Author Archives: robin
Robin’s Underrated Gems: Angel Heart (1987)
This week, we recorded a Shouts From the Back Row podcast on the career of Robert De Niro. During the mid-1980s, after establishing himself as one of the top actors in Hollywood, De Niro seemed to go through a brief … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Martin Kove in an Irish Spring Soap Commercial
I think we can all agree that Cobra Kai Sensai John Kreese from the Karate Kid movies is one of cinema’s all-time great bad guys. But unfortunately, your image of him will probably be ruined forever once you see Martin Kove … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Robert De Niro as an Extra in “Three Rooms in Manhattan”
Yesterday, we did a Shouts From the Back Row podcast on the career of Robert De Niro. Today, I shall present to you his greatest career performance: sitting at a table in the background as an extra in the 1965 … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars (2-for-1 Special): Sylvester Stallone and Henry Winkler in “The Lords of Flatbush”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w5Fgg2OZ0g In 1974, a low-budget Brooklyn-filmed coming-of-age story called The Lords of Flatbush was released, featuring Sylvester Stallone in one of his very first starring roles and Henry Winkler doing an early version of Fonzie right before Happy Days went … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: John Travolta in a Band-Aids Commercial
One of my earliest and favourite “Before They Were Stars” clips was a Safeguard Soap commercial from the early 1970s featuring a young John Travolta singing in the shower with two other guys. Well, guess what? I’ve got a brief … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Johnny Knoxville in a Softcore Porn
Believe it or not, before Jackass, Johnny Knoxville actually made an attempt at a legitimate acting career. Unfortunately, the only film role he could get was in Desert Blues, an ultra-low budget 1995 shot-on-video sex comedy which is practically softcore … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Meg Ryan in an Aim Toothpaste Commercial
In this commercial from the early eighties, a young Meg Ryan and a bunch of ditzy cheerleaders have a discussion about the merits of Aim toothpaste. Apparently, using this toothpaste has helped Meg hook up with “Jack Reed” and the … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Eva Mendes in “A Night at the Roxbury”
First off, I would like to apologize in advance for posting a clip of A Night at the Roxbury on The Back Row. But I suppose it was worth doing because it features a brief appearance by Eva Mendes as … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Julianne Moore in a Time-Life Books Commercial
Before there was such a thing as the Internet, people would often learn unique and interesting information by ordering Time-Life books and these commercials for them used to run on the airwaves all the time. This ad is for their … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars (2-for-1 Special): Richard E. Grant and Elizabeth Hurley in a Schweppes Tonic Commercial
Here’s a nice 2-for-1 “Before They Were Stars” commercial: an unknown Richard E. Grant, just on the verge of starring in Withnail and I and sporting a killer mullet, appears in an ad for Schweppes Tonic alongside a young Elizabeth Hurley.
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