Tag: Movie History

This Day in Movie History: January 18

Six years ago Today in Movie History – January 18 – marked the release of Cloverfield, the found footage monster flick which set the all-time January opening weekend record. That record still stands. Produced by JJ Abrams and directed by Matt Reeves, Cloverfield is still looked at as a model of brilliant marketing with its fantastic trailer and insistence on secrecy that Abrams still employs on its features. Its domestic haul stands at $80 million with a worldwide gross of $170 million. Director Reeves is currently working on Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, out this summer.

As for birthdays, Kevin Costner is 59 today. From the mid 80s through the mid 90s, he was one of the most bankable actors working in the business. High-profile roles during that period include No Way Out, The Untouchables, Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, JFK, and The Bodyguard. In 1990, he would win Best Director with Dances with Wolves, his first feature working behind the camera. The film would also win Best Picture. There’s been some financial disappointments as well: Wyatt Earp, Waterworld and The Postman, among others. Costner has kept himself busy lately with roles in the miniseries “Hatfields&McCoys”, Man of Steel, and this weekend’s Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.

Jason Segel is 34 today. Many know him best for his gig on the hit CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother”. After a supporting role in Knocked Up, Segel would be promoted to leading man status in Forgetting Sarah Marshall in 2008 and I Love You, Man the following year. Recent pics include Bad Teacher, The Muppets, and The Five Year Engagement.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the actors:

Kevin Costner was in Man of Steel with Amy Adams

Amy Adams was in The Muppets with Jason Segel

And that’s today – January 18 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 17

17 years ago Today in Movie History – January 17 – marked the release of Beverly Hills Ninja with Chris Farley, which topped the box office charts over MLK weekend with a decent $12 million. The critically reviled comedy would gross approximately the same as Farley’s previous vehicles Tommy Boy and Black Sheep. However, those pictures would go onto being considered much better uses for the star’s talent. Less than a year after Ninja‘s debut, Farley would die of a drug overdose. His final movie, Almost Heroes with Matthew Perry, would premiere in May 1998 to lackluster results. Ninja‘s director Dennis Dugan, who had directed Adam Sandler the year prior in Happy Gilmore, would team up with him many more times. His features include Big Daddy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, the two Grown Ups pics, Just Go With It, and Jack and Jill.

As for birthdays, Jim Carrey is 52 today. He broke out in the early 90s on “In Living Color” and in 1994 would make a hugely successful transition to the silver screen. That year alone, he starred in megahits Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. He would play the Riddler in Batman Forever and have other massive comedic blockbusters like Liar Liar and Bruce Almighty. His occasional transitions into drama have worked out well (The Truman Show, Man on the Moon) and not so well (The Majestic, The Letter 23). Lately, box office hits have been hard to find for Carrey but this November’s Dumb and Dumber To could change that.

Zooey Deschanel is 34 today. She’s costarred with Will Ferrell in the now holiday classic Elf and had the unfortunate privilege of appearing in M. Night Shyamalan’s 2008 bomb The Happening alongside Mark Wahlberg. Her most acclaimed role was with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 2009’s 500 Days of Summer. Lately, Deschanel has set movies aside and stars in her own hit FOX sitcom “New Girl”. She sings too!

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the two… quite simple:

Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel costarred together in Yes Man

And that’s today – January 17 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 16

10 years ago Today in Movie History – January 16 – marked the release of Along Came Polly, the romantic comedy headlined by Ben Stilller and Jennifer Aniston. The pic would debut to a terrific $27.7 million in its opening weekend, ending the month-long reign of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. With a stellar supporting cast that included Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alec Baldwin, and a sight impaired ferret, Polly‘s overall domestic haul would eventually stand at $88 million.

Today marks the 66th birthday of director John Carpenter. He is responsible for what I believe to be the greatest slasher flick ever – 1978′ Halloween. There’s also a trio of genre classics starring Kurt Russell – Escape from New York, The Thing, and Big Trouble in Little China. Other notables features: Assault on Precinct 13, The Fog, Christine, Starman, and They Live.

January 16th would have marked the 35th birthday of Aaliyah. The R&B singer was certainly known more for her musical career, but she was beginning to branch out to film with roles in Romeo Must Die with Jet Li and Queen of the Damned. Aaliyah was tragically killed in a plane crash in 2001.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the two:

John Carpenter directed Kurt Russell in Escape from New York

Kurt Russell was in Tango&Cash with Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone was in The Expendables with Jet Li

Jet Li was in Romeo Must Die with Aaliyah

And that’s today – January 16th – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 15

15 years ago Today in Movie History – January 15 – Johnny Mox made his debut in theaters with Varsity Blues, the Texas high school football flick that opened atop the box office on its way to an unexpectedly high $52 million domestic gross. James Van Deer Beek parlayed his success off TV’s “Dawson’s Creek” to the film world with Blues. Co-stars included Jon Voight as the hard-headed coach, Amy Smart, Ali Larter (three words: whipped cream bikini), Ron Lester as Billy Bob, Scott Caan, and the late Paul Walker.

As for birthdays, today would have marked the 101st birthday of Lloyd Bridges. The actor had over 150 film credits and to my generation, he may always be remembered for his role in 1980’s Airplane! (my favorite comedy of all time) and the Hot Shots! movies. He rose to huge stardom in the 1950s TV series “Sea Hunt”. Of course, he is also the father of the brother acting duo Beau and Jeff Bridges. The actor passed away in 1998.

Regina King is 43 today. She may be known best as Cuba Gooding Jr.’s tough as nails wife in 1996’s Jerry Maguire or Will Smith’s significant other in Enemy of the State. King appeared in director John Singleton’s first three pics: Boyz N The Hood, Poetic Justice, and Higher Learning.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between Mr. Bridges and Ms. King –

Lloyd Bridges was in Hot Shots! with Valeria Golino

Valerina Golino was in Rain Man with Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise was in Jerry Maguire with Regina King

And that’s Today in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 14

20 years ago Today in Movie History – January 14 – Jonathan Demme’s groundbreaking drama about the HIV/AIDS virus Philadelphia opened wide in theaters. Starring Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Jason Robards, Antonio Banderas, Mary Steenburgen, and Joanne Wooodward – Philadelphia would strike a chord with mainstream audiences to the tune of a $77 million domestic gross. It was also a hugely important picture for Hanks as it transitioned him from an actor known primarily for comedy to an actor who showed his dramatic range. The role would earn Hanks a Best Actor Oscar – a feat he would repeat the next year with Forrest Gump.

As for birthdays, LL Cool J is 46 today. One of the first rappers to make a successful transition to film, he’s appeared in pics from The Hard Way to Toys to Halloween H20 to Deep Blue Sea to Any Given Sunday. Additionally, LL has had a solid TV career with his sitcom “In the House” and currently with crime drama “NCIS: Los Angeles”.

Jason Bateman is 45 today. He’s come a long way from his days on the 80s sitcom “The Hogan Family” and his film debut in the unfortunate 1987 sequel Teen Wolf Too. Over the last several years he’s appeared primarily in comedies including Starsky and Hutch, Dodgeball, The Break-Up, and The Switch. He’s transitioned to comedic leading man over the last couple of years with megahits Horrible Bosses and Identity Thief. There’s also been some non straight-up comedies including Juno, The Kingdom, Hancock, Up in the Air, and State of Play. This is all, of course, in addition to his acclaimed role on the lauded sitcom “Arrested Development”. Bateman directs and stars in this spring’s Bad Words before this fall’s anticipated Horrible Bosses 2.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the birthday boys:

LL Cool J was in Any Given Sunday with Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx was in Horrible Bosses with Jason Bateman

And that’s today – January 14 – in Movie History.

This Day in Movie History: January 13

25 years ago Today in Movie History – January 13 – Barry Levinson’s Rain Man would spend its third out of five weeks in the #1 spot. The drama about long-lost brothers – one an autistic savant, one a hotshot yuppie – starred Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. Rain Man would greatly capture the attention of audiences and critics. It would win Oscars for Best Picture, Director, and Actor for Hoffman, earning his second statue after 1979’s Kramer vs. Kramer. Rain Man would end up being the highest grossing picture of 1988 with $172 million domestically.

As for birthdays, two actors known for their appearances in film franchises celebrate today. Orlando Bloom is 37. He’s starred in some of highest-grossing pictures this century due to his involvement in the Pirates of the Caribbean, Lord of the Rings, and Hobbit series. Other notable film appearances include Black Hawk Down, Troy, Kingdom of Heaven, and Elizabethtown.

Liam Hemsworth is 24 today. He is most known for playing Gale Hawthorne in the enormous Hunger Games franchise that will continue through 2015. He also appeared in The Expendables 2 and last year’s box office bomb Paranoia.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between Mr. Bloom and Mr. Hemsworth:

Orlando Bloom was in the Pirates of the Caribbean films with Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp was in Public Enemies with Christian Bale

Christian Bale was in American Hustle with Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence is in The Hunger Games films with Liam Hemsworth

And that’s today – January 13 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 12

Thirteen years ago Today in Movie History – January 12 – marked the release of Save the Last Dance, produced by MTV Films. The hip hop dance flick with Julia Stiles helped kick start a genre of similar pictures when it debuted with a very surprising $27.5 million over the Martin Luther King holiday on its way to a $91 million domestic haul. It also spawned a direct to DVD sequel.

As for birthdays, the King of All Media Howard Stern is 60 years old today. We know Howard most for his landmark radio show and currently as a judge on “America’s Got Talent”, but seventeen years ago his media domination extended to film. Stern teamed with producer Ivan Reitman and director Betty Thomas for the autobiographical comedy Private Parts, based on his bestseller. It topped the box office in March 1997 and ended up earning $41 million domestic. The picture also gave the first prominent role to Paul Giamatti as Pig Vomit, whose performance was a highlight.

Kirstie Alley is 63 today. She’s also known more for her TV work with “Cheers”, but her movie debut was 1982’s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. There’s also the financially successful Look Who’s Talking franchise and less successful comedies like Sibling Rivalry and Mad House.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the two:

Howard Stern was in Private Parts with Paul Giamatti

Paul Giamatti was in The Negotiator with Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson was in Pulp Fiction with John Travolta

John Travolta was in Look Who’s Talking with Kirstie Alley

And that’s today – January 12 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 11

29 years ago today in Movie History – January 11 – Beverly Hills Cop with Eddie Murphy would top the box office in its sixth weekend while on its way to breaking various records. Cop was released at the height of Murphy’s super stardom. He’d already had significant successes with 48 HRS. and Trading Places, but Beverly Hills Cop turned him into the biggest movie star in America. The film would end up grossing $234 million domestically, making it 1984’s highest domestic grosser and the biggest earning R-rated picture of all time. That record would stand for almost two decades until 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded. The inevitable sequel in 1987 would post solid numbers with $153 million. By the time part 3 came out in 1994, Murphy’s career was on the downslide and a meager $42 million domestic gross would result. The actor’s inability to turn the third installment into a hit and the following year’s bomb Vampire in Brooklyn had some wondering if Murphy’s career was over, but 1996’s The Nutty Professor would revive his standing with audiences.

As for birthdays, Rod Taylor turns 84 today. He is best known for his leading man roles in 1960’s The Time Machine and especially in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1963 pic The Birds. He would continue to work in movies and TV for decades. Recently, Quentin Tarantino was able to coax him out of retirement to play Winston Churchill in an important sequence alongside Mike Myers and Michael Fassbender in 2009’s Inglourious Basterds.

Amanda Peet is 42 today. She first became known to moviegoers as Matthew Perry’s dental assistant turned aspiring hit woman in The Whole Nine Yards. Since then, she’s appeared in various pics from Saving Silverman to Changing Lanes to Igby Goes Down to Something’s Gotta Give to Syriana to 2012.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the two:

Rod Taylor was in Inglourious Basterds with Brad Pitt

Brad Pit was in 12 Monkeys with Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis was in The Whole Nine Yards with Amanda Peet

And that’s today – January 11 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 10

22 years ago today in Movie History – January 10 – marked the release of Curtis Hanson’s The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, starring Rebecca De Mornay and Annabella Sciorra. The film followed the tenants of a subgenre best described as “the BLANK from Hell” in which this one could be described as “The Nanny from Hell”. De Mornay portrayed that nanny and Sciorra was her tormentee. 1992 was a popular year for such titles including “The Teenager From Hell” (Poison Ivy), “The Cop From Hell” (Unlawful Entry), and “The Roommate From Hell” (Single White Female). Cradle was an unexpected box office smash, grossing $88 million domestically. De Mornay would go onto less regarded thrillers such as Guilty as Sin and Never Talk to Strangers. Her most notable film appearance in recent years was alongside Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, and Dwight Yoakam in the opening sequence to Wedding Crashers. Sciorra’s film career would fizzle as well but she did have a significant stint playing Tony’s mistress on “The Sopranos”. In fact, it’s some other females in the cast who would go onto bigger things. Playing Sciorra’s friend who met a rather ghastly demise at the hands of De Mornay was an actress in just her second film role named Julianne Moore. Playing Sciorra’s daugheter was Madeline Zima, just six years old at the time. Soon aftewards she would be cast in the popular Fran Drescher sitcom “The Nanny” and recently was in a much more adult role on Showtime’s “Californication”. And Ernie Hudson played a mentally challenged house worker, giving him at least one memorable role other than being the Ghostbuster nobody talks about. Finally, the director Curtis Hanson would move to directing such noteworthy pictures as The River Wild, L.A. Confidential, Wonder Boys, and 8 Mile.

As for birthdays, today marks the 72nd birthday of director/screenwriter Walter Hill. Mr. Hill is known on the screenwriting side for working on Aliens and Alien 3 and the 1972 Steve McQueen hit The Getaway. His directing credits include hits like 48 HRS. and its sequel Another 48 HRS. and the 1979 cult classic The Warriors. He directed Richard Pryor in the comedy Brewster’s Millions, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Belushi in Red Heat, and Bruce Willis in Last Man Standing. One of his lesser known features is 1992’s Trespass with Ice Cube, Bill Paxton, Ice-T, and William Sadler but it’s a solid B flick that is worth seeking out. His latest effort was the Sylvester Stallone disappointment Bullet to the Head.

Evan Handler is 53 today. He’s more known for his TV work, including appearing on “Californication” with Madeline Zima from The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. His best known TV role is as Charlotte’s husband Harry on “Sex and the City”. He would reprise that role in the hit Sex and the City movie and its less successful sequel. Other film roles include 1981’s Taps and 1996’s Ransom, in which he played one of the kidnappers.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between our birthdays subjects –

Walter Hill directed Bruce Willis in Last Man Standing

Bruce Willis was in Striking Distance with Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker was in Sex and the City with Evan Handler

And that’s today – January 10 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: January 9

This Day in Movie History – January 9 – Tim Burton’s Big Fish opened wide domestically and placed second at the box office behind The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The film was looked at as a potential Oscar contender, but it didn’t pan out. Still, Burton’s father/son tale with numerous fantasy elements managed a respectable $66 million domestic gross. It starred Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman, Billy Crudup, and Burton regulars Helena Bonham-Carter and Danny DeVito. Originally planned as a vehicle for Steven Spielberg, the project was transferred to Burton who at one time considered Jack Nicholson as the lead to play the roles both McGregor and Finney portrayed. That would’ve been done with some CGI magic. Obviously that plan was scrapped and since its release a decade ago, Fish has enhanced its reputation as one of the filmmaker’s better efforts in recent years.

As for birthdays, J.K Simmons turns 59 today. Known just as much for his television work on “Law&Order”, “Oz”, and “The Closer”, Simmons has also had a stellar career in film. He appeared in the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy as J. Jonah Jameson and had supporting roles in noteworthy pics such as The Cider House Rules, The Gift, Thank You For Smoking, Juno, Burn After Reading, I Love You Man, Up in the Air, and Jobs.

Joey Lauren Adams is 46 today. You may have first seen her in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused before she became a favorite of Kevin Smith, appearing in Mallrats and in the title role of his critically acclaimed Chasing Amy alongside Ben Affleck. Other roles include Big Daddy and The Break-Up.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the two:

J.K. Simmons was in Juno with Jason Bateman

Jason Bateman was in The Break-Up with Joey Lauren Adams

And that’s today – January 9 – in Movie History!