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BEYOND HOLLYWOOD SPECIAL: SHINE, FEELING MINNESOTA, TWELFTH NIGHT, UNHOOK THE STARS and much more!

Preview Theater episode #148 broadcast on December 12, 1996

Back in 1996, the independent filmmaker was coming into its own. In this episode we’ll look Beyond Hollywood at some of the first wide release of independent films.

Featured in this week’s episode:

SHINE

Pianist David Helfgott, driven by his father and teachers, has a breakdown. Years later he returns to the piano, to popular if not critical acclaim.  SHINE stars  Geoffrey Rush, Armin Mueller-Stahland Justin Braine.

 

TWELFTH NIGHT

Viola and Sebastian are young twins who, on Twelfth Night (holiday) are performing on a ship and use their likeness to tease their audiences. During their journey, they are caught in a storm, shipwrecked and separated. TWELFTH NIGHT stars Charles Gray, Bryan Marshall, and Anne Stallybrass

 

FEELING MINNESOTA

An ex-convict and his bumbling crook brother fight for the same woman. FEELING MINNESOTA stars  Keanu Reeves, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Cameron Diaz .

 

UNHOOK THE STARS

Son of the original indie filmmaker, Nick Cassavetes writes and directs a story about an elderly woman who has spent her life caring for others. When her daughter finally leaves home, she finds that, for the first time in her life, she has nobody to worry about -she learns there is more to life than taking care of others. UNHOOK THE STARS  stars  Gena Rowlands, Marisa Tomei, and Gérard Depardieu.

 

This week’s episode rundown:

Beyond Hollywood Special

  • Shine
  • Feeling Minnesota
  • Twelfth Night
  • Unhook the Stars
  • Beautiful Thing
  • Breaking the Waves
  • The Grass Harp

Archives

101 DALMATIANS, TWELFTH NIGHT, THINNER, behind the scenes of THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS and much more!

Preview Theater episode #147 broadcast on November 28, 1996

Featured in this week’s episode:

101 DALMATIANS

A woman kidnaps puppies to kill them for their fur, but various animals then gang up against her and get their revenge in slapstick fashion.  101 DALMATIANS stars  Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, and Joely Richardson.

 

TWELFTH NIGHT

Viola and Sebastian are young twins who, on Twelfth Night (holiday) are performing on a ship and use their likeness to tease their audiences. During their journey, they are caught in a storm, shipwrecked and separated. TWELFTH NIGHT stars Charles Gray, Bryan Marshall, and Anne Stallybrass

 

THINNER

An obese attorney is cursed by a gypsy to rapidly and uncontrollably lose weight.  THINNER  stars  Joe Mantegna, Robert John Burke, and Lucinda Jenney .

 

Behind the Scenes of THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS

A bridge engineer and an experienced old hunter begin a hunt for two lions after they start attacking local construction workers. We look at the making of THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS,  which stars  Michael Douglas, Val Kilmer, and Tom Wilkinson.

 

This week’s episode rundown:

  • 101 Dalmatians
  • Behind the Scenes of The Ghost and the Darkness
  • Twelfth Night
  • Thinner
  • Dear God
  • Star Trek: First Contact
  • Space Jam
  • Cold Comfort Farm
  • Beautiful Girl

Archives

THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES, SECRETS & LIES, THE FUNERAL, behind the scenes of RANSOM and much more!

Preview Theater episode #145 broadcast on November 11, 1996

Featured in this week’s episode:

THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES

Relationship between two Columbia professors with frustrating personal lives for different reasons.   THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES stars Barbra Streisand, Jeff Bridges, and  Lauren Bacall .

 

SECRETS & LIES

A successful black woman discovers that her birth mother is a underprivileged white woman, but the woman denies it. As emotions run high, everyone’s secrets are exposed. SECRETS & LIES  stars Timothy Spall, Brenda Blethyn, and Phyllis Logan

 

THE FUNERAL

A powerful crime family is caught in a lethal crossfire between union organizers and brutal corporate bosses. THE FUNERAL  stars  Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, and Annabella Sciorra.

 

Behind the Scenes of RANSOM

When a rich man’s son is kidnapped, he cooperates with the police at first but then tries a unique tactic against the criminals.  We look at the making of RANSOM,   which stars Mel Gibson, Gary Sinise, and Rene Russo.

 

This week’s episode rundown:

  • The Mirror Has Two Faces
  • Behind the Scenes of Ransom
  • Secrets & Lies
  • The Funeral
  • Set it Off
  • Larger than Life
  • Boys
  • Mission: Impossible
  • The Nutty Professor

Archives

SET IT OFF, LARGER THAN LIFE, BEAUTIFUL THING, behind the scenes of TO GILLIAN ON HER 37TH BIRTHDAY and much more!

Preview Theater episode #144 broadcast on November 08, 1996

Featured in this week’s episode:

SET IT OFF

Desperation drives four inner-city women (Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise) to bank robbery in Los Angeles, then they start mistrusting one another. SET IT OFF stars Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, and Vivica A. Fox .

 

LARGER THAN LIFE

A motivational speaker discovers that the inheritance his father left for him is in the form of an elephant. LARGER THAN LIFE  stars Bill Murray, Matthew McConaughey, and Jerry Adler

 

BEAUTIFUL THING

In a suburb of London, young Jamie is escaping sport hours, to avoid being the victim of his comrades. Young Ste, his neighbor, is beaten by his father, and comes to sleep overnight. They discover new feelings, sleeping in the same bed. BEAUTIFUL THING  stars Glen Berry, Linda Henry, and Meera Syal.

 

Behind the Scenes of TO GILLIAN ON HER 37TH BIRTHDAY

Affected by the death of his wife he deals with his grief by continuing his romance with Gillian during walks with her ghost on the beach at night.  We look at the making of TO GILLIAN ON HER 37TH BIRTHDAY  which stars Peter Gallagher, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Claire Danes.

 

This week’s episode rundown:

  • Set it Off
  • Larger than Life
  • Behind the Scenes of To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday
  • Beautiful Thing
  • The Associate
  • Looking for Richard
  • The Adventures of Pinocchio
  • Mrs. Winterbourne