Latest news with #CourtesyEverettCollection
New York Post
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Jaws' turns 50: How other classic movies bit off the shark's signature riff — from ‘Caddyshack' to ‘Clerks'
Like the killer great white shark, the 'Jaws' theme song took a big bite out of movie history. The terrifying two-note theme of the 1975 summer blockbuster — which turns 50 on June 20 — has been riffed on in other classic films for its cultural impact that is still striking fang-crunching fear in the masses five decades later. Composer John Williams' menacing motif has been referenced — and ripped on — in other big films that have taken it from horror to humor. 9 'Jaws' defined the summer blockbuster after its release on June 20, 1975. Courtesy Everett Collection 'I think it's a compliment when anything becomes parodied that much, like, if you work your way into a popular comedy movie or something,' film music historian Tim Greiving — who wrote the upcoming biography 'John Williams: A Composer's Life' — exclusively told The Post. ''It's, like, acknowledging that this is something that is so culturally important, or that everybody recognizes it, that you can kind of play on it. If it was a little more obscure, the reference wouldn't work. I'll take it as a compliment.' But while the theme has been spoofed, Williams — who won his first of four Oscars for Best Original Score for 'Jaws' — took it very seriously. 'I think that serious intention comes through in the music and keeps it from being campy,' said Greiving. 9 Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider co-starred in 1975's 'Jaws.' Courtesy Everett Collection Still, the theme has been played for laughs in classic comedies such as 'Airplane!' and 'Caddyshack.' 'The funny thing is, John Williams has talked about [how] sometimes he plays it in concert, and people start laughing, and it's not supposed to make you laugh, although it made ['Jaws' director] Steven Spielberg laugh when he first heard it,' said Greiving. 'So it has this interesting psychological effect now.' 'But I think at its core, it still does what it was supposed to do — which is freak you out.' Here, we dive into seven films that have sunk their teeth into the 'Jaws' theme. '1941' 9 Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi co-starred in the 1979 war comedy '1941.' Courtesy Everett Collection The opening scene of Spielberg's 1979 war comedy pays homage to the 'Jaws' theme. with Susan Backlinie — who played Chrissie Watkins, the shark's first victim in 'Jaws.' 'Airplane!' 9 Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen and Peter Graves took 1980's 'Airplane!' to comic heights. ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Col As what appears to be a fin — but turns out to be a 747 — cuts through the clouds, the sinister riff of 'Jaws' takes this 1980 disaster comedy off in its opening credits. 'Caddyshack' 9 Ted Knight and Chevy Chase were golfing goofballs in 1980's 'Caddyshack.' ©Orion Pictures Corp/Courtesy Everett Collection When a candy bar is mistaken for a turd in a swimming pool, the 'Jaws' theme heightens the horror in the 1980 comedy starring Billy Murray and Chevy Chase. '9 1/2 Weeks' 9 Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger steamed up the screen in 1986's '9 1/2 Weeks.' ©Orion Pictures Corp/Courtesy Everett Collection When a kid claims that his friend can fart the 'Jaws' theme in this 1986 erotic drama, Mickey Rourke mimics it. How sexy. 'Spaceballs' 9 Bill Pullman and John Candy parodied 'Stars Wars' in 1987's 'Spaceballs.' Mel Brooks' 1987 'Star Wars' parody plays off the menacing motif from 'Jaws' while chasing a rebel ship. 'Back to the Future II' 9 Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd reunited for 'Back to the Future II' in 1989. The shark tale's theme plays as Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly encounters an advertisement for 'Jaws 19' — the 18th sequel to the original — when he travels to 2015. 'Clerks' 9 Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson co-starred in Kevin Smith's directorial debut 'Clerks' in 1994. Jeff Anderson's character in Kevin Smith's 1994 cult classic dips into the 'Jaws' theme as his triangular tortilla chip cuts through some 'thick & chunky' salsa.
New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
'Dawson's Creek' creator Kevin Williamson on possible reboot
Dawson may cry again. 'Dawson's Creek' aired on The WB from 1998 to 2003, created by Kevin Williamson – and in this age of endless spinoffs and reboots, it's possible that it could come back. 'Not in television form. I think there's other ways that [a 'Dawson's Creek' revival] can come to fruition,' Williamson, 60, exclusively told The Post. 'But I'm not so sure… I feel complete. I feel like we told the story.' Advertisement 9 Joshua Jackson, Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and James Van Der Beek in 'Dawson's Creek.' ©Sony Pictures Television/Courtesy Everett Collection 9 Kevin Williamson at the CBS segment of the 2019 Summer TCA Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 1, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. Getty Images 9 Michelle Williams, James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson in 'Dawson's Creek.' ©Columbia Tristar/Courtesy Everett Collection Advertisement The 'Scream' screenwriter noted that at the end of the teen drama, 'we even flash forward five years at the end to show where all the characters ended up, and how they were doing.' He added, 'I feel that's a box, and it's exactly where it should be.' 'Dawson's Creek' was set in the fictional town of Capeside, Mass. The cult classic ran for six seasons, following the lives of aspiring teenage filmmaker Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek), his best friend Joey (Katie Holmes), his other underachiever friend, Pacey (Joshua Jackson), and the new girl from the big city, Jen (Michelle Williams). 9 James Van Der Beek in 'Dawson's Creek.' Courtesy Everett Collection Advertisement 9 James Van Der Beek, Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson in 'Dawson's Creek.' ©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett Co / Everett Collection 9 Katie Holmes and James Van Der Beek in 'Dawson's Creek.' ©Columbia Tristar/Courtesy Everett Collection Dawson, Joey, and Pacey were an iconic '90s TV love triangle. The show ultimately ends with Jen dying, Pacey and Joey together, and Dawson having a successful Hollywood career. Advertisement 'Dawson's Creek' proved to be a starmaker, launching the careers of Van Der Beek, 48, Holmes, 46, Williams, 44, and Jackson, 47, as well as Busy Philipps. 9 Kevin Williamson attends 'Barbara Berlanti Heroes Gala' Benefiting F*ck Cancer at Barker Hangar on October 01, 2022 in Santa Monica, California. Getty Images for F*ck Cancer 9 Kerr Smith, Michelle Williams, James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, and Busy Philips on 'Dawson's Creek.' Warner Bros. 9 Michelle Williams, James Van Der Beek, Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes in 'Dawson's Creek.' ©Columbia Tristar/Courtesy Everett Collection 'We were making this little bitty show for this little-bitty network, and we had no idea that it would explode the way it did,' Williamson said. 'That cast was terrific. It's hard to stumble upon a cast like that.' Williamson, who is now working on the Netflix crime drama 'The Waterfront,' isn't opposed to the show getting another life. 'But I'm not so sure… I feel complete. I feel like we told the story,' he explained. 'If someone else comes along with a great idea and can just freshen it up and do something new to it… I mean, I'll be the first one there to watch it. But I don't think that probably it will be me.'
New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Cobra Kai' creators reveal Hilary Swank declined to join show: ‘Disappointing'
Hilary Swank said thanks, but no thanks. The creators of the hit Netflix show 'Cobra Kai' have revealed that they tried to get Swank, 50, to appear in the popular 'Karate Kid' sequel series. But the Oscar-winning actress, who played Julie Pierce in 1994's 'The Next Karate Kid,' politely declined. 10 The creators of 'Cobra Kai' have revealed that they tried to get Hilary Swank to appear in the popular 'Karate Kid' sequel series. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 10 Swank portrayed Julie Pierce in 'The Next Karate Kid' in 1994. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 'Cobra Kai' creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg opened up about the situation during a sit-down with Entertainment Weekly on Wednesday. 'We did reach out in the very early days before the season to see if there was a path,' Heald said, revealing that they approached the actress shortly before the show's sixth and final season began production in 2024. 'We had an inkling of an idea about how she could come into this story and not have to commit to 10 episodes or something,' he continued. 10 Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi and Swank as Julie Pierce in 'The Next Karate Kid.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 10 The Oscar-winning actress politely declined the 'Cobra Kai' creators' offer for her to appear in the Netflix show. Getty Images 'It was going to feel like it could be a one or two-episode arc, similar to what we did with Elisabeth Shue,' Heald added, 'where you can bring Ali back in at a pivotal moment and affect an important relationship.' Shue, who starred as Ali Mills alongside Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso in the original 1984 'Karate Kid,' reprised her character for the last two episodes of the Netflix show's third season. Although Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg did reach out to Swank's reps to find out if they could have a discussion with her and introduce themselves, the trio never even got that far. 10 'We had an inkling of an idea about how she could come into this story and not have to commit to 10 episodes or something,' creator Josh Heald explained. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 10 'She was just in a place where she wasn't looking to do that,' Heald said. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 'On her end, it was very respectful, but we never got that opportunity to sit down and pour our heart out the way that we typically do when we bring back characters from the legacy,' Heald explained. 'She was just in a place where she wasn't looking to do that.' 'She had had babies. I think she was in production on something at the time, and it was a respectful pass on even the idea of a meeting,' he added. 'She didn't want us to go through the trouble of flying out to her and putting our heart on the sleeve because it just wasn't something she was ready to do at that moment.' Swank welcomed twins with her husband, Philip Schneider, in April 2023. She joined the cast of Showtime's 'Yellowjackets' for Season 3, which premiered this year. 10 'Cobra Kai' followed Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) 34 years after the events of the original 'Karate Kid' movie. ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection 10 Many other characters from the six-movie 'Karate Kid' franchise joined Macchio and Zabka on the small screen for 'Cobra Kai.' ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection Despite Swank's refusal, the three creators still hope to see her return as Julie Pierce in a potential 'Cobra Kai' spinoff. 'It's a big piece of the Miyagi-verse that's still out there,' Heald said. 'For us, it was a little disappointing because we like getting everybody, but at the same time, we didn't sacrifice any huge story that we had fully developed.' 'It's more fruit on the vine for if we can revisit this universe going forward,' he concluded. The Post has reached out to Swank's reps for comment. 10 'Cobra Kai' premiered on Netflix in 2018 and wrapped up its sixth and final season in February. ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection 'Cobra Kai,' which premiered on Netflix in 2018 and wrapped up its sixth and final season in February, followed Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) 34 years after the events of the original 'Karate Kid' movie. While Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg were unable to convince Swank to return, they did bring back other characters from the six-movie franchise to join Macchio, 63, and Zabka, 59, on the small screen. Yuji Okumoto reprised his character Chozen Toguchi from 1986's 'Karate Kid Part II,' and Sean Kanan (Mike Barnes), Thomas Ian Griffith (Terry Silver) and Robyn Lively (Jessica Andrew) all returned to their roles from 1989's 'Karate Kid Part III.' 10 Ralph Macchio with some of his 'Cobra Kai' cast members during a screening of the show in Los Angeles in March 2025. Getty Images Plus, Macchio recently reprised his role as Daniel LaRusso for the 10th time for the franchise's newest film, 'Karate Kid Legends,' which premiered on May 30. The movie also saw Jackie Chan return as Mr. Han from the 2010 'Karate Kid' remake. 'Reprising this role means paying that legacy forward,' Macchio said upon the release of 'Karate Kid Legends' last month. 'It's about spreading that wisdom and knowledge in a good way, in a positive way.' Pat Morita, who played the beloved character Mr. Miyagi in the original 'Karate Kid' trilogy and 'The Next Karate Kid,' died in 2005. He was 73.
New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Kevin Williamson reacts to 'Scream 7' turmoil, cast shakeups
He'll be right back. Kevin Williamson, screenwriter for the first 'Scream' movie, is returning to direct the upcoming 'Scream 7,' premiering on February 27, 2026. 'Oh, it's been awesome [to return]. I've always been on the fringes of the last few 'Scream' movies, as sort of the granddaddy of the franchise,' he exclusively told The Post. Advertisement 8 Neve Campbell in 'Scream 4.' ©Dimension Films/Courtesy Everett Collection 8 Kevin Williamson, on set of 'Scream 5' in 2022. ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection Williamson, 60, who also created the classic teen drama 'Dawson's Creek,' wrote the first 'Scream' screenplay that launched the hit slasher franchise in 1996, as well as the screenplay for 'Scream 2' in 1997 and 'Scream 4' in 2011. Advertisement He was a producer on all of the 'Scream' films. In the upcoming 2026 movie, he's in the director's chair. 'They've been very kind to me and very welcoming,' he told The Post while promoting his new Netflix show, 'The Waterfront.' 8 Courteney Cox, Jamie Kennedy and Neve Campbell in 'Scream.' ©Dimension Films/Courtesy Everett Collection 'And then they allowed me to direct this one. And we had a blast,' Williamson added. 'It was so nice to work with Courteney Cox and Sidney and tell a new story. So, I hope people like it.' Advertisement The franchise follows Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), who was a high school teen in the first movie. By the seventh installment, she'll be a mother with a teen daughter (Isabel May). In the first movie, Sidney is terrorized by Ghostface, a killer with a black cloak and white scream mask who ends up being two people: her boyfriend, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and his obnoxious friend, Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard). 8 Skeet Ulrich, Jamie Kennedy and Matthew Lillard in 'Scream.' ©Dimension Films/Courtesy Everett Collection 8 Matthew Lillard and Rose McGowan in 'Scream.' ©Dimension Films/Courtesy Everett Collection Advertisement David Arquette co-starred as the hapless sheriff, Dewey Riley, while Cox played investigative journalist Gale Weathers. Lillard is returning for 'Scream 7' despite Stu getting killed off at the end of the first movie. Subsequent Ghostface killers have been different people in each film. When asked what he can share about Lillard's role in 'Scream 7,' Williamson quipped, 'Nothing. Not one word.' 8 Courteney Cox and David Arquette in 'Scream.' Courtesy Everett Collection 'But I will say, I love Matthew,' he continued. 'And it was such a pleasure to call him up. They let me be the one to call and ask them back to the franchise. And that was a really nice phone call.' 'Scream 7' has had behind-the-scenes upheaval, as Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera were originally slated to star in the flick before they exited the project and the movie got retooled. The first version of the horror film began to fall apart in 2023 when original directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin left the franchise to direct Barrera in a Universal movie titled 'Abigail.' 8 Jasmin Savoy Brown, Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera attend the Global Premiere of Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group's 'Scream VI' at AMC Lincoln Square on March 6, 2023 in New York, New York. Getty Images for Paramount Pictures Advertisement Later that year, Barrera, 34, was fired for expressing support for Palestine amid the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza. Sources reportedly told Deadline that Barrera was let go from the production due to 'her Instagram stories which have been perceived as anti-Semitic.' It was initially reported that Ortega left the franchise due to 'pay and scheduling issues,' but in April, the 'Wednesday' star told The Cut, 'The Melissa stuff was happening…If 'Scream 7' wasn't going to be with that team of directors and those people I fell in love with, then it didn't seem like the right move for me in my career at the time.' 8 Kevin Williamson attends the 'The Vampire Diaries' panel during Comic-Con International 2016 at San Diego Convention Center on July 23, 2016 in San Diego, California. Getty Images Advertisement Williamson, meanwhile, said he is 'on the fringes' of the situation. 'Watching that all go down, and I'm not even sure what happened. I can't really speak to it, because I wasn't a part of it,' he told the Post. 'The thing about 'Scream' is it can live in any form. And you can return to a character like Sidney and Gale and tell that story, and then the next one can be about someone else,' he noted. 'I really like the idea that 'Scream' has evolved into a franchise that can expand in those ways.'
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
'28 Years Later' review: Zombie sequel is warped and fantastic
movie review 28 YEARS LATER Running time: 115 minutes. Rated R (strong bloody violence, grisly images, graphic nudity, language and brief sexuality). In theaters June 20. It takes some skill to pump new life into the undead. Every possible twist on the zombie movie has been tried in the past 20 years, from deadpan road trips with Woody Harrelson to a bloody British Christmas musical. Advertisement I've just found one I'll be skipping called 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.' Apart from the send-ups, though, there has not been a strong serious example in the genre for a long time. But nobody does it better than the British post-apocalyptic '28' series — especially the original filmmakers of 2002's '28 Days Later,' director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland. Advertisement They're back at it 23 years later with '28 Years Later' — an arresting, sneakily emotional and wildly weird third installment in the franchise. Never has the near-annihilation of mankind felt so good. Fans of the original might, at first, be taken aback by the madness. If you revisit 'Days' today, the influential forebear comes off as awfully quaint. 5 Alfie Williams stars as Spike, and Ralph Fiennes plays the doctor, in '28 Years Later.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Advertisement Instead of the eerie calm of a desolate Piccadilly Circus, 'Years' bids adieu to the big city for the spooky forest. The main character isn't a corpse-like Cillian Murphy, as close to a real-life zombie as we have, but a sweet kid trying to save his mom. And there's the movie's biggest talker: A depraved, disgusting ritual conducted by an orange-painted Ralph Fiennes had me questioning my own sanity when I teared up at it. 5 Zombies continue to ravage the UK. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Advertisement I rip into the black hole of creativity that is endless reboots and sequels all the time. Can't stop, won't stop. Fantastic 'Years' is the happy exception. Almost three decades after the 'Rage Virus' ravaged Britain, turning most citizens into snarling beasts, the UK has been quarantined from the wider world. Nobody in, nobody out. Evoking 'A Quiet Place Part II,' an enclave of survivors live on a safe island town surrounded by rocky water — except during low tide when a narrow path to the mainland is revealed. Little Spike (Alfie Williams) has just turned 12, and village tradition says he and his dad, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), must head to the danger zone to net him his first infected kill. You know, a bit of family fun. 5 On Spike's 12th birthday, his dad Jamie takes him zombie hunting. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection The bow-and-arrow excursion goes haywire, but Spike gets his feet wet, albeit with the blood of cannibalistic monsters. When the boys get back to town, his mother Isla's (Jodie Comer) already poor health has worsened. So, Spike escapes with her to the wilderness to find a physician rumored to live out there (Fiennes, practically a talking tangerine). A straightforward story, right? Over the river and through the woods to witch-doctor's house, we go — shooting and stabbing all along the terrifying way. Advertisement 5 Jodie Comer plays Alfie's mother Isla, who is suffering from a mystery illness. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection On the surface, yes, it is. What skews 'Years' so seductively and grotesquely — in a good way! — is Garland's sadistic flair that must be making his therapist a fortune and Boyle's punk-rock direction. The pounding music and archival footage of violence in England through the ages that contrast with beautifully shot, pastoral nature make the infected much scarier. Breathtaking serenity gives way to spinal cords being ripped out by hand. Boyle has a knack for what makes his homeland tick. The gruesome, forceful anarchy brought to mind British writer Edward Bond's severe plays of the 1960s, and also the novel and movie 'A Clockwork Orange.' There's some major Alex DeLarge in the last five minutes. Advertisement 5 Ralph Fiennes is the most warped part of '28 Years Later.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection And the director has always worked very well with kids. He directed 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'Millions.' He gets a determined and altogether riveting turn out of young Williams. His Spike is a heartbreaker as he tries to be a grown man for his father, but melts with mum as he's racing to save her life. Steely Taylor-Johnson and intense Comer are both terrific. The fact that Fiennes went right from playing a cardinal in Best Picture-nominated 'Conclave' to a nearly-naked hermit with a hobby that would raise Hannibal Lecter's brow makes me wish we could send the actor's brain out to be analyzed by scientists. Advertisement Speaking of Fiennes' character's arts and crafts projects, a follow-up, '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,' is due out next January. If it's anywhere near as good as this one, sign me up for four more 'Years.'
