“The Social Network,” a fictionalized account about the creation of “Facebook,” was named Best Film of the Year during the annual awards voting by the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. The film also took home a second award for Best Adapted Screenplay. “Inception” was the big winner, taking home three awards, including the Robert Altman [...]

So here’s to looking forward to 2011

*12-29* Added Worst of 2010

Since we have been covering “TRON: Legacy” pretty heavy, we decided to make a one stop page for all of our coverage. Major Giveaway “TRON: Legacy” [ENDED] Interview with “TRON: Legacy” Director Joseph Kosinski Film Review “TRON: Legacy” by Mike Smith Q & A with Rosalina da Silva “TRON: Legacy,” Makeup Department Head “TRON: Legacy” [...]

Blake Edwards, who will forever be linked to the popular “Pink Panther” film series he created, died today after a bout with pneumonia. He was 88. He began his professional career in 1942 as an actor and in 1948 sold his first screenplay, “Panhandle,” a film he also appeared in. Finding writing more lucrative, he [...]

Irvin Kershner, director of what is considered the best film EVER in the “Star Wars” saga, died today at age 87. He had been ill for quite some time. Born in Philadelphia in April 1923, Kershner always had an interest in all aspects of art. An accomplished musician he attended the Tyler School of Fine [...]

Leslie Nielsen, a dramatic actor whose career was reborn when he co-starred in 1980s comedy “Airplane,” passed away today in his Florida home after a bout with pneumonia. He was 84. Born Leslie William Nielsen on February 11, 1926 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, His father, Ingvard, was a Constable in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. [...]

It’s Thanksgiving week and you can smell the excitement in the air. No, not the turkey and all the trimmings on the dining room table. I’m talking about the virtual smorgasbord of goodies that Hollywood has in store for us in the next six weeks. From slight, tasty snacks in search of Oscar glory to [...]

Oscar-winning producer filmmaker Dino De Laurentiis, whose name was synonymous with big budgets in the 1970s and 80s, died today in Los Angeles. He was 91. Mesmerized by the films he saw as a boy, De Laurentiis left home at age 17 to attend film school. He gained on the job experience by working on [...]

Interview series will be posted starting October 24th through November

*10-18-10* Just added interview with Scoot McNairy & Whitney Able

Makeup/FX legend, Greg Nicotero has directed a short film entitled “United Monster Talent Agency”, featuring most of Hollywood’s classic monsters and a few well-known Hollywood faces. “The United Monster Talent Agency,” is an eight-minute faux newsreel for a fictional Hollywood agency representing monsters from Universal Studios circa the 1950s. The cast includes cameos by Frank [...]

Those of you who remember my trip to Omaha this past May where I got to meet screenwriter Carl Gottlieb during a special presentation of “JAWS” will be happy to learn that coming up on Friday, November 5th, Bruce Crawford is presenting a special screening of the classic MGM musical “Singin’ In The Rain.” Appearing [...]

Barbara Billingsley, who played June Cleaver on the television series “Leave It To Beaver,” died this past weekend after a fight with polymyalgia she was 94. Born Barbara Coombes a few days before Christmas 1915 in Los Angeles, Ms. Billingsley moved to New York City after a year of junior college to appear in the [...]

*10-14-10* Just added interview with Tom Holland

Two 5 Star Reviews this week!

Tony Curtis, who rose up from poverty in the Bronx to become one of the biggest film stars in Hollywood, died this week in Las Vegas from cardiac arrest. He was 85. The screen star, born Bernard Schwartz in 1925, had little formal education and, when he was of age, joined the Marines, where he [...]

Three time Oscar nominated director Arthur Penn passed away on September 28, a day after his 88th birthday, at his home in Manhattan of congestive heart failure. Mr. Penn had been ill for about a year according to his business manager Evan Bell. Born in Philadelphia, Penn got his start directing several of the scores [...]

Gloria Stuart, who at age 88 became the oldest person ever nominated for an acting Academy Award, passed away this past weekend after a long battle with lung cancer. She was 100. Born on July 4, 1910 in Santa Monica, California, Ms. Stuart attended the University of California at Berkeley, where she appeared in both [...]

Movie Mikes latest review face-off

Harold Gould, a multiple Emmy Award nominated actor whose career spanned six decades, passed away this past weekend after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 86. Best remembered for his television work on both “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “Rhoda,” Gould appeared in several popular shows over his career, from “The Donna [...]

Kevin McCarthy, Oscar nominated actor best known for his role in the original “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” passed away on September 11 at his Hyannis, Massachusetts home of natural causes. He was 96. Born in Seattle on February 15, 1914, Mr. McCarthy and his family moved to Wisconsin where he graduated from Prairie du [...]

MovieMikes.com’s 1000th Post!

James Gammon, whose rough exterior and gravelly voice was easily recognized by movie fans all over the world, passed away on July 16 at the age of 70 after a long battle with both adrenal gland and liver cancer. Probably best remembered as Lou, the manager of the Cleveland Indians in “Major League” and “Major [...]

Click here for exclusive front-row photos from the award show

June 20, 1975. What do you remember about that day? If you listened to top 40 radio you might remember that America’s “Sister Golden Hair” was the number one song that week. Model Margaux Hemmingway graced the cover of TIME magazine while Rolling Stone featured Stevie Wonder. A dozen eggs cost $.77. And if you [...]

MovieMikes would like to congratulate Denzel Washington and Viola Davis for their Tony Award wins this evening for their Outstanding Lead Performances in the play “Fences.” This was two time Oscar winner Washington’s first Tony Award. For Davis it was Tony number two. The play, which won the Best Play Tony Award in 1987 also [...]

It is with genuine regret that MovieMikes pays tribute to Dennis Hopper.  The actor-writer-director passed away today just two weeks after celebrating his 74th birthday after a long and brave battle with prostate cancer. Hopper began his acting career with appearances on episodic television in the early 1950′s.  In 1955 he appeared with his good [...]

Of all the careers out there in the world, it seems to me that being a child star, either in television or film, is the worse. For every success story (Ron Howard and Jodie Foster are the two that spring to mind immediately…I’d like to think that Dakota Fanning is following in their shoes) there [...]

The Summer Is Upon Us!

This week MovieMikes co-creator Michael Smith was profiled on a local Kansas City business web site. Here is part of the interview: Tell us about your business and/or blog: My website is called MovieMikes.com If is one of the fastest growing movie-centric web sites on line. I created it with Michael Gencarelli (hence the name), [...]

Lynn Redgrave, Oscar and Tony nominated actress, died this week after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 67. Part of England’s most heralded acting family (father Michael (who was married to actress Rachel Kempson), sister Vanessa, brother Corin, not to mention nieces Natasha and Joley Richardson, among others), she began her film career [...]

*UPDATE* MIKE S. RESPONDS

When I started out as a theater manager one of my first jobs was to receive a nightly phone call from each theater in the chain and write down the night’s grosses. Then, when I had gotten all of the pertinent information I would call a place called Entertainment Data, a business that talked to [...]

“Kick-Ass” is a game changer for superhero movies to come!!

Lindsay Lohan is suing E-Trade for $100 million