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Trying to recapture the movie magic made by a beloved big-screen entry is always a risky game to play, but perhaps even more so when the new direction is television. Can a handful of episodes really deliver the same standard or even surpass what came before without staining the reputation of the property it's based on? Annoyingly, that is often the case, but there are a handful of television shows inspired by films that've actually surprised us in the best way by being not just good, but great even.

After they've gotten over the hurdles of winking at the audience with the world they've knowingly venturing into, some of the best films turned TV shows have been ones that have gone off and done their own thing. They don't go beat for beat with what's already been done before, but expand upon it by way of new characters, wild plot threads,...

“Tokyo Pop” is one of those movies that easily gets the title iconic. Written and directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui, who later directed “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, it also stars Yutaka Tadokoro, leader of the rock band Red Warriors, who also appear in the movie, legendary Tetsuro Tanba, as much as a cameo appearance by X Japan. The main protagonist, actress, playwright and singer Carrie Hamilton unfortunately died at the age of 38 due to lung cancer. In honor of the film’s 35th anniversary, a 4K restoration of Tokyo Pop was released by Kino Lorber in New York City at Bam Rose Cinemas on August 4, 2023, and in Los Angeles at the American Cinematheque on August 11, followed by a national expansion.The restoration was released on Blu-ray on December 5, 2023.

Tokyo Pop is screening at Five Flavours

The story follows Wendy, a young aspiring singer in New York City, who decides to leave for Japan,...

While he is an icon thanks to his role as Pee-wee Herman in various projects, the best Paul Reubens movies and shows prove that the actor was far more than just one role. Reubens's career on screen goes back to the 1960s, but he first started finding success in bit parts in the likes of The Blues Brothers and Cheech and Ching's Next Movie. It wasn't until the creation of his wildly popular character Pee-wee Herman that Reubens really cemented himself in pop culture which led to many more roles.

Reubens was a skilled comedic actor who brought his quirky energy to make standout roles, playing hilariously deadpan or going way over the top in a fun way. He was also known for playing effective villain roles, bringing a charming creepiness to many different projects. Reubens became a frequent collaborator of director Tim Burton, has worked with big-name actors like Johnny Depp and Ben Stiller,...

As the leaves turn golden and the air grows crisp, thoughts inevitably turn to Halloween and the spooky delights that come with it. For many, this means revisiting the classic Halloween movies that defined the holiday during their youth. The 1990s, in particular, saw a wealth of Halloween-themed movies that have since become nostalgic favorites, evoking memories of trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving, and late-night movie marathons.

From family-friendly fare to bone-chilling horror, the '90s had something for everyone when it came to Halloween entertainment. These films not only captured the spirit of the season but also reflected the unique cinematic landscape of the decade, with its blend of practical effects, genre-bending storytelling, and iconic performances. Still, some stand out for their nostalgia, making them go-to Halloween movies to rewatch every year.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer The Campy Precursor to a Cultural Phenomenon

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Director Fran Rubel KuzuiRelease...

"Avengers: Age of Ultron" climaxes with the Marvelous heroes fighting the titular tin man and his army of duplicates in fictional European nation Sokovia. Ultron has built a giant engine beneath a Sokovian city to lift it off the ground, intending to slam it back onto the Earth and cause a mass extinction event. "When the dust settles, the only thing living in this world will be metal."

This scheme is not inspired by a Marvel comic, but rather another film about a robot army and floating city: Hayao Miyazaki's "Castle in the Sky," the first film made by Studio Ghibli. (Though "Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind" brought Ghibli's soon-to-be founders together.) "Castle In The Sky," set in a Wales-like fantasy world, follows orphans Pazu and Sheeta as they search for Laputa, a long-lost advanced civilization.

Laputa is like Atlantis if it soared above the clouds instead of collapsing beneath the waves.

In the wake of the highly influential series version of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the 1992 movie of the same name gets a lot of undeserved flak. Many fans of "Buffy" the series find the film to be a little too cheeseball for their liking, and with "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon's extremely vocal dislike of how the film turned out, it's been easy for others to take a similar stance. As I've pointed out before in writing about the film, "Joss Whedon also famously hates the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' movie, frequently citing his dislike of the changes director Fran Rubel Kuzui made during production. Odd, considering between Kuzui and Whedon, only one of the two has ever actually experienced life as a teen girl, but I digress."

However, Whedon has also been very vocal about another reason he feels the "Buffy" movie failed, placing blame on the...

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" remains beloved for its unique mix of horror, teen drama, and genuinely affecting storytelling. Following the much-derided "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" movie in 1992, creator and writer Joss Whedon took the reins of a TV show version and restored his vision of an empowered female protagonist who could take on the forces of darkness and prevail.

As the writer told CBS Sunday Morning, when conceiving of the idea for "Buffy," he "loved the idea of a girl going into a dark alley, and a monster comes, and then she just aces him." Whedon was infamously disappointed in the 1992 movie, openly talking about how director Fran Rubel Kuzui diverged from his original vision and turned it into a light-hearted camp-fest — though the case has been made for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" actually being a good movie. However, the TV show was, as far as Whedon was concerned, Buffy done right.

Film geeks, rejoice. Leading indie label Kino Lorber is entering the world of streaming. The company has launched Kino Film Collection, a new subscription video service available in the U.S. via’s Amazon’s Prime Video Channels. The Collection will feature new Kino releases fresh from theaters, along with hundreds of films from its expansive library of more than 4,000 titles, many now streaming for the first time. It will cost users $5.99 per month.

Films available at launch include award-winning theatrical releases and critically acclaimed festival favorites and classics from around the globe, such as The Conformist (Bernardo Bertolucci), Dogtooth (Yorgos Lanthimos), Taxi (Jafar Panahi), Poison (Todd Haynes), Ganja & Hess (Bill Gunn), The Scent of Green Papaya (Tran Anh Hung), A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Ana Lily Amirpour), Computer Chess (Andrew Bujalski), Portrait of Jason (Shirley Clarke), and A Touch of Sin (Jia Zhangke).

Joining them are entries...

Independent film distributor Kino Lorber has officially unveiled streaming service Kino Film Collection, available via Prime Video here.

The Kino Film Collection will be launched in the U.S. on the Amazon Service via Prime Video Channels for $5.99 per month. The Collection will feature new Kino releases fresh from theaters, along with hundreds of films from its expansive library of more than 4,000 titles, with many now streaming for the first time.

New 4K restorations of films like Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Conformist,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Dogtooth,” Jafar Panahi’s “Taxi,” Todd Haynes’ “Poison,” Tran Anh Hung’s “The Scent of Green Papaya,” Ana Lily Amirpour’s “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night,” and Jia Zhangke’s “A Touch of Sin” are among highlights of the first offerings from Kino Film Collection.

Kino canon films like Fritz Lang’s historic “Metropolis,” F.W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu,” Robert Wiene’s “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,...

Kino Lorber, at the Lumiére Festival and International Classic Film Market (Mifc) in Lyon with a number of new restorations, including Stanley Kubrick’s “Fear and Desire,” will next release Bridgett M. Davis’ 1996 drama “Naked Acts” and a complete retrospective of Oscar Micheaux, the first black filmmaker.

Also headed for release is “The Dragon Painter,” a rare, 1919 silent film with an all Asian cast, with the feel of an old Japanese film but entirely shot in the San Francisco area. It stars Sessue Hayakawa, who produced it himself, as well as his real-life wife Tsuru Aoki.

Kino Lorber is partnering with Milestone Films to release “The Dragon Painter” in 4K in 2024 with a new score.

Likewise set for a 4K release next year in partnership with Milestone is “Naked Acts,” which follows young Black actress Cicely, who is about to make her acting debut in a low budget film. As...

It always bothers me when Joss Whedon is referred to as being the chief creative force behind "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," and not just because of everything that's come out about his workplace misconduct and toxic behavior since 2017. While he did, in fact, develop the Marvel Television show with his brother Jed Whedon and sister-in-law Maurissa Tancharoen, it was the latter duo who sculpted the series into one of the best projects to emerge from the House of Ideas since the Marvel Cinematic Universe began its industry-changing run.

Of course, circa 2012, "Joss is Boss" was a tenant among Joss Whedon fans. Having already created the fan-favorite series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and cult space Western show "Firefly," the multi-hyphenate only fortified his genre credentials that year by helming the McU's hugely popular "The Avengers." That basically gave Whedon carte blanche to do whatever he wanted in the Marvel universe, which included...

With over 50+ films, Camera Japan Festival is proud to announce its full and diverse programme, combining films ranging from de newest and best Japanese arthouse, animation, documentaries, short films and classic cinema.

The 18th edition of the festival will be opened at Rotterdam based LantarenVenster on September 21st with a festive screening of Takahashi Masaya's European premiere of The Dry Spell. One day prior, the festival unofficially kicks off at Worm with a very special screening of Spaghetti Ramen. From 28 September – 1 October, the festival moves to Amsterdam's LAB111.

With three international and ten European premieres, the festival consists of a very special and exclusive film programme. Films such as Tsugaru Lacquer Girl, Firing the Lighter Gun and The Rest of Our Lives, will have their first screenings outside of Japan, here, at Camera Japan Festival.

As if the international premieres were not special enough, the festival is honored to welcome...

When you think of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," you probably think of the hit TV series that introduced an entire generation of '90s kids to the metaphor of high school being like a horror movie. But if you happened to come of age in the early '90s, you might well remember your first introduction to the character of The Slayer coming with 1992's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" movie.

Written by Joss Whedon, who eventually became showrunner on the TV series, and directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui, the film starred Kristy Swanson as the titular slayer and was a decidedly lighthearted affair, especially in comparison to the show that succeeded it. Co-starring Luke Perry and featuring a surprisingly impressive cast that included Donald Sutherland, Rutger Hauer, Hilary Swank, and Paul Reubens, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" '92 debuted to unfavorable reviews and was sadly relegated to a footnote in "Buffy...

The episode of Revisited covering Buffy the Vampire Slayer was Written, Edited, and Narrated by Lance Vlcek, Produced by Tyler Nichols and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

With the recent passing of Paul Reubens, it got me thinking about the first role I ever saw him in, funny enough, without even knowing it was him until years later. It’s the one as a long-hired rocker with a penchant for blood. It’s a fun supporting role, acting alongside the legend that is Rutger Hauer. So, today I’d like to revisit a goofy, light-hearted, and charming vampire flick – from the early 90s. So raise your glass and raise it high. Today we talk about Buffy the Vampire Slayer (watch it Here).

First things first, I understand the show is the most accurate, and Buffy‘s true form is considered the television format, so I don’t...

I've been pretty vocal over the years since joining Team /Film that Paul Reubens' performance as Amilyn in the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" movie is my favorite of his outside of Pee-wee Herman, evening going so far as to declare his character's dramatic death scene as one of the best non-Marvel post-credits scenes in cinema history. Reubens was one of the most influential comedic performers to ever live, and watching him completely transform into different characters was always a delight. Amilyn the Vampire was a perfect role for Reubens because it allowed him to play completely against his Pee-wee type while still showing off his phenomenal talents as a character actor.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" has been unfairly maligned in the wake of the beloved TV series of the same name due to its over-the-top camp sensibilities and the fact writer/creator Joss Whedon vocally despised the direction Fran Rubel Kuzui...

The late, great Paul Reubens completely changed the landscape of comedy with his character of Pee-wee Herman, becoming one of the handful of celebrities like Jim "Ernest P. Worrell" Varney, Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson, and Glenn "Divine" Milstead who become synonymous with their most famous roles. Honestly, there were probably a lot of people who learned of his passing at the same time they learned his actual name. Don't get me wrong, Pee-wee Herman is one of the greatest and most influential characters ever shown on screen and his hopeful embrace of the weird and creative has certainly made the world a better place. But Reubens was so much more than Pee-wee Herman and brought a number of other hilarious roles to life.

Who could forget his incredible turn on "30 Rock" as Prince Gerhardt, the inbred royal with a baby doll hand, or his role as FBI Agent Bob in "Matilda,...

Before Fran Rubel Kuzui brought Joss Whedon‘s “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” to life for the first time in 1992, she made “Tokyo Pop.” And Kino Lorber has a new 4K restoration of the film ready for theaters in time for its 35th anniversary.

Read More: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2023

First screened at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim, Kuzui’s feature debut sees an NYC girl emigrate to Tokyo on a whim to make it as a singer.

Continue reading ‘Tokyo Pop’ 35th Anniversary Trailer: New 4K Restoration Of Rock ‘N Roll Love Story Hits NYC Theaters On August 4, LA Theaters August 11 at The Playlist.

Before Fran Rubel Kuzui helmed 1992’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she debuted her first feature Tokyo Pop at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival to much acclaim. Due to its distributor going bankrupt, the film never got a fully fledged U.S. run, but now––35 years later––her bubbly pop adventure has been restored in 4K and will open in U.S. theaters (starting on August 4) from Kino Lorber.

Ahead of its release, we’re pleased to exclusively debut the new trailer for the film that follows the unlikely love story between American wannabe rocker Wendy and the struggling Japanese singer Hiro (Diamond Yukai of the Japanese band Red Warriors) as they seek music stardom in 1980s Tokyo, only to discover it might be found together.

Here’s the expanded synopsis: “Bleach-blonde wannabe rocker Wendy is disillusioned with her life in New York City. After receiving a postcard from Japan saying “wish you were here,...

A total of 24 feature films, including five world premieres, make up this year’s programme.

Edinburgh International Film Festival has unveiled a 24-title programme for 2023, featuring the world premiere of Janis Pugh’s feature debut Chuck Chuck Baby, and international titles spanning Europe, China, India and Japan.

There are five world premieres, plus five retrospective titles, five short films and an outdoor screening weekend of seven features.

Chuck Chuck Baby unfurls in a chicken factory in north Wales, and stars Louise Brealey, Annabel Scholey, Sorcha Cusack, Celyn Jones and Emily Fairn. It’s set in the present day, with a...

“The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and “Choose Irvine Welsh” are among the world premieres at the 2023 Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff), the full program for which was unveiled on Thursday.

As previously announced, “Silent Roar” and “Fremont” will bookend the festival, which includes 24 feature films, five retrospective titles, five short film programs and an outdoor screening weekend with seven features.

A hybrid adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s iconic novella “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Hope Dickson Leach’s film transposes the action from London to Victorian Edinburgh. Ian Jefferies’ “Choose Irvine Welsh” is a documentary about the renowned “Trainspotting” author and features his admirers including Iggy Pop, Martin Compston, Danny Boyle, Bobbie Gillespie, Gail Porter, Rowetta and Andrew Macdonald.

Other world premieres include debutant Janice Pugh’s Lgbtqia+ romance “Chuck Chuck Baby,” starring Louise Brealey (“Sherlock”) and Annabel Scholey (“The Split...

After the disappointing Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie, a key part of the show's origin was dropped. Released in 1992 and directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui, the horror comedy starred Kristy Swanson as Buffy Summers, Donald Sutherland as her watcher Merrick Jamison-Smythe, and 90210's Luke Perry as her friend Oliver. After being trained to fight vampires, Buffy is able to keep Oliver (and her high school) safe from bloodsuckers, but one in particular, Rutger Hauer's Lothos, is older and powerful beyond any vampire that she's ever seen, necessitating a full-scale assault.

Despite the movie being written by Joss Whedon, who would go on to helm the wildly successful Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, the Buffy movie failed because it lacked some of the elements that made its spinoff such a success. A number of changes were made to the Buffy concept by the time it became a television show,...

Ben Affleck is on top of the world right now. His latest directorial outing, “Air,” was both a massive critical success and a key piece of evidence that the new business model he and Matt Damon are utilizing through their Artists Equity production company can be viable. But even in the midst of all of his success, the filmmaker is still willing to look back at his humble beginnings.

Appearing on “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” Affleck reminisced about one of his earliest film roles in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” He had one line of dialogue as Basketball Player #10 in Fran Rubel Kuzui’s 1992 film (which was written by Joss Whedon and inspired his TV series of the same name). Affleck told Corden that he thought he did a good job of delivering his line about the grave threat that a werewolf posed to this basketball game — but the production team apparently disagreed.

Ben Affleck is remembering one of his worst acting performances.

During his appearance on “The Late Late Show with James Corden”, the “Air” star recalled his brief cameo in the 1992 “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” movie.

“I got one line … it was for a basketball player,” he said.

Read More: Ben Affleck Impresses The Internet With Spanish In New Interview

He told a werewolf who was running through the gym to “take [the ball]” and thought his delivery was “good.”

When it came to watching the film in theatres, however, Affleck was shocked to discover he sounded nothing like himself.

“I was feeling it; I felt authentically afraid. And then I went and saw the movie with friends … and I sounded very different. And I realized right then they re-recorded my line,” he revealed.

Read More: A Duo Once More, Ben Affleck And Matt Damon Come Up For ‘Air’

“I was so bad.

Sarah Michelle Gellar is talking about how Dolly Parton was a producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

During a visit to The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Gellar was asked about Parton being an uncredited producer on the show she starred in for seven seasons.

“Yes, little known fact, the legend Dolly Parton was a producer,” she said on the NBC late-night show. “We never saw her [but] we’d get Christmas gifts in the beginning that would have our name, and I would think, ‘She doesn’t even know who I am.’ And then one day, someone asked her about it, and she complimented the show and my performance. I was like, ‘Oh, I can die now. Dolly Parton knows who I am and thinks I’m good.'”

Sandollar Productions, which Parton started with her then-business partner Sandy Gallin, was behind the supernatural drama, alongside Mutant Enemy Productions and 20th Century Fox Television.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" went on quite a wild journey. The 1992 film, while not a total flop, didn't do too well at the box office. Reviews were mixed at the time, but largely skewed negative and in the years since its release, the movie has not been looked upon kindly — though honestly, it's better than you remember. The film's writer, Joss Whedon, famously hated what director Fran Rubel Kuzui did with his script, so he jumped at the chance to make a "Buffy" TV show.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" remains my very favorite series, despite the incredibly upsetting revelations about Whedon's abusive on-set behavior. It's fascinating to consider the undeniable impact of a show that rose from the ashes of a failed movie. Longtime fans will recognize Kuzui's name, whether they've seen the film or not. While not directly involved with the series, the producing credit for Fran Rubel Kuzui...

Horror has always been a genre for women. In her seminal work "Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film," Carol J. Clover explores the female characters in horror films as well as their impact on traditionally accepted gender norms. Research from the Geena Davis Institute shows that watching strong female protagonists in horror films can help empower women in their own careers. The essay that opens Clover's book is known for coining the term "final girl," the last, usually female, protagonist left alive in a slasher film.

Another beloved genre trope is the "scream queen." An actress known for her lung capacity, the Cambridge Dictionary defines this archetype as "a female actor who plays a main character in a horror movie who gets frightened or attacked." Fay Wray is often named as the first scream queen with many noting her work in the 1933 film "King Kong,...

A Ben Affleck cameo in the first Buffy the Vampire Slayer film is great fun, although his one line of dialogue was dubbed over. The budding Affleck was just beginning to make his acting breakthrough when the Buffy movie was released in 1992, a year before Affleck's turn in Dazed and Confused and five before his star-making role in Good Will Hunting. Buffy certainly did not contribute to Affleck's growth into a 1990s leading man, with his one line and uncredited role in the finished film as Basketball Player #10. Though Affleck's part was always planned to be minor, during post-production, its significance was reduced even further. This tidbit has been an entertaining piece of pop culture trivia for some time, but a 2022 book highlights the reason why Affleck's cameo in the original Buffy was reduced.

In Into Every Generation a Slayer Is Born: How Buffy Staked Our Hearts, author Evan Ross Katz...

(Welcome to Year of the Vampire, a series examining the greatest, strangest, and sometimes overlooked vampire movies of all time in honor of "Nosferatu," which turns 100 this year.)

"All I want to do is graduate from high school, go to Europe, marry Christian Slater, and die." "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" turns 30 this year! The film, which starred Kristy Swanson as the titular heroine, was written by Joss Whedon and directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui. While not a complete box office flop, the movie did receive mixed reviews upon its release, and has been lambasted by pretty...

The post Year of the Vampire: Buffy The Vampire Slayer the Movie Gave us the First Draft of Buffy Summers appeared first on /Film.

Japan Society revived this 1988 film in November 19, 2019 as part of its film series, ‘Tokyo Stories: Japan in the Global Imagination’. It was followed by a Q&A with Fran Rubel Kuzui, its creator, director and co-writer, a New Yorker who has resided with her husband Kaz Kuzui in Japan since 2000.

When I acquired Tokyo Pop for the U.S. market in 1988, none of us had any idea that this largely forgotten gem of ’80s American independent cinema by Fran Rubel Kuzui would bring such success to its director or star. Tokyo Pop’s name star, Carrie Hamilton, the daughter of Carol Burnett, was bound for stardom until her life ended prematurely (1963–2002)....

Continue reading on SydneysBuzz The Blog »...

Do you remember Ben Affleck in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie? Of course you do! Hard to let such an unforgettable performance fade from the mind, but incredibly, though Affleck’s “Uncredited Basketball Player #10” was surely a key piece of the Buffy puzzle back in 1992, his character is generally more commonly referred to as “hey, was that …was that Ben Affleck?”

Hard to believe. Powerful, and underrated.

In a new interview with The Jess Cagle Show on SiriusXM, Affleck certainly hadn’t blocked out his early Buffy the Vampire Slayer experience, as the actor explained how the movie, which was his first proper appearance on the big screen, led to some cringeworthy disappointment when he realised that his dramatic one-line reading of “take it” clearly hadn’t blown director Fran Rubel Kuzui away during the shoot.

“Apparently, I am so bad in that movie that my one line — it was ‘take it,...

Ben Affleck’s performance in “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” was not quite up to director Fran Rubel Kuzui’s expectations.

“Apparently, I am so bad in that movie that my one line — it was ‘take it,’ I think — I thought it was fine and the director seemed happy,” Affleck said on SiriusXM’s “The Jess Cagle Show” on Tuesday. “I went to the movie — I didn’t get premiere tickets or anything — and I was like… that is not my voice! That is not me! Apparently the director hated my performance so much that she looped the entire performance, which was one line. Yes, I was dubbed. In English!”

1992’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was directed by Kuzui and starred Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens, Rutger Hauer, Luke Perry and Hilary Swank. Joss Whedon wrote the screenplay.

Kuzui did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Also Read:...

By Wally Adams

Fran Rubel is one of those figures in cinema that left an invisible impact behind the scenes and from multiple angles. Most people would think they never heard of her, but surprisingly very high numbers have partaken of her products, services or things influenced by her and her partner over the years. In concrete terms, she’s best known for making the original “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” movie which later spawned a more famous TV series. But there’s more to her legacy than that, to which the largely forgotten “Tokyo Pop” was both the stepping stone and emblem towards wider goals.

“Tokyo Pop” is screening at Japan Society

Fresh out of NYU, Rubel had been hired in Japan as a script supervisor for Japanese publishing and film mega-tycoon Haruki Kadokawa’s company. Kadokawa Pictures had achieved huge success in previous years with mega-hits including the classically...

Japan Society is screening the film November 19th as part of its film series, ‘Tokyo Stories: Japan in the Global Imagination’. It will be followed by a Q&a with Fran Rubel Kuzui, its creator, director and co-writer.

When I acquired Tokyo Pop for the U.S. market in 1988, none of us had any idea that this largely forgotten gem of ’80s American independent cinema by Fran Rubel Kuzui would bring such success to its director or star. Tokyo Pop’s name star, Carrie Hamilton, the daughter of Carol Burnett, was bound for stardom until her life ended prematurely (1963–2002).

The film itself is slated to be a classic, and, if I may say, it was perhaps the precursor to Sophie Coppola’s own classic, Lost in Translation.

Not only did we have no idea of what the future would bring for any of us who were then struggling to put U.

From the bustle of neon-lit Shinjuku and its ultramodern skyscrapers to the traditional scenery of Mt. Fuji, cherry blossoms, and Shinto shrines, Tokyo has served as a source of creative inspiration for generations of international filmmakers. Anticipating the 2020 Summer Games, when the eyes of the world will once again fall upon Japan’s dynamic capital, Tokyo Stories: Japan in the Global Imagination considers the ways Japan—and the elusive concept of “Japaneseness” —is rendered and interpreted outside its borders with a revealing selection of Tokyo-set films by foreign directors, including Japanese co-productions, Hollywood blockbusters, and European arthouse favorites.

The series kicks off November 8 with Werner Herzog’s latest film Family Romance, LLC, a quasi-documentary narrative feature concerning the function of role-playing in matters of love and business, screening in New York for the first time since it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Herzog is one of...

For a generation, “Beverly Hills 90210” cemented Luke Perry’s legacy as he redefined bad-boy archetypes with his portrayal of iconic sensitive teen Dylan McKay. In the years that followed, his career ranged from guest work on HBO’s “Oz,” to regular self-parody, to seemingly coming full circle as the father of a teenager on The CW’s “Riverdale.”

But one of his most important roles was came in a 1992 film that helped redefine a genre. Directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui and written by Joss Whedon, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is not remembered as a classic, for good reason. Much of the action is clumsy both in its choreography and its direction, no one in the cast seems to agree as to what kind of movie they’re making, Donald Sutherland is literally just making up his own dialogue, and the tone veers from self-serious drama to wild camp.

When Whedon...

Many know him as Jason Voorhees, but you can get to know the real Kane Hodder behind the mask in the upcoming documentary To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story. Also in today's Horror Highlights is the trailer for the Wesley Snipes-starring The Recall, a new episode of the fun and frightening series Graves, and details on the Wizard World Horror Fest.

To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story Update: Press Release: "Los Angeles, CA May 9, 2017- Masterfully Macabre Entertainment (“Mme”) announced today that they have put the final touches on their latest documentary, To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story. This in-depth biographical documentary on horror icon, Kane Hodder, features interviews with cinema legends, including Bruce Campbell (Ash vs. Evil Dead), Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger), and Cassandra Peterson (Elvira: Mistress of the Dark).

To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story has been submitted to...

Today is publication day for TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time, the anthology where Matt Zoller Seitz and I rank the top 100 American sitcoms and dramas ever, and write essays about them, and a whole lot of other things (movies, miniseries, current shows, shows that weren't top 100-worthy but were sentimental favorites in some way, etc.). You can order it in multiple editions (including an audiobook recorded by Matt and me) at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, or your favorite indie bookseller. Here's Matt and I explaining how we assigned scores to figure out our top 100: And here's us explaining our rules for what was and wasn't considered for the top 100: We're very proud of the book, and can't wait for people to start reading, but if you still need a taste or two to push you over the buying edge,...

Before Sarah Michelle Gellar, there was Kristy Swanson as Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Sarah looks back at an unfairly forgotten 90s film…

It’s safe to say that not many people hold the original Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie in high regard. It’s too camp to be taken seriously, but not camp enough to be embraced ironically; it straddles that awkward horror/comedy line and, whenever it has to choose between going dark and going daft, it opts for daft. Watching it now does feel slightly weird.

To any diehard Buffy The Vampire Slayer fan, Sarah Michelle Gellar is Buffy. She fully embodied that role, to the point where it’s difficult to watch her in anything else (especially horror movies) without seeing Buffy (and being disappointed when she’s inevitably a less interesting character). It’s even weirder to see Buffy when she’s being played by someone else.

Rank the week of September 13th’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases against the best films of all-time: New Releases Thor

(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)

Flickchart Ranking: #227

Win Percentage: 58%

Times Ranked: 18033

Top-20 Rankings: 90

Directed By: Kenneth Branagh

Starring: Chris Hemsworth • Natalie Portman • Anthony Hopkins • Jeremy Renner • Kat Dennings

Genres: Action • Adventure • Based-on-Comics • Comic-Book Superhero Film • Fantasy • Fantasy Adventure

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Conan O’Brien Can’T Stop

(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2011)

Flickchart Ranking: #5260

Win Percentage: 54%

Times Ranked: 719

Top-20 Rankings: 5

Directed By: Rodman Flender

Starring: Conan O’Brien

Genres: Comedy • Documentary

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Incendies

(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2010)

Flickchart Ranking: #4296

Win Percentage: 51%

Times Ranked: 947

Top-20 Rankings: 8

Directed By: Denis Villeneuve

Starring: Lubna Azabal • Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin • Maxim Gaudette • Rémy Girard • Abdelghafour Elaaziz

Genres: Drama • Foreign Language Film

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The Tempest

(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2010)

Flickchart Ranking: #7784

Win Percentage: 37%

Times Ranked: 385

Top-20 Rankings: 2

Directed By: Julie Taymor

Starring: Helen Mirren • Djimon Hounsou • Alfred Molina...

There’s a lot of evil out there! Disposing of the nasty creatures, monsters, zombies, witches, vampires and the like is a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it. Remakes of Fright Night and Conan The Barbarian will splatter evil blood all over screens this week when they open in theaters on Friday, August 19th, so here’s a look at our favorite monster killers from the movies.

Now, before we get started… a list like this really needs to be defined, so here are those pesky rules that govern who makes the cut and who gets cut:

You must have multiple kills! One and done is not enough. You must be a full-time monster hunter. None of this part-time, moonlighting crap! You must actually “kill” the monsters. Sorry, but The Ghostbusters don’t make the cut.

Honorable Mention: Hans, trolljegeren – Trollhunter (2010)

Do trolls really exist? Hans says so,...

Heather Morris is apparently still circling "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Despite the fact that screenwriter Whit Anderson had debunked a previous news linking her to the reboot project of the 1992 film, the actress herself confirmed that she is being considered for the movie.

"They're considering me!" she told Access Hollywood when met at an event for Flirt cosmetics, for which Morris is a paid spokesperson, in Los Angeles on Thursday, Decemeber 16. She further shared, "I found out and I almost peed my pants 'cause I was so excited!"

Morris, who stars on Fox musical series "Glee", additionally admitted that she is a fan of the story's heroine Buffy, that she would take any role in the upcoming film. "If they make ['Buffy'] when ['Glee'] is on hiatus, I don't even care what I do. I can just run through the shot and do nothing - even if I'm not Buffy!" she declared.

You may recall that we reported that a reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is moving forward without the involvement of Joss Whedon, the creator of the 1992 movie and the 1997-2003 series that followed.

It turns out that Whedon was offered the project. According to THR, Whedon was approached by Fran Rubel Kuzui (the director of the original movie) and her husband Kaz Kuzui, who own part of the rights to the Buffy concept, to be involved. He turned it down, preferring to work on other projects. The Kuzui couple then found actress/writer Whit Anderson and liked her idea for a reboot.

They were then to attract Atlas Entertainment and Vertigo Entertainment who then were able to get Warner Bros. interested. Fox, who distributed the original movie, was offered the project first but passed and Warners said "yes."...

Joss Whedon won't be "left to his pain" so much after this little "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" development. Warner Bros. has been made to seem like the Big Bad Guy in this situation when they chose to reboot "Buffy" without the involvement of Whedon, who wrote the screenplay for the original feature film and spearheaded the TV series.

Turns out Whedon actually was offered the first opportunity for a "Buffy" reboot, though -- at least that the tune WB insiders are singing -- which kind of takes away from our little Whedon pity fest. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Whedon decided to pass on the film because he'd rather work on other projects (read: "The Avengers") and it was only then that producers turned to unknown writer Whit Anderson. She came up with a version of the myth that captured the studios' attention, and Warner Bros. decided to go forward...

Could it be that Joss Whedon actually Passed on a Buffy reboot? So says studio insiders in response to this report and a lengthy retort issued by Whedon last week in which Whedon begs, 'Leave me to my pain!'. Full details below. According to Heat Vision. Whedon 'was approached last year after Buffy rights holder Fran Rubel Kuzui and husband Kaz Kuzui began developing a remake with Vertigo. After presented with the opportunity, Whedon decided he'd rather work on other projects.' The report continues, 'Producers then began searching for a writer and late last year hired actress-turned-scribe Whit Anderson. The unknown Anderson, with only bit film appearances to her credit, came up with a take on the Buffy...

As "Buffy" fans, we all are in unison that in every generation, you can only have a chosen one to make a film version of the beloved TV show. And we all agreed that creator Joss Whedon is the chosen one.

Well, for weeks, the internet was buzzing about the supposed non-inclusion of creator Joss Whedon in the planned big-screen version from Warner Bros.

Now, studio insiders are saying that Whedon was the one who slayed "Buffy." We'll get to that in a minute. But first, let's recap the drama shall we?

Previously, on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" movie adaptation drama (circa May 2009) we said:

So, the news about "Buffy the Vampire Slaer" remake or "relaunch" made me happy, and then...I heard that creator Joss Whedon is Not part of it!

Right now, there's no studio behind the project, no Whedon in sight, but the original movie director Fran Rubel Kuzui and her husband,...

Briefly: There's the story making the rounds that, in the wake of the recent development on a new big-screen version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy creator Joss Whedon was offered a chance to be part of the film and declined. Except -- guess what? -- this would appear to be the same offer for him to participate on which we reported way back in the misty, lost days of July 2009 . (How quickly the internet forgets.) So, while THR has pushed forward the tale that original remake developers Fran Rubel Kuzui and husband Kaz Kuzui offered Joss Whedon a chance to be part of the remake, there appears to be no news here. Only a reminder. But I have seen some commentary that seems to be underhandedly scolding Mr. Whedon for not taking the job, and suggesting, 'well, you had your chance to work with this one, so no reason to complain now.

“Hey Joss, it’s Chuck, Chuck Roven. Super, how are you? Good, good. Listen, babe, I was doing the backstroke in that swimming pool filled with Johnnie Walker Blue Label I bought with my ‘Dark Knight’ money, and I got an idea. I don’t know if it was sheer inspiration or alcohol poisoning, but I had two words in my head: ‘Buffy… Reboot.’ I know you’ve done it twice before, but what do ya think, buddy, third time’s the charm? Huh? Hello? Hello? You still there, Jossy?”

That’s our speculative impression of what may have gone down when “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” creator Joss Whedon got the call from producer Charles Roven to reboot the franchise he created for the 1992 movie and then re-envisioned for the highly popular TV series, which ran from 1997 to 2003.

According to Heat Vision, this call really happened, although Roven may or...

THR's Heat Vision is stirring up more dirt regarding the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot and, to be honest, you should probably just take it as spin. Borys Kit's studio insiders say Buffy rights holders Fran Rubel Kuzui and Kaz Kuzui turned to Whedon to develop the remake. But he passed on the opportunity to work on other projects. Fox reportedly dragged its feet on the property, so it was taken to Warner Bros., too. After the recent fan backlash, I can imagine the Kuzuis are scrambling to counter Whedon's recent comments on the upcoming project . In a story, last year , when all of this Buffy remake business began, the Kuzuis said they wanted a film with no ties to the universe Whedon created. Not exactly an enticing offer for Whedon even if he was approached....

Reports claim Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator, who suggested he was in pain over his omission from movie, refused role

When Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon went public with apparent dismay at being cut out of the picture for a forthcoming new film, fans from London to Los Angeles took to the internet to express their ire. But matters may not have been quite as they first appeared: according to The Hollywood Reporter, Whedon turned down the chance to be involved in the project.

Citing studio insiders, the movie industry bible said yesterday that owners of the rights to the character had approached Whedon last year to see if he might be interested in working on a new film. He reportedly said he would rather concentrate on other projects. He has imminent comic book ensemble piece The Avengers on his schedule.Such a sequence of events would appear...

Just about a week removed from when "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon asked to be left "to his pain" regarding Warner Brothers' upcoming redux of the hit property Buffy the Vampire Slayer, some more news has come to light regarding Whedon's possible involvement.

The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision Blog reports that according to studio insiders, Whedon was approached last year after "Buffy" rightsholder Fran Rubel Kuzui and husband Kaz Kuzui began developing a remake with Vertigo.

After being presented with the opportunity, Whedon decided he'd rather work on other projects (he's making Marvel Studios' The Avengers). Producers then began searching for a writer and late last year hired actress-turned-scribe Whit Anderson. The unknown Anderson, with only bit film appearances to her credit, came up with a take on the "Buffy" mythos that was strong enough after a couple of drafts to lure Atlas, which partnered with Vertigo to set it up at a studio.