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Don Simpson
Donald Clarence Simpson (October 29, 1943 – January 19, 1996) was an American film producer, screenwriter, and actor, known for his work in blockbuster films of the 1980s and '90s. Simpson entered the film industry in the 1970s and worked at Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures. He eventually began a professional partnership with Jerry Bruckheimer, and together, they produced hit films such as '' Flashdance'' (1983), ''Beverly Hills Cop'' (1984), ''Top Gun'' (1986), and '' The Rock'' (1996). As his stature in Hollywood grew, Simpson became notorious for his debauched lifestyle, which included severe and longstanding substance abuse, and he ultimately died from heart failure caused by an overdose of cocaine and prescription drugs. By the time of his death, his and Bruckheimer's films had grossed over $3 billion worldwide. Early life Simpson was born in Seattle, Washington, to June Hazel ( ''née'' Clark), a housewife, and Russell J. Simpson, a mechanic at Boeing at the time of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the county seat of King County, the most populous county in Washington. The Seattle metropolitan area's population is 4.02 million, making it the 15th-most populous in the United States. Its growth rate of 21.1% between 2010 and 2020 made it one of the country's fastest-growing large cities. Seattle is situated on an isthmus between Puget Sound, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and Lake Washington. It is the northernmost major city in the United States, located about south of the Canadian border. A gateway for trade with East Asia, the Port of Seattle is the fourth-largest port in North America in terms of container handling . The Seattle area has been inhabited by Native Americans (such as the Duwamish, who had at least 17 villages a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Exploitation Film
An exploitation film is a film that seeks commercial success by capitalizing on current trends, niche genres, or sensational content. Exploitation films often feature themes such as suggestive or explicit sex, sensational violence, drug use, nudity, gore, destruction, rebellion, mayhem, and the bizarre. While often associated with low-budget "B movies", some exploitation films have influenced popular culture, attracted critical attention, gained historical significance, and developed cult followings. History While their modern form first appeared in the early 1920s, the peak periods of exploitation films were mainly the 1960s through the early 1980s, with a few earlier and later outliers. Early exploitation of the 1930s and the 1940s were often disguised as "educational" but were really sensationalist. These were shown in traveling roadshows, skirting censorship under the guise of moral instruction. 1950s saw low-budget sci-fi, monster movies, and teen rebellion films. They were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Days Of Thunder
''Days of Thunder'' is a 1990 American sports action drama film produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The film stars Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Caroline Williams, and Michael Rooker. It also features appearances by real life NASCAR racers, such as Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace, Neil Bonnett, and Harry Gant. Commentator Dr. Jerry Punch, of ESPN, has a cameo appearance, as does co-producer Don Simpson. ''Days of Thunder'' was released in the United States on June 27, 1990, by Paramount Pictures. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its racing sequences, Hans Zimmer's musical score, and the performances of Cruise and Duvall, but criticized its lack of originality compared to Scott's previous film ''Top Gun'', and grossed $157 million worldwide against a production budget of $60 million. A sequel is in development. Plot Young USAC racer Cole Trickle is recruited by Chevrolet d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Variety (magazine)
''Variety'' is an American trade magazine owned by Penske Media Corporation. It was founded by Sime Silverman in New York City in 1905 as a weekly newspaper reporting on theater and vaudeville. In 1933, ''Daily Variety'' was launched, based in Los Angeles, to cover the film industry, motion-picture industry. ''Variety'' website features entertainment news, reviews, box office results, plus a credits database, production charts and film calendar. History Founding ''Variety'' has been published since December 16, 1905, when it was launched by Sime Silverman as a weekly periodical covering theater and vaudeville, with its headquarters in New York City. Silverman had been fired by ''The Morning Telegraph'' in 1905 for panning an act which had taken out an advert for $50. He subsequently decided to start his own publication that, he said, would "not be influenced by advertising." With a loan of $1,500 from his father-in-law, he launched ''Variety'' as publisher and editor. In additi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Association Of Theatre Owners
Cinema United, formerly known as the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), is an American trade organization whose members are the owners of movie theaters. Most of the operators of worldwide major theater chains are members, as are hundreds of independent theater operators; collectively, they account for the operation of over 35,000 motion picture screens in all 50 U.S. states and over 33,000 screens in 100 other countries. NATO was founded in 1965 by the merger of the largest movie theater trade organizations; the Theater Owners of America and the Allied States Association of Motion Picture Exhibitors. The long-running official magazine of NATO is ''Boxoffice'' (''now'' Boxoffice Pro); between 2001 and 2007, they also published ''In Focus''. On March 18, 2025, NATO rebranded as Cinema United, to honor and support movie theaters. History Early history As the motion picture industry became larger, movie production companies began consolidating and controlling di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beverly Hills Cop II
''Beverly Hills Cop II'' is a 1987 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Tony Scott, written by Larry Ferguson and Warren Skaaren, and starring Eddie Murphy. It is the sequel to the 1984 film '' Beverly Hills Cop'' and the second installment in the ''Beverly Hills Cop'' film series. Murphy returns as Detroit police detective Axel Foley, who reunites with Beverly Hills detectives Billy Rosewood ( Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart ( John Ashton) to stop a criminal organization after Captain Andrew Bogomil ( Ronny Cox) is shot and seriously wounded. The film was released on May 20, 1987 by Paramount Pictures. It received mixed reviews from critics on release, but it was a box office success, grossing $299 million worldwide. Additionally, the film was nominated for an Oscar, as well as a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, for Bob Seger's " Shakedown". Two sequels, '' Beverly Hills Cop III'' and '' Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F'', were released in 1994 and 2024. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cannonball (film)
''Cannonball'' (stylized on-screen as ''Cannonball!'', and released theatrically in the UK as ''Carquake'') is a 1976 comedy film directed by Paul Bartel and starring David Carradine. The film is co-produced by the American studios Cross-County Productions and Harbour Productions and Hong Kong's Shaw Brothers Studio. It is one of two released in 1976 that were based on a real illegal cross-continent road race that took place for a number of years in the United States (the other being'' The Gumball Rally''). The same topic later became the basis for the films ''The Cannonball Run'', ''Cannonball Run II'' and ''Speed Zone''. The film was written and directed by Paul Bartel, who also directed '' Death Race 2000''. The name of the film and the plot were inspired by Erwin G. "Cannon Ball" Baker (1882–1960), who traveled across the United States several times, and by the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, an illegal cross-continent road race introduced by Br ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Forrest Gump
''Forrest Gump'' is a 1994 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis. An adaptation of the Forrest Gump (novel), 1986 novel by Winston Groom, the screenplay of the film is written by Eric Roth. It stars Tom Hanks in the title role, alongside Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, and Sally Field in lead roles. The film follows the life of an Alabama man named Forrest Gump (Hanks) and his experiences in the 20th century in the United States, 20th-century United States. Principal photography took place between August and December 1993, mainly in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Extensive visual effects were used to incorporate Hanks into archived footage and to develop other scenes. The Forrest Gump (soundtrack), soundtrack features songs reflecting the different periods seen in the film. Various interpretations have been made of the protagonist and the film's political symbolism. ''Forrest Gump'' was released in the Unite ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Risky Business
''Risky Business'' is a 1983 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written and directed by Paul Brickman (in his directorial debut) and starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay. It follows the sexual exploits of high school senior Joel Goodsen (Cruise), who is staying home alone during his parents' vacation trip and meets a call girl named Lana (De Mornay). The film is considered to be Cruise's breakout role. ''Risky Business'' was released theatrically in the United States on August 5, 1983. A commercial and critical success, the film grossed more than $63 million at the box office, making it the tenth-highest-grossing film of 1983 in the United States, and received acclaim, with many comparing it to ''The Graduate'' (1967). Cruise's performance earned him the first Golden Globe Award nomination of his career. Retrospective critical analysis has recognized ''Risky Business'' as one of the best high school and teen films of all time. Plot High-achieving high school s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Larry Tisch
Laurence Alan Tisch (March 5, 1923 – November 15, 2003) was an American businessman, investor and billionaire. He was the CEO of CBS television network from 1986 to 1995. With his brother Bob Tisch, he was part owner of Loews Corporation. Early life Tisch was born March 5, 1923, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Sadye (née Brenner) and Al Tisch. His father's parents had emigrated from Ukraine and his mother's parents from Poland. He was of Jewish descent. His father, a former All-American basketball player at the City University of New York, owned a garment factory as well as two summer camps which his wife helped him run. Education and early career He graduated from New York University when he was just 18 and received a Penn Wharton MBA in industrial management by 20. In 1946, he made his first investment, purchasing a 300-room winter resort in Lakewood, New Jersey with $125,000 in seed money (roughly equivalent to $1.5 million at 2012 prices) from his parents. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steve Tisch
Steven Elliot Tisch (born February 14, 1949) is an American film producer and businessman. He is the chairman, co-owner and executive vice president of the New York Giants, the NFL team co-owned by his family, as well as a film and television producer. He is the son of former Giants co-owner Preston Robert Tisch. Early life Tisch was born in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, the son of Joan (née Hyman) and Preston Robert Tisch, a film and television executive who also served as the United States Postmaster General. He has two siblings, Jonathan Tisch and Laurie Tisch. His family is Jewish. He attended Tufts University, during which he began his filmmaking career. Career 1970s–2000 During his youth, Tisch created a number of small films with backing by Columbia Pictures. In 1976, he left Columbia and created his first feature film, '' Outlaw Blues''. He followed this up in 1983 with '' Risky Business'', which gave Tom Cruise his first lead role. In 1984, Tisch produced a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount Global. It is the sixth-oldest film studio in the world, the second-oldest film studio in the United States (behind Universal Pictures), and the sole member of the Major film studio, "Big Five" film studios located within the city limits of Los Angeles. In 1916, film producer Adolph Zukor put 24 actors and actresses under contract and honored each with a star on the logo. In 1967, the number of stars was reduced to 22 and their hidden meaning was dropped. In 2014, Paramount Pictures became the first major Hollywood studio to distribute all of its films in digital form only. The company's headquarters and studios are located at 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California. The most commercially successful film franchises from Paramount Pictu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
