Disney has made a mega $4 billion deal to acquire Marvel Entertainment, thus gaining control of over 5,000 individual comic book characters, many of whom have proven to be a goldmine on the silver screen. The modest comic book company that spun into high gear in the 1960s under the TLC of editor Stan Lee and the late artist Jack Kirby has not only made the realm of comics respectable, but the stuff of business empires as well . Marvel stock soared on the announcement. For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

Hollywood's obsession with youth has now reached a comical level as evidenced by the American Cinematheque's announcement that it will award its next lifetime achievement award to Matt Damon - despite the fact he is only 38 years-old. Let me say up front that the absurdity of this decision isn't a reflection on Damon, who remains a popular and talented actor. He has been associated with a number of high profile films from Saving Private Ryan and the Oceans Eleven series to his popular Bourne spy movies. He also copped an Oscar for co-writing Good Will Hunting. However, many of his other films have been received with a mediocre response by both critics and the public. There was a time when such awards were granted to elder statesmen and women of the industry - true giants in their fields. However, in recent years, the dearth of such living legends, combined with the mania for obtaining TV ratings, has seen lifetime achievement awards granted to people who are still very much in their prime. When Paul Newman received an honorary Oscar for his life's work in 1984, he joked that he didn't feel like he was ready to move into Forest Lawn Cemetery yet. He was 61 years old at the time and many people thought that was too young for an actor still making films on a regular basis. Indeed, some of Newman's best work was still ahead of him, as evidenced by the fact that he won a competitive Oscar for Best Actor the very next year.  

By Lee Pfeiffer

Lovable kook Sharon Stone has finally found a way for us to....er....stand up and take notice: she's posed topless at age 51 for Paris Match. It's only when Stone speaks that the unintentional laughs result. The magazine cover may prove to either inspire or depress women of similar age - and it proves once again that when it comes to popular culture, no one has more fun than the uninhibited French. While Americans suffer through indistinguishable magazine covers all featuring reality show morons and mean-spirited "scandals" about actresses who suffer from cellulite, the French stick to real glamor. Let's just hope People magazine doesn't try to jump on the bandwagon by having Rosie O'Donnell in a similar pose.

Columnist Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn provides his take of the greatest movies to feature dining as a central theme to the plot - and, yes, he does include Night of the Living Dead and Soylent Green! Click here to read

The British Ministry of Defence has declassified certain key reports on international sightings and incidents involving UFOs. While certain cases remain intriguing and unsolved, the report says that - unsurprisingly- sightings increase dramatically after high profile films and TV series about aliens are released. For example, the biggest year ever for UFO sightings was 1978 - shortly after Close Encounters of the Third Kind was released. Makes us think maybe we were mistaken about that shark we saw in our bathtub after seeing Jaws. For more click here

What do Jack Nicholson, actor John Goodman, the Dalai Lama, Kirk Douglas as Spartacus and President Obama have in common? They have all been subjects of Philadelphia artist Alex Queral's impressive project to "sculpt" their likenesses from discarded phone books. The amazing portraits are painstakingly carved into the books using a scalpel and razor blades. For more click here

Citing concerns about the economy, Paramount has made the decision to postpone Martin Scorsese's highly-anticipated thriller Shutter Island starring Leonardo DiCaprio from an October opening to February 2010. The studio obviously feels that the current recession would impact the potential gross of the film. Still, the decision is puzzling, as there is no indication the economy will be substantially better by February - and the postponement eliminates any chance of the movie capitalizing on Oscar nominations. For more click here

Writer Caroline White of The Times of London gives us her list of the ten most historically inaccurate movies of all time. Granted, the list could easily be expanded to hundreds, but White's article is interesting because she avoids most of the obvious choices. For example, she cites the 2000 WWII film U-571 as the most egregious example of historical revisionism: the screenplay was changed to show the Americans, not the British, capturing the first German Enigma code machine. The rationale of the screenwriter was simply that America had a bigger movie-going audience! Others in the Hall of Shame include three films by Mel Gibson, including his Oscar winning Braveheart. Click here to read 

We've editorialized repeatedly about the moronic behavior of people who seem intent on ruining the experience of movie-going for fellow audience members. From refusing to turn off mobile phones, to bringing screaming toddlers to the theater, to shouting advice to the characters on screen (as though it will influence them), these idiots have turned art house cinemas into the only safe venues for movie lovers. At least in these theaters, the biggest annoyance is having to overhear the pretentious analysis of film scholars on line in front of you - a fate suffered by Woody Allen's Alvy Singer in Annie Hall. Newspaper columnist Mark Jones is the latest to take a crack at fighting back against the neanderthals who populate local movie theaters. Click here to read his article.  Click here for Cinema Retro related editorial.

At her peak, she was arguably the most glamorous film star of her era. However, a lifetime of personal tragedies compromised the artistic successes of Elizabeth Taylor. Journalist Maria Ciaccia celebrates the life and career of the legendary actress on About.Com film critic Laurie Broder's site. Click here to read 

Here's a surprising development: German critics are ecstatic over Quentin Tarantino's revisionist WWII epic Inglourious Basterds, saying the director's off-the-charts re-invention of history presents Nazi terror in precisely the proper format. Germany has always grappled with its tortured past, and while condemning Hitler and his regime, has often been sensitive about filmmakers painting all Germans as evil. Apparently, Tarantino has hit the mark with German critics. For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

The announcement that the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is scaling back their weekend classic film program has resulted in predictable protests from prominent people in the industry who are decrying the loss of a great program dedicated to an American art form. However, writer Tom Gregory astutely points out one of Hollywood's dirty little secrets: there is scant financial support for such programs from the richest members of the film community. True, some specific films have been championed by certain directors and have been fully restored. However, in many other cases, the contribution of millionaire actors and filmmakers to controversial cuts in arts programs are generally limited to writing letters to the Los Angeles Times.  Gregory points out that people in the industry have got to become more supportive of their heritage- and that requires opening their wallets. For more click here

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is virtually eliminating its highly regarded classic movie screening program, claiming it was not profitable. The decision has outraged classic movie lovers and prominent critics and filmmakers (including Martin Scorsese), leading them to plead with the Museum to reconsider its decision. The program has been in existence for 40 years. The Museum says it will still show films, but only on an occasional basis and they will not generally be cinematic classics. To read more click here - it includes a hyperlink of Scorsese's open letter to the Museum. 

One of the coolest things about being President of the United States is that you can invite your favorite entertainers to The White House - and virtually no one can refuse your invitation. Here is a slide show of some of the more prominent celebs to visit The White House since John F. Kennedy invited Marilyn Monroe to drop by. (And we all know how that worked out!) Click here to view 

By Lee Pfeiffer

Robert Downey Jr. has revealed that director Guy Ritchie's new take on the legend of Sherlock Holmes will not only feature a hunky version of the great detective (played by Downey) but also an equally sexy Dr. Watson, played by Jude Law. So far, so good...but emergency rooms across the world better be prepared for an onslaught of members from the Baker Street Irregulars fan society when the film opens on Christmas Day. The reason? According to Downey,there will be a definite homo-erotic quality to the Holmes/Watson relationship. They share a bed and like to wrestle a lot...Ritchie is taking a calculated risk in tampering with the legend of Holmes, but there have been well-received revisionist spins on the yarns released in the past, on screen and in print. Well, at least we get to see two sex symbols doing the groping - the mind reels at the thought of Basil Rathbone chasing Nigel Bruce around. I guess the real clue is if Holmes says "Alimentary, my dear Watson!" For more click here

They just don't make years like 1969 and more...think of just some of the dramatic events that occurred:

• Richard M. Nixon was inaugurated as president
• The Vietnam War protests were heating up
• There were contentious trials for Charles Manson, Sirhan Sirhan, James Earl Ray and the Chicago Seven
• Men walked on the moon for the first time
• The Beatles recorded together for the last time
• President Dwight D. Eisenhower died
• The Woodstock festival made history
• For movie lovers, consider this crop of winners: Z, Midnight Cowboy, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Anne of the Thousand Days, The Wild Bunch, Where Eagles Dare, True Grit...
• Sesame Street made its broadcast debut
• Click here to take slideshow stroll back to this memorable year

The somewhat tortured trail of DreamWorks Studios has taken yet another, perhaps happier, turn. DreamWorks split from its alliance with Paramount, then separated from its animation division which was spun off as a separate company. Now the company headed by Steven Spielberg and his partners have finalized a $800 million+ financing deal with an Indian investment firm. Production is expected to begin shortly on a slate of films, including a remake of James Stewart's classic comedy Harvey.Spielberg also wants to bring the life story of Martin Luther King Jr to the big screen, but the project has been hampered by the usual in-fighting over money within the King family. Disney will distribute the new slate of films worldwide, except for within India. For more click here

Cinema Retro recently received a copy of the new digest-sized comic book Star Babes, a glorious throw-back to the counter-culture comics of the 1960s - and it even features a tribute to Raquel Welch. Here's the official press release.

Independent creator Mike Fisher of Goofa Man Productions has produced a brand new independent book that takes a look at those charismatic curvaceous creatures from the cosmos... STAR BABES in "3-D Pete's Star Babe Invasion Special!"!

From “Devil Girl from Mars” to Jane Fonda as “Barbarella,” Star Babes have been a part of our pop culture consciousness for decades. Fisher — and his cartoon buddy, 3-D Pete — takes a look at some of the more noteworthy Star Babes from television and movies.

In a recent interview, Fisher said, “In these trying times, our nation can’t afford to ignore voluptuous women from the stars in skimpy outfits.”
“And another thing,” Fisher went on to rant, “I know that we’re all moving to pixels and away from comics printed with ink on paper, but that’s just the way I wanted to do it!”

“Sure, I invested a lot of time and money in a dying medium,” Fisher whined.  “WAAAHHH!,”  he cried, as he ran up the stairs in tears.

Fisher produces cartoons for “Animation Magazine” as well as web sites such as strangehorizons.com. He was a contributor to Starlog magazine for over 20 years.

In addition, he is a producer of award-winning independent short animations. His short animations have shown at film festivals across the country. Many have shown at the San Diego Comic-Con Short Film Festival.

For more information about Mike and his work, please go to www.goofaman.com

If you have any questions for Mike, please contact him at fivefish@satx.rr.com.

“3-D Pete’s Star Babe Invasion Special!” is a 24-page
digest-sized book with a full-color cover and a
fabulous full-color center spread of a Star Babe on
vacation... in a BIKINI! Aren’t we naughty? If you’d like
a copy, send $5 to:

Star Babe Invasion
510 Enchanted Way
San Antonio, Texas
78260

London's Daily Mirror says that Brad Pitt has arrived in Old Blighty to begin filming scenes for director Guy Ritchie's new Sherlock Holmes film starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. However, Us magazine disputes this and cites a studio source as categorically denying that Pitt has anything to do with the film. Click here for more.

Director Terry Gilliam has confirmed to Empire On Line that Johnny Depp won't be in his reshoot of his aborted film The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Depp had starred in the original version before the production was shut down due to factors beyond Gillliam's control. The debacle resulted in the acclaimed documentary Lost in La Mancha. Gilliam is sticking to the old adage, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." He will be re-shooting the entire film with a new leading man, as Depp is scheduled to do back-to-back movies next year including Dark Shadows and The Lone Ranger. (Yikes...how many people remember the immortal Klinton Spilsbury, the last man to play that role on screen???) For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

Sir Christopher Lee once told me an amusing tale about having filmed the James Bond movie The Man With the Golden Gun on the island of Phuket, back when it was so remote and isolated that the cast and crew feared attacks by local pirates. Many years later, he brought his wife to the island, after warning her that she might find the sense of isolation to be threatening. When he got there, he was shocked to find the place had become a major tourist attraction - with local bars offering 007 cocktails. Such is the impact that a hit film can have on a location. The result is often a mixed blessing. The local economy booms, but the tranquility is lost. The Greek island of Skopelos is suffering a similar fate since the release of the hit movie Mamma Mia! The intoxicating scenery in the film is luring many thousands of tourists - and both the locals and the visitors are finding that the island is woefully inappropriate for the madding crowds. For more click here

Steven Spielberg has long dreamed of making a series of serious spy movies from novelist Donald Hamilton's 27 Matt Helm books. However, when Spielberg and Dreamworks left Paramount, the studio retained control of the project and hired screenwriter Paul Attanasio to develop the project. Attanasio has delivered a script, which finally seems to put the project on the fast track after years of rumors that Helm would be returning to the screen. Dean Martin played the playboy sleuth in four films during the spy craze of the 1960s. However, while these films were commercial hits, Hamilton's fans were appalled at the comedic, over-the-top aspects of the films, which didn't resemble the novels at all. It is said that the new project would be in the vein of the Bourne films. Variety reports that Spielberg may still be involved in the project as either producer or director. Click here to read 

Click here to read Matthew Bradley's article Mr. Helm Goes to Hollywood, tracing the history of the novels and Dean Martin films. 

By Lee Pfeiffer

Sidney Poitier was among the 16 recipients of this year's Medal of Freedom Award. The ceremonies took place at The White House on August 12 and, as is the tradition, honored an eclectic group of world scholars, political leaders, scientists and entertainers, each of whom has made outstanding contributions to their respective fields. President Obama personally presented each award after extolling the virtues of the recipients. For Poitier, who fought an often lonely fight to bring racial equality to Hollywood, the moment must have been particularly poignant, since he was given the award by the nation's first African-American president. Now, if someone can just lure this legendary actor back to the big screen...

By Lee Pfeiffer

While you might not see major Hollywood stars taking advantage of the Cash for Clunkers car rebate program, there is no doubt the glory days are over for some of the industry's most over-paid stars. Cinema Retro has repeatedly pointed out there are precious few stars with the drawing power to justify their enormous paychecks and production deals - and now studios seem to agree. They have sliced the salaries of some famous actors and actresses and cut back on the perks, as well. The only one immune from the cost-savings measures is Will Smith, who remains the closest thing Hollywood has to a genuine superstar. For more click here

The planned remake of Jane Fonda's iconic 1968 pop culture hit Barbarella hit a snag when director Robert Rodriguez and Universal could not agree on key elements of the production. Rodriguez walked away from the project, which had a screenplay by James Bond scribes Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. The aborted project has now been revived, sans Rodriguez, Purvis and Wade. Writer Joe Gazzam is working on a new script and the film will be directed by Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde). For more click here

Warner Independent Pictures has hired producer Bruce Sutter to oversee a planned updated remake of Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon. Titled Awaken the Dragon, Sutter is wooing Korean martial arts star Rain to top-line the film. For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

We've studiously attempted to stay away from all Michael Jackson news for the last month, but every time we think we're out, the Jackson clans pulls us back in. The latest bizarre development even has a dotted line relationship to a classic movie. British former child actor Mark Lester, who played the title role in the Oscar-winning 1968 musical Oliver!, suspects he is the father of Michael Jackson's daughter Paris. According to Lester, " I gave Michael my sperm so that he could have kids — and I believe Paris is my daughter." He gave Michael his sperm??? No wonder they were close friends. However, Lester says the transfer of his bodily fluid was done in a more mundane manner than may have been the case with some of Jackson's visitors to Graceland. He donated to a sperm at a London clinic when Michael was married to Debbie Rowe, who he assumes had the sperm implanted. Lester says he sees a resemblance between Paris and his own 15 year-old daughter. For more click here

Thousands of Beatles fans descended on London's Abbey Road to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the iconic photograph that graced the cover of the last album the group recorded together. The photo, taken by Ian Macmillan, has become a revered symbol of an era. It depicted The Beatles simply walking across the road in single file. However, fans have long debated that there were aspects to the photo that implied that Paul McCartney was dead. It is still debated among fans whether The Beatles intentionally started the hoax by planting possible clues in songs and in photos. As for Abbey Road itself, the location has long been a magnet for pop culture fans who routinely photograph themselves crossing the road. Some local merchants are delighted, but London police consider a royal pain. For more click here

Asian film and pop music star Jay Chou has landed the role of Kato in the forthcoming version of The Green Hornet, which will star Seth Rogen in the title role. Chou got the part after actor Stephen Chow backed out of the role of the martial arts master and sidekick to the Hornet. The Hollywood Reporter quotes Chou as saying, "It's an overwhelming experience to take on a role made famous by Bruce Lee. I won't try to be Bruce Lee's Kato -- I will try to bring my own interpretation to the part". For more click here

Critic John Farr pays homage to a man who generally doesn't get his due when there are discussions of great American directors: John Huston. The larger-than-life, crusty tough guy had an amazing body of work. Consider just these gems: The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Key Largo, The African Queen, The Dead, The Man Who Would Be King, The Misfits, The Asphalt Jungle to name but a few. Even his failures were fascinating, as they included The Unforgiven and Reflections in a Golden Eye. Let's not overlook his second career as a superb character actor. His villainous turn in Chinatown is one of the best performances of 1970s cinema. To read more click here

"Inspired" by public paranoia over security threats, Hollywood is about to unleash a tidal wave of new films and TV series all centering on the end of the world as we know it. Disaster films have a long tradition in Hollywood, with the Clark Gable-Spencer Tracy starrer San Francisco detailing the city's disastrous earthquake, The High and the Mighty pitting Duke Wayne against a failing airliner engine and Airport elevating the "plane-in-jeopardy"  scenario to an all-star blockbuster. Unlike the disaster films of the 1970s, which dealt with every-day scenarios such as forces of nature, the new slate of movies dwell on the aftermath of man-made tragedies. Sounds like we'll be watching The Deer Hunter for its relative comedic content. For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

Since we're in the age of wacky conspiracy theories (i.e. the moon landing never took place, President Bush blew up the World Trade Center, President Obama isn't a citizen...), we're happy to contribute the latest food for thought: are George Clooney (seen here in Syriana mode) and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal one and the same? Ridiculous, you say? The devilish Hollywood liberal Clooney has appropriated Marlon Brando's makeup techniques from The Godfather by stuffing his jaw with cotton in order to distort his cheeks - but it doesn't fool us! Crazy, you say? Then explain why you never see Clooney and Meshaal at the same social event...

Stanley Kubrick made relatively few films over his long career, in part because of his well known penchant for taking years to decide on his next film project. The pace of his output was also slowed by the extensive effort he put into many movies that never saw the light of day, including a major biopic of Napoleon Bonaparte and a studio-funded hardcore porn movie with top production values. Empire On-Line examines these projects, including Kubrick's aborted collaboration with Marlon Brando on One-Eyed Jacks. Click here to view 

Andrew Lloyd Webber feels the time is right to have his early musical success Jesus Christ Superstar rise again - on theater screens. The stage production was a sensation in the late 1960s, dividing critics as to whether is was a reverent or tacky look at the last six days of Christ's life, as seen through the eyes of Judas. Norman Jewison directed the 1973 film version, but it was not a critical or commercial success. Universal will release the remake and are in discussions with Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) to direct. For more click here

Director Ridley Scott is confirmed to be returning to Fox's dormant Alien franchise for the first time since the original film was released in 1979. Three sequels had been released in the intervening years, but only James Cameron's Aliens was particularly well-received. Scott has been induced to return to the franchise on the basis of screenwriter Jon Spaihts' script which is a prequel to the original film. In Alien, the crew of a space towing vessel investigates a distress signal from a nearby planet. They find the remains of a being from another world who has obviously suffered a horrendous, but mysterious death. Upon re-entering orbit, the crew finds their craft has been infiltrated by an unseen menace that is killing them off one-by-one. The new film will explore how the events leading up to these developments originated. For more click here

The good news for Errol Flynn fans is that his 1935 swashbuckler classic Captain Blood will be remade by Warner Brothers. The bad news? It's going to be set in outer space. Yes, that outer space...as in Alien, 2001 and Lost in...well, you know where. Directors Michael and Peter Spierig admit the premise seems wacky, but they promise to keep the new version fairly close to the plot of the original which found Flynn as a wrongly convicted doctor who escapes authorities and becomes a feared pirate. We can't wait for Buck Rogers to be remade as musical. For more click here 

By Lee Pfeiffer

On the British web site Female First, there is an overview of the careers of each member of The Magnificent Seven. It's pretty thin gruel - the piece omits most of the notable career achievements of the actors (Charles Bronson's references end with The Dirty Dozen and don't even mention his emergence as a 70s superstar), James Coburn's career recap omits his star-making role as Our Man Flint, Brad Dexter is mentioned as a co-worker of Frank Sinatra without going into the fact that he was also a successful producer, and there is no mention of Robert Vaughn's current smash hit TV series Hustle, which is ironic because it is filmed and telecast in England. As the old joke goes, "Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?" - there are still some facts presented that the average reader might find interesting about the career trajectories of The Seven. Click here to read.