Latest news with #SaturdayNightFever
Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Who plays Noah in Coronation Street and what else has he been in?
This article contains spoilers for tonight's Coronation Street, which has not yet aired on TV but is available to watch now on ITVX. Tonight's episode of Coronation Street saw the introduction of new character Noah – a colleague of Billy Mayhew's (Daniel Brocklebank) from the church. However, Billy wasn't the only person who knew Noah, and his appearance at Julie Carp's wake sent Theo Silverton (James Cartwright) into a panic attack. Theo explained to boyfriend Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) that Noah had been involved in the conversion therapy he had been subjected to in his church, and seeing him brought back those painful memories. Theo previously opened up about the experience to Todd and Billy, revealing why he found it so difficult to live as his true self. Despite Theo asking him to drop it, Todd later confronted Noah about his actions, and was horrified to realise that he still believed that same-sex attraction was a sin. Noah is played by actor Richard Winsor, who previously starred in Casualty. He played the role of A&E doctor Caleb Knight from 2014 until 2017. Richard left the show when his character was stabbed to death by Scott Ellisson. More Trending As well as Casualty, he also starred in Hollyoaks as the seductive Father Francis, best remembered for having an affair with Carmel McQueen (Gemma Merna). Alongside acting, Richard is a trained dancer, and performed in several Matthew Bourne productions. View More » He also had a role in the movie Street Dance 3D and played Tony Manero in the stage musical Saturday Night Fever. MORE: Unexpected new romance for Jason in Coronation Street – and it will devastate Todd MORE: Full list of Coronation Street cast returns and exits coming in 2025 MORE: Coronation Street confirms return story for show legend – and it spells the end for another
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Robin Williams' ‘Popeye' Had the ‘Most Coked-Up Film Set' and ‘Everyone Was Stoned,' Says Former Studio Boss: ‘They Were Shipping' Cocaine in Film Canisters
Barry Diller's book tour for his recently published memoir 'Who Knew' hit New York City's 92Y, where moderator Anderson Cooper asked Diller during a Q&A to reveal 'the most coked-up film set' he ever visited during his tenure as the CEO of Paramount Pictures. The former studio executive had the answer almost immediately: Robert Altman's 'Popeye' (1980). 'Coked-up film set? Oh, 'Popeye,'' Diller answered (via Entertainment Weekly). 'By the way, you can watch it. If you watch 'Popeye,' you're watching a movie that — you think of it in the thing that they used to do about record speeds, 33 [RPM], whatever. This is a movie that runs at 78 RPM and 33 speed.' More from Variety Making the Public Domain Even More Horrifying: Modest Proposals for Turning 1920s Classics Into Slasher Fare, From Mickey to Hemingway (Column) Robin Williams Called Conan O'Brien After 'Tonight Show' Firing and Sent Him Out on a Bike Ride: 'You're Gonna Be Fine. Ride Around, You'll Feel Better' Robin Williams Was the First Person to Visit Christopher Reeve in the Hospital and Made Him Laugh by Pretending to Be a Russian Colon Doctor Diller served as the head of Paramount Pictures from 1974 until 1984. His illustrious tenure at the studio included the releases of hit movies such as 'Saturday Night Fever,' 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' 'Grease' and 'Beverly Hills Cop,' among other classics. But it's Altman's 'Popeye' that earns the distinction of having the most 'coked-up film set.' 'You couldn't escape it,' Diller said about the drug use on the movie's set. 'They were actually shipping in film cans at the time. Film cans would be sent back to L.A. for daily processing film. This was shot in Malta. And we found out that the film cans were actually being used to ship cocaine back and forth to this set. Everyone was stoned.' Robin Williams starred as the title character in 'Popeye,' which marked the comedian's first big-screen acting role after making a name for himself on hit television series 'Happy Days' and its spinoff 'Mork & Mindy.' The film co-starred Altman regular Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl. The movie was a box office success with $60 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation), nearly double its production budget. Reviews, however, were mixed. Variety wrote in its original 'Popeye' review: 'It is more than faint praise to say that 'Popeye' is far, far better than it might have been, considering the treacherous challenge it presented. But avoiding disaster is not necessarily the same as success. To the eye, Robin Williams is terrifically transposed into the squinting sailor with the bulging arms. But to the ear, his mutterings are not always comprehensible.' Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
New York Post
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
How Hollywood almost screwed up ‘Die Hard,' ‘Grease' and ‘Saturday Night Fever'
It was 1977, and Barry Diller — just a few years into his tenure as CEO of Paramount Studios ‚ was sitting down for a preview of 'Saturday Night Fever' at the Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles when a publicist leaned in to give him a piece of advice. '[John] Travolta's the problem,' the publicist hissed at him, according to Diller's new memoir, 'Who Knew,' out Tuesday. 'He's a television person. You don't put a television person in a movie. The kid just doesn't put asses in seats.' Diller, who was just 35 at the time and still trying to prove himself in the industry, recalls thinking, 'Well, not old Hollywood asses.' 12 In his new book, 'Who Knew,' Barry Diller shares stories from his decades working in Hollywood. 12 Diller writes of how people told him that John Travolta was wrong for 'Saturday Night Fever.' When the movie was a massive hit, Diller was vindicated. Courtesy Everett Collection The movie opened nationwide just two weeks later, becoming an overnight blockbuster. 'There were vast lines around the block at every theater across America,' Diller writes. Paramount, which had dropped to a distant fifth place among the major studios after Diller took over, jumped to No. 1 again. For Diller, it was sweet vindication, especially given how many former executives from Paramount were 'actively mocking' him 'as a parvenu who was destroying their institution,' Diller writes. But during his 10 years with the studio — from 1974 to 1984 — he championed some of the most beloved films of the last century, like 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' 'Terms of Endearment' and 'Beverly Hills Cop.' He also, he writes, oversaw his fair share of bombs, including William Friedkin's 'The Sorcerer' — a bloated, over-budget 'nightmare' from 'The French Connection' director that demonstrated 'the sheer perversity of some Hollywood luminaries.' And then there was 'The Last Tycoon,' starring Robert De Niro, Tony Curtis, Jack Nicholson and Robert Mitchum and directed by Elia Kazan of 'On the Waterfront' fame. 'What could go wrong?' Diller asks. 'Everything. I knew it wasn't going to work when I saw the first assemblage.' 12 Diller championed some of the 20th century's most beloved films, including 'Beverly Hills Cop' with Eddie Murphy and Taylour Paige. ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection But 'Saturday Night Fever' changed 'how movies got made,' Diller writes. The script wasn't pitched as a project for a pre-established A-lister. 'No stars, no pedigree, no package, no nothing — just a good idea,' Diller writes. Even director John Badham, a mostly unproven TV guy, was a risk. 'All these Frankenstein-like parts came together while all those around us thought we were amateurs,' Diller writes. 'It was heady stuff, and quite a shock to the naysayers.' Before coming to Paramount, Diller had cut his teeth at ABC during the 1960s and early '70s, where he invented the Movie of the Week and the miniseries. 12 Diller was CEO of Paramount when iconic films such as 'Terms of Endearment' were made. ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection But the movie industry offered him a new challenge. Unlike TV, it was a business 'where ego and self-promotion corroded everything,' Diller writes. Even his boss, Charlie Bluhdorn, ran the company 'like an old-time emperor.' Diller remembers that Bluhdorn would call him randomly with ridiculous ideas for new movies that he was certain would become 'the blockbuster of all time,' Diller writes. Like 'the tale of Sitting Bull and Hitler at war with each other.' Diller trusted his instincts, which weren't always correct. The movies he championed at Paramount were often 'just darts thrown at the board,' he admits. 'I had to pitch and roll with whatever came my way. That made me a mark for every promoter and rascal in the film industry.' 12 Not all of Diller's movies were big successes. He writes that 'Lipstick' with Margaux Hemingway was 'the essence of putting lipstick on a pig.' Courtesy Everett Collection Some of his lesser achievements include 'Lipstick' with Margaux Hemingway ('the essence of putting lipstick on a pig,' he writes), 'The Big Bus' ('a parody of disaster movies that ended up just being a disaster'), and Roman Polanski's 'The Tenant' (a 'small film that had an even smaller audience'). Even Diller's successes came with controversy. During an advance screening of 'Marathon Man' in San Francisco in 1976, the audience became irate during the notorious 'Is it safe?' scene, in which the Nazi villain (played by Laurence Olivier) tortures Dustin Hoffman's character with dental instruments. Viewers weren't 'prepared for such invasive violence to sweet Dustin's teeth,' the author writes. 'They shouted and booed at what we were doing to them, and many charged up the aisles, enraged.' Diller claims he had to be evacuated from a movie theater for his own safety. 12 Diller writes of the controversy surrounding a scene in 'Marathon Man' where Dustin Hoffman is tortured with dental instruments. Courtesy Everett Collection Some of his most ambitious projects, like a 1976 remake of 'King Kong,' were almost derailed by bad decisions behind the scenes. It was brought to him by the Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis, who insisted 'he'd acquired the remake rights, but of course, being Dino, he really hadn't,' Diller writes. One day De Laurentiis called him and announced, 'I've found the actress to play [the lead in 'King Kong']. She's right now a model with no acting experience, but I'm sure she'll be a star.' Diller was hesitant but curious, and asked if they should give this up-and-coming model a screen test. 'Yes,' De Laurentiis allegedly told him. 'But first I want to have her breasts augmented.' The model was future Academy Award winner Jessica Lange. 12 Diller gave an up-and-coming young model named Jessica Lange a chance when she was cast in 'King Kong.' ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection Sam Spiegel, the legendary producer of classics like 'On the Waterfront' and 'Lawrence of Arabia,' approached Diller about adapting F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished novel, 'The Last Tycoon.' During his meetings with Spiegel, who Diller describes as 'a true satyr,' he learned more than bargained for about the producer's sex life. 'He often said — and it was hard to know if he was joking — he only liked to have sex with virgins and, if he could find them, lesbian virgins,' writes Diller. Run-ins with directors could be hostile, and sometimes costly. After his 1978 epic 'Days of Heaven,' Diller paid auteur Terrence Malick an enormous sum — $500,000 (or $2.5 million in 2025 dollars) — to, in Malick's words, 'just experiment with things.' 12 After director Terrence Malick (above) squandered hundreds of thousands of dollars, Diller cut him off. Penske Media via Getty Images Every four or five months, Diller would call the director for an update, and get little beyond, 'I'm making progress.' Occasionally Malick would give him some vague sense of his next film, like 'I've got this idea to follow a paraplegic in New Mexico in a footrace.' But beyond that, Malick wouldn't give details, declaring that it was a 'secret.' Diller finally cut off Malick's salary. 'It would be twenty years before he directed another movie,' he writes. The author's handling of actors could also be a minefield. He got into hot water with Robert Redford after Paramount used a shirtless photo of the star embracing Faye Dunaway in a full-page ad to promote the political thriller 'Three Days of the Condor' in 1975. Redford called Diller and insisted that 'the ad had 'disrobed him' in front of his kids,' he writes. The actor asked for the ad to be taken down immediately, but Diller declined. 'And that was the last we saw of Robert Redford for five years,' he writes. 12 Diller and Robert Redford (above) clashed after the studio used a shirtless photo of Redford to promote 'Three Days of the Condor.' Courtesy Everett Collection After the huge success of 'Saturday Night Fever,' Princess Margaret requested to meet John Travolta 'for tea' during her visit to Los Angeles. Diller made the request to Travolta, who responded, 'I don't do tea!' He was finally cajoled into meeting the royal at the Beverly Wilshire. 'And when he came back, he said, 'She hit on me!'' Diller writes. He admits that has hasn't always had the best movie judgment. Diller thought 'Grease' was a terrible follow-up project for Travolta — even producer Robert Evans agreed, imploring Diller to 'burn it' before the footage ruined the actor's career — and pushed Travolta to star in 'American Gigolo' instead. Travolta resisted because he was wary of the 'somewhat gay subtext.' (The role eventually went to Richard Gere, and 'Grease' was a huge hit.) 12 Diller (third from left) has long run in powerful circles. In 1983, he mingled with Bill Sheinberg (from left), Sid Sheinberg, Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and David Geffen. Berliner Studio Inc/Shutterstock Cocaine was rampant in the movie industry during the '70s and, Diller writes, Paramount's sets were no exception. During his visit to Robert Altman's production of 'Popeye,' starring Robin Williams, Diller realized that 'everyone in our made-up village — and I mean everyone! — was completely coked out.' He eventually discovered that his own driver, an affable New Yorker named Mario, was also a major cocaine dealer, 'particularly to all my friends,' Diller writes. 'I always wondered why they insisted that Mario drop me off first after our nights out. Once I left, Mario would open his trunk and deal out the drugs.' 12 After joining 20th Century Fox as CEO, Diller objected to Bruce Willis being cast in 'Die Hard.' ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection In 1984, Diller joined 20th Century Fox, where he served as CEO until 1992. One of his first projects was 'Die Hard' — and he immediately objected to the casting of Bruce Willis. 'Who cares about Bruce Willis?' he scolded the casting director. 'No one really likes Bruce Willis!' But Willis would soon prove to be the least of his worries. Producers Joel Silver and Larry Gordon asked to use an office tower owned by Fox for a pivotal final 'blowout' scene. 'We won't hurt anything,' they assured Diller. 'It'll only be one night.' Later that evening, Diller received a call from the studio's real estate division, screaming that the filmmakers were 'destroying our building!' He drove to the shoot and realized it wasn't an exaggeration. Diller confronted Silver, who just shrugged and said the scene had been 'more complicated' than they anticipated, and they'd need 'about two weeks' to finish their cinematic destruction. 12 Diller is married to fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg. Bloomberg via Getty Images Diller changed his tune after seeing a rough cut of the film, telling the director, 'Don't touch a f–king thing. This is not a good movie. This is a great movie.' But he still wasn't enthusiastic about Willis, insisting the star's face not appear in any of the advertising. 'No one likes him,' Diller continued to declare. 'After they see this movie, they're gonna love him, but coming in, they don't like him.'
Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Brits crown The Lion King the greatest movie soundtrack of all time
The Lion King has been named the greatest movie soundtrack of all time, according to a poll of 2,000 Brits. The 1994 Disney classic roared into first place, beating the likes of Saturday Night Fever and Titanic to the top spot. The Lion King has roared to victory as the ultimate movie soundtrack, surpassing the beats of Saturday Night Fever and Titanic for top honours. With the 1994 Disney megahit seizing the throne, The Greatest Showman and The Sound of Music also claimed their spots in the top five in a survey of 2,000 Brits. Iconic tunes from blockbusters like Top Gun, the Star Wars series, The Bodyguard, Pulp Fiction, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy have also scored highly amongst fans. Cinephiles tipped their hats to enchanting Harry Potter melodies, the nostalgic Guardians of the Galaxy tracks, and the edgy sounds of Trainspotting in their ratings. Dolby Laboratories commissioned this research for its diamond jubilee celebration, spotlighting how music is critical to cinematic joy—with 79% believing soundtracks substantially boost the film-watching experience. Furthermore, three-quarters of respondents concur that memorable music can elevate a movie into the realm of classics. According to the poll, the essence of an iconic soundtrack is a captivating melody (41%), catchy chorus (26%), and vibrant rhythm (24%).While some uphold the significance of familiarity with songs (19%), others are swayed by a dramatic climax (12%). Dolby's Nick Watson, technical director for content relations, expressed: "Sound has always been the invisible thread that binds a film's emotion, tension, and excitement. Some sounds and soundtracks are just as iconic as the visuals - they're instantly recognisable and deeply emotional." "We've spent the past 60 years pushing the boundaries of audio, so audiences don't just watch a movie - they really feel it. We often say we 'watch' a film, but in reality, we listen just as much. A great soundtrack can elevate even the most modest production, drawing the audience in and heightening every emotion. On the other hand, poor sound can distract and diminish even the most visually stunning scenes." Movie soundtracks continue to strike a chord with audiences long after the credits roll, with a quarter of people saying they unwind at home with them on repeat. Meanwhile, 19% get their groove on to film scores while driving, and 16% make household chores more cinematic by tuning in. A sound discovery for four in 10 has been finding a fresh artist or group thanks to movie magic, and one in five have rocked out live to a film score at a concert. The study also highlighted that three-quarters think surround-sound experiences are crucial to film-watching, whether they're sinking into the sofa or munching popcorn at the movies. Over a third (36%) say it cranks up a scene's suspense and tension, while 35% believe that faithful audio is key to making the fantasy world real. For some, thrilling action scenes (33%), a more dynamic film experience (31%), and dialling up the emotional stakes of the story (32%) all hinge on top-notch sound. Cinephiles have spoken, and the iconic "dun-dun, dun-dun" from Jaws has been crowned as leaving the most indelible mark on their ears, with 38% voting it the top film sound. Not far behind is the eerie whistle from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly at 20%. Star Wars' lightsaber buzz and Psycho's chilling shower scream also snagged spots amongst cinema's most lasting echoes. Nick Watson, Dolby's technical director of content relations, remarked: "The most unforgettable moments in film are often tied to sound – whether it's a simple musical motif or a carefully crafted effect." He further observed, "The best sounds spark the viewers' imagination, giving the freedom of interpretation." Watson hailed the suspenseful 'dun-dun' of Jaws as quintessential, adding, "Many sounds become part of the story, like the crack of Indiana Jones' whip, or the hum of a lightsabre. They're cues, characters, and emotional anchors all in one. That's the power of sound and it's what drives everything we do." TOP 20 MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS: The Lion King. Saturday Night Fever. Titanic. The Greatest Showman. The Sound of Music. Top Gun (any). Star Wars (any). The Bodyguard. Pulp Fiction. The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Harry Potter (any). Guardians of the Galaxy (any). Trainspotting. Gladiator. Rocky (any). Moana. Indiana Jones (any). Shrek (any). A Star Is Born (2018). Jurassic Park. TOP 10 CINEMATIC SOUNDS. Jaws theme. Whistle from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The humming of lightsabres from Star Wars. The shower scream in Psycho. The E.T. phone home sound. The T. rex roar from Jurassic Park. The Star Trek transporter sound. Indiana Jones whip crack. Ghost Buster proton pack firing. The DeLorean time travel sound from Back to the Future.
Indian Express
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Virat Kohli and RCB's love story: Now retired from two international formats, winning IPL title is his last big battle
Like a happy old couple, Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have celebrated the good days and survived the bad ones through 18 summers of the Indian Premier League, the essence of their longevity being stability and dependability, rather than blind, flawless love. Now that he has retired from Test cricket and T20Is, his international duties restricted to ODIs, infrequently calendared, Kohli is all RCB's. And winning the IPL could be the last big battle Kohli would wage in a glorious career. The love for him overflows and overwhelms. Hundreds turned up to watch him bat in the nets when he returned to the Chinnaswamy on Thursday, before the match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday. Thousands, it is widely rumoured, might turn up in white Kohli shirts, an ode to his Test career. Saturday Night Fever would play out at the Chinnaswamy without a break. Traffic snarls would be endless. All to cheer Kohli to fulfil his elusive dream of the IPL crown. All that remains unfulfilled in Kohli's staggering career is league silverware. Thrice has the finals inflicted pain on him (2009, 2011, 2016). The last one kept hurting him for a long time. 'I had two heartbreaks in my life in 2016. First was the World T20 and then the IPL Final,' he told JioStar. RCB lost the match, at home to worsen the pain, by merely eight runs and the what-ifs rankled him in a season where he racked up 973 runs. 'To this date, when there is a highlight package coming on Star of that game, KL takes screenshots from that game and says it still hurts. And it does. You'd think about the game every now and then and how there were dejected faces in that amazing setup we had done for the post-victory celebration,' he added. The subsequent season saw RCB plummet to depths before finally reviving post-pandemic, reaching the play-offs in four of the five seasons from 2020. The Rajat Patidar-led side are effectively in the last four this season and a victory over KKR would secure the slot mathematically as well. As with all their finest seasons, Kohli has been their axis of success. He helms their run-scoring charts with 505 runs at a strike rate of 143.47. The IPL, post relinquishing captaincy, has been a source of liberation for Kohli. It's where he is most himself, creative and audacious. It's where he swat-flicks and upper cuts, when he goes over extra cover, inside out, when he bats with a smile. In the last three episodes of renaissance, he has piled 1885 runs at 59.3, at a strike rate of 146. It is arguably his most influential phase in the IPL, when he has struck the magic formula of scoring consistently as well as fast, an autumnal bloom that could land his first IPL crown. Perhaps it's all destiny. That Kohli turns up for RCB itself is a strange quirk of fate. Eighteen years ago, a bunch of teenagers in a hotel room in Kuala Lumpur were impatiently awaiting the beep of text messages on their mobile phones. The first message came: Delhi Daredevils acquire Pradeep Sangwan, the left-arm swing bowler. Excitement roared in the room. Miles away, where the CEOs and coaches of the eight teams were finalising their two U-19 players in an NBA-style double draft system, wherein every franchise had to pick two U-19 players, a question flashed through the mind of RCB's think tank. ''Why didn't they pick Kohli, the U-19 captain and the local boy?' It was so straightforward. When we heard the name, Sangwan, all seven franchises were shocked,' then RCB CEO Charu Sharma recollected in an NDTV show. The next turn was RCB's, and 'all we took was one-by-millionth of a second to choose him,' Sharma would say. In the KL hotel room, Kohli recalls in an RCB podcast: 'We went crazy in the corridor — 'We got Rs 20 lakhs'!' 'That was the emotion behind it. Because we didn't know what to expect—the opening ceremony, the whole experience of meeting great cricketers — it was surreal,' he recounted. Thus began RCB's Kohli story, from a stroke of fortune and fate. As years rolled on Kohli became the franchise's captain and talisman, its soul and identity, a balm of hope and comfort in dark days of underachievement and the beacon of dreams in their quest to land their maiden title, the only one-club wonder in the league, an aura and popularity bettered only by Dhoni. The bond between Kohli and the RCB crowd is organically different from Dhoni and Chennai Super Kings. The affection is more acquired than natural, a reflection of the varying values of the two cities. Bengaluru is gracious and laid back yet steeply cosmopolitan and pragmatic; Chennai, for all its modernity, is rooted in tradition, its masses simpler, more emotional and warmer than the torrid heat of May. Instant as well as sustained success too helped spin the myth of their Thala. Both are cities that embody the characteristics of their totems. Dhoni retains the earthy charm of Chennai, exudes wit and humility the city appreciates; Kohli is uber-modern, ambitious and aggressive, like Bengaluru. Chennai has fully embraced Dhoni, consider him as one of their own even though he does not speak their language, love him unconditionally. Kohli is loved, but not deified to that MS-scale, even though the Kohli-chant is the inescapable anthem of game-days at Chinnaswamy, even though they croon RCB when Kohli walked out in the blue or white of his country, even if he sometimes flexes his tongue over the hard-syllabled Kannada in advertisements. Perhaps it's not a Bengaluru thing to star-worship cricketers, to stand awestruck in their aura. It's a city that gives space to cricketers so that some of its greatest could quietly sit in the corner of a cafe in MG Road and enjoy their coffee without being disturbed for selfies and autographs. Maybe, they understand that the game is ever more team-oriented on a tactical level. Perhaps a title would be the last step of fulfillment in the 18-year-old wedlock of Kohli and RCB. A parallel story: Even though Sangwan's career didn't soar, he was part of two IPL-winning teams, separated by a decade.
