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Oliver Kalkofe und Peter Rütten haben mit ihrer SchleFaZ-Reihe ein neues Zuhause bei Nitro und Rtl+ gefunden. Jetzt stehen der Start und die ersten fünf Filme fest, wobei die beiden auch vor Rtl-Trashperlen nicht Halt machen.

Peter Rütten (l.) und Oliver Kalkofe (Credit: Rtl / Philipp Rathmer)

Nachdem es für die Trash-Filmreihe „ScheFaZ – Die schlechtesten Filme aller Zeiten“ nicht mehr auf Tele 5 weiterging, haben Oliver Kalkofe und Peter Rütten bekanntlich ein neues Zuhause bei Rtl Deutschland gefunden. Mit dem 30. August immer freitags gegen 22 Uhr auf dem Spartensender Nitro ist jetzt der Startpunkt gefunden. Auch stehen bereits die ersten fünf Highlights der Reihe für die scharfzüngigen Kommentare der beiden Filmexperten fest.

Bei Rtl+ können die Folgen, die von Kalk TV unter der Regie von Jana König produziert werden, bereits eine Woche im Voraus gestreamt werden. Um den Einstand des schlechten Geschmacks im neuen Umfeld gebührend zu feiern, veranstalten Nitro und Rtl...

When Bruce Lee died under mysterious circumstances in 1973 at age 32, the actor and martial artist left a hole in the action star firmament that seemed irreplaceable. That did not stop the Hong Kong film industry — and the rest of the world, for that matter — from trying anyway.

As Lee’s final (complete) film “Enter the Dragon,” released just six days after his death, became a worldwide box office phenomenon, “Bruceploitation” was born, enlisting look-alike performers to replace and imitate the trailblazing martial artist on screen. Decades after these copycat films deceived viewers — while still delivering some genuinely thrilling fight sequences — Severin Films is releasing “The Game of Clones: Bruceploitation Collection Vol. 1,” a compilation of 14 titles starring Bruce “impostors” like Ho Chung Tao, who went by the name Bruce Li, Ryong Keo (Dragon Lee), Chang Yi-tao (Bruce Lai) and Wong Kin-lung, who to this day goes by the name Bruce Le.

Only three years before he was trapped in Arizona by a kingdom of tarantulas and a mere five years before he played James T. Kirk in Star Trek‘s first motion picture, William Shatner starred in the low budget thriller Impulse. And thanks to the team at Grindhouse Releasing, the world can finally witness another Shatner joint in all its restored 4k glory.

So does good ole’ Bill play the hero in this one? Uh no, not in the least. We get full on evil demented Shatner in the flesh. He portrays Matt Stone (not to be confused with the talented South Park creator), who is just your typical thumb-sucking, mini cigar chain-smoking, conniving, scheming faux financial investor. His prey are vulnerable and lonely women, who he exploits for their money with delusional promises of fortune, love and monogamous commitment. He’s a sociopath, a psychopath…all kinds of ‘paths.

A season dedicated to composer John Barry, including two James Bond films, has received trigger warnings from the BFI. More here.

The BFI has unveiled a new season celebrating the work of composer John Barry. Titled John Barry: Soundtracking Bond and Beyond, the season includes two Bond films, Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice as well as films such as Midnight Cowboy and The Ipcress File.

The season has earned itself a trigger warning from the BFI, as reported by The Guardian. The blanket warning for all films reads: “Please note that many of these films contain language, images or other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then). The titles are included here for historical, cultural or aesthetic reasons and these views are in no way endorsed by the BFI or its partners.”

Programme notes for 1967’s You Only Live Twice...

In the modern movie world of “franchise” cinema, there’s one thing more difficult than making a sequel: making a sequel to a sequel. Most sequels tend to either try to double down on what made the original so great or, alternatively, attempt to take things in a more expansive new direction. The third film or “threequel” poses something of a unique quandary though. The concept of the “threequel” isn’t a new one, in fact it is almost as old as cinema itself. The very first “threequel” arguably arrived all the way back in 1907 with George Méliès‘ The Haunted Castle, the third in a trilogy of silent films that began with The Kingdom of the Fairies (1903).

However, modern filmmakers face an increasingly tricky task with threequels. Essentially, they either need to find a satisfactory way to wrap up the story or alternatively inject fresh blood into proceedings with a...

To clarify right away, James Bond, Jr. (Corey Burton), the title character from a barely-remembered 007-adjacent 1991 animated series, is not the son of James Bond. More confusingly, James Bond, Jr. is actually the nephew of James Bond. "He learned the game from his uncle James," the theme song makes very clear. This means that James Bond did indeed have a brother, but also that his brother was named James as well ...?

As of this writing, "James Bond Jr." is the only TV adaptation to date of Ian Fleming's ultra-popular James Bond book series. It came at a fascinating time in the history of the James Bond franchise, as Timothy Dalton's two-film run had come to an end, and a messy rights dispute behind the scenes kept Bond off the big screen for years. It also likely didn't help that the Berlin Wall fell in November of 1989, calling...

There must be few things more daunting to a filmmaker than taking on the mantle of directing a new James Bond movie. Bond movies are cinema’s equivalent of a Philippe Petit-level highwire balancing act. Over 25 films, fans have carved out an understanding of what they expect from 007. There must be action, adventure, romance, and a dash of comedy. Yet for all the expectations surrounding the world’s most famous secret agent, the recipe isn’t set in stone; in fact, it’s forever evolving.

Where once Bond might have been defined by the wry humor and slapstick gags of Roger Moore, the more modern 007 of Daniel Craig played it straight. Bond has been known to take forays into the world of science fiction, either in an attempt to match box office rivals like Star Wars or in an attempt to address the concerns of an ever evolving technological world.

British actress and model Tania Mallet, who played Tilly Masterson in the 1964 James Bond classic “Goldfinger,” has died. She was 77.

The official James Bond Twitter account announced her death on Sunday. “We are very sorry to hear that Tania Mallet who played Tilly Masterson in ‘Goldfinger’ has passed away,” the tweet reads. “Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time.”

We are very sorry to hear that Tania Mallet who played Tilly Masterson in Goldfinger has passed away. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time. pic.twitter.com/gMkqqheGJ7

— James Bond (@007) March 31, 2019

Mallet was a first cousin to actress Helen Mirren. She was born in Blackpool, England, to British father Henry Mallet and Russian mother Olga Mironoff, a sibling of Mirren’s father.

Mallet was working as a model when she was cast as Masterson by producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. She...

Tania Mallet, the actress who played Tilly Masterson in the 1964 James Bond movie “Goldfinger,” has died. She was 77.

“We are very sorry to hear that Tania Mallet who played Tilly Masterson in Goldfinger has passed away,” the official James Bond Twitter account posted late Sunday night. “Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time.”

Mallet was first cousin to Oscar winner Helen Mirren, as her mother and “The Queen” actress’ father were siblings.

Also Read: Shane Rimmer, James Bond and 'Thunderbirds' Actor, Dies at 89

Born in Blackpool, England, Mallet was working as a model when she was cast as Masterson by producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli in “Goldfinger.” She had previously auditioned for the part of Tatiana Romanova in 1963’s “From Russia With Love” but was unsuccessful.

Playing the ill-fated love interest to Sean Connery in “Goldfinger” would be Mallet’s only major film role.

By Hank Reineke

As one might expect from any 1960’s James Bond pastiche, an assortment of cool spy gadgetry is on display in Franklin Adreon’s Dimension 5 (1966): microchips secreted in the rear compartment of a Bulova wristwatch, a poison dart firing pen, an exploding briefcase, and a cool bullet-firing point-and-shoot 35mm camera. If that’s not enough – and with possible exception of the invisible car from Die Another Day (2002) - Dimension 5 offers us one of the more ridiculous and dubious items found in any secret agent arsenal… a “time-convertor” belt.

We’re first introduced to this device during the film’s mildly exciting pre-credits sequence. In the first few minutes we’re treated to what one expects from a nifty ‘60s spy thriller: a bit of a car chase, a surprising punch-to-the mouth of a double-crossing Asian villainess and a swooping helicopter rescue. What we do not...

Movie sequels are big business for Hollywood. Many fans are getting burnt-out on sequels, especially since so many of them are unnecessary. Still, let’s not forget that when they’re done right, sequels can be great. Here are a dozen of the greatest sequels ever made.

12. Star Trek 2: The Wrath Of Khan (1982): Still the best of all the Star Trek films, this excellent sequel corrected everything that went wrong with its disappointing predecessor, Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The action, the humor and the character interactions were all excellent. The comparisons to Moby Dick gave it a literary flavor, and Ricardo Montalban was fantastic as the villain, Khan Noonien Singh. The death of Spock was a surprise to long-time fans, even if it didn’t last. This film made the Trek film franchise fun and set the standard for the future films.

11. The Color Of Money...

Goldfinger

Directed by Guy Hamilton

Screenplay by Richard Maibaum and Paul Dehn

Starred: Sean Connery, Honor Blackman

Released September 1964 by United Artists

Even if you had never seen this film, just as with Ursula Andress rising from the waves like a bikini-clad version of Botticelli’s Venus in Dr. No, you’d recognize the iconic image. The girl, the bed, the gold paint. The sight of gilded Shirley Eaton spread out on the sheets is so evocative that – like Ursula – it was subjected to an ironic nod in a later Bond film. If Halle Berry wore the updated bikini in Die Another Day, instead of gold Gemma Arterton did sheet-duty wearing nothing but a coat of oil for Quantum of Solace.

Gold was the symbol of wealth in 1964, but in today’s world of global warming and fuel station queues, hydrocarbons have taken its place in the cultural lexicon. And...

New images from the set of “Spectre,” the next James Bond film, show Dave Bautista in character as henchman Mr. Hinx. Bautista, one of the breakout stars of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” joins the ranks of notorious Bond villains like Jaws (Richard Kiel), Oddjob (Harold Sakata), and Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen). Also Read: 25 Sizzling Bond Girls: From Ursula Andress to Monica Belluci and Lea Seydoux (Photos) Sam Mendes is returning to direct “Spectre” after his success with “Skyfall” in 2012. Daniel Craig is reprising his role as the British super spy, along with a supporting cast that includes Bautista, Christoph Waltz,...

From early Bond to 21st century sci-fi, here's Ryan's pick of 11 unforgettable villain pairings from action cinema history...

You're generally lucky if a movie has one genuinely great villain in it, let alone two. This is probably because creating a villain takes great acting and writing - it's one thing to create a preening character who stomps around a story doing unpleasant things, but creating a villain who's three-dimensional, witty, scary and above all memorable requires considerable skill.

Every so often, a movie comes along which gives us not one, but two classic villains, with the personality of one complementing the other. A familiar dynamic was once laid out by Steven Spielberg: one is smart and eloquent , while the other is the tougher, more violent of the pair. It's a template that we've seen time and again in cinema, but it's only occasionally that both characters leap from the screen.

"Nothing goes over my head! My reflexes are too fast. I would catch it." Over the decades, James Bond films have produced some iconic henchmen: 'Nick Nack' (Hervé Villechaize) from The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), 'Jaws' (Richard Kiel) from The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker, as well as 'Oddjob' (Harold Sakata) from Goldfinger. Director Sam Mendes ("Skyfall") is looking to create his own iconic henchman for Bond 24. According to Latino-Review's El Mayimbe, that henchman will be played by former WWE wrestler Dave Bautista. You know him as 'Drax' from Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. This will be the same role that were learned about in August when a casting call leaked for a character named, 'Hinx.' Hinx (Male, 30 – 45) - Ideally over 6′ 2″. Hinx is the main henchman/assassin. We are looking for an imposing extremely physically fit actor. He has several fights with Bond and...

The James Bond series - based on Ian Fleming's spy novels - is one of cinema's biggest ever film franchises, thrilling fans now for over half a century.

1962's Dr No and the following year's From Russia with Love lay the groundwork, but it was with 1964's Goldfinger that the 007 movies became a true global phenomenon.

A 50th anniversary Blu-ray re-issue of the Sean Connery classic is available to buy from today (Monday, September 22). To mark the occasion, Digital Spy explores how Goldfinger shaped Bond as we know and love him.

1. The Extravagant Pre-Titles Sequence

The previous film, From Russia with Love, was in fact the first Bond to feature a pre-titles sequence. But that scene, which saw Robert Shaw's Red Grant stalk and kill a 007 impersonator, was short and simple - and didn't even feature the real Bond.

Goldfinger was the first film to take full advantage...

Who was the last memorable henchman in a James Bond filmc I have to say it was probably Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp in Goldeneye... rightc Before her I would say Jaws (Richart Kiel) and Oddjob (Harold Sakata) are most memorable to me, but it most certainly has been a while since a Bond villain had a satisfying henchman to do his/her dirty work, but a new report from James Bond Radio suggest that may be changing with Bond 24. The report says director Sam Mendes is looking to bring back the henchman with a character named Hinx, with the following character description, reportedly directly from the casting agency: Hinx (Male, 30 - 45) Ideally over 6c 2c. Hinx is the main henchman/assassin. We are looking for an imposing extremely physically fit actor. He has several fights with Bond and will have to have stunt training. He has to drive.

In the past, James Bond films have featured iconic henchmen like 'Jaws' (Richard Kiel) from The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker, and 'Oddjob' (Harold Sakata) from Goldfinger. According to two sites, mi6-hq.com and jamesbondradio.com, the twenty-fourth Bond film wants to bring back that element to the long-running franchise. Below, is the character's name and a description of what type of actor Sam Mendes would like for the role. Hinx (Male, 30 – 45) - Ideally over 6′ 2″. Hinx is the main henchman/assassin. We are looking for an imposing extremely physically fit actor. He has several fights with Bond and will have to have stunt training. He has to drive. We are looking for someone very unusual, possibly from a sports background. Bond 24 will be directed by Sam Mendes ("Skyfall"), from a screenplay written by John Logan. The cast will include: Daniel Craig as James Bond (007), Ralph Fiennes as M,...

Try to keep a straight face as we assemble cinema's best scenes involving corpsing

Get your laughing gear around these five examples of characters creasing up at inopportune moments. Which scenes of helpless hilarity would you add to the list?

The Candidate

Robert Redford's presidential hopeful can't help but show his human side. But politics is a serious business, so "grim up" is the advice of spin-meister Peter Boyle. Easier said than done when you've just been tea-bagged by a microphone.

Reading on mobile? Watch the clip on YouTube

The Departed

"Don't laugh!" is also very good advice, especially when delivered by Jack Nicholson's fearsome gangster after you've just scuppered his plans. The term "corpsing" could prove all too apt here.

Reading on mobile? Watch the clip on YouTube

Kes

State-sanctioned assaults on kids are, of course, no laughing matter, and neither is Bob Bowes' horribly convincing pitbull of a headmaster,...

 

Spy movie fan Luca Pietramala posted this on his Facebook page recently. It's a toy industry trade magazine advertisement for a 1966 line of spy-related rubber hand puppets. The David McCallum/Illya puppet was produced along with the Sean Connery figure in a suit and the Harold Sakata/Oddjob figure. However, the Adolfo Celi as Largo and Connery scuba puppets never got beyond the prototype stage. The nagging question for the last half-century has been: when are they going to release a Robert Vaughn/Napoleon Solo puppet? We're starting to lose hope!  ...

The new horror anthology "The ABCs of Death" wants to give gorehounds what they want in alphabetical order by representing each of their 26 segments with a letter. That's fine with us, since we always have plenty of death scenes organized with the Dewey Decimal System, and here are 15 of the most memorable, bloody, and enjoyable ones in the bunch.

Oh yeah, um, spoilers.

Taketoki Washizu in 'Throne of Blood' (1957)

'A' is for 'Arrows'

In one of Akira Kurosawa's many samurai epics with star/badass supreme Toshiro Mifune, the two of them created the kind of arrow-related death that "Lord of the Rings" elf Legolas must dream about at night. By the time this Macbeth stand-in is done for he's got more wood in him than Jenna Jameson and resembles a stoned porcupine. Sayonara, sucker!

High Treason

Throne of Blood at Movieclips.com Jaws in 'Jaws'...

With James Bond’s latest outing ‘Skyfall’ available on DVD and Blu-Ray now, and the British spy celebrating over fifty years as a cinematic icon, what better time to look back over the previous films and recount some of 007’s greatest outings?

As a character which has represented the epitome of sophistication, violence and humour (occasionally all at once) Bond has been portrayed by six actors across twenty three films and has firmly stood the test of time, despite the emergence of the contenders like who have sought to take his mantle. But how has he retained his appeal? And which films have contributed the most to his success?

Over the course of this article I’ve outlined my own thoughts on the answers, but I’m sure many of you will have differing opinions. If you do, don’t forget to leave a comment and let us know!

Goldfinger...

Henchmen are one of the unsung heroes of cinema. They do the dirty jobs that no one else wants to do, and they keep the good guy from resting on his laurels by challenging him to some sort of entertaining action sequence. Sure, they may not be the smartest or the best-looking, but they serve a purpose and make movies more entertaining. Here is our list that honors the best henchmen of all time.

If there’s a big-time baddie in a movie, you can almost be certain that he didn’t rise up to prominence by himself. He had to have help, and that help usually came from henchmen. Not only do they make the bad guy better, they also make the good guy look good by getting beaten up and/or dying easily. Therefore, although it is a job with unique perks, it’s still a tough job.

Goldfinger

Directed by: Guy Hamilton

Screenplay by: Richard Maibaum and Paul Dehn

Starred: Sean Connery, Honor Blackman

Released September 1964 by United Artists

Even if you had never seen this film, just as with Ursula Andress rising from the waves like a bikini-clad version of Botticelli’s Venus in Dr No, you’d recognize the iconic image. The girl, the bed, the gold paint. The sight of gilded Shirley Eaton spread out on the sheets is so evocative that – like Ursula – it was subjected to an ironic nod in a later Bond film. If Halle Berry wore the updated bikini in Die Another Day, instead of gold Gemma Arterton did sheet-duty wearing nothing but a coat of oil for Quantum of Solace.

Gold was the symbol of wealth in 1964, but in today’s world of global warming and fuel station queues, hydrocarbons have taken its place in the cultural lexicon. And...

Goldfinger has the most sinister villain and best soundtrack but it's the inept fumbling of 007 that truly sets this Bond film apart

The first time I laid eyes on James Bond, he had just emerged from the ocean with a fake seagull on his head. He then blew up a drug lord's laboratory, peeled off his wetsuit to reveal an immaculate white DJ, snogged an exotic dancer, clocked in her eyeballs the reflection of a bad guy sneaking up behind them, tipped said bad guy into the bathtub, threw an electric heater in after him, and quipped: "Shocking, positively shocking!" All this, and the credits hadn't even started. My 12-year-old self thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

Many years later, Goldfinger (1964) remains not just my favourite Bond movie, but the standard by which all other Bond movies must be judged. It has Sean Connery, of course, and the best theme song,...

The 1964 film completes the lineup of storylines coming to Eon Productions/Activision's Fps tied to this winter's Skyfall. In this one, Daniel Craig will stand in for Sean Connery whose Bond was tasked in Goldfinger with stopping gold magnate Auric Goldfinger from irradiating the fold supply at Fort Knox.

Oh, and it's the one with Pussy Galore.

You can find more screens and details after the jump.

According to the press release, Bond will have to defuse a nuclear bomb guarded by Goldfinger's henchman, Oddjob (played by Harold Sakata in the film). Newer Bond franchise fans might recognize the image below getting referenced in 2008's Quantum of Solace, with oil replacing gold as the method of murdering the woman unfortunate enough to get close to the British secret agent.

The Goldfinger mission joins four other films from the Bond series--Die Another Day, Moonraker, Licence to Kill and On Her Majesty's Secret Service...

Say you’re putting together a syndicate. One of the first things that you are going to need is somebody to take care of your light work for you when words have run out. As a means of determining the appropriate skill set for this oh-so-important addition to your workforce, the Complex has assembled a ranking of some of the more legendary henchman ever to grace the screen. You know, as a way to gauge some of the qualities you might be looking for.

In ranking these heavies, extra points were earned for singularity of purpose, imperviousness to pain, and skill within the realm of hand-to-hand combat. Points were taken away for any actions tantamount to a betrayal of the henchman’s employer, or conspicuous behavior likely to cause more trouble than harm.

Here’s how they shook out.

10. Clarence Boddicker (Robocop, 1987)

Strengths: Professional henching is a tough, competitive business.

James Bond 007 Declassified File #3: "Goldfinger" This series will trace the cinema history of James Bond, while also examining Ian Fleming's original novels as source material and examining how faithful (or not) the films have been to his work. Directed by Guy Hamilton Screenplay by Richard Maibaum & Paul Dehn Produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman Characters / Cast James Bond / Sean Connery Pussy Galore / Honor Blackman Auric Goldfinger / Gert Frobe Jill Masterson / Shirley Eaton Tilly Masterson / Tania Mallet Oddjob / Harold Sakata M / Bernard Lee Solo / Martin Benson Felix Leiter...

As James Bond prepares for his 23rd official outing in Skyfall and to mark next year’s 50th Anniversary of one of the most successful movie franchises of all time I have been tasked to take a retrospective look at the films that turned author Ian Fleming’s creation into one of the most recognised and iconic characters in film history.

When the second James Bond film From Russia With Love managed to top the box-office receipts of Dr. No, producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman knew they had struck gold with the character. Looking to expand the appeal of the next film to a more worldwide audience, in particular the American market, they chose Fleming’s seventh Bond novel Goldfinger as the third film in their series. With much of the story taking place in the American states of Kentucky and Florida as well as Switzerland and the...

Let's show some Christmas spirit towards these much maligned minions with their emotional baggage and superior masters

A "henchman" was originally nothing more sinister than a loyal servant who held your horse – or "hengst", from the German. In cinematic terms, of course, the word has since become synonymous with strongarmed subordinates responsible for ruthlessly executing the wishes of deranged masterminds, and it's these villanous vassals I'd like to put on display this week.

Rather than highlighting evil deeds only, I'd like to throw a slightly kinder light on these much maligned minions – after all, they're generally loyal to a fault, often have a nice line in witticisms, while even if they do tend to be murderous scum, they seldom come without damaging psychological baggage.

In going about their business they often display a thoroughness alien to their over-elaborate masters and their charisma often outshines the good guys and gals they're set up against,...

Death Dimension is a rare classic in the world of b-movie blaxploitation and old-skool kung-fu. Directed by exploitation legend Al Adamson, the film feature a superb cast, including Jim Kelly (Enter The Dragon), Harold Sakata (James Bond’s Odd Job) and George Lazenby.

The film is trash of the best kind and very funny. Expect a terrible plot, awful acting, hilarious fights and an insane script. Here’s the all-too-brief-but-weird-sounding synopsis from the IMDb:

The Pig (Sakata) has a plan to eradicate some people with a freeze bomb that instantly freezes people to death. It is up to Detective Ash (Kelly) to stop him and protect the woman with the secret to the ice bomb embedded in a microdot under the skin of her forehead.

A remastered version of Death Dimension is coming soon on DVD from MT6 Films, and to celebrate this, The Alibi will be hosting a special...

Why is it the evil mastermind always gets all the glory? It’s the little bad guys of evil that do all the work, getting their hands dirty but never get any respect. Well, the movie geeks decided to change that. With the ongoing box office success of Despicable Me, and considering the little yellow Minions had a lot to do with the fun encountered on screen in that film, we’ve pooled our collective diabolical Movie Geek minds and have come up with a master plan of list making domination… the top ten best evil henchmen.

Honorable Mention: Nick Nack – The Man With The Golden Gun

He may be small, but don’t underestimate Nick Nack in his ability to get his evil duties done. As the quiet and subtle sidekick to Fransisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) he serves his boss on many levels. Herve Villechaize portrays this character, who...

The Alamo Guide

for March 18th, 2010 While SXSW is slowly filtering out of our theaters and instead, flooding the music venues and rent-a-bars that pop up around town, we are beginning to resume a state of normality. We have a few new releases this weekend (The Runaways – with the director live in person – and The Bounty Hunter) and we’re also back with our special programming!Master Pancake is doing One Final Weekend of Goldfinger before they turn their attention to Mr. Gibson in Braveheart. We were all very saddened to hear we lost a Corey, so we decided to put up a couple Lost Boys Tribute Shows this week (my vote was for Prayer Of The Rollerboys, but I’ll just watch that at home!). Also, if you got shut out of SXSW this year by lack of money or other reasons, we’ve chosen a few of our...

The Alamo Guide

for March 11th, 2010

Oh, SXSW… it’s a rocky relationship, you and I. We have a lot of fun together, you give me free booze and barbeque, keep me out way past my bedtime, get me home safely (most of the time), and then you take me out the next day. Then, near the end of the week, we start fighting. “I’m tired!” I say. “I don’t want your free tacos!” I say (and then eat three anyway). “My stomach has been f-ed up for Days, I don’t want your Southern Comfort!” and then two days later you’re gone. SXSW does this to all of us. It keeps the Alamo Ritz so busy that we have to nix all specialty programming for a week so we can show new movies, so keep that in mind this week.

S. Lamar (a few screens anyway...

The Alamo Guide

for March 4th, 2010

Ah March… the sun is shining, the trees are greening and people from all over the world are about to invade our fair city for SXSW and give us their money. You gotta love the few weeks of spring we get in Texas. Pretty soon it’s going to be hot as balls. Sure, it’ll drop down to 35 probably at some point, but worry not, it’ll be 80 the next day.If you haven’t been into the theater since last week, we put our new Spring Menu Specials up! They are crazy tasty, and come highly recommended from everyone at Alamo HQ. Some of those specials are for the big opener this weekend, Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland In 3D! I’ve loved Tim Burton for years, and I love Alamo feasts, so you can find me at the Alice Five-course Feast next Wednesday.

The Alamo Guide

for February 26th, 2010

I’ve got to stop bitching about the weather. Last week I praised February, and then yesterday it snowed. Snowed. Whatevs. I’m over it.We were surprised earlier this week when we found out we’d be getting Roman Polanski’s newest thriller early than expected! The Ghost Writer opens Friday at S. Lamar and has Ewan McGregor’s dreamy face all over it, with Pierce Brosnan trying to kill that dreamy face. I think. I haven’t seen it yet! Cop Out also opens this weekend, and if you love 30 Rock as much as I do, you’ll probably go see it just for Tracy Morgan! Also, the red band trailer makes me giggle A Lot. Speaking of giggling inappropriately, it’s time for the return of Spike And Mike’S Sick And Twisted Festival Of Animation! Longest title ever! Grossest cartoons ever!

He’s certainly the most metallic of all past Bond characters and according to a new survey he’s also the most popular. Stand up and take a bow Jaws, as played by Richard Kiel. The hulking henchman (Kiel stands a whopping 7-foot, 6-inches tall!) stars in both The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker and earned such a loyal fan following in these two outings that he scored 30 per cent of votes in the poll conducted by HMV.com and social networking site GetCloser.com to celebrate the DVD release of 007’s 22nd film, Quantum of Solace. Naturally the poll omitted the big guy himself, but it’s interesting to see which characters left a mark on the long-running film franchise. Click over to see who Jaws beat…

Coming in second place with 16 per cent of the 4,900 votes cast is Q, the head of the Armourer division of Her Majesty’s Secret Service,...

Gordon Liu gives good glower. In the same way that Clint Eastwood's growl communicates volumes in Gran Torino, Liu, who became a star in 70s Shaw Brothers martial arts classics like The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Executioners From Shaolin long before being cast by Quentin Tarantino in Kill Bill, commands the screen in Chandni Chowk to China as an evil, evil villain. As Hojo, a criminal kingpin whose greatest pleasure lies in decapitating rebellious villagers, Liu fixes a determined, menacing look on his face, matched by a steely glint in his eyes and precise, deadly body language. He wields the deadliest head covering since Harold Sakata's Oddjob flung his chapeau at James Bond in Goldfinger.

Liu is the best thing about Chandni Chowk to China, which opens this weekend at more than 125 screens in 50 markets in the Us and Canada and has been billed as the first ever Bollywood kung fu comedy.

The most terrifying hat in movie history went under the hammer for $33,600 in Los Angeles on Saturday when James Bond villain Oddjob's derby was sold at auction. The steel-rimmed hat, worn by actor Harold Sakata, who played henchman Oddjob in 1964 film Goldfinger, was bought by 007 memorabilia hunter Anthony Pugliese III. He plans to display the famous derby at a new pop culture museum in Florida. Other highlights of the Julien's Auction sale included a belt Elvis Presley wore during his 1972 concert in Honolulu, which sold for a staggering $66,000 - over six times its expected price, and the red gown Dustin Hoffman wore as a cross-dressing soap star in Tootsie, which fetched $26,400.