From this Saturday at 12am Eastern, that’s 4pm Saturday in NZ, 2pm in Sydney and 5am in the UK, and repeated every four hours throughout the day, it’s the described movies The Shawshank Redemption from 1994 and My Dog Skip from 2000.
The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on the 1982 Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.
It tells the story of banker Andy Dufresne ( Tim Robbins), who is sentenced to life in Shawshank State Penitentiary for the murders of his wife and her lover, despite his claims of innocence.
Over the following two decades, he befriends a fellow prisoner, contraband smuggler Ellis "Red" Redding ( Morgan Freeman) and becomes instrumental in a money-laundering operation led by the prison warden Samuel Norton ( Bob Gunton).
William Sadler, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows, and James Whitmore appear in supporting roles.
Darabont purchased the film rights to King's story in 1987, but development did not begin until five years later, when he wrote the script over an eight-week period.
Two weeks after submitting his script to Castle Rock Entertainment, Darabont secured a $25 million budget to produce The Shawshank Redemption, which started pre-production in January 1993.
While the film is set in Maine, principal photography took place from June to August 1993 almost entirely in Mansfield, Ohio, with the Ohio State Reformatory serving as the eponymous penitentiary.
The project attracted many stars of the time for the role of Andy, including Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Kevin Costner.
Thomas Newman provided the film's score.
While The Shawshank Redemption received critical acclaim on its release, particularly for its story and the performances of Robbins and Freeman, it was a box-office disappointment, earning only $16 million during its initial theatrical run.
Many reasons were cited for its failure at the time, including competition from films such as Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump, the general unpopularity of prison films, its lack of female characters, and even the title, which was confusing for audiences.
It went on to receive multiple award nominations, including seven Academy Award nominations, and a theatrical re-release that, combined with international takings, increased the film's box-office gross to $73.3 million.
Over 320,000 VHS rental copies were shipped throughout the United States, and on the strength of its award nominations and word of mouth, it became one of the top video rentals of 1995.
The broadcast rights were acquired following the purchase of Castle Rock by Turner Broadcasting System, and it was shown regularly on the TNT network starting in 1997, further increasing its popularity.
Decades after its release, the film was still broadcast regularly, and is popular in several countries, with audience members and celebrities citing it as a source of inspiration or naming it a favourite in various surveys, leading to its recognition as one of the most "beloved" films ever made.
In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Directed by: Frank Darabont.
Screenplay by: Frank Darabont.
Based on: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King.
Produced by: Niki Marvin.
Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows, and James Whitmore.
Cinematography: Roger Deakins.
Edited by: Richard Francis-Bruce.
Music by: Thomas Newman.
Production Company: Castle Rock Entertainment.
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures.
Release dates: 10 September 1994 ( TIFF), and 23 September 1994 (United States).
File Length: 142 minutes.
Country: United States.
Language: English.
Budget: $25 million.
Box office: $73.3 million.
My Dog Skip is a 2000 American comedy-drama film, directed by Jay Russell and starring Frankie Muniz, Diane Lane, Luke Wilson, and Kevin Bacon with narration by Harry Connick Jr.
Based on the autobiographical book of the same name, the film tells the story of a 9-year-old Willie Morris as he is given a Jack Russell Terrier for his birthday, and how the dog fundamentally changes several aspects of his life.
My Dog Skip was released on 3 March 2000, by Warner Bros. and received generally positive reviews from critics.
The film earned more than $35.5 million on a $4.5 million budget.
Directed by: Jay Russell.
Screenplay by: Gail Gilchriest.
Story by: Willie Morris.
Based on: My Dog Skip by Willie Morris.
Produced by: Mark Johnson, John Lee Hancock, Broderick Johnson, and Andrew Kosove.
Starring: Frankie Muniz, Diane Lane, Luke Wilson, and Kevin Bacon.
Cinematography: James L. Carter.
Edited by: Micah Strickland.
Music by: William Ross.
Production companies: Alcon Entertainment, and MDS Productions LLC.
Distributed by: Warner Bros.
Release dates: 14 January 2000 (Limited), and 3 March 2000 (Wide release).
File Length: 95 minutes.
Country: United States.
Language: English.
Budget: $4.5 million.
Box office: $35.5 million.
Any questions, comments, or ideas for future described movies: e-mail me: anthony at mushroomfm dot com (e-mail address written that way to cut down on
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