles and laughter. Burnett is set to co-produce (alongside Tina Fey) a film adaptation of her memoir about her late daughter, Carrie Hamilton, who died 17 years ago at the age of 38.

Born in 1963, Carrie Hamilton was the daughter of Burnett and her second husband, producer Joe Hamilton. Early in life, however, Hamilton's struggles began: she suffered through three years of addiction while she was still in her teens. It was Burnett, as she explained to People in a 2018 interview, who forced Hamilton into rehab.

"She got sober when she was 17," Burnett said. "I put her in a third rehab place, and oh my God, she hated me. I came to the conclusion that I had to love her enough to let her hate me. She...

Carol Burnett’s bestseller “Carrie and Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Story” is in the works as a movie at Focus Features with Burnett, Tina Fey, Eric Gurian, and Steven Rogers producing.

Burnett will produce through her Mabel Cat Productions with Fey and Gurian under their production banner Little Stranger along with Rogers. The sibling team of Ian and Eshom Nelms (“Small Town Crime”) is tackling the screenplay. Little Stranger’s Jeff Richmond will executive produce. A director and cast have yet to be attached.

The film will follow the highs and lows of her life as a working mother, actress, and producer — all told through her relationship with her daughter Carrie Hamilton. Carrie overcame a public struggle with drug addiction as a teenager, but achieved sobriety as an adult before dying of cancer at the age of 38 in 2002. Burnett’s book was published in 2013.

Burnett is represented by Gersh, Media Four,...

Exclusive: Focus Features is giving the film treatment to New York Times bestseller Carrie and Me, the memoir from multi-hyphenate Hollywood icon Carol Burnett written as a tribute to her late daughter Carrie Hamilton. Brothers Ian and Eshom Nelms have been brought on to adapt the screenplay. Burnett is producing the project via her Mabel Cat Productions company along with Tina Fey and Eric Gurian under their production company banner Little Stranger, and I, Tonya screenwriter and producer Steven Rogers.

Published in 2013, the novel shares intimate details of Carrie’s life as the daughter of one of the most beloved figures on television and in film. Burnett opens up about her daughter’s journey from teenage drug addiction to her sober adult life where she found happiness and success as an actress and a writer before her untimely passing from cancer at age 38.

The film will follow the highs and...

Carol Burnett’s memoir Carrie and Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Story is being adapted for the big screen at Focus Features, with Tina Fey and Eric Gurian aboard as producers through their Little Stranger production banner, along with I, Tonya producer Steven Rogers.

In the 2014 book, Burnett looked back at her life as a working mother, actress and producer through the lens of her relationship with her daughter Carrie Hamilton, who died of pneumonia at age 38 in 2002.

Along with Fey, Gurian and Rogers, Burnett also will produce through her Mabel Cat Productions. Little Stranger’s Jeff Richmond ...

Carol Burnett’s memoir Carrie and Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Story is being adapted for the big screen at Focus Features, with Tina Fey and Eric Gurian aboard as producers through their Little Stranger production banner, along with I, Tonya producer Steven Rogers.

In the 2014 book, Burnett looked back at her life as a working mother, actress and producer through the lens of her relationship with her daughter Carrie Hamilton, who died of pneumonia at age 38 in 2002.

Along with Fey, Gurian and Rogers, Burnett also will produce through her Mabel Cat Productions. Little Stranger’s Jeff Richmond ...

Calling all fans of Carol Burnett! The 85-year-old actress known for The Carol Burnett Show is not only alive and well, but she's still working well into her 80s. "It doesn’t feel like work. If it did, I don't think I'd want to do it," Carol said in a recent interview. The comedian made her television debut in 1967 but her decades-long Hollywood career is far from over. She currently hosts A Little Help With Carol Burnett, a series in which a panel of children attempt to solve adult problems, now streaming on Netflix. A post shared by Carol Burnett (@itscarolburnett) on May 4, 2018 at 2:37pm Pdt "I still go on the road and do my one-woman Q&A show," she revealed. "I enjoy that because I never know what anyone is going to ask — it keeps the old gray matter ticking. You have to be on your toes!" Many...

It's been 16 years since Carol Burnett's youngest daughter, Carrie Hamilton, sadly passed away from lung and brain cancer at age 38. And now, the actress is getting candid about how much she misses her little girl today following her death. "I think of her every day," the 85-year-old told People in a new interview. "She never leaves me... I just feel her." Carol also noted how hard it is to move on from the loss of a child. "You don’t get over it, but you cope," she said. "What else can you do? When Carrie died, I didn’t want to get out of bed for a while." (Photo Credit: Getty Images) Carol previously welcomed Carrie with her second husband, Joe Hamilton, in December 1963. She's additionally a mom to daughters Jody, 51, and Erin, 49, with Joe, whom she divorced in 1984. Carol proceeded to reflect on Carrie's life before she died.

Juliette Harrisson Mar 28, 2017

We revisit the 10 most memorable guest performances in The X-Files' long history, from Rhys Darby to Luke Wilson and beyond...

As in our previous features, in this list, we’re celebrating ten of the most effective guest performances in The X-Files over the course of its run – and yes, that includes the 2016 revival series. By ‘guest appearance’ we mean an actor who appeared as a particular character no more than twice over the course of the series (more appearances and it becomes a recurring role). As a result, this list naturally tends towards a celebration of performances during Monster of the Week episodes, since characters taking part in arc plots tend to appear more often. The show has, of course, featured impressive performances from actors in recurring roles as well – but that’s another list for another day!

See related Luc Besson interview: Valerian, sci-fi, Adele...

“Brady Bunch” icon Florence Henderson was remembered by friends, family and colleagues at a memorial held at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, California on Sunday. Speakers included Judge Judy Sheindlin, Carol Burnett, Maureen McCormick, Tom Bergeron and Katie Couric, according to an individual who attended the memorial, who described it as “beautiful.” Burnett shared with the gathered crowd a story of how Henderson used hypnotherapy to help Burnett’s daughter Carrie Hamilton — who died of lung cancer in 2002 — manage her pain. Also Read: Florence Henderson, Star of 'The Brady Bunch,' Dies at 82 Henderson’s children also spoke at the event,...

Carol Burnett – comedic trailblazer, actor, singer, dancer, producer and author – has been named the 52nd recipient of SAG-aftra’s highest tribute: the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. Burnett will be presented the performers union’s top accolade at the 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016 at 8 p.m. (Et), 7 p.m. (Ct), 6 p.m. (Mt) and 5 p.m. (Pt). Given annually to an actor who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession,” the SAG Life Achievement Award will join Burnett’s exceptional catalog of preeminent industry and public honors, which includes multiple Emmys, a special Tony, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and both a Kennedy Center Honor and its Mark Twain Prize for Humor.

In making today’s announcement, SAG-aftra President Ken Howard said, “Carol Burnett is a creative dynamo and a comedic genius.

In honor of the legendary actress, comedian, singer and writer Carol Burnett, Center Theatre Group is hosting a special tribute to the star's late daughter Carrie Hamilton with a one-night-only reading of Burnett and Hamilton's Broadway play Hollywood Arms, at the Mark Taper Forum on Sunday, June 22, 2014 at 7 p.m. Inspired by Burnett's early life in Hollywood, Hollywood Arms will be directed by Jason Alexander and will feature a star- studded cast to be announced.

The Pasadena Playhouse's final presentation of its 2012 - 2013 Hothouse at The Playhouse series is The Future Perfect. Book by Jonathan Caren, music amp lyrics by Emmy Award-winning composer and songwriter Ben Decter, directed by Tony Award nominated for Rock of Ages Kristin Hanggi with musical direction by Kyle Puccia. The staged reading will take place tonight, June 25, and Wednesday, June 26, 2013, at 800 p.m. in the Carrie Hamilton Theatre at The Pasadena Playhouse.

The Pasadena Playhouse announced the final presentation of its 2012 - 2013 Hothouse at The Playhouse series, The Future Perfect. Book by Jonathan Caren, music amp lyrics by Emmy Award-winning composer and songwriter Ben Decter, directed by Tony Award nominated for Rock of Ages Kristin Hanggi with musical direction by Kyle Puccia. The staged reading will take place Tuesday, June 25, and Wednesday, June 26, 2013, at 800 p.m. in the Carrie Hamilton Theatre at The Pasadena Playhouse.

Legendary actress and comedian Carol Burnett sat down with Jay and shared an interesting story about a mysterious man who helped kick start her acting career. Later, Burnett discusses her relationship with her daughter, actress Carrie Hamilton, and Jay shows a clip of the two singing together from the TV series .Fame.. Actor Stephen Amell gives his take on the CW series .Arrow. in which he plays the lead role. Amell also shares how he felt about playing a prostitute in the HBO series Plain White T.s performs. Jay Leno.S Monologue Tuesday, April 23, 2013 This Is Kind Of Interesting; U.S. Intelligence Agencies Have Put Together A Psychological Profile Of Kim Jong-un. They Say He's A Narcissist, He...

Carol Burnett has delivered endless laughs to audiences around the world, but off-screen she has endured her share of pain - especially losing her firstborn daughter to cancer in 2002 at the young age of 38.

The legendary comic opens up about her relationship with her late daughter Carrie Hamilton in her new book, "Carrie and Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Story," where Carol recounts everything from their best times together, to Carrie's battle with drugs, to her final fight with lung cancer.

"She was on her way when the cancer struck," Carol told Billy Bush and Kit Hoover ...

Copyright 2013 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Simon and Schuster announced today that award-winning actress Carol Burnett will write a new memoir, Carrie and Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Story, about her relationship with her late daughter, Carrie Hamilton, an actress and writer who died of cancer in 2002 at the age of 38. Publication is scheduled for April 2013. Photos: 11 Biggest Book-to-Big Screen Adaptations of the Last 25 Years Burnett will recount memories of raising her eldest daughter Hamilton, including her struggle with and recovery from drug addiction as a teenager along with her fight against cancer. The book also includes excerpts from

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Emmy winner Wayne Brady, renowned for Who’s Line Is It Anyway and currently the host of Let’s Make A Deal, will perform in Concert For Victor: A Benefit at the intimate Carrie Hamilton Theatre at The Pasadena Playhouse tomorrow (September 13).

Brady will join Melora Hardin (The Office / Broadway’s Chicago) and Anneliese van der Pol (That’s So Raven’s / Broadway’s Beauty & the Beast) in the one-night-only event.

The evening will also feature performances from Monika Beal (Long Beach Opera’s Philip Glass’ Akhnaten), 30 Rock’s Todd Buonopane (Broadway’s The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee), Hart of Dixie’s Deborah S. Craig (Broadway’s The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee), Ava Gaudet (Broadway’s Rent), Julie Garnye, Devin Kelly, Charley Izabella King (Broadway’s The Producers), Leigh Ann Larkin (Broadway’s Gypsy & A Little Night Music), High School Musical: Get in the Picture’s...

Listings compiled by Jessica Gardner and Pete KeeleyDEFINITIONS:Membership: Theater maintains an active company or ensemble of actors and generally casts productions from that pool.Open: Each show is cast on an open basis.Limited: Theater casts on an open policy under limited or special circumstances, usually when a part cannot be cast from existing company members.Key To Symbols & Abbreviations: R: Theater is available for rent. R-va: Rental with variable availability. H&R: Headshots and résumés accepted. M: Accepts manuscripts. Include self-addressed, stamped envelope. W: Workshops or classes offered. D: Charges dues.Note: The following sets of listings comprise theater venues and producing companies; often these are one and the same and are listed as such. Producing companies not exclusively associated with any particular venue are included in the "Independent Theatre Companies" listing on page 18. Affiliated companies are listed in parentheses.More Than 499 Seatsahmanson THEATRE135 N. Grand Ave.Los Angeles,...

Furious Theatre Company has announced that the critically-acclaimed Los Angeles Premiere of Hunter Gatherers, written by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb (boom, Colorado) and directed by D?maso Rodriguez (Canned Peaches In Syrup, Furious Theatre; Orson's Shadow, Pasadena Playhouse) Is Extending Through Saturday, February 28 at the home of Furious Theatre Company, the Pasadena Playhouse Carrie Hamilton Theatre, 39 S. El Molino Ave. in Pasadena.