Stephen King has written hundreds of short stories and more than sixty novels, but he has only directed one movie. The goofball 1986 film Maximum Overdrive (watch it Here), which came to Blu-ray as part of the Vestron Video Collector’s Series back in 2018. Now it has been announced that Vestron Video has put together a special steelbook release of Maximum Overdrive – and this steelbook will only be available at Walmart! The street date is May 30th, and pre-orders are already been accepted on Walmart.com.
Images of the steelbook case can be seen at the bottom of this article.
Based on King’s short story Trucks, Maximum Overdrive has the following synopsis: After a comet causes a radiation storm on Earth, machines come to life and turn against their makers. Holed up in a North Carolina truck stop, a group of survivors must fend for themselves against a mass of homicidal trucks.
Images of the steelbook case can be seen at the bottom of this article.
Based on King’s short story Trucks, Maximum Overdrive has the following synopsis: After a comet causes a radiation storm on Earth, machines come to life and turn against their makers. Holed up in a North Carolina truck stop, a group of survivors must fend for themselves against a mass of homicidal trucks.
- 3/23/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Get behind the wheel of one wild ride when Lionsgate’s Vestron Video Collector’s Series releases Stephen King’s Maximum Overdrive on Blu-ray SteelBook on May 30!
The Blu-ray + Digital SteelBook is exclusive to Walmart, up for pre-order now. Maximum Overdrive was notably written for the screen and directed by Stephen King himself.
We assume the SteelBook release has the same special features as the recent Vestron Video Collector’s Series Blu-ray release of Maximum Overdrive, which included…
New: Audio Commentary with Writer Tony Magistrale, Author of Hollywood’s Steven King New: Audio Commentary by Actor and Comedian Jonah Ray and Blumhouse Film Executive Ryan Turek New: “Truck Stop Tales” Featurette – An Interview with Producer Martha De Laurentiis New: “Rage Against the Machines” Featurette – An Interview with Actress Laura Harrington New: “Honeymoon Horrors” Featurette – Interviews with Actor John Short and Actress Yeardley Smith New: “Maximum Carnage” Featurette – An Interview with...
The Blu-ray + Digital SteelBook is exclusive to Walmart, up for pre-order now. Maximum Overdrive was notably written for the screen and directed by Stephen King himself.
We assume the SteelBook release has the same special features as the recent Vestron Video Collector’s Series Blu-ray release of Maximum Overdrive, which included…
New: Audio Commentary with Writer Tony Magistrale, Author of Hollywood’s Steven King New: Audio Commentary by Actor and Comedian Jonah Ray and Blumhouse Film Executive Ryan Turek New: “Truck Stop Tales” Featurette – An Interview with Producer Martha De Laurentiis New: “Rage Against the Machines” Featurette – An Interview with Actress Laura Harrington New: “Honeymoon Horrors” Featurette – Interviews with Actor John Short and Actress Yeardley Smith New: “Maximum Carnage” Featurette – An Interview with...
- 3/23/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Small Time Film Arcade Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net, linked from Rotten Tomatoes by Harvey Karten Director: Niav Conty Screenwriter: Niav Conty Cast: Audrey Grace Marshall, Kevin Loreque, Holter Graham, Dominique Johnson, Maria Hasen, Elissa Middleton, Sina Rassi Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 11/15/21 Opens: November 11, 2021 streaming on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google […]
The post Small Time Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Small Time Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 11/16/2021
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Exclusive: Indie distributor The Film Arcade has acquired North American rights to distribute Small Time, written and directed by Niav Conty, and exec-produced by Oscar nominee Oren Moverman (The Messenger).
The film stars Audrey Grace Marshall (The Flight Attendant) Holter Graham (Maximum Overdrive) and Kevin Loreque (Pose).
Conty wrote the story based on a childhood memory and shot the film over the course of three years, allowing time for the young lead to grow up between each act. Lead actress Marshall, a SAG Award Ensemble Nominee for The Flight Attendant, plays Emma, a young girl growing up in rural America in the shadow of the opioid crisis and the “war on terror.” Tossed from one challenge to the next, innocent Emma journeys through the complexities of home, family, faith, and friendship.
Conty also acted as cinematographer, producer and co-editor on Small Time, which marks her feature debut. John J.A. Jannone...
The film stars Audrey Grace Marshall (The Flight Attendant) Holter Graham (Maximum Overdrive) and Kevin Loreque (Pose).
Conty wrote the story based on a childhood memory and shot the film over the course of three years, allowing time for the young lead to grow up between each act. Lead actress Marshall, a SAG Award Ensemble Nominee for The Flight Attendant, plays Emma, a young girl growing up in rural America in the shadow of the opioid crisis and the “war on terror.” Tossed from one challenge to the next, innocent Emma journeys through the complexities of home, family, faith, and friendship.
Conty also acted as cinematographer, producer and co-editor on Small Time, which marks her feature debut. John J.A. Jannone...
- 9/24/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s a damn good week to be a Stephen King fan, that is for sure, because we have two must-own Blu-ray releases coming out on Tuesday, perfect for some inspired Halloween-time viewings. First up, Scream Factory has put together a Collector’s Edition of Creepshow that is just utterly phenomenal, and there’s also the long overdue Blu for Maximum Overdrive that’s coming out as part of the Vestron Video Collector’s Series.
As if that wasn’t already enough, Brian De Palma’s Sisters joins the ranks of The Criterion Collection this week, Night of the Demons is getting the Steelbook treatment, there’s an unrated version of Fede Alvarez’s Evil Dead that arrives on Blu, plus there’s a special edition of Deadbeat by Dawn to look forward to as well.
Other notable releases for October 23rd include The Devil’s Doorway, The Unnamable, Patient Zero,...
As if that wasn’t already enough, Brian De Palma’s Sisters joins the ranks of The Criterion Collection this week, Night of the Demons is getting the Steelbook treatment, there’s an unrated version of Fede Alvarez’s Evil Dead that arrives on Blu, plus there’s a special edition of Deadbeat by Dawn to look forward to as well.
Other notable releases for October 23rd include The Devil’s Doorway, The Unnamable, Patient Zero,...
- 10/23/2018
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Program Description
Get behind the wheel of one wild ride when the Vestron Video Collector’s Series releases Stephen King’s Maximum Overdrive on limited-edition Blu-ray on October 23 from Lionsgate. Written for the screen and directed by the original Master of Horror – Stephen King – this marks the first time ever that this horrifying film about sentient, homicidal machines has been released on Blu-ray in the U.S. Maximum Overdrive is loaded with all-new special features, including interviews with Producer Martha De Laurentiis and Special Make-Up Effects Creator Dean Gates; on-set vintage interviews with Stephen King, Emilio Estevez, and Laura Harrington; behind-the-scenes footage; and more! The Maximum Overdrive limited-edition Blu-ray will be available for the suggested retail price of $39.97.
Official Synopsis
Get ready for the ultimate battle of man vs. bloodthirsty machine in this terrifying Stephen King classic! For three horrifying days, the Earth passes through the tail of a mysterious comet.
Get behind the wheel of one wild ride when the Vestron Video Collector’s Series releases Stephen King’s Maximum Overdrive on limited-edition Blu-ray on October 23 from Lionsgate. Written for the screen and directed by the original Master of Horror – Stephen King – this marks the first time ever that this horrifying film about sentient, homicidal machines has been released on Blu-ray in the U.S. Maximum Overdrive is loaded with all-new special features, including interviews with Producer Martha De Laurentiis and Special Make-Up Effects Creator Dean Gates; on-set vintage interviews with Stephen King, Emilio Estevez, and Laura Harrington; behind-the-scenes footage; and more! The Maximum Overdrive limited-edition Blu-ray will be available for the suggested retail price of $39.97.
Official Synopsis
Get ready for the ultimate battle of man vs. bloodthirsty machine in this terrifying Stephen King classic! For three horrifying days, the Earth passes through the tail of a mysterious comet.
- 8/23/2018
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
Get behind the wheel of one wild ride when the Vestron Video Collector’s Series releases Stephen King’s Maximum Overdrive on limited-edition Blu-ray on October 23 from Lionsgate. Written for the screen and directed by the original Master of Horror – Stephen King – this marks the first time ever that this horrifying film about sentient, homicidal machines has been released on Blu-ray in the U.S. Maximum Overdrive is loaded with all-new special features, including interviews with Producer Martha De Laurentiis and Special Make-Up Effects Creator Dean Gates; on-set vintage interviews with Stephen King, Emilio Estevez, and Laura Harrington; behind-the-scenes footage; and more! The Maximum Overdrive limited-edition Blu-ray will be available for the suggested retail price of $39.97.
Get ready for the ultimate battle of man vs. bloodthirsty machine in this terrifying Stephen King classic! For three horrifying days, the Earth passes through the tail of a mysterious comet. The skies glow...
Get ready for the ultimate battle of man vs. bloodthirsty machine in this terrifying Stephen King classic! For three horrifying days, the Earth passes through the tail of a mysterious comet. The skies glow...
- 8/23/2018
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
*Updated with Full List of Special Features and New Trailer* If you think of rogue steamrollers and bloodthirsty semi trucks every time you hear AC/DC's "Who Made Who," then you might be a big fan of Maximum Overdrive, the 1986 horror film directed by the master of the genre himself, Stephen King. Several of us at Daily Dead are passionate fans of the zany movie that pits humans against machines, so we're excited to see that Lionsgate's Vestron Video is bringing Maximum Overdrive to Blu-ray in the Us.
New Press Release: "The Vestron Video series keeps on trucking with the upcoming release of Stephen King’s cult classic Maximum Overdrive, arriving on limited-edition Blu-ray™ on October 23.
Stephen King’s Horrifying Vision Arrives on Blu-rayTM in the U.S. for the First Time Ever!
Street Date: 10/23/18
Blu-ray™ Srp: $39.97
Program Description
Get behind the wheel of one wild ride when the...
New Press Release: "The Vestron Video series keeps on trucking with the upcoming release of Stephen King’s cult classic Maximum Overdrive, arriving on limited-edition Blu-ray™ on October 23.
Stephen King’s Horrifying Vision Arrives on Blu-rayTM in the U.S. for the First Time Ever!
Street Date: 10/23/18
Blu-ray™ Srp: $39.97
Program Description
Get behind the wheel of one wild ride when the...
- 8/21/2018
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
“Hairspray” is John Waters’ most commercially successful film — the 1988 dancing comedy spawned a hit Broadway musical, a movie and TV movie of that musical, plus multiple sequel and TV show offers that never saw the light of day. “‘Hairspray’ is the gift that never stops giving,” Waters told an adoring crowd at New York’s IFC Center this past weekend, the theater where “Hairspray” first opened thirty years ago. It was called The Waverly Theater back then, and Waters, looking dapper in a purple pinstriped suit, recalled that night as one of the last times he saw his friend and muse Divine before his death.
“We got out of the limousine and there was a huge crowd that went crazy when Divine jumped out, and it was such an exciting night,” Waters said. “I only saw Divine alive one more time after that night, so it was a great, great night to remember.
“We got out of the limousine and there was a huge crowd that went crazy when Divine jumped out, and it was such an exciting night,” Waters said. “I only saw Divine alive one more time after that night, so it was a great, great night to remember.
- 8/1/2018
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Let me start off by saying this: I am keenly aware that Maximum Overdrive is not a very good movie at all. In fact, it's a downright terrible movie if you take into consideration its various plot holes and nonsensical conditions established in the film coupled with some very awkward performances and characters that couldn’t be more stereotypical if they tried.
But, for me, what ultimately saves Maximum Overdrive from itself is the fact that at the end of the day, the story as a concept is ridiculous fun, the action is over-the-top crazy with tons of destruction and explosions, and it just seems like director Stephen King had a helluva lot of fun making it (he has since admitted to being under the influence of drugs throughout production, which explains a lot). Despite its imperfections, I still adore this deeply flawed film and you have to admit, there...
But, for me, what ultimately saves Maximum Overdrive from itself is the fact that at the end of the day, the story as a concept is ridiculous fun, the action is over-the-top crazy with tons of destruction and explosions, and it just seems like director Stephen King had a helluva lot of fun making it (he has since admitted to being under the influence of drugs throughout production, which explains a lot). Despite its imperfections, I still adore this deeply flawed film and you have to admit, there...
- 10/23/2015
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Reviewed by Kevin Scott, MoreHorror.com
Maximum Overdrive (1986)
Written by: Stephen King
Directed by: Stephen King
Cast: Emilio Estevez (Bill), Pat Hingle (Bubba), Laura Harrington (Brett), Yeardley Smith (Connie), John Short (Curtis), J.C. Quinn (Duncan Keller), Holter Graham (Deke Keller), Frankie Faison (Handy)
Alright, I know that I probably can’t tell you anything new about this one, but sometimes I feel like I need to defend it as a wonderful and random anomaly that will probably never happen again. Stephen King as a director? AC/DC doing the complete score? Man, that sounds like horror/rock and roll heaven! In a way, it was. Once again, I do have some nostalgia for this film. It was the humble beginnings of one of my favorite cities, Wilmington, Nc becoming a prolific film town. This film was made by Deg films along with a couple of other King adaptations like “Cat...
Maximum Overdrive (1986)
Written by: Stephen King
Directed by: Stephen King
Cast: Emilio Estevez (Bill), Pat Hingle (Bubba), Laura Harrington (Brett), Yeardley Smith (Connie), John Short (Curtis), J.C. Quinn (Duncan Keller), Holter Graham (Deke Keller), Frankie Faison (Handy)
Alright, I know that I probably can’t tell you anything new about this one, but sometimes I feel like I need to defend it as a wonderful and random anomaly that will probably never happen again. Stephen King as a director? AC/DC doing the complete score? Man, that sounds like horror/rock and roll heaven! In a way, it was. Once again, I do have some nostalgia for this film. It was the humble beginnings of one of my favorite cities, Wilmington, Nc becoming a prolific film town. This film was made by Deg films along with a couple of other King adaptations like “Cat...
- 8/5/2014
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Incumbent Mike Hodge will seek a third term as president of SAG-aftra's New York local. The announcement was made Thursday by United Screen Actors Nationwide, which put forward a slate of candidates for the posts and the guild's national board. Topping the Usan ticket along with Hodge are N.Y. vice president candidates Rebecca Damon, Maureen Donnelly, Jay Potter and Liz Zazzi. Hodge is co-president of SAG-aftra's New York local, along with Holter Graham. Hodge was first elected as SAG N.Y. president in 2009, and re-elected in 2011. When the Screen Actors Guild merged...
- 6/28/2013
- by Todd Cunningham
- The Wrap
The SAG-aftra New York Local’s first ever bone marrow drive added 15 donors to the Be The Match Registry. The union trumpeted the success of its March 14 event, which drew 25 members and staff. It was organized in support of Holter Graham, the local president, who is battling leukemia and beginning the bone marrow transplant process. “This was an important day to show support of our friend and colleague Holter Graham and all families who are struggling with this diagnosis,” Roberta Reardon, SAG-aftra national co-president, said in a statement. “I am proud of all the members of SAG-aftra that came out today. We at SAG-aftra know none of us is as strong as all of us together.” Be The Match Registry is a list of potential donors operated by the National Marrow Donor Program.
- 3/15/2013
- backstage.com
The SAG-aftra New York Local will be holding a marrow donor drive this morning as local co-president Holter Graham is battling leukemia and undergoing the marrow transplant process. The drive will be hosted in conjunction with the Be The Match Registry and supports people struggling with leukemia and other blood cancers, the union said. In a release announcing the drive, SAG-aftra cites statistics from the National Cancer Institute that more than 48,000 will be diagnosed with leukemia in the United States this year. Seventy percent of patients in need of a transplant...
- 3/14/2013
- by Brent Lang
- The Wrap
To help in the fight against Leukemia, the SAG-aftra New York Local is holding a marrow donor drive March 14 in conjunction with the Be The Match Registry, a list of potential donors operated by the National Marrow Donor Program. SAG-aftra New York Local Co-President Holter Graham is battling leukemia and beginning the marrow transplant process. A bone marrow transplant is the best hope for a cure for leukemia, a type of blood cancer. The union is inviting its members and their friends and family ages 18-44 who meet certain health guidelines to register as potential donors at SAG-aftra’s New York office between 10 a.m. – noon on Thursday. The age guidelines are meant to protect the safety of the donor and provide the best possible outcome for the patient, as those between 18-44 produce more and higher-quality cells. Members can also make a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as part of the effort.
- 3/13/2013
- backstage.com
Lloyd Floyd has little patience for actors who complain that doing voiceovers in video games pushes them to extremes that they're not prepared to handle. He doesn't deny that it's heavy-duty work and far more demanding than other Vo gigs. But it's also, at least for him, a hell of a lot of fun.Video games are big business; indeed, at the high end they rival megafilms in production value and profit, says Holter Graham, co-New York local president of SAG-aftra. Graham, who also is the co-chair of the Interactive Steering Committee, says that in any given year hundreds of actors are employed, with the most successful games using union talent. If it's a large project, 30 to 40 actors may be brought on board to play 100 roles. Most are cast with male actors who have "a strong hero's voice and a low register," says Graham. "Sometimes the voice is...
- 5/31/2012
- by help@backstage.com (Simi Horwitz)
- backstage.com
SAG-aftra invites its members to the first ever New York Local special membership meeting on Monday, May 14. Union members will hear reports from SAG-aftra's elected leaders and staff, and will also be able to ask questions about the new union.The meeting will be held Monday, May 14, 5:30-8 p.m. at the Directors Guild of America Theater, 110 West 57th Street (between Sixth and Seventh Avenues), New York City. Doors open at 5 p.m.Speakers will include New York co-presidents Holter Graham and Mike Hodge, co-executive directors Stephen Burrow and Jae Je Simmons, assistant national executive director for organizing Phil Denniston, and Steven Sobotta of the Actors Federal Credit Union. Reports from the SAG-aftra leadership will be followed by time for questions and answers. Actors who are unable to attend the meeting can email their questions to nymember@sagaftra.org.This special membership meeting is only open to paid-up SAG-aftra...
- 5/11/2012
- by help@backstage.com (Daniel Lehman)
- backstage.com
SAG-AFTRA, the new performers' union that was formed on March 30 with the merger of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, has taken its first official action by establishing an initial 24-member executive committee. The panel was announced on on Wednesday, Variety reported.The committee is composed of a dozen national officers, and SAG-AFTRA co-presidents Ken Howard and Roberta Reardon have each appointed six additional members. Per the merger agreement, Howard and Reardon will chair the SAG-AFTRA executive committee.The officers are Ned Vaughn, executive VP; Amy Aquino and Matthew Kimbrough, co-secretary-treasurers; Gabrielle Carteris, Los Angeles VP; Mike Hodge, New York VP; Craig Dellimore, mid-sized locals VP; David Hartley-Margolin, small locals VP; Michael O'Keefe, actor/performer VP; Catherine Brown, broadcaster VP; and Jim Ferguson, recording artist VP.The appointed members are David Browde, Assaf Cohen, Rebecca Damon, Denise Dal Vera,...
- 4/12/2012
- by help@backstage.com (Daniel Lehman)
- backstage.com
Tfw opens with a Ketchum adaptation that fails to hit the mark.
Kicking off the 6th Annual Texas Frightmare Weekend was a double feature at the Lewisville Studio Movie Grill. More importantly, this particular double feature showcased two film adaptations of horror novels by the legendary author Jack Ketchum.
The first film, the 2009 Ghost House Underground's Offspring, while technically the 2nd story in Ketchum's controversial Dead River chronicles, starts us off with a bang and immediately sets the tone for the soon-to-be blood drenched evening.
The Setup
It can go without saying that once you've heard the premise of Offspring, you can pretty much figure exactly how the film will play out. The story follows a nomadic clan of primal, cannibalistic humans that hunt along the northeast coast of the U.S. and Canada.
Stalking through the night, the primitives, in their incresing boldness and hunger, stalk humans in their homes,...
Kicking off the 6th Annual Texas Frightmare Weekend was a double feature at the Lewisville Studio Movie Grill. More importantly, this particular double feature showcased two film adaptations of horror novels by the legendary author Jack Ketchum.
The first film, the 2009 Ghost House Underground's Offspring, while technically the 2nd story in Ketchum's controversial Dead River chronicles, starts us off with a bang and immediately sets the tone for the soon-to-be blood drenched evening.
The Setup
It can go without saying that once you've heard the premise of Offspring, you can pretty much figure exactly how the film will play out. The story follows a nomadic clan of primal, cannibalistic humans that hunt along the northeast coast of the U.S. and Canada.
Stalking through the night, the primitives, in their incresing boldness and hunger, stalk humans in their homes,...
- 4/29/2011
- Cinelinx
Tfw opens with a Ketchum adaptation that fails to hit the mark.
Kicking off the 6th Annual Texas Frightmare Weekend was a double feature at the Lewisville Studio Movie Grill. More importantly, this particular double feature showcased two film adaptations of horror novels by the legendary author Jack Ketchum.
The first film, the 2009 Ghost House Underground's Offspring, while technically the 2nd story in Ketchum's controversial Dead River chronicles, starts us off with a bang and immediately sets the tone for the soon-to-be blood drenched evening.
The Setup
It can go without saying that once you've heard the premise of Offspring, you can pretty much figure exactly how the film will play out. The story follows a nomadic clan of primal, cannibalistic humans that hunt along the northeast coast of the U.S. and Canada.
Stalking through the night, the primitives, in their incresing boldness and hunger, stalk humans in their homes,...
Kicking off the 6th Annual Texas Frightmare Weekend was a double feature at the Lewisville Studio Movie Grill. More importantly, this particular double feature showcased two film adaptations of horror novels by the legendary author Jack Ketchum.
The first film, the 2009 Ghost House Underground's Offspring, while technically the 2nd story in Ketchum's controversial Dead River chronicles, starts us off with a bang and immediately sets the tone for the soon-to-be blood drenched evening.
The Setup
It can go without saying that once you've heard the premise of Offspring, you can pretty much figure exactly how the film will play out. The story follows a nomadic clan of primal, cannibalistic humans that hunt along the northeast coast of the U.S. and Canada.
Stalking through the night, the primitives, in their incresing boldness and hunger, stalk humans in their homes,...
- 4/29/2011
- Cinelinx
Here's a look back at Back Stage's top 10 memories:10. Undead DAYTIMEBack in 2009—when the daytime-drama format looked to be going the way of the wild polar bear—American Federation of Television and Radio Artists New York local president Holter Graham sounded a mournful note about the format's future. "The writing was on the wall about daytime and that it was a changing market a long time ago," Graham said. "The economic crisis given to us by the Bush administration sped up that process and made that writing on the wall bright yellow highlighter."That highlighter ink didn't wash away in 2010, but it faded a little. In 2009, CBS announced that its long-running soaps "Guiding Light" and "As the World Turns" would come to an end. This year no such similar announcement came, the networks instead making multiyear commitments to dramas such as "The Young and the Restless" and "Days of Our Lives.
- 12/29/2010
- backstage.com
The recession has taken a toll on nearly every trade, and New York's film and TV industry hasn't been spared any fiscal grief. But the Empire State's actors have reason to breathe easier this month. On Aug. 3, the state Legislature passed a measure extending New York's film and TV tax-credit program, allotting $2.1 billion in incentives over a five-year period ($420 million per year) to projects that complete a percentage of their shooting and postproduction work inside state lines. The tax credit comes, at long last, as part of the newly passed state budget, due by April 1 but delayed this year for four interminable months.The tax incentive, which offers a 30 percent rebate on below-the-line expenditures for qualified projects, as well as a 10 percent rebate on postproduction work completed in New York, is nothing new: Funding for the program has been renewed yearly since 2004. But the five-year extension, which guarantees the credits...
- 8/18/2010
- backstage.com
"I think viewers are going to be happy to see this lineup of great new shows that will truly fit the NBC legacy of quality, culturally defining shows."That was Angela Bromstad, president of NBC Entertainment, unveiling the television network's 2009-10 lineup to the media last May. At the heart of that schedule was Jay Leno, who days later hosted his final episode of "The Tonight Show." In a move NBC touted as a coup—and many working in scripted television decried as a harbinger of the end times—Leno agreed to stay with the network and set up shop five nights a week in the 10 p.m. time slot that had traditionally been home to some of TV's best-known dramas. NBC planned to do nothing short of change the way broadcast networks program their schedules, a tradition-rooted process built on viewing habits formed over generations.Oops.Come December, Bromstad...
- 1/20/2010
- backstage.com
In many ways, 2009 was a yearlong echo of 2008. The recession that began last year may have ended, but unless you work for Goldman Sachs, you probably didn't notice. Meanwhile, so-called "new media"—a moniker that as time passes sounds more and more like it was invented by somebody's grandpa—continued to imitate a fast-moving glacier carving a canyon across the old-media landscape. Nearly every major story of 2009 sprang from these two reservoirs, already well tapped in 2008. But at the very least, this year was no less interesting than the one it followed. Here are 10 reasons why.10. Equity's swinging doorMaybe former Actors' Equity Association executive director John P. Connolly, who resigned Nov. 30, and former Equity president Mark S. Zimmerman, who resigned Dec. 12, really did decide within two weeks of each other to leave their union posts to focus on their respective acting careers and personal lives. Maybe not. But for Equity,...
- 12/30/2009
- backstage.com
When CBS announced Dec. 8 that it was canceling the 54-year-old soap opera "As the World Turns," the news was less surprising than spotting Meryl Streep in a "For your consideration" ad. Eye Network president Nina Tassler had cast doubt on the show's future at the August upfronts, when she told the New York Post that the program was "having ratings challenges" and that its health was being closely watched. A month later, the final episode of another CBS daytime stalwart, "Guiding Light," then the longest-running scripted program on television, aired.As a genre, soaps are not faring well. In a cost-cutting effort, ABC's "All My Children" will vacate its New York studio and begin shooting in Southern California in January, while another ABC soap, "One Life to Live," is rumored to be on deathwatch. After "As the World Turns" leaves the airwaves next September, there will be only five daytime dramas left on network television.
- 12/16/2009
- backstage.com
Hulu's tongue-in-cheek Super Bowl ad this year described the free online TV site as an alien plot designed to melt our brains and destroy the world. Given the upheaval in traditional media these days, one might wonder whether the joke is becoming reality.After all, advertising dollars are increasingly moving away from broadcast television (if they're even being spent), and viewers are diversifying their entertainment sources, from video games to the Web to Netflix to their DVRs. But the Hulu ad might also hint at a way forward. "The best part is, there's nothing you can do to stop it," pitchman Alec Baldwin says of Hulu's coming world domination. "I mean, what are you going to do? Turn off your TV and your computer?" Certainly, no one's going to do that. The future of television, for better or worse, looks to be bound to the Internet. As viewership declines for...
- 10/14/2009
- backstage.com
Roberta Reardon was unanimously re-elected to a second two-year term as national president of the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists at the union's biennial national convention Saturday in Chicago.
Representatives of the union's 32 locals and chapters also approved a $300 increase in the initiation fee to join AFTRA, upping it to $1,600, effective Nov. 1. All revenue raised as a result of the fee increase has been exclusively designated for organizing efforts to increase employment opportunities for union performers and broadcasters.
The three-day 62nd National Convention, held at the Hyatt Regency, also saw the re-election of national first vp Bob Edwards, a satellite radio host from Washington; second national vp Ron Morgan, an actor from Los Angeles; national treasurer Matt Kimbrough, a Los Angeles actor; and national recording secretary Lainie Cooke, a New York actor.
National vps re-elected were Denny Delk, Holter Graham, Bob Butler, Catherine Brown, Jim Ferguson and Shelby Scott.
Representatives of the union's 32 locals and chapters also approved a $300 increase in the initiation fee to join AFTRA, upping it to $1,600, effective Nov. 1. All revenue raised as a result of the fee increase has been exclusively designated for organizing efforts to increase employment opportunities for union performers and broadcasters.
The three-day 62nd National Convention, held at the Hyatt Regency, also saw the re-election of national first vp Bob Edwards, a satellite radio host from Washington; second national vp Ron Morgan, an actor from Los Angeles; national treasurer Matt Kimbrough, a Los Angeles actor; and national recording secretary Lainie Cooke, a New York actor.
National vps re-elected were Denny Delk, Holter Graham, Bob Butler, Catherine Brown, Jim Ferguson and Shelby Scott.
- 8/9/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Wrong Turn 3 director Declan O’Brien will be previewing his new Fox DVD splatter sequel at the fast-approaching East Coast edition of Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, to be held June 5-7 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (11th Avenue between 34th and 39th Streets) in New York City. O’Brien (pictured below with friend), the director of the Sci Fi Channel original movies Rock Monster, Monster Ark and Cyclops, will debut exclusive clips from Wrong Turn 3 (about another group of lost travelers facing off against inbred hillbilly maniacs) at the convention on Sunday.
In addition to his directing chores, O’Brien has also scripted Harpies, The Snake King and Savage Planet for Sci Fi. Stop by this site again over the next couple of days as we begin posting the full schedules (auditorium panels and film programs) for the Fango show.
In other convention news, Trick ’R Treat...
In addition to his directing chores, O’Brien has also scripted Harpies, The Snake King and Savage Planet for Sci Fi. Stop by this site again over the next couple of days as we begin posting the full schedules (auditorium panels and film programs) for the Fango show.
In other convention news, Trick ’R Treat...
- 6/1/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Tony Timpone)
- Fangoria
A panel devoted to the Canadian slasher flick Smash Cut has been added to the lineup of the fast-approaching East Coast edition of Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, to be held June 5-7, 2009 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (11th Avenue between 34th and 39th Streets) in New York City. Representing the film will be stars David Hess and Jennilee Murray, plus director Lee Gordon Demarbre (Jesus Christ, Vampire Hunter), writer Ian Driscoll and the Godfather of Gore himself, Herschell Gordon Lewis!
In Smash Cut (an ode to the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis, who has a cameo in the movie), Hess (pictured below) plays Able Whitman, a troubled filmmaker losing his mind in an extraordinary way. After accidentally killing an exotic dancer, he decides to use her body parts in his newest horror picture. But when her sister (played by porn star Sasha Grey) begins investigating, Able must...
In Smash Cut (an ode to the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis, who has a cameo in the movie), Hess (pictured below) plays Able Whitman, a troubled filmmaker losing his mind in an extraordinary way. After accidentally killing an exotic dancer, he decides to use her body parts in his newest horror picture. But when her sister (played by porn star Sasha Grey) begins investigating, Able must...
- 5/29/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Tony Timpone)
- Fangoria
A panel devoted to the Canadian slasher flick Smash Cut has been added to the lineup of the fast-approaching East Coast edition of Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, to be held June 5-7, 2009 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (11th Avenue between 34th and 39th Streets) in New York City. Representing the film will be stars David Hess and Jennilee Murray, plus director Lee Gordon Demarbre (Jesus Christ, Vampire Hunter), writer Ian Driscoll and the Godfather of Gore himself, Herschell Gordon Lewis!
In Smash Cut (an ode to the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis, who has a cameo in the movie), Hess (pictured below) plays Able Whitman, a troubled filmmaker losing his mind in an extraordinary way. After accidentally killing an exotic dancer, he decides to use her body parts in his newest horror picture. But when her sister (played by porn star Sasha Grey) begins investigating, Able must...
In Smash Cut (an ode to the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis, who has a cameo in the movie), Hess (pictured below) plays Able Whitman, a troubled filmmaker losing his mind in an extraordinary way. After accidentally killing an exotic dancer, he decides to use her body parts in his newest horror picture. But when her sister (played by porn star Sasha Grey) begins investigating, Able must...
- 5/29/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Tony Timpone)
- Fangoria
30 Days Of Night actor Ben Foster (pictured below), star of the upcoming sci-fi thriller Pandorum, has joined the lineup of the fast-approaching East Coast edition of Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, to be held June 5-7, 2009 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (11th Avenue between 34th and 39th Streets) in New York City. Foster, who also won raves for his roles in 3:10 To Yuma and X-men: The Last Stand (as Angel), will be joined on Saturday by Pandorum co-star Cung Le, the three-time world champion martial artist.
In other convention news, the Offspring presentation has added castmates Holter Graham, Vic Manetti, Ahna Tessler, Leigh Shannon, Brainscan’s Amy Hargreaves and Headspace’s Pollyanna McIntosh, as well as Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer composer Ryan Shore, to its Saturday preview slot. Other exciting guests/programs set for Fango’s Big Apple blowout include:
• Guillermo del Toro: acclaimed director of Hellboy movies,...
In other convention news, the Offspring presentation has added castmates Holter Graham, Vic Manetti, Ahna Tessler, Leigh Shannon, Brainscan’s Amy Hargreaves and Headspace’s Pollyanna McIntosh, as well as Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer composer Ryan Shore, to its Saturday preview slot. Other exciting guests/programs set for Fango’s Big Apple blowout include:
• Guillermo del Toro: acclaimed director of Hellboy movies,...
- 5/27/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Tony Timpone)
- Fangoria
This email was sent by AFTRA to members today about the AMPTP talks:
May 19, 2008
Dear AFTRA Member:
As you know, AFTRA has been in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on our contract covering primetime network dramatic programs—also known as Exhibit A—since May 7. Because a press blackout is in effect for these talks, I felt it was important to contact you directly with you a brief update.
We are confronting a number of challenging issues, and a resolution may not be quick or easy. However, our discussions with the Industry have been professional and businesslike, and we remain focused on continuing negotiations in this vein.
As expected, there are several significant issues in the area of New Media—including, most notably, how AFTRA members will participate in original New Media productions, and under what circumstances employers can exploit excerpts from traditional TV programs in New Media.
May 19, 2008
Dear AFTRA Member:
As you know, AFTRA has been in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on our contract covering primetime network dramatic programs—also known as Exhibit A—since May 7. Because a press blackout is in effect for these talks, I felt it was important to contact you directly with you a brief update.
We are confronting a number of challenging issues, and a resolution may not be quick or easy. However, our discussions with the Industry have been professional and businesslike, and we remain focused on continuing negotiations in this vein.
As expected, there are several significant issues in the area of New Media—including, most notably, how AFTRA members will participate in original New Media productions, and under what circumstances employers can exploit excerpts from traditional TV programs in New Media.
- 5/19/2008
- by Nikki Finke
- Deadline Film + TV
Discovery Communications' eco-friendly network Planet Green, set to launch in the second quarter, has gone into production on "Wasted", a 10-episode series hosted by Annabelle Gurwitch in which households work to make their homes "green" with the added incentive of earning money.
The half-hour primetime series, which likely will debut in the second quarter, features Gurwitch (TBS' "Dinner and a Movie") and handyman Holter Graham helping households of people -- from families to friends to fraternities -- become more eco-friendly. The pair audit a household's waste, energy, water and transportation consumption using such tools as an eco-calculator built especially for the series with input from the Global Footprint Network.
After revealing the household's "eco-horrors" and long-term effects on the environment, Gurwitch and Graham put them on a "green regime" to clean up their act. Each household is given three weeks to reduce their consumption, after which they are awarded cash based on the savings they have made by improving energy efficiency and reducing waste.
The half-hour primetime series, which likely will debut in the second quarter, features Gurwitch (TBS' "Dinner and a Movie") and handyman Holter Graham helping households of people -- from families to friends to fraternities -- become more eco-friendly. The pair audit a household's waste, energy, water and transportation consumption using such tools as an eco-calculator built especially for the series with input from the Global Footprint Network.
After revealing the household's "eco-horrors" and long-term effects on the environment, Gurwitch and Graham put them on a "green regime" to clean up their act. Each household is given three weeks to reduce their consumption, after which they are awarded cash based on the savings they have made by improving energy efficiency and reducing waste.
- 12/11/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.