News

Phil Karlson’s 99 River Street is, along with Kansas City Confidential, an exemplar of the director’s brutal, cynical, economical approach to noir. We first meet boxer Ernie Driscoll (John Payne) in the middle of a heavyweight title fight, in which his potential victory is hijacked by a knockdown that leaves him bleeding from a huge cut above his eye. Only then is it slyly revealed that the fight is a replay on TV, which Driscoll has been poring over, as if trying to grasp the opportunity that escaped him four years earlier, while his bitter, disapproving wife, Pauline (Peggy Castle), snaps at him to finish his dinner.

It’s clear that Ernie hasn’t recovered from that career-ending knockout, but he still figures on getting himself a gas station one day, or maybe he’ll knock Pauline up, using a box of chocolates as bait—advice from his former...

John Sturges' "The Magnificent Seven" is one of the best Westerns of all time. We are bound by the Unspoken Rules of the Internet to acknowledge that the film is a loose remake of Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai," and Kurosawa himself found it "disappointing, but entertaining." With all due respect to the Japanese master, though, "The Magnificent Seven" is a banger. Led by a stalwart cast that serves as a who's who of 1960s manly men, including Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Horst Buchholz, Brad Dexter, and Charles Bronson, the plot follows a small Mexican village that's being terrorized by a gang of bandits led by a guy named Calvera, played Eli Wallach. With their backs against the wall, the villagers decide to hire a group of seven gunslingers to protect them, and the stage is set for an inevitable showdown.

Brynner and McQueen butted heads behind the scenes,...

When Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni were writing the screenplay for their 1954 epic "Seven Samurai," they couldn't have predicted its lasting influence on cinema. Not only did Kurosawa's masterful direction alter and revolutionize the way action sequences would be shot, but the premise became a reliable and lasting template that multiple other filmmakers would employ in the ensuing decades. For those unlucky enough to have never seen "Seven Samurai," the setup is simple: a remote farming village is regularly looted by passing bandits, leaving them destitute. Unable to withstand another attack, the villagers gather up their modest means and hire seven rogue samurai to protect them. The samurai know that the job won't pay, but each one has their own reasons for joining the cause. Using their cunning and limited means, the samurai repel the bandit attack.

Most recently, the "Seven Samurai" premise was transposed onto Zack Snyder's "Rebel Moon.

Steve McQueen is a name so cool that two famous people have to share it: the American actor and action film icon known for films like “The Great Escape” and “Bullitt” before he died in 1980, and the Oscar-winning British film director behind acclaimed dramas like “12 Years a Slave,” “Hunger,” and “Small Axe.” Now, McQueen the director has revealed that McQueen the actor was part of his formative filmgoing experiences.

In an interview with The Messenger to promote his documentary “Occupied City,” McQueen was asked about his favorite film starring the actor who shares his name. Although McQueen initially hesitated to share, he eventually revealed his favorite to be “The Magnificent Seven.” A western remake of Akira Kurosawa’s classic “Seven Samurai” from director John Sturges, the 1960 film focuses on a group of seven American gunslingers hired to protect a Mexican village from terrorizing bandits. McQueen played drifting gambler Vin in the film,...

Jay Weston, who was working as a publicist when a chance meeting with Billie Holiday at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival would lead to the producing of her 1972 biopic Lady Sings the Blues, died February 28 of natural causes at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills, CA. He was 93.

His death was announced by spokesperson Jeff Sanderson on behalf of the Weston family.

Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Ricou Browning Dies: 'Creature From The Black Lagoon's Gill-man Was 93 Related Story Brett Radin Dies: Talent Manager With Knitting Factory Management Was 53

A prominent restaurant critic later in life, Weston’s show business career in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s was marked by such high points as producing Billy Wilder’s last film, Chu Chu and the Philly Flash with Carol Burnett and Alan Arkin, W.C. Fields...

John Sturges' 1960 western "The Magnificent Seven" was a Yul Brynner vehicle from the jump -- it was he and actor Anthony Quinn who had acquired the rights to remake Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" epic as a western. To fill out the rest of the hired guns tasked to protect a Mexican village, the "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" filmmaker would reunite "Never So Few" stars Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson as, respectively, a drifter and a broke mercenary. Robert Vaughn would play a traumatized war veteran, while Brad Dexter and "German James Dean" Horst Buchholz would round out the crew. James Coburn was last to come aboard.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly in 2001, Coburn revealed that he was one of the few cast members who had caught the original Kurosawa film beforehand. He would subsequently spend "a week straight" taking friends to see it:

"Cut to a year later,...

One of the best yet least seen of John Sturges’ westerns couples a fine screenplay with strong star perfs and superb direction: the straightforward story builds tension throughout. Kirk Douglas is a sheriff out for both justice and revenge and Anthony Quinn is the he-bull rancher who stands in his way: the guilty party is Quinn’s son. It looks sensational in VistaVision, with a fine music score by Dimitri Tiomkin — it’s a pleasure all the way through, with strong support from Carolyn (swoon) Jones, Earl Holliman, Brian Hutton and Brad Dexter.

Last Train from Gun Hill

Region-free Blu-ray

Viavision [Imprint] 101

1959 / Color / 1:78 widescreen (VistaVision) / 95 min. / Street Date December 29, 2021 / Available from Imprint and Amazon / 39.95

Starring: Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Carolyn Jones, Earl Holliman, Brad Dexter, Brian G. Hutton, Ziva Rodann, Bing Russell, Val Avery, Walter Sande, John Anderson, Dabbs Greer, Ty Hardin, Glenn Strange, Julius Tannen, Sid Tomack.

Cinematography:...

It’s pretty scary to think that as late as 1940 both Washington and the American public were sharply divided over Nazi Germany. Poland had been overrun and France was about to fall, but MGM waited until June of that year to release this softened adaptation of a novel written as a warning to the world in 1937. Handsomely produced with MGM’s high-gloss production values, it’s remembered as a valiant and courageous anti-Nazi film. Its all-star cast reunited the potent romantic team of James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan for sentimental fireworks.

The Mortal Storm

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1940 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 100 min. / Street Date November 3, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Robert Young, Frank Morgan, Robert Stack, Bonita Granville, Irene Rich, William T. Orr, Maria Ouspenskaya, Gene Reynolds, Russell Hicks, Esther Dale, Dan Dailey, Ward Bond, Rudolph Anders, Brad Dexter.

Cinematography: William H. Daniels

Film Editor:...

Fiery dame Susan Hayward carries this far-flung ‘women’s epic’ to delirious romantic extremes, as her Irish heroine defies nature and exploits admirers to claim the hunky Dutchman of her dreams. Using apartheid-ridden South Africa as a background for a cheerful white conquest wasn’t as touchy an idea in 1955 as it is now, but it should have been. Just the same, Henry King’s film is an impressive production from the early years of CinemaScope.

Untamed

Blu-ray

Twilight Time

1955 / Color / 2:55 widescreen / 111 min. / Street Date January 22, 2019 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95

Starring: Tyrone Power, Susan Hayward, Richard Egan, John Justin, Agnes Moorehead, Rita Moreno, Hope Emerson, Brad Dexter, Henry O’Neill, Eleanor Audley, Kevin Corcoran, Philip Van Zandt.

Cinematography: Leo Tover

Film Editor: Barbara McLean

Original Music: Franz Waxman

Visual Effects: Ray Kellogg, Matthew Yuricich

Written by Talbot Jennings, Frank Fenton, Michael Blankfort, William A. Bacher from a novel by Helga Moray.

John Huston’s primal heist film is an almost perfect movie, with a score of unforgettable characterizations. A solid crime noir, it concerns itself with the human ironies in the ‘left handed form of human endeavor.’

The Asphalt Jungle

Blu-ray

The Criterion Collection 847

1950 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 112 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 13, 2016 /

Starring Sterling Hayden, Sam Jaffe, Louis Calhern, James Whitmore, Jean Hagen, John McIntire, Marc Lawrence, Barry Kelley, Anthony Caruso, Marilyn Monroe, Brad Dexter.

Cinematography Harold Rosson

Art Direction Randall Duell, Cedric Gibbons

Film Editor George Boemler

Original Music Miklos Rosza

Written by Ben Maddow and John Huston from the novel by W.R. Burnett

Produced by Arthur Hornblow, Jr.

Directed by John Huston

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Talk about a film that becomes only more enjoyable with each viewing… John Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle is the Singin’ in the Rain of noir masterpieces.

I love a good western flick and one my my favourites, if not the favourite, is John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven. It's a simple story of good guys vs bad guys but the stellar cast of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Horst Buchholz, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Eli Wallach turned it into something very special. Antoine Fuqua's remake of... Read More...

I think everyone in this country should be aware by now that our race relations are at an all time low. It seems every time we hear the news another black citizen has been shot by the police or police have been shot by someone angry about these shootings. It cannot continue. We as a nation cannot keep going down this road.

I have always sympathized with Black Americans. In fact as a Scot and Irish American I have always sympathized with anyone who ever got pushed around, starting with Native Americans, Asians, Jewish immigrants, women of any ethnic group, Hispanics from any country.

I also sympathize with the people who are tasked with law enforcement. It’s a tough job. I had some training in that area. A couple of years ago I was hired by a Security company and was trained in unarmed, and armed, uniformed security. I...

Do you like your noir heroes bitter and bruised, and your noir dames daring and resourceful? Phil Karlson's gem of a thriller pits two-fisted John Payne against murderous hood Brad Dexter, with Peggie Castle the unfaithful, unlucky wife who decides to run off with the wrong guy. And star Evelyn Keys is a pulp noir adventuress to admire, with a roving eye of her own. 99 River Street Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1953 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 83 min. / Street Date June 21, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring John Payne, Evelyn Keyes, Brad Dexter, Frank Faylen, Peggie Castle, Jay Adler, Jack Lambert, Glenn Langan. Cinematography Franz Planer Film Editor Buddy Small Original Music Arthur Lange, Emil Newman Written by Robert Smith, George Zuckerman Produced by Edward Small Directed by Phil Karlson

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

99 River Street is a top noir title in all respects -- a great cast, a literally hard-hitting...

When Chris Pratt isn't acting as guardian of the galaxy (and dinosaurs), he protects the Old West. Based on the first trailer for "The Magnificent Seven" remake, Pratt is bringing the same winking charm to his role as gambler Josh Farraday, opposite Denzel Washington as the leader of the new Seven.

The original "The Magnificent Seven" came out in 1960, starring Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Horst Buchholz, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, and James Coburn. That film was itself a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 masterpiece "Seven Samurai." This new Western sticks with the concept of wrangling a bunch of "strays" to help protect a town, but with a more diverse cast (of men, anyway).

Here's the synopsis from Sony:

"Director Antoine Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic story in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures' and Columbia Pictures' The Magnificent Seven. With the town of Rose Creek under...

By Lee Pfeiffer

Kino Lorber has released a Blu-ray edition of the 1963 action adventure film "Kings of the Sun", a movie that has largely faded into relative obscurity. In viewing for the first time since its initial release I was pleasantly surprised at how impressive the film is on any number of levels. For one, it takes place during a period that has been largely untouched by Hollywood in that it is set in the era of the ancient Mayans. One must deal with the fact that the historical aspects of the screenplay are largely hokum. The story opens with the Mayan people mourning the death of its king in battle against a rival tribe led by the blood-thirsty Hunac Ceel (Leo Gordon). The new heir apparent is Balam (George Chakiris), a young man who must instantly assume his father's throne and responsibilities. These include the practice of human sacrifice to appease the gods.

Who needs epics about Ancient Rome, Egypt, or Greek mythology when we have a thousand years of exotic Central and South American civilizations to exploit? Well, it's only been done a handful of times. This cinematic concatenation of nifty architecture, fruity multicolored headgear and athletic oiled warriors is, well, nifty, fruity and athletic!   Kings of the Sun Kl Studio Classics Savant Blu-ray Review 1963 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 108 min. / Street Date May 26, 2015 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95  Starring Yul Brynner, George Chakiris, Shirley Anne Field, Richard Basehart, Brad Dexter, Barry Morse, Armando Silvestre, Leo Gordon, Victoria Vettri, Rudy Solari, Ford Rainey, Chuck Hayward, James Coburn (narrator). Cinematography Joseph MacDonald Film Editor William Reynolds Original Music Elmer Bernstein Written by James R. Webb, Elliot Arnold  Produced by Lewis J. Rachmil Directed by J. Lee Thompson

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Epics don't get wilder than this. According to producer Walter Mirisch, 1963's Kings of the Sun...

Glenda Jackson: Actress and former Labour MP. Two-time Oscar winner and former Labour MP Glenda Jackson returns to acting Two-time Best Actress Academy Award winner Glenda Jackson set aside her acting career after becoming a Labour Party MP in 1992. Four years ago, Jackson, who represented the Greater London constituency of Hampstead and Highgate, announced that she would stand down the 2015 general election – which, somewhat controversially, was won by right-wing prime minister David Cameron's Conservative party.[1] The silver lining: following a two-decade-plus break, Glenda Jackson is returning to acting. Now, Jackson isn't – for the time being – returning to acting in front of the camera. The 79-year-old is to be featured in the Radio 4 series Emile Zola: Blood, Sex and Money, described on their website as a “mash-up” adaptation of 20 Emile Zola novels collectively known as "Les Rougon-Macquart."[2] Part 1 of the three-part Radio 4 series will be broadcast daily during an...

Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson on the Oscars' Red Carpet Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson at the Academy Awards Eli Wallach and wife Anne Jackson are seen above arriving at the 2011 Academy Awards ceremony, held on Sunday, Feb. 27, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. The 95-year-old Wallach had received an Honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards in November 2010. See also: "Doris Day Inexplicably Snubbed by Academy," "Maureen O'Hara Honorary Oscar," "Honorary Oscars: Mary Pickford, Greta Garbo Among Rare Women Recipients," and "Hayao Miyazaki Getting Honorary Oscar." Delayed film debut The Actors Studio-trained Eli Wallach was to have made his film debut in Fred Zinnemann's Academy Award-winning 1953 blockbuster From Here to Eternity. Ultimately, however, Frank Sinatra – then a has-been following a string of box office duds – was cast for a pittance, getting beaten to a pulp by a pre-stardom Ernest Borgnine. For his bloodied efforts, Sinatra went on...

Director John Sturges' classic 1960 Western "The Magnificent Seven" will be remade as a big screen MGM Western by director Antoine Fuqua. Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke and Haley Bennett are the first cast members to be announced.  The original film was based on another classic, director Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai". For decades, MGM has been trying to launch a remake of the film but the closest the studio came was with a moderately successful TV series. At various times, names like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Cruise had been linked to remakes that never bore fruit. The first movie spawned three big screen sequels between 1966 and 1972. At the time it premiered, the only big name stars in the cast were Yul Brynner and Eli Wallach. However, the success of the movie helped launch supporting actors Steve McQueen,  Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn and James Coburn to full-fledged leading man status. German...

The original John Sturges-directed The Magnificent Seven had an absolutely stacked cast. Playing the titular group, the western brought together the likes of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Eli Wallach, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, and James Coburn. That obviously gives the upcoming Antoine Fuqua-directed remake quite a standard to live up to, but the film is well on its way to making something. well, magnificent. News has come down from Variety that yet another big name has joined the Magnificent Seven cast . so we figured we.d shine a spotlight on this rapidly growing, awesome ensemble. The film still isn.t done adding big names, but here.s who is on board so far: When Antoine Fuqua first signed on to direct The Magnificent Seven last summer, it only took a matter of days before he was able to convince Denzel Washington to go on the adventure...

One of my favourite westerns of all time is The Magnificent Seven. It’s a simple story (itself a remake of Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai) of good guys vs bad guys but the incredible cast elevated it to classic status. Yul Brynner. Steve McQueen. Charles Bronson. Eli Wallach. James Coburn. Robert Vaughn. Brad Dexter. Horst Buchholz. What a group.

Variety is reporting today that Ethan Hawke will be joining Denzel Washington in the upcoming remake to be directed by Antoine Fuqua. The last time all three worked together was in 2001’s Training Day, perhaps they’re looking to recapture a bit of that magic again.

Also included in this casting announcement are Chris Pratt and Hayley Bennet. Things are shaping up nicely so far.

A few years ago I recast The Magnificent Seven myself, check it out!

Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington are teaming up again for MGM's long-in-development remake of "The Magnificent Seven" (the 1960 American western directed by John Sturges, which was itself a remake of Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai"). As recently as 2012, Tom Cruise was attached to star in the remake, although, at the time, there was no director attached. It was said that Cruise had long been interested in saddling up for a "Magnificent Seven" remake, but was not in his then immediate plans. "The Magnificent Seven" starred Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Horst...

"The Equalizer" and "Olympus Has Fallen" director Antoine Fuqua, out doing press rounds for the former, has confirmed to Movieweb that his upcoming remake of classic western "The Magnificent Seven" will be his next project.

John Sturges helmed the original 1960 film, which itself was based on the Akira Kurosawa 1954 cinematic classic "Seven Samurai". Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Horst Buchholz starred in 'Magnificent' as a group of American gunmen hired to protect a small Mexican village from a group of savage bandits.

The remake will star Denzel Washington as one of the seven, and they're currently seeking actors to play the other six. In regards to the film he says:

"Yeah, that's (The Magnificent Seven) where all of my attention is going. When I get back to L.A., I'll meet the casting team and start to get into it with the producers and everybody next week.

It seems that director Antoine Fuqua's proposed remake of "The Magnificent Seven" is getting a serious dose of star power: Denzel Washington is reportedly interested in taking the lead.

Schmoes Know writes that Washington has been offered the starring role in the remake ofde the classic western, and his ties to Fuqua -- the pair worked together on "Training Day," which nabbed Washington an Oscar, and are currently collaborating on the TV adaptation flick "The Equalizer" -- may draw him in.

The original "Magnificent Seven" debuted in 1960, and was a loose remake of Akira Kurowsawa's iconic film, "Seven Samurai." It starred Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Yul Brynner, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, and Horst Buchholz as the titular seven American gunmen.

Fuqua reportedly chose "Seven" over several other high-profile projects (including a possible sequel to "The Equalizer," which has been testing well in the months before its release...

In 1960, MGM’s American adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 classic Seven Samurai was a big hit for the studio. It starred Yul Brenner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Eli Wallach, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Horst Buchholz, and was called The Magnificent Seven, having been turned into a western. The film told the story of seven of the best gunslingers in the west banding together, having been hired to protect a small Mexican village which lived in fear of a pack of bloodthirsty bandits. The film spawned three sequels and was also adapted into a TV series for CBS just before the turn of the century.

In May 2012, Tom Cruise became attached to star in a new remake of Magnificent Seven, thanks to his deal with MGM. MGM had begun a campaign to mine their library of past hits in an attempt to turn them into future profits, which...

John Lee Hancock is to rewrite MGM's The Magnificent Seven remake.

The Saving Mr Banks director has signed on to the project, while Tom Cruise is no longer attached, reports The Wrap.

The actor was linked to the revival of the 1954 Wild West classic in May 2012.

The original Magnificent Seven starred Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Horst Buchholz.

True Detective's Nic Pizzolatto wrote the first draft for the remake.

The Magnificent Seven was most recently remade as a television series which ran from 1998-2000.

Catch up on all the latest TV and Movies releases in Digital Spy's Screen Time:...

Tom Cruise is no longer attached to star in MGM's contemporary remake of the classic western "The Magnificent Seven".

At the same time, "Saving Mr. Banks" and "The Blind Side" director John Lee Hancock has come onboard to rewrite the project. Nic Pizzolatto ("True Detective") wrote the early draft of the script.

John Sturges helmed the original 1960 western, which itself was based on the Akira Kurosawa 1954 cinematic classic "Seven Samurai".

Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Horst Buchholz starred in 'Magnificent' as a group of American gunmen hired to protect a small Mexican village from a group of savage bandits led by Calvera (Eli Wallach).

Three sequels and a short-lived 1990s TV series followed. Cruise became interested in 'Magnificent' early last year, but his busy schedule has prevented any further commitment on his part.

The title is just one of several reboots MGM...

Tom Cruise is no longer attached to star in MGM's contemporary remake of the classic western "The Magnificent Seven".

At the same time, "Saving Mr. Banks" and "The Blind Side" director John Lee Hancock has come onboard to rewrite the project. Nic Pizzolatto ("True Detective") wrote the early draft of the script.

John Sturges helmed the original 1960 western, which itself was based on the Akira Kurosawa 1954 cinematic classic "Seven Samurai".

Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Horst Buchholz starred in 'Magnificent' as a group of American gunmen hired to protect a small Mexican village from a group of savage bandits led by Calvera (Eli Wallach).

Three sequels and a short-lived 1990s TV series followed. Cruise became interested in 'Magnificent' early last year, but his busy schedule has prevented any further commitment on his part.

The title is just one of several reboots MGM...

“Saving Mr. Banks” director John Lee Hancock has come on to rewrite MGM’s remake of “The Magnificent Seven,” which Tom Cruise is no longer involved with, TheWrap has learned. “True Detective” scribe Nic Pizzolatto wrote the initial draft of the script. John Sturges directed the original 1960 Western, which itself was based on Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 classic “Seven Samurai.” “Magnificent Seven” starred Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Horst Buchholz as a group of American gunmen hired to protect a small Mexican village from a group of savage bandits led by Calvera (Eli Wallach). The.

‘Gilda,’ ‘Pulp Fiction’: 2013 National Film Registry movies (photo: Rita Hayworth in ‘Gilda’) See previous post: “‘Mary Poppins’ in National Film Registry: Good Timing for Disney’s ‘Saving Mr. Banks.’” Billy Woodberry’s UCLA thesis film Bless Their Little Hearts (1984). Stanton Kaye’s Brandy in the Wilderness (1969). The Film Group’s Cicero March (1966), about a Civil Rights march in an all-white Chicago suburb. Norbert A. Myles’ Daughter of Dawn (1920), with Hunting Horse, Oscar Yellow Wolf, Esther Labarre. Bill Morrison’s Decasia (2002), featuring decomposing archival footage. Alfred E. Green’s Ella Cinders (1926), with Colleen Moore, Lloyd Hughes, Vera Lewis. Fred M. Wilcox’s Forbidden Planet (1956), with Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren Stevens, Jack Kelly, Robby the Robot. Charles Vidor’s Gilda (1946), with Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, George Macready. John and Faith Hubley’s Oscar-winning animated short The Hole (1962). Stanley Kramer’s Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), with Best Actor Oscar winner Maximilian Schell,...

When Graham and I wrote about our twelve favourite Westerns (check it out if you haven’t already) I starting thinking about The Magnificent Seven. Not only is it one of the best Westerns ever in my opinion…it also had a pretty amazing all-star cast. You’ve got Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen headlining which is already amazing, but you also have Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, James Coburn, and Eli Wallach. I began pondering on who they would cast if there was ever a remake of The Magnificent Seven. Given the star studded cast of the original, I think it would be neat to put together a band of equally big names.

So here we go, these are my picks for the completely hypothetical remake of…The Magnificent Seven.

Chris Adams played by Daniel Day Lewis

Originally played by Yul Brynner, I feel that Daniel Day Lewis can portray...

Eleanor Parker: Palm Springs resident turns 91 today Eleanor Parker turns 91 today. The three-time Oscar nominee (Caged, 1950; Detective Story, 1951; Interrupted Melody, 1955) and Palm Springs resident is Turner Classic Movies’ Star of the Month of June 2013. Earlier this month, TCM showed a few dozen Eleanor Parker movies, from her days at Warner Bros. in the ’40s to her later career as a top Hollywood supporting player. (Photo: Publicity shot of Eleanor Parker in An American Dream.) Missing from TCM’s movie series, however, was not only Eleanor Parker’s biggest box-office it — The Sound of Music, in which she steals the show from both Julie Andrews and the Alps — but also what according to several sources is her very first movie role: a bit part in Raoul Walsh’s They Died with Their Boots On, a 1941 Western starring Errol Flynn as a dashingly handsome and all-around-good-guy-ish General George Armstrong Custer. Olivia de Havilland...

Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none

By Harvey Chartrand

Mr. Lucky: The Complete Series is now available for the first time ever as a 4-dvd box set from Timeless Media Group… all 34 episodes, with a running time of about 840 minutes. Mr. Lucky– created by writer/director Blake Edwards (Peter Gunn) – ran for only one season (from 1959 to 1960), even though it was a hit with viewers.

This adventure/crime drama is a sort of Peter Gunn Lite, featuring a lush, organ-powered theme song by Henry Mancini (a bonus CD of Mr. Lucky’s soundtrack is included in the set), an assortment of shady characters aboard a floating casino, and competent acting by series regulars John Vivyan (as suave professional gambler Mr. Lucky), Ross Martin (as his sidekick and business partner Andamo), Pippa Scott (as Mr. Lucky’s girlfriend Maggie Shank-Rutherford) and Tom Brown (as Lieutenant Rovacs, Mr. Lucky’s...

MGM is moving forward with their planned remake of "The Magnificent Seven" starring Tom Cruise. The studio has hired Nic Pizzolatto to write a script for the remake which was itself a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 gem, "Seven Samurai." The original starred Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Horst Buchholz. They played a group of American gunmen hired to protect a small Mexican village from a group of baddies headed by Eli Wallach.

According to Variety, production of the remake could still be a ways off because of Cruise's schedule.

For now, take a look at the original 1960 movie:...

Remember that remake of The Magnificent Seven that has been snaking its way through development since May? Well, it has apparently taken another big step forward. Nic Pizzolatto, who is a relative newcomer in Hollywood, has been hired by MGM to write a script based on John Sturges. 1960 western classic. The movie already has Tom Cruise set to star. The original film, which itself was a remake of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, followed a group of gunmen who work together to protect a small Mexican village. The cast of the movie was stacked, with Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Horst Buchholz playing the heroes and genre legend Eli Wallach as the leader of the bandits attacking the town. Three sequels were produced after the success of the first movie and from 1998 to 2000 CBS ran a television series based on it. When...

MGM has hired novelist-turned-screenwriter Nic Pizzolatto to draft their planned big screen remake of John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven , Variety reports. The 1960 film, itself a loose remake of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai , starred Charles Bronson, Yul Brynner, Horst Bucholz, James Colburn, Brad Dexter, Steve McQueen and Robert Vaughn as seven gunfighters-for-hire tasked with protecting a small Mexican village. It spawned three sequels, 1966's Return of the Magnificent Seven , 1969's Guns of the Magnificent Seven , and 1972's The Magnifcent Seven Ride Again , as well as a television series, simply called "The Magnificent Seven," that ran two seasons beginning in 1998. Tom Cruise is attached to star in the new film, but there's currently no announced...

It would appear that Hollywood has essentially run out of movies to remake, because now they're starting to remake the remakes as well. This week MGM has announced that they are setting up a new version of The Magnificent Seven, the 1960 Western directed by John Sturges, which itself was a loose remake of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. This will join a long list of remakes already in development at MGM including Carrie, Robocop, Poltergeist and Wargames, not to mention their Red Dawn remake, which was already completed but has been sitting on a shelf for a couple of years now. While there is no writer or director attached as of yet, they do have a big star on board for the film in the form of Mr. Tom Cruise. Something tells me that will not help endear this project to fans of the original film. According to Variety, the...

MGM studio takes advantage of its extensive back catalogue to resurrect classic 1960 western, with updates of Robocop and Carrie also on the cards

Tom Cruise is in line to star in a remake of the classic 1960 western The Magnificent Seven, according to a Variety report.

The new version is in the early stages of development at studio MGM, which is taking advantage of its extensive back catalogue to reassert itself following several years of financial travails. The studio will also deliver new versions of the Paul Verhoeven sci-fi romp Robocop and the classic Stephen King horror Carrie, both of which go into production later this year.

The Magnificent Seven was itself a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese tale Seven Samurai. John Sturges's film featured an impressive ensemble cast of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Horst Buchholz. It centred on a...

Tom Cruise is planning to develop and star in a remake of the 1960 Western classic The Magnificent Seven. Information is sketchy because the project is only in the embryonic stages. There have been various attempts to remake the film in the past, but none have borne fruit. The original film was a surprise hit and was itself a remake of Kurosawa's classic Seven Samurai. Although the film is remembered as an all-star vehicle today, at the time only Yul Brynner and Eli Wallach were considered big names. The film helped promote the young up-and-comers in the cast to major stardom including Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and Robert Vaughn. Horst Bucholz became a star in Europe and the guy whose name nobody can remember, Brad Dexter, went on to become a successful movie producer. The film, directed by John Sturges, is also remembered for its classic theme song by Elmer Bernstein.

MGM will begin shooting "RoboCop" and "Carrie" remakes later this year. And now comes word that the studio is also planning to remake John Sturges' 1960 Western "The Magnificent Seven," with Tom Cruise attached to star. "The Magnificent Seven," itself a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 classic "Seven Samurai," starred Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Horst Buchholz as a group of American gunmen hired to protect a small Mexican village from a group of savage bandits led by Calvera (Eli Wallach). The 1960 film was followed by three sequels, and "The Magnificent Seven" was remade as a CBS series in 1998-2000. The project has yet to sign a director, but the search for a writer has started.

It looks like Tom Cruise wants to be a gunslinger.

The "Mission: Impossible" star is loading his six-shooter and riding into the sunset of the remake of "The Magnificent Seven," according to Variety.

The original "The Magnificent Seven" (1960) took the basic premise of Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" and reworked it as a western, in which a group of mercenaries are hired by the citizens of a Mexican village to protect them from bandits. The film definitely had "true grit" — and star power galore, provided by an amazing cast that includes Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and James Coburn.

A remake of "The Magnificent Seven" has been mulled over by several different studios over the years but has never quite come together despite the A-list ensemble such a film could command. This current incarnation is being set up at MGM, with Cruise set...

MGM has got a few remakes in the works such as RoboCop and Carrie, we can now add another remake to that list. The studio is looking to remake the awesome 1960's classic western, The Magnificent Seven with Tom Cruise set to star. 

The studio is currently on the hunt for a writer and director, and the film wont go into production anytime soon. It's eventually going to happen, but it doesn't seem like there's any rush to get it into production. After All Cruise is crazy busy with a bunch of other movies he's attached to.

The Magnificent Seven is one of my favorite western films of all time. It's hard to imagine or get excited about a remake though. Of course I'll end up seeing it though because I watch everything. It will be interesting to see who they end up bringing on to direct the movie, but...

How many projects is Tom Cruise going to lineup? Another good question is-- how many remakes does MGM want to pursue? As many as they want. Cruise is attached to the remake of 1960s The Magnificent Seven. You know, it's a few parts Seven Samurai with cowboys and a dash of Steve McQueen. The seven, which consisted of McQueen, Yul Brynner, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter and Horst Buchholz all saddled up, "to protect a small Mexican village from a group of...

Tom Cruise is planning to headline a big screen remake of John Sturges' The Magnifcent Seven , Variety reports. The 1960 film, itself a loose remake of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai starred Charles Bronson, Yul Brynner, Horst Bucholz, James Colburn, Brad Dexter, Steve McQueen and Robert Vaughn as seven gunfighters-for-hire tasked with protecting a small Mexican village. It spawned three sequels, 1966's Return of the Magnificent Seven , 1969's Guns of the Magnificent Seven , and 1972's The Magnifcent Seven Ride Again , as well as a television series, simply called "The Magnificent Seven," that ran two seasons beginning in 1998. Cruise most recently starred in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and can soon be seen back on the big screen in Adam Shankman's...

DVD Playhouse—April 2012

By Allen Gardner

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (Warner Bros.) An eleven year-old boy (newcomer Thomas Horn, in an incredible debut) discovers a mysterious key amongst the possessions of his late father (Tom Hanks) who perished in 9/11. Determined to find the lock it matches, the boy embarks on a Picaresque odyssey across New York City. Director Stephen Daldry and screenwriter Eric Roth have fashioned a film both grand and intimate, beautifully-adapted from Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel, thought by most who read it to be unfilmable. Fine support from Jeffrey Wright, Sandra Bullock, John Goodman, Viola Davis and the great Max von Sydow. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 5.1 surround.

Battle Royale: The Complete Collection (Anchor Bay) Adapted from Koushun Takami’s polarizing novel (compared by champions and detractors alike as a 21st century version of A Clockwork Orange) and set in a futuristic Japan,...

There was no a-ha! moment, no seeing of the light, no epiphany. I’d loved movies since I was a kid, had been a buff since my early teens, but there was no one, shining instance of enlightenment where my relationship with film graduated to something — … Well, the kind of thing my Sound on Sight colleagues have been talking about this month with their “gateway” films. Instead, it was a cumulative experience for me; my road to that point was a long, winding, gradual one. Here and there along that road something would lodge in the ol’ gray matter, tickle at some deep place, until enough of those somethings gathered up over the years finally coalesced into a critical mass.

But I can tell you where that first turn in that road was; that first stop where I picked up that first something. I was six years old, it was...

The 1960 film The Magnificent Seven was one of the last rounds in the chamber of the American Western. In 1952 you had the Gary Cooper flick High Noon. In 1956 you had John Ford’s masterpiece The Searchers. Then, in 1959 you had the Howard Hawks western Rio Bravo. By 1960, the American western was on its last legs and a new wave of more stylized westerns was about to be ushered in. Akira Kurosawa, who was the source of inspiration for The Magnificent Seven with his samurai epic Seven Samurai, released a double dose of western infused “lone fighter” films in ’61 and ’62 with Yojimbo and Sanjuro, which went on to inspire Leone’s “The Man with No Name Trilogy.” The combination of Kurosawa’a films and Magnificent Seven’s darker elements certainly triggered the grittier “Spaghetti Westerns” that took over for the “American Westerns.” Let’s see if this film still stands as...

DVD Playhouse—September 2011

By Allen Gardner

In A Better World (Sony) Winner of last year’s Best Foreign Film Oscar, this Danish export looks at two fractured families and the effect that the adult world dysfunction has on their two sons, who form an immediate and potentially deadly bond. Director Susanne Bier delivers another powerful work that maintains its drive during the films’ first 2/3, then falters somewhat during the last act. Still, well-worth seeing, and beautifully made. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Commentary by Bier and editor Pernille Bech Christensen; Interview with Bier. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 5.1 surround.

X-men First Class (20th Century Fox) “Origins” film set in the early 1960s, traces the beginnings of Magento and Professor X (played ably here by Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy), and how the once-close friends and colleagues became bitter enemies. First half is slam-bang entertainment at its stylish best,...

Inspired by Cowboys & Aliens, James comes up with a few other potential sci-fi/western-themed buddy movies…

The title doesn’t lie. Cowboys & Aliens contains cowboys and aliens. Jon Favreau’s latest film has Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig and Sam Rockwell wearing Stetson hats, and has extra-terrestrials invading the nineteenth century American Old West.

If you like cowboys and aliens, this is clearly a movie you’ll want to see. It’s unambiguous and upfront about what it’s offering unlike, say, Super 8. (“Who are these Super 8? Is this going to be like X-Men?”)

As a minor quibble, though, the title would be more accurate if it were Cowboys vs Aliens, seeing as it’s a story about conflict between humans and hostile organisms from outer space. A versus title is justified, because it’s a high-concept film based around a core premise of combat between two elements already...

DVD Playhouse—July 2011

By Allen Gardner

The Music Room (Criterion) Satyajit Ray’s 1958 masterpiece looks at the life of a fallen aristocrat as a metaphor for an India that is not only becoming Westernized, but modernized technologically and culturally beyond recognition. When the beloved music room, where he has hosted lavish concerts in the past, starts falling into disrepair as attendance drops steadily, the man realizes his way of life is vanishing. Stunningly shot in black & white, one of Ray’s finest works. Bonuses: Documentary on Ray from 1984 by Shyam Benegal; Interviews with Ray biographer Andrew Robinson and filmmaker Mira Nair; Excerpt from 1981 roundtable discussion between Ray, critic Michael Ciment, director Claude Sautet. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.

Beauty And The Beast (Criterion) Jean Cocteau’s sublime adaptation of the classic fairy tale become a beloved classic upon its 1946 release, and hasn’t faded since.