History, Legacy & Showmanship
The Digital Bits is pleased to present this retrospective article to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the release of Die Hard, the action-adventure classic that turned Bruce Willis into a superstar, catapulted John McTiernan to the A-list of movie directors, and created a new standard for the modern action movie. The article features an interview with action movie authority Eric Lichtenfeld plus a collection of historical data.
Cleopatra, 20th Century-Fox’s well-publicized epic starring Elizabeth Taylor, was the most popular movie of 1963/64… even though history informs us the movie was a failure. Presented here in commemoration of the golden anniversary of it premiere, and its recent Blu-ray release, is a (work-in-progress) list of the film’s original theatrical roadshow engagements in the United States and Canada. These engagements of Cleopatra were shown exclusively in major cities prior to the film being given a traditional nationwide release and included reserved seating with an advanced admission price with an average of ten scheduled showings per week. Much like a Broadway production, these presentations included an overture, intermission, entr’acte and exit music. The roadshow engagements were presented in 70-millimeter and six-track stereophonic sound. As well, souvenir programs were sold.
Let us continue the James Bond 50th anniversary celebration, shall we? Last autumn, around the time Skyfall was being released to theaters, the Blu-ray set was hitting retailers and the anniversary hype was in high gear, I had this idea that it might be interesting if I could round up a few of my James Bond historian friends, turn on a recorder… and talk James Bond, and then perhaps turn that into an article. It didn’t happen (primarily for logistical reasons). But a few months later the next best thing did happen. That is, separately-conducted interviews that have been edited into a round-table format.
CELEBRATING “IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD” ON ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY
The Digital Bits is pleased to present this retrospective article commemorating the golden anniversary of the original release of Stanley Kramer’s It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and a new Blu-ray Disc from The Criterion Collection.
Featured in this tribute are a list of the epic comedy’s roadshow engagements and an interview segment with several people involved with the production of the Blu-ray Disc. [Read on here...]
“The first triple crown of motion pictures.” — Sheila Benson, Los Angeles Times
Where Were You On Opening Day?
May 25, 1983… one of the most famous and memorable days in motion picture history. If you are a Star Wars fan of a certain age, chances are you remember where you were that day. Like countless others who ditched school or called in sick to work, you were probably standing in a very long line awaiting your opportunity to see the concluding chapter of George Lucas’s original Star Wars trilogy. Yes, believe it or not, Return of the Jedi has turned thirty years old.