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Posted: |
Jun 3, 2021 - 12:55 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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In DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, bored New Jersey suburban housewife “Roberta Glass” (Rosanna Arquette) becomes fascinated with a kooky character, “Susan” (Madonna), she's read about in the personal columns. This leads to her being mistaken for the woman herself. Mark Blum played Roberta’s husband “Gary Glass,” the owner of a spa and hot tub company.
Rosanna Arquette and Mark Blum in DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN
DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN represented director Susan Seidelman’s first experience working with a professional union crew and studio backing, after the success of her indie film SMITHEREENS (1982). Varese Sarabande released Thomas Newman’s score for the 1985 film in 1987, paired with Chaz Jankel’s score for Seidelman’s next film, MAKING MR. RIGHT (1987).
Orion Pictures took advantage of Madonna’s appeal to teenage audiences by preparing an “Into The Groove” videoclip with scenes from the film that received generous play on MTV; “Into The Groove” played in the background at the nightclub scene wherein Gary and Susan meet for the first time.
Madonna and Mark Blum in DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN
The film cost $4.5 million to produce. Orion opened DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN on 29 March 1985 on 263 screens nationally and received 11 favorable reviews from New York critics. Orion initially invested $1.9 million in marketing the film. On 12 April 1985, the distributor extended the release to roughly 700 screens backed with an additional $2.5 million in advertising. With nearly $9 million invested in the film and its promotion, Orion was pleased to find the film landing solidly in the top 40 releases of the year, with a $27.4 million domestic gross.
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In 1986, Mary Tyler Moore starred in the melodrama JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS. This tearjerker concerned two women (Moore and co-star Christine Lahti) who strike up a friendship, unaware that they share the same man (Ted Danson)--one as a wife, one as a lover. Mark Blum played “George Margolin” in the film.
Allan Burns, who co-created "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," wrote and directed the film. Patrick Williams' score, which had playing by jazz guitarist Earl Klugh, was released on a Warner Bros. LP. Wounded Bird Records re-issued it on CD in 2009. JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS had median box office returns of $6.4 million.
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Posted: |
Jun 4, 2021 - 10:35 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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When workaholic “Walter Davis” (Bruce Willis) needs a BLIND DATE for a dinner with new important clientele, his brother, “Ted Davis” (Phil Hartman), offers to set him up with his wife’s cousin, “Nadia Gates” (Kim Basinger). However, Ted’s wife, “Susie Davis” (Stephanie Faracy), warns Walter not to get Nadia drunk because she loses control and “gets real wild.” Mark Blum plays Walter’s co-worker “Denny Gordon” in the film.
Blake Edwards directed this 1987 romantic comedy. Only 7 minutes of Henry Mancini’s score appeared on the Rhino Records song-track CD. The $16 million production, which was Bruce Willis’ first credited feature, squeaked into the top 30 films of the year at the U.S. box office, with a $39.3 million gross.
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At an army base, THE PRESIDIO, an MP discovers a suspicious car parked outside a building and sees signs of a break-in. While investigating the break-in, she is shot dead by the intruders, who then lead MPs and subsequently the San Francisco police on a chase, which results in two police officers being killed in a car crash. Police Inspector “Jay Austin” (Mark Harmon) is sent to The Presidio to investigate the crime. Austin used to be an MP at The Presidio and has a history with both the deceased and several of the officers on the base, including the provost marshal “Lt. Colonel Alan Caldwell” (Sean Connery) who is also investigating the crime. Considering their past history, Austin and Caldwell do not get along well with each other, nor does Austin get along well with anyone else at the base. Of course, a growing relationship between Austin and Caldwell's daughter, “Donna” (Meg Ryan), does not help matters. While he on base, one of the people that Jay interviews is “Arthur Peale” (Mark Blum), a businessman who reported his silver Lincoln stolen.
Peter Hyams directed the picture. Bruce Broughton released his score for this 1988 film on a composer promo CD in 2002. Intrada officially released the score, with some extras, in 2014. THE PRESIDIO broke into the top 50 films of the year with a $20.3 million U.S. gross. Mark Harmon and Mark Blum would co-star the next year in the romantic comedy WORTH WINNING.
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Posted: |
Jun 5, 2021 - 10:31 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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When ABC’s Monday Night Football ended its 1989-90 season in early January. The network replaced it with movies. But in the spring of 1990, ABC used the second half of the two-hour block to try out a new dramatic series, “Capital News”, which focused on the editorial staff and writers of the Washington, D.C.-based daily newspaper The Washington Capital (a fictional publication inspired by the actual Washington Post). The series starred Lloyd Bridges as “Jonathan Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Turner”, Washington Capital editor-in-chief, and Mark Blum as “Edison King,” national editor who stalks the corridors of governmental power, uncovering scandal and abuse.
“Capital News” premiered on Monday, 9 April 1990 at 9 PM, with its two-hour pilot episode. When the series went into its regular one-hour format the next week, at 10 PM, the 9 PM hour was filled with “China Beach,” the Vietnam War series headed by Mark Blum’s “Sweet Surrender” co-star Dana Delany. “Capital News” went up against the sitcoms “Designing Women” (#22 for the season) and “Newhart” on CBS, and NBC’s “Monday Night at the Movies.” “Capital News” got no traction and was cancelled after four weeks. Nine produced episodes were never aired in the U.S., although they saw some showings overseas.
Chelsea Field, Mark Blum, Lloyd Bridges, Michael Woods, Helen Slater, and William Russ in “Capital News”
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Posted: |
Jun 6, 2021 - 11:14 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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As MIAMI RHAPSODY begins, “Gwyn” (Sarah Jessica Parker) is telling her gynecologist why she is no longer engaged to “Matt” (Gil Bellows). In flashback, we discover that despite a good relationship with this affable zookeeper, she has grown increasingly disillusioned with the idea of marriage. One after another, her mother, sister and brother all admit to cheating on their spouses. Gwyn's father, “Vic” (Paul Mazursky), glumly shares his suspicion with Gwyn that her mother, “Nina” (Mia Farrow), is having an affair with the nurse who cares for Gwyn's ailing grandmother. Mark Blum had a small role in the film as “Peter.”
David Frankel wrote and directed this 1995 romantic comedy. Mark Isham’s score was released by Hollywood Records. The film grossed a meager $5.2 million.
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Posted: |
Jun 7, 2021 - 12:10 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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INDICTMENT: THE McMARTIN TRIAL was about California’s real-life McMartin Preschool trial of the 1980s, one of the longest (seven years), most expensive trials in U.S. history—and one of the most explosive, dealing with countless allegations of child molestation. It all began when Judy Johnson (Roberta Bassin), mother of one of the Manhattan Beach, California, preschool's young students, reported to the police that her son had been sodomized by her estranged husband and by McMartin teacher Ray Buckey (Henry Thomas), the son of administrator Peggy McMartin Buckey (Shirley Knight).
Several hundred children were then interviewed by the Children's Institute International (CII), a Los Angeles-based abuse therapy clinic run by Kee MacFarlane (Lolita Davidovich). The interviewing techniques used during investigations of the allegations were highly suggestive and invited children to pretend or speculate about supposed events. By spring of 1984, it was claimed that 360 children had been abused. KABC-TV reporter Wayne Satz (Mark Blum) reported uncritically the allegations made by CII, while never revealing that he had entered into a romantic relationship with Kee MacFarlane.
After two trials, the case was closed with all charges against Ray Buckey dismissed. He had been jailed for five years without ever being convicted of committing any crime. James Woods played his defense attorney, Danny Davis.
Mark Blum in INDICTMENT: THE McMARTIN TRIAL
Mick Jackson directed the made-for-cable film, which aired on HBO on 20 May 1995. Peter Rodgers Melnick provided the unreleased score.
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In STAG, engaged attorney “Victor Mallick” (John Stockwell) arrives at his posh home and finds that his law partner, “Michael” (Mario Van Peebles), has gathered eight of their old friends for a stag party. The participants include “Timan” (John Henson), “Jon” (William McNamara), Vic's “Uncle Frank” (Ben Gazzara), “Danny” (Kevin Dillon), who is a veteran with Gulf War Syndrome, and sleazy drug dealer “Pete” (Andrew McCarthy), who goes through Timan's wallet while he is being sick and discovers his secret: he is a closet homosexual. The party begins hopping when stripping sisters “Serena” (Taylor Dayne) and “Kelly” (Jenny McShane) arrive with bodyguard “Stoker” (William Prael). But when misfortune befalls one of the strippers, a convoluted scheme is hatched by the party-goers to avoid blame. Mark Blum plays “Ben Marks,” owner of the "Happy Home" greeting card chain, and another party-goer, in the film.
Mark Blum in STAG
Gavin Wilding directed this 1997 drama, which has an unreleased score by Paul Zaza. Then Montreal-based producer-distributor CFP planned theatrical play for STAG across North America, but the film only played on television in the U.S. before landing on video.
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In SHATTERED GLASS, adapted by first-time director Billy Ray from a Vanity Fair article, Stephen Glass (played by Hayden Christensen) is a canny careerist, breezing into the office and turning twerpy charm and boyish vulnerability on co-worker and superior alike. The image he's crafted for himself is one of calculated eagerness-to- please, of a bright kid blithely dealing with pressures "when greatness is demanded of you" (as a teacher gushes during a trip to a classroom of awestruck students). Glass' bad luck is in having one of his articles picked up by Adam Penenberg (Steve Zahn), a writer at the now-defunct Forbes Digital Tool. The story, about a hacker convention, crumbles under the weight of basic fact-checking, and The New Republic's boy wonder is uncloaked as a baby con-man. It is up to Chuck Lane (Peter Sarsgaard), the resented replacement to beloved editor Michael Kelly (Hank Azaria), to decide what to do with him. Mark Blum plays Lewis Estridge in the film.
Mark Blum in SHATTERED GLASS
Billy Ray wrote and directed this 2003 docu-drama. Mychael Danna’s score was released by Thrive Records. The film had limited appeal, as evidenced by its worldwide box office of just a tad under $3 million.
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Posted: |
Jun 13, 2021 - 3:30 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Late in his career, Mark Blum had his most successful series role in “Mozart In the Jungle”, a show inspired by oboist Blair Tindall's 2005 memoir of her professional career in New York, playing various high-profile gigs with ensembles including the New York Philharmonic and the orchestras of numerous Broadway shows. The series stars Gael García Bernal as “Rodrigo,” a character based on conductor Gustavo Dudamel, alongside Lola Kirke as “Hailey Rutledge,” an oboist with a yearning ambition to play with the New York Symphony; Malcolm McDowell as “Thomas Pembridge,” the conductor emeritus of the New York Symphony; Saffron Burrows as Cynthia Taylor, a cellist with the Symphony; Hannah Dunne as “Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Campbell,” Hailey's roommate and best friend; Peter Vack as “Alex Merriweather,” Hailey's dancer boyfriend; and Bernadette Peters as “Gloria Windsor,” the president of the New York Symphony. Mark Blum had a recurring role as “Union Bob,” a piccolo player for the Symphony who is known for bringing up the union rules.
Joel Bernstein and Mark Blum in “Mozart In the Jungle”
From 2014 to 2018, Amazon ordered four 10-epsiode seasons of the show for streaming on its Prime service. Blum appeared in 30 of the 40 episodes.
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