News

It’s finally the weekend and though you might expect the best incoming streaming content to be saved for the start of July, there’s actually plenty to keep subscribers to Netflix and all the major services occupied, as each site is adding some great new titles over the next few days.

Today, Friday the 26th, saw a bunch of notable new releases, including Netflix’s Will Ferrell-starring musical comedy movie Eurovision and Amazon’s secret agent comedy My Spy, with Dave Bautista. It’s no doubt something you’ve seen many times before, but Disney Plus finally just added Avengers: Infinity War as well, so you might want to give that another watch – for the 100th time. And, in case you missed it, Hulu also added the 2019 reboot of Charlie’s Angels yesterday.

Check out the full list of every movie and TV show coming to Netflix, Disney Plus,...

Animated children’s films have proven incredibly popular on Netflix. Earlier this year, Despicable Me was added and quickly shot to the top of the most-viewed charts, with parents hungry for stuff to entertain the young ones with. As such, they’re now pouring more funds into original children’s entertainment, with the next big release being Over the Moon.

The movie tells the story of a young girl determined to reach the moon in order to meet a legendary Moon Goddess, constructing a rocket ship and launching herself into space. And judging by the trailer above, Netflix is aiming to match the visual and storytelling style of Disney and Pixar. They’re going to be helped in that by the direction of Glen Keane, who has supervising animator credits on a bevy of Disney classics, including Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan and Tangled.

My only qualm is that the...

Netflix dropped the first trailer Tuesday for its upcoming animated feature, “Over the Moon” (coming in the fall), a wondrous update of the Chinese Moon Goddess fable, directed by former Disney legend and Oscar winner Glen Keane (“Dear Basketball”). The co-production with Pearl Studio (“Abominable”) was animated at Sony Pictures Imageworks, with Oscar winner John Kahrs serving as co-director, Oscar winner Gennie Rim (“Dear Basketball”) producing with Pearl’s Peilin Chou.

In “Over the Moon” (scripted by the late Audrey Wells of “The Hate U Give”), 13-year-old Fei Fei (Cathy Ang) builds a rocket to the moon to meet the legendary goddess, Chang’e (Phillipa Soo of “Moana” and “Hamilton”). But her journey on Lunaria (production designed by Céline Desrumaux of “The Little Prince”) forces her to embrace change. Original songs were composed by Christopher Curtis (“Chaplin: The Musica”), Marjorie Duffield, and Helen Park (“Kpop”), and the score was by “Gravity” Oscar winner Steven Price.

Netflix dropped the first trailer Tuesday for its upcoming animated feature, “Over the Moon” (coming in the fall), a wondrous update of the Chinese Moon Goddess fable, directed by former Disney legend and Oscar winner Glen Keane (“Dear Basketball”). The co-production with Pearl Studio (“Abominable”) was animated at Sony Pictures Imageworks, with Oscar winner John Kahrs serving as co-director, Oscar winner Gennie Rim (“Dear Basketball”) producing with Pearl’s Peilin Chou.

In “Over the Moon” (scripted by the late Audrey Wells of “The Hate U Give”), 13-year-old Fei Fei (Cathy Ang) builds a rocket to the moon to meet the legendary goddess, Chang’e (Phillipa Soo of “Moana” and “Hamilton”). But her journey on Lunaria (production designed by Céline Desrumaux of “The Little Prince”) forces her to embrace change. Original songs were composed by Christopher Curtis (“Chaplin: The Musica”), Marjorie Duffield, and Helen Park (“Kpop”), and the score was by “Gravity” Oscar winner Steven Price.

Later this month, the mighty Kong returns to the big screen! To celebrate, we’re looking back at all the major primate appearances in film.

For as long as films were being made, humans have starred alongside primates. Unlike other animals, their human-like qualities can lend a sense of comedy or horror. Throughout the history of film, primates have been used to fulfill certain roles. In the early days, they were often a form of antagonist, carrying out dastardly deeds or causing mayhem. More common is the primate cast in a role of mischief, causing all sorts of comedic hijincks. While most primate roles were portrayed by live animals, it was not uncommon for men to dress up in ape suits for roles where the primates needed to carry out specific actions. Later, the advent of CGI has led to men mimicking primates in real time to create a motion-capture performance.

When I’m planning to review a film, I try not to read any criticism of that film until after I’ve already organized my thoughts and written and published my own piece. I don’t like having anyone else’s take in my head as I’m writing, positive or negative. I don’t want to be put into a position where I’m either defending or attacking someone else’s opinion. I want my reviews to be my active thoughts, not a reactive response to something. In the case of The Legend Of Tarzan, though, they evidently gave the east coast a one-day head-start on the rest of us. Even though I was in the middle of my move into a new apartment on Wednesday, the day I was set to see the film, I saw enough headlines go by on social media to be able to tell...

David Yates’ The Legend of Tarzan does an effective job bringing the iconic King of the Jungle back to the big screen in a way that stays true to the classic books. With beautiful cinematography and a surprisingly strong lead performance by Alexander Skarsgard, The Legend of Tarzan delivers an entertaining adaptation of literature’s first super hero. However, will this film resonate with modern audiences who are unfamiliar with the character?

The character of Tarzan was created by Edgar Rice Burroughs over 100 years ago (having debuted in All Stories Weekly magazine in 1912) and has been adapted over 100 times internationally, on film and TV. The majority of these projects have ranged from mediocre-to-poor, with only a few actual gems in the bunch. Only a small handful of them touched upon the spirit of the Burroughs books. It’s been a long while since there has been a live-action version of...

Tarzan the Ape Man (1981) Director: John Derek Stars: Bo Derek, Richard Harris, Miles O'Keeffe The King of the Apes is returning to his rightful throne this weekend in The Legend Of Tarzan, so Awfully Good Movies is celebrating by looking at MGM's failed 1981 reboot of Edgar Rice Burroughs' famed white ape: Tarzan The Ape Man, starring Bo Derek, Richard Harris and... Read More...

one of many erotic moments in Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)New Miniseries! As we approach the release of The Legend of Tarzan (2016) we'll be ogling past screen incarnations of the Lord of the Apes each weekend like we're going to an old timey matinee.

We began by staring hard at Buster Crabbe's loincloth so as to avoid the acting and plotting. For chapter 2 we're moving to the main event: Johnny Weissmuller. He's the actor most often associated with the the Lord of the Apes since he played it 12 times and because he played it so well. There's a genuine guileness and in the moment feeling to his work that lets the ape man read more simple and pure than stupid, despite all the broken English. A few seasons ago on a weakly attended episode of 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot' we marvelled at how erotic the pre-code Tarzan the Ape Man...

We’ve reviewed every summer movie season since 1980 to find out which are the best, and which are the worst. Last week we posted our picks for the worst, and here we post our picks for the best.

2015 and 2016 may just be the most overthetop summer movie seasons yet. It seems like nearly every movie slated for a summer 2015 or 2016 release is heavily anticipated. Because of these impending summers of movie awesomeness, we’ve decided to take a look back at summer movie seasons of years past. The idea of the summer movie season is currently in full swing, but it didn’t catch on immediately. Hollywood had to do its fair share of experimenting to determine what types of films would be most successful. As a result, some summer movie seasons have been better than others. We’ve reviewed them all for you and ranked them from worst to best.

With Hugh Jackman currently negotiating to play Wolverine for a seventh and eighth time, Cinelinx takes a look at actors who’ve played the same role eight times or more. Who has played the same character most often? Come in and find out.

Hugh Jackman has already played Wolverine five times--x-Men (2000), X2: X-Men United (2003) X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), and The Wolverine (2013)—as well as a cameo in X-Men:First Class (2011). Soon we’ll be seeing him fully clawed again on the big screen in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Recently, he told Collider that he might shoot Wolverine 3 and X-Men: Apocalypse “back-to-back”, which would make a total of eight times (9 times with the cameo) that he’ll portray the Canadian mutant.

You might be thinking “Wow! That’s amazing! I’ve never heard of anyone playing the same role so many times.” Well, for those who may not know it,...

★★★☆☆With 2014 marking the 100th anniversary of author Edgar Rice Burroughs' most famous creation, Tarzan the Ape Man, it seemed inevitable that someone would make a new film for the character. The 19th time the story has appeared on the big screen, Reinhard Klooss' Tarzan (2013) begins with an accident in which the parents of young J.J. (Craig Garner) - heir to the Greystoke Energies business empire - are killed in the African jungle, leaving the boy alone in the wild. Found and taken care of by a female gorilla and her band, J.J. grows to become the man known only as Tarzan (Kellan Lutz). Years later, Jane Porter (Spencer Locke) meets Tarzan when travelling in the jungle with her father, an employee of Greystoke.

In 2014, it’s difficult to appreciate the awe felt by uninitiated audiences who saw Raiders of the Lost Ark in theaters in 1981. Think about the film’s opening scenes, which introduce Indiana Jones and his now-iconic fedora in the jungles of South America. He narrowly avoids getting shot in the back by his mutinous guides, proves his Zorro-esque expertise with a whip, cleverly maneuvers through the deadly booby-traps of an ancient Peruvian temple, flicks away tarantulas like they’re gnats, nabs the prized golden idol but sets off a chain-reaction of destruction that includes a giant boulder chasing him back out into the sunlight,...

Guess what unforgettable movie about people wanting to forget is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary?

Have you ever thought about what your favorite shot from it is? Or which shot best represents the movie as a whole? Have you ever wondered how it can possibly be that the cinematographer Ellen Kuras has only done 4 narrative features in the ten years since?

You know where this is going right?!

Break out the bubbly because "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" returns on March 18th (We're moving it to Tuesdays at 9 Pm to give people the weekend to screen the movies and be ready!). If you're new to the blog or haven't yet experimented with actually participating, I guarantee a good time. Everyone who has participating religiously has said that they've gotten a ton out of it. Plus it proves the point 'the more the merrier' because the best episodes offer...

3 Notes. Oh don't click away you have time to read them. And yes I'll be live tweeting and a little light blogging tonight

01. Like The Film Experience on Facebook. Follow Nathaniel on Twitter, Pinterest? Why am I so needy? It's like this: Once Oscar night wraps up I experience something like a free fall; help me pull that parachute string.

02. We're here all year -- it's not just an Oscar site so don't abandon us if you're exhausted by Oscar shenanigans. There's only one more week of it, recapping this year's Oscars, filmbitching, and we'll close out the annual festivities with that Supporting Actress Smackdown we promised (yes, the one I flubbed that you've been impatient for). After that one eye returns to brand new movies and pinch of tv and the other to occasional trips back to favored oldies in A Year With Kate, Seasons of Bette, and Hit Me.

Film's golden era was tarnished by appeasement

Nazi Germany loved movies, and their leader was, as in so much else, fanatical about them. In his private cinema at the Reich Chancellery Hitler watched a movie every night, then gave his invited guests the benefit of his opinion on it. He loved Laurel and Hardy, for instance, noting how their comedy Block-Heads contained "a lot of very nice ideas and clever jokes". Yet he regarded movies as something more than entertainment; he saw in their power to seduce and bewitch a vital instrument of persuasion. His propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, saw it, too. After watching It Happened One Night, he wrote in his diary: "A funny, lively American film from which we can learn a lot. The Americans are so natural. Far superior to us."

If this eye-opening study of Hollywood and the Nazi elite is to be believed, that superiority was purely a technical one.

Oscar season comes to an abrupt end at the end of February which frees up our time. One of The Film Experience's most popular series, a communal viewing party of sorts, returns for another season. Byoe (Bring Your Own Eyes) to these blog-a-thon like events wherein participates choose their single favorite shot from movies from all eras. Watch, Read, Converse -- It's Edumucational!

Wed March 6th The Wizard Of Oz (1939) since Oz, the Great and Powerful is about to hit and we might need this as a lovely antidote.

Wed March 13th Barbarella (1968) ...I've been itchy to revisit

Wed March 20th ???

Wed March 27th Jackie Brown (1997) Quentin Tarantino Week for his 50th birthday

...and more to be scheduled including, as ever, a mix of genres, eras, and anniversary celebrations. It's a great way to have a virtual visual conversation from other cinephiles, catch up on classics you've never seen, revisit...

It’s been over a decade since Tarzan graced the big screen in Disney’s animated adaptation and over three since the jungle hero was sexed up by Bo Derek in Tarzan the Ape Man. Between those two we’ve seen Christopher Lambert go ape in Greystoke, the Legend of Tarzan…and that’s about it. But Edgar Rice Burroughs‘ high-flying hero looks set to be a hot property in the next couple of years. First up will be a motion-captured adventure starring Twilight‘s Kellan Lutz, but it’s probably safe to call that one a bomb right now. The much safer bet is the big budget reboot coming from WB. David Yates has been rumored to take on the directing gig for a few months now, but the veteran Harry Potter-helmer seemed to be in no rush to jump into another possible franchise. Per Vulture though, it looks like Yates has finally signed on the...

Edgar Rice Burroughs's lord of the jungle has been through many incarnations in print and on screen in 100 years. What is the secret of his survival?

Just before the first world war, a penniless pencil-sharpener salesman from Chicago had one of those eureka moments that occasionally illuminate the Anglo-American literary landscape. Steeped in the trashy magazine culture of the age – "the pulps" – 35-year-old Edgar Burroughs decided that if he couldn't beat them, he'd join them.

"If people were paid for writing rot such as I read in some of those magazines," he said later, "then I could write stories just as rotten. As a matter of fact, although I had never written a story, I knew absolutely that I could write stories just as entertaining and probably a lot more so."

At first, his imagination took him into outer space. The adventures of intergalactic explorer John Carter in Under the Moons of Mars,...

M&C has added pictures from TCM's Summer Under the Stars 2012 - celebrating its 10th anniversary this year as TCM once again pays tribute to 31 different stars in 31 days. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner is part of TCM's Summer Under the Stars 2012. The Invisible Man is part of TCM's Summer Under the Stars 2012. Jailhouse Rock is part of TCM's Summer Under the Stars 2012. On the Waterfront is part of TCM's Summer Under the Stars 2012. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is part of TCM's Summer Under the Stars 2012. Some Like It Hot is part of TCM's Summer Under the Stars 2012. Tarzan the Ape Man is part of TCM's Summer Under the Stars...

A Planet Fury-approved selection of notable genre releases for June.

Harold and Maude (1972) Criterion Blu-ray and DVD Available Now

Forty years later, this 1972 Hal Ashby cult favorite remains a lovably eccentric meditation on life. The romance between a death-obsessed youth (an adorable Bud Cort) and a vivacious geriatric (the mythic Ruth Gordon) is still as beguiling and heartfelt as it was upon its original release. Written by Colin Higgins (9 to 5, Foul Play) and featuring an iconic soundtrack with several Cat Stevens hits, this is a must-have release for cult film buffs.

The much-anticipated Criterion release features:

A new high-definition digital restoration with uncompressed monaural soundtrack, optional remastered stereo soundtrack, audio commentary by Hal Ashby, Nick Dawson and Charles B. Mulvehill, illustrated audio excerpts of seminars by Ashby and Colin Higgins, new interview with songwriter Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), plus a booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Wood and more!

A marketing survey has revealed that Warner Brothers is considering starting their own online movie streaming service that would compete directly with companies like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu Plus.

Warner Brothers is considering launching an online streaming service to compete with providers like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus. Called Warner Archive Streaming, the service would primarily offer classic movies, cartoons, and TV shows from its extensive catalog, rather than new releases. If successful, the service could catapult Warner Brothers as a major player in the booming online video streaming business.

Details of the plan emerged after Warner recently asked their consumers to participate in an online survey about the service. According to a source with intimate knowledge of the survey, Warner measured interest in a streaming service that would offer many of its older titles not readily available on DVD or Blu-ray. Warner currently has a program called Warner Archive,...

Adaptations of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novels haven’t fared well in the past, so can Andrew Stanton’s John Carter break the cycle? Terence finds out...

This Friday, one of science fiction and fantasy writer Edgar Rice Burroughs' most popular characters is finally making his big screen debut. And it’s not that yelling guy in the loin cloth who hangs out with apes. No, the movie is about Burroughs' other most popular character, John Carter of Mars.

Primarily known as the creator of Tarzan of the Apes, Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) wrote an estimated 70 novels featuring a wide array of different characters and their stories. Most of his books are still in print today (there are 539 Burroughs titles available from the Kindle store alone). 62 years after his death, Burroughs continues to be one of the genre's most venerated old-school pulp adventure writers.

Burroughs, however, has not had a...

Ready for Season 3 of "Hit Me With Your Best Shot"? 

Newbies take note: each week we pick a movie and we all pick our favorite shots. Consider it a mini blog-a-thon. If you've seen the movie you might already have an idea of the image if you'd choose. If you've never seen it, here's a nudge to do so! Your "best shot" might be the image that most reminds you of the film, the one you think of as the most beautiful, the shot that's the most resonant in terms of the movies theme... anything really since "Best" is in the eye of the beholder. You can post yours and why you chose it on any of your web homes and let me know and we'll link up when we publish on Wednesday evenings at 10 Pm. 

Films we've already covered in this series 

1920s The Circus (1928), Pandora's Box (1929); 1930s Tarzan the Ape Man...

'Cheeta', the chimpanzee that performed in the "Tarzan" films of the 1930's, has died at the age of 80.

"It is with great sadness that the community has lost a dear friend and family member on December 24, 2011," the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, Florida announced.

Cheeta appeared in "Tarzan the Ape Man" (1932) and "Tarzan and His Mate" (1934), starring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan.

The average life span of a wild chimpanzee is 45 years.

According to the sanctuary where he lived, Cheeta loved finger-painting and watching football, walking upright with a straight back like a human.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Cheeta"...

Maureen O'Sullivan (Jane), Cheeta, Johnny Weismuller (Tarzan): MGM in the '30s Cheeta, Tarzan's chimp in Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) and Tarzan and His Mate (1934), died of kidney failure during the week of December 19 according to Florida's Suncoast Primate Sanctuary. Sad news — and curious news as well. The Associated Press reports that chimps in captivity live between 40 and 60 years. Cheeta, oftentimes spelled as Cheetah, would have been 80. Also, more than one chimp played Cheeta in the various Tarzan movies. One of those, known as either Jiggs or Mr. Jiggs, is supposed to have died of pneumonia at a very young age in 1938, the year he co-starred with Dorothy Lamour in Her Jungle Love. (Actually, Ray Milland, not Jiggs, was Lamour's paramour in that movie.) And finally, according to Suncoast's outreach director Debbie Cobb, MGM's Tarzan Johnny Weismuller donated Cheeta to the sanctuary back in 1960. But did olympic swimmer Weismuller...

Primate purported to be Johnny Weissmuller's co-star in classics such as Tarzan the Ape Man dies at Florida animal sanctuary

If Tarzan's co-star had been human, it is safe to assume that news of his demise would have been greeted with glowing tributes, a Hollywood funeral and perhaps a retrospective season of his greatest cinematic moments.

As it was, the death of an 80-year-old chimpanzee called Cheetah was announced quietly by the Florida animal sanctuary where he had spent the past five decades in retirement. There was no grand send-off for the venerable Cheetah. Even his purported role as Johnny Weissmuller's regular primate sidekick remains shrouded in mystery.

The Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor claims the primate arrived there in 1960 and was donated by Weissmuller's estate. He is believed to have been born in 1930 or 1931 and was one of a number of chimpanzees whose owners vied...

Palm Harbor, Fla. — A Florida animal sanctuary says Cheetah, the chimpanzee sidekick in the Tarzan movies of the early 1930s, has died at 80. But other accounts call that claim into question.

Debbie Cobb, outreach director at the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, said Wednesday that her grandparents acquired Cheetah around 1960 from "Tarzan" star Johnny Weissmuller and that the chimp appeared in Tarzan films between 1932 and 1934. During that period, Weissmuller made "Tarzan the Ape Man" and "Tarzan and His Mate."

But Cobb offered no documentation, saying it was destroyed in a 1995 fire.

Also, some Hollywood accounts indicate a chimpanzee by the name of Jiggs or Mr. Jiggs played Cheetah alongside Weissmuller early on and died in 1938.

In addition, an 80-year-old chimpanzee would be extraordinarily old, perhaps the oldest ever known. According to many experts and Save the Chimps, another Florida sanctuary, chimpanzees in captivity generally live to between 40 and 60, though Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee,...

Cheetah, who played the chimpanzee sidekick in the early "Tarzan" films, died Saturday. It is estimated that he was 80 years old. Cheetah died of liver failure at Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, Florida. The chimp is regarded as one of the best-known animal actors in Hollywood history. Cheetah was intended to provide comic relief in the "Tarzan" films. He appeared in the 1932-1934 installments, including "Tarzan the Ape Man" and "Tarzan and His Mate," which starred Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller as the titular character. Cheetah was succeeded by other apes...

Cheetah, the impish chimpanzee who starred in the Tarzan films of the 1930s alongside Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan, died on Christmas Eve of kidney failure at the Florida primate sanctuary where he had been living since his retirement from showbiz. He was 80. ”It is with great sadness that the community has lost a dear friend and family member,” the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor announced on its website. Cheetah had performed in such classic films as Tarzan The Ape Man (1932) and Tarzan And His Mate (1934) and was one of several chimpanzees who appeared in the franchise. Sometime around 1960, Cheetah came to the sanctuary from Weissmuller’s estate in Ocala, the sanctuary said. Cheetah stood out because of his ability to stand up – shoulders tall, back straight – and walk like a person as well as his ability to vocalize on cue. Condolences poured into the sanctuary today like...

Cheetah, a chimpanzee who starred alongside Tarzan in the franchise films of the early 1930s, died Saturday. He had experienced kidney failure earlier that week, and was thought to be 80 years old. Cheetah, also known as Cheetah-Mike, acted as Tarzan's comic sidekick "Cheeta" and was one of several chimpanzees who appeared in the films of 1932 to 1934, with Johnny Weissmuller in the starring role. Around 1960, after living on Weissmuller's estate, Cheetah retired to Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, Fla. "It is with great sadness that the community has lost a dear friend and family member," the sanctuary announced this week on its website.

A chimpanzee which starred in the Tarzan movies has died at an animal sanctuary in Florida.

Cheeta was first seen onscreen in the 1930s jungle films with swimmer-turned-actor Johnny Weissmuller in the title role, and his movie appearances include turns in Tarzan and His Mate and Tarzan the Ape Man.

The famous chimp, believed to be around 80 years old, died of kidney failure on Saturday at the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, Florida, according to the Tampa Tribune.

With reboots all the rage, here’s a bit of incongruity that actually gives us some hope: Deadline reports that Craig Brewer, writer-director of Hustle & Flow and Black Snake Moan – is developing a trilogy of Tarzan movies for Warner Bros.

Brewer isn’t the only writer developing the property for our modern age, though. Adam Cozad – the guy working on the Jack Ryan reboot along with Archangel, which has Tron: Legacy‘s Joseph Kosinski attached – is working on a version parallel to Brewer’s.

The last time we saw Tarzan – created by venerated pulp writer Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1912 – was in Disney’s animated treatment in 1999. That film wasn’t bad – although lowered expectations from anything Disney-related certainly helped the critical reception at the time. There are no details on Brewer’s approach to the story, but there’s a wealth of source material, from the roughly 25 Tarzan books by...

Director Craig Brewer just wrapped his remake of the ‘80s classic Footloose with Kenny Wormald and Julianne Hough in the lead roles first played by Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer and the excitement over the teen remake led him to the task of reviving one of Hollywood’s greatest franchises. Deadline reported today that Brewer signed a deal with Warner Bros. to write a film trilogy retelling the story of Tarzan the Ape Man and possibly direct the first movie in the series. Yet, Brewer faced competition from screenwriter Adam Cozad (Archangel) who’s also working on a new version of Tarzan for Warner Bros. to consider.

Director Craig Brewer just wrapped his remake of the ‘80s classic Footloose with Kenny Wormald and Julianne Hough in the lead roles first played by Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer and the excitement over the teen remake led him to the task of reviving one of Hollywood’s greatest franchises. Deadline reported today that Brewer signed a deal with Warner Bros. to write a film trilogy retelling the story of Tarzan the Ape Man and possibly direct the first movie in the series. Yet, Brewer faced competition from screenwriter Adam Cozad (Archangel) who’s also working on a new version of Tarzan for Warner Bros. to consider.

Director Craig Brewer just wrapped his remake of the ‘80s classic Footloose with Kenny Wormald and Julianne Hough in the lead roles first played by Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer and the excitement over the teen remake led him to the task of reviving one of Hollywood’s greatest franchises. Deadline reported today that Brewer signed a deal with Warner Bros. to write a film trilogy retelling the story of Tarzan the Ape Man and possibly direct the first movie in the series. Yet, Brewer faced competition from screenwriter Adam Cozad (Archangel) who’s also working on a new version of Tarzan for Warner Bros. to consider.

In Hit Me With Your Best Shot, we look at a predetermined movie, and choose what we think of as its best shot. We're taking a break next week (change of plans) but please consider joining us on Wednesday, June 1st for Moulin Rouge! You have two whole weeks to pick a shot. That'll be a theme week right here at the blog "Spectacular! Spectacular!" 10th anniversary (5/30-6/03).

This week's film is Tarzan The Ape Man (1932) which kicked off the most popular stretch of this enduring franchise. (You know some reboot has to be just around the corner). In this particular outing that famous jungle swinger (Johnny Weismuller) sweeps sexy Jane (Maureen O'Sullivan Centennial!) right off her feet and into the air (and water) until she's flat on her back in his tree house. I'm speaking literally. Jane is kind of a slut.

I mean that in the nicest way.

10|25|50|75|100 in celebration of major film anniversaries

One hundred years ago on this very day, Maureen O'Sullivan was born in Ireland. She went on to become Hollywood's first major female Irish movie star. Though she appeared in The Thin Man (1934) and an early version of Pride and Prejudice (1940) she is best remembered as Jane from six Tarzan adventures. Tomorrow on "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" we'll be looking at Tarzan the Ape Man (1932). The Weismuller and O'Sullivan pairing is basically what people think of when they think of Tarzan at the movies though the character had plentiful interpretations before and since.

Here she is talking about how the controversies that swirled around "Jane" for her skimpy wardrobe.

O'Sullivan retired for most of the 1940s (her thirtysomething years) and in that time she gave us what might have been her greatest gift to the cinema, the incomparable Mia Farrow.

Before her...

2011 is speeding by. A third over already? Here are some highlights from the month that was in case you missed anything. My biggest regret is that my contribution to the Beauty & The Beast party didn't pan out as planned. I have a new copy of the DVD sitting here so... soon.  But it was still super exciting to see your turn out for that episode of Hit Me With Your Best Shot. I hope everyone clicked around and read all the Belle magic.

Distant Relatives Robert closed out the first season of his new series with Toy Story and... Ingmar Bergman?

Angelina Jolie's Power Cleanse Kurt on Lara Croft's hair flip & gratuitous goddess power.

Remembering Sidney Lumet 43 Features, 5 Oscar Noms, 1 Fine Career.

Melanie Lynskey Memoir The actress chimed in with her own mini memoir and "best shot" for the great 90s flick Heavenly Creatures.

Overheard: On Marisa Tomei the things people say.

An exciting special episode of this series is coming up on Wednesday night! But until then, let's look ahead. If you're a new reader the concept of this series is that we choose a movie and anyone with a web home can post their choice for "best shot" with or without explanation and we link up. Complete List of Previous Episodes. It's like a tightly focused mini blog-a-thon. Some of the titles readers have been  suggesting we'll get to eventually, some never and some I'm purposefully saving for later for various anniversary or other project reasons. [Please note: Somewhere (2010), previously announced, was cancelled due to highly annoying studio contract finagling spoiling our group play experiment. Studios have just started this one-month delay thing where certain titles are only available for purchases for the first 30 days, making for confusing DVD release calendars. If you've already written something up let me know...]

Summer Schedule 

May 4th Eraserhead (1977) David Lynch

Netflix, Quickflix, Blockbuster, GreenCine, LoveFilm

May 11th Matador (1986) And/Or Law of Desire (1987) [Pedro & Antonio Double Feature]

The Cannes film festival kicks off on this day. Let's celebrate by honoring the reunion of Pedro Almodóvar and his only true male muse Antonio Banderas in The Skin I Live In. For this...

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Who could ever suggest James Bond never puts a foot wrong sartorially? While it tends to be Roger Moore’s seventies incarnation receiving most disdain, this baby blue towelling playsuit worn by Sean Connery in Goldfinger (1964, directed by Guy Hamilton) is commonly remembered as the actor’s one costume disaster. Yet, seen in period context and motion, plus modelled by one of the most handsome gentlemen who ever graced the screen, it might be worthy of reconsideration.

Worn for the film’s first post-credits scene, whereby Bond is introduced, informally, to megalomaniac villain Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe), this diminutive, crotch wrangling ‘beach wear’ is not especially typical for the time. Here featuring short sleeves, a trophy neck, patch chest pocket and slanted hip pockets, attached belt with gold buckle and zip front,...

Washington, Oct 19 – Sri Lanka has “great locations for filming”, says The Location Guide, the film industry’s bible for selectig movie and commercial production locales.

The latest edition has a separate focus on Sri Lanka, showing the island’s natural beauty, a film-friendly government and its reasonable production costs.

Sri Lanka’s wildlife parks, tea plantations, miles of pristine beaches and the colonial architecture too were highlighted.

The country has an impressive history of filmmaking. It was the setting for such movies as “Bridge on the River Kwai”, “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, “Jungle Book” and “Tarzan the Ape Man”.

“Dubbed.

Back in the days of Hollywood hard-hitters and henchmen it was perfectly acceptable for action movie stars not to say very much. Our heroes (and our villains) had names like Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Bronson, Darth Vader, and the TX-32. They were big; they were beautiful, and very, very dangerous. That said, they did have their limitations and “Yo Adrian!” was about as close as they got to a complete sentence.

However times have changed and we now demand more from our movie stars. Sure we still want their muscles and power but we also expect them to arrive on screen with a modicum of intelligence and a morsel of grace. Cue Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass, the dynamic duo who together forged Jason Bourne; a hero of the everyman that would go on to redefine our definition of the action hero forever.

Not content to bask in the limelight of their Bourne legacy,...

Three intriguing revelations from Sunday's Nyt Magazine piece on famous movie misquotations: 1) Bartlett's Familiar Quotations features inaccurate citations from both Apocalypse Now ("I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It smells like victory") and Tarzan the Ape Man ("Me Tarzan, you Jane"). 2) The Monkees' TV series is partly to blame for the misquoted "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!" And 3) Cary Grant never said, "Judy, Judy, Judy" in a film. Go ahead, impress your friends. [Nyt]...

Today is the 109th anniversary of one Chester Gould the creator of Dick Tracy. Every time Dick Tracy (1990) comes up, I think "you should watch that movie again!" but I never do. I think I'm still mad that Warren Beatty kept cutting away from Madonna's "More" performance... which should've easily been one of the best movie musical numbers of the 90s (sigh). Otherwise I quite like the movie

Trivia Alert! Dick Tracy is one of Oscar's two favorite comic book movies along with The Dark Knight (2008). Their Oscar track was very similar. Dick Tracy had 7 nominations and 3 wins. The Dark Knight had 8 nominations and 2 wins and in mostly the same categories, too.

Supporting Actor (both, and the only two comic book performances ever nominated*: Al Pacino and Heath Ledger, winner)

Cinematography (both)

Art Direction (both)

Costume Design (Dick Tracy only)

Sound (both)Sound Editing (The Dark Knight only,...

The chimpanzee star of movies Tarzan and Bedtime For Bonzo is making his return to Hollywood after a four decade-long hiatus - the ape's handlers have signed a record and DVD deal and announced plans to publish a memoir on his behalf.

The 76-year-old ape, Cheeta, starred in his last feature film Doctor Dolittle opposite Rex Harrison in 1967, and has been hailed by The Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest living ape.

And now his owner, Dan Westfall, is looking to capitalise on the Liberian-born chimp's unusual life, publishing details in a memoir entitled Me Cheeta, slated for release next year.

Westfall tells the New York Post his pet's nine-year struggle with Type 2 diabetes has not prevented him from enjoying a full life - claiming the ape has enjoyed married life and fathered one child.

He says, "When (Cheeta) sees the needle, he holds his hands out...He's the light of my life, and I'm the light of his."

Westfall, who cares for Cheeta at his shelter in Palm Springs, California, has also announced plans for Cheeta to take part in a music single available for download on iTunes. The record, a cover of 1976 country-music hit Convoy, will release in conjunction with the promotion of his DVD - showing Cheeta on film as he drives a buggy and eyes a bikini clad girl.

Cheeta - who has starred in 12 Tarzan movies - has tried and failed seven times to get his own star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

His latest attempt was denied earlier this month after he failed to attract enough votes from committee members to grant him a special spot on Hollywood Boulevard in 2009.