Bill Newcott

Biography: Bill Newcott is host of AARP's Movies for Grownups. He blogs about movies, television and all things entertainment.

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Bill Newcott 'sPosts

“Not Fade Away” A Movies for Grownups Minute Review With Bill Newcott

Posted on 01/9/2013 by Bill Newcott | Movies & TV | Comments

EntertainmentIn our first Online YouTube review, Bill Newcott of AARP’s Movies for Grownups ponders where the ’60s kids in Not Fade Away learned to talk like that…and why they never go to White Castle. Here’s a clip of James Gandolfini “welcoming” his son (John Magaro) home from college. You can see how broadly writer/director David Chase draws his characters—not a lot of nuance here. Photo Credit: Barry Wetcher/Paramount Clip Courtesy Paramount/Vantage

The Last Ring Ding

Posted on 01/4/2013 by Bill Newcott | Movies & TV | Comments

Food | Your LifeEverybody was all upset about the passing of Twinkies when the Hostess baking company went belly-up late last year. But who will mourn the Drake’s Ring Ding? I will. Everyone knows Twinkies will return after the bankruptcy proceedings are through. But no one is betting on anyone resurrecting the Ring Ding (Or Ding Dong, or King Don—aliases by which Ring Dings were sold over the years). I made my final box of Ring Dings last as long as I could, …

Videoblog: “Riding” Classic Movies at Walt Disney World’s New Fantasyland

Posted on 12/28/2012 by Bill Newcott | Movies & TV | Comments

Entertainment | TravelThe truly revolutionary concept behind Disneyland was Walt Disney’s desire to immerse visitors in his classic films. That’s why the great Snow White, Mr. Toad and Peter Pan rides were among the first ones he planned. Even the landmark Matterhorn Bobsleds ride was designed after a Disney live-action film, Third Man on the Mountain. So it’s nice to see that in designing New Fantasyland at Walt Disney World the company’s Imagineers haven’t forgotten Walt’s original inspiration. There’s a new Snow …

Jack Klugman Talks About His Last Movie

Posted on 12/26/2012 by Bill Newcott | Movies & TV | Comments

EntertainmentI don’t know an actor more beloved than Jack Klugman, who died on Christmas Eve at age 90. There are just a handful of performers who, the moment they appear on screen, make their audience smile, simply glad to see them. But he was one of them. Klugman was, of course, most famous for his roles as Oscar Madison in the TV version of The Odd Couple (a role he’d first played on Broadway, replacing Walter Matthau in the part). …

Mel Brooks Part 1: I Love to Make ‘Em Laugh…And I Love Being Jewish!

Posted on 11/30/2012 by Bill Newcott | Movies & TV | Comments

Entertainment I was expecting just eight minutes or so on the phone talking with Mel Brooks about his new DVD/CD/Book Collection “The Incredible Mel Brooks: An Irresistible Collection of Unhinged Comedy.” But as you’ll hear in my You Tube video above, when Mel Brooks wants to talk, you don’t try to stop him (not that I wanted to!). I had to toil mightily to cut our 45-minute chat down to three short segments. In this part, Mel tells me about …