Charlie Chaplin Was Born Today in 1889

April 16, 2012 By 810 Comments


Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on this day in 1889, in London, England.

In celebration, we bring you a clip from Chaplin’s first talking picture, ‘The Great Dictator’. This is where Chaplin drops out of his comedic character to address the audience directly denouncing dictatorship, greed, hate, and intolerance, in favor of liberty and human brotherhood. This truly is one of the most unforgettable and moving speeches in all of movie history.

‘The Great Dictator’ (1940), was an act of defiance against Nazism. It was filmed and released in the U.S. one year before entering into World War II. The film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actor.

You can watch several more Charlie Chaplin films right here on BIGSTAR Movies! Click any one of the images below to start streaming now!

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Happy Birthday, Claire Danes!

April 12, 2012 By 499 Comments

Claire Danes was born on this day in 1979 in New York City to Carla, a day-care provider and artist, and Christopher, a computer consultant and photographer. Danes first came to fame when she appeared as Angela Chase in ‘My So-Called Life,’ in which she earned an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe Award.

Here are some fun facts about Claire that you probably didn’t know!

  • Grew up in SoHo, New York City.
  • Took a break from Hollywood in 1998 to attend Yale University majoring in psychology but left after 2 years, returning to her acting career.
  • Was the first choice for the role of Rose in ‘Titanic’ but turned it down.
  • Several songs have been written about her or at least mention her name.
  • Was banned from the Philippines for making derogatory remarks about the country.
  • Auditioned for the role of Lisa Rowe, played by Angelina Jolie, in ‘Girl, Interrupted’.
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Happy Birthday, Kristen Stewart!

April 10, 2012 By 443 Comments

That’s right “Twilight” fans, the actress that plays Bella Swan turns 22 today! Born in Los Angeles, California to John and Julia Stewart, Kristen Stewart was born on this day in 1990. Kristen Stewart has 3 dogs: Oz, a border collie mix, Jack, and Lily who are hybrid wolves. Yes, hybrid wolves. Known for her roles in “Twilight,” “Panic Room,” “Adventureland,” and “Cold Creek Manor,” Stewart has always played the mysterious role on the big screen.

Kristen Stewart costars with Diane Lane and Donald Sutherland in this spellbinding movie about a mother and son plunged into a seductive – and destructive – world of the privileged class. Click on the image to watch now.

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Happy Birthday, Paul Rudd!

April 6, 2012 By 900 Comments

Trivia!
**Besides ’40-Year-Old Virgin,’ Rudd has appeared in two other films with Steve Carell. Name them!**

Paul Stephen Rudd was born on April 6th, 1969, in Passaic, New Jersey. Classically trained in theater at Oxford University, Paul primarily plays comedic roles. He is well-known for playing similar characters in enormously successful films like ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin’, ‘Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy’, ‘Knocked Up’, ‘Role Models’, ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’, ‘Our Idiot Brother’, ‘Dinner For Schmucks’, & many more. His early breakout role was alongside Alicia Silverstone in ‘Clueless’, which then led him to a reoccurring role as Phoebe’s boyfriend in the hit TV show ‘Friends’.

  • Raised in Overland Park, Kansas.
  • His parents were Jewish immigrants from England.
  • Original family surname is “Rudnitzky”.
  • Was a DJ at Bar Mitzvahs before his career took off.
  • His favorite musician is Tom Waits.
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Happy Birthday, Eddie Murphy!

April 3, 2012 By 545 Comments

What is your favorite movie/show starring the world famous comedian & actor?

We’ve also put together some fun facts & favorite video clips of Eddie Murphy! (watch out for strong language)

Facts:

  • Edward Regan Murphy was born in Brooklyn New York, in 1961.
  • Was cast by “Saturday Night Live” (1975) and NBC in 1980 when he was 19 years old.
  • Older brother, Charles Murphy, is also an actor and has made several appearances on the ‘Chappelle’s Show’.
  • Younger brother Vernon Jr. was in the hip-hop group K-9 Posse.
  • The role as Winston in ‘Ghostbusters’ was written for him by Dan Aykroyd, but Eddie turned it down due to scheduling conflicts.
  • Both Sylvester Stallone and Mickey Rourke were considered for the role of Axel Foley in ‘Beverly Hills Cop’.
  • Was in a relationship with Whitney Houston before she married Bobby Brown.
  • His favorite TV show in ‘Star Trek’.
  • He doesn’t drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and the only drug he takes is caffeine.

Crossing the freeway in ‘Bowfinger’…

As Donkey in ‘Shrek’…

As Prince Akeem in ‘Coming to America’…

The barber shop in ‘Coming To America’…

Train scene in ‘Trading Places’…

Getting into trouble in ‘Beverly Hills Cop’…

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Happy Birthday, Spock!

March 26, 2012 By 621 Comments

Leonard Nimoy was born today in 1931 in Boston, Massachusetts, to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. In fact, before Adam Sandler made being Jewish pretty cool with his comedy skits, Nimoy created the Vulcan hand salute and the accompanying phrase “Live long and prosper”, which is based on a traditional Jewish blessing.

Here are some more facts about our favorite Vulcan:
-Was born only four days after his best friend and ‘Star Trek’ co-star William Shatner.
-Like his character of Spock, Nimoy is a vegetarian.
-Nimoy’s initial Star Trek salary? $1,250 per episode.
-In 1970 he opened an exotic pet shop in Canoga Park, CA, after Trek’s cancellation.
-He earned degrees in both photography and education.
-He served in the Army and was honorably discharged a Sergeant.
-Fluent in Hebrew and Yiddish.

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Steven McQueen was born on this day in 1930

March 25, 2012 By 1,344 Comments

Terence Steven McQueen was born today in 1930, in Beach Grove, Indiana. He passed away on November 7, 1980, in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico.

Can you tell us the year, make, and model of the car he used in the movie ‘Bullitt’?

Some neat facts about the icon…
-He was at the top of Charles Manson’s list and was expected for dinner and the later tragedy at the Polanski-Tate home in the Hollywood hills. He was detoured by a mystery woman who caught his attention and never made it.
-He was slated to play Rambo, but because of his death, it was given to Sylvester Stallone. Can you imagine??
-Was also set to star alongside Paul Newman in ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ but declined.
-He was a pallbearer at the funeral of actor Bruce Lee.
-Actors Colin Farrell, Kevin Costner, Pierce Brosnan and Bruce Willis have all listed McQueen as their hero and inspiration for being an actor.

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Today in Movie History: Filmmaker Akira Kurosawa Was Born

March 23, 2012 By 324 Comments

Legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa was born on this day in 1910, in Toyko, Japan. Other than anime and Godzilla movies, Kurosawa’s samurai period epics are what most of the world associates with Japanese cinema. Regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 films in a 57 year career. He died on September 6, 1998.

(Above photo: Akira Kurosawa, Francis Ford Copolla, & George Lucas)

Did you know…
-His film ‘Seven Samurai’ was remade as the American western ‘The Magnificent Seven’.
-His film ‘Yojimbo’ was remade as Sergio Leone’s spaghetti western ‘A Fistful of Dollars’ starring Clint Eastwood, “the man with no name”.
-’Hidden Fortress’ was a obvious source of inspiration for George Lucas’ ‘Star Wars’ where a ragtag band tries to transport a princess to safety and eventually help her free her land.
-Lucas also used Kurosawa’s “wipe effect” to fade from one scene to another.
-Kurosawa’s influences can be seen in all films by Quentin Tarantino, and even some by Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Francis Ford Copolla.

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Star Date 3.22.2012…It is…William Shatner’s Birth…day. Please…Read On.

March 22, 2012 By 38 Comments

In 1978, Canadian born William Shatner performed his interpretation of Elton John’s “Rocket Man” for a live audience. It’s too brilliant to explain so just watch:

Here are some more fun facts about The Shat:
-He is a vegetarian.
-He was not given a role in J.J. Abram’s 2009 film Star Trek, so he refused to see it in theaters.
-In the 70s he was a regular celebrity guest on The $20,000 Pyramid. But that ended when he accidentally gave a guest an “illegal” clue, causing them to forfeit their winnings and Shatner to throw a chair on set.
-Owns “SPLATT ATTACK!”, a paintball recreation center, and sometimes participates in the competitions.

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Jessica Biel Joins Scarlett Johansson in Making of Psycho Film

March 21, 2012 By 697 Comments

Jessica Biel, 30, just signed on to the cast of the movie-making biopic ‘Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho’ as actress Vera Miles who plays Lila Crane in the original 1960 horror classic. Biel will be joining other great actors including Anthony Hopkins as Hitchcock, Helen Mirren as his wife, James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins, and Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, who played Marion Crane, the well-known shower murder victim. NICE!

The movie is not a remake of the original. Instead it’s based on a book by Stephen Rebello detailing Alfred Hitchcock’s rough start, personality, and directorial techniques at the pinnacle of his career.

(photo credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage.com; Anita Bugge/WireImage.com)

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