Angela Bassett "wailed for 16 hours" while filming 'What's Love Got to Do with It'.The 65-year-old actor was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of Tina Turner in the 1993 biopic but she admitted shooting gruelling scenes opposite Laurence Fishburne as her abusive husband Ike Turner took a huge toll on her.She told People magazine: "It's not playtime or acting. You assess a part of your spirit in the portrayal when you really connect..."To portray the particular violence of rape was just emotionally draining and would be for anyone."Of a scene where Ike "knocked" Tina over the back of a couch, she added: "I literally wailed, cried for 16 hours, whether I was on-screen or off-screen for my costars."I probably wouldn't do that today. But during that time we were just so committed through the fire."Angela will always be grateful to have had Laurence advocate for...
- 3/10/2024
- by Viki Waters
- Bang Showbiz
Angela Bassett worked out for 12 hours and had no time to eat when she played Tina Turner in ‘What’s Love Got to do With It’. The 64-year-old ended up with a best actress Oscar nomination for playing Tina in the harrowing 1993 film, which charted Tina’s brutal years with her abusive husband Ike Turner, who subjected her to years of physical and mental torment so severe it left the late singer with Ptsd. In an interview with Variety to mark the 30th anniversary of the film about the ‘Private Dancer’ singer, who died in May aged 83 at her home in Switzerland after years of battling kidney problems, Angela said about her gruelling regime on the film: “You got up at five in the morning, went to the gym to work out for two-and-a-half hours. “Then you would head to Michael Peters (the choreographer) and learn routines – which were all intense cardio – for about 10 hours.
- 6/26/2023
- by BANG Showbiz Reporter
- Bang Showbiz
In the opening of Tina and Ike Turner’s rendition of Creedance Clearwater’s “Proud Mary,” Tina gives a disclaimer to the audience: “Every now and then I think you might like to hear something from us nice and easy, but there’s just one thing, you see: we never ever do nothing nice and easy.” When Angela Bassett took on the task of portraying Turner in 1993 for “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” she took that to heart.
In the 30 days between landing the role and the first day of shooting, Bassett worked 16-hour days, exercising each morning before learning dance numbers with Turner and choreographer Michael Peters. Bassett also worked with her co-star Laurence Fishburne to act scenes depicting the violence and domestic abuse that Tina endured through her marriage. It was anything but nice and easy.
Bassett spoke with Variety for the 30th anniversary of “What’s Love Got to Do With It...
In the 30 days between landing the role and the first day of shooting, Bassett worked 16-hour days, exercising each morning before learning dance numbers with Turner and choreographer Michael Peters. Bassett also worked with her co-star Laurence Fishburne to act scenes depicting the violence and domestic abuse that Tina endured through her marriage. It was anything but nice and easy.
Bassett spoke with Variety for the 30th anniversary of “What’s Love Got to Do With It...
- 6/25/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Special mention: Häxan
Directed by Benjamin Christensen
Denmark / Sweden, 1922
Genre: Documentary
Häxan (a.k.a The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 silent documentary about the history of witchcraft, told in a variety of styles, from illustrated slideshows to dramatized reenactments of alleged real-life events. Written and directed by Benjamin Christensen, and based partly on Christensen’s study of the Malleus Maleficarum, Häxan is a fine examination of how superstition and the misunderstanding of mental illness could lead to the hysteria of the witch-hunts. At the time, it was the most expensive Scandinavian film ever made, costing nearly 2 million Swedish krona. Although it won acclaim in Denmark and Sweden, the film was banned in the United States and heavily censored in other countries for what were considered, at that time, graphic depictions of torture, nudity, and sexual perversion. Depending on which version you’re watching, the commentary is...
Directed by Benjamin Christensen
Denmark / Sweden, 1922
Genre: Documentary
Häxan (a.k.a The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 silent documentary about the history of witchcraft, told in a variety of styles, from illustrated slideshows to dramatized reenactments of alleged real-life events. Written and directed by Benjamin Christensen, and based partly on Christensen’s study of the Malleus Maleficarum, Häxan is a fine examination of how superstition and the misunderstanding of mental illness could lead to the hysteria of the witch-hunts. At the time, it was the most expensive Scandinavian film ever made, costing nearly 2 million Swedish krona. Although it won acclaim in Denmark and Sweden, the film was banned in the United States and heavily censored in other countries for what were considered, at that time, graphic depictions of torture, nudity, and sexual perversion. Depending on which version you’re watching, the commentary is...
- 10/27/2015
- by Ricky Fernandes
- SoundOnSight
If you’re anywhere near the Los Angeles area this Saturday, you may be interested in checking out “An Evening with the Makers of An American Werewolf in London,” a special event that features a screening of the film and a number of guests, including John Landis and Rick Baker:
“The moon seemed perennially full on screen in the 1980s, a decade that saw more than its share of classic—and not-so-classic—werewolf movies including Wolfen (1981), The Howling petrology (1981-1989), The Company of Wolves (1984), Silver Bullet (1985) and Teen Wolf (1985), to name a few. Towering above them all is writer-director John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London (1981). A defining film of the era,American Werewolf proved wildly successful thanks to Landis’ deft balance of comedy and horror, while Rick Baker’s Academy Award–winning makeup effects set the bar for technical mastery. The film’s influence can be felt in...
“The moon seemed perennially full on screen in the 1980s, a decade that saw more than its share of classic—and not-so-classic—werewolf movies including Wolfen (1981), The Howling petrology (1981-1989), The Company of Wolves (1984), Silver Bullet (1985) and Teen Wolf (1985), to name a few. Towering above them all is writer-director John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London (1981). A defining film of the era,American Werewolf proved wildly successful thanks to Landis’ deft balance of comedy and horror, while Rick Baker’s Academy Award–winning makeup effects set the bar for technical mastery. The film’s influence can be felt in...
- 10/21/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. Enjoy!
Special Mention:
Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking dance routines and unique vocals have influenced generations of musicians, dancers, and entertainers. He was one of entertainment’s greatest icons, and like most gifted individuals, he was always pushing boundaries, reinventing himself, and testing his limits. One of his biggest accomplishments was Thriller, a 14-minute...
Special Mention:
Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking dance routines and unique vocals have influenced generations of musicians, dancers, and entertainers. He was one of entertainment’s greatest icons, and like most gifted individuals, he was always pushing boundaries, reinventing himself, and testing his limits. One of his biggest accomplishments was Thriller, a 14-minute...
- 10/17/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking dance routines and unique vocals have influenced generations of musicians, dancers and entertainers for decades. He was one of entertainment’s greatest icons, and like most gifted individuals he was always pushing boundaries, reinventing himself, and testing his limits. The New York Times once described him as one of the six most famous people on the planet, but I’d like to up the ante by saying, he was the most famous person on the planet. Of his many achievements, Jackson helped elevate the music video, turning it into an art form with complex story lines, never-before-seen dance choreography, elaborate special effects and famous cameo appearances. And while he developed some of the greatest music videos of all time, it wasn’t always easy for him. At first Jackson struggled to receive coverage on MTV because he was African American. Pressure from CBS Records persuaded MTV...
- 10/3/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry.
As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.
****
Special Mention:
Shock Corridor
Directed by Samuel Fuller
Written by Samuel Fuller
1963, USA
Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose the killer at the local insane asylum. In order to solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum, Barrett sets to work, interrogating the other patients and keeping a close eye on the staff.
As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.
****
Special Mention:
Shock Corridor
Directed by Samuel Fuller
Written by Samuel Fuller
1963, USA
Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose the killer at the local insane asylum. In order to solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum, Barrett sets to work, interrogating the other patients and keeping a close eye on the staff.
- 10/28/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
31 – Rosemary’s Baby
Directed by Roman Polanski
USA, 1968
Roman Polanski’s brilliant horror-thriller was nominated for two Oscars, winning Best Supporting Actress for Ruth Gordon. The director’s first American film, adapted from Ira Levin’s horror bestseller, is a spellbinding and twisted tale of Satanism and pregnancy. Supremely mounted, the film benefits from it’s strong atmosphere, apartment setting, eerie childlike score and polished production values by cinematographer William Fraker. The cast is brilliant, with Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes as the young couple playing opposite Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer, the elderly neighbors. There is ominous tension in the film from first frame to last – the climax makes for one of the greatest endings of all time. Rarely has a film displayed such an uncompromising portrait of betrayal as this one. Career or marriage – which would you choose?
30 – Eraserhead
Directed by David Lynch
USA, 1977
Filmed intermittently over the course of a five-year period,...
Directed by Roman Polanski
USA, 1968
Roman Polanski’s brilliant horror-thriller was nominated for two Oscars, winning Best Supporting Actress for Ruth Gordon. The director’s first American film, adapted from Ira Levin’s horror bestseller, is a spellbinding and twisted tale of Satanism and pregnancy. Supremely mounted, the film benefits from it’s strong atmosphere, apartment setting, eerie childlike score and polished production values by cinematographer William Fraker. The cast is brilliant, with Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes as the young couple playing opposite Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer, the elderly neighbors. There is ominous tension in the film from first frame to last – the climax makes for one of the greatest endings of all time. Rarely has a film displayed such an uncompromising portrait of betrayal as this one. Career or marriage – which would you choose?
30 – Eraserhead
Directed by David Lynch
USA, 1977
Filmed intermittently over the course of a five-year period,...
- 10/29/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
There have been many portrayals of werewolves and other shapeshifting man/woman-beasts, in the media of film, but I can’t say there has been many memorable ones. With The Wolf Man (1941) Lon Chaney Jr. transformed into a werewolf at the full moon, and created one of the three most famous horror icons of the modern day. Werewolf fiction as since been an exceptionally diverse genre with ancient folkloric roots and manifold modern re-interpretations – from high shcool basketball players to American tourists hiking through the UK. Here is the list of my personal favourites.
#13- El aullido del diablo/ Howl of the Devil (1987)
Directed by: Paul Naschy
Paul Naschy, also known as Jacinto Molina Alvarez, was a Spanish movie actor, screenwriter, and director working primarily in horror films. His portrayals of numerous classic horror figures—the wolfman, the hunchback, Count Dracula, the mummy—have earned him recognition as the Spanish Lon Chaney.
#13- El aullido del diablo/ Howl of the Devil (1987)
Directed by: Paul Naschy
Paul Naschy, also known as Jacinto Molina Alvarez, was a Spanish movie actor, screenwriter, and director working primarily in horror films. His portrayals of numerous classic horror figures—the wolfman, the hunchback, Count Dracula, the mummy—have earned him recognition as the Spanish Lon Chaney.
- 10/13/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
The King of Pop might have passed on, but his music continues to drag in bags of cash. And if Gk films has its way, Michael Jackson’s most famous video will end up becoming the basis for a new film, with several studios competing for the chance to turn Thriller into a fully-fledged fright-fest. You’ll likely know that John Landis directed the original music video, back in his American Werewolf days. But while he’d surely be a great choice to make any film based on his groundbreaking work, the man attached to direct the new movie is… er… Kenny Ortega. Who admittedly has some experience with Jackson’s work, having shot footage during his This Is It rehearsals that ended up becoming the film of the same name. Ortega doesn’t exactly have a big horror resume, though he did make Hocus Pocus, but he's a choreographer...
- 10/27/2010
- EmpireOnline
MoviesOnline caught up with award winning choreographer Travis Payne to talk about his new film, Michael Jackson’s This Is It, which offers Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this past summer in London’s O2 Arena. Payne served as associate producer for Michael Jackson’s This Is It, and along with the director, Kenny Ortega, has been extensively and intimately involved in the making of the film.
Payne has been dancing since he was nine years old. Since then, he has made a mark on the entertainment industry with his remarkable routines, visionary styling, and impeccable sense of movement. He has choreographed, danced, and contributed to music videos and tours for megastars ranging from Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson to Madonna, Sting, Faith Hill and Britney Spears.
Payne has been dancing since he was nine years old. Since then, he has made a mark on the entertainment industry with his remarkable routines, visionary styling, and impeccable sense of movement. He has choreographed, danced, and contributed to music videos and tours for megastars ranging from Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson to Madonna, Sting, Faith Hill and Britney Spears.
- 10/31/2009
- MoviesOnline.ca
Part 3 of 5: Thriller and the Victory Tour make Jackson the biggest star in the world.
By Shaheem Reid
Michael Jackson performs during the Victory tour in 1984
Photo: Richard E. Aaron/Redferns
It may be the most profitably spent quarter of a year in music history: Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones holed up in the studio and cranked out Thriller, the biggest-selling album of original material of all time, in less than three months.
"In three months, we had to deliver Thriller and the 'E.T.' songbook and storybook [Jackson's now-rare narration of the film]," Quincy Jones told MTV in December of 1984. "Yes: three months, two LPs, and that's what we did. It's probably the best thing that ever happened, because otherwise we'd start to think about [it too much] and getting paralysis from analysis and that sorta thing. But we didn't have time to think. We had a great motivator and incentive, which was just fear of making this deadline.
By Shaheem Reid
Michael Jackson performs during the Victory tour in 1984
Photo: Richard E. Aaron/Redferns
It may be the most profitably spent quarter of a year in music history: Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones holed up in the studio and cranked out Thriller, the biggest-selling album of original material of all time, in less than three months.
"In three months, we had to deliver Thriller and the 'E.T.' songbook and storybook [Jackson's now-rare narration of the film]," Quincy Jones told MTV in December of 1984. "Yes: three months, two LPs, and that's what we did. It's probably the best thing that ever happened, because otherwise we'd start to think about [it too much] and getting paralysis from analysis and that sorta thing. But we didn't have time to think. We had a great motivator and incentive, which was just fear of making this deadline.
- 7/6/2009
- MTV Music News
We spoke to the King of Pop in 1999 about revolutionizing the world of music videos.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Alex Colletti
Michael Jackson in December of 1999
Photo: MTV
Michael Jackson revolutionized the world of music videos — he embraced the medium and took it to a new level by creating groundbreaking short films. Jackson spoke to MTV News back in 1999 about why he felt music videos are more than just commercials for the artist — they were an important part of the creative process for him.
"The idea is to take it a step further and innovate, otherwise why am I doing it?" he said. "I don't want to be just another can in the assembly line. I want to create, do something that's totally different and unusual."
Before talking about some of his greatest music-video achievements at length, he went on to say that "in my opinion, it has...
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Alex Colletti
Michael Jackson in December of 1999
Photo: MTV
Michael Jackson revolutionized the world of music videos — he embraced the medium and took it to a new level by creating groundbreaking short films. Jackson spoke to MTV News back in 1999 about why he felt music videos are more than just commercials for the artist — they were an important part of the creative process for him.
"The idea is to take it a step further and innovate, otherwise why am I doing it?" he said. "I don't want to be just another can in the assembly line. I want to create, do something that's totally different and unusual."
Before talking about some of his greatest music-video achievements at length, he went on to say that "in my opinion, it has...
- 7/2/2009
- MTV Music News
Yes, he was the punchline of approximately a quarter-million Tonight Show jokes. But Michael Jackson's stop-on-a-dime dance moves and sensual soprano have influenced generations of musicians, dancers and entertainers, and the man was so much more than what the tabloids made him out to be. One of entertainment's greatest icons, he was incredibly gifted, and like most gifted individuals he was an equally troubled genius who kept us captivated at his most dazzling, and at his most appalling moments. The New York Times once described him as one of the six most famous people on the planet. I'd like to up the ante: he was the most famous person on the planet. He influenced artists ranging from Justin Timberlake to Madonna, and genres from rock to pop to R&B to even rap. No other artist has been as unifying. Jackson also helped elevate the music video, turning it...
- 6/28/2009
- by Kyle Reese
- SoundOnSight
Beat It, directed by Bob Giraldi [1] and choreographed by Michael Peters [2], and based on the Broadway musical West Side Story helped further establish Jackson as an international pop icon [3]. Like Thriller [4], the video became famous for it's mass choreography, a Jackson trademark and actually starred 80 genuine gang members-to add authenticity to the production-and 18 professional dancers. It cost $150, 000 to make and Michael's red leather jacket became the next big thing in fashion while his elaborate choreography opened up many new job opportunities for dancers in the U.S. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Giraldi [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Peters [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_icon [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_%28music_video%29...
- 6/28/2009
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.