By Ray Bennett
TORONTO – Antoine Fuqua’s “The Magnificent Seven” is a rousing Western adventure with stylish set pieces, interesting characters sketched quickly, and a great deal of carnage. It moves fast and loud and should please action fans and lovers of old Westerns. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
LONDON – I first met Mark Harmon, who turns 65 today, when he was 29 years-old and it was clear then that he had the talent and determination to become one of the most enduring and popular stars on American television.
Few TV stars can match his longevity from “Flamingo Road” to “St. Elsewhere” (below) to “Reasonable Doubts” to “Chicago Hope” and his long-running current hit series “NCIS” (above) with many feature films, TV movies and other series along the way.
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By Ray Bennett
LONDON – Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks made three films together and each one is regarded as a comedy classic. Neither man achieved the same degree of success on his own but Wilder, who died Monday aged 83, was quite clear about why they stopped. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
LONDON – Barbara Eden, who turns 85 today, is remembered most fondly as the sexy genie in the Sixties sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie” but what she really wanted to be was a TV cop. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
LONDON – Antoine Fuqua’s remake of “The Magnificent Seven” will have its world premiere at the opening gala of the 41st Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 8. TIFF 2016 will close on Sept. 17 with the world premiere of Kelly Fremon Craig’s “The Edge of Seventeen”. Continue reading
LONDON – Cheryl Ladd, who turns 65 today, was always the most fun and down-to-earth of TV’s “Charlie’s Angels”, friendly and a bit flirty, and she wasn’t catty about Farrah Fawcett when she had every right to be. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
LONDON – Bill Murray not only got all the big laughs in the original “Ghostbusters”, he also got the girl and he told reporters at the New York junket for the film in 1984 that it was all Dan Aykroyd’s fault. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
LONDON – In Canada, Gordie Howe, who has died aged 88, has long been revered and will always be remembered as Mr. Hockey, the greatest ever ice hockey player. I will always remember the day he made out that we were pals. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
KRAKÓW – Cliff Martinez said it best. The genial but taciturn favourite movie composer of filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, said, “It is simply very exciting to be in a place that celebrates film music.”
Martinez was speaking at a media conference at the 9th annual Kraków Film Music Festival where his music for films by Nicolas Winding Refn were celebrated along with other creators of scores both traditional and alternative. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
KRAKÓW – Animated films tend to be filled with basic emotions that offer composers the opportunity to revel in them all from the terror of oppression to the tumult of revolt, the panic of flight to the anguish of loss, and the joy of mischief to the elixir of romance and the splendour of victory all in one picture. Continue reading
