ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME: IN CONCERT -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 4/15/18

 

The best way to get a bunch of famous entertainers together, it seems, is to hold a big self-congratulatory ceremony full of gushing tributes in their honor and start throwing awards at them.
 
Time-Life's new 2-disc Blu-ray set ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME: IN CONCERT is a document of four such awards shows from 2014-2017, and sure enough, there are tons and tons of famous musicians seemingly coming out of the woodwork to be there to speechify and perform.

Each of the dozens of inductees, both groups and solo artists, gets one of those gushing tribute speeches from a fellow musician/fan and then performs a selection of their best songs.  Those who have passed on or couldn't make it have their songs reverently interpreted by others. 

Needless to say, it's a grab-bag of goodies and not-so-goodies, and your enjoyment of these four celebrity-packed events as a whole will depend on how eclectic your musical tastes are.  But no matter what you're into, you're likely to find at least some of it here.

One of the main attractions is the fact that some of these bands are reuniting for the first time in years and feature members from different lineups who haven't performed together before.

And some of the sets have special guests joining in to form impromptu all-star bands with various frontmen, lead guitarists, etc. all combining their considerable forces.

My favorite segment is when one of my all-time favorite bands, prog-rock pioneers Yes, finally gets their long-overdue accolades.  After an introductory speech by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush, Lee takes the late Chris Squire's place on bass for a kickass rendition of "Roundabout" followed by "Owner of a Lonely Heart", with members from most of the group's incarnations represented.

Another favorite is the (again long-overdue) induction of Ringo Starr by Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney himself. I love Ringo and it's great whenever he gets his time in the sun as he does here, performing with one of those all-star bands including Paul, Joe Walsh, and more.

Other artists honored include Electric Light Orchestra, Peter Gabriel, Nirvana, Linda Ronstadt, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Stevie Ray Vaughan (brother Jimmie performs in his place),Lou Reed, Deep Purple, Cheap Trick, NWA, Bill Withers, Joan Baez, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Chicago, Journey, Green Day, Cat Stevens, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Tupac Shakur, and Pearl Jam.

As one might guess, the fawning induction speeches are a seriously hit-or-miss proposition.  Some are rather charming, as the one for ELO by George Harrison's son Dhani, and McCartney's for Ringo. Most are insufferably boring. A few, such as Miley Cyrus' monologue on Joan Jett, are downright obnoxious. 

The often-rambling acceptance speeches run the same gamut, albeit with much more thanking of wives, children, lifelong musical influences, etc. My favorite, surprisingly, was that of Yes keyboard whiz Rick Wakeman, whose speech took the form of a hilariously off-color stand-up comedy routine ("I think my wife's in a coma, but I'm not sure--the sex is the same, but the wash is piling up.")

If you're like me, you'll be hitting the fast-forward button to get past a lot of this and on to the music--and even skipping through much of it as well.  But those with wider tastes than mine, who scan the above list of performers and can't wait to sample most or all of their performances, will be in hog heaven throughout most of ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME: IN CONCERT.


ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME IN CONCERT, 2014-2017

Type: DVD (4 Discs)/Blu-ray (2 Discs)
Running Time: 674 mins.
Genre: Music
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 (16 x 9)
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/Stereo 2.0
Bonus: illustrated program booklet
Release date: 4/24/18

ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME: IN CONCERT -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

NINETEENTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS -- Get Those Votes In NOW!

 

IT'S MONDO RONDO TIME AGAIN!

"Long live the Rondos!" - Ain't It Cool News
"I love Rondo!" - Guillermo del Toro

Forget the Oscars--forget the Emmys--it's time to cast your vote for the awards that really matter. Namely, the 2018 (for the year 2017) Rondos!

Voting ends midnight, April 21, 2018.

Growing in popularity by leaps and bounds is this increasingly prestigious annual award which was created by fans (David Colton and Kerry Gammill) for fans (this means you!) and is a fond tribute to the one and only Rondo Hatton of THE BRUTE MAN and HOUSE OF HORRORS fame. The eerily lifelike bust itself was sculpted by illustrator Gammill, and cast by modeler Tim Lindsey. 

 

Everything you need to know about the Rondos, including nominees, past winners, upcoming unsanity, and tons of other stuff, can be found at The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards website. And to find out how to participate in the excitement yourself, along with a crypt-load of other creepy threads on the subject, check out the Rondo folder at the Classic Horror Film Board.

All together now: "Da doo ron Rondo, da doo ron ron!"


Complete Rondo News, Info, and Discussion

Official Ballot

 

NINETEENTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS -- Get Those Votes In NOW!

SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS -- Get Those Votes In NOW!

IT'S MONDO RONDO TIME AGAIN!

"Long live the Rondos!" - Ain't It Cool News
"I love Rondo!" - Guillermo del Toro

Forget the Oscars--forget the Emmys--it's time to cast your vote for the awards that really matter. Namely, the 2018 (for the year 2017) Rondos!

Official Ballot

Voting ends midnight, April 21, 2018.

Growing in popularity by leaps and bounds is this increasingly prestigious annual award which was created by fans (David Colton and Kerry Gammill) for fans (this means you!) and is a fond tribute to the one and only Rondo Hatton of THE BRUTE MAN and HOUSE OF HORRORS fame. The eerily lifelike bust itself was sculpted by illustrator Gammill, and cast by modeler Tim Lindsey.

Everything you need to know about the Rondos, including nominees, past winners, upcoming unsanity, and tons of other stuff, can be found at The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards website. And to find out how to participate in the excitement yourself, along with a crypt-load of other creepy threads on the subject, check out the Rondo folder at the Classic Horror Film Board.

All together now: "Da doo ron Rondo, da doo ron ron!"


Complete Rondo News, Info, and Discussion

Official Ballot

SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS -- Get Those Votes In NOW!

CMA AWARDS LIVE: GREATEST MOMENTS 1968-2015 -- DVD Review by Porfle

I've never been that much of a country music fan.  But when I have to choose, I much prefer the old-fashioned, authentic (in my opinion) country-western stuff over this watered-down soft rock that they call "young country" or whatever these days.

Of course, there are those who like or even love country music in all its phases, from every era, and it's those people who will most appreciate Time-Life's new 3-disc DVD set, CMA AWARD LIVE: GREATEST MOMENTS 1968-2015.

As the title suggests, it covers the genre from the old days up until recent years and includes many of the acts deemed worthy of various awards by the Country Music Association.

Fortunately (for me, anyway, since I hate award shows), all the fat has been trimmed from these ceremonies, save for a few assorted presentations for "Entertainer of the Year" and such, and even then, the acceptance speeches are short and sweet. Closing credits for each show are also included.

The rest of the collection consists of music, music, music.  Only a few performances are chosen from each award show, and I assume these are the cream of the crop.  So if you wanted to, you could just play these discs in the background like you would a country music sampler.

The first thing we see on Disc 1 is black-and-white video footage of hosts Roy Rogers and Dale Evans standing at the podium on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and that's when I knew I would enjoy Disc 1 the most.

The acts featured during the four shows covered here include "Tennessee" Ernie Ford ("Sixteen Tons"), Bobby Goldsboro, Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette ("D-I-V-O-R-C-E"), Glen Campbell, Merle Haggard ("Okie From Muskogee"), Marty Robbins, Jerry Reed, Lynn "Rose Garden" Anderson, Charley Pride, Earl Scruggs, Tanya Tucker, Jeanne Pruett, Jeannie C. Riley ("Harper Valley PTA"), and Loretta Lynn.

I may not like all of them (Goldsboro especially gets on my nerves), but this is the kind of country I can appreciate.  These live performances are produced simply and the songs are sometimes truncated, but there's a quality to them which I find most pleasing of all the different eras of country music.

Disc 2 jumps ahead in time with the "outlaw" country stylings of the Highwaymen (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson), along with the Judds, Randy Travis, George Strait, Alan Jackson, John Denver, Patty Loveless, Clint Black, Vince Gill, Travis Tritt, and Trisha Yearwood.

The closest thing to old-school, and my favorite moment, is Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty singing "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man." The farthest thing from it, perhaps, is Alabama performing "Deep River Woman" with guest vocalist Lionel Richie.

Disc 3 consists of my least-favorite brand of pseudo-country (again, my own opinion) in all its glitzy glory, complete with way more elaborate stage presentations.  It's a good indication of the state of country music in the 2000s.

This includes some familiar acts and some I've never even heard of: Taylor Swift, Little Big Town, Eric Church, Florida Georgia Line, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Chris Stapleton, Blake Shelton, and Alison Kraus. (Justin Timberlake makes an appearance as well.)

The best part for me is a tribute to George Jones by Alan Jackson and George Strait ("He Stopped Loving Her Today").  The rest of this new stuff pretty much leaves me cold--I think it sounds like warmed-over soft rock with a twang.

But if you're into both old and new country, then there's no reason why you shouldn't enjoy CMA AWARDS LIVE: GREATEST MOMENTS 1968-2015.  It's a straightforward, no-frills (except for four bonus interviews) collection of live country music performances that pretty well cover the spectrum of what this musical genre has to offer.


Also comes in 10-disc and 18-disc collections.

CMA AWARDS LIVE: GREATEST MOMENTS 1968-2015 -- DVD Review by Porfle

SIXTEENTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS -- Voting Under Way NOW!

IT'S MONDO RONDO TIME AGAIN!

"Long live the Rondos!" - Ain't It Cool News
"I love Rondo!" - Guillermo del Toro

Forget the Oscars--forget the Emmys--it's time to cast your vote for the awards that really matter. Namely, the 2018 (for the year 2017) Rondos!

Voting ends midnight, April 8, 2018.

Growing in popularity by leaps and bounds is this increasingly prestigious annual award which was created by fans (David Colton and Kerry Gammill) for fans (this means you!) and is a fond tribute to the one and only Rondo Hatton of THE BRUTE MAN and HOUSE OF HORRORS fame.

The eerily lifelike bust itself was sculpted by illustrator Gammill, and cast by modeler Tim Lindsey.

Everything you need to know about the Rondos, including nominees, past winners, upcoming unsanity, and tons of other stuff, can be found at The Classic Horror Film Board. 

All together now: "Da doo ron Rondo, da doo ron ron!"

Official Ballot

Here's our own parallel-view 3D rendering of the Great One himself (click to enlarge):

SIXTEENTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS -- Voting Under Way NOW!

43rd Annual Saturn Awards Winners

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY AND 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE LEAD WINNERS AT 43RD ANNUAL SATURN AWARDS
 
TV Winners Include “Westworld,” “The Walking Dead,” “Riverdale” and “Outlander;” “Bionic Man” Lee Majors, Akiva Goldsman Among Special Achievement Honorees

Robert Holguin (President)
Dr. Donald A. Reed (Founder)

BURBANK, Calif. – June 28, 2016 – The 43rd Annual Saturn Awards celebrated the best and the brightest in genre entertainment tonight, with Lucasfilm/Disney’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story capturing three statuettes in the Film Category, tying with Paramount’s science fiction thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane. One of the entertainment industry’s most highly-anticipated evenings, the yearly gathering of the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films also bestowed Saturn gold to such television favorites (and previous Saturn Award vets) as AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” HBO’s “Westworld,” CW’s “Riverdale” and “Supergirl” and Starz’ “Outlander.” Hosted by fan favorite Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy 1 and 2), the festivities took place at the legendary Castaway in Burbank, California.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story won Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director (Gareth Edwards), and Best Special Effects (John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel, Neil Corbould), while the psychological thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane nabbed Best Actress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Best Supporting Actor (John Goodman) honors in addition to Best Thriller Film. Two Saturn Awards each went to Marvel’s mind-bending epic Doctor Strange (Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture; Best Supporting Actress Tilda Swinton), Disney’s The BFG (Best Production Design Rick Carter & Robert Stromberg and Best Editing Michael Kahn), and Lionsgate’s La La Land (Best Independent Film and Best Music Justin Hurwitz). Additional film winners include Best Horror Film to Don’t Breathe (Screen Gems/Sony), Disney’s The Jungle Book for Best Fantasy Film, the space race saga Hidden Figures (Fox) tapped as Best Action/Adventure Film, Pixar/Disney’s Finding Dory hooked Best Animated Film and Amazon/Magnolia’s The Handmaiden for Best International Film. Ryan Reynolds’ crowd-pleasing performance as the ultra-sarcastic superhero Deadpool won for Best Actor, with Tom Holland’s appearance as everyone’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man in Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War earning recognition for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.

The small screen always scores big at the Saturn Awards and tonight was no exception. The unstoppable walkers of AMC’s global TV phenomenon “The Walking Dead” proved just as invincible last night, garnering three Saturn Awards for Best Horror TV Series, Best Actor on Television (Andrew Lincoln), and Best Guest Star on Television (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). HBO’s “Westworld” 21st century reboot outdrew the competition for two awards: Best Science Fiction TV Series and Best Supporting Actor on Television (Ed Harris). In a rare tie, Best New Media TV Series was split between “Marvel’s Luke Cage” and the retro hit “Stranger Things,” both on Netflix. 2017 also saw a new Saturn Award inaugurated in the Television category: Best Animated TV Series, won by Disney XD/Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars Rebels.” Other acting winners in the Television categories include Candace Patton (CW’s “The Flash”) for Best Supporting Actress on Television, and Millie Bobby Brown (“Stranger Things”) for Best Younger TV Actor.

Lee Majors, cherished by millions of fans as the iconic “Bionic Man” from the 1970s TV series “The Six Million Dollar Man”, received the Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by his fellow co-star Bruce Campbell from the cult favorite Starz series “Ash vs. Evil Dead.” For a career spanning almost a quarter century, Oscar-winning writer/producer/director Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind) was cited with the rarely given Visionary Award. The Filmmakers Showcase Award was presented the writing/producing team Rick Silver and Amanda Jaffe, for their continuing support and contributions to high quality genre entertainment including the critically-acclaimed Apes film series reboots (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and this summer’s upcoming War for the Planet of the Apes), Jurassic World, and Disney’s live-action Mulan. The outrageous and irreverent Heavy Metal Magazine – celebrating its 40th anniversary this year – won a Special Recognition Award and KJ Apa of the CW’s “Riverdale” received the Breakthrough Performance Award.


The full list of winners at the 43rd Annual Saturn Awards:
 
FILM AWARDS
Best Science Fiction Film: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney Studios)
Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture:  Doctor Strange (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
Best Fantasy Film:  The Jungle Book (Walt Disney Studios)
Best Horror Film: Don’t Breathe (Screen Gems/Sony)
Best Action/Adventure Film: Hidden Figures (Fox)
Best Thriller Film:  10 Cloverfield Lane (Paramount)
Best International Film:  The Handmaiden  (Amazon / Magnolia)
Best Animated Film:  Finding Dory  (Pixar / Walt Disney Studios)
Best Independent Film:  La La Land (Lionsgate)

Best Actor: Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool)
Best Actress:  Mary Elizabeth Winstead (10 Cloverfield Lane)
Best Supporting Actor:  John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane)
Best Supporting Actress:   Tilda Swinton (Doctor Strange)
Best Performance by a Younger Actor:  Tom Holland (Captain America: Civil War)

Best Director: Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
Best Writing:  Eric Heisserer (Arrival)
Best Production Design: Rick Carter & Robert Stromberg (The BFG)
Best Editing:  Michael Kahn (The BFG)
Best Music:  Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)
Best Costume: Colleen Atwood (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)
Best Make-Up: Monica Huppert & Joel Harlow (Star Trek Beyond)
Best Special Effects:  John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel, Neil Corbould (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)

TELEVISION AWARDS
Best Science Fiction TV Series: Westworld (HBO)
Best Horror TV Series: The Walking Dead (AMC)
Best Action/Thriller TV Series:  Riverdale (The CW)
Best Fantasy TV Series: Outlander (Starz)Best Presentation on Television:  11.22.63  (Hulu)
Best Superhero Adaptation Television Series:  Supergirl  (The CW)
Best New Media TV Series:  Marvel’s Luke Cage (tie)  & Stranger Things (Netflix)
Best Animated TV Series*:  Star Wars Rebels  (Disney XD/Lucasfilm)
Best Actor on Television:  Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead) 
Best Actress on Television:  Melissa Benoist (Supergirl)
Best Supporting Actor on Television: Ed Harris (Westworld)
Best Supporting Actress on Television: Candice Patton (The Flash)
Best Younger TV Actor: Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things)
Best Guest Star on Television: Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead)
   
HOME ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS
Best DVD/BD Collection Release: Frankenstein: Complete Legacy Collection (Universal)
Best DVD/BD Television Series Release: Hannibal: The Complete Series Collection (Lionsgate)
Best DVD/BD Classic Film Release: Time After Time (Warner Archives)
Best DVD/BD Special Edition:  Phantasm Remastered (Well Go USA)
Best DVD/BD Release: Tales of Halloween (Epic Pictures)

Best Local Stage Production:  A View From the Bridge (Ahmanson Theatre)

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS FROM THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE FICTION,
FANTASY & HORROR FILMS

The Life Career Award: Lee Majors
The Visionary Award: Akiva Goldsman
The Filmmakers Showcase Award:  Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver
Special Recognition Award:  Heavy Metal Magazine
The Breakthrough Performance Award: KJ Apa (Riverdale)

(*) Inaugural Award for category

For more information about the Saturn Awards and the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, visit http://www.saturnawards.org http://www.youtube.com/c/OfficialSaturnAwardsChannel , and https://twitter.com/SaturnAwards1



THE SATURN AWARDS ORGANIZATION
(Presented by The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films)
334 West 54th Street, Los Angeles, California 90037
(323) 752-5811   mailto:saturn.awards@ca.rr.com
(honoring the best in genre entertainment)

43rd Annual Saturn Awards Winners

Saturn Awards Special Achievement Citations Unveiled -- Lee Majors ("Six Million Dollar Man") Among Honorees

Lee Majors, Akiva Goldsman, Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, KJ Apa and Heavy Metal Magazine                    
Special Honorees at The 43rd Annual Saturn Awards!


LOS ANGELES – May 23, 2017 – The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films today announces special achievement awards to be presented at the 43rd Annual Saturn Awards in June along with the best and brightest in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror motion pictures and television.

This year the Life Career Award will be presented to TV’s legendary “Six Million Dollar Man” himself, Lee Majors.  In this era of omnipresent superheroes, Lee Majors’ Colonel Steve Austin was ahead of his time, The Fall Guy continued his Hollywood bounty hunting, and his star power continues to shine on the hit Starz TV show “Ash Vs Evil Dead.”

Writer/director/producer Akiva Goldsman is recipient of this year’s Visionary Award.  Goldsman has written such blockbuster films as: “I, Robot,” “Cinderella Man,” “I Am Legend,” “The Da Vinci Code,” “Angels & Demons,” “Insurgent,” the Oscar-winning “A Beautiful Mind” and the upcoming “The Dark Tower” and “Firestarter” (as director).   On TV, he’s worked on “Fringe,” “Childhood’s End,” WGN’s original drama series “Underground,” and the upcoming “Star Trek: Discovery” and Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment live action drama series “Titans.”

The Filmmakers Showcase Award will be bestowed to the dynamic writing/producing team of Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.  Together, they’ve worked on such successful genre films as: “The Hand that Rocked the Cradle,” “Relic,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “Jurassic World,” and this summer’s “War for the Planet of the Apes.”  Upcoming is Disney’s live-action “Mulan” and “Avatar 3.”

The Breakthrough Performance Award goes to KJ Apa, who stars as the iconic Archie Andrews on The CW’s hit show “Riverdale” from Berlanti Productions.   KJ’s “Archie” brings a whole new dimension to the classic Archie’s Comics character and opened up its pages to a new generation of fans. 

Receiving the Special Recognition Award will be Heavy Metal Magazine.  Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, the name “Heavy Metal” has become synonymous with cutting edge stories and art, and continues to be the world's premier illustrated magazine for science fiction, horror and Fantasy for the new millennia and beyond.

The Academy was founded in 1972 by noted film historian Dr. Donald A. Reed to honor and recognize films often overlooked by mainstream awards.  Over the years, the Academy has expanded its reach to include recognizing excellence in television and home entertainment, as well as other genres, including adventure, thriller and action. 

This year’s Saturn Awards will be presented on Wednesday June 28, in Burbank.  For a complete list of nominations and more information about the Academy, visit www.saturnawards.org, www.youtube.com/c/OfficialSaturnAwardsChannel, and @SaturnAwards1

Saturn Awards Special Achievement Citations Unveiled -- Lee Majors ("Six Million Dollar Man") Among Honorees

THE WINNERS OF THE (GASP!) 15TH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON AWARDS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED!

THE RONDO WINNERS ARE IN!  

Yes, the winners of the 15th Annual Rondo Hatton Awards have been announced (didn't somebody just say that?) and are up at the ever-lovin' Classic Horror Film Board for your perusal!

Where, you might ask?  Right here is this here thread HERE.  

And everything else you might want to know or comment upon concerning the awards can be found HERE.

(Hear! Hear!)

Did your favorites win?  Or are you a little upset by the results, as our friend Rondo Hatton himself seems to be in the photo below?  

Oh well, that's how the Rondo crumbles.  CONGRATS TO ALL THE WINNERS, and see you again next year!

THE WINNERS OF THE (GASP!) 15TH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON AWARDS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED!

FIFTEENTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS -- Voting Under Way NOW!

IT'S MONDO RONDO TIME AGAIN! (AND WE'RE NOMINATED!)

"Long live the Rondos!" - Ain't It Cool News
"I love Rondo!" - Guillermo del Toro

Forget the Oscars--forget the Emmys--it's time to cast your vote for the awards that really matter. Namely, the Fifteenth Annual Rondos!

And your very own HK AND CULT FILM NEWS is nominated for BEST WEBSITE OR BLOG OF 2016! (So we would really appreciate your vote!)

Growing in popularity by leaps and bounds is this increasingly prestigious annual award which was created by fans (David Colton and Kerry Gammill) for fans (this means you!) and is a fond tribute to the one and only Rondo Hatton of THE BRUTE MAN and HOUSE OF HORRORS fame. The eerily lifelike bust itself was sculpted by illustrator Gammill, and cast by modeler Tim Lindsey.

Everything you need to know about the Rondos, including nominees, past winners, upcoming unsanity, and tons of other stuff (along with how to participate in the excitement yourself, plus a crypt-load of other creepy threads on the subject) check out the Rondo folder at the Classic Horror Film Board.

OFFICIAL BALLOT

All together now: "Da doo ron Rondo, da doo ron ron!"

FIFTEENTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS -- Voting Under Way NOW!

Tom Hanks to Receive Icon Award at 28th Annual PSIFF Film Awards Gala

TOM HANKS TO RECEIVE THE ICON AWARD AT 28th ANNUALPALM  SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FILM AWARDS GALA

Palm Springs, CA (November 10, 2016) – The 28th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present Tom Hanks with the Icon Award at its annual Film Awards Gala for his performance in Sully. The Film Awards Gala will be held Monday, January 2 at the Palm Springs Convention Center and hosted by Mary Hart. The Festival runs January 2-16.

“Tom Hanks delivers yet another career-defining performance bringing to life the heroism of airline pilot Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner.  “This is sure to be remembered in his long list of iconic character roles, including those in Forrest Gump, Captain Phillips, Castaway, Philadelphia, Saving Private Ryan, the Toy Story films and so many others.  The Palm Springs International Film Festival is honored to present this year’s Icon Award to Tom Hanks.”

Past recipients of the Icon Award include Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall and Meryl Streep. In 2014, Hanks received the Festival’s Chairman’s Award.

The film Sully is from Oscar®-winning director Clint Eastwood, starring Oscar® winner Tom Hanks as Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger.  On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed the “Miracle on the Hudson” when Sullenberger glided his disabled plane onto the frigid waters of the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 aboard.  However, even as he was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and his career. The film also stars Aaron Eckhart and Laura Linney.

Tom Hanks is an award-winning actor, producer and director.  He won back-to-back Best Actor Academy Awards® for his work in Jonathan Demme’s Philadelphia and the title role in Robert Zemeckis’ Forrest Gump.  He also won Golden Globe Awards for both films, as well as a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award® for the latter. His other feature credits include Bridge of Spies, A Hologram for the King, Captain Phillips, Saving Mr. Banks, Cloud Atlas, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Larry Crowne, The Ladykillers, The Terminal, Catch Me If You Can, Saving Private Ryan, Road to Perdition, That Thing You Do, The Green Mile, You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, A League of Their Own, Apollo 13, The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, Inferno, Splash and the animated Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, Cars and The Polar Express.  His next film will be James Ponsoldt’s The Circle.

About The Palm Springs International Film Festival
The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) is one of the largest film festivals in North America, welcoming 135,000 attendees last year for its lineup of new and celebrated international features and documentaries. The Festival is also known for its annual Film Awards Gala, an upscale black-tie event attended by 2,500, honoring the best achievements of the filmic year by a celebrated list of talents who, in recent years, have included Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Matthew McConaughey, Julianne Moore, Brad Pitt, Eddie Redmayne, Julia Roberts, David O. Russell, Meryl Streep, and Reese Witherspoon.

For more information, call 760-778-8979 or 800-898-7256 or visit www.psfilmfest.org.

Tom Hanks to Receive Icon Award at 28th Annual PSIFF Film Awards Gala

Canada honours Claudia Cardinale with Lifetime Achievement Award

Raoul Bova wins the prize for Best Actor. Andrea Iervolino Receives IC Savings Award

The stars of Italian cinema shine in Canada’s Italian Contemporary Film Festival. This year the ICFF posted the highest attendance in history. The duo Nunziante-Zalone thrilled audiences and won the People’s Choice Award for “Quo Vado?”. The film “All Roads Lead to Rome” won two awards: Raoul Bova brought home the prize for best actor and producer Andrea Iervolino won the IC Savings Award. The Critics’ Prize was conferred upon “They Call me Jeeg Robot.”

TORONTO – Canada crowns Claudia Cardinale during the closing ceremony of the Italian Contemporary Film Festival presented by IC Savings. Ms. Cardinale won the Lifetime Achievement Award, the festival’s highest honour. Past winners of this recognition include Roberto Benigni, Al Pacino and Carlo Verdone. Audiences were treated to a grand gala at Toronto’s Bell Lightbox, where Ms. Cardinale’s latest film, “All Roads lead to Rome,” was presented. During the ceremony, the legendary actress was given a hearty standing ovation.

“I don’t know how many films I made – 130 or 140,” said Cardinale, holding the award created by sculptor Silvio Mastrodascio. “Cinema gave me the opportunity to live many lives. This was amazing to me and has spurred me to continue pursuing this profession. In this film I had the chance to play Raoul Bova’s mother. It was truly a special experience.”

At the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, upon receiving the best actor at the ICFF 2016, Raoul Bova replied to Cardinale’s comment. “I’m very excited about this award given to me by the Festival, especially since it is for a film that saw me work with this wonder, this force of nature, Claudia Cardinale.” The Roman actor also came to Canada to present Rewind and Reboot, the latest film from director Carlo Vanzina.

The winners of the People’s Choice Award were director Gennaro Nunziante and Checco Zalone. Their film, “Quo vado?” won the prestigious prize, confirming the fact that their comedy was successful with an international audience. The comedic duo won over a large portion of the Italian-Canadian audience. “We received a wonderful welcome,” said Checco Zalone. “The Italians in Canada have not stopped being Italian.” Director Gennaro Nunziante also expressed satisfaction: “It’s great to be here at the Festival. We’ve been welcomed by many fellow Italians who continue to believe – as we do – that Italian culture represents something important for the whole world.

The IC Savings Award for best Canadian Film went to Andrea Iervolino, whose tireless work as an Italian Canadian film producer were duly recognized. Mr. Iervolino, along with Ms. Monika Bacardi, founded AMBI/AIC and represents a veritable bridge between Italy and North American in the field of film production and distribution.


The Toronto Film Critics’ Association awarded their prize to “They called me Jeeg Robot,” by Gabriele Mainetti. The prize was announced to the public by Thom Ernst, representing the Jury, during the Festival’s closing ceremony at the prestigious TIFF Bell Lightbox.

The award for best short went to “Resce la Lune,” by Giulia Di Battista and Gloria Kurkik, while the Best Picture award at the ICFF Junior was conferred to Gabriele Salvatores’ “The Invisible Boy.”

“The films presented at the ICFF have proven to be an extraordinary reality that showcase modern-day Italy to North American audiences. Our goal is to show our cinema to Canadian hearts,” said ICFF’s artistic director Cristiano de Florentiis, commenting on the results of the Festival’s fifth edition.

“The ICFF has a history of great success: 70 films, over 130 screenings and – most  importantly – 30,000 attendees. This proves that this festival is unique in its kind.

For the third consecutive year, the Festival dedicated a day to the film industry, aptly called Industry Day, presented by SIRT (Screen Industries and Training Centre, Sheridan College and Pinewood Toronto Studios) and by ETV Film Inc. at the historic Pinewood Studios. This year’s workshop focused on Virtual Reality and 360o films.
The ICFF has created an important meeting place where the masters of Italian, Canadian and American cinema were able to talk to each other and let audiences in on their trade secrets.

An important meeting took place with director Renzo Martinelli, who had a chance to interact with Toronto audiences. During the screening of his latest film, Ustica, which centers on one of the most newsworthy tragedies that struck Italy in the last few decades, the director was given the Award of Excellence for his investigative cinema.

However, it wasn’t all awards and accolades: the ICFF’s Italy is also a kind of “Dolce Vita”: Red carpets, flowing gowns and sequins: at Toronto’s Ritz-Carlton, over 1,000 guests celebrated the Festival’s success during the Closing Gala, which was hosted by noted actor Giacomo Gianniotti, star of TV’s “Grey’s Anatomy.” The soiree saw the stars of cinema, fashion and Italian cuisine shine bright. More importantly, once again, Italy was in the spotlight, a country that is recognized, loved and honoured abroad.

Canada honours Claudia Cardinale with Lifetime Achievement Award