Author Archives: robin
Before They Were Stars: 16-Year Old Rian Johnson Directs “Ninja Ko, The Origami Master”
Ever wanted to see the director of Looper make a ninja movie? Well, like many aspiring filmmakers, Rian Johnson liked to spend his teen years making short films on VHS. At the age of 16, he decided to put together … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: 13-Year Old Kurt Russell on “The Fugitive”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPBC56DYjnU Since this happened way before my time, it’s always surreal to me to see Kurt Russell as a child actor making guest appearances on popular television shows during the 1960s. Here’s 13-year old Kurt on a 1964 episode of … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: George Clooney on “Sunset Beat”
I’ve posted a lot of “Before They Were Stars” clips of George Clooney on The Back Row, but this may be some of his most obscure footage. In 1990, Clooney starred in a short-lived ABC teleivision series called Sunset Beat, … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Tommy Lee Jones Plays Football for Harvard in 1968
In 1968, Tommy Lee Jones was attending Harvard and became an offensive guard on their varsity football team and also happened to participate in one of the most famous football games of all time. On November 23, Harvard and their … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: 9-Year Old Christina Applegate in “Jaws of Satan”
Given that Jaws and The Exorcist were two of the most successful blockbusters of all time, how do you put together a horror film which manages to capitalize on both them? Simple: you make Jaws of Satan, a cheesy 1981 flick … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Katey Sagal Sings with The Group With No Name
During the 1970s and early 1980s, Katey Sagal alternated between an acting career and a music career and wound up singing backup vocals for some pretty notable artists, including Bob Dylan, Bette Midler and Gene Simmons. At one point, she … Continue reading
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Robin’s Underrated Gems: Knockabout (1979)
Last week, we recorded a Shouts From the Back Row podcast on martial arts movies and I remarked that I haven’t written too many “Robin’s Underrated Gems” columns about films from that genre. Well, there’s a pretty simple reason for … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: Crispin Glover on “Crisis Counselor”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riY-TDsSd_g Awhile back, footage was uncovered of a young Bryan Cranston on an obscure Lifetime series called Crisis Counselor, a “reality show” from the early 1980s in which people met with a counselor to discuss their personal problems. Since Cranston was playing … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: 17-Year Old Carla Gugino Flirts with Zack Morris
About three minutes into this clip, you’re going to see 17-year old Carla Gugino as a high school student who flirts with Zack Morris on Saved by the Bell… before it was actually Saved by the Bell. You see, a … Continue reading
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Before They Were Stars: The “Freaks and Geeks” Auditions
I can’t believe I’ve never done a “Before They Were Stars” spotlight on Freaks and Geeks, which is pretty much a cornucopia of famous actors getting their first big break. As you probably know, Freaks and Geeks was a teen comedy-drama … Continue reading
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