Latest news with #Gremlins
Euronews
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Indiana Jones whip once owned by Princess Diana sells at auction
The whip wielded by Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade that once belonged to Princess Diana has sold at auction for $525,000 (€452,000). Once filming was completed, Ford gave the whip to then-Prince Charles at the film's UK premiere in 1989. It was given as a gift to Princess Diana, who gave it to the current owner, who was not identified. 'The bullwhip is the iconic symbol of an iconic character of cinema history, Indiana Jones, and has been a highlight of this auction," said Joe Maddalena, Heritage's executive vice president. Thursday's sale came a day after the Rosebud sled from 1941's Citizen Kane went for an eye-watering $14.75 million (€12.7m), making it one of the priciest props in movie history - second only to the $32.5 million that Judy Garland's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz fetched in December. The sled was sold by longtime owner Gremlins director Joe Dante. 'Rosebud' is the last word spoken by the title character in director Orson Welles' 1941 film Citizen Kane, and the hunt for its meaning provides the film's plot. Many critics have regarded it as the best film ever made. Long thought lost, the sled is one of three of the prop known to have survived. Dante stumbled on it when he was filming on the former RKO Pictures lot in 1984. He wasn't a collector, but knew the value of the sled and quietly preserved it for decades, putting it as an Easter egg into four of his own films. Dante's friend and mentor Steven Spielberg paid $60,500 for another of the sleds in 1982, and an anonymous buyer paid $233,000 for the third in 1996. Both these items were part of the Summer Entertainment Auction being held all week by Heritage Auctions. Heritage says the overall take has made it the second-highest grossing entertainment auction of all time, and there's still a day to go. Yet to be up for bids are Macaulay Culkin's knit snow cap from Home Alone, a pair of 'Hattori Hanzo' prop swords from Kill Bill Vol. 1 and a first edition set of Harry Potter novels signed by J.K. Rowling.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Iconic 'Citizen Kane' Prop Sells For $14.75 million
Iconic 'Citizen Kane' Prop Sells For $14.75 million originally appeared on Parade. To this day, few lines remain as universally synonymous with cinematic history as Orson Welles' breathless "Rosebud" in Citizen Kane. The dying words of Welles' influential newspaper tycoon in the 1941 masterpiece, "Rosebud" kicks off the plot of Welles' magnum opus, leading an expansive newspaper investigation into what exactly the word means. After days of fruitlessly searching for answers, the closing moments of the film ultimately reveal that "Rosebud" is none other than Charles Foster Kane's childhood sled: a nostalgic callback to the days before wealth and power ultimately ruined the mogul's life. Though Kane's prized memento was ultimately cast into the flames of Xanadu within the film, the original prop used in Citizen Kane has just sold at auction -- ironically, for a vast fortune, no less. According to The Hollywood Reporter, one of the original sleds showcased in Citizen Kane was sold by Heritage Auctions earlier this week for a whopping $14.75 million. With its weighty price tag, the item has become the second most expensive Hollywood prop ever sold at auction, just behind Judy Garland's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, which sold for $32.5 million last December. Before making their way to the auction block, the sled was initially found by Gremlins director Joe Dante, who was gifted the prop after the portion of the Paramount lot that formally RKO Pictures' home was cleared away in 1984. 'One of the crew who knew I was a fan of vintage films came to me with a wood prop and said, 'They're throwing out all of this stuff. You might want this,'' Dante said. 'I'm not sure he knew what the sled was, but he must have had some inkling, or why else would he have asked me?" 'I've had the honor of protecting this piece of cinematic history for decades,' The 'Burbs director said in a statement from Heritage. 'To see Rosebud find a new home — and make history in the process — is both surreal and deeply gratifying. It's a testament to the enduring power of storytelling.' Iconic 'Citizen Kane' Prop Sells For $14.75 million first appeared on Parade on Jul 17, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Smurfs' is one of the worst movies of the year — I Smurf-ing hated it!
movie review SMURFS Zero Stars Zero stars. Running time: 92 minutes. Rated PG (action, language and some rude humor). In theaters. It's Hanna-Barbaric. I have just endured a film in which an army of little creatures cruelly tortures humans. No, not 'Gremlins.' That's a good movie. It was 'Smurfs.' And the punished human was me. I Smurf-ing loathed it. Remember those tiny blue Belgian gnomes that are best known in the US for their charming 1980s Hanna-Barbera cartoon show? Well, now they're being voiced by James Corden and Rihanna with all the energy of an automatic voicemail message. And, as 'Smurfs' is also a musical, they sing too. However, don't go looking for our pint-sized pals to 'La la la la la la! Sing a happy song!' 7 James Corden and Rihanna voice No Name and Smurfette in 'Smurfs.' AP Most of the numbers are uncomfortable club beats and ear-drum-busting downers. The lame and out-of-place tunes by Rihanna and others are totally unconcerned with the fact that they're coming out of the mouths of indigo leprechauns. Corden, as No Name Smurf, awkwardly pretends to be Sam Smith as he croons a sappy pop ballad called 'Always On The Outside' about his womp-womp search for purpose. The interminable dirge boasts such inspired lyrics as 'Does happy ever after really ever happen?' Answer: Not for anyone unlucky enough to have bought a ticket to 'Smurfs.' 7 Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is kidnapped by Razamel. AP No Name, you see, has no defined role in Smurf Village. Unlike Papa Smurf (John Goodman), Smurfette (Rihanna), Brainy Smurf (Xolo Maridueña) and the rest, he's pointless. 'Isn't it grand to live in a place where everybody has a thing?,' tauntingly asks Papa. No Name's quest for a raison d'être is supercharged when Papa is Smurfnapped by Razamel, the evil wizard Gargamel's evil-er brother. Raz needs Papa's magic book to rid the world of goodness. 'Smurfs' has got that covered, methinks. 7 Natasha Lyonne voices Mama Poot, the leader of the Snooterpoots. 7 Gargamel and Azrael in 'Smurfs.' So Corden, Rihanna and the rest gotta Carpool Karaoke their way around Paris, Munich and the desert to find him, being sure to do nothing clever or watchable along the way. JP Karliak's high-pitched vocal performance as both sinister 'amel siblings, like a sniveling leaf blower, is extremely irritating. That could be due to the witless, truly terrible script he's forced to read or that his fellow actors (Nick Offerman, Dan Levy, Natasha Lyonne) all talk as if they're ordering a Double Quarter Pounder with cheese. Rihanna is especially lifeless. The lines these cash-checking celebs utter are a garbage bag of modern jokes that are already beyond tired in 2025. 7 Rihanna attends the premiere of 'Smurfs' in LA on July 13, 2025. REUTERS 7 John Goodman attends the 'Smurfs' premiere in NYC on July 15, 2025. Getty Images Razamel, for example, has to do work video calls from his castle with the Alliance of Evil Wizards. He forgets to un-mute himself. 'Why wouldn't I use my podcast microphone for my Zooms?!,' he then yells at his stereotypical henchman Joel (Levy). And Lyonne voices Mama Poot, the leader of an annoying new species called the Snooterpoots. They're wigs with eyes, headed straight to the toy store. 7 James Corden poses for cameras at the 'Smurfs' world premiere in Brussels on June 28, 2025. AP 'Every yahoo thinks they can navigate the multiverse!,' she barks at No Name. Great. Just when every moviegoer has grown sick and tired of it, the multiverse has infiltrated the poor helpless Smurfs. You can guess how director Chris Miller's movie ends. Well, except the bonkers part when Kurt Russell barges in as a Richard the Lionheart-esque warrior. Ultimately, No Name finds his 'thing.' And his purpose is better and more extraordinary than any other smurf's. Good for him. Too bad his touchy-feely triumph ends one of the worst movies you'll see all year.
UPI
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Rosebud sled from 'Citizen Kane' auctioned for $14.75 million
The Rosebud sled from "Citizen Kane," one of only three such props known to still exist, was auctioned for $14.75 million. Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions July 17 (UPI) -- The iconic Rosebud sled from Orson Welles' 1941 film Citizen Kane was auctioned for $14.75 million, becoming the second-most expensive piece of movie memorabilia ever sold. The sled, one of only three known to still survive, has belonged to Gremlins director Joe Dante since he discovered the long-lost prop while working at the old RKO Pictures studio lot in 1984. Dante put the sled up for sale via Heritage Auctions, and it fetched a price of $14.75 million. The sum is the second-highest ever paid for a piece of movie memorabilia, after the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz were auctioned by Heritage in 2024 for $32.5 million. "I've had the honor of protecting this piece of cinematic history for decades," Dante said in a news release. "To see Rosebud find a new home -- and make history in the process -- is both surreal and deeply gratifying. It's a testament to the enduring power of storytelling."
Rhyl Journal
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Indiana Jones' whip, the Rosebud sled and Culkin's Home Alone cap up for auction
The Summer Entertainment Auction, being held July 15-19 by Heritage Auctions, also includes sci-fi gems from the Star Wars galaxy like a filming miniature of Luke Skywalker's X-wing starfighter used in The Empire Strikes Back, and the lightsabers brandished by Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker in Revenge Of The Sith. The Rosebud sled from the title character's childhood sits at the centre of Orson Welles' 1941 Citizen Kane. It is the last word tycoon Charles Foster Kane speaks before his death at the opening of the film that is regarded by many critics groups as the greatest ever made. Long thought lost, the sled is one of three of the prop known to have survived. It is owned by Gremlins director Joe Dante, who stumbled on it when he was filming on the former RKO Pictures lot in 1984. Dante was not a collector, but knew the value of the sled and quietly preserved it for decades, putting it as an Easter egg into four of his own films. Ford gave the Indiana Jones whip going up for auction to then-Prince Charles at the 1989 UK premiere of The Last Crusade. It was given as a gift to Diana, Princess of Wales – who gave it to the current owner. 'These aren't just props. They're mythic objects,' Joe Maddalena, Heritage's executive vice president, said in a statement. 'They tell the story of Hollywood's greatest moments, one piece at a time.' Also going up for sale are a blue velvet suit that Mike Myers wore as Austin Powers in Goldmember, and a Citroen 2CV driven by Roger Moore as James Bond in For Your Eyes Only, one of the films Myers was parodying. The auction also includes essential artefacts from the collection of director Cecil B DeMille, including a promotional pair of the titular tablets from DeMille's The Ten Commandments, which the director had cut from stone from Mount Sinai.
