News

Exclusive: Amy Aquino (Bosch) and Andrew Robinson (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) to round out the recurring cast of Spider-Noir, the upcoming MGM+ and Prime Video live-action series based on the Marvel comic of the same name. Character details are under wraps.

From executive producers/co-showrunners Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot and Sony Pictures TV, Spider-Noir tells the story of an aging and down-on-his-luck private investigator (Nicolas Cage) in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.

The series also stars Nicolas Cage, Lamorne Morris, Brendan Gleeson, Abraham Popoola, Li Jun Li and Jack Huston. The guest star cast includes Lukas Haas, Cameron Britton, Cary Christopher, Michael Kostroff, Scott MacArthur, Joe Massingill, Whitney Rice, Amanda Schull, and Andrew Caldwell.

Spider-Noir is produced by Sony Pictures Television exclusively for MGM+ and Prime Video. Harry Bradbeer is set to direct,...

Despite being a relatively new actor, Marcus Rutherford has appeared in several high-quality movies and TV showsover the past couple of years. Since his debut in the 2017 short film, County Lines, the British actor's career has been picking up steam. Just one year later, he broke out in his native England when he starred in Obey (2018). Rutherford has continued to go from strength to strength, and 2024 has seen him star in Academy Award hopeful, September 5.

However, across the pond in Hollywood, Rutherford is by far most famous for his role as blacksmith Perrin Aybara in The Wheel of Time cast. The Amazon Prime Video fantasy series premiered in 2021 and has released two seasons, both featuring Rutherford. It was renewed for a third season, so even though Rutherford doesn't have any upcoming credits listed on his IMDb page, he will likely return for more Wheel of Time adventures. Until he does,...

Jethro Tull will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their 1979 LP Stormwatch with a massive reissue featuring unreleased songs, a recording of a 1980 concert and a new remix of the original album.

The 4Cd/2 DVD Stormwatch: 40th Anniversary Force 10 Edition, due out October 18th via Rhino, kicks off with a Steven Wilson remix of Stormwatch, while the second disc collecting “associated recordings” from the album’s sessions, including unreleased tracks and other unearthed songs that didn’t fit within Stormwatch‘s maritime theme.

Discs three and four contain an unreleased recording...

Burbank, Calif., August 5, 2016 — Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland forever changed the landscape of children’s literature; Disney’s animated “Alice in Wonderland” embraced this fantasy world filled with peculiar characters; and Tim Burton directed a visually-stunning, live-action film that mesmerized audiences worldwide. On Oct. 18, 2016, the enchanting and beloved franchise that has captivated generations of adventurers continues when Disney’s Alice Through the Looking Glass arrives home on Digital HD, Blu-ray™, Disney Movies Anywhere, DVD and On-Demand.

In Alice Through the Looking Glass, the all-star cast from the 2010 blockbuster is back with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter who’s desperately searching for his family; Anne Hathaway as Mirana, the kind, mild-mannered White Queen; Helena Bonham Carter as Iracebeth, the short-tempered, big-headed Red Queen; and Mia Wasikowska as Alice, the heroine at the heart of the story. Sacha Baron Cohen joins the ensemble as Time, a magical being that is part human,...

Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” forever changed the landscape of children’s literature; Disney’s animated “Alice in Wonderland” embraced this fantasy world filled with peculiar characters; and Tim Burton directed a visually-stunning, live-action film that mesmerized audiences worldwide. On Oct. 18, 2016, the enchanting and beloved franchise that has captivated generations of adventurers continues when Disney’s Alice Through The Looking Glass arrives home on Digital HD, Blu-ray™, Disney Movies Anywhere, DVD and On-Demand. In Alice Through The Looking Glass, the all-star cast from the 2010 blockbuster is back with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter who’s desperately searching for his family; Anne Hathaway as Mirana, the kind, mild-mannered White Queen; Helena Bonham Carter as Iracebeth, the short-tempered, big-headed Red Queen; and Mia Wasikowska as Alice, the heroine at the heart of the story. Sacha Baron Cohen joins the ensemble as Time, a magical being that is part human,...

In the series premiere of ABC Family's first procedural drama, Stitchers, we meet Kirsten Clark, a brilliant grad student at Cal Tech who is told that her unique condition makes her the perfect candidate for a clandestine program. We follow Kirsten as she learns more about the Stitchers program and discovers that being a "stitcher" could change her life.

Stitchers is a bit of a change from ABC Family's usual programming, so I hope the audience will give it a chance. The premiere, "A Stitch in Time," does a good job of introducing us to the world of the show, and the science fiction twist should keep what could be a run-of-the-mill procedural from getting too stale.

The Collider Weekly TV Guide is a rundown of notable episodes, premieres, returns, finales, and opportunities to catch up on great shows (or cast an eye to the occasional TV train wreck). Get ready for some summer premieres, because they are (almost) all here; and check out the list for the week beginning Monday, June 1st: Monday 6/1 The Whispers Series Premiere, “X Marks the Spot” (ABC, 10 p.m.) — The series, from producer Steven Spielberg and Under the Dome writer Soo Hugh, is based on a Ray Bradbury short story where children hear a mysterious voice that compels them to act violently against their parents as part of a game (and invasion conspiracy). Lily Rabe and Milo Ventimiglia star. Review. UnReal Series Premiere, “Return” (Lifetime, 10 p.m.) — Shiri Appleby and Constance Zimmer star in this drama that takes place behind the scenes of a dating competition show. [caption id="attachment_462083" align="alignright" width="350"] Image via The History Channel/caption] Texas Rising,...

Why hasn't Elementary kick-started its season 3 finale yet? With just two episodes to go, the clock is ticking...

This review contains spoilers.

3.22 The Best Way Out Is Always Through

Elementary seems to be leaving its season finale prep dangerously late in the third run. By this time last year and the one before that, we were already deep into season one and two’s respective Mycroft and Moriarty endgames. What do we get this time around? A so-so murder investigation, a bit of fun with the Stanley Cup, a romantic subplot for Bell to file under ‘who cares?’, and not a sausage of a finale arc. Disappointed? I’ll say.

Elementary’s previous season finale arcs have been some of its best work; trios of thrilling episodes linked by cliff-hanger revelations that saw the introduction – and exit – of major players. With just one double episode left for the current season,...

Elementary always sides with the lunatics, which is just how we like it. Here's our review of this week's fun, varied episode...

This review contains spoilers.

3.19 A Stitch In Time

This week’s case was a picnic. A hamper full of Elementary entertainment. The episode may not have pushed along any arcs or provided new insights into our leads - no addiction, grieving, or relationship stuff here - but it was chock-full of diverting twists.

A Stitch In Time bound together elements from multiple genres into one fun Katamari of intrigue. A murder investigation became a ghost mystery, then a cyber-thriller, ending finally on the sort of wealthy white-collar criminal that Elementary repeatedly takes as its target.

Anyone who pays attention to the show would have fingered Colin Eisley for the perp from our first glimpse of that original Picasso. Eat the rich, says Elementary, well, the ones only interested in getting richer,...

Recently, CBS delivered the new,official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Elementary" episode 20 of season 3. The episode is entitled, "A Stitch In Time," and it turns out that we're going to see some pretty interesting and intense stuff as Sherlock and Watson investigate the murder of a professional skeptic and the case escalates into a potential threat against Homeland, and more! In the new, 20th episode press release: Holmes And Watson's Investigation Into A Homicide Leads Them To A Potential Threat To Homeland Security. Press release number 2: Holmes and Watson will investigate the murder of a professional skeptic, a man who debunked paranormal, religious and scientific phenomenon for a living. The case is going to become urgent when his homicide reveals a potential threat to homeland security. Also, Captain Gregson's daughter and fellow NYPD officer, Hannah (Liza J. Bennett), will ask Watson for help with one of her cases.

Sunday (March 23) night's installment of "The Amazing Race" came down to one decision made in the first 15 minutes of the episode. I'm not saying there was a "right" answer or a "wrong" answer in the moment, but the choice was made early and once it was made -- incorrectly, as it turned out -- there was nothing left to the episode and what followed was a 45-minute anti-climax.  That's too bad, because this was perhaps the first episode of the season that was well-structured in terms of Detours and Roadblocks, featuring difficult tasks that had the chance to shake things up in terms of team placement.  I write "had the chance to," because they didn't. This week's Top 4 was last week's Top 4. And last week's Top 4 was 3/4ths of the previous week's Top 4. We've had five Legs so far, which means 20 Top 4 finishes. The teams now in the Top 4 have *15* of those finishes.

Comic-Con isn't an event for the faint of heart. In many ways it is like a more relevant, hyper Sundance Film Festival full of strange and exotic nerd wildlife. Only At Park City, you don't have the Comic-Con pandemonium, and the San Diego attendees hardly ever get to see the actual movies and TV shows that thousands of people are schilling. In a day and age where breaking news is covered every second of every minute, Comic-Con takes this idea, centralizes into one finite spot...And then cranks up the intensity 1000 percent.

Basically, you need to have a lot of tricks up your sleeve to even keep your eyes above the water level. Whether it's attending a just scheduled panel for Godzilla in Hall H where Gojira himself has decided to attend, or standing in line for hours when you could be watching another, maybe even better panel, or accepting a dreaded "Free Hug,...

(Michael ran this piece on MichaelDavisWorld.com and asked that we run it here at ComicMix in place of his regular column. After reading it, you’ll know why!)

When is making a short zombie film an act of protest?

When the heroes and heroines are black. When there is no Sacrificial Negro to fulfill the fantasy that our lives matter less than white lives. When there is no cooning, shucking or jiving. When no black “Spiritual Guide” exists only to ennoble and enlighten white characters. When artists and backers unite to circumvent cultural barriers to tell our own stories.

As authors and screenwriters, we never set out to become filmmakers. But after years of options, pitches and meetings, we realized Hollywood is just a money machine following the ticket-buying habits of America as a whole. It will never lead. It was time to stop waiting for Hollywood to translate our stories to screen.

While I'm a fan of the wackier side of sci-fi shows airing on the SyFy network (Eureka, Warehouse 13), the more dramatic actioner Continuum came as a welcome surprise.  Focusing on a futuristic cop - Protector Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols) - who finds herself thrown back in time 65 years to our present day, Continuum explores what happens to the future when events are changed in the past.  The series, created by Simon Barry, could easily have fallen victim to anachronistic gags and time-travel tropes.  Instead, smart writing, fast-paced action and an increasingly complicated plot make Continuum a show worthy of binge watching in a weekend. Hit the jump for my review of season one of Continuum on Blu-ray. For those of you who are already familiar with Continuum and are fans of this welcome addition to the SyFy lineup, you'll be happy to hear that the show has been renewed for a second season.

Genre: Sci-Fi | Action | Drama

Air Date/Time: Monday, January 14 at 8/7c

Network: Syfy

Created by: Simon Berry

Written by: Simon Berry

Directed by: Jon Cassar

Summary:

Continuum stars Rachel Nichols (Criminal Minds, Alias) as Kiera Cameron, a cop from the future who finds herself trapped in the present day. When a group of fanatical terrorists escapes their planned execution in 2077 by vaulting back in time to 2012, they inadvertently sweep along Kiera, a dedicated City Protective Services officer.

With unexpected assistance from teen tech genius Alec Sadler, played by Erik Knudsen (Jericho, Scream 4), Kiera infiltrates the local police department and forms an uneasy alliance with her new partner, detective Carlos Fonnegra, portrayed by Victor Webster (Castle, Melrose Place). Though desperate to get back to her husband and son, Kiera concentrates on bringing down the terrorists before they change the course of history.

I had heard about this show making a...

by Colleen Wanglund

Frank Henenlotter’s comic take on Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein has finally been released on Blu-ray thanks to Synapse Films.

When Jeffrey Franken (James Lorinz) loses his fiancé Elizabeth Shelly (Patty Mullen) to a horrible mulching accident at a family birthday party he becomes obsessed with bringing her back. An amateur bioelectric technician with dreams of grandeur, Jeffrey gathers the pieces of Patty’s mutilated body and sets his twisted plan into motion.

Jeffrey needs some fresh parts to add to the pieces of Elizabeth, so armed with a “special” drug Jeffrey makes his way over the bridge and into Manhattan where he lines up a party of hookers. All he has to do is pick the best parts of each girl. No problem, right? The party swings into high gear but Jeffrey begins to have doubts about what he’s doing. It’s too late, however as the hookers,...

Frankenhooker

Stars: James Lorinz, Joanne Ritchie, Patty Mullen, Joseph Gonzalez | Written by Frank Henenlotter, Robert Martin | Directed by Frank Henenlotter

Jeffrey Franken is a science whizz and a med school droput. He’s also a man in love. But when Elizabeth Shelley, the love of his life, is killed by a runaway remote-control lawnmower – which just happens to be one of Jeffrey’s inventions – he suffers a mental breakdown and decides there’s only one way to find love again, and that’s to piece Elizabeth back together with a little help from some explosive Supercrack and a gaggle of street walkers. However there’s a problem with Jeffrey’s plans – a pimp called Zorro and the fact that he doesnt just put the love of his life back together, he creates a Frankenhooker!

Frank Henenlotter is one of those directors whose work it seems you either love or hate.

Tis the season to be jolly and here at 28Dla, we have compiled a list of notable video titles that are available in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Yuletide fun can also include a tale of terror too to make those chilly nights even colder. This list is compiled from various sources.

November Releases

Bikini Bloodbath Christmas

"Jenny and Sharon are back! This time Ms. Johnson is in a coma, and the girls, along with their new friends, find themselves working at Mrs. Johnson's (Ms. Johnson's British cross-dressing sister) Bong Shoppe. Team Bong Shoppe is embattled in fierce competition for holiday business with a Christian Deli across the way. Things get a little crazy and in the heat of the moment, Jenny once again accidentally resurrects the Killer Chef... and mayhem—gratuitous amounts of gore and nudity—ensue! The Limited Edition Giftpack includes a limited poster and White Liger CD.

Hey everyone! It’s Tuesday and here are your Blu-Ray & DVD releases for the week. Some of the top picks are Blue Velvet, Henelotter’s Frankenhooker, Destroy All Monsters and plenty more.

Home Invasion is a list of DVD & Blu-Ray releases for the week. All descriptions are from Amazon.com unless otherwise noted. We have included buttons for you to order that product which not only makes it easy on you but also helps us pay the bills around here.

7 Nights of Darkness

In 2008 six reality television show contestants spent seven nights in an abandoned and haunted asylum. The show never aired but an editor for the network was able to piece together some footage. The prize for staying all seven nights was a share of one million dollars that was to be split amongst any contestants that didn’t leave. No prize money was ever awarded.

Buy the DVD @ Amazon.

Our good friends at Arrow have sent us details on their December release schedule, which includes the awesome news that Frank Henlotter’s classic Frankenhooker is getting the Arrow Video Blu-ray treatment! Count me in for that one. The other releases for the Yuletide season include ArrowDrome re-releases of De Palma’s Obsession and Tobe Hopper’s The Funhouse.

Frankenhooker Blu-ray (Arrow Video)

Some Assembly Required… Finding a girl when you’re a nerdy science geek can be hard. But what happens if that special someone dies in a bizarre gardening accident and it’s all your fault? Meet Jeffrey Franken. He’s just killed the love of his life and now he’s going to rebuild her… From the body parts of the dead streetwalkers who exploded when he introduced them to a lethal new drug – Supercrack! Little does he know that a good recipe requires the correct ingredients.

Synapse are on the ball once again. Having already lined up a Blu-ray release for Maniac Cop and the recently released The Exterminator they now bring us Frankenhooker. Frank Henenlotter, who also gave us the terrific Basket Case and Brain Damage movies, directed Frankenhooker back in 1990 so this is going to be a treat for fans of HD sleaze when it hits on November 8th.

When Jeffrey Franken’s fiancée is chopped to pieces by the blades of a remote-controlled lawnmower, he uses his dubious medical knowledge to try to bring her back to life. He reassembles his beloved Elizabeth using the body parts of New York City’s finest prostitutes, and resurrects her during a heavy lightning storm. Unfortunately for Jeffrey, his dear Elizabeth’s brain is scrambled and she

runs amok on 42nd Street, turning tricks and bringing high-voltage death to

her customers!

Special Features and Disc Info:...

The Frank Henenlotter-directed cult classic Frankenhooker will arrive on Blu-ray on Novermber 8th, and we have the disc information and cover art.

“From Frank Henenlotter, the creator of the Basket Case trilogy and Brain Damage, comes Frankenhooker, a gory horror-comedy twist on the Frankenstein legend.

When Jeffrey Franken’s fiancée is chopped to pieces by the blades of a remote-controlled lawnmower, he uses his dubious medical knowledge to try to bring her back to life. He reassembles his beloved Elizabeth using the body parts of New York City’s finest prostitutes, and resurrects her during a heavy lightning storm. Unfortunately for Jeffrey, his dear Elizabeth’s brain is scrambled and she runs amok on 42nd Street, turning tricks and bringing high-voltage death to her customers!

Synapse Films is proud to present the uncut version of Frankenhooker in an all-new 2K high-definition transfer created from original vault materials and digitally re-mastered 5.1 surround sound!

Weinstein Company boss makes an uncharacteristically frank criticism of right-wing favourite at the Toronto launch of his new film

The big story

For one of Hollywood's loudest voices, Harvey Weinstein is normally quite quiet when it comes to politics. Imagine the surprise this week when the movie mogul used the Toronto film festival screening of The Weinstein Company's new film, Butter, to take a surprise swipe at right-wing favourite Michele Bachmann (via a statement read by Butter star Olivia Wilde) .

"In 20 years of coming to the Toronto film festival, I've never released a statement for a film," read Wilde for Weinstein. "But I would like to take this moment to formally invite Republican congresswoman from Minnesota and Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann to co-host with me the big premiere of Butter in Iowa in a few months from now. We could take some math classes in the morning to help balance the budget,...

I will always remember standing in my local video store in front of their horror section and pressing the button on the box of Frankenhooker 100's of times just to hear it screech "Wanna Date?" Good times! If only Synapse Films can find a way to have their upcoming Blu-ray of the flick do that!

From the Press Release

From Frank Henenlotter, the creator of the Basket Case trilogy and Brain Damage, comes Frankenhooker, a gory horror-comedy twist on the Frankenstein legend. When Jeffrey Franken's fiancee is chopped to pieces by the blades of a remote-controlled lawnmower, he uses his dubious medical knowledge to try to bring her back to life. He reassembles his beloved Elizabeth using the body parts of New York City's finest prostitutes and resurrects her during a heavy lightning storm.

Unfortunately for Jeffrey, his dear Elizabeth's brain is scrambled, and she runs amok on 42nd Street,...

Rarely do I double-dip and replace a movie I own on DVD with the Blu-ray, but I will make the exception for Frank Henenlotter’s Frankenhooker, the ultimate 42nd Street horror-comedy. Synapse Films is bringing the goods as you can see below, and you can purchase it on November 8, 2011.

• Audio commentary by writer/director Frank Henenlotter and makeup FX designer Gabe Bartalos

• “A Salad That Was Once Named Elizabeth”—Patty Mullen featurette

• “A Stitch in Time: The Make-Up Effects of Frankenhooker”featurette

• “Turning Tricks: Jennifer Delora Remembers Frankenhooker”featurette

• Jennifer Delora’s Frankenhooker Photo Scrapbook

• Theatrical trailer

Retail price is $24.95.

Source: Fangoria...

Release Date: Nov. 22, 2011

Price: Blu-ray $24.95

Studio: Synapse Films

Patty Mullen hits Times Square as Frankenhooker.

Following his 1982 midnight movie favorite Basket Case to Blu-ray is Frank Henenlotter’s 1990 cult horror-comedy movie mash-up Frankenhooker.

Frankenhooker‘s nutso story tells of medical school dropout Jeffrey Franken (James Lorinz, King of New York) and his lovely fiancé Elizabeth (Penthouse Pet Patty Mullen), who, insanely enough, is chopped to pieces by the blades of a remote-controlled lawnmower. Using his dubious medical knowledge to try to bring Elizabeth back to life, Franken reassembles his beloved using the body parts of New York City’s finest prostitutes and resurrects her during a heavy lightning storm. Unfortunately, Elizabeth’s brain is scrambled and she runs amok on 42nd Street, turning tricks and bringing high-voltage death to her customers!

Synapse’s uncut Blu-ray version of the movie offers a new 2K high-definition transfer created from original vault materials and digitally remastered 5.1 surround sound,...

As a sci-fi geek, I’m not ashamed to admit I love SyFy TV shows Eureka and Warehouse 13, which are returning to DVD in July. Warehouse 13: Season 2 arrives on June 28 and Eureka: Season 4.0 on July 5 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Eureka Season 4

In Warehouse 13, Saul Rubinek (Barney’s Version) plays the head of a secret government department that hunts down and stores such supernatural objects as Icarus’ wings and Edgar Alan Poe’s pen, which when used, can end disastrously. The show stars Eddie McClintock (TV’s Bones) and Joanne Kelly (TV’s The Dresden Files) as former Secret Service agents who get recruited to work at Warehouse 13 tracking down the mythical artifacts and Jaime Murray (TV’s Spartacus: Gods of the Arena) as the infamous H.G. Wells.

The three-disc set will contain 12 episodes, including the Warehouse 13-Eureka crossover episode “Crossing Over,...

Mar 26, Mumbai: A stitch in time saves nine. Piggy Chops sure is following this proverb! As her shooting for Karan Johar’s remake of Agneepath has gotten stalled, she has wasted no time in preparing for her role in Anurag “Gangster” Basu’s next movie.

The movie is titled Barfee and Priyanka Chopra is playing the role of a mentally unstable girl. She has stopped.

You don't often see movie dentists who are regular guys. When they're not psychos, they're played for laughs

There's a gag in Jackass 3D called "Lamborghini tooth pull" and I think we all know what that means. For all the scatological tomfoolery and "Ow, my balls!" genital mistreatment on view, I bet this is the stunt that will make us wince the most, particularly as the film opens the same week the Daily Mail has reported that increasing numbers of people are trying to avoid exorbitant dental fees by pulling their own teeth out.

If you don't have a Lamborghini, you could always try the ice-skate option, like Tom Hanks in Cast Away. Or you could splice your genes with those of a housefly, like Jeff Goldblum in The Fly, who subsequently finds it easy to extract a tooth using just his fingers. Or, if you were really desperate, you...

In today's comedy scene, Norman Wisdom's influence is felt most keenly in the performances of Lee Evans

Wisdom's longevity was incredible. He was past his peak when the Carry On films were fresh. He was Charlie Chaplin's favourite clown, for goodness' sake. He even made Barry Cryer seem young.

And now he's gone. The absence won't be immediately noticeable, at least not to the younger generation, who are less familiar with his successes in films such as Trouble in Store in 1953, or A Stitch in Time in 1963, than they are tickled by his apparent godlike status in Albania, of all places.

In today's comedy scene, Norman Wisdom's influence is felt most keenly in the performances of Lee Evans, who disclaims any resemblance, but whose hapless dork persona and goofy physicality strongly recall Wisdom's signature style. "People will always find the sight of someone falling or someone spilling something funny,...

Norman Wisdom, one of the Britain's best-loved comedy stars, has died aged 95. We look back over his career in clips

Rex Harrison urged him to take up a career in showbiz; Charlie Chaplin named him his favourite clown. Yet Norman Wisdom remained that most modest of British superstars, unpretentious, full of humility, despite a dizzying rise to international fame. Or, rather, extreme popularity in the UK, and extraordinary adulation in other slightly unlikely other countries, most notably Albania, where he was, notoriously, the only Western actor whose films were allowed in the country during the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha.

Wisdom had a tough upbringing - sleeping in the same room as his whole family; a spell in a children's home, then employment by the Merchant Navy at a young age - which left little time for him to be a child. It seems striking then that his stage and screen...

The British comedian who was Charlie Chaplin's favourite clown and the only serious rival to that comic genius has passed away in a nursing home on the Isle of Man, where he’d lived for many years after suffering a series of strokes. He was 95. The comedian was enormously popular in Britain during the 1950s and 1960s – outstripping even Sean Connery’s James Bond as the UK’s top box office star. His career peaked with films like A Stitch In Time in 1963. Like Chaplin, Wisdom always played the same character: an irrepressible little man, who pratfalls his way through misadventures as he runs up against authority. Only the settings changed -- from a department store to an army barracks to a hospital. Like Chaplin, Wisdom had an appalling childhood. His parents pretty much abandoned him when he was young and he spent time in a children's home. It...

For some the name Norman Wisdom won’t mean a thing. He was an old man even when I was a kid, but many growing up in the 1980s and 1990s will remember the slapstick movies shown on television featuring Norman Wisdom with great warmth and affection. Even Charles Chaplin enjoyed his shtick – and that’s coming from cinema’s great comedic icon.

In a statement released by Wisdom’s son, he announced the passing earlier today (4th October) at his home on the Isle of Man:

“Over the past six months Sir Norman has sustained a series of strokes causing a general decline in both his mental and physical health. He had maintained a degree of independence up until a few days ago. However over the last few days his condition rapidly declined. He was in no pain or distress and peacefully passed away.”

Wisdom’s popularity rose in...

Smashing Pumpkins have now released four songs of the 44-song "album" "Teargarden by Kaleidyscope," this latest track titled "Astral Planes." It was released, initially, through West Coast indie record store Amoeba. A sweet gesture, considering tomorrow's Record Store Day. This particular track seems to be the loudest and -- perhaps no coincidence -- the most Smashing Pumpkins-sounding song so far from Billy Corgan, his 19-year-old drummer Mike Byrne and others. I'm not fond of the wane "Song for a Son," "Widow Wake My Mind" was Sp through a pure pop lens and "A Stitch in Time" could have baked for longer....

The Smashing Pumpkins have announced that they will release new song 'A Stitch In Time' free on their official website. The track is the third of 44 releases as part of their Teargarden By Kaleidyscope series. "The song came in during a stream of consciousness moment while sitting backstage at a Pumpkins concert in those wee, still hours between soundcheck and the show," Billy Corgan said of the track. "The lyrics came just as surprisingly fast as the music, and the whole process took about 20 minutes. I recorded it on my phone, and so for a year it was the only document (more)...