“Joker: Folie à Deux” is dancing into theaters today.

The highly anticipated sequel, which returns Joaquin Phoenix to the grimy world of Gotham City and adds Lady Gaga as his Harley Quinn, is a very different movie than the $1 billion-grossing original. Chiefly: it’s a musical.

You see, when Harley and Arthur Fleck feel the world is getting too crazy, they slip into an alternate reality where they are a Sonny and Cher-style singing duo. Nobody can hear them sing or see them dance, but to the two of them, that’s all they’re doing. But is it enough to permanently escape the horrors of reality, where Harley is an inmate accused of burning down an apartment building and Arthur is on trial for multiple murders?

But what songs are Arthur and Harley belting out? Well, you’ll find the full list below, along with other songs that...

"Joker 2," or "Joker: Folie à Deux" as absolutely nobody calls it, is finally here! And the results ... are mixed (although you can read our pretty positive review right here). For the sequel to his billion dollar hit "Joker," director Todd Phillips has made a film that deliberately sets out to interrogate the audience of the first film. "Oh, you liked Arthur Fleck?" Phillips is asking here. "Why??" In theory, this is a fascinating idea. I'm all for sequels that try to deconstruct and re-contextualize what came before. On top of that, "Joker 2" is a musical! All of this sounds great on paper.

Unfortunately, the film is a bit of a slog. It's so joyless and dour that watching it begins to feel like a chore. On top of that, Phillips seems genuinely afraid of embracing the musical aspect of the movie — which makes you wonder why the hell...

Steven Spielberg’s 1981 film, Hook, is regarded as the best adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s Peter and Wendy. The film presented a different take on the children’s fairytale and provided a different experience than the other iterations. A popular rumor suggested that Tom Hanks was the first choice for the role of an older Peter Pan. However, the Philadelphia actor clarified that the story is different.

Robin Williams in Spielberg’s Hook

Hook focuses on the story of a lawyer played by the late Robin Williams, who learns that he is the older Peter Pan. When his kids are kidnapped by Captain Hook as revenge, he goes back to Neverland and joins forces with the Lost Boys and Julia Roberts’ Tinkerbell. Steven Spielberg’s iteration of the fairy tale initially divided the audiences but became a cult classic moving forward.

Was Tom Hanks the first choice to play Peter Pan in Hook?...

Tea can be an energizer or a sedative. “Black Tea,” the first film in a decade from veteran Mauritanian auteur Abderrahmane Sissako, sips exclusively from the latter end of the shelf, passing through chamomile-type calm into outright soporific territory. And if that seems a trite metaphor related to the beverage, this tepid Berlinale competition entry has plenty more of its own: A love story between a Chinese tea-shop owner and an Ivory Coast émigré that is rooted in the rituals of brewing and consuming the blessed leaves, the film aims for woozy sensualism but falls way short on the ambient richness and X-factor chemistry required to sell such an essentially confected exercise.

It’s altogether a mystifying misstep from Sissako, typically a filmmaker of such formal and political vigor; by its close, the ten years separating “Black Tea” from 2014’s beautiful, shattering “Timbuktu” feel closer to an eon. Though this...

Nearly four decades ago, NBC brought Babes in Toyland back to life with an all-star cast.

The holiday project was based on the 1903 operetta, which features Victor Herbert’s score — including Christmas staple “Toyland” — and a libretto from Glen MacDonough that draws together numerous Mother Goose characters. It followed such previous adaptations as a 1934 Laurel and Hardy film, a 1960 Shirley Temple-led TV version and a 1961 Disney movie starring Annette Funicello.

Filmmaker Clive Donner — whose 1965 comedy What’s New Pussycat? marked Woody Allen’s first produced screenplay — directed Babes in Toyland from a script by Paul Zindel (Mame).

Shot in Munich, it starred 11-year-old Drew Barrymore as Lisa, who has no interest in toys until she gets magically transported to Toyland on Christmas Eve, where she teams up with the Toymaster (Pat Morita, fresh off The Karate Kid Part II) to stop the villainous Barnaby Barnicle (Richard Mulligan) from taking over the realm.

You might not be able to tell it from the trailers but Wonka, the latest movie inspired by Roald Dahl’s classic 1964 children’s story “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is, make no mistake about it, a full-on movie musical that I found to be more in the tradition of ’60s-era films like Oliver, Dr. Dolittle, Albert Finney’s Scrooge — basically a throwback to that kind of feel-good musical confection designed to be released during the year’s end.

Unlike 1971’s beloved (but not a hit initially) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder, or Tim Burton’s darker 2005 take Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp, this version directed Paul King and co-written by King and Simon Farnaby is an origin story of how Willy Wonka came to be Wonka, the magician, inventor and chocolate maker extraordinaire. Both previous films certainly have their legions of fans,...

(Welcome to Did They Get It Right?, a series where we look at Oscars categories from yesteryear and examine whether the Academy's winners stand the test of time.)

Best Original Song is such an odd category. On the Academy Awards broadcast, it is the one that gets the most airtime, as it is typical to perform all five of the nominated tunes during the show. While this is technically meant to showcase the nominees, it is really an excuse to break up what would be a fairly monotonous, long awards show.

However, most of the songs nominated for Best Original Song aren't all that interesting. A lot of the time, these tunes aren't integral to the film itself in the slightest, and they are simply musical wallpaper to play over the end credits of a movie as you file out of the theater. This is also the category most susceptible...

Paul King is no stranger to exploring the fantastical world of a children’s storybook. After two Paddington films, the dark whimsy of Roald Dahl proved to be an exciting new challenge for the director, who has imagined an origin story for the iconic character of Willy Wonka. In the first trailer for Wonka, in theaters Dec. 15, audiences get a glimpse of this youthful version of the chocolatier, embodied with enthusiastic verve by Timothée Chalamet. It also teases a vast supporting cast that includes Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins,...

Clockwise from top left: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert (MGM), Tangerine (Magnolia Pictures), The Birdcage (MGM), Moonlight (Lionsgate)Graphic: AVClub

June means Pride Month, and Pride Month means celebrating queer art—which we could all use more of given the current state of things. In the spirit of 2023 Pride,...

What do the 55th annual Academy Awards which took place April 11, 1983 have in common with the upcoming 95th Oscars?

Steven Spielberg and John Williams.

Back in 1983, Spielberg’s beloved “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” was nominated for nine Academy Awards including film, director and score. This year, the 76-year-old Spielberg and Williams, 91, are both nominated for “The Fabelmans.” The filmmaker’s semi-autobiographical drama is in contention for eight Academy Awards including film, director, screenplay and score.

The 55th Oscars made history with Ben Kingsley becoming the first actor of Indian descent to win the best actor Oscar for his extraordinary portrayal of “Gandhi” while Louis Gossett Jr. become the first black actor to win in the supporting category with his iconic turn as tough-nosed D.I. in “An Officer and a Gentleman.” This year, history could be made again in the best actress category. Malaysian Chinese performer Michelle Yeoh has the chance...

A core musical moment in Sean Anders’ Apple TV+ “Christmas Carol” riff “Spirited” involves Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell repeatedly hurling the same insult at strangers set to song and dance in Dickensian London, and as it turns out, the whole thing was Reynolds’ idea.

“When Ryan Reynolds has an idea, you kind of just say like, ‘how do we make it happen?’ He has an okay, track record,” songwriter Justin Paul, who collaborated on the big musical number “Good Afternoon” with frequent writing partner Benj Pasek as well as Mark Sonnenblick, Sukari Jones and Khiyon Hursey, told TheWrap. “It was this sort of very straightforward concept, that was this is a vulgar, obscene insult in the world of Dickensian England that needs to become a song.”

In the words of Will Ferrell’s character ‘Present,” back in the old days “Good Afternoon” was a sick burn. In fact, Present...

Click here to read the full article.

It’s hard to tell exactly whether Netflix’s new animated version of Charles Dickens’ Yuletide classic is geared to very young children who respond to sensory overload or drugged-out college students looking for sensory overload.

In either case, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol delivers it in spades, providing a turbocharged rendition of the tale aimed for maximum visual impact. A very loose remake of the live-action 1970 musical Scrooge starring Albert Finney, this version also features songs from that film composed by two-time Oscar winner Leslie Bricusse.

Director Stephen Donnelly has promised to provide “psychedelic, time-traveling and musical surprises” in this umpteenth version of the oft-dramatized tale, and he lives up to his word, for better or worse. The film’s vibrant animation — the opening sequence depicts a London more colorful than it’s ever been — feels more Hanna-Barbera than Dickensian. And it soon...

Like a too-generous parent on Christmas morning, “Spirited” keeps doling out the shiny presents long after the recipients are sated. But if there’s a genre that begs to be maximalist, it’s a musical comedy with its roots in Charles Dickens; it’s not so much whether or not you like what “Spirited” has to offer but how much of it you can take in one sitting.

The whole “one sitting” concept may be an outdated one, since this is a film that’s going to live its life (and its Christmases Yet to Come) on Apple TV+, where there’s always a pause button. But viewers who can see “Spirited” projected on the big screen absolutely should, if only to fully appreciate the splashy (sometimes in a literal sense) choreography from Chloe Arnold, one of the film’s true MVPs.

Not that the marquee names are slacking — the...

Netflix has debuted the trailer for the upcoming Christmas film ‘Scrooge: A Christmas Carol.’

Charles Dickens’ ageless legend is reborn in this supernatural, time-travelling, musical adaptation of the definitive Christmas story. With his very soul on the line, Scrooge has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future.Featuring re-imagined songs from the legendary and two-time Academy Award® winner Leslie Bricusse OBE, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol is one for a new generation to sing.

Directed by Stephen Donnelly, The film stars Luke Evans (voices Scrooge), Olivia Colman (voices Past), Jessie Buckley (voices Isabel Fezziwig), Johnny Flynn (voices Bob Cratchit), Fra Fee (voices Harry Huffam), Giles Terera (voices Tom Jenkins), Trevor Dion Nicholas (voices Present), James Cosmo (voices Mr Fezziwig), and Jonathan Pryce (voices Jacob Marley).

Also in trailers – Main trailer lands for Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Pinocchio’

The film launches globally on Netflix on 2 December.

The James Bond franchise is the gold standard for long-running film series. Sixty years of 007 have not only come with new takes on the secret agent himself but what the franchise should be for each generation of the character. This has meant consistent alterations to every aspect of the movies, as one star takes over for another, from ditching the overt sexism on Bonds past when Daniel Craig took over the role to embracing the absurd in the early years, namely the later Sean Connery films and the majority of the Roger Moore era.

Even the music has changed with each theatrical adventure. From absolute classics, such as Matt Monro’s “From Russia With Love” and Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger,” to more modern hits like Adele’s “Skyfall,” each new Bond song is as big an event as the movie itself. But not all Bond songs are equal, and...

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is one of the most adapted and re-interpreted stories ever. There have been numerous popular incarnations. They include a Jim Carrey animated film from Robert Zemeckis, a Muppets version, a Bill Murray parody, a TV movie starring Patrick Stewart, and there’s already a satirical musical comedy with Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell premiering this year titled, Spirited. Netflix will now be releasing its own CGI-animated musical with Scrooge: A Christmas Carol.

The official Netflix synopsis reads,

“Produced by Timeless Films in association with Axis Studios and directed by Stephen Donnelly, Charles Dickens’ ageless legend is reborn in this supernatural, time-traveling, musical adaptation of the definitive Christmas story. With his very soul on the line, Scrooge has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future. Featuring re-imagined songs from the legendary and two-time Academy Award® winner Leslie Bricusse OBE,...

Netflix’s animated adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “Scrooge: A Christmas Carol” has gotten a trailer and a release date.

The animated feature, which is set to debut on the streamer on Dec. 2, features the voice of Luke Evans (“Beauty and the Beast”) as Scrooge as well as Olivia Colman (“The Crown”), Jessie Buckley (“Men”) and Jonathan Pryce (“The Crown”).

The animated film is described as a “supernatural, time-travelling, musical adaptation of the definitive Christmas story,” according to the synopsis. “With his very soul on the line, Scrooge has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future.”

Director Stephen Donnelly said of the project: “It’s been a fascinating challenge to adapt such a beloved and often-told story. I think this version will give those who know ‘A Christmas Carol’ all the things they expect, but not as they’ve experienced them before. There are more than enough psychedelic,...

Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, and Luke Evans have landed themselves voice roles in Netflix’s upcoming animated feature ‘Scrooge: A Christmas Carol.’

The film is a supernatural, time-travelling, musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s beloved Christmas story. With his very soul on the line, Scrooge has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future.

Evans takes on the voice of Scrooge, Colman voices the Ghost of Christmas Past, Buckley Isabel Fezziwig. Other cast includes Johnny Flynn as Bob Cratchit, Giles Terera as Tom Jenkins, Trevor Dion Nicholas as the Ghost of Christmas Present, James Cosmo as Mr. Fezziwig, and Jonathan Pryce as Jacob Marley.

Also in news – Peter Dinklage cast in ‘Hunger Games’ prequel ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’

Stephen Donnelly will direct the feature. The new musical adaptation features re-imagined songs from the late two-time Oscar and Grammy winner Leslie Bricusse. The...

The latest adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol will be a CG animated feature on Netflix featuring a star-studded voice cast, including Olivia Colman (The Crown), Jessie Buckley (Chernobyl), and Luke Evans (Pinocchio). According to Variety, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol will be a supernatural, time-traveling, musical adaptation of the beloved Christmas story. It will see Ebenezer Scrooge fighting for his soul as he has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future. Stephen Donnelly (Monster High: Welcome to Monster High) directs the film, which features re-imagined songs from late Oscar-winner Leslie Bricusse (Home Alone). Evans is set to voice Scrooge, while Colman will voice the Ghost of Christmas Past and Buckley Isabel Fezziwig. Also starring is Johnny Flynn (Lovesick) as Bob Cratchit, Fra Fee (Hawkeye) as Harry Huffman, Giles Terera (Horrible Histories) as Tom Jenkins, Trevor Dion Nicholas (Moley) as the Ghost of Christmas Present,...

Olivia Colman (“Landscapers”), Jessie Buckley (“Men”) and Luke Evans (“Crossing Swords”) will voice parts in Netflix’s CG animated feature “Scrooge: A Christmas Carol.”

The film is a supernatural, time-travelling, musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens’ beloved Christmas story. With his very soul on the line, Scrooge has but one Christmas Eve left to face his past and build a better future. Evans voices Scrooge, Colman voices the Ghost of Christmas Past, Buckley Isabel Fezziwig, Johnny Flynn Bob Cratchit, Fra Fee Harry Huffam), Giles Terera Tom Jenkins, Trevor Dion Nicholas the Ghost of Christmas Present, James Cosmo Mr. Fezziwig, and Jonathan Pryce voices Jacob Marley.

The film is directed by Stephen Donnelly (“Monster High: Welcome to Monster High”) and features re-imagined songs from the late two-time Oscar and Grammy winner Leslie Bricusse. The songs are arranged and produced by Jeremy Holland-Smith, who has also provided the original score.

Donnelly said:...

Click here to read the full article.

Netflix has unveiled an impressive lineup of stars set to lend their voices to its upcoming animated feature Scrooge: A Christmas Carol from director Stephen Donnelly and Timeless Films.

Luke Evans (voicing Scrooge), Olivia Colman (Past), Jessie Buckley (Isabel Fezziwig) and Johnny Flynn (Bob Cratchit) have joined the film, alongside Fra Fee (Harry Huffam), Giles Terera (Tom Jenkins), Trevor Dion Nicholas (Present), James Cosmo (Mr Fezziwig) and Jonathan Pryce (Jacob Marley).

Landing on Netflix in December, the CG animation gives the Charles Dickens classic a musical spin, with re-imagined songs from two-time Oscar and Grammy winner Leslie Bricusse (Doctor Dolittle, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Superman, Home Alone).

The film is produced by Timeless Films in association with Axis Studios, with producers including Ralph Kamp, Andrew Pearce and Bricusse. Rebecca Kamp and Gareth Kamp will serve as co-producers.

“It’s been a...

The streaming platform has also picked up ‘Scrooge: A Christmas Carol’.

Locksmith Animation’s adaptation of Richard Curtis’ children’s book That Christmas is among the four animated titles Netflix has unveiled ahead of the 61st Annecy International Film Festival (June 13-18).

That Christmas is directed by Swiss-born filmmaker Simon Otto, best known for his How To Train Your Dragon trilogy, and follows multiple interweaved stories of love, loneliness, family and friends. It is produced by Nicole P. Hearon and Adam Tandy. Curtis is writing the screenplay with Peter Souter.

Another title announced is Scrooge: A Christmas Carol from Timeless Films.

In the run up to Annecy festival, Netflix has unveiled a powerful slate of talent-driven animated films and series, including “That Christmas” based on BAFTA winner Richard Curtis’s children’s books, and “Ember,” Sergio Pablos’ follow-up to the Oscar-nominated “Klaus.”

Netflix’s roster of animated features also boasts the musical “Scrooge: A Christmas Carol” which features songs by Leslie Bricusse; an untitled animated film by Steve Box, the Oscar-winning “Wallace & Gromit” alumni. Netflix has also boarded new original series productions including “Bad Dinosaurs” from Snafu Pictures and Able & Baker; “Mermaid Magic” from Rainbow, “The Seven Bears” from Folivari, as well as “Wereworld” which is based on the series of fantasy novels by Curtis Jobling and is produced by from Lime Pictures.

“Ember” is a hand-drawn epic adventure tale of humankind’s quest for fire told through the eyes of young Dikika who embarks on an impossible race...

Click here to read the full article.

Ahead of this month’s Annecy Film Festival, Netflix has unveiled a slate of new animated films and series from creatives across Europe.

The eight-strong list includes Ember, Sergio Pablos’ follow-up to his BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated Klaus, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol, featuring songs by Oscar winner Leslie Bricusse, That Christmas, based on the children’s books by Richard Curtis and from Ron’s Gone Wrong studio Locksmith Animation, and an untitled animated feature by Oscar winner Steve Box, who was a key animator on Chicken Run and co-wrote and co-directed Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

These projects join a growing list of animated titles from Europe, including My Father’s Dragon from Cartoon Saloon and Oscar-nominated director Nora Twomey and will debut on Netflix this fall, as well as Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and an untitled Wallace & Gromit project from Aardman out of the U.

An animated Christmas Carol, follow-up to Academy Award-nominee Klaus, adaptation of Richard Curtis’ That Christmas and untitled project from Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit’s Steve Box feature on an eight-strong slate of Netflix animated films and TV series.

The streamer is taking the projects from the UK, Spain, Italy and France to Annecy International Animation Film Festival next week as it doubles down on animated projects.

Scroll down for the full list but leading the slate is Ember from Klaus creator Sergio Pablos and The Spa Studios, an epic adventure tale of humankind’s quest for fire told through the eyes of young Dikika, who embarks on an impossible race to a distant volcano to retrieve the precious spark that will save her tribe.

Next comes the latest Scrooge: A Christmas Carol adaptation, directed by Stephen Donnelly, with the ageless classic reborn as a musical adaptation...

Who will be included for the special “In Memoriam” segment for Sunday night’s Oscars 2022 ceremony? For almost all other Academy Awards productions since the 1990s, producers typically select 40-50 people from the various branches. The 2021 segment had close to 100 people in a particularly fast-paced three minutes that was not very well-received since many of them were only on screen for a second or two.

SEECelebrity Deaths 2022: In Memoriam Gallery

Previous Oscar winners from acting categories passing away since last year’s late April ceremony are Olympia Dukakis, William Hurt and Sidney Poitier. Past acting nominees include Ned Beatty, Sally Kellerman and Dean Stockwell.

Almost all of the dozens on the list below were Academy members, previous nominees/winners or both.

Louie Anderson (actor)

Ed Asner (actor)

Ned Beatty (actor)

Marilyn Bergman (composer)

Val Bisoglio (actor)

Robert Blalack (visual effects)

Peter Bogdanovich (director)

David Brenner (editor)

Leslie Bricusse (composer...

After a short hiatus, The Kardashians are coming back to TV.

Hulu has unveiled a first-look teaser for “The Kardashians,” the new reality show starring the internationally famous family premiering on the platform April 14.

Although details about what events the new series will cover are still unclear, “The Kardashians” is set to follow the same formula as “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” the 2007-2021 E! reality series that launched members of the family to A-list fame. The show promises to give insight into the Kardashian women’s work as influencers and business women, along with the pressures that come with motherhood and raising children in the spotlight. Kris Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian West, Khloé Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner will all return from the original reality series to star in the new Hulu show.

The teaser, set to a cover of the Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse standard “Feeling Good,...

Leslie Bricusse, Oscar- and Grammy-winning songwriter whose songs for Broadway and Hollywood include “What Kind of Fool Am I?” and “Pure Imagination,” died Tuesday in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France. He was 90.

Bricusse wrote the lyrics for James Bond theme songs “Goldfinger” and “You Only Live Twice,” as well as songs for movies including “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (including “The Candy Man”), “Scrooge,” “Hook,” “Doctor Dolittle” and “Superman.”

His close friend, Dame Joan Collins, announced the death on Instagram this morning, calling him “one of the giant songwriters of our time.” Bricusse’s son Adam also announced it on Facebook; neither indicated a cause of death.

Over seven decades, the London-born writer-composer was in demand for his clever, witty and tuneful songs, sometimes in collaboration with others and sometimes serving as both lyricist and composer.

“The music illuminates the meaning of the lyric, just as the lyric can have only that melody and no other,...

Leslie Bricusse, the songwriter for film and stage whose extensive roster of hits and standards includes “The Candyman” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, “Talk To The Animals” from Doctor Dolittle and “What Kind of Fool Am I?” from Stop the World-i Want to Get Off, died today. He was 90.

His death was announced today by son Adam Bricusse in a Facebook post. A cause of death was not specified.

“My Dearest Father passed away peacefully this morning,” Adam Bricusse wrote. “Please raise a glass for him.”

Known for his collaborations with Anthony Newley, Sammy Davis Jr., John Barry and Henry Mancini, Bricusse wrote or co-wrote such now-classic film or stage songs as “Goldfinger,” a hit for Shirley Bassey in 1964, and two hits sung by Davis including “The Candyman”.

Bricusse won his first Oscar for 1968’s “Talk To The Animals” from Doctor Dolittle and, his second for co-writing with Henry Mancini the score for 1982’s Victor/Victoria, including that musical’s most popular song “Le Jazz Hot!”

A partial list of films with songs written or co-written by Bricusse also includes Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), Scrooge (1970), Beyond the Rainbow (1978) and Hook (1991).

Broadway credits include such musicals as Stop the World – I Want to Get Off (1961), Pickwick (1963), The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd (1965), Jekyll & Hyde (1997) and stage adaptations of Victor / Victoria (1995) and Willy Wonka, retitled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2017).

Born in Pinner, North West London, Bricusse is survived by wife Evie and son Adam. A complete list of survivors was not immediately available.

More To Come…...

Leslie Bricusse, the British songwriter who won Oscars for “Talk to the Animals” from Doctor Dolittle and for his work alongside Henry Mancini on the score to Victor, Victoria, has died. He was 90.

A member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Bricusse died Tuesday, his son Adam Bricusse reported on Facebook. No details of his death were immediately available.

Bricusse received eight other Oscar noms: for his work on the scores for Doctor Dolittle (1967), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), Scrooge (1970) and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) — he wrote “The Candy Man” and “Pure Imagination” for the film — and ...

Leslie Bricusse, the British songwriter who won Oscars for “Talk to the Animals” from Doctor Dolittle and for his work alongside Henry Mancini on the score to Victor, Victoria, has died. He was 90.

A member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Bricusse died Tuesday, his son Adam Bricusse reported on Facebook. No details of his death were immediately available.

Bricusse received eight other Oscar noms: for his work on the scores for Doctor Dolittle (1967), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), Scrooge (1970) and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) — he wrote “The Candy Man” and “Pure Imagination” for the film — and ...

Directed by Terence Fisher (The Curse Of Frankenstein) starring Oliver Reed (Burnt Offerings), and based on Guy Endore's novel The Werewolf of Paris, the 1961 Hammer horror film The Curse of the Werewolf is coming to Blu-ray like never before in a new Collector's Edition from Scream Factory, and ahead of its April 21st release, we've been provided with the full list of bonus features and technical specs, including two new audio commentaries and a "4K scan from the interpositive."

We have the official press release with full details on The Curse of the Werewolf Collector's Edition Blu-ray, and to learn more, visit Scream Factory's official website.

Press Release: His beast-blood demanded him Kill ... Kill ... Kill! On April 21, 2020, Scream Factory™ is excited to present the highly sought-after Hammer Film cult classic The Curse Of The Werewolf Collector’s Edition Blu-ray. Directed by legendary horror filmmaker Terence Fisher, this horror classic stars...

Robert Downey Jr. electrifies one of literature’s most enduring characters in a vivid reimagining of the classic tale of the man who could talk to animals: Dolittle.

In theaters January 17, 2020, watch the first trailer from Universal Pictures.

This looks fabulous and Rdj was born to play the character.

There have been other cinematic versions. The classic 1967 movie starred Rex Harrison as John Dolittle and was a Best Picture nominee.

The musical film directed by Richard Fleischer also featured Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley and Richard Attenborough. It was adapted by Leslie Bricusse from the novel series by Hugh Lofting. It primarily fused three of the books The Story of Doctor Dolittle, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, and Doctor Dolittle’s Circus.

Check out this clip.

The movie from 1998 starred Eddie Murphy. Check it out if you get a chance.

In this updated version:

After losing his wife seven years earlier,...

The highly acclaimed and award-winning Broadway musical Jekyll and Hyde is coming to the big screen. After decades on the stage and being toured through 28 countries, the movie is being adapted, written, and produced by Alexander Dinelaris, who has produced some incredible movies that include Hollywoodland, Birdman, and The Revenant. He also co-wrote Birdman, winning the Oscar for best original screenplay. So it sounds like the script is in capable hands.

The Broadway musical was loosely based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” about Dr. Jekyll, who is battling with his alter ego, Mr. Hyde, in a struggle between good and evil.

Jekyll and Hyde was conceived for the stage by Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden, featuring music by Wildhorn, a book by Leslie Bricusse, and lyrics by Wildhorn, Bricusse, and Cuden. The music from this musical is so beautiful. It’s...

The Broadway musical “Jekyll and Hyde” is getting the movie treatment from Academy Award winner Alexander Dinelaris.

Dinelaris, who is writing and producing the adaptation, won an Oscar for the “Birdman” script and was a co-producer on “The Revenant.” He is producing “Jekyll and Hyde” as the first project under his New York-based development company, Lexicon, which he created alongside partner Rob Quadrino.

Lexicon also signed a first-look deal with Richard Saperstein’s Bluestone Entertainment. The “Jekyll and Hyde” movie will be produced by Saperstein alongside Lexicon’s Dinelaris and Quadrino, and Fezziwig Studios’ Dan Angel, Brian Gott, and Marc Iannarino. Phil Kim and David Segel will serve as executive producers.

“Jekyll and Hyde” debuted on Broadway in 1997 and has been performed in 28 countries, grossing close to $1 billion. It follows the journey of Dr. Jekyll as he wrestles with his alter ego, Mr. Hyde, in a battle between good and evil.

A re-imagining of the 1997 Broadway musical Jekyll and Hyde will be the first project under Birdman screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris’ Lexicon and Richard Saperstein’s Bluestone Entertainment. Dinelaris has written a script and plans to produce a film version under the Lexicon banner.

The original musical featured music by Frank Wildhorn, a book by Leslie Bricusse and lyrics by Wildhorn, Bricusse and Steve Cuden. Though it opened to mixed critical reviews, the production was popular with audiences and ran for nearly four years and subsequently toured the globe. A 2013 Broadway revival was short-lived.

In a statement, Dinelaris said, “Bringing the gritty potential of Leslie and Frank’s stirring gothic musical to the big screen made Jekyll & Hyde the perfect project to launch Lexicon, which is focused on character driven,...

This article marks Part 20 of the Gold Derby series analyzing 84 years of Best Original Song at the Oscars. Join us as we look back at the timeless tunes recognized in this category, the results of each race and the overall rankings of the winners.

The 1990 Oscar nominees in Best Original Song were:

“Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)” from “Dick Tracy”

“Promise Me You’ll Remember” from “The Godfather Part III”

“Somewhere in My Memory” from “Home Alone”

“I’m Checkin’ Out” from “Postcards from the Edge”

“Blaze of Glory” from “Young Guns II”

Won: “Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)” from “Dick Tracy”

Should’ve won: “Somewhere in My Memory” from “Home Alone”

Stephen Sondheim is unimpeachably among the all-time great composers of the stage, if not the greatest of them all. His contributions to Warren Beatty’s “Dick Tracy,” unfortunately, are not nearly as...

This article marks Part 11 of the Gold Derby series analyzing 84 years of Best Original Song at the Oscars. Join us as we look back at the timeless tunes recognized in this category, the results of each race and the overall rankings of the winners.

The 1970 Oscar nominees in Best Original Song were:

“Whistling Away the Dark” from “Darling Lili”

“For All We Know” from “Lovers and Other Strangers”

“‘Til Love Touches Your Life” from “Madron”

“Pieces of Dreams” from “Pieces of Dreams”

“Thank You Very Much” from “Scrooge”

Won: “For All We Know” from “Lovers and Other Strangers”

Should’ve won: “Whistling Away the Dark” from “Darling Lili”

1970, the year voters embraced monumental pictures including “Patton” and “Mash” and far lesser efforts like “Airport” and “Love Story,” marked a comparably mixed bag in Best Original Song, sporting a truly grand Julie Andrews tune and respectable winner in “For All We Know,...

Marc Foster‘s “Christopher Robin” is not about the creation of A.A. Milne‘s classic Pooh Bear and company (that task went to last year’s Domnhall Gleeson vehicle “Goodbye Christopher Robin”). Rather, it follows in the same whimsical footsteps as two films about another literary figure: Peter Pan. Forster’s “Finding Neverland” told the story of Pan’s creator J.M. Barrie while “Hook” imagined another chapter in the classic children’s story.

“Finding Neverland” scored seven Oscar nominations in 2004, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Johnny Depp (who played Barrie). It won Best Original Score. “Finding Neverland” worked so well because it had the emotional punch right the way through the film (with a gut-wrenching finale) and managed to juggle several different strands of stories and sub-stories and character beats.

See Oscar predictions by more than 1,000 savvy Gold Derby users (updated once per hour)

While “Christopher Robin” has...

Back in the 1970s, the British tax authorities thought it was a good idea to take about 90% of one’s annual earnings, which led multitudes of showbizzers, including a certain British pop-rock-blues band called the Rolling Stones, to bugger off to the South of France where they proceeded to save about 60% of their income and also produce one of the towering rock album masterpieces of the era, “Exile on Main Street.”

Nearly 50 years later, at the South France country home of ex-Stone/writer-producer-musicologist-archivist-and-more Bill Wyman and his wife Suzanne, the Wymans are still celebrating the fruits of the U.K. taxman’s barmy scheme.

“I first came here in 1971 and I’ve been here ever since,” recalls Wyman, who’s got three great reasons to encamp locally today and none of them involve dodging taxes.

First of all, despite perfectly lovely digs in both Chelsea and Suffolk back home in the U.

It’s difficult to find an aspect of popular culture that Hugh Hefner didn’t influence during his long, remarkable life. Spanning journalism, television, film, fashion and, of course, sexuality, his impact on music is one of the least heralded aspects of his legacy. Over the course of two seasons, Hefner used his weekly syndicated variety show, Playboy After Dark, as a platform for a broad spectrum of artists.

Psychedelic sounds from San Fransisco (courtesy of the Grateful Dead), early heavy metal (provided by Deep Purple), country-tinged balladeers (thanks to Linda Ronstadt and the Byrds) and old-school crooners (like the...

Cinema Retro issue #39 has now shipped worldwide. For subscribers, this is the final issue of Season 13. Please renew for Season 14 (see below) and keep supporting the world's most unique movie magazine. 

Issue #39 devotes a full 32 pages to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film "You Only Live Twice", which starred Sean Connery as 007 and introduced Donald Pleasence as the immortal villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Why did we dedicate half of the pages in this issue to the film? Largely because of the outpouring of contributions from talented writers from around the world, not to mention esteemed names like composer David Arnold, actress Karin Dor, who played the villainous femme fatale Helga Brandt, Tsai Chin who played Bond's bedmate in the pre-credits scene, legendary lyricist Leslie Bricusse, assistant director William Cartlidge, future Oscar-winning production designer Peter Lamont and Nancy Sinatra, who recalls the nerve-wracking experience of singing the title song.

Sean Wilson Aug 4, 2017

Yes, Star Wars. But what about all the great John Williams scores from less famous movies? Here are 15 of them...

Cinema's most esteemed and popular film composer, John Williams, turned 85 this year (you might have seen the recent spectacular BBC Proms concert in his honour). Careers don't come more astonishing than that of Williams, nominated for 50 Academy Awards which puts him second only to Walt Disney for the most ever.

See related  What does Iron Fist tell us about Marvel's Defenders? The Defenders: recapping Netflix's Marvel universe so far The Defenders: brand new images released

However it's all too tempting to boil Williams' career down to the more obvious highlights: Star Wars, the Indy trilogy, Superman, E.T., Jurassic Park and the like. In truth, he's a far more versatile composer than many like to give him credit for, and he's much more than just a big themes guy.

You Only Live Twice opened in UK cinemas 50 years ago today (on the 13th in America), and to celebrate the release of the biggest Bond of all Cinema Retro's September issue pays tribute to this cinematic extravaganza with a 32-page 'Film in Focus' special. Apart from Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury's interview with Nancy Sinatra (a rare in-print interview about her involvement with the film), we feature many rare and never-seen-before stills and behind-the-scenes photos, features on props and collectibles, and exclusive interviews with Karin Dor, Leslie Bricusse, Julie Rogers (the singer who was originally contracted to record the title song) and Mark Cerulli catches up with Tsai Chin for her memories of the film. And that's not all - Bond composer David Arnold discusses how the music to You Only Live Twice changed his life forever, and we have an exclusive interview with the late Ken Wallis, the...

[Editor’s Note: The following review contains spoilers for the “Legion” Season 1 finale, Episode 8, “Chapter 8.”]

Let me first say this: If you stopped watching “Legion” as soon as the credits ran, start it back up and keep going. There’s a scene midway through that establishes one helluva cliffhanger compared to Farouk driving out of the woods: David and Syd stand outside on the Summerland deck, looking out at the night sky, when a little robotic orb appears floating in front of them. “Is that one of Cary’s?” David asks, right before he’s scanned and sucked inside the Magic 8-Ball-lookin’ device. Syd runs inside for help as David screams…and that’s how Season 1 ends.

Now then, back to the faux ending: After Aubrey Plaza’s performance as Farouk — a.k.a. The Shadow King, a.a.k.a., That Big Fat Thing With Yellow Eyes, a.a.a.k.a. The Primary Antagonist of Season 1 Who Was Finally Expelled From David’s...

Here’s another excuse for me to take a trip to New York in the near future. A Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical is headed to Broadway! The musical has already had success in London with director Sam Mendes (Skyfall, Specter), but now Americans will have the opportunity to get their Golden Ticket to see it.

The play is being produced by Warner Bros. Theater Ventures and will start in the spring of 2017. It is based on Roald Dahl’s best-selling novel and also draws inspiration from the classic 1977 movie. This version of the show will not be directed by Mendes, instead, it will be directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien (Hairspray, Henry IV). Mendes said in a statement to EW:

“I loved directing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and I’m really proud it’s having such great run at Drury Lane. But I knew...

Let’s face it. The songs are the best parts of the James Bond movies. Throughout 007’s five decades, the title tracks are each film’s one hope of rising above dubious casting choices, retreads of old villains, and grandiose plots for world domination that will inevitably be foiled. And like all that other stuff, we like the songs because they’re another expected element in a series that’s filled with them, a pop cultural barometer for measuring the secret agent’s standing in the zeitgeist.

Bond songs can be aged bygones of their time with poetically vague lyrics that don’t add up to much, but the best ones rise above their period trappings to comment and reflect on their respective films. With Spectre set to hit American theaters this week, let’s look back at each and every title song in Metro Golden Mayer’s canon:

24. Rita Coolidge...

Based on the Broadway musical thriller written by Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse, Jekyll amp Hyde Resurrection is a live concert featuring the music and songs from the 2006 album starring Rob Evan and Kate Shindle, and produced byFrank Wildhorn and Jeremy Roberts. The album inspired a full symphonic version of the musical that toured the Us and South Korea directed by ProducerDirector Vincent Marini. This musical retelling of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic takes a modern, dark and Rock influenced approach with the three stars and a full rock band delivering the highly charged and melodic score. Check out shots from their recent reunion show at 54 Below...

Ron Moody in Mel Brooks' 'The Twelve Chairs.' The 'Doctor Who' that never was. Ron Moody: 'Doctor Who' was biggest professional regret (See previous post: "Ron Moody: From Charles Dickens to Walt Disney – But No Harry Potter.") Ron Moody was featured in about 50 television productions, both in the U.K. and the U.S., from the late 1950s to 2012. These included guest roles in the series The Avengers, Gunsmoke, Starsky and Hutch, Hart to Hart, and Murder She Wrote, in addition to leads in the short-lived U.S. sitcom Nobody's Perfect (1980), starring Moody as a Scotland Yard detective transferred to the San Francisco Police Department, and in the British fantasy Into the Labyrinth (1981), with Moody as the noble sorcerer Rothgo. Throughout the decades, he could also be spotted in several TV movies, among them:[1] David Copperfield (1969). As Uriah Heep in this disappointing all-star showcase distributed theatrically in some countries.

Ron Moody as Fagin in 'Oliver!' based on Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist.' Ron Moody as Fagin in Dickens musical 'Oliver!': Box office and critical hit (See previous post: "Ron Moody: 'Oliver!' Actor, Academy Award Nominee Dead at 91.") Although British made, Oliver! turned out to be an elephantine release along the lines of – exclamation point or no – Gypsy, Star!, Hello Dolly!, and other Hollywood mega-musicals from the mid'-50s to the early '70s.[1] But however bloated and conventional the final result, and a cast whose best-known name was that of director Carol Reed's nephew, Oliver Reed, Oliver! found countless fans.[2] The mostly British production became a huge financial and critical success in the U.S. at a time when star-studded mega-musicals had become perilous – at times downright disastrous – ventures.[3] Upon the American release of Oliver! in Dec. 1968, frequently acerbic The...