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Producers for the 76th annual Emmy Awards have been editing the special “In Memoriam” segment to be featured on Sunday’s ABC ceremony. Since the most recent ceremony was delayed until mid-January, there are only eight months of TV legends who have died instead of the typical 12 months.

We have assembled a list of people below who might be selected. Members of the academy’s TV Hall of Fame are host and producer Phil Donahue, anchor and journalist Robert MacNeil, lighting designer Bill Klages and actor and comedian Bob Newhart. Some of the previous Emmy winners and nominees include previous academy president Leo Chaloukian, actor Bill Cobbs, actor Dabney Coleman, actress Shelley Duvall, actor and writer Joe Flaherty, director Jerry Foley, actor Louis Gossett Jr., actor Bill Hayes, actor James Earl Jones, host Peter Marshall, actor and comedian Martin Mull, actress Gena Rowlands, actor James B. Sikking, actor Donald Sutherland and actor Carl Weathers.

American actor who fitted naturally into the 70s trend for gritty crime thrillers as a brute with a twinkle in his eye

The American actor Tony Lo Bianco, who has died of cancer aged 87, specialised in hoods and heavies, often played with an uncommon twinkle in the eye that suggested he was in on some grim private joke. “I guess I’ll have to do a nun next,” he said after a run of such roles.

There was never any doubt that he meant business. “If you encountered Tony in a deserted alley at midnight, you’d be inclined to hand him your wallet before he asked for it,” wrote a US newspaper in 1978.

Tony Lo Bianco, who played the key role of Sal Boca in Best Picture Oscar winner The French Connection and appeared in more than 100 films and TV shows during a 60-year screen career, died Tuesday of prostate cancer at his home in Maryland. He was 87.

A rep confirmed his death to Fox News today.

Lo Bianco got his start guesting on 1960s TV series including The Doctors, Get Smart! and N.Y.P.D. before landing a big-screen star turn in 1970’s The Honeymoon Killers. That led to his signature role as Salvatore “Sal” Buco in William Friedkin’s seminal New York crime drama The French Connection the following year. His character is at the center of a drug deal followed by NYPD Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle (Gene Hackman). The film won five Oscars including Best Picture and Lead Actor for Hackman.

Roy Scheider, left, and Tony Lo Bianco in ‘The French Connection,...

Tony Lo Bianco, the Brooklyn actor who oozed criminal charm in the gritty 1970s New York City dramas The French Connection and The Seven-Ups, has died. He was 87.

Lo Bianco died Tuesday night of prostate cancer at his horse farm in Poolesville, Maryland, his wife, Alyse, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Lo Bianco was also memorable as a smooth-talking con man with a lonely nurse (Shirley Stoler) for a girlfriend/accomplice in Leonard Kastle’s documentary-style The Honeymoon Killers (1970), which Francois Truffaut once said was his favorite American film.

In another cult classic, the horror thriller God Told Me To (1976), directed by Larry Cohen, Lo Bianco starred as a New York cop who investigates a series of bizarre murders orchestrated by the leader of a religious group (Richard Lynch).

He received a best actor Tony nomination in 1983 for playing Eddie Carbone in a revival of Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge,...

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.NEWSSorcerer.“They simply can’t afford another strike,” said Teamsters Local 399 leader Lindsay Dougherty ahead of the first bargaining session with AMPTP this week. She called the matter of driverless trucks “a priority” and promised to “claw back things that we gave away in years past.”After two extensions, IATSE hopes to conclude their own negotiations with AMPTP by June 27, a month before the current contract expires. Having reached tentative agreements on artificial intelligence, subcontracting, and other subjects, the parties have yet to agree on the matter of money, with wage increases and a $670 million gap in pension and health plans at stake.SAG-AFTRA is calling on the US Congress to pass the No Fakes Act, which would...

Tony Lo Bianco, best known for his role as Salvatore “Sal” Boca in the 1971 film The French Connection, has died of prostate cancer. He was 87. The actor passed away June 11 at his farm in Maryland, his representatives confirmed with Fox News Digital. His wife, Alyse Lo Bianco, was with him. Son of Sicilian immigrants, Lo Bianco was born October 19, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York, where he attended a vocational school and discovered his love for acting. Lo Bianco’s best-known film performance was in the Academy Award-winning action film The French Connection as Sal Boca, an Italian-American mobster who planned to distribute French heroin on the streets but was later caught by the police. He was a Golden Gloves boxer, an American amateur boxing association, and founded and served as an artistic director for Triangle Theater in 1963. He continued to propel through New York’s Broadway theater scene, serving as an...

Despite not having made a film of his own since 2013 (the under-appreciated “Go for Sisters”), John Sayles is having quite the year. In January, his 1996 neo-Western mystery film “Lone Star” entered the Criterion Collection with a 4K Uhd edition that features interviews with director of photography Stuart Dryburgh, as well as an interview with Sayles himself conducted by “El Norte” director Gregory Nava.

Then in April, his largely unavailable 1991 inner-city saga “City of Hope” received the Blu-ray release many fans had been pining for since a restoration was screened at Sundance in 2016 for the 25th anniversary. Adding to this newfound availability of quality copies of his work, a large number of Sayles’ films are currently streaming for free on apps like Tubi, Kanopy, and Pluto TV, as well as cost-based apps like AMC+, Starz, and Prime Video.

At no other point in his career has his library of work been...

One of the greatest crime movies of all time, "The French Connection" is William Friedkin's gritty drama based on a true story. Gene Hackman stars as Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, a no-nonsense, rule-breaking cop who gets caught up investigating a case in which the Italian mob is bringing drugs into America with the help of a French heroin-smuggling syndicate. But this isn't an open-and-shut case. The lawmen are seemingly foiled at every turn, and things end on a shocking, bleak note. It's an amazing movie with one of the best chase sequences ever captured on film. "The French Connection" was released nearly 53 years ago, which means many of its cast members have left us, along with director Friedkin, who died last year. But a few are still around. So here are the only major actors still alive from "The French Connection."

Read more: The 20 Best Detective Movies Ranked

Gene...

“The big fear, when I agreed to direct, was that I didn’t really know technically a lot about what a director should know about lenses and apertures,” admits Ray Romano about his initial trepidation about stepping behind the camera on his film “Somewhere in Queens.” The multi-hyphenate talent directed, co-wrote, produced, and starred in the film, but the decision to direct it himself came very late in the development process. What ultimately persuaded him was his sense that he was an expert in “the story and the soul of the story and every character’s motivation.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

Penned with Mark Stegemann, “Somewhere in Queens” does draw heavily on Romano’s life experience. The film centers on the relationship between father Leo Russo, played by Romano, and his son Matthew, nicknamed “Sticks” (Jacob Ward), who is the star player on his high school basketball team.

Ray Stevenson died on location in Italy this week while working on the film Cassino in Ischi. In it, he plays Nic Cassino, who appears to be the title character. But throughout his career the actor was renowned for strong supporting roles. Stevenson exemplified this “one for all” spirit as Porthos in The Three Musketeers (2011) and honed it through The Book of Eli (2010), King Arthur (2004), the Thor movies, and the upcoming Star Wars Disney+ series, Ashoka. He was at his most supportive, even as a lead character, when he played legionnaire Titus Pullo in HBO’s Rome. Pullo was a warrior with a heart of gold, but at one point he could also be the second-hand-man to an early version of a mob kingpin.

But Stevenson was second to no one in the role of Danny Greene, the titular character of writer-director Jonathan Hensleigh’s 2011 gangster-genre love letter, Kill the Irishman.

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for the new film release “Somewhere in Queens,” featuring Ray Romano as lead actor, co-writer and director, also featuring Laurie Metcalfe. In theaters on April 21st.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Ray Romano is Leo Russo, part of a family of construction workers with his father (Tony Lo Bianco) and younger brother (Sebastian Maniscalco). Leo is excited because his son, nicknamed Sticks (Jacob Ward), is coming of age as a high school basketball player his Senior Year, and could get a college scholarship. Leo’s wife and Sticks mother Angela (Laurie Metcalfe) is more skeptical about her son’s prospects, especially as he starts dating Danielle (Sadie Stanley).

”Somewhere in Queens” opens in theaters April 21st. Featuring Ray Romano, Laurie Metcalfe, Tony Lo Bianco, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jacob Ward and Sadie Stanley. Written by Ray Romano and Mark Stegemann. Directed by Ray Romano. Rated “R”.

Click...

This article first appeared as part of Jenelle Riley’s Acting Up newsletter – to subscribe for early content and weekly updates on all things acting, visit the Acting Up signup page.

Considering Ray Romano has worn so many hats in his career – comedian, actor, writer, producer – it’s hard to believe that the multi-hyphenate had never directed before. When I mention I assumed he had at least directed one of the 210 episodes of his acclaimed series “Everybody Loves Raymond,” Romano jokes: “Me too. I thought I must have directed one of them, right? But no, I had never done it.”

So it comes as a surprise not only to audiences but to Romano himself that he’s making his directorial debut with the feature film “Somewhere in Queens,” a poignant comedy about a working-class Italian family that hits theaters this weekend. The film is so resonant in so many ways...

"I'm trying to save him from a lifetime of humiliation!" Roadside Attractions has unveiled an official trailer for an indie comedy titled Somewhere in Queens, marking the directorial debut of comedian / actor Ray Romano. This first premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival last year, and recently played at the 2023 Palm Springs Film Festival in January this year. It's another of these generic life-as-a-family indies that are dropping all over the VOD channels recently. Leo and Angela Russo live a simple life in Queens, surrounded by their overbearing Italian-American family. When their son "Sticks" finds success as a player on the high school basketball team, Leo tears the family apart trying to make it happen for him. Ray Romano directs and co-stars, with Laurie Metcalf as his wife, Jacob Ward as their son, plus Tony Lo Bianco, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jennifer Esposito, Sadie Stanley, Dierdre Friel, and Jon Manfrellotti. This looks like...

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions have teamed up to acquire and release “Somewhere in Queens,” the directorial debut from comedian Ray Romano, who also stared in and co-wrote the feature.

Roadside is planning a 2023 theatrical release for “Somewhere in Queens,” which first premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year and in addition to Romano stars Oscar nominee Laurie Metcalf, Tony Lo Bianco, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jennifer Esposito, Sadie Stanley and Jacob Ward. And though it has just 10 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, it still has a 100 Fresh rating among critics.

“Somewhere in Queens” follows Leo Russo (Romano), who lives a simple life in Queens, New York, with his wife Angela (Laurie Metcalf), their shy but talented son “Sticks” (Jacob Ward) and Leo’s close-knit network of Italian-American relatives and neighborhood friends. Happy enough working at the family construction business alongside his father (Tony Lo Bianco) and younger brother (Sebastian Maniscalco), Leo...

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions nabbed “Somewhere in Queens,” a heartfelt comedy from writer-director Ray Romano.

Romano, who stars in the movie as a working-class dad, also directed, co-wrote and produced “Somewhere in Queens” in his feature filmmaking debut.

The film will be released theatrically by Roadside Attractions in 2023.

“I am so excited to know that Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions will be bringing this movie to theaters everywhere,” Romano said. “I lived with every facet of this production for years, as a director, co-writer, actor and producer. It’s such a personal story for me, and it’s inspiring to see these two companies step up because they believe in the movie as much as I do.”

In the film, Romano plays Leo Russo, a father who goes to great lengths to secure a basketball scholarship for his son, a high school senior. Laurie Metcalf, Tony Lo Bianco, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jennifer Esposito,...

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions have picked up Ray Romano’s feature directorial debut Somewhere in Queens, which previously had a world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. The three-time Emmy winner also co-wrote, stars and produced the film. Roadside plans to give Somewhere in Queens a theatrical release next year. The pic currently stands at 100 on Rotten Tomatoes.

In the film, Leo Russo (Romano) lives a simple life in Queens, New York with his wife Angela (Laurie Metcalf), their shy but talented son “Sticks” (Jacob Ward), and Leo’s close-knit network of Italian-American relatives and neighborhood friends. Happy enough working at the family construction business alongside his father (Tony Lo Bianco) and younger brother (Sebastian Maniscalco), Leo lives each week for Sticks’ high-school basketball games, never missing a chance to cheer on his only child as he rules the court as a star athlete. When the high-school senior gets a...

The Middleburg Film Festival in Northern Virginia kicks off on October 13 for four days. It first took place in 2013, back when founder Sheila Johnson took some advice from the Sundance Kid himself — Robert Redford – who thought the Salamander Resort would be a good place to hold an annual celebration of cinema. This year marks its 10th anniversary.

The black comedy “White Noise” opens the festival. Writer/director Noah Baumbach will be feted with the 10th Anniversary Spotlight Filmmaker Award. He adapted Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name and his film version stars Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig. Baumbach screened his Oscar-winning film “Marriage Story,” which also starred Driver, at the fest in 2019.

See‘The Good Nurse’ surprises at Toronto with ‘bone-chilling’ Eddie Redmayne performance

On Friday, October 14, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” will be the centerpiece attraction. The first ‘Knives Out’ from 2019 proved to be an audience pleaser,...

Author and Tfh Guru Dennis Lehane joins Josh and Joe to discuss a few of his favorite movies.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness

Home Alone (1990)

Mystic River (2003)

Shutter Island (2010)

Live By Night (2016)

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

The Drop (2014)

The Shining (1980) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary

Apocalypse Now (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Apocalypse Now: Redux (2001)

Apocalypse Now: Final Cut (2019) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

The Crying Game (1992)

Diner (1982)

Sweet Smell of Success (1957) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

American Graffiti (1973) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary

Body Heat (1981) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary

Blue Velvet (1986) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review

Raging Bull (1980) – Dan Perri’s trailer commentary

Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)

Star Wars (1977)

Star Wars: The Special Edition (1997)

Manhunter (1986) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Public Enemies (2009)

Last of the Mohicans (1992)

Miller’s Crossing (1990) – Josh Olson...

Click here to read the full article.

Versailles Palace — not the historic residence near Paris — is one of those places. You know, a bedazzled hall for rent for the celebration of weddings, confirmations and whatever rite of passage requires dinner and a DJ. For the Italian American New Yorkers in Somewhere in Queens, it’s not just a venue but a way of life, both a necessary communal stomping ground and an affectionate running joke. As its title suggests, the movie embraces generic types, but smart writing, unforced direction and a superb cast give the sentimental-but-not-gushy comic drama the messy specifics and narrative friction to lift it well beyond been-there-done-that.

Working from a screenplay he wrote with Mark Stegemann, Ray Romano helms his first feature with assurance, concerned not with stamping the material with capital-c cinematic style but with capturing its essence, drawing ace performances from seasoned pros and newcomers alike.

There’s “staying in your comfort zone,” and then there’s Ray Romano making his directorial debut with a movie in which he plays a beleaguered outer-borough New York father who tries to look on the bright side of life and survive the slings and arrows that bond his large Italian-American family together even as they threaten to tear it apart. On paper, the leap from “Jackass” the TV show to “Jackass: The Movie” might have been a greater creative gamble than the one from “Everybody Loves Raymond” to “Somewhere in Queens,” which essentially finds its everyman superstar at the center of a 106-minute sitcom.

And yet, the film’s length isn’t the only reason why “Somewhere in Queens” avoids the stale whiff of syndication. Liberated from the bumper lanes that are built into the sitcom format — from the oppressiveness of canned laughter, throwaway B-plots, and the steady drumbeat...

Although Ray Romano has dabbled in writing quite a bit, including a series he created called Men of a Certain Age, the star is now moving to the big screen with perhaps his most ambitious project yet. The film, Somewhere In Queens, draws its comedy and drama from a very somewhat overbearing but likeable and recognizable Italian American family.

Again Romano is borrowing from his own life, in this case his wife’s family in particular for the script he co-wrote with Mark Stegemann. This time he not only writes but also directs, produces and stars as Leo Russo, married to his wife Angela (Laurie Metcalf) and bringing up a son, “Sticks” (Jacob Ward), whose talent for hoops in high school makes Dad proud especially when...

Ray Romano tonight makes his directorial debut with the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Somewhere In Queens. While this affable guy made a fortune starring in one of the biggest sitcoms of all time, then headlined the animated franchise Ice Age and went on to become the rare sitcom star to succeed as a dramatic actor in films including Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, Romano doesn’t try to hide the nervousness he feels before tonight’s 8 Pm premiere at Bmcc Tribeca Performing Arts Center. Or the almost paralyzing anxiety he felt at the prospect of making the film.

Romano stars as the son of an Italian construction business owner who toils unappreciated in dad’s business along with everyone else in the family. Life with his wife (Laurie Metcalf) in Queens is unexceptional, except when Leo watches his son Sticks (Jacob Ward) play high school basketball. The kid excels,...

Tribeca is back and looking almost like it did before Covid hit the scene and upended film festivals around the world.

The 2022 edition will have indoor screenings, something that last year’s all-outdoor version eschewed. It will also offer up a steady stream of splashy premieres, performances, concerts and talks featuring A-listers such as Jennifer Lopez, as well as new offerings from the likes of Jon Hamm, Jessica Chastain, Ray Romano, Bryan Cranston and more. That’s the kind of sizzle that New York City could use as it tries to regain its stride after coronavirus knocked it for a loop.

But some pandemic-era innovations remain. Film lovers who still prefer to avoid crowds during Covid can access many of the movies and events digitally with the Tribeca At Home platform, a sign that going forward festivals are going to continue embracing a hybrid model.

As Tribeca kicks off its 12-day run on Wednesday,...

The 2022 Tribeca Festival today announced its lineup of feature and short narrative, documentary, and animated films. This year’s festival runs June 8–19 and will open, as previously announced, with the Jennifer Lopez documentary “Halftime.”

The features program spans 10 categories and showcases 110 feature films and 16 online premieres from 151 filmmakers across 40 countries. The lineup includes 88 world premieres, two international premieres, seven North American premieres, two U.S. premieres, and 11 New York premieres. There are 32 directors returning to Tribeca with their latest projects, and 50 first-time directors. More than 64 percent (81) of the feature films are directed by female, Bipoc, and LGBTQ+ filmmakers: 46 percent (58) female directors, 34percent (43) Bipoc directors, and 8 percent (10) LGBTQ+ directors.

World premieres include “Corner Office,” starring Jon Hamm and Danny Pudi, and “Somewhere in Queens,” directed by Ray Romano and co-starring Laurie Metcalf, Tony Lo Bianco, Sebastian Maniscalco, and Jennifer Esposito. Additional films include “American Dreamer,” with Peter Dinklage, Shirley MacLaine, Matt Dillon,...

The festival is set to take place from June 8-19, and features 88 world premieres.

Tribeca has unveiled its 2022 line-up, with world premieres including Joachim Back’s Corner Office starring Jon Hamm and Danny Pudi, and Ray Romano’s directorial debut, Somewhere In Queens. Josh Alexander’s Loudmouth is set to close the festival.

The 21st edition is to take place in New York from June 8-19, with 88 world premieres across its 10 categories, showcasing 109 feature films and 16 online premieres from 150 filmmakers across 40 countries. The Tribeca At Home platform will allow US audiences to watch a selection of films online from June...

“Jerry and Marge Go Large,” a comedy starring Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening, as well as new films from directors Lena Waithe and Ray Romano, will premiere at this year’s Tribeca Festival.

Tribeca, which is set to take place in New York City from June 8 through June 19, unveiled on Tuesday its lineup of feature, short narrative, documentary and animated films.

The features program spans 10 categories — from narrative competitions and topical documentaries to anticipated new films — and includes 110 feature films and 16 online premieres. There are 32 directors returning to Tribeca with their latest projects, along with 50 first-time directors. This year, Tribeca has made notable strides toward parity and representation. More than 64 (81) of the feature films are directed by female, Bipoc and LGBT filmmakers. Of the movies slated to play at Tribeca, 46 (58) were helmed by female directors, 34 (43) by Bipoc directors and 8 (10) by LGBTQ+ directors.

The festival is also set to include documentaries about LeVar Burton,...

The 2022 Tribeca Festival will feature world premieres of Ray Romano’s directorial debut “Somewhere in Queens” and “Corner Office,” a workplace satire starring Jon Hamm and Danny Pudi, among many others.

Tribeca announced on Tuesday its full lineup of features and shorts, including documentaries and animated films. In all, 110 feature films will play at the festival from 151 filmmakers across 40 countries, with 88 being world premieres.

Romano also stars in his film “Somewhere in Queens” alongside Laurie Metcalf, Tony Lo Bianco, Sebastian Maniscalco and Jennifer Esposito. The film is about an Italian-American dad from Queens who gets increasingly involved in ensuring his son’s high school basketball success. “Corner Office” is directed by Joachim Back and stars Hamm as a straight-laced employee who retreats to a blissfully empty corner office to get away from his lackluster colleagues, only to find that his move upsets them immensely.

Other highlights include “American Dreamer” with Peter Dinklage,...

Exclusive: Ray Romano’s untitled feature directorial debut dramedy, which Deadline first reported, is adding Jacob Ward and Sadie Stanley.

Written by Romano and Mark Stegemann, the pic follows Leo (Romano) and Angela Russo (Metcalf), living a simple, blue-collar life in Queens, surrounded by the big personalities of their overbearing Italian-American family. When their lanky, soft-spoken son, ‘Sticks’

(played by Ward), finds success on his high school basketball team and a chance at a life beyond what tradition expects, Leo tears the family apart, trying to make it happen.

Ward and Stanley join previously announced cast of Romano, Laurie Metcalf, Jennifer Esposito, Dierdre Friel, Jon Manfrellotti, Danny Garcia, Erik Griffin, June Gable, Sebastian Maniscalco, Tony Lo Bianco, Adam Kaplan, Katie Kreisler, Franco Maicas, and Jennifer Simard.

ICM is repping distribution rights on the film. The film is produced by...

William R. Guarinello, President and Chief Executive Officer, HeartShare Human Services of New York, announced the co-hosts and honorary co-chairs for the 2020 HeartShare Spring Gala, the nonprofit’s largest annual fundraiser, to take place on Thursday, March 19, at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City.

The 2020 HeartShare Spring Gala celebrates the achievements of extraordinary individuals and corporations committed to lifting the vulnerable communities HeartShare serves, helping individuals of all abilities live independent lives. This year’s theme is “Together We Soar.”

The Gala will be hosted by Rosanna Scotto, three-time Emmy-winning co-host of Fox 5’s “Good Day New York,” and Jim Kerr, DJ at Q104.3 and National Radio Hall of Fame Inductee. Both are HeartShare Board Members.

The honorary co-chairs for the Gala are Linda Dano, Emmy-winning actress, author, entrepreneur, former HeartShare Board Member and past HeartShare award honoree; Abigail Hawk, star of the hit CBS series “Blue Bloods” and...

1966: Dark Shadows premiered on ABC.

1984: Guiding Light's Bert stood after losing her leg.

1995: One Life to Live's "Tommy" was enraged.

2003: Passions paid homage to the musical "Chicago"."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1952: ABC Radio aired the final episode of Lone Journey after a 12 year run on multiple networks with multiple sponsors.

1955: On The Brighter Day, Lydia Hamilton (Murial Williams) struggled with her conscience after taking a silver clock.

1963: On Ben Jerrod, Agnes (Jeanne Baird) lost her temper for the second time.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds hosted a reception in New York at Feinstein's 54 Below followed by a special screening of Mary Poppins Returns,nominated for 4 Golden Globe Awards including Best Picture, 9 Critics' Choice Awards and AFI's Top 10 Films of 2018,earlier tonight. The film's star Emily Blunt, Rob Marshall Director, John DeLuca Producer, David Magee Screenwriter, Marc Shaiman Composer, SongwriterCo-lyricist and Scott Wittman Co-lyricist joined the couple at the reception. Also in attendance were Morena Baccarin, Corbin Bleu, Harry Connick Jr., Tony Lo Bianco, Ben McKenzie, and Dayo Okeniyi.

Every Friday, we’re recommending an older movie that’s available to stream or download and worth seeing again through the lens of our current moment. We’re calling the series “Revisiting Hours” — consider this Rolling Stone’s unofficial film club. This week, a.k.a. the Halloween edition: Noel Murray on one of the greatest, most unnerving B movies of the Seventies, God Told Me To.

What if you stared straight into the face of evil, and it looked just like your next-door neighbor?

In writer-director Larry Cohen’s...

1966: Dark Shadows premiered on ABC.

1984: Guiding Light's Bert stood after losing her leg.

1995: One Life to Live's "Tommy" was enraged.

2003: Passions paid homage to the musical Chicago."All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."

― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1952: ABC Radio aired the final episode of Lone Journey after a 12 year run on multiple networks with multiple sponsors.

1955: On The Brighter Day, Lydia Hamilton (Murial Williams) struggled...

Forget All Singing! – All Dancing! Tonight’s bill of fare is wall-to-wall high grade crime action. Roy Scheider leads a great cast in an all-New Yawk tale of gangsters, kidnapping and betrayal. The police tactics of Scheider’s special felony crime squad would today land them all in jail, but they’re all stand-up guys. And buckle up for one of the best, most realistic pre-cgi auto chase scenes ever filmed.

The Seven-Ups

Blu-ray

Twilight Time

1973 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 103 min. / Street Date March 20, 2018 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95

Starring: Roy Scheider, Tony Lo Bianco, Victor Arnold, Jerry Leon, Ken Kercheval, Larry Haines, Richard Lynch, Bill Hickman, Joe Spinell.

Cinematography: Urs Furrer

Film Editors: Jerry Greenberg, John C. Horger, Stephen A. Rotter

Stunt Coordinator: Bill Hickman

Original Music: Don Ellis

Written by Sonny Grosso, Alexander Jacobs, Albert Ruben

Produced by Philip D’Antoni, Kenneth Utt, Barry J. Weitz

Directed...

On December 13, The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights hosted the annual Ripple of Hope Awards dinner at the New York Hilton that raised over $3 Million.

Hilaria and Alec Baldwin Attend Ripple of Hope Awards dinner

Credit/Copyright: Getty Images/Jason Kempin

Ethel Kennedy presented Harry Belafonte, Alex Gorsky, Chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, and Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of Chobani with the Ripple of Hope Award, an award that celebrates leaders of international business, entertainment, and activist communities who have demonstrated a commitment to social change.

Alec Baldwin acted as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies for the dinner, which was hosted by Ethel Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Philip W. Johnston, B. Scott Minerd, Marvin S. Rosen, Robert & Hope Smith, Pedro Torres-Mackie and Donato Tramuto.

Other notable guests included: Hilaria Baldwin, Tony Bennett, Kenneth Cole & Maria Cuomo Cole, Thomas Dinapoli, Kathryn Erbe, D’Brickshaw Ferguson, Peter Frampton, Pamela Frank, Whoopi Goldberg,...

The Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Awards will take place on December 13, and celebrates leaders of international business, entertainment, and activist communities who have demonstrated a commitment to social change.

Honorees reflect Robert Kennedy’s passion for equality, justice, basic human rights and his belief that we all must strive to “make gentle the life of this world.”

The 2017 Ripple of Hope Awards dinner will honor Harry Belafonte (singer, songwriter, actor & activist); Alex Gorsky Chairman of the Board and CEO Johnson & Johnson); Hamdi Ulukaya (Founder, Chairman and CEO Chobani, LLC). Master of Ceremonies: Alec Baldwin and hosts: Ethel Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Tim Cook, Philip W. Johnston, B. Scott Minerd, Marvin S. Rosen, Robert & Hope Smith, Pedro Torres-Mackie and Donato Tramuto. Special guests to include: Tony Bennett, Trevor Donovan, Kathryn Erbe, Susie Essman, Peter Frampton, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheryl Hines, Catherine Keener, Keegan-Michael Key, Tony Lo Bianco, Matthew Modine, Lena Olin,...

Chris Hardwick is truly the man with many talk shows! Soon, AMC will introduce viewers to Talking with Chris Hardwick, which premieres on Sunday, April 9th! The lineup of guests is pretty interesting and includes Bryan Cranston and Elijah Wood. Also: details on screenings of Larry Cohen's films at The Quad and release details for Teenage Ghost Punk.

Talking With Chris Hardwick's First Lineup of Guests Revealed: Press Release: "New York, NY – March 30, 2017 – AMC announced today an initial lineup of guests set to appear on “Talking with Chris Hardwick,” an extension of the #1 talk show on television, “Talking Dead.” Guests include (not in air order): Michelle Monaghan, Charlie Hunnam, Connie Britton, Justin Theroux, Bryan Cranston, Elijah Wood, Damon Lindelof, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and the cast of “Silicon Valley.” Additional guests will be announced soon. “Talking with Chris Hardwick” premieres on Sunday, April 9 at 11:00 p.m.

“Money talks nobody walks.” As part of this year’s Greater St. Louis Humanities Festival – which runs from Sept. 23-Oct. 2, and whose theme is “E Pluribus Unum?” – Cinema St. Louis presents a free screening Monday, September 26 at 7 Pm of writer/director John Sayles’ masterful City Of Hope (1991), which compellingly explores the racial attitudes and socioeconomic forces that divide the citizens of the fictional (but all too realistic) Hudson City, N.J.

An ambitious, richly detailed panorama of a city in decline – and rapidly approaching crisis – City Of Hope addresses urban decay in the United States by poking around in Hudson City’s political garbage, turning over and exposing the contaminated dirt of patronage, bribery, and special interests, demonstrating how the toxins trickle down to the middle class and poor, seep into our attitudes, and poison our thoughts. The sprawling cast includes actors from the director’s informal stock company – Joe Morton,...

The French Connection 45th Anniversary Screening in Los Angeles

By Todd Garbarini

The Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre in Los Angeles will be presenting a 45th anniversary screening of William Friedkin’s Oscar-winning 1971 crime drama The French Connection. The 102-minute film will be screened on Saturday, June 18, 2016 at 7:30 pm. Starring Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Tony Lo Bianco, Fernando Rey, Marcel Bozuffi, and the two real-life detectives who broke the actual case: the late Eddie Eagen and Salvatore “Sonny” Grosso, The French Connection is a New York movie of the first order and paved the way for gritty crime dramas like The Seven-Ups and The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3.

Director Friedkin is scheduled to appear at a Q&A session following the film.

From the press release:

Part of our Anniversary Classics series. For details, visit: laemmle.com/ac.

45th Anniversary Screening

This gritty and gripping police thriller won five...

Organisers at the Park City jamboree have added a documentary from New Zealand, a profile of Mike Nichols and a presentation of Dazed And Confused with live commentary by Richard Linklater and Jason Reitman.

New additions include three archive films from The Sundance Collection at UCLA, a film preservation programme established in 1997.

The late arrivals mean the 2016 festival will present 123 features representing 37 countries and 49 first-time filmmakers, including 30 in competition.

These films were selected from 12,793 submissions, including 4,081 features and 8,712 shorts. Of the feature submissions, 1,972 were from the Us and 2,109 were international. A total of 103 features at the festival will be world premieres.

The 2016 Sundance Film Festival is scheduled to run from January 21-31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The synopses below were provided by the festival.

World Cinema Documentary Competition

Tickled (New Zealand)

Dirs: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve

A journalist stumbles upon a mysterious tickling competition. As he delves...

Stars: Shirley Stoler, Tony Lo Bianco, Mary Jane Higby, Doris Roberts, Kip McArdle, Marilyn Chris, Dortha Duckworth, Barbara Cason, Ann Harris, Mary Breen | Written and Directed by Leonard Kastle

Based on the notorious “Lonely Hearts” killers Martha Beck (Shirley Stoler) and Raymond Fernandez (Tony Lo Bionco) it tells the tale of two lovers who made a living by conning lonely women out of their savings. At first Martha was to be one of his victims before Raymond fell in love with her instead. Agreeing to let Raymond continue his manipulation of other women, Martha’s only rule was that she had to be a part of the plots, which eventually led to murder when her jealousy became too strong.

The pairing of Martha and Raymond is interesting because and works on-screen because their characters seem to be a perfect match. Both selfish and impulsive they are almost like children in...

Special Mention: The Most Dangerous Game

Directed by Irving Pichel and Ernest B. Schoedsack

Written by James Creelman

USA, 1932

Genre: Survival Horror

The first of many official and unofficial screen versions of Richard Connell’s short story of the same name, The Most Dangerous Game was made in 1932, in the era known as “Pre-Code Hollywood,” a time when filmmakers were able to get away with sexual innuendo, illegal drug use, adultery, abortion, intense violence, homosexuality, and much more. It was during this time that a film like The Most Dangerous Game was allowed to be made and shown to the general public without fear of censorship. The film was put together by producer Willis O’Brien while in pre-production on King Kong, and features several of the same cast and crew members, as well as props and sets from Kong. Despite these obvious cost-cutting measures, Dangerous Game never feels like a second-rate production,...

The advertising promised a surfeit of sleaze -- but the film is a superior thriller about a real-life, low-rent serial killers from back in the late 1940s. Tony Lo Bianco and the great Shirley Stoler are Ray and Martha, mixed-up lovers running a Merry Widow racket through the personals ads in romance magazines. Leonard Kastle's film is dramatically and psychologically sound, while the disc extras detail the true crime story, which is far, far, sleazier. The Honeymoon Killers Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 200 1969 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 107 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date September 29, 2015 / 39.95 Starring Shirley Stoler, Tony Lo Bianco, Mary Jane Higby, Doris Roberts, Kip McArdle, Marilyn Chris, Dortha Duckworth, Barbara Cason, Ann Harris Cinematography Oliver Wood Film Editor Richard Brophy, Stanley Warnow Music Gustav Mahler Produced by Warren Steibel Written and Directed by Leonard Kastle  

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

The ad campaign for this crime shocker...

Larry Cohen’s 1976 film God Told Me To will be screened at Brooklyn’s Nitehawk Cinema on Thursday, March 5, 2015 at 7:30 pm in Dcp format. Following the screening, actors Tony LoBianco and Randy Jurgensen will be on hand to discuss the film. From the press release:

Armed with nothing but a cheap mail order rifle, an everyday Joe turns expert sniper, randomly taking out over a dozen New Yorkers. Devout detective Peter Nicholas … Continue reading →

Horrornews.net...

“….God told me to!”

God Told Me To screens midnights this Friday and Saturday (March 6th and 7th) at The Hi-Pointe Theater (1005 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, Mo 63117)

In the Fall of 1976, my father dropped me off at the Hi-Pointe Theater after church one Sunday because I’d been bugging him about seeing the new horror film Rabid by David Cronenberg, a director who would soon become a favorite. Rabid was the first half of a double feature that afternoon, paired with something called Demon, which I knew nothing about except that it was rated R and was called Demon. While I loved the gory Rabid (and still do), my 14-year old mind was mostly just bewildered by the deranged religious madness and paranormal confusion on display in the less-gruesome Demon. About a dozen years later, I rented the VHS of Larry Cohen’s God Told Me To, and was surprised...

For the final week of February, horror fans have several fun cult classics getting a high definition upgrade this Tuesday, including New Year’s Evil from Scream Factory, Larry Cohen’s God Told Me To and the unforgettable Black Sunday from Mario Bava. Also coming to DVD are several indie thrillers including VANish and The Intruders as well as the upcoming horror comedy Amityville Death House and the 70’s shocker A Candle for the Devil (aka It Happened at Nightmare Inn).

Black Sunday- Aip Version (Kino Lorber, Blu-ray)

When Mario Bava's groundbreaking Black Sunday was introduced to the U.S. market, American International Pictures retooled the film for the release. In addition to being redubbed in English, the film was given a new musical score and re-edited.

In one of the most auspicious directorial debuts in movie history, Mario Bava bridged the gap between the gothic horror picture...

Take the Charles Whitman inspired murders in Peter Bogdanovich's Targets, the satanic cult conception of Rosemary's Baby and toss in conspiracies from The Chariots of the Gods, a crazy Andy Kaufman cameo and sexual body horror that would make David Cronenberg blush and you'll get a rough idea of what you're in for with Larry Cohen's 1976 unconventional  exploitation insanity known as God Told Me To.

The police procedural structure and gritty New York City atmosphere that permeates most of Cohen's work is punctuated with chaotic immediacy due to the Guerilla filmmaking and handheld cinematography that doesn't care about logical consistency and is concerned with creating panic and paranoia for the audience, not unlike the occurring calamity between characters and these bizarre events. Often due to budget and editing there is often no sense of time or reason to events as they unfold, which actually works in the film's...

Welcome to another horror round-up! This time around we’re focusing on Blue Underground’s theatrical re-release of Larry Cohen’s God Told Me To, a Scream Queens casting update, and Arrow Video’s upcoming Blu-ray/DVD releases of Society and Island of Death.

God Told Me To: Press Release – “One of the most disturbing and thought-provoking horror films of our time, God Told Me To was written, produced and directed by Larry Cohen (It’S Alive, Q- The Winged Serpent) and stars Tony Lo Bianco (The French Connection, The Honeymoon Killers)

Co-starring Deborah Raffin (Death Wish 3), Academy Award® winner Sandy Dennis (Who’S Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?), Academy Award® nominee Sylvia Sidney (Beetlejuice), Sam Levene (Brute Force), Robert Drivas (Cool Hand Luke), Mike Kellin (Sleepaway Camp), Richard Lynch (Bad Dreams), and Andy Kaufman (Taxi)

Confirmed theaters and dates, with additional cities coming soon.

Special Q&A’s with Larry Cohen Tba!

Reviewed by Kevin Scott

MoreHorror.com

God Told Me Too (1976)

Written by: Larry Cohen

Directed by: Larry Cohen

Cast: Tony Lo Bianco (Peter J. Nicholas), Deborah Raffin (Casey Forster), Sandy Dennis (Martha Nicholas), Sylvia Sydney (Elizabeth Mullin), Richard Lynch (Bernard Phillips), Andy Kaufman (Police Officer).

This film is unquestionably one of the most unique films that I have watched or reviewed. I don’t just throw that statement nonchalantly out here. It was written by Larry Cohen, who horror fans will primarily know from the “It’s Alive” films and the really eclectic sequel to “Salem’s Lot”. He’s done everything, and is a prolific writer and director. One of my all-time favorites of his is “The Stuff” about some killer yogurt, and I don’t mean “killer” as in it just tastes good. I’ve seen a lot of his work, and “God Told Me To” has to be the most complex.

Larry Cohen's oddball horror-thriller God Told Me To is heading to Blu-ray on February 24, 2015, courtesy of Blue Underground.

A rooftop sniper guns down 14 pedestrians on the streets of New York City. A mild-mannered dad takes a shotgun and blows away his wife and children. A cop goes on a sudden shooting spree at the St. Patrick's Day Parade. And each of these unlikely killers makes the same dying confession: "God told me to." Now a repressed Catholic NYPD detective (Tony Lo Bianco) must uncover a netherworld of deranged faith, alien insemination and his own unholy connection to a homicidal messiah with a perverse plan for the soul of mankind.

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