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Not long after the end of Star Trek: The Original Series and a few years before the original Star Wars trilogy kicked off with A New Hope, the future franchises collided in an otherworldly way. William Shatner, Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, and Harrison Ford, soon to start his long association with Han Solo, appeared in the same episode of a television show called Petrocelli.

The episode, “Edge of Evil,” aired on October 2, 1974. It was the fourth episode of the show’s first season. Barry Newman led the cast as Petrocelli, a big-city lawyer who moves to Arizona with his wife, Maggie. He specializes in representing clients who seem entirely guilty but may not be.

In the episode, Shatner portrayed Adam North, a man accused of murdering Petrocelli’s best friend. Shatner was the main guest star, while Ford turned up in a supporting role as a dead-serious guy who...

Hey jabronis, there are spoilers for the latest season of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" ahead.

There are quite a few great running gags woven deep into the lore of the "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" gang, but one of the funniest is Frank's (Danny DeVito) love of a good fake-out. In a move he learned from his scumbag business partner Eugene (David Huddleston), Frank loves to set people up to believe one thing only to reveal that it was all pretend to begin with. There's usually no ulterior motive beyond Frank trying to teach someone a lesson, so it's not quite like Charlie (Charlie Day) or his mom faking cancer. Still, Frank's fake-outs can be just as emotionally devastating.

Fans first learned of the fake-out in the Frank-defining episode "A Very Sunny Christmas" when his assumed children, Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Dee (Kaitlin Olson), shared a home video from...

James McEachin, who wrote and produced songs for Otis Redding before turning to acting to portray cops on his own NBC Mystery Movie series and in 18 of the popular Perry Mason telefilms, has died. He was 94.

McEachin died Jan. 11 and was interred last month at Los Angeles National Cemetery.

The familiar character actor also appeared in four films opposite Clint Eastwood: Coogan’s Bluff (1968), Play Misty for Me (1971) — as the deejay Sweet Al Monte — Every Which Way But Loose (1978) and Sudden Impact (1983).

All in the Family aficionados know him for his turns as the IRS tax examiner who won’t be bribed on the 1972 episode “Archie’s Fraud” and as Solomon Jackson, a Black Jew whom Carroll O’Connor’s character invites into his lodge to check off some diversity boxes, on the 1977 installment “Archie the Liberal.”

A onetime contract player at Universal, McEachin starred as family man Harry Tenafly, a...

Some hail it as one of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Others dismiss it as a silly take on a complex sci-fi concept. When it was released 31 years ago, the Season 7 episode Emergence caught the attention of many Star Trek fans. The episode introduced the possibility of the Enterprise being a sentient being and even showed it giving birth to a progeny.

Emergence deals with the Starfleet ship gaining control over its intelligence and how the crew of the ship tackles the sentience of their ship. Upon rewatching the series, I was astounded at the sheer theories and interpretations that the episode leaves open for the audience, which makes it one of the most thought-provoking episodes in the series.

What happened in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Emergence? David Huddleston as The Conductor and Michael Dorn as Worf in the episode Emergence from Star Trek: The Next Generation...

Jeff Bridges has had an illustrious career. He's worked with some of Hollywood's greatest directors and has been nominated for seven Academy Awards. However, for many people, he'll always be associated with the 1998 comedy classic, The Big Lebowski, which, if the legendary actor had his way, would be receiving a sequel.

Per Deadline, Bridges attended a screening for The Big Lebowski in Los Angeles and was asked whether he'd be interested in reprising his iconic role of The Dude in a potential sequel. The acclaimed actor would confirm that not only would he be more than willing to return, but that his The Big Lebowski co-star Julianne Moore would as well. "Of course," Bridges said. "Julianne and I would fantasize about that. We did another movie together, Seventh Son, she played a witch in that movie. And we would often say, ‘Gee it’s all set up for a sequel.

Jeff Bridges has shared that he’d be up for making a sequel to The Big Lebowski – which brought him one of the most beloved roles of his career.

Bridges, who played “The Dude” in the 1998 Cohen Brothers thriller, spoke to the audience after a screening of the original film at the Orpheum Theatre in LA.

The Daily Mail newspaper reports that Bridges was asked about the prospect of returning to the role that helped make him a star, and replied that he and original co-star Julianne Moore were of the same mind:

“Of course. Julianne and I would fantasize about that. We did another movie together, Seventh Son, she played a witch in that movie. And we would often say, ‘Gee it’s all set up for a sequel.’”

He added, though, he thought the prospect of the Coens wanting to return to the subject matter was unlikely:

“I...

It seems the farther away from award season we get, the more 2024 films are finally making their way to streaming. Indeed, Max is not the only service that is adding a few of last year’s best movies to its platform this month. Peacock is also set to host the long-awaited streaming premiere of one of 2024’s biggest, most financially successful and beloved blockbusters. On top of that, the platform has also brought more than a few iconic, timeless film classics into its fold in March, including one of Quentin Tarantino’s best movies and an underrated, often wrongly forgotten romance.

Here are TheWrap’s picks for this month’s best new-to-Peacock movies.

“The Big Lebowski” (Gramercy Pictures) “The Big Lebowski” (1998)

It is one of the most quoted and referenced American movies of the past 30 years, and yet “The Big Lebowski” still feels as original and inimitable now as it...

Jeannot Szwarc, the French-American director who helmed the movies Somewhere in Time and Jaws 2 and multiple episodes of shows including The Practice, Smallville and Grey’s Anatomy, has died. He was 87.

Szwarc died Tuesday of respiratory failure at Central Hospital in Loches, France, his son Sacha Szwarc, a film editor, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Jane Seymour, who starred alongside Christopher Reeve in the 1980 time-traveling romantic fantasy Somewhere in Time, said on Facebook that the role changed her career.

“Jeannot Szwarc was not just a brilliant director but a kind and generous soul,” she wrote. “He gifted us many timeless stories, including Somewhere in Time, a film that changed my life forever. May his memory be a blessing, and may his artistry live on in our hearts.”

His other film credits included the Martin Sheen-starring Enigma (1982), the Helen Slater-starring Supergirl (1984) and Santa Claus (1985), starring David Huddleston and Dudley Moore.

Szwarc...

We've finally reached the time of the year when everyone dedicates an unnecessary amount of time to arguing over the same, cyclical topics ad nauseam — like whether or not "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie or what film deserves the biggest gift under the tree as the best Christmas movie of all time. Just as hotly debated is what constitutes the "worst" Christmas movie of all time, which is a lot harder to determine depending on what you deem "bad." One film that is frequently in the running for the dishonor is 1985's "Santa Claus: The Movie," directed by Jeannot Szwarc, who also gave us "Supergirl" and the equally polarizing "Jaws 2."

On paper, "Santa Claus: The Movie" has a lot going for it. It's about a man named Claus (David Huddleston) who delivers toys in his small village, eventually becoming Santa Claus after crossing paths with an elf toy-maker,...

Pauline Kael once called the gulf between E.T. and Poltergeist a testament to the confounding ability for one man, Steven Spielberg, to produce one enduring masterpiece and one miserable failure in the space of a year—and God forever damn her for not realizing that Poltergeist is, if anything, a more harrowing portrait of the nuclear family on the verge of dissipation, but I digress. Apparently, she hadn’t seen Mel Brooks’s 1974 one-two punch.

Young Frankenstein is so loving and charmingly goofy in spoofing one of Hollywood’s most successful early genres (the Universal monster movies of the 1930s) that it winds up as much a tribute as it is a parody. But Blazing Saddles, a burlesque about a western town standing in the way of the railroad expansion and the Black sheriff sent to discourage its citizens from deserting, is a limp, shapeless mess of a film...

The Big Lebowski, a movie which paired the legendary Coen Brothers with Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, was considered a commercial flop when it was released in 1998. If that news is surprising to you, imagine how it felt for Bridges, who recently reflected on the movie's underwhelming box office take. Bridges played Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, the template for modern layabout characters, who is mistaken for a billionaire with the same name, and gathers his friends to help recover his stolen rug.

Appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, to promote the new season of The Old Man, Bridges reminisced about working on The Big Lebowski. The actor revealed his surprise that the movie which is now considered a cult classic and currently ranks as #214 on IMDb's Top 250 movies of all-time - underperformed at the box office. Bridges said:

I was surprised, when it first came out,...

Box office success is a poor measure of a movie's quality, and some great actors do their best work in commercial flops. Box office receipts are also affected by marketing campaigns, timing, and several other factors that have nothing to do with the content of the movie itself. There have been plenty of brilliant box office bombs over the years, proving that money isn't everything.

A movie's commercial viability is well beyond an actor's control, so it's not uncommon to see brilliant performances in movies which underwhelm at the box office. Great movies have a good chance of having their reputations restored in the years following their release. This means that an actor can suddenly see one of their forgotten gems being recognized as their best and most popular movie.

Related 8 Recent Box Office Flops I Think Will Be Cult Classics In The Future

The 2020s have seen plenty of...

Mel Brooks beloved, controversial comedy classic Blazing Saddles rides back into theaters nationwide courtesy of Fathom Events and Warner Bros. later this month. In celebration of the groundbreaking comedys 50th anniversary, this Fathom Big Screen Classic also includes a special introduction by film critic and historian Leonard Maltin. Blazing Saddles will return to the big screen for a limited time on September 15 and September 18, and tickets are available for purchase now via the Fathom Events site.

Ribald, tasteless, and hilarious... Mel Brooks classic spoof of the Western genre pokes fun at everyone and everything. Together with his nefarious railroad baron-backer Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman), corrupt Governor Lepetomane (Brooks) cooks up a scheme to grant a reprieve to an African American convict (Cleavon Little), on the condition that the condemned man agrees to serve as sheriff of a small Western town - with the intent that the newly-minted lawman will only...

Robert Benton’s Bad Company does for the western what Bonnie and Clyde, Benton’s earlier collaboration with screenwriter David Newman, did for the gangster movie, only without that film’s veneer of star-powered sex appeal. The scrappier Bad Company consistently undermines the romanticized notions of the frontier that underpinned several generations of genre filmmaking. The film especially takes direct aim at two of our nation’s dearest held myths: the Horatio Alger notion of economic self-sufficiency, and the destiny of political expansion manifest in Horace Greeley’s famous dictum: “Go west, young man!”

The film is also decidedly of a piece with the year of its release in 1972, evident from the very first scene, wherein we see a young man dragged kicking and screaming from his home by blue-clad Army soldiers to be conscripted into the Union cause. The moment is given a surreal punchline by the fact that...

Box office returns don't always measure a movie's success, and some 90s flops gained cult followings later. Marketing and timing play a big role in a movie's commercial success, not just the quality. Movies like The Big Lebowski and The Shawshank Redemption are now cherished, despite initial box office disappointment.

Each decade has a few box office flops that deserved better, and the 1990s had more than most. Some of the most iconic movies of the 1990s were initially branded as commercial failures, and it took a while before audiences came around to their charms. Movies like The Big Lebowski and The Shawshank Redemption failed to turn a profit, but this hasn't stopped them from being appreciated decades after their release.

A movie's box office return depends on marketing and timing as much as anything else. Money has never been a great metric to measure the success of a movie,...

Fly Me to the Moon is a historical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Greg Berlanti from a screenplay by Rose Gilroy. The 2024 film follows a romantic entanglement between a marketing executive and a NASA official, as he prepares for the Apollo 11 moon landing while she is given the task of filming a fake moon landing in case the real mission fails. Fly Me to the Moon stars Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum in the lead roles with Woody Harrelson, Anna Garcia, Ray Romano, Jim Rash, Nick Dillenburg, Jessie Mueller, Noah Robbins, and Bill Barrett starring in supporting roles. If you loved the fake moon landing aspect of Fly Me to the Moon, here are some similar movies you can check out next.

Moonwalkers (Starz & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Alchemy

Moonwalkers is a crime comedy film directed by Antoine Bardou-Jacquet from a screenplay by Dean Craig. Based on the Apollo Moon landing hoax,...

Always Sunny in Philadelphia continues to delight fans with guest appearances that add to the show's success. Actors like Retta, Brian Huskey, and David Huddleston bring extra charm to the series with their roles. Guest stars like Dolph Lundgren and Judy Greer add a fresh twist to episodes and leave a lasting impression.

Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been on television for almost two decades, and while the lead characters running Paddy's Pub are the series' biggest appeal, several It's Always Sunny guest stars have stolen the show. Surprisingly, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's formula hasn't gotten old, as the show has rarely strayed from what made it successful, which is the so-called best friends and co-owners of Paddy's Pub constantly stabbing each other in the back for personal gain.

However, while It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has an incredible main cast, including Glenn Howerton (Dennis), Charlie Day...

Crime has long been a central focus of cinema, with many of the film industry's greatest directors establishing themselves through gangster movies and detective sagas. From the origins of film Noir in the 1940s to modern-day crime stories, the genre has proven incredibly versatile and houses some of cinema's greatest performances. Through stories centered around deceit, scandal, and violence, audiences have been given some brilliant and acclaimed tales of vengeance and justice.

Crime movies typically buck some of Hollywood's favorite tropes and cliches, avoiding the expectation of a happy ending, exploring morally ambiguous protagonists, and showcasing the sleazier side of society. For this reason, the genre has an impressive ability to keep audiences guessing in a way few genres can, and is responsible for several of cinema's greatest twists. However, not every crime movie has to be about the organized side of illicit activities, and some of the best films in the genre explore random,...

Clockwise from left: The Big Lebowski (Working Title Films/Gramercy Pictures), Barber (Fubar Films), Stars At Noon (Canal+)Image: The A.V. Club

For the first full month of spring, Hulu adds some fan-favorite films as well as some recent indie movies before the summer movie season begins and we turn our attention to big-budget blockbusters.

John Turturro was initially disappointed with his role as Jesus Quintana in The Big Lebowski, finding it lacking substance. Turturro's discomfort with the role increased after seeing the footage, feeling embarrassed about his performance. Turturro later created a spin-off film based on his character, The Jesus Rolls, with a different storyline and received negative reviews.

The Big Lebowski became an instant cult classic upon release, but John Turturro found his performance as Jesus Quintana embarrassing. The 1998 Coen brothers movie follows a bowling-loving slacker named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) as he gets caught up in the kidnapping of the wife of a wealthier man with the same name (David Huddleston). Nihilists try extorting the Dude, and he has no other choice but to work with the "big" Lebowski. However, the Dude soon discovers there's a bigger conspiracy going on behind the scenes. The Big Lebowski is an intriguing stoner-detective...

Some movies from our childhood fail to live up to the size of their memory, but rarely, we rediscover an old movie we always knew was ugly and find it still ugly but also shocking or revelatory. Santa Claus: The Movie is one such secretly subtextual movie. The first act is sort of incredible, with ‘80s movie magic, including matte paintings of the North Pole, massive sets for the castle-like home of the elves, and reindeer puppets that still hold up to today’s effects. Acts two and three turn into a story about one of the elves who runs away, and it becomes Dudley Moore: The Movie.

Santa Claus Release Date October 29, 1985 Director Jeannot Szwarc Cast Dudley Moore , John Lithgow , David Huddleston , Burgess Meredith , Judy Cornwell , Jeffrey Kramer Rating PG Runtime 107 Main Genre Adventure See More-->

Watching Santa Claus: The Movie as an adult, you see a different movie.

Transport yourself to 1985, Shakin’ Stevens had the number one hit Merry Christmas Everyone, babycham and pina coladas were flowing, multi-coloured tinsel decorated every tree and the must have toys were Teddy Ruckspins, Cabbage Patch Dolls, Transformers, and Ataris.

It was a classic era for filmmaking, Back to the Future, Legend, The Breakfast Club, Beverly Hills Cop and of course The Goonies (“Hey You Guys!”). But one film that will forever be known as one of The Best Christmas Films Ever is of course, Santa Claus: The Movie (1985). It is a delightful blend of Christmas magic, 80s nostalgia, and standout performances from the dynamic duo of Dudley Moore and John Lithgow.HeyUGuys HQ got particularly excitable when we heard this classic was getting the 5 Star, 4K treatment and could not wait to get our hands on a copy. The remastered film is now available on 4K Uhd for the first time,...

Playing an early iteration of the fish-out-of-water elf in the corporate world of New York, Moore has just enough perky charm to redeem an otherwise forgettable seasonal offering

Frankly, I would whisper a tiny humbug to a good deal of this gloopy Christmas movie from 1985, directed by Jeannot Szwarc and now rereleased; and only a sentimental loyalty to the seasonal spirit prevents me from demanding to know if there are no workhouses for the people who made it. The whole thing only comes to something resembling life halfway through, when Dudley Moore’s perky elf takes centre-stage.

There are many other and more deserving yuletide films which should be ahead of this one in the queue for a revival, but my own sweet tooth for Christmassy schmaltz won’t allow me completely to reject this admittedly eventful and bizarre origin myth for Santa Claus, starring David Huddleston as the chortling,...

Studiocanal and Park Circus are delighted to announce that a magical new 4k restoration of the perennial Christmas Classic, Santa Claus: The Movie, from director Jeannot Szwarc (Supergirl, Jaws 2) will return to cinemas this festive period from November 24. The family favourite will also be available to own on 4k Uhd for the first time, on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital from November 13. To celebrate we are giving away 2 Blu-Rays!

With this breath-taking new 4K version, viewers now have the opportunity to witness each and every detail of the film’s enchanting landscapes, whimsical characters, and dazzling special effects with unparalleled clarity and vibrancy. There’s no better time to introduce this classic adventure of awe and wonder to a whole new generation of festive film fans.

Santa Claus: The Movie tells the story of how a common woodcutter (David Huddleston) becomes the legendary Father Christmas. With a fantastical toy workshop run...

"This year he Really Is coming to town!" Studiocanal UK has revealed a new trailer for Santa Claus: The Movie, to promote their 4K re-release. "We're delighted to announce that a magical new 4k restoration of the perennial Christmas Classic, Santa Claus: The Movie, from director Jeannot Szwarc will return to cinemas this festive period" starting in late November. The film originally opened in 1985 for the holidays and became a favorite worldwide, though more commonly in the UK than the US. It's not the same as The Santa Clause with Tim Allen, or many of the other animated classics. Santa Claus: The Movie stars David Huddleston as Santa, Dudley Moore, John Lithgow, Judy Cornwell, Jeffrey Kramer, and many others. The legend of Santa Claus is put in jeopardy when an unscrupulous toy manufacturer attempts to take over Christmas. This is definitely a good one to catch up with and show...

Pour yourself a White Russian, because The Big Lebowski is bowling its way back into theaters for its 25th anniversary. The cult classic film from Joel and Ethan Coen will return to the big screen for a limited time only on April 16th and April 20th (naturally).

The showtimes are 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. local time on April 16th and 7:00 p.m. on the 20th. Purchase your tickets via Fathom Events.

Written, produced, and directed by the Coen brothers, The Big Lebowski features Jeff Bridges as iconic LA slacker Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski, who gets assaulted in a case of mistaken identity for a millionaire (David Huddleston) who shares the same name. John Goodman played the Dude’s friend Walter Sobchak, with Sam Elliott, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and John Turturro also appearing in the film. The latter’s character of Jesus Quintana even got his own spinoff,...

The Big Lebowski star Jeff Bridges reflected on why the film took a while to become a minted classic. In the Coen Brothers film, which premiered in 1998, Bridges plays a laid-back character named The Dude who gets embroiled in the crime world when he is mistaken for a kingpin who shares his last name. The film, which also stars John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Tara Reid, Julianne Moore, David Huddleston, John Turturro, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, only became a cult hit after its initial release, when it barely made its $15 million budget back at the domestic box office.

The Hollywood Reporter recently sat down with Bridges to celebrate The Big Lebowski's 25th anniversary. The star expressed his consternation at the fact that the film wasn't a huge hit, which he expected. He supposes that "people didn’t get it," potentially due to its unique sense of humor. Read his full quote...

The Big Lebowski is a cult classic movie with an all-star cast, but it was almost even bigger, as the Coen brothers wanted to cast Marlon Brando. The 1998 crime caper follows Jeff Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), also known as The Dude, who gets entangled in a kidnapping when he is mistaken for the millionaire philanthropist Jeffrey Lebowski (David Huddleston). The Dude has no choice but to help the "big" Lebowski find his kidnapped wife, even though the man sees him as nothing more than a lowlife stoner. What unfolds is a bizarre narrative that's ultimately unimportant, but the characters make it endlessly rewatchable.

Though The Dude could be Lebowski's illegitimate child, the two characters are completely different. The "big" Lebowski thinks he has the moral high ground because he's a philanthropist and was once featured in Time magazine, but it's revealed that that couldn't be farther from the truth — he's exactly...

As arguably the most famous figure of the Christmas season, it is only natural that Santa Claus has appeared in movies time and time again. However, there are only so many times that the basic idea of a jolly bearded man in red delivering toys can be portrayed before it starts to get a bit stale. Recently, more movies have been taking more unique and interesting spins on Santa Claus.

Naturally, Reddit users have discussed who they feel the best movie—live-action or animated—portrayal of Santa Claus is. From classic versions with a slight twist in The Christmas Chronicles to more nightmarish versions from Finnish horror, here are some of Reddit's favorite movie versions of Santa Claus.

Updated on December 9th, 2022 by Aya Tsintziras:

One of the most famous portrayals of Santa Claus is Tim Allen's take on the character, and the Disney+ spin-off show The Santa Clauses...

There is a Church of the Latter-Day Dude. Although it's "the slowest-growing religion in the world," Dudeism touts non-preachiness and "practices as little as possible." Ordained Dude ministers can preside over special celebrations, sip on White Russians, and, above all, abide. Such is the impact of "The Big Lebowski," Joel and Ethan Coen's 1998 black comedy about a dude and his rug. The title refers to Jeffrey Lebowski (David Huddleston), a millionaire who happens to have the same name as The Dude, played by Jeff Bridges. The Dude takes a beating from thugs due to this mistaken identity (and his rug is ruined),...

The post Jeff Bridges Was A Little Confused About His Big Lebowski Casting appeared first on /Film.

Peter Palmer, who originated the title character in Broadway’s 1956 musical Li’l Abner and then reprised the role for the 1959 film adaptation, died Tuesday. He was 90.

His death was announced on Facebook by his son Steven Palmer, who noted that the actor died one day after his 90th birthday. No cause was given.

“As a family we knew this was coming and that’s why we had such a wonderful celebration of his birthday this weekend,” Steven Palmer wrote. “He enjoyed being celebrated by his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews and friends and extended family. Gonna miss you, Pops.”

Palmer, who majored in music while playing football in the early 1950s for the Big Ten champs University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and routinely performed the National Anthem at games, was cast as Broadway’s naïve, muscle-bound hero of Dogpatch after producers saw him sing on The Ed Sullivan Show.

The Li’l Abner musical,...

As the embodiment of kindness, generosity, and Yuletide beneficence, Santa Claus presents some mighty big black boots, much less a red suit, for any actor to fill. But jolly old Saint Nicholas has appeared in the movies for as long as the movies have existed, and here are some of our favorite actors who’ve steered the sleigh (not counting Billy Bob Thornton and anyone else who has played a guy who is pretending to be Santa):

Kurt Russell in “The Christmas Chronicles” (2018) and “The Christmas Chronicles 2” (2020): There’s more than a little bit of Russell’s trucker character from “Big Trouble in Little China” in his take on Father Christmas, but that blue-collar bravado and dad-bod energy make this character, in the words of critic Nathan Rabin, “a Santa who f–ks.”

Jim Broadbent, “Arthur Christmas” (2011): In this delightful animated adventure from Aardman, Broadbent plays...

It wouldn't really be Christmas without having a good Santa Claus movie to watch. Whether it's a classic like Miracle on 34th Street or a new one like The Christmas Chronicles, holiday flicks always seem to liven up the festivities in one way or another. Their heartwarming stories, catchy tunes, and bright colors always seem to make our moods a little bit better and remind us what the Christmas season is truly about.

Santa Claus is an important aspect In many Christmas movies. The big man in red is one of the most iconic hallmarks of the holiday season, making him vital to almost every big screen Yuletide adventure, whether he is featured as a holiday decoration or actually shows up as a character in his own movie. Over the years, countless actors have portrayed Santa Claus on screen, each with their different take on the jolly old man, but...

The Dude is making his way back to the big screen to celebrate his 20th anniversary. The Coen Brothers' cult classic comedy The Big Lebowski is heading to theaters next month for a special, but very limited, two-day engagement to honor the occasion. So grab yourself a White Russian, throw on your best bathrobe and grab some friends for this can't miss party. Since so many people caught on to the flick after the fact, this may well be a first time viewing for many fans on the big screen.

The Big Lebowski will screen in theaters across the country on Sunday, August 5, 2018, and Wednesday, August 8, 2018. The event is part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series and is being handled by Fathom Events. Tickets for the event are on sale now. So if you're determined to catch the movie and are worried that tickets will go quickly, you may...

The Dude Abides! The Big Lebowski Turns 20The Dude Abides! The Big Lebowski Turns 20Kurt Anthony3/6/2018 10:18:00 Am

Dude! It’s the 20th anniversary of The Big Lebowski!

Written and directed by the Joel and Ethan Coen (Fargo), The Big Lebowski blazed its way into theatres on March 6, 1998 after its premiere at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. Shot on a budget of $15M, the classic stoner flick was originally considered a box office failure, but has since risen to the top of the crime comedy heap. It was even added to the U.S. National Film Registry, man!

Starring Jeff Bridges as The Dude, the Coen Brothers classic also hosts a killer supporting cast. Everyone from John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, and even the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman spark up hilarious performances over the course of a hopelessly convoluted plot. They really tie the film together, you know?

Well,...

Who rocks the best bowl-full-of-jelly belly in movie history? Father Christmas has shown up in enough movies that he has his own subgenre: the Santa Claus movie, a whole category of family friendly fantasy films dedicated to exploring the magic of St. Nick.

Here are some of the most memorable movie portrayals of Santa Claus.

1. Edmund Gwenn in Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

The gold standard for cinematic Santa Clauses, Gwenn plays Kris Kringle, a department store Santa who insists he’s the real thing. Gwenn’s performance as Kringle was so convincing that he won the Oscar for Best Supporting...

In the Coen Brothers’ beloved 1998 comedy “The Big Lebowski,” The Dude, Walter and Donny face off against colorful pederast bowler Jesus Quintana, played by John Turturro. Since the film’s release, Jesus has grown in the imagination of the fanbase as well as Turturro himself. Now, Turturro’s latest directorial effort “Going Places,” based on Bertrand Biler’s novel and 1974 erotic comedy film by the same name, resurrects the Jesus character in a spinoff of “Lebowski.” In a new interview with Screen Daily, Turturro says that the Coens support his new film.

Read More: ‘Going Places’ First Look: John Turturro Resurrects Jesus Quintana In ‘Big Lebowski’ Sequel

“It kind of blew their minds,” says Turturro. “They thought it was a great idea and told me, ‘We’ve taken a character inspired from a stage play and now you want to put him in a movie which is a French movie,...

By John M. Whalen

Ted Kotcheff’s “Billy Two Hats” (1974) is one of those off-beat kind of movies they made back in the mid-Seventies when studios still believed in small, realistic films that focused on character more than shoot-outs, believable story lines more than special effects and solid performances by seasoned actors who knew their craft more than flashy histrionics by shiny boys and girls who just stepped off the front pages of the supermarket tabloids. It’s not a great film by any means. It’s slow, and a bit heavy handed in getting across the themes contained in Alan Sharp’s (“Osterman Weekend,” “Ulzana’s Raid”) script, but it’s worth watching, if only so you can say you’ve seen the only “Kosher Western” ever made.

57-year-old Gregory Peck, speaking with a thick Scottish accent, stars as Arch Deans, a bank robber on the run with his...

“That rug really tied the room together!”

The Big Lebowski plays this weekend (September 9th and 10th) at the Tivoli as part of their Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight series.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that The Big Lebowski is a mystery, like the Coen brothers’ previous film, Fargo. Where Fargo is a thriller, The Big Lebowski is a parody. Hidden in the jokes, satire, idiosyncratic characters, and musical numbers, the story is about a hippie “bum,” brilliantly portrayed by Jeff Bridges, who is unwittingly sucked into becoming a pawn in kidnapping and embezzling scams. As the narrator aka ‘The Stranger’ (Sam Eliot) succinctly puts it, “Sometimes there’s a man–I won’t say a hee-ro, ’cause what’s a hee-ro?–but sometimes there’s a man. And I’m talking’ about the Dude here–sometimes there’s a man who, well, he’s the man for his time’n place,...

Gene Wilder 1933 -2016

In all likelihood, the events of this past week probably didn’t offer any more or less sadness and pain to be distributed among willing and unwilling recipients, a.k.a. all of us currently participating in the game of Life. It’s a strange, unsettling time to bear status as a citizen of the world, wherever it is in that world one happens to call home. But speaking as only one of billions buffeted about by the weirdness of a human condition in which terrorism has started to feel commonplace, and in which the policies of political campaigns are used as flimsy opportunities to stir fear, prejudice and an increasingly volatile mythology of helpless American victimization at the hands of hordes of murderous invaders, the sorrow contained in this past week crested perhaps a little higher than might have even been expected.

Gene Wilder had been...

Sagan Lewis, who starred as Dr. Jacqueline Wade on the hit 1980s medical drama “St. Elsewhere,” died Sunday after a six-year battle with cancer, her husband, “Oz” creator Tom Fontana, said Tuesday. She was 63. According to Fontana, Lewis died at her home in New York City. Born Susan Jane Lewis in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1953, Lewis began her career in acting as a young adult. She joined the cast of “St. Elsewhere,” for which Fontana was a writer, after the series’ showrunner Bruce Paltrow created a regular role for her. Also Read: David Huddleston, 'Big Lebowski' Star, Dies at 85 Lewis’ other television.

Today's round of news and views opens with a review of Superior Viaduct's release of the audio track of Chris Marker’s La Jetée on vinyl. Plus: Essays on Nicholas Ray, Eric Rohmer and Alfred Hitchcock, Jean-Luc Godard's Pierrot le fou, Ida Lupino, Marguerite Duras, Stanley Kubrick, Tim Holt, a book on Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub, remembering the actual Big Lebowski, David Huddleston, interviews with Pedro Almodóvar, Kent Jones, Clint Eastwood, Steven Soderbergh, a trailer for the new restoration of Ken Loach's Kes—and more. » - David Hudson...

Today's round of news and views opens with a review of Superior Viaduct's release of the audio track of Chris Marker’s La Jetée on vinyl. Plus: Essays on Nicholas Ray, Eric Rohmer and Alfred Hitchcock, Jean-Luc Godard's Pierrot le fou, Ida Lupino, Marguerite Duras, Stanley Kubrick, Tim Holt, a book on Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub, remembering the actual Big Lebowski, David Huddleston, interviews with Pedro Almodóvar, Kent Jones, Clint Eastwood, Steven Soderbergh, a trailer for the new restoration of Ken Loach's Kes—and more. » - David Hudson...

Huddleston and John Wayne in Howard Hawks' 1970 Western "Rio Lobo".

By Lee Pfeiffer

Like many character actors, David Huddleston's name may not be familiar to movie fans- but they certainly would recognize him, especially if they are retro film fans. Huddleston, who this week at age 85, was a star of stage and screen. He  began making feature films in the 1960s and became steadily employed in both low-budget and major Hollywood productions, generally playing  folksy, good old boy Southern characters, though he did snag the title role in the 1985 Salkind production of "Santa Claus" as well as the 1998 Coen Brothers cult classic "The Big Lebowski". He scored with audiences for his performance as the foul-mouthed town dignitary in Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" and appeared in "Capricorn One", 'Smokey and the Bandit II", "Haunted Honeymoon" and two films with John Wayne: Howard Hawks' "Rio Lobo...

Hollywood has lost one of its own.  David Huddleston, the character actor renowned for his longtime career in television and film, has died. The actor passed away on Tuesday from advanced heart and kidney disease, his wife Sarah C. Koeppe confirmed to the New York Times. Huddleston was 85 years old.  Born in Virginia in 1930, he first served in the United States Air Force before attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. The Emmy nominee ultimately got his start on the small screen in the 1960s with roles on Bewitched, Bonanza, Charlie's Angels, The Rockford Files and countless more. He worked up until 2014 with guest appearances on The Wonder Years, The West...

David Huddleston, known for his role in The Big Lebowski, died Tuesday, August 2 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 85 years old. ‘Big Lebowski’ Actor David Huddleston Dies At 85 Huddleston, born in 1930 in Vinton, Virginia, served first in the U.S. Air Force as an aircraft engine mechanic before moving on to study […]

The post ‘Big Lebowski’ Actor David Huddleston Dies At 85 appeared first on uInterview.

David Huddleston, a character actor with more than 140 credits, died Tuesday at the age of 85, the Los Angeles Times reports. His wife Sarah Koeppe, a casting agent, said he died of advanced heart and kidney disease.

Read More: 5 Things You Might Not Know About The Coens’ Cult Classic ‘The Big Lebowski’

Huddleston starred in Mel Brooks’ 1974 comedy hit “Blazing Saddles” and the 1985 family film “Santa Claus: The Movie,” but his most famous role came late in his career when Joel and Ethan Coen cast him as the puffed-up phony millionaire in “The Big Lebowski.” Despite having only a handful of scenes in the film, Huddleston turned in an unforgettable and hilarious performance, thanks in part to lines like “Strong men also cry,” “The bums will always lose,” and “What in God’s holy name are you blathering about?”

Born and raised in Virginia, Huddleston served in the Air Force and...

David Huddleston, the prolific character actor whose credits include The Big Lebowski and Blazing Saddles, has passed away from from heart and kidney disease at the age of 85. Even if you didn’t know his name, you almost certainly recognized his face – as a far as reliable “that guys” go, Huddleston was top notch, never failing […]

The post ‘The Big Lebowski’ Star David Huddleston Dead at 85 appeared first on /Film.

David Huddleston as Lebowski American actor David Huddleston has died, aged 85.

Huddleston, who lived in New Mexico, was best known for playing the millionaire title role in The Coen Brothers The Big Lebowski. He also starred alongside Dudley Moore in Santa Claus: The Movie.

Born in 1930, Huddleston served as an engine mechanic in the Us Air Force before forging a career as a character actor, with roles also including Mayor Olson Johnson in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles. He was nominated for an Emmy in 1990 for a guest appearance in TV comedy The Wonder Years.

His widow Sarah Koeppe - who was a casting director on Santa Claus: The Movie - said he died on Tuesday as a result of advanced heart and kidney disease.

She told the Santa Fe New Mexican: "He was never the star. He got to work with or become friends with all kinds of people,...

Screen veteran most recognised for the cult Coens comedy, had also starred in Santa Claus: The Movie, Blazing Saddles and Frantic

David Huddleston, best known for playing the title role in The Big Lebowski, has died at the age of 85.

The actor, who amassed more than 100 screen credits since the 1960s, died of advanced heart and kidney disease.

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