Latest news with #TheNatural
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Karate Kid: Legends' Is a Kick for Hardcore Fans Only
It was the crane kick seen 'round the world. There he is, skinny and picked-upon Daniel LaRusso, squaring off with the Cobra Kai dojo's resident Aryan-youth bully and ace leg-sweeper Johnny Lawrence, in the final round of the All-Valley Karate tournament. His sensei, Nariyoshi Miyagi, watches impassively from the sidelines as his prize pupil, already injured, is further hobbled by several less-than-kosher moves. LaRusso refuses to give up. He raises his arms, bird-like, and brings one leg up, precariously balancing on his bad leg. We've seen him try to master this move for the better part of the last hour. Miyagi nods his assent. Lawrence goes in for the kill. LaRusso kicks him in the face. He wins — the fight, the tournament, the girl, the movie. Watch this moment again if you haven't seen it for a while. It'll still make you want to jump out of your seat and cheer. Nestled somewhere between Rocky Balboa sprinting up the Philadelphia Museum of Art's steps and the scoreboard-shattering home run in The Natural in terms of iconic sports-movie moments, the end of 1984's The Karate Kid remains one of those sequences that, even seen out of context, is pure triumph-of-the-underdog bliss. It's not a stretch to think that scene alone virtually underwrote two sequels, a LaRusso-less spin-off (1994's The Next Karate Kid), and a 2010 remake featuring Jackie Chan; the fact that the Hong Kong movie legend teaches Jaden Smith kung fu instead of karate didn't stop them from using the name. You don't mess with the brand, people. More from Rolling Stone Wes Anderson's 'The Phoenician Scheme' Is One of His Best Mia Threapleton Idolized Wes Anderson. Then She Became the Breakout Star of His New Movie 'Highest 2 Lowest' Isn't Spike Lee's Best or Worst - Just a Chance to Watch Denzel Go HAM Love for the original never really faded, even if it was seen as more a blast from the past — one more thing to squeal over in an 'I Heart the '80s!' time capsule. If someone had told us that a Netflix series devoted to updating us on what happened to LaRusso, Lawrence and everyone else from back in the day would make folks highly invested in these characters again, almost 40 years later, we might have laughed them out of the room. If they'd said that the show would then go on for six surprisingly strong seasons, we'd have thought they were seriously high on drugs. But it did, and it has, and thanks to the success of Cobra Kai and the allure of intellectual property and the never-ending need to turn nostalgia into future revenue streams, we now have Karate Kid: Legends. The basics remain the same: A young man — in this case, a Beijing teen named Li Fong (American-Born Chinese's Ben Wang) — is uprooted to a new city — in this case, NYC — and the fish-outta-water kid finds himself dealing with bullies who use martial arts for bad instead of good. Fong already knows kung fu, courtesy of Mr. Han, i.e. Chan's character from the 2010 redo. The wrinkle is that, because of a past family tragedy involving kung fu, he's forbidden to fight by his still-traumatized mom (Ming Na-Wen). Still, when you've got a movie that's putting a conspicuous 'dragon kick' on the mantle in Act One, that move is probably gonna go off in Act Three. This is officially known as the Chekhov Karate Kid Franchise Rule. Look it up. There's a romantic interest, naturally, in the form of Mia Lipani (The Goldbergs' Sadie Stanley), who helps run the family pizza shop around the corner from the Fongs' downtown apartment. Her dad (Joshua Jackson) used to be a big deal in Gotham boxing circles before the birth of his daughter made him hang up the gloves. Except Pops owes some neighborhood no-goodniks money that he borrowed to open the pizzeria. And in what has to be the epitome of one-stop-shopping narrative convenience, these loan sharks also own the MMA dojo where Fong's tormentor, Conor Day (Aramis Knight), practices. Conor is the reigning champion of the annual '5 Boroughs' tournament. Also, Conor is Mia's ex. Also also, he's, like, a total dick! Long story short, Fong trains Mr. Lipani, things don't go well, and once again, the peaceful warrior will be forced to take up the ways of the foot and fist. This requires Mr. Han to show up in New York and help his ward get back into fighting shape. It also requires the help of an old acquaintance of Han's, a gentleman of a similar age who's also got a history with martial arts and bullies and toxic masculinity and trying to outlive the past. He lives in Southern California. Three guesses as to who this might be. So yes, what was once thought to be two different Karate Kid cinematic universes has been, in fact, one cinematic universe this whole time, and in a feat of pure corporate synergizing, Legends combines both of them into a super-duper KKCU. We're frankly surprised that the powers that be stopped at just those two — at one point, after a particularly dexterous three-against-one brawl in an alley set to LCD Soundsystem's 'North American Scum' (?!?), someone refers to Fong as the 'Chinese Peter Parker.' And given that Sony still owns some of the rights to the webslinger, you completely expect Tom Holland to swing in and go, 'Did someone mention my name?' and wink at the camera. Go full mega-multiverse or go home, you cowards! In any case, one cross-country plane ride later, Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso join forces to school Fong in the ways of both karate and kung fu, with the hope that a 'two branches, one tree' hybrid of these martial arts will give him the edge in the 5 Boroughs tournament. Chan and Macchio admittedly have a nice sort of bickering rapport with each other — they're like a Punch and Judy team with actual punches being thrown. But there's a too-little-too-late aspect to their team-up, which means you have to suffer through pile-ups of subplots and peripheral dramatic business taking up a lot of oxygen and a gajillion montages. (Seriously, find someone who loves you the way Karate Kid: Legends loves montages. There are training montages, of course, but also new-kid-in-high-school montages, scootering-around-Chinatown montages, pizza-making montages, tournament-bracket montages — we only counted three of the five boroughs in the main '5 Boroughs' montage, but never mind — and a few other montages we're likely forgetting. Whenever director Jonathan Entwhistle, a TV veteran responsible for The End of the F***ing World and I Am Not Okay With This among other shows, is at a loss, he drops in a montage. If he can also take a song on the soundtrack and slow it down as if a record player was running out of power, a trick that's clever the first time and annoying the proceeding 99 other times it gets used, all the better.) Eventually, Legends gets around to the final showdown between Li and Conor, which takes place atop a skyscraper in midtown Manhattan, and the outcome is never in doubt. It's all over but the dragon kick, and a coda with a fan-service cameo. We apologize for sounding cynical, but there's a slightly ramshackle feel to this that makes you feel that you're not watching a movie so much as math: Add two different Karate Kid stalwarts, multiply the nostalgia and stock story beats, divide the returns by half. We can handle corniness, which is a main ingredient for so many sports-underdog classics, but the cobbled-together feel is a downer. Hardcore fans may get their kicks from seeing Macchio and Chan together. Everyone else will just feel like tempted to sweep the legs of everyone trying to cash in on a recently revived franchise and wring it dry. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Best 'Saturday Night Live' Characters of All Time Denzel Washington's Movies Ranked, From Worst to Best 70 Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Joe Don Baker, actor known for 'James Bond,' 'Walking Tall' roles, dies at 89
Joe Don Baker, actor known for 'James Bond,' 'Walking Tall' roles, dies at 89 Joe Don Baker, a Hollywood veteran who first rose to fame as tough-talking Sheriff Buford Pusser in "Walking Tall," has died, his family announced. He was 89. The announcement of his May 7 death, published on by his family May 13, did not cite a cause. A Texas native and army veteran, Baker infused a real-life sense of southern toughness into his roles. Studying at the Actor's Studio in New York before traveling to Los Angeles to make it to the big screen, he guest spotted on a smattering of television shows before his big break came with "Walking Tall." The 1973 film, which chronicled the story of a Tennessee sheriff battling to save his hometown from corruption and vice, became an unexpected and overnight hit, propelling Baker to fame. At 37, his not-yet-noticed acting prowess was suddenly gaining wide acclaim as critics across the country lauded the breakout star of the low-budget, if not thrilling, watch. Baker went on to play a host of characters on either side of the law − both detectives and cops, as well as troubled ex-cons and mafia men. His roles were not limited to either side of the law enforcement equation, though. Across his almost 60 films, he portrayed several politicians as well as a star baseball player in Robert Redford's "The Natural." Before his retirement in 2012, he made an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, famed not just for "Walking Tall" but also for "Charley Varrick," in which he played a mafioso, and "Mitchell," which saw him as a no-nonsense detective. Baker also starred in "Fletch" and became a "James Bond" regular, appearing in three 007 films. Baker, who married Maria Dolores Rivero-Torres in 1969 before the pair divorced 11 years later, has no children. "He is survived by relations in his native Groesbeck, who will forever cherish his memory. He is mourned by a small but very close circle of friends who will miss him eternally," the obituary posted to reads. "As we say goodbye to Joe Don, we hold onto the memories and the love he shared with us," it continued. "Though he may no longer be with us in body, his spirit will always remain, a guiding light in the lives he touched. Rest in peace, Joe Don. You will be dearly missed but never forgotten."
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joe Don Baker, Actor Known for 'GoldenEye' and 'Cape Fear', Dies at 89
Joe Don Baker, who appeared in three James Bond movies and films like The Natural and Cape Fear, died at 89 on Wednesday, May 7 Baker's family announced his death in an obituary published on Tuesday, May 13; he was married for 11 years and had no children The actor "is mourned by a small but very close circle of friends who will miss him eternally," his obituary readsJoe Don Baker, a Hollywood actor whose career spanned nearly five decades on the screen, has died. He was 89. Baker's family announced his death in an obituary published on on Tuesday, May 13; Baker died on Wednesday, May 7, according to the obituary. A cause of death was not immediately provided. "Joe Don was a beacon of kindness and generosity," one section of his obituary reads. "His intellectual curiosity made him a voracious reader, inspiring a great love of nature and animals, particularly cats. Throughout his life, Joe Don touched many lives with his warmth and compassion, leaving an indelible mark on everyone fortunate enough to know him." Baker was born on Feb. 12, 1936, and grew up in Texas. He graduated from North Texas State College in 1958 after receiving an athletic scholarship. After college, Baker served in the U.S. Army for two years and then moved to New York City, where he studied acting at the famed Actor's Studio and began performing on the stage, according to his obituary. Baker's onscreen career began in 1965, when he appeared on one episode of the television series Honey West; he first made an appearance in a feature film in 1967's classic Cool Hand Luke. Throughout his career, Baker notably appeared in three different James Bond movies — as a villain in 1987's The Living Daylights, opposite Timothy Dalton's Bond, and a CIA spy in 1995's GoldenEye and 1997's Tomorrow Never Dies, with Pierce Brosnan's 007 — in addition to movies like The Natural, Walking Tail and Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "As we say goodbye to Joe Don, we hold onto the memories and the love he shared with us," his obituary reads. "Though he may no longer be with us in body, his spirit will always remain, a guiding light in the lives he touched. Rest in peace, Joe Don. You will be dearly missed but never forgotten." Baker had not acted for the screen since he appeared in Matthew McConaughey's 2012 movie Mud. During his career, he received one nomination at the BAFTA Awards in 1986 for his work in the miniseries Edge of Darkness. According to Baker's obituary, he was married for 11 years and does not have any children. His funeral service will be held in Mission Hills, Calif., on Tuesday, May 20, at 10 a.m. local time. "He is survived by relations in his native Groesbeck, who will forever cherish his memory," Baker's obituary reads. "He is mourned by a small but very close circle of friends who will miss him eternally." Read the original article on People
The Independent
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Celebrity birthdays for the week of April 6-12
Celebrity birthdays for the week of April 6-12: April 6: Actor Billy Dee Williams is 88. Actor Roy Thinnes ('The Invaders') is 87. Director Barry Levinson ('Rain Man,' 'The Natural') is 83. Actor John Ratzenberger ('Cheers') is 78. Actor Patrika Darbo ('The Bold and the Beautiful') is 77. Actor Marilu Henner ('Taxi,' ″Evening Shade') is 73. Actor Michael Rooker ('Guardians of the Galaxy') is 70. Guitarist Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule is 65. Singer-guitarist Black Francis of The Pixies is 60. Actor Ari Meyers ('Kate & Ally') is 56. Actor Paul Rudd is 56. Actor Jason Hervey ('The Wonder Years') is 53. Bassist Markku Lappalainen (Hoobastank) is 52. Actor Zach Braff ('Scrubs') is 50. Actor Joel Garland ('Orange Is the New Black') is 50. Actor Candace Cameron Bure ('Full House') is 49. Actor Teddy Sears ('24: Legacy') is 48. Musician Robert Glasper is 47. Actor Eliza Coupe ('Happy Endings,' ″Scrubs') is 44. Actor Charlie McDermott ('The Middle') is 35. April 7: Country singer Bobby Bare is 90. Movie director Francis Ford Coppola is 87. Actor Roberta Shore ('The Virginian') is 82. Singer Patricia Bennett of The Chiffons is 78. Singer-guitarist John Oates of Hall and Oates is 77. Drummer John Dittrich of Restless Heart is 74. Singer Janis Ian is 74. Actor Jackie Chan is 71. Actor Russell Crowe is 61. Singer Mark Kibble of Take 6 is 61. Actor Bill Bellamy ('Last Comic Standing,' ″Fastlane') is 60. Drummer Charlie Hall of The War On Drugs is 51. Singer-bassist John Cooper of Skillet is 50. Actor Heather Burns ('Miss Congeniality') is 50. Singer John Cooper of Skillet is 50. Actor Kevin Alejandro ('Lucifer,' ″Southland') is 49. Actor Sian Clifford ('Fleabag') is 43. Bassist Ben McKee of Imagine Dragons is 40. Contemporary Christian singer Tauren Wells is 39. Actor Ed Speleers ('Downton Abbey') is 37. Actor Conner Rayburn ('According to Jim') is 26. April 8: Original Mouseketeer Darlene Gillespie is 84. Singer Peggy Lennon of the Lennon Sisters is 84. Songwriter Leon Huff of Gamble and Huff is 83. Actor Stuart Pankin ('Curb Your Enthusiasm,' 'Not Necessarily The News') is 79. Guitarist Steve Howe of Yes (and of Asia) is 78. Film director John Madden ('Shakespeare in Love') is 76. Bassist Mel Schacher of Grand Funk Railroad is 74. Singer-actor John Schneider ('The Dukes of Hazzard') is 65. Guitarist Izzy Stradlin (Guns N' Roses) is 63. Singer Julian Lennon is 62. Actor Dean Norris ('Breaking Bad,' ″Under the Dome') is 62. Singer-guitarist Donita Sparks of L7 is 62. Actor Robin Wright is 59. Actor Patricia Arquette is 57. Actor JR Bourne (TV's 'Teen Wolf,' ″Revenge') is 55. Singer Craig Honeycutt of Everything is 55. Drummer Darren Jessee of Ben Folds Five is 54. Actor Emma Caulfield ('Buffy the Vampire Slayer') is 52. Actor Katee Sackhoff ('Battlestar Galactica') is 45. Actor Taylor Kitsch ('True Detective,' ″Friday Night Lights') is 44. Singer-guitarist Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend is 41. Actor Taran Noah Smith ('Home Improvement') is 41. Guitarist Jamie Sierota (Echosmith) is 32. Actor Sadie Calvano ('Mom') is 28. April 9: Actor Michael Learned ('The Waltons') is 86. Actor Dennis Quaid is 71. Humorist Jimmy Tingle ('60 Minutes II') is 70. Keyboardist Dave Innis of Restless Heart is 66. Talk show host Joe Scarborough ('Morning Joe') is 62. Actor Mark Pellegrino ('Dexter') is 60. Actor-model Paulina Porizkova is 60. Actor Cynthia Nixon ('Sex and the City') is 59. Singer Kevin Martin of Candlebox is 56. TV personality Sunny Anderson ('The Kitchen') is 50. Singer Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance is 48. Actor Keshia Knight Pulliam ('The Cosby Show') is 46. Guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes is 45. Actor Charlie Hunnam ('Sons of Anarchy') is 45. Actor Jay Baruchel ('Knocked Up,' ″Tropic Thunder') is 43. Actor Annie Funke ('Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders') is 40. Actor Jordan Masterson ('Last Man Standing') is 39. Actor Leighton Meester ('Gossip Girl') is 39. Singer-actor Jesse McCartney ('Summerland') is 38. Singer Jazmine Sullivan is 38. Actor Kristen Stewart ('Twilight') is 35. Actor Elle Fanning ('Because of Winn-Dixie') is 27. Musician Lil Nas X is 26. Actor Isaac Hempstead Wright ('Game of Thrones') is 26. Singer Jackie Evancho is 25. April 10: Actor Steven Seagal is 73. Singer Terre Roche of The Roches is 72. Actor Peter MacNicol ('Numb3rs,' ″Ally McBeal') is 71. Actor Olivia Brown ('Miami Vice') is 68. Bassist Steven Gustafson of 10,000 Maniacs is 68. Singer-producer Babyface is 67. Musician Brian Setzer (Stray Cats) is 66. Singer Katrina Leskanich of Katrina and the Waves is 65. Drummer Tim 'Herb' Alexander of Primus is 60. Singer Kenny Lattimore is 58. Comedian Orlando Jones is 57. Guitarist Mike Mushok of Staind is 56. Rapper Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest is 55. Actor David Harbour ('Stranger Things') is 50. Blues singer Shemekia Copeland is 46. Actor Laura Bell Bundy is 44. Actor Harry Hadden-Paton ('Downton Abbey') is 44. Actor Chyler Leigh ('Supergirl,' ″Grey's Anatomy') is 43. Bassist Andrew Dost of fun. is 42. Actor Ryan Merriman ('The Pretender') is 42. Singer-actor Mandy Moore ('This is Us') is 41. Actor Barkhad Abdi ('Captain Phillips') is 40. Actor Shay Mitchell ('Pretty Little Liars') is 38. Actor Haley Joel Osment ('The Sixth Sense') is 37. Country singer Maren Morris is 35. Singer-actor AJ Michalka of Aly and AJ is 34. Actor Daisy Ridley ('Star Wars: The Force Awakens') is 33. Actor Sofia Carson ('Descendants') is 32. Actor Ruby Jerins ('Nurse Jackie') is 27. April 11: Actor Joel Grey is 93. Actor Louise Lasser is 86. Actor Peter Riegert (film's 'Animal House,' TV's 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt') is 78. Actor Bill Irwin ('Law & Order: SVU') is 75. Singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale is 68. Guitarist Nigel Pulsford (Bush) is 64. Country singer Steve Azar is 61. Singer Lisa Stansfield is 59. Actor Johnny Messner ('Killer Instinct,' ″The O.C.') is 56. Bassist Dylan Keefe of Marcy Playground is 55. Actor Vicellous Shannon ('The Hurricane') is 54. Rapper David Banner is 51. Actor Tricia Helfer ('Lucifer') is 51. Drummer Chris Gaylor of All-American Rejects is 46. Actor Kelli Garner ('Taking Woodstock,' ″Lars and the Real Girl') is 41. Singer Joss Stone is 38. Actor Kaitlyn Jenkins ('Bunheads') is 33. April 12: Musician Herbie Hancock is 85. Musician John Kay of Steppenwolf is 81. Actor Ed O'Neill ('Modern Family,' ″Married... With Children') is 79. Actor Dan Lauria ('The Wonder Years') is 78. Talk show host David Letterman is 78. Singer J.D. Nicholas of The Commodores is 73. Singer Pat Travers is 71. Actor Andy Garcia is 69. Country singer Vince Gill is 68. Actor Patricia Arquette is 57. TV personality J Alexander ('America's Next Top Model') is 67. Guitarist Will Sergeant of Echo and the Bunnymen is 67. Singer Art Alexakis of Everclear is 63. Singer Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls is 61. Actor Alicia Coppola (TV's 'Jericho,' film's 'National Treasure: Book of Secrets') is 57. Singer Nicholas Hexum of 311 is 55. Actor Retta ('Good Girls,' 'Parks and Recreation') is 55. Actor Nicholas Brendon ('Buffy the Vampire Slayer') is 54. Actor Marley Shelton ('Pleasantville') is 51. Actor Sarah Jane Morris ('NCIS') is 48. Bassist Guy Berryman of Coldplay is 47. Actor Riley Smith ('Nashville') is 47. Actor Claire Danes is 46. Actor Jennifer Morrison ('Once Upon a Time,' ″House') is 46. Actor Matt McGorry ('How To Get Away With Murder,' ″Orange Is the New Black') is 39. Actor Brooklyn Decker ('Grace and Frankie') is 38. Drummer Joe Rickard of Red is 38. Singer-guitarist Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco is 38. Actor Saoirse Ronan is 31.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Cruise Helped Hayley Atwell Overcome Social Anxiety by Telling Her: ‘If You're Scared of Something Just Keep Looking at It'
Hayley Atwell appeared on a recent episode of 'Reign With Josh Smith' podcast and credited her 'Mission: Impossible' co-star Tom Cruise for helping her battle social anxiety in Hollywood. Atwell made her franchise debut as Grace in 2023's 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning' and will reprise the role in this summer's 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.' 'Social anxiety tends to be something that people talk about a lot at the moment, right? And how a lot of people do have social anxiety at some point,' Atwell told Josh Smith. 'It manifests in different ways, but the pep talk [Tom] gave me helps that. If you walk into a room and you feel the anxieties coming, and it makes me want to retreat into myself, I start to overthink, and go: 'Do I look weird? Do I seem awkward?' We go into ourselves, and Tom said: 'Try doing the opposite.'' More from Variety 'The Alto Knights' Director Barry Levinson Talks Dueling Robert De Niros, Creating Perfect Shots in 'The Natural' and Coaching Movie Stars to Great Performances Tom Cruise to Receive BFI Fellowship John Goodman 'Experienced a Hip Injury' During Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Tom Cruise Starrer, Production Delayed in U.K. Cruise told Atwell: 'Try to look out, look around the room, and go… Where is it? Where is the thing that I have attached to my insecurity? Is it that person over there that reminds me of my school bully? That person over there didn't give me a job once? That person over there that I think was mean to me once?' 'If I look at it for long enough, the anxiety then can have a name,' Atwell explained. 'It can have a label or what will happen is, I'll go: 'Oh, you're really jealous' or 'I'm really lonely' or 'I'm really intimidated by the talent or the confidence of that person.' As soon as I can name what it actually is, the general sense of free-floating anxiety goes and then I actually have an opportunity to do something about it. So he was just like: 'If you are scared of something just keep looking at it. Just try not to close your eyes or turn away. Just keep looking at it and it will often give you information about what to do to overcome it.'' While 'Dead Reckoning' slightly underwhelmed at the box office with $571 million worldwide, Atwell and Cruise's chemistry was widely acclaimed by film critics. The 'Mission: Impossible' series is Atwell's second major Hollywood franchise after her work as Peggy Carter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor has sung the praises of Cruise in past interviews, telling The Guardian earlier this year that he is 'very kind, very professional'. 'When I started, I was very aware of the rarefied air around him and how there is no one like him,' Atwell said. 'And there never will be because actors aren't made like him any more… He is a one-man studio. And because of that, I felt I was able to try lots of different things. There was never a risk of failure or being unsafe. Tom really likes people to thrive on set.' Watch Atwell's latest interview on the 'Reign With Josh Smith' podcast in the video below. Best of Variety What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
