It’s October, which means Criterion’s already thinking about 2025. Their new year auspiciously starts with a 4K Uhd release of Jean Eustache’s magnum opus The Mother and the Whore, featuring a new interview with Françoise Lebrun and a new conversation with filmmaker Jean-Pierre Gorin and writer Rachel Kushner.
Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and Sanjuro get 4K Uhd upgrades in a two-film set, while Anthony Mann’s Jimmy Stewart-led western Winchester ’73 also gets a 4K Uhd release alongside Stephen Frears’ The Grifters and Richard Pryor’s Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling.
Find cover art in the slideshow below and more details at Criterion.
The post The Criterion Collection’s January Lineup Includes The Mother and the Whore, Akira Kurosawa, and Anthony Mann on 4K first appeared on The Film Stage.
Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and Sanjuro get 4K Uhd upgrades in a two-film set, while Anthony Mann’s Jimmy Stewart-led western Winchester ’73 also gets a 4K Uhd release alongside Stephen Frears’ The Grifters and Richard Pryor’s Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling.
Find cover art in the slideshow below and more details at Criterion.
The post The Criterion Collection’s January Lineup Includes The Mother and the Whore, Akira Kurosawa, and Anthony Mann on 4K first appeared on The Film Stage.
- 10/15/2024
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Bubble, boil, steam, and burn, it’s time to watch those film reels turn. That’s right, it’s October, which means it’s almost Halloween, but the minute the clock struck midnight on the 1st, we here at IndieWire were already decked in black and frightening our office mates at Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. While carving pumpkins, eating candy, and donning elaborate costumes may be how most ring in this special time of year, we believe there’s no better celebration of spooky season than entering a dark theater and sharing a few collective screams with strangers.
This month, repertory theaters in New York and Los Angeles have plenty of offerings to get those lungs expanding and heart beating. From black-and-white classics like Don Siegel’s “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956) to modern monster favorites such as “The Mummy” (1999) starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, don’t miss...
This month, repertory theaters in New York and Los Angeles have plenty of offerings to get those lungs expanding and heart beating. From black-and-white classics like Don Siegel’s “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956) to modern monster favorites such as “The Mummy” (1999) starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, don’t miss...
- 10/4/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
I hope the first cold open of Season 50 isn’t a harbinger of what Saturday Night Live will look like during its anniversary year. With an opening sketch devoted to — what else? — the upcoming Presidential election, SNL hit the ground running by stumbling into the show’s most common criticisms.
Overly long sketches? Check. The look at the Harris and Trump campaigns clocks in at over 13 minutes. Won’t we get enough of the political screaming during the commercial breaks?Unnecessary cameos? Check. Maya Rudolph as Kamala Harris? Of course. But this wouldn’t be post-Trump SNL without a mixed bag of celebrity cameos. Jim Gaffigan shows up as Lorne’s second choice to play Tim Walz, a reminder that the affable pale comic is more of a stand-up than a sketch comedian. Dorky Andy Samberg does better as Kamala’s enthusiastic husband Doug. Then Dana Carvey dodders out as Joe Biden,...
Overly long sketches? Check. The look at the Harris and Trump campaigns clocks in at over 13 minutes. Won’t we get enough of the political screaming during the commercial breaks?Unnecessary cameos? Check. Maya Rudolph as Kamala Harris? Of course. But this wouldn’t be post-Trump SNL without a mixed bag of celebrity cameos. Jim Gaffigan shows up as Lorne’s second choice to play Tim Walz, a reminder that the affable pale comic is more of a stand-up than a sketch comedian. Dorky Andy Samberg does better as Kamala’s enthusiastic husband Doug. Then Dana Carvey dodders out as Joe Biden,...
- 9/29/2024
- Cracked
Movie parodies are obviously a huge part of what makes The Simpsons tick, whether it’s subtle nods to cinematic classics, or more obvious homages to mainstream pop-culture staples. But for those fans who grew up watching the show, viewing the parodies often preceded seeing the actual movies being parodied.
Like, a lot of us saw “The Shinning” before we ever watched The Shining. And when we did finally catch up with it, we were surprised to learn that it doesn’t end with Jack Torrance watching the Tony Awards.
It’s not like there were any huge plot twists in The Shining that were given away by the Treehouse of Horror parody, but over on Reddit, Simpsons fans have been sharing some of the most famous movie moments that were spoiled for them by the show.
The biggest twist that The Simpsons blew for young viewers, according to the comments,...
Like, a lot of us saw “The Shinning” before we ever watched The Shining. And when we did finally catch up with it, we were surprised to learn that it doesn’t end with Jack Torrance watching the Tony Awards.
It’s not like there were any huge plot twists in The Shining that were given away by the Treehouse of Horror parody, but over on Reddit, Simpsons fans have been sharing some of the most famous movie moments that were spoiled for them by the show.
The biggest twist that The Simpsons blew for young viewers, according to the comments,...
- 9/23/2024
- Cracked
A new David FIncher rumour: he’s reportedly set to remake Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope, with Charlize Theron lined up for a starring role.
Another week, another David Fincher rumour. Given how many stories we’ve heard of late regarding Fincher’s next project for Netflix, we’re beginning to wonder if the Fight Club filmmaker is orchestrating a disinformation campaign worthy of Project Mayhem, the anarchist movement from his 1999 masterpiece.
Recent weeks have seen stories emerge that suggested Fincher would be remaking Squid Game, the hit South Korean Netflix show as an English language film. Just a few days ago, a story appeared that claimed he would be making a western next titled Bitteroot, modelled after the style of Clint Eastwood’s 1992 classic, Unforgiven. Oh, and it doesn’t seem like that long ago since reports suggested that his next film would be a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers On A Train.
Another week, another David Fincher rumour. Given how many stories we’ve heard of late regarding Fincher’s next project for Netflix, we’re beginning to wonder if the Fight Club filmmaker is orchestrating a disinformation campaign worthy of Project Mayhem, the anarchist movement from his 1999 masterpiece.
Recent weeks have seen stories emerge that suggested Fincher would be remaking Squid Game, the hit South Korean Netflix show as an English language film. Just a few days ago, a story appeared that claimed he would be making a western next titled Bitteroot, modelled after the style of Clint Eastwood’s 1992 classic, Unforgiven. Oh, and it doesn’t seem like that long ago since reports suggested that his next film would be a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers On A Train.
- 9/12/2024
- by Dan Cooper
- Film Stories
With the elections less than two months away and the highly anticipated debate between former President Donald Trump and current vice president Kamala Harris on Sept 10, it’s time to revisit classic political movies. TCM is currently presenting a nine-week series “Making Change: The Most Significant Political Films of All Time.” Political films run the gamut from thrillers, to dramas (“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”), to the historical, to satirical comedies.
Speaking of satires, Preston Sturges received his one and only Oscar for his screenplay for 1940’s “The Great McGinty,” his smart, funny comedy about a hobo (Brian Donlevy) who rises to governor only to lose it all. Sturges had originally written a piece “The Story of Man” in 1933 with Spencer Tracy in mind. Tracy had just starred in 1933’s “The Power and the Glory,” which marked Sturges’ first film script. He attempted to sell it to Universal which also turned the story down; so,...
Speaking of satires, Preston Sturges received his one and only Oscar for his screenplay for 1940’s “The Great McGinty,” his smart, funny comedy about a hobo (Brian Donlevy) who rises to governor only to lose it all. Sturges had originally written a piece “The Story of Man” in 1933 with Spencer Tracy in mind. Tracy had just starred in 1933’s “The Power and the Glory,” which marked Sturges’ first film script. He attempted to sell it to Universal which also turned the story down; so,...
- 9/9/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Date: February 19th, 2024, David Lynch orders a milkshake. It is 2:30 p.m., and that is precisely when he sits down at Bob’s Big Boy every day. It could be day one or the last day of a seven-year run. But it is still a milkshake, and it’s all the same, but never monotonous. It is here, at Bob’s Big Boy – a quintessential American experience – that David Lynch builds his world. And it was in a booth that he met Frank Booth. Not literally – Hollywood’s not that messed up – but through his mind. It was places like Bob’s Big Boy that helped represent David Lynch in the professional part of his career, and before that, he was in love with the design of Coca-Cola bottles and Studebakers. Perhaps he is the greatest American filmmaker to ever live – not the greatest filmmaker born in America but...
- 8/23/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Kamala Harris has arrived at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago as the party’s official nominee for president. Things, however, weren’t as smooth in The Best Man: A political endorsement was a chief concern when it hit cinemas 60 years ago.
Written by Gore Vidal and based on his play of the same name, The Best Man follows two candidates — ethical former Secretary of State William Russell (played by Henry Fonda) and the more conniving Sen. Joe Cantwell (Cliff Robertson) — campaigning to become their unnamed political party’s presidential nominee. There’s no love lost between the candidates, who each vie for the backing of the ailing former president, Art Hockstader (Lee Tracy, reprising his role from the Tony-winning production).
Franklin J. Schaffner, who would win the best director Oscar for Patton (1970), helmed the big-screen version of The Best Man, which United Artists released on April 5, 1964, ahead of...
Written by Gore Vidal and based on his play of the same name, The Best Man follows two candidates — ethical former Secretary of State William Russell (played by Henry Fonda) and the more conniving Sen. Joe Cantwell (Cliff Robertson) — campaigning to become their unnamed political party’s presidential nominee. There’s no love lost between the candidates, who each vie for the backing of the ailing former president, Art Hockstader (Lee Tracy, reprising his role from the Tony-winning production).
Franklin J. Schaffner, who would win the best director Oscar for Patton (1970), helmed the big-screen version of The Best Man, which United Artists released on April 5, 1964, ahead of...
- 8/23/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There have been several successful filmmakers in Hollywood, but talents like Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg are a rarity. The two are cemented as the epitome of class and creativity, and stand tall in their respective genres.
Jack Nicholson in The Shining| Warner Bros
However, the two greats did not always agree with each other’s opinions, but the difference only led to something greater. Kubrick, being the pioneer in film adaptations of several written works, once gave an important lesson to Spielberg with the help of his movie, The Shining.
Steven Spielberg didn’t like The Shining on his first watch
Steven Spielberg is counted among the legends of the film industry today. In his career spanning decades, he has learned from some of the best in the field, including Stanley Kubrick, an expert in the psychological thriller genre. The Shining is often considered his magnum opus in that field.
Jack Nicholson in The Shining| Warner Bros
However, the two greats did not always agree with each other’s opinions, but the difference only led to something greater. Kubrick, being the pioneer in film adaptations of several written works, once gave an important lesson to Spielberg with the help of his movie, The Shining.
Steven Spielberg didn’t like The Shining on his first watch
Steven Spielberg is counted among the legends of the film industry today. In his career spanning decades, he has learned from some of the best in the field, including Stanley Kubrick, an expert in the psychological thriller genre. The Shining is often considered his magnum opus in that field.
- 8/18/2024
- by Sayantan Choudhary
- FandomWire
In June 2014, Miramax Film Corp. and the Saul Zaentz Company settled a $20-million lawsuit over profit sharing on Zaentz’s 1996 Best Picture winner “The English Patient.” The celebrated film earned $232 million at the box office and a reported $75 million in video sales.
Zaentz claimed Miramax, then owned by Disney, had padded expenses to reduce the profits — thus reducing Zaentz’s percentage payout. Miramax, he argued, shouldn’t have deducted $17.5 million of theatrical advertising expenses, since the money also benefited the home entertainment release of the movie.
That wasn’t the only time Zaentz had battled over the backend — Hollywoodspeak for taking a percentage of the profits in lieu of a bigger upfront fee. In 2005, the music and movie mogul behind “Amadeus” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” reached an out-of-court settlement in his $20 million suit against New Line Cinema over foreign royalties from “The Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy.
Zaentz claimed Miramax, then owned by Disney, had padded expenses to reduce the profits — thus reducing Zaentz’s percentage payout. Miramax, he argued, shouldn’t have deducted $17.5 million of theatrical advertising expenses, since the money also benefited the home entertainment release of the movie.
That wasn’t the only time Zaentz had battled over the backend — Hollywoodspeak for taking a percentage of the profits in lieu of a bigger upfront fee. In 2005, the music and movie mogul behind “Amadeus” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” reached an out-of-court settlement in his $20 million suit against New Line Cinema over foreign royalties from “The Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy.
- 8/1/2024
- by Diane Haithman
- The Wrap
“Beverly Hills Cop” and its young exuberant star Eddie Murphy were dominant forces on the cultural landscape as soon as the action comedy opened Dec. 5, 1984 on 1,532 screens, earning over $15 million in its first five days of release. “Beverly Hills Cop” garnered nearly $235 million domestically and another $81.6 million internationally.
The comedy even earned an Oscar nomination for its screenplay while Murphy hit superstar status thanks to his dazzling comedic turn as Axel Foley, a freewheeling Detroit cop who is the ultimate fish out of water when a murder investigation leads him to the by-the-book Beverly Hills police department. And the soundtrack album featuring the film’s composer Harold Faltermeyer’s hit “Axel F,” as well as the Pointer Sisters‘ “Neutron Dance” and Glenn Frey’s “The Heat is On,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart.
Three years later, Murphy returned in “Beverly Hills Cop II,” which made close to $300 million worldwide...
The comedy even earned an Oscar nomination for its screenplay while Murphy hit superstar status thanks to his dazzling comedic turn as Axel Foley, a freewheeling Detroit cop who is the ultimate fish out of water when a murder investigation leads him to the by-the-book Beverly Hills police department. And the soundtrack album featuring the film’s composer Harold Faltermeyer’s hit “Axel F,” as well as the Pointer Sisters‘ “Neutron Dance” and Glenn Frey’s “The Heat is On,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart.
Three years later, Murphy returned in “Beverly Hills Cop II,” which made close to $300 million worldwide...
- 7/5/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
There are many ways to celebrate the Fourth of July, but certainly one of the most fitting is by indulging in a great American pastime — watching a movie. There have been many films made about American history, from war epics to inspiring true stories, but we’ve put together a curated list of the best of the best — the most patriotic films that tackle America’s complex history in ways both grand and intimate, comedic and dramatic, awe-inspiring and fist-pump-inspiring.
Behold the best patriotic movies to watch on the 4th of July and where to stream each one.
Saving Private Ryan DreamWorks Pictures
Steven Spielberg’s 1998 film is hailed by many as one of the best World War II movies ever made, and it stands as a tribute to those who served. Set in 1944 Normandy, the story follows a group of soldiers whose mission is to find a private (played...
Behold the best patriotic movies to watch on the 4th of July and where to stream each one.
Saving Private Ryan DreamWorks Pictures
Steven Spielberg’s 1998 film is hailed by many as one of the best World War II movies ever made, and it stands as a tribute to those who served. Set in 1944 Normandy, the story follows a group of soldiers whose mission is to find a private (played...
- 7/3/2024
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Few actors have transcended film culture like Kevin Costner. The actor remains one of the best performers of athletic prowess on screen. He also became a mainstay of the Western, eventually transitioning that talent to Yellowstone. The popular TV series provided enough steam for Costner to return to the director’s chair, building an epic series he’s been trying to make for years. With Horizon: An American Saga debuting its first part on June 28th, we revisited the icon’s filmography to highlight his best movies.
7. Dances with Wolves (1990)
While in production, “Kevin’s Gate” seemed unlikely to break through into the mainstream. However, Dances with Wolves emerged as a revival of the Western, helping Shepard in a new era for the genre in the early 1990s. Costner would take home Best Picture and Best Directing prizes for his work, but his acting remains excellent. Indigenous performer Graham Greene remains best-in-show,...
7. Dances with Wolves (1990)
While in production, “Kevin’s Gate” seemed unlikely to break through into the mainstream. However, Dances with Wolves emerged as a revival of the Western, helping Shepard in a new era for the genre in the early 1990s. Costner would take home Best Picture and Best Directing prizes for his work, but his acting remains excellent. Indigenous performer Graham Greene remains best-in-show,...
- 6/29/2024
- by Alan French
- FandomWire
Plot: Austria in the 18th century. Forests surround villages. Killing a baby gets a woman sentenced to death. Agnes readies for married life with her beloved. But her mind and heart grow heavy. A gloomy path alone, evil thoughts arising.
Review: Depression has been the backbone of many films for some time now. Whether it’s Midsommar and depression caused by loss, or heck even back to Jimmy Stewart in It’s A Wonderful Life, it can really shape a narrative. And it’s only recently that we’ve started to become more accepting of mental health problems. Given how much human history exists, there are countless real-life events that highlight just how primitive we as humans can be. The Devil’s Bath does its job to highlight a time in Austrian history that most would rather forget.
Inspired by a historian on This American Life, The Devil’s Bath follows a woman named Agnes,...
Review: Depression has been the backbone of many films for some time now. Whether it’s Midsommar and depression caused by loss, or heck even back to Jimmy Stewart in It’s A Wonderful Life, it can really shape a narrative. And it’s only recently that we’ve started to become more accepting of mental health problems. Given how much human history exists, there are countless real-life events that highlight just how primitive we as humans can be. The Devil’s Bath does its job to highlight a time in Austrian history that most would rather forget.
Inspired by a historian on This American Life, The Devil’s Bath follows a woman named Agnes,...
- 6/21/2024
- by Tyler Nichols
- JoBlo.com
It was a surprise to many of her admiring fans that the legendary Carol Burnett was not already immortalized with her handprints in the iconic Hollywood cement. That fact finally changed on Thursday as she was surrounded by friends, co-stars and family at a brief ceremony outside of the Tcl Chinese Theater.
Before cementing herself for decades of tourists to visit, she said, “I grew up just a few blocks from here, Yucca and Wilcox. It was a block north of Hollywood Boulevard. And when I was a little girl, I can’t begin to count the times my grandmother and I would walk up her to Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Betty Grable was one of my favorites, and I remember bending down and putting my hands on her handprints, never dreaming that someday I’d be putting my hands here 80 years later.”
See‘Palm Royale’ scene stealer Carol Burnett...
Before cementing herself for decades of tourists to visit, she said, “I grew up just a few blocks from here, Yucca and Wilcox. It was a block north of Hollywood Boulevard. And when I was a little girl, I can’t begin to count the times my grandmother and I would walk up her to Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Betty Grable was one of my favorites, and I remember bending down and putting my hands on her handprints, never dreaming that someday I’d be putting my hands here 80 years later.”
See‘Palm Royale’ scene stealer Carol Burnett...
- 6/20/2024
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Walton Goggins has played gunslingers before. He’s been a renegade sheriff in The Hateful Eight, an outlaw on Justified, a Navy Seal on Six and a trigger-happy train robber in Shanghai Noon — but Fallout marks the first time he’s been two versions of one cowboy.
In Prime Video’s adaptation of the popular video game franchise, Goggins portrays Cooper Howard, a Hollywood Western has-been making ends meet as the lasso-spinning entertainment at kids’ parties. He’s also The Ghoul, a radioactive bounty hunter hardened by two centuries of wandering in a post-nuclear hellscape.
Set in 23rd century dystopian L.A. some 220 years after an atomic bomb decimated the U.S., the first season follows Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell), an intrepid vault dweller who leaves her underground community in search of her kidnapped father (Kyle MacLachlan). Along the way, she meets The Ghoul and a soldier named Maximus (Aaron Moten...
In Prime Video’s adaptation of the popular video game franchise, Goggins portrays Cooper Howard, a Hollywood Western has-been making ends meet as the lasso-spinning entertainment at kids’ parties. He’s also The Ghoul, a radioactive bounty hunter hardened by two centuries of wandering in a post-nuclear hellscape.
Set in 23rd century dystopian L.A. some 220 years after an atomic bomb decimated the U.S., the first season follows Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell), an intrepid vault dweller who leaves her underground community in search of her kidnapped father (Kyle MacLachlan). Along the way, she meets The Ghoul and a soldier named Maximus (Aaron Moten...
- 6/17/2024
- by Danielle Directo-Meston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Pondering Will Smith’s recent triumph at a local Cinemark and Donald Trump’s post-conviction surge, I got to thinking about “movie-think.”
You know, the way we’ve become accustomed, after watching hundreds and hundreds of mainstream films, to thinking the way the movies do. The real villain is someone in power. Anyone too pretty, male or female, is suspect. Things will get worse, much worse, before they get better. Our hero is almost always an outsider — someone who is knocked off a pedestal, beaten down, and kicked around, all the way to the bottom of the second act, before rising in triumph or existential martyrdom (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) to win our hearts and minds forever.
From our heroes, real or cinematic, we forgive and even expect transgression — a misbegotten slap, a tawdry liaison and all that comes with it. In movie-think, we honor the renegades,...
You know, the way we’ve become accustomed, after watching hundreds and hundreds of mainstream films, to thinking the way the movies do. The real villain is someone in power. Anyone too pretty, male or female, is suspect. Things will get worse, much worse, before they get better. Our hero is almost always an outsider — someone who is knocked off a pedestal, beaten down, and kicked around, all the way to the bottom of the second act, before rising in triumph or existential martyrdom (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) to win our hearts and minds forever.
From our heroes, real or cinematic, we forgive and even expect transgression — a misbegotten slap, a tawdry liaison and all that comes with it. In movie-think, we honor the renegades,...
- 6/16/2024
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
Several top stars put their careers on hold and their lives on the line to serve during World War II including Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable, Henry Fonda, Robert Taylor, Alan Ladd, William Holden, Robert Ryan and Robert Montgomery. And numerous young men who weren’t yet actors during the global conflict including Lee Marvin and Charles Durning saw action and suffered severe injuries.
With the 80th anniversary of D-Day, which was the largest amphibious invasion in military history with five naval assault divisions invading the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, let’s look at some actors who participated in the massive operation.
Charles Durning
The versatile character actor, who earned supporting actor Oscar nominations for 1982’s “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and 1983’s “To Be or Not to Be” and nine Emmy nominations, was just 21 when he was one of the first group of soldiers to land and...
With the 80th anniversary of D-Day, which was the largest amphibious invasion in military history with five naval assault divisions invading the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, let’s look at some actors who participated in the massive operation.
Charles Durning
The versatile character actor, who earned supporting actor Oscar nominations for 1982’s “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and 1983’s “To Be or Not to Be” and nine Emmy nominations, was just 21 when he was one of the first group of soldiers to land and...
- 6/5/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
In the first few episodes of Apple TV+ series Palm Royale, Carol Burnett is entirely horizontal. And rightly so, since her character Norma Dellacorte in a coma. Fortunately though, Norma recovers in time to rip through some seriously juicy scenes with Kristin Wiig, who names Burnett, who turned 91 in April, as her career inspiration. “When they told me who was going to be in it,” says Burnett, “Kristen Wiig and Allison Janney and Laura Dern and Ricky Martin and Julia Duffy, I said, ‘I don’t care what it is. I want to be a part of it.’” From Burnett’s early days hosting long-running comedy-variety series The Carol Burnett Show, to films like A Wedding, Annie and Mad About You, to Better Call Saul, she has blazed a trail, garnering seven Emmys, a Tony and a Grammy along the way. Here, she recalls some favorite memories, picks her best...
- 5/31/2024
- by Antonia Blyth
- Deadline Film + TV
There’s a story Alfred Hitchcock always liked to tell about how, when he was five years old, his father dropped him off at the local police station near his home in East London. William Hitchcock left a note for the coppers explaining that his son had been misbehaving. A policeman locked young Alfred in a cell for a few minutes and explained, “This is what we do to naughty boys.”
When Hitchcock recounted that story to Dick Cavett he was in his 70s, but the incident continued to leave a profound mark on the director. He said he was still “terrified of the police” because of that and drew a connection from that to the feelings of guilt and wrong-men-on-the-run paranoia that seeps into so many of his films.
The funny thing is, though, father characters are almost entirely absent from Hitchcock’s work. There are a few: Cedric Hardwicke...
When Hitchcock recounted that story to Dick Cavett he was in his 70s, but the incident continued to leave a profound mark on the director. He said he was still “terrified of the police” because of that and drew a connection from that to the feelings of guilt and wrong-men-on-the-run paranoia that seeps into so many of his films.
The funny thing is, though, father characters are almost entirely absent from Hitchcock’s work. There are a few: Cedric Hardwicke...
- 5/12/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Ron Howard has been part of our collective consciousness for as long as I can remember. Or at least he looms large in mine. Born in 1954, he was on many of the TV series I grew up watching and had his own starring role on “The Andy Griffith Show” by 1960. And his father had the idea that little “Ronny Howard” should play a good kid, not the wise-guy type popular in those “Dennis the Menace” years. He’d be nice. It stuck. He’s been known as “nice” ever since.
That made him much too easy to dismiss. However prominent he was — as a principal star of “American Graffiti” in 1973, top-billed “Happy Days” actor the next year and then as a director debuting with “Night Shift” in 1977 — we could take him lightly. By then I was reviewing films, and I overlooked him to a fault. I didn’t even give...
That made him much too easy to dismiss. However prominent he was — as a principal star of “American Graffiti” in 1973, top-billed “Happy Days” actor the next year and then as a director debuting with “Night Shift” in 1977 — we could take him lightly. By then I was reviewing films, and I overlooked him to a fault. I didn’t even give...
- 5/7/2024
- by Janet Maslin
- Variety Film + TV
Tom Hanks has played a hero multiple times, whether in Captain Phillips or as Woody from Toy Story. Each time, he’s managed to bring something new and meaningful to the idea of being a hero. Thus, when Clint Eastwood approached Tom Hanks, proposing that he take on the role of Sully, the real-life hero who safely landed a plane on the Hudson River in 2009, Hanks found himself pausing before making a decision, in the 2016 film.
Clint Eastwood in Bronco Billy
But then Eastwood hit him with just three words that sealed the deal. And that decision turned out to be a major highlight in Hanks’ already impressive career.
Clint Eastwood’s Three Words That Influenced Tom Hanks to Portray Sully
Before Sully, Tom Hanks had already portrayed heroes, or as he puts it “ordinary guys in extraordinary circumstances.” He had often felt typecasted. When Clint Eastwood offered him the role of Sully,...
Clint Eastwood in Bronco Billy
But then Eastwood hit him with just three words that sealed the deal. And that decision turned out to be a major highlight in Hanks’ already impressive career.
Clint Eastwood’s Three Words That Influenced Tom Hanks to Portray Sully
Before Sully, Tom Hanks had already portrayed heroes, or as he puts it “ordinary guys in extraordinary circumstances.” He had often felt typecasted. When Clint Eastwood offered him the role of Sully,...
- 4/30/2024
- by Sampurna Banerjee
- FandomWire
Much has been made about the smoky sexiness of Luca Guadagnino's "Challengers," notably the brief threesome scene near the beginning of the movie. While the scene is plenty sexy, it constitutes the bulk of the on-screen physicality of "Challengers," and it is, perhaps disappointingly, relegated to about 90 seconds of tongue kissing; Guadagnino's film is not the bisexual throuple film the ad campaign would have you believe it is.
Instead, it's a soapy, recognizably classical love triangle about three bitter souls who were never able to get over that fateful make-out session. The three players involved were promising tennis champions in high school. There's Tashi (Zendaya), the hotshot celebrity that is already being courted by marketers. There's Patrick (Josh O'Connor), the rough-hewn, stubble-encrusted stud. And there's Art (Mike Faist), the talented jokester whose magic shell quickly hardens into a crunchy layer of jealousy. "Challengers" follows them, via flashbacks, through their...
Instead, it's a soapy, recognizably classical love triangle about three bitter souls who were never able to get over that fateful make-out session. The three players involved were promising tennis champions in high school. There's Tashi (Zendaya), the hotshot celebrity that is already being courted by marketers. There's Patrick (Josh O'Connor), the rough-hewn, stubble-encrusted stud. And there's Art (Mike Faist), the talented jokester whose magic shell quickly hardens into a crunchy layer of jealousy. "Challengers" follows them, via flashbacks, through their...
- 4/26/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The name’s Fleming, Ian Fleming. And boy did he have some problems with how his James Bond character was being adapted for the big screen. As we all know, Sean Connery was cinema’s first 007, but Fleming himself hated the idea, concerned that he didn’t have the right voice.
As revealed in Nicholas Shakespeare’s new book, Ian Fleming: The Complete Man (via IndieWire), the process to find the perfect James Bond was an arduous one. Per Fleming’s agent Robert Fenn, “We tried twenty or thirty [potential prospects]. No major actor would play the part for more than one picture, and we couldn’t set up a deal with a distributor without commitment from a main actor.” Of course, Bond would go to Connery, who Fleming didn’t care for because “he couldn’t speak the Queen’s English…He’s not my idea of Bond at all,...
As revealed in Nicholas Shakespeare’s new book, Ian Fleming: The Complete Man (via IndieWire), the process to find the perfect James Bond was an arduous one. Per Fleming’s agent Robert Fenn, “We tried twenty or thirty [potential prospects]. No major actor would play the part for more than one picture, and we couldn’t set up a deal with a distributor without commitment from a main actor.” Of course, Bond would go to Connery, who Fleming didn’t care for because “he couldn’t speak the Queen’s English…He’s not my idea of Bond at all,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Plot: John Sugar is an American private investigator on the heels of the mysterious disappearance of Olivia Siegel, the beloved granddaughter of legendary Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel. As Sugar tries to determine what happened to Olivia, he will also unearth Siegel family secrets; some very recent, others long-buried.
Review: Detective stories and noir films are iconic genres in film and literature. Who doesn’t love a grizzled private eye who saves the girl and beds the femme fatale? From The Maltese Falcon to Chinatown, detectives have a long and storied history on screen. With the new series Sugar, Colin Farrell adds another great character to the list. A suave, calm, and skilled investigator, John Sugar is an idealized hero straight off the silver screen. And, like any number of great cinematic detectives, he has a weakness. Having seen the full eight episodes of Sugar, audiences will love or hate John Sugar’s weakness,...
Review: Detective stories and noir films are iconic genres in film and literature. Who doesn’t love a grizzled private eye who saves the girl and beds the femme fatale? From The Maltese Falcon to Chinatown, detectives have a long and storied history on screen. With the new series Sugar, Colin Farrell adds another great character to the list. A suave, calm, and skilled investigator, John Sugar is an idealized hero straight off the silver screen. And, like any number of great cinematic detectives, he has a weakness. Having seen the full eight episodes of Sugar, audiences will love or hate John Sugar’s weakness,...
- 4/3/2024
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Hollywood’s Egyptian Theatre will host a special screening series to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the podcast “You Must Remember This,” created and hosted by Karina Longworth.
Longworth has now spent a decade examining the untold histories of show business — including watercooler seasons spent revisiting the Manson murders, the Star Wars franchise and the life and career of Joan Crawford. The Egyptian, owned by Netflix, has curated a three-day screening series featuring the films of Hollywood bombshell Kim Novak.
Novak was the subject of the “lost” and first-ever recorded episode of “You Must Remember This.” Longworth has previously said a corrupted audio file and “large swaths” of copyrighted music led to the shelving of the episode, which will finally be released [Editor’s note: In the TV series that launched and catapulted Ryan Murphy to stardom, “Popular,” a fictional girl’s room at a Southern California high school was named for Novak after a donation from the star. We love...
Longworth has now spent a decade examining the untold histories of show business — including watercooler seasons spent revisiting the Manson murders, the Star Wars franchise and the life and career of Joan Crawford. The Egyptian, owned by Netflix, has curated a three-day screening series featuring the films of Hollywood bombshell Kim Novak.
Novak was the subject of the “lost” and first-ever recorded episode of “You Must Remember This.” Longworth has previously said a corrupted audio file and “large swaths” of copyrighted music led to the shelving of the episode, which will finally be released [Editor’s note: In the TV series that launched and catapulted Ryan Murphy to stardom, “Popular,” a fictional girl’s room at a Southern California high school was named for Novak after a donation from the star. We love...
- 3/27/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
The only witness to a horrific crime couldn't leave her home... until she could.
Law & Order: Svu Season 25 Episode 8 felt like Svu's take on Rear Window -- a classic movie in which Jimmy Stewart played a homebound man who witnessed a murder from his window.
The series put its unique spin on the same trope, offering a compelling story where Benson had to find a way to help the frightened witness come forward. Miraculously, she did it without falling into the obsessive behavior plaguing her recently.
Benson's interactions with Anne only comprised a small portion of the hour. There was a lot of solid police work before she got involved with encouraging Anne to come into the squad room.
As a bonus, Benson did quite a bit of directing the other cops' investigation. While she did question a few witnesses herself, this story was much closer to what she ought to be doing as captain.
Law & Order: Svu Season 25 Episode 8 felt like Svu's take on Rear Window -- a classic movie in which Jimmy Stewart played a homebound man who witnessed a murder from his window.
The series put its unique spin on the same trope, offering a compelling story where Benson had to find a way to help the frightened witness come forward. Miraculously, she did it without falling into the obsessive behavior plaguing her recently.
Benson's interactions with Anne only comprised a small portion of the hour. There was a lot of solid police work before she got involved with encouraging Anne to come into the squad room.
As a bonus, Benson did quite a bit of directing the other cops' investigation. While she did question a few witnesses herself, this story was much closer to what she ought to be doing as captain.
- 3/22/2024
- by Jack Ori
- TVfanatic
If you thought an emergency appendectomy would stop Todd from solving a case, you don't know the man vying to be Portland's number-one private investigator.
While Todd finds himself stuck in a hospital bed, he still can't escape a murder mystery!
So Help Me Todd Season 3 Episode 4 was a vintage hour for the series, full of laughs, heart, and all the things that make the series so charming.
We got to jump on a Zoom call with Todd himself, Skylar Astin, to break down the episode, including working alongside Dean Winters and Dick's unconventional advice, as well as diving into some teases for the rest of the season.
Skylar was nothing short of fantastic to speak with and offered excellent insight into a fun hour and what's ahead. Enjoy, So Help Me Todd fanatics!
It's an interesting episode for Todd because after he gets ill, he ends up in the...
While Todd finds himself stuck in a hospital bed, he still can't escape a murder mystery!
So Help Me Todd Season 3 Episode 4 was a vintage hour for the series, full of laughs, heart, and all the things that make the series so charming.
We got to jump on a Zoom call with Todd himself, Skylar Astin, to break down the episode, including working alongside Dean Winters and Dick's unconventional advice, as well as diving into some teases for the rest of the season.
Skylar was nothing short of fantastic to speak with and offered excellent insight into a fun hour and what's ahead. Enjoy, So Help Me Todd fanatics!
It's an interesting episode for Todd because after he gets ill, he ends up in the...
- 3/15/2024
- by Whitney Evans
- TVfanatic
Stars can be found in the unlikeliest of places. Marilyn Monroe was noticed at a munitions factory and Haley Joel Osment was scouted in Ikea, but the 20th century’s most prolific actor was discovered on a cactus.
In the mid-1930s, ex-cowboy Henry Wagstaff Twiford was walking across the red rust of the Mojave desert when he stumbled upon a baby raven in an abandoned nest. He took him home, named him Jimmy, and reared him on boiled eggs, eggshells, and milk. Over the course of the next two decades, Jimmy became a star that needed no surname, billed alongside Bette Davis and Judy Garland during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Before he died, the raven was said to have appeared in more than 1,000 films.
That is the extent of what most people know about Jimmy — if they’ve heard of him at all. Despite his vast back catalogue, no...
In the mid-1930s, ex-cowboy Henry Wagstaff Twiford was walking across the red rust of the Mojave desert when he stumbled upon a baby raven in an abandoned nest. He took him home, named him Jimmy, and reared him on boiled eggs, eggshells, and milk. Over the course of the next two decades, Jimmy became a star that needed no surname, billed alongside Bette Davis and Judy Garland during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Before he died, the raven was said to have appeared in more than 1,000 films.
That is the extent of what most people know about Jimmy — if they’ve heard of him at all. Despite his vast back catalogue, no...
- 3/12/2024
- by Amelia Tait
- Empire - Movies
With film distributors becoming stingier about physical media and defaulting to streaming, The Criterion Collection has been picking up slack. For instance, Criterion has released physical copies of acclaimed Netflix originals like "The Irishman," "Roma," and "Marriage Story."
Joining the collection in May 2024 is Justine Triet's "Anatomy of a Fall," just released in North America back in October 2023 by Neon. As Criterion confirmed on Twitter, the film enters the collection alongside classics such as Michael Powell's "Peeping Tom."
Does "Anatomy of a Fall" deserve to be in such company? We at /Film think so, since we ranked it one of the 15 best movies of 2023. If you don't believe us, it won the Palme d'Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival (the highest prize), and it's up for several Oscars at the 96th Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Best Director for Justine Triet).
The film's title homages the classic...
Joining the collection in May 2024 is Justine Triet's "Anatomy of a Fall," just released in North America back in October 2023 by Neon. As Criterion confirmed on Twitter, the film enters the collection alongside classics such as Michael Powell's "Peeping Tom."
Does "Anatomy of a Fall" deserve to be in such company? We at /Film think so, since we ranked it one of the 15 best movies of 2023. If you don't believe us, it won the Palme d'Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival (the highest prize), and it's up for several Oscars at the 96th Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Best Director for Justine Triet).
The film's title homages the classic...
- 2/16/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Every town seems to have that one house. The one that children walk by with hushed tones and dare each other to sneak onto the porch or ring the doorbell of. In the movies it’s the Myers House, 1428 Elm (at least in the later movies), or the House on Neibolt Street—usually run down and harboring a frightening history. In my neighborhood growing up, it was not a dilapidated old house, just one that seemed very out of place among the homes of the working class that surrounded it. It was a huge two-story white house, buttressed with gigantic pillars, and surrounded by a wrought-iron fence. I never saw anyone come in or out and I always wondered who lived there. In my mind it was a rich old Mrs. Deagle from Gremlins type, and I wondered, “what’s going on in there?” That question is the engine that...
- 2/16/2024
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
Ever since he exploded onto the horror scene in 1996 by revitalizing the slasher flick with his screenplay for "Scream," Kevin Williamson has been one of Hollywood's go-to writer/creators for teen skewing films and television shows — and it all happened so fast. Within a span of three months, Williamson had "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Scream 2" tearing up the box office, and "Dawson's Creek" posting impressive Nielsen ratings for the WB.
He's had a couple of brief down periods, but he's never gone completely away (he rode out a rough creative run in the 2010s simply by having "The Vampire Diaries" on the air). Still, it's been a while since his name moved the needle in Hollywood, although his Covid-19 slasher "Sick" from 2022 did pretty well on streaming. But had the Gen X-er who'd connected so palpably with younger viewers for 20-plus years finally lost his touch?...
He's had a couple of brief down periods, but he's never gone completely away (he rode out a rough creative run in the 2010s simply by having "The Vampire Diaries" on the air). Still, it's been a while since his name moved the needle in Hollywood, although his Covid-19 slasher "Sick" from 2022 did pretty well on streaming. But had the Gen X-er who'd connected so palpably with younger viewers for 20-plus years finally lost his touch?...
- 2/9/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Putting a fresh spin on one of the greatest movies of all time can’t be an easy task, but Kevin Williamson is up for the challenge. Deadline reports that the Scream writer is developing a TV series reimagining of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, and I can already hear the cries of sacrilege.
Based on Cornell Woolrich’s 1942 short story It Had to Be Murder, Rear Window starred Jimmy Stewart as a photographer in a wheelchair who spies on his neighbours from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder, despite the skepticism of his fashion-model girlfriend, played by Grace Kelly. To be fair, the iconic film was remade before with the 1998 made-for-tv movie starring Christopher Reeve. There’s also Disturbia, which was at least partially inspired by the Hitchcock film.
Related Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net: Candyman, They Live, The Warriors...
Based on Cornell Woolrich’s 1942 short story It Had to Be Murder, Rear Window starred Jimmy Stewart as a photographer in a wheelchair who spies on his neighbours from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder, despite the skepticism of his fashion-model girlfriend, played by Grace Kelly. To be fair, the iconic film was remade before with the 1998 made-for-tv movie starring Christopher Reeve. There’s also Disturbia, which was at least partially inspired by the Hitchcock film.
Related Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net: Candyman, They Live, The Warriors...
- 2/8/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
A biopic of James Stewart is being developed for the screen, with the late star’s family involved too: more details here.
One of the most endearingly popular film stars of all time, James Stewart, is now to be the subject of a movie himself.
His life is going to be the subject of a biopic going by the title of A Truly Wonderful Life, although the impression given is that’s a holding name for the minute. An obvious tip of the hat to It’s A Wonderful Life, of course, that’s up there with Jimmy Stewart’s most popular movies (even though all concerned feared it was a misstep).
It’s a good job we’re here to point stuff like this out.
Aaron Burns is part of the team developing the movie, which is going to be a theatrical release. It’s been developed in conjunction with James Stewart’s daughter,...
One of the most endearingly popular film stars of all time, James Stewart, is now to be the subject of a movie himself.
His life is going to be the subject of a biopic going by the title of A Truly Wonderful Life, although the impression given is that’s a holding name for the minute. An obvious tip of the hat to It’s A Wonderful Life, of course, that’s up there with Jimmy Stewart’s most popular movies (even though all concerned feared it was a misstep).
It’s a good job we’re here to point stuff like this out.
Aaron Burns is part of the team developing the movie, which is going to be a theatrical release. It’s been developed in conjunction with James Stewart’s daughter,...
- 2/7/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
Sexually-explicit AI-generated images of Taylor Swift have caused alarm across the board, with major centers of power — including The White House, Microsoft, SAG-AFTRA, and more — now weighing-in on what the controversy means for the future of AI, and what steps are being taken to prevent further incidents like this one.
The scandal began when fake, crude images depicting Swift started circulating social media this week, with one image gaining over 47 million views on Twitter alone, before the account that posted them was suspended due to mass-reporting by Swifites. According to 404 Media, the viral images were traced back to a Telegram group chat where members shared AI content, sometimes made using Microsoft’s generative-ai tool, Designer.
Now, speaking to NBC News, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has expressed that the company finds the images “alarming and terrible,” and feels the pressure to “move fast” to combat nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfake images.
“Yes,...
The scandal began when fake, crude images depicting Swift started circulating social media this week, with one image gaining over 47 million views on Twitter alone, before the account that posted them was suspended due to mass-reporting by Swifites. According to 404 Media, the viral images were traced back to a Telegram group chat where members shared AI content, sometimes made using Microsoft’s generative-ai tool, Designer.
Now, speaking to NBC News, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has expressed that the company finds the images “alarming and terrible,” and feels the pressure to “move fast” to combat nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfake images.
“Yes,...
- 1/27/2024
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Music
Kenya Barris joined the Variety Studio presented by Audible at the Sundance Film Festival and provided some new updates on three of his most high-profile new projects. It was announced back in 2020 that Barris was set to direct a biopic on Richard Pryor, one of the most influential comedians of all time. The project remains in development, only Barris now confirmed that it’s actually a television series.
“It’s a 10-part limited biographical series that takes a look from cradle to grave,” Barris said. “From his earliest upbringing — he grew up in a ho house, or a house of ill repute — and became, at one point, the biggest star in the world.”
Barris said he is “in the room with it right now” as far as the development on the Richard Pryor series, adding, “It is my baby. I love it. He is my comedy god. A super flawed guy,...
“It’s a 10-part limited biographical series that takes a look from cradle to grave,” Barris said. “From his earliest upbringing — he grew up in a ho house, or a house of ill repute — and became, at one point, the biggest star in the world.”
Barris said he is “in the room with it right now” as far as the development on the Richard Pryor series, adding, “It is my baby. I love it. He is my comedy god. A super flawed guy,...
- 1/20/2024
- by Zack Sharf and Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
What makes a great courtroom thriller? A mesmerizing and clever plot that draws viewers in immediately. Three-dimensional characters that keep you guessing if they are the guilty party and twists and turns that leave audiences gasping and gob smacked.
Justine Triet’s dazzling French thriller “Anatomy of a Fall” has all the qualities and then some that make it a classic of the genre. Since winning the Palme D’or last May, “Anatomy of a Fall” has continued its winning ways receiving several critics’ honors, as well as two Golden Globes, a Critics Choice honor and seven BAFTA nominations including best film, best director, screenplay and best actress for Sandra Huller’s powerhouse performance. One can’t forget that Messi, the border collie ,who plays the family pet Snoop, received the Palm Dog at Cannes.
Huller plays a bisexual woman with a troubled marriage and a young blind son. When...
Justine Triet’s dazzling French thriller “Anatomy of a Fall” has all the qualities and then some that make it a classic of the genre. Since winning the Palme D’or last May, “Anatomy of a Fall” has continued its winning ways receiving several critics’ honors, as well as two Golden Globes, a Critics Choice honor and seven BAFTA nominations including best film, best director, screenplay and best actress for Sandra Huller’s powerhouse performance. One can’t forget that Messi, the border collie ,who plays the family pet Snoop, received the Palm Dog at Cannes.
Huller plays a bisexual woman with a troubled marriage and a young blind son. When...
- 1/18/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
"It's A Wonderful Life" is an unforgettable classic that renews itself every holiday season. The striking narrative articulates strong morals, like the importance of family and an individual's importance in a community, punctuated by almost hallucinogenic imagery of the ground opening up beneath one's feet. It's a heartwrenching picture made all the emotional by the sentimentality of Christmastime. The Frank Capra film is nostalgic for everyone, from older people who watched it as a child to the generations to follow who passed down the tradition to their children. Most kids aren't dying to sit down and watch a black-and-white talkie from studio-era Hollywood, and yet the film's fanbase gains new members every year.
But as the 1946 film ages, so too does its cast, and many of the main cast members have not made it to 2024, including leading man Jimmy Stewart. In fact, most of the adults in the film passed...
But as the 1946 film ages, so too does its cast, and many of the main cast members have not made it to 2024, including leading man Jimmy Stewart. In fact, most of the adults in the film passed...
- 1/7/2024
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
Analysis of five decades of festive TV schedules shows that only one in eight films were Christmas-related
Think of Christmas films and the chances are your mind is drawn towards snowmen, mistletoe and Jimmy Stewart.
But analysis of five decades of Christmas TV schedules in the UK reveal that the most-aired films feature a magic car, a straw man and Kenneth Williams.
Think of Christmas films and the chances are your mind is drawn towards snowmen, mistletoe and Jimmy Stewart.
But analysis of five decades of Christmas TV schedules in the UK reveal that the most-aired films feature a magic car, a straw man and Kenneth Williams.
- 12/24/2023
- by Carmen Aguilar García, Viktor Sunnemark, Michael Goodier and Lucy Swan
- The Guardian - Film News
It's probably the fault of closed-minded, conservative propaganda that the idea of subversiveness within art received a bad reputation. Just as all art is political, all art is (or at least can be) a little subversive. Certainly the dictionary definition of the term, where a work of art intends to undermine the power and/or authority of an established idea, system or value, is heavily akin to the way plot structure tends to be broken down within plays and screenplays: a period of Stasis being interrupted by an Intrusion or Inciting Action, and so on.
Given how weird a number of people are when it comes to the behavior and attitudes toward the Christmas holiday, it's no real surprise that any art having to do with Christmas tends toward subversion. This can manifest in tangential ways (like the slapstick violence of the "Home Alone" series) or direct ways (Santa Claus...
Given how weird a number of people are when it comes to the behavior and attitudes toward the Christmas holiday, it's no real surprise that any art having to do with Christmas tends toward subversion. This can manifest in tangential ways (like the slapstick violence of the "Home Alone" series) or direct ways (Santa Claus...
- 12/16/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
If you’re looking for new ways to unwind before a good night’s rest (or nightmare), Jimmy Stewart’s AI-generated voice has you covered. As reported by Variety, the legendary Hollywood actor’s essence has been newly captured on the Calm sleep and meditation app as he narrates a bedtime story.
“It’s a Wonderful Sleep Story” recounts a “heartwarming new holiday tale” in the style of Stewart’s Christmas classic, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” It’s available to premium subscribers of the app, which costs $69.99 per year.
Though Stewart died in 1997, Calm researchers were able to resurrect his voice using AI voice-cloning technology in collaboration with Respeecher, a Ukraine-based startup that produces synthetic speech and voice clones with machine-learning technology. The company, which worked to recreate Mark Hamill’s voice of Luke Skywalker for The Mandolorian and James Earl Jones’ voice of Darth Vader for Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+,...
“It’s a Wonderful Sleep Story” recounts a “heartwarming new holiday tale” in the style of Stewart’s Christmas classic, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” It’s available to premium subscribers of the app, which costs $69.99 per year.
Though Stewart died in 1997, Calm researchers were able to resurrect his voice using AI voice-cloning technology in collaboration with Respeecher, a Ukraine-based startup that produces synthetic speech and voice clones with machine-learning technology. The company, which worked to recreate Mark Hamill’s voice of Luke Skywalker for The Mandolorian and James Earl Jones’ voice of Darth Vader for Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Kayla Higgins
- Consequence - Film News
Fittingly for a series in which everybody seems to be engaging in some form of Classic Hollywood cosplay, the Rosebud moment in BritBox’s Archie is delivered by an actor playing comedy icon Danny Kaye.
Affecting a stereotypical German therapist accent — accents on top of accents on top of accents is the Archie way — Kaye cautions young Dyan Cannon (Laura Aikman) that her relationship with the more seasoned Cary Grant (Jason Isaacs) is destined for complications with the warning, “Men who have difficult relationships with their mothers always carry it over to the women that they love.”
There’s no reason for Kaye to make such an observation if he hasn’t been watching the two previous hours of Jeff Pope’s four-episode production. But for the series’ actual audience, his analysis will come across as both obvious and superficial — a bit like Archie itself.
Ultimately, it’s a bit more complicated than that.
Affecting a stereotypical German therapist accent — accents on top of accents on top of accents is the Archie way — Kaye cautions young Dyan Cannon (Laura Aikman) that her relationship with the more seasoned Cary Grant (Jason Isaacs) is destined for complications with the warning, “Men who have difficult relationships with their mothers always carry it over to the women that they love.”
There’s no reason for Kaye to make such an observation if he hasn’t been watching the two previous hours of Jeff Pope’s four-episode production. But for the series’ actual audience, his analysis will come across as both obvious and superficial — a bit like Archie itself.
Ultimately, it’s a bit more complicated than that.
- 12/6/2023
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If you’re a premium subscriber of Calm, you can listen to Jimmy Stewart read you a bedtime story, with a little help from AI.
Jimmy Stewart, known for films such as It’s A Wonderful Life, Vertigo and Rear Window, is set to read a bedtime story for users of the relaxation app Calm. “It’s A Wonderful Sleep Story” is available from today (5th December) for subscribers of Calm Premium.
There’s a catch, though. Stewart has been dead since 1997 and Calm has used AI to recreate his voice.
“Well, hello. I’m James Stewart. But, well, you can call me Jimmy,” the voice of Stewart begins the story, as reported by Variety. “Tonight, I’m going to tell you a story. It’s a heartwarming story of love, of loss, of hope and of joy. But most of all, it’s a wonderful sleep story.”
Stewart’s family...
Jimmy Stewart, known for films such as It’s A Wonderful Life, Vertigo and Rear Window, is set to read a bedtime story for users of the relaxation app Calm. “It’s A Wonderful Sleep Story” is available from today (5th December) for subscribers of Calm Premium.
There’s a catch, though. Stewart has been dead since 1997 and Calm has used AI to recreate his voice.
“Well, hello. I’m James Stewart. But, well, you can call me Jimmy,” the voice of Stewart begins the story, as reported by Variety. “Tonight, I’m going to tell you a story. It’s a heartwarming story of love, of loss, of hope and of joy. But most of all, it’s a wonderful sleep story.”
Stewart’s family...
- 12/5/2023
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
“I’m stuck here in this mudhole for life, doing the same full work day after day,” George tells a stranger he meets while leaning over a bridge. George has come to the bridge on a frigid winter night with the intention of throwing himself off and ending it all. “Other men are leading exciting lives, but I – well, I’m just a small-town bank clerk,” he vents. “I never did anything really useful or interesting, and it looks as if I never will. I might just as well be dead. Sometimes I wish I were. In fact, I wish I’d never been born!”
You probably know the above exchange as a scene from It’s a Wonderful Life, the 1946 classic starring Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey and Henry Travers as the lovable, doddering angel second-class Clarence Odbody. But the above quotation actually comes from the short story “The Greatest Gift,...
You probably know the above exchange as a scene from It’s a Wonderful Life, the 1946 classic starring Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey and Henry Travers as the lovable, doddering angel second-class Clarence Odbody. But the above quotation actually comes from the short story “The Greatest Gift,...
- 11/30/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
A grand Hollywood tradition will kick off at 6 Pm on Sunday, as the 91st Hollywood Christmas Parade winds through the streets of the movie capital.
Sunday’s parade will be cohosted by actors Erik Estrada and Dean Cain, joined by Montel Williams, Laura McKenzie, and Elizabeth Stanton.
Pre-parade entertainment will include the Village People, pop-opera singer Anna Azerli, and The Grinch. Parade performers will include the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles and California Springs Rhythmic Gymnastics.
Joining them are Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, dancer-singer Paula Abdul, singer Dwight Yoakum, radio host Kerri Kasem, pop duo Aly & Aj, and actors Chris Kattan, Craig Robinson, Ernie Hudson, Brandon Routh, Ming-Na Wen, Denise Richards and Tatyana Ali.
Overall, the 3.2-mile route will showcase 90 celebrities and Vips, 14 pre-parade and parade performers, 10 bands, six four-story-high character balloons, three floats, 39 movie cars and eight novelty vehicles. The show ends with an appearance by...
Sunday’s parade will be cohosted by actors Erik Estrada and Dean Cain, joined by Montel Williams, Laura McKenzie, and Elizabeth Stanton.
Pre-parade entertainment will include the Village People, pop-opera singer Anna Azerli, and The Grinch. Parade performers will include the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles and California Springs Rhythmic Gymnastics.
Joining them are Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, dancer-singer Paula Abdul, singer Dwight Yoakum, radio host Kerri Kasem, pop duo Aly & Aj, and actors Chris Kattan, Craig Robinson, Ernie Hudson, Brandon Routh, Ming-Na Wen, Denise Richards and Tatyana Ali.
Overall, the 3.2-mile route will showcase 90 celebrities and Vips, 14 pre-parade and parade performers, 10 bands, six four-story-high character balloons, three floats, 39 movie cars and eight novelty vehicles. The show ends with an appearance by...
- 11/25/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Even for the most ardent fans, there are certain movies within the Hallmark canon that touch you so indelibly they become a part of your annual Christmas tradition.
A Biltmore Christmas is about to become a tradition for many by emulating the unique blend of glamour, visually striking style, and compelling storytelling from the Golden Age of Hollywood, starring icons like Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, and Lauren Bacall.
Kristoffer Polaha was born for that era with his versatility as an actor who can exude charm and elegance while also representing the everyman persona. He has the emotional range for dramatic roles and the right comedic touch to bring laughter to the audience.
In the most anticipated movie of the holiday season, Kris uses that talent to bring 1940s actor Jack Huston to life opposite Bethany-Joy Lenz, who is playing his anthesis as a present-day woman hoping to modernize a Christmas classic.
A Biltmore Christmas is about to become a tradition for many by emulating the unique blend of glamour, visually striking style, and compelling storytelling from the Golden Age of Hollywood, starring icons like Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, and Lauren Bacall.
Kristoffer Polaha was born for that era with his versatility as an actor who can exude charm and elegance while also representing the everyman persona. He has the emotional range for dramatic roles and the right comedic touch to bring laughter to the audience.
In the most anticipated movie of the holiday season, Kris uses that talent to bring 1940s actor Jack Huston to life opposite Bethany-Joy Lenz, who is playing his anthesis as a present-day woman hoping to modernize a Christmas classic.
- 11/25/2023
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
Before Martin Scorsese decided to end "Killers of the Flower Moon" with a profound coda set amidst the melodrama of a classic true crime radio show, the filmmaker considered taking inspiration from a controversial, FBI-influenced 1959 movie. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Scorsese opened up about the making of the film's somber surprise ending, and explained that the Jimmy Stewart-led film "The FBI Story," directed by Mervyn LeRoy, was almost the basis for the final sequence.
"It's a series of the greatest hits of the FBI," Scorsese told the outlet, but he didn't exactly offer a glowing review for the movie. He's not alone: it's often been labeled as overt copaganda in retrospect. "It's in beautiful Technicolor and actually has some very well-done scenes, but there is a section on the Osage murders that is reviled by the Native American community," the filmmaker explained, concluding simply, "It's a travesty.
"It's a series of the greatest hits of the FBI," Scorsese told the outlet, but he didn't exactly offer a glowing review for the movie. He's not alone: it's often been labeled as overt copaganda in retrospect. "It's in beautiful Technicolor and actually has some very well-done scenes, but there is a section on the Osage murders that is reviled by the Native American community," the filmmaker explained, concluding simply, "It's a travesty.
- 11/24/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Thank goodness Justin Long has stuck around. After breaking out in the frightfully gross road movie “Jeepers Creepers” and popping in aughts comedies like “Dodgeball” and “Accepted,” the 45-year-old has been on screen long enough to be getting genre-movie roles tailor-made for him — or at least uniquely suited to his strength — playing (not so) “nice guys” in all their dishonesty.
Having tested the waters as an East Coast professor on probation in “After Class” and an idiot Hollywood hotshot facing a #MeToo storm in last year’s “Barbarian,” Long follows up as the big bad in the horror comedy “It’s a Wonderful Knife,” released in theaters Nov. 10, before streaming on Shudder down the road. As the murderous mogul Henry Waters, who slices down anyone that stands in the way of his town’s redevelopment, Long steals the show once again. His have-at-it fun and eerie eyes provide a manic glee...
Having tested the waters as an East Coast professor on probation in “After Class” and an idiot Hollywood hotshot facing a #MeToo storm in last year’s “Barbarian,” Long follows up as the big bad in the horror comedy “It’s a Wonderful Knife,” released in theaters Nov. 10, before streaming on Shudder down the road. As the murderous mogul Henry Waters, who slices down anyone that stands in the way of his town’s redevelopment, Long steals the show once again. His have-at-it fun and eerie eyes provide a manic glee...
- 11/10/2023
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Warning: This article discusses the ending of “Anatomy of a Fall.”
“Anatomy of a Fall,” the new French mystery film, takes its title directly from “Anatomy of a Murder,” Otto Preminger’s 1959 courtroom drama starring Jimmy Stewart. Director Justine Triet saw the Preminger classic about a decade ago and kept the film in her mind as she was developing her own modern tale of intrigue, secrets, and marriage on trial.
And similar to the 1959 movie, “Anatomy of a Fall” does come to a conclusion, in a way, at least in the courtroom. A verdict is delivered. The Palme d’Or winner at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the film ends with the character of Sandra (Sandra Hüller) being acquitted for the murder of her husband. At the movie’s start, he dies off-screen after plunging from a balcony at the chalet where they live with their son Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner...
“Anatomy of a Fall,” the new French mystery film, takes its title directly from “Anatomy of a Murder,” Otto Preminger’s 1959 courtroom drama starring Jimmy Stewart. Director Justine Triet saw the Preminger classic about a decade ago and kept the film in her mind as she was developing her own modern tale of intrigue, secrets, and marriage on trial.
And similar to the 1959 movie, “Anatomy of a Fall” does come to a conclusion, in a way, at least in the courtroom. A verdict is delivered. The Palme d’Or winner at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the film ends with the character of Sandra (Sandra Hüller) being acquitted for the murder of her husband. At the movie’s start, he dies off-screen after plunging from a balcony at the chalet where they live with their son Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner...
- 11/1/2023
- by Joe McGovern
- The Wrap
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It seems a little trite and obvious to put into words, but the film "Oppenheimer" had to be made carefully when it came to the movie's optics. The ostensible protagonist of the biopic is J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy), a man whose life and legacy are fraught with numerous political, social, and moral issues that cannot be easily resolved in reality, let alone a single motion picture. Added to that is writer/director Christopher Nolan's unique approach to telling his story, which revolves around adopting an intensely subjective point of view, an aesthetic that began with the movie's script being written in the first person (from Oppenheimer's perspective) and continued as far as the depiction of a number of surreal, dreamlike visions that Oppenheimer experiences during the film.
In adapting the book "American Prometheus" by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin,...
It seems a little trite and obvious to put into words, but the film "Oppenheimer" had to be made carefully when it came to the movie's optics. The ostensible protagonist of the biopic is J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy), a man whose life and legacy are fraught with numerous political, social, and moral issues that cannot be easily resolved in reality, let alone a single motion picture. Added to that is writer/director Christopher Nolan's unique approach to telling his story, which revolves around adopting an intensely subjective point of view, an aesthetic that began with the movie's script being written in the first person (from Oppenheimer's perspective) and continued as far as the depiction of a number of surreal, dreamlike visions that Oppenheimer experiences during the film.
In adapting the book "American Prometheus" by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin,...
- 10/26/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
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