Tribute: Don Rickles

Posted on April 7, 2017 at 8:00 am

We mourn the loss of comedian/actor Don Rickles, who has died at age 90. He was one of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time, at the top of his profession for well over half a century. In the Washington Post, Matt Schudel wrote:

Mr. Rickles did not tell jokes with traditional punch lines, did not make topical comments about the news and did not use crude profanity. Every show was spontaneous, built largely around his caustic observations about members of the audience….Short, bald and stocky, Mr. Rickles walked on the stage “looking like a snapping turtle surfacing in a pond,” as a New Yorker profile put it in 2004. He glanced around the room at his prey. Overweight people, men accompanied by younger women, racial and ethnic minorities — all were subject to his relentless barrage of smart-aleck buckshot.

Mr. Rickles’s chief comedic weapons were exaggeration and ridicule, deployed in a rapid, sharp-tongued style that stacked one quip on top of another until audiences were helpless with laughter. He especially delighted in tweaking the rich and mighty and became renowned for his biting performances at celebrity roasts.

Rickles’ training as a dramatic actor was evident in his performance opposite Robert de Niro in “Casino.” In Pixar’s beloved “Toy Story” movies, he provided the voice for Mr. Potatohead. He was known for being as kind and loyal a friend off-stage as he was caustic and insulting on stage. His closest friend was a comedian whose style and persona could not be more different, Bob Newhart. May his memory be a blessing.

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Exclusive Clip: Billy Crudup and Graham Rogers in “1 Mile to You”

Posted on April 4, 2017 at 12:46 pm

We are delighted to present an exclusive clip from “1 Mile to You,” in theaters and on demand April 7, 2017.

When Kevin (Graham Rogers) loses his girlfriend (Stefanie Scott) and several other close friends in a tragic accident, he finds that running track keeps him connected to them all during ‘runner’s high’ moments. Chasing these memories drives him to run faster and to win for his new coach (Billy Crudup). Before long, however, his newfound notoriety attracts the attention of a whip-smart new girl (Liana Liberato) who is determined to find out what’s really going on inside him. Soon, he finds himself caught between keeping the past alive and making new memories in the present. “1 Mile To You” is an uplifting, emotional, and romantic sports drama about the power of our athletic pursuits, attachments to memories to sustain us through our worst traumas — and when it is time to believe and let certain memories go.

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Trailers, Previews, and Clips

Trailer: Dunkirk

Posted on April 4, 2017 at 8:00 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEUsilurA3w

Harry Styles, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, and Mark Rylance star in the WWII story “Dunkirk,” the story of one of the greatest rescue operations in military history, when the Allied forces were beat back to the coast by the Germans and 338,226 men escaped, including 139,997 French, Polish, and Belgian troops, together with a small number of Dutch soldiers, aboard 861 vessels (of which 243 were sunk during the operation). Winston Churchill called it “the miracle of deliverance.” The rescue and its depiction as a morale-booster is also featured in the spring release, “Their Finest.”

Some background:

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Trailers, Previews, and Clips

Rogue One — DVD/Blu-Ray Extras

Posted on April 3, 2017 at 10:54 pm

“Rogue One” is out on DVD/Blu-Ray this week with some very cool extra scenes. Here’s a sneak peek.

K2SO Design

Cardboard K2SO Head

Walking On Stilts

K2SO’s British Accent

2017 Washington Jewish Film Festival Schedule Announced

Posted on April 3, 2017 at 1:33 pm

The 2017 Washington Jewish Film Festival (May 17-28) includes 63 feature-length and 18 short films from 25 countries, and showcases the diversity of Jewish life through time and across the world. In addition to the film program, the Festival will host talkbacks and panel discussions with dozens of filmmakers from the U.S. and abroad. Opening Night will feature “The Women’s Balcony,” a dramatic comedy set against a gender rift in an Orthodox community in Jerusalem. “Fanny’s Journey,” the extraordinary true story of a young girl who leads a group of children through Europe to escape the Nazis, closes out the twelve-day event.

“Every year we strive to present new cinematic voices from all corners of the globe that reflect and inform the Jewish identity,” said Ilya Tovbis, Director of the Washington Jewish Film Festival. “The 2017 program includes some of the most striking international films of the past year, from both emerging and master filmmakers. In many cases, the Festival will be the only chance for Washingtonians to catch these cinematic gems on screen.”
The feature, documentary and short films in the slate touch on an array of Jewish perspectives from around the world. This year’s festival includes three thematic strands: Rated LGBTQ which explores sexuality and gender identity; Mechanisms of Extremism, films that examine extremist governments, societies and movements; and Laugh Track, a selection of comedies of all stripes.

A highlight of this year’s line-up is a special showing of “Clueless,” with director Amy Heckerling on hand to lead a discussion and a 90’s party to bring out your inner Cher.

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