NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, May 5, 2002 – AMC unveils its original production slate for summer, 2002 with a compelling line-up of original documentaries and series.
SPECIALS
DISH
MAY 7, 10:00 PM ET
Adapted from a book by former New York Magazine gossip columnist Jeanette Walls, DISH explores the history of gossip in Hollywood and its reliance on and symbiosis with the bad behavior of the stars. Whether its secrets squelched by Hedda and Louella or items carried in the columns of Liz Smith and Army Archerd, gossip has played a pivotal role in the creation of movie stars and the marketing of motion pictures. This one-hour original production examines the love/hate relationship between Hollywood and the gossip machine it helped to create in this insightful, often amusing, very hush hush expose about gossip itself. DISH is produced and directed by John Watkin and Eamon Harrington of Planet Grande. Executive producers for AMC are Marc Juris and Jessica Falcon.
SHIRTLESS: HOLLYWOOD'S SEXIEST MEN
JUNE 4, 10:00 PM ET
This one-hour original production explores a century of Hollywood's most beautiful men and the reasons we love them. The heartthrob – the 20th century male phenomenon who can send millions into near- hysterics with his unspoken promise of sex and romance, has been with us for almost 100 years. We have seen him evolve from debonair dandy to the boy-next-door to international cover model, changing all the while, but always maintaining his sexy allure. From Cary Grant to Russell Crowe, from Brad
Pitt to James Dean, these handsome faces have reflected the times and the tastes of millions of men and women. Male beauty and sex appeal
have never been so openly on display as it is today. SHIRTLESS: HOLLYWOOD'S SEXIEST MEN is produced by Simon Banner Associates Inc. for AMC. Executive Producers are Simon Banner and Ian Point. The Executive Producer for AMC is Jessica Falcon.
BRUCE LEE: A WARRIOR'S JOURNEY
JULY 2, 10:00 PM ET
For over 28 years, footage from film and martial arts legend Bruce Lee's last film, GAME OF DEATH, was thought to be lost. BRUCE LEE: A WARRIOR'S JOURNEY features the premiere of the never before seen 38-minute reconstruction of GAME OF DEATH. In 1972, Bruce Lee filmed three action sequences for the finale of a film that he would never live to complete. It was to have been the most important film of his budding career. Upon his passing, approximately 12 minutes of select excerpts from that footage were edited into a feature film bearing Lee's working title of GAME OF DEATH – but the film bore no comparison, either in story or action, to what Lee had originally envisioned. Now, award-winning filmmaker John Little (Bruce Lee: In His Own Words) has uncovered Lee's original script notes, choreography, writing and story notes and with the estate's blessing has undergone a quest to locate the missing footage and to restore the film to the late superstar's original vision. The documentary provides an intimate look at Bruce Lee for the first time: his battles against cultural and professional bigotry, his survival following a near-crippling back injury, how he developed a radically new approach to martial arts, and his journey to bring the truth he uncovered to the big screen. BRUCE LEE: A WARRIOR'S JOURNEY is produced by Monster Distributes in association with AMC. Producer is Andrew Fitzpatrick. Executive Producer for AMC is David Sehring.
SERIES
BACKSTORY, EVERY MONDAY AT 10:00 PM ET
BACKSTORY is AMC's popular weekly series that captures the moment in time in which a movie was created. Stars, directors, producers and other Hollywood players provide revealing inside "backstories" about the events that affected each movie, its success and its stars. New episodes in May and June include CAST AWAY (May 6), PLANET OF THE APES
(May 13), BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (May 20), MY COUSIN VINNY (June 3) and BROADCAST NEWS (June 10).
CINEMA SECRETS, EVERY FRIDAY AT 10:00 PM ET
CINEMA SECRETS highlights the cutting-edge tools and professionals of the special effects industry while providing perspective on the making of released films. Upcoming episodes include a look the making of THE ONE and AIR FORCE ONE (May 17); SPIDERMAN and SPAWN (May 31); CRIMSON TIDE and SPECIES (June 14); MEN IN BLACK 2 and WINDTALKERS (July 5).
AMC is a premiere 24-hour movie network dedicated to the world of American film. With one of the finest, most comprehensive libraries of popular films, and a diverse blend of original series, documentaries and interstitials, AMC offers an elegant and contemporary entertainment destination. AMC is a fully distributed network reaching over 82,000,000 U.S. homes (as of Jan. 2002) and ranking #16 in size among all 55 networks.
Since its launch in 1984, AMC has been dedicated to deepening the movie experience for its viewers, featuring film-loving celebrity hosts and an increasingly visible, critically-acclaimed slate of original programming. AMC has more than doubled its original programming over the past 3 years and garnered many of the industry's highest honors, including five Emmy awards.
AMC is owned and managed by Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc., a leader in news, sports and entertainment programming. A subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC) and NBC, Rainbow manages American Movie Classics, WE: Women's Entertainment, Bravo, The Independent Film Channel, MuchMusic USA, Rainbow Sports
Networks, News 12 Networks, MetroChannels, Mag Rack as well as the
Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Network
Communications. In addition, Rainbow is a fifty-percent partner in Fox Sports Net. AMC is one of the assets included in the Rainbow Media Group tracking stock (NYSE:RMG), a series of Cablevision common stock. MGM (NYSE:MGM) owns a 20% stake in four of Rainbow's national networks – AMC, Bravo, IFC, and WE: Women's Entertainment.