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One of the most memorable podcasts we listened to last year was an episode of the A24 podcast cheekily titled “Seduce and Destroy.” Therein, “Uncut Gems” directors Josh and Benny Safdie sat down to chat with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson about Darius Khondji, the magic of Adam Sandler, and the lasting influence that “Punch-Drunk Love” had on the Safdies when they were young.

Continue reading Benny Safdie Will Apparently Appear In Paul Thomas Anderson’s Upcoming San Fernando Valley Movie at The Playlist.

With Halloween only a week away now (how in the heck did that happen?), of course there are a ton of horror and sci-fi home entertainment offerings arriving on Tuesday, ready to get you primed for all your spooky shenanigans leading up to October 31st. In terms of new titles, both War of the Planet of the Apes and Annabelle: Creation hit various formats, and Criterion has put together a stellar release for Olivier Assayas’ Personal Shopper as well.

On the cult side of the genre spectrum, we have a myriad of movies to look forward to, including a quartet of titles from Vinegar Syndrome: The Corpse Grinders, Demon Wind, Blood Beat, and the double feature of Prime Evil and Lurkers. Arrow Video has assembled a special edition set for Herschell Gordon Lewis’ Blood Feast that’s a must-own for any splatter fans out there, and the Warner Archive Collection...

Watch Jennifer Lawrence Seduce and Destroy in Intense Red Sparrow Trailer...

Francine York, the statuesque actress who showed off her sexuality as The Bookworm's moll on Batman and in such films as It's Only Money, Cannon for Cordoba and The Doll Squad, has died. She was 80.

York died Friday morning at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, Calif., after a battle with cancer, her friend, television producer Pepper Jay, told The Hollywood Reporter.

A native of Aurora, Minn., York appeared in scores of TV shows, from Rescue 8 in 1959 to The Mindy Project in 2015. She played a seductive Venus de Milo on an episode of Bewitched, a bake-off...

Kevin Meaney, stand up comedian and actor who starred in the TV adaptation of “Uncle Buck,” died Friday, October 21 at his home in Forestburgh, New York. He was 60.

“It is true as confirmed to me by his family. It is a tremendous loss to the comedy community as well. He was loved and will be missed,” Meaney’s agent Tom Ingegno told Laughspin. The comedian was scheduled to perform in East Providence, R.I. on Saturday night. No cause of death has been determined.

Meaney was a breakout star of the ‘80s comedy scene, appearing on the “Uncle Buck” TV series inspired by the John Candy film of the same name, and various late night shows including “The Tonight Show” and “Late Night with David Letterman.” He was best known for his catchphrase, “That’s not right!,” said to be an imitation of his mother.

He also appeared in episodes of “30 Rock,...

Ted V. Mikels, a grindhouse legend and B-movie mainstay for decades, passed away in his Las Vegas home on October 16, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The cause of death hasn’t been specified beyond mention of a “long illness,” but it is known that the 87-year-old filmmaker known for such films as “Girl in Gold Boots,” “The Astro-Zombies” and “The Doll Squad” will leave a lasting legacy in his corner of the film world.

Read More: Herschell Gordon Lewis, Horror’s ‘Godfather of Gore,’ Dies at 87

Born Theodore Mikacevich on April 29, 1929 in St. Paul, Minnesota, Mikels had an interest in everything from photography to fire-eating in his younger years. He began producing educational documentaries and short films in the 1950s, by which time he lived in Bend, Oregon, before making his first film, “Strike Me Deadly,” in 1963. He became highly prolific thereafter, staking a claim for himself in the realm...

Ten Violent Women: Part Two, the sequel to Ted V. Mikels’ highly successful film "Ten Violent Women", has started filming in Las Vegas, Nv. "Ten Violent Women" is one of Mikels’ most successful films, and the sequel has empowering women as the motive of the action. “Ten Violent Women: Part Two” is being produced and directed by legendary filmmaker Ted V. Mikels. John Cornett is the first assistant director, and Wendy O. Altamura, PhD, is the editorial consultant. The director of photography is Noah Kiriu. Dawna Lee Heising of More Horror plays Joanna, one of the ten violent women in the film.

"Ten Violent Women, Part Two" is a feature film about women bodybuilders, dedicated to active exercise and female empowerment. The sequel is a heavy drama about the drug syndicate, kidnappings, murder, and vengeance, and will include good cops, bad cops, good guys and bad guys. The film stars Donna Hamblin,...

Mikels Announces Acting Auditions in Henderson, Nevada on August 9, 2015

Tvm Studios has announced that the studio’s new production, Ten Violent Women: Part Two, has scheduled acting auditions at the company’s Las Vegas Studio on August 9, 2015 in Henderson, Nevada. "Ten Violent Women: Part Two", the sequel to “10 Violent Women”, will star Francine York, and will explore females who seek recognition for their physical beauty, muscular bodies, martial arts, wrestling, boxing, and beauty pageant appearances. Check out this great video from Mikels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=14&v=dSJ-nzyuFpM

Ted V. Mikels, the film’s legendary director, has announced a campaign to raise the necessary production funds. Mikels notes that he has been making movies for over 65 years. “I have made dozens and dozens of movies over the years, including such titles as ‘Astro Zombies,’ ‘The Doll Squad,’ ‘10 Violent Women,’ ‘The Corpse Grinders,’ ‘Girl In The Gold Boots,...

Stars: Francine York, Sherri Vernon, Tura Satana, Leigh Christian, Michael Ansara, Anthony Eisley, John Carter | Written by Ted V. Mikels, Jack Richesin, Pam Eddy | Directed by Ted V. Mikels

A rousing cocktail of bombs and bikinis, topped with a slick 70s score, The Doll Squad (ask Seduce and Destroy) was produced, directed, written and edited by low-budget exploitation mogul Ted V. Mikels, the man responsible for The Corpse Grinders (1971) and Blood Orgy of the She-Devils (1974).

Pre-dating the likes of Charlies Angels (which was clearly influenced by Mikels’ feature), the film sees a group of female special agents brought together by the CIA for a special mission after a space shuttle launch is sabotaged by the megalomaniacal Eamon O’Reilly. The titular Doll Squad are tasked with bringing down O’Reilly and his private army which has warned that if its demands are not met it will strike again. Closing in...

The most beautiful girls in the world… Some are for loving… Some are for killing!

Banned In Iceland! 35Mm Film Print!

Synopsis

A reedy man wearing saddle shoes and an ill-fitting suit drags the nude body of a young woman—her throat slit– along an otherwise empty beach. Soon a number of other beautiful women turn up dead, their throats also cut open. Nurses, students, stewardesses… what’s the common thread? All were centerfold models for a popular men’s magazine, prey to a bloodthirsty psychotic with a straight razor!

Framed by an unusual three-story arc and jam-packed with delectable nudity and grim violence, The Centerfold Girls is an exploitation masterpiece, a depraved hell-ride through the skuzzy Seventies grindhouse circuit where sleaze and mean-spiritedness prevailed. Starring Tiffany Bolling (The Candy Snatchers), Aldo Ray (The Psychic Killer), Ray Danton (The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond), Francine York (The Doll Squad...

Cinematic Titanic is the live movie riffing show from the creator and original cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and they’re bringing their show to St. Louis this Saturday October 12th for what they’re calling their ‘Farewell Tour’ which I guess means this is the last time you’ll be able to see these guys riff on movies. Like MST3K, the show was created by Joel Hodgson and features the same team that first brought the Peabody award winning cult-classic series to life: Trace Beaulieu (Crow, Dr. Forrester), J. Elvis Weinstein (Tom Servo, Dr. Erhardt), Frank Conniff (TV’s Frank), and Mary Jo Pehl (Pearl Forrester), Cinematic Titanic continues the tradition of riffing on ‘the unfathomable’, ‘the horribly great’, and the just plain ‘cheesy’ movies from the past.

Four years ago when Cinematic Titanic came to the St. Louis area’s St. Charles Family Arena, they riffed on...

Interview conducted by Tom Stockman November 8th 2012

Cinematic Titanic is the live feature-length movie riffing show from the creator and original cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Like MST3K, the show was created by Joel Hodgson and features the same team that first brought the Peabody award winning cult-classic series to life: Trace Beaulieu (Crow, Dr. Forrester), J. Elvsi Weinstein (Tom Servo, Dr. Erhardt), Frank Conniff (TV.s Frank), and Mary Jo Pehl (Pearl Forrester). Cinematic Titanic continues the tradition of riffing on .the unfathomable., .the horribly great., and the just plain .cheesy. movies from the past. Cinematic Titanic is coming to St. Louis. The St. Charles Family Arena will be hosting Joel and the gang on Saturday, November 17th) starting at 7:30 (doors open at 6:30). The movie that will be riffed on this year is Ted V. Mikel.s 1973 classic Doll Squad starring the late Wamg muse Tura Satana.

Cinematic Titanic is the live movie riffing show from the creator and original cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and they.re bringing their show to St. Louis on Saturday November 17th. Like MST3K, the show was created by Joel Hodgson and features the same team that first brought the Peabody award winning cult-classic series to life: Trace Beaulieu (Crow, Dr. Forrester), J. Elvis Weinstein (Tom Servo, Dr. Erhardt), Frank Conniff (TV’s Frank), and Mary Jo Pehl (Pearl Forrester), Cinematic Titanic continues the tradition of riffing on ‘the unfathomable’, ‘the horribly great’, and the just plain ‘cheesy’ movies from the past.

Three years ago when Cinematic Titanic came to the St. Louis area.s St. Charles Family Arena, they riffed on the deliciously riffable 1964 gem Santa Claus Conquers The Martians. The next year they chose a 1968 Kaiju I was unfamiliar with called War Of The Insects (aka Genocide) but...

Monthly Movie Preview – June 2012

No offense to people who like the month of June, but this might be the weakest month of the summer movie season. Especially with G.I. Joe: Retaliation going Mia from the month’s slate, this one doesn’t have the firepower of May (The Avengers, Men in Black 3), July (The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises) or possibly even August (The Bourne Legacy, The Expendables 2).

Instead, this month looks to have some of the most random offerings of them all. Sure, Prometheus, Brave, and Rock of Ages are mixed in there, but so is another Tyler Perry movie (Madea’s Witness Protection), Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and yup, that Channing Tatum stripping movie Magic Mike. Oh, and a movie in which Mark Wahlberg hangs out with a raunchy teddy bear (Ted) for good measure. Add a Pixar movie on top, (Brave), and you’ve got June.

Jeff Conaway, character actor Charles Napier and 'Batman' star Michael Gough among those left out of segment on Sunday's show.

By Gil Kaufman

Jeff Conaway in "Grease"

Photo: Paramount Pictures

Some people watch the Oscars to see the pretty dresses, look for potential nip slips, revel in the weepy acceptance speeches, root against the leading contenders and yes, a few even tuned in for host Billy Crystal's paint-by-numbers movie spoofs.

But then there are those of us who wait for the annual "In Memoriam" segment that pays tribute to those the movie world has last over the past year, eager to see who has been omitted. In the past two years, that list has included "Airplane!" star Peter Graves and "Lost Boys" actor Corey Haim. In 2010, some fans were outraged that former pin-up and "Charlie's Angels" star Farrah Fawcett (who appeared in films including "Logan's Run" and...

Jeff Conaway, character actor Charles Napier and 'Batman' star Michael Gough among those left out of segment on Sunday's show.

By Gil Kaufman

Jeff Conaway in "Grease"

Photo: Paramount Pictures

Some people watch the Oscars to see the pretty dresses, look for potential nip slips, revel in the weepy acceptance speeches, root against the leading contenders and yes, a few even tuned in for host Billy Crystal's paint-by-numbers movie spoofs.

But then there are those of us who wait for the annual "In Memoriam" segment that pays tribute to those the movie world has last over the past year, eager to see who has been omitted. In the past two years, that list has included "Airplane!" star Peter Graves and "Lost Boys" actor Corey Haim. In 2010, some fans were outraged that former pin-up and "Charlie's Angels" star Farrah Fawcett (who appeared in films including "Logan's Run" and...

Actor best known for her role as a go-go dancer in Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

The actor Tura Satana, who has died aged 72, lived a life as eventful as the plots of the lurid B-movies that made her a star. Almost 6ft tall and trained in martial arts, she specialised in a kind of tough charisma that has rarely been matched on screen.

She was best known for her role in the Russ Meyer sexploitation movie Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965, tagline: "Superwomen! Belted, buckled and booted!"). As Varla, the leather-clad leader of a gang of thrill-seeking go-go dancers, Satana was given an opportunity by Meyer to perform her own stunts and choreograph fight scenes, as well as to adlib dialogue. She responded by channelling a kind of controlled rage, stating in an interview: "I took a lot of my anger that had been stored inside for many years and let it loose.

Junk Food Dinner was very saddened to hear about the passing of legendary cult film actress Tura Satana on February 4th, 2011.

The 6'3" beauty born Tura Luna Pascual Yamaguchi in Hokkaidō, Japan began her entertainment career first as a blues singer, then gained notoriety as a model and then eventually as a burlesque dancer.

Tura's first acting role came playing Suzette Wong in the 1963 Billy Wilder-directed comedy Irma la Douce alongside Jack Lemmon and Shirley McLaine.

However, it was her next role as the tough-as-nails Varla in Russ Meyer's 1965 exploitation classic Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! that would cement her legacy as a cult legend. With her "take-no-prisoners" attitude, exotic beauty and plunging neckline, Tura quickly became the object of desire for many cult movies fans for generations to come. Tura was also responsible for adding key elements to the visual style and energy of the film, including her costume,...

The Super-Sexy, Super-Violent, Super Vixen Tura Satana has died! If Tura had done nothing else in her life except star as Varla, the homicidal go-go girl in Russ Meyer’s 1965 masterpiece Faster Pussycat Kill Kill, the world would still be mourning the passing of a major cult movie icon for it was that great film which forever cemented her fame. Tura died Friday night of heart failure in Reno, Ne where she lived with her daughter. She was somewhere between 72 and 78 years old (depending on who you believe)

If the gods could bestow perfect names on people, they would have named young Tura Luna Pascual Yamaguchi ‘Tura Satana’, a name that fit her like the black leather gloves she wore in Faster Pussycat, but they didn’t have to. Tura married John Satana when she was just 13 years old. Her first marriage didn’t last long but she kept that great name.

Tura Satana, star of such films as Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, Astro Zombies and The Doll Squad, died this week at the age of 75. From a remembrance posted today at Screen Rush by filmmaker Shade Rupe:

Tura earned her most visible role while performing in Irma La Douce. She got a call from her agent to come read for Russ Meyer. She didn’t have time to change so she showed up in the wedding dress she was wearing for Irma La Douce. Russ handed her the script for “Leather Girls,” the original title of Faster, Pussycat! Kill Kill! and asked how she would play her. Tura replied, “I’d make her kind of feminine, but also a bitch on wheels.” After her cold reading Russ told her, “You are definitely Varla.”

Below is a great 2008 interview with Satana including Faster Pussycat! and Astro Zombies clips from Kevin Sean Michaels...

Love and Other Drugs is about people in the midst of their lives who arrive at somewhere precious by accident. It’s about ambition and commerce, because life is about ambition and commerce, but it soon transmutes into a love story, because life is often that, too. Love becomes, for two people, the great challenge and the great educator, and at every step of this beautiful film, we believe it.

There are a number of things to like about Edward Zwick‘s Love and Other Drugs, so it seems churlish to quibble about the problems.

But those foibles are what keep Zwick’s nervy blend of romantic comedy and drama from being a really good movie, instead of merely a good date destination. The problems aren’t terminal, but they are persistent.

Zwick’s film, which he and cowriter Marshall Herskovitz adapted with Charles Randolph from James Reidy’s book,...

The IMDb250. A list of the top 250 films as ranked by the users of the biggest internet movie site on the web. It is based upon the ratings provided by the users of the Internet Movie Database, which number into the millions. As such, it’s a perfect representation of the opinions of the movie masses, and arguably the most comprehensive ranking system on the Internet.

It’s because of this that we at HeyUGuys (and in this case we is myself and Barry) have decided to set ourselves a project. To watch and review all 250 movies on the list. We’ve frozen the list as of January 1st of this year, find it here. It’s not as simple as it sounds, we are watching them all in one year, 125 each.

This is our 22nd update and my next five films watched for the project. I had a few...

Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the most talented and most frustrating of the artists to emerge from the mid-90’s boom of next-generation film school brats. Though his first film was shuffled and recut, his sophomore effort was launched like the second coming. That film is Boogie Nights (1997), which - without setting the world on fire - became something of a cult hit, doing well enough to launch Anderson as a serious director. His follow up - 1999’s Magnolia - was viewed less favorably, though it too had its staunch defenders. With his cadre of returning players (Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Luis Guzman, John C. Reilly, Melora Walters, Phillip Baker Hall, Ricky Jay, and William H. Macy), and stars like Tom Cruise, and Mark Wahlberg, Anderson was both one of the most successful (critically) and least successful (fiscally) of the new auteurs. My reviews of Boogie Nights and Magnolia after jump.

The first Paul Thomas Anderson’s film I saw was his take on addiction and gambling called Hard Eight. It featured John C. rilley, Gwyneth Paltrow and the awesome Philip Baker Hall. It was filled with despicable characters who were selfish and hurt others to get what they wanted. I liked it very much and thought Anderson was definitely a filmmaker to watch.

His next piece of work was Boogie Nights, which further solidified his status as one of the best directors working today. Then, he released another seminal work of great distinction in Magnolia. This film, yet another pian to selfishness and the darker aspects of humanity, takes place in a single day in Los Angeles, focusing on a number of interconnected people whose lives are forever changed as they search for love and meaning in a chaotic world.

The film chronicles such diverse occurrences as a suicide turned...

Magnolia is a masterpiece of tone, filmmaking craft and moral observation offering up the despicable and redeemable in equal measure. It does this with a narrative full of extremes, people on the edge, desperation, and yet time after time it strips away their existential howling revealing what is really underneath. Encountering the films characters is like encountering an old enemy. Is he beaten down and repentant leaving us moved to extend compassion and forgiveness? When Magnolia does judge its characters it's a terrifying spectacle and you don't have a shred of doubt they deserve it. Starring Tom Cruise, the late great Jason Robards, William H. Macy, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Ricky Jay, Alfred Molina and John C. Reilly, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Magnolia is a film that will be watched as long as people watch film.

This Bluray edition is easily the best I've ever seen this...

Chicago – Has any director watched their reputation rise as rapidly as the amazing Paul Thomas Anderson? With only five films under his belt - “Hard Eight,” “Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia,” “Punch-Drunk Love,” and “There Will Be Blood” - the man has become one of the most respected and adored filmmakers in the world. Why? He not only hasn’t made a bad film, he hasn’t even come close. His second and third are now available on Blu-ray.

Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

P. T. Anderson’s incredible eye (and the perfect cinematography of Robert Elswit) makes for a perfect fit with the world of Blu-ray. Put simply, “Boogie Nights” and “Magnolia” look amazing in 1080p. These are the kind of films (“There Will Be Blood” even more so) meant to be watched with pristine video as large as you can possibly see it. They are worlds to get lost in. Don’t watch...

You can bring home one of Paul Thomas Anderson's most acclaimed films on Blu-ray early next year. Magnolia will be released on Blu-ray on Januray 19, 2010. The new Bd disc will be priced at $28.99 Srp and while we don't have the cover art image as of yet, we'll update this story as soon as we get the new images. The film stars Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly and William H. Macy.

Anderson's follow up to Boogie Nights was called "one of the best movies of the year" by Rolling Stone's Peter Travers and was nominated for three Academy Awards-- Best Supporting Actor (Tom Cruise in an amazing performance as a sleazy infomercial host); Best Original Song (Save Me by Aimee Mann) and an Original Screenplay nomination for Anderson. The film takes place in a single day in Los Angeles, focusing on a number of interconnected...

Since it's Tuesday, that means it's time to take a look at the genre fare hitting retail on DVD and Blu-Ray this week.

In this newly-expanded weekly version of the Fangoria Chopping List, we've got the full breakdown of titles to watch out for, along with all the info you need to make your own list.

Grindhouse Double Feature: Beast Of The Yellow Night/Keep My Grave Open: Alpha

Keep My Grave Open: A crazy woman who lives in an old mansion thinks she's with her brother/lover, who lures victims to her.

Beast: Satan saves Ashley from death on condition he become his disciple (and, as it turns out, a hairy murderous beast).

The Centerfold Girls (special edition): Dark Sky

The most beautiful girls in the world... Some are for loving... Some are for killing!

A reedy man wearing saddle shoes and an ill-fitting suit drags the nude...