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David Gordon Green's 2022 slasher film "Halloween Ends" is an unusual entry in the series in many ways. In it, the vicious masked serial killer Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) has been living in a sewer and stays out of the film's central action for the bulk of its running time. "Ends," instead, focuses largely on a character named Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell), a man who, two years ago, accidentally killed the young boy he was babysitting. Green envisioned Corey's hometown town of Haddonfield, Illinois as a bitter and wounded place, full of spiteful, hurt people who cannot heal from the murderous damage that Michael caused way back in 1978, as well as his return in 2018. Every citizen is bitter, angry, and paranoid. Corey is bullied and picked on, unable to outlive his mistake. 

When Corey wanders into Michael's sewer (he was fleeing bullies), he finds Michael and a strange transference occurs.

Clockwise from top left: The Breakfast Club (Universal), Fast Times At Ridgemont High (Universal), Grease (Paramount), Superbad (Sony), Carrie (United Artists), Bring It On (Universal)Graphic: AVClub

Few things are more nostalgic than a high school movie to bring back all those frightful and fraught memories of cliques, crushes, mean teachers,...

If you’re a fan of Mel Gibson’s classic action flicks, be sure to stream them before they leave Max at the end of August.

All four “Lethal Weapon” movies and “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome,” starring the late, great Tina Turner, will be leaving the streaming service. Luckily, you’ll have all month to watch them.

Watching the new “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” animated movie in theaters? Max has several films featuring the radical reptilians: the live-action “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze” (1991)

and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III” (1993), as well as the animated “Tmnt” (2007).

Kaiju fans will want to check out “Godzilla” (2014), “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019), “King Kong” (1933) and “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” (2012).

Finally, if horror is your thing, six “Hellraiser” films and “The Ring Two” make great summer scares.

Here’s everything leaving Max in August 2023

August 5

Hard Knocks:...

On the NBC comedy Cheers, George Wendt often stole the show as Norm. Norm was Cheers’ most loyal regular. Every episode when he entered the whole bar shouted his name, and he had a different one liner for every entrance. Cheers ended in 1993 after 11 seasons and Wendt has been busy ever since.

Rhea Perlman and George Wendt | NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

If you’re looking for Wendt today, Showbiz Cheat Sheet is here to help. Here’s what Wendt has been up to.

How George Wendt got the role of Norm on ‘Cheers’

After some small roles in films like Bronco Billy and My Bodyguard, and a deleted scene from Somewhere in Time, Wendt moved to Los Angeles in 1980. He got some solid TV appearances including episodes of Hart to Hart, Soap, Alice, and Taxi. It was Taxi that really made an impression, as writers Glen and Les Charles...

Phillip M. Goldfarb, a longtime television and film pro­ducer who won two Emmy Awards for his work on “L.A. Law,” died April 7 in Los Angeles, Calif., according to the Telluride Daily Planet. He was 82.

Goldfarb’s career in film and television began more than 55 years ago and included producing credits on films such as the military drama “Taps,” starring Sean Penn and Timothy Hutton, the 1976 film “Taxi Driver,” the comedy-drama “My Bodyguard” and the Gene Hackman-led 1970 film “I Never Sang For My Father.” His TV production credits included more than 50 episodes of “L.A. Law,” 10 episodes of the early 2000s USA series “Monk,” 20 episodes on the TNT series “The Librarians” and more than 30 episodes of “Knots Landing.”

“Phil was my first boss when I was 15 years old,” producer-director Dean Devlin told the Daily Planet. “He was the production manager on a film and I was his Pa. He mentored...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

The Los Angeles Comic Book And Science Fiction Convention presents Classic Movie Poster Artist Robert Tanenbaum, Jean Hale (In Like Flint), Sharyn Wynters (The Female Bunch), and Donna Loren (Bikini Beach) at the August 20, 2017 Show.

Robert Tanenbaum is a Movie Poster Artist with an over 50 year career illustrating every film genre such as Science Fiction, Horror, Comedy, War, Drama and Martial Arts. Robert has illustrated such Classic Movie Posters as A Christmas Story, Battle For The Planet Of The Apes, Cujo, Five Fingers Of Death, Black Christmas, Super Fly, The Color Of Money, My Bodyguard, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, The Iron Cross, The Eagle Has Landed, Ransom, Cleopatra Jones And The Casino Of Gold, Hot Potato, Mel Brooks High Anxiety and Silent Night, Evil Night. Robert’s art is featured on the first announcement that Jaws was being made into a Movie.

Watch This offers movie recommendations inspired by new releases or premieres. Since it’s Chicago Week here at The A.V. Club, we’re looking back on some essential Chicago movies, set (and often filmed) in the Windy City.

My Bodyguard (1980)

My Bodyguard has slipped under the radar since its 1980 debut, but it’s the kind of film that appears timeless, decades later. Frankly, in today’s fervent “anti-bullying” educational landscape, it should be dusted off and submitted as required viewing for middle-schoolers. Tony Bill’s directorial debut features floppy-haired Chris Makepeace as new kid Clifford, who quickly gets tormented by a gang of thugs at his Chicago high school. The thugs are led by Moody, played by an astonishing Matt Dillon, simultaneously menacing and charming at all of 16 years old. Clifford gets the idea to hire the school’s biggest kid, Ricky Linderman (Adam Baldwin), to ...

If you read our "Class of 1986" issue of Deadly Magazine from earlier this year, then you know Richard Wenk’s Vamp is a film that is near and dear to my horror-loving heart. The 1980s were an exceptional time for vampire-themed cinema, with films like Fright Night, The Lost Boys, Near Dark, and The Hunger immediately capturing the imaginations of filmgoers during that era. But the one film that has been grossly overlooked over the last 30 years has been Vamp, and it’s great to see Wenk’s incredibly clever and funny take on a very popular sub-genre celebrated in grand fashion with the recent Special Edition Blu-Ray release from Arrow Video.

For the uninitiated, Vamp follows college students Keith (Chris Makepeace) and Aj (Robert Rusler), who are desperate to move into their fraternity house to escape dorm life, but before they can start packing their bags, they’re tasked...

Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett’s Blair Witch premiered this weekend to mixed reviews. But while plenty of critics appeared to despise the film, it’s actually an effective potboiler that will surely scare audiences looking for some thrills to enjoy with their Pumpkin Spice whatever. (Besides, aside from Dream Warriors, how may third installments in a horror series become classics?) The A.V. Club’s A.A. Dowd gave it a middling B-, saying that the film “play[s] less like a throwback to the subtle analog tactics of the original than a fun house designed around the Blair Witch brand.”

Chief amongst the complaints lodged against the film is that it lacks the inventiveness of the duo’s previous features, 2013’s You’re Next, which combined a home-invasion thriller with Die Hard, and the following year’s The Guest, a blend of My Bodyguard with The ...

Previous | Image 1 of 22 | NextBarry Bostwick of ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ and ‘Spin City.’

Chicago – One of Chicago’s most popular pop culture gatherings is the Wizard World Comic Con, and the 2016 edition is building anticipation for the weekend of August 18th through the 21st. Besides the fan costumes, vendor booths and comic book legends, Wizard World has appearances from TV and movie celebrities, highlighted by Michael J. Fox (“Back to the Future”), David Duchovny (“The X-Files”) and Princess Leia herself, the one and only Carrie Fisher.

To gear up for this year’s Wizard World Comic Con, HollywoodChicago.com is publishing – for the first time – a series of Exclusive Portraits from last year’s Wizard World Comic Con. Photographer Joe Arce was there, and shot 22 Exclusive Portraits of the type of TV and movie celebrities that Wizard World can offer at the event.

The Wizard World Comic Con is a yearly event in Chicago,...

Brian DePalma’s Carrie (1976) has cast a very wide shadow since it hit theatres. Many horror films have used the trope of telekinesis for the greater bad following its release, including Jennifer, The Fury, Patrick, The Medusa Touch (all ’78), Scanners (’81), and several more. (You can’t make me mention Friday the 13th Part VII. Oh. Dammit.) Of course, television is anything if not inclusive, and the networks scrambled to come up with their own takes on teenage angst. However, ABC’s The Initiation of Sarah (1978) took a slightly different tact and sent the girl off to college – and ended up serving a strong dose of female empowerment.

First broadcast on Monday, February 6th, Sarah had her work cut out, not so much from NBC, who provided their own Monday Night at the Movies, but from CBS’ juggernaut of M*A*S*H/One Day at a Time. Regardless of ratings,...

In this special episode of Off The Shelf, Ryan and Brian take a look at the new DVD and Blu-ray releases for Tuesday, March 15th, 2016.

Subscribe in iTunes or RSS.

Follow-Up Target: Star Wars The Force Awakens exclusive supplements are download-only News Kino Lorber: My Bodyguard, Sam Fuller’s Fixed Bayonets, Yellow Sky, The Legend of Hillbilly John, Daddy Long Legs Warner Archive: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf Milestone: Losing Ground Vinegar Syndrome: Dolemite Misc Links Dan Trachtenberg’s post Delicious Library Links to Amazon Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip The Big Short Braddock: Missing in Action III Brooklyn Carol The Centurions: Part Two Burden of Dreams Game of Thrones: Season 5 Invasion U.S.A. Just Visiting Love The Manchurian Candidate Monster Dog My Boyfriend’s Back Rage of Honor Rocco and His Brothers Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine Sun, Sand and Sweat 4 Pack...

Exclusive: As he awaits word on a possible second season of Fox’s Wayward Pines, Matt Dillon has signed with UTA. The veteran actor, whose résumé dates back to My Bodyguard and Little Darlings, had been with CAA. Dillon is hot off toplining the 10-episode event series Wayward Pines, the first TV project from feature helmer M. Night Shyalaman. Dillon next plays an FBI agent pursuing some aged neo-crooks in Zach Braff’s remake of Going In Style. The pic stars Michael Caine…...

Chicago – The recently completed 2015 Chicago Critics Festival was heavy on celebrity and filmmaker appearances. One of those special appearances was Oscar nominated actress Joan Cusack, who represented the film “The End of the Tour” on May 6th, and her Q&A was moderated by film critic Richard Roeper.

HollywoodChicago.com talked to both personalities, regarding their careers and their appearances at the 2015 Chicago Critics Film Festival (Ccff).

Joan Cusack of “The End of the Tour”

Joan Cusack is a Chicago treasure, having grown up in nearby Evanston and having begun her movie career with a shot-in-Chicago classic, “My Bodyguard.” From there, she has garnered two Academy Award nominations for Supporting Actress in “Working Girl” and “In & Out.” She also key roles in classics like “Broadcast News,” “Say Anything…,” “School of Rock” and voice work in the “Toy Story” series. She appeared at the Ccff on behalf of director James Ponsoldt...

Above: Pipe Dreams (1976).

While searching for something to post on Movie Poster of the Day on Christmas Eve, I took a look at the poster for Bob Clark’s A Christmas Story, which I hadn’t paid much attention to before. On closer inspection I recognized it as a pretty perfect pastiche of Norman Rockwell, with its meticulous depiction of a domestic scene in medias res, and down to its details like its circular frame within a frame, its white background, and the parallel black lines mimicking the Saturday Evening Post masthead.

The association with, or subversion of, America’s favorite purveyor of whimsical Americana makes perfect sense in light of the poster’s tagline about the "Original, Traditional, One-Hundred-Percent, Red-Blooded, Two-Fisted, All-American Christmas” and the artist, Robert Tanenbaum, even took his parody a step further by signing his illustration in the style of Rockwell’s trademark stenciled signature.

Once...

What's in Netflix's '80s grab bag? Swoony Merchant-Ivory films; a trio of John Hughes romantic comedies; early films with Sean Penn and Matt Dillon; Oscar-winning turns by Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster and Daniel Day-Lewis; and a few classics you already know by heart.

Mixed in are probably a few critically acclaimed films you've never seen but always meant to, whether it's B-movie fun like "Big Trouble in Little China" or ultra-arty Nc-17 fare like "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover."

(Availability subject to change. DeLorean and pink prom dress not included.)

1. "A Room with a View" (1986) Nr

Helena Bonham Carter is torn between freethinker Julian Sands and stuffy fiancé Daniel Day-Lewis in this sumptuous (and very funny) Merchant-Ivory period romance.

2. "The Accused" (1988) R

It's tough viewing, but Jodie Foster is mesmerizing as a rape victim who faces down her assailants in court.

3. "Bad Boys" (1983) R

Sean Penn...

They’ve been taking turns insulting each other via social media all week, and finally Iggy Azalea and Snoop Dogg have buried the hatchet.

It all kicked off on Monday when the “Gin and Juice” rapper posted a less-than-flattering photograph via Instagram to mock the Aussie lyricist’s appearance.

From there, Iggy wrote, "Snoop Dogg, Why would you post such a mean pic on Insta when you send your body guards to ask me for pictures every time we are at shows together? My bodyguard stopped the fire truck that saved your friends life in Canada when he almost burnt down the hotel. And every time I've ever spoken to you you've always been nice as hell, I'm disappointed you'd be such an *ss for no reason."

And of course Snoop couldn’t leave it alone so he began writing nasty messages, calling Azalea a “punk b*tch,” “wannabe black b*tch,...

Snoop Dogg and Iggy Azalea have officially called off their bizarre Instagram feud. The beef started on Monday when Snoop shared an unflattering meme mocking Iggy's appearance. The Australian rapper took notice and soon started tweeting at Snoop: "Snoop Dogg, Why would you post such a mean pic on Insta when you send your body guards to ask me for pictures every time we are at shows together? My bodyguard stopped the fire truck that saved your friends life in Canada when he almost burnt down the hotel. And every time I've ever spoken to you you've always been nice as hell, I'm disappointed you'd be such an *ss for no reason." Iggy later deleted her tweets, but the feud was hardly over. Snoop began flooding his Instagram with increasingly negative posts about Iggy, including memes likening Iggy's appearance to Marlon Wayans in White Chicks, calling her (link Nsfw) a...

The Oscar-winning actress opened up about being told that she needed to lose weight if she didn’t want to get fired. She also admits she was told to tone it down at the Oscars — can you believe it? We love a girl that is confident in her own skin!

Jennifer Lawrence looked nothing short of amazing as she graced the cover Harper’s Bazaar UK, where the 23-year-old starlet poses in haute couture from the likes of Dior, Valentino, Alexis Mabille and Christian Lacroix. Inside the mag, she opens up about being called ‘fat’ and admits that potato chips actually motivate her!

Jennifer Lawrence On Being Told She Was Fat:

In the mag, Jennifer talks about how she was a young girl that was ridiculed for her weight. “I was young. It was just the kind of shit that actresses have to go through. Somebody told me I was fat,...

Her new movie “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is slated to hit theaters next month, and Jennifer Lawrence looks stunning on the cover of the November 2013 issue of Harper's Bazaar UK magazine.

In her interview, the “Winter’s Bone” babe discusses the initial criticism over her weight when she kicked off her role as Katniss. “I was young. It was just the kind of sh*t that actresses have to go through. Somebody told me I was fat, that I was going to get fired if I didn’t lose a certain amount of weight. They brought in pictures of me where I was basically naked, and told me to use them as motivation for my diet. It was just that. [Someone brought it up recently] They thought that because of the way my career had gone, it wouldn’t still hurt me. That somehow, after I won an Oscar, I’m above it all.

Jennifer Lawrence has revealed that she was chastised for being a "stuttering idiot" by a fellow attendee at the Oscars - but won't reveal who she irked.

The Hunger Games lead stressed to Haper's Bazaar that she wasn't trying to play on her "Down-home Girl" persona at the prestigious ceremony earlier this year, which saw her trip on her way to collect the 'Best Actress' award for Silver Linings Playbook.

"[The other person said] other people are getting up and owning the stage and you sound like a stuttering idiot. Pull it together," she recalled.

"I said, 'I'm not doing it on purpose, I'm uncomfortable and when people get uncomfortable they resort to their s**t'. I make awkward jokes and stutter.

"That was actually a moment when I really wanted it to be special. That was not the time I wanted to be the Down-home Girl. I wanted to be graceful."

Lawrence also...

The South African's stylish movie parable, starring Matt Damon a futuristic working-class hero, is sci-fi with a social conscience

• Matt Damon interviewed for Elysium

• Elysium on high at Us box office

• Trailer review: Elysium

Neill Blomkamp has a vision of 2154, and it's not good news. His prognosis finds Earth in a sorry state: the whole world has become the third world, with the extremely wealthy 1% abandoning our ravaged planet for Elysium, a luxurious space station. Earth is a giant slum, a totalitarian nightmare in which citizens live like rats with Elysium glowing above them, like "Bel Air in space," says Blomkamp.

To underline the yawning chasm between the haves and have-nots of his future dystopia, Blomkamp decided that the only contemporary location that could accurately convey the grimness of life on Earth in the 22nd century was the world's second-biggest garbage dump, in Mexico City. But when he and his...

by Tami Katzoff (@tvtamijo)

Adam Baldwin has had many iconic film and television roles. The ones he lists as his personal career milestones include Ricky Linderman in “My Bodyguard,” Animal Mother in “Full Metal Jacket,” John Casey on “Chuck,” and Albert Hockenberry in “D.C. Cab” (“I was a little overwhelmed,” Baldwin says of his time playing young Albert. “I was just a kid in a candy store of giant comedian crazy people.”).

And then, of course, there’s “Firefly” and the man they call Jayne: the brawler who loves weapons, women, and the orange hat his mom made. Jayne Cobb, “the mercenary with a heart of gold” and the Hero of Canton, is one of the most beloved characters in the Whedonverse and beyond.

It’s been a decade since “Firefly” and seven years since its big-screen follow-up, “Serenity,” but the series is still sorely missed by its cast. “We...

Three 6 Mafia member DJ Paul tells TMZ ... he shouldn't be considered a criminal for carrying a taser around NYC ... claiming he simply didn't know it was illegal. As we previously reported, the rapper was arrested late last night when cops approached him about carrying an open can of beer in public (a Corona) ... when they learned he was packin' a taser. "I honestly didn't know it was illegal," Paul tells us ... adding, "I thought...

Time to hit the young adult section of the bookstore ( yeah, there’s a few left ) for cinematic source material. Now, there’s no sparkly, hunky vamps or arrow-shooting young heroines in this flick. It might be considered a ” coming of age ” tale or a high school set journey. Some reviewers are comparing it to the John Hughes teen opus The Breakfast Club, but I think it may be closer in spirit to the lesser known My Bodyguard in its pain and sweetness. But what really surprised me were the many laughs in Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks Of Being A Wallflower. Yup, like real life high school there’s a lot of comedy mixed in with the angst. And there’s several memorable characters portrayed by a very gifted acting ensemble.

The main wallflower of the title is Charlie ( Logan Lerman ). He’s missed a year of school due to a mysterious hospital stay,...

Chicago – Now that Wes Anderson’s marvelous “Moonrise Kingdom” has finally received a much-belated wide release, it’s an ideal time for audiences to revisit Bill Murray’s first cinematic excursion to summer camp. Ivan Reitman’s 1979 hit, “Meatballs,” is famous primary for giving the SNL vet his first starring role, which is appropriate considering Murray is the only reason worth watching it.

As far as “snobs vs. slobs” farces of the ’70s go, “Meatballs” is a passable but wholly unremarkable escapist lark. It assembles a series of misfit stereotypes—the clueless nerd, the fat kid, the guy who can’t help blowing stuff up—and has them go through the motions. There isn’t a single gag involving the hapless counselors-in-training at Camp North Star that is the least bit funny or surprising. Half of the film’s 99-minute running time is so tiresome that it will undoubtedly lead...

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!

Blu-ray Release Date: June 12, 2012

Price: Blu-ray $14.99

Studio: Lionsgate

Bill Murray goes to summer camp in Meatballs.

The Blu-ray debut of the 1979 comedy Meatballs, one of Bill Murray’s (Get Low) earliest films, offers fans another opportunity to giggle over their favorite lines (via the prompting by a high-definition presentation).

Directed by Ivan Reitman (No Strings Attached), the film stars Murray as Tripper, the head counselor of Camp North Star, an off-the-wall summer getaway for kids and various misfits. Tripper guides his loveable campers and spirited staff members on a quest for fun in the sun. But this one summer has a couple of unique situations brewing for Tripper in the form of a runaway camper (Chris Makepeace, My Bodyguard), a cute fellow counselor (Kate Lynch, New Year) and an end-of-the-season Olympics competition against a rival camp filled with rich kids.

Lionsgate is also re-issuing a DVD edition of Meatballs for...

Casa de Mi Padre's Matt Piedmont has reteamed with Gary Sanchez and Nala Films for an English-language comedy. Deadline reports that Piedmont will direct King Dork, based on the 2006 Frank Portman novel that has been adapted by D.V. DeVincentis. Filming is slated for June and will likely take place in Connecticut.

King Dork follows "best friends and outsiders Tom and Sam, who bond over their shared love of classic rock and roll, which helps them cope with the agony of getting through high school in 1987." Nala’s Emilio Diez Barroso and Darlene Caamano Loquet are producing along with Gary Sanchez’s Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Kevin Messick, and Chris Henchy. Nala will finance the comedy like it did on Casa de Mi Padre, which opens March 16.

This is the first project that McKay bought when Gary Sanchez was formed six years ago. DeVincentis has scripted two awesome music-related movies,...

I wouldn’t put any stock in Casa de mi Padre being a huge box office hit — subtitles tend to scare off most American viewers, if you haven’t noticed — which only makes Gary Sanchez Productions’ independent status an even bigger benefactor in their next endeavor. According to Deadline, Sanchez and Nala Films will be producing and financing King Dork, an adaptation of Frank Portman‘s novel that’s been assigned to Casa director Matt Piedmont.

D.V. DeVincentis (High Fidelity, Grosse Point Blank) has scripted the picture, which centers on “best friends and outsiders Tom and Sam, who bond over their shared love of classic rock and roll, which helps them cope with the agony of getting through high school in 1987.” Whatever proves so special about this tale must be quite potent; it was the first project purchased by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay when Gary Sanchez Productions started six years ago.

Can we do this every week? Parks and Recreation is on a roll of awesome hilariousness.

"Meet N Greet" afforded some much needed character growth to Tom. He’s by far the least likable character for me, and anything that gives him any shred of dignity is greatly appreciated. Obviously, something was going on when Tom received that panicked call from Jean-Ralphio and Entertainment 720 (which is still the worst name ever) going bankrupt was no surprise.

But that did bring us to the party to end all parties. Tom literally thought of every possible surface he could plaster his face on and I loved it all: cakes, floor mats, posters, pamphlets. Which are butthead moves considering it was Leslie's party. Man, what a dick, huh?

Good for you Leslie! Protect the sacredness of butthead! Moreover, I learned “dick” isn’t censored on broadcast television. Who knew?!

In the end, it...

The Smithsonian reports the clip to the right from Franco Zeffirelli's remake of the 1931 movie The Champ, starring Jon Voight as a boxer and Ricky Schroder as his son "has become a must-see in psychology laboratories around the world when scientists want to make people sad." The Champ has been used in experiments to see if depressed people are more likely to cry than non-depressed people (they aren't). It has helped determine whether people are more likely to spend money when they are sad (they are) and whether older people are more sensitive to grief than younger people (older people did report more sadness when they watched the scene). Dutch scientists used the scene when they studied the effect of sadness on people with binge eating disorders (sadness didn't increase eating). The project to find scenes that could reliably elicit a strong emotional response in laboratory settings began all...

After years of research, scientists have found out that "The Champ," starring Jon Voight and Ricky Schroder, is the saddest movie ever made. This finding was part of a study that tried to figure out how emotions affect people's behavior. While it's unlikely that scientists watched every movie out there, James Gross and Robert Levenson have determined that a clip from "The Champ" gets people to cry the fastest. And as soon as the tears begin flowing, volunteers are immediately hit with questions about food (not likely to eat when sad) and shopping (more likely to spend when sad). "Bambi" was used for a little while, but "The Champ" gets the crying going faster. I'm not going to describe the scene from "The Champ" that's used since it spoils the entire movie, but you can watch it below (stars at 5:25). To elicit other emotions, Meg Ryan's orgasm scene...

In 1995, two scientists published a report listing sixteen short film clips most likely to elicit specific emotions. There are clips for everything from amusement and anger to surprise and sadness. Scientists show these clips when they want a subject to feel a specific way in a controlled environment. And while it's hard to crown the most "angry" movie of all time or most "surprising," tears make sadness a bit more quantifiable. The clip that's most often use to bring someone to tears, and can therefore be referred to as the scientifically proven "saddest movie in the world," is Franco Zeffirelli's 1979 film The Champ. Watch the scene, read more about the study and see what other films are part of the report after the jump. Smithsonian Magazine [1] (via Moviefone [2]) wrote about the study which was conducted by psychology professor Robert W. Levenson his then graduate student James J. Gross at the University of California,...

Justin Bieber has never been shy about his love for his native Canada, and his return to his hometown this week with Selena Gomez, sure proves he hasn’t forgetten his roots—and I think it’s great!

I mean, have we ever seen fellow Canadian rocker Avril Lavigne bring her beau Brody Jenner to her native Ottawa?? (Which is much bigger than Stratford, so surely they could entertain themselves there!)

While in his hometown of Stratford this week, Justin took his sweetheart, Selena Gomez, to Swiss Chalet. “What’s that,” you ask? Well, it’s a chain of chicken restaurants that have become a 57-year-old Canadian institution, rivaling the infamous Tim Horton’s donut chain. Justin is demonstrating you can take the boy out of Stratford, Ontatio (about two hours west of Toronto), but you sure can’t take the Canada out of the boy!

In fact, when asked...

Ranked: Judd Apatow Movies from Worst to Best Assessing every film from Apatow's gang, from The 40-Year-Old Virgin to the new Bridesmaids. By Andrew Osborne One of the knocks against Judd Apatow has always been that — with the exception of his wife, Leslie Mann — his cinematic clubhouse has largely been a rowdy boys' club. That may explain Apatow's involvement as one of the producers of Bridesmaids, the upcoming Kristin Wiig comedy (directed by Freaks & Geeks alum Paul Feig) that's being promoted as the female answer to raunchy bromances like The Hangover. But where does Bridesmaids fall in the overall Apaverse? To find out, we've created a worst-to-best ranking of every film from Apatow Productions. 15. Drillbit Taylor (2008) Apatow produced this My Bodyguard retread about a bunch of geeks who get continuously and obsessively attacked by a psychotic bully until they eventually hire a homeless con [...]...

Warner Bros. Pictures presented The Big Picture 2011 Event at CinemaCon. Taking place at Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 31, the event was held to promote the studio's upcoming releases such as "Green Lantern", "The Hangover Part II", "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II" and many others.

Promoting the DC Comics superhero movie adaptation were Ryan Reynolds and his on-screen love interest Blake Lively. The blonde beauty is also honored as Breakthrough Performer at the conference.

Looking dapper in a vest and matching trousers, Reynolds explained about his part in the movie. "On a movie that's coming out on a size and scale like this, you realize how insignificant the actor is. I'm an important cog in a very large machine," so claimed the Hal Jordan depicter who was recently reported to voice DreamWorks Animation's "Turbo".

Lively, who donned a white ensemble from Dolce & Gabbana,...

Everyone loves a good underdog. Maybe he’s the kid in school that just can’t win, like in Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, or maybe they are just a misunderstood nerd that ends up saving the day in the end. Either way, underdogs have a special place in our heart, and that is why this weeks top ten is

Top Ten Underdogs (in children’s movies)

Be sure to tell us your picks too!!!

Honorable Mention: Daniel Larusso aka Daniel-san – The Karate Kid (1984)

The Karate Kid starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita is one of those movies that you either care nothing about or absolutely love. There’s not really anything in between and I happen to fall into the latter category. Obviously, I could start out by saying that the director was no other than John G. Avildsen (yeah, the guy that directed Rocky) and...

Justin Bieber may be teen heartthrob, but he takes on some weighty issues in a new interview. Take relationships, for one. "I don't think you should have sex with anyone unless you love them," Bieber, 16, tells the new issue of Rolling Stone, out Friday. Asked whether he believes in strict abstinence before marriage, he says, "I think you should just wait for the person you're … in love with." Bieber recently has been seen with Selena Gomez, 18, though neither has confirmed a romance. When the interviewer caught a glimpse of an image on Bieber's laptop of the pair against an orange sunset,...

Justin Bieber didn't win his Grammy award, but the teen idol has never been in more demand. His movie is out, his nail polish is selling out, he was even recently on "The Daily Show." Now he's talking about sex and babies with Rolling Stone, you can almost hear his voice cracking.

"I don't think you should have sex with anyone unless you love them," Bieber said, effortlessly selling another million albums to teen girls. "I think you should just wait for the person you're...in love with."

"I really don't believe in abortion," Bieber, who prays before concerts and is a devout Christian added. "It's like killing a baby?" When asked about cases of rape, he responded with cold faith, "Um. Well, I think that's really sad, but everything happens for a reason." But then he added reasonably, "I guess I haven't been in that position, so I wouldn't be able to judge that.

Justin Bieber has taken the United States by storm, but if he gets sick, he may find himself retreating back to Canada -- and not just for the home-cooked meals.

Bieber, a 16-year old popstar who was nominated for two Grammys and saw his bio movie make $30 million this weekend, covers the new issue of Rolling Stone. In addition to talking the usual trappings of fame -- the music, the tour stories, the girls -- the magazine asked him to wade a bit into the political waters. At least on one major issue, he already has a fully formed opinion.

Asked if he wanted to become an American citizen, Bieber made clear his love for Canada -- and its health care system.

"You guys are evil," he told the magazine, out on February 18th. "Canada's the best country in the world. We go to the doctor and we don't need to worry about paying him,...

Justin Bieber has expressed his belief that Americans should not be forced to pay for medical treatment. In an interview with Rolling Stone, the 'Never Say Never' popstar asserted that his native Canada has a more compassionate healthcare system than the Us. "You guys are evil," he said. "Canada's the best country in the world." The musician continued: "We go to the doctor and we don't need to worry about paying him, but here, your whole life, you're broke because of medical bills. "My bodyguard's baby was premature, and (more)...

NBC has given a full-season pickup the returning action-comedy Chuck for 2010-11. The announcement was made by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

“We…are glad that ‘Chuck’ will be with us for a full season delivering its loyal, passionate audience,”said Bromstad.

Through October 18, Chuck has averaged a 2.2 rating, 6 share in adults 18-49 and 5.9 million viewers overall in “most current” averages from Nielsen Media Research. Chuck is heavily time-shifted, adding 29 percent to its “live plus same day” 18-49 rating when Nielsen issued “live plus seven day” results for the opening two weeks of the season (to a 2.56 rating from a 1.99).”

“Chuck” (Mondays, 8-9 p.m. Et) stars Zachary Levi (“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel”) as Chuck Bartowksi, a regular guy who also happens to be the government’s most vital secret agent. The cast also includes Adam Baldwin (“My Bodyguard”) as Colonel John Casey...

Subject: Matthew Raymond Dillon, 46-year old American actor and occasional director

Date of Assessment: August 27, 2010

Positive Buzzwords: Underrated, adaptable, resilient

Negative Buzzwords: Stagnant, B-lister, old dog

The Case: In the 1980s, teen heartthrob Matt Dillon lingered on the (hopeful) lips of teen girls, who passionately plastered their bedroom walls with his hunky photo spreads from Bop and Tiger Beat magazines, everwhere. It was at this time that Dillon regularly portrayed hunky hoodlums and banging bullies in film like Over the Edge and My Bodyguard. It was also a decade during which Dillon rose to stardom as an S.E. Hinton darling who hailed from the wrong side of the tracks (quite literally, relative to Tulsa terminology) in Tex, The Outsiders, and Rumble Fish. While these movies led to a career breakthrough, they were all very similar stories with very similar characters as well. Although Dillon managed the occasional change of pace...

Abed on Community is one of our favorite TV characters of all time. A walking pop culture encyclopedia, who drops movie and TV references at every turn. There's only a few more weeks of Abed before the summer hiatus, but have no fear, he will return in all his pop culture glory next season.

We had the pleasure of speaking with Danny Pudi, the actor who plays Abed, on a recent conference call interview. He talked about what he's learned from his character, his love of vacuuming, and getting Christmas cards from Chevy Chase.

Q: Are you as knowledgeable about pop culture as Abed is?

Danny: Absolutely not. Abed’s an encyclopedia. He’s kind of a genius. I grew up with a lot of this - a lot of the same movies and music. Even the Starburns: El Star Prince - the minute we started working on that I...

Hands down the funnest (or 'most enjoyable' for you anal wordsmiths) part of this job is taking pictures with my piece of junk Guapo Still Cam as I try and capture the flavor and excitement of conventions like Comic-Con and WonderCon.Since I only had one day at WonderCon to roam the show floor, I took pics of as many freaks, geeks, dorks, dweebs, fatties, steampunks (God, you steampunk guys take dork to a whole new level), anime weirdos, celebs, Jedis and superheros as I could. Hell, I even threw in a midget for good measure.This year at Comic-Con I plan on going one step further. Look for my special "Sleeping Attendees" pictorial after the last day of the Con, when everyone is so wiped out the nacho cheese stain covered carpet seems like a great place to take a nap. So here we go with this year's WonderCon...

One of the real joys of Back Catalogue is getting to sift through movies I actually want to watch instead of whatever happens across my desk. This look at the older titles available through Vci Entertainment offered a little bit of everything. Mario Bava, made for TV fare, cult classics, exploitation and even documentary. Needless to say this was quite a viewing party.

Kiss Of The Tarantula was a definite first into the DVD player for me as I loves me some campy spider action. The film follows the mold of other movies like Willard, and Stanley, leaving out the supernatural element. Poor misunderstood, constantly picked on Susan isn't able to control spiders, she just raises them in the family mortuary. And when the locals (and her lecherous uncle) get a little too aggressive poor Susan pops a few of her eight legged friends in for visit.

Death by spider...

Tony Bill's My Bodyguard is next up for the remake treatment. The re-do of the 1980 film, which starred Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin and Matt Dillon, is being set up at Dimension Films. Jeff Lieber is penning the script about a boy who enlists his new school's most feared kid when he finds himself being bullied. John Davis is producing with Marc Toberoff, chairman of Intellectual Property Worldwide, who acquired exclusive rights to the property. IPW's president of production, J. Todd Harris, who brought the project to Davis, also will produce. Davis executives Wyck Godfrey and Brian Manis will executive produce. IPW's vp production Craig Roth will co-produce.