Showbiz History: Blade, The Bad Seed, and Basterds
Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at 8:30AM 10 random things that happened on this day in history as it relates to showbiz
1942 Disney's Bambi released in theaters, emotionally scarring unsuspecting children from that day forward. But what a gorgeous movie!
←1945 That Bad Seed herself, Oscar nominee Patty McCormack born on this day in Brooklyn. Get this, Rob Lowe has directed and is starring in a Lifetime remake and he cast Patty McCormack as a psychiatrist. Here's the trailer.
1959 Hawaii officially becomes a state. The day isn't widely celebrated due to Hawaii's complicated political history. Several famous actors were born in Hawaii including total legends like Bette Midler and Nicole Kidman! The current star most associated with Hawaii is Aquaman himself Jason Momoa...
1972 The 33rd annual Venice Film Festival opened. There was no competition for the feature films in those years but Golden Lions for career achievement were given to Billy Wilder, Charlie Chaplin, and Anatoli Golovnya.
1976 Althea Leasure marries Hustler publisher Larry Flynt. Courtney Love and Woody Harrelson portrayed their relationship 21 years later in the motion picture The People vs Larry Flynt. Both were Golden Globe nominated for their performances but only Woody went on to SAG and Oscar nominations.
1981 An American Werewolf in London opens. It will go on to win Rick Baker the first ever competitive Oscar for Best Makeup. There were only 2 nominees, the other being the sci-fi comedy Heartbeeps. We wrote about the makeup here.
1987 Dirty Dancing opens in movie theaters, making stars of Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayz, becoming a sleeper hit and an enduring audience favorite. "Nobody puts Baby in a corner!"
1990 Happy 28th birthday to comedian turned writer/director Bo Burnam, who made the summer's best movie Eighth Grade, born on this day in Massachussets
1998 Happy 20th anniversary to Blade, starring Wesley Snipes, released on this day. It was the first movie based on Marvel comics in which Marvel was actually involved (through the formation of Marvel Entertainment). Marvel Entertainment would soon be acquired by Disney but since corporations are so complicated Marvel Studios is something different. Nevertheless the major success of Blade directly set in motion the events which would lead to the Marvel Cinematic Universe launch 10 years later with Iron Man.
2009 Inglourious Basterds opens in movie theaters. It will become a big hit and receive 8 Oscar nominations and a win for Christoph Waltz for his instant classic Nazi villain Colonel Hans Landa
Celeb and Showbiz Birthdays Today:
Olympian Usain Bolt, fiery Kim Cattrall, Israeli director Eytan Fox, Oscar winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (Topsy-Turvy, Casino Royale, Wonder Woman), Tony nominee and Camp star Robin de Jesus, awesome Loretta Devine, striking Carrie-Anne Moss, Hayden Panetierre, Porn star Jeff Stryker, Melvin Van Peebles, Australian director Peter Weir, and Alicia Witt
Reader Comments (7)
What I love most about Waltz's performance is how he's a chameleon from scene to scene but still manages to keep such a complicated part fully coherent. When we first see him he's dangerous and diplomatic, then he's silly and childish (bingo!), then he's doing his best Claude Rains in a party, then he's killing somebody with his bare hands, and, in the most chilling scene, he's threatening and nice giving you strudel. That strudel felt like it was poisoned! When I saw the movie for the first time I was like, "don't eat!". He evocates terror whike looking demandingly pleasant. So damn skilled.
Dirty Dancing opens in movie theaters
Courtney Love was legit genius (gee-nee-uss) in The People vs. Larry Flynt, at least on par with Woody Harrelson. And people may not know this today, but her role was hella coveted by actressses including Cameron Diaz, Mira Sorvino and Patricia Arquette.
Loretta Devine always makes everything better. She was on fire in the forgotten TV show Eli Stone. Sigh.
Waltz has one of the best wins and for me one of the worst and I don't believe he'll be back as he keeps on doing the same thing,I wish De Niro or Hoffman would have won.
I also think TLJ is over valued he was hardly in JFK,doing too much in The Fugitive and miscast in Lincoln,only his 2007 Lead bid warranted a nomination.
I second Courtney Love in PvLF. Brilliant. I think category confusion did her in at the Oscars, as well as competition from Madonna for "finally we should recognize this singer" honors.
That Jason Mamoa picture is making me lustful AND claustrophobic!