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With his feature film directorial debut, Hungarian émigré Peter Medak created a provocative U.K. classic and launched one of the most unique careers in cinema history: When a young couple—Peter McEnery of Entertaining Mr. Sloane and two-time Academy Award winner Glenda Jackson in her film debut—grows bored with their kinky roleplay games, they invite an uninhibited photographer (Academy Award nominee Diane Cilento of Tom Jones and The Wicker Man) to come between them. Maurice Denham (Sunday Bloody Sunday) co-stars in the groundbreaking 1968 drama that “leaves nothing to the imagination” (NY Daily News), now scanned in 4K from the original camera negative by the British Film Institute. Also included is a bonus disc of the “magnificent” (NY Post) 1963 comedy Sparrows Can’t Sing starring James Booth (Zulu) and Barbara Windsor (the Carry On series)—directed by Joan Littlewood (Oh! What a Lovely War) and assistant directed by Medak...

Olga Photo: Courtesy of Glasgow Film Festival

Olga, streaming free now on All4

Real-life gymnast Anastasia Budiashkina stars as the title character, a 15-year-old sportswoman who moves to Switzerland to train as the 2014 Revolution of Dignity is beginning. As the youngster focuses her efforts on the upcoming European championships, her journalist mother (Tanya Mikhina) becomes caught up in protests in Kyiv’s Maidan Square. Director Elie Grappe offers a taut character study that shows Olga’s determination in her sport alongside the day-to-day challenges of being resident in a new country and the pull of duty to her homeland. The young protagonist and economical storytelling also make this an accessible tale for teenagers of the same age.

Zulu, 9pm, Legend Extra, Monday, July 21

Jennie Kermode writes: In between the days of jingoistic adventure tales about the glory of the British Empire and the later, brutal admonishments of colonialism’s true legacy,...

Prince William and Kate Middelton shred a sweet tribute to their adorable dog, Orla, on National Pet Day. The couple recently returned from a family ski trip in the French Alps. They were with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, and released this rare family snap.

William And Kate Celebrated Their Dog, Orla

The royal couple took to Instagram and posed a never-before-seen picture of their black cocker spaniel, Orla, to commemorate the annual Celebration of Pets.

The Future King and Queen of England wrote, “Celebrating the animals who bring so much joy, companionship, and love to our lives this National Pet Day.” Beside the post were cute paw prints and dog emojis.

The message was accompanied by a picture of beautiful Orla, who was sitting in the grass staring off into the distance. Her coat appeared wet after she had seemingly had an epic outdoor adventure.

Exclusive: Federation Studios has launched a Jv with acclaimed French director-producer Jérôme Salle.

The studio has taken a 51% majority stake in Syzygy, the new outfit opened by the Anthony Zimmer, The Odyssey and Zulu helmer.

Syzygy will develop and produce premium international films and series, primarily for traditional platforms and broadcasters but also for potential theatrical release. He will work as a showrunner and director or as a producer, depending on the project.

With Federation’s support, Salle is now in a “position to produce three big-budget series of international scope,” according to Federation boss Pascal Breton, who called him a “formidable film and series director.”

Salle said: “Following two rewarding projects as a director and producer in the series realm, I am pleased to join forces with Federation. Together our expertise fuels the development of a slate of ambitious international productions.”

Salle’s best known projects include Anthony Zimmer,...

Exclusive: Rumors have swirled that Federation Studios is on the block for more than a year now and today we can exclusively reveal that a hefty chunk of the French powerhouse producer-distributor is up for grabs.

Bosses at the Around the World in 80 Days and The Bureau studio told us that they are seeking hundreds of millions of pounds in investment via the sale of a minimum 40% stake of the company, while valuing Federation at around the €500M to €600M ($513M to $616M) mark. Montefiore Investments, which in 2021 invested €50M in Federation for one third of the studio, is exiting, while BNP Paribas and Bpifrance remain minority investors. Founders Pascal Breton and Lionel Uzan, along with Group Co-md Marco Chimenz, are heading to America to kickstart what they are calling their next growth phase, having appointed Morgan Stanley as advisor.

“The potential for growth is extremely strong, especially in Europe,...

Throughout film history, the war genre has always been very appealing to many different audiences. Directors put tedious effort into choreographing epic battles while trying to honor the truth in historically defining moments. War films draw attention from both history buffs and general film lovers who are looking to see extravagance on the big screen.

The war genre has no shortage of content and many films are still being made today, capturing the past to the best likeness. Currently, the Peacock streaming network is home to numerous war movies, some of which are the best ever made.

Zulu Chronicles the British Defeat at the Hands of the Zulu Nation Zulu (1964)

Zulu follows the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879 where colonial British Forces were defeated by the Zulu nation. Less than 200 British forces went up against over 4000 Zulu warriors in one of the most significant battles of the Anglo-Zulu war at Rorke's Drift.

One of the many reasons that Michael Caine is often cited as being one of the greatest actors of all-time is his ability to reinvent himself. Although Caine became a star thanks to his charismatic performances in Sleuth and Alfie, he was able to stay relevant to a younger generation thanks to the key roles he played in The Muppet Christmas Carol and the various films directed by Christopher Nolan. It is great to see that Caine was able to stay so active, but he did have to step away from some of the genres he was most closely associated with due to his advancing age; early on in his career, Caine played many military serviceman and morally ambiguous criminals. Hollywood does not often give the chance to older actors to get one last shot at the spotlight, but Caine gave one of his best performances ever in the gritty crime thriller Harry Brown,...

Warning: Contains Spoilers for X-Men (2024), Uncanny X-Men (2024), & Storm (2024)

With a long, confusing backstory, full deaths and disappearances, to his credit, one of the X-Men franchise's controversially grossest and most forgotten heroes returns to the fray. Last officially seen in Madelyne Pryor’s Dark X-Men, infamous mutant Maggot set out on an open sea voyage alongside the Morlocks and their leader. Now, it seems that he is returning to action, joining one of the X-Men’s many fractured factions.

As announced by Marvel, the upcoming Storm #6 is part of the "Raid on Graymalkin" crossover event. Following Charles Xavier’s liberation from the Graymalkin Prison, the once-leader of the X-Men is on the run from friends and foes alike, leaving the various X-teams to decide how to best handle Xavier’s freedom.

Storm #6 (2024)

Release Date:

March 5, 2025

Writer:

Murewa Ayodele

Artist:

Lucas Werneck

Cover Artist:

Mateus Manhanini

X-Manhunt Part Three! Fugitive...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Nicholas Meyer's 1991 film "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" was a good sendoff for the original cast of "Star Trek." It had been 25 years since "Star Trek" debuted, and the franchise had already found new footing with "Star Trek: The Next Generation," a series that was in its fourth season when "The Undiscovered Country" came out. The film was about the collapse of the Klingon Empire and the beginning of a new era of peace. Naturally, there were secret bad actors afoot who wanted to keep the Cold War between the Federation and the Klingons raging, and the sixth flick in the franchise follows the fallout after an assassination attempt. It's just as much Tom Clancy as it is a space adventure.

The film ended with the U.S.S. Enterprise saving the day, and the crew — Walter Koenig,...

Fever 333 have canceled their Fall 2024 US and overseas tour dates due to singer Jason Aalon Butler’s ongoing battle with depression.

The trek was set to kick off on October 17th with support from Zulu, and the news comes just over a week before the October 4th release of Fever 333’s new album, Darker White.

Butler opened up about his battle with depression in an Instagram video [as transcribed by Lambgoat]:

“Hey everybody, it’s your friend Jason Aalon. I come to you admittedly a bit uncomfortable and afraid, but grateful for the opportunity to be honest. Recently I’ve been faced with my most significant and challenging struggle with depression. And in a rather unusual turn of events, I became deeply depressed at a time where one would expect to be excitedly anticipating the release of a new album and a tour to support it.

And while I’m no stranger to these feelings,...

Starz has announced the movie and TV titles that will be available on the service in September. The Starz September 2024 schedule includes the premiere of Three Women, a limited series based on the New York Times bestselling book that explores female desire through the compellingly raw and honest stories of three women on a crash course to radically change their lives.

Part Two of the final season of Power Book II: Ghost will also premiere. On the film front, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Imaginary, Arthur the King, Knock at the Cabin, The Strangers: Chapter 1, Training Day, Ant-Man, and several other notable titles will join the Starz app this month.

Three Women Starz Highlights

Power Book II: Ghost Season 4 Part 2

The second half of the fourth and final season of “Power Book II: Ghost” premieres on Friday, September 6, at midnight Et on the Starz app. On linear, it will air on Starz at 8:00 p.

The Acolyte dives into a dark mystery of Jedi being hunted, hinting at sinister forces at play. The cast includes Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, and Rebecca Henderson in key roles. Carrie-Anne Moss and Jodie Turner-Smith join the ensemble in roles of skilled Jedi and witches.

Here's everything you need to know about the cast and characters of The Acolyte. The future of Star Wars lies in the past - specifically, a century before the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. This was the end of the High Republic Era, the golden age of the Jedi and the Republic.

The Acolyte is helmed by Leslye Headland, of Russian Doll fame. Its unique setting means the Disney+ TV show largely focuses on brand new characters, and The Acolyte episode 3 even introduced a brand new Force cult. Here's all you need to know about the cast and characters of The Acolyte.

On Thursday’s episode of radio show The Breakfast Club, Tyla refused to answer a question she had spoken to publicly at least twice before: What does it mean that she calls herself a Coloured woman from South Africa? Of course, controversial host Charlamagne tha God framed the query in context of tense discourse that’s erupted around her racial identity since the 22 year-old Grammy winner took the world by storm with “Water.”

“School me on these debates that they be having,” he said, prefacing his question. In response, Tyla...

On Wednesday, June 5, 2024, Good Morning America will feature interviews with actress Amandla Stenberg and author Shaunie Henderson. Amandla Stenberg, an American actress and singer, will discuss her role in the upcoming Star Wars series The Acolyte. Stenberg, who was named for the Zulu and Xhosa word for “power,” first gained recognition for her […]

Good Morning America: Amandla Stenberg, Shaunie Henderson...

Christopher Nolan has earned numerous accolades for his work in the cinema. He recently took home his maiden Academy Award. And, now he is about to get a whole new honor that only a few can boast of.

Christopher Nolan on a film set. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/HellaCinema

Start calling him Sir Christopher Nolan from now onwards. The Oscar-winning filmmaker and his wife producer Emma Thomas are to receive a knighthood and damehood for their services to the movie industry.

Suggested“The film has lost none of its power”: Steven Spielberg’s War Movie is so Legendary Even Christopher Nolan Didn’t Want to Compete With It

Nolan and Thomas have collaborated on all of his major feature films, including The Dark Knight trilogy, 2010’s Inception, 2014’s Interstellar, 2017’s Dunkirk, and 2020’s Tenet. However, Nolan is not the only member of The Dark Knight trilogy to receive this honor from the Royal family.

Alec Mills, who served as a camera operator on five James Bond films before graduating to cinematographer on the Timothy Dalton-starring The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill, has died. He was 91.

Mills died Monday, his son, Simon Mills, announced. He battled dementia and was living in an assisted care home in Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, he said.

For 007 movies, Mills operated a camera on Peter Hunt’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), Lewis Gilbert’s The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979), and John Glen’s For Your Eyes Only (1981) and Octopussy (1983).

Glen then made him his director of photography on the only two Bond films to star Dalton, The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989), with the latter shooting mostly at Churubusco Studios in Mexico City.

Mills also was a camera operator on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1969), Roman Polanski’s Tragedy of Macbeth (1971), Gulliver’s Travels (1973), John Guillermin’s...

It’s Oscar night 1987, Jeff Bridges and Sigourney Weaver are dressed up all fancy, ready to tear open that majestic envelope and read the name of the best supporting actor of the year. The competition was tough but when but the victor of the night was that of Sir Michael Caine for his wonderful performance in the Woody Allen flick Hannah and Her Sisters. The audiences erupted with applause as they celebrated Mr. Caine’s triumphant Oscar glory. But then silence nothing… the actor is nowhere to be found. Where could he be? What event could drag him away from this ceremony? Unfortunately, it would turn out the Michael Caine was stuck in the furious jaws of Universal and was out battling stupid sharks instead. That’s right, Michael Caine missed this Oscars because of Jaws: The Revenge. Was it worth it? Of the universally panned sharkie fourquel, Michael Caine said,...

Phoenix has dropped a new iteration of their song “All Eyes on Me” featuring Pusha T, the Neptunes’ Chad Hugo, and New Zealand singer Benee.

“A huge thank you to le Roi Pusha-t — most played artist in our backstage,” Phoenix said in a statement. “To Chad Hugo, who always showed up when we were playing in Virginia, it’s about time we worked together! And to Benee, who worked at light speed to make this happen and added some magic. Merci!!!”

Pusha T previously teamed up with Phoenix on stage...

A group of 200 internationally renowned writers, publishers, directors and producers have signed an open letter sounding the alarm over the implications of AI for human creativity.

“Several generative models of language and images have recently appeared in the public and private domains; they are developing at breakneck speed, accessible to all for any task which involves writing and creating,” read the letter, published online on Tuesday.

“These models are shaping a world where, little by little, creation can do without human beings, thereby hastening the automation of many creative and intellectual professions formerly deemed inaccessible to mechanization.”

The letter, initiated by European translation professionals under the banner of “Collective For Human Translation – In Flesh And Blood”, comes amid growing concern about the impact of generative AI technology on professionals working in the creative industries.

Signatories from the literary world included Nobel Prize-winning author Annie Ernaux (Happening) as well as best-selling...

Fasten your seat belts! African streamer Showmax and Canal+ are getting ready to go pedal to the metal.

The streaming company, co-owned by African pay-tv giant MultiChoice Group and Comcast, and the French pay TV giant has released a trailer for the eight-part gangster and extreme sports drama Spinners, which The Hollywood Reporter is revealing exclusively.

The companies’ third co-production, set in South Africa’s Cape Town, became the first African show to take part in CanneSeries’ main competition.

Spinners follows Ethan (Cantona James), a 17-year-old driver working for a gang who is trying to support his younger brother and discovers a possible way out of gang life: spinning, an extreme motorsport that features drivers performing jaw-dropping daredevil stunts. However, a looming gang war jeopardizes his plans.

The cast includes James (Arendsvlei) and Chelsea Thomas (Arendsvlei) in leading roles, along with Elton Landrew (Recipes for Love & Murder); Dillon Windvogel...

Michael Caine has lashed out at the claim one of his films might inspire possible terrorists.

The actor questioned the 1964 film Zulu’s recent labelling as a “key text” for “white nationalists and supremacists”.

Zulu depicts the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, which occurred during the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879.

According to William Shawcross’ research into the counter-terrorisim programme Prevent, the film could provide inspiration for members of the far-right.

Alongside Zulu, war film The Dam Busters was also named by Shawcross as well as political sitcoms Yes Minister and The Thick of It. The complete works of William Shakespeare were flagged, too.

Caine, who turns 90 on Tuesday (14 March), condemned Zulu’s placement to The Spectator, calling it the “biggest load of bulls***”.

The actor said in the new interview he has no career regrets, stating: “There are no films I wish I hadn’t made. I got paid for all of them.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” opens with its characters dressed entirely in white, presenting a stark and symbolic contrast to its blockbuster predecessor that depicted Africa in the brightest of colors.

Angela Bassett solemnly walks down the dirt paths of Wakanda as Queen Ramonda, wearing a white version of her signature isicholo that is almost identical to the one her character wore on the big screen four years ago for the coronation of the son whom she is now burying.

The camera then shifts to Letitia Wright’s Shuri, the princess and prodigy who was once chastised for her tendency to “scoff at tradition,” now wearing a white funeral shroud and tusk earrings while holding the mask of the fallen Black Panther, King T’Challa.

This is how director Ryan Coogler opens this dignified, somber tribute to Chadwick Boseman, with a funeral on a bright day in Marvel’s afrofuturist kingdom,...

Ludacris, pictured, has had Chaka Zulu as his long-time manager. Pic credit: ©ImageCollect.com/StarMaxWorldwide

Ludacris’ longtime manager Chaka Zulu has been arrested on a murder charge.

The music executive, whose real name is Ahmed Obafemi, was involved in a triple shooting in June that left a young man dead.

He was also charged with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and simple battery, per jail records.

Zulu was also wounded in the exchange of gunfire and claimed he acted in self-defense.

He is the co-founder of Ludacris’ record label Disturbing tha Peace.

Zulu turned himself in earlier this week and was released the same day after posting 200,000 bond, per CNN.

Chaka Zulu’s lawyer demands justice, says there is surveillance footage of the shooting

Zulu was one of three men shot during the exchange of gunfire on June 26. The music executive was reportedly...

Ludacris’ longtime manager Chaka Zulu was charged with murder this week in connection to an Atlanta shooting in June where three people, including himself, were shot and one person was killed.

Fulton County Jail records show that Zulu, legal name Ahmed Obafemi, turned himself in on Tuesday on charges of murder, aggravated assault, simple battery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was released that same day on 200,000 bond.

The shooting occurred June 26 around 11:35 p.m. outside an Atlanta-area restaurant, following an altercation in a parking lot.

The major cast for King Shaka has been locked in as Showtime gears up to begin production on the epic series inspired by the life of Zulu's greatest monarch King Shaka. A legendary warrior king who engraved his name in the sands of time by utilizing unique battle techniques combined with strategic alliances, King Shaka built Zulu into a formidable kingdom revered across boarders in its prime. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Mustafa Shakir, Terry Pheto, and Lerato Mvelase are the latest cast additions unveiled by Showtime. They will be joining previously announced Charles Babalola who has a big shoe to fill in the lead titular role.

BET+ has picked up the U.S. streaming rights to South African-produced sci-fi survival thriller “Pulse.”

“Pulse” tells the explosive story of an electromagnetic pulse that disables a secure building and disrupts the bio-electric signals in everyone’s minds, trapping a group of video game designers and turning each floor into a psychotic battlefield. The show questions whether the modern human race can really survive without the technology that defines our way of life today.

The series shot in South Africa as well as Mauritius.

The 6 x 60’ show was created by Hilton Treves, the visionary Oscar and BAFTA-winning VFX team behind such films as “Skyfall,” “Harry Potter,” “Fargo” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” The team includes executive producer Steve Lanning, producers Jake Lanning, Ben Lanning and Potego Matseke, writer Stephen R. Clarke, and director and producer Sallas De Jager.

“Pulse” is produced by Media Musketeers, Forlan Film, Showmax and The Mediapro Studio.

By all accounts, Mariel Semonte Orr was a natural-born leader — intelligent and level-headed, with a scene-stealing personality. Orr, also known as the Atlanta rapper Trouble, deserved a shot at rap’s big leagues, and nearly everyone who spoke for this article believed he would have soon received it.

In the early hours of June 5, Orr was shot and killed during what police say was a domestic dispute in the Atlanta suburb of Conyers. He died at a nearby hospital hours later at age 34, before friends, fans and family would see him realize his full potential.

Ludacris’ longtime manager Chaka Zulu was shot Sunday night, June 26, in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, local news station 11 Alive reports.

Zulu, a music industry veteran, was one of three people shot around 11:35 p.m. last night. All three were transported to the hospital, where one was pronounced dead.

Zulu is reportedly in stable condition according to a reporter for another local news outlet, Wsbtv, who received a text from former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed: “We are fortunate to report that Chaka Zulu is in stable condition and recovering.

“Kompromat,” an anticipated spy thriller directed by Jerome Salle with Gilles Lellouche (“The Stronghold”) and Joanna Kulig (“Cold War”), has been sold by Snd to distributors in key territories.

Inspired by a true story, “Kompromat” stars Lellouche as a French diplomat working in Siberia who discovers he is being framed by the Fbs and has to find his way out of the trap. On top of directing the film, Salle also produced it at Super 8.

Snd, which is co-producing the pic, has sold it to Germany, Austria and Italy (Koch Media), Spain (A Contracorriente), Switzerland (Pathé), Benelux (Athena), Australia and New Zealand (Palace), Poland (Monolith) and Ex Yugoslavia (Blitz).

Snd will host a virtual market premiere for “Kompromat” later this week, in the run up to the Berlin Film Festival.

“We’re really happy to finally be able to show this film to buyers who trusted us and to...

Pascal Breton’s Federation Entertainment is set to develop “Monte-Cristo,” an ambitious series adapted from Alexandre Dumas’ literary classic, to be directed by Jérôme Salle.

“Monte-Cristo,” written by Dan Franck, will be a modern reimagining of Dumas’ 1844 classic “The Count of Monte Cristo” and will be set in the 21st century to tackle contemporary issues.

The series will follow Edmond Dantès, a promising young man who is falsely arrested and imprisoned without trial in a South American prison after witnessing a crime. He finally gets out of jail and returns to Paris with a vast fortune inherited from a former inmate, ready to avenge himself from the so-called friends in high places who framed him and led to his imprisonment.

“Adapting Monte-Cristo today…means portraying a legendary hero who is knocking down one by one the powerful figures who (betrayed him),” said Franck, whose screenwriting credits include Olivier Assayas’ “Carlos.

During the 2020 lockdowns and ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, people at home sought isolated comfort. News reports continued to count the number of dead while people in charge downplayed its seriousness or offered dubious advice on dealing with the disease. It certainly didn’t interrupt many golf games. As workers were furloughed from jobs, they binged. One of the movies at the top of the playlist was The Masque of the Red Death, Roger Corman’s 1964 low budget masterpiece.

It told the tale of a wealthy medieval prince in a country decimated by an epidemic. The satanic overlord, played by the legendary actor and horror icon Vincent Price, locks his gates to his god-fearing dominions while he and his friends party like it’s 1999.

Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” is about 2,300 words. Corman’s adaptation, which has been fully restored and can now be seen in its lush,...

In the fall of 2010, Peter M. Lenkov took a big gamble, re-envisioning a well-remembered police procedural from the past for new generations. 

It was a bet that paid off big time as Hawaii Five-0 said "Aloha" after 10 seasons on Hawaii Five-0 Season 10 Episode 22.

Reboots are a tricky business as creators are messing with viewers' sense of nostalgia.

Five-0 is undoubtedly the most successful reboot. Other top-notch efforts include One Day at a Time, Battlestar Galactica, Charmed, Roswell, Dynasty, and Lost in Space.

Consigned to the scraphead of history are such messes as Charlie's Angels and Bionic Woman. 

Lenkov, previously known as executive producer of CSI: New York and 24, made all the right moves with this reboot.

He kept the gorgeous scenery of Hawaii as the backdrop for exciting action sequences.

He kept the iconic theme song, one of the two best themes in TV history.

That's what they call...

Monica's officially calling it quits with her ex-nba baller husband, Shannon Brown ... she's filed for divorce. The singer filed the paperwork earlier this month in Atlanta. Monica and Shannon have a 5-year-old daughter named Laiyah together, and she has 2 sons from a previous relationship with rapper Rocko. So far there are no details on whether she's seeking child or spousal support ... but we've learned Monica was unsuccessful in sealing the divorce docs. The couple wed...

The kind of place where you know everyone and everyone knows you — that’s how the residents of Butte, Montana describe their sleepy hometown in “Zulu Summer.” A lot of towns fit that description, but not too many have hosted foreign delegations from the Zulu tribe. Joseph Litzinger and Eric Michael Schrader’s documentary, which just had its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, follows the stranger-than-fiction story of Prince Siboniso Zulu’s quest to learn more about America by visiting the heartland all the way from his own home of Nongoma, South Africa — a summer-long stay made even more notable by how long it took his eventual hosts to realize he was being serious about it.

Neither location jumps out as either a tourist destination or cultural hotspot, with Butte’s residents being the first to tell you that few visit the town of 34,000 unless they...

It causes mysterious illnesses, haunts children’s nightmares, and provides regular fodder for South African tabloid scribes. (Typical headline: “Tokoloshe Made Me A Sex Slave.”) Now the diminutive, mischievous, sinister spirit known as the tokoloshe is making the leap from Zulu myth to the big screen in director Jerome Pikwane’s feature debut, which opens the Durban Int’l. Film Festival July 19.

“The Tokoloshe” is a psychological thriller about a destitute hospital cleaner, Busi (Petronella Tshuma), who’s forced to confront the demons of her past to try to save a child’s life. Setting it against the harrowing backdrop of child abuse and sexual violence in South Africa, Pikwane – who co-wrote the script with novelist Richard Kunzmann – offers a film that, as with so many of the best horror flicks, is equal parts scarer and social commentary.

“Originally, we were going to do a straight out horror film—you know,...

MaryAnn’s quick take… A brilliantly thrilling look back at the flowering of creativity and freethinking spirit of 1960s London, through the thoroughly charming perspective of Michael Caine. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto) women’s participation in this film

(learn more about this)

I have never felt sorry to have missed the 1960s (I didn’t come along until the final few months of that decade) until I saw the brilliantly thrilling documentary My Generation last year at London Film Festival. Now it’s available on DVD and streaming (in the UK), so everyone can — and should — check out its can’t-miss look at how the burgeoning youth culture of that decade, particularly the hugely influential flowering of it that was centered in London, changed the world forever.

What makes this film stand out...

What a deft, lean storyteller this Paweł Pawlikowski has become. The five-year gap between his latest film, teasingly titled Cold War and given a berth in competition at Cannes, and Ida (which premiered in Toronto in 2013 and spent almost two years on the festival circuit) must have felt like an age. Indeed, if there’s one thing we’re never asked to endure in the Polish-born filmmaker’s work, it’s that very nuisance: time. The days and years never drag in his world; instead they seem to skip like a needle across the grooves of a battered record. Cold War depicts a sweeping romance that takes us through four countries and almost a decade-and-a-half. It’s 84 minutes long.

Joanna Kulig and Tomasz Kot play, respectively, Zula and Wiktor, two star-crossed lovers who meet in Poland in 1949 when Zula auditions for a folk choir that Wiktor has been hired to conduct.

A broken love story about broken people in a broken country, Paweł Pawlikowski’s “Cold War” is nothing if not true to its title. Barren even in its fleeting moments of joy, and emotionally inaccessible to the extreme, the film is dark enough to make the director’s Oscar-winning “Ida” feel like a frivolous comedy. And yet, as irreparable as these characters might seem, there’s something beautiful about watching them, in less than 90 minutes, try to fix each other over the course of 20 years — to become whole at any cost, long after they’ve forgotten what that really feels like.

Romance must have been hard to find in post-war Poland. We meet Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) in 1949. A wiry music conductor who’s taken a job at a folk-music academy, Wiktor drives around the remote tundras of the country’s outer rim with his recorder, searching for signs of life.

Raising Caine

By Mark Mawston

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Cinema Retro was invited to the special preview screening of the new documentary film My Generation, which is to be screened with a Q&A with narrator Sir Michael Caine in selected cinemas throughout the UK on March 14th 2018.

Lt. Gonville Bromhead, Harry Palmer, Jack Carter, Charlie Croker and simply Alfie: these key names in British cinema all have one thing in common- they all share the iconic characteristics of one man and, bar Carter, all come from the latter part of the era that defined him as one of the “Faces” of the 60s, Sir Michael Caine. From A-z, Alfie to Zulu, this is an actor whose roles literally cover all the bases when it comes to memorable 60s cinema, although, as Caine himself points out, “The 60s didn’t really end till 1971” so that being the release date of Get Carter,...

As his documentary about the 1960s opens, the veteran actor talks working-class culture, Woody Allen and why he never liked drugs

Now 84, Michael Caine has appeared in 127 films, including Zulu, Alfie and The Italian Job, and been Oscar-nominated six times, winning twice. Caine is the narrator, co-producer and star of new documentary film My Generation, about his journey through 1960s London.

What inspired you to make My Generation?

Simon Fuller [Spice Girls/Pop Idol svengali] and I are friends, and over dinner, conversation kept coming round to the 60s. He was too young, so was always asking about it. One evening he said, “Let’s make a documentary. You can tell the stories and I’ll find the music.” It’s taken a few years, but that’s what we did. I have a very good memory, which is fortunate at my age, so there’s a lot of material left over. We’re turning...

Good news for those who would trade all the Vibranium in the world for a one-way ticket to Wakanda: All 14 songs on “Black Panther: The Album” are now available online. The genre-defying soundtrack is an infusion of hip-hop and R&B, soul and disco, even sampling lyrics sung in Zulu, a language mostly spoken in South Africa. Its executive producer is rapper Kendrick Lamar, who won four Grammy Awards on January 28.

Lamar is credited as a writer on each anthem, including “All the Stars,” his latest collaboration with Sza, which garnered the album’s first music video on February 6 (see below). The Weeknd, Future, Khalid, Vince Staples, James Blake, 2 Chainz, and Zacari, are among those who also leant their voices to the collection. The latter also appeared appeared in “Love,” a Lamar video released a few days before Christmas, which teased his “Black Panther” involvement by including a brief...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Tuesday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best show currently on TV?” can be found at the end of this post.)

This week’s question: What is your favorite murder mystery show?

Erik Adams (@ErikMAdams), A.V. Club

It has to be “Twin Peaks,” right? I’m one of those annoying people who insists the show is so much more than “Who killed Laura Palmer?”, but that is our entry point to David Lynch and Mark Frost’s weird little world, and the question that briefly made “Twin Peaks” a pop-culture phenomenon. And the chapters of the series that deal with finding Laura’s murderer are some of the most compelling, from the dream-sequence enhanced “Zen, Or The Skill To Catch A Killer” or the eventual solution to the mystery, a...

Cult 70s TV star Zulu is fighting for his life after triple bypass heart surgery. The 63-year-old star of "Hawaii Five-O" (1968) - whose real name is Gilbert Kauhi - is battling against diabetes and kidney failure. Close friend Keau Miki Akui, program director at KCCN radio in Honolulu, says, "The prognosis has not been good." Zulu is now recovering at his home after the operation at Honolulu's St Francis hospital. The suffering actor's co-star Doug Mossman reveals, "His health has been declining for the past several years."...